Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

I’ve been on the road a lot lately. And as I travel, I often think about how to reach my destination while also making the experience a positive one. For me, that means trying to learn while I drive by listening to helpful podcasts, audio-books, or news programs. Or sometimes it means connecting with friends […] The post PMP:136 Crucial Conversations for Reaching Targeted Destinations appeared first on Principal Matters.

In a recent conversation with author and generation expert Dr. Tim Elmore, he shared how many students are affected by “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out). For many young people, this condition is demonstrated by a preoccupation with wanting to constantly know what is happening with peers or social media contacts. FOMO can sometimes lead to […] The post PMP:135 Using FOMO for Positive School Culture with Kim Coody appeared first on Principal Matters.

How do engage students while also understanding the unique challenges and strengths of Generation Z students? Several years ago, I was introduced to Dr. Tim Elmore through his curriculum and online resources for leadership. He is known as an expert in researching generational trends and is the author of dozens of books on developing leadership. […] The post PMP:134 Creating Engaging Cultures with Dr. Tim Elmore appeared first on Principal Matters.

Five years ago this month, our son Jack was diagnosed with a rare disease called Kawasaki that brought our normal world to a stand still as we circled together searching for answers and praying for his healing. The disease inflames the blood vessel, and if untreated, it can be fatal. As I look back at […] The post PMP:133 Three Reasons to be Thankful appeared first on Principal Matters.

The European Space Agency’s historical comet landing of the spacecraft Rosetta in 2014 was an amazing feat. Imagine organizing a team of scientists and space engineers who design and launch a spacecraft with the goal of intersecting with a comet 500 million kilometers from Earth. Then imagine ten years later, your findings show the spacecraft […] The post PMP:Encore043 What Can You Accomplish Together? appeared first on Principal Matters.

During my second year as a high school assistant principal, I received notice one morning that a number of students were missing items from their lockers. Upon further investigation, we discovered that in one hallway of the school, an entire row of lockers had broken into and contents were missing from several. Thankfully, we had […] The post PMP:132 Frameworks for Managing Student Discipline appeared first on Principal Matters.

On Tuesday, September 25, 2018, I walked into a D.C. high school called School Without Walls, a four-story building interspersed with hallways full of art. I saw hand-built go-carts with bicycle parts lining a floor-way. Sky-lights hovering over walls of exposed brick created a sense of old and new. Expansions to the building allow School […] The post PMP:131 School Without Walls – Interview with Richard Trogisch appeared first on Principal Matters.

Several years ago, Oklahoma received one of the worst blizzards I had ever seen in a state that sometimes has no snow fall during winter. As our community was plunged into a blanket of white with drifts of 3-4 feet deep, roads were impassable, and schools were closed. With days of wintery weather, I finally […] The post PMP:130 Five Lessons in Resilience – Reflections from Unbroken appeared first on Principal Matters.

This time of year, I’m on the road a lot visiting schools across my state. As I drive across Oklahoma, trees and fields have been brushed with the red and orange hues of fall. Rivers are swollen with much needed rains. And you can feel the first hints of winter’s chill in the strong prairie […] The post PMP:129 Why School Culture Matters – Interview with Heather Shaffery appeared first on Principal Matters.

How can schools integrate technology across all classrooms?Janalyn Taylor, Principal of Nance Elementary in Clinton, Oklahoma, believes that school leaders must be willing to model learning and teaching with technology in order to see teachers and students embracing its innovative uses. In a recent webinar conversation, Ms. Taylor explains how her school has embedded technology […] The post PMP:128 Integrating Technology School-wide with Janalyn Taylor appeared first on Principal Matters.