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

I’m a frequent flyer. The more I fly, the harder I find it is to stay focused when flight attendants are reviewing safety procedures. They could be standing right in front of me with the safety cards in hand, but I’ve heard it so many times, I usually think about something else. On the other […] The post PMP:111 Reflections for Education Leaders & Wearing Your Air Mask appeared first on Principal Matters.

Last year my student council members came to see me about an idea they had for finishing the year with positivity. These student leaders wanted to end the year was by doing something to help others. They designed an amazing idea called “BARK” week. With the school mascot being a Bulldog, the theme fit perfectly. […] The post PMPEncore065: Ending the School Year with Celebration appeared first on Principal Matters.

Last week I was walking back to my car from a visit to Oklahoma’s state capitol, when I saw a line of reporters, police, and education supporters stopped in front of me. I just happened to be on the street where Tulsa Public School Superintendent Deborah Gist and others from her community were arriving from […] The post PMP:110 Six Tips for Education Advocacy appeared first on Principal Matters.

Last year I sat across my desk from a student whose father had abandoned him and left the state. A family in our community had taken in the young man, and our school had been in contact with the Department of Human Services on what to do next. That morning I had been watching a […] The post PMP:109 The Power of One Caring Adult with Josh Shipp appeared first on Principal Matters.

In 2016, a Pew Research report showed 62% of adults receive news via social media – a 49% increase from 2012. 70% of people in western countries use social networks like Facebook or Twitter. Only 30% do not rely on social media in the U.S. and that percentage continues declining. Although access to information does […] The post PMP:108 Using Technology to Message with Parents, the Community, and Beyond appeared first on Principal Matters.

On November 30, 2016, I sat down for a conversation with Oklahoma’s 2016 Teacher of the Year, Shawn Sheehan. That conversation became episode 045 of Principal Matters. In today’s post, I want to replay that conversation. At the time, Shawn had just ended a campaign season in a failed attempt to win a state Senate […] The post PMP:Encore045 “Teach Like Me” Interview with Shawn Sheehan appeared first on Principal Matters.

What kind of school environment encourages teachers to race tricycles down the hallways while also engaging in deep conversations about student learning in PLC’s? Kenny Ward, this week’s special guest, discusses how schools like his own must keep exploring ways to create cultures of learning and fun at the same time. In our conversation, he […] The post PMP:106 Rethinking How School Leaders Help Teachers Grow appeared first on Principal Matters.

In Tim Elmore’s book Generation IY, he shares data from his 2015 research showing the following trends among youth. • 75 percent post on Facebook • 73 percent shop online • 49 percent Tweet • 43 percent read an e-book He also quotes a 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation Report that “kids between eight and eighteen […] The post PMP:105 Using Technology to Message with Students appeared first on Principal Matters.

Recently, Rachel Simmons wrote an article in the Washington Post called Perfectionism among teens is rampant (and we’re not helping). It is a good reminder how this generation of students faces challenges and opportunities different than ones we faced at their ages — sometimes with stress that we’ve created for them. Students today have never known […] The post PMP:104 Messaging with Students — Environment, Celebration, and Communication appeared first on Principal Matters.

Last Sunday my family and I were watching the Winter Olympics when the men’s 30km Skiathlon began. As the race started, Norway’s Simen Krueger fell. Snow was flying all around him as two other skiers and he crumbled into one another. As the other racers left them behind, Simen scrambled back on his feet. His […] The post PMP:103 Standing Back Up When You Feel Knocked Down appeared first on Principal Matters.