Last week I talked a high school principal who told me she has already referred more students than normal to therapists and counselors for social emotional supports for this time of year. I imagine you are more aware than ever the anxiety surrounding the start of school for so many families. In addition, you have […] The post PMP209: Supporting Students from Immigrant Families in a Pandemic appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Sep 03, 2020•30 min
This is the time of year when the green stalks of corn begin to brown and yellow, and the once moist kernels begin to harden into dry grain. If you’ve ever shucked corn, you may know the difference between the sweet smell of corn-on-the-cob versus the drier, dusty smell of corn harvested in the fall. When […] The post PMP208: New School Year Celebrations and Challenges appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Aug 27, 2020•13 min
Last week I was in a conversation with a principal from South Carolina, a member of a Mastermind for Reopening Schools that I have been leading. Each week more than a dozen principals join me from across the U.S. to discuss the specific scenarios unique to their own school communities while beginning the new semester […] The post PMP207: Equity in Education During a Pandemic appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Aug 20, 2020•18 min
Especially during difficult times, leaders need support from other leaders. Each week this past year, I have been hosting virtual one-hour conversations with select groups of school leaders through Principal Matters Masterminds. Together we have studied books, provided times for self-reflection, and allowed leaders to take turns in “hot-seat” opportunities. The result? I have built […] The post PMP206: Growing Through a Mastermind with Anthony Fisher appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Aug 13, 2020•38 min
Jenny is a returning student at her high school. She has a part-time job which keeps her up late most nights. When her school opens this fall, she knows remote-learning is the option until her building opens again. She calls the school but gets a busy signal. Then she uses her iPhone to log into […] The post PMP205: Preparing the Start-of-School Year in a Pandemic appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Aug 06, 2020•26 min
This week I did my first in-person meeting with a group of fellow-school leaders as they plan for the beginning of a new school year. The team of administrators sat in a room with tables at appropriate distances, and we wore masks. Whenever I wear a mask, my glasses become foggy. So I held my […] The post PMP204: We are all Pioneers and Tweeners this school year! appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Jul 30, 2020•20 min
One of the biggest challenges for the a new school year is deciding how to mitigate concerns for safety while ensuring ways to still actively engage, support, and reach students. In this week’s podcast episode, Dr. Jeff Springer shares takeaways from his research on the power of P.L.A.Y. in schools and offers suggestions for school […] The post PMP203: Cultivating PLAY in Leadership with Jeff Springer appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Jul 23, 2020•42 min
As you think about your own leadership, I’m curious if you give yourself the kind of scrutiny you may give your own team members? In other words, are you allowing the kind of self-reflection where you first identify your own areas of needed growth before asking others to grow? These are the thoughts and questions […] The post PMP202: Transforming School Cultures with Dr. Anthony Muhammad appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Jul 16, 2020•37 min
On March 17, 2020, many schools across the U.S. began responding to the global pandemic of COVID-19 with school closures. Most school leaders were scrambling to figure out how to keep school communities safe while adjusting to a new norm. Jen Schwanke, Principal of Indian Run Elementary in Dublin, Ohio, was no exception. While her […] The post PMP201: Rebooting for the Summer with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Jul 09, 2020•25 min
Now that the dust has settled from distance learning, school leaders are asking: what worked, and what didn’t work? How did you stay connected to people, or what important milestones did you miss? In this week’s podcast episode, Principal Jen Schwanke shares reflections on ways school leaders can look back at lessons during distance or […] The post PMP200: Looking Back at Distance Learning with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Jun 25, 2020•28 min
Last week, my guests William Stubbs, Marlena Gross-Taylor, and Don Parker shared feedback on their personal and professional reflections around equity, racism, and inequalities. They each gave suggestions to help you decide how to respond in your own school community. In Part 2 of this discussion, they dive even deeper as they share several strategies, […] The post PMP199: Panel Discussion on Equity & Racism, Part 2 appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Jun 18, 2020•41 min
No community has been immune to conversations surrounding equity, racism, and inequalities. As Marlena Gross-Taylor, one of the guests on this week’s podcast episode explains, these conversations have been going on for at least four hundred years. It seems this time, however, communities have reached a tipping point – with vast majorities of Americans expressing […] The post PMP198: Panel Discussion on Equity and Racism, Part 1 appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Jun 11, 2020•39 min
Starting a new school year is like preparing for a marathon. The journey begins with training long before the race begins. And once the race starts, you need a lot of endurance for the road ahead. School leadership is the same. As you enter summer, the ways you “condition” in the weeks ahead may help […] The post PMP197: 10 Tips for New Assistant Principals appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Jun 04, 2020•39 min
Even in uncertain times, it is good to remember that positive ideas can come from even the most difficult situations. Juan David Campolargo, a seventeen-year-old high school student from Chicago, is no stranger to difficulty. Immigranting to the U.S. from Venezuela at age 14, he began to learn English for the first time, and over […] The post PMP196: Generation Optimism with Juan David Campolargo appeared first on Principal Matters ....
May 28, 2020•28 min
During school closures and remote learning, maintaining connection with students has been an enormous puzzle to solve. When 8th grade teacher Jena Nelson, from Deer Creek Middle School in Edmond, Oklahoma, switched to online delivery, she looked at this new difficulty as a new opportunity. Digging into her arsenal of costumes from her previous years […] The post PMP195: Instruction from a Distance with Jena Nelson appeared first on Principal Matters ....
May 21, 2020•26 min
School leaders share a common bond – whether you lead in an urban, suburban or rural setting. During the last two months, I’ve also been thinking a lot about another common bond all school leaders now share: caring and serving from a distance. Whether your school is public, charter, or private – you wear many […] The post PMP194: Lessons from Leading in New York with Principal Patrick McLaughlin appeared first on Principal Matters ....
May 14, 2020•28 min
I don’t know about you, but it seems like every waking hour has been spent adjusting to a new normal, and the idea of relaxing almost seems unkind when you think of all the sacrifices people are making during times like this. In Oklahoma, school leaders have been managing distance learning for more than a […] The post PMP193: Taking a Music Break from COVID-19 appeared first on Principal Matters ....
May 07, 2020•26 min
When storms roll across my home state of Oklahoma, residents here have a few common reactions. First, we listen to the weather station. Oklahoma has the best storm-tracking radar systems in the world. Second, we check our storm closets or shelters to make sure we have a good place to hide if severe weather turns […] The post PMP192: Leading from a Distance, Part 2 with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Apr 30, 2020•25 min
If you’re like me, you’re probably still adjusting to a new normal. Each morning I still wake up, walk the dog, or go for a run around the neighborhood. I login to my email and check my calendar for the series of meetings via Zoom or Google Meets. But life still doesn’t feel normal yet. […] The post PMP191: Reflections on Leading from a Distance appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Apr 23, 2020•31 min
This morning I was running a three-mile track around my neighborhood. As I passed the houses and occasional drivers, I felt a sudden kinship to my neighbors I’m not sure I’ve felt before. We don’t just share the same zip-code; we now share a common experience. And this experience spreads beyond our cities and states. […] The post PMP190: 5 Tips for Running the Uncertain Leadership Roads Ahead appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Apr 16, 2020•30 min
When Don Parker was a Dean of Students, he knew his students were struggling – especially those with high risk factors. Don’s passion became simple and challenging: Find the best ways to help students be more successful. Through his doctoral dissertation and his practice as a school administrator, he narrowed his focus to two approaches: […] The post PMP189: Building Bridges to Reach Students with Dr. Don Parker appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Apr 08, 2020•33 min
This week I had the privilege of capturing a few minutes with Chris Legleiter, Principal of Leawood Middle School, Blue Valley Schools, just outside Kansas City, Missouri. The state of Kansas has closed buildings for the rest of the school year, and like principals around the world, Chris is learning what it means to still […] The post PMP188: COVID-19 Update, Principal Reboot, Finding Balance Continued appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Apr 01, 2020•47 min
As schools across the nation continue closures because of the Coronavirus pandemic, this week’s episode includes an update from listener, Terrence Simmons, Assistant Principal at Floyd Elementary, in Nye County, Nevada. Their team has already launched distance learning for their students, and the district website serves as a great resource for parents wanting guidance and […] The post PMP187: Reboot for Principals, Part 2 appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Mar 25, 2020•39 min
Throughout the world, schools are managing the challenges of school closures in response to news of the spreading corona virus or COVID-19. As a school leader, you are expected to manage difficulties, but sometimes you are managing in uncharted territory. Also in the midst of helping others, what can you do to make sure you’re […] The post PMP186: Reboot for Principals with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Mar 18, 2020•31 min
What stories have shaped your own leadership journey? I recently finished reading, Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, Tara Westover grew up in a rural Idaho with parents who embraced radical ideologies, including not giving their daughter a birth certificate, not vaccinating her, and not providing her with any […] The post PMP185: The Power of Sharing Your Own Story appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Mar 11, 2020•21 min
Why is hiring such an important part of your responsibility as a principal? First and foremost, because the students, teachers, and community members deserve high quality education experiences. And secondly, because the people in your school often reflect on your own leadership. Although we cannot judge ourselves by the way others behave, school leaders are […] The post PMPEncore151: Hiring High Quality Educators, Part 2 appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Mar 05, 2020•32 min
One day the teachers at Indian Run Elementary, in Dublin, Ohio, organized a “Flash TACO bar” – a spontaneous buffet meal where they shared great food and fun together. As principal of the school, Jen Schwanke reflected on the joy and creativity of her teachers: they not only love teaching but they also enjoy working […] The post PMPEncore150: Hiring High Quality Educators, Part 1 appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Feb 27, 2020•34 min
It goes without saying that in order to lead you must have followers. But taking others to a destination doesn’t just mean accomplishing all the to-do’s on your checklist. Leadership requires relationships. And meaningful relationships do not happen by accident; they are intentional and purposeful. Part of building meaningful relationships involves understanding yourself and the […] The post PMP184: 5 Voices for Leading Teams with Jeremie Kubicek appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Feb 20, 2020•26 min
“When is a time you have used grit, and what lesson did you learn?” This is just one of 100 questions you find included in the Table Talk Cards that come as a bonus with the book Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population by Dr. Tim Elmore and Andrew […] The post PMP183: Gen Z Unfiltered, Part 2 with Andrew McPeak appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Feb 12, 2020•27 min
Students today face newer and different challenges than students of the past. Although many of the skills or values they need to be successful remain the same regardless of time and place, they also have unique challenges that make them one of the most anxious generations in history. If we “take the filters” off our […] The post PMP182: Generation Z Unfiltered with Andrew McPeak appeared first on Principal Matters ....
Feb 06, 2020•32 min
