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

Have you ever felt overwhelmed in trying to balance priorities? Photo by Stephen Leonardi – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@stephenleo1982?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit If you’re like me, you can probably think of more than once where student discipline, parent concerns, and teacher feedback provided you more tasks than you could complete in a day. No matter whether you are a new principal or a veteran leader, here’s a quick truth: you will never reach the point where you “have it all together.” That’s because you will always have room for growth. At the same time, how can you build strategies and good habits for better balancing priorities? Jen Schwanke This week, author and principal Jen Schwanke and I continue a series from her book, You’re the Principal, Now What? Strategies and Solutions for School Leaders. As we discuss ways for school leaders to balance priorities, we focus on nine helpful takeaways so that you increase your capacity to manage the demands of school leadership. These include: 1. Acknowledging your limitations.Every leader must admit he or she has limits, and it is a healthy practice to anticipate what you will do when overwhelmed with tasks, requests, and responsiblities. 2. Refusing to be a martyr.Tuck in your cape. You are not a super hero. And your teachers and students do not need a leader who sacrifices his or her well-being to serve. 3. Watching your attitude.At the end of the day, you set the tone for the optimism and hope of your school. You are not in it alone, but your attitude will convey to others how they should be handling pressure. 4. Staying organized.Yes, there are strategies, plans, and tips that can help. But these must fit your work style and personality to be effective. 5. Leaning on support.You were made to work with others. Don’t be afraid to model humility, ask for help, and rely on others for the tasks of leading a school. 6. Connecting with colleagues.Other principals and school leaders can provide a safety net for you. They provide perspective and support that can make the load feel lighter. 7. Putting students first.Yes, you have a lot on your plate, but always ask yourself how your actions, words, and plans are helping students. 8. Learning the cycle of leadership.Believe it or not, principals sometimes reach points of peace. When you have these rare moments, don’t feel guilty. Learn to draw strength from them for the next difficult moment you’ll encounter. 9. Embracing unpredictability with humor.It will be difficult to survive leadership unless you embrace pressure as part of the journey. It’s even more satisfying when you learn to find joy and laughter even in the crazy moments. Let’s Wrap This Up Among these helpful takeaways, Jen and I also discuss several ways leaders can organize and prioritize tasks so that they are fulfilling their duties and honoring those whom they serve. This includes creating a scheduling system that works for you, taking time to prioritize, and keeping track of tasks and crossing them off the list. Many of these great tips can be found in Jen’s helpful book, You’re The Principal! Now What?. 

In October 2018, William Stubbs, an instructional leadership director at Oklahoma City Public Schools at the time, entered and won the Teach for America’s Shark Tank OKC as a contestant in the city’s Shark Tank competition. Photo by Got Credit – Creative Commons Attribution License  https://www.flickr.com/photos/144008357@N08 He was awarded $10,000 to implement stronger partnerships and mentoring opportunties for the city’s young men of color with educators and community businesses. His idea was borne from a conviction that black males, in particular, need more access to men of color as role models in education and business. A January 29, 2019 post on the website Theundeafeted.com by Chandra Thomas Whitfield explains that only two-percent of teachers are black men. Although student populations are much more diverse, minority students do not always see themselves reflected in their teachers or school leaders.  Recently, I had the privilege to interview William Stubbs, and he shared several takeaways for principals to keep in mind as they consider how to create stronger environments of diversity and equity. William’s Bio William Stubbs is the Middle School Managing Director at UpLift Education in Dallas, Texas. He is a former Instructional Leadership Director for the Oklahoma City Public School District. Before his Oklahoma tenure, he served as the K-12 Principal at Kennedy Charter Public School in Charlotte, NC. Before joining Kennedy Charter Public School, William was the Dean of Students and Upper School Literature Teacher at Kestrel Heights School in Durham, NC. He has also been a Principal Intern at Reedy Creek Middle School – Wake County Public Schools in Cary, NC. William holds an M.S.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in English from Shaw University. The Life of an Educator William Stubbs has always been passtionate about learning and growing, and he wanted to be an educator from a very young age. As an undergraduate at Shaw Univeristy, he was a part of the Breakthrough Collaborative that allowed college students to teach and mentor middle school students. Later he was a Teach for America educator and taught high school English. Much of his experience has been working between district public schools and charters. He is also a co-moderator for the Twitter chat Black Males Educators or #BMEsTalk, each Tuesday night at 8PM Central Standard Time, where educators from across the U.S. share ideas, research, and feedback on ways to encourage positive outcomes for black male educators. Important Trends in Education In this episode, William shares about how diversity matters, especially in settings where demographics are shifting. An important question for school leaders to consider is: how can you closely allign your student population and your staff represented there? Many black male educators did not have black male educators in early-childhood. More black male educators are seen in high schools but fewer in college settings. Teachers of color can often connect with the learning of students of color. One example addressing the need is the Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) Initiative , which is currently available at 13 universities throughout the U.S. Suggestions for School Leaders District and school leaders must be clear on what diversity ...

Do you remember what is was like to be a middle school student? For many people, memories of those years often bring back stories filled with anxiety and awkward physical, emotional, and social changes. According to Phyllis Fagell, however, those years can be good ones. “Probably what people might be most surprised to know is that I actually had a positive middle school experience, and I was really inspired to write because of my experience as an educator and seeing how dramatically different childhood is today than when I was growing up.” A school counselor and authorPhyllis Fagell has insights for middle school students and their parents. “A lot of people have difficulty anticipating their own child going to middle school because they bring negativity to the table,” she explains. “I like to reassure parents that their own memories actually are inflated because they too were going through puberty. Actually those experiences weren’t probably markedly worse than any negative experiences they had at other times when growing up.” In this week’s podcast episode, Phyllis Fagell, makes a guest appearance and shares about the skills middle school students need to develop. She provides an overview of ten skills, and she unpacks a few key areas where school leaders can provide stronger guidance. Phyllis’s Bio Phyllis Fagell Phyllis Fagell is a lincened clincal professional counselor, certified professional school counselor, author, and journalist. She has worked in both public and private schools with students in grades K-12, focusing on middle school for the several years. She currently works full time as the school counselor for Sheridan School in Washington, D.C. As a journalist, Phyllis writes for a number of national publications and is a frequent contributor for Washington Post on counseling, parenting and education. She is the author of the new book, Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond – and How Parents Can Help.  10 Skills for Middle School Students At the start of our conversation, Phylliss provides an overview of the 10 key skills kids need to know to thrive in middle school and beyond, which include the following: * Make good friend choices* Negotiate conflicts* Manage a student-teacher mismatch* Create homework and organization systems* Consider others’ perspectives* Self-advocate* Self-regulate emotions* Cultivate passions and recognize limitations* Make responsible, healthy, ethical choices* Create and innovate Responsible and Ethical Choices She also unpacks areas where school leaders can better understand those need areas for their students, including how principals can help students develop responsible/ethical choices. She shares how a veteran principal used meaningful responsibilities as a way for students to build positive identities at school and decrease behavior challenges among his middle school population.  Finding ways to engage students in building their own strategies also helps them own their learning and empowers them to support school practices. With cell phones, for instance, Phyllis argues that most students want a break from technology but want the rules enforced consistently – if everyone is complying, they avoid Fear of Missing Out or FOMO.  The more we treat students with respect, she explains, the more likely they are to participate in fulfilling expectations.

Every person in your school is at a different level of growth. Not just students, but teachers are also at stages of growth. Leadership is not any different. Photo by mikecohen1872 – Creative Commons Attribution License  https://www.flickr.com/photos/143106192@N03 Some educators are just beginning the journey. Others are finishing their first few years, and some are experiencing years of mastery in certain strategies or subjects. Over time, you find some areas where you have deep understanding, but you always discover new areas where you need growth. How do you continue to grow with intentionality? This week, veteran principal Chris Legleiter shares ten powerful takeaways from his years of experience as an instructional and building leader. Chris’s Bio Chris Legleiter has been in education for 24 years, including the last 13 years as an administrator. His experience includes teaching and coaching at the high school level and building administrator experience at both the middle school and high school levels. Chris has worked in rural schools and suburban school districts. He currently serves as the Principal for Leawood Middle School of the Blue Valley School District in the Kansas City Metro area. Chris has a “lead-learner focus” that places a priority on continual growth that includes helping others to collectively grow and learn from each other. This work includes growing as a leader in his position and supporting others in our profession. His interests include spending time with his family, reading, exercising and writing. He also blogs at LeadLearnerPerspectives.com where you can read great posts on leadership.  In today’s conversation, Chris shares “10 areas to focus on for growth as a leader,” including: * Mindset – Your growth is dependent on importance you place in cultivating a mindset of growth and continuous improvement.* Core beliefs – Your non-negotiable drive your decision-making.* Challenging status quo – Your leadership is more than putting out fires; it is helping others see where to grow next.* Influencing others – Don’t aspire to the best on the team, aspire to be the best for the team; develop the confidence of capacity of others.* Be Intentional with your efforts – Build rapport, share your vulnerabilities, model, and be a servant-leader.* Reflect on your experience – Have a constant cycle of reflecting on experiences for yourself and your teammates.* Broaden you learning – Understand the power of Professional Learning Networks in your own growth.* Model your work – Be an example of strong instruction for your teachers, how to handle mistakes, and vulnerability.* Know your why – Stay centered in what matters most – helping others.* Positivity – Your attitude is contagious; celebrate others and set the right tone for change. Let’s Wrap This Up Chris asks the question, “If everyone in our school had your attitude, what kind of place would it be?” He hangs this sign in his school as a reminder to himself, his staff and his students. Listen-in to the entire conversation to be encouraged in your own leadership goals! Now It’s Your Turn What is one or two of the above areas where you can focus this next week? What goals can you help your staff or teachers set for continuous growth? How can you encourage and celebrate the work of your team members when they show growth? Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook You can automatically receive Principal Matter posts and a free Eboo...

When I was in college, I had a blue 1981 Toyota Celica that overheated on the long trip to Oklahoma, and the engine burned up. Photo by Mantas Hesthaven – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@mantashesthaven?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit It was my first car. I had bought it with the money I earned over summers as a shell diver in the Kentucky Lake area.  But now it was toast, and I became a car-less college kid. On my next summer break, I talked a friend into driving me back to Tennessee on his way home to North Carolina. Any money I earned that summer I had to save for school. Before long, it was time return to college, and I had planned to catch a Greyhound bus back this time. The morning of my trip, I began packing my bag for the long road between Paris, Tennessee and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Shoving in all my belongings, and holding the bag down with my knee, I pulled the zipper closed around it. But as I did, it suddenly broke. The zipper threads spread open like long, jagged lines of opposing soldiers. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t weave them back in line, and the broken metal clasp was now in pieces. I had an idea. I found my dad’s toolbox and retrieved some plastic wire-ties. With a pair of sharp scissors, I started cutting holes along the edges of the zipper hemming, and inserting the plastic ties, then pulling them tight. It worked. I had found a makeshift solution.  But as I dug the scissors into the next hole with my right hand, I didn’t think about my left hand as I was clenching the fabric beneath, and I quickly sliced through my left index finger. As I stared at the oozing blood, I knew I’d need stiches. Not only did I have a long bus ride ahead of, but now I’d be traveling with the fresh sting and throb of a sewed-up finger. Mom gave me a ride to the ER. This was 1989, and 21-year-olds were not covered by their parents’ insurance in those days. And I hadn’t bothered to look for any other coverage. So mom talked to hospital staff, and they agreed to break the cost into a series of small payments. She wrote them a check for the first installment.  A few hours later, I was standing at the truck stop where Greyhound buses boarded passengers. Mom gave me a hug and kiss, and as she drove off, I wondered how long the 500 miles ahead would feel with my wire-tied traveling bag and my throbbing finger I had to keep elevated to prevent swelling. A bus schedule was posted on the side of building. The next pick up time was 6PM, and I had a couple of hours. So I sat on my bag, ackwardly pointed my wrapped finger in the air, and waited. One hour turned into two, then three. No bus came. No one inside the truck stop had any explanation. As the evening darkened, I found a pay phone (yes, they had those back then too) and clumsily dialed the number to my grandmother. My parents didn’t have a phone at their house (I know, you can’t believe that either), so Grandma told me she’d drive down to tell them I needed help. As the evening darkened, I waited, and finally, one of my older brothers pulled up in his pick-up truck.  “Man, you’ve had a hell of day, haven’t you,” he said as he threw my bag in the truck bed. “You sure you don’t want to stay back this semester and farm with me?”  It was midnight by the time we made it to the house, and mom and dad already were in bed. I knew Dad would be the first one up in the morning, and I needed him to drive me back to the bus station before he headed to work. I’d lost a day of travel, and I couldn’t afford to another day, or I’d miss the start of the semester.

Whenever you think about your best teachers, I’m sure you think about the ones who make learning engaging, meaningful and memorable. Photo by Mervyn Chan – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@mervynckw?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit I often call these “magic teachers” because it seems they can hold the attention of any group of students. But when you unpack what makes an effective teacher, you discover a mix of procedures, expectations, relationships, creativity and levels of learning. These master teachers understand that consistent practices can be taught and implemented for stronger student learning. John Wink is a veteran teacher and school leader and the author of A Teacher’s Guide to Excellence in Every Classroom: Creating Support Systems for Student Success (Creating support systems to increase academic achievement and maximize student success) (Nov 15, 2019 Solution Tree Press). In this week’s episode, John and I discuss ways that teachers and leaders can optimize student learning with strong processes, meaningful engagement, and understanding mastery in learning. John Wink Bio John Wink currently serves as the superintendent of Carthage ISD in Carthage, Texas. Prior to that, John served as the director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the Tatum Independent School District in Tatum, Texas, and principal at Gilmer Elementary School (2011–2014). With over 20 years experience in education, John has served as a choir teacher at Longview High School, principal at the Gilmer Elementary School, Hallsville Middle School, and Hallsville High School, and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at Tatum ISD in Tatum, Texas, and superintendent of Blue Ridge ISD in Blue Ridge, Texas. You can also check out his first book: A Leader’s Guide to Excellence in Every Classroom: Creating Support Systems for Teacher Success – explore what it means to be a self-actualized education … and how to inspire leadership in others (Oct 31, 2016). This week we discuss his newest book for teachers… Questions & Answers with John Wink: In his new book, John cover several topics, including classroom management, relationships, student engagement, and rigor/mastery. In a lot of the professional development I’m attending, it is refreshing to see educators embracing the importance of positive relationships on culture and learning environments.

Six years ago, on October 31, 2013, my son Jack was eight years old. Photo by Will Montague – Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License  https://www.flickr.com/photos/36607441@N05 We had just finished an amazing day of trick-or-treating, and he asked if he could change back into his normal clothes. This was a big deal because he had been wearing a hosptial gown for almost ten days. On this Halloween, we did not go door-to-door as we normally did each year. In 2013, Jack was dressed up in his Star Wars Jedi costume and enjoyed trick-or-treating in a wheelchair as we pushed him through the St. Francis Children’s Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When bad things happen, it is sometimes hard to see the good in our difficulties. My son’s battle and recovery from an infectious disease known as Kawasaki, was one of those times. In addition to the amazing support of our friends, church and community, during those days, I was also astounded at the phenomenal care he received from his nurses, techs, doctors, and interns that literally saved his life. Each year at Halloween, I think back to that time with gratitude. The medical team who cared for him was an excellent example of teamwork. In fact, I’ve often thought how their actions apply to the work we do in school — or anyone interested in developing a team, organization or even as family. I’ve shared about Jack’s story in a previous podcast episode. But in honor of this special anniversary, I wanted to reflect on the our experience with my son’s medical team again and share four takeaways that may help you in your own service to others: 1. A common goal unites a group of diverse people. To give you some context, when our son was first admitted, he was in terrible shape: high fever, rash, swelling, etc. When they diagnosed him with Kawasaki and began treatments, his condition worsened. Then he went into shock. His treatments had to stop while they stabilized him for the next twenty four hours. Then they began treatments again, and this time the symptoms began to disappear and he began to heal. It was obvious during the entire time that his medical team had one goal in mind: to save our son. No matter their backgrounds, gender, differences in job titles or compensation, each team member was focused on that one outcome. Every decision was weighed against its effect on him, his condition, and well-being. In Jim Collin’s book, Good to Great, he studies the most effective businesses in America–ones with the longest track record of success. And one of many contributing factors was the ability of great companies to focus on a specific area where they can be most effective and work toward that goal. Lesson learned? When we focus on a common goal, not allowing ourselves to be distracted by secondary ones, we are more strategic and effective. What is the common goal you are working toward with your team? A common goal can unify the most diverse of people into positive action. 2. Great team members know their roles and execute them well. Whether it was the nurse tech assigned to check my son’s vitals, his RN who was determined to bring his fever under control, his physicians prescribing treatments or the pharmacists or lab techs we never met but who were prescribing or analyzing–each one played a pivotal role in his healing. And each one performed the role assigned. The nurse did not attempt diagnose. That was the doctor’s role.

One day I was walking through one of my high school buildings, when I heard the sound of a teacher yelling for help. I sprinted toward the sound, and I found a teacher trying to guide a student into the hallway. He was a special education student I knew – a teenage boy whose development level was closer to that pre-school student. He had become so violent that he was knocking over furniture. Thankfully, when I stepped in, he responded to my request to come to the office. He was crying so much, however, that I had to hold him up as we walked. It was almost like cradling a toddler. I found out later from the teacher that the boy’s mother had been taken to the hospital for surgery. He had very limited verbal skills, and his emotional outburst was closely tied to the fear and concern he was experiencing. As an education leader, I know you also deal with situations that often place you outside your comfort-zone. Sometimes you are managing situations involving students with special needs. But you also deal with students at every level who struggle with emotional or behavioral outbursts for various reasons. This school year I have talked to many principals who recognize the growing number of students living in environments where they may have experienced trauma. This can range from children who are experiencing violence or tragedy to others who live in unsafe or unstable environments. Students touched by trauma can often have difficulty learning. For school leaders, it can be a difficult balance in knowing how to provide a safe learning environment for all students while also finding ways to help students heal. Dr. Barbara Sorrels As I’ve searched for helpful resources, I was privileged to be introduced to Dr. Barbara Sorrels. She is the author of two books, including Reaching and Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma. Dr. Sorrels is also the executive director of The Institute for Childhood Education in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a professional-development and consulting firm for those who live and work with children. She has more than twenty years of child care, kindergarten, and elementary teaching experience, as well as more than five years’ experience teaching graduate and undergraduate students at the university level. In this week’s podcast episode, Dr. Sorrels and I dive into a discussion on ways educators can learn to reach and teach students exposed to trauma. Here are the topics we cover: * How understanding of brain science influences the way you work with students * Advice for teachers or school leaders searching for behavior strategies that work with students who experience trauma * Examples from teachers and schools engaged in learning options that may include manipulates, environmental changes, rhythm, play and movement activities * The challenges or opportunities in managing students with severe behavior or anxiety issues while also maintaining a safe learning environment for all students in the classroom or school I encourage you to listen-in to our conversation and to check out Dr. Sorels’ resources. For my Oklahoma listeners, you may be interested in an upcoming workshop she will leading in Oklahoma City on March 13, 2019, on Strategies for Working with Students Experiencing Trauma. You can find out more information here. Or you can reach out to Dr. Sorrels directly via her website: http://www.drbarbarasorrels.com. Let’s Wrap This Up There is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution to working with students touched by trauma. Understanding is the first step.

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 or colleagues for phone chats. As we wrap up another semester of the school year, my family is also planning a road trip. During the holidays, we normally travel back east for time in West Tennessee with my parents and family members there. It’s a long road from Oklahoma there, so we try to make the trip as enjoyable as possible: good snacks, and good books, music and movies downloaded on devices. But long road trips can also be difficult when you grow tired of the road or sometimes grow tired of one another. And sometimes the journey through a school year can be a lot like a road trip. You pack up the car with lots of hope and anticipation, but hours into the drive, you grow tired of being on the road, and maybe the passengers grow tired of each other too. How do you keep driving toward a positive destination on the long journey of a school year? Recently, I was presenting at a workshop for Assistant Principals when we began discussing how to manage difficult moments or crucial conversations while also staying focused on the positive. I was reminded of two authors whose work has been helpful when thinking about working with school teams on the destination of completing a successful school year. First, Dr. Todd Whitaker has some great takeaways in What Do Great Principals Do Differently. I’ve heard Todd present several times, and he often reminds principals that if you spend your time focused on the group of negative team members in your school instead of the positive ones, you will inevitably find yourself leading from a mindset of reaction instead of empowerment. Todd’s advice is to keep your eyes on the most positive members as a first priority. As you include them in decision-making and ask what is best for them, you inevitably raise the tide for the entire school culture. I’ve also heard presentations by Dr. Anthony Muhammed, author of Transforming School Culture: How To Overcome Staff Division who explains that school leaders cannot ignore negative culture. When team members are pulling down others, you must be willing to have crucial conversations that threaten positive expectations and remind others of the non-negotiables of your school. When you are willing to confront these “resisters”, you place the focus back on the destination and goals of your school. This is a difficult balance. A couple of years ago, I was sitting in a presentation with Dr. Muhammed when I asked him how to reconcile the need to focus on your positive members while also addressing negative ones with crucial conversations. He explained that it is irresponsible to avoid tough conversations, and the balance of strong leadership is the ability to focus on the positive but not allow the negative to infect your culture. A Road Trip Analogy I’ve been thinking about these lessons as I drive to visit schools and work with school leaders. Just like a long road trip, you manage so many dynamics while you “drive” your school through each day. Several years ago, my wife and I loaded up our children for a long trip to Tennessee for Christmas. When it was time to return home, my kids asked if we could stay an extra day. I had set our return date so I could have some additional time to prepare for the return to school ...

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 levels of anxiety that make it difficult for them to disconnect from social media. (See Psychology Today article by Dr. Elmore here.) When Kim Coody, Principal of Glenpool High School, near Tulsa, Oklahoma told me she was creating FOMO experiences for her student, I was intrigued. She explained that this school year, her staff has committed to increasing engagement with students so that they fear missing out on school. What has this looked like for her school? Kim’s Bio Kim Coody has spent 21 years working with Oklahoma students as a special education teacher, high school assistant principal, middle school principal and high school principal. Kim has 15 years in secondary administration experience at Glenpool Public Schools. She began her administrative career as the high school assistant principal for 8 years. She spent 3 years as the principal at Glenpool Middle School before being named the high school principal in 2015. In 2018, Kim was named Oklahoma’s OASSP High School Principal of the Year and represents the Oklahoma Association of Secondary Principals as President-Elect. Kim prides herself on Glenpool High School’s high graduation rate and her staff’s commitment to building positive relationships with students. Leadership Takeaways In this week’s podcast, Principal Coody shares several ways her school has built a strong culture: 1. Increasing positive “FOMO” with welcome back videos 2. Greeting students as they come to school 3. Developing more engaging lessons 4. Finding real-life applications for learning 5. Shadowing a student for a day 6. Piloting job shadowing and internships for seniors through Oklahoma’s ICAP (Individual Career Academic Plans) As a result, Glenpool students are finding relevant applications for their learning, seeing fewer disciplinary referrals, increasing attendance rates, and making academic gains. Listen-in to this week’s podcast for ideas that can inspire you in your school leadership. You can view a webinar version of our conversation or see Kim’s slides and photos HERE. Now It’s Your Turn How do your students view their experience in school? What are ways your team is enhancing your learning environment so that students are afraid of missing out on school? What ways can you put yourself in the roles of students to see school from their perspective? What is one way you can introduce them to real-life applications of learning? Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook When you enter your email address below, you will automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */

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. He may be best known for his Habitudes series, lessons using images to teach leadership principles for students from public schools to university settings. Over the past couple of years, Tim and I have developed a strong working relationship. I have attended and spoken at his conferences, and I have heard him present and speak several times as well. On a personal level, I view Tim as one of my mentors. As I’ve talked to him, read his books, and watched him lead others, I have come to admire him as someone who practices what he teaches. Tim’s Bio Dr. Tim Elmore, President and Founder of Growing Leaders, is a best-selling author and international speaker. Dr. Elmore uses his knowledge to equip educators, coaches, leaders, parents, and other adults to impart practical life and leadership skills to young adults that will help them navigate through life.   He has spoken to more than 300,000 students, faculty, and staff on hundreds of campuses across the country and provided leadership training and resources for multiple NCAA and professional athletic programs. In addition, a number of government offices in Washington, D.C. have utilized Dr. Elmore’s curriculum.   In addition to teaching leadership to cooperate leaders, universities and graduate schools across the U.S., he has also shared his insights in more than forty countries–including India, Russia, China, and Australia.   He has written more than 25 books, including his newest book, Marching Off the Map: Inspire Students to Navigate a Brand New World, released in 2017. For years, he worked alongside internationally recognized leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell. According to Maxwell, “No one teaches leadership better than Tim Elmore.” Engaging Cultures & Developing Gen-Z Leaders Listen-in to this week’s podcast conversation to learn more about: 1. How schools and organizations can create engaging cultures 2. The foundational principles that work in developing engagement 3. The specific differences among generational mindsets 4. Ways to leverage the strengths and challenges found in the emerging leaders of Generation-Z. Let’s Wrap This Up If you are an Oklahoma reader or listener, mark your calendar for June 5-6, 2019 as CCOSA, our state administration association is hosting Tim as a keynote for our state leadership conference in Norman, Oklahoma. In late June 2019, Tim is hosting a Round-Table for Principals event in Atlanta, Georgia. Tim’s team is also offering Principal Matters listeners the opportunity to sign-up for the chance to win a free registration. Visit www.growingleaders.com/principalmatters for more details. Now It’s Your Turn What is one way you can create stronger engagement for your school or team? How can understanding the differences in the emerging generation better inform your practice? Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook When you enter your email address below, you will automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, 8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders. Let’s keep learning together! #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helve...

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 his recovery years later, I remember how overwhelmed my wife and I were at the time. I remember seeing our little boy in his hospital gown, hooked up to tubes and wires. When he went into shock during treatments, he had to rest for several days while his medical team reevaluated. Eventually his condition stabilized enough for him to receive the helpful IV solutions he needed. After ten long days, treatments normalized his body, and he was finally healed. It was a Thanksgiving I won’t forget as we celebrated having our little boy home again. The good side of this difficult season was that it brought me back to all those areas of life that matter most: faith, family, and friends. I remember during those days, how encouraged we were by the flood of love and support from others: our friends, school, and church. We were thankful for an expert team of doctors and nurses. We were thankful for my school, where my team worked hard to protect me from interruption and sacrificed every day to fill in the gaps. We were thankful for so many prayers and visits. Memories are often good reminders of the many reasons to be thankful. As you start the holiday season, here are three very quick “thank-you’s” to keep in mind today: 1. Your family Don’t forget to thank your better-half who sacrifices for you every day. For little ones in your life who provide you with both encouragement and challenge. For your extended family members who hug, call, or send messages. God gave you your family for a reason so be grateful for the ones you have. 2. Your friends For old and new friends who make time to check-in and visit. For the blessings of meals or just catching up during good and hard times. Give thanks for the community that surrounds you and reminds you that you are not always strong enough alone. 3. Your calling For work that is more than a job but is an extended family. For educators who care more about relationships than they do about compliance or legislation — everyday heroes who unify around what matters. Not everyone has the privilege of working with people dedicated to building better communities. Let’s Wrap This Up This past week as I watched Jack, who is now 13, walking around the house, I was struck by how tall he is becoming. His long legs and arms are outgrowing all his clothes. He is healthy and enjoys running cross country or playing Fort-Nite with you his friends. I’m thankful to watch him grow up. And I’m thankful for the many prayers, visits and supports from our friends, family, and teammates who surrounded us then and still support us today. This week, please take time to reflect on what matters most. And in case you haven’t heard it lately: Thank you for the part you play every day in serving your families, schools, and communities. Happy Thanksgiving! Bonus Songs I also wanted to share some joy from my family to yours. A little background info: My wife and I have four children: three girls and one boy. During Thanksgiving break a few years ago, I took time to record a couple of songs that I wanted to include as podcast bonus tracks. During Thanksgiving, we host family members including cousin, Joy, who is one year older than our oldest daughter. When the girls were little, our two oldest and Joy were very close, and we wrote a song together called “3 Little Girls.” When Joy grew up and attended college nearby, we were singing the song one day when we decided to record it together at the kitchen table with a microphone, their voices, and my guitar.

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 is indeed crossing paths with the targeted comet. From 500 million kilometers away, your Earth-bound team maneuvers the activation of the spacecraft’s previously inert power source, it orbits around the comet, and it attempts a landing. You must wait a half hour for the data from the spacecraft to transmit back to Earth to even know what its “current” status may be. Finally, the images of the comet’s surface appear on your computer screens, and you know the landing has happened. Let the cheering begin! From 500 million kilometers away, a team’s dream had become a reality. The euphoria, amazement, thrill, and adrenaline rush must have been electric. I get excited every time I think about how many seemingly insurmountable obstacles were overcome to achieve this profound result! But here’s my question for those of us back on earth: What challenges are you facing at school, in leadership or in life right now? Three Reflection Questions for Facing Challenges Here are three questions to keep your own challenges in perspective: 1. What kind of team are you on? No one achieves epic milestones like comet landings by flying solo. Monumental accomplishments require teams of like-minded people who can share a vision, collaborate, and execute. Your ambitions may not be as galactic in proportion, but they are still important. And to reach them, you need others. In your school, what goals have you set for your students, teachers, and yourself? Remember that you cannot accomplish them alone. You need others if you want to reach school-wide goals. Whether that is working in professional learning teams or student advisories, you will always accomplish more with the sharing of ideas and relying on input from others. 2. What kind of commitments do you have? Amazing feats are not accomplished half-heartedly. If you want to reach a goal, you must be dedicated to finishing whatever race you’ve started. I like to remind students, for instance, that school is like a marathon. You can start off with a big rush of energy, but it is maintaining momentum in the mundane, pushing on even during tough times, and holding on to the hope of reaching the end that keeps runners moving their feet. The same commitment is necessary to reach any big goals. It’s not easy or sometimes even probable, but without commitment, it is impossible. For instance, if you’ve set specific learning goals for students, these cannot be reached without being measured. Rocket scientists cannot simply guess on their math when aiming for targets, and helping students learn requires targeting specific learning standards and committing to the hardworking of reaching them. Don’t give up on the commitments and hard work necessary to reach those goals. 3. Are you willing to take calculated risks? If you or your team are going to reach new milestones, then just doing what you’ve always won’t help. For example, a few years ago, I was talking to our high school football team’s head coach. His team was 10-1 and entering the second round of playoffs. It had exciting season. But just three years before, his team had no wins. Zero. What made the difference in three years? When I asked him, he said, “Three years ago after we lost all our games, we asked ourselves ‘What can we control?’ We knew we couldn’t control how we matched other teams in terms of size or speed. But we did know we could control how conditioned our players are.” His boys began systematic routines of work-outs, weights, and running while still practicing drills,

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 cameras in that section of the building, and I began watching tape – rewinding from the time school was dismissed the day before and viewing until the morning of the report. I finally found footage of several students late the evening before, and I could see them breaking into the lockers. It was during evening credit-recovery classes we offered, and the students seemed to be on what appeared to be a bathroom break and had chosen a hallway where the lights were off. For the most part, all I could see were their silhouettes. Throughout the day, I pulled in some of my staff and team members who helped me match descriptions with the names on evening class roll. After our day-time students went home that day, I stayed late to talk to the teacher in charge of evening classes and to meet one-on-one with each student suspected of being involved. Luckily, as I questioned students one-on-one, most were cooperative and admitted to what happened. But one young lady was not cooperative. I’ll call her Lizzy. As I talked to Lizzy about what I had observed on camera, she insisted she wasn’t involved. She certainly matched the physical traits of what I could see in the video, so I switched into “interrogator’ assistant principal mode: “Listen, Lizzy.” I said, “I know it’s hard to admit when you’ve done something wrong, but not cooperating is not going to help as talk about appropriate consequences for breaking into lockers.” Lizzy began to cry. “I promise it wasn’t me, Mr. Parker.” So, I asked her to take a seat in the office waiting area and think about her actions as I still had other students to question. I’ll come back to that conversation at the end of this post, but I was thinking about that day recently when talking to new principals about how to manage student discipline. The Challenge of Managing Behavior I believe student discipline is often the hardest and most difficult part of a school leader’s work. Because I served as an assistant principal for nine years before becoming a high school principal, I spent a lot of time managing hundreds if not thousands of student discipline scenarios. At first, the pressure involved in decisions that were often so emotional for students or parents, was overwhelming. When you are managing difficult discipline scenarios, you also spend very little of that time on other important matters – like classroom observations or scheduled team meetings. Although the tasks of managing behavior never become “easy,” I do believe relying on best practices can help over time. Great Resource for New School Leaders A great resource I’ve pointed principals toward lately is Jen Schwanke’s You’re the Principal, Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders, published in 2016. In her chapter on student discipline, she shares some helpful and practical tips, including: • Empowering your teachers in student discipline • Clarifying that when problems reach you, you take the lead in deciding discipline • Knowing your districts student handbook and policies • Differentiating discipline • Prioritizing student safety • Investigating situations fully • Letting time be your friend • Getting second opinions • Avoiding group consequences • Involving parents whenever possible (Schwanke, 160-166)

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 Without Wall to serve just over 600 students, grades 9-12. The top floor is home to a library with windows looking across at George Washington University. School Without Wall boasts the following mission: “[To] provide every student with a rigorous, college preparatory, humanities program that incorporates global and local resources in an experiential and interdisciplinary methodology to teaching and learning.” Every senior is required to submit a senior research project and present his or her findings in order to receive a SWW diploma.” Over 1,300 students apply to attend each year with 140 accepted to the incoming freshman class. Every student is required to take AP Language and AP Literature, and each graduate earns an Associate Degree through concurrent credits at The George Washington University. With offers from universities all across American, 84% of School Without Walls graduates finish college. Dr. Ross, the 2018 National Principal of the Year, from Chaplin, South Carolina, had invited me to accompany him there. He graduated from the high school in 1998. Twenty years later, he returned to hug the neck of Ms. Sylvia Isaac, a former teacher and now Associate Principal at the school. We also sat with Principal Richard Trogisch and Assistant Principal Simone Anderson as they shared data and background information with us. Dr. Ross told me he remembers the school most for its commitment to take learning into the city. Every teacher is required to conduct at least two field trips per quarter with the goal of providing hands-on learning experiences for students in every subject. Interview with Principal Richard Trogisch Later, I followed up in a Zoom-chat with Principal Richard Trogisch who has served the school for 13 years. Mr. Trogish has been an educator both internationally as well as in the D.C. area. His philosophy of education was born from the European models he saw committed to the humanities. In this conversation, he explains what makes his school work. As a National Blue Ribbon school, students are not only introduced to a strenuous application process and rigor academics but also they experience a culture of acceptance, safety, and opportunity from teacher and parent partnerships with them. In a follow-up Zoom conversation, we talked about the following: • Embracing and celebrating a community’s culture. • Providing safe learning environments where teachers love students. • Placing high standards on academics and rigor. • Including wraparound programs to support students academically and emotionally. • Partnering with parents, teachers and students in being proud of their school. I encourage you to listen in to the audio-version of our conversation for the full conversation. Let’s Wrap This Up Later after my visit to School Without Walls, I was having dinner at a restaurant called Bantam King on the north side of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. It’s a small shop that serves Raman dishes and incredible fried chicken. The wall across from me was covered in patterns of cafeteria trays glued to wall in blue, aqua green and yellow rectangle patterns. Hanging through the middle of the room were paper lanterns in colors of red, white, and yellow. The ceiling tiles were made from basket weave, and the wallpaper from faded cutouts of newspaper Japanese cartoons. A constant beat of hip-hop played over the hum ...