Summary: Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you walked into your child’s room at home, looked around, gave him a quick nod, and then left him a walk-through-form listing the pros and cons of your short visit?<br> None of us would ever think about building relationships by practices like that with our family. But what about our school family? As principals, sometimes we may be unconsciously practicing routines that strain instead of strengthen school relationships.<br> This week’s podcast interview with author and leadership consultant Justin Baeder will give you a lot to think about in the ways you approach instructional leadership. His new book, <a href="https://www.solutiontree.com/products/now-were-talking.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Now We’re Talking: 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership</a>, explains how principals can maximize time with teachers, optimize schedules for more time in rooms, and develop deep conversations about teaching and learning.<br> Justin is a former elementary teacher and principal from Seattle, Washington, an award-winning education leader, and the founder of <a href="https://www.principalcenter.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Principal Center</a> —an organization dedicated to helping school leaders. He is also the host of the <a href="https://www.principalcenter.com/radio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Principal Center Radio</a> podcast.<br> Questions we discuss:<br> 1. How do principals increase time in classrooms in the midst of so many other demands?<br><br> 2. What difference do principals see in feedback when they spend more time seeing instruction?<br><br> 3. What are some habits or life-hacks that can help principals be more efficient on tasks “non-instructional leadership” tasks?<br><br> 4. What does Justin mean by “cycles,” and how can principals use them to rethink the way they do classroom visits?<br> Listen in to this week’s conversation for these takeaways:<br> • Understand how daily classroom visits can help you make informed decisions that foster rich relationships with teachers, improve professional practices, reduce stress, and increase student learning.<br><br> • Discover how to conduct classroom visits that foster high-performance results and high-quality instructional leadership.<br><br> • Take part in 21 days of action challenges toward making classroom visits a daily practice.<br><br> • Gain tips for streamlining your inboxes, staying organized, and prioritizing work so you have time for daily classroom visits.<br><br> • Learn how to rethink the way you use email and strategies for emptying your inbox.<br> Let’s Wrap This Up<br> As you think about your own time as instructional leader, you may find yourself wondering how you can ever increase more time in classrooms. Join over 10,000 principals who have taken part in Justin’s challenge, and see if you can increase your influence on student outcomes.<br> Bonus Question<br> When Justin and I finished our interview, I kept recording our final few minutes together and asked him what was something that surprised him in his research while writing his new book. His findings on the lack of research surrounding common walkthrough practices may surprise you. Listen till the end for some valuable final thoughts.<br> Now It’s Your Turn<br> How deep are the conversations you are having about instruction? What is one step you can take this week to increase time with teachers? How can you practice some of Justin’s ideas on reading emails, for instance, to increase time with students and teachers?<br> Sign-Up For Free Updates and Ebook<br> When you enter your email address below, you will automatically receive my newest posts and a free Ebook, <a href="https://www.williamdparker.com/get-your-free-ebook/">8 Hats: Essential Roles for School Leaders</a>.
