Summary: <br> In December 2015, Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast began from my home on my laptop with a borrowed microphone during a Christmas Break when I had time to research how to start a podcast. Six years later, we have reached the milestone of 300 episodes with more than 750,000 downloads to date. <br> <br> <br> <br> In this special episode, Dr. Jeff Springer, education consultant and 2013 Texas Secondary Principal of the Year, joins me to walk down memory lane together. <br> <br> <br> <br> We discuss lessons learned from some of Jeff’s favorite PMP episodes. Plus, I fill-in-the gaps on stories behind the making of the show and the many guests who have shared over the years.<br> <br> <br> <br> A special thank you to Principal Matters friends who send audio-messages to be included in this episode, including:<br> <br> <br> <br> * Eddie Trygar, Assistant Principal, North Chatham Elementary, Chapel Hill, North Carolina* Paden Morris, Tyler Consolidated High School, Sistersville, West Virginia* Yolonda Dawson, Arlington Classics Academy, Arlington, Texas* Kyle Novak, Visions In Education Charter School, Sacramento, California* Jen Schwanke, author, Deputy Superintendent, Dublin City Schools, Dublin, Ohio and co-host of Principal Matters who sent in a special message for listeners.<br> <br> <br> <br> You can see a complete archive of the show here: <a href="//williamdparker.com/podcast-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://williamdparker.com/podcast-2/</a><br> <br> <br> <br> Here is a short summary of some of the memories and lessons Dr. Springer and I explored in PMP300:<br> <br> <br> <br> 2015 Episodes Highlights<br> <br> <br> <br> Jeff starts by highlighting takeaways from Episode 1: What are the steps you’re taking to make sure your school has its most successful school-year yet? <a href="https://williamdparker.com/2015/12/23/principal-matters-the-school-leaders-podcast-episode-1/">https://williamdparker.com/2015/12/23/principal-matters-the-school-leaders-podcast-episode-1/</a><br> <br> <br> <br> 3 C’s for a Successful School Year: Communication, Conversations, and Culture<br> <br> <br> <br> Lessons Learned…1. Some students have lots of supports before they ever step into school.2. Billy’s teacher made it easy for him to feel secure and oriented.3. Jenny’s experience makes it difficult to have resources necessary to start successfully.4. The lack of follow-through of a teacher to follow best practices makes Jenny’s experience even more difficult.<br> <br> <br> <br> The more prepared we are to rally around common themes, the more opportunities our students have to be successful. Communication means creating a new consistent, friendly, helpful environment where students thrive. Conversations happen when educators steal ideas from one another and then act on them.Culture happens when an entire school is united around common expectations.*Adam Saenz research shows students need to know an adult is in control and to know they’re loved. Conclusion: Mixing together the 3 C’s provides the perfect ingredients for a successful school year! <br> <br> <br> <br> Next, Jeff remembers lessons from Episode 2, including Diana Nyad’s incredible story of courage. Ingredients for leadership: courage & teamwork. Strong leaders achieve goals when they understand their goals, count the cost, run the race with endurance, and surround themselves with great teammates. <a href="https://williamdparker.com/2015/12/30/pmp02-one-day-in-the-life-of-a-principal/">https://williamdparker.com/2015/12/30/pmp02-one-day-in-the-life-of-a-principal/</a><br> <br> <br> <br> This episode includes and hour-by-hour, incident-by-incident summary of what a typical day may look like for a school principal, and the constant change and challenge that competes for the most important goals you need to be accomplishing.
