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

In this episode, Jen Schwanke shares insights from a new Quick Reference Guide she authored for ASCD on Teacher Observation and Feedback. You can find the resource here. As the author of this new guide, Jen explains why she chose to focus on growth, positivity and relationship building as motivations for better observation feedback. As she says, “Our goal should be helping teachers see where they want to be in student learning, outcomes, care, feedback and parent communication.” She also adds, “You are never not giving feedback!” The ASCD website summarizes the new guide as follows: “Observation and feedback made easy for school principals. One of the most important responsibilities of a school leader is to observe and evaluate teachers. In this quick reference guide for school leaders, leadership expert and former principal Jen Schwanke provides some tips and strategies to ensure your process for observation and feedback is collaborative, is supportive, and promotes professional growth.” “Learn how to make feedback a positive experience for everyone involved by focusing on your support role. Whether you’re reviewing content knowledge, team meetings, or more, Schwanke gives specific examples to look for and questions to ask so that you can recognize teachers’ strengths as well as encourage improvement when intervention is necessary.” “With strategies to get started on planning for the year and stay efficient in the wake of busy schedules, blueprints for troubleshooting when issues arise, and a checklist of observations to always keep in mind, Teacher Observation and Feedback is a guide you’ll reference again and again. Learn how to be the best support for your teachers and help them become masters of their craft.” Jen explains two areas from the rubric in detail:  Thorough versus General Review Forgiving versus Punitive As Jen reminds us, in interactions with teachers, staff and students, we should be asking ourselves, “What compliment do I owe this person?” Listen-in to the entire podcast episode for even more takeaways! Also, in our conversation, I reference a recent TED Radio Hour talk, Your future self might not want the life you’re planning for them, you can it find here. The post PMP353: How to Provide Meaningful Feedback in Observations with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker appeared first on Principal Matters.

When Brent Kline, Principal of Palo Alto High School, led me into the doorway of the original campus two-story tower building, erected in 1918, I was wearing a hard hat. We stepped carefully through as a construction engineer explained the work being done. For the past year, the offices and services housed in the two-story, 23,000 square feet building had been moved to portals and other locations around campus.  Now the structure was under renovation with entirely new heating and air, electricity and plumbing being installed. We walked through hallways and office spaces bare of ceilings with interiors being reconstructed to meet the needs of a 21st Century building that would house administrative, counseling, wellness, adult education and tutoring services. Soon the entire roof would be replaced and the exterior repaired and repainted. Palo Alto High School (or Paly, as they like to call it) serves approximately 2,000 students and has a diverse student body, reflecting the multicultural nature of the region. It has a reputation for academic excellence and is known for enrolling a high number of students who pursue college education after graduation. It also offers many courses and activities that value student expression in sciences, creativity and athletics. The administrative team includes Principal Brent Kline and Assistant Principals Jerry Berkson, LaDonna Butler, Erik Olah, and Michelle Steingart. During the 2022-23 school year, Brent Kline, Principal of Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, invited me to meet with his admin team for monthly Principal Matters Grow Leadership Academy sessions, which included live, virtual Zoom meetings. Each month we discussed different school leadership responsibility areas and reflected on applications to their own school community. On June 7, 2023, I had the privilege to visit Brent, Jerry, LaDonna, Erik and Michelle in-person and interview them as a group. This week’s podcast episode includes: Feedback from each principal on how long they have served in education and something you may be surprised to know about them Ways Palo Alto High School has focused on equity as a priority for all student learning Highlights from academic and extracurricular successes happening at Palo Alto High School Takeaways from the Grow Leadership Academy and how it helps them in their own lives and leadership An what advice they would give new education leaders who may be stepping into a new season or school year I want to extend gratitude to this amazing team of leaders for their year-long commitment to learning, reflecting, and growing together. Also, I want to thank them and their Superintendent Don Austin for inviting me to present to their entire district leadership team on June 8, 2023, where we collaborated around ideas from my book Pause. Breathe. Flourish.: Living Your Best Life as an Educator. Just as they are renovating a more than one hundred year old building on their campus, the Paly team continues to renovate their practices – never being satisfied with the status quo and consistently seeking new ways to better meet the needs of students.  You can learn more about Palo Alto High School or reach out to any of the Paly Admin Team members at their website:  https://www.paly.net/about-us/leadership Interested in a Grow Academy for your team? Learn more here: https://williamdparker.com/speaking/ The post PMP352: Grow Your Leadership with the Palo Alto High School Admin Team appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week Jen Schwanke joins me as we talk about research on trends among students. As always, Jen’s feedback on this discussion adds so much value to how you apply practical responses to the real-life scenarios educators encounter when serving students – especially those struggling with anxiety or other emotional challenges connected to emerging technologies. Listen-in to the entire conversation for those great takeaways! I’ve also taken time to write a summary of the notes and sources I mention in the show that you can read below for reference: Serving Generations by Understanding How To Walk Together, by William D. Parker I’m curious if you like to go for walks? I enjoy a good walk – especially when the weather is pleasant, there is a pleasant road ahead of me, and I have a companion to share good conversation with as we saunter along. A good walk doesn’t even need to include a destination as the walking experience may be the destination.  Let’s pretend that you were born in a time, place or physical condition where you had never seen or experienced a walk. I could explain ‘a good walk’ to you, but wouldn’t it be so much more meaningful if I was able to just go with you on a walk together? Now, I want you to think about explaining generation trends and differences. Psychologists, researchers and educators spend a lot of time considering challenges, trends or differences in the various age groups, time periods and applications that happen between generations.  This analysis can be very helpful. At the same time, wouldn’t it be even more helpful if I could take a walk with you to help understand the life experience through dialogue and shared stories? Think-Tank Invitation Recently, I was invited to a “Think Tank” session in Atlanta, Georgia, with some fellow educators. The event was hosted by Dr. Tim Elmore, the Founder of Growing Leaders. In attendance was the Growing Leaders executive team, several college interns, a few consultants and business owners, an executive coach and a set of educators from local schools, including the 2023 Georgia State Teacher of the Year, Michael Kobito.  During this day-long session, we also had a live virtual session with Dr. Jean Twenge, author of the new book, Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents―and What They Mean for America’s Future. Dr. Twenge’s research provides evidence to what many of us have already been seeing in practice. Adolescents are facing a mental health crisis. From 2011-2019, teen depression has doubled. Dr. Twenge’s research also shows that increases in self-harm and depression are correlated with increase in use of technology, including social media. Students today sleep less and interact in less face-to-face conversations than their predecessors. According to Dr. Twenge, the younger a child has access to a Smartphone, the greater his or her mental health challenges. Her recommendation to policy makers and parents: raise the age of social media access to 16 years of age. Dr. Twenge is not alone in her concerns. Dr. Tim Elmore shared stories of parents who have encouraged delayed access and the benefits these young people report. As Dr. Twenge said in our meeting, “If social media and smartphones are a root cause, we can actually do something about it.” This summary is not my attempt to recommend or prescribe policy. In fact, I listened to others in the Think-Tank share thoughts of trends they are seeing in education, industry, and culture, I wrote down five ideas I believe help add some additional context to Dr. Twenge’s data. Here are five other areas I would like highlight that are also affecting the current economic and social factors we are currently experiencing in the U.S.: 5 Trends Influencing Current Dynamics in the U.S. As we heard stories from educators, business owners and students, several trends emerged that seem consistent and persistent in our current cultural experience. Feel free to take a deeper dive into this topic through your own research, but in summary, I would like to provide a short assessment of trends I am seeing where I live at the time of this writing: We are increasingly raising a “parentless” generation. Nearly 30% of U.S. children, for instance, are born into single parent households with an alarming number being raised by grandparents or other caregivers. We are an increasingly “childless” generation. U.S. birth rates have been declining for years, and at the current rate of childbirth in the U.S., our younger generation population numbers will far below the number of people retiring. We are a retiring generation. Baby Boomers are leaving the workforce, and we do not have an equal number of adults stepping into positions they are vacating. We are grieving a deceased population. Deaths throughout the pandemic lowered instead of increased the life expectancy rates in the U.S. for the first time in a century. The vast majority of deaths during the pandemic were Baby Boomers with more than 800,000 pandemic-related deaths in the U.S. alone for people ages 65 years and older. We have a decreasing immigrant population. Even with ongoing debates about the crisis on the U.S. Southern border, immigrants stepping into service industry jobs significantly declined during the Pandemic with an estimated loss of 2 million working age immigrants in 2021. Efforts by both the Trump and Biden administrations have kept immigrant population growth stagnant, and U.S. employers are still feeling the effects of small unemployment rates that increased wages have yet to remedy. There are certainly more current social, economic or political factors that could be added to the list. Nevertheless, with all of these economic and social factors in play, it should be no surprise that our children feel additional anxiety while technology increases isolation, and loneliness and depression compared to previous generations.  3 Responses for Leaders to Consider So how do we respond to the new realities in which we find ourselves living? As I said earlier, I want to avoid a prescription. Instead, I would like to encourage better understanding that may lead to some helpful responses. We need to raise awareness by listening to one another for understanding. With the advent of the Smartphone and technologies that contain algorithms designed to addict us to social media, it is important that we recognize the new reality we are in while seeking solutions together. Not one person is going to have the resources, wit or expertise to take on the efforts that billion dollar industries have made to influence human behavior. Conversations about awareness that include well-founded research by people like Dr. Jean Twenge, for instance, lead to better understanding about ways we can begin to change our behaviors or respond with new policies or regulations around new technologies. We need to ensure places of safety and belonging. No greater concern can be expressed about our current societal condition than the growing epidemic of loneliness for users of technology. The remedy that people are seeking in the small emotional “snacks” of social media time can only be satisfied with the real-life “feasting” found in real-life communities. We should reexamine what it means to create spaces where every person feels accepted and safe in families, schools, churches and neighborhoods. This can only happen when we commit to pushing back against trends to separate ourselves into opposing political and social groups and focus instead on the real-life common experiences that unite us. We need permission for young people to have their voices heard. A young man in our focus group, a soon-to-be college senior, explained one reason young people depend on social media: “In a world where older generations seem to hold the majority of power, young people do not see where they have opportunity or permission to have a voice.” I was so grateful when he said this. So often, older generations like my own are quick to express solutions and remedies for others without considering how little space we give younger generations to express their concerns. Instead, how do we make sure younger generations are not only at the table, but have a voice in decisions affecting their futures? Let’s Wrap This Up Sometimes I feel like the conversations around generational differences make our younger counterparts feel like we are trying to describe a road we have not walked with them. Many times our assessments of their differences or challenges sound more like an indictment than an attempt to understand their real-life experiences. Research is helpful; however, it is most helpful when we allow ourselves permission to talk with one another, not just about one another.  The same young people we see struggling with anxiety are also a generation of students who care deeply: they are more interested than past generations in respecting diversity, finding solutions for global warming, and ending social ills like school violence. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had recently to walk the road with other thinkers, educators and young people around this topic. The challenges of education are not growing any easier. However, we have met great challenges before and found solutions. We now have a mental health crisis in some ways directly connected to addictive behaviors around newer technologies. As we increase our awareness, let us also stay committed to having real life conversations with each other – and especially with our young people – around ways to help them find real-life places of safety and belonging where their voices are heard and respected. Now It’s Your Turn In what ways may a round-table discussion be helpful for teams of teachers or students whom you are leading? How are you modeling healthy habits in your own use of technologies? What is one real-life conversation you might have today that could replace the ‘snacking” of relationships we often look for in our use of technologies?  I’d like to express deep gratitude to my friends at Growing Leaders for inviting me to the Think Tank which inspired this post. You can find out more about their work at http://growingleaders.com/. The post PMP351: Understanding How to Serve Generations with Will Parker and Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

Bryan Miltenberg is the proud principal of Aquebogue Elementary School in Riverhead, New York. He’s been a teacher, dean, and middle school assistant principal, and has presented and published on topics including school climate and culture, instructional technology, self-aware leadership, inclusivity, time management, and co-teaching partnerships. Against all logic, he remains a suffering lifelong Mets and Jets fan. Before he was an educator, Bryan was a musician who plays guitar, drums and sings. Gary Karlson is an elementary administrator after nearly twenty years as a teacher. He usually follows that information with a “Dad joke” that he was a good teacher for at least a few of them.  He lives on eastern Long Island with his ultra supportive wife and two sons. As Assistant Principal at Aquebogue Elementary School, he and Bryan lead an amazing staff dedicated to serving grades K-4 with the motto of T.E.A.M: Together Everyone Achieves More. A fun fact about Gary is that he spent 15 years bartending and believes it has made him a better listener. Listen-in to the entire conversation for great takeaways. Here are a few highlights: What are some outcomes from your school for which you’re most proud of? Some areas of pride include the Sib Shop group that helps siblings of students with special needs to find support, information and guidance. Aquebogue serves approximately 50% of students as second language learners. They have been able to hire a bilingual greeter. Integration of language into signage, announcements and messaging with families is also important. Can you tell us more about your motto T.E.A.M: Together Everyone Achieves More and how it has influenced the service to students at your school? The Principal and Assistant Principal relationship is a unique one. How have you two personally and professionally benefited from your shared leadership experience? Gary and Bryan first met when interviewing for the same principal opening at the school where Gary was teaching at Aquebogue Elementary School. After Bryan was hired as principal, he later had an opening for Assistant Principal and reached back to Gary who took on the new role. Principals should ‘hire their opposites’ as Bryan explains.  Gary adds that principals must also trust the leadership aspirations of their AP’s. Bryan often tells him that developing the leadership capacity in Gary is one of his number one priorities.  Teamwork for them means empowering others, not controlling others. What are your transitions in leadership stories and lessons from those experiences? Bryan shares that principals need to be super-students of learning about their school community. Avoid ‘skin graph or organ transplant’ leadership.  Gary notes that a move into leadership must be one that helps you be happy and fulfilled. It must be motivated by the benevolent and good intention of helping every stakeholder in your school community. How can listeners connect with you and any parting words of advice? You can find Bryan on Twitter via @BryanMiltenberg and Gary by email: garykarlson@yahoo.com or Twitter via @gkarlsonjr The post PMP350: T.E.A.M: Together Everyone Achieves More with Bryan Miltenberg & Gary Karlson appeared first on Principal Matters.

Jarrod J. Johnson is currently the Superintendent of Drummond Public Schools, as well as an adjunct professor at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.  With his experience as a classroom teacher, principal, athletic director, transportation director and now superintendent, he has a unique perspective that allows him to look at any school issue from multiple viewpoints. Although he pours his time and energy into many aspects of the school, school leadership and school culture are the areas he is most passionate about. His recent passion project, “Senior Culmination Series,” provides districts with a curriculum that prepares their students for the real world.  It helps them learn life skills that are not traditionally taught in the classroom setting. Jarrod prides himself on being a problem-solver and this was an area that he and many of his peers observed was lacking in preparing our youth for their futures.  With the help of countless focus groups, the Senior Culmination Series was born.  When Jarrod isn’t leading the school district or building on the Senior Culmination Series curriculum, he’s likely with his wife, Megann, cheering on one of their three children, at one of their many activities. Listen-in to the entire episode for great takeaways. Here are a few areas we discuss: Can you fill in the gaps on the intro and tell listeners something else they may be surprised to know about you? Jarrod was an Ag teacher when he received the call inviting him to interview for a principal opening.  What offerings and experiences are available at Drummond Public Schools that you would like other education leaders to know about? Drummond is a community with approximately 400 students K-12. Their most recent bond issue election saw more than 90% approval from residents for school facility improvements. Drummond students also compete in Quiz Bowl at the State and National levels. What lessons have you learned through your Senior Culmination Series that would be helpful for other leaders to know? Jarrod tells the story when he realized schools do not always teach students real-life applications. As a result, he organized 10 focus groups around lessons and developed a curriculum for senior students of 32 areas, including topics like budgeting, health insurance, care maintenance, home maintenance, shopping on a budget, preparing meals for large groups, professional preparation, resume writing, interviewing skills, and more.  Can you share the stories of transition in your leadership journeys that brought you into your current role? For those seeking their first roles in education leadership – or for those thinking about a transition in their careers – what advice would you share? Jarrod shares several takeaways including: How hard work pays off You are the brightest spot in a child’s day Showing respect and dignity to everyone Making and prioritizing to-do lists Reading the book Principal Matters 🙂 Staying flexible Remembering teachers want to be heard and helped How has Principal Matters been a helpful resource for you in your leadership? One way Principal Matters helped Jarrod was through a free PD resource Will Parker shared with him on helping staff create a vision and mission statement. You can see a sample here. How can listeners stay connected with you? Email Jarrod Johnson at jarrod@summiteducationservices.org The post PMP349: Helping Graduates Be Life Ready with Jarrod Johnson appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week Jen Schwanke joins me as we explore what happens when we lose focus on the important goals and outcomes involved in serving others.  Listen in for more context and takeaways as Jen and both reflect on what happens when leaders lose focus on the mission and vision of their service. Below I’m also including a companion post with the story and lessons I shared with Jen about recently getting lost while hiking. I hope these lessons may help you consider the dangers of leaving the path in your own leadership! The Dangers of Leaving the Path by William D. Parker Recently, I visited a school in southwestern Oklahoma. As I was staying the night near the Wichita Mountains National Refuge, I drove down early and into the park a couple of hours before sunset. There I found open expanses of prairie and small mountains. Buffalo and Longhorns grazed on both sides of the road. I found the way to Elk Mountain, parked and changed into my running clothes and shoes. I filled my water bladder and strapped it into my backpack, and I set my watch for 45 minutes – enough time to hike into a section of the Wichita Mountains and back before sunset.  As I jogged the gravel trail, I was captivated by the budding spring wildflowers – orange, purple, and white blossoms waving in the breeze. The grass was green and short, and the rock hills above me bright with the sunlight beaming on their broad shoulders. When I had gone a couple of miles in, I realized it was time to turn around, but I saw a hilltop that I was sure I could summit in less than five minutes, and I wanted a better view from up high before heading back. When I reached the top, I realized I wasn’t far from another higher point that might give me a view of the entire area. As I stepped by cacti and weaved my way up enormous boulders, I realized the higher level was blocked by a small section of woods. I stepped through a small opening and pushed my way through brush until I had reached the next level of rocks. Here I climbed up and over a series of large rock faces until I stood about a body’s length below the highest point. It was here I realized I couldn’t reach the top safely. There weren’t good hand holds in the rock, and I didn’t have any climbing gear. By this point, I had put my running gloves on as the granite rocks were rough like sandpaper in some places. While I won’t go into detail here about the next hour and a half, I will say that this was one of the moments in my life I am the least proud to tell. After I turned to climb down, I realized how far away I was from the trail I had left. I also realized I had broken every hiking rule I had taught my own children: leaving  the trail and not marking a way back; pushing beyond the time I knew it would take to return before dark; and finding myself alone with a water container that would soon be empty.  I scrambled down the hills, and I thought I was heading in the direction of the valley where I had left the trail. But every new level I descended only showed me unfamiliar grass, rocks and trees with no trail in sight. I checked my watch and glanced at the sun as it hovered above the horizon.  Finally, I finally found a ravine between rocky crags that led downhill in what became my new path. Along the way, there were small pools of water collecting in rocks, and I knew this was a natural waterway for run-offs of rain, probably going to the small river that ran by the area where I had parked the car. The sun behind the western hills was beginning to set and cast a yellow glow across the entire landscape. The irony of this beautiful moment was not lost on me. The stunning panorama of naked rock, greening valleys, and glowing sky were stunning. But here I was alone, unsure exactly where I was and desperate to find my way down before it grew dark. When I crossed the next boundary of rock, I caught a glimpse of the valley below and could see a very distant lake I recognized. At least I hoped I was heading in the right direction.  Losing the Trail I don’t know if you have ever been in a scenario where you’ve lost sight of the trail, but my guess is that every educator finds himself or herself walking into situations where you did not plan to go. Perhaps it is a student disciplinary situation you’ve never faced before. Or maybe a parent has called with an alert from social media that has you and your team scrambling for a response.  You may be stepping into a season of your school where the pressures of activities seem to have erased the other priorities you set for student achievement, professional development or other goals. Or maybe, like my hiking story, you’ve lost sight of your leadership path because you have pushed ahead of where you had planned to go or allowed a good distraction to become a potentially fatal one. I remember times when I was teaching Advanced Placement Language to high school juniors. We had objectives that included analyzing the writing style or persuasive technique of authors along with goals to improve students’ abilities to write essays that both critiqued and applied lessons learned from those same writings. Sometimes, however, we would become so embroiled in debating positions for or against the pieces they were analyzing that we lost focus on the process, and I found myself refereeing arguments more than instructing them in analysis. It was at a point like this while teaching when I would stop a class and say, “Ok. Let’s remember why we are reading this piece. What is the author’s point? What language is he or she using to make the point? How can you recognize the rhetorical device he or she is using? What is the effect, positive or negative, of the message communicated?” As a teacher, I was responsible to guide my students back onto the trail of learning.  As educators, sometimes you are asked to implement programs or mandates from districts, state or federal agencies that can appear burdensome or be a distraction from the goals you and your team may already be working on for student achievement. When this happens, you know your role involves complying in a way that burdens others as little as possible while still keeping your primary goals front and center. This is not easy, but it is important. Too often we are distracted by the urgent while losing focus on the important. When that happens, it is time to pause, to reassess your position, and to find a way back on the right trail. If you don’t, the outcome could be exhaustion, burnout, or perhaps worse – losing others along the way.. Let’s Wrap This Up By the time I found a trail again on my mountain hike, I had to jog my way back as dusk was settling in, and frankly I was a disaster. I had scratched my legs and arms on rocks and brambles. At one point along the way, I had stopped to pull a cactus needle that had wedged its way through into my left shoe. Standing in a place I didn’t recognize, blood and dirt on my knees and arms, my water gone — I wasn’t sure where my car was from this point, but I made my way along the gravel road until I came to the highway. Thankfully, when I opened the map on my iPhone, I could see it had pinged my car from where I had last parked. It was 1.5 miles from where I stood, and now it was dark. With stars beginning to shine above me, I began a long hobbling jog and walk down the lonely highway. Of course, I remembered the buffalo, elk and longhorns that roamed this refuge. The yellow lines marked the center of the road like a solitary ribbon into darkness, and I pushed forward, listening for sounds, catching faraway yelps of coyotes, and tromping along thinking about how foolish I had been, and how much I wanted to be able to tell this story if I ever made it back to my car.  Maybe you’ve never been in a place where you’ve left the path as literally as I did in this story. But it is possible that in leadership you may be leaving the path without even realizing it. Here are some questions to keep in mind for reflection: When was the last time you revisited the mission and vision of your school? What practical steps are you currently taking to fulfill the goals you set for the school year? How are you and your teammates reflecting on your most important goals or outcomes to make sure you are keeping what is important central to your daily activities? In what ways can you re-adjust if you’ve gotten off the trail? Think about one step or action you can take today to reconnect with work you know will make the most impact for student learning. Let’s Get Real I want to finish this story with some transparency in case someone is reading this who needs a ‘let’s get real’ moment.  My father passed away last month. I was preparing for a presentation to a group of education leaders in Mississippi when my brother called with the news. Dad had lain down on the couch after dinner and said he didn’t feel well. My brother offered to take him to the hospital, but he said he’d rather “not go to a place that’s cold where they hook you up to a bunch of tubes.”  They called 911 for an ambulance instead. By the time the emergency responders arrived, Dad had said goodbye to Mom and my brother. His last words were, “I love you too.” I finished my trip to Mississippi and rerouted my return home through Nashville to spend the next week in West Tennessee with my family. My wife and kids drove in from Oklahoma, and all my siblings, 15 grandchildren, 5 great-grandkids, spouses, cousins, and friends joined us for the funeral. We have a tradition in our family at burials. After the last hymn is sung and prayer is said, we take turns with the shovel placing dirt on the coffin of the deceased. I can’t remember how the tradition began, but over the years, it has given each of us the opportunity to add one more moment to the reality of saying goodbye. It seems such a gentler way to cover the grave with hands that loved the person being laid to rest.. Coming back to ‘life as normal’ afterward my dad’s funeral has been much harder than I expected. I’ve had friends tell me losing a parent is hard, but I didn’t expect the emptiness I have felt. I have very few regrets in my relationship with my dad. We were close and loving. But it is odd knowing he’s not there – the rock who was always there from my earliest memories.  The last couple of weeks I’ve found myself outside a lot. I like to jog and bike, and the spring weather has been filling the days with sunlight and greening trees. So I’ve been loading my bike and riding the river trails near Tulsa or into Osage County. The miles of road, the sweat and sore muscles – these workouts have been ways I’ve coped with stress or anxiety over the years. When I returned home from my hiking trip and found the courage to tell my wife about my mishaps, she was upset that I had placed myself in danger. She was also kind enough to recognize my embarrassment and desire to commit to safer behavior in my future adventures. As we talked, I realized something else then that I hadn’t before. In the past when I have faced really stressful times, I have increased my exercise as a way to manage or release anxiety. Since my dad’s death, I have really picked up the pace. In some ways, I think I was trying to outrun the grief. While my wife and I talked, I admitted this to her. And for the first time since my dad’s death, I had a hard cry. I’m not telling that story here to gain sympathy or evoke emotion. Instead, I want to leave you with a final point:  All of us face a lot of difficult moments, including ones of deep grief in the situations you manage with others. Sometimes those moments leave you emotionally rattled or even hurt. You may not realize that these moments can also push you off the path of what’s important. Or they may also serve to point you back to what matters most: relationships. Either way, give yourself and others the grace to know that the work of education is hard. At the end of the day, we are all human, and it is in trusting relationships with others that we can find the strength and perspective to gain our footing again.  Now It’s Your Turn As you take a look at the road in front of you, are you still on the path that will help you reach the best outcomes? If you feel rattled, distracted or off-target, do you have someone else in your circle of accountability you can reflect with? Give yourself permission to assess where you are and take one step today in the direction you know will lead to the best outcomes. The post PMP348: Staying on the Path with Will Parker & Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

Robyn Hamasaki is the Managing Director of Leadership Development with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Previously, she served as School Leadership Development Specialist for the Colorado Department of Education, where she developed the state’s first Principal’s Leadership Institute. She is a former principal at the elementary and PK-8 levels, and was a teacher for middle and high school students. Robyn also retired as Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, where she served for 32 years.  Join Robyn and me with school leaders from across the nation for the NASSP Ignite Conference, July 12-15, 2023, where I will be leading a session on Pause. Breathe. Flourish: Living Your Best Life as an Educator. Register here. Listen-in to the entire conversations for more amazing takeaways! Here is a short summary of what we discuss: NASSP and Ignite – what leaders can expect and benefits of attending: Four Strands at the Conference include: Building Leadership Capacity School Culture & Climate Student Engagement & Motivation Whole School Wellness Keynote speakers include: Principal EL, Jimmy Casas, Gerry Brooks, Robyn Jackson and Elena Aguilar Robyn’s school leadership story and lessons that may help new leaders: Building relationships comes first. Distributive leadership means believing in your people and trusting them with a clear vision for accomplishing goals together. Coaching/mentoring tips Robyn learned while developing programs for leaders: Your job is not to ‘fix’ people or problems. Your job is to empower others toward solutions. Asking questions is key to helping others discover their solutions. Paraphrasing and clarifying questions allows them to see the solutions that are already in their own thinking or within their grasp. History in leadership in the military and how it’s influenced her work/life: Both education and the military have this in common: serving others.“LDRSHIP” represents seven core values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. How to stay connected with Robyn Hamasaki: NASSP s website: https://www.nassp.org/about-nassp/staff-directory/ Email: hamasakir@nassp.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-hamasaki-975202195/ Listen in for more takeaways! The post PMP347: Becoming Better Leaders with Robyn Hamasaki appeared first on Principal Matters.

Last week, we met Carlene Thomas. This week, she returns to answer more questions from school leaders searching for solutions for Multilingual Learners. Carlene Thomas is the CEO and founder of an educational consulting company that advocates for equity for multilingual learners (MLs) and specializes in support for bilingual education and English as a second language (ESL) programs. Carlene also currently serves on the executive board for the National Association for English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA), coordinating with other states and the U.S. Department of Education to advocate for MLs across the US.  Throughout her career, Carlene has been able to impact MLs through multiple perspectives. After teaching as a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) professor at a university in Bejing, China, she returned to the states with a clear passion for MLs. In Texas, Carlene has worked in various roles including ESL teacher (in both elementary and secondary school settings), ESL curriculum writer, ML compliance coordinator, ESL director, regional ESL/migrant educational consultant, and the ESL Program Coordinator for the state of Texas.  In her work at the Texas Education Agency, Carlene developed extensive compliance guidance resources, program implementation and evaluation tools, training materials, and comprehensive guidance on instructional practices for MLs. She is dedicated to serving MLs and their families by promoting additive bilingualism within all programs for MLs. In Part 2 of this conversation, we explore the following questions from principals of second language learners who emailed the following. Listen to the entire episode to hear the full context of Carlene’s responses! How do we help teachers develop the social consciousness to make connections and better serve our ELL students? First, building of social consciousness, culturally sustaining practices, and global competence needs to come from a systemic perspective, with district and campus leaders at the forefront of growing in these capacities and embedding these mindsets and actions into all facets of education.  Meet people where they are along the spectrum of implementation from understanding/awareness to relevancy to sustainability; from deficit to difference to asset-based approaches.  How can I (as an LPAC Coordinator and Assistant Principal) make myself more involved? Define LPAC for listeners (TX context) Listen to the teachers Spend time in the classrooms in a non-evaluative purpose Grow your capacity through ongoing professional development Any tips on how to incorporate our ELL students with non-ELL students? Model inclusivity (staff relationships; approach with students and families) Elevate ELs as leaders Implement effective program models that limit isolation What suggestions do you have related to testing newcomers in Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, Dyslexia, state testing, and third grade reading guarantee requirements? Invest students in the purpose of the assessment with the goal of progress measure Communicate with parents/families about these purposes as well As feasible, assess students in their primary language as well as English, particularly when determining the need for 504 (dyslexia) or special education services How do you navigate through the lack of psychologists, counselors, speech therapists, ELL teachers? Communicate the responsibility of EL support to the whole staff; including all stakeholders’ roles in implementing an effective program Train all teachers in content-based instructional methods, including culturally sustaining practices Involve families and community members as partners in meeting the needs of the school community What recommendations could be given in Special Education identification of ELL students? Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate (Special Ed and EL teams) Individual decisions/considerations are key Understanding second language acquisition impact (comparatively with primary language) Ensure equitable access to both programs Will’s follow-up questions: In your own journey as an educator, what are some lessons in transitioning in your roles may be helpful for others considering a change in their own work? My goals for professional transitions have always been two-fold: How can I grow my perspective?  How can I increase my sphere of influence? Always keep students and families at the forefront of your mind and work Any parting words of advice? Multilingual learners/ELs are rich assets in our communities. Whether you have a handful or the majority of your student population, they matter! What benefits them will benefit all (Good for all, necessary for some).  Connect with me on social media Website: www.carlithomas.com LinkedIn – Carlene Thomas Facebook – Carlene Thomas Consulting page Twitter – @carli_thomas21 Email: carlene@carlithomas.com Listen in for more great takeaways from this week’s episode! The post PMP346: Equity for Multilingual Learners, Part 2 with Carlene Thomas appeared first on Principal Matters.

Carlene Thomas is the CEO and founder of an educational consulting company that advocates for equity for multilingual learners (MLs) and specializes in support for bilingual education and English as a second language (ESL) programs. Carlene also currently serves on the executive board for the National Association for English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA), coordinating with other states and the U.S. Department of Education to advocate for MLs across the US.  Throughout her career, Carlene has been able to impact MLs through multiple perspectives. After teaching as a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) professor at a university in Bejing, China, she returned to the states with a clear passion for MLs. In Texas, Carlene has worked in various roles including ESL teacher (in both elementary and secondary school settings), ESL curriculum writer, ML compliance coordinator, ESL director, regional ESL/migrant educational consultant, and the ESL Program Coordinator for the state of Texas.  In her work at the Texas Education Agency, Carlene developed extensive compliance guidance resources, program implementation and evaluation tools, training materials, and comprehensive guidance on instructional practices for MLs. She is dedicated to serving MLs and their families by promoting additive bilingualism within all programs for MLs. Below is a summary of our conversation. Listen to the entire episode to hear the full context of Carlene’s responses!  Can you please fill in the gap on the introduction and share anything else listeners may be surprised to know about you?  Thankful for varied perspectives along my career Specialize in support for newcomers at secondary  Parent of students in two-way dual language immersion program Personal – play competitive soccer What led you into ELL, and what are some key takeaways in your work that may help school leaders to keep in mind? Teaching experience in China Hallway conversation with principal Look for those who show investment and care – other skills can grow What feedback do you have for schools who have the majority of their students who speak a different language from the language intended for direct instruction? Number 1 priority is cultivating culturally sustaining practices, including family involvement and outreach Asset-based approach – leveraging what students bring to the table (linguistic, academic, experiential) Content-based instructional methods are essential I have a listener who is an Assistant Principal in El Paso whose school serves mostly Spanish speaking students. Through my Grow Principal’s Academy, I also know a principal in Ohio whose school serves Russian speaking children, many of them whose families have fled the war in Ukraine. I reached out to both of them after scheduling you as a guest, and they sent these questions: Do you have any suggestions for secondary-level resources? Focus on grade level appropriate and high interest materials – (such as graphic novels) Use the grade level content and expand with linguistic focus (rather than focusing on separate materials) Use English language development software and materials as supplements, not replacements of content Any tips for improving parental involvement and educating families as to what an ESL program entails? Ask/survey parents on how they want to be communicating with and how they could best be involved Use communication tools that support in the families’ primary language (such as Talking Points) Based on finding out what parents/families’ priorities are for their child(ren), emphasize how the ESL or bilingual program will support those goals Demonstrate how parents/families that are not proficient in English can support English acquisition as well Any tips for helping language learners when their parents live across the border? Reinforce asking/surveying parents on how they want to be communicating with and how they could best be involved. Consider district/campus positions such as a parent liaison or social worker who can specifically focus on supporting families. Connect with me on social media Website: www.carlithomas.com LinkedIn – Carlene Thomas Facebook – Carlene Thomas Consulting page Twitter – @carli_thomas21 Email: carlene@carlithomas.com Be sure to listen in for more takeaways! The post PMP345: Equity for Multilingual Learners with Carlene Thomas appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week we answer a question from a listener who says: “I’m an assistant principal with four years of experience. This has truly been a rough year and tough four years at my school. I know God is using this experience to prepare me for what’s coming, but I am exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. I am being pulled in so many directions trying to help and support everyone, and it is taking a toll on me. Someday I want to step out and apply for principal positions, but how do I move forward when I find myself being too tired in my present work to even find the energy to update my resume or other application materials? Do you have any suggestions?” Listen to the entire episode for context and more takeaways! Here are a few of our thoughts: Will thoughts: Please know you are not alone. Hang in there as you wrap up school. This is the hardest time of the year. Ask others on your team for help.  Don’t be too hard on yourself. Give yourself the kind of grace you’d give someone else if they were in your shoes. Give yourself permission to have a day or two of meetings with yourself. This may mean taking a couple of personal days off, or even appointments with yourself at work to finish tasks. Use this time as permission to work on goals you want to reach, not anyone else’s goals.  You may just need a couple of solid days to sleep, rest, and play. Sometimes this helps re-think with a new perspective. Jen’s thoughts: Self-audit- measure your job satisfaction Measure your effectiveness What does this exhaustion tell you? Productive focus wheel “How many days do you have left” Would anything change if you were a principal? Step back and think about your work What led you here What are your end goals Write them down! Track backwards to what will get you there What keeps you? Final thoughts: This is a job that is never easy. Leadership is not easy. Don’t get caught in the comparison games. Other links to resources mentioned in the show: Seeing to Lead podcast episode with Chris Jones and Jen Schwanke The HAPPINESS BOX from Sam Horn’s SOMEDAY is Not a Day in the Week Book  Closing out the year admin list from William D. Parker Want a last month teacher checkout list? Email will@williamdparker.com to request a sample. The post PMP344: Refocusing When Exhausted with Will Parker & Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.