The School Leader's Podcast

In this episode, I discuss how to Unlock Your Leadership Potential by focusing on 10 Strategies for Growth. John Maxwell, 15 Laws of Growth, stated that the 1st Law of Growth is The Law of Intentionality – Growth doesn’t happen by chance. You must make it happen. To grow as a leader, you must make it happen. You must constantly sharpen your axe.

As you listen, pay close attention to the 10 strategies for growth and make this year your best year ever.

• Mindset
• Read Leadership Books
• Seek Mentorship and Coaching
• Hang Out With Fellow Leaders
• Join a Professional Learning Network
• Seek Feedback Regularly
• Analyze Your Current Conditions
• Reflect and Adapt
• Write Your Goals Down
• Subscribe to Leadership Blogs and Podcasts

In this episode, I discuss 5 Things to Stop Doing as a Leader. The late great management thinker Peter Drucker said: “We spend a lot of time teaching our leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching them what to stop.” As you write down your new year resolutions, goals, and ideas for growth to strengthen your leadership practices and skills, I suspect Peter Drucker would encourage you to stop doing a few things.

As you listen, pay close attention to the things you should stop doing to reach your personal goals, grow beyond your limit, and make this year your best year ever.

• Stop waiting until the time is right
• Stop thinking about it
• Stop the permanent planning
• Stop listening to your excuses
• Stop negotiating with your obstacles

In this episode, I discuss Focus: Tips to Eliminate Distractions. I will share three tips to reduce or eliminate distractions and focus on what you want more this year. For many leaders, the problem isn’t a lack of time. The problem is a lack of focus. As you listen, pay close attention to how to refocus on what matters most.

Distractions come in all shapes and sizes, so let’s look at how to overcome distractions in three steps.

• Clearly define your wins
• Minimize the distractions
• Obsess about the process, not the results

In this episode, I discuss Leading with Gratitude. As you listen, pay close attention to the benefits of living a grateful life and 5 habits that will help you lead with gratitude.

To lead with gratitude, every leader should practice these 5 habits:

• Regularly practice giving thanks
• Express gratitude regardless of the situation
• Keep a gratitude journal
• Learn to see how bad experiences can produce good outcomes
• Make gratitude a part of your interactions with other people.

In this episode, I shared Leadership Landmines and How to Avoid Them. As you listen, pay close attention to each leadership landmine and strategies to avoid stepping on them.

These are the landmines every school leader should avoid.

• Today’s Success
• Failure to Adapt
• Losing trust
• Being Indecisive
• Refusing to Delegate

In this episode, I shared 6 Tips for Aspiring School Leaders. As you listen, examine yourself and consider these tips and areas for improvement.

As you start on your leadership journey, consider these tips.

• Make Your Intentions Known
• Be Good at Your Job
• Seek Growth opportunities
• Solve a Problem
• Have a Growth Mindset
• Develop Relational Skills

In this episode, I shared 10 Tips for New Principals. If you are a newly appointed principal, Congratulations! I am proud of you. I know you are excited and ready to lead your school to make it a better learning environment for students.

As you start your 1st year as a new principal or a veteran principal in a new building, consider these tips.

• Build relationships
• Honor the history of your school
• Ask lots of questions
• Be visible
• Make time to visit classrooms
• Don’t make major changes
• Identify the major players and support them
• Keep your Director or Superintendent in the loop
• Communicate regularly with your staff, parents, and community
• Find a mentor and create a support network

In this episode, I shared 10 Tips for New Assistant Principals. If you are a newly appointed assistant principal, Congratulations! I am proud of you. I know you are excited and ready to work alongside your principal to turn your school around or scale it up to a make it a better learning environment for students.

As you start your 1st year as a new assistant principal or a veteran assistant principal in a new building, consider these tips.

• Build relationships
• Discover the vision and values of your principal
• Know what is expected of you
• Listen
• Get to know and follow your school and district policies
• Make time to visit classrooms
• Manage and organize your priorities & work
• Find or create a support network
• Make time for yourself and family
• Give yourself lots of grace 

In this episode, I shared How to Increase Your Influence. These tips will help you increase your influence in every direction—up, down, and across your organization.

You must be able to influence or manage up, down, and across our organization if you are going to increase your influence and effectiveness. These tips are:

• Understand your organization
• Develop a solid reputation
• Cultivate trust
• Promote others
• Build networks
• Create opportunities for growth

In this episode, I shared Self-Care Tips for Educators. These self-care tips are intended as reminders for educators, school leaders, and principals as they enter the summer months and throughout the new school year to refill and rejuvenate.

As you enter the summer and throughout the new school year, consider or ponder on these 3 self-care tips. They are:

• Slow down and be present
• Disconnect
• Write down what you are grateful for

In this episode, I interview Dr. Joseph Williams III. As an experienced educator, Dr. Joseph Williams III recognizes that an excellent and equitable education is the key to a world of opportunities for all children. He grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Strong teachers, quality educational programs, and a supportive mother changed the trajectory of his life, which is why he has dedicated his life to ensuring that a student’s race, identity, gender, economic status, or zip code does not determine their life outcomes. Dr. Williams is committed to investing in and working with students, teachers, leaders, and the community to deliver a world-class educational experience for children.  

Dr. Williams started his K12 career as a special education teacher in Florida. He currently serves as a high school principal in Seattle, WA, where he is leading a school turnaround and improved outcomes for all students. Dr. Williams holds a Master’s degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University, an MBA degree from William Howard Taft University, and an Ed.D. in educational administration from California Coast University. He also has an executive certificate in Social Justice Leadership from Texas A&M University.

In this episode, I interview Charle Peck. She is the co-creator of Thriving School Community, a revolutionary program designed for schools to improve mental health. With over 20 years of education and mental health leadership experience, she has the unique lens of both a certified teacher and a licensed clinical therapist specializing in trauma.

Charle holds an MS in Education and an MS in Social Work. Her role as a high school teacher coupled with her work with children and families in crisis gives her incredible insight into solving youth mental health problems stemming from our schools. She is the co-author of Improving School Mental Health: The Thriving School Community Solution and a global keynote speaker delivering powerful messages of hope to educators.

Listen in to the entire conversation for lessons and tips to improve school mental health:

• Understanding generational trauma
• Youth mental health trauma
• Creating a safety for staff
• Circle of control
• Listen and support teachers and support staff
• Protocol for referring students
• Self-care
• Rapid reset strategy

Connect with Charle Peck

In this episode, I interview Dr. Zach Groshell. Zach is an instructional coach in the Seattle area and an experienced elementary teacher. Zach holds a PhD in Education and presents often about cognitive science and education research. Zach’s recent contributions include evidence-based presentations for Think Forward Educators and InnerDrive’s Cognitive Science Network, and a chapter on assessment and feedback for the book, Amplifying Instructional Design.

Zach hosts the podcast, Progressively Incorrect, and maintains an active professional presence on Twitter (@mrzachg) and his blog, educationrickshaw.com.

Listen in to the entire conversation for lessons and tips to become a better instructional coach:

• Understanding and becoming an expert on how learning happens
• Cognitive Science
• Coaching cycle
• Building trust with teachers
• Helping coaches to level up
• Feedback

Connect with Zach Groshell:

In this episode, I interview Fedrick Cohens. Mr. Cohens is the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction (Elementary Schools) at Georgetown County School District, where he supports all elementary school leaders and principals. He provides technical assistance to early learning centers, supervises elementary schools, and creates optimal opportunities for effective teaching and learning experiences.

He is a former Elementary Principal for nearly a decade (10 years). He is also a creative and effective leader with demonstrated skills in standards-based education, early childhood development, literacy education, technology instruction, and building and sustaining school/community partnerships.

Listen in to the entire conversation for lessons and tips to become a better instructional leader:

• Relationship matters
• Have an open school policy
• Honor and value the previous principal/ school leader
• The 5 big ideas of reading  
• Keep up, and don’t give up
• Growing in waiting

Connect with Fedrick Cohens:

In this episode, I interview Heilange Porcena. Mrs. Porcena is a servant leader and elementary turnaround principal. She has been an educator for 28 years and 12 years as a school-based administrator. She is a phenomenal leader. She has been instrumental in improving student achievement and moved her school from an F to a C in 1 year. She is passionate about making a difference for all children to succeed by equalizing the playing field through high expectations and a positive school culture. She is also the 2022 Principal of the Year for Broward County Public Schools, FL.

Listen in to the entire conversation for lessons learned in how you can transform your school culture and climate, improve student achievement, and move your school from an F to a C:

• Build strong relationships with teachers, parents, and community partners
• Create and foster buy-in with staff
• Build a strong leadership team
• Clear communication and be flexible
• Scale up tier 1 instruction
• Focus on a few key areas
• Have clear goals
• Involve parents, family, and all stakeholders
• Change the school culture
• Set high expectations

Connect with Heilange Porcena:

Episode 19 – Strategies for Scaling Up STEM Initiatives with Ms. Osas Guis-Obaseki

In this episode, I interview Ms. Osas Gauis-Obaseki. Ms. Osas is an engineer, STEM, and Computer Science Teacher. As a current programmer and engineer, he has been instrumental in scaling up her school's STEM and Computer Science Initiatives. She has exposed students to building computers, coding, programming, and digital tools. She has quarterly Hackathons, where students demonstrate their coding skills and compete with other students. Under her leadership, students have complete the Microsoft certifications in HTML and CSS Programming, Website Design, and MS Office.

Ms. Osas has spearheaded a STEM Club that meets biweekly to expose students to programming and the computer science field. She has garter various businesses as partners to support the STEM Initiative at her school, such as Oracle, ReGenerate Tech, and many more.

Ms. Osas is also the 2021-22 Teacher of the Year for her school.

Listen in to the entire conversation for strategies to start and scale your STEM initiatives:

• Know your why
• Identify your school’s STEM vision and mission
• Integrate STEM into different curriculum
• No age limit
• Enhance STEM Program with proper technology and software
• Empower girls and minority students in STEM

Connect with Ms. Osas Guis-Obaseki:

In this episode, I interview Dr. Shanessa Fenner. Dr. Fenner is an elementary principal, writer, a print model, motivational speaker, actress, and has her own TV show “The Bronco Exchange” on channel 7. She is a former radio personality on KISS 107.7 FM and had her own radio show entitled “Real Talk with Dr. Shanessa Fenner” and was co-host of a radio show called “iTeach.” Dr. Fenner is also an adjunct professor and a licensed insurance agent. Dr. Fenner was the Principal of the Year finalist for her school district in 2021 and 2022.

Listen in to the entire conversation for takeaways for emerging leaders and principals:

• Be authentic
• Support your people
• Build relationship with students
• Foster a healthy relationship with teachers and staff
• Build staff and teachers mental health

Connect with Dr. Shanessa Fenner:

In this episode, I interview Jessica Lander. Jessica Lander is a teacher, author and advocate. She teaches history and civics to recent immigrant students in an urban Massachusetts public high school and has won several teaching awards, including being named a Top 50 Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize in 2021, presented by the Varkey Foundation and being named a 2023 MA Teacher of the Year Finalist, presented by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Previously she has taught students in middle school, high school, and university in the U.S., Thailand, and Cambodia.

In this episode, I shared ideas and thoughts on Steps to be a Better Leader. Before we talk about what you will want to do in the New Year, let’s start with who you want to become. So many people make “do” goals. I encourage you to start with “who” goals. Who do you want to be as a leader?

Based on who you want to become, what do you need to do? Consider these six things so you can set goals to become a better leader:

• A discipline to start
• A person to empower
• The courage to stop
• Create a system
• Build relationships
• Take risks

In this episode, I shared ideas and tips for Setting New Year’s Goals. These five (5) essential guidelines for your goals are intended as reminders as you create and write down your SMART goals. You should also set goals for seven (7) areas of life.

As you enter the New Year, you should use these guidelines as guideposts for your goal setting. They are:

• Be specific
• Make Your Goals Memorable
• Give Your Goals a Time Limit
• Goals Need to be Yours
• Put Them in Writing

In this episode, I shared 5 Leadership Self-Care Tips. These self-care tips are intended as reminders for school leaders and principals as they enter the holiday season and throughout New Year to refill and rejuvenate.

As you enter the holiday season and throughout New Year consider or ponder on these 5 leadership self-care tips. They are:

• Pause
• Get your rest
• Cultivate an attitude of gratitude
• Make room for laughter
• Focus forward

In this episode, I interview Steve Frazier. Steve Frazier is a former Principal and South Florida Manager for Jostens. He is also the Executive Director of the Florida League of Middle Schools. He is a phenomenal leader and has been instrumental in improving student achievement at his school.

He also shared tips and strategies for leaders and principals to lead their schools to deliver positive learning outcomes for students.

Listen in to the entire conversation for takeaways for school leaders and principals:

• Build a team
• Be a reflective person
• Empower your leaders
• Don’t listen to the noise, focus on your vision
• Trust your gut and leadership intuitive

In this episode, I interview Vince Dawes. Vince Dawes is a current Principal at Richardson Independent School District. As a Turnaround Principal, he was instrumental in transforming and improving student achievement in several schools in both Florida and Texas. He also shared tips and strategies for emerging leaders, school leaders, and principals and ways to scale up professional development and transform your school.

Listen in to the entire conversation for takeaways for school leaders and principals:

• Reflect daily
• Build trusting relationships
• Craft and facilitate the vision and mission statement
• Communicate your why
• Build teachers and staff capacity
• Professional development

You can connect with Vince Dawes on Twitter @principaldawes and email him at vincent.dawes@risd.org. 

In this episode, I interview Jackson Self. Jackson Self is a former Principal and Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Invo Healthcare. As a former Principal and Turn Around Leader, he was instrumental in working with school leaders and principals to transform low-performing schools to improve student outcomes. He shared tips and strategies for school leaders and principals and ways to scale up support and interventions using the Invo Healthcare IMPACT Program.

Listen in to the entire conversation for takeaways for school leaders and principals:

• Be a reflective practitioner 
• Listen to your people 
• Facilitate the vision 
• Build relationships 
• Be a reader 
• Upscale your professional development 
• Grow yourself as a leader

In this episode, I shared Strategies to Deal with Challenging Students’ Behaviors. Coming out of the pandemic across our state and throughout the United States, I have noticed students' misbehaviors have worsened. While we had students' misbehaviors before the pandemic, it appears the pandemic has negatively influenced them. Students are having a difficult time self-regulating. It is almost safe to say most students have been impacted by the pandemic. It has directly impacted students' ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences.

These are some of the strategies school leaders or principals could implement to help students manage their behaviors and stress. They are:

• Morning Meetings
• Mindfulness Activities
• Prioritize positive relationships
• Have a Comfort Corner
• SEL Class
• Develop a Positive Behavioral Intervention & Support (PBIS) Plan

In this episode, I interview Janet D. Jackson. Ms. Jackson is an Assistant Principal in Broward County Public Schools, FL. As a veteran Assistant Principal, she shared tips and strategies for emerging and new Assistant Principals.

Listen in to the entire conversation for takeaways for new assistant principals and emerging school leaders:

• Strategies for self-care around your mind, body, and soul
• Own your professional growth
• Incorporate physical movement
• Practice gratitude
• Know & understand your principal’s priorities
• Importance of planning and organization
• How to craft a Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports (PBIS) Plan to improve students' behavior and school culture?

In this episode, I shared Tips for New Assistant Principals. If you are a newly appointed assistant principal, Congratulations! I am proud of you. I know you are excited and ready to work alongside your principal to turn your school around or scale up to make it better.

As you start your 1st year as an assistant principal or a veteran assistant principal in a new building, I would you to consider or ponder on these tips. They are:

• Be You. Be authentic.
• Build trusting relationships
• Understand your role
• Take care of your teachers
• Ask lots of questions
• Make decisions with students in mind
• Know and follow your school and district policies
• Communicate often and with purpose
• Have a meeting agenda and value teacher’s time
• Organize your priorities & work
• Get into the classroom
• Own your growth
• Find balance. Take time for yourself and family

In this episode, I interview the transformational leader and mentor, Dr. William Valmyr. Dr. Valmyr is a teacher, educational leader, author, coach, and speaker who speaks across the country and globally. He is also the CEO of Transformational Leadership.

He shared tips and nuggets for how school leaders can scale up their practices, lead, and innovate their schools. Listen in to the entire conversation for more takeaways, including Dr. Valmyr’s tips for administrators and school leaders:

• Why leadership matters?
• Importance of habits
• Leading up, down, and around
• Leading forward
• Mentoring
• Managing up/ Upscale leadership
• Importance of having a personal growth plan

In the last episode, I shared some of the strategies you can use to reinvent and rebuild the culture of your school. How would you define your school or department culture? How is your school culture? What is your department culture?

Is it positive? Is it toxic? Even if it is a good and positive culture, I think you can still take 1-2 things to make it even better.

What are some of the steps or actions you can take to improve your school culture or department culture?

I shared some of the lessons learned while crafting and building my school culture. They were as follows:

• Relationship is key
• Build a trusting relationship with students

If you did not listen to episode 1, I encourage you to pause this episode and listen to it. Or after listening to part 2, go back to part 1.

In today’s episode, I continued to share strategies for crafting a positive school. In summary, they are:

• Create a shared vision
• Communication
• Promote teacher leadership
• Recognize and celebrate
• Parental engagement
• Leverage community relationships and partnership

Episode 5 – Reinvent and rebuild the culture of your school Part 1

In today’s episode, I shared some of the strategies you can use to reinvent and rebuild the culture of your school. I hope you can take one or two tips to embed and apply to your school or department culture.

How would you define your school or department culture? How is your school culture? What is your department culture?

Is it positive? Is it toxic? Even if it is a good and positive culture, I think you can still take 1-2 things to make it even better.

What are some of the steps or actions you can take to improve your school culture or department culture?

I shared some of the lessons learned while crafting and building my school culture. They are as follows:

• Relationship is key
• Build a trusting relationship with students

In this episode, I shared Tips for New Principals. If you are a newly appointed principal, Congratulations! I am proud of you. I know you are excited and ready to turn your school or scale up to make it better.

As you start your 1st year as a principal, I would you to consider or ponder on these tips. They are:

• Get to Know Your Staff
• Be Visible
• Ask Lots of Questions
• Don’t Make Major Changes
• Share Your Core Values with staff
• Don’t Talk about the Previous Principal

I hope you joined today’s episode. Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a 5-star rating, and a comment! Share this episode with a friend and on social media. Connect with me on Twitter & Instagram at @DrGHarrigan, and Facebook & LinkedIn at Gastrid Harrigan for leadership tips and ideas. 

Episode 3 – Principal Leadership: Lessons Learned Part 2

In the last episode, I shared some of the lessons learned during my first few years as a principal. In the 1st episode, I shared a little background about my school and our journey to becoming a premier center. I also shared 3 lessons, which are:

· Relationship Matters

· Culture Trump Strategies

· Set High Expectations

If you did not listen to episode 1, I encourage you to pause this episode and listen to it. Or after listening to part 2, go back to part 1.

In today’s episode, I shared the last two lessons learned during my first few years as a principal. In summary, the lessons learned during my first years in principal leadership are as follows:

· Seek quick wins

· Support network

In today’s episode, I shared some of the lessons learned and challenges during my first few years as a principal. I hope that you can glean one or two tips to apply to your leadership repertoire and practices. For some of you, it might be a remainder of some things you have done or learned during your first years.

How was your first year as a Principal? What were some of the things that kept you up at night? What were some of the challenges? What would be your top 5 lessons learned?

In summary, the lessons learned during my first years in principal leadership are as follows:

1. Relationship matters

2. Culture trump strategies

3. Set high expectations (vision)

Several weeks ago, I read an article about ways to recharge your leadership battery. I also spent the last few months sharing ways to recharge mentally, spiritually, financially, and physically. In today’s episode, I share ideas and tips to recharge your leadership batteries. The following questions are what I will examine and discuss in this episode.

• What level is your “leadership battery”?
• How are you dealing with it?
• Are you intentionally recharging your battery level?
• Are you intentionally recharging physically, mentally, and even spiritually?

While schools are closed for the summer but I know most school leaders and principals are working over the summer. It is important to catch your breath and recharge your leadership battery.

In summary, the practical ideas to recharge your leadership batteries are:

1. Change of Pace

2. Gain Closure

3. Unclutter

4. A Personal Retreat

5. A Little Splurge—Do Something Fun

6. Trying Something New

7. Time Away With Family