On Friday we will release the 50th episode of The Assistant Principal Podcast! To celebrate, we have chosen five of our favorite moments to share with you this week. Part of what makes these moments powerful is that they transcend education and are applicable to all leaders. We hope you enjoy the series! ​

Colleagues,

E26 Courage with Dr. Mary Hemphill
 
MVP: Know your ethical line in the sand before ethical situations arise, not during.
 
Dr. Hemphill is the Chief Academic Officer for the North Carolina Department of Education. We talked about being courageous as a leader and acting on your values.
 
“When you are an Assistant Principal, and particularly when you become a Principal, you have to decide before you sign your contract, you have to decide before you interview, what hill you do you want to die on, what do you want to fight for, because when you are in a moment with a parent, or a board member, or a superintendent, that is not the time to make those decisions.”
 
We think about critical ethical decisions being made in the face of a challenging situation, but Mary rightly reminds us that we usually make our ethical choices before the actual events ever unfold. I council people to be themselves in interviews and to put their values on display. Being authentic in an interview makes it much easier to be authentic in the job. On the other hand, if you are willing to bury your values in the interview, you will most certainly bury them in the job.

Cheers!

Frederick

Colleagues,

E21 Meeting the needs of new teachers with Mara Buskey, Leah Dowling and Kemberly Merritt
 
MVP: Be more direct in giving feedback and helping people grow their skills.
 
We asked first year teachers Leah Dowling and Kemberly Merritt about what kind of support they needed from their assistant principals:
 
“The assistant principal, he held my hand and walked me step-by-step, this is how you do this… he cheered me on... and held my hand to make sure I got it. If teachers that came in could have that kind of support of someone that is going to give them that step-by-step guidance, it would give them a more secure feeling.” (Kemberly)
 
“When they see us struggling in an area, they need to say, ‘here’s some resources, here’s some strategies’… there were times this school year that I didn’t realize I could have been doing better until February or March, wishing that I had known that earlier.” (Leah)
 
We often get confused and think that directive coaching is only for low performers, but that isn’t the case. People want feedback! They want critical feedback! More importantly, they want that feedback to be followed up with robust and detailed support and training. Directive coaching is good coaching. Being directive can be reassuring, especially when everything is new.

Cheers!

​Frederick

On Friday we will release the 50th episode of The Assistant Principal Podcast! To celebrate, we have chosen five of our favorite moments to share with you this week. Part of what makes these moments powerful is that they transcend education and are applicable to all leaders. We hope you enjoy the series! ​

E20 Change Starts from Within w. Dr. Gabby Grant
 
MVP: Want to change your organization? Change yourself first.

Dr. Grant is an authority on implementing restorative practices. When we asked her what the first step was in implementing restorative practices in a school, this was her answer:

“The first step in understanding and implementing restorative practices is understanding how you handle conflict yourself… It isn’t authentic if the transformation doesn’t start from within and then spread out, it isn’t going to be sustainable…Change starts from within.”

This is a universal truth. The first step to changing our organization is to change ourselves. Implementation and application will always lag behind and remain inconsistent until we have made the change from within ourselves. Until we change, organizational changes will be surface and incomplete.

Cheers!

​Frederick

Colleagues,

MVP: Reflect on what we really mean when we say “it’s all about relationships.”
 
I’ve been thinking a lot this week about how to support people in their work. I’ve been reflecting on my current roles, on my precious work, but, most importantly, I’ve been listening to others.
 
I’ve had multiple conversations and the consistent theme is “build relationships.”
 
If we want to support those we serve, we must have solid relationships with them.
 
Reflect on this:

• What does it mean to have a relationship with someone?
• What is the tension between having a personal and professional relationship?
• How do we build the kind of relationship that actually makes a difference?
• What’s the difference between building trust and building a relationship?

 
This week’s episode of The Assistant Principal Podcast examines that question with Dr. Tia Jones, the South Carolina Elementary Principal of the Year for 2022. You can listen here. Enjoy.
 
Cheers!
 
Frederick

Colleagues,

MVP: Instead of doing things for people, help them learn to do those things themselves.
 
A friend took a new job in an organization whose previous leader was indispensable. The leader was indispensable because when people below them struggled, the leader just took over the function. It was the opposite of delegating. Maybe that is assimilating?
 
On the outside, it might seem great to have a leader who can do and does everything. Super leader!
 
Until that leader leaves. And all the organizational capacity leaves with them.
 
My friend is having to rebuild an organization in which people were crippled by dependency.
 
In contrast to our example, good leaders invest in building the capacity of others, and therefore the capacity of the organization.
 
It isn’t easy, but it is simple – grow your people and make your organization better.
 
Who can you help grow today?
 
Cheers!
 
Frederick