Shows
Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Tips for InterviewingWelcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, Jen Schwanke and I are talking about interview tips for educators. We share practical interview tips and tell some stories about times that interviews did not go well for us. Today’s topic was inspired by one of Jen’s recent newsletters, you can read it here. You can also read some of my older posts on interviewing here and here. Listen in to hear the full conversation!
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Tips for Interviewing appeared first on Principal Matters.
2026-03-0216 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Some Thoughts on AIWelcome back to another episode of Monday Matters. This week, Will and Jen are discussing a conference Jen recently attended that was dedicated to the topic of AI in schools. Some of what is covered in this conversation include cautions for schools. Schools are currently being sold lots of different AI products, and they need to know that “We use AI” is not the same as “We use good AI”. Schools also need to understand that AI does not mean accuracy; we shouldn’t confuse confidence with correctedness. Next, Will and Jen talk about how teacher grading practices need to change...
2026-02-0922 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Financial WellnessThis week on Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to talk about financial wellness for educators. They talk about the importance of making sure that your financial house is in order in the event that a new or different job opportunity comes up. Finances can either be an anchor that is used to hold one steady when times are hard or an anchor that keeps one’s head underwater if they are mismanaged. They also discuss how maintaining healthy practices benefits you in life and in the choices you have in your work. It is im...
2026-02-0216 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Planning PDThis week on Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to discuss second semester PD planning. This topic comes from this question: A common “Catch-22” is when the principal feels staff needs a particular PD, but staff says, “Just let me go to my room, close my door, and teach.” How can a principal reconcile these two perspectives? Will and Jen discuss this question and talk about building PD based on responses, successes, and challenges from first semester PD. They remind principals that, ultimately, if the goal is to create something that people will enjoy, then the solu...
2026-01-1919 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Wellness for the New YearWelcome back to this week’s episode of Monday Matters where Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are discussing the topic of wellness. Will shares some takeaways from a book he is reading called Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity by Dr. Eric Topol. The book highlights a study with 1400 participants called a ‘well-derly” study. Participants ages ranged from 85-102 years old who had no health problems and were not on any medications. When compared to a control group of ‘normal’ elderly people 85 and above, DNA samples revealed no significant differences in their genetics. Yet, they had higher immunity, better cog...
2026-01-1215 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Reflections and Goal-Setting for the New YearHappy New Year! This week on Monday Matters, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take some time to reflect on the past year through a series of questions. They talk about reaching major milestones, meeting personal and professional goals, overcoming challenges, and learning lessons. Reflecting back is an important step to growing forward. Will challenges listeners to take the questions asked in this episode and answer them on their own as they set their goals for the upcoming year. Listen in to hear the full conversation, and thank you for doing what matters!
The post M...
2026-01-0518 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Not the PlaceThis week on Monday Matters Will Parker and Jen Schwanke share some thoughts on addressing the political landscape that educators face. They discuss how educators, particularly school leaders, are often asked to weigh in on culture war issues. Taking sides on political issues is not what school leaders are paid to do, and in doing so you run the risk of alienating a significant portion of your school community. School leaders are paid to keep students safe, follow the law, and do what is best at any given time. Speaking publicly about politics as a school or district leader...
2025-12-1516 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Curiosity and Cracking the CodeThis week on Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to talk about how curiosity leads to discovery. Sometimes, school leaders can get so caught up in their work that they forget to be curious, forgetting that curiosity is the engine of learning. As leaders, we need to intentionally seek out the inquiry, discover, and apply cycles in our work. Through using reflective tools, we can unpack what curiosity is teaching us. Listen in to the whole conversation to hear from Will and Jen about how curiosity can lead to personal and professional growth.
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2025-11-2420 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Less is MorePrincipals often juggle a multitude of tasks and responsibilities, and they are constantly being asked to add more to their plate. Sometimes, you have to say “no” to say “yes” to something else. This week on Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke discuss the never-ending todo lists that many principals face. They talk about figuring out what to say “yes” to and what to say “no” to, thoughtfully cutting out tasks, and letting go of the things that you can’t control. The truth of the matter is that it is impossible for principals to keep adding tasks; at a certain point...
2025-11-1714 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Addressing AIWelcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to have a conversation about the use of AI in public schools. They talk about how AI has blown up and the ways that it is impacting education. One concern about AI that is often cited is that teachers are very concerned about cheating through using AI. Will and Jen address this concern and offer advice to school leaders navigating the complicated education landscape created by AI. Listen in to hear all their takeaways!
This episode was inspired by...
2025-11-1020 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Being a Swiss Army KnifeIn this week’s episode of Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to highlight the extraordinary skills of school leaders. Using the image of a Swiss Army Knife, Will and Jen tie that image to the image of the job description of a school principal. The job of a principal often requires school leaders to navigate a multitude of situations while utilizing a variety of skill sets. Principals often have to manage challenges and difficult experiences daily, while people in other professions do not. Dealing with these challenges can make the role of a principal fe...
2025-11-0316 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Leading Through the OrdinaryIn this week’s episode of Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke discuss the challenges that school leaders face as they navigate both the mundane and complex aspects of their job. They offer advice on how to lead through the ordinary and fight boredom in the job of a school leader by reconnecting to one’s purpose and finding joy in the day to day operations of a school. Below is a thoughtful post by Will Parker that highlights some of the topics covered in this episode.
Mending Fences and Leading Through the Ordinary, by William D. Pa...
2025-10-2718 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Staff Meeting Glow-UpWelcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, Jen Schwanke and I are talking about a post Jen wrote for her newsletter about staff meetings. Running a staff meeting can be a daunting task! We hope that this episode will provide principals with ideas to run staff meetings in a way that makes sure all staff members are engaged. Listen to the episode to hear all of our takeaways and read Jen’s post to learn more!
The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Staff Meeting Glow-Up appeared first on P...
2025-10-2017 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Whose Happiness Are You Responsible For?This week on Monday Matters, Jen Schwanke and I discuss happiness among educators. We cover an article by Elizabeth Dampf, The Cost of Happiness, and Jen talks about some articles she has written about joy in educators. School leaders face a lot of stress on the job. We spend a lot of time pouring into others. When you take time to pour into yourself, you have more to pour into others. How do principals hold on to the joy in their work as they deal with the pressure of feeling responsible for everyone else’s happiness? Listen to the ep...
2025-09-2916 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Self-Trust and BeyondWelcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, join Will Parker and Jen Schwanke for the final discussion about Jen’s new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools. Chapter 7 is about self-trust for principals. The work of a principal is inherently very self critical. When a principal spends their time dealing with self-doubt, they are breaking their own self-trust. Jen outlines several key insights for school leaders to hold onto when they examine their own relationship with self-trust, by acknowledging that you are hardest on yourself. Next, Jen tells listeners some wa...
2025-09-2221 min
The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education LeadersTrusted with Jen SchwankeThis week we welcome back Jen Schwanke, who previously joined the show to discuss The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management. Jen has been an educator for almost three decades, teaching or leading at all levels. She currently serves as a deputy superintendent in Ohio, is an instructor in educational administration at The Ohio State University, and is the co-host of the popular Principal Matters Podcast with our previous guest Will Parker (listen to his episode here).Jen’s newest book is Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secre...
2025-09-1851 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Building Trust with StudentsThis week on Monday Matters, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker are talking about building trust with students. Their conversation is a follow-up to last week’s episode, where they talk about what kills trust with students. If you haven’t already listened to that episode, go back and give it a listen! Building trust with students is the key to successful schools. When students trust their teachers and principals, behavior referrals are lowered, there are fewer interruptions during instruction, and overall student engagement increases. There are several ways that teachers and principals can build up the pillars of trust...
2025-09-1518 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trust Killers with StudentsHappy Monday Principal Matters listeners! This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are discussing a topic from Jen Schwanke’s new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools. Today’s conversation is part one of a two part conversation about building trust with students. Building trust with students is an essential skill for school leaders and teachers, but before talking about how to build trust, Jen is going to share with the audience some factors that kill trust between students and administrators. Trust killers are never done to intentionally destroy trust, but school leaders need...
2025-09-0823 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Building Trust with ParentsThis week on Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke talk more about a concept from Jen’s new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools. The topic of conversation this week is building trust with parents. Jen shares several components that are key to schools building a trusting relationship with parents. The first is strong communication; parents need to know who to contact. The second is fostering a sense of belonging for students and parents alike. Another component is competency. Parents need to feel that their children will be well served by teachers an...
2025-09-0117 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trust with TeachersWelcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are talking about building trust with teachers. Competency, openness, and honesty are three key building blocks to building trust with teachers. Teachers feeling that their principal is competent is key to having a trusting relationship between teachers and principals. Staying open to feedback from teachers and staff members will make them feel listened to and appreciated. Being honest is an essential skill, but principals should be mindful of being tactfully honest with their teachers to keep their trust alive. Listen in to the full...
2025-08-2514 min
Leaning into LeadershipEpisode 231: Building Trust and Leading with Courage - A Conversation with Dr. Jen SchwankeThis week on the Leaning Into Leadership podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jen Schwanke, a seasoned educator, author, and deputy superintendent with nearly three decades of experience. Together, we explore the history of public education and why times of societal unrest so often result in schools being placed under the spotlight.Dr. Schwanke shares insights from her doctoral research, her leadership journey, and her brand-new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools. We dig into:Why schools feel under attack during turbulent times—and why this isn’t new.How leaders...
2025-08-2447 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trust Pillars and Trust KillersWelcome back, Principal Matters listeners! This week on Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are talking about trust pillars and trust killers, a concept covered in Jen’s new book. When it comes to school trust, there are a number of methods school leaders can employ to build organizational trust among teachers and staff members. Jen describes the pillars of trust that hold up the weight of human and emotional needs of a school, and then outlines the things that can kill trust in those pillars. She also discusses the relationship between the amount of trust that teachers ha...
2025-08-1822 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trustworthy vs. Trust-willingHello, Principal Matters Listeners! Welcome back to another conversation about Jen’s new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools, available August 17th. Pre-order your copy now! Today, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker will be talking about what sets this book apart from a lecture on how to be trustworthy. Their conversation goes over the difference between being trustworthy versus being trust-willing. Being trust-willing as a school leader means trusting the professionals you work with; truly believing in the team that you work with. Listen to the episode to learn more about how being tr...
2025-08-1114 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Trusted: A New Book by Jen SchwankeHi, friends. Jen Schwanke is excited to announce that her new book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools, will be released on the 17th of this month! Over the next several weeks, Jen and I will be using the Monday Matters episodes to dive into each of the chapters of her book. This week, we are talking about chapter one: Trust in schools, why it’s broken, and how to get it back. If you would like to read along as we discuss each chapter, you can pre-order the book now via the ASCD we...
2025-08-0419 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Your Greatest Joy Is Not What You May ThinkWelcome back to another installment of Monday Matters! This week, Dr. Jen Schwanke and I are discussing chapter 13 from my new book Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love. The focus of chapter 13 is based on avoiding the mindset that our greatest joy has to be in the work we do. It can be really easy to let your work define your whole identity. As individuals who work hard jobs with long hours, school leaders are especially prone to this kind of thinking. Separating one’s identity from one’s job is har...
2025-07-2118 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Life LiturgiesHappy Monday, Principal Matters listeners! This week, Jen Schwanke and I are talking about chapter 12 from my new book, Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love. The premise of this chapter is on something I like to call “life liturgies”: practices, routines, and rituals that define a person and their beliefs. Defining one’s life liturgy can be hard, so Jen and I discuss practices that listeners can employ to help the definition process. Intentionally reflecting on factors like health, mindset, movement, and personal relationships can help one regain focus on what tru...
2025-07-0714 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – The Value of CoachingWelcome back to another Monday Matters. As school leaders across the country are wrapping up their school years, Jen and I are wishing everyone a happy summer! This week’s episode is a discussion of a chapter on coaching from my book, Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love. Coaching is a reflective activity that is extremely valuable to people across different walks of life, and it is particularly valuable to those working in education. Jen shares a story she read about coaching fifteen years ago that really opened her eyes to t...
2025-06-2321 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Cycles of ReflectionHi, Principal Matters listeners! Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Monday Matters. This week, Jen Schanke and I are talking about chapter 10 from my book, Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love. Before we jump into that discussion, Jen announces all of the places she will be at the ASCD/ITSE annual conference. Listen in to hear all of the details. If any listeners are planning to attend the ASCD/ITSE conference, Jen would love to connect with you!
Next, Jen and I discuss how summer is...
2025-06-1619 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Building Systems That Produce Outcomes You WantHi, Principal Matters listeners, and welcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, Jen Schwanke and I are talking about building systems that produce the outcome you want (Chapter 8 in Whose Permission). I want to talk about systems on Monday Matters because Jen Schwanke has helped me understand systems better. Jen shares that systems is something she is really passionate about in her leadership and encourages listeners to experiment using systems in their work. We discuss considering the difference between a systems problem versus a peoplWe also talk about how good systems are often what will lead...
2025-06-0918 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Let’s Talk About MoneyIt’s Monday, so that means it’s time for another Monday Matters episode! This week, Jen and I are continuing a series of conversations that revolve around the chapters from my new book, Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love. The chapter we’re discussing this week is called “Let’s Talk About Money”. Even though many educators love what they do, they often make less money than their peers in other professions. So, when educators consider doing the work they love, they also need to consider what kind of income they ne...
2025-06-0219 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Will It Fly?Hi, Friends! Welcome back to another installment of Monday Matters! This week, I am joined by Jen Schwanke to talk about a chapter called “Will It Fly?” in my new book, Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love.
When I wrote this chapter, I wanted to share with readers advices on the following themes:
Giving yourself permission to try something new, even if you might fail
Learning comes from failure
When considering big changes, it might be your permission that you are waiting for
Throughout the episode, Jen and...
2025-05-2615 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – The Value of ConsistencyHi, friends, and welcome back to Monday Matters! Today Jen and I are discussing the value of consistency, which is one of the chapters in my new book Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love. To start out the conversation, Jen shares the heartwarming story of a nurse, Grace, who helped care for her during a recent hospital stay. Jen recalls how Grace shared this story with her at 2:30 in the morning, and how she was very moved by the tale. Grace, who is from Kenya, shared with Jen that, in Ke...
2025-05-1212 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerENCORE FRIDAY – PMP278: Encouraging & Motivating Staff with Jen SchwankeHappy Friday! This week our encore episode is a conversation between Jen Schwanke and I, focused on encouraging and motivating staff. Listen in to hear us discuss the following reminders for education leaders:
Listen.
Remove competition.
Present “expectations” with care.
Look inward.
Build teachers up.
Tune in to hear the full conversation or check out the original blog post to learn more. Thank you doing what matters!
The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP278: Encouraging & Motivating Staff with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.
2025-05-0232 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Avoiding the BinaryWelcome back to Monday Matters! This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are discussing a chapter from Will’s new book, Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love. The chapter is on avoiding the binary, and discusses innovative ways for readers to approach decision making in their work through the use of the Odyssey Process (Burnett and Evans, 2016). When using the Odyssey Process, it is important to consider more than two possible options while pondering a decision. Will shares how he used this process as a school leader by physically mapping out...
2025-04-2812 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerENCORE FRIDAY – PMP271: Answering Questions on School Discipline with Jen SchwankeHappy Friday! This week’s encore episode is one from 2021, a conversation between Will Parker and Jen Schwanke about school discipline. Listen in to hear them talk about several different ways to approach consequences for student discipline, as well as some great advice and practical applications to approaching discipline. You can learn more by tuning in to their conversation or by reading the original blog post here. Thank you for doing what matters!
The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP271: Answering Questions on School Discipline with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.
2025-04-2530 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP445: Powerful Voices in Education with Donna Hayward and Jen SchwankeA Quick Note to Listeners:
—- The Question of the Week is supported by Summer Pops Math Workbooks.Principals, when students practice math over the summer, math scores go up. What’s your summer math plan this year? A great way to start is by ordering FREE summer workbook samples at Summer Pops Workbooks.com. —-
Before this week’s interview, Will Parker answers a question from a student in Jen Schwanke’s graduate class at OSU.
The question is: How did your leadership style evolve over the course of your principalship, and how did it...
2025-04-2353 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Catching UpHappy Monday, friends! This week for Monday Matters, Jen and Will are taking some time to catch up and talk about the exciting work we have been doing recently.
Jen talks about a presentation she gave recently. By the time this recording comes out, she will have returned from speaking at national school boards association with some of her colleagues. They are presenting about their social worker cohort, an idea dreamed up by Jen’s superintendent and brought to life by Jen and her colleagues. Essentially, this program is for teachers who want to get a masters in...
2025-04-1416 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerENCORE FRIDAY – PMP270: Gaining Buy-In & Building Leadership Teams with Jen SchwankeWelcome back to Encore Friday! This week’s episode is one from 2021, a conversation with Jen Schwanke about gaining buy-in and building leadership teams. Tune in to hear us answer the following questions from principals:
How do you gain ‘buy-in’ among staff vs just ‘setting expectations’ when it comes to structuring or implementing new programs to support student learning?
How do you start a leadership team? Ask for volunteers? Invite specific people??
Listen in to hear the entire episode, or follow this link to read the original blog post. Thank you for doing what matters!
The post E...
2025-04-1127 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Introducing a New PD Offering from Jen SchwankeHi, friends. This week for Monday Matters, Jen and I are taking some time to talk about an exciting new offering from Principal Matters, led by Jen Schwanke! Based on her book, The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management, Jen will be leading a 3-hour masterclass on June 3rd, 2025, at 11 am EDT. This dynamic virtual training equips school leaders with practical strategies to transform conflict from a dreaded challenge into an opportunity for growth. Through interactive workshops and reflective sessions, participants will learn to shift their mindset towards embracing conflict, understand its various forms, and master a three-step “Anticipate, Anal...
2025-04-0712 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Tips on Maintaining SanityWelcome back to Monday Matters! This week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker are sharing some lessons learned from doing PD with school leaders. They talk about some of the strengths that leaders who are women bring to the table, as well as strengths that leaders who are men bring to the table. During their conversation, Will and Jen discuss an article from the Harvard Kennedy School called “The Advantage of Women”. A few highlights from their discussion of the article are:
Studies show women are more likely to use collaboration
Bring more creative and sustainable solutions
More willing to se...
2025-03-3112 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerENCORE FRIDAY – PMP303: Intro to the Teacher’s Principal with Jen SchwankeHappy Friday! This week’s encore episode is one from 2022, in which I interview Jen Schwanke about her book The Teacher’s Principal: How School Leaders can Support and Motivate Their Teachers. Jen shares a ton of great takeaways in this episode; I learned a lot from her as I listened back to this it! Give this episode a listen or check out the original blog post to learn more!
The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP303: Intro to the Teacher’s Principal with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.
2025-03-2128 min
The Elemental Educator PodcastThe Ultimate Guide to Conflict Management for School Leaders (with Dr. Jen Schwanke)The Ultimate Guide to Conflict Management for School Leaders
In this episode of The Elemental Educator Podcast, host Tyler Comeau welcomes Dr. Jen Schwanke—deputy superintendent, author, and educational leadership expert—to explore how empathy, grounded values, and bold decision-making shape strong school leaders. Jen shares her journey from teaching to leadership, discusses the power of quotes and wisdom in leadership, and offers insights on navigating adversity and implementing change in schools. Learn how to lead with calm and intentionality, support educators through conflict management, and build a culture where values and collaboration drive success.
🚀 Want to...
2025-03-101h 00Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerENCORE FRIDAY – PMP368: Buildership with Robyn Jackson and Jen SchwankeIt’s Encore Friday! This week’s episode is an interview from 2023 with Jen Schwanke and Robyn Jackson. Listen in to hear them discuss topics like:
Reaching 100% of Students
Principals as “Builders” instead of leaders
Navigating Leadership as Women
Confronting the Imposter Syndrome
You can also check out the original blog post for this episode here. Thank you for doing what matters!
The post ENCORE FRIDAY – PMP368: Buildership with Robyn Jackson and Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.
2025-02-2144 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerMONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – AI in SchoolsFor this week’s Monday Matters topic, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke talk about AI in schools. While neither of them are experts on the subject, they acknowledge that AI is something that impacts everyone in the education world. Some of the points they address in this conversation are:
AI for educators
AI for students
The rapid development of AI
Ways that using AI can help save time
Tension between not wanting to use it and refusing to participate in it vs. wild abandonment
The dangers of using tools that are created in a vastly unregulated environment
The impor...
2025-02-1721 min
#PrincipalPLNThe Principal's Guide to Conflict Management with Jen Schwanke — The Authority PodcastToday we're pleased to bring you an episode from The Authority Podcast on the Be Podcast Network. In this conversation between host Ross Romano and Jen Schwanke, Ed.D., you'll hear about Jen's latest book, The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management.They discuss:Is all conflict bad?The opportunities conflict can presentLong-term risks of conflictDid Jen receive training before becoming a leader?Process: Anticipate, Analyze, ActIs there conflict that doesn’t require action?Common sources of conflict to eliminateGet The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management from ASCD or whe...
2025-02-1353 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP424: Principal as Mentor and Coach with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerA quick note to listeners:
Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response.
The question is: What strategies work best when dealing with others who are resistant to growth?
Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what matters!
The Principal as a Mentor and Coach
In this week’s episode, I interviewed Jen about an article she wrote, Principal as Mentor and Coach, published in ASCD’s Education Leadership, September 2024 edition.
Remember what it was like...
2024-11-2740 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP421: Smarter Budgets, Smarter Schools with Nate Levenson and Jen SchwankeA quick note to listeners:
Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response.
The question is: How can I exercise my voice as a ‘guardian’ without coming off as ‘challenging’?
Will refers to a resource The 5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead by Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram. You can find it here.
Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what matters!
Meet Nate Levenson
Nate Levenson is president of New Solutions K1...
2024-11-0643 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP416: Every Student Has a Name with Will Parker and Jen SchwankeA quick note to listeners:
Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response.
The question is: What’s the best way to find a ‘balanced’ leadership team when interviewing?
It’s hard sometimes to go ‘deep’ and really see who people are in a formal interview.
Will mentions a resource from Jimmy Casas. Go here for a summary of his Hiring for Excellence tips and other links to Jimmy’s great resources.
Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what...
2024-10-0200 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP407: Supporting Teacher Growth with Justin Baeder and Jen SchwankeThis week Jen Schwanke hosts guest educator Justin Baeder, author and veteran instructional leader, and takeaways from his newest book Mapping Professional Practice: How to Develop Instructional Frameworks to Support Teacher Growth (2022), a book co-authored with Heather Bell-Williams.
Justin shares his practical takes on accountability and the careful dance of driving school improvement. Discover the practical applications you can use, and check out Justin’s amazing resources from the Principal Center.
Justin is also a repeat guest on the show. You can hear his 2017 interview on his first book Now We’re Talking! 21 Days to High-P...
2024-07-3100 min
De Facto LeadersMaking intentional decisions and leaning on the expertise of your team (with Dr. Jen Schwanke)As a school leader, when is it best to make “top-down” decisions, and when should you make it a collaborative process?How can you tell which stakeholder input to prioritize?What’s the best way to communicate with your staff in a way that feels transparent, but doesn’t burden them with too much information? How can you make decisions confidently when you’re supervising staff in positions you’ve never held yourself? I invited Dr. Jen Schwanke to episode 170 of the De Facto Leaders podcast to discuss these questions. Dr. Jen Schwa...
2024-07-2459 min
The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education LeadersThe Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management with Jen SchwankeJen Schwanke, Ed.D., is a longtime educator who currently serves as a Deputy Superintendent in Ohio, as well as an instructor in educational administration at Miami University of Ohio.Her latest book is The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management.We discuss:Is all conflict bad?The opportunities conflict can presentLong-term risks of conflictDid Jen receive training before becoming a leader?Process: Anticipate, Analyze, ActIs there conflict that doesn’t require action?Common sources of conflict to eliminateGet The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management from A...
2024-07-2253 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP404: Managing Expectations and Accountability with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerThis week, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker tackle a question from an education leader: “As a principal, how can you monitor and ensure adherence to expected standards and outcomes in a way that is supportive rather than punitive, and fosters a culture of accountability?”
Key Points from Jen Schwanke:
Importance of mindset:
Lead with the intent to be supportive rather than punitive.
Believe that people generally do the best they can.
Be able to forgive mistakes and missteps.
Framing expectations:
Consider using terms like “hopes,” “norms,” and “practices” instead of just “expectations.”
Understanding accountability:
Distinguish between data-informed practi...
2024-07-1000 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP399: Boundary Setting for Leaders and Educators with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerHello, Friends! It’s Will Parker here from Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. We’re excited to announce that we’re approaching our 400th episode! Can you believe it? To make this milestone even more special, we’d love to hear from you. If this podcast has inspired, helped, or encouraged you, would you consider sharing your thoughts with us? It’s easy: find a quiet spot, record a 60-second voice memo on your phone, and email it to will@williamdparker.com. We’re eager to hear why the show resonates with you, your favorite moments, or anything you f...
2024-06-0535 min
Principal Center RadioJen Schwanke—The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management
Get the book, The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management
Visit Jen's Website, JenSchwanke.com
About The Author
Jen Schwanke, Ed.D., is a longtime educator, teaching and leading at all levels. She is the author of four ASCD books, including the just-released, The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management. She has written and presented for multiple state and local education organizations, and has provided professional development to various districts in the areas of school climate, personnel, and instructional leadership. An instructor in educational administration at Miami University of Ohio, Dr. Schwanke currently serv...
2024-06-0328 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP396: Leadership Approaches to Conflict Resolution with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerWill You Help Us Celebrate??
Hello, Friends! It’s Will Parker here from Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. We’re excited to announce that we’re approaching our 400th episode! Can you believe it? To make this milestone even more special, we’d love to hear from you. If this podcast has inspired, helped, or encouraged you, would you consider sharing your thoughts with us? It’s easy: find a quiet spot, record a 60-second voice memo on your phone, and email it to will@williamdparker.com. We’re eager to hear why the show resonates with...
2024-05-1534 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP395: Embracing MESSY Leadership with Alyssa Gallagher and Jen SchwankeA few words from William D. Parker
Hey everyone, William D. Parker here from Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. With over 1.4 million downloads and a decade of content for school leaders, our resources are always available for you at williamdparker.com. As we dive into May 2024, I’m reminded of the craziness this time brings. My wife affectionately dubs this time of year May-cember. It’s a whirlwind of activities and planning, so here are some quick survival tips: maintain a sensible schedule, accept what’s out of your control, prioritize tasks, lean on your team, ta...
2024-05-0836 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP392: Small Steps to Big Joy with Kim Strobel and Jen SchwankeHi, Friends. William D. Parker here. As you listen to this week’s show, you’re going to hear a powerful conversation Dr. Jen Schwanke has interviewing author and educator Kim Strobel. Kim Strobel is a motivational powerhouse, inspiring lives and organizations as a keynote speaker, leadership consultant, and happiness coach. Overcoming personal adversities, she embarked on a journey of self-discovery, finding the key to shifting mindsets and achieving remarkable growth. Kim challenges the outdated notions of success, advocating for a life of passion, purpose, and potential. Her mission is to inspire change that boosts well-being and performance in the...
2024-04-1745 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP388: How Do You Know if You’re Making the Right Decision? – with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerIn this week’s episode, Dr. Jen Schwanke and William D. Parker delve into the complexities of decision-making, particularly in leadership roles. Both share insights and strategies to navigate the often murky waters of making the “right” decisions.
Continuous Learning and Humility
Will emphasizes the importance of humility in leadership, advocating for a mindset of constant inquiry and openness to learning. He suggests that asking questions is a fundamental way to deepen understanding and make informed decisions.
Collaboration Over Isolation
Jen warns against the pitfalls of isolation, stressing the value of collab...
2024-03-2043 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP387: Accountability – A Dirty Word or Essential? with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerIn this week’s episode, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker talk about the word accountability. In education, this word can be perceived as both positive and negative.
On the negative side, education has been the target of a lot of political discourse, beginning for many modern U.S. educators in the 1980’s with the report a Nation at Risk, that shined a light on discrepancies in student learning and an avalanche of new laws that dictated outcomes and punished schools for lack of progress or performance.
Fast forward to 2024, and schools have spent decades redesigning accou...
2024-03-1335 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP384: Anticipate, Analyze, and Act with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerIn this week’s episode Will Parker and Jen Schwanke discuss more about Dr. Schwanke’s new book, The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management.
Jen asked leaders to consider a circle to anticipate, analyze and act as an ongoing movement – a way to visualize how approaching conflict.
Anticipate
Anticipate the adult, student, parent and self conflict that comes at different seasons, times, or throughout the processes of a school day. What did you not see coming? How can this experience prepare for anticipating when something similar may happen again because it likely will....
2024-02-2132 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP380: Dynamics of Building Leaders vs District Leaders with Will Parker and Jen SchwankeThis week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker discuss the dynamics involved in building leadership vs district leadership. Although still a principal at heart, Jen has served in the role of Deputy Superintendent now for three years. Will asked her to reflect on the following:
What surprised her more in the transition from building leadership to central office leadership?
If she could go back and talk to herself as a principal, what advice might she now give?
How do we bridge the gap that often exists between district-level leadership and building leadership?
A few highlights include:
It...
2024-01-2431 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP379: Systems Leader vs People Leader with Will Parker and Jen SchwankeIn this week’s episode, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker discuss the difference between systems leadership and people leadership. Here’s a quick summary: Leaders need to understand both. As one of Jen’s advisors told her, “If there is no route for the bus, it doesn’t really matter what people are on it.”
In other words, we often are told in leadership that “it’s all about the people.” This is only true if we support those people with systems, processes, policies and accountability measures that work. A “people only” approach implies a meritocracy– that districts/principals who...
2024-01-1730 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP375: She Leads with Dr. Rachael George and Dr. Jen SchwankeA few quick words from Will Parker: Hi, Friends! You’re going to be listening to an interview hosted by Jen Schwanke with our guest, Rachel George, the author of the book, She Leads: The Woman’s Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership, co-authored with Majalise Tolan. You’re going to love this conversation about Rachel’s background in firefighting as well as your powerful feedback on how to manage the stress of leadership. She and Jen also talk about the unique challenges of women in leadership.
This episode will be coming out during the holiday season...
2023-12-2041 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP368: Buildership with Robyn Jackson and Jen SchwankeHi, Friends. Will Parker here. A quick shout-out to Dr. Jen Schwanke and Dr. Robyn Jackson who agreed to record this special edition of Principal Matters where Jen hosts the show. In this conversation, you’ll find helpful lessons for your leadership as they discuss topics like:
Reaching 100% of Students
Principals as “Builders” instead of leaders
Navigating Leadership as Women
Confronting the Imposter Syndrome
I heard Robyn Jackson present this summer at the NASSP Ignite Conference, and she has been leading ongoing virtual sessions as part of the Ignite+ series. Her lessons on ‘buildership’ are both motivational and positi...
2023-11-0145 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP367: Head and Heart, A Principal’s Tools with Jen SchwankeIn this episode, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke, talk about her recent article, “Heart and head: A Principal’s Essential Tools,” written for the ASCD Education Leadership magazine. Check it out here.
Jen started the conversation by sharing a piece she read about chefs and their essential tools. Many chefs pointed to gadgets, but one chef’s emphasis was on his hands – trusted, adaptable, and skilled. Drawing a parallel, Jen equates school leaders with a chef. While there’s an abundance of external resources, the intrinsic tools – emotional intelligence (heart) and intellectual knowledge (head) – are fundamental.
Balancing Em...
2023-10-2527 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP364: Not Missing Out on Your Best Kept Secrets with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerIn today’s episode, Will Parker shares poignant takeaways from a summer hiking trip with his son, Jack, applying those insights to the realm of school leadership. The discussion centers on the importance of being present, connecting with students, and celebrating even the small moments.
Afterward, Will and co-host Jen Schwanke talk about applying those lessons to leadership, including these tips:
Walk the Land: The idea that you must be deeply involved in your environment to understand it.
Look Down: Pay attention to the details and small moments that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Observe the Patterns: Re...
2023-10-0432 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP361: Coaching Questions for Leaders with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerThis week Jen Schwanke turns the tables on Will Parker to place him in the hot seat as an example of reflective coaching. A few weeks ago, in episode 355, Will placed Jen in the hot seat of a conversation using questions from The Coaching Habit, by Michael Bungay Stanier.
Now, it’s Jen’s turn to ask Will the Bungay’s coaching questions:
The Kickstart Question: What’s on your mind?
The Awe Question: And what else?
The Focus Question: What’s the real challenge here for you?
The Foundation Question: What do you want?
The Lazy Questi...
2023-09-1331 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP359: Building Trust & Thriving as an Assistant Principal with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerUpdates for Principal Matters Listeners
New Website
Hi, Friends. Will Parker here. I want to share a few updates before today’s show. First of all, Principal Matters has a new website. For 10 years, I have been using the same website, and this week we are excited to launch a new place where you can find all the previous podcasts and blog posts, links to my books, as well as offerings and services like the Principal Matters Grow Academy, Impact Masterminds, Executive Coaching, and Keynote opportunities.
Please take a moment to check it out...
2023-08-3034 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP355: Using Reflective Questions with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerIn this episode, host Will Parker prompts guest Jen Schwanke with seven thought-provoking questions derived from the book, The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier. This reflective dialogue aims to explore leadership challenges and ways to overcome them. Buy the book here.
Question Overview:
The Kickstart Question: What’s on your mind?
The Awe Question: And what else?
The Focus Question: What’s the real challenge here for you?
The Foundation Question: What do you want?
The Lazy Question: How can I help?
The Strategic Question: If y...
2023-08-0233 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP354: Questions on Allocation of Support with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerOn this week’s episode, we tackle listener queries about leadership and resource allocation. Jen Schwanke shares an enlightening conversation with a principal from a small, rural school in Iowa about how best to utilize allocated funding for a new staff position.
Biggest Time Usage and Strengths:
Jen discusses the principal’s most significant time usage and strengths, and his decision to hire an instructional coach to handle the academics while he manages sports and music.
Proactive vs. Reactive Hiring:
Jen challenges this approach, suggesting hiring a leader for Operations of Extr...
2023-07-2634 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP353: How to Provide Meaningful Feedback in Observations with Jen Schwanke and Will ParkerIn 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...
2023-07-1935 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP344: Refocusing When Exhausted with Will Parker & Jen SchwankeThis 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...
2023-05-1729 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP334: Questions on Student Behavior with Jen SchwankeA listener who is an administrator on the middle and high school level who has the opportunity to become a Vice Principal wrote to Will and Jen:
“As a classroom teacher this year has been quite challenging because there are some students who resist learning and either not coming to class prepared or asking to go to the bathroom repeatedly during the lesson, distracting or socializing during instruction, regardless how many times I go over expectations with them. What are some policies I can incorporate or I can tell teachers to incorporate as a future Vice Principal so...
2023-03-0833 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerHow do you set and reach goals? with Jen Schwanke – PMP329Setting goals is a practice that I’ve used to help me grow in my own work. Not only is goal setting important in your professional life, but in your personal life as well. It helps you visualize where you want to be at the end of each year and gives you something to work towards throughout the year. In this week’s episode, co-host Jen Schwanke and I discuss how we each set and achieve our goals in our personal and professional lives. Here are few takeaways:
Jen’s feedback:
I see many people asking what el...
2023-02-0136 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP324: How Do I Learn Subject Areas Not My Own? Listener Questions with Jen SchwankeThis week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke are tackling some listener questions. The question they are covering this week is: “Do you have any tips on becoming well versed in becoming knowledgeable about content areas other than my own and scheduling classroom observations?”
Jen’s Ideas:
Ask questions
Admit what you don’t know
Ask, “This looks like it’s working. Is my view accurate?” (coming from a place of positivity) intentionality
Making yourself a student of the thing 🙂
Getting multiple perspectives
Come from a place of positivity
Get feedback from other sources (data! Student experience! Parent feedback!)
C...
2022-12-1430 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP318: Returning the joy to teaching, learning and leading with Jen SchwankeThis week Will Parker is joined by Jen Schwanke to talk about returning the joy to teaching in learning and leading. As the year winds down, teachers and school leaders are getting tired and working hard. It is important for school leaders to encourage themselves and their teachers to look for the joy in the middle of all this hard work. Will and Jen discuss Jen’s recent article with Dr. Tracy Deagle “Can We Still Find Joy in Teaching?” that offers helpful suggestions on what we should hold on to when it comes to the joy of teaching in scho...
2022-11-0224 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP317: Discipline with Dignity with Jen SchwankeThis week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke tackle the topic of discipline in schools. More specifically, they discuss how to discipline with dignity as school leaders. One of the questions that they explore is: As discipline ramps up this time of year, how can principals empower teachers to manage discipline in Tier One?
Some topics teams might discuss:
10, 10, 10 rule
In what ways are policies only as good as the people who administer them?
Does the school handbook and district policies reflect your teacher’s approach to discipline and vice-versa?
What role do you think a principal shoul...
2022-10-2632 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP311: Politics and Advocacy for School Leaders with Jen SchwankeIn this week’s episode, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke share some thoughts on how to remain focused on service to your school communities while also remaining aware of what is happening in politics and advocacy that may also be affecting your school.
Will references the following book as a resource for understanding the difference between old power structures and new power structures in the ways people are communicating and advocating: New Power: How Anyone Can Persuade, Mobilize, and Succeed in Our Chaotic, Connected Age by Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms.
A survey by NASSP’s Su...
2022-09-1427 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP301: How to Respond to Negativity with Jen SchwankeJen Schwanke, ASCD author and veteran educator, joins me in this episode to answer listener questions.
Question #1
“How do you or would you mediate negative relationships between staff members in your building and the county/district office personnel to ensure it does not negatively impact the students/programs/initiatives in your school building?”
Jen’s response: When a storm devastated the family farm, Jen’s dad said, “You know, we can’t control the wind.” We cannot control what we cannot control. We will always have negative people in our building, and principals face this chal...
2022-07-0600 min
NHASCD Spotlight: A PodcastThe Teacher's Principal with Jen SchwankeJen Schwanke, education leader and author, shares thoughts on how educational leaders can support their teachers and encourage practices that lead to the best outcomes for students.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Jen Schwanke has been an educator for 24 years, teaching or leading at all levels. She is the author of two previous books: You’re the Principal! Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders and The Principal Reboot: 8 Ways to Revitalize Your School Leadership. She has also written for Choice Literacy, Education Week Teacher, Principal, and Principal Navigator. She is a frequent co-host and con...
2022-06-1535 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP290: Teacher Pipeline Ideas & Solutions with Jen SchwankeThis week Jen Schwanke and William D. Parker talk about how principals and education leaders can recruit and retain high quality teachers:
Learn about efforts school districts are using involving supporting employment funnels from local universities, substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and student-teacher interns.
Discover how you can leverage duty stipends and arrival/departure times as incentives for those who need differing start/end times. Brainstorm ways to balance work loads and provide solid coaching for teachers who need more support – especially in hard-to-find positions.
Leaders can think outside the box, and keep investing in bu...
2022-04-2028 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP289: Supporting School Communities District-Wide with Jen SchwankeIn Jen Schwanke’s new role as an Deputy Superintendent and in dissertation work, she has been learning a lot about supporting school communities district-wide. In this week’s episode, she explains some of the main responsibilities important to embrace in supporting educators:
Why you cannot forget what it feels like to be a teacher or principal. Not just saying it, but meaning it.Some of the main challenges leaders face in serving from the district role versus the school siteLearning to say yes, and… Instead of yes, but…What research shows about the historic and systemic work of centr...
2022-04-1334 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP278: Encouraging & Motivating Staff with Jen SchwankeIn a recent article Jen Schwanke published with ASCD, First Engage Teachers: A Principal’s Role in Cultivating Staff Motivation, Jen makes the following assertion: “When principals foster a staff’s collective belief in themselves, their staff will incorporate that positive esteem toward their own motivation and engagement to work with students.”
How does this looks when applied? Listen-in to this week’s episode as Jen explains with examples the following reminders for education leaders:
1) Listen.
2) Remove competition.
3) Present “expectations” with care.
4) Look inward.
5) Build teachers up.
As an educ...
2022-01-1930 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP271: Answering Questions on School Discipline with Jen SchwankeThis week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer the principal question: “How do you structure discipline so that punishments fit the crime?”
We talk about how the word discipline, instead of punishment, carries an important distinction for how we approach consequences for students.
In addition, we provide feedback on several areas, including:
1. Set high expectations.
2. Let the consequence fit the infraction.
3. Be consistent.
4. Be creative when necessary.
5. Be polite.
6. Be Specific and Document.
7. Serve and Teach.
8. Communicate Trust
.
You...
2021-11-1728 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP270: Gaining Buy-In & Building Leadership Teams with Jen SchwankeThis week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answer principal questions:
How do you gain ‘buy-in’ among staff vs just ‘setting expectations’ when it comes to structuring or implementing new programs to support student learning?
How do you start a leadership team? Ask for volunteers? Invite specific people??
Listen in for feedback on building trust, building on strengths, identifying leaders through volunteers as well as targeting leadership input.
During the show, William also refers to positive school outcomes at Dimension Learning Academy in Norman, Oklahoma. You can find out more about the school here: https://www.normanpub...
2021-11-1025 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP267: Answering Questions on Grief and Behavior with Jen SchwankeThis week, Jen Schwanke, joins me as we respond to more listener questions. Jen Schwanke is an author and education leader from Dublin City Schools in Dublin, Ohio.
Question: How do you manage leading a school through the grief of losing a teacher to COVID?
Here are some of the points we cover in response:
Grief is loss — COVID involves fear — it is important to keep both those dynamics in mind when dealing with loss. Loss takes time and community. Leaders need to involve others in the process of healing.Fear takes action and, in th...
2021-10-2030 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP266: Principal Questions on Curriculum and Goals with Jen SchwankeJen Schwanke joins me this week as we respond to listener questions. Jen Schwanke is an author and education leader from Dublin City Schools in Dublin, Ohio. We have two questions from a listener who wrote for feedback as an opportunity is opening to apply for a site principal position.
LISTENER QUESTION 1:
“After several years serving in the role of assistant principal, I have been mired in testing, discipline, bus routes etc. for the past several years. I know a little about curriculum, but I need to beef up my knowledge in the coming weeks. What...
2021-10-1333 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP255: Reconstructing Place and Space, Part 2 with Jen SchwankeThis week, Jen Schwanke, author and education leaders, shares the second half of a conversation on Reconstructing Place and Space.
With credit to Dr. Miller, director of the EdD in Educational Administration and an assistant professor – clinical in the Department of Educational Studies at The Ohio State University, Jen probes into several questions his feedback has generated.
Listen to the entire episode for more context, but here is a short summary of this week’s conversation:
WDP: As a quick review, can you explain again the difference between space and place?
Jen...
2021-07-2830 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP254: Reconstructing Place and Space with Jen SchwankeThis week, Jen Schwanke, author and education leader, shares thoughts on why education leaders should consider how ‘place and space’ play a role in learning outcomes.
With credit to Dr. Miller, director of the EdD in Educational Administration and an assistant professor – clinical in the Department of Educational Studies at The Ohio State University, Jen probes into several questions his feedback has generated.
Listen to the entire episode for more context, but here is a short summary of the conversation with several applications for education leaders:
WDP: What is the difference between space and pla...
2021-07-2134 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP250: Principal Reboot, Part 2 with Jen Schwanke and Mastermind MembersIn this episode, Jen Schwanke, principal of Indian Run Elementary in Dublin, Ohio, and author of two books on school leadership, joined me for a conversation with two principals from the Principal Matters Mastermind community: Samantha Bartrom, Principal of Coastal Academy in Oceanside, California, and Erin Igoe, Assistant Principal at Piedmont High School in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Listen to episode 249 for part one of this conversation where we discuss a chapter of The Principal Reboot: 8 Ways to Revitalize Your School Leadership, by Jen Schwanke with the author herself. This week, however, we share conversations about w...
2021-06-2330 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP249: Principal Reboot with Jen Schwanke and Mastermind MembersOn May 27, 2021, Jen Schwanke, principal of Indian Run Elementary in Dublin, Ohio, and author of two books on school leadership, joined me for a conversation with two principals from the Principal Matters Mastermind community: Samantha Bartrom, Principal of Coastal Academy in Oceanside, California, and Erin Igoe, Assistant Principal at Piedmont High School in the San Francisco Bay Area.
This entire school year, Principal Matters Mastermind members have been joining together once a week for book discussions, collaboration and problem solving. This week, two members joined me to ask Jen questions and discuss a chapter of The Principal R...
2021-06-0922 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP230: Managing Decision-Fatigue with Jen SchwankeWhat do you do when every decision is a new one? How do you keep perspective amidst decision-fatigue?
Photo by Laura Chouette – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@laurachouette?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit
This week, Jen Schwanke, Principal of Indian Run Elementary in Dublin, Ohio, joins me for a conversation about leading through a pandemic.
Welcome back Jen!
Jen Schwanke is the author two books on education leadership. She provides keynote presentations and trainings for school leaders across the nation.
A frequent guest and...
2021-01-2724 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP219: Pause. Breathe. Flourish. Part 2 with Jen SchwankeThis week Jen Schwanke continues asking me questions about my new book Pause. Breathe. Flourish. Living Your Best Life as an Educator. Jen Schwanke is the principal of Indian Run Elementary and author of two books, You’re The Principal, Now What? and The Principal Re-Boot: 8 Ways to Revitalize Your School Leadership.
Photo by Andrew Neel – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@andrewtneel?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit
In Part 2 of our conversation, Jen asks me to explain my writing process and asks me questions about remaining positive during challenging times. H...
2020-11-1129 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP218: Reflections on Pause. Breathe. Flourish. with Jen SchwankeWhen Jen Schwanke and I sat down to talk about my new book this week, Jen turned the microphone to ask me some questions.
Photo by Jonathan Farber – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@farber?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit
Jen Schwanke is the principal of Indian Run Elementary and author of two books, You’re The Principal, Now What? and The Principal Re-Boot: 8 Ways to Revitalize Your School Leadership.
Here are some takeaways from our conversation:
Questions from Jen
Jen: Your new book Pause...
2020-11-0429 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP210: Re-opening Reflections with Jen SchwankeThis week I reconnected with Principal Jen Schwanke, Principal of Indian Run Elementary, author and education consultant, for reflections on what re-opening has looked like for her school in Dublin, Ohio.
Photo by sudama – Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/35468150609@N01
Together we explored some lessons she’s already learning that may be helpful for your leadership. Listen to the entire podcast episode for even more valuable takeaways in Jen’s own words. Here’s a condensed summary of our talk together:
Lessons Learned in Re-Opening School with Jen Schwanke
Jen Schwan...
2020-09-1033 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP201: Rebooting for the Summer with Jen SchwankeOn March 17, 2020, many schools across the U.S. began responding to the global pandemic of COVID-19 with school closures.
Most school leaders were scrambling to figure out how to keep school communities safe while adjusting to a new norm.
Jen Schwanke, Principal of Indian Run Elementary in Dublin, Ohio, was no exception. While her school community swung into action, she put everything else on hold as teachers, students and families transitioned to remote learning.
Ironically, this was also the release date of Jen’s newest book, The Principal Re-Boot: 8 Ways to Revitalize Your Sc...
2020-07-0925 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP200: Looking Back at Distance Learning with Jen SchwankeNow that the dust has settled from distance learning, school leaders are asking: what worked, and what didn’t work?
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How did you stay connected to people, or what important milestones did you miss? In this week’s podcast episode, Principal Jen Schwanke shares reflections on ways school leaders can look back at lessons during distance or remote learning.
Making a list
First, Jen talks about ways that leaders can reflect...
2020-06-2527 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP186: Reboot for Principals with Jen SchwankeThroughout the world, schools are managing the challenges of school closures in response to news of the spreading corona virus or COVID-19.
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As a school leader, you are expected to manage difficulties, but sometimes you are managing in uncharted territory. Also in the midst of helping others, what can you do to make sure you’re caring for your own mindset in leadership?
As you consider solutions for your school, let’s stay co...
2020-03-1830 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerEncore146: Balancing Priorities with Jen SchwankeHave you ever felt overwhelmed in trying to balance priorities?
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If you’re like me, you can probably think of more than once where student discipline, parent concerns, and teacher feedback provided you more tasks than you could complete in a day.
No matter whether you are a new principal or a veteran leader, here’s a quick truth: you will never reach the point where you “have it all together.” That’s bec...
2019-12-1232 minPrincipal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. ParkerPMP:140 Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders – Interview with Jen SchwankeI’ll never forget the semester I transitioned from assistant principal to principal.
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Even though I had been in school administration for nine years at the time, the move to a new position brought back the old feelings of isolation. I also felt the creep of anxiety I had experienced as a new administrator almost a decade before. As the pressure mounted, I finally asked myself and important question: What lessons did I learn as an a...
2019-01-2519 min