Shows
The Principal of ThingsStill Getting My Feet WetJerry shares a bit about how he's settling in as the new principal at Whitmer High School. Thom and Jerry share a bit about their vision of the future at Whitmer High School and Whitmer Career and Technology Center. They talk a bit about a major road and parking lot construction project coming soon. Make it a great day. Go Panthers!2024-11-0615 minThe Principal of ThingsHistory & Tradition vs. "That's just the way we've always done it."Principal of Whitmer High School, Jerry Bell, joins Thom on the Principal of Things. Get to know a little about Jerry and let's see where this thing goes. Make a difference in what you do. Make it a great day. Go Panthers.
Music: Phortitude by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com2024-09-2021 minThe Principal of ThingsAll Ohio ACTE ConferenceJennifer and Thom presented at the All Ohio Association for Career Technical Education Conference in Columbus, Ohio. We presented "Podcasting Made Simple" and as a demonstration recorded an episode during the session. Here are a few questions that our guests had about podcasting and our format. Also, Thom tried out some new audio from silvermansound.com. Make it a great day.
Music: Phortitude by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com2024-07-1614 minThe Principal of ThingsThat's a Wrap (on '23-'24)It's the final episode for the 2023-2024 school year. Thanks for following along with us. Stay tuned for a couple of pop up episodes over the summer. Make it a great day.2024-06-0318 minThe Principal of Things"The thing that will stick with me forever and ever..."A guest joins Jennifer and Thom. They first talk about the graduation ceremony and some special moments that took place. Shout out to Whitmer's custodial crew to help us get set up at graduation. Then our guest gets some rapid fire questions. Make it a great day.2024-05-2824 minThe Principal of ThingsTeacher Appreciation WeekToday Jennifer and Thom talk about the Top 15 Luncheon. We talk about JA Inspire, welcome a guest student come in the open door, and we talk about things connected to teacher appreciation week. Full disclosure, this episode was recorded from Thom's office and the floor was littered with balloons. Make it a great day.2024-05-1319 minThe Principal of ThingsGratitude FirstJennifer and Thom start by talking about the importance of focusing on and even starting your day with gratitude. They talk through some of the logistics of the cafeteria and shout out to our nutrition service workers. Shout out to our local convenience stores for supporting our students. Great job as well to our career fair organizers and participants. Make it a great day.2024-05-0922 minThe Principal of ThingsCareer Technology Education Support SpecialistOn this episode Thom has a guest co-host, Ms. Becca Lee. She is the Career Technology Support Specialist for Whitmer Career and Technology Center. We find out a bit about Becca's history in the field and what she has enjoyed most about her new position at Whitmer. Make it a great day.2024-04-2319 minThe Principal of ThingsSpring Break and Pups and StuffOn this episode Jennifer and Thom share a little about their pups. They talk a little about how they got their names. Shout out to Whitmer staff for their adaptability especially in February and March. Make it a great day.2024-04-1220 minThe Principal of ThingsA DJ, a Coach, and a Couple of Principals (pt. 2)We're changing up the lesson plan today and breaking this episode into two parts. Get to know a little more about Jennifer and Thom in this two part episode. Make it a great day!2024-03-1518 minThe Principal of ThingsA DJ, a Coach, and a Couple of Principals (pt. 1)We're changing up the lesson plan today and breaking this episode into two parts. Get to know a little more about Jennifer and Thom in this two part episode. Make it a great day!2024-03-1525 minThe Principal of Things"You sound like you have a great voice for the radio..."Today Jennifer and Thom host two Whitmer teachers. These teachers help coordinate Link Crew at Whitmer High School. They both have students that attend the district. We talk a little about work, family life and Link Crew. Make it a great day.2024-02-2318 minThe Principal of ThingsThe Juggle is RealDid your education prepare you fully for your job? In education it seems like we always learn on the job. Hopefully you have great mentors to support and guide you. We are reaching the middle of the third quarter and a large part of our focus as administrators is preparing for the next school year. All the while, we have students that are also preparing for graduation. Make it a great day.2024-02-1215 minThe Principal of Things"Keep an open mind..."What's your favorite desert? Is senioritis real? What advice would you give to an incoming freshmen? These are just a few of the questions that Jennifer and Thom ask their guests on the latest upisode of The Principal of Things. Two of our best senior panthers join us for this episode. Make it a great day!2024-02-0324 minThe Principal of ThingsMoving ForwardThank you to all of the educators that listen to this podcast. Thank you especially to those that have served the education profession and are ready for retirement. Shoutout specifically to those that are retiring from Whitmer High School. Once a Panther, always a Panther. Jennifer and Thom also talk a little about how we are working to provide new learning opportunities for our current and future students. Thanks for joining us for this episode. Make it a great day2024-01-2617 minThe Principal of Things“The successes that our kids have…”We welcome Whitmer Athletic Director Mr. Sean Flemmings on this podcast. He brings a well-rounded educational background and wealth of experience and knowledge in his role as an associate principal and athletic director. Jennifer and Sean have worked together in a number of different roles in the district. Our administrative team at Whitmer High School works hard to always put students at the forefront of our decision making. Sean Flemmings is a critical member of our team. We’re proud to share just a snapshot of the work we do together. Make it a great day.2024-01-1921 minThe Principal of ThingsBest Case Scenario
This is the first episode back after the winter/holiday break. Jennifer and Thom share how they spent theirs. When do you take your decorations down? Do you make a new year’s resolution? Shortly before break the Whitmer campus had a false threat event, known as swatting. We share a bit about the reality of that event. Thank you to our community and our teachers for their understanding and cooperation in a difficult situation. Welcome back to the second half of the school year. Make it a great day.
2024-01-1218 minThe Principal of Things“So I’m definitely lookin’ to go to college…”On this episode Jennifer and Thom welcome a senior student. He is a member of the Whitmer High School Band, the Whitmer Career and Technology Center’s engineering program, and the Whitmer Speech and Debate team. He talks about his K-12 experiences in Washington Local. Thom is nerding out a bit on this episode in all things engineering, rock music, and talking about college and career opportunities. Thanks for joining us. Make it a great day.2023-12-1421 minThe Principal of ThingsAin't No Mountain High EnoughJennifer and Thom talk a little about what’s going on behind the scenes with The Principal of Things. The Open Door Policy brought Coach Anthony Stacey to the podcast. Coach is in his fourth season as the head boys basketball coach at Whitmer High School. Jennifer shares a bit about the Superintendent’s student advisory group. Thom talks through introducing YouScience to the sophomore CTC tour process. Shout out to all of our music programs and one of the busiest times of the year. Make it a great day.
2023-12-0818 minThe Principal of Things"Yes. All 550 of them..."
On this episode Thom and Jennifer welcome Seth Evearitt, counselor at Whitmer High School. Seth shares some insights about his position as a ninth grade counselor. We talk with him about the Evearitt family history at Whitmer, about sports, and the passion we all share for students. Make it a great day.
2023-12-0119 minThe Principal of ThingsTake TwoIt's easier to hear Jennifer when her mic isn't muted. In this episode we shout out elementary administrators and the work they do. Shoutouts to Whitmer Preview Night, Mr. McCarthy and the fall play. We talk a little about Washington Local family nights and technology woes. Thank you for joining us. Make it a great day!2023-11-2812 minThe Principal of Things"I have another crazy car story."Today we welcome two senior students to the podcast. We get off script a bit to talk about a big part of student life: driving. How was it for you learning to drive? Thom finally shares the story of the three week 300. Make it a great day. 2023-11-2822 minThe Principal of ThingsConnecting with StakeholdersThom shares about the CTC Advisory / Stakeholder meeting. Jennifer and Thom discuss family contact time (parent teacher conferences), the upcoming Whitmer Preview Night (open house), and shout out to the Whitmer art department teachers and students. "Live" from the WTMR studio in the new video podcast area. Make it a great day!
Thank you WTMR for hosting our video here!2023-11-2817 minThe Principal of Things"I'm just excited for the ride..."Today we welcome two senior students on the podcast. One is a football player, the other is a teaching professions student. They are both Link Leaders and excellent role models for our ninth grade students. We talk about their high school highlights. We talk about things they do in and out of the classroom. At the end of the episode they offer some sound advice for younger students. I know that these two definitely know how to… Make it a great day!
2023-11-0327 minThe Principal of ThingsQuarter 2: The School Year is Rolling
Thom talks about the Ohio Career Technical Administrator Fall Conference. We talk a little about the idea of simultaneous credit and credit flexibility. Shout to Mrs. Bourbina and the PTCFast parent teacher conference sign up system. Oh yeah, hey, send us an email or check out our school website and get in touch with us. We recently had an assembly for IROC (Institute for Responsible and Online and Cellphone Communication) followed by a lunch and learn for our teaching professions students. Link Crew is holding a ninth grade ice cream social. There’s a lot going on. That’s how...2023-10-2720 minThe Principal of Things“There’s constant things, there’s always things…”We have two guests on today’s episode and we surprised them with their appearance following a previously scheduled meeting. What provides rejuvenation in your work? Sometimes Thom goes on a walkabout. Our guests share how they made their decision on how to become administrators. Jennifer and Thom share how they made it into education. The excitement in all of our voices comes from our love for the work we do. At the center of that work is students. Make it a great day.2023-10-2022 minThe Principal of ThingsLots of ThingsIn this episode we talk about lots of things. Does your week start on Mondays? Have you ever thought about starting your week on Sunday? We talk about our building wide evacuation drill and the planning and process of that drill including recording video and the plan to debrief with our full staff after that drill. We shout out our culinary program and the Campus Cafe. We give an update on our earbud policy, recap homecoming, and give some info on LiveID. The Nation Wide alert takes place during our recording. We love doing this show and we hope...2023-10-1329 minThe Principal of Things“I love the off-season. It’s my favorite time.”This episode comes to you from Whitmer Stadium during the junior vs. senior homecoming powderpuff game. We host a student guest that is in the culinary arts career-technical program, a football player, a basketball player, and is also a thrower for the Whitmer Panther track team. He works hard in the off-season to prepare himself as much as possible and it shows. Find out about some of Whitmer’s traditions surrounding football and homecoming. We’re having fun and we hope you are too. Make it a great day.2023-10-0614 minThe Principal of ThingsMeeting Student and Staff NeedsAt Whitmer High School and Whitmer Career & Technology Center we are consistently working to meet students where they are. We've heard recently from students (and teachers) that elective offerings aren't lining up to their interests. Thom shares his insights on YouScience (Brightpath) and how we are working to roll the program out to Whitmer High School. Jennifer gives a shout our to our new educator coordinator and how the program can help support teachers new to the profession and to our district. Make it a great day.2023-09-2912 minThe Principal of Things"WTMR, media arts, is my favorite part of high school."On this episode we host our first student guests. Two senior students in the media arts career technical program also known as WTMR. One is interested more in the performance side and the other is more interested in the news and journalism. Thank you to our first guests. Make it a great day.2023-09-2223 minThe Principal of ThingsAudio UpgradeThom is nerding out about the new audio set up for The Principal of Things. Shoutouts go to our cafeteria and food services staff. Thank you to Tony and Abbott at Jupmode. We talk about WTMR, our media arts career-technical program. Share a bit about "club days" our new to us LiveID system and more. Make it a great day. 2023-09-1515 minThe Principal of Things"I'm a hardcore podcaster..."Hello, this week we have our first guest on The Principal of Things. She's an intervention specialist at Whitmer High School. Our guest is working on her masters degree and shares about her life and why she is an educator. Mostly we asked her to join us because she's a self-proclaimed "hardcore podcaster". Make it a great day.2023-09-0816 minThe Principal of ThingsWelcome Back!Hi, this is Jennifer Bronikowski, Principal of Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio, and Thom Ziems, Administrator for the Whitmer Career and Technology Center. Welcome to season two of the principal of things. In this episode we shout out Link Crew Coordinators and the work of Link Crew. We talk about safety at our first home football game including students presenting their school ID to get into the game. We’re changing the format for season two so stay tuned. Make it a great day!2023-08-3109 minThe Principal of ThingsMiddle Names, Food Trucks, and GraduationWelcome to The Principal of Things podcast. Jennifer Bronikowski is the principal of Whitmer High School. Thom Ziems is the administrator for the Whitmer Career and Technology Center. Whitmer is a high school in Toledo, Ohio with around 2,200 students. This is the final episode of season one. Which track meet event is your life right now? We hope you have enjoyed the listening as much as we have enjoyed recording. You probably have if you've made it this far. Make it a great day. 2023-06-1519 minThe Principal of ThingsSmart Tech, an Award, and Anything but a Backpack
In this episode Jennifer and Thom get a bit off script. No apologies here, it's almost the end of the school year. What are the top two things you like about having a smart watch? Jennifer jumps right in with the question for Thom. He has one, she does not. This episode was recorded on the last day with seniors in the building. Today was "anything but a backpack" day. Seniors class of 2023 we will miss you. Good luck and... Make it a great day!2023-06-1518 minThe Principal of ThingsA Site Visit, Educational Efficiency, and Exceptional ThingsHappy birthday Jennifer! Happy (belated) birthday Thom! In this episode Thom and Jennifer talk about a recent site visit to Mayfield Schools near Cleveland. There's a bit of professional dialogue around field trips and how they can be communicated more effectively with faculty and staff. They are also feeling the sprint toward the end of the school year which includes all things graduation, scheduling for next school year, and recognizing student achievements. When it comes to education, what's one thing you would change today? Make it a great day!2023-06-1521 minThe Principal of ThingsTeacher Appreciation, Academic Signing, and Field TripsIn this episode, Jennifer and Thom talk about teacher appreciation in their school. They talk about one form of student recognition in the form of an academic signing day. It's also (almost) all things graduation right now. This year brings back the senior assembly and recognition. The graduation ceremony has returned to a local university. Grade level experiences for the district sends the Sophomore class to the Henry Ford Museum. Junior Achievement is providing a career day downtown for local middle and high schools. Sunday Funday? Sundae Sunday? Make it a great day.2023-05-2424 minThe Principal of ThingsGreetings, Classroom Visits, and Show WeekHow do you greet people when you see them? When walking toward someone in a hallway, what is the appropriate distance to say hello? Jennifer and Thom have students participating in many different types of activities this time of year. Shout out to all of the teachers helping to provide students with experiences outside the classroom. Also, it's show week at Whitmer. They talk about how education is different at every level and how they wound up at the high school level. Make it a great day.2023-05-1923 minThe Principal of ThingsEnd of Course Testing, Lunchtime Preparedness, and a Spring Break ReviewEnd of course testing is a reality for most secondary schools and Jennifer and Thom talk about how Whitmer works it into their school year. There were a couple of events that occurred during two separate lunch periods during the school week. One of them, out of the ordinary. Jennifer issues Thom a new directive. Finally, they take a look back at spring break. Make it a great day.
2023-04-2823 minThe Principal of ThingsGraduation Seals, the Day-to-day, and Spring BreakA first for The Principal of Things: not one, but two cohosts. KaSandra Spain and Jenny Weitro join Thom and discuss all of the things. First, the closet handed down from one AP to the next in the Deans' Center. They also shout out the work being done to print graduation seals and chat about the things they are working on in their respective offices. Finally, they share their most embarrassing moment involving school. Make it a great day.2023-04-2125 minThe Principal of ThingsCTC Welcome Assembly, Student Voice, and a Long Short WeekIn this episode we talk a bit about the Career & Technology Center (CTC). Thom and Jennifer reflect on the spring time preparations for the next school year. They talk a little about the new CTC logo reveal at the sophomore welcome assembly. Students have great perspective, they share some of their willingness to ask for impromptu opinions and conversations with students. There was an organized student walkout this week and Jennifer shares how the students communicated in a respectful way their intentions. Finally, the CTC puts on a senior citizen prom every year and the first one that Thom...2023-04-1925 minThe Principal of ThingsBulletins, Professional Learning Conferences, and Club DayJennifer is on location in Chicago while attending a national education conference. Thom is signing on from his dining room. We talk about some of the highlights of attending a conference including how to show appreciation for folks working in education. A simple share this week is the principal's weekly bulletin. We discuss collaboration between grades 7-12 and the curriculum department. Club day is once a month and takes place during our academic advisory time. Thom's wife pops in the "open door" or dining room table. Make it a great day!2023-04-0623 minThe Principal of ThingsMinute-to-win-it Assembly, Group Texting, and Student RecognitionToday Jennifer and Thom talk about the assembly to end the madness. The top 16 teams for the student march madness minute-to-win-it games had a showdown in the field house pep rally style. We share the power of using group texts with a team. There are a few shout-outs along the way and we share some ways that we recognize students other than honor roll and student of the month. Make it a great day!2023-03-3022 minThe Principal of ThingsMarch Madness (Student Style), Behind-the-scenes Shout Outs, and an Amazing Band.In this episode we talk about a fun advisory (homeroom) competition between classes. This has been a great opportunity to get administrators into classrooms without the pressure of evaluations. We shout out some of our behind-the-scenes help that is so critical to the operation of a school. Jennifer shares about the recent band concert and we discuss what we have learned about musical performances. Finally, Jennifer has a question of the cast for Thom. Make it a great day!2023-03-2423 minThe Principal of ThingsA Superb Senior, Walking the Halls, and a Silk SuitIn this episode we take the opportunity to brag on an awesome student and his contributions to our school. We share an easy-to-implement supervision strategy for in-between classes that promotes additional points of contact from adults to learners. One of our tPoT hosts owned a white silk suit- find out who near the end of this episode! Make it a great day!2023-03-1431 minThe Principal of ThingsSubstitutes (In-house), March Madness for Teacher Spirit, and a Time MachineIn this episode we share details of our faculty March Madness (thanks to two teachers for organizing!). We also acknowledge the substitute teacher shortage and its impact. Our Question of the Day elicits thoughts and reflection. Make it a great day!2023-03-1422 minThe Principal of ThingsBingo, Lockdown, and Superintendent LuncheonIn this episode we share details about our school wide bingo event. We talk about an event that lead to the school experiencing a lockdown. Finally, we share about a student celebration. Make it a great day.2023-02-2730 minThe Principal of ThingsA Fire (small fire), Drills and a Safety ShoutoutIn this episode we talk about what happens when a small fire happens during a lunch period. We have a discussion on drills and how they prepare staff and students for the unexpected. Safety has been at the forefront of many discussions for our district this year so we also recognize our assistant superintendent for her great work on this topic. The question of the cast is, "What is something you wish students, parents, and staff understood about being a principal?" Make it a great day.2023-02-2023 minThe Principal of ThingsSneakerball, Alternative Spaces at Dances, and an Open DoorIn today's episode we talk about our winter dance called Sneakerball. We share an alternative dance space that was set up during our homecoming dance in the fall. The open door made for multiple pop-ins and we finally answer a question from the listener in our "Question of the Cast" segment. Make it a great day.2023-02-1220 minThe Principal of ThingsStaff Meetings, Stock Exchanges, and PuzzlesIn this episode we talk about the staff meeting options available for teachers. We talk about an excellent opportunity for students to engage with community members through a Stock Market Exchange event. Finally, how we work to try and connect with teachers and each other, in the end, we are all humans and human connection is important. You never know who you might run into at Target. Make it a great day.2023-02-0619 minThe Principal of ThingsA Snow Day, a Counselor, and Sticker PassesIn this episode we talk about our first snow day of the school year. One of our amazing counselors come through the open door. We also talk about the path of a teacher into and out of the classroom. Our students use the bathroom during lunches and we talk about the pass system we use. Finally, we look back on a student vs. teacher basketball fundraiser. Spoiler alert: neither of us laced up the sneakers for this contest. Make it a great day.2023-01-2922 minThe Principal of ThingsBLTs, Speed Dating, and False StartsIn this episode we talk about false starts and multi-tasking. We introduce you to a speed dating style approach to connecting new teachers with veteran teachers. We also talk about Jennifer's signature round robin included in every building leadership team (BLT) meeting. Sorry, no bacon, lettuce or tomato here. Make it a great day.2023-01-2120 minThe Principal of ThingsConferences, Connections and a CustodianIn this episode we talk about being intentional in connecting with teachers, the positive vibe between our new and veteran teachers, the spirit of a great athletic rivalry, and we get a visit from one of our amazing custodial crew members.2023-01-1319 min