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Why a Principal Joined a Mastermind After 25 Years with Terri Walker
Description
Terri Walker, principal of Buckland School in Alaska, felt stagnant after 25 years in education and wondered if it was time to retire. She tells you how a principal mastermind with weekly goals gave her focus, new ideas and the motivation to keep leading.
Walker is the only principal in her town, so she had no one nearby to talk shop with. One month into the group she had printed out communication cards, picked up sample schedules and a new tech tool, and wanted to start a staff book study.
What you'll learn
- Set a weekly goal so day-to-day demands do not sidetrack the work that moves your school forward.
- Find principals outside your building to trade problems and ideas with, especially if you are the only principal in town.
- Ask whether a growth program is worth the cost to you personally, as Walker did when she paid for the mastermind herself.
- Be intentional: narrow a long to-do list to what matters most and get feedback on that choice.
Chapters
- 0:00 Meet Terri Walker, Alaska principal
- 2:06 Why she joined after 25 years
- 4:18 How weekly goals change daily work
- 6:08 What she gets from other principals
- 8:19 Narrowing the list to what matters
- 9:18 Is the mastermind worth the cost?
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Questions this episode answers
What can a principal do when she feels stagnant after many years in the job?
Walker felt stagnant after 25 years and considered retiring. She reached out to other principals, first in a course and then in a mastermind, and says the support and new ideas put a light of fire back under her.
How do weekly goals help a principal stay focused?
Walker says principals get caught up in detailed things that sidetrack them. Her mastermind group sets a weekly goal each week, which keeps her intentional and focused on what moves the school forward instead of the day-to-day things.
About Terri Walker
Principal of Buckland School in Buckland, Alaska, and a member of the Transformative Principal mastermind.
Links and resources
Working on this at your school? Get a free preview of a 10-week leadership pathway built from episodes like this one at transformativeprincipal.com/start.
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