Episode Details

Jason Bodnar, an assistant principal at a middle school and host of the Principally Speaking podcast, explains how he gives teachers autonomy. A former high school science teacher for nine years, he tells teachers to try something new and not worry if it goes imperfectly, because he will not dock them for it.

Bodnar says that building his own advanced science class and helping decide whether to buy netbooks or iPads gave him real say, and changed how he saw the job. He also admits he talked too much in some meetings last year, and says people older and younger than him know more.

What you'll learn

• Tell teachers plainly that trying something new that does not go perfectly will not count against them.
• Share your own rough early teaching days, so new teachers see that you started in survival mode too.
• Talk less in meetings and get more feedback from teachers, as Bodnar is trying to do.
• When students bring a claim from a classroom experiment, send them back to redo it with better controls instead of saying no.
• Give students a strong voice; Bodnar says that is what makes the educators he interviews on his podcast great.

Chapters

• 0:00 Slack team invite and meet Jason Bodnar
• 1:35 From science teacher to assistant principal
• 4:47 Giving teachers room to try something new
• 8:58 Helping new teachers feel safe to try things
• 11:02 It is not that students hate science
• 12:26 The drinking fountain bacteria experiment
• 16:21 Why student voice marks great educators
• 18:05 High school versus middle school differences

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Questions this episode answers

How can an assistant principal give teachers autonomy?
Bodnar says to tell teachers that if they try something new and it does not go perfectly, he will not dock them. He treats fluid lesson plans as a good sign, and reminds teachers that he was not a perfect teacher either.

How do you model growth for your teachers?
Bodnar tells teachers he is 35 and there are people younger and older who know more than he does, which is fine as long as he keeps growing. The host adds that teachers who do not take chances cannot expect students to.

How is being a middle school administrator different from high school?
Bodnar, who oversees sixth grade, says sixth graders are almost like elementary students, and social drama, especially among girls, spreads fast through social media. He says good teachers are good teachers at any level.

About Jason Bodnar

Assistant principal at a middle school in Indiana, former high school science teacher of nine years, and host of the Principally Speaking podcast.

Links and resources

• Rate on Apple Podcasts
• Rate on Stitcher
• Jethro Jones on Twitter
• Transformative Principal on Twitter
• Communication Cards
• Show notes for this episode
• Paperless Principal book

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