Episode Details

Recently, I have been answering questions from listeners on a variety of subjects in school leadership.

This week I am joined by my friend, Jethro Jones the host of Transformative Principal Podcast as we tackle three questions together from our listeners. Jethro is an administrator with elementary and middle level experience and currently lives in Fairbanks, Alaska.

In 2017 he was recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals as a National Digital Principal of the Year. I’ve known Jethro for years from connecting online and have had the privilege of meeting him in person. He was first a guest on my program for PMP Episode 74, where you can hear a longer introduction to his work and check out conversations about why it’s important to embed digital practices in your school. 

3 Questions from Listeners

This week we are tackling three questions that principal listeners have shared with us from our podcasts, covering these topics:

1. What do you do if or when your teachers give you the cold shoulder about learning something new?
2. How do you manage differences in student dynamics within competency-based instruction?
3. What ways can you measure student growth in Social Emotional Learning?

Listen-in for the complete conversation, and let’s jump right in…

Question 1. My teachers give me the cold shoulder when I try to introduce them to new ways of teaching. What should I do?

Jethro and I discuss the following:

• Modeling for teachers
• Observation of other teachers
• What is he/she doing well already? Praise first, then instruct.
• Lead with the question, “Where do you want to grow?”
• Creating an enviornment where teachers ask for help
• Celebrating innovative teaching
• Learning to say yes before saying no

Question 2. How do you make sure that students who struggle don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed that they aren’t working with their peers? When competency-based, what happens?

We discuss these suggestions:

• Defining expecations so that students measure against standards, not other students
• They are already in different places! Your expectations matter in their perceptions…
• Help them identify where they are good. And celebrate!
• It’s not about competition with peers, but competition with themselves. 

Question 3. How can Social Emotional Learning success be measured?

We discuss several takeaways:

• Discover the importantce of self-reflection. It’s okay to embrace different standards for everyone. 
• Resilient students don’t really need more resiliency training. They need something else. 
• A student with trauma needs different things than a student without. 
• Creat an environmen