Have a Good Life

Sam LeDeaux is a principal at a K–5 school in metropolitan Chicago. His forté is working well with his parents and staff.

• 62 staff members and 869 parents working together to make things happen!
• Learning that people “somewhere” doing things were actually people who were doing these things right around him.
• Twitter and Social networking have been incredibly transformative and empowering. [#mannschool](https://twitter.com/MsKCairns/status/497443796661960704)
• Transparency is what makes him effective.
• Parents suggest and respond to ways to make his school better through social media.
• We can grow in ways that we never before thought was possible.
• Continuous sharing and positive collaboration makes technology transformative.
• You don’t need to have common planning periods to have time to collaborate.
• How to balance the difficult issues with being transparent.
• It is not about personal performance, it is about service to kids.
• When it is seen as a personal attack, you shut down when you are evaluated. When you see it as improving service to kids, you don’t get upset.
• Peer observations - invite and show the value.
• We do not let schedules get in our way of improving and service to students.
• What is the purpose of peer observations?
• Evaluations should be about growth.

Sponsor: Sanebox

Web Site

Transformative Principal on Stitcher

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New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Shawn is a principal in British Columbia and is doing some amazing things with technology at his school, including having kindergartners use iPads to create amazing projects. In this interview, we discuss the following:

• What Shawn is most excited about relating to technology in his school.
• Why do we use technology in schools?
• Learning as scaffolding and focusing on learning first, and technology second.
• Blended learning as having digital and physical tools in front of the student at the same time.
• Powerful for learning are situations that capture what a student is thinking.
• Shawn’s role as principal to teachers regarding technology in the school: Permission to try, permission to fail.
• How to gain trust from your faculty. We are in a relationship business.
• They need me to support them when they need support and challenge them when they need to be challenged.
• Reflecting in front of your teachers and being vulnerable in front of them.
• H/T to @ChrisWejr about 5 things to roar about blog posts.
• Positive blog posts went from no big deal to students finding those positive events in the school.
• Key elements to 5 things to roar about posts: celebrate success (student and staff successes) and give parents an idea of what learning looks like in our school.
• What can we do to be a transformative principal? Mindset, tell the story of your school and do it wherever you are comfortable.
• What reminds him about why he is doing this great work? For his own kids.

Sponsor: Sanebox

Web Site

Transformative Principal on Stitcher

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New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

The second half of my interview with Dr. Briscoe, the new superintendent of Canyons District.

• The strengths of Canyons school district.
• The importance of the involvement of families.
• We should try to do what we are doing even better. Teacher and principal input needs to be truly valued.
• Making sure everyone in the organization feels valued.
• Honoring the past before you build for the future.
• Principal qualities Dr. Briscoe is looking for: having a vision compared to implementing a vision. Humility. Accessible and visible. Patience. Admit mistakes. Regardless of the other person’s opinion, you need to respect the person and take their opinion or concern seriously.
• Focus on the vision and goal of your school, just take the time to meet with people and explain your rationale.
• Most of the time, if you explain what you’re thinking, the people who disagree are OK with your decision, even if they don’t agree with it.
• Don’t ask people for their input if you have already made your decision.
• How to deal with taking the hits: exercise, without your health, you can’t do anything.
• The importance of being recognizable. Walk up and introduce yourself to people out and about, and ask them if they have school-age kids.
• A school leader is a leader in the community. You must get out and meet with local clubs and groups.
• The benefit of being from a small district and being involved in every department in the district.
• How to be a transformative principal: Take a risk!
• What is in his office to keep him motivated? A poster that says, “If you don’t climb the mountain, you can’t enjoy the view.”

Sponsor: Sanebox

Web Site

Transformative Principal on Stitcher

Refer A Principal

Best Tools for Busy Administrators Survey

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal