The NAESP Principal Podcast

Tales From a First-Year Principal

The start of the school year is full of challenges and opportunities, especially for folks leading a school for the first time. First-year Oregon principal Cassiday Hopkins sits down to chat with Adam and Rachel about her first-year experiences, and how they compare. In this episode, we discuss:

• Challenges & successes
• Balancing work and home
• Tips for new leaders
• How to prioritize

Cassiday Hopkins is principal of Sandy Grade School in Sandy, Oregon.

Books for Principals

Reading a great book remains a tried and true way to learn and grow—that's as true for principals as it is for students. Adam and Rachael sit down with school leaders Majalise Tolan and Brian McCann to talk about how important books are to their growth. In this episode, we discuss:

• Book recommendations
• How to pick books
• Finding time to read
• Supporting reluctant readers

Majalise Tolan is director of secondary education in Lincoln County, Oregon. She is an avid reader, writer, and is currently working on her first book to be released under the Lead Like a Pirate series.

Brian McCann is principal of Joseph Case High School in Swansea, Massachusetts, and a 2018 NASSP Digital Principal of the Year.

 

Come Together at the Conference

We can't wait to head to Chicago for the 2021 NAESP Pre-K–8 Principals Conference! In this special episode, Adam and Rachel talk about how attendees can make the most of their experience. Between attending insightful sessions from expert leaders, or just meeting fellow educators from far and wide, there's no shortage of opportunities for growth.

 

Summer Goals

For principals, Summer is an opportunity for growth, reflection, and crucially: rest. We sit down with Minnesota principal Jessica Cabeen to talk about how principals can ensure they strike the right balance between taking care of yourself personally and professionally over the Summer. In this episode, we discuss:

• Managing Summer goals
• Professional vs. personal goals
• Feeling deflated
• Grounding yourself amongst the pivots and stress
• Tips to recharge

Jessica Cabeen is principal of Ellis Middle School in Austin, Minnesota. She is a regular contributor to outlets such as Edutopia, SavED by Grace, and Principal magazine. As a fellow at NAESP's Center for Middle-Level Leadership, she will be speaking at NAESP's Pre-K–8 Principals Conference this July in Chicago.

You've Landed the Job! Now What?

Congratulations, you've gotten through rounds of vetting, interviews, and are now serving as a principal of your school! But there's still plenty of work to do and challenges to unpack. We sat down with Rosalba Rodriguez—who is about to make the jump from AP to principal in her district—to discuss:

• How the process unfolds
• How it feels to be in this new position
• Advice for aspiring leaders
• Thoughts on the first 100 days
• Planning for next year

 

Supervision and Evaluation

Supervising and evaluating teachers effectively is crucial for school success. But too often for teachers and principals it can feel like just a box being ticked. We sit down with Oregon educator LaKeyshua Washington to discuss how to ensure evaluation is seen and used as an opportunity for growth.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The good and bad of evaluations and supervision

• The difference between supervising and coaching

• How to get the most out of the process

LaKeyshua Washington serves as director of teaching and learning-secondary in Gresham-Barlow School District in Gresham, Oregon, supporting middle and high school principals, assistant principals, and teachers in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Washington most recently served as a middle school principal in Compton, California.

 

Our Kids Will Be OK

The pandemic has presented daunting challenges for school systems, and there's an understandable fear that it's been a "lost" year for students. But maybe it's not quite as bad as we've been led to believe. Adam and Rachel sit down with Massachusetts principal Liz Garden take a look at the bright side and show how schools have risen to meet these challenges and grown in spite of the circumstances.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The response in schools this past year
• How resilient students have been
• Positive changes and opportunities

Liz Garden is principal of Leroy E. Mayo Elementary School in Holden, Massachusetts.

 

 

Planning For Next Year

Every principal wants to start off a new school year on the right foot. But that strong start actually begins many months before classes even start. Adam and Rachael have a one-on-one discussing how principals can effectively plan for the next school year. In this episode, they discuss:

• Grade placement of students
• Kindergarten verses first grade
• End-of-year standards
• Transitions to next year
• Sustainable leadership

 

 

 

The Power of Tier I Instruction, Regardless of Your Setting

A commitment to providing a strong foundation to all students is crucial at any school. We sit down with Texas principal Danieli Parker about why Tier I instruction is so important for principals to focus on, regardless of their school's unique location or situation. In this episode, we discuss:

• How to do well regardless of setting
• Non-negotiables to keep the success going
• Growth mindset
• What to be mindful about
• Moving forward with this focus

Danieli Parker is principal of Hallsville North Elementary in Hallsville, Texas. You can follow her on Twitter @danieli_parker.

Learning and Growing Over Summer

For principals, summer learning is more than just a reading list assigned to students. The summer break can offer more time for educators to learn and grow in their own practice. In this episode, we sit down with Chicago principal Dr. Efraín Martínez to share summer learning best practices. We discuss:

• Strategies for students vs. strategies for you
• Staff learning & growth
• Who you learn from
• Where you learn from
• Book recommendations.

Dr. Efraín Martínez is the proud principal at Orozco Academy since 2015. Before beginning his principalship journey, Dr. Martínez worked as a Teacher Assistant of Spanish at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), as a 5th grade teacher at Rufino Tamayo Charter School, and an office manager at Rush University Medical Hospital, UIC, and at Northwestern University School of Medicine. Thanks to an opportunity with the Chicago Teaching Fellows, he became a certified Spanish teacher and taught at four schools in CPS. After two years as an assistant principal in both the south and north sides of the city, Dr. Martínez was fortunate to be unanimously elected to the most coveted principal spot in the area.