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I’m really excited about this interview with Eric Sheninger@NMHS_Principal.
Eric goes over the 7 pillars of Digital Leadership in his new book:
  • Communication
  • Public Relations
  • Branding
  • Student Engagement/Learning
  • Professional Growth/Development
  • Reenvisioning Learning Spaces and Environments
  • Opportunity
Eric talks about how his school’s journey and how that can be a template for changing from a mandate-driven school to one of empowerment.
Our conversation includes the following:
  • How social media has changed and pushed his view of the world.
  • What we don’t know we fear.
  • Why it is important to give students a voice.
  • How to get students to be the focus on the essential skill sets.
  • How to make learning for students applicable to their (and our) real lives.
  • How to change midstream from one way to do things to how he does them now.
  • We need to be the lead learners.
  • How to get all teachers on board with a vision (hint: it is all about mindset).
  • How he gives his teachers autonomy in what they are doing in their classrooms.
  • How making learning fun contributes to higher scores, graduation rates, and college graduation rates.
  • What you can do to be a transformative principal today. Get on Social Media and don’t reinvent the wheel.
  • What motivates and inspires him. His students. He has pictures on his walls in his office that help him focus on what is most important.
Eric talks about how he pulled 5 teachers aside in 2009 to instill his vision in their minds. He joined Twitter in March 2009, and so he really did have a change of heart. He shows that when he learns something new, he knows that it is important to implement it and change his life.
Have a Good Life.
Eric's Book Summary:
It’s time for the next generation of leadership. Digital leadership is a strategic mindset and set of behaviors that leverages resources to create a meaningful, transparent, and engaging school culture. It takes into account recent changes such as ubiquitous connectivity, open-source technology, mobile devices, and personalization to dramatically shift how schools have been run and structured for over a century.  Leading in education becomes exponentially powerful when using technology to your advantage.


Eric Sheninger—“Principal Twitter”—shares his Pillars of Digital Leadership to help readers:
• Transform school culture by initiating sustainable change
• Use free social media tools to improve communication, enhance public relations, and create a positive brand presence
• Integrate digital tools into the classroom to increase student engagement and achievement
• Facilitate professional learning and access new opportunities and resources
The time is now, whether you are a building level or teacher leader, to boldly move schools forward in the digital age.

Check out this episode!

In this episode I have the great opportunity to interview Melinda Miller (@mmiller7571). I have followed her for a long time on Twitter, and I loved the podcast she did with @ScottElias called Practical Principals. That great podcast partly inspired me to start this podcast. I still haven't found a podcast that talks about the real issues that are facing to

Our conversation covers these topics:

  1. Positive intentions - how she approaches teachers who need to be corrected.
  2. Turnover and how she gets great people to come to her school.
  3. Her quick-start personality and how she shares results of her evaluations with the teachers.
  4. Adaptive schools trainings were conducted at her school, and here is more information about it.
  5. How she uses Twitter for her own learning and how she teaches others, she is a Twitter grandmother according toSpike Cook.
  6. How she uses Pinterest to help her teachers.
  7. Using a Voxer group of principals to talk a little more privately about topics that are
  8. Jethro's Twitter failure when he was a teacher.
  9. What is one thing a principal can do to be a transformative principal like you are?
  10. What is something in her office that is meaningful to you?

She has a lot of great information on her blog. If you read blogs by principals and you aren't reading hers, you are missing out.

Have a Good Life.


Check out this episode!


In this episode I have the great opportunity to interview Melinda Miller (@mmiller7571). I have followed her for a long time on Twitter, and I loved the podcast she did with @ScottElias called Practical Principals. That great podcast partly inspired me to start this podcast. I still haven't found a podcast that talks about the real issues that are facing to

Our conversation covers these topics:

  1. How she gets teachers on board with technology.
  2. How she allows teachers to filter out what she says and when.
  3. She gives her thoughts on requirements for teacher's blogs, which are a requirement for her.
  4. How Melinda deals with the roadblocks of implementing new things (including technology).
  5. How she knows how hard to push her teachers, and what to focus on when she is pushing her teachers.
  6. How she allows her faculty to talk to her about when she is pushing too hard.
  7. How she implemented 1:1 Chromebooks in 4th grade when a bunch of other stuff was coming down the pike.
  8. How she prepares for the beginning of a new school year. (And here is the ASCD article on her flipped faculty meeting.) Keep your flipped faculty meetings short, to the point, and give teachers plenty of time to look at the information.
  9. Most important tip for starting flipped facutly meetings.
  10. How important it is to have video or audio to help people not misunderstand what they are doing wrong.

Check out this episode!

Transformative Principal 009 - Doug Hallenbeck Part 2


In this second part of the interview, I am priveleged to talk with Doug Hallenbeck. Doug was recently named the Assistant Principal of the year from the Utah Association of Secondary School Principals. Doug has worked under four really great principals and he shares some great insight about how to be an amazing assistant principal.

I wanted to interview Doug because he has a great story. He is a thoughtful, caring, and transformative leader. He has been a guiding force in our district since its inception. We are very fortunate to work with him.

In this second part of the interview, Doug discusses:

  • How to attract and retain great talent.
  • A nice little side discussion about general trends in teaching hiring.
  • His advice for an assistant principal to be a transformative assistant principal like him.
  • What special thing he has in his office.
  • His experience discussing education with Chinese educational leaders.
  • How he makes parents feel good when their kids get in trouble.
  • What he suggests APs should do to be transformative Assistant Principals.

Here is more information about the Tier 2 retirement in Utah

You'll really enjoy this interview with Doug. He is amazing.

Let's make sure to give him a few hundred more followers on Twitter. He is @Hallen100.


Check out this episode!