From the Principal's Desk

Everyone loves a good faculty meeting! This week we discuss practical ways to make all your meetings more useful and enjoyable. What are some of your favorite strategies for effective meetings? To our American listeners, have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

This week we discuss the benefit of professional organizations such as LEA and NAESP. Let us know which organizations are most beneficial to you as a professional.

This week we speak with Kevin Creutz, the Superintendent of Ohio Lutheran Schools. Kevin shares about the work he does supporting schools, principals, and teachers in Ohio. It was great to have Kevin on the show, and he has a lot of great ideas to share. Don't miss this one!

This is our Halloween special! This week we talk about the things that scare teachers and principals. We keep it lighthearted. What are some of your horror stories? Special thanks to those that have cleaned up puke, so I didn't have to. Especially Robert and Jake. You guys are saints! A special tip for keeping YouTube ads out of the videos you show in school. We've all been there. I was ab...

This week we discuss student led conferences. How do you handle parent teacher conferences at your school?

This week we talk about arrival and dismissal procedures, stories, and kindergarten parking tickets. It's a fun one! A fun video about parent driving: https://youtu.be/_JEThws_q0c?si=XJYiawsHxu2xHUgZ Mike’s parking lot video: https://youtu.be/jNGLs5iYSQM

This week we discuss the Reformation and its importance in our schools! What does your school do for the Reformation?

Tuition! This is a thorny topic because we never want money to get in the way of our mission. This week we discuss how to set your school tuition, the common pitfalls, and what we have seen be successful. As always, Mike and I are here to help. Contact us with any questions you may have.

Lesson planning is an important part of effective teaching, and it is up the principal to guide that process. This week we discuss how we have approached lesson planning in the schools we lead, and share ways to improve it.

Appreciation is all about caring for, knowing, and loving the people you are blessed to serve with every day. This week we discuss the reasons you should appreciate teachers, and also share some practical ways we share our appreciation. We want to hear from you. What are some ways you have appreciated others, or what are some ways you want to be appreciated? Leave a comment and let us know!

Professional development is crucial to the longterm success of your school, and the growth of the teachers. How do you pay for it? How do you decide what to do? What counts as professional development? This week Mike and I discuss all that and more. You can contact Mike at mschiemann@bethanyparma.com You can contact Rob at lunak@swd.lcms.org

This week we discuss budgeting for your school, and we get into the nuts and bolts of creating a functioning school budget. It isn't glamorous, but it is necessary.

Your school culture is important! This week we discuss ways we have built and strengthened school culture.

This week we talk to Nathaniel Provencio about his work helping schools be the best they can be. Nathaniel has worked in the public education field since 2001 as a classroom teacher, building administrator and associate superintendent . He has been honored as the 2017 Prince William County principal of the year, the 2017 Washington Post Principal of the Year and the 2019 Virginia National Distingu...

This week Mike and I discuss the importance of your mission statement, and why you should have one if you don't yet.

This week we discuss leading a school when there are disagreements, practical tips to handle disunity, and some stumbles we have had as leaders along the way.

This week we talk to three SLED participants about their experiences in the School Leadership Development program (SLED). Thank you to all three of them for speaking with us!

This week we discuss the principal's role as instructional leader.

This week we discuss what we do as principals over the summer break.

We share what we do to stay productive in the face of all the tasks that go along with being a principal.

This week we discuss proficiency based learning with Jim Scriven, the Director of Education Services for the Northwest District. What are your thoughts on proficiency based learning? Let us know in the comments. Special thanks to Jim for joining us this week!

The school year is almost over. What can you do to ensure that it ends on a strong note? This week we share some practical strategies to end the year and get ready for the next one.

What is the role of standardized testing in our Lutheran schools? a)Useful to guide and improve outcomes b)A necessary evil c)Both a and b d)Other That's what Mike and I try to figure out this week.

What information should a school leader share with teachers and families? Transparency is important, but what does it look like in practice? This week Rob and Mike discuss communication and transparency. This topic was listener suggested. Thank you for the suggestion! If you have a suggestion, question, or comment you can text Rob at 815-403-9948 or Mike at 971-371-0143 May God be with you as you...

We talk about marketing (again) this time with guest Lauren Creutz! Lauren is the marketing and admissions leader at Bethany Lutheran School in Parma, OH. Lauren shared a lot of great info on this episode!