Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

PMP496: Crisis-Tested Strategies with Lauren Berlin

A QUICK NOTE TO LISTENERS: Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is: I’m planning PD for next year and want to pour into my leadership team. Suggestions for making my good intentions a reality? Listen in to hear their response! MEET LAUREN BERLIN: Lauren Berlin is an education leader with more than 20 years of experience helping schools navigate everything from daily challenges to real crises — including natural disasters and student tragedies. As a school administrator, she managed million-dollar budgets and led community-wide crisis responses, learning firsthand what separates reactive managers from intentional leaders. Today, she works as an executive and leadership coach, helping overextended school leaders break free from the constant urgency that leads to burnout. Lauren teaches how to tell the difference between what’s truly important and what just feels urgent, so leaders can focus on the meaningful work that brought them into education in the first place. Her coaching emphasizes balance — staying calm in crisis, setting healthy boundaries, and leading with purpose instead of reaction. You can learn more or connect with her at https://www.laurenberlincoaching.com/ [https://www.laurenberlincoaching.com/]. NOW LET’S GET INTO THE EPISODE: In the world of education, leaders are often faced with unpredictable challenges that require not only quick thinking but also emotional resilience. In this episode of the Principal Matters podcast, host Will Parker engages with Lauren Berlin, an experienced education leader and coach, to explore crisis-tested strategies that can help school administrators navigate tumultuous times with grace and effectiveness. LAUREN’S JOURNEY:  Lauren Berlin’s path to education leadership is anything but traditional. Starting her career as an educational psychologist, she worked with students with autism before taking on administrative roles that included managing a high school as an assistant principal and later as the principal of a continuation high school. Lauren emphasizes that there is no single route to leadership; rather, it’s essential to find your own passion and interest in the field. CRISIS MANAGEMENT:  One of the key topics discussed is the range of reactions to crises within school communities. Lauren recalls her experience in Santa Barbara, where she faced multiple crises, including natural disasters and student tragedies. She highlights how the best gift a leader can offer during such times is their presence—actively listening and supporting the grieving community rather than trying to fix problems immediately. This approach fosters a sense of solidarity and understanding among staff and students alike. THE IMPORTANCE OF REFLECTION:  Will and Lauren dive into the necessity of reflection for school leaders, especially when faced with overwhelming situations. They discuss the Eisenhower Matrix, a tool that categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance. Lauren urges leaders to spend most of their time focusing on quadrant two—tasks that are important but not urgent, such as strategic planning, relationship building, and instructional leadership.  PRACTICAL STRATEGIES:  To help leaders shift their focus from urgent tasks that may be less impactful, Lauren suggests practical strategies such as reviewing calendars to identify unnecessary meetings or tasks that can be delegated. She emphasizes the importance of setting aside time for reflection and meaningful work. Additionally, she points out that email can be a productivity trap and encourages leaders to replace email communication with quick phone calls or scheduled check-ins to foster deeper connections and more efficient problem-solving. STAYING CONNECTED: If you would like to learn more about Lauren Berlin and her work, you can visit her website: https://www.laurenberlincoaching.com/ [https://www.laurenberlincoaching.com/]. The post PMP496: Crisis-Tested Strategies with Lauren Berlin [https://williamdparker.com/2026/pmp496-crisis-tested-strategies-with-lauren-berlin/] appeared first on Principal Matters [https://williamdparker.com].

MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Getting Through Hard Times

This week on Monday Matters Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take some time to talk about finding solace in work during hard times. Every leader experiences bad days and hard times, and we respond to them in a variety of ways. Some people need to be alone when they grieve, while some people need to jump right back into their routines so that they can feel some kind of control. Jen shares the story of when she lost her dog. For her, going to work was a safe place to land during a hard time, and was a welcome distraction from her sadness. While they are not saying that all listeners need to continue working through grief, Will and Jen both talk about how the sense of community that comes along with working at a school helps them during hard times. Listen in to hear the full conversation! This post was inspired by a newsletter from Jen Schwanke. You can check it out here [https://jen-newsletter-c4287d.beehiiv.com/p/why-work-matters?utm_source=jen-newsletter-c4287d.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=why-work-matters&_bhlid=5b80fcd00e274767ec9da18a1cc1e73d2042cd47&jwt_token=]! The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Getting Through Hard Times [https://williamdparker.com/2026/monday-matters-with-jen-schwanke-and-will-parker-getting-through-hard-times/] appeared first on Principal Matters [https://williamdparker.com].

PMP495: The Fierce-Hearted Leader with Leanne Nicol

A QUICK NOTE TO LISTENERS: Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is: I am an AP, and I’ve been invited to apply for a principal position. What should I keep in mind as I step into a series of upcoming interviews? Listen in to hear their response! MEET LEANNE NICHOL: Leanne Nicol is a Sydney educator, experienced principal, and certified master coach who supports education leaders in culture, strategy, and wellbeing. She has led in Catholic primary schools and worked with Sydney Catholic Schools on review and improvement processes. [https://williamdparker.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PMP-Template-19-1024x1024.png] As founder of Fierce Hearts, she helps leaders align purpose and practice to create flourishing school communities. She’s also the author of the upcoming book, The Fierce-Hearted Leader: Living, Learning and Leading from Love — a guide to leading from the inside out. THE FIERCE-HEARTED LEADER: Leanne describes being a fierce-hearted leader as someone who leads with both strength and tenderness. She expresses that she considers being a school principal as the best gig in the world; it brings joy to her soul. At the same time, it can be a really challenging role. Leanne shares how it breaks her heart to be people struggling at a human level. Being a fierce-hearted leader means remembering what brought you to the education space to begin with. This type of leader can deal with the challenges of their jobs while still finding joy in their work. Embodying the mindset of a fierce-hearted leader is hard, and requires you to really know who you are on a deep level. Leanne talks about how fierce-hearted leaders have to actively choose peace, serenity, and calmness throughout their day. NURTURING CULTURE AND HUMAN FLOURISHING: Today’s educational leaders often feel pulled into compliance and crisis management. Leanne talks about how leaders can balance accountability requirements with nurturing culture and human flourishing. She shares that leaders who do this best in the practice of gathering themselves and their work into their mission. Leanne challenges listeners to spend some time reflecting on their vision for their life and their passion. Leaders can balance accountability requirements with human flourishing by figuring out their passion and being loud and bold about it. STAYING CONNECTED: You can stay connected to Leanne Nichol via Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leanne-nicol-1b786678/]. The post PMP495: The Fierce-Hearted Leader with Leanne Nicol [https://williamdparker.com/2026/pmp495-the-fierce-hearted-leader-with-leanne-nicol/] appeared first on Principal Matters [https://williamdparker.com].

MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – The Expectation Conversation

This week on Monday Matters, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take some time to talk about building trust through communication. Specifically, they focus on how school leaders can build trust with other leaders on their team. In leadership teams, there is a high need for trust and clarity among team members because they are handling a lot of hard situations together. They talk about the importance of having an expectation conversation with your team members and emphasize that it should be an ongoing, continuous conversation. Through conversations about role expectations and figuring out how to handle disagreements among team members, a trusting relationship can be established. School leaders should also have conversations with their supervisors about feedback, and ask for clarity between suggestions and non-negotiables. Trust between team members is essential to the success of that leadership team. This episode was inspired by a newsletter from Jen Schwanke. If you would like to read that post, you can find it here [https://jen-newsletter-c4287d.beehiiv.com/p/the-expectation-conversation?utm_source=jen-newsletter-c4287d.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=the-expectation-conversation&_bhlid=d9b61721f64dd156c7b1e15f42a41964caeb0567]. Listen in to hear the full conversation! The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – The Expectation Conversation [https://williamdparker.com/2026/monday-matters-with-jen-schwanke-and-will-parker-the-expectation-conversation/] appeared first on Principal Matters [https://williamdparker.com].

PMP494: Rethinking Walkthroughs with Mark Shellinger

A QUICK NOTE TO LISTENERS: Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is: What are some rules of thumb I should keep in mind if I’m on an interview committee? Listen in to hear their response! MEET MARK SHELLINGER: Mark Shellinger is a returning guest to Principal Matters. He is the founder and director of the National SAM Innovation Project, a nonprofit helping school leaders reclaim their time for what matters most: teaching and learning. Mark began his career as a teacher, later serving as a principal and superintendent before developing the SAM process in 2005, a system designed to help principals shift from managing tasks to leading instruction. Under his leadership, NSIP now supports more than 1,200 schools across the country, giving leaders the tools and coaching they need to spend less time on paperwork and more time with people. Mark’s passion is simple but powerful: helping every educator and every student thrive. Mark was a guest on the podcast back in September of 2024. You can check out that episode here [https://williamdparker.com/2024/pmp414-managing-your-priorities-with-mark-shellinger/] to learn more about the SAM process. WALKTHROUGHS WITH A PURPOSE: Mark shares what leaders tend to misunderstand about the purpose of walkthroughs and how to make them more meaningful. He talks about how school leaders often make the assumption that merely being in the classroom improves teacher practice. However, research shows that classroom presence doesn’t improve teaching practices unless it is paired with feedback or rich conversation to help the teacher figure out how to be better. Many principals confuse teacher observation or the formal observation system with improving teacher practice. Mark recommends that principals consider their intention when going to see teachers teach. One example he gives of a way to spend time in classrooms that improves teacher practices is by working with students while in classrooms. Working with students allows the principal to see the lesson in a different way and gives the principal something real to talk with their teachers about during follow-up. POST-WALKTHROUGH CONVERSATION: Teachers improve the most after walkthroughs when their principals have an effective post-walkthrough conversation with them. Many teachers walk away from conversations with their principals feeling confused because of a lack of clarity. When using the SAM system, principals can utilize the tools available to them to ensure clarity in their post-walkthrough conversations. After a walkthrough, the SAM encourages the principal to reflect on the walkthrough and think about what kind of feedback they want to give the teacher. The SAM system provides four different walkthrough types and four different feedback types. They are able to track the feedback and walkthrough types used with each teacher to help the principal find different ways to reach teachers.  WORK WITH STUDENTS: SAM principals are encouraged to use a work with students approach in which leaders step in as a teaching assistant. Mark talks about how building relationships with students can be used to help teachers improve. An example he gives is that some SAM principals will give students lunch tickets during their walkthrough. The students then sit with their principal at lunch and talk about their experiences in the classroom. The principal can then use that feedback to find ways to help teachers improve their practices. STAYING CONNECTED: You can learn more about Mark Shellinger and the SAM project by visiting samprocess.com [https://www.samprocess.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22909204710&gbraid=0AAAABA3IWwBbS749XTds7dtp8SAGmTx80&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4a3OBhCHARIsAChaqJMEoc9JqyAo7i35AFUiNZai8rJsAW5u9_jxCZfECOh_kqbDkD1MrykaAkuIEALw_wcB] The post PMP494: Rethinking Walkthroughs with Mark Shellinger [https://williamdparker.com/2026/pmp494-rethinking-walkthroughs-with-mark-shellinger/] appeared first on Principal Matters [https://williamdparker.com].