Issues That Will Make a Really Nice Principal

For essentially the most correct transcript, Apple Podcasts now contains them within the episodes on their app. Under is the uncooked transcript previous to having the preroll and postroll materials. The time stamps aren’t precisely right, however the content material needs to be fairly correct. I hope this helps the present be extra accessible to everybody. -Vicki Davis

Transcript

Vicki Davis (00:01)
I’m so excited to speak to my good friend, George Couros about his new e book and he’ll say, our new e book, What Makes a Nice Principal? The 5 Pillars of Efficient College Management. Now, to begin with, George, what makes this e book completely different?

George Couros (00:08)
I’ll.

Effectively, as you stated, it is our e book. And earlier than we begin, like, it was such an honor to have you ever as part of this, I’ve recognized you for, I need to say without end, however I have never recognized you without end. I’ve recognized you for such a very long time. I am simply honored.

to have you ever as a part of this e book, in addition to Allyson Apsey who’s technically my co -author. However we have now 15 contributors, together with your self, and every wrote their very own chapter on what makes an awesome principal. And I believe that is what really separates this e book, is that quite a lot of instances it is superintendents, it is college, admin speaking about this. And though we did embody, clearly, principal voices, I used to be a principal, Allyson was a principal for a for much longer time, I work with principals.

We actually needed to get the voice of academics, college students, educational coaches, completely different individuals to say what they thought was an awesome principal as a result of we all the time speak concerning the concept of servant management, however then we do not really ask the those that we serve what makes us efficient.

And I requested you, however there was a rule for if we have been going to allow you to write, you needed to say you had an awesome principal. if you did not have a, if you did not have an awesome principal, you are out. Proper. So, so not that we won’t be taught from, ineffective leaders or directors, however I believe we actually needed to indicate the exemplary practices.

Vicki Davis (01:20)
Oh yeah, completely.

Yeah.

tweeted out about my principal and he was he is simply wonderful. I’ve obtained an awesome one.

George Couros (01:34)
Oh yeah.

Vicki Davis (01:37)
So you’ve got obtained 5 pillars of efficient college management. So you’ve got taken all of this suggestions. And really, once I wrote my piece, I really surveyed academics and a complete bunch of scholars to do my little piece of, as a result of I did not need it to simply be my perspective. I needed like, what does everyone assume? Proper. As a result of I believe that, not that they are anyone’s good as a result of no one is, however we all know the traits that make them nice. So what are these 5 pillars?

George Couros (02:01)
Yeah, so we checked out quite a lot of completely different organizations all over the world speaking about what efficient leaders, and so they’ll have six requirements, eight requirements, three requirements, no matter. So we narrowed it down to 5. And the 5 are relationship builder, steady learner, expertise cultivator, useful resource maximizer, and visionary. And a part of the considering behind these pillars is the concept that…

Allyson and I and the contributors, we by no means stated like, there’s just one technique to be an efficient principal.

Vicki Davis (02:33)
Mm -hmm.

George Couros (02:34)
In actual fact, we need to simply type of offer you large concepts, however you as a college, as a company, as a frontrunner, you bought to make this your individual. So, you recognize, in the event you imagine communication may be very, very essential to your work, you then put it in there. You really speak about what does this appear to be? What does this imply to you? How are you aware you are being efficient? As a result of I will inform you, I do not assume there’s any career that hates being informed what to do with greater than I am together with myself in that, too. So it is type of like, hey,

Vicki Davis (02:48)
Mm -hmm.

George Couros (03:02)
we actually type of stated like, hey, let’s, let’s present some concepts. some practices, some methods, however on the finish of the day, the individuals which might be working with youngsters, they’ve to determine their very own options which might be significant to this neighborhood. And I believe that is why it is resonating with so many individuals

Vicki Davis (03:13)
Yeah. Did

George Couros (03:15)
And so the pillars we type of are so like this is some large concepts, however you bought to type of fill in what this appears prefer to the individuals you serve.

Vicki Davis (03:22)
So did something shock you?

George Couros (03:23)
You understand, I do not know if something shocked me as a lot as I want I’d have this e book as a principal, simply type of listening to from the trainer views. one of many issues that I’ve all the time challenged individuals, particularly, academics is would you need to be a learner in your individual classroom? And the considering behind I keep in mind being challenged as soon as saying, properly, like, you recognize, we must always ask the query, like, would you need to be a trainer on the employees of a principal?

Vicki Davis (03:39)
Mm -hmm.

George Couros (03:50)
I assumed, that is really a very essential piece. And so when lots of people take that quote out of context is like, properly, I’d like to be in my classroom. I really like the way in which you educate. And it isn’t that. That is not what I am saying. It is like, do you really perceive the views of the individuals you are serving? So it isn’t like, hey, 10 years in the past, I’d have liked me as a principal. Effectively, 10 years in schooling proper now looks like 100. Simply even the final two looks like 40. So.

Vicki Davis (04:14)
It does.

Yeah.

George Couros (04:18)
I believe that that is one thing that was actually highly effective. but additionally there’s some like timeless issues right here, too. the factor that I hear on a regular basis is that principals carry out one thing higher of their employees after they’re actually, actually efficient. So I ask individuals on a regular basis.

Vicki Davis (04:33)
Mmm.

George Couros (04:37)
this query like, hey, how’s your principal? And if they are saying to me like, oh, dude, let me do no matter I need. I am like, no, that is not a great factor. and I perceive, I perceive the attitude as a result of we need to be trusted. we would like autonomy in our observe. But when somebody simply leaves you alone, I do not assume you may really ever get higher due to their management. it is type of discovering that stability of like, if you push somebody if you again off.

Vicki Davis (04:42)
No, it isn’t.

So in the event you may journey again in time what are the important thing takeaways that you’d inform your self on day one primarily based on what you’ve got learn within the e book?

George Couros (05:07)
Effectively, the largest factor is like in all probability know who you serve. And I believe one of many large takeaways, Allyson I talked about this. I keep in mind texting her is saying the visionary pillar needs to be final. And most of the people will go into a college the place their imaginative and prescient comes first, the place they’ve a imaginative and prescient of what they are going to do, how they are going to do it. And I’d actually say that there is in all probability one in all my points once I first like I actually, you recognize, had this.

concept of the place we need to go to highschool. However as I obtained to know my individuals and realized like, Hey, quite a lot of the issues that I am actually good at, they are not good at. And quite a lot of issues that I have to be higher at, they’re actually good at. And so we obtained to type of praise one another. We obtained to type of determine this out as a result of it should not be simply what, like this should not be simply an embodiment of George, however us as a neighborhood. So we talked about that concept of type of slowing down, attending to know the individuals you serve, attending to know their strengths.

attending to know the place they need to go and constructing that imaginative and prescient collectively, which is means simpler. And I do not assume I’d have, I did that in my first 12 months as a principal. I obtained higher at it because it went as a result of I noticed that it is actually arduous to implement a imaginative and prescient that nobody else is shopping for into. However in the event you construct it, they’re extra doubtless to purchase into it. So I believe that was in all probability one of many largest takeaways for me personally in penning this. And as we have been type of studying the chapters are going is like,

The easiest way to construct a imaginative and prescient for a college just isn’t are available there and mandate it on individuals, however construct it collectively.

Vicki Davis (06:36)
Effectively, I’ve learn so many issues that say individuals first is the one technique to go as a result of individuals first does get you outcomes. if you sit down and your principal really is aware of what is going on on in your life. And, whereas I all the time need excellence in my classroom, the way in which he handles me this month is perhaps completely different than subsequent month or once I’m planning my son’s wedding ceremony or, no matter is occurring, these relationships and people expectations. And, I believe

That is what makes you are feeling valued when someone really is aware of you and works with you, as a result of we have got rather a lot to juggle.

George Couros (07:10)
Yeah, it goes with the ebbs and flows of, you recognize, who who’re as an individual, proper? I am unable to say that day by day I had an schooling, I used to be having a great day, proper? And there was quite a lot of dangerous days and I had individuals that basically supported me once I struggled and I knew they’d depend on me. And I believe quite a lot of instances the worst days you may have in schooling that is if you discover out who you belief essentially the most and who will probably be there for you essentially the most. After which when you may have these good days, they’re means higher since you need to go above and past for the those that supported you when issues have been going improper. So yeah, that is one thing that.

Vicki Davis (07:17)
Yeah.

George Couros (07:37)
actually type of caught out. I believe the opposite a part of it too that basically linked with me was quite a lot of the very best principals are similar to the very best academics I used to assume once I first began instructing the very best academics on the earth, they might inform you October twelfth at 1030 AM, this is the place I will be in math as a result of they are going to get their youngsters there. And that is why, you recognize, they do their photocopying for your complete 12 months, two weeks earlier than and so they have been achieved. You’d by no means see them in that room once more. After which I began to understand that I do not,

I do not even know these youngsters. How do I do know the place they’re at? Perhaps they’re forward of it, possibly they’re behind it. And so it is the identical factor, proper? With leaders, you do not know who you serve, so get to know them and type of determine alongside the way in which with them. there’s quite a lot of these traits I believe are relevant to academics as properly. as a result of the entire thing about schooling, it is about elevation. How can we elevate these we serve?

Vicki Davis (08:26)
Oh, I really like that. instructing is, it is iterative and it is responsive. that is one motive I really like EdTech is as a result of it lets me do formative evaluation so quickly. But when we return to the non-public factor, now I’ve obtained such an awesome principal as a result of like the opposite day I obtained one thing that was type of surprising I needed to take care of. And I used to be like, okay, I simply, talked to him. I stated, Hey, I simply obtained one thing surprising and I’ve my troublesome class arising.

I am simply telling you that I will not be my greatest. And if these youngsters will not be fairly proper, I would have to name you for some backup. And so he is in my room so usually once I wrote about, my principal, principal Dyal I had been noticed like 5 – 6 or seven instances once I despatched that tweet out in October and also you despatched me the message however as a result of he is in my room a lot,

It is common and the youngsters do not go into efficiency mode as a result of he is simply there on a regular basis. And it isn’t like I am fearful or pressured when he is there, he is there for good causes. After which he is additionally there for what I’d name backup once I want it. And it is simply such a good way to be a principal. And actually, I had by no means seen it earlier than. And I am positive within the e book, you may have quite a lot of tales of people that type of had epiphanies after they obtained that nice principal.

George Couros (09:46)
Effectively, the entire e book begins off with me like speaking a few principal that modified my life, which I did not even know that there was such a factor, an awesome principal. I simply thought it was a task. And if you get an awesome principal, you recognize. And one of many issues that you just stated, I believe was she did this properly and I attempted to emulate it. I used to be in school rooms on a regular basis and that that to me is strictly what you stated. I used to be the youngest particular person on employees once I turned a principal at my college.

and simply the title threw individuals off. Those who have been means higher academics than I ever was would get uptight once I’d stroll in as a result of they have been used to what I name the superintendent’s entourage. You understand, individuals working within the board of trustees, completely a pretend interplay. They’re there for 10 minutes, you recognize, making an attempt to get a really feel of the classroom. However what sort of really feel do you get? Everybody’s type of faking for 10 minutes. And so I went into the classroom on a regular basis to make it.

Vicki Davis (10:18)
Mm -hmm.

George Couros (10:41)
simply one thing that was anticipated and actually to get to know the neighborhood. And that is one factor I used to say to my employees on a regular basis, I am not right here to truly observe you. I am right here to look at the atmosphere we’re placing you in in order that we are able to guarantee that you’ve the entire issues that you just want. And I speak rather a lot about that in a few of these conditions the place I noticed one thing as a principal as a result of I used to be within the classroom so usually. And, Allyson does an awesome job of that as properly. And I believe that is one thing that is wanted. In case you’re making choices,

that affect school rooms, it’s important to be in school rooms and never every so often, however on a regular basis. And that to me is one thing that basically type of caught out and was one thing that I didn’t notice mattered as a lot. And I liken this and you know the way a lot I really like basketball. I stated when there is a actually nice similarity between nice referees and nice principals is that after they’re dangerous, you discover them.

Like you recognize, the dangerous rep, proper? Such as you’re like that ref, that ref, however after they’re nice, the sport simply goes on and the whole lot’s type of flowing. And it would not, it does not imply they do not have an effect on the sport, however you do not pay as a lot consideration to them as a result of they put everybody in an area to achieve success. And that is that. I all the time take into consideration that too, proper? Like in the event you discover the principal on a regular basis, in all probability not the very best factor.

Vicki Davis (11:39)
Yeah

Yeah.

Effectively, and we’re to the purpose the place the youngsters are inviting him into class. Trigger like, Hey, we’re doing this presentation or we’re doing this superior undertaking, or we would like you to come back see us do that. And so he’ll say, Hey, your college students have invited me to see this. I am simply letting you recognize I am coming by. And, and that is simply so nice as a result of he does deal with relationships with college students and with academics. And you recognize, is not that what it is about? it is about altering individuals. So the e book is.

What Makes a Nice Principal? The 5 Pillars of Efficient College Management. So enthusiastic about this e book. So excited to be included on this e book. thanks for approaching the present.

George Couros (12:35)
I am so proud you are part of it as a result of there isn’t any one who’s influencing me extra on this house than your self. You will have simply actually impressed me all through the years and I’ve realized a ton from you and I am so glad that so many different individuals are going to be taught from you as properly.

Vicki Davis (12:49)
Effectively, and I’ll say this, I am keen on your keynotes as a result of I believe each time I’ve seen you keynote, I believe it is perhaps thrice now, I snigger and I cry. it nearly feels such as you’re not presenting that you just’re speaking to me. So I do hope publish pandemic to get again in your viewers and listen to you current once more, as a result of I simply actually get pleasure from these tales. So the respect is mutual and I recognize you taking the time right now to speak about this.

George Couros (13:16)
Thanks a lot, Vicki