Best First Year Principal Podcasts (2025)

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PMP475: Lessons from the First Year with Dr. Robert Kaiser 50:22

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3d ago50:22

50:22

A Quick Note to Listeners: Before this week’s episode, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is: What are some strategies for my own professional growth while managing so many daily responsibilities? Listen in to hear their response! Meet Robert Kaiser: Dr. Robert “Rob” Kaiser brings over a …

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10 Family Engagement Strategies That Transform Schools #206 17:21

3h ago17:21

17:21

Send us a text Dr. Mel walks through ten research-backed family engagement strategies that help strengthen trust, boost achievement, and change the way families experience your school. Engagement isn’t about “getting parents to show up.” It’s about partnership — real, reciprocal, relationship-centered partnership that helps kids win academically, e…

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Power Surge⚡Gratitude as a Leadership Strategy 5:03

12h ago5:03

5:03

Send us a text Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase! Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points. Calling All Educators! I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking…

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Advancing Creativity: Tech Tools, Gifted Ed, and Convergence 32:12

1d ago32:12

32:12

Is our education system stifling creativity by sticking to labels and standardized solutions—or can we truly unleash the creative potential of every student and teacher? In this dynamic debrief episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Dr. Matthew Warwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett reflect on three thought-provoking interviews coveri…

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Choose Your Seven Humans Wisely with author Fredrik Backman 58:07

5d ago58:07

58:07

What if great friendships aren’t found by luck but built through effort? Bestselling novelist Fredrik Backman, the mind behind A Man Called Ove (adapted into the Tom Hanks film A Man Called Otto), Anxious People, and the beloved Beartown series, has spent his career writing about the quiet power of ordinary people. But in his real life, he learned …

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Episode 274: Sarah Butler on the changing role of intellectual property laws & moral rights in construction contracts 29:20

3h ago29:20

29:20

In this podcast, Sarah Butler, a partner with Holding Redlich, specialising in intellectual property (IP), commercial and technology law, and media and advertising regulation across a range of industries explains why intellectual property still often overlooked in construction contracts, despite the sector becoming more design-led and digitally ena…

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Episode 50: From Disillusionment to Momentum: What I Know Now, I Wish I Knew Then: Find the Joy, Break the Silos, Build the Network. 16:27

6d ago16:27

16:27

Send us a text A single question changed the way we lead: what do we know now that we wish we knew then? From the emotional roller coaster of a school year to the small habits that keep us grounded, we unpack practical moves that help educators stay energized, avoid the disillusionment dip, and create momentum that lasts. We start by mapping the ph…

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MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Less is More 14:10

2d ago14:10

14:10

Principals often juggle a multitude of tasks and responsibilities, and they are constantly being asked to add more to their plate. Sometimes, you have to say “no” to say “yes” to something else. This week on Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke discuss the never-ending todo lists that many principals face. They talk about figuring out what …

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🎙️ Power Surge: Hold Your Peace — Leading When the Voices Get Loud 4:27

4h ago4:27

4:27

Send us a text Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase! Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points. Calling All Educators! I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking…

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🎙 Engagement in Action - Episode 4: Sustaining Momentum and Building a Culture of Growth #204 9:26

10h ago9:26

9:26

Send us a text In this final episode, Dr. Mel shares how leaders can move beyond coaching cycles to create a living culture of feedback and reflection that keeps engagement thriving. Learn how to build reflective habits, align systems to support growth, and celebrate wins to sustain teacher energy and excellence all year long. Download Upside and u…

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PMP474: Radically Excellent School Improvement with Dr. Kate Anderson Foley 46:37

7d ago46:37

46:37

A Quick Note to Listeners: Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is: How do we balance the expectations and challenges of system-wide leadership vs. site-specific leadership? Listen in to hear their response! Meet Kate Anderson Foley, Ph.D. Kate Anderson Foley, …

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Teaching Creativity for the Future of Work with Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon 30:29

9d ago30:29

30:29

Are we unknowingly training a generation of students for a “middle of the road” future, where creativity and critical thinking suffer at the hands of automation and convenience? In this enlightening episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Dr. Matthew Warwood and Dr. Cyndi Burnett sit down with Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon, a disting…

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The Smartest Way To Be Stupid with comedian Matthew Broussard 1:04:53

12d ago1:04:53

1:04:53

If you feel stupid while learning something new, you’re doing it right. But if you keep doing the same thing over and over hoping it’ll suddenly make sense - that’s on you. The trick isn’t to push harder; it’s to find a new teacher, a new explanation, a new way in. That’s exactly how Matthew Broussard approaches comedy - and everything else. A stan…

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Episode 273: Ellen Rosengren-Johnson on why good hospitality design should matter to us all 22:00

2d ago22:00

22:00

Foolscap Sydney Studio Director Ellen Rosengren-Johnson brings a unique international perspective to Australian design, having spent a decade in Norway delivering award-winning hospitality and residential projects before returning home. Her work is defined by a deep commitment to collaboration with local makers, craftspeople, and suppliers – a skil…

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Episode 49: Proud Principal: Tony Cattani's Leadership Journey 1:06:25

7d ago1:06:25

1:06:25

Send us a text Doors closed, minds open or the other way around? Our conversation with NASSP’s 2025 National Principal of the Year, Tony Cattani, pulls back the curtain on how a large high school built a culture where teachers learn from teachers every single day. Tony walks us through the exact system that turned isolation into collective efficacy…

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MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Addressing AI 20:02

2d ago20:02

20:02

Welcome back to another episode of Monday Matters! This week, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to have a conversation about the use of AI in public schools. They talk about how AI has blown up and the ways that it is impacting education. One concern about AI that is often cited is that teachers are very concerned about cheating through u…

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Ignored Warnings: Inside Abby Zwerner Trial — How a 6-Year-Old’s Shooting Became a Case About Adult Failure-WEEK IN REVIEW 22:09

12d ago22:09

22:09

A six-year-old walked into class with a 9mm pistol. His teacher, Abby Zwerner, left on a stretcher — shot in the chest and hand while protecting her students. Now, in a Virginia courtroom, that day is being dissected hour by hour. The $40 million civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker has become a national referendum on what happens when warni…

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🎙 Engagement in Action - Episode 3: Model. Practice. Repeat. The Secret to Teacher Growth #203 7:54

4h ago7:54

7:54

Send us a text Modeling and rehearsal are the “secret sauce” of effective instructional leadership. In Episode 3, Mel breaks down how school leaders can coach teachers through modeling, practice, and repetition — simple but powerful strategies that turn new skills into classroom habits. This episode helps school leaders make coaching more collabora…

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VERDICT- RAW COURT AUDIO6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker 4:34

13d ago4:34

4:34

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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Abby Zwerner Verdict: 6-Year-Old’s Classroom Shooting — Jury Holds Assistant Principal Accountable 6:57

16d ago6:57

6:57

Justice — delayed, but finally delivered. In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we cover the stunning verdict in the case of Abby Zwerner, the Virginia first-grade teacher who was shot by her six-year-old student inside Richneck Elementary School. After nearly two years, a jury has ruled that former assistant principal Ebony Parker i…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 5 Part 1 51:44

16d ago51:44

51:44

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 5 Part 2 46:09

16d ago46:09

46:09

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 5 Part 3 1:02:01

16d ago1:02:01

1:02:01

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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PMP473: Road to Awesome with Darrin Peppard 54:18

18d ago54:18

54:18

Meet Darrin Peppard: Dr. Darrin Peppard is a dynamic keynote speaker, leadership expert, and consultant with a passion for transforming organizational culture and developing the next generation of leaders. A former award-winning principal, Darrin draws from nearly 30 years of experience in education to inspire leaders to embrace clarity, purpose, a…

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🎙Engagement in Action — Episode 2: See It. Name It. Do It. Coaching in Real Time #202 10:51

18d ago10:51

10:51

Send us a text Episode 2 breaks down the “See It. Name It. Do It.” coaching cycle from Get Better Faster and shows how leaders can deliver high-impact, real-time feedback that quickly improves teacher practice and student engagement. Perfect for principals, APs, instructional coaches, and leaders looking to build confidence in coaching cycles and c…

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The Freedom to Design: Repurposing Technology for Creative Teaching with Dr. Punya Mishra 44:02

5d ago44:02

44:02

Can teachers truly be creative if they’re told exactly what tools to use—and how to use them? In this thought-provoking episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood welcome Dr. Punya Mishra, Associate Dean of Scholarship and Innovation at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers …

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The Man Who Proved Me Right with CEO Bob Chapman and the Barry-Wehmiller Team 1:12:07

19d ago1:12:07

1:12:07

I’ve long imagined a world where people wake each morning inspired, feel safe wherever they work, and return home fulfilled by what they’ve created. That vision once felt like a dream - until I met Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, who quietly built it into reality. Over five decades, Bob has grown a humble Midwestern manufacturing company into …

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 4 Part 1 57:05

18d ago57:05

57:05

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 4 Part 2 41:00

18d ago41:00

41:00

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 4 Part 3 52:27

18d ago52:27

52:27

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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Episode 272: Designing community-defining precincts with Gray Puksand Senior Associate, John Czechowski 39:13

3d ago39:13

39:13

The latest episode of Talking Architecture & Design features John Czechowski, Senior Associtae at Gray Puksand, whose career spans more than three decades of shaping public and multi-use precincts across Australia. Born in Canada and trained at the University of Toronto, with formative studies in Florence and Paris, his practice has stretched from …

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Ignored Warnings: Inside Abby Zwerner Trial — How a 6-Year-Old’s Shooting Became a Case About Adult Failure 22:04

19d ago22:04

22:04

A six-year-old walked into class with a 9mm pistol. His teacher, Abby Zwerner, left on a stretcher — shot in the chest and hand while protecting her students. Now, in a Virginia courtroom, that day is being dissected hour by hour. The $40 million civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker has become a national referendum on what happens when warni…

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Episode 48: I Choose to Stay: Dr. Salome Thomas-EL’s Journey from the Chessboard to the Classroom to Leadership! 51:58

20d ago51:58

51:58

Send us a text A single question from a group of students rerouted a career—and sparked a movement. That’s how Dr. Salome Thomas-EL, widely known as Principal EL, went from TV production to a life in education, using chess to teach math, identity, and grit while building a school culture where kids line up to get in. We talk about the early days in…

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MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Being a Swiss Army Knife 16:24

20d ago16:24

16:24

In this week’s episode of Monday Matters, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to highlight the extraordinary skills of school leaders. Using the image of a Swiss Army Knife, Will and Jen tie that image to the image of the job description of a school principal. The job of a principal often requires school leaders to navigate a multitude of s…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 3 Part 3 1:18:48

22d ago1:18:48

1:18:48

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 3 Part 2 1:21:36

22d ago1:21:36

1:21:36

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 3 Part 1 1:17:24

22d ago1:17:24

1:17:24

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 2 Part 4 25:24

22d ago25:24

25:24

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 2 Part 3 1:23:22

22d ago1:23:22

1:23:22

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 2 Part 2 1:15:10

22d ago1:15:10

1:15:10

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…

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6-Year-Old School Shooting Trial: Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — Day 2 Part 1 36:42

22d ago36:42

36:42

This episode features continuing coverage from inside the civil trial of Abby Zwerner v. Ebony Parker — the case that’s forcing a Virginia courtroom to confront how many warnings were ignored before a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student. Each day’s proceedings bring new testimony, evidence, and revelations about what happened inside Richne…