I recently engaged in a conversation about the thoughts/feelings/actions connected to becoming a school principal. Ramona Meharg, Chris Cluff, and I were talking about our experiences with the Principal's Qualification Program (PQP) and the 'roads' we traveled that led us there.
As we were talking about the thoughts, feelings, and actions that we engaged in to earn the credentials to qualify us for the PQP, Chris asked if we wanted to go deeper by starting a podcast where we could talk about our process - past, present, and future. All three of us were game and the "Talk Me Through Your Process" Podcast was born.
It's a bit of a mouthful but if you can get past that you will quickly realize that the three of us are serious about personal and professional growth, self awareness and reflection, and continuing to learn about our process to formal leadership in education.
The podcast is a great tool to assist us in sharing our perspectives, learning from each other, and learning from others outside of our immediate circle. We are modeling our process in a public way with the hope that it will start up great discussions and encourage others to do the same. As my friend Joe Marquez likes to say, education is a collaborative sport!
One of the things that has become part of my leadership process involves making connections between the work I do and and the Catholic Leadership Framework. I would recommend this practice to anyone interested in becoming a school Principal because it can lead to a familiarity with effective individual and system practices. Becoming familiar with the expectations and then connecting them to one's practice, and vice versa, will help build the flexibility and fluency required to lead a school. This is part of my process and I suspect that it will help me as I move closer to becoming a school Principal.
I invite you to check out the conversations we are having AND welcome you to join us! You can find the Talk Me Through Your Process Podcast on YouTube, Podbean, and Apple Podcasts. Reach out with your questions, comments, and process so we can collaborate to become the leaders that schools deserve. Feel free to comment below or connect on twitter (@rchids, @chrisjcluff, @RamonaMeharg).
