Today we are delighted to have a guest joining us for our hallway conversation: Dave’s long-time pal, Paul Lapka. Paul currently serves as principal at an elementary school in California, and we’re excited that he will be moving to Northwest Iowa next year to become the principal at the school where Abby’s kids attend! In our conversation, we pick Paul’s brain about the kinds of things he sees successful teachers doing: from exceptional teaching practices, to a learner mindset, to the humility to be willing to keep trying. We talk about the “tricks of the trade,” and also the importance of practice as a key part of ongoing growth and development. We also examine some of the things that make teaching more challenging today than when Paul and Dave started teaching almost 30 years ago. We hope this conversation will spark some conversations of your own about successes you’re seeing, and opportunities for ongoing growth as well.