Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!

Teacher evaluations are one of the few times principals get to step fully into the role of instructional leader—but too often they become rushed, compliance-driven, or even discouraging for staff. In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb Flowers unpacks how to make evaluations a meaningful, growth-oriented process instead of just another checkbox.

You’ll learn:

• Why anchoring your feedback to the rubric builds clarity and fairness
• How to connect evaluations directly to school-wide goals so they don’t feel like “one more thing”
• Practical ways to highlight strengths with evidence-based feedback
• How to be honest about growth areas without discouraging teachers

Barb also shares her simple structure for balancing clarity, encouragement, and accountability—so evaluations truly help teachers grow while staying manageable for principals.

If you’ve ever struggled to find that balance between supportive feedback and honest evaluation, this episode will give you a framework you can use right away.

FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals

The Principal’s Power Hour Blueprint

Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!

Discipline is one of the most draining parts of a principal’s job—not just because of student behavior, but also the ripple effects with staff, parents, and even your own energy. Without the right systems and boundaries, discipline can feel like it takes over your entire life.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through practical ways to lead discipline with confidence without burning out in the process.

You’ll learn:

• Why strong structures and routines in your building prevent chaos before it starts.
• How to reframe parent defensiveness and use discipline conversations to build relationships.
• The four parent archetypes (and what they all have in common).
• Boundaries that protect your time and sanity so discipline doesn’t follow you home.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a simple challenge: create one new boundary around discipline this week. Because when you protect yourself first, discipline feels lighter and leadership becomes more sustainable.

FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals

The Principal’s Power Hour Blueprint

Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!

Do you ever think, “If they really knew me, they’d realize I’m not ready for this”? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb dives into the reality of imposter syndrome—the self-doubt that makes you question your skills, experience, and belonging.

Drawing from her own journey as a young administrator and seasoned principal, Barb normalizes these feelings and shares practical strategies to quiet your inner critic. You’ll learn:

• What imposter syndrome looks like for principals at every stage of leadership.
• Three tools to silence self-doubt: naming your inner critic, reframing with the TEA cycle, and building evidence of your wins.
• How to strengthen your confidence so you can lead with clarity and calm.

By the end, you’ll walk away with mindset shifts and daily practices to push past self-doubt and step fully into your role as a leader.

Listen to episode 3: Dealing with Imposter Syndrome

Get the 8 to 4 Principal Planner

Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!

As principals, most of us entered education because we care deeply about kids—we’re naturally empathetic. But leadership also requires authority: the ability to set direction, uphold standards, and make tough calls. The challenge? Finding the balance between the two.

In this episode, Barb Flowers unpacks the tension between empathy and authority and why both are essential for effective leadership. You’ll learn:

• How empathy builds trust and connection, while authority creates safety and consistency
• The dangers of leaning too far in either direction (people-pleasing vs. rigidity)
• Three practical tips to balance empathy with authority in daily leadership conversations

FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals

The Principal’s Power Hour Blueprint

As principals, it can feel impossible to step away from the building—whether you’re sick, at PD, or attending district meetings. The guilt, the worry that everything will fall apart, and the pressure to be present 24/7 can take a toll. In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb Flowers unpacks why leaving the building matters for both your staff and your own well-being. 

You’ll learn:

• How to model healthy boundaries for teachers when you need to be out.
• The importance of having a clear coverage plan with district admin.
• Key systems that keep discipline, arrival/dismissal, and daily operations running without you.
• Ways to build teacher and staff leadership capacity so the school doesn’t rely solely on you.
• How to normalize being a human leader who gets sick, has kids, and keeps learning through PD.

Your leadership is measured not by how much your school needs you in the moment, but by how well it functions when you’re not there. Tune in for practical tips and mindset shifts to help you leave the building—without guilt—knowing your systems and people can handle it.

Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!

Struggling to feel confident in your leadership role? This episode with AP and doctoral researcher Stan Koterba explores how self-efficacy—your belief in your ability to lead—directly connects to how you manage your time, set boundaries, and build sustainable routines. We’ll talk imposter syndrome, email habits, delegation, and the mindset shifts that help principals stop overworking and start leading with clarity.

Have questions for Stan? Contact Stan at [email protected]

Get The 8 to 4 Principal Planner

Get The 8 to 4 Principal Blueprint

Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!

What if your identity as a principal isn’t fixed—but a choice you get to make every day? In this episode, we’re diving into the powerful concept of identity and how it shapes your leadership. Barb unpacks the 1.0 vs. 2.0 self exercise—one of her favorite coaching tools—to help you reflect on who you’ve been and intentionally step into who you want to become.

You’ll walk away with a practical strategy you can use for yourself and your teachers to foster growth, boost confidence, and shift out of burnout-inducing patterns.

Inside this episode:

• Why identity is more than a personality trait—it's a story you're telling yourself
• Common leadership identities that lead to burnout
• How to use the 1.0 vs. 2.0 tool to shift your mindset and habits
• Ways to model and share this strategy with your staff
• The key to building a culture of growth, reflection, and empowerment

This episode will inspire you to take control of your narrative and lead with intention. Your 2.0 self is waiting—tune in now!

This activity is part of The 8 to 4 Principal Blueprint, which you can get HERE!

FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals

The Principal’s Power Hour Blueprint

*RESOURCES FOR PRINCIPALS*
Transform Your Time: 60 Day Action Plan for Principals
Leadership by Design: The Principal's Custom Habit System
The Principal's Overwhelm Toolkit

*SOCIAL MEDIA*
Barb Flowers, Ph.D- Linkedin
DrBarbFlowers- Instagram
the8to4principal- TikTok

Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!

In this episode, we’re tackling one of the biggest challenges principals face: discipline. If you’ve ever felt like student behavior consumes your entire day, leaving you drained and reactive, you’re not alone.

I’ll walk you through the common traps principals fall into — reacting emotionally, taking behavior personally, and rushing to consequences — and share mindset shifts that will help you lead discipline with clarity, calm, and confidence.

Whether you’re handling discipline with or without an assistant principal, these strategies will help you reclaim your time, reduce stress, and actually change behavior in the long run.

Get my FREE 5-Step Behavior Blueprint for Principals

Get The Principal's Discipline Blueprint.

Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!

Is your PBIS Tier 2 system supporting students—or overwhelming your staff? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb Flowers shares why Tier 2 behavior systems are often the trickiest to implement and exactly how her team transformed theirs from a paperwork-heavy burden into a simple, sustainable support system for students and teachers.

You’ll learn:

• Why Tier 2 matters and the common mistakes schools make
• The exact steps Barb’s team took—from team formation to intervention delivery
• The mindset shifts that helped staff embrace Tier 2 as support, not judgment
• How to start small, stay consistent, and avoid overwhelm

Listen to Episode 105: Why Tier 1 Behavior Systems Are a Game Changer (And What to Do If You Don’t Have One)

If you're building your Tier 2 system (or need to fix a broken one), this episode will give you clarity, confidence, and practical next steps.

Grab the PBIS Tier 2 Toolkit mentioned in the episode.
Follow Barb on TikTok @the8to4principal for more leadership tips.

Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!

Are you tired of feeling like there’s never enough time to get it all done? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, we dive into Master Your Week: Planning Tips for Principals. Join Barb Flowers, certified life coach and experienced principal, as she unpacks how intentional planning can transform your efficiency, reduce stress, and even help you walk out the door by 4 p.m.

Barb shares her personal planning system — blending digital and paper calendars — and reveals how a simple weekly planning session can create mental clarity, improve meetings, boost productivity, and even support better delegation. You'll also hear mindset shifts that will change how you think about your time and effectiveness as a school leader.

Whether you’re a seasoned planner or someone who avoids calendars, this episode will give you practical strategies to reclaim your time and lead with confidence. Tune in to learn how to structure your week so your priorities get done — without taking work home every night.

Click HERE to get the 8 to 4 Principal Planner

Click HERE to get the 8 to 4 Principal Blueprint