The Virtual Principal

Today's episode is short and sweet!

Sign Up Here for first access to the Ready,  Set, Lead Trello board and Audio Onboarding Made Easy!

On July 1st I will launch the limited edition LeadHER packs to get your year started! I have partnered with 3 woman owned boutique brands to bring you this fabulous kit!  

Welcome back to The Virtual Principal!  I’m your host, Dr. Angela Draper, and on this episode, we’re going to be discussing how to plan for professional development for the new school year. We’ve been going through all the topics to prep for the 2021-2022 school year and next episode we’ll be wrapping the series up with getting your systems ready, so stay tuned! 

[00:39]  Let’s Get Started!

• Start your planning with a theme
  • Something that you can use throughout the year to connect with students and families
• Look at your calenda
• Decide and prioritize according to what is most important

[05:00] How To Make Your PD Worthwhile and Engaging

• Make room for Social-Emotional Learning for staff
  • SEL can be as simple as tapping into getting to know each other
  • Create something fun for them to do that will help bring everyone together and provide a sense of family and closeness
• Plan for breaks!
• Look at and use your financial resources 

[11:36] Making the Most of Your Time with Culture Calls 

• Onboarding and how to make it simple for you
• Figure out what things are necessary but can be done at one’s own pace?
• Hold people accountable with a call to action or deliverable
• How to create Culture Calls
• Get your team involved! Don’t do this on your own

[20:41] Closing Up!

• Here’s my link to access the 3 free resources: https://smart.bio/the_virtual_principal/
  • Culture calls
  • Mini Audio Course called Onboarding Made Easy
  • Trello Board of Master Checklist to Get Ready for the School Year

Key Quotes:

“You have to tend to your staff's social-emotional needs, while you're preparing for this professional development. Remember, they are just coming off of the most chaotic, traumatizing school year known to educators at this point in history, with the pandemic, and they're trying to re-enter into a new normal.” - Dr. Angela Draper 

“Everything doesn't have to be done in a face-to-face format. I think we've learned that this year.
 - Dr. Angela Draper 

“I'm so excited for the 2021-2022 school year. It is going to be amazing. Your professional development is going to be on point, your teachers are going to love you because you're doing an innovative thing with it, and you are going to have an amazing year.”  - Dr. Angela Draper

To know more about me and my journey, follow me on Instagram (@thevirtualprincipal).

Click here to access my Trello Board for Culture calls, my Mini Audio Course and my Trello Board for my Master Checklist  

This season is being produced by Streamlined Podcast, making podcasting EASY FOR YOU.

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to advance their leadership by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes.

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/VirtualPrincipa)

Affiliate Links:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1491721

https://app.kajabi.com/r/n9rBF288/t/omihfpcu

Welcome back to The Virtual Principal!  My guest, Principal Chanavia Patterson, and I are continuing our series of discussions on Planning For The New School Year. Today we're talking about communication.

Chanavia Patterson is a native Detroiter that has devoted her career to serving in the educational capacity. After several successful years of teaching, Chanavia felt the urge to impact more students than the 30 that sat in her classroom. She began to shift her gift of educating not only students but also teachers. Chanavia has served her community as a teacher, coach, AP, Principal, and Director of School Quality, with the specific focus of leading with love and engaging students academically. Under her leadership, she significantly closed the achievement gap in her school within 3 years. As a result, Chanavia was named Michigan’s Principal of the Year (2017). She has been featured in Black Enterprise and Forbes for her work as a school leader.

Currently, Chanavia serves as the Chief Leadership Officer of Principal Patterson Leadership Services, serving aspiring and current school leaders. Chanavia’s goal is to help women become instructional leaders, specializing in urban school development and transformations.

[01:14]  Opening Segment 

• Principal Patterson tells us about herself 

[03:25] What Does Good Communication Look Like?

• The 4 pillars of communication: communicating purpose, growing people, charting the path, and executing plans
• The first line of communication for a new school year

[07:12] Executing Communication with Teachers, Parents, and Students

• Tools to communicate with teachers 
• Communicating with parents

Quick break! Want to get organized for this school year? Visit my Instagram @thevirtualprincipal or www.drangeladraper.com where I will be dropping a Trello Board that will help you organize your whole back-to-school setup. Sign up now!

• Communicating with our students

[18:31] Building a Consistent Communication Process

• Principal Patterson’s communication framework: buy-in, action, accountability, and results

[22:17] Closing Up!

• Follow Principal Patterson. Links Below

Key Quotes:

“We need to ensure that we are communicating our purpose, how we are going to grow our people, how we are going to chart that path and then execute our plans.” - Chanavia Patterson

“The first line of communication is identifying the difference between what's important and what's urgent.” - Chanavia Patterson

Connect with Chanavia Patterson on LinkedIn (in/chanavia-patterson), Instagram (principalpatterson), and Facebook (principalpatterson1)

Visit her website: https://principalpatterson.com

To know more about me and my journey, follow me on Instagram (@thevirtualprincipal). 

This season is being produced by Streamlined Podcast, making podcasting EASY FOR YOU.

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to advance their leadership by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes.

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/VirtualPrincipa)

Affiliate Links:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1491721

https://app.kajabi.com/r/n9rBF288/t/omihfpcu

On this episode of The Virtual Principal, we are continuing our series of discussions for Planning For The New School Year. My very dear friend, Dr. Candice Bailey, and I discuss the value in preparing for interviews, preparing to communicate, the post-interview, what's important in building your culture, and what we look for.

Dr. Candice Bailey is the current principal in Guilford County Schools, North Carolina. She has been in education for 29 years. Dr. Bailey began her career as a Teacher's Assistant. Starting with teaching 4th grade students, she then transitioned into an AP position and was an AP at two High Schools in the area. She then transitioned to principalship in 2011.

Dr. Bailey enjoys working with teachers, the community, and especially the students to help them see that their lives have meaning and that anything is possible. She often encourages her staff and students to dream and imagine the possibilities of the future. Dr. Bailey lives by the quote, “I dwell in possibility.”

[01:03]  Let’s Get To Know Dr. Candice Bailey

• Dr. Bailey's talks about an opportunity that led her to be an administrator

[02:17] Interviewing for the New School Year

• Dr. Bailey starts with a list, then begins reaching out to those interested
• Looking for educators that have a heart for children, are aligned with the culture of the school
• Dr. Bailey’s interview structure
• Quick break! Want to get organized for this school year? Visit my Instagram @thevirtualprincipal or www.drangeladraper.com where I will be dropping a Trello Board that will help you organize your whole back-to-school setup. Sign up now!

[13:59] What Happens After the Interview?

• The importance of communication; Providing the feedback people need to hear and giving closure to those who didn't get the job

[20:42] Closing Up!

• Follow Dr. Candice Bailey. Links Below
• What is your favorite word? 
  • Connected and grace
• Desk, room, or car: which do you clean first? 
  •    Car

Key Quotes:

“I look for people that really care about children. Because I can teach you the curriculum, I can teach you lots of classroom management, I can teach you how to write a lesson plan, but I cannot teach your heart how to care about children. “  - Dr. Candice Bailey

"Sometimes when you send that follow up email, you have an opportunity to give someone the gift of feedback, because if people really are honestly trying to grow, then as educators, that's what we want, we want to help launch people off into a successful path." - Dr. Candice Bailey

Connect with Dr. Candace Bailey on LinkedIn


To know more about me and my journey, follow me on Instagram (@thevirtualprincipal).

This season is being produced by Streamlined Podcast, making podcasting EASY FOR YOU.

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to advance their leadership by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes.

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/VirtualPrincipa)

Affiliate Links:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1491721
https://app.kajabi.com/r/n9rBF288/t/omihfpcu

On this episode of The Virtual Principal, we are continuing our series of discussions for Planning For The New School Year. My guest, Erinn Cottman, and I discuss how we approach onboarding new staff so that our teachers are equipped with the tools they need for the school year. 

With over 10 years of experience, Erinn Cottman has served in a variety of roles at KIPP WAYS Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, she is the Upper School Assistant Principal and coach of Social Studies & ELA. School leadership is Erinn's passion, with an emphasis on coaching and development. 

She is also the owner of Erinn Cottman Teacher Development, a consulting company with a mission to champion educators while helping to create the next generation of leaders. Working with educators to help them identify their teaching superpowers and then using them to ignite the unique gifts of students is Erinn's pride. She helps educators build confidence in their craft and leverage their already present strengths to profoundly impact the education world. She's a mom of an awesome kindergartner and enjoys all things working out, with a side of brunch after!

[01:23]  Erinn Cottman Tells Us About Herself and Her Background

• Ms. Cottman shares her journey into education. On the road to becoming an Assistant Principal, she discovers a passion within herself to coach and develop other leaders. 
• Starting her coaching and consulting company;  Erinn Cottman Teacher Development      

[03:18] Onboarding New Staff and the Importance of Planning for Hiring    

• Define your top 2-4 priorities for the school year
• Know your strategic plan
• Onboarding Rule of Thumb: If it’s not aligned with a priority, there’s no need for it 
• Equip your staff with the tools they need in order to meet the bar you’ve set
• The importance of a data-based onboarding process 
• Don’t neglect post-checks and taking feedback  

[17:56] Establishing School Culture In the Onboarding Process

• Delegating responsibilities to veteran teachers is an opportunity to build school-culture 
• Prioritize team and organic relationship building   

[23:27] Closing Up! 

• Follow Erinn Cottman. Links Below 
• What is your favorite word? 
  • Joy! 
• Desk, room, or car: which do you clean first? 
  • NOT my car!   

Key Quotes:

“The first thing is to identify my two to three priorities for the school year. I start with that because that’s influencing my hiring, staffing, and who I’m looking for to bring into my building.” -   Erinn Cottman 

“What do I need to plan and provide for them in order to meet the bar that I have? Because it’s not fair to have a bar and not provide the professional development, the background, or the knowledge and then penalize them for not meeting the bar.”  - Erinn Cottman

“Good leadership has these best practices set in place in order to make their school successful.” - Dr. Angela Draper    

Connect with Erinn on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Visit her website: https://www.erinncottman.com/

To know more about me and my journey, follow me on Instagram (@thevirtualprincipal).

This season is being produced by Streamlined Podcast, making

On this episode of The Virtual Principal, my guest Dr. Maisha Otway shares her best tips and tricks to prepare for a new school year and set up a successful school culture before school begins.  

Dr. Maisha Otway is a transformational principal serving in the Atlanta metro area. She began her career in the advocacy of education in Massachusetts, served in the DMV and settled in the Atlanta metro area in 1996.  Having served as a teacher and school leader in a variety of socioeconomic demographics, she has a reputable track record within the more fortunate and the neediest of schools. Dr. Otway has earned multiple honors including but not limited to 2x elementary Teacher of the Year district finalist, 2018 North East Learning Community Fulton County Public Schools Principal of the Year, and most recently 2019 recipient of the “Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things in the City of College Park.

[01:10]  Dr. Maisha Otway Shares Her Background and Teaching Journey 

• Beginning at a young age with tutoring, education had always been part of Dr. Otway’s career. After serving as a teacher for many years in a variety of states and settings, she then went on to be an assistant principal and later a principal

[03:51] Planning For a Successful School Year  

• Why it’s vital to start planning as early as January-February
• Dr. Otway shares why planning communication is important for building school structure and culture

[10:47] Why School Culture and School Spirit are NOT The Same Thing 

• Peak Moments: Elevation, Insight, Pride, Connection
• Create a  communication plan that promotes the four buckets of peak moments for building school culture. 
• Build your culture on the core values of your school

[22:28] Closing Up

• Follow Dr. Maisha Otway. Links Below
• What is your favorite word?
• Desk room or car, which do you clean first? 

Key Quotes:

“When we talk about planners and organization, no matter what the other pieces are, you have to be clear on how you’re going to communicate it and who is on that communication structure.” -  Dr. Maisha Otway

“When we talk about school culture, the way you communicate or the methods of communication is part of that.” -  Dr. Angela Draper

“If you can define your school culture in an event, then that’s not school culture.” -  Dr. Maisha Otway

Connect with Dr. Maisha Otway on Instagram (@principalotway), LinkedIn, and Twitter. Email her at [email protected] 

To know more about me and my journey, follow me on Instagram (@thevirtualprincipal).

This season is being produced by Streamlined Podcast, making podcasting EASY FOR YOU.

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to advance their leadership by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes.

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/VirtualPrincipa)

Affiliate Links:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1491721
https://app.kajabi.com/r/n9rBF288/t/omihfpcu

On this episode of The Virtual Principal, I talk with my guest, Chara Harris, about planning for the new school year. As we wrap up the current school year, it’s so important for us to think ahead and start planning for the 2021-2022 school year. 

Chara Harris is the owner and founder of The Principal Planner. She graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and with a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics Education. She has served as a K-12 District Curriculum Specialist, Campus Instructional Coach, and Classroom Teacher and is now in Campus Administration for four years. 

[00:43] Chara Harris Tells Us About Herself  

• Born in Alamogordo, New Mexico, Chara was raised in a military home with her father spending 23 years in the air force
• Chara’s teaching career after graduating and her journey to becoming an assistant principal 

[06:38]  Planning For a New School Year 

• What makes planning such an important topic?
  • Avoiding the mistake of being busy, but not getting anything done

[11:33] The Principal Planner

• Common MYTHS about planning 
  • Planning makes you inflexible
  • Deviating means FAILURE

[15:00] What Inspired Chara To Create The Principal Planner 

• Chara felt there was no planner that fit her needs for administration 
• After sharing her planner with a leadership group of other principals, she received great feedback and decided to turn her passion into a business  

[20:45] Planning Problems    

• The importance of finding the right system that fits your needs  
• Chara talks about her favorite page in The Principal Planner  
• Our planning systems 
• To purchase The Principal Planner, please see links below 

[29:34] Closing Up! 

• Let’s expand our Vocab wall
• Room, Desk, or Car. Which one do you clean first?

Key Quotes:

“You have to know where you’re going... Even though our job can be like putting out fires all day, you still have to have a foundation.” - Chara Harris

“You can know your subject and have your pedagogy down, but if you’re not connecting with the kids, they’ve got to connect with you so that they can actually get from you.” - Chara Harris


Connect and learn more about Chara Harris by visiting her website The Principal Planner, and check her out on social media, Instagram (@theprincipalplanner), and Facebook (@theprincipalplanner).

To know more about me and my journey, follow me on Instagram (@thevirtualprincipal).

This season is being produced by Streamlined Podcast, making podcasting EASY FOR YOU.

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to advance their leadership by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes.

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/VirtualPrincipa)

Welcome back to The Virtual Podcast! We are now in season 3 and we are getting ready for the new school year, we are setting ourselves up for success and we’re going to lead with courage and love. So are you ready? Get set… Let’s lead!

[00:12] Let’s take a moment to talk about Mental Health

• Understanding Individual circumstances
• What you need to do to create a thriving business
• You have to make sure that you are making space for your family, for your friends, and the relationships that you hold dear.
• Take a rest. Rest is required.

[09:59] What’s in store for you in season 3

• We are getting ready for the new school year.
• I am creating a leader word wall
• Get ready to lead with courage and love.

Key Quotes:

“If your schedule doesn’t match up exactly with your child’s schedule, it is not the Principal or the district’s responsibility to make that happen for you. We all have to make decisions as adults as to what we need to do to get our jobs done and also take care of our family”  - Dr. Angela Draper

“Rest is required. Sometimes, we forget that we are human and that we need rest.” - Dr. Angela Draper

“A plan and idea is always a starting place to plan for your mental health” - Dr. Angela Draper



To know more about me and my journey, follow me on Instagram (@thevirtualprincipal).

This season is being produced by Streamlined Podcast, making podcasting EASY FOR YOU!

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to advance their leadership growth by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes.

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/VirtualPrincipa)