We’re continuing on the subject of money this week with everyone’s favorite topic – debt. Okay, it’s nobody’s favorite thing to talk about, but it is incredibly important, both in your personal life and your job as a school leader.

We know that having a school desperately in need of investment in the students when you have a low budget to work with can be incredibly stressful. This crosses over into our personal lives when it comes to buying a house, or even just treating ourselves because, lord knows, we need it.

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It’s April, and this month’s topic is one of my favorites, and something that I feel isn’t discussed enough in our world –money.

Money is such a huge part of our lives, personal and professional. As a school leader, sure, we talk about allocating budgets and salaries and spending to get the best for the kids in our schools. But as a principal, there’s something lacking about the conversations we have around money mindset.

Of course, for some people, money is tricky to talk about. Some of us grew up in an environment where we didn’t talk about money because we had none, or maybe you were taught not to show off because you had plenty. Either way, as a result, money and how it makes us feel has become a kind of icky subject to broach.

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Supporting your staff sounds like an obvious part of your job as a school leader. However, I can tell you from personal experience, when you’re caught up in all of your other duties, it’s easy for “being a supportive leader” to fall by the wayside. Especially when angry parents are involved, siding with your staff becomes a tricky balancing act.

I have learned over the years that teachers want a principal who has their backs. This is a huge reflection of your leadership in their eyes. Your staff wants to know you are listening to their concerns and that you believe their story. That said, you can’t hold their hand every step of the way.

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We’re into March, which means we’re starting a new theme on the podcast for this month. For the next few weeks, we’re going to be looking at the mindset and execution of the human resources aspect of your job as a principal.

Today’s topic is not a fun one, but it’s definitely something you will have to deal with at some point in your career as a school leader. Being in charge of a school means that, after hiring a new teacher, you don’t have long to decide whether they’re a good fit. You have to make some pretty heartbreaking choices about whether or not to keep them on or let them go.

Next week, we will be working around the idea of creating such an environment that you will never have to fire anyone. However, unfortunately, it is inevitable that you will have to deal with this at some point, so we’re going to work this week on your mindset around dismissing your subordinates, making it less heartbreaking when it is necessary to do so.

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve been covering the process of self-coaching in great detail for all of you. With this knowledge, it can feel a bit like I’m sending you off into the world and that the rest is up to you. Well, to be honest, that would be crazy.

I understand that you’re bound to have more questions – the most pressing of which is probably, “Why do I still need you if I already understand the self-coaching process?” Well, this is a lifetime process, so with that in mind, I’ve got answers for the most frequently asked questions I get on the subject.

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