Devin talks about his background, and his transformation from “an unsuccessful high school student” to a school leader, thanks to some teachers who went above and beyond and helped motivate him to change, and discusses his love of journaling and creative writing (1:39)
Devin goes into more detail about his life in education, beginning with graduating dead last in his high school class, to starting college by pursuing a degree in criminal justice, and finally winding up getting a degree in education (5:15)
Working with kids is the easy part of education; figuring out how to work with adults (leadership) is the tricky part, and will require quite a bit of discomfort (7:37)
Important leadership lessons from the movie Inception (11:41)
Here are some of Devin’s tips for hiring job applicants who are in line with your mission and vision for your school (17:00)
Making the decision to move from teaching into school leadership (18:48)
Don’t make these mistakes when trying to compensate for being new in administration (21:31)
You can’t overestimate the importance of a good work and life balance (23:40)
The most common experience new leaders have that nobody talks about is self doubt and the Impostor Syndrome; here’s how to deal with it (27:20)
Devin’s unique way of getting helpful, honest feedback from his colleagues (33:00)
Master your calendar and use it to drive your day, both at work and at home (38:30)
Every year you’re an administrator, you’ll discover more confidence and patience (40:37)
Seeing struggling students turn their lives around, and seeing former students become educators themselves are some of the things Devin is most proud of (42:57)
“If you help enough people get what they want, you can get everything you want” – author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar (46:23)
Building good relationships with students is key to being a great school leader (47:13)
Trust, rapport, and communication are the keys to connecting with your teachers (47:53)
Devin highly recommends these two books for school leaders (48:30)
If Devin had a time machine, here’s the advice he would go back and give his younger self when he was just starting out in administration (49:10)
Books mentioned in this episode
StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
The Five Disciplines of PLC Leaders by Timothy D. Kanold
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson
Connect with Devin Padavil
About EducatorsLead:
Educators Lead is a podcast created to help launch educators into the next level of leadership. This show is for you if you are interested in educational leadership as an assistant principal, principal, superintendent, teacher or someone who hopes to be a school leader one day. Educators Lead offers inspiration and practical advice to help you lead more effectively. Jay Willis interviews school leaders three days a week to discuss why and when these educators made the decision to move into school leadership, challenges along the journey, and stories that made it all worthwhile. Educators Lead is a great resource for any educator looking to make a greater impact.
Educate. Inspire. Lead.
