Melinda Miller is a 21 year veteran teacher and administrator for Willard Schools in Willard, Missouri. She is passionate about connecting and sharing with other educators and believes in the power of connections and networks to facilitate personal and professional growth. In 2008, Melinda was voted Southwest Missouri’s New Principal of the Year, and in 2010, she was chosen to participate in the Google Teacher Academy to become a Google Certified Teacher. From 2012 to 2014, she served as the president of the Southwest Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals and in 2015, Melinda was selected to represent her region as a Distinguished Principal candidate. Melinda has been a leader in educational technology and has presented on multiple technology topics across the state, including three annual EdcampSGF unconferences she has organized herself.

Find out more about Melinda by visiting her blog: The Principal Blog
Connect with Melinda on Twitter or Google+

 

Melinda shares a little about her family and background, including brief forays into hotel management and being a nanny, and her love of NASCAR racing (2:38)

Melinda’s career path from college and hotel management to her current position as a leader in education administration (4:55)

The difficulties of moving from teaching to admin in the same school, and in the middle of the school year (10:32)

Melinda talks about how she overcame some of those special challenges, and why it’s so important to be humble and admit that you don’t know it all when you’re new (11:24)

How to know when you should share things with colleagues and parents, and when you should keep things close to your vest (15:30)

When and why Melinda made the decision to move into school leadership, and the role that being part of a cohort played in that (18:50)

Melinda describes some of the difficulties she encountered on her path to becoming a school administrator, some of which were internal struggles (21:05)

Work/family balance – just do it! But it’s a constant struggle to keep the right balance (24:10)

One of the most memorable moments of Melinda’s career involves a high-needs foster student and a Dallas Cowboys hoodie (28:05)

The best leadership advice Melinda has ever received – there are very few emergencies, so take enough time to think things through so you make the right decision (30:47)

Why communication skills are so important for education leaders (33:05)

Melinda recommends these books for education leaders (34:30)

Melinda’s advice to school administrators on working with the students that you serve – really get to know your student population and the community (35:02)

Melinda’s advice to school administrators on working with the teachers that you serve – take a personal interest in every single one of them (36:05)

Here’s the advice Melinda would give her younger self if she could travel back in time to when she was just starting out in school administration (37:45)

 

Books mentioned in this episode

What Great Teachers Do Differently: 17 Things That Matter Most

If You Don’t Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students!: Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers

 

Connect with Melinda Miller

Twitter

Facebook

The Principal Blog

 

 

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.

www.educatorslead.com