A father of two girls and one boy, Travis became a teacher after volunteering at a low-income school after earning a history degree and feeling called to be a teacher (1:55)
Travis explains why he thinks the book Flip Your Classroom is a powerful game changer for teaching ELA (6:27)
When and why Travis transitioned from teaching to school administration, and some of the wisdom he’s gained since his switch (8:08)
Don’t think you’re going to have a huge, immediate impact when you take a new job (14:49)
A lot of Travis’s best moments in his career have involved discipline, because they gave him an opportunity to learn more about a student and the challenges they face, and build a relationship with the student (18:04)
Be strategic with how you want change to happen, and work to build momentum for big changes instead of just mandating them (22:09)
You need to be prepared for the fact that you’ll often be dealing with more than one serious problem at a time (24:00)
Never lose sight of just how hard your teachers work every day (25:30)
Some of Travis’s favorite books for school leaders (26:40)
You’ve got to regularly let your teachers know how much you appreciate them (32:30)
Travis’s favorite quote about leadership comes from William Shakespeare (although I thought it was Teddy Roosevelt!) “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” (34:25)
If Travis 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 (36:59)
Books mentioned in this episode
Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams
The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact by Michael Fullan
The Six Secrets of Change: What the Best Leaders Do to Help Their Organizations Survive and Thrive by Michael Fullan
FOCUS: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning by Mike Schmoker
A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service by Robert M Gates
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
Connect with Travis Phelps
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.
