Eric talks about his background and family, including being married to a schoolteacher, having a 2 year old and a 5 year old, and his love of running, reading, and sports (6:57)
How coaching Pee-Wee football led Eric into a career in education (12:45)
Breaking through some of the big challenges early in his education career (17:40)
There wasn’t one specific moment when Eric decided to move from teaching into admin (19:20)
How coaching football made Eric a better school leader (21:12)
Some tips for school leaders when moving to a position at a different school (27:42)
One of Eric’s favorite career moments happened recently with a kindergartner (30:07)
It’s hard to stay connected to students after leaving teaching for administration, but you can do it with deliberate intention and effort (34:07)
Lead from where you’re at (39:14)
Eric highly recommends these two books for school leaders (40:45)
You have to really get to know your students teachers, and find out what they need (42:18)
You’ve got to choose your attitude every day when you walk into the school (45:18)
Some of Eric’s tips for maintaining a positive attitude even when it’s not easy (46:15)
If Eric 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 (48:48)
Books mentioned in this episode
Kids Deserve It! Pushing Boundaries and Challenging Conventional Thinking by Todd Nesloney and Adam Welcome
Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students, and Parents Love by Joseph M. Sanfelippo and Tony Sinanis
Connect with Eric Ewald
Eric Ewald – Learning and Sharing
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 weekly 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.
