JOSHUA STAMPER is an assistant principal, husband, father, blogger, and graphic artist in Frisco, TX. He’s also the host of Aspire: The Leadership Development Podcast. You’ll find his writing at https://joshstamper.blogspot.com/.
In our conversation, Josh discusses the mission and vision of his podcast on leadership in education, Aspire. He tells us why he’s excited about the incredible changes that have come to education in the last decade, pointing out that “But this is the way we’ve always done things” doesn’t fly anymore. He explains how his experience in graphic design contributes to his current work, and reminds us that school cultures aren’t built from behind desks. Finally, he gives us some great recommendations for books to read, Twitter personalities to follow, and more.
Follow Josh online here:
- TW: @Joshua__Stamper
- IG: @Joshua__Stamper
- Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/mr_stamps
Find the highlights from our conversation at the timestamps below:
- 0:55 – Josh describes his current context in education: he’s been an assistant principal for five years and now serves in the Frisco Independent School District in Frisco, TX.
- 1:21 – He recalls the time and energy spent learning the ropes of administration before being denied the opportunity he was hoping for. Later though, he was given a different administrative opportunity which ultimately became the best scenario possible.
- 3:44 – Joshua tells the story of the Aspire: Leadership Development podcast, including his discovery of an incredible appetite for more sharing of stories, resources, and information among education administrators. Part of his vision for the podcast is to recover the positivity, excitement, and joy found in leadership roles in education.
- 7:34 – Josh talks about some of the sources of his excitement in education today: the rapid changes we’ve seen in the last decade, the fact that educators are learning about other ways of learning and teaching, and the reality that “this is how we’ve always done it” doesn’t fly anymore. Today, education is clearly about the learners, about seeing the whole child in all of their emotional needs, and about growing the whole person (including restorative and trauma-informed practices).
- 8:31 – Other areas of personal interest and learning include his love of graphic design and more recently the process of podcasting. If you haven’t seen his promotional materials for the Aspire podcast, his expertise in graphic design is easy to see.
- 11:03 – In terms of personal habits and productivity, Josh focuses on putting the most important things first, being a present administrator, being in classes consistently, and interacting with students. Building relationships and positive school cultures can’t be done from behind a desk.
- 12:15 – On Twitter, Josh recommends following @BarbaraGruener.
- 13:12 – An edtech tool that is working well for Josh is Calendly.You can follow them on Twitter @Calendly.
- 14:23 – His book pick is Be Real: Educate from the Heart by Tara Martin (@TaraMartinEDU).
- 15:02 – As a podcaster himself, you know Josh’s podcast picks will be good. He mentions two: My Bad by Jon Harper (@JonHarper70bd) and the ShareMO Edu Podcast hosted by Dr. Rena Hawkins (@Renathunderhawk) and Eric Carlin (@Eric_Carlin).
- 15:40 – His pick for YouTube channels is one produced by Todd Nesloney’s. Follow Todd on Twitter @TechNinjaTodd.
- 16:28 – When the day is spent and energy wanes, Josh and his wife are watching reruns of a sitcom classic on Netflix: Frasier.
- 17:04 – We sign off on the conversation, and Josh reminds us of the best ways to follow his content online. See above for the details!
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Song Track Credits
- Intro: Relax (by Simon More)
- Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)
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