PODCAST · education
The Assistant Principal Workshop
by Mark Pages
The Assistant Principal Workshop is a mentor-style leadership podcast for current assistant principals and aspiring school leaders navigating the messy middle of school leadership. Hosted by a middle school AP and former music teacher, this show blends real stories from the trenches with practical, actionable strategies you can use immediately. In 20–25 minute episodes, you’ll gain tools for instructional leadership, discipline with dignity, credibility building, and leading well without burning out.
Episodes
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The Honeymoon Is Over: Handling Conflict as an Assistant Principal
The honeymoon period is over. Staff are tired, students are testing boundaries, parents have concerns, and sooner or later, someone is going to be frustrated with you. In this episode of The Assistant Principal Workshop, we talk about handling conflict without inheriting everyone else’s emotions....
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You Don’t Have to Answer Right Now: Making Better Decisions as an Assistant Principal
Making decisions is the name of the game in school leadership—but good leadership doesn’t mean having an immediate answer for everything. In this episode of Assistant Principal Enlightenment, Mark breaks down how assistant principals can slow down when needed, prioritize decisions, gather the…
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Five Classroom Walkthroughs a Week: A Real-Life System for Assistant Principals
How do assistant principals consistently complete classroom walkthroughs when discipline, meetings, parent concerns, and daily emergencies keep interrupting the plan? In this follow-up to Classroom Walkthroughs Explained, Mark shares the practical system he uses to make walkthroughs part of his...
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Classroom Walkthroughs Explained: What Assistant Principals Should Look For
Assistant principals are often expected to complete classroom walkthroughs, but simply stepping into a classroom and checking a box isn’t instructional leadership. In this episode, I break down what administrators should actually be looking for during classroom visits, including five quick areas…
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Year Two Is Harder Than Year One: How Assistant Principals Keep Growing
Year one comes with a built-in challenge: survive, learn the building, and figure out the job. But year two is different. You’re not new anymore—so how do you avoid getting comfortable and actually keep moving the needle? In this 11-minute episode of The Assistant Principal Workshop, Mark…
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Inspire a Shared Vision: How Assistant Principals Build and Communicate a Shared Vision
Assistant principals are expected to lead with confidence and purpose, but they also have to remain aligned with the vision of their principal and district. So how do you inspire others when you are not always the person setting the direction? In this episode of The Assistant Principal Podcast, I...
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Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp #6: Don't Let Students Fall Through the Cracks
Every school has caring educators. The real question is: when someone notices a student is struggling, what happens next? In Episode 6 of the Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp, we shift our focus from schoolwide systems to the individual students who need us most. A strong student support…
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Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp #5: Prevent the Problems You Can Predict
In Episode 5 of the Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp, we focus on the systems assistant principals can build before students arrive to prevent confusion, crowding, downtime, and discipline issues later. This episode is all about “Tier 0 leadership” — the proactive work that happens before...
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Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp #4: Make Committee Work Actually Work
In Episode 4 of the Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp, we move from organizing your leadership systems to leading the work that happens inside committees and recurring meetings. This episode focuses on how assistant principals can make committee work more purposeful, practical, and...
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Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp #3: Organize Your Leadership Before the Year Organizes You
In Episode 3 of the Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp, we move from organizing your physical space to organizing your leadership systems. This episode is all about creating practical systems that help assistant principals reduce mental clutter, follow up more consistently, and lead with more...
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Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp #2: Know Your Building Better Than Google Maps
The best assistant principals don't just know where classrooms are—they understand the people, systems, and culture that keep a school running. In Episode 2 of the Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp, we explore why summer is the perfect time to become a student of your building before students...
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Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp #1: Reset Your Office Before You Reset Your School
Welcome to the first episode of the Assistant Principal Summer Bootcamp! Before students return and the school year begins, take time to create a workspace that helps you lead effectively. In this episode, we'll discuss: How to organize your office for efficiency—not aesthetics. What outdated...
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Strategic Planning Isn’t a Document — It’s a Discipline
Strategic planning in schools is often treated like paperwork — something written for compliance, shared at a meeting, and forgotten once the year gets busy. But in this episode of The Assistant Principal Workshop, Mark Pages breaks down why real strategic planning is less about documents and…
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Maryland's Blueprint Leadership Pillars — And Why They Matter for Real Schools
In Episode 3 of The Assistant Principal Workshop, Mark Pages breaks down the Four Pillars of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future: strategic planning, high-quality instructional materials, recruiting and retaining a strong workforce, and building a positive school culture. Drawing from his...
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Am I the Bad Guy? Navigating the Assistant Principal Identity Shift
Stepping into the assistant principal role comes with an unexpected challenge — your identity. One day you’re building relationships as a teacher, and the next, you’re the one making tough calls, holding boundaries, and navigating shifting perceptions from staff and students. In this episode of…
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Model the Way: The First Lesson of School Leadership
What does it really mean to be an assistant principal? In this first episode of Assistant Principal Workshop, Mark Pages shares his journey from music teacher to assistant principal at 29 and explains why mentorship matters in school leadership. Leading from the middle can feel isolating — you’re...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Assistant Principal Workshop is a mentor-style leadership podcast for current assistant principals and aspiring school leaders navigating the messy middle of school leadership. Hosted by a middle school AP and former music teacher, this show blends real stories from the trenches with practical, actionable strategies you can use immediately. In 20–25 minute episodes, you’ll gain tools for instructional leadership, discipline with dignity, credibility building, and leading well without burning out.
HOSTED BY
Mark Pages
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Assistant Principal Workshop have?
The Assistant Principal Workshop currently has 16 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Assistant Principal Workshop about?
The Assistant Principal Workshop is a mentor-style leadership podcast for current assistant principals and aspiring school leaders navigating the messy middle of school leadership. Hosted by a middle school AP and former music teacher, this show blends real stories from the trenches with practical,...
How often does The Assistant Principal Workshop release new episodes?
The Assistant Principal Workshop has 16 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Assistant Principal Workshop?
You can listen to The Assistant Principal Workshop on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Assistant Principal Workshop?
The Assistant Principal Workshop is created and hosted by Mark Pages.
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