Show notes
Do you ever think about all the minute twists and turns that led you to the exact position you sit in life? For some, that journey has more twists and turns than it does for others. Joshua Stamper, Author, Podcaster, and Assistant Principal, joined Host Dustin Odham to describe how he went from graphic design to administration in the education realm.
Stamper started as graphic designer, but when the industry crashed, after some self-reflection and encouragement from his wife, he found that he loved art and soccer and combined these interests to become a paraprofessional for special education. Stamper then became an art teacher for six years and started coaching until his coworker suggested he become a building leader. Thus, this is where Stamper’s administrative journey began, serving in various positions, one of which was the Dean of Students. Stamper has since discovered that trauma-informed care is his passion, and he has mixed in some traveling and speaking to his journey while writing the book Aspire to Lead.
“As a person, as an educator, and to go from being viewed as this new, elective art teacher who is creative, who is just kind of in his own corner, to then suddenly being with an admin team, being in all these meetings, viewed as ‘you’re going to the dark side.’ A lot of my relationships with my peers shifted dramatically,” Stamper explained. “Are they seeing me as an administrator, are they seeing me as a friend, are they seeing me as a peer, and there’s this weird dynamic of ‘Am I on the admin team, am I a teacher?’ All of a sudden, I’m a leader but I don’t have a title,” he stated of his switch to an administrative role.
Stamper discussed that being in an administrative role meant he had to provide feedback and often be in uncomfortable positions. He often told himself: “This is going to make me a better educator than before.” Stamper soon figured out he needed to partner with teachers and establish that he was on the same team as them. He accomplished this with brief classroom walkthroughs where he would take videos on phone. Stamper would ask teachers for permission to be in the classroom and explain that he was taking data, then ask if they wanted feedback. This ensured a partnership approach.
Another challenge Stamper faced in his educational administration roles is working with de-escalation. He advises adults to handle these situations with a unique lens. “I ask them to be a window instead of a mirror, meaning you need to let that negative behavior go through you instead of replicating that to the child and only escalating the emotions because a lot of our kids don’t know how to regulate their emotions,” Stamper stated. Outline the consequences, allow for expression of how the child is feeling, and then provide strategies to walk away and calm down. “As an adult, they have these skills so that when it is time to have that conversation with boss or someone else of authority, they aren’t making the same mistakes as they were as an 11-year -old, as a 12-year-old, as a 14-year-old,” said Stamper.
For more on Stamper’s journey transforming to the educational leadership industry, visit Spotify, Apple iTunes, or www.marketscale.com.
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