The Principal Exchange Podcast

This week we are throwing back to an episode that tackles one of the most common system challenges we hear principals facing: email!

Does your inbox feel like it’s running your day? Principals get buried under hundreds of emails every week—most of them urgent-sounding but low-priority. The truth? You’ll never answer them all (and you don’t need to).

In this episode, we break down the different types of emails that flood your inbox—from FYIs and parent complaints to staff questions and those never-ending cc chains—and share practical strategies to handle them without losing your sanity. You’ll learn how to spot what actually needs you, set boundaries that stick, and use tools like templates, folders, and clear communication systems to keep email in its place.

If you’ve ever felt like your leadership is happening after you survive your inbox, this episode will help you dig out—and stay out.

 

Check out TPE Lead (now free!): tpe-lead.com

Also, check out this episode's partner sponsor Kids Discover www.kidsdiscover.com

Make sure you're following us: @theprincipalexchange

Part of our "Systems That Free You" series

Some of us have a whole morning routine. Some of us are hitting snooze until the very last second. Either way, mornings set the tone for everything that follows.

In this episode, Sarah and Andra get honest about what their mornings actually look like—the good days and the six-minutes-out-the-door days—and why even a few minutes that are just yours can change how the whole day feels.

Check out TPE Lead (now free!): tpe-lead.com

Make sure you're following us: @theprincipalexchange

Part of our "Systems That Free You" series

New teachers either sink or swim based on how connected they feel early on. And it's not about building some elaborate 30-day plan with checkboxes.

In this episode, Sarah and Andra talk through what actually helps a new teacher in their first month—the handful of genuine moments that matter way more than a formal system. If you've got new hires starting soon, this one's for you.

Check out TPE Lead (now free!): tpe-lead.com

Also, check out this episode's partner sponsor Kids Discover www.kidsdiscover.com

Make sure you're following us: @theprincipalexchange

Part of our "Systems That Free You" series

You solve it. Two days later, it's back. A behavior issue, a hallway expectation, a staff frustration—you handle it, and then somehow it just... resurfaces.

In this episode, Sarah and Andra break down why principals feel stuck playing Whack-a-Mole all year, and what actually has to change if you want problems to stop recycling. Spoiler: it's not about working harder.

Check out TPE Lead (now free!): tpe-lead.com

Make sure you're following us: @theprincipalexchange

You're carrying things that don't matter. Old initiatives. Obligatory traditions. Meetings about meetings. Programs you inherited but never believed in.

In this episode, Sarah and Andra walk you through a simple four-step audit to identify what's actually essential versus what's just stealing your energy. Because July is the only month you have to simplify before August chaos normalizes everything.

If you start the year with ten intentional commitments instead of twenty scattered ones, everything changes.



Audit Checklist:

Step 1: List Everything You Actually Do: Dump it all, don't filter. (Observations, Staff meetings, PLC meetings, Parent events, Newsletter, Data analysis, etc.)

Step 2: Sort Into 3 Buckets

ESSENTIAL (Keep these): Directly impacts learning, safety, or teacher growth.

IMPORTANT BUT DELEGABLE (Can someone else own it?): Matters but doesn't have to be you.

ENERGY DRAINS (Consider cutting): Steals time but doesn't move the needle.

Step 3: Ask the Three Questions

For anything in ENERGY DRAINS, ask:

"If I stopped this tomorrow, what actually happens?"

"Who cares about this besides me?"

"Could someone else do this?"

Step 4: Cut 3-5 Things



Check out TPE Lead (now free!): tpe-lead.com

Make sure you're following us: @theprincipalexchange