Educational Leadership with Principal JL
Principal JL is an educational leader who explores various topics facing educational leaders today! The Mission of this podcast is to inform and inspire other Educational Leaders on how to be their best for their Schools by honing their skills and talents so they may impact their teachers, staff members, students, parents/guardians, and community members positively for their School District! Come with a Growth Mindset as we journey through Educational Leadership!
Educational Leadership with Principal JL
Episode 40: From School Psychologist to Assistant Principal: Erin Jones’s Leadership Journey
What does it take to truly connect with students who struggle? For Erin Jones, Assistant Principal at Sunrise Middle School, the answer lies in her own past. "I wasn't your picture-perfect student," she reveals, explaining how her personal challenges help her relate to behaviorally struggling students today.
This fascinating conversation explores Jones' unconventional path from school psychologist to educational leader. Rather than starting as a classroom teacher, she built expertise in student mental health and behavior before realizing she needed "a seat at the table" to create meaningful change. When a principal told her she was "built for middle school," she embraced her calling and never looked back.
Jones shares a powerful story about building trust with a challenging student who ultimately saw her office as a safe space during emotional crises. "He did exactly what his plan was," she reflects proudly, highlighting how creating psychological safety can transform student behavior. This student-centered approach defines her leadership philosophy and demonstrates the profound impact of meeting students where they are.
Currently implementing the Leader in Me program at her school and serving as president of her regional principals' association, Jones balances building-level leadership with broader educational advocacy. Her advice to aspiring administrators resonates with authenticity: "When it's the right opportunity, it will happen... you end up where you're supposed to be."
Whether you're considering educational leadership or simply looking to better understand challenging students, this episode offers valuable insights into creating school environments where everyone can thrive. How might your own struggles become your greatest teaching tools?
Connect with Mrs. Erin Jones:
Email: erijones@kearneycats.com
Sunrise Middle School Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SunriseMiddleSchool/
"Leadership in Me Program" Contact Sam Stecher for more Information:
Email: sam.stecher@franklincovey.com
Phone: 308-627-1969
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Today I'm excited to bring in our guest, Erin Jones. She is an assistant principal at Sunrise Middle School in Kearney, Nebraska. Erin is entering in her fourth year in administration and brings more than 13 years of experience in education. She's known for her practical, people-first approach and her commitment to building strong, positive school culture, especially in times of change. We don't just talk about her educational leadership journey, but we talk about some things that gets her really excited for the upcoming school year, such as the Leader in Me program and becoming the president of the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals for Region 4. Now let's get to the conversation with Aaron Jones. All right, everybody, welcome back to another episode of the Educational Leadership Podcast. I am thrilled to have Mrs Erin Jones on the show today. Erin, welcome to the show.
Erin Jones:Thank you so much for having me.
Principal JL:All right, Erin, I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to start you off with the same question. I ask everybody what inspires you to become an educator?
Erin Jones:So my journey to education is a little different than most. I was not one of those people that was like I'm going to be a teacher when I grow up or I'm going to be in education Definitely wasn't one of those people. I didn't really find that until much later in life. I did not love school and I probably wasn't like your picture perfect student. So that's probably a good chunk of the reason why I relate so well to some of our students that have some struggling behaviors. I just never really found a place to fit in school and it wasn't until later on, like in high school junior senior year, I had a music teacher who really just saw beyond me and that saw the potential that I had. So that was really encouraging, and originally I had thought I was going to become like an attorney or a clinical psychologist, so I knew I wanted to be in a helping profession.
Erin Jones:After I graduated from college I was just kind of struggling to figure out where am I going to fit, and I was really fortunate to have a great advisor who connected me with a professor at UNK in the Department of School Psychology and so after a few conversations there I realized like okay, this is where I fit. This is how I'm going to make that impact, and it combined my love of mental health and behavior with also wanting to help kids and be an advocate. And again going back to because I didn't always thrive academically or behaviorally and I think that that is just really what motivated me to get into school psychology and I just really wanted to be a consistent presence for kids in the classroom and in the special education setting, just wanting to be an advocate for that, and so I try to just really use that as I lead every day.
Principal JL:Awesome. So what was your first teaching role? What was that? Where was that?
Erin Jones:I was never a classroom teacher, I was a school psychologist. So my first job I was an intern with KPS oh gosh, a long time ago. And then from there I went to the Sandhills Educational Services Cooperative. So I served Broken Bow, calloway and Selma Myrna, sandhills and Ansley and if you're from Nebraska I mean those are some of our smaller communities but through that I got so many leadership opportunities that I don't think I would have had otherwise, just because it was me and another school psychologist and so we were just kind of running with it and it was just, it was great and it was a phenomenal opportunity.
Principal JL:And I'm just so grateful for that start. So, as a school psychologist, it sounds like you were just helping a bunch of different districts and helping them out. Were you doing like 504s? Like what was the nature of that job? And then how did that experience as a school psychologist prepares you to become an assistant principal? Yeah, so as a school psychologist prepares you to become an assistant principal?
Erin Jones:Yeah, so as a school psychologist I was dealing a lot with special education, figuring out if students were eligible for special education services, giving those cognitive assessments, academic assessments, so really figuring out how the student was going to work the best in the classroom setting. And I mean that was just really impactful, I guess. And so I really worked closely with our special education teams to develop plans for students and through that I got to work alongside some really phenomenal school principals and superintendents, because when you're in those smaller settings you work with everybody. Everyone's kind of wearing multiple hats, and so that I mean in and of itself was a great preparation for leadership.
Principal JL:You bet it sounds like with that school psychologist. Like for me, I've been in small rural schools as well as the bigger districts, Like I've taught in, you know, Twin River, I taught in Hershey, I taught at Miller North High School, Ralston High School, been a principal at Southern Valley and now at Hastings High. So I've kind of understand like, yeah, these small rural schools, we all wear a lot of hats and so you got to see some of that, got to see a lot of different kids in a lot of different ways. So, yeah, with that school psych role, that's a really eye-opening experience and I think a lot of the things that you were able to do and help really kind of prepared you into that assistant principal role that you currently hold at this time.
Principal JL:So what was it? Was there something that had you? What was it that made you go? You know what? I'm ready for the next step, I'm ready for the assistant principal role. What was that experience like? And was it a tap on the shoulder? Was it something that you felt like, hey, it's time for that? What played out? What inspires you to take a chance and head into the administrative side of things in education?
Erin Jones:So it initially started with special education. I was sitting in an IEP meeting at a high school for one of our students that was getting ready to graduate and I just remember the programming that was proposed. I was like, oh, we can do better. But without having a seat at that table and being an administrator, it's really hard to make that change happen. And it was in that moment that I was like, all right, I guess I'm going to go back to school and get my administrative endorsement in special education, because that was the world that I lived in and I loved and I knew it forwards, backwards, upside down. So that's what I did.
Erin Jones:After I left the Sandhills Cooperative I went to Grand Island Public Schools and I was there as a school psychologist and it was the one that was really like you were just built for administration, I really want you on our leadership team, and so that's kind of what started that whole process in Grand Island anyways. And so I got moved into an education consultant and social emotional cognitive learning coach position my second year there and social emotional cognitive learning coach position my second year there. And in my second year it was a principal saying like you are built for middle school. So I got, I was placed at a middle school in that consultant role and he was like this is like your jam, this is where you belong. So I was like, okay, I do love it. So I'm going to go back to school again and I'm going to work on the general education side of things and from there I mean, he was just so encouraging to me.
Erin Jones:He was my internship supervisor. His name's Brad Wolf, he retired, and then Dr Tian, who is still at UNK. He was just, and he still is like he's like the ultimate cheerleader for the education community and to always go further and do more that. And, like my parents, they've always said that education is going to be your gateway to the world and it has proved true. So yeah, it was. It was just kind of a mix of people and experiences that got me thinking like, OK, I don't just have to stay in special education.
Principal JL:All right. So I mean there's a lot of people that kind of impacted your path and your journey into the administrative role. And I know who Dr Tian is. I've talked with him and we've had our conversations off and on. So yeah, he's a great guy and a great guy to kind of if he's saying this is a good thing for you. You know, listen, because he's been around quite a bit on that end when it comes to just education and his experience in the education world. Now, with that said, you had to apply for principalships. What was that experience like? You know, because I know for me, I applied for several, turned down a lot and it took a while for me to get that first administrative job. So kind of take us through that journey. What was that like for you to just land the role that you're in as assistant principal, I believe, at Sunrise Middle School and Kearney? So how was that journey like for you?
Erin Jones:So I had interviewed with Kearney Public School District for another position and if you know any of the leaders at KPS, it's just a really strong group of people that really leverage their talents well to find other people with good talent. So I still remember after that interview getting a phone call and saying it was from Jason Mendorf, and he called and he said like we want you in this district, we're going to find you the right spot in this district, and at that time he was the associate superintendent and I was also nine months pregnant with my second child. That threw a little hitch in some things too. So the next year is when both of the assistant middle school positions opened up, and I mean Amber Lewis is phenomenal and Clint Edwards was moving up into a district position and I had worked with him during my internship.
Erin Jones:And Mark Johnson, I feel like, just has a stellar reputation and if you've read his book it Happens in the Hallway you get a really good glimpse of his kind of outlook towards school and school environments and I was just so excited to get to interview with both of them for that position. And I remember when I met with Mark and the team here at Sunrise I was like this is it? Because I think I even asked in that interview, like what are your top three areas that you think need to be tackled? And when they mentioned behavior and the increasing need of mental health services within the school setting, I'm like this is where I belong and I just I knew it. Mark will tell me now, like that, he just knew it and it all happens like it's supposed to. So I think I had interviewed for three other administrative positions before I got this one, and so I mean that's another thing too, I think for aspiring administrators, like it will work out when it is supposed to work out and you will end up where you're supposed to be.
Principal JL:Yeah, and I totally agree with that, because I think when the door closes in one opportunity, that just means that just wasn't a good fit for you. Because when people do interview for these positions like myself, I will, you know, interview people and just a couple of years ago I had to interview assistant principals and you know, there's, you know, pretty good talent out there and you just want to find the right fit. Doesn't mean other people that you turn down were like not capable. It was just you didn't fit what we were looking for. And when you, when everything aligns and everything comes together, then you're going to be where you're supposed to be.
Principal JL:And that's kind of what happened here at Hastings for me is, you know, I applied for several positions, got turned down a lot. I learned something from it. But when the right people said this is your job and this is you know when, when things lined up the way it is, it works out. And you know I've been here and and it's worked out really well and for me, I'll be here until they decide they won't want me anymore. That's kind of the goal, right On that end. So yeah, everything will line up and you know what, everything from the job down to your personal life will line up too, and when those things line up you know you're in the right space when it comes to that job. So really appreciate your insights on that.
Principal JL:And people could always learn from every time they put in an interview and they have learned from that and then move on and take that knowledge and use it into your next interview because you'll find that space where you're supposed to be and they will fit the way it needs to. So with that you know your assistant principal, let's talk about your first year a little bit. What are some challenges you had? What are some things you had to learn? What are some stories you could tell us like you know what I wasn't prepared for this part of being an assistant principal, you know. I know you got some, so let's talk about it.
Erin Jones:Okay. So the one that stood out to me the most, and this was the one when I knew like, okay, I'm, I'm where I'm supposed to be. We had these two boys and it had to have been like my second or third week at Sunrise and they weren't even in the same grade, but we found them in a bathroom together. So I mean, we're kind of thinking, why were you both in the bathroom together? You're not in the same grade, why are you in this hallway together? So we bring him into the office, my principal takes one and puts him in his office and I take the other. And I came in and I've never been scared of a kid before. But I was like, oh my gosh, this kid isn't making eye contact, it is just a flat affect. He looks so angry, he's a little scary. And I even remember I texted Mark, my principal, and he didn't respond and I'm like, okay, I guess I'm just flying solo. Here we go. And I took my school psych training and I paired it with being the daughter of a police officer and I just started asking questions. It was kind of rapid fire and at first he wouldn't say anything and then finally I got a couple shrugs and then I got some head nods and then I got some one word answers and then finally, by the end of it we were having a conversation and it still wasn't like oh, we're best friends now. But just from that interaction it really evolved.
Erin Jones:And I worked so much with this kiddo, his seventh grade year, eighth grade year, and he had so many other things going on outside of school as well. And that's something that I feel like can be forgotten is we don't always remember what kids come to school with, what they're dealing with outside of the building and the impact it can have. Anyway, so this kid, he struggled with some behavioral outbursts. He was a little apathetic, but I remember he would come out and help walk around the cafeteria with me and wanted to do lunch duty with me, but we were still struggling with these behavioral outbursts. So we made this great plan and his plan was always that if you're starting to get escalated, you come to the office.
Erin Jones:So fast forward. He shows up one morning, walks in the front door, our counselor tells him good morning and he yells some explicatives at her, goes like, comes into my office I was sitting in my office slams the door so hard the ceiling tiles shake and it's like snowing and just starts cussing and throwing his stuff throwing his Chromebook, beating up his binder. Still yelling Didn't ever try to hurt me. I never felt like I was in danger, didn't hurt any of my like personal belongings, wasn't kicking walls or anything, just beating the crap out of his binder. Finally he starts to deescalate and he just breaks down and starts sobbing. And it was just one of those moments where it wasn't perfect but he did exactly what his plan was and his plan was that he came in here, we shut the door, he didn't run out into the building, he wasn't causing havoc in the hallways, wasn't yelling at teachers, wasn't doing any of that stuff. So I just felt so proud of him that I was his safe space and he did exactly what he was supposed to do.
Erin Jones:Now the kind of funny side of it is watching it back on the cameras and I mean you could see from the second this kiddo got out of the car. He was not happy but when the door slammed, everyone that was out in our main office area, they left. And I remember watching that on the camera and I'm like hello guys. I saw both secretaries get up and walk away and later they tell me like oh, I was looking for the school resource officer, I was trying to find Mr Johnson, and then the other teacher that was coming in for a post-observation meeting. He was like yeah, I knew you were busy and I probably just need to come back later. But I still just laugh because in that moment they all just left me. But that was such a great learning experience. It was a great affirmation of this is where I'm supposed to be and this is. This is what we're supposed to be doing with kids, even if it's one kid impacting them at a time.
Principal JL:It was just a very full circle moment for me similar to that when you build up those trust with those kids and they get to know you and they can come in and they can just like just break down and they can really let you in. And then that's where you can help them the most. That's when you know you're impacting, you're like, okay, I am helping people and it's kind of gives you that reassurance that the things you've done, the relationship building that you have done with that child has come full circle, because now they feel comfortable enough with you to say you know what, you are my safe space, and you kind of talked about that. And when we can be other kids safe spaces, we know we're doing the job the way we need to do it, cause if kids don't feel safe with you, they'll never get to that point. And I talk to kids all the time Like you could be having a crappy day. You come into my office, shut the door, I let you.
Principal JL:I mean, I was in a military. You can say whatever you want, ain't gonna, ain't gonna bother me, cuss it up whatever, do what you need. And then it's like do you feel better? Okay, what's the issue, what can we do to solve it? And then we move on. But sometimes kids need that and if you can give them that, I mean that's, that's a great thing. So I was really appreciated that that story you gave, because I'm pretty sure a lot of us kind of go through or have a story like that that makes us go wow. You know, at first this was really challenging, but you know what, in the end it's rewarding, because it takes time to see the rewards in this job. And so, drew, thank you for sharing that. So, being an assistant principal, you know you have that, you know you're doing it for four years.
Erin Jones:You know what are some other goals. Do you have as an administrator when it comes to you know, you know. Do you have like next steps? Do you aspire to be a head principal? Are you kind?
Principal JL:of good where you're at this time.
Erin Jones:That's such a tricky question because, not to put you on the spot, believe that educational leadership is a journey and we're constantly learning, finding another skill to sharpen, and I just feel really fortunate to get to learn from, like Mark, who's my principal. He's just a phenomenal leader, and so getting to watch how he handles situations, but then also leaning more on our district level administrators, other building principals I just think that that's so great. So I mean, one of my biggest things going forward is just to continue to build those relationships. This year we're starting the implementation of Leader in Me, which is all based off of the seven habits of highly effective people, and I am so excited to really dive into that and see those paradigm shifts, not just with our students but with our staff as well, and so that's really where I'm focused at. As far as, like, next steps in education, I think that you end up where you were supposed to be. So if other opportunities come up, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but I love what I'm doing now.
Principal JL:Yeah, I know, like when you're ready to take those next steps, like for me, you just, you just know, and it's one of those things, like for me to go from being the building principal at Southern Valley to Hastings there's just some things that happened that I was like it's time to go and it's time to seek those opportunities. And when they line up and they work out the way they do, they just they just do. So I would say continue to, to work on your leadership skills and the things that you're doing. I know what program you're talking about. I believe it's with Franklin Coveney, is that correct? Yeah, yeah, so with Sam and all those guys. So maybe I'll link that into the show notes and check it out. I'll do. I'll do Sam a solid this one time.
Erin Jones:So we actually did this two day like leadership seminar. Oh gosh, was that? It was talk about it.
Principal JL:Talk about some things you've done already with this program.
Erin Jones:Yeah, so we did it and it was with all of the school administrators in KPS and we spent two days over at central office and we really just dived into leadership and we looked at our core values as leaders. We looked at the district's mission statement and how we can align that to the things that we're doing in our buildings every day. And it was just a really empowering two days to get to really look at what drives us as educators, not just in our buildings but also at home or away from the school building and being I mean so I've got two little boys at home and a husband and just how to integrate all of the things together and looking at yourself as a whole leader. And it was just. It was such a great experience If any district gets the opportunity to go through that, that leadership two-day training with Sam Stecker or whoever comes out to put it on.
Erin Jones:I mean, jump at the opportunity because we learned I learned so much about myself as a, a leader, an educator, a mom, and it was so cool to get to pick up some of those other tidbits from other administrators that I wouldn't necessarily interact with on a regular basis, so that was really cool. And then we have sent leadership teams to the Leader in Me symposiums. We've had people go to California. We had a big group go to Des Moines, iowa. We just sent our team to Chicago and so it just, I think, furthers that point that Carnegie Public Schools is so invested in this because we've seen what the data looks like from schools that have implemented this and we want that for our kids and for our community. So it's just been a great experience so far. I'm so excited to get kids in here, just officially get this rolling, you bet.
Principal JL:No, it sounds like a great opportunity. It sounds like KPS is doing some great things over there, basically training up their educational leaders, because I would say, not every district makes the commitment financially to do that, and so it's really great to hear that other districts have made those commitments and those things like that to help sharpen their educational leaders. Because we all know the leaders in the building, you know, kind of help set that tone and it all filters down into their staff and their students, and so the impact you can make as an educational leader, as a principal, in your building does impact the classroom, because you're working with teachers, you're working with kids, you're working with parents, you're working with parties, you're working with all the different aspects every day, on a daily. To get those things aligned throughout your district and have consistency is super valuable, and I'm really happy that you guys are doing that. So, aaron, we're going to kind of shift gears a little bit.
Principal JL:You've recently been named the president of the Nebraska State Association of Secondary Schools, principal for Region 4. So congratulations on that. To start off with, what does this role mean to you? What do you feel like? You know, how is it going to impact your leadership, and you know what does it mean to you just being in this position the state level and getting to sit on that state board is really cool.
Erin Jones:I just had my first official meeting I guess at our state admin days and that was really cool. To hear about all of the experiences people have had throughout the summer and the legislative advocacy that people are doing and how many people Nebraska is sending to Washington DC to advocate on behalf of education was just awesome to hear about and to get to be part of. And to sit on that board and get to be part of those conversations is just it's awesome and it's such a great experience and you'll get to experience that soon as our president-elect.
Principal JL:Yeah, I kind of keep it on the down low. But yeah, I am the president-elect of Region 4. You know it's going to be a lot of fun. We're going to work together to really make that region. In my opinion, we got to make the region the best region in the state of Nebraska. At the same time, what do you hope to accomplish in this role as president of the Region 4?
Erin Jones:I really want to increase the participation from our region.
Erin Jones:We have some larger school districts that we just haven't been able to really pull into the group meetings and find value in those, and I have just found so, like you said, I'm starting year four I had a great conversation last year oh about it was second semester with our human resources director and she just said something that stuck with me and it was like the teachers will always pick teachers and so administrators really need to learn to lean on administrators and we don't have to be siloed and so to really just invest in that time with getting to share and collaborate and learn from one another, and I just I have found that to be such great advice and that's what I hope to bring to Region 4.
Erin Jones:I hope that we can really communicate with other schools, with other leaders that might not be participating yet, that this is an opportunity for you to get to collaborate with other leaders from other districts. Even if you're in a larger district like Grand Island, like Hastings, like Kearney, there's still valuable information to be found by being part of these regional organizations. So I really just hope that we can increase those membership people and hopefully increase the amount of scholarships we can give away and just continue to to grow our network.
Principal JL:You bet I mean for me I'm going in my eighth year as a principal. I've always been in region four because of when I was at Southern Valley, that was the region, but it took me a few years to come around, to go on the medians, to be honest, cause when you feel like entering a small rural school setting, you feel like you can't leave, especially when I knew if I go anywhere, things are going to fall apart. But then, to be honest, that's where, that's where you're at and some of those things. I know what that feeling was like. Oh, I'd really like to go, but you know, if I go, then who's going to do this? If something happens and you play these what if? Games, it came to the point to where I had to go. You know what I have to make a commitment to go into these region meetings. I learned that I can't, you know, sit in my position and not network, and I think that's what one of the reasons why I started going to the region four meetings and then I started hearing all the stories from everybody like wow, that's. You know, that's really good information. I started learning from other people and I kept going to region meetings and things like that, and so that's really kind of what inspired this podcast is learning from other educators and other principals. I want to learn from other people. But yeah, we all have stories we can tell people. But yeah, we all have stories we can tell and I would like to share that out for people that are in those smaller districts, or even in the larger districts, to where they have some sort of resource or professional development that they can go to to learn about something or learn from someone that they may be able to take back to their district and maybe implement.
Principal JL:But for me, I had to get systems created. So when I was gone out of my building, everybody understood the processes and once I got those things down, I felt more comfortable with leaving. Now, at Hastings High, I leave the building off and on and I know that my assistant principals are going to take care of things, because I do have to go to district meetings. I do have to go to not just region four meetings, I go to conference meetings as well, and so there's a lot of different meetings that I will do outside of the building. I even do family team meetings. I'll do one tomorrow night. Honestly, so I'll do a lot of different things to where I need to be at. But, at the same time, if you don't have systems in place, it does make it harder for you to want to leave.
Principal JL:But you guys, once you get those things in place and you start networking, it's a great thing to do, and we do not want to silos ourselves like you just talked about. We want to be able to network and connect with people on that end. So, hey, I'm going to wish you well. I'm going to be here supporting you for the next few years. On that end, you know, I think we'll make a great team. I'm really excited about what's ahead for Region 4 and your leadership and just working together as we move forward, you know, the next couple of years together. So, with that said, what is something that you can give? What advice could you give to people that are aspiring to become a principal, assistant principal? You know that they could take with them what's something that you've learned that you can use, some wisdom that you've learned?
Erin Jones:so this is such a it's such a multi-layered question, I guess, like for and we've kind of already talked about this a little bit but when it is the right opportunity, when it's the right move, like it will happen and it will happen. I always think that you end up where you're supposed to be and not to be afraid to have to step outside of what's comfortable. So if I I firmly believe, like if I would not have gone to Grand Island Public Schools, I would not be in the position I am in now, because I got great experiences where I was, but I knew that I needed more. I knew I needed more in a larger school district. I knew that I wanted more knowledge in order to be a better leader. And being able to be okay with stepping outside of that comfort zone is really what I think can propel people forward.
Erin Jones:And to not sell yourself short or be too afraid of making those changes and that would probably be my biggest piece of advice and not to give up, because I mean you are already talking about like you were told no, how many times? I was told no, how many times, and so you get that yes. So if it's something that you're really passionate about just really to find, like, what your core values are, what your mission is. Why are you stepping up? Why do you want to do this? So no and I know that sounds so corny, but no, you're why, and just not give up if it's something that you're super passionate about.
Principal JL:Yeah, no, you hit a lot of great points there, erin. You know understanding who you are as a leader, because when you go in these interviews, you have to do the job to where, hey, I want you to see me in the seat. You have to sell yourself in a way, to where that you can help them envision you doing the job and what experiences you have. How can you take those experiences and say, from this experience, this is how I'd handle this situation, cause you and I don't know they give you a crap load of scenarios, how would you handle this and how would you handle this. They want you to triage, they want you to do these things, and so, with these scenarios, you just got to rely on the information that, the experiences you have, and you have to be able to show them I can do the job because I had this experience.
Principal JL:This is how I handle it and I'd handle it in a similar way, and you have to show them that they can see you in that seat. And so those are all great information and you know, knowing your purpose and those things are all important as well. You know, when it comes to aspiring leaders and coming down the road, coming up. We're getting ready to start the new year. What has you excited? What is like the thing that got you excited for the 25-26 school year?
Erin Jones:I am so excited about Leader in Me and I know that I've already talked about it a couple of times, but we got to go listen to Mrs Kloneski from Wood River. She presented at Admin Days about Leader in Me and how that's really impacted her building. And then just the more I learn about Leader in Me and what it's done for some of these school districts, the more excited I get about it. I just think that it's such a powerful tool and once we get everybody on the same page with that, we have such a phenomenal leadership team and from the get-go I mean they committed three years to being on this leadership team and said like all right, we're in it, we're going to do it. We've got teachers from across the board on this team. We've got eighth grade represented, seventh grade, sped, sixth I mean it's just everybody and they are the ones that are really leading this charge with the other teachers. So they'll get that training on next Wednesday and I'm just so excited to see how it impacts our students.
Principal JL:And you know what we're going to probably talk about it because we're going to be connecting quite a bit, and so I'm really going to be interested the leader, me training, just the journey you're going on and how it's helping you become an educator, and maybe down the road we could have you come back and talk about the experiences and how it's helped you grow as a leader, if that's something you're up for.
Erin Jones:Heck, yes.
Principal JL:All right, well, erin, this has been a great conversation. I really appreciate having you on the show today. If people would like to reach out to and learn more about what you do at Sunrise and maybe the Leader in Me program that you're being involved with at KPS, how could they do that?
Erin Jones:So you, the easiest and best way to reach me is through email, so it's just E-R-I-J-O-N-E-S at kearneycatscom, and I probably check my email too much, but that's the best way. You can also follow us on the Sunrise Middle School Facebook page. We post a lot of the fun things that our kids are doing, that our staff are doing, and it's just a really fun landing page for all things Sunrise.
Principal JL:Awesome, and so what I'll do is I'll take that information, I'll link it down in the show notes so people can easily find you and connect with you to learn more about some of the great things that are happening at Sunrise as well. Aaron, it was great having you on the show. Have a great night. What a great conversation with Aaron Jones. It was fun to learn from her insights and the great things that are going on in her educational leadership journey. If this episode resonates with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. Thank you for tuning in and remember to be curious and 1% better each day.
