Loading...

PODCAST

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast

Dr. Donovan Smalls II

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast is the go-to show for educators ready to step into school leadership with clarity, confidence, and impact. Hosted by Dr. Donovan Smalls II, an assistant principal, best-selling author, and interview coach, this podcast helps aspiring school leaders get interview-ready & confidently land their first leadership role. Dr. Smalls supports educators with interview preparation, equipping them to step into new roles fully prepared and confident. Each episode delivers

education

All Episodes

26:56

Episode 46: How Chanel Rutty Got Hired as a Vice...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/10/07

Are you an aspiring school leader trying to land your first Vice Principal role? Wondering what it takes to stand out in a grueling leadership interview?In this episode of The Aspiring School Leader Podcast, Dr. Donovan Smalls II talks with Chanel Rutty, a Vice Principal in Newark Public Schools, to explore her incredible journey from struggling with initial teaching exams to landing her dream administrative role in just 48 hours. Chanel gives strong advice on surviving a 7-hour interview,

en

16:58

Episode 45: Fix Your Interview Weaknesses Before It’s...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/10/01

How do you uncover your interview strengths?One of the best ways to identify your strengths is to understand your vulnerabilities. By evaluating the areas that may be holding you back, you can better prepare for a school leadership interview, strengthen your responses, and become more intentional about communicating the leadership strengths you already possess. You may have years of teaching experience and plenty of interview questions to practice, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you are equipped

en

38:46

Episode 44: Why Will the INTERVIEW Committee Choose...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/09/23

A school leadership interview is not only about your experience, your qualifications or the answers you give. It’s about how well you tell your leadership story, how you demonstrate your effect, and how you convince the interview committee you’re ready to lead.In this special episode of The Aspiring School Leader Podcast, Dr. Donovan Smalls II talks with Principal Kelin Mark Sr. to explore the journey from teacher to school leader and the disposition of aspiring leaders to thrive. Kelin Mark Sr.,

en

12:25

Episode 43: You Don’t Need More Interview Practice…...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/09/17

A school leadership interview can make even a prepared candidate question their experience, strengths, and ability to lead. But often, the problem isn’t preparation, it’s confidence in your own leadership story.In this episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II shares 3-mindset shifts to help aspiring school leaders build confidence before their next school leadership interview and communicate who they are, what they’ve accomplished, and what they bring to the table. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Your Confidence Starts

en

12:33

Episode 42: How Do I Answer Leadership Interview...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/09/09

Leadership interview questions can feel intimidating when you don't have formal leadership experience. In this episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II shows aspiring school leaders how to turn their teaching experiences into strong leadership interview answers.⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 — Answer Leadership Questions Without Experience 02:43 — Stop Thinking About Titles, Start Thinking About Decisions 05:52 — Answer From the Leadership Lens 08:30 — Show Your Influence You may have never been an Assistant Principal,

en

14:08

Episode 41: School Leadership Interview | Turn...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/09/02

School leadership interview rejection can feel personal, but what if that “no” isn't rejection at all? What if it's redirection?Many aspiring school leaders spend hours preparing interview questions, researching districts, and memorizing leadership frameworks. But there’s one question that can make all the difference: Who am I as a leader? Because when you know who you are before you walk into a school leadership interview, a closed door doesn't have to define you. Instead, you can learn from the

en

18:09

Episode 40: New Assistant Principal? Here’s What to...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/08/26

New Assistant Principal?Here’s what to expect in your first year of school leadership—from managing emotional challenges to leading adults and growing into your new role. CHAPTERS: 00:00 — What New Assistant Principals Should Expect 01:51 — The Emotional Roller Coaster of Leadership 07:35 — Leading & Managing Adults 11:23 — Give Yourself Grace While You Grow Stepping into your first Assistant Principal role is exciting, but leadership can be very different from what you imagined. Your days may

en

14:45

Episode 39: How to Know If a School Leadership Job Is...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/08/18

A school leadership job is about more than getting an offer—it’s about finding the right school, district, and leadership environment for you.In this episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II shares how aspiring school leaders can evaluate a leadership opportunity before saying yes. Chapters: 00:00 You’re Interviewing Them, Too 02:33 Know What You’re Looking For 07:12 Ask Questions That Reveal the Culture 09:33 Remember the Value You Bring When preparing for a school leadership interview, it’s easy to focus

en

14:32

Episode 38: How Qualified Candidates Can Stand Out in...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/08/10

School leadership interview success takes more than experience and qualifications. In this episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II shares 3 powerful leadership interview strategies to help aspiring school leaders answer with confidence, reduce interview anxiety, and position themselves as the leader a district wants to hire.Two candidates can have similar experience, qualifications, and resumes—but one gets the job while the other doesn't. Often, the difference isn't experience. It's strategy. ⏱️

en

13:59

Episode 37: 3 Things Hiring Committees Want to Hear...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/08/04

Leadership Interview Tips for Aspiring School Leadership Interview Success. Learn what hiring committees want to hear in leadership interviews. You don't need a stronger resume. You need stronger interview answers. The candidates who consistently earn leadership roles aren't always the most experienced—they're the ones who clearly communicate how their leadership changes outcomes for teachers, students, and the entire school community. If you're preparing for your first leadership interview, these

en

16:06

Episode 36: The #1 Interview Mistake Aspiring School...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/07/27

Preparing to land your first leadership role?This episode reveals the #1 mistake aspiring school leaders make and how a student-centered leadership approach can help you stand out with interview committees. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **CHAPTERS** ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 00:00 – The #1 Interview Mistake 00:24 – Why Most Leadership Interview Answers Fall Short 03:08 – Principle #1: Stop Making Yourself the Hero 06:18 – Principle #2: Connect Classroom Impact to School-wide Impact 12:16 – Principle #3: Make

en

14:00

Episode 35: Why don't you get the job even with a...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/07/20

Preparing for an assistant principal interview or school leadership interview but still not getting hired?In this episode, discover why hiring committees often reject highly qualified candidates—and what they're actually looking for during an interview. How to communicate your leadership experience, demonstrate real impact, and answer interview questions in a way that builds confidence and trust. 0:00 - The Harsh Truth About Great Resumes 1:01 - Your Resume Isn't the Problem (The Savior

en

20:01

Episode 34: THE 5 INTERVIEW MOVES THAT HELP YOU LAND...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/07/13

THE 5 INTERVIEW MOVES THAT HELP YOU LAND YOUR FIRST SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ROLE You can prepare your answers. You can practice your delivery. You can walk into the interview feeling confident. But if you’re not positioning yourself as a leader… you won’t get hired. Because every hiring panel is asking one core question: Can you step into leadership—and solve problems at a systems level? In this episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II breaks down 5 powerful interview readiness moves to help aspiring school leaders

en

18:45

Episode 33: 3 Mindset Shifts Aspiring School Leaders...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/07/06

Most aspiring school leaders don’t struggle in interviews because they lack degrees or experience. They struggle because they are preparing for the WRONG interview. They spend hours memorizing and scripting the "perfect" textbook answers. And that exact approach is why so many great candidates sound robotic and miss out on the job offer. In this episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II breaks down the 3 critical mindset shifts you must make before your next interview to stand out, sound authentic, and claim

en

14:27

Episode 32: Great Interview, But No Job Offer? Listen...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/04/01

GREAT INTERVIEW BUT NO JOB OFFER? WHAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTANDYou walked out of your interview feeling confident. You did your homework, rehearsed your responses, and spoke with care. Yet, the position slipped away. Now, you're left with a nagging question… what happened? The reality is, it isn't always about a misstep on your part. In this episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II offers insight into a frustrating reality: even when an interview goes well, a job offer isn't guaranteed. He also outlines steps

en

15:14

Episode 31: Stop Rambling in Interviews! Use This...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/03/27

STOP RAMBLING IN INTERVIEWS: USE THIS 4-PART FRAMEWORK TO ANSWER QUESTIONSMost aspiring school leaders don’t struggle in interviews because they don’t know what to say. They struggle because they don’t know how to structure their answers. And that difference is exactly what separates candidates who get hired from those who get passed over. This episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II breaks down a simple but powerful 4-part structured leadership response framework that helps you answer any interview

en

15:26

Episode 30: Assistant Principal vs Principal: Who...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/03/20

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL VS PRINCIPAL: WHO REALLY LEADS THE SCHOOL?Many aspiring school leaders assume the difference between an assistant principal and a principal is simply more responsibility. It is not. The real difference between assistant principal vs principal leadership is a shift in thinking, decision-making, and system design. In this episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II breaks down the difference between assistant principal and principal roles after serving as acting principal — and explains why

en

15:06

Episode 29: The SECRET Interview Answer That Gets...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/03/12

What if your entire school leadership interview came down to one powerful question:“Why should we hire you?” Many aspiring school leaders struggle with this moment because they focus too much on their resume instead of clearly communicating their leadership value and impact. CONFIDENCE IS NOT ENOUGH. POSITIONING IS EVERYTHING. This episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II breaks down a powerful 3-part leadership interview framework that helps aspiring school leaders answer this question with clarity,

en

16:24

Episode 28: School Leadership Interview Preparation:...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/03/06

Preparing for a school leadership interview can feel overwhelming — even for experienced educators.You can lead a classroom. You can lead a team. But when you sit down for a SCHOOL LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW, your heart races, your thoughts scatter, and interview anxiousness takes over. The truth: interview nervousness is not a capability issue. It is a preparation and clarity issue. In this episode, Dr. Donovan Smalls II shares three practical strategies to help aspiring school leaders strengthen their

en

42:53

Episode 27: Beyond the Interview: What TEACHERS...

The Aspiring School Leader Podcast ·

2026/02/25

Beyond the Interview: What TEACHERS Actually Expect FROM School LeadersIs it authority? Systems? Communication? Or something DEEPER? In this powerful episode of the Aspiring School Leader Podcast, Dr. Donovan Smalls II sits down with educator, coach, and motivational speaker, Chip Baker to uncover what teachers REALLY expect from school leaders. If you are an ASPIRING SCHOOL LEADER preparing for your first leadership role, this conversation will SHIFT your understanding of TRUE leadership. This is

en

38 results

Similar Podcasts

The Clinical Problem Solvers

The Clinical Problem Solvers

» Divine Intervention Podcasts

Divine-Favour Anene

Daily Facts

Amalia Dupray and Montgomery Jones.

Les dents et dodo

BFMTV

AASR Live

The Alliance Against Seclusion and...