Resilience with Craig Woodall
Outline and Show Notes
Show Title: Resilience with Craig Woodall
Power Quote: “I carry it, but it doesn’t define me”
Teaser:
What’s the difference between resilience and self-care?
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Show Intro
Guest Bio:
Craig Woodall brings 30 years in education — including 12 as principal of Rocky Mountain High School — to his work as a speaker, leadership coach, and author. He speaks with organizations and leaders on resilience, perseverance, and cultivating hope through adversity. His book, Overcome: Rebuilding Hope After Losing My Brother on 9/11, released August 2026.
Warmup questions:
- We always like to start with a celebration. What are you celebrating today?
- Is there a story that will help listeners understand why you are doing what you do?
Questions/Topics/Prompts
- A lot of what we will talk about today is in your book, so can you give listeners a brief summary or elevator pitch about the book?
- In our pre-show meeting we discussed resilience versus self-care. Maybe there is no real difference, but for me, resilience sounds more realistic than self-care. I’m curious how you view these two concepts.
- We are both morning-driven people. I want to dig into our mornings first as I’m interested to see where we are similar and different. After this, let’s talk about how we got to where we are with our mornings – what did that journey look like for you?
The team at digiCOACH wants to know: How are your classroom walkthroughs going this school year?
Are they leading to meaningful feedback and coaching, or are they becoming one more thing on an already full plate?
digiCOACH helps school leaders make walkthroughs faster, more focused, and more meaningful. Capture what you see to identify trends, provide timely feedback, and align your walkthroughs and coaching to the instructional priorities that matter most at your campus.
Ready to make more out of the time you spend in classrooms?
Visit digiCOACH.com.
And tell them you heard about digiCOACH on The Assistant Principal Podcast to take advantage of an exclusive offer.
Are they leading to meaningful feedback and coaching, or are they becoming one more thing on an already full plate?
digiCOACH helps school leaders make walkthroughs faster, more focused, and more meaningful. Capture what you see to identify trends, provide timely feedback, and align your walkthroughs and coaching to the instructional priorities that matter most at your campus.
Ready to make more out of the time you spend in classrooms?
Visit digiCOACH.com.
And tell them you heard about digiCOACH on The Assistant Principal Podcast to take advantage of an exclusive offer.
Sponsor Spot 2:I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…
Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions.
And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit ixl.com/assistant to get started.
Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions.
And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit ixl.com/assistant to get started.
Closing questions:
- What part of your own leadership are you still trying to get better at?
- If listeners could take just one thing away from today’s podcast, what would it be?
- Before we go, is there anything else that you’d like to share with our listeners?
- Where can people learn more about you and your work…
Summary/wrap up
- “I carry it, but it doesn’t define me.”
- So many people are carrying things – you can’t always tell. And that’s why we should listen more
- Negative thoughts (doubts and imposter syndrome) are designed to keep you safe at the expense of growth!
Special thanks to the amazing Ranford Almond for the great music on the show. Please support Ranford and the show by checking out his music!
- Ranford’s homepage: https://ranfordalmond.com
- Ranford’s music on streaming services: https://streamlink.to/ranfordalmond-oldsoul
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranfordalmond/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ranfordalmond/
Sponsor Links:
Kaleidoscope Adventures: https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/
digiCOACH: digiCOACH.com
Close
- Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.
- You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/
- I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at frederick@frederickbuskey.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
- If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html
- Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.
- Remember the secret to good leadership:
- Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others
- Be fully present
- Ask reflective questions
- And then just listen
- Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.
- Have a great rest of the week!
- Cheers!
Guest Links:
Frederick’s Links:
Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/
Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a
The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520
