When I decided to apply for an Assistant Principal position at 29, I knew my resume had a hole in it: Time.
I was competing against candidates with 15 or 20 years of classroom experience. I couldn’t manufacture time, but I could manufacture wisdom. I realized that if I couldn’t learn it through decades of trial and error, I had to learn it through the experts.
I spent time leading up to my interviews reading everything I could get my hands on. But three books stood out. These aren’t just books I read; they are the scripts I used to answer the toughest interview questions and the tools I now use daily to lead my building.
If you are a young leader looking to level up, an aspiring admin preparing for the “hot seat”, or a veteran leader seeking out more insight, these are three books you need on your shelf.
1. The Evidence Framework: The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning by John Hattie
Why I Read It: Education is full of fads. As a young leader, I was terrified of buying into the “next big thing” only to have it fail. I needed a filter. I needed to know what actually impacts student learning based on hard evidence, not just anecdotes.
The Lesson: This book takes the massive research of John Hattie and makes it digestible. The biggest takeaway was the concept of “Effect Size.” It taught me that almost everything works a little bit, but we need to focus our time and budget on the things that work a lot—like Collective Teacher Efficacy and Feedback.
How I Used It in the Interview: When the committee asked, “How will you decide which instructional strategies to support in our building?”, I didn’t give a vague answer about “best practices.” I leaned on the book: “I believe in data-driven decisions. I look for strategies with an effect size greater than 0.40—the ‘hinge point’ where students learn faster than average. I don’t want our teachers working harder on strategies that don’t move the needle.”
2. The Behavior Blueprint: Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms by Dr. Becky Bailey
Why I Read It: As an Assistant Principal, you are the “Department of Discipline.” I knew that traditional punishments (suspensions, recess detention) often don’t change behavior for the students who struggle the most. I needed a framework that was about building skills, not just enforcing compliance.
The Lesson: Dr. Bailey flips the script: “Discipline isn’t something you do TO a child; it’s something you develop IN them.” The most critical lesson for me was the concept of the Adult’s Composure. You cannot de-escalate a child if you are escalated. As a leader, I have to be the calmest person in the room, regulating myself so I can help the student (or the frustrated teacher) regulate.
How I Used It in the Interview: When they asked, “How do you handle difficult students who disrupt the learning environment?”, I used the Conscious Discipline language: “My goal isn’t just to stop the behavior for the hour; it’s to build the missing skill. I view discipline through the lens of safety and connection first. If a student is in their ‘survival brain,’ no amount of lecturing will work. We have to establish safety before we can teach the behavior.”
3. The Coaching Playbook: Better Conversations by Jim Knight
Why I Read It: The most intimidating part of becoming an admin at 29 was the idea of giving feedback to teachers who had been teaching longer than I had been alive. I didn’t want to come across as the young “boss” telling them what to do. I wanted to be a partner.
The Lesson: Jim Knight focuses on the habits that build trust. The biggest shift for me was moving from “Listening to Fix” to “Listening to Understand.” As admins, we are problem solvers, so we interrupt constantly. Knight taught me that if I want to be credible, I have to stop assuming I have the answer and start asking better questions to help the teacher find their answer.
How I Used It in the Interview: When asked, “How will you handle post-observation conferences with experienced teachers?”, I referenced the book’s subtitle: “I aim to be Credible, Caring, and Connected. I don’t view an observation as a ‘Gotcha’ moment. I view it as a coaching cycle. If a teacher leaves my office feeling judged rather than supported, I haven’t done my job. I use Knight’s framework to ensure every conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue.”
The Shortcut
You don’t need grey hair to be a wise leader. You just need to be humble enough to learn from those who have it.
These three books gave me the vocabulary and the confidence to sit in that interview chair and say, “I may be young, but I am ready.”