"The Immortality of Influence: We Can Build the Best Minds of the Next Generation" by Salome Thomas-El

With the new school year just weeks away, I wanted to interview a superstar educator. Someone who could inspire every adult who lives or works with kids. And we all need inspiration and motivation from time to time, right? Because kids, especially tweens and teens, aren’t always easy to hang in there with. To find the right guest, I went to my local Inspiration and Resource Department (aka Twitter) and I found the man for the job — Salome Thomas-El. He goes by the name of Principal El and for 20 years he’s walked the walk by influencing his students and helping them reach their full potential. Know how he does it? By encouraging kids, non-stop. As Principal El puts it, “I keep letting them know that I believe in them until they’re ready to believe in themselves.”

Principal EL is a regular contributor on “The Dr. Oz Show.” He’s also the author of two best-selling books, I Choose to Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City, about his teaching experience in Philadelphia, and his new book, The Immortality of Influence: We Can build the Best Minds of the Next Generation, which stresses the importance of mentoring, parenting and service to others.

Principal El has a life-long commitment to answering this basic question, “How do we ensure that every child achieves his or her greatest potential?” This question lies at the heart of the current national dialogue on education policy, the day in-and-day out work of school personnel, and the hopes of every parent.

As a parent, you are your child’s #1 Influencer. If you’re ready to have your batteries recharged for all the challenges the new school year will bring, then let’s talk about how to best use the tremendous influence you have with your children. Listen to my interview with Principal El right here:

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Upcoming guests include:

Dr. Elizabeth J. Meyer, author of  Gender, Bullying and Harassment: Strategies to End Sexism and Homophobia in Schools

Dr. Leah Klungness and Rachel Sarah co-founders of SingleMommyhood.com. Dr. Leah is the co-author of The Complete Single Mother. Rachel is the author of Single Mom Seeking: Playdates, Blind dates, and Other Dispatches from the Dating World.

David McQueen, international speaker empowering adults and youth alike on subjects such as leadership, careers and communication skills.

Dr. Karyn Purvis, co-author (with Dr. David Cross, Wendy Lyons Sunshine) of The Connected Child: Bring hope and healing to your adoptive family