Episodes
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You probably know Charles Duhigg from his book, The Power of Habit. Or maybe Smarter Faster Better. Now he has a newer book out that is another great resource for school leaders — Supercommunnicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection.
Charles shares with Jenn how people mess up communication and how to improve it. He says that most miscommunication happens when we are having different conversations, and when we fail to connect. There are basically three conversation types: decision-making, emotional, and social relationships.
You don't want to miss this conversation because you'll see how Jenn uses Charles's own techniques to connect with him emotionally in just ONE minute. And later in the podcast, Charles and Jenn role play a teacher and principal and how to diagnose and address a typical conflict.
There are so many nuggets of wisdom for educational leaders in this podcast. One small thing you can do tomorrow? Ask deeper questions with staff. Instead of asking WHAT questions, like "What is happening today?" Ask, "How are you feeling about how things went today?"
You can find more information at CharlesDuhigg.com or sign up for his Substack. He suggests supporting a local bookstore by picking up this book there. Also, Penguin Random House has a free guide for teachers and students on their website.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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Jenn had an outstanding conversation with Robert Feirsen, one of the two authors of From Conflict to Collaboration, along with author Seth Weitzman. They chatted about the tough stuff – like how prevalent conflict is in schools and a number of the sources of that conflict. But then Robert shared the positive way he thinks about conflict and how we, too, can use conflict as an opportunity for learning and growth.
Robert shared the idea that design thinking – an approach that comes from the discipline of engineering – can be used to address conflict effectively. First you put together a team of people with diverse roles and perspectives, and then they go through the stages of design thinking – empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test – in order to collaboratively come up with and test possible solutions to address a major conflict your school community is facing. To learn more about the authors you can go to TeacherEdge.net.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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Missing episodes?
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Jenn made me do this episode. I really didn't wat to, but I'm glad we did.
As we approach the upcoming presidential election, you may remember the fallout from the last two elections. Some school communities experienced heightened divisions, increased bullying, more tension in classrooms, and a general sense of uncertainty.
Fortunately, there are some steps school and district leaders can take to proactively anticipate some of these challenges. We need to plan ways to communicate clearly, set expectations, and create a calm and inclusive school environment while also thinking through ways to address challenges that may arise (heightened emotions, legal issues, inappropriate behavior.)
All of this while remembering that our purpose in schools is to educate! We need to remember this election brings plenty of opportunity (and responsibility!) to educate our students about civic issues, media literacy, and respectfully engaging in challenging and often contentious conversations.
Take a look at this 2-page resource - 5 Ways School Leaders Can Prepare for a Contentious Election and listen to our conversation with the very thoughtful Debbie McFalone
Dr. Debbie McFalone has a long and distinguished career in the field of education – after serving as a Teacher, Principal and Supe she now is a consultant and coach who works with both school-based and district-based individuals and teams across the state of Michigan. Her work focuses primarily on the areas of courage and integrity in leadership. Plus she has her 3rd book coming out in early 2025 Meeting The Moment: A Call For Courage. You can learn more about Debbie and her work at her website: https://www.livewellleadstrong.com/.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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Kim Marshall needs no introduction. He is the most recognized name in the field of educational leadership because he is the person behind the weekly Marshall Memo -- a subscription service that provides curated summaries of the most important articles in education each week.
In this podcast Kim provides an overview of the three essential areas school leaders need to keep an eye on to be successful supervisors and coaches:
• Supervising and coaching TEACHING
• Supervising and coaching LEARNING
• Supervising and coaching PLANNING
Most know him because he is the guru of mini-observations. In our conversation he shares what you need to be sure to do to ensure your observations and feedback are effective.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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In this episode, Jenn and I interview Dave Blanchard, a seasoned superintendent from a school district in Upstate New York. Three years ago Dave’s district implemented a distraction-free environment, which included no cell phones during the school day. We talk about this leadership challenge in the context of Jonathan Haidt’s 2024 book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.
If you would like a summary of the book along with discussion questions to use with families, email [email protected]. If you would like to hear the research and ideas straight from the author, join a free webinar with Jonathan Haidt about The Anxious Generation on 9/24 at 3:00 PM EDT. RSVP here: https://home.edweb.net/webinar/mentalhealth20240924/.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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We were fortunate to get to talk to the renowned Todd Whitaker in today's podcast. He is one of the most influential thought leaders in educational leadership and has written 65 books on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness!
Today Whitaker talks about the latest edition of his classic book, What Great Principals Do Differently: Twenty Things That Matter Most.
Todd shares 8 of the 20 things he has found (through research AND personal experience as a principal) the BEST principals do that the average ones don't.
He was quite a hoot to talk to and you'll love his anecdotes. But most of all he helps school leaders with what may be the most important task, (and he says all of his books are about this important task) HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO.
To learn more about him, go to http://toddwhitaker.com/ or follow him on Twitter at @ToddWhitaker.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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Teachers spend a lot of time making sure students know what they’re supposed to do, and many students struggle to understand expectations and translate them into action. The results are less time for teaching and less capacity for learning.
Schools need to teach executive functions to all students in the context of the learning they are already doing to boost learning and engagement today and equip them for the future. In his book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom, author Mitch Weathers offers a beginning routine and a concluding routine any teacher can adopt to teach executive functions. You can learn more about Mitch and his work at organizedbinder.com or send him an email at [email protected].
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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Students today are suffering from an epidemic of disconnection. School leaders I work with see it in students’ disengagement from learning and in their mental health. While there are many factors at play here, there’s no doubt that belonging is something that kids (and grown-ups too) desperately need.
In this episode, Jenn and I interview Dominique Smith, who along with his co-authors Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Vincent Pompei, and Rachael Stewart, wrote Belonging in School Creating a Place Where Kids Want to Learn and Teachers Want to Stay.
Belonging in School is an actionable and illustrated playbook that will have you excited to take immediate steps and try out some new strategies today for making your school a place where everyone feels that they belong.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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In this episode, Jenn had the privilege of speaking to three rising juniors in college, all of whom want to become teachers. While we've spent so much time fearing the loss of teachers from our field, it was so inspiring to remember that some energetic young people are going to bring so much to our schools, too. Exciting!
The passion of these three young women — Annie Morrison, Audrey Garfinkel, and Isabella Argote — was palpable! First of all, they KNOW kids — from teaching swimming and ballet to being camp counselors to starting an innovative virtual book club for young people during Covid — and will bring these rich experiences to our schools.
Whether you want ideas for how to work with our youngest teachers or you just want to be inspired, you should listen to this episode! You may end up wanting their resumes in a couple years...
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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According to Beverly Cleary (yes, that Beverly Cleary), “Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.” Jenn and I couldn't agree more, and that’s why in this episode we talk about the book The Joy of Reading by Donalyn Miller and Teri S. Lesesne (Heinemann, 2022). Here’s more of what we know:
Decades of over-testing and standardized learning has crowded out students’ joy in reading. When it comes to reading, students report they are bored and uninterested. Research tells us that this undermines reading achievement.
Fortunately, educators at every level can cultivate reading joy by supporting students’ reading independence and reading community. And it can be done without abandoning evidence-based instruction.
Enjoy the second part of this lively conversation about this critically important topic.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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“If you’re not reading by the end of third grade, there’s a 70% chance you won’t become a proficient reader.” That’s what author Karen Gazith told us as we talked with her about her most recent book, The Power of Effective Reading Instruction: How Neuroscience Informs Instruction Across All Grades and Disciplines. Here’s more of what we know:
Neuroscience and decades of research have provided a clear understanding of how children learn to read and how teachers can help them when they struggle with reading.
Teachers in every grade level and content area need to provide their students with evidence-based instruction, strategies, and interventions that will support their reading development and empower them to succeed in school and life.
Enjoy this lively conversation about a controversial but important topic.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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In this fifth special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about resources to help school leaders with building better teams. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries of three must-read books:
Learning by Doing by Richard DuFour et al. - This book shows how to effectively implement PLCs so they will raise student achievement and improve the professional lives of teachers.
The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle - Great cultures can be built. This book shares the 3 key skills that organizations with extraordinary cultures have mastered — building safety, sharing vulnerability, and establishing purpose.
The Art of Coaching Teams by Elena Aguilar - This book provides the tools, tips, protocols, and theory needed to coach teacher teams to become highly effective.
These three books are a great place to start if you are looking to work on your knowledge and skills related to improving the teams that you work with. If you head to The Main Idea website, you can see this and other lists of Jenn’s Must-Read Books for School Leaders.
Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at [email protected].
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In this episode, we're shining a light on a pressing issue in the educational landscape: teacher burnout and attrition. With schools across the nation feeling the impact, we turn to expert Chase Mielke, author of Illuminate the Way: The School Leader’s Guide to Addressing and Preventing Teacher Burnout (ASCD, 2023), for insights and solutions.
If you're a school leader, educator, or anyone passionate about creating a positive and sustainable teaching environment, this episode is a must-listen. To learn more about Chase and his work, you can find him here: https://www.facebook.com/chasemielkespeaker, https://www.instagram.com/chasemielke/.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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DEI feels like it’s becoming the (a) third rail in K-12 education. The quote in the title is from Verna Myers, VP of inclusion strategy at Netflix, and is included in Ruchika Tulshyan’s book Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work. In this episode, Jenn and I have a real and practical conversation with Ruchika about what you can do personally and as an organization to help everyone feel like they belong.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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Many of us as educators have assumed that the kids with strong grades and strong test scores were set up for success. Isn't that what we were supposed to work toward in schools?
Dr. Borba has interviewed scores of students and has found that these 2 areas – grades and test scores – are not the markers of success today in the 21st century. Instead, as educators, leaders, and parents we should be focusing on 7 character strengths: self-confidence, empathy, self-control, integrity, curiosity, perseverance, and optimism.
Dr. Borba is an educational psychologist, author, and parenting expert. She has written over 20 books and has worked with everyone from Harvard to Sesame Street – mostly about the power of character skills and character education.
Dr. Borba’s work has profound implications for us in the field of education right now.
Listen to Dr. Borba share how these seven are what truly contribute to our students' well-being and how we can all foster these important skills.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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Everyone has hidden potential for growth and achievement, but standard approaches to studying, practicing, coaching, and organizing education often leave this potential untapped. The practices of high-achieving individuals (and a high-achieving school system) reveal the surprising skills, scaffolds,and systems that unlock potential. Even better, anyone can learn them, and anyone can teach them, too.
In this episode we have a great conversation about Adam Grant’s book Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things and how to apply his insights to our own lives as busy educators.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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In this conversation between Dr. Andrea Terrero Gabbadon and Jenn, we talked about the reasons educators of color are leaving: working conditions and leadership behaviors. The good news is that school and district leaders can actually do something about this, and Dr. Gabbadon walks you through how. She shares 6 principles, backed by research, that will help you create the types of inclusive schools where educators of color will want to work and will thrive. Educators of color benefit all students in our schools and it's time to look at the changes we can make in the culture, school practices, and frankly our own leadership behaviors that can make a real difference now in supporting and retaining teachers of color.
To learn more about Dr. Andrea Gabbadon Terrero and her work, take a look here: https://www.ilmconsultinggroup.com/.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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In this episode, I talk with Becky Gerdes and Ryan Siegle about their book Six Steps Toward Teacher Retention and a Long-Lasting Legacy. We focus mainly on their Six Steps to Maximize Your Leadership Impact and Improve Teacher Retention:
Step One: Lead Authentically
Step Two: Build Teacher Self-Efficacy
Step Three: Foster Collective Efficacy Among Your Staff
Step Four: Cultivate a Culture of Trust
Step Five: Listen to Your Staff with Empathy
Step Six: Unite Around a Shared Vision
This was a great conversation with a ton of practical steps that school leaders can use to help build an environment where teachers want to stay, which we all know translates into better experiences for students.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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In this episode, Jenn and I talk about Sharone Bar-David’s book Trust Your Canary: Every Leader's Guide to Taming Workplace Incivility. Bar-David provides some simple strategies for helping leaders see incivility (even when it’s hard to recognize) plus a whole toolkit of easy-to-implement ways to address it (so you can stop doubting yourself when it’s time to intervene). These skills are critically important for school leaders because two of the drivers of incivility are organizational change and high stress levels – both of which are rampant in schools right now.
As we mentioned during the show, Jenn created this 8 Ways Leaders Fail to Address Incivility at Work (click on the title) document based on the concepts in the book.
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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Sometimes in education it helps to hear from our end users. In this episode I interview fellow Coke Scholar Raleigh Dewan (‘19). Raleigh is a 23-year-old entrepreneur and business owner (https://steadispoon.com/ and https://sistershaq.com/) from Austin, Texas. Raleigh and I talk about his experiences in K-12 and higher ed. and the advice that he has for aspiring and practicing school leaders.
Raleigh has offered a discount at Sister Shaq tea for listeners of the show. Use promo code schoolleadership for 20% off your first order or follow this link: https://sistershaq.com/discount/schoolleadership
Raleigh also helps me brainstorm ideas for the name of a newsletter that I am planning on starting. It’s pretty funny listening to him hammer on my suggestions, but we may have gotten there by the end of the conversation. If you have suggestions on a name for the newsletter and/or content ideas, please email me: [email protected].
As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Don't forget to rate the podcast in iTunes and leave a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].
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