Episode 28: Staying Focused Across Chaotic Times with Dr. Susan Bunting

This is Episode 28 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Eric Sheninger. It was originally recorded live for a studio audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience for Delaware teachers and leaders. Don’t miss what Dr. Bunting says about the ways that administrators can remain focused on the most important aspect of teaching and learning during a crisis and much more. _______________________________________ Dr. Susan Bunting Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners After teaching in Maryland for several years, Dr. Susan Bunting joined Indian River SD in 1977 as a middle school language arts teacher, later teaching gifted education. She was named Indian River’s Teacher of the Year in 1985. She served as Supervisor of Elementary Instruction and then Director of Instruction before taking the position as superintendent in 2006.Dr. Bunting was named Delaware’s 2012 Superintendent of the Year, and she was one of four finalists for the American Association of School Administrators’ (AASA) National Superintendent of the Year award.Susan went on to serve as Delaware’s Secretary of Education from 2017 until just recently in 2021. She is also a former adjunct faculty member at the University of Delaware and Wilmington University. She has a number of degrees in education, including her Bachelor of Arts in K-8 education and psychology from the American University in Washington, D.C., a master’s degree in education from Salisbury State University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. ___________________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Dr. Susan BuntingDr. Bunting opens with the need to focus on students first, academic as well as social and emotional. Dr. Bunting has faith in our leaders in Delaware, and she expressed that in the interview. Don’t miss what she says about the “7 Cs.”She reminds us that we need to cut to the chase and get to the core ofDr. Bunting talks about needing to use data to analyze what our students need so that we can move the work forward.She’s a big believer in early childhood programming. You’ll want to hear what she says about long-term thinking and planning.An expert on curriculum and instruction, she calls for a revision to our curriculum that narrows down what gets taught to a core set of standards so that we can do them well.Dr. Bunting talks about losing sleep and not “letting it win” when it comes to our hurdles.Her recommendation to do something each day that isn’t education related is powerful.Don’t miss what she says about being able to focus every school by designing and engineering what we do in schools by using data.“We need a lot more training in SEL work.” ~ Dr. Susan BuntingShe mentions her favorite book, Lincoln on Leadership. Get your copy today.To lead better and grow faster, Susan recommends connecting to people through organizations like AASA, NASSP, NAESP, and local associations.She tells our listeners to go back to school, get a doctorate if you don’t have one already, and continue to learn as a leader. #LifeLongLearnerA friend told Susan to write a book called Grace Under Fire, and we hope she does. You Can’t Deal with Crazy. _________________________________________Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email.