FocusED

In this episode of FocusED, Katrina Huels joins Joe and TJ from TheSchoolHouse302 to discuss her book, Transformational Tools for Special Educators: How to Beat Burnout and Become the Best at What You Do, sharing practical strategies on how school leaders can support staff growth and prevent rampant burnout.Katrina explains that over 50% of K-12 teachers and 40% of administrators experience frequent burnout, noting that special education faces the highest vacancy rates in the entire education system.She points out that stress management and emotional intelligence must be treated as core professional competencies rather than soft skills or temporary wellness trends.Katrina highlights affect labeling—or "naming it to tame it"—as a vital self-awareness tool, explaining how checking in with an app like How We Feel shifts brain activity out of emotional reactivity and into cognition.She warns against relying on school breaks as a coping mechanism, noting that educators need daily, actionable tools to manage stress throughout the entire school year.Katrina mentions that pairing quick check-ins with under five minutes of targeted breathwork, such as box breathing or alternate nostril breathing, rapidly restores composure and clarity.She suggests that leaders commit to implementing a single emotional intelligence tool daily for 30 days before reviewing the reflection data to see measurable improvements in job satisfaction and calm.Katrina emphasizes that cultivating a calm, regulated teacher presence directly enhances classroom management and boosts student academic performance.She advises administrators to introduce these strategies through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) or guiding coalitions, while advocating for emotional intelligence training to be embedded in teacher prep programs.Katrina closes by reminding leaders that equipping staff with internal tools restores their connection to their core purpose, helping them maintain their passion for teaching across a long career.This episode of FocusED is brought to you by Bullseye. If you're doing walkthroughs without the support and tracking of Bullseye, head to bullseye.education/302 to schedule your sponsored Lunch and Learn today.

In this episode of FocusED, Dr. Jen Schwanke joins Joe and TJ from TheSchoolHouse302 to discuss her book, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools, sharing practical strategies on how school leaders can foster trust, manage conflict, and build collective efficacy.Jen explains that public trust in schools often erodes when broader society feels unstable, noting that every historical shift adds responsibilities to a school's plate without taking anything away.She points out that trust is a rational judgment rather than an emotion, highlighting research that shows a direct link between community trust in a principal and increased student achievement.Jen highlights shared leadership as a primary trust pillar, explaining that trusting teams to shoulder responsibility and celebrating collective wins builds strong school momentum.She warns against micromanagement, noting that nitpicking professionals is a major trust killer that makes a principal's workload infinitely more difficult.Jen introduces the distinction between being trustworthy and being trust-willing, encouraging leaders to give teachers genuine autonomy rather than trying to act like a superhero who rescues them.She suggests redefining what support means, advising principals to partner with teachers through difficult parent calls or role-playing rather than stripping away the teacher's authority.Jen emphasizes that avoiding conflict damages leadership credibility, stating that addressing tough issues courageously and fairly is one of the fastest ways to construct a winning culture.She advises leaders to prioritize being available over just being visible, urging principals to put away "mobile desks" to focus on deep, locked-in 1-on-1 interactions with staff and students.Jen closes by reminding principals that, despite the overwhelming daily demands of having thousands of stakeholders, school leadership remains one of the most noble and impactful professions.This episode of FocusED is brought to you by Bullseye. If you're doing walkthroughs without the support and tracking of Bullseye, head to bullseye.education/302 to schedule your sponsored Lunch and Learn today.

In this episode of FocusED, Mitch Weathers and Dr. Sarah Oberle discuss their book, Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom, and share practical insights on embedding executive function skills into everyday instruction to support learners of all ages.Sarah explains that executive functions are interrelated cognitive processes responsible for self-regulation and impulse control—powering actions like staying focused, managing materials, and controlling attention rather than acting on reflex.Mitch points out that executive functions split into core skills (working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility) and higher-order skills (planning, reasoning, and problem-solving), noting that while core skills emerge early, higher-order skills begin taking off around third and fourth grade.Sarah highlights that educators often take for granted what young students know, explaining that telling a child to "pay attention" requires teachers to explicitly define, model, and teach what those behaviors actually look like in practice.She suggests reducing cognitive load by chunking instructions into smaller, actionable steps and auditing the physical classroom environment to remove acoustic and visual distractions that compete for a child's mental bandwidth.Mitch shares that when stress and cortisol levels rise, executive functioning drops. He advises leaders to look at misbehavior through an executive functioning lens and get curious about classroom structures rather than jumping straight to discipline.He emphasizes that executive function support belongs in Tier 1 core instruction for all students, stating that these skills are grade and subject-agnostic and should not be treated strictly as special education interventions.In response to critics who argue against providing scaffolds because students won't have them in later grades, Mitch shares his "water analogy"—arguing that withholding support today to prepare a student for future struggle makes as little sense as refusing to drink water today to prepare for tomorrow's dehydration.Sarah stresses that executive function skills are foundational to how students learn, reminding educators that if kids can't manage their attention or space, even the best academic content won't make an impact.Mitch and Sarah close by encouraging educators to adopt an asset-based mindset toward every learner and visit organizedbinder.com and sarahoberle.com to explore their books and resources.This episode of FocusED is brought to you by Bullseye. If you're doing walkthroughs without the support and tracking of Bullseye, head to bullseye.education/ to schedule your sponsored Lunch and Learn today.

In this episode of FocusED, Michelle Pourchot shares practical leadership lessons from nearly three decades in education and discusses her book, The 30-Day Leadership Challenge. Michelle explains that effective leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about growing intentionally, building trust, and leading people with authenticity.Michelle says she wrote The 30-Day Leadership Challenge to save leaders time by bringing the most important leadership principles into one practical resource. Rather than focusing on theory, she designed the book around actionable strategies, reflection, and daily implementation that leaders can immediately apply in their schools.She explains that leadership begins with leading yourself before leading others. Michelle encourages leaders to establish a clear purpose, commit to continuous learning, strengthen communication, improve decision-making, and intentionally build confidence over time.Michelle believes lasting school improvement starts with relationships, not programs. She says students perform at higher levels when they experience belonging, meaningful connections with adults, and a school culture that values each child before focusing solely on academic outcomes.She shares that one of the biggest shifts in her school's success came when teachers stopped chasing schoolwide performance targets and instead focused on the individual growth of every student. According to Michelle, sustained improvement happens one learner, one goal, and one small success at a time.Michelle emphasizes that Professional Learning Communities became the engine of improvement on her campus once teachers used them to examine student work, analyze data collaboratively, and adjust instruction weekly. She says leaders should participate as learners—not supervisors—demonstrating that continuous improvement applies to everyone.She reflects on how trust transformed her campus culture. Michelle explains that teachers only became willing to take risks after they believed administration genuinely supported their growth rather than judging their performance. That shift created collaboration instead of competition among staff members.Michelle recommends that leaders become intentional readers and lifelong learners. She highlights books by Jon Gordon, Todd Whitaker, Chip and Dan Heath, and Jim Collins as influential resources that shaped her own leadership philosophy and inspired many of the concepts in her book.Michelle closes with a powerful message for new leaders: be yourself. She says leadership becomes far more effective when leaders stop trying to imitate others, embrace their own strengths, allow others to see their humanity, and lead with authenticity rather than perfection.This episode of FocusED is brought to you by Bullseye. If you're doing walkthroughs without the support and tracking of Bullseye, you need to schedule your demo today.

In this episode of FocusED, Joe and T.J. interview Troy Long, author of The CTE Experience.Troy makes the case that CTE is not an alternative pathway—it’s one of the most powerful ways to prepare students for both college and careers. Drawing on more than two decades in education, he explains how high-quality CTE programs create opportunity, transform communities, and redefine student success.Troy says one of the biggest misconceptions about CTE is that it’s only for students who aren’t college bound. He explains that today’s programs include dual enrollment, industry credentials, articulation agreements, and college credit that allow students to graduate with a significant head start on postsecondary education while gaining valuable workplace experience.He argues that administrators must move beyond outdated perceptions of CTE and instead build pathways that align with workforce demands and student interests. According to Troy, when schools intentionally connect education to real careers, students graduate with more options, less debt, and stronger earning potential.Troy emphasizes that CTE succeeds because it answers one of education’s biggest questions: Why does this matter? He explains that hands-on learning, authentic projects, and industry connections help students see the relevance of their learning while increasing engagement, attendance, and motivation.He encourages elementary and middle school leaders to begin career exploration much earlier through exploratory programs, entrepreneurship experiences, and employability skills. Troy believes career awareness shouldn’t start in high school—it should grow alongside students throughout their educational journey.Looking ahead, Troy says schools must continuously evolve alongside industry. He discusses the growing impact of artificial intelligence, the importance of regularly updating programs based on workforce needs, and why strong partnerships with colleges, employers, and advisory boards are essential to keeping CTE relevant.Troy closes with a challenge for every educator: help change the narrative around Career and Technical Education. He believes schools, policymakers, and communities all share the responsibility of promoting CTE as an equal pathway that prepares students for meaningful careers, continued education, and lifelong success.This episode is sponsored by Bullseye. If you're walkthroughs aren't improving instruction fast enough, you need Bullseye.

In this episode of FocusED, Joe and T.J. interview Scott Walker, author of Order Out of Chaos.Scott shares powerful lessons from hostage negotiations that every leader can apply to difficult conversations, conflict, and high-pressure decision-making. Drawing from years of navigating life-or-death situations, Scott explains why chaos isn’t something to avoid—it’s often the starting point for growth and better leadership.Scott unpacks the concept of the “Red Center,” the internal ability we all have to stay grounded during tense moments. He explains how leaders can “observe without absorbing” emotion, regulate their nervous systems, and avoid reacting impulsively when pressure rises. He also shares a practical three-step process for staying calm under stress: interrupt the pattern, ride the emotional wave, and ask better questions.Throughout the conversation, Scott emphasizes that the biggest mistake people make in conflict is turning every conversation into something about themselves. Instead, he argues that great negotiators—and great leaders—lead with curiosity, not assumptions. According to Scott, the key to influence is seeking to understand before trying to be understood.Scott also challenges common myths about negotiation, including the idea that someone has to “win.” He explains that the best outcomes come from cooperation, empathy, and emotional self-regulation—not dominance or control. He reminds listeners that leadership is less about proving a point and more about building trust and long-term collaboration.One of the most impactful parts of the conversation centers on “Level 5 Listening,” where Scott explains how leaders can move beyond simply hearing words to understanding emotion, beliefs, and perspective. He shares why the best negotiators aren’t the best talkers—they’re the best listeners.Scott closes with a practical strategy leaders can use immediately: PRC—Pause, Reflect, Choose. It’s a simple habit designed to help leaders reset throughout the day, stay grounded, and respond intentionally instead of reacting emotionally.If you lead people, navigate difficult conversations, or want to become a calmer and more effective communicator, this episode delivers practical tools you can apply immediately.This episode is sponsored by Bullseye. If you're walkthroughs aren't improving instruction fast enough, you need Bullseye.

Our guest for this episode of FocusED is Marty Dubin, author or Blindspotting: How to See What's Holding You Back as a Leader. Marty explains that his book emerged from reflecting on a diverse career and realizing that much of leadership effectiveness comes down to self-awareness rather than technical skill. He shares that leaders can read the same material and learn the same strategies, yet apply them very differently because of who they are. For him, the core of leadership is understanding personal tendencies—how one naturally thinks, reacts, and leads—and recognizing when those tendencies don’t match the situation.He emphasizes that blind spots are not weaknesses or skill gaps but moments when a leader’s strengths are overused or misapplied. Marty notes that highly successful leaders often rely on behaviors that have worked repeatedly, creating a positive feedback loop. The challenge arises when those same behaviors are used in the wrong context. Marty describes emotions as one of the most accessible entry points for identifying blind spots. He shares that feelings like anxiety, confusion, or frustration can signal that something isn’t working, prompting leaders to ask what role they might be playing in the situation rather than immediately blaming external factors. He also explains that blind spots don’t necessarily increase with authority, but leaders become less likely to notice them as they gain success. Marty says that as responsibilities grow, reflection often decreases, and leaders default more quickly to familiar patterns. To improve self-awareness, Marty suggests a practical exercise: identify core strengths and then consider what happens when those strengths are used “too much.” He explains that this simple shift helps leaders see how their best qualities can become liabilities in certain situations. Marty highlights that growth comes from small behavioral adjustments rather than major personal transformation. He shares that leaders don’t need to change who they are, but they can change how their traits show up in different situations. He compares this to elite athletes making small technical tweaks that lead to significant performance gains.He also discusses the importance of creating cultures where feedback is normal and safe. Marty explains that leaders must model vulnerability first by sharing their own blind spots, which builds trust and encourages others to do the same. He introduces a practical feedback method—Situation, Behavior, Impact—as a way to keep conversations specific and constructive, helping teams address blind spots without defensiveness.Marty connects blind spots to burnout by suggesting that unclear measures of success and overused strengths—like altruism—can contribute to exhaustion. He notes that leaders benefit from identifying meaningful indicators of success and recognizing when positive traits are being stretched too far. He adds that small wins and clear goals can help counteract burnout by providing a sense of progress and control.He frames self-awareness as a source of power, explaining that understanding one’s tendencies allows leaders to act more strategically. Marty gives the example of intentionally showing emotion in a moment that requires it, even if it’s not natural, to influence outcomes more effectively. Finally, Marty underscores that understanding oneself—across areas like traits, emotions, identity, and behavior—is essential for leadership growth. He argues that these concepts apply broadly, not just to formal leadership roles, and that greater awareness helps individuals navigate relationships, improve performance, and work more effectively with others.

Dr. Stacie Chana explains that artificial intelligence must be treated as an urgent equity issue because, if schools do not intentionally teach AI skills, students without access will be left behind in a rapidly changing job market. She emphasizes that AI is accelerating faster than any previous technological shift and will transform society within the next decade, making it essential for schools to prepare students now.She states that school leaders must ensure all students understand both the conceptual foundations of AI and how to actively experiment with it, so they can succeed in future careers. She stresses that access to AI learning opportunities is critical and should not be limited to certain groups of students.Dr. Chana advises leaders to begin implementation by forming diverse teams that include multiple perspectives, including skeptics, to guide decision-making. She highlights the importance of reviewing existing policies, especially around privacy and student data protection, before introducing AI tools, and ensuring no personal identifying information is shared with AI systems.She explains that schools must establish clear guardrails and expectations for AI use through open dialogue with staff, students, and families. She emphasizes ongoing conversations around ethics, safety, privacy, and bias as foundational to responsible implementation.Dr. Chana recommends starting AI use with adults first, integrating it into professional learning so educators become comfortable and proficient before introducing it to students. She stresses that AI should not be taught as a standalone subject but embedded into existing curriculum and real-world problem-solving tasks.She highlights that early student exposure should focus on simple, low-risk applications, such as brainstorming, while more advanced learners can engage in tasks like coding or data visualization. She underscores that instruction should be developmentally appropriate, with younger students focusing on conceptual understanding and older students engaging directly with tools.Dr. Chana emphasizes the need to build a culture of experimentation where both educators and students feel safe to explore AI within established boundaries. She notes that AI cannot be avoided and compares its inevitability to electricity, stressing that schools must move with urgency even while maintaining thoughtful implementation.She advises that students should be trained on widely used foundational AI models because those are the tools they will encounter in the workforce, rather than relying solely on niche educational tools.She explains that AI can significantly enhance instructional leadership by supporting tasks such as strategic planning, rubric creation, data analysis, and communication, allowing leaders to work more efficiently while still applying professional judgment.Dr. Chana warns that critical conversations about bias, ethics, privacy, and safety are often missing in schools, despite being essential. She explains that AI systems can reinforce societal biases because they are trained on existing internet data, and educators must help students critically evaluate outputs.She raises concerns about emerging risks, including deepfakes, misinformation, cyberbullying, and the impact of AI on student identity and mental health, emphasizing the need for awareness and media literacy.For more conversations like this one, check out all of the FocusED episodes at theschoolhouse302.com.

The episode features Rich Czyz of Yardville Elementary, co-founder of 4oClockFaculty, and author of Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders.Rich explains that he wrote Autopilot after the pandemic as a response to school leader burnout, with a focus on helping leaders be more efficient, proactive, and meaningful in their work.He says the biggest challenge for school leaders is the constant stream of “daily fires” and administrative tasks that can pull leaders away from instructional leadership.A key sign of trouble, he says, is when a leader’s to-do list is mostly made up of other people’s problems and requests.Rich recommends several practical strategies:Time inventory and elimination of low-value tasks.Building “daily disaster downtime” into the schedule.Delegating more work instead of doing everything personally.Limiting email checking to set times rather than staying in the inbox all day.Using theme days to group similar leadership tasks together.He describes a “touch it once” approach to email and stresses that leaders should not feel pressure to respond instantly to every message.Rich also encourages leaders to shift from “multitasking” to “multi-asking,” meaning they should enlist others to help carry the load and develop leadership in others.He shares the example of training fifth graders to handle morning announcements, showing how delegation can build trust, leadership, and ownership across a school.Rich says effective delegation requires modeling, training, release, and acceptance that others may do the work differently than he would.He recommends reading outside education for inspiration and names Seth Godin, Austin Kleon, and Tanya Kattan as influences.He closes by encouraging listeners to eliminate or delegate one thing immediately and focus on doing more important work.

Our guest for this episode of FocusED is Kim Gameroz, author of Becoming the BISON. Kim starts by telling us about the reason she chose BISON as an analogy for leadership in schools. Bison head into the storm when it’s coming, not away from it like most other animals.She says that we need to teach social and emotional skills rather than expect them. This is true for students and staff.Kim says that when teachers are moving to a co-teaching model it’s an example of a transformation. This is just one example of the need for a mindset shift for educators to make a needed change to support kids.She says that when she talks to teachers she wants them to feel like they can do what she’s asking them to change. Listen to her top five tips for teachers.She tells listeners that teachers need to have strategies to help students support themselves so that it’s not all on the educators to support the students.When Kim talks to administrators, she asks them what they’re willing to do and where they are willing to start. Especially with resistant teachers, we need an entry point.Kim says that teachers want to come together, and she told us about the events that she runs. Check out Vibe EDU.She follows Mel Robbins. Find out why.She recommends a technology detox every night. She puts her phone away at a certain time and doesn’t return to it until the next day.Bonus--books she recommends:Fear is My Homeboy byThe Let Them Theory by Mel RobbinsThe Art of Bouncing Back by Coach Dar Santory

In this episode of FocusED, we welcome Lori Woodley Langendorf, author of SEL Muscle Mastery, to explore the power of social emotional literacy in schools. Lori challenges the traditional view of SEL as something we “teach and check off,” reframing it as a lifelong literacy—no different than reading or math. It’s not a program. It’s a practice.As a former school counselor and co-founder of All It Takes, Lori shares how simple, human moments—like a student holding a door open—can reveal the deeper need for intentional relationship-building in schools. Her work centers on six “SEL muscles,” skills we must actively strengthen to build resilience and connection.Two key muscles we unpack:Quit Taking It Personal (Q-TIP): When we stop internalizing others’ behaviors, we create space for curiosity and compassion. Not every reaction is about us.The Power of “I”: Owning our feelings and needs builds trust. Vulnerability—when appropriate—models emotional regulation and authentic leadership.Lori reminds us that emotional intelligence, like physical strength, atrophies without use. We must practice it. That includes modeling vulnerability as leaders. Pretending to be perfect erodes trust; naming a hard day builds credibility and connection.We also explore the tension between technology and humanity. While AI and innovation continue to reshape learning, Lori emphasizes that humans are wired for community. No advancement replaces the need for face-to-face relationships, shared experiences, and emotional safety.Finally, Lori offers a practical daily habit: notice your autopilot. Where are you holding back from a conversation, a moment of vulnerability, or a courageous step? Growth begins when we recognize what’s stopping us and choose differently.This conversation is a powerful reminder that relationships start within. When we strengthen our own SEL muscles, we create schools where students—and adults—can truly thrive.

In this episode of FocusED, we sit down with Dr. Brad Johnson for a thoughtful conversation about how meaningful change in schools rarely comes from massive initiatives—but from small, intentional shifts grounded in relationships.Brad shares why he’s leaned into storytelling through his recent books, including Room 212, and how stories help educators see themselves in the work. He explains that while data and bullet points fade quickly, stories stay with us, shaping how we think, feel, and lead long after the moment has passed. For Brad, storytelling isn’t just a style—it’s a way to help educators connect emotionally to the work and remember what truly matters.The conversation centers on the idea of “one degree shifts.” Drawing from the science of water boiling at 212 degrees, Brad reminds us that transformation doesn’t happen at 211. That final degree—the smallest change—creates energy, movement, and momentum. In schools, those one-degree shifts show up in everyday moments: how we greet students, how we talk about them, what we notice, and where we choose to focus our attention.Brad emphasizes that these shifts are not just for classrooms, but for entire school cultures. He challenges educators to move from deficit-based thinking to asset-based thinking, highlighting how expectations shape outcomes through the Pygmalion Effect. When leaders and teachers believe students can succeed, that belief changes how they interact, respond, and support them—and students begin to live up to those expectations.The discussion also explores relational intelligence and why it matters more than ever for school leaders. Brad explains that leadership success isn’t built on control or compliance, but on trust, connection, and valuing people as humans before professionals. Simple actions—asking about someone’s life, noticing when something feels off, taking time to encourage—build trust capital that fuels commitment, not just followership.Throughout the episode, Brad reinforces that leadership feeds culture. Every interaction either adds value or withdraws it. Whether it’s supporting staff, recognizing strengths, or creating spaces where people feel seen and valued, leaders shape the emotional climate of their schools through the smallest daily decisions.This episode is a reminder that meaningful change doesn’t require more programs, more mandates, or more pressure. It starts with awareness, intention, and the willingness to make one small shift—one degree at a time.Be sure to listen through the end to hear about our sponsor, Bullseye, and how it helps instructional leaders manage feedback, walkthroughs, and professional learning. For more leadership conversations, coaching, and resources, visit theschoolhouse302.com.

This episode of FocusED features superintendent and author, Dr. Michael Lubelfeld. The episode centers on leading “tomorrow’s schools today,” with Dr. Michael Lubelfeld unpacking how change leadership, mindset, and systems thinking shape the future of K–12 education.​Lubelfeld and his co-author Nick Polyak use eight real-world case studies and two change frameworks—including the Virginia Satir model—to show that change is both loss and growth, and that leaders can navigate it with clarity and courage.​Their change framework stresses challenging the status quo, having open conversations, adapting and being flexible, navigating obstacles, generating a shared vision later in the process, and intentionally enjoying the journey.​The book’s case studies span cell phone bans, staff selection (“first who, then what”), reimagining ninth grade through interdisciplinary models, bilingual theater in a majority Hispanic district, and decade-long facility and program redesign framed as “we’re not broke, we’re broken.”​Lubelfeld emphasizes that aspiring superintendents learn their most important lessons as building leaders “in the trenches,” where they face resistance, manage complex days, and practice change at a smaller scale.​He urges leaders to rethink leadership development as a spectrum: graduate programs, technical training, webinars, podcasts, cohorts, and one-off sessions all add value when woven into longer-term learning pathways.​Drawing on the World Economic Forum jobs report, he notes that top 2030 skills blend AI, cybersecurity, and tech literacy with enduring human capacities like communication, resilience, and kindness, and that school systems must align preparation to this reality.​He pushes back on narrow “college for all” narratives, pointing to unfilled high-wage jobs such as auto mechanics and arguing that technical certifications and workforce pathways must sit alongside college and military options.​He frames challenging the status quo as respectful and coalition-based—not “going rogue”—by finding common ground across polarized groups and moving forward on shared priorities like equity, facilities, and teacher support.​Lubelfeld describes leadership as coalition-building rather than pure majoritarianism: in any controversial issue, about 30% strongly oppose, 30% strongly support, and the work is to engage the middle and pieces of each pole around common ground.​Networks are central to his practice: he implores leaders to “go where the smart people are” through national conferences, associations like AASA and SD, fellowships like Google GSV, and online professional communities.​He is candid that superintendents cannot know everything—from bonds to construction—and must “phone a friend,” using networks as a source of expertise, critical feedback, and truth-telling that local colleagues may hesitate to provide.​He draws heavily on positive psychology, especially Shawn Achor’s work, building gratitude into his personal practice and cabinet meetings to counteract the brain’s negativity bias and sustain joy in leadership.​He returns repeatedly to the idea that leaders should aim to be the next version of themselves, not the “best” final version, embracing the notion that they—and their leadership—are permanently unfinished.

Gregg Behr, executive director of the Grable Foundation and co-author of When You Wonder, You’re Learning, joins Joe and TJ on FocusED.​The episode centers on Mr. Rogers’ lessons in creativity, curiosity, care, and what they mean for schooling today.​Fred Rogers is framed as an innovator who used the technology of his time to make what was attractive to kids also good and constructive.​Behr explains that Rogers studied with major child development experts and quietly embedded learning science into puppetry, lyrics, routines, and set design.​The book argues that Fred was ahead of his time and offers a blueprint for education in 2025 and beyond.​Rogers’ classic “crayon factory” episode illustrates starting with something familiar, then moving students into the unknown in a safe way.​Behr parallels this with a 10th grade AP World Cultures teacher who begins each lesson with a concrete artifact to spark curiosity before exploring complex historical content.​TJ raises the idea of teachers developing a deliberate “teacher self” or persona.​Behr emphasizes that Rogers would want adults to bring their full, authentic selves to learning spaces, viewing each interaction with a child as “holy ground.”​He notes that the goal is not to create “modern-day Fred Rogers,” but the most authentic version of each educator.​Behr argues that psychological safety, belonging, and feeling “loved and capable of loving” are prerequisites for academic outcomes.​He describes leaders who successfully blend care and accountability by granting teachers permission: small discretionary funds, time to observe others, and space for peer-led professional learning.​Behr calls wonder a skill that, like empathy, must be practiced intentionally.​He shares the “Ask It Basket” strategy, where off-topic student questions are written down, saved, and revisited together, signaling that wondering is valued and safe.​He also highlights “awe walks” in nature, literature, math, and school hallways as routine opportunities to notice and nurture curiosity.​For leaders focused on test scores and strategic plans, Behr points to evidence from schools that build in “guaranteed wonder time” through personalized learning and maker spaces.​These environments increase student agency, reduce dropouts, decrease charter flight, and improve math and English scores while fostering deeper unmeasured learning.​Behr describes Remake Learning as a 20-year network of 800+ schools, museums, libraries, early learning centers, and creative industries advancing engaging, relevant learning.​Resources at remakelearning.org and remakelearningdays.org include open publications on profiles and portfolios, maker-centered learning, STEM, and human flourishing.​Behr describes his hoped-for legacy as creating a real-life “land of make believe” for children—a connected learning landscape across schools, after-school programs, early learning, and internships.​He wants regional pathways where kids can find passions, interests, and purpose, supported by intentional collaboration among caring adults.

Our guest for this episode of FocusED is Principal EL. Principal EL believes every child deserves at least one adult who is “crazy about them,” and that leaders must be intentionally curious about students’ lives outside of school to build belonging.Consistency, he explains, is the backbone of strong relationships; students need to know their principal will show up day after day, even after conflict. He believes visible presence in classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, and the yard is non-negotiable if leaders want students to feel seen and safe.He points out that simple moves—sitting with students at lunch, playing chess, listening—often open doors to conversations kids have never had with adults. He believes many students “ask for love in the most unloving ways,” so leaders must stay when it’s hardest, not just when students are easy to manage.For staff, he emphasizes that support starts with small acts: covering a class so someone can use the restroom or bringing a cup of tea on a tough day. He believes real appreciation cannot be confined to Teacher Appreciation Week; it has to live in daily culture and behavior.On staffing, he argues that “the best form of retention is recruitment, and the best form of recruitment is retention,” especially in a hiring market that feels like the Hunger Games. He believes interviews must surface “villagers”—people willing to show up for families and students beyond academics, with real examples of care.He draws a sharp line between a teaching culture and a learning culture. He believes that impact rests less on the ability to teach and more on the willingness to learn, accept feedback, and say, “Can I learn from you?”He cautions that leaders must balance accountability and support because it is easier than ever for teachers to say, “I can quit today.” He believes students still need adults who choose to stay and see the work as a calling, not just a job.Regarding technology, he warns that social media and cell phones sit at the center of many climate issues, from late-night gaming to drama on Instagram. He believes policies like “bell to bell, no cell” help students be more present and less stressed in class.Personally, he shares that gratitude, meditation, running, and time in the gym keep him grounded and able to pour into others. He believes leaders should wake up knowing someone needed them that day and go to bed counting the blessing of being able to serve.Even after 39 years, he jokes about needing a book that would finally teach him how to retire, yet he keeps coming back. He believes the real reason is the student on the bus who asks, “Are you coming back next year?”—a reminder that choosing to stay still changes lives.

Principal Kafele notes that being an instructional leader is a non-negotiable responsibility for any administrator who supervises teachers.​He says that schools should prioritize instructional coaching over just operational or disciplinary management, ensuring that every teacher receives support for instructional growth.​Principal Kafele notes that he wrote his recent book to help school leaders focus on their value to teachers and shift away from outdated practices where administrators only manage discipline and logistics.​He says that schools should provide leaders with a “leadership plan” as intentional and well-crafted as a teacher’s lesson plan, rather than leaving each school day to chance.​Principal Kafele emphasizes that culture in a school requires attention just like a relationship—if neglected, disruptions will result, but if nurtured, the environment becomes positive and productive.​He says that schools should cultivate a culture where classroom visits are paired with meaningful, methodical conversations that build trust and promote teacher growth, not anxiety or fear.​Principal Kafele tells listeners that sending a timely, specific feedback after classroom visits helps teachers focus on their students and not worry about the leader’s perceptions.​He says that schools should recognize that one size does not fit all in leadership—experienced teachers and new staff have different needs and require differentiated support.​He says that schools should help leaders overcome “instructional blind spots” and understand they are not expected to master every content area, but must be expert in pedagogy and committed to continuous learning.​Principal Kafele says that effective instructional leadership means partnering with teachers, learning alongside them, and bringing culturally relevant perspectives into the classroom to reach every student.​

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Julia BialeskiJulia shares that her book Leading with Grace was inspired by her personal and professional transitions within public education, reflecting on the impact of leadership roles on her growth and identity.​She describes the “leadership lifespan” concept—emphasizing that leadership is temporary and every position involves unique phases and resets, regardless of prior experience.​Julia talks about how pivotal and formative challenges, like becoming a principal just before the pandemic, reshape leadership perspectives, emphasizing the importance of calm, communication, and empathy during crisis.​She acknowledges that meaningful reflection often happens after difficult moments, not during them, and encourages leaders to create mechanisms for regular reflection, such as notes apps, calendar logs, or journals.​Julia highlights the value of having others help identify one’s strengths, and how post-crisis reflection can reveal qualities like strategic thinking and effective listening that may be overlooked in the busy moment.​Julia stresses the power of consistency over intensity, encouraging leaders to track small daily wins and progress for long-term growth.​She recommends creating a “time sanctuary” with protected personal routines, sharing how her morning routine keeps her energized and clear-headed for leadership decisions.​Julia is a strong advocate for habit formation, minimizing decision fatigue through automation of daily routines, and finding what works individually for each person, citing books like Atomic Habits and The Miracle Morning.​She discusses boundaries as essential for well-being, sharing recent reads and insights about setting personal limits and organizational support structures.​Julia recommends integrating reading into daily routines to foster continuous professional growth, preferring physical books and sharing tips for making time for reading over distractions like TV or scrolling.​She underscores the point that “leaders are readers,” encouraging ongoing curiosity and deep dives into “pockets of interest” for lasting impact.​We hope you enjoy this episode of FocusED with Julia Bialeski and don't forget to follow us at TheSchoolHouse302.com for podcasts, blog posts, books to read, and more. This episode of FocusED was brought to you buy Bullseye. If you're an instructional leader who wants to up your game with better feedback and stronger tracking systems, book your demo for Bullseye today. Tell them we sent you!

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Hedreich NicholsHedreich, author of Finding Your Blind Spots: Eight Guiding Principles to Overcome Implicit Bias in Teaching, joins the show to discuss the need for systemic change in education.Hedreich shares stories from her childhood and her son’s experiences in school, highlighting the pressure and discomfort that comes from expecting students of color to represent entire groups, especially during heritage months.She urges educators to recognize that there is not one “history,” but multiple “histories”—valuing diverse perspectives and voices in the classroom.The episode explores strategies to build inclusive learning environments, such as expanding our “us” circles, fostering empathy for all groups (including those who may feel unfairly blamed), and acknowledging America’s persistent social divisions.She explains that everyone has “blind spots”—unconscious biases and stories we tell ourselves, often based on upbringing and past experiences. She shares techniques for self-reflection, like identifying emotional triggers and exploring their origins.Storytelling is highlighted as a powerful leadership tool. Hedreich advises school leaders to use personal and community stories to bridge differences, build relationships, and promote meaningful change.The conversation encourages listeners to reimagine broken relationships and to “go first” in mending divides—whether in family or professional settings.The episode concludes with a reminder that building equity and inclusion is about embracing complexity, remaining open to new perspectives, and taking personal responsibility for growth as educators.This episode is brought to you by Bullseye. If you're an instructional leader who wants to get more out of your walkthroughs, go to Bullseye.education today.

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Matthew WoodsDr. Woods starts the conversation with the fact that collaborative leadership means that we’re all coming to the table with perspective, and it’s important to recognize that everyone has a unique contribution to the team. Matt discusses a pitfall when we invite people into our offices to air their grievances--it’s not as simple as it sounds. We talk about the limits of our decision-making at each level of the leadership ladder, and sometimes people in the field don’t realize those limits.It was great to hear him talk about setting a vision and then letting folks set goals to reach that vision. He says that great leaders are the ones who identify the right people for the right aspects of a problem. Matt uses his experience at the school and district level to share how we can scale collaborative leadership within a system. Don’t miss what he says about a literacy initiative across the curriculum and monitoring that during walkthroughs. He tells a story about teachers who were hungry for support and the collaboration that came from it. It reminds us of Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink.Matt says that the first strategy of a leader is to assess the current conditions. Before making any changes, we have to understand the environment. He talks about his response to others when they say, “Matt, you need to slow down.” He gets energy from the speed and intensity of his work. Matt discusses the inception of his podcast and what he hopes others will take from it. Leadership can be tough but it’s a privilege. ~ Dr. Matthew WoodsBooks We Recommend Based on this Podcast with Matthew WoodsHow Leaders Decide by Greg Bustin How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Kristy VoleskyKristy Volesky is the author Transformational Work-Based Learning: Leading Exceptional Internship Programs. Kristy starts by defining work-based learning with a simple explanation: learning that is based on working. But, she says that it doesn't have to be students working. Don’t miss what she says about having a before, during, and after strategy for WBL. Kristy describes the fact that WBL should be with industry partners, and students should have access to people in the field. She says that the outcomes have to be mutually beneficial for the industry partner and the student. For the partner, they can train their future workforce early, gain access to future employees, and maintain relationships over the course of college or apprenticeship programs and then bring students back into the economy. Kristy provides school leaders with talking points for developing industry partners who might be reluctant to take on minors. She tells a story about a construction company and how the process for building partnerships grew from one to many.Joe asked about innovative partnerships, and Kristy points to an example of a partner that took on a bunch of different career paths within the same organization. We discussed how work-based learning can start in elementary schools where students can do activities for career awareness. Kristy says that 80+ opportunities to learn about different careers in the K-12 experience is ideal. She literally walks listeners through the design of an elementary work-based learning experience by making minor adjustments to events that already exist. Kristy is inspired by her former role as a WBL coordinator. She grew a program, making it more effective, and then went to the state level to scale that work. She says that her network is where she learns and grows. “I surround myself with really smart people.” ~ Kristy Volesky Joe reminds listeners of Jim Rohn’s quote: “We are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with.” Books We Recommend Based on this Podcast with Kristy VoleskySmart Brevity by Jim Vandehei, Mike Allen, & Roy Schwartz Simply Put by Ben Guttmann

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Kim MarshallKim’s book, Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation, came from work that he was doing as a school leader where teachers wanted more frequent and meaningful feedback.He updated the book twice because of changes to evaluation systems around the country, some of which he used as examples in the book.The third edition of the book has a huge focus on bringing student learning into the conversation.Kim advocates for short, frequent, unannounced teacher observations at about 10 minutes each that are always followed up with face-to-face meetings.Kim tells leaders to focus on one “leverage point” with teachers--one thing that the teacher either does well or should change.He talks about time management for school leaders so that instructional leadership, including classroom visits and follow up feedback.One tip that he mentions is an “out-of-office” message for principals during the school day. “Unless this is an emergency, you can expect me to get back to you after the student and teacher day.”Kim discusses the various ways that principals can be instructional leaders beyond just the classroom visits. It’s important to layerHe tells listeners that feedback can be 100% positive. You don’t always have to find something that isn’t going well.After an observation, one approach is teamwork for helping a teacher problem solve, and Kim mentions using AI to help with this.Joe asks Kim about how and why he started the Marshall Memo, and he talked about synthesis. He casts a wide net, up to 100 articles, and he picks only 8 or so to highlight. He hopes people use the Memo for 5 reasons: 1. Professional learning, 2. To share good ideas with others, 3. To search previous Memos for articles, 4. So that people read The Best of Marshall Memo, and 5. To use at faculty meetings for everyone to read together.Kim talks about reading widely. Take a look at the books he mentions during the show.Books We Recommend Based on this Podcast with Kim MarshallLeverage Leadership by Paul Bambrick-SantoyoWhistling Vivaldi by Claude SteeleThe Talent Code by Daniel ColeMade to Stick by Chip and Dan HeathSo Much Reform by Charles Payne

FocusED show notes with guest Courtney Monterecy.Courtney tells us about how the book came to be, which included her story about meeting her co-author, Todd Whitaker.She says that the school she took over and needed to turn around had three principals during the previous school year.We discuss the dilemma of what to attack and fix first when everything seems to be falling down all around you.Don’t miss what she says about operations and managing, including improvements to the way the school looked and felt.Courtney explains how her background as an instructional leader was natural, and, yet, in the beginning of her tenure as a turn-around principal she spent a lot of time with operations and had to revert back to her roots.Courtney says that “taking teachers into other teachers’ classrooms is the most powerful professional learning experience available.”By tightening up classroom management, the teachers ended up with more teaching time and the students ended up with more time on task.She tells leaders about a mistake she made at the beginning of the use of walkthroughs, which is to be sure to set a purpose for the visits. Without a clear focus, the team will be all over the place during the debrief.It’s important to take note of the protocols she used for learning walks.Her use of the teacher leadership team is what makes this show special. School leaders cannot run a school--or turn one around--with support.We hope school leaders will relate to how she dealt with the resisters…there are always resisters.Courtney reminds us to keep the joy and happiness first and foremost, otherwise the work can be too daunting and even debilitating.Don’t miss what she says about “What’s up Wednesday.”Her leadership growth strategies include social media, connections with other leaders, and going to conferences. Having a core group of people who you can rely on is critical.

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Adriana VillavicencioDr. Villavicencio decided to write her book because of the discrepancies in education--it can be both a wonderful experience for some students as well as an exclusionary one for others. She says that we often have great policies that could work, but limitations and pitfalls can provide setbacks that bring us pause, prompting us to abandon them before they stick. Adriana explains the Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) that was intended to decrease achievement gaps for students of color, particularly black and brown boys. The ESI was implemented in 40 public high schools. She described some of what worked, including mentorships--both peer-to-peer and adult-to-peer. One thing that mattered a lot was setting high academic goals and having high expectations for all students. The curriculum was important in the project as well--advanced coursework, scaffolding, etc. Adriana said that the school leader is critical and that the ESI strategies worked better in schools where the leader was strong and put teachers in charge. She tells us that a loud minority can derail productive innovation. Adriana said that leaders ought to expect resistance to change. She offers two strategies: 1. Being persistent with the vision (a written statement of the north star) is critical. 2. Where leaders have the latitude to pick their team, they’ve been more effective. Adriana discussed internal and external challenges to change, including media, boards, unions, and political divisions. She wants to study these challenges even further. Dr. Villavicencio says that one of the biggest problems with educating young black and brown students is the deficit mindset that exists in schools. The stories that we tell shape our interactions, assumptions, and expectations. Adriana says that much of the way we learn as children is the same way we learn as older pupils and adults. She calls for mini-action research projects in schools to study ways that we might solve our problems of practice. Adriana describes some of her reading habits; she likes to read widely and outside of education. She ends with a quote “the personal is the professional and the professional is the personal.” She has a call to action that we should challenge ourselves and our own assumptions about teaching and learning. Don’t let the fact that you can’t change everyone prevent you from doing the work to make the changes that you can. Books We Recommend Based on this Podcast with Adriana VillavicencioMindset by Carol Dweck Grit by Angela Duckworth Lifelong Kindergarten by Mitchel Resnik Weird Ideas that Work by Robert Sutton Managing the Unexpectedby Carl Weick and Kathleen Sutcliffe

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Vicky EssebagVicky starts by defining “relationspaces” as the way that we bring ourselves to the spaces where we develop relationships.Vicky tells us that we have preconceived notions about how we’re communicating and sometimes it’s effective and other times it’s not.Vicky gives us an example of where our communication as teachers to students might be landing wrong in a way that only supports more misbehavior.It’s better to minimize our noticing of the behaviors that are not desirable and maximize our noticing of the desired behaviors.Solution-Focused is a strength-based approach. And, the future aspect of it asks the question, what does the person want?Vicky says that success happens in small increments. Change happens gradually. Her advice is to take a few steps back when things aren’t going the way we want them to and then to become more inclusive.She tells us that relationships have to be the foundation of everything we do and have to be prioritized as important in the minds of every leader.Vicky explains that Solution-Focused has a premise that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it; if it’s working, don’t change it; and if something is wrong, do something about it.”Don’t miss what she says about future-oriented types of questions.Vicky talked about a scenario and exercise that she did with students who were refusing to come to school, and they built hypothetical machines to help bring them back to school.She talks about her own growth and a program she’s in right now to gain a certification that she wants for more international credibility.Vicky says that the most important part about commuting with others is our presence.We asked Vicky to give us some techniques for asking questions. She says that the best questions are open-ended and up to the person being asked to provide their answer versus searching for the right ones.If we can inspire people with hope, why not. ~ Vicky Essebag

This is Episode 77 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Nason Lollar; Joe and TJ interview Nason about educator professional conduct, human resources, managing and sustaining a positive culture, school leadership…and so much more.

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Christina HidekChristina starts out with some suggestions about how school leaders can get on the same page with the PTO/PTA President by meeting on a regular basis. The key is to meet ahead of the actual PTA meetings and separate from them.School leaders should explain their vision for the school and the school year to the parent groups, starting with the PTA President.School leaders and PTA Presidents should have a clear understanding of how they want to communicate.Christina describes the strongest relationships that she had with principals and the trust and openingness that it takes.School leaders should attend their PTA meetings and the measure of success is a lack of turnover in the group.Every parent group should have at least one teacher liaison; the main point of the role is to bring the parent group information back to the teachers so that it doesn't fall on the principals.Christina reminds us that parents are volunteers, and they may need training. As soon as a group is formed, they need to be empowered and equipped with the right tools and information to go in the right direction.There’s no PTA school. ~ Christina Hidek.Christina consistently brings the conversation back to professional learning for parents. They can’t be a resource if they don’t know how.She talks about her parent group raising $26K and what that means to the school community.She hates the movie Bad Moms.A tip for school leaders is to celebrate and highlight the work of their parent groups.Christina tells us that there aren’t enough resources for PTOs/PTAs and school leaders who want to engage parents in the best way.PTOAnswers/principals.com has resources for principals who want to better engage parent groups.Check out FamilyEngagementTools.com.

Shawn tells us that “future-ready” is about students recognizing their purpose; he reminds us about the goal of education and the gaps that exist right now with what we provide and what students actually need.Dr. Dilly talked about the need for leaders to stay true to who they are, that relationships matter, and that we should celebrate our differences.Shawn elevates competencies that students need, including what he calls “human skills.”He talks about a “tsunami of change” that is coming our way along with the advent of AI and other disruptive technologies.Shawn tells us that part of the systemic barriers that perpetuate the problems with the curriculum, instruction, assessments, and resources is that we’re too highly regulated and legislated to change fast enough.He describes a problem for schools in that 65% of our students in school now will be working in jobs that aren’t currently available yet.Joe asks Dr. Dilly to help leaders to advocate for change that isn’t just based on policy requirements.Shawn calls to action that leaders align themselves to people who are thinking about problems in a way that we can work together to drive change. He also says that it’s important for school leaders to get involved in their state agencies at the highest levels.Shawn encourages leaders to ask the question: are our students ready? And, if the answer is no, what’s missing? That will drive what we need to do next.One change that he emphasized is the need for more student collaboration in schools--a life skill that everyone will need.He talked about the need for students to exercise imagination and curiosity as well as oral and written communication.Shawn names our biggest challenge as keeping up with AI in schools and classrooms.Dr. Dilly tells us that students will need to learn global dexterity and branding. They’ll need to work globally with people who are vastly different from them and yet maintain their identity. And, they need to be able to compete in a global world by selling themselves by integrating the proper credentials with an attractive reputation.Shawn mentions McKinsey and the World Economic Forum. Joe asks about other resources that he frequents. Check out the book list below.

This is Episode 74 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Peter Cookson; we discuss community leadership, supporting students in poverty, school culture…and so much more.Peter Cookson Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersPeter Cookson serves as a senior researcher with the Learning Policy Institute, a founding principal investigator for the American Voices Project based at Stanford University, and an educational policy teacher at the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University.He has written extensively on the causes and consequences of American poverty and advocates for a new vision for public education. He began his career in education as a fifth-grade teacher in rural Massachusetts.He received his doctorate from New York University and most recently completed a Master of Arts in religion from the Yale Divinity School where he held the Katsuso Miho Scholarship in Peacemaking.He founded the Center for Educational Outreach and Innovation at Teachers College and The Equity Project at the American Institutes for Research and before that, he was the executive director of Ed Sector in Washington D.C.Peter is the author of School Communities of Strength: Strategies for Educating Children Living in Deep Poverty.FocusED Show Notes with Guest Peter CooksonAll kids learn in environments where threats to their self-esteem are diminished. ~ Peter CooksonPeter starts by defining “communities of strength.” Included in his definition is that the whole community believes that every student can learn and that learning is joyful.Peter says that he learned more doing the project for this book than any other project he has done.He tells us that 5 million kids in the US live in “deep poverty,” that’s 50% or more lower than the national threshold.Peter tells us about the resilience of students in poverty is inspirational.Peter’s passion for this work comes from his time as a 5th grade teacher in a school where many of the students lived in deep poverty. This motivated him to go back to school to become a sociologist to study the intersection between poverty and learning.He unfolds a story about his time as a teacher where he was able to experiment. He was doing project-based learning before it was a thing.Peter’s vision for the book when he started was to make it a practical guide versus just a sad story about the current scenarios in schools that serve students in poverty.The book includes the science of learning because we know more now about how to teach and how people learn than ever before.One key, says Peter, is that the staff has to bring a “second to known” mentality to their approach to teaching the whole child.He tells us that the primary responsibility of the school leader is to create an environment for teachers and students.Peter tells a story about a superintendent who fired any principal who didn’t fully believe that all students can learn. Don’t miss what he says about the commitment factor.Peter mentions Linda Darling-Hammond as an expert on the science of learning, among other things.He says that each of the principles in the book comes with implementation guidance.

This is Episode 73 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Kate Koch; we discuss women in leadership positions, mentorship, balance at work…and so much more.Kate Koch Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersDr. Kate Koch is the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for Lemont-Bromberek SD113a.She has served as an elementary principal, an assistant principal, and a middle school history teacher.She is also the co-host of the Unsupervised Leadership Podcast and the author of Unsupervised Leadership: Celebrating and Elevating Fun, Fab, and Fierce Females.FocusED Show Notes with Guest Kate Koch“Unsupervised leadership” is about being in a space where you can lead authentically. In these cases, the leader can be themselves without fear of making mistakes.Kate talks about women in leadership, specifically in education where the balance is off between the number of women in the profession versus the number of administrators who are men.Kate has been getting feedback from listeners that her message about women in leadership is giving them the confidence to apply for jobs and ask for the highest salary possible.Dr. Koch tells us a few stories about her experience with leadership roles and what she faced in interviews and other spaces as a female.Kate talks about the differences between the way women lead and the way that men lead and the need for both perspectives. TJ brings up the Jane Goodall episode with Tim Ferriss where Goodall says that women should not try to lead like men because we need female leaders, not just more males.She tells us about what “balance” means for her. Two strategies: turn it off and have an accountability partner.Kate shares a story about how much time she was putting into her work and the feeling that she might need to walk away; we need to create conditions where people have balance or we will continue to lose educators.Joe asks Kate who inspires her and she told us about her mentor, Kate Chambers, and her podcast co-host, Courtney Orzel. She calls out several other peers and mentors who guide and support her work.Kate talked about listening to books, and her current favorite read is Anxious Generation.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.FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district. Let us know who you would like to hear from next.

Ben starts off by telling us about a committee that he has going to help unpack “emerging technology,” and things are literally changing overnight.For us to lead in a tech-driven environment, Ben says that we have to be willing to say “I don’t know what that means, yet.”He tells us about the human-centered design process that they use at his schools--building something for empathy for the end-user of whatever we’re building.Joe asks Ben to talk about anything traditional that they’re abandoning in the curriculum to be able to spend the time they do on future-driven learning.Don’t miss what he says about grading. They figured out how to create a competency-based system that spits out a letter grade at the end.Ben talks about the influences of his background: Beijing, Montessori, Thacher, Bowdoin, and more. All of this feeds his ideas about schools teaching more of an entrepreneur thought process.He shares about the competitive nature of the marketplace for schools in Beijing. Students literally need to have an international passport. This means that the schools are all working to differentiate themselves from others like them.We discuss what it looks like to prepare students to do jobs that don’t exist yet. Ben talks about the fact that one important thing we can do, even though we don’t know what the jobs are, is to help students learn how to navigate competition within a start-up environment.It's awesome to hear how he elevates student voice by asking them to tell him what the future of schooling, including the use of AI, should look like.Joe reminds listeners of our podcast with Don Wettrick.Ben recognizes that many parents are still a bit leery about system changes, and he comes back to what students are going to need for the rest of their lives, including the moral responsibility to use these new tools ethically. Philosophically, he wants his students to explore their passions in the evening versus doing more school work.All 9th graders at NEIH take Foundations of Entrepreneurship.Ben invites our listeners to reach out to him at NEIH. He calls it the gift of time to just sit and talk.Ben tells us about an experience he had in Rwanda that showed him that if they could overcome what they needed to overcome, we can do anything.

This is Season 6, Episode of FocusED, and it features our guest, Nathan Tanner; we discuss what it means to be an unconquerable leader…and so much more.Nathan Tanner Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersNathan Tanner is an executive coach who helps CEOs, founders, and high impact leaders scale themselves and their companies. He has coached leaders at high growth startups and bellwether companies including DoorDash, Google, Autodesk, Electronic Arts, LinkedIn, Procter & Gamble, and Lyft.Prior to becoming a full-time coach, Nathan was the vice president of people at Neighbor. Prior to Neighbor, Nathan spent half a decade at DoorDash where he was hired as the head of HR and scaled the company from 250 to more than 5,000 employees. There he built the company’s first leadership development program and coached more than half of the executive team. Prior to DoorDash, Nathan held several roles on the HR team at LinkedIn. He started his career on Wall Street at Lehman Brothers where he had a front-row seat to the largest bankruptcy in history.Nathan is the author of two books, Not Your Parents' Workplace and his new book, The Unconquerable Leader. Nathan has been an advisor at Y Combinator and has written for Forbes, Inc., Fast Company and other publications. He's an IRONMAN triathlete, holds an MBA from BYU, and was trained as an executive coach at the Co-Active Training Institute. Nathan lives with his wife and their four children in southern Utah.FocusED Show Notes with Guest Nathan TannerRun an experiment; it may not work, but you’ll learn something from it. ~ Nathan TannerNathan starts by telling us that too much of our leadership training is focused on the “external” work, such as technical skills for hiring, training, and supporting others, versus the “internal” work, including mental and emotional resilience.Nathan tells us a story about being stretched thin at work and how he responded. Too often, we don’t even check ourselves when the warning signs are clear.Nathan says that the leadership burnout can happen to anyone, especially people with the best of intentions.Nathan dives into the strategies for managing our emotions. He mentions four. The first is the “unsent angry letter.”He tells us about the “power of walking,” including the science behind it.Nathan does an exercise of deep breathing with all of his clients. This slows our heart rate and helps with a number of physiological benefits.You’ll want to hear what he says about practicing gratitude. Character creation: 1. Identify 2-3 characters who you play in your life (husband, father, leader, brother, etc.), 2. Define how you need to show up in each of these characters, 3. Pick the times that you need to be any of these characters.One major challenge to the character creation strategy is shifting between them. We have to pause and intentionally make the change.Joe asks Nathan about how new leaders can avoid mistakes. Nathan responds by saying that consistency is the most important strategy.He told the story of the 49ers and how staying the course is critical, especially when you have clear principles.Nathan tells us about how he continues to learn and grow, including his reading strategy, which is 30 books a year for the last 10 years.He has a “daily practice,” and he knows that when he does these practices consistently, he shows up at his best.In life the challenge is not to figure how best to play the game but rather to figure out what game you’re playing. ~ Nathan Tanner

Lauren tells that she was inspired to write the book, The Leader Inside, because of her journey and the people who mentored her along the way, including her parents who were teachers and a special teacher who she names on the show.She told us a story about how George Couros challenged her to blog and then eventually write a book. She writes to reflect on her learning, and the pieces about coaching and mentoring resonated most, which led her to the content and the title of her book.She hopes that the book will help people to recognize their gifts and amplify them for themselves and others.She tells us a story about her own growth and the realization that it's special to be able to collaborate with people and learn through interactions with others.Lauren calls out the importance and nobility in having a career in education. Don’t miss what she says about intentionally identifying your personal core values and then connecting them to the vision and mission of your school or district.Joe asked about the power of mentorship. Lauren dives into her former role as a mentor coordinator and the need for a great mentor match, especially in early-career educators.She reminds us about mentoring standards and professional learning networks that can both guide and support our work.In the mentor-mentee relationship, the mentee has a ton of value and the framing should be that both people are learning with and from one another.She talks about her reading habits, reading more than one book at a time, and what she calls “slow reading.”Lauren says that it’s the leader’s job to create structure and processes for others to lead.

Jason Kennedy Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersJason Kennedy is a 24 year educator, author, school administrator, district curriculum and professional learning director, instructional coach, and presenter.He has tons of experience at all levels of education, elementary through college.He has been a part of Cognia review teams, statewide professional learning, and local curriculum design teams, making the intentional designing of instruction for learning his main goal.FocusED Show Notes with Jason KennedyJason tells us that the original book title was “let’s quit teaching,” which the publisher was a bit squeamish about and so they changed it to “let’s ‘stop’ teaching.” The point is that the focus should be on learning, not just teaching.He explains that shifting from teaching to learning is a bigger mindset move than one may realize because many of us, as educators, have been trained to teach…include content delivery.Jason says that we’re always chasing programs versus creating better designs. He explains the difference between planning and designing.Kennedy reminds school leaders that Tier I should be based on standards and curriculum resources, not a program. Don’t miss what he says about combining the what, the who, and how to make the best designs possible.School leaders will gravitate toward what he says about making a daily commitment as educators.We were thrilled to discuss effect sizes and highly impactful teaching strategies, including success criteria.Kids who don’t like their teachers, and, worse yet, kids who don’t feel like their teacher likes them, will struggle to learn. ~ Jason KennedyHe covers the concept of a learning design framework, which is what teachers and students should be doing throughout the instructional period. All teachers should work within a framework to incorporate high impact strategies with flexibility to make decisions.Don’t miss what he says about using AI to build lesson plans.Jason talks about what gets him excited, including working with teachers and collaborative teams.We loved the team names that his teachers use when the collaborate, ELA teachers calling themselves “get lit.”He tells us to go to Corwin for other authors, and mentions John Hattie and VisibleLearning.We loved what he said about “intentional design choices” and what happens when kids come to school and already know the material.Jason ends with “learning is the job.” “The second that the adults stop learning, the kids stop as well.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.FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district. Let us know who you would like to hear from next.

Dr. Emily Alicia Affolter is the director of and faculty for Prescott College's Sustainability Education Ph.D. Program.Prior to serving in this role, she worked as a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Washington’s Center for Evaluation & Research for STEM Equity (CERSE).Emily earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Multicultural Education from the University of Washington working alongside Dr. Geneva Gay, founder of culturally responsive teaching.Emily's current scholarship, dissemination, and facilitation revolve around culturally responsive pedagogy for teachers and leaders in K-12 settings and STEM higher education, and harnessing equity literacy in teaching methods, content, policy, and leadership.FocusED Show Notes with Guest Emily AffolterWas I silent during a time when I had the currency to speak up and disrupt something? ~ Dr. Emily AffolterEmily starts with a quote from a book called Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity.We quickly dig into some of the indicators associated with inclusivity, including problems that stem from exclusivity.Don’t miss what she says about the need for transparent communication as well as formal feedback mechanisms. Feedback can be anonymous, but leaders need to hear as many voices as possible.Huge Question: Are leaders in the organization committed to humility in the way that they engage with systems of power?Emily starts from a point of curiosity regarding the content that is being taught in the classroom. She hopes to see at least 50% of the people being portrayed in the curriculum as being BIPOC and coming from the LGBTQ+ community.You want to hear what she says about “grit” as a core value.You don’t have to be the school leader who knows things, but you do have to be curious and ask questions. ~ Dr. Emily AffolterEmily teaches us to ask this about our schools: What are our unquestioned assumptions about our organizational culture?There’s a really metacognitive-style reflective practice that she describes for teachers and leaders regarding being critical about our own understanding of power (what we have inherently and what we’ve accrued in our lifetime).We gravitated toward what she says about teachers’ use of asset versus deficit thinking when it comes to what students know and don’t know.Joe asks about how our profession can catch newer teachers up to speed faster regarding some of the things that master teachers have learned over time within their careers.There’s no single teacher or classroom that is truly culturally responsive, period. Instead, we’re always learning and evolving. Any increment matters.Find out about her 7 aspects of culturally responsive teaching.Don’t miss what she says about “teacher transformative self-study.”Check out: Social Justice Training Institute (SJTI)Emily talks about the concept of “reflexivity” as a personal growth strategy.Emily and her colleagues are working on a book about regeneration from trauma in education. In other words, we’ve all experienced trauma in education or as learners and how can we comeCheck out: A Decolonial Framework for Pedagogy & Practice

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Amy AndersonAmy starts the conversation with the fact that we need outside partners to do the best work we can on the inside. Don’t miss what she says about the time that students spend beyond the school walls and the need to engage the community to support all learners.Dr. Anderson’s work is primarily with students who are typically marginalized by the system.Joe asks Amy to go into more detail about building the ecosystem of partnerships versus the competitiveness that can ensue when resources are scarce.She talks about a funding source called “LearningDollars,” which is an innovative approach for families to access money for learning providers that exist outside of the school system.We love the concept of “MoonShot” that she mentions--curating ideas to support learners in new and different ways.Amy believes that there are amazing educators who have the capacity to codesign new projects to do better for all students. She mentions a learning lab that’s doing some of that work now.All we need is to give our educators the time and space to innovate and they will. ~ Amy AndersonWe talked a lot about how the education systems are not currently designed to support all learners so the need to go outside of the traditional spaces is critical.Joe mentions a project in his own district where students are working to rebuild their own community through the use of their trade knowledge and credentials that they earned in school.Amy explains some of her background during the onset of the charter school movement, which started with her involvement with housing efforts for refugee students.We don’t have to accept the system the way it is. ~ Amy AndersonAmy talks about what she reads and the people she follows to continue her own development. One book in particular is Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux.She follows Clay Christensen’s work regarding disruptive leadership.She mentions the work of Big Picture Learning. Check it out.Amy ends the conversation with work that’s needed at the policy level in states around the country. She talked about getting a nugget of an idea on a ballot but that this type of thing is a learning experience and that power can come from a small group of people.Call to Action: Look to adjacent organizations to be able to take the load off of schools and expand opportunities for all students.

This is Episode 66 of FocusED, and it features our guest, MInette Norman; in this episode, we're focused on what it means to be an inclusive leader and how leaders can learn to create psychological safety for the people they seek to serve.Minette Norman Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Minette Norman is an award-winning author, speaker, leadership consultant, and former Silicon Valley software executive who spent decades leading global teams.Minette knows that when groups embrace diversity in all its forms, breakthroughs emerge, and innovation accelerates. Her most recent position before starting her consultancy was as Vice President of Engineering Practice at Autodesk. Responsible for influencing more than 3,500 engineers around the globe, she focused on state-of-the-art engineering practices while nurturing a collaborative and inclusive culture.As the author of The Boldly Inclusive Leader and the co-author of The Psychological Safety Playbook, Minette is committed to helping leaders unleash the full potential of the people in their organizations.Named in 2017 as one of the “Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business” by the San Francisco Business Times and as “Business Role Model of the Year” in the 2018 Women in IT/Silicon Valley Awards, Minette is a recognized leader with a unique perspective. Minette holds degrees in Drama and French from Tufts University and studied at the Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris.FocusED Show Notes with Guest Minette NormanMinette starts by defining psychological safety. One key aspect is the ability to ask poignant questions and make critical comments without fear.She mentioned the work of Amy Edmonson. When people feel psychological safety the perform better at work.Minette tells us that people do their best work when they feel that their voice is heard.She tells us that leaders have to start with their own behaviors.No matter how high up you are in the organization, a question that anyone can ask is “what am I missing?” We can’t assume that people will tell us what’s wrong or what we don’t see.When people start telling us their perspective, we have to deliberately listen to understand versus listening to respond.We’re cautioned to not be defensive as leaders because it diminishes psychological safety and therefore an open culture.Minette tells us about a research study that reveals that employees want leaders who are empathetic.We talked about empathy as a skill and the need to connect with people who aren’t like us.Minette says that “the only way to grow as a leader is to become uncomfortable.” We have to be learners first. She tells us about times where she worked in cultures where she didn’t really understand the environment…yet.Minette tells us a great story about leading engineers, all men, and not having been trained as an engineer.We talked about daily habits, and Minette talked about doing something physical every day, even when she’s busy. She also describes the power in not getting backlogged and overwhelmed.Minette ended with the power of self-awareness. Even if you’re not a leader, you still have an impact on the people around you.Books/Resources We Recommend Based on this Podcast with Minette NormanThe Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday Tell Me More About That by Rob Volpe Radical Collaboration by James Tamm and Ronald Luyet Lean In Report on Women in the Workplace Related Content from TheSchoolHouse302 Our FocusED Interview with Todd Kashdan

This is Episode 65 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Peter Rios; in this episode, we're focused on what it takes to unlock your greatest potential as a leader…and so much more. _________________________________________ Peter Rios Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Peter has consulted at institutions such as Harvard University, the Lilly Endowment, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.He has been a lecturer at Penn State, Colorado State, and the Pacific School of Religion at Berkeley. His passion for leadership and personal development, and organizational change stems from his own transformational experience after overcoming trauma at an early age and embarking on an unprecedented journey of healing, self-discovery, and professional development.Peter is on a mission along with his spouse, Dr. Ruby Gonzalez-Rios, to build and develop people so they can maximize their potential and live healthy, fulfilled lives. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Guest Peter RiosPeter talks about how his book, Maximize, was written based on his past, growing up in the projects and ending up with two PhDs.For aspiring writers, don’t miss what he says about “writing everywhere.”Nothing grows in a comfort zone. ~ Dr. Peter RiosThe book helps people to take intention steps in a way that helps with personal and professional growth.Joe asks about specific steps that leaders can make to get from where they are to where they want to go. How do we move forward when we’re overwhelmed with fear?Dr. Rios encourages leaders to take the first step of a self-assessment.He talks about the difference between dreams and goals. Dreams don’t come with benchmarks; goals require targets.Don’t miss what he says about accountability partners.Peter unpacks the sacrifice of a goal, breaking down your dreams into building blocks.Peter talks about using data from 360 reviews and other tools to draw an honest picture of your strengths and weaknesses.Peter mentions the use of a life wheel. Here’s a free example.Something important for all leaders to take away is that maximizing your potential is simple work, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy.Peter tells us that his own story of failure is what separates his books from others.The book has a chapter on the power of creativity and curiosity. He reminds us of some of our own work around having a beginner’s mind.Peter follows Ed Mullet on YouTube.Peter is intentional about exposing himself to people who are not like him.Peter reads and writes every single day. He also prays and meditates each day.Dr. Rios spends some time at the end of the show talking about learning to lead in the context of your situation. There are certainly aspects of leadership that everyone can adopt, but there’s also an aspect of leadership that requires adaptation.Plausible preferred future. Find out what that means.Peter ends with the need for everyone to be kind to themselves and each other.Go to PeterRiosConsulting.com for free chapters.

MESSY Leadership with Alyssa GallagherThis is Episode 64 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Alyssa Gallagher; we discuss the meaning of MESSY leadership, myths about readiness for a role, the need for coaching for all leaders…and so much more. _________________________________________ Alyssa Gallagher Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersAlyssa Gallagher is the Head of BTS Spark. America, an education author, leader, and speaker. She has twenty years of experience in the public education sector serving as a teacher, principal and most recently an assistant superintendent.In addition to co-authoring MESSY Leadership for School Leaders, Alyssa has also co-authored two books on Design Thinking for leaders. Alyssa enjoys working with leaders to design strategies that leverage the capability, creativity and intelligence of everyone on their team._________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Alyssa GallagherLeadership isn’t about showing up to feel good. ~ Alyssa GallagherAlyssa tells us that MESSY is an acronym that comes from more than 20 thousand experiences coaching school leaders to uncover and unpack their biggest troubles.The book not only discusses the concept of “messy” school leadership but also provides leaders with tools on how to deal with an ever-changing environment.Each letter in the MESSY acronym represents a shift in the way that school leaders need to think. We loved that part of the conversation given our book 7 Mindshifts for School Leaders.Don’t miss what Alyssa says about what leaders are doing that used to work but doesn’t anymore.She talks about underlying beliefs that are false about leadership, including the notion that we should just work harder…showing up first and leaving last.She’s insightful about the strategic planning process being a “straight-jacket.” Leaders need to be much more nimble than a 3-5 year plan.Joe asks Alyssa about how she coaches school leaders to work within uncertainty. Her company has certified coaches who do this work.Key takeaway: The truth about uncertainty is that when there are times of stability, we can be clear that uncertainty is on its way.One thing that she talked about that matters for all school leaders is planning for multiple scenarios and all possible outcomes.We asked Alyssa to talk more about coaching structures and normalizing leadership coaching. We agreed that all school leaders need an affordable and accessible coach. Pay attention to her flexible one-on-one coaching process, which starts with a match-making procedure.She mentions personalized coaching as well as small group coaching for like-minded leaders.We talked about demystifying the “job-ready” leader philosophy that’s impractical and basically untrue. We need to do more to ensure that school leaders have growth opportunities on day one of the job.Don’t miss what Alyssa says about her love of learning, her own coach, her mastermind group, and seeking out new ways to grow.Alyssa mentions her relationship with books. She looks for inspiration in authors, including Liz Wiseman and Jane McGonigal.

This is Episode 63 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Patrice Bain; we discuss powerful teaching techniques, brain science, action research, classroom instruction, school leadership…and much more. _________________________________________ Patrice Bain Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersPatrice M. Bain, Ed.S., is a veteran K–12 and university educator, speaker and author. As a finalist for Illinois Teacher of the Year and a Fulbright Scholar in Europe, she has been featured in national and international podcasts, webinars, presentations and popular press, including NOVA and Scientific American.In addition to Powerful Teaching, she also co-authored an essential practice guide for educators: Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning, in collaboration with the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).Bain’s latest book A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching reinforces the “Teaching Triangle'' of student, parent, and teacher collaboration. Patrice was one of two U.S. teachers on the working task group: Neuromyths vs. Neurotruths, sponsored by (IES) and the National Commission of Educational Research (NCER). In addition, she was a contributor to the United Nations UNESCO ISEE (International Science and Evidence-based Education) Assessment, outlining the vision for world education by 2030._________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Patrice BainPatrice started with the fact that it’s an exciting time in education because we know more now than ever before the science of teaching, including the best ways for students to learn.The four practices that Patrice brings forward from the research are as follows: retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and feedback-driven meta-cognition.Don’t miss what she says about cognitive load—we can only absorb 4 to 7 pieces of information at a time.She talks about high-stakes tests, the forgetting curve, and what we should do now that we’re armed with the science of teaching and learning.Retrieval practice should be low-stakes or no-stakes, asking students to simply remember what they learned yesterday, for example.Patrice says that we learn in three steps: encoding, storage, and retrieval. We miss the third step. Too often we focus on getting information to our students versus pulling information from them.Don’t miss what she says about action research.

Be the Flame with Shane SaeedThis is Episode 62 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Shane Saeed. In our wide ranging conversation, we discuss community building, setting norms, the science of learning, coaching teachers…and much more. _________________________________________ Shane Saeed Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Shane Saeed is a district instructional coach in Colorado working with educators K-12. Prior to coaching, Shane was an elementary teacher. Shane has earned a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in literacy, a second master’s degree in School Leadership and is currently a doctoral candidate working on her degree in Executive Leadership with a focus on Educational Equity and will defend her research this spring.Shane’s passion is sharing instructional practices with educators near and far. She is a keynote speaker and facilitates professional development nationally on topics such as the science of learning, the science of reading, and on relationship building using content from her book, Be the Flame, which outlines high-yield tangible strategies to cultivate strong positive relationships with all stakeholders.Shane was named one of 20 Emerging Leaders for ASCD in 2022. Shane continues to work in public education in her Colorado school district and collaborates with teachers across the globe via social media. Follow Shane on X: @saeed_shane. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Shane SaeedIt takes a community to create a safe space for students to air their grievances. Only then can teachers change behaviors, working toward an even stronger community. ~ Shane Saeed Shane talked about connecting with acclaimed author Jimmy Casas, our friend and author of Culturize. Jimmy encouraged Shane to write her book, and Be the Flame was born.Shane says that we often think of community building as a beginning of the year activity, but the truth is that community building should be ongoing.Dr. Saeed talked about modeling activity for team building at a staff meeting so that teachers know how to use that same strategy with students. The difference is that the staff should also discuss the benefits and outcomes of the strategy so that they understand the WHY.Don’t miss what she says about team building and “first drafts” that can reinforce learning foundations and mindsets for both students and staff.Shane emphasizes the use of community meetings. Here’s a stem to try with students: “This week I did well at…and next week I would like to do a better job with…”Shane talked about setting norms (for classrooms and adult meetings); she referenced Learning By Doing by the DuFours. We asked Shane to talk about the structure of her book, which is focused on takeaways. The book includes stories, reflection questions, and things to use for immediate implementation.As always, we geeked about a bit on the science of learning, including Shane’s description of prior knowledge.Joe asks Shane to talk about how she organizes her learning. Don’t miss what she says about going deep into multiple authors and works. She calls these “suites” for her learning intentions. Shane calls for more belonging in schools; one way to do this is to ensure a knowledgeable teacher versus one who can implement a program. This reminded us of a Delaware professional learning experience called DTI. Check it out.Dr. Saeed uses cognitive coaching as an instructional coach. The thinking has to be the responsibility of the educator, not just a coach or administrator dictating what to do in every case. She talks about how exhausted teachers are, and the fact that they make more decisions than a brain surgeon, which means we need to streamline and structure.

Kim Strobel is a renowned motivational speaker and author of the forthcoming Teach Happy: Small Steps to Big Joy, sought after by schools, businesses, and organizations worldwide. With her powerful message about the impact of happiness on well-being and the pursuit of fulfillment, she traverses the globe, sharing her insights.Kim specializes in empowering educators and professionals, equipping them with the necessary tools and strategies to shift their mindsets, reclaim their happiness, reignite their passion, and lead with purpose.Drawing from her extensive background as a teacher and curriculum director, Kim’s ultimate aim is to inspire her audience. Through her engaging talks, she presents captivating research, heartwarming anecdotes, and practical steps for achieving life-altering results.In addition to her professional pursuits, Kim is a devoted animal rescuer, having rescued 187 dogs. She is also an avid runner and has an unwavering love for life. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Guest Kim StrobelA positive brain is 30% more productive than a brain that is neutral or stressed. ~ Kim StrobelKim starts with the fact that happiness is scientifically based, regardless of what some people may think about the skill of developing happiness.She takes a step back and says that there are heavy feelings. She doesn’t promote toxic positivity, but we ought not get stuck in the gutter either.Don’t miss what she says about the power of happiness in helping us to become more engaged and creative.Kim isn’t shy about what we’re typically taught--put your head down and work hard, more hours, etc. That just doesn’t work if we want to be effective.Joe is candid about how stress can create rumination and then we enter autopilot. He asks Kim to help with the mindset shift that many of us need.Kim describes parts of the brain, how they work, and the subconscious mind that’s driving thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors.She tells us that too many people are on cognitive overload. We have 70,000 thoughts a day and 60% are negative.Our negative brains are what kept us safe as humans, but that’s mostly not necessary anymore.Kim reminds us that our mind and our thoughts are within our control. The number one strategy to rewire our neurofeedback is to use gratitude. Writing down 3 thoughts of gratitude per day can literally change your mind about yourself and the world.In our gratitude practice, which is a happiness habit, we must be specific--not just that we’re able to exercise but that we can run 30 miles per week. Be specific!Don’t miss what she says about habit stacking.She gives granular advice to teachers about how to build happiness habits with students in the classroom.Joe asks Kim to dive deeper into her meditation chair. The need for tradition and habit is critical to build success and mitigate decision-fatigue.Kim opens up about her own trials with panic disorder and suffering that she went through as she helped herself out of a dark state.We can blame anyone for anything, but at the end of the day our happiness is our own responsibility.Kim describes the work ethic that many of us have as being gratifying because we’re drained after giving our all to something but that’s not the best strategy for real happiness.She tells us that 50 hours of work leads to about 37 hours of productive time; and, 55 hours leads to 35 hours of productive time. Five more hours and we lose 3 that were potentially productive.Don’t miss what she says about putting our energy into the things that fuel us rather than the things that deplete us.Check out the gratitude tracker that Kim mentions during the show.Find Kim at kimstrobel.com/.

This is Episode 60 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Wendy Turner. Wendy talks to us about adult burn-out, SEL strategies to use on yourself, what leaders can do differently to support teachers…and much more. _________________________________________ Wendy Turner Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersWendy Turner is an educator, author, and teacher leader who is passionate about social emotional learning. Wendy currently teaches third grade in Wilmington, DE and works to build capacity in others around social emotional learning practices in schools.She was the 2017 Delaware Teacher of the Year, a Presidential Excellence in Teaching Science awardee, an NEA Global Learning Fellow, an Outstanding STEM Educator in Delaware, a Delaware Compassion Champion, and served as the teacher leader on the Delaware State Board of Education for two years.Wendy now facilitates professional learning on social emotional learning both locally and nationally and regularly contributes to education blogs, articles, and podcasts. She is the author of Embracing Adult SEL, published by Routledge in 2023. You can follow Wendy on X: @mrswendymturner._________________________________________FocusED Show Notes with Wendy TurnerJudgment is an insufficient use of resources for living your life. ~ Wendy TurnerWendy talks about her time in the classroom and how she needed a break before coming back to the classroom. When she left, she felt burnt out, which led her to write her book about adult SEL. One thing that matters about this book is that it’s a self-help book for us to implement SEL for ourselves as well as others.She tells us that she shares a lot of her personal life in the book to relate to readers who want to learn more about implementing SEL for themselves.Joe asks Wendy if she thinks she could have not burnt out so fast if she had SEL when she left education before coming back to her current position. Don’t miss what she says about having some pieces of the practices but not all.Don’t miss what Wendy says about having a “box of energy.”Wendy talks about using empathy to take action--she calls this Curious, Connected, and Active. You have to check this framework out in the book.T.J. points out Chapter 3 from the book and the foundation of SEL being self-awareness. You have to hear how Wendy responds to this using information from that chapter on page 49.Wendy addresses the shame that we often feel and how to let it go, including our own pessimism about things that we can’t control.Don’t miss what she says about her core values and how she uses them to make quality decisions.Joe asks about barriers, roadblocks, etc to doing this work well. Wendy advises that it takes time--1 to 3 months. Try five new things in that time period.Wendy talks about positively present as a place that she goes for inspiration.She mentions a case study on SEL that she finds fascinating because it says that we need to start with adult SEL if we’re going to implement it successfully with our students.Explicit, sustained, and embedded--these are the principles of implementing any professional learning that we want to stick, including SEL.Wendy calls for SEL coaches in every school.Joe asks Wendy to unpack SEL circles, which she does using CASEL practices.Wendy says that teachers need practical, useful strategies that they can use right away. She talks about her next book, which is going to be an SEL playbook. Teachers know the what, but they need help with the how.

This is Episode 59 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Mitch Weathers. Mitch defines executive functioning skills, why they are so important to teach students in school, and how to do it in every classroom…and much more._________________________________________ Mitch Weathers Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Mitch Weathers became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. Despite taking seven years to graduate college, he navigated the classroom with discomfort.This unique perspective fueled Mitch's teaching approach. Recognizing the importance of laying a foundation for learning, he created Organized Binder. This research-backed strategy empowers teachers to impart executive functioning skills efficiently, preserving valuable instructional time.By establishing a predictable routine, Organized Binder fosters safer learning spaces, shaping Mitch's journey from a struggling student to an innovative educator.Mitch’s book helps educators understand and implement executive functioning skills in the classroom. It’s called Executive Functions for Every Classroom, Grades 3-12: Creating Safe and Predictable Learning Environments. You can find Mitch on X @organizedbinder. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Mitch WeathersMitch talks about writing the book because not all teachers can access his company’s resources, Organized Binder, but they can design lessons that help students gain executive functioning skills. The book helps with that.Mitch says that we can’t hope that students will pick up executive functions (EF) skills by chance.Joe reminds listeners that we interviewed Curtiss Murphy and we must assume confusion. With that in mind, Joe asks Mitch to define EF.Mitch said that one of the schools he works with calls EF skills “studentness.” The reason for this is that not all kids know how to “do school.” EF teaches how to do school well, and they translate to life skills.Don’t miss the 6 skills that Mitch says matter for all other skills to fall in place.We discuss predictable learning spaces and the need for the environment to be safe for risk-taking and other factors required for learning to take place.Mitch calls for more routines so that kids aren’t spending their cognitive load on processing the demands of the classroom and the teacher so that they can place that demand on the learning intentions.Don’t miss what he says about “shared routines” in schools and collective teacher efficacy. When we build shared routines, we’re also collectively rallying around something that we all care to deliver for kids.EF skills are not necessarily something that should just be taught in isolation, but rather they should be used in the context of all learning scenarios.Joe asks about the trouble with collective efficacy and why we don’t share practices for predictable learning environments. Mitch has a simple answer: too much isolation.The rhythm and routine of the day shouldn’t change. ~ Mitch WeathersSeveral times, Mitch mentions Visible Learning MetaX. All instructional leaders should know about this and how some strategies have higher effect sizes than others.You want to listen to how Mitch describes the need for continuity in schools.Mitch says that when you pick a routine to implement, you should explore why. The rationale is as important as the strategy itself.Resources that Mitch mentions: Organized Binder and Teach Better’s Grid Method.Mitch talks about CTE being the future of secondary education.He tells us that too much of school is focused on content and teaching and not enough on the environment.

This is Episode 58 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Suzanne Dailey. Don’t miss what Suzanne has to say about teaching happier, gratitude, the brain, tons of book recommendations…and much more. _________________________________________ Suzanne Dailey Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Suzanne Dailey has been a teacher for 22 years. She is currently an instructional coach in the Central Bucks School District, where she has the honor and joy of working with over 500 elementary teachers and 8,000 students.She teaches model lessons, facilitates professional development sessions, and mentors teachers to be the best for the students in front of them. Suzanne is Nationally Board Certified teacher, a fellow of the National Writing Project, and has a Masters Degree in Reading.She is dedicated to nurturing and developing the whole child and teacher and presents these topics at the local, state, and national level. Suzanne is the author of Teach Happier this School Year: 40 Weeks of Inspiration & Reflection and the host of the popular weekly podcast, Teach Happier. You can follow Suzanne Dailey on X: @DaileySuzanne. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Suzanne DaileySuzanne starts off by defining that teaching happier is also coaching happier and leading happier. Happier is not about toxic positivity but rather contentment and alignment.When we feel happier as a person, we’re better coworkers, teachers, friends, etc.Suzanne talks about the research--behavioral psychology and neuroscience--and that there are very specific strategies that we can use to be happier.Two practices she mentions early in the podcast--getting moving and practicing gratitude.Every good teacher sees the person behind the student. ~ Suzanne DaileyDon’t miss what Suzanne says about a leader’s ability to discern how each person is motivated. We were thrilled to hear her mention energy as something we need to manage.Suzanne talks about her work in the 4th largest school district in Pennsylvania, and a document that the superintendent uses to celebrate staff. This is practical and can be used by anyone.She describes the book as broken into 40 small parts to be able to read a quick 2-3 pages per day and set goals. What are your weekly wins? Based on your reading, what will be your next right thing--2 degree shift in your thoughts, language, or actions?Teach Happier This School Year is now an ASCD bestseller.If you want to take care of the students, take care of the teachers. ~ Suzanne DaileyBecause Suzanne mentions so many books and research, Joe asks about how she digests books to become practical in her life. Listen to her strategies.Suzanne calls for more books about people who work in spaces that care for others. She calls them “caregiving professions.” We can learn so much from people in these callings, and she says that the only way forward is to learn from them.Joe catches a nuance that Suzanne is an instructional coach, but she also works at the cabinet level in her district.Suzanne ends with her favorite impact, which is working with new teachers.

Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera has served as a teacher, principal of an international magnet school, director of curriculum, and director of equity and inclusion in her 17 years as an educator.She is currently a DEI project specialist and adjunct professor in the College of Education at Butler University and consults through her business, EBR Educational Consulting, LLC.Dr. Buchanan-Rivera’s research centers identity-affirming environments. She completed a doctoral degree from Indiana State University in 2017 where she developed an instrument to measure inclusivity in classroom environments. She has written award-winning publications, and her work has been featured in Education Week, Edutopia, Educational Leadership Magazine (ASCD), K-12 Dive, educational journals, and national podcasts.In April 2020, she was recognized as the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Education at Butler University due to her contributions to the field on a local and national level. Her first book, Identity Affirming Classrooms: Spaces that Center Humanity, has spread her reach and consulting work internationally. In 2023, she won the Arnold Mickens Black Excellence in Leadership Award, and we invite you to follow her on X @ericabrivera. _________________________________________ Erica started the conversation about her own experiences in school where the educators had good intentions, but those intentions didn’t result in an inclusive environment. In fact, none of her teachers or school leaders were people of color.She aims to amplify student voice, which she does throughout her text. Students don’t just talk about their trauma, but they identify opportunities to support all students in schools. In many cases, all we need to do is to listen to the students.Dr. Buchanan-Rivera breaks down what it means to talk about “culture” in schools. We’re talking about “the ways of being” in schools, which includes the roles of power and inequities that exist within schools.She says that there’s no real right or wrong way to amplify student voices but that the key is to ask students about their experiences in schools and the ways that we can improve the environment. Listen to what she says about her own listening tours.Once we listen to our students, we should build what they say into our strategic plans for school improvement. ~ Erica Buchanan-RiveraJoe asks about general threads in what Erica finds when she talks to students about their experiences in school. One common thread is that students want to know how they’re doing in school--they are curious to receive more feedback.Just like adults, kids want to know about their strengths and areas for improvement, and they often don’t get that from school. ~ Erica Buchanan-RiveraErica tells us that we can drive change to a more joyous environment by unpacking our own belief systems. Do we truly embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in action? Do we believe that all students can learn? Are we treating students like humans?She calls for equity audits as a fresh set of eyes on what teaching and learning really feels like in our schools--tools that assess systems.As administrators, we often learn to manage dysfunction rather than learning to clean-house. ~ Erica Buchanan-RiveraDon’t miss what she says about outcomes that indicate that our effort in this space is working.Erica says we need more support for administrators on leading change, having critical conversations, and growing as equity warriors. A needed book title: Navigating the DEI Space for School Leaders.Accountability should be seen as an act of love. ~ Erica Buchanan-Rivera

This is Episode 56 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Meghan Lawson. It was originally recorded in front of a live audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, Wilmington University, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what Meghan Lawson says about teaching for a lasting impact, creating a legacy of learning…and much more. _________________________________________ Meghan Lawson Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersMeghan Lawson is a thought leader who studies and implements the conditions and systems needed for transformational change. A lover of learning who believes in the goodness of people, Meghan works to cultivate spaces that honor the humanity of all people.She promotes storytelling, the exchange of ideas, and risk-taking. She is passionate about disrupting the status quo and creating kinder, forward-thinking communities of action.Meghan is also intensely curious about how to enhance the customer experience in schools. Meghan began her career in the English Language Arts classroom. So, inevitably, her mantra is “Words matter.” She has worked in all levels of K – 12 education as a teacher, school administrator, district administrator, and educational consultant. She’s the author of Legacy of Learning: Teaching for Lasting Impact, and you can follow her on X: @meghan_lawson. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Meghan LawsonMeghan wrote her book because she’s finding educators all over the place who say things like, “I wish the work was fun again.”Meghan says that the stories in the book are authentic, real, and feel like “coffee conversations.”Joe asks what it means to “have fun at work.” Meghan talks about positive psychology research.Don’t miss what she says about what it means to talk to ourselves.When we can create environments where dopamine is high, we can be at our best.Meghan calls for teachers to do an inventory about what they can and cannot control and then focus on the controllable aspects of the work.She talks about the typical teacher’s perfectionistic personality and what to do about it.Small moves done consistently over time can leave to big impact. ~ Meghan LawsonIf everyone contributes to growing by their 1% each day, imagine what can happen. ~ Meghan LawsonJoe brings up the pareto principle and the focus we need on the 20% of our work that leads to 80% of the results.Meghan says that one way to use the triangle in her book is to reflect on it in the aftermath of a mistake.She says that all students deserve hope and that hope is a stronger predictor of success than any other measure. Hope, belonging, and engagement work together; when one goes up, the other two do as well.Meghan calls out the fact that kids can go through the whole day at school (maybe weak) without anyone saying their name.She says that she wants to do work she enjoys with people she likes to be around.Meghan hopes that all of the unwritten books will get written. People need the confidence to write their stories.Life is too short to read books that you’re not getting much out of. ~ Meghan LawsonDon’t miss some of the strategies that she uses for reading.Meghan ends by genuinely thanking educators for what they do.

Luke Roberts Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersDr. Luke Roberts has worked in education in the UK for over 20 years to address issues of conflict, bullying, and educational opportunities. He worked on the national evaluation of restorative justice in schools before becoming a practitioner and trainer.He became increasingly concerned that the whole school approach was not working and did an MBA, M.Ed., before completing his Ph.D. exploring schools as complex adaptive systems. This reframing of schools is central to his book and seeks to address the challenge of why innovation does not last in educational settings.He has also worked in communities and prison settings to promote conflict resolution. He joined Highfive in the USA to promote sustainable solutions to educational challenges as Chief Innovation Officer.He also advises government departments on system approaches and is a visiting lecturer at Cambridge University and the Royal College of Arts. His recent book is called Leading Schools and Sustaining Innovation. You can follow Dr. Luke Roberts on X: @LukeshRoberts. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Luke RobertsFollowing his PhD, Luke wrote this book to make sure leaders can understand complexity without being too challenged by academic literature.Luke wants leaders to have a usable framework for sustaining innovation.Luke says schools are much more like beehives than machines. In machines, you can take parts out, but beehives are much more interconnected.He talked about the hub and spoke model of school leadership whereby all of the spokes are centered on the leader. Then, when the leader leaves, the innovations die. Dr. Roberts tells a real story about this happening.One problem that we discuss is that humans like power and actually like the fact that the system revolves around them.Listen to what he says about being in a production-mind versus being a gardener. This requires an identity shift for the school leader.The conversation about the network effect in schools is fascinating, especially since it deviates from the traditional hub and spoke model.Joe asked about the next steps that leaders can make to work toward the networked model.No one perspective is going to solve the problem.Don’t miss what he says about zooming out and validating history before moving forward.Systems thinking is much different than change theory, which Luke says is part of the problem. Change theory is often linear and “beehives” are not linear organizations.Luke calls for a greater focus on young peoples’ futures and schools that spend time on students’ sense of identity and how they will interface with society in the future.Joe underscores the fact school is often something that is done to students rather than for them.Dr. Roberts talks about injecting creativity into the system so that more educators are working in a safe space where they can be creative in the way they think about changing their school.We need the ability to play with boundaries, including time and the way the day unfolds. The structures of the day can limit the ability for people to think creatively and change the future of the environment.Luke says that once you start to see systems, it’s so hard to unsee them. He references Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a systems thinker.Luke asks the audience to ponder how we think about change, not reduce but increase what we should do.

This is Episode 54 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Lee Roland. It was originally recorded in front of a live audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, Wilmington University, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what Lee Roland says about his journey as a school leader and radical change in schools. _________________________________________ Lee Roland Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Lee Roland has been a leader in education and the community for more than 35 years. He has served as a teacher, administrator, Board member, principal, Executive Director, and pastor.Lee is a passionate speaker, practical trainer and dedicated advocate for a better future for all. His book, Fantastic Voyage, chronicles his journey of leadership and radical change at Tulakes Elementary.Voyage Consulting was born out of a desire to inspire, equip, and empower others to believe, pursue, and achieve equity and success for all individuals, especially children, in our community. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Lee RolandLee wants readers to take his content and make it their own. “Take what he says, personalize it, put your name on it,” he says. We have to borrow from one another.Joe asks a direct question about imposter syndrome and Lee’s thoughts about writing and publishing a book.Lee talked about his early years and that failure was never an option. People always have looked to him for inspiration, and he has embraced the charge.He talks about how the staff and community are looking to school leaders for hope.Lee isn’t shy to point out that there’s often an elephant in the room…race and poverty are two that we have to face.Wearing uniforms made a difference in a school where many of the students didn’t have regular outfits. This created a team feel.Lee addressed the thoughts and motivation that comes from fear…the fear of change. He encourages school leaders to work with “designated leaders” as well as “undesignated leaders.”Don’t miss what he says about building relationships. “We’ve heard it said, but we have to make deposits with people.” ~ Lee RolandOne sentiment that we take away from his message is that we have to lead with our hearts. People can feel it, and it’s contagious.Joe underscores that fear presents itself but it’s often not real.Lee encourages the concept of “collaborative leadership.” What he says reminds of the “shirtless dancing guy video.”You’ll want to hear what he says about the fact that educators often return to schools to work in a scene of a “non-crime” but the community is often returning to school as a “scene of a crime” that they remember when they were in school.Listen to what Lee says about being intentional with every single event that the school hosts.Lee says that we make things too complicated. Just think about a student who doesn’t come to school regularly and what can happen if we get them to come to school 5 more days this year than last.Students at Lee’s school received an effort grade every day. This was born out of a desperate love for them and making sure that everyone worked toward excellence.Lee wants to see a whole-child approach to learning (some call it social and emotional learning), but Lee says that we need to address trauma. Plus, he wants the energy in a school to be about the students. Every Student: “I am the agenda.”He points to Ron Edmonds’ work.As a final point, he tells listeners to “lead with love.” No one can follow if you don’t lead first.

Don Parker Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersDr. Don Parker is a transformational keynote speaker and professional development provider. He specializes in SEL, supporting teachers to build trusting relationships with students, restorative practices, trauma-informed practices, and improving the culture and climate of schools to enhance students’ and teachers’ feeling of belonging.Dr. Parker is a former principal and served at Posen School in Posen, IL where he improved the school climate, staff collaboration, parent engagement, and student achievement. Before that he was the principal of Lincoln Avenue School, a K-8 school in Dolton, IL, where he improved the culture, implemented a resilience program, managed the implementation of restorative justice, and increased attendance and student achievement.Dr. Parker is the author of the book Building Bridges: Engaging Students At-Risk Through the Power of Relationships and Be the Driving Force: Leading Your School on the Road to Equity. Follow Dr. Don Parker on Twitter: @DrDonParker1. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Don Parker Don starts with the fact that equity issues aren’t new. The achievement gap has been static for too long. Don says that leaders are driving this work or pumping the brakes.Don says that equity work starts at the top.Don talks about the fact that people will follow a person before they follow a cause.Don’t miss what he says about sharing data to create a sense of urgency. We need to take an honest look at our practices and start the conversation with empathy.Don talked about the fact that 72% of students feel that they need social and emotional support but don’t get it.We need to take an inventory of our academic supports to ensure that we’re reaching all students.Don says that we often make assumptions about the community and what they need, but the better strategy is to ask them. Are our family engagement and education strategies targeting what the community needs?Dr. Parker says that we need to use surveys more often to gather information about what our families want from the school, maybe there’s something they think we should be providing that we’re (even though we can).His story about a family who had a food-deficit is inspirational.If Don could improve every school, he would make sure every student felt valued in the school environment. His water bottle analogy is incredible.Don talks about strategies to create belonging and says that it’s not rocket science.“99% of education is encouragement.” ~ Don ParkerDon tells our audience to listen to podcasts, go to conferences, and read books. He names Anthony Muhammad’s book, Transforming School Culture.Joe asked if anyone outside of education inspired Don, and he pointed to a touching story about his uncle.Don mentions the leadership of Barack Obama and overcoming seemingly impossible challenges. Find out what Don believes are the skills that Obama used to be successful.He wants to see more on the topic of educator empathy…how to be more empathetic for the sake of our students. We came up with this title for a future book, The Empathetic Educator.As final words, Don talked about the professional development that he’s doing around the country and how he helps educators to work better with students who have trauma in their lives.

This is Episode 52 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Sam Crome. It was originally recorded in front of a live audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, Wilmington University, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what Sam Crome says about the power of teams, creating and leading thriving school cultures, and so much more. _________________________________________ Sam Crome Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED ListenersSam Crome is a school leader, currently a Deputy Headteacher and Director of Education for a Multi Academy Trust in Surrey. He has been a Head of Year, Head of Department, Head of Sixth Form, lead Teaching and Learning, and most recently lead pastoral teams across a secondary school.For the last few years, Sam has studied high-performing teams, trying to better understand how teams can become more than the sum of their parts. He regularly blogs, speaks, and works with schools regarding their teams, helping educators to maximize their effectiveness.He remains convinced that this is an area that needs more attention and exploration. Sam is an accredited coach and loves working with coaches to help them realize their potential and make strides towards their career goals.He’s the author of The Power of Teams: How to create and lead thriving school teams. _________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Sam CromeSam saw a lot of competition in the world of education, not necessarily using teamwork, which is why he wrote the book.Here’s what Sam wants to know: how do a group of people come together to seamlessly strive toward a common goal?Sam talks about learning to coach and the impact that the process had on his work with leaders. The form of coaching that he mentions is “non-directive.”Don’t miss what he says about his former self in terms of his past perspective on teams and what he believes now.We ask Sam about what makes for a great team and how to lead a team. You’ll want to hear this.He describes a “team debrief” as a critical aspect of teamwork. We discussed the need for Before Action Reviews and After Action Reviews.Sam talked about the reasons why teams aren’t effective.He mentions a simple remedy to team meetings: planning. We talked about this with Dr. Liz City.Don’t miss him describe his BIG secret--start every meeting with a short burst of learning. Plus, this should be enjoyable and not too sensitive.Teams have to believe that what they say they’re going to do at the meeting is what they actually do after the meetings. This means that the leader has to start meetings with an update about what has happened since the last meeting.Sam talks about accountability from the leader for the people who attend meetings.The survey data that he talks about is incredible.Sam talks about the ResearchED Network and getting so much value from that group.We asked Sam about what he would do to support the student experience, and he talked about a disruptive-free learning zone. Students need safety and belonging for learning to take place Related School Leadership Content Based on This ShowWe wrote about teams in an early blog. Check it out and comment on the site._________________________________________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.