The Interview Chair

In this episode, I sit down with Hamish Brewer, a globally recognized educational leader known for his relentless approach to school improvement and leadership. Hamish shares his journey from New Zealand to becoming an award-winning principal in Virginia, discussing his challenges, including personal injuries and leadership struggles. Filled with motivational insights and practical advice, this conversation is one you won't want to miss. 

In this engaging conversation, Andrea Bitner shares her journey as a teacher, focusing on her experiences with English language learners and the importance of community support in schools. She emphasizes the need for collaboration among educators and understanding the diverse backgrounds of students to foster success. Andrea's heartfelt stories highlight the challenges and triumphs of teaching, offering valuable insights for educators navigating similar paths.

In this conversation, Principal Sean Gaillard discusses the emotional toll of working in education and the importance of personal health and well-being. He shares how educators often face immense pressure and the necessity of carving out time for self-care and reflection, emphasizing the significance of seeking support from others to navigate the challenges of the profession.

In this episode, Jimmy sits down with Joy Kelly, a seasoned educator and leadership coach, who shares the challenges faced by many school leaders and the importance of leaning into your core values during difficult times. 

In this episode, Jimmy interviews former principal and Superintendent Darrin Peppard. They discuss the critical aspects of educational leadership, emphasizing the importance of clarity and intentionality and the need for educators to focus on positive reinforcement. 

In this episode of the Interview Chair, Dr. Sanée Bell reminds us to be excellent on purpose, emphasizing the need for educators to maintain high expectations for all students and staff in order to inspire, motivate and empower them to be their very best. 

In this episode, Texas Principal of the Year, David Arencibia shares his journey from humble beginnings, overcoming situational poverty and dyslexia to becoming a nationally recognized leader in education. David discusses the essential components that transformed his school campus into a thriving school community.

In this episode, Jennifer Womble shares her journey from a law school dropout to a leader in educational technology.  Jimmy and Jen discuss the challenges and opportunities in education, focusing on the importance of understanding resistance to change, adapting professional development to meet the needs of adult learners, and the role of mentorship and modeling in teaching for all educators.   

In this episode, Jimmy interviews Jordan Montgomery, a USA Today bestselling author and renowned performance coach. They discuss Jordan's journey from financial services to coaching, the challenges he faced during a difficult season in his life, and the importance of aligning values with goals. Jordan shares practical advice for navigating adversity, the power of vulnerability in leadership, and how to build meaningful relationships through thoughtful questioning. The conversation emphasizes the significance of personal growth and finding purpose in both professional and personal life.

In this episode, Beth Houf shares her journey as principal, discussing the challenges and triumphs she has faced in her career. She emphasizes the importance of support systems, personal growth, and leading authentically. The discussion serves as a reminder that even the most accomplished leaders can face struggles and that reaching out for help is crucial in navigating the complexities of educational leadership.

In this episode, Illinois Superintendent Mike Lubelfeld, shares his experiences in dealing with the trauma of COVID-19, the impact of non-person vs. in-person learning, and the challenges of scaling e-learning with limited resources - all amid a mass shooting in his community.  Mike opens up about how all of this took a toll on him both mentally and physically. 

In this episode, Jimmy is joined by teacher Nick Ferroni, who reminds us that there is no such thing as a perfect teacher. However, every teacher is great at something—and even greater when they stop comparing themselves to others.  

In this episode, Jimmy sits down with current practitioner and Teacher Librarian Shannon Miller. Shannon shares how she lost her sparkle after she felt boxed in and not given the opportunities to lead or contribute in meaningful ways.

In this episode, Dr. Jody Carrington reminds us that to best serve our students and families the biggest investment we can make is on ourselves first and that our job as educators and caretakers is to do the next best, right, kind thing.

In episode 74, we sit down with Dr. Stephen Peters who reflects on his role as a leader as he shares what he did to honor and be faithful to the work in order to make the greatest impact possible.

In this episode, Jimmy sits down with Salinas, CA Superintendent and 2023 ALAS National Superintendent of the Year Zandra Jo Galván who shares how educators can change the narrative and help break the cycle of generational poverty for all kids!

In this episode Weston talks about “that one kid” who almost made him quit the profession. 

In this episode, guest Shane Saeed owns up to the challenges she faced as a first-year teacher and how she almost left the teaching profession. However, these experiences helped her learn and grow and made her a better educator. 

In this episode, guest Baruti Kafele shares two things we can do in life as it relates to our work - We can go along to get along or stand on principle. Hear his story as it relates to his work. 

In this final episode of 2024, Jimmy discusses his thoughts as we close out the year and shares some exciting news about changes coming to The Interview Chair in 2025!

In this episode, Jimmy shares a recent conversation with a principal who felt his feedback was dismissed, leading to a missed opportunity by his director. 

In this week's episode, Jimmy shares an excerpt from Shane Saeed, ConnectEDD author of Be the Flame – Sparking Positive Classroom Communities. Learning can happen in a classroom when we not only make time to build connections and relationships among our students but also normalize mistakes.

It is November and educators have a right to be tired. In this episode, Jimmy gives thanks to all the educators who continue to impact students by finding time to interact with them in meaningful ways. By doing so, we learn they often impact us in even greater ways.   

In this Part 2 episode, Jimmy continues sharing his perspective on the change process from last week's episode and describes his Layering the Change process in order to avoid the favoritism undercurrent and achieve a better result.

In this Part 1 episode, Jimmy breaks down the change process and shares the disconnect between those who are driving it and those who are implementing it.

In this week's episode, Jimmy shares how students may sometimes behave in less desirable ways that are outside of our control. However, we can examine the elements well within our control, such as our tasks, activities, and how we assess our students, which can directly impact how kids respond in our classrooms.

In this episode, Jimmy shares a personal story about a former student to remind us of the impact we can make when we see the best in others and expect the best from ourselves.

In this episode, Jimmy discusses the school leader's role and the impact of leadership on student outcomes, both inside and outside the classroom.    

In this episode, Jimmy shares 3 Essential Elements in developing checkpoints that must occur for us to create a high-performing classroom and school culture.    

In this episode, Jimmy shares valuable examples of Culturize Checkpoints to help bring clarity to what being a Champion for Students truly looks like in our classrooms, and more importantly, what it leads to when it comes to observable impact. 

In this episode, Jimmy shares his perspective on organizational culture. He believes that if we truly want to understand and impact the culture of our organizations, we must dive deeper below the surface to see what's lurking. In other words, why do people behave the way they behave?

In this week's episode Jimmy encourages us to replace the word “gotcha” with “I've got you.”

In this episode, Jimmy shares an excerpt from the best-selling book, The Educator's ATLAS by Weston Kieschnick, sharing 4 methods for engaging students in your classroom.     

In this episode, Jimmy shares an excerpt from The 6 Literacy Levers by Brad Gustafson, highlighting what it takes to overcome imposter syndrome and become a Literacy Leader in your classroom and school. 

In this episode, JImmy discusses the impact negative noise can have on us as educators and how we can confront these experiences and take back control by owning our own moments.

In this episode, Jimmy shares 10 ways to positively address negative chatter in our workplace to slow down the gossip train and create a healthier culture for everyone. 

In this episode, Jimmy shares an experience he had on social media where he was challenged to reflect on the impact leadership has on the overall culture of a school.  

In this week's episode, Jimmy shares his views on why we must always provide honest feedback when students and staff are not meeting our expectations. As a bonus, he also shares a 4-step Framework to help listeners navigate a critical conversation with staff members who are underperforming.   

In this latest episode, Jimmy discusses his thoughts on change. Although inevitable, we also should not change for the sake of change. Instead, implementing change should be strategic, transparent, and follow a clear framework - The Six Drivers of Successful Change is one you may want to consider.   

Dress codes continue to be a topic of debate in schools across the country. In this episode, Jimmy shares his thoughts on how dress codes can impact a school's culture and why complaining about them won't solve the problem.

In this episode, Jimmy challenges us to think about where we teach and lead from when we walk into our classrooms and schools and shares 5 Benefits of Using a Framework to guide us in our daily work. 

In this episode, Jimmy shares his experiences where he believes he and his staff failed a student, even though they had the best of intentions; reminding us that our job as educators is rarely easy, but always worth it. 

Jimmy reminds us that most of what we have learned we have learned from others, regardless of their roles or titles. In this episode, he shares 10 ways in which others have influenced his thinking throughout his career.

School leaders often find themselves in management mode. In this episode, Jimmy shares 13 ways leaders can intentionally recalibrate themselves to lead the learning in their schools. 

Are you looking to land that first job, looking for a career change, or looking to advance in your career? In this episode, Jimmy offers his insights that just might give you a leg up on the competition. 

Revisiting core values is one of the most critical components of any healthy culture, but one that we often neglect. In this episode, Jimmy challenges us to re-examine our collective commitments as a staff to ensure that our behaviors are aligned with our words. 

In this episode, Jimmy challenges leaders to go back to The Interview Chair and ask themselves what they can do differently to reduce staff turnover and inspire staff to stay rather than just wish staff didn't leave.  Show Notes

In this episode, Jimmy discusses his experiences working with students who struggle in school and shares his thoughts on how we can impact their learning in a positive way when we are more intentional in listening to them so we can understand why they struggle. 

In this episode, Jimmy shares an excerpt from his best-selling book, Recalibrate the Culture, where he shares his thoughts for those who are considering leaving their current jobs.

Avoiding pushback in our role as school leaders is inevitable. In this episode, Jimmy touches on 5 common areas where leaders may face pushback and how we can respond to get a better result and avoid negative undercurrents in our culture. 

We get out of it what we put into it. In this episode, Jimmy shares his insight when it comes to new student and family tours.