Podcasts about lead learner

A conversation about Chapter 5: Lead Learner from the book "Professional Learning Redefined: An Evidence-Based Guide" by Isabel Sawyer and Marisa Ramirez Stukey to support you on your asynchronous book club journey with us.  Transcripts of the episodes can be found at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Season 15 Transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music provided by Purple Planet

Send us a textIn this short Wisdom of Alignment podcast episode, Andy emphasize the transformative power of adopting a learner's mindset, especially when it comes to challenging our own assumptions and stepping outside our comfort zones. We often cling to familiar beliefs, choosing comfort over growth. However, true development—both personally and professionally—occurs when we break this cycle by embracing discomfort, reflecting honestly on our habits, and being open to change.Daniel Goleman's insights on self-awareness are central to this, highlighting that understanding our emotions, strengths, and weaknesses is key to growth. This self-awareness allows us to recognize when our thinking is rigid and prevents us from evolving. More than personal growth, the article encourages creating a learning culture that fosters collective development through curiosity and vulnerability.This episode's importance lies in its practical strategies for leaders, coaches, and anyone looking to grow: embrace discomfort, cultivate self-awareness, and create a learning culture. It's a reminder that progress doesn't come from sticking to the status quo, but from consistently challenging our beliefs and making learning a lifelong process. By reflecting on where we might be stuck, we can break free from limitations and inspire those around us to do the same. This message is crucial for anyone striving to become their best self, lead others effectively, or build environments where growth thrives. We hope you enjoy this short episode and share it with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Thank you!Connect with Andy VasilyTwitterLinkedIn

Settle back and spend some time chasing your imagination this summer-pick up a book!  Reading as a family draws us together and gives us something to savor.  Listen in this week as Lisa shares some stories from the Cycle 1 resource Ancient World Echoes.  She'll also offer some great tips on how to make the stories stay alive after the reading ends.   At Classical Conversations®, we believe that parents can provide quality education for their children. Yet, parents often feel unsure of how to accomplish this goal. Our Classical Learning Cohort program can help! Grow as the Lead Learner in your homeschool at classicalconversations.com/cohort  

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Dr. Ann Marie Taylor. The discussion covers various aspects of educational leadership and the unique approaches taken at Horse Creek Academy. Ann Marie emphasizes the importance of celebrating and honoring teachers to prevent the profession from declining and shares innovative practices at her school, such as on-site daycare and providing amenities like a coffee bar for staff. Additionally, the conversation explores the distinctions between joy and happiness, drawing on insights from books such as "The Book of Joy" by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, and "Dare to Lead" by Brené Brown.  The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Each week, we'll talk to catalytic educators who are doing amazing work. Be encouraged. Books Mentioned: The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama , Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Carlton Abrams Dare to Lead by Brene Brown Connect with us: Baylor MA in School Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn Twitter: @eckertjon Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl   Transcript: Jon Eckert: Today we're here with Dr. Anne Marie Taylor. She is the lead learner, love that title, at Horse Creek Academy in South Carolina. I love the work that she does and the fact that she teaches a criminology course on top of being what most people would call a principal. So Ann Marie, thanks for being with us today, and thanks for what you do at Horse Creek. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah, it's the best gig ever. Jon Eckert: Yes, I love that. I love the energy you bring. We got to be together just a couple of weeks ago as we talked to the Collective Leadership Initiative in South Carolina. We've been working on that for eight years. You've been a part of it with your school for five years. Talk to us a little bit about how your school approaches collective leadership and how it's part of what you talk about nicely, about the norms, that you have created at Horse Creek Academy. Could you talk a little bit about that? Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. First of all, I was fangirling a little bit when we saw each other a couple of weeks ago, so I just need to admit that just in case anyone's listening. But ... Jon Eckert: That's the first time that's ever happened, Ann Marie. Ann Marie Taylor: No, it's not. Okay, it's the nerd version. It's the nerd version of fangirl Jon Eckert: Okay. I'll accept nerd version Ann Marie Taylor: Okay, so I had never been a school leader previous to coming to Horse Creek Academy. I guess no one else interviewed that had any experience at all, so they picked me, which was a win. But the school had some amazing people and had so much potential. I remember walking in excited to see what I could do, but mostly realizing that in my previous leadership experience when I left, the work stopped and I was so ... Gosh, I was stuck by that a little bit. I was determined to not go into this new phase of leadership in my career with that same mindset. We dove right in. It's a charter school. It's been in existence 20 years in South Carolina. I went back to the original charter and the staff and I picked out a couple words that really stuck in the 10, 15 years that had been in existence that really stuck and those three words kind of guided us. But what I knew is it was such a big job, I couldn't do it by myself. I also knew that I had spent 16, 17 years in the profession at that point and felt like I never really fit in a traditional system. I was always too big or moving too fast or making too much change, and kind of was put in the corner. I think about that Dirty Dancing movie about Baby in the corner. But anyway- Jon Eckert: You let baby be put in the corner. Ann Marie, no. Ann Marie Taylor: Yes, so I was determined to think through how to do leadership different. Number one, selfishly, because I knew that there was a lot to offer and there was a lot of change ahead, and I knew it was going to be a ton of work. But mostly because I knew that the only thing I knew how to do maybe was build a team. I used that to my advantage and really found the best people around me that could help. We had visited a school in South Carolina that was a part of this initiative already, and I fell in love with the idea that anyone could lead, and how I desperately wanted that as a teacher and I never could get it. We started by diving into norms and expectations and saying something that I've repeated millions of times, "Hey, I can almost guarantee I'll disappoint you, but I'll disappoint you a lot less if we set up norms and expectations." When I talk about norms and expectations, I think about when I was a classroom teacher, most of my years have been in special education, and most of those years were in self-contained classrooms. I remember because of students with behavior disorders that I would work with, that they needed ownership and they wanted to say. If I could give them a choice, even if it was a forced choice, they would typically take me up on my offer. What I realized is adults are the same way, right? They just want to be heard. I wanted a voice and I wanted a choice, and so I bet other people felt that way too. To begin with, I used the same strategies I used with my students with behavior disorders, and honestly, that's where I started, norms and expectations and voice and choice. It's a crazy way to start, but it worked perfectly. Jon Eckert: Well, it's not crazy. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. Jon Eckert: You went in knowing that you couldn't do it on your own and that you came from a position where you had wanted to have more leadership and not just voice or buy-in, but you wanted ownership. Ann Marie Taylor: Right. Jon Eckert: You stepped in and said, "Hey, that's what we're going to give." And what I love is use DC and Ryan's work that Daniel Pink popularized in Drive where you said, "Hey, people want choices." Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. Jon Eckert: With increased competence comes the desire for more autonomy, but it has to be autonomy within the parameters of, "What's the mission of the school?" You mentioned there were three words that you chose at the school. What were those three words? I didn't hear you say them, did I? Did you share them? Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. Yeah, so the three words that we kind of navigated through and found in the original charter were flexibility, service, and connection. We actually voted on those words as a new staff, and we voted then to create norms and expectations for each other. I can't remember all five my first year, but I remember one was see a need, fill a need. Our norms we've created now five years in a row, and we have staff norms that we work on together on our first day back to school where we vote, make tallies. We do a whole lesson on norms and expectations. Then the expectation is that in every meeting, in every sit-down, in every coffee bar chat, we're going to talk about norms and expectations, including with our parents, with our students. It's become just, well, for a better word, a norm in our system where we just always start with expectations. I think that really started us and grounded us, maybe focusing on the work. Flexibility, service, connection, every decision we make runs through those three words, and obviously that goes so well with the work of collective leadership. It was a win for sure. Jon Eckert: Well, what I love there, you just described Bill Coon, who is principal at Meadow Glen, I don't know if- Ann Marie Taylor: Oh my God, by the way, I'm a fangirl for Dr. Coon as well. Jon Eckert: Yes. He talks about the three buckets, and if it doesn't fit in those three buckets, they don't do it. We need more of those three bucket principles. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Flexibility, service, connection. I also love that you saw that you had the see a need, fill a need because that follows that tenet of collective leadership, that leadership's not about the position or the person, it's about the work. Ann Marie Taylor: Right. Jon Eckert: If you see that need and you fill that need and you do that with others, and others are following you and you're walking alongside, then you're leading. Ann Marie Taylor: Right, right. Jon Eckert: Why are we hung up on who's the official leader, who's not? See a need, fill a need. That's what leaders do, and that changes the culture of the school or builds the culture, in your case, because you all were starting from that place. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. Jon Eckert: That creates a very different dynamic where people aren't sitting around waiting for you as the lead learner to be telling them how they should be learning and what they should be leading. It's "We're doing this together." I think that's pretty powerful. Ann Marie Taylor: Well, and what's ironic about it is now they don't need me really. Sometimes I walk around and think, "God, the school board could fire me today and these guys would be just fine." But I guess that's what I've been trying to build, so I'm thankful that they don't necessarily need me in the same ways. Because their coaching skills have gotten so good over the years, I find myself a lot of times trying to copy them because they're just smarter than me now. I'm so thankful for that part. Jon Eckert: What you described, in my mind, is the ideal leader in a learning organization. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. Jon Eckert: You want them to not be dependent on you. You want to add value, but you want to have created these networks and webs that function regardless if you're there or not. Today you're home with a kid who needs you, and I'm sure Horse Creek Academy ran smoothly. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. Jon Eckert: That's powerful. Ann Marie Taylor: That's really a huge win. Honestly, that's what I'd worked towards because I knew what that looked like. The other thing I think that's interesting is that we've kind of taken the work of CLI to a level that maybe even others haven't yet. Let me give you an example. We have three paraprofessionals on our leadership team that make just as many decisions as I do every day. These are people that don't necessarily have advanced degrees, but immediately when we got to know them, saw intense leadership capacity. It was like, "Let me get out of your way and figure out how you can do this." It's been so beautiful to watch folks that had always been, for example, a traditional teaching assistant in a special ed classroom, and would never move out of that pay grade or leadership level, to take on positions that are critical to the organization. Because of that, I can take a back burner with a lot of different things and spend an hour and a half of my day teaching students and reminding myself how hard it is and how intense it is and how important the relationship is. When I have conversations with teachers, I can say, "Yeah, I totally get it," because I have 47 of them and they're pretty tough and most days I don't win. Some days I think I'm winning an Emmy and they're looking at me like they're not interested. That has been critical. It's not like I come into sub, it's like I have a credit-bearing course every single day that I show up to. What's even more ironic is that I teach it in an open area in our commons, so I get traffic throughout. I didn't cap the class. Most of our classes are 19 or less and I have 47, so I have to be on because I'm in front of everyone and they are watching me. It forces me to be a better version of myself as a teacher. I learned that through the South Carolina Teacher of the Year program back in the day when people watched what we were doing, I innately got better. As a special ed teacher with no one ever watching you, you can really take a downward spiral in a lot of different ways. But because everybody was watching me because I was Teacher of the Year, I had to be on, and yeah, magically, it really made me a great teacher. That's how I feel now. Even when I want to be down and not really engaged and don't want to give it my all, I have to. That was on purpose too, so that's another strategy, but ... Jon Eckert: Yes. Well, the wisdom that comes, and I appreciate the humility in your description of why you do what you do, but having been Teacher of the Year and having had that recognition, clearly you know how to engage students and the best leaders that I know either really miss the classroom or they never leave it. Ann Marie Taylor: Right. Jon Eckert: You haven't left it and that's one of my favorite stories I've ever heard. 90 minutes a day in an open area with 47 students. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah, 9th through 12th, by the way. Jon Eckert: Yeah. That's going to challenge any educator and to put yourself out there for others to see it, it not only allows you to remember what it is to be in the classroom, it builds so much credibility that, "Our leader or one of our leaders is doing this work alongside of us and in a way that anybody can see it." I think that goes a long way to building culture. One of the things you mentioned before we jumped on about is your idea about moving too fast. Sometimes you feel like maybe you move too fast, but then you question, well, maybe that's just part of the kind of innovating and iterating that you're doing. What do you mean you might've moved too fast? Ann Marie Taylor: Well, I think the first few years of this work, we lost some people along the way. They had to jump off because we were moving too fast. They had to take a break because change was happening too frequently or they just weren't a fit. I think there was this, as an educator, we have this weird guilt and shame over almost every decision we make. I don't know if that's typical, but for me it was like, "God, people are leaving. I'm not the favorite. This isn't the best." Those kinds of things. We had significant growth. To give you perspective, we had like 467 students when I got there, and this year we're at 1400. Jon Eckert: Wow. Ann Marie Taylor: We had insane growth, right overshadowing what happened with COVID or happening at the same time. I was building buildings, adding a high school, adding a career center. It was like drinking from the water hose, just 90 miles an hour. We lost people along the way and so I had some guilt and shame about moving too fast. But then I look back and think, "My God, if I wasn't risk-taking or being innovative or forcing people to move, number one, people might've stayed that shouldn't have." That's a harsh, honest reality. And it was clear where we were going, and sometimes we had to paddle and hold our heads just right above water because it wasn't perfect the whole way because we were making so much change and growing so fast. For six months I had all of our high school and middle schoolers, when our building wasn't finished, at a church in a sanctuary and in a common space where we were all teaching. I thought, "This is crazy. I don't know why we've moved this fast. We're six months and we don't have our building, blah, blah, blah." But it built so much culture and climate collectiveness, and we were weaved in a way that we hadn't been before. That's really a lot of where we got to know each other, in that sanctuary and in that main space. Even though you look along the way and think, "Wow, it's been a wild ride," you can look back and think, "Well, that's what innovation looks like a little bit." If you want to be a risk-taker and be innovative, sometimes you have to feel like you're drowning just for a little bit. Good news is it wasn't just me. I had a team of 30 people on a leadership team. At least we could hold each other while we were drowning instead of me being by myself, and so really don't know if we'd survive without collective leadership. Jon Eckert: Well, and I think that's right. I have one phrase in the Leading Together book, "It's not that many hands make light work, it's many hands make the work possible." Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. Jon Eckert: When you're going that fast, you can't go that fast on your own. You're going to lose some people on the way and while you're losing people, which is sad to lose people, maybe they were not the right people to be on the bus, as Jim Collins talks about in Good to Great. It may be that fast-moving, we have a lot of kids who need what we're providing and we're providing it in these awkward spaces, but we're going to do it, that makes you really appreciative when you get into a space that's not everybody in a sanctuary or in the- Ann Marie Taylor: Oh, gosh. Jon Eckert: ... common space. I think that builds culture. You don't do it in order to build culture, but because of the work you did that created a very different dynamic for the people that were there at Horse Creek, that then feeds the people who come in because you know what you're coming into. This isn't a place to just sit back and relax. Ann Marie Taylor: Well, what's funny is now when I interview people, I've gotten to be blatantly honest. "Here's what it looks like." I'm like, "Hey, you'll probably never have a title that you're looking for and you might not even have an office. I know for sure we'll give you a desk and chair to sit somewhere at some point, but that's kind of how we roll." We have to be super-flexible because of the growth and so a lot of us don't have classrooms and share spaces and all those kinds of things. But I wouldn't have it any other way because when you walk in, there's an energy and a beauty and almost like it feels like a miracle to me just because I've been in so many schools and so many classrooms, and I know that it feels that way to other people because they tell me. I forget along the way until I visit somewhere else and come back. But it is very ... There's lots of movement, there's lots of energy, there's lots of relationship. Most nights I go to bed and pray that this will last just a little longer because I know it's not typical. Then the other side of me is like, "Oh my gosh, we have to announce this to the world because we are single-handedly going to save the profession. " Jon Eckert: Love that. Go with that to latter impulse there. I do think we need to trumpet these things because there are places like Horse Creek around that are doing these things, and the world has a great need for it. I think I mentioned this when I was with you all. I was at a UNESCO conference where I was speaking and it was trying to address the fact that there are 250 million school age kids who do not have a school to go to. A place like Horse Creek is truly a blessing and so you need to lean into that and love the fact that that's what you've built. I think what I'd like to move to now is just our lightning round to see how well you can do this. Ann Marie Taylor: Uh-oh. Jon Eckert: Word, sentence, or phrase, we'll go with four or five questions here. Ann Marie Taylor: Okay. Jon Eckert: First one, what is the worst piece of advice you've either given or received? Ann Marie Taylor: Worst piece of advice I was ever given is, "Start the year in August like you hate them and then discipline will be in check by December." Jon Eckert: Yeah, no. Yeah. Ann Marie Taylor: That's not me. If I'm going to do the opposite of what they tell me, I'm going to make sure I'm good at it. The opposite of that, of course, would be, "Man, build relationships from the moment you get them so that they will eat from your hands," so to speak. That was definitely the worst advice I've ever been given. But man, old, veteran teachers always want to tell you that when you first start. Jon Eckert: I know. 80% of the people that come on our podcast, that's the piece of advice that they're given that's bad and it's so sad. I love in your bio that you have is the "Lead learner, Horse Creek Academy. Ann Marie is a hot mess, in a fabulous way of course." That's welcoming because we're all kind of a hot mess when we're honest and that welcomes people in and makes them feel that. What's the best piece of advice you've either given or received? Ann Marie Taylor: My very first year going to get, so I have an undergraduate in criminal justice, and I have a master's in arts of teaching students with learning disabilities. I'm getting this master's degree. I've been to Catholic school my whole life, never been in a public school before. They don't have a classroom with kids with learning disabilities, but they have this little classroom in Florence, South Carolina with kids with severe and profound disabilities that I was going to do my student teaching in. I walked in to ... I can pick on her because she knows I pick on her, but she would wear, Kathy, my mentor, long dresses, angry special ed teacher, been doing this forever, doesn't really make eye contact. I was scared to death. It's the advice I've lived with, she said, "My job as your teacher is to make you better than I was ever as a teacher." I think about Kathy all the time and think about the people I work with and just making them better. That was advice that I think, God, has been used in every facet of my life. Jon Eckert: I love that. That's a beautiful image for a teacher. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah, she's amazing. Jon Eckert: Yeah. What's one of your favorite books you've read in the last year? It could be education-related, it could be anything. Ann Marie Taylor: Oh, probably either a book called Joy. Jon Eckert: Mm. Ann Marie Taylor: It was the Dalai Lama, and I'm not remembering the other author, so forgive me, but I was doing some research because second semester I teach Psychology of Happiness. I was doing some research on joy, and that was pretty powerful. But a book that I just reread that is my all-time favorite book ever, at least right now, is Dare to Lead by Brene Brown. Jon Eckert: Oh, yeah. It's hard to beat that. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah, those two have been important. I've been reading a lot on happiness because here I am, I'm going to teach this class, and I really don't know anything other than what I heard on a happiness podcast by Dr. Laurie Santos. I had to read a whole bunch of happiness books to try to get my material together. Jon Eckert: Yes. Well, that's great. I always differentiate joy and happiness, that happiness is circumstantial, but joy is something that can be deep and profound and abiding. Yes, the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. Ann Marie Taylor: Yes, there you go. Jon Eckert: They wrote the Book of Joy. Yeah, it has to be fascinating to get that take. The next thing, I guess two last questions. What's the biggest challenge you see ahead for educators? We've been in CLI, you've been in for five years, I've been studying you for eight years. I see your data every year because the one who writes it up and reports on it. There's a lot of great things going on at Horse Creek, but what do you see as the biggest challenge facing educators right now? Ann Marie Taylor: If we don't figure out a way to celebrate and honor our teachers, I have a fear that the profession is going to dwindle down to a room or a school full of substitutes. I feel so lucky that I have no positions for next year. I feel so lucky that we've already hired and done all that, but the only reason we're in that position is because we do things different. We have onsite daycare for our staff, babies and toddlers, which is such a huge win. No faculty meetings, podcasting. I spend $4,000 a month on our coffee bar to make sure that we have creamer and coffee and snacks at every building. Full-length pictures. I could go on and on with the little things, but I feel like if people don't do something drastically different, we are not going to be winning and I just think that there are way too many great educators out there to not be winning at this. I don't mean winning just with test scores. Jon Eckert: No. Ann Marie Taylor: Test scores are important and we have been making gains, but to say that I'm not an excellent school, it's funny to me. Yeah, our report card's not excellent yet in South Carolina, and it will be at some point. But for me, if we don't as school leaders and school leadership teams and even districts start measuring other things, I think we're going to lose what we have. I think there's more to measure. I love to talk about our efficacy data. I love to talk about our student retention and our teacher retention rates. I love to talk about case studies and scenarios of kids and teachers and relationships and how things are different. I think there's so much more than the state-driven report card, and I think it's time to start talking about it because I don't think we're going to be around if we don't. Jon Eckert: Well, yeah, and your efficacy data is off the charts, and we know that's the single biggest factor John Hattie's team found for impacting those student learning outcomes, so totally agree. I definitely feel that challenge as well. I think that's real. But what's your greatest hope right now for education as you look at it through the lens of Horse Creek and your experience as South Carolina Teacher of the Year, all the different hats you've worn? What gives you the most hope? Ann Marie Taylor: The relationships that we have with our students and that they have with one another. I can think about our graduating class this year or our 400 high school students, and I think about their ability to work together and be creative and be innovative. There's great hope in that, that there's going to be a handful of people that really do expect voice and choice, and they're not going to stand for it otherwise. In my generation, teachers will stand for a whole lot that they shouldn't. We accept lack of autonomy, and we accept moving in a snail's pace sometimes and these kids won't. For that, amen. I feel like there could be some real innovation and change because they're not going to stand for it. They have boundaries set and good for them because I never did that. Jon Eckert: Yes. Love that, that's a great place to wrap up. I love that we focus on relationships and kids, and there's a lot of great stuff going on. We just need to highlight that and get off our negativity bias. Ann Marie Taylor: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Dr. Ann Marie Taylor, thank you for being with us today. Thanks for all you do. Ann Marie Taylor: Well, just lean in to the fact that you're a nerd fangirl situation here, and I'm so thankful for people that spend their time doing research to help us navigate what this looks like and to navigate it well, because your research and what you've done matters. I just am so thankful and I know everybody at Horse Creek is thankful as well. Jon Eckert: Oh, well, hey, thank you. It's great to highlight your work.

Discover the intersection of classical education and cutting-edge technology. Join Robert as he talks with Lex Avellino, a Classical Conversations graduate, about his journey from homeschooling to creating 3D virtual worlds for Disney and Warner Brothers. Lex shares how his classical education fueled his passion for learning and innovation in digital design.   https://www.threedivision.com/cc   https://www.passage.io/   https://x.com/lexavellino   At Classical Conversations®, we believe that parents can provide quality education for their children. Grow as the Lead Learner in your homeschool at classicalconversations.com/cohort.

Curious about how to navigate tough conversations with your kids? Join hosts Delise and Ginny as they chat with Lindsey Mendenwalt from Mama Bear Apologetics. Discover how to tackle challenging topics with your children through practical tips and insights on apologetics.   At Classical Conversations®, we believe that parents can provide quality education for their children. Grow as the Lead Learner in your homeschool at classicalconversations.com/cohort.

This file is to help us prep for the podcast. If you have something you would like to share in addition to what you filled out on the form: Topic? Being the Lead Learner, discuss the Linking Leaders Podcast, and I am totally open to your ideas!https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MCoWkeRW-qEYa2so4uWjyCHJRm_VADQTDK-9wcUtkQY/edit?usp=drive_linkLinking Leaders Podcast - subscribe and listen in your podcast player of choice.Small little seeds of ideas Administrator hacks - How they interactBuilding pathways for administrator prep and their early days.Content and process of what we provide.Connector for administratorsMentoring aspiring administratorsWhat administrators need are connections with others. Opportunity and process to come together.Creating the time to step aside and having people think through a problem of practiceLower the temperature - make them feel less stressed. “It mattered that we met because…”Every time I'm in front of a group of leaders, I'm able to model something that they can learn too. Center for Leadership and Innovation - Planning summits, step aside, go deep. Rather than frequent check-ins do half day summitsPlay-based learning2nd year around - how do you take on everything but not getting in over your head? Marking where we have had some impact in our state. How to prioritize what you should change. Pulse surveys. Is this valuable to our leaders on a broader scale?Networking and building connections. How to be a transformative principal? Push your chair back and just listen. About Dr. Alicia BowmanDr. Alicia Bowman currently works for the Connecticut Association of Schools, as Associate Executive Director and Director of the Center for Leadership and Innovation. Prior to joining CAS, she spent twenty years serving the Farmington Public Schools at the school and district levels. Alicia was Connecticut's Elementary Principal of the Year and National Distinguished Principal in 2015. She was featured in a chapter of Lee Teitel's book School-Based Instructional Rounds, and in NAESP's Principal Magazine for her work in using collaborative classroom observations and analysis to drive school and district improvement. Alicia is an active adjunct faculty member of UCAPP.

There are those of us who have been fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to share our experiences with other educators. Whether through conferences, screens, or texts, we spend time encouraging educators to grow and improve their craft through a number of strategies. I wonder, however, how many of us actually practice these same suggestions on a regular basis. This episode shares a recent experience that I had while attending an IB training in Austin, TX. In this case, I was not presenting but was an attendee. All was well until someone in the room recognized me and I had a moment of internal conflict. Do I maintain a facade of being an educational guru or do I lean into the vulnerability that comes with being The Lead Learner? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecounternarrative/support

"Kids can not focus when their body is inflamed and their blood sugar is on a rollercoaster." There's no secret that nutrition is important, especially when it comes to our kids. Why, though, have our priorities shifted when it comes to fueling our kids properly? We tend to start the blame game and punish the kids for "not behaving" or getting bad grades, but is it really their fault? The food in our homes and in our schools is of a completely different quality than in previous generations and the impact that it has on our kids' brains, behavior, and growing bodies is very apparent. So what do we do? How can we teach our kids the most supportive ways to eat? What can teachers, educators, and coaches do to help encourage healthy nutrition habits in the kids they see? This episode is a recording of a presentation that I did for the South Carolina Education Association (SCEA) and the Center for Educator Wellness and Learning (CEWL) which do a phenomenal job at raising awareness for teacher's rights, education policy, and supporting educators in the state of South Carolina. The host of this presentation, Todd Scholl is the Lead Learner at CEWL and works hard to provide wellness opportunities and discussion for the teachers of South Carolina and I was honored to be asked to come back and create discussion around this very important topic. In this episode we talk about: - 3 key areas where nutrition impact kids (inflammation, brain health, microbiome/gut) - Food beliefs and habits at a young age. - Food environment at school. - Taking action to make change (free ways to make a difference). *If you are a teacher, parent, or principal share this with your admins! I offer free consultations for teachers and schools to help determine the nutritional education need of their students. * Mentioned in this episode: - If you prefer to watch the video of this presentation you can find it HERE. Don't mind the cameo that a couple of my kids make

Why do we grade students?  Is it to measure and evaluate learning? Provide students an incentive to do their work? Reflect the ‘rigour' of our classroom?  Research shows that grades don't accomplish any of these things.  What if there was a better way to measure, monitor and evaluate student growth? And share a story of their learning journey... What if we eliminated grades entirely?  That's exactly what Gary Heidt, 10th Grade Humanities and Social Entrepreneurship Teacher, did in his high school's 'Nova Lab' learning space. And his students soared to new heights because of it.  Learn more about the alternative system he co-designed, and how it can help your students: Increase work ethic and production Become more reflective and meticulous with their work Provide detailed descriptions of their learning journey and growth Take charge of their learning   Gary's Blog: https://onlyconnects.wordpress.com  Going Gradeless Resources Nova Lab: https://pvhsnovalab.com    Connect w/ Gary: Twiter (@Ed_by_design) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-heidt-6146656/)   Gary's Bio: Garreth Heidt has taught middle and high school students via a unique instructional approach to creativity and design thinking for the better part of 30 years. His curricula seek to develop skills in critical viewing, question formation, civil discussion, problem finding, and problem solving. The learning process is driven by design-minded means to a unique educational end for his students, and is focused around two simple questions: “Why are things the way they are? How can we make them better?” He currently teaches a 10th grade Gifted Humanities class, and is the Lead Learner and co-designer of his high school's innovation and social entrepreneurship space, NOVA Lab. Mr. Heidt has spent time teaching and developing classes at the middle school, high school, and college level. He is a graduate of Temple University with a degree in English and a Masters in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology. His work has appeared in or been featured by: School Arts, A Gathering of the Tribes, the Industrial Designers Society of America, The Design Learning Network, Bard College's “Institute for Writing and Thinking”, and in a forthcoming book on experiential learning in museums entitled, The Museum as Experience. He blogs infrequently on his own sites, Only Connect (www.onlyconnects.wordpress.com) and Innovation Lab (pvhsnovalab.com). He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Delaware Valley, Design-ed Coalition, the Design Learning Network, and he is the Director of Learning for the Educational Design Consultancy, Form & Faculty (www.formandfaculty.com ).

Learning and having a growth mindset is very important in life and in your role as a leader. Based on our research and work with high performing and high potential leaders in sports, business, and life, we have identified 7 roles of transformational leaders which we teach about in our Invisible Hand of Leadership course. In today's podcast, I share about the Lead Learner role and 3 characteristics that are important to focus on in this role.  NEW: We have launched a Patreon page for those of you who have asked and want to help invest in the growth and expansion of this podcast and the other resources we are working on to help develop leaders in sports, business, and life. We would love your participation in this effort and would be grateful for any donation or investment you can make. Also, you will receive certain bonus perks for different levels of investment. Show Notes: 3 Characteristics of a Lead Learner: Vulnerability Curiosity Growth Mindset New Episodes of the Monday Morning Moments Podcast are released every Monday on your favorite podcast platforms as well as on YouTube. We also release The Coach's Corner segment on Thursdays. You can subscribe below and never miss a new episode. JOIN NOW!

Take my listener survey here. Janna Cochrane is principal of North Greenville Elementary School (NGES), located in Greenville, Wisconsin, and part of the Hortonville Area School District.  She has spent her career exclusively at the elementary level with 22 years' experience as an elementary principal.  Prior to being a principal, she taught fourth grade for 9 years.  The daughter of a retired elementary principal, Janna knows the importance of establishing a quality school community for elementary students, staff, and families. Janna has been recognized as a 2020 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Principal Leader in the state of Wisconsin, as the 2020 Wisconsin Elementary Principal of the Year, and as Wisconsin's 2020 Elementary NAESP National Distinguished Principal. As Lead Learner of North Greenville Elementary, Janna has assisted the Hortonville Area School District in gaining the esteemed honor of being a Model PLC District.  As part of this journey, Janna generated collaboration time for elementary teams, assisted in the establishment of essential standards in efforts to achieve a district-wide guaranteed and viable curriculum, supported teams in the regular use of data protocols to plan for meeting the needs of all learners, and tended to the development of a positive, collaborative culture of learners as stated in their school vision statement. At NGES, Janna has been keenly aware of the importance of school culture and fostering teacher leadership in the continuous improvement efforts.  She describes her role as Lead Learner, Team Member, and Keeper of the Family.  The forward-thinking staff at NGES have a total commitment to the three big ideas of Professional Learning Communities and work to support the four essential questions with their frequent collaborative team meetings.  She lives and leads the NGES mantra Kids. First. Always. in her work each day. Janna holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and music, and she earned her master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Janna's dad was a principal. Her first year teaching was the year he was recognized as NDP! Principals have the greatest job because they help everyone Power of prioritizing her own schedule as a principal What does it mean to be the Keeper of the Family? Our work is really personal. The collaborative spirit and that we work as a team. The power of trust. I can trust you to help me and be vulnerable in front of you. Teacher trying to connect with a student. Team “Student Name” Allowing people to come up with their own answers Going to drive and pick up the student. Include conversations with team regarding new hires. Include grade level teams about what their team specifically needs? An interview only gives you so much. Listen for the things people don't ask. Elementary - literacy and math SEL - even if you don't ask a specific question about that. How to be a transformative principal? Really connect with individual kids that need an extra. To make sure you are visible and approachable, and then really listen. Sponsors Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You're pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do. I help you stop putting out fires and start leading. Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com John Catt Today's Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt's mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today's and tomorrow's schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach's Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let's Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt's research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

Christopher Dodge is the Lead Learner of the Orange Elementary Schools, a PreK-6 school district in central/western Massachusetts. Christopher has served the community of Orange for 7 years. In that time, the schools have worked to create collaborative structures and systems that bring stakeholder voice into school level decision making, as well as strategies that promote student success and achievement. Orange Elementary utilizes these systems to promote a vision of serving the whole child, ensuring that students social emotional and academic needs are being met. Aside from his role as principal, Christopher serves on DESE's Principal/Teacher Advisory Cabinet. He is passionate about supporting and mentoring leaders and educators, serving as a consultant with Seaside Educational Consultants and as an adjunct instructor at Assumption University in Worcester, MA. Key Takeaways: You have to consider unintended consequences when modeling behaviors. Get accountability partners to keep you on track. Sometimes all teachers are looking for is permission. Block your time off in your schedule for better productivity. Create systems that lead people to do their best work instead of managing people to fit the systems you have. Make sure you lean towards yes whenever teachers bring you a suggestion. Don't waste time focusing on what could go wrong instead of focusing on what is great. Contact: Twitter: @PrincipalDodge1 Instagram: @PrincipalDodge1 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Christopher Dodge is the Lead Learner of the Orange Elementary Schools, a PreK-6 school district in central/western Massachusetts. Christopher has served the community of Orange for 7 years. In that time, the schools have worked to create collaborative structures and systems that bring stakeholder voice into school level decision making, as well as strategies that promote student success and achievement. Orange Elementary utilizes these systems to promote a vision of serving the whole child, ensuring that students social emotional and academic needs are being met. Aside from his role as principal, Christopher serves on DESE's Principal/Teacher Advisory Cabinet. He is passionate about supporting and mentoring leaders and educators, serving as a consultant with Seaside Educational Consultants and as an adjunct instructor at Assumption University in Worcester, MA. Key Takeaways: Realize you don't have to do things the same way you have seen them done. Be who you really are instead of who you are expected to be. Focus on learning instead of the game. Support teachers in pursuing their passions. Teachers need permission to experiment. Passion projects as goals for evaluation. Create an environment for risk taking by by changing the structure instead of the expectations. It's important to remember we can't do anything without partnering with parents. Principles need to shield teachers from being overworked by prioritizing what is valued in education. Contact: Twitter: @PrincipalDodge1 Instagram: @PrincipalDodge1 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Are you ready, willing, and able to become the Lead Learner in your home?  Maybe you are ready, but you've bought into a lie that says you're not able.  Maybe you're willing, but you don't know how to start.  This week's episode of the Everyday Educator Podcast features Lanelle Lowe, sharing the truth that God is out to redeem what's been lost or broken in your educational experience!  You'll find encouragement to learn alongside your child, and practical skills that will equip you to unlock the door to confident lead learning.

We homeschool, but even if we didn't, we are learning what education is and how we as parents, like it or not, set the course for our child's education. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Bethany Hill - Administrator, Speaker, and Founder of #JoyfulLeaders - shares her thoughts on the joyful leadership mindset, building trusting relationships with staff, advocating for equity in education, and what it means to be a "lead learner." 

On this episode of Design Cast I had the awesome opportunity to chat with my friend Chris Stephenson. Chris is an MYP Development Consultant with Toddle, and “Lead Learner” and Founder of Atlantic Isle Consulting. We have a great discussion about how being able to ‘pivot’ is important now more than ever. Chris has had many chances to do just that. We recorded this episode as the weather was changing where I live so my allergies were in full swing, so please forgive my congestion! Enough of me talking! Now, sit back, relax and enjoy this chat with Chris! Follow Chris on Twitter: @geographywee www.toddleapp.com & www.atlanticisle.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/design-cast-podcast/message

Eli Casaus chats with us about being the lead learner and principal at Marie Hughes Elementary, where he is focused on being a true and authentic leader for his school. More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/elicasaus Eli's Recommendations EdTech Tool: Twitter Books: Becoming the Educator They Need by Robert Jackson Who to Follow on Social Media: Brandi Miller (Twitter) Russell Schwartz (Twitter) Dave Schmittou (Twitter) What's A Good YouTube Channel, Podcast or Website for Educators? Character Strong (Website) Daily, Weekly, or Monthly routine every teacher should get into? Self care, whatever that looks like to you. Best piece of advice you've ever received: “Taking time for you, especially when you are not at work." Links to Connect With Eli Website or Blog: www.mrcoacheli.com Twitter: @MrCoachEli Facebook Page: Mr Coach Eli Instagram: @MrCoachEli --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/teach-better-talk/message

Day two of #teacherappreciation week and today I have with me, Dr. Jessie Redcay. Jessie is a Second Grade Teacher, Adjunct Professor, Presenter, Author, EdTech Enthusiast, KTI Lead Learner. You can learn more about Jessica at http://redcaysresources.blogspot.com. She is an amazing friend and colleague I am honored to showcase her voice on the show. She shares about her teaching journey and about the importance of coding in the classroom. This episode is full of resources check them all out here - https://www.sfecich.com/post/always-be-a-lead-learner-with-dr-jess-redcay

What are we learning about digital leadership through this rapid transition to online learning? What best practices become less relevant, and which transfer despite the crisis we're struggling to manage? Follow on Twitter: @ISTE @mrhooker @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork @DrJacieMaslyk  #ISTE20 #ISTEturns40 #edchat #edtech #edtechchat  Dr. Jacie Maslyk has served as a teacher, coach, principal, curriculum director and assistant superintendent. Maslyk has written on a number of relevant topics including STEM, instructional technology, leadership and effective digital literacy strategies and is the author of the book STEAM Makers: Fostering Creativity and Innovation in the Elementary Classroom. She has presented at the state, national and international levels, and is a consultant to school districts looking to implement innovative practices in their schools.

Becoming self-aware and life ready.Jenn Skelding is a lifelong learner who is passionate about the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Her experience ranges from School Administrator, as Lead Learner, to Instructor in the School of Education at TWU. Currently, Jenn is also the Executive Director of the Learning Commons and is pursuing a Doctor of Education at Western University in London, Ontario. Jenn’s research is focused on undergraduate student retention. Specifically, what are the promotive, or risk, factors that support International student persistence on Canadian university campuses and how do intercultural competencies impact retention.TWU Learning CommonsSupport the show (https://www.twu.ca/donate-now)

Guest: Melody Stacy I am a passionately positive educator who has been geeking out about how to create excellence in public schools for 22 years now. I am a former high school math teacher (AP Calculus and AP Statistics were my jam), secondary curriculum resource specialist, middle school assistant principal, and elementary assistant principal. Currently, I am the principal, aka Believer-in-Chief, Lead Learner, Chief Storyteller, Head Culture Creator, and Chief Energy Officer, at Taylor Mill Elementary @TME_tigers in Northern Kentucky. I'm here to seek out and inspire the greatness in others, whether it was when I was teacher, my staff now that I'm principal or those in my #PLN. At my core is an unshakeable belief in education as the great equalizer. An advocate of all things nerdy, I love positivity and digital tools that amplify school culture and student success. My tribes include #TMGenius, #KYGoDigital, #LeadLAP, #JoyfulLeaders, #BLBS and anyone who is ready to shake up the status quo. Together, we are brilliant, and I'm always ready to be remarkable for our students. Twitter: @me1odystacy Blog: Culture Of Belief Book: The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander Please use the hashtag #TGPP to continue the conversation, make suggestions, provide feedback, and ask questions. Connect with me directly by tweeting me at @rbreyer51. And, please remember to subscribe, like, and leave a comment on whatever platform you are listening in order to help me connect more school leaders to the show. Are you interested in sharing your stories about being a visionary leader? Check out my website www.beyondthedeskleadership.com and fill out the form in the podcast section.

Being transparent about mistakes allows us to grow and see how much we’ve grown. Join us as we talk to Tony Sinanis about how he learned that relationships matter in school leadership. Dr. Tony Sinanis is currently the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School in Jericho, New York, and he received the 2014 New York State Elementary Principal of the Year Award. He serves as the founder and co-moderator of #NYedchat. He has co-authored two books with Dr. Joe Sanfelippo: The Power of Branding: Telling Your School’s Story and Principal Professional Development: Leading Learning in the Digital Age.

Michael McDowell, author of Rigorous PBL By Design, The Lead Learner, & Developing Expert Learners and Superintendent of Ross School District in California reflects on the ongoing development of the new RE curriculum in Parramatta Diocese in light of his work with Developers.

MTT036| 360 Degree Math Remix - Ed Campos Jr Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Looking to step up you game in the classroom? Turn your math class into a fun and engaging atmosphere where your students don’t feel like they are an island, but are in a community. Ed Campos Jr. Ed currently works for Brown University as a Program Manager for the Brown Computer Science Department’s “Bootstrap” Computer Science curriculum that integrated CS into Core Content areas like Math, Science and Social Science.  He also works as a Lead Learner for CUE and does professional development under his own Consulting, “Mathletic Performance.” He’s taught high school Math and Computer Science for over 14 years in the San Joaquin Valley and was instrumental in creating a model 21st century math learning space that allows his students to express themselves, present, and teach their peers in a multitude of ways.  Ed was also named the Central Valley CUE Educator of the Year in 2014. He has a passion for travel, technology, and for empowering students and colleagues with the skills and knowledge that make the classroom more fun and effective because they deserve it.     Contact: Ed Campos Jr. Twitter: @edcamposjr twitter Instagram: @edcamposjr Facebook: Eddie Campos Jr. Blog: EdCamposJr.com   Items mentioned in Episode 36: 360 Degree Math Peter Liljedahl 3 Act Math VisualPatterns.org Flippity.net @wipebook Bootstrapworld.org @bootstrapworld Documentary: Teach   The Space: A Guide for Educators, by Robert Dillon and Rebecca Hare Mathematical Mindsets, by Jo Boaler   Go Write whiteboards, bit.ly/GoWriteWB www.geeo.org (global exploration for educators organization) Gallery Learning  #VNPS - Vertical Non Permanent Surfaces #360Math #Math360 We would love to hear from you!  Let us know if this format is helpful to you!  Is there technology out there that you would like us to cover in one of our episodes?     Email us  Shannon@MyTechToolbelt.com Brenda@MyTechToolbelt.com   If you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend, and SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE TO THE SHOW!  Please share this podcast with someone you think might benefit.   What’s in your Tech Toolbelt? www.mytechtoolbelt.com Twitter: @mytechtoolbelt   Instagram: My Tech Toolbelt   You can listen to our podcast on: Apple Podcasts Google Play Music Spotify or listen here Music: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music  

Bethany serves as Lead Learner, Chief Energy Officer, and Chief Storyteller of Central Elementary in Cabot, Arkansas. She has been in education for 18 years in the roles of first, second, and third grade classroom teacher, curriculum coach, assistant principal, and principal. Bethany is the founder of #JoyfulLeaders, a movement on Twitter devoted to trending positivity in the education profession. Follow her Facebook Page, Inspiration for Educators to receive resources and positivty regarding education. Bethany is the one of the originators of #EduAr, a weekly Twitter chat for the state of Arkansas. The chat takes place Thursdays at 8:30 cst. Central Elementary, where Bethany serves as lead learner, became the very first Energy Bus for Schools Leadership Journey model campus. Since the summer of 2016, more than 50 schools have joined Central on the bus! Bethany’s wisdom and spirit is bolstering to her community, and I am excited for you to join me in learning about how we too can focus on the positive, find the joy in life and leadership, and understand that we all need support to bring that light every where we go. It brings me vibrant joy to amplify to you Bethany Hill’s Community Builders story. Connect with Bethany: Bethany on Twitter Bethany's website Bethany on Instagram Bethany on LinkdIn #JoyfulLeaders on Twitter Awe Inspiring Recommendations: Sean Gaillard on Twitter Essential Truth for Teachers Essential Truths for Principals --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/inawepodcast/message

MTT029| #CUE19 Recap - Jon Corippo www.mytechtoolbelt.com Twitter: @mytechtoolbelt  #MyTechToolbeltInstagram: My Tech Toolbelt Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Review of the CUE Spring 2019 Ed Tech Conference. We also catch up with CUE Executive Director, Jon Corippo. CUE CUE is the ISTE Affiliate for California and Nevada. Twitter: @cueincInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cueinc/?hl=en Jon Corippo Proven excellence as a presenter and event organizer: Routinely plans and executes small, medium and large ed tech training and educational events that are well presented and get very high marks from audiences. Developed and executed training for over 45,000 educators from 2015-2018. Co-author of The Eduprotocol Field Guide, an Amazon Best Seller. Lead the CUE staff for Fall CUE and Spring CUE events, including all aspects of the events (marketing, logistics, innovation and vendor relations). Award winning and renowned for innovation in the use of Apple products in a large group of Ed Tech communities, including Apple Distinguished Educator Network, Google Certified Teachers, Computer Using Educators (CUE), Central Valley CUE and ISTE. Grew CUE membership from 9500 to 23,000. Planned and implemented the complete design of Minarets HS, including Challenge Based Curriculum, MacBook imaging and rollout, wireless infrastructure standards, classroom pedagogy, staff recruitment and hiring. While serving as Chief Innovation Officer at CUE, grew the number of teachers served by over 200% over a 3 year span, with over 90% positive feedback. Expert trainer of adult educators and students:Honored to be an ADE and GCT, as well as highly sought after presenter on many subjects, including Film and Video production, Lesson Planning and Design, School Culture, Ed Tech tools and very popular in Apple Executive Briefings as well as Apple Training Events. Lead Learner for Google Teacher Academy, Mountain View 2014. Has lead international events in Mexico, Austria, and Australia. Internationally connected Personal Learning Network via email, Web and Twitter: Connected to a wide variety of educators, Ed Tech leaders and administrators. Items mentioned in Episode 29: Alice Chen twitter John Eick Martin Cisneros Eric Thomas Kristina Ishmael Alice Keeler Brent Coley Parkinson’s Law The History of Work NCLB EduProtocols   CUE Bold #CUE19 #BigName #BigFan   We would love to hear from you!  Let us know if this format is helpful to you!  Is there technology out there that you would like us to cover in one of our episodes?   Email us Shannon@MyTechToolbelt.com Brenda@MyTechToolbelt.com If you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend, and SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW!  And please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please share this podcast with someone you think might be interested in the content. What’s in your Tech Toolbelt? Music: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music You can listen to our podcast on: Apple Podcasts Google Play Music Spotify or listen here Thank you so much for joining us today for Episode 29 of the My Tech Toolbelt Podcast!    

Interview Notes, Resources, & LinksGet the book, The Lead Learner: Improving Clarity, Coherence, and Capacity for All.Follow Michael on Twitter @mmcdowell13About Michael McDowell, PhDDr. Michael McDowell is Superintendent of the Ross School District outside of San Francisco, and an expert in project-based learning and professional development. He's the author of three books, including The Lead Learner: Improving Clarity, Coherence, and Capacity for All.

Lead Learner, Chief Energy Officer, and Chief Story Teller, Bethany Hill chats with us about building a culture of family, honoring diversity, and why we can't let fear stop us from giving our kids what they need. Bethany shares the importance of letting kids know that adults are learners as well, and let's us into her world as the protector of a positive culture. More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/bethanyhill --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/teach-better-talk/message

Bethany Hill serves as Lead Learner, Chief Energy Officer, and Chief Storyteller at Central Elementary in Cabot, Arkansas. She has been in education for 19 years in the roles of kindergarten, first, second, and third-grade classroom teacher, curriculum coach, assistant principal, and principal. Bethany is one of the originators of #EduAR and founder of #JoyfulLeaders. ...

An exclusive podcast with Robert Martellacci and Sandra Chow, digital lead learner with the TDSB, Google Certified Teacher, SMART Exemplary Educator, and MindShare Advisory Board Member, Discussing Sandra's passion for life long learning, growth mindset, edtech trends, and her new career opportunity in China this coming school year as IT Director.

A Lead Learner sounds intimidating right? But should it? Listen in to this wonderful Writer's Circle episode as Leslie Hubbard talks the importance of "becoming." We hope you enjoy the audio! You can read the article here!

In today's episode of Monday Morning Moments, I talk about how to engage as a leader of influence and impact. We need transformational leaders now more than ever to step up and step out to make a positive impact within the sphere of influence they have been given! Check out this podcast to discover 4 key things that you need to do to lead more effectively at home, in sports, at work, and in your community. Episode Outline: Be Aware Self Awareness is the first step to leadership and influence. What do we need to be aware of? Our Strengths Our Passions - what energizes us Our Opportunities “What has become clear since we last met?” - Ralph Waldo Emerson Data Points/Experiences What clarity have you drawn from those experiences? What action does that drive you to? “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” - Frederick Buechner Being aware is where we begin to discover our calling. Be Present “The Legacy You Live is the legacy you leave.” - Ken Blanchard "Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future” - Fulton Oursler We must be present physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally in order to live out our calling and lead in the places that God is leading us. Being present is where we engage. Be a Learner We must appreciate the journey of deliberate practice and mastery in order to excel, grow, and achieve. “I am still learning.” Michelangelo at age 87 Call to Action: Meet with mentors. Find the free. Put routines, systems, and habits in place that will help you grow and learn. Be a Lead Learner. Learn/Teach/Apply method from Stephen Covey Being a Learner is where we grow. Be a Leader “Leadership is authentic self-expression that creates value.” - Kevin Cashman Sociologists have estimated that even the most introverted person will impact over 10,000 people in their lifetime. The question is not "Will you influence others?" but How will you influence others?” Call to Action: Seek out leadership opportunities. Don’t become complacent, comfortable, or acclimate for too long. Challenge yourself. Lead authentically from a servant’s heart. Being a leader is where we make a positive impact within our sphere of influence and fulfill our calling.

Eric Ewald is an elementary school principal in North Liberty, Iowa. He is in his first year as the Lead Learner and Chief Storyteller at Van Allen Elementary of the Iowa City Community School District. Van Allen is a PreK through 6th grade building of approximately 550 students. This is Eric’s fifth year as an elementary school principal. Eric’s wife is a first grade teacher in a neighboring District; they have two children, a kindergarten son and an almost three-year-old daughter.     Eric Ewald Show Highlights Coaching turned him on to education Quiet leadership and leading by example Best leading by example moment Do you do Positive Post-Its @ your school? Giver or Taker Start your day writing thank you notes Do you get teachers to engage in Twitter chats? It’s okay to have fun and to slow down Growth mindset  Should we move off of email to Voxer or Slack? Fish philosophy to win   Resources   Commit to 3 app Voxer Slack Fish Philosophy The Power of School Branding   Eric’s blog Connect with Eric on Twitter   Twitter chats to check out: #iaedchat #satchat #leadupchat #kidsdeserveit Check out Danny’s Ultimate Guide to Twitter chats here   Join my hybrid group coaching & leadership development community Text BETTERMASTERMIND to 33444 Create winning cultures Focus on the essential Lead with courage & integrity    BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS $1/MONTH DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE! SHOW SOME LOVE: PLEASE LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW Grab your FREE 15 Phrases of Effective School Leaders  Text PHRASES to 33444 or click the link above.   Website :: Facebook :: Insta :: Twitter :: LinkedIn   SHOW SPONSORS: CSC Consulting Group: Catalyzing Sustainable Change Our mission is to support people in education and nonprofit organizations to improve processes and enhance the performance of their organizations. Our venture is a social enterprise and their vision is to catalyze sustainable change in our society one organization at a time Our home city is Chicago but their work can be done anywhere in the nation and they are actively looking for clients elsewhere Our current portfolio includes individual schools, nonprofit organizations, small and large districts and urban school systems Our team represents and shares a stake with the populations we serve We are strategic thought partners to leaders of public sector organizations We ideates, builds and maintains easy-to-understand data tools using the latest analytics technology   SCHOOL SPIRIT VENDING Hassle-free, year-round fundraising for your school. With School Spirit Vending, we do all the work, you just cash the check Increase school spirit with custom stickers for your school and raise funds at the same time -no upfront costs, no volunteers, no selling Sick of the same old ways of raising money for your school? Let School Spirit Vending's hassle-free, year-round fundraising program supplement the other fundraisers you're already doing. SSV is also giving away the Top 10 School Fundraising Ideas for 2017. Download the guide here.     Copyright © 2017 Better Leaders Better Schools  

Bill Powers is entering his 8th year as Lead Learner at Cherokee Middle School in Springfield, Missouri, his 16th year in education, and he is currently pursuing his Doctorate (EdD) in Educational Leadership. Bill is a native of Tennessee and a co-organizer of #EdCampSGF. Bill has an interesting career path and actually started his career as a sports journalist before becoming an educator. Bill on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrpowerscms Bill's Blog: http://mrpowersspot.blogspot.com/   About EducatorsLead: Educators Lead is a podcast created to help launch educators into the next level of leadership. This show is for you if you are interested in educational leadership as an assistant principal, principal, superintendent, teacher or someone who hopes to be a school leader one day. Educators Lead offers inspiration and practical advice to help you lead more effectively. Jay Willis interviews school leaders weekly to discuss why and when these educators made the decision to move into school leadership, challenges along the journey, and stories that made it all worthwhile. Educators Lead is a great resource for any educator looking to make a greater impact. Educate. Inspire. Lead. http://www.educatorslead.com

Being transparent about mistakes allows us to grow and see how much we've grown. Join us as we talk with Dr.Tony Sinanis about how he learned that relationships matter in school leadership. Follow: @TonySinanis @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork Dr. Tony Sinanis is currently the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School in Jericho, New York and received the 2014 New York State Elementary Principal of the Year Award. He serves as the founder and co-moderator of #NYedchat. He has co-authored two books with Dr. Joe Sanfelippo: The Power of Branding: Telling Your School's Story and Principal Professional Development: Leading Learning in the Digital Age.

In the new Hack Learning Series book,Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students, and Parents Love, Joe Sanfelippo and Tony Sinanis discuss how important it is for leaders to be present and engaged with all stakeholders. Hack Learning host Mark Barnes shares the authors' 5 strategies for moving beyond traditional leadership and engaging with all stakeholders daily. This is 5 Quick Tips for Becoming a Lead Learner.

Petra Luhrsen is a first year elementary assistant principal in Sacramento, California. Prior to becoming an assistant principal, she was an elementary teacher for grades K-6.  In addition to serving as an assistant principal, she currently serves as a teacher consultant for the Area 3 Writing Project as well as a Lead Learner for CUE.   About EducatorsLead: Educators Lead is a podcast created to help launch educators into the next level of leadership. This show is for you if you are interested in educational leadership as an assistant principal, principal, superintendent, teacher or someone who hopes to be a school leader one day. Educators Lead offers inspiration and practical advice to help you lead more effectively. Jay Willis interviews school leaders three days a week to discuss why and when these educators made the decision to move into school leadership, challenges along the journey, and stories that made it all worthwhile. Educators Lead is a great resource for any educator looking to make a greater impact. Educate. Inspire. Lead. www.educatorslead.com

For many years, educators ignored the impact of school culture. As our understanding of school culture has evolved, so is our thinking about how we can change it. Follow: @tomwhitby @blairteach @tonysinanis @bamradionetwork Ed Chat Archive: http://edchat.pbworks.com/ Dr. Tony Sinanis is currently the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School in Jericho, NY. Cantiague was named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School. Nancy Blair is a middle school principal in Georgia. She previously served as a school improvement consultant. Tom Whitby is a former contributing Editor at SmartBrief, founder of #Edchat,Twitter-Using Educators, and NYSCATE Network.

GIVEAWAY ALERT:  Follow @PrincipalStager and mention this episode (educatorslead.com/theresastager) on Twitter for your chance to receive a free copy of her latest book "Breaking Out of Isolation: Becoming a Connected School Leader"!    About Theresa: Theresa Stager is a Co-Host of PrincipalPLN podcast which can be found at principalpln.com and on iTunes. She is currently in her third year as Building Principal and Lead Learner at St. Mary Catholic School in Rockwood, MI. She has implemented a 1:1 iPad program and is excited to be able to merge her love of technology, learning and education with this position. She lives in Huron Township, MI with husband Brian and two children Audrey and Jacob. Theresa believes that as long as you are making the decisions that are best for kids, you can’t go wrong. Theresa earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI in 2003 and a Master in Educational Administration (Assessment and Evaluation) at University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2007. She taught for 8 years as a public school music educator teaching general music and band starting in 2003 as well as co-directing the high school vocal music program. She also worked for 2 years as an Implementation Director at an Human Resources company until 2013. Ms. Stager has been an accompanist at St. Blase Catholic Church in Sterling Heights, MI since September 1998. She accompanied a 180-member choir at Carnegie Hall in New York City with guest artist Liam Lawton as well as performing with a host of artists at the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) in Detroit, 2010. Her biggest musical accomplishment was being asked to perform for Pope Benedict XVI in Rome during November, 2012 concert tour throughout Italy, and playing the organ at St. Peter’s Cathedral during a mass. Mrs. Stager has worked as a guest accompanist for GIA Publications and can be heard on Stephen Petrunak’s Dove Award-Nominated Album “Love Beyond All Measure” Theresa has presented at many music, administration and technology conferences in her career. Her music education blog was nominated and chosen as one of the Top 75 eCollegeFinder Music and Arts Enthusiasts Award Winners. Theresa was featured in Dr. Spike Cook’s first book “Connected Leadership: It’s Just a Click Away.” Theresa, along with Dr. Spike Cook and Jessica Johnson have cowritten their first book “Breaking Out of Isolation: Becoming a Connected School Leader” published by Corwin Press.   About EducatorsLead: Educators Lead is a podcast created to help launch educators into the next level of leadership. This show is for you if you are interested in educational leadership as an assistant principal, principal, superintendent, teacher or someone who hopes to be a school leader one day. Educators Lead offers inspiration and practical advice to help you lead more effectively. Jay Willis interviews school leaders three days a week to discuss why and when these educators made the decision to move into school leadership, challenges along the journey, and stories that made it all worthwhile. Educators Lead is a great resource for any educator looking to make a greater impact. Educate. Inspire. Lead. www.educatorslead.com

Jon Corippo is the Director of Academic Innovation for CUE, leading professional learning and his creation, the CUE Rock Star Camp series. These small, hands on camps will be lead by admins, and be designed for admins, focusing on new skills that are needed for 1:1 deployment, Common Core, Project based learning, social media skills and many other skills that there is simply no equivalent for in education.   Jon keynotes, leads and designs Professional Learning experiences all over the country and is a Google Certified Innovator, has been a Lead Learner for a Google Teacher Academy, and is also an Apple Distinguished Educator and has facilitated sessions in Final Cut Pro for the 2013 Apple Institute in Austin, TX. Jon was the co-designer of Minarets High School, which has been named an Apple Distinguished School three times. Jon has been named a CUE Gold Disk Recipient, Madera County Teacher of the Year, and CVCUE Teacher of the Year. Jon has served as an Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and Director of Technology at the county level. Jon’s last district was selected as a Future Ready District, implementing 1:1 from 7th grade up, adding coding, 3d printing, PBL and Minecraft Edu in all K-8 schools, among other notable innovative activities. http://www.cue.org/jcorippo @jcorippo https://sites.google.com/site/mistercorippo/   About EducatorsLead: Educators Lead is a podcast created to help launch educators into the next level of leadership. This show is for you if you are interested in educational leadership as an assistant principal, principal, superintendent, teacher or someone who hopes to be a school leader one day. Educators Lead offers inspiration and practical advice to help you lead more effectively. Jay Willis interviews school leaders three days a week to discuss why and when these educators made the decision to move into school leadership, challenges along the journey, and stories that made it all worthwhile. Educators Lead is a great resource for any educator looking to make a greater impact. Educate. Inspire. Lead. www.educatorslead.com

In this segment, we talk about ways to turn up the volume on student voice along with ways to convert student voice to action. Follow: @Joesanfelippofc @TonySinanis @LisaODavis @gpescatore25 @bamradionetwork Dr. Tony Sinanis is currently the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School in Jericho, New York. Cantiague was named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School and Tony received the 2014 New York State Elementary Principal of the Year Award and the national 2013 Bammy Award for Elementary School Principal of the Year. Tony taught at the elementary level for 8 years in NYC and Long Island. Joe Sanfelippo, PhD is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District. Prior to taking on his current role, he was an Elementary Principal in two rural school districts. He co-hosts the BrandED Radio Show on the Bam Radio Network, and co-authored The Power of Branding-Telling Your School's Story and Principal Professional Development: Leading Learning in a Digital Age.

Our guests tell us that joy is an essential component of learning. Tune in as we explore the role of joy in learning and discover how to create more of it in our classrooms. Follow: @TonySinanis @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork #edchat #teaching #edreform #AskingWhatIf Susan Engel is a professor of psychology at Williams College, where she also directs the program in teaching. She is author of, The End of the Rainbow: How Educating for Happiness (Not Money) Would Transform Our Schools and The Hungry Mind: The Origins of Curiosity in Childhood. Steven Wolk is a professor in the Teacher Education Department at Northeastern Illinois University. He is a former elementary and middle school teacher and his latest book is Caring Hearts & Critical Minds.Tony Sinanis is currently the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School in Jericho, New York. Cantiague was named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School and Tony received the 2014 New York State Elementary Principal of the Year Award and the national 2013 Bammy Award for Elementary School Principal of the Year.

Theresa Stager is an elementary school principal who just completed her first year as the lead learner. Principal Stager talks about her use of technology as a school administrator.   Follow Theresa http://twitter.com/principalstager   House of #EdTech is sponsored by Audible.com. There are over 150,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or other mp3 player. http://www.audibletrial.com/houseofedtech   All links and shownotes at http://www.chrisnesi.com/12   FEEDBACK Call: (732) 903-4869 Voxer: mrnesi Email: feedback@chrisnesi.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/mrnesi Send a voice message from http://www.chrisnesi.com

Sponsor: Sanebox Web Site Transformative Principal on Stitcher Refer A Principal A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of interviewing Tony Sinanis. Little did I know, that he would be named the New York Elementary Principal of the Year! So, I interviewed him before he was famous. Tony Twitter is a great principal and one who is eager to share what he is doing well. He is also incredibly humble and self-aware. I hope you enjoy his interview. I sure learned a lot from him. Here is his BrandED podcast Tony discusses his background and how he is a first-generation college graduate, and not only that, he is working on his PhD and already has two Masters! Tony still keeps in contact with his first year’s class. Wow! Moving into his first school. Tony’s humility recognizing that he wasn’t the right fit for the school. Separating Tony the principal from Tony the Person. Recognizing that his cultural perspectives that were wrong for his school. The difference between white guilt and recognizing differences. Education is more than just the Common Core and High-Stakes Testing. We are disconnected from what the real world is. We try to make kids fit into this little box, totally discongruent to how the world works. He calls himself the Lead Learner, not the principal, because there is a real difference between the two. How Cantiague gives voice to the students. He demonstrates his learning whenever he can. He pushes himself out of his comfort zone as often as he can. The post about the term Lead Learner by Pernille Ripp

Tony Sinanis is currently in his sixth year as the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School in Jericho, New York. Cantiague was named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School and Tony received the 2013 Bammy Award for Elementary School Principal of the Year.

In this episode of PTChat Radio, we discuss the use of Twitter as tool for school leaders. Our guests share benefits, Twitter tactics and strategies for getting started. Follow: @Joe_Mazza @DrJoeClark @TonySinanis Joe Clark, Ph.D. Superintendent, Nordonia Hills City Schools; Tony Sinanis is the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School, which was recognized as 2012 Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education. Dr. Joe Mazza, is lead learner at Knapp Elementary in suburban Philadelphia. Follow me on Twitter @DrJoeClark, @TonySinanis, @Joe_Mazza

Welcome to the premier episode of BrandEd: Telling your story to the world. In this segment, your hosts explain why it's more critical today that all educators learn how to tell their education success stories, brand their schools and school districts and spread the word far and wide. Follow: @Joesanfelippofc @Cantiague_Lead @bamradionetwork Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is Superintendent and Elementary Principal of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, Wisconsin. Tony Sinanis is the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School, which was recognized as 2012 Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education.

In segment we talk with two education leaders about the growing need to tell the stories of the great things going on in your school and how to do it masterfully. Follow: @Joesanfelippofc @Cantiague_Lead @iplante @bamradionetwork Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, @Joesanfelippofc, is Superintendent and Elementary Principal of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, Wisconsin. Tony Sinanis, @Cantiague_Lead, is the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School, which was recognized as 2012 Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education. Sharon Plante, @iplante, is Director of Technology at Eagle Hill-Southport in Southport, CT.

In this edition of PTChat we discuss highlights from the #ptchat discussion on talking to students about tragedies like 9/11 and Sandy Hook. Follow: @peterlevine @Cantiague_Lead @Joe_Mazza @bamradionetwork Peter Levine is the Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship & Public Affairs in Tufts University’s Jonathan Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service. Tony Sinanis is the Lead Learner of Cantiague Elementary School, which was recognized as 2012 Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education and Dr. Joe Mazza, is lead learner at Knapp Elementary in suburban Philadelphia.