Podcasts about school leadership

In this episode, we dive deep with educational consultant and innovator Dr. Kate Anderson Foley, who challenges conventional wisdom about student support systems and offers a fresh perspective on educational leadership. Dr. Anderson Foley's  shares revolutionary ideas about restructuring intervention frameworks and explains why some traditional approaches may be limiting student potential.Episode Highlights:✅ The Double Helix Model - Dr. Anderson Foley introduces her groundbreaking concept comparing educational support systems to DNA's double helix structure, demonstrating how interwoven approaches create stronger outcomes than linear interventions, and why we shouldn't label students according to tiers. ✅ Restructuring RtI Tiers - We explore Dr. Anderson Foley's compelling case for removing the traditional tiered structure of Response to Intervention, discussing how these artificial divisions can create barriers to providing students with appropriate support at critical moments.✅ Cross-Pollination of Services - Dr. Anderson Foley flips conventional thinking by arguing that what's often labeled as "duplication of services" actually represents valuable cross-pollination of educational approaches, creating richer learning environments and multiple pathways for student growth.✅ High-Quality vs. Traditional Tutoring - We distinguish between standard tutoring and "high-quality tutoring," examining the specific elements that transform supplemental instruction into transformative educational experiences.✅ Agile vs. Waterfall Leadership - Dr. Anderson Foley contrasts traditional "waterfall" leadership models with agile approaches, explaining how educational leaders can create more responsive, adaptive systems by implementing initiatives in shorter releases and using data to make adjustments sooner, rather than later. Our conversation challenges listeners to reconsider fundamental assumptions about educational interventions and offers practical strategies for transforming support systems to better serve all students. Dr. Anderson Foley's innovative perspectives provide valuable insights for educators, administrators, and policy makers seeking to create more effective and equitable educational environments.Dr. Anderson Foley is Founder & CEO of the Education Policy & Practice Group, an international keynote speaker, and Harvard Medical School Institute of Coaching Fellow. A transformational leader, she has guided school districts and states toward equitable services for all learners, with a focus on breaking barriers for marginalized children.Beginning as a special education teacher pioneering inclusive practices, Dr. Kate advanced to administration where she advocated for reform at local, state, and federal levels. As a senior educational leader for Illinois, she helped create preventative systems addressing opportunity gaps for all learners regardless of background or circumstance, and contributed to equity-based school funding reform.Dr. Kate partners with organizations worldwide, providing expertise in improvement processes, professional learning communities, and asset-based education policies. She teaches Special Education Law to aspiring educational leaders and authors books including "Ida Finds Her Voice," "Fearless Coaching," and "Radically Excellent School Improvement," which offers a blueprint for comprehensive school improvement that ensures every student thrives.

As we reach the end of another school year, I'm focusing on an essential leadership practice that many principals overlook - creating meaningful closure. This process isn't just about completing tasks and checking boxes, it's about intentionally reflecting on our accomplishments and growth throughout the year.   Tune in this week as I explore why many school leaders resist celebrating their accomplishments, and how this resistance impacts our ability to model self-reflection for our staff and students. By examining our relationship with celebration and redefining what it means to acknowledge our work, we can create powerful closure practices that benefit our entire school community.   Find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/387

As coaches we work so hard to support others that we can often forget how important it is to take care of ourselves too. But, as Cindy Tisdale-McPhee said on a very early episode of the podcast, for coaches to be present for others, they must take care of themselves first. This is a special #coachbetter collaborative episode with Kim Cofino and Diana Beabout because both of them have had an extra challenging year, and when they were chatting about how they've managed being at max capacity all year, they realized that some of our strategies might be helpful for you too! If you're feeling stretched thin - or hoping to prevent that feeling - please keep watching for our 8 tips today! Find the show notes for this episode here.   Like this episode, you'll enjoy these: Coaching Case Study: The Power of Intentionally Slowing Down Coaching Conversations with Sasha Robins [Ep 238]  My "Secret" Coaching Assessment One Question That Will Transform Your Coaching Practice Coaching Call: Shifting your Coaching Mindset from Problem Solving to Improving Student Learning with Vicki Heupel [260] Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

In this episode, I'm excited to announce the release of my new compression course, “The School Leader's Guide to Executive Functioning Support.” You can learn more about the course here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/school-leaders-guide-to-executive-functioning-support/In this session, I'll be sharing why I created this program, what parents and professionals have shared with me when I talk about executive functioning, and how I approach educating professionals about this important and relevant topic.*Plus I share things school communities and staff WISH their administration knew

In this episode, I sit down with Steven Puri, a fascinating guest who had an extremely successful career in Hollywood, but has traded that in to help remote workers master flow, productivity, and efficiency. Though not my typical education-focused guest, Steven brings fresh perspectives on productivity, focus, and creative problem-solving that directly apply to school leadership.    Tune in this week as Steven Puri shares powerful insights about flow states, mono-tasking, and creating dedicated spaces for deep work. Through Steven's stories from film production and tech entrepreneurship, we explore how to break unproductive cycles and find more fulfillment in our work.    Find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/386

In #coachbetter episode, Kim chats with Joel Birch, Certified Facilitator and Pro Trainer of LEGO Serious Play.   Joel is such a pro at bringing fun, humor, creativity and play into his work. Just being in his orbit helps lighten the mood and start seeing creative possibilities you might not have noticed before. This episode is all about how to bring that kind of energy to your work - even if you're a type A “non-creative” like me! In this episode, Joel and Kim are talking about the power of play to develop relationships how to structure the implementation of play (for type-A personalities) the impact of bringing play into a work environment the kind of environment needed to embrace play how informal leaders can bring play to their work what can go wrong when you experiment with play at work Find the show notes for this episode here. Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

Curious about ZipCast? In this special bonus episode of BaseCamp Live, host Davies Owens sits down with his daughter Hannah to answer the most common questions schools ask about ZipCast—what it is, how it works, and why it's become a game-changing communication tool for classical Christian communities.Together, they pull back the curtain on ZipCast's purpose, features, and new 2.0 platform—from weekly parent engagement and custom segments to content quality, affordability, and how schools are using it to build stronger communities. You'll also hear real stories from the field and practical tips on launching ZipCast at your school.Whether you're a current ZipCast school or just exploring new ways to connect with families, this episode is packed with helpful info (and a little father-daughter fun too).

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Smith from GrowNOW ADHD, to explore innovative approaches to social skills and executive functioning through the lens of a community-based program: Executive Functioning Summer Camp. Eric shares his insights on challenging existing service delivery models and discusses the importance of practical, real-world applications for clients.Eric is a Speech-Language Pathologist, ADHD/Executive Functioning Specialist, and Director GrowNOW ADHD's EF Camp with over 7 years of experience in the field. He has worked in a variety of settings including Private Practice, Early Intervention, and Schools.Key Discussion Points:What are the benefits and limitations of a traditional therapy model and how can we expand the way we do intervention to improve generalization? • How the summer camp model facilitates real-world connections.• How much structure and support should adults be providing, and when does it make sense to use a “lesson plan”? • The concepts of “healthy risk” and “healthy discomfort”.• Why it's crucial to incorporate diverse experiences to better prepare our clients for adult life AND to help clinicians stay engaged in their work.• Using the explicit instruction framework (“I do, We do, You do”) to mentor clinicians and coach parents. You can learn more about GrowNOW Executive Functioning Summer Camp here: https://www.grownowadhd.com/adhd-kids-summer-camp/Connect with Eric at: eric@grownowadhd.comPast episode mentioned in this episode:Failure to launch, screen addiction, and preparing kids for life after high school (with Michael McLeod): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-207-failure-to-launch-screen-addiction-and-preparing-kids-for-life-after-high-school-with-michael-mcleod/Building accountability, and motivation in kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-008-building-accountability-and-motivation-in-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/Time management and device use boundaries for kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-009-time-management-and-device-use-boundaries-for-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/In this episode, I mentioned “The School Leader's Guide to Executive Functioning Support”, a 7-day course to help school leaders launch their executive functioning implementation plan. You can learn more about the course here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/school-leaders-guide-to-executive-functioning-support/ We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

Have you ever faced backlash from parents when announcing teacher changes or reassignments?   This is a fascinating dynamic in education that doesn't exist in most other industries - the intense attachment parents develop to specific teachers rather than to the educational experience itself.   How do you deal with the unnecessary tension this teacher-attachment cycle creates between school leaders and families who feel entitled to specific teaching personnel? Tune in this week for a leadership approach that honors teachers as professionals with career aspirations while ensuring students receive high-quality education regardless of who stands at the front of the classroom.   To check out The Aspiring School Leader series or to find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/385

This #coachbetter episode is a highlight from one of Kim's favorite episodes from a previous season, featuring Ange Molony, Secondary School Vice Principal at Discovery College in Hong Kong. Kim and Ange talk about how informal leaders, like instructional coaches, can advocate for equity in their school setting.  Instructional coaches are fortunate to engage with so many different stakeholders throughout their work, and they may have relationships and experiences with other community members that provide insight that other formal leaders don't have. When we have the opportunity to advocate for others, instructional coaches have a variety of pathways to start or continue that conversation. This conversation with Ange highlights her own experience in being an advocate, and may provide insight for you to consider how you do something similar in your school setting.  Find the show notes for this episode here. Like this episode, you'll enjoy these: From Coaching to Leadership with Ange Molony [Ep 190] (Full episode) Embracing Your Influential Leadership as an Instructional Coach Coaching IS Leadership Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

Welcome to this week's episode of the podcast where Brent, David & Melissa sit down to continue the conversation on the Middle School section of Student Ministry. For this week, they sit down to talk about middle school students and how you and equip them and encourage them to be leaders within the church and their community.Whether you are a young or old youth pastor, we would love for you to listen in and see what is talked about in today's episode and we would also love to hear from you! What is your tidbit of advice that you would add to the conversation?You can listen to this episode on all your preferred podcast providers. We would also love to have you join the conversation if you would like to be on the show!Shoot us a message on social media (@talkstudentmin) or an email (podcast@studentministryconversations.org) to get a time set for you to be on the show.Show notes can be found on our website: www.studentministryconversations.orgConnect With SMCInstagram – @talkstudentminTwitter – @talkstudentminFacebook – @talkstudentminYoutube - "Student Ministry Conversations"Connect With The HostsBrent Aiken – @heybrentaikenRussell Martin – @rgmmusicDavid Pruitt - @pruacousticMelissa Stevenson - @melissa_stevenson81You can also email all the hosts individually by: firstname@studentministryconversations.orgSupport the Podcast!Buy Our Merch! - www.studentministryconversations.org/shopWelcome to this week's episode of the podcast where Brent, David & Melissa sit down to talk about the second half of a joint episode talking about how to deal with mistakes in Student Ministry. For this second week, they sit down to talk about handling mistakes that you make as a student pastor and how you can work to not only rebuild trust within your church and staff but also how you can learn from your mistakes to make you better.Whether you are a young or old youth pastor, we would love for you to listen in and see what is talked about in today's episode and we would also love to hear from you! What is your tidbit of advice that you would add to the conversation?You can listen to this episode on all your preferred podcast providers. We would also love to have you join the conversation if you would like to be on the show!Shoot us a message on social media (@talkstudentmin) or an email (podcast@studentministryconversations.org) to get a time set for you to be on the show.Show notes can be found on our website: www.studentministryconversations.orgConnect With SMCInstagram – @talkstudentminTwitter – @talkstudentminFacebook – @talkstudentminYoutube - "Student Ministry Conversations"Connect With The HostsBrent Aiken – @heybrentaikenRussell Martin – @rgmmusicDavid Pruitt - @pruacousticMelissa Stevenson - @melissa_stevenson81You can also email all the hosts individually by: firstname@studentministryconversations.orgSupport the Podcast!Buy Our Merch! - www.studentministryconversations.org/shop

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Ana Hernandez, a speech pathologist who found herself on the other side of the therapy room after undergoing brain surgery. Ana shares her deeply personal journey through the road of recovery.As someone who has spent her career helping others communicate, Ana opens up about what it was like to struggle with communication herself. She discusses the emotional and physical challenges she faced, the strategies that aided her recovery, and how her experience has changed her approach to her work.Ana Hernandez is a speech-language pathologist, founder of Adult Stuttering Services, P.C., and the creator of Green Social and the Safe Spaces of Stuttering approach. She collaborates with leading stuttering organizations, speaks at international conferences, and provides professional training for schools and businesses. Ana's focus in stuttering support is to foster comfort with speaking and empower people who stutter with care that prioritizes quality and dignity.In This Episode, We Cover:• The unexpected diagnosis that led to brain surgery• The impact of surgery on her speech, cognition, and emotions• Key milestones and setbacks throughout her recovery journey• Practical tips for self-advocacy• How this experience has reshaped her perspective as a therapistWhy Listen?This episode is a testament to resilience, empathy, and the power of communication. Whether you or a loved one are navigating recovery from brain injury, or you simply want to hear an inspiring story of perseverance, this conversation will leave you feeling encouraged and empowered.You can connect with Ana on her Adult Stuttering website here: https://www.adultstuttering.com/therapistOn Instagram here @adultstuttering (https://www.instagram.com/adultstuttering/)On LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-hernandez-015b69293/Finally, I also mentioned my free Executive Functioning Implementation Guide for School Teams. You can sign up for the guide here: http://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efguide We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

In this episode, we consider what makes for excellent library provision in the secondary school, including ideas for supporting literacy and curriculum delivery. We speak with four experienced and expert school library professionals to glean their advice, ideas and tips for excellent library provision. We discuss the most important elements in effective library provision and why schools should consider employing a qualified librarian as part of their provision. We consider how school librarians can work effectively with teaching staff to support whole-school teaching and learning and ideas for how librarians can engage with colleagues across the school. Of course, we focus on literacy and reading and the role libraries and school librarians have to play, including ideas for library-based initiatives, managing library stock, engaging struggling readers, and boosting reading for pleasure. And it's not just about books, we also consider the hidden roles of a school librarian, including the pastoral side. And we finish with our ideas corner when we ask each of our guests to offer their ideas for library provision that schools can adapt and adopt.

Have you ever wondered why so many school leaders gain weight after transitioning from teaching to administration?    This week, I sit down with my dear friend and certified life coach Jena Damiani to unpack what we jokingly call the "admin 30" – those unwanted pounds that seem to appear overnight when you step into a leadership role. As both a school leader and a weight loss coach, she brings a unique perspective to this common but rarely discussed challenge.   Join us on this episode as we dive into the five key reasons principals gain weight and why traditional weight loss approaches often fail in the high-stress environment of school leadership.    To check out The Aspiring School Leader series, Jena's 20 Pounds Down program, or to find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/384

This #coachbetter episode is part of our special series featuring real-life coaching conversations with a member of our community. This conversation is with Kathy Patton, Assistant (ES) Principal at International School of Panama. HUGE thank you to Kathy for being willing to record this session to share with all of you! This episode is such a great example of the many demands of leadership - and just a single coaching conversation can help you feel hopeful and a sense of direction in moving forward. In this conversation they talk about how challenging it is for leaders to… Manage the constant shifting from one responsibility to another  Rapidly shift their mindset and attitude from one setting to the next Be present in the moment when ongoing issues are lingering Process all the different conversations they have in the day, so they can be better prepared the next time around Develop sustainable strategies to reflect, process and plan for a very busy week Find the show notes for this episode here Like this episode, you'll enjoy these: Coaching Case Study: The Power of Intentionally Slowing Down Coaching Conversations with Sasha Robins [Ep 238]  My "Secret" Coaching Assessment One Question That Will Transform Your Coaching Practice Coaching Call: Shifting your Coaching Mindset from Problem Solving to Improving Student Learning with Vicki Heupel [260] Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

This week, I'm sharing an interview I did with another host on the BE podcast network because I think it's something you'll really enjoy. The episode is going live in the De Facto Leaders podcast feed. Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. His experience in the classroom ranged from 8th – 11th grade working in an urban setting. A portion of this was spent opening a high school division for an expanding charter school. He has just finished his 14th year as a building administrator. Chris is also the Vice President of the Massachusetts State Administrators Association (MSAA). True to his “why” of improving the educational experience for as many people as possible, he is currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts.He is the author of SEEing to Lead, a book that provides strategies for how modern leaders can and must support, engage, and empower their teachers to elevate student success. Chris vlogs weekly about continuous improvement and is also the host of the podcast SEEing to Lead as a way to amplify teachers' voices in an effort to improve education as a whole.In this interview, Dr. Chris Jones and I discuss how to promote effective literacy practices in schools, while still allowing educators and clinicians to have autonomy in their practices. We discuss:The “non-negotiables” when it comes to evidence-based practices vs. where there can be flexibility for the “art” of teaching.Why training and information needs to be paired with change-management strategies.Finding the “joy” of reading can't happen without building foundational skills.You can connect with Dr. Jones on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcsjones/, and on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DrCSJones/, and on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/drcsjones/.  You can learn more about his book and podcast at: https://drcsjones.blog/seeing-to-lead-podcast/In this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

This is a different type of episode for the Just Schools Podcast! This time Jon Eckert is interviewed by Beck Iselin.  The conversation explores the role of joy in education and how it connects to feedback, engagement, and well-being (FEW). Jon shares how his research builds on past work, emphasizing that joy isn't something artificially created—it comes from a deep understanding of our identity and purpose. He reflects on how students today often equate happiness with well-being and why educators must help them see joy as something deeper and more enduring. This conversation offers insight into how teachers can cultivate meaningful engagement and resilience in their classrooms. The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: How to Know A Person by David Brooks Reset by Dan Heath Lincoln Versus Davis: The War of the Presidents by Nigel Hamilton   Connect with us: Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl Baylor MA in School Leadership EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn BCSL LinkedIn   Jon Eckert: Welcome back to Just Schools. We have a treat for you today. We have a guest host in the studio all the way from Brisbane, Australia. We have Beck Iselin. She's a returning Just Schools podcast person, but the last time she was the person I got to interview along with her dad about the work that she does as a school teacher in Brisbane, and so she listens to Just Schools and we were discussing this over the weekend and she said, there's so many questions I would like to ask you as someone who listens, and she said, "Do you ever do the podcast where someone interviews you?" So I said, "Well, why don't you take that role?" So we have our first ever guest host, so take it away Beck, you get to be the interviewer. Beck Iselin: Thank you, Jon. I'm so grateful for the one and only Dr. Jon Eckert joining us on the other side of the podcast today. Yeah, I guess I wanted to really start off by asking you, I know that you're involved in a lot of current research at the moment, stemming out of your real passion for kids and for the educational leadership space. So can you speak to a little bit about what your current research looks like? Jon Eckert: No, I'd love to do that. So all of my research always builds on previous research. So the collective leadership work became the feedback, engagement, and wellbeing for each educator and each student work. That was what animated Just Teaching, and now what I've realized is our profession needs more joy and it can't be artificially cultivated. It comes from the deep joy that comes from our knowledge that we are created in the image of God and we're broken and flawed, and out of that brokenness comes joy and so when we think about FEW, feedback, engagement, wellbeing for each kid, we need to make sure they understand what joy is because I'm not sure kids do understand that right now. I think they think if they don't feel happy that they aren't well, and if they aren't well, then they don't feel like they should show up and our happiness is circumstantial. Beck Iselin: It's not contingent. Jon Eckert: Right, it's this self-focused thing where joy should effervesce through struggle and in the Bible you see this over and over again. Joy is always connected to adversity and suffering, and we don't wish adversity and suffering on people. We certainly don't wish trauma on people, but there is this idea that in a classroom, we have to be able to move through adversity with others and as we do that, that builds that gritty optimism that we can do more. Beck Iselin: That's where the joy is, some would say. Jon Eckert: That's it. That's where the joy is, well said. So that's what we're researching right now. We've gotten about 20,000 surveys in from around the world on what that looks like in classrooms and so that's the next book that we're working on, Joy Over Happiness and what that looks like. Beck Iselin: How fantastic. Yeah, great and so what are you then seeing in the schools, I guess challenges or trends or insights that you're noticing? You mentioned children not quite grasping that concept of joy. Is there any other things that you're noticing in the schools at the moment? Jon Eckert: So teachers that understand this and administrators that understand this are cultivating this in their students, and so students are doing amazing things all around the world and in contexts that you couldn't even imagine joy effervescing through. So we're going to have a couple of guests on in the next couple of months from around the world who are doing amazing things. So one educator I was speaking to last week at an international conference of Christian leaders from all over the world, she led a school of 250 students, 80% of whom had either been trafficked or were children of prostitutes, and they stick with those kids in a residential model all the way through internships and job placement. Beck Iselin: Wow. Jon Eckert: And that's joy to be able to step into that work. It's really hard and that is trauma, and we do not wish trauma on anyone, but to see God at work and that is amazing, and other woman shared the story of her sister who was six years old, it was her twin and she passed away when she was six and that educator didn't speak for five years, and so at 11, she began to speak again when she was reading aloud with a teacher, it just happened and now she fierce advocate for giving students' voice and she's the most eloquent, articulate, succinct speaker of profound truths, I think largely because she had five years where she just listened and watched. Beck Iselin: Something we could all gain a lot from, right? Jon Eckert: Right, and you don't wish that trauma on anyone and that adversity, even not speaking for five years, but somebody reminded me just today, Maya Angelou went through a long period of not speaking as well after trauma, and so there is this joy that comes from really horrible, hard things, not because of the hard thing, but because hey, we're made to be resilient and that brokenness leads us to be able to see others in different ways that I think is powerful and is a lot of the why behind what those leaders are doing. So I get really excited when I get to see that, and I always say I have the best job in the world because I just go around and find those things that are working even in really hard places through adversity in these really meaningful ways. So excited about that. Beck Iselin: Yeah, and I think what a blessing it is to be able to be in classrooms and school contexts that don't look like what you have previously taught in yourself. You would gain so much from the joy that you see in these countries like you said, India and overseas in the UK or back in Australia. There's so much to be gained from that, and so I think for me as a teacher, what I see in the research space is everything is at our fingertips these days, and so one article that you read can be completely contradictory to the next and book that you read, and so is there anything that I guess you've read recently or research that you've been looking into that you could recommend for teachers where we're just swarmed with everything at the moment? Jon Eckert: I love the way you frame that. And so here's the challenge with recommending books. Part of my job is to read, and that is a huge blessing, and I realize that and when you're in the hard work of meeting individual kids' needs every day, you don't have time and space for that. So take all this with a grain of salt and there are great ways to get summaries of these things. Beck Iselin: Yeah, podcasts. Jon Eckert: Right, yes, but what I'd say is always use the filter of your own experience for what is true. So when I talk to educators like you, when we were talking about your classroom and where joy is and where the hard things are and where it leads to joy and some of these breakthroughs you've seen in kids that struggle to read and write, but they know everybody in the classroom when you play the game where the missing student is out of the classroom and they have to figure out who's out of the classroom, and that's the kid who gets it. Each kid is uniquely created, and so when we read books, read articles, put that always through the lens of your lens as a teacher, Beck Iselin: Like the human-ness part of it. Jon Eckert: That's right, and so I think there's wisdom and this is your seventh year of teaching? Beck Iselin: Correct. Jon Eckert: Yeah, so you've gained a lot of wisdom. So use everything through that filter. So three books. My favorite book of last year was How to Know A Person by David Brooks. It's how do you listen well, how do you ask questions? How do you elicit stories from people? And he does a beautiful job writing about that and I think it's really a beautiful book for being a better human being, not just a better teacher. So love that. Then the one I just finished was Reset by Dan Heath. It's how do we do meaningful work in better ways? And so some really good ideas about before you try to make a change, really dig in and look at the work. So it's great to read research, but they don't know your context. Beck Iselin: Correct. Jon Eckert: How do you get in and find the bright spots in what's happening and where are you finding resistance and how do you get through that resistance? And we want autonomy, but we want it within constraints. We don't want just full-blown, everybody does what's right in their own eyes. That's the time of the judges, we don't need that. It's like how do we do good work that we're suited for? And so I thought Reset was very helpful. The last book right before I read that was Lincoln Versus Davis. It's The War of the President. So it looked at the US civil war, and I've read a lot of civil war history, but what I liked about this, especially in our current time is looking at things from two leaders' perspectives that were on opposite sides and the hardest point in the history of the United States where Lincoln is coming into just horrific circumstances and he has to lead through that against another leader who is actively trying to break up the country. And it was so hard to read and see the pain and the families that were spread apart and this fight over slavery, which is just one of the most horrific sins of our country, and to see the brokenness of that, but the encouragement was, as this is part of the reason why I read history. When I get depressed about where we're at as a nation now, I can't say, "Oh, I wish we could go back to that." It's like, "No, we've had flaws." I love our country. I think we have a great country, but we have things that have not been great and we haven't always treated marginalized populations well. We haven't always done things in a just way, but I do think there is great potential for things being better and not getting so down on how polarized our society is now. Because certainly civil war when your families are polarized and you're literally fighting on other sides of this and killing each other, that would've felt horrific, but Lincoln led with hope through that even though he lost hope at points, but there was an undergirding. I think it was a God-given providential piece of hope. It's not like we need to hold onto that as leaders. So those are three books. Sorry, I can never just recommend one. Beck Iselin: No, it's fantastic. I love what you said, just touching back on that first book by David Brooks, How to Know a Person about this craft in storytelling, and I think that's so essential to us as teachers and educators. I remember I had a student a few years ago and he said to his mom one morning, I wonder what story Ms. Iselin is going to tell us today because there's vulnerability in telling a story, right? And I think that that then is going to build trust within your classroom communities and I guess that then brings me to your book, Jon, that you've written. Just feel free to humblebrag as much as you want to, Just Teaching, which is, let me get it up, feedback, engagement and Well-being for each student. It was a bestseller for its publisher and something I really loved about reading your book was that it wasn't I guess a set of definitive strategies that are going to guarantee success with any student that you come across, and neither was it a book full of buzzwords that seemingly meaningless after five minutes in the classroom. So can you tell us about why you chose to write a book in the first place? Jon Eckert: So I felt like it was a book that we had to write because at the center, we'd been working with schools all around the world in response to COVID because we shifted school in a way that never have in the history of the world, but we still had to make sure kids were well, if they were engaged, if they were receiving feedback. So in 2020 that summer, we were helping schools figure out how they were going to roll out school, where they still maintain those three pieces, and so from 2020 to 2023, we were collecting evidence of how that was happening and so that formed the book. So some of the things were things I had done when I taught and things I was doing with college students, but largely it was what's working around the world in these three categories, and so Just Teaching is kind of a tongue in cheek title that many teachers in the US refer to themselves as just a teacher. We should never do that because that disempowers us and if we are the profession that makes all others possible, there's no such thing as just a teacher, but how do you teach for justice and flourishing and what does that look like? Well, you do that by making sure that you've addressed well-being, engagement, and feedback. The acronym is a nice easy FEW. That's why we start with feedback. You do those few things, not for some kids or all kids, but for each kid. That's how God sees us, that's how we're called to see them, and that's what leads to justice and flourishing. It's a really fun book to write because I was just harvesting stories from the work we were doing with schools all over. Beck Iselin: Almost like a collection, right? Jon Eckert: And then the key is though, you have to make it so that it feels doable, because there's amazing educators doing things that it just can overwhelm people, and hey, it's only those three things. That's it. Now, doing that for each kid makes teaching infinitely interesting, but also hard, but that's what we're called to and that's why I taught some science labs 16 times. It's not about the lab, it's about the way each kid comes to the lab, and so every time you do that, you have to see it through his or her eyes, and that's fascinating. How a does a 13-year-old see that chemical reaction for the first time. What does that look like? And the same thing for college students and for graduate students, you're not teaching a book. You're teaching individuals how to better understand their context and be more of who they're created to be through a great resource. So that's the beauty of Just Teaching at whatever level you're at. Beck Iselin: And so where to next then for Author Dr. Jon Eckert, is there another book in the works? Can you tell us? Jon Eckert: So yeah, the next book is a Joy Over Happiness and it's for parents and educators this time because it's anybody that works with kids, and I had to find kids from anywhere from toddler to 21 years old because I couldn't find a better term, but how do we engage a more joyful generation? So it's joy over happiness, engaging a more joyful generation through gritty optimism. Now, we'll see, publishers may change that title, who knows? But that's the idea that everyone has a story. It's worth telling and we can do this in ways that build optimism through evidence and experience. So naive optimism is just the belief we can become more of who we're created to be. Gritty optimism is the belief we can become more of who we're created to be through evidence and experience. So in order to do that, you got to do hard things with other people, and then you've got to be able to articulate them in your own story, and then great leaders elicit stories from others. So there's story seeking even more so than storytelling. How do you seek those stories and bring those and those in ways that privilege engagement over comfort and others over self and grittiness over naivete? Humility over arrogance. Beck Iselin: Or pride, yeah. Jon Eckert: Yes. Hospitality over service. What does that look like? So each chapter lays out how we get to joy through those vehicles, and so that's been a fun one. Again, gathering stories and evidence and data from all over and now it's just packaging it into okay, how do we get to joy? Beck Iselin: And I think parents are asking those same questions too, right? They're also inundated with voices that are telling them which way they should go and just hearing I think from lived experience from stories and that connect people from different nations and different contexts and different spaces, I think, yeah, there's something really special about that. I can't wait to read it. Jon Eckert: Well, and so I would be curious to hear from you because you are an educator right now. How are you seeing joy percolating in your classroom or in your school? What is that looking like in 2025? Beck Iselin: For me, I've just moved up to what is middle school. Life in the middle at my school, and I think joy in my classroom looks like kids becoming more independent and I think there's this joy in seeing, yeah, that thing of going, everything is new to them. Their uniforms are two sizes too big. They've got lockers and they've got to learn locker combinations for the first time. They've got to make sure they've got all their stationery and organization ready for each class. So there's a lot going on for their little brains and bodies, but to see just the sweetness of just a smile when they know, "Okay, I did it. It was really hard week one, but I finally got my locker combination." And it's funny, you see what would be our seniors, our year 12 students go, "Oh, I can do mine in five seconds." And I see my little year six shoulders just shrink a little more, but it's celebrating the little wins and I think that's where the joy is for me at the moment in my classroom context I guess in particular in just celebrating little success, because I think as well as kids get older and into those teen years, we stopped doing that. A lot of the play is just pushed to the wayside. A lot of nurture is pushed to the wayside and it becomes a lot about conformity, and we've got to shape you so that you're following these rules, but I think that there's something to be said about little wins that are celebrated as a whole classroom community, and furthermore, a school community. That's what I'm loving. Jon Eckert: No, that's good. I think that's what we do as educators, fan those small successes into big flames, and that is joy, and that's gritty optimism and when you've seen that year after year, it's not this belief that isn't grounded in reality. It is reality and the more kids can see that and articulate that story for themselves, that's where they find joy, and we find our greatest joy when our students find joy. Beck Iselin: Correct. Jon Eckert: And that's real and I definitely have appreciated that about you. Beck Iselin: Yeah, Mr. Eckert, I think it is time for our lightning round, something we do at the end of every podcast, but we'll ask a few questions. This is one of my favorite parts of podcasts to listen, to be very honest. I feel like you can learn a lot about a person through some of these answers. So I'd love to start with my favorite one. What is the worst piece of advice you have ever been given? Jon Eckert: That's good. This really stinks that I'm on this side because I always say, I'm terrible at this part. Beck Iselin: At least you're prepared. Jon Eckert: I did have some sense of the questions this time, which is good. Don't go into teaching. Beck Iselin: Oh, really? Jon Eckert: Yes, you're too smart to go into teaching. Beck Iselin: And who told you this? Jon Eckert: Multiple people. When I was graduating from high school, when I was starting, I always say it was a huge blessing to me. I graduated from a small rural school in West Virginia, and so I got a federal scholarship because I looked like Appalachian poverty to go into teaching, and it required me to teach for two years every year I took the scholarship, and I took it for three years. So I had to teach six years. Beck Iselin: You were forced into it. Jon Eckert: And so it was so good for me because my pride and arrogance might have said that I don't think I want to be an education major because people look down on education majors. Beck Iselin: And do you think as a young male, you found that as well? Jon Eckert: Oh, absolutely. I am quite certain. There are many reasons why women would not have dated me in college, but being a teacher was not a strong endorsement of that's somebody I want to date, and even friends would openly mock that in ways that were kind of good-natured, but would also sting a little bit. So yeah, don't go into teaching. Worst piece of advice I've gotten. Beck Iselin: Which is so hard when you have a gift and no matter what context you're in, you're going to teach, whether it's called being a teacher and you've got an education major or not. Do you think that times have changed and that still would be the case for our young men that are looking at studying education? Jon Eckert: Well, 77% of educators in the US are female. So 23% are male, really don't go into elementary education, which I started in fifth grade. So love that. I had them all day, got to know them as a family, and it was just a beautiful thing, but yeah, I think it's still a problem. I actually think we've gotten worse. I think administrators have made administration look unappealing to teachers, so nobody wants to go into it. Beck Iselin: As a whole. Jon Eckert: Yeah, then only go into administration, and then teachers have made teaching look pretty miserable to students and some of their best students I had don't do this go into something else. Even good teachers are telling students to do that. I know I've heard that multiple times that I don't want my child to go into this profession, and so we're cannibalizing a profession, and I understand where that comes from, but I don't think that's going to help our society. Beck Iselin: That's not the answer, right? Jon Eckert: Yeah, that's a tough place to be. So I just did a horrific job on the first lightning round question, Beck. Beck Iselin: Yeah, lightning, come on. Okay, best piece of advice you've ever been given. Jon Eckert: So it's on my wall in my office. It's Parker Palmer's quote, "Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique. Good teaching comes down to the identity and integrity of the teacher." And so that's either super encouraging to you or super like, "Oh, that's it." It can't just be a series of techniques, but that is the encouragement. It's who we are in Christ. Beck Iselin: It's about the heart. Jon Eckert: That is animating what we do. Now, techniques help. It can't be reduced to it, but it's the identity integrity of the teacher, which to me is like, "Oh yeah, that's what it is. I get to live life alongside these kids." Beck Iselin: Yeah, it's reassuring. Jon Eckert: Right. Beck Iselin: Great. A fun one, if you could invite two people over for dinner, dead or a life, who would it be and why? Jon Eckert: Well, thank you for not eliminating Jesus from that. I've done this multiple times. Beck Iselin: Always, it's assumed. Jon Eckert: But how could you not invite Jesus over to find out what that was like? Beck Iselin: Be unreal. Jon Eckert: To be God in human form on earth. That would be amazing, and then the other one, whenever people eliminate Bible characters if they do that, which I think is mean, it's Abraham Lincoln. I mentioned the book that I just read, but I find him to be one of the most fascinating leaders ever because of what he led through and the way he had to think through unbelievably hard things. So I think it would've been fascinating to hear what that experience was like. Beck Iselin: That's great, and do you have a word for this year? I feel like we're kind of in March now, aren't we? So I feel like it's past the time where all the New Year's resolutions, they're well and truly up and running or well and truly, completely faded away into the abyss, but do you have a word that you're holding onto for this year? Jon Eckert: Yes, so the word is joy and it's a word that obviously we've talked a lot about today that I journal every morning and I write five things every morning that I'm grateful for, and then I just pray like, "Hey, Lord, what's your word for me today?" And whether that's just my conscience, it's just on the mind or it's really a supernatural intervention, joy has been that word 95% of the mornings for the last six months. That's been what it is and I'm so grateful for that and then I jump into my Bible and read, and then I spend a little more time praying, but I want my life to be marked by joy. That doesn't mean life is easy, but that means that there's going to be joy through hard things because there are hard things. Teachers see this, administrators see this. If your eyes are open, you see hard things and meaningful work in front of you all the time. Beck Iselin: And so what would you say? Would you then say that one of the greatest challenges you are seeing in education is that lack of joy in that same way? Jon Eckert: Yeah, I think it's the lack of understanding of what joy is. I think we've lost sight of it. We think if there's adversity that there's not joy, and so to me, I want educators to grab onto joy because that's what we pursue is joy and recognize that yeah, this is a hard job, but it's meaningful, and I have all these friends who are worried about AI taking their jobs or the way their jobs are shifting, and they get paid a lot more money because they have to be paid a lot more money because their work a lot of times is hollow and doesn't feel very meaningful. We have meaningful work to do with human beings every day, and there's great joy in that, and so I think that is the biggest challenge I think for society right now, but I think for educators that there is great joy in this profession. We just have to see it. Beck Iselin: And your greatest hope then for education as well, looking into the future? Jon Eckert: Yeah, I think it's what I've seen through the center, we get to work with educators all over the world is the hope that comes from seeing people lead with each other through adversity. We certainly can celebrate the easy wins, but the hard wins when they come, and the successes that come when you see a kid become more of who they're created to be, or a leader more of who they're created to be. It's just huge blessing. Beck Iselin: Yeah, special. Well, thank you so much, Jon. It's been such a blessing to have this conversation with you today. I know so many people are going to gain so much from you. You're just a wealth of wisdom and I'm grateful for our time. Jon Eckert: Well, thank you for that kind overstatement at the end and for allowing me to talk to you and be on the other side of the microphone. Beck Iselin: Yeah, it's great, thank you.  

Are you stepping into your first year as a school principal?    The excitement of landing that leadership position can quickly collide with the overwhelming reality of what the job actually entails. As a new leader, you're not just taking on a new role – you're embarking on a personal development journey that will stretch your mental, emotional, and physical capacity in ways you never imagined.   Join me for some real talk this week about what you need to know as you transition into school leadership.    To check out The Aspiring School Leader series, sign up for Essentials for New School Leaders, or to find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/383

It can often feel easier to be an expert (or a consultant) than it is to coach. Whether it's building peer coaching skills among a full faculty, or inside The Coach with educators who are learning to be instructional coaches, or in workshops with teachers who are just learning about coaching, we all feel very comfortable in the consultancy dynamic. We're familiar with the concept of mentoring or giving advice, and it's easy to think that coaching is the same thing. This #coachbetter episode is about embracing your curiosity as an instructional coach - and letting go of feeling like you need to be an expert. Find the show notes for this episode here. Like this episode, you'll enjoy these: Coaching Case Study: The Power of Intentionally Slowing Down Coaching Conversations with Sasha Robins [Ep 238]  My "Secret" Coaching Assessment One Question That Will Transform Your Coaching Practice Coaching Call: Shifting your Coaching Mindset from Problem Solving to Improving Student Learning with Vicki Heupel [260] Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

4/29/25: Political Consultant Josh Silver: trump underwater; local politics overwater? Sci-Tech Cafe w/ Kerstin Nordstrom & Dmitry Kireev on the Future of Bioelectronics. Prof Chris Appy & Dr Quế Mai: Ellsberg Conference on Legacies of the Vietnam War. Author Gwen Agna: "Community-Centered School Leadership."

This conversation explores the evolution and implications of standardized testing in education, highlighting concerns about its effectiveness in measuring 21st century skills and the impact of government policies on educational standards. The speakers discuss the need for reform in assessment methods and the importance of preparing students for future challenges through collaborative learning and digital literacy @markwestonphd.bsky.social @lincoln1809.bsky.social Harvey Alvy served as a practicing principal for 14 years in both elementary and secondary schools. Harvey's international school leadership experiences ranged from New Delhi to Israel and Singapore. He was selected as an NAESP National Distinguished Principal and is a founding member of the Principals' Training Center for International Schools. Harvey is Professor Emeritus at Eastern Washington University, where he received the Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching Excellence and held the William C. Shreeve Endowed Professorship in School Leadership. His most recent book is Fighting for Change in Your School: How to Avoid Fads and Focus on Substance (ASCD, 2017). He has co-authored, with Pam Robbins, Learning From Lincoln: Leadership Practices for School Success, The Principal's Companion, The New Principal's Fieldbook, and If I Only Knew: Success Strategies for Navigating the Principalship. With Jane Liu, Harvey co-authored a Mandarin book for Chinese school principals, The Principal Management Handbook: The American Principal's Approach to Successful Administration.

In light of the mass amount of misinformation about ADHD, particularly regarding medication, I thought it was time to do a re-release of this past episode.*Disclaimer, although I have “Dr.” in front of my name, I'm not an MD and do not have the credentials to prescribe medication. This episode is meant for general information only and is not intended to be medical advice. As a licensed speech pathologist, I bring the perspective of someone who has supported clients through behavioral change and building skills; which has included making referrals/recommendations for families to seek medical advice from people who can prescribe medication. Additionally, I've also been in a position to report back to licensed physicians when they want to know a status update after prescribing medication.In this episode, I discuss:✅The “appeal to nature” fallacy, what it is and why it's potentially harmful.✅Common “natural” treatments for conditions like ADHD (such as diet, sleep hygiene, supplementation)✅How to avoid distorted thinking when making decisions about medication and other treatment options.In this episode, I mentioned this episode about homeopathy from the Unbiased Science podcast here: https://www.unbiasedscipod.com/episodes/homeopathy-much-ado-about-nothing-literally-nothingI also mentioned the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer here: https://www.jonkrakauer.com/books/into-the-wild-trFinally, I also mentioned my free Executive Functioning Implementation Guide for School Teams. You can sign up for the guide here: http://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efguide We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

Are you overcome with guilt whenever you need to take a sick day? And even then, do you try to brush it off, pretend it isn't happening, and attempt to push through?   This week, I address a profound issue that came up during a recent EPC call with one of my clients. She was dragging herself to work despite being sick for two weeks, feeling guilty about the burden she was placing on her husband at home. This sparked an important conversation about how, particularly as women, we're conditioned to be A+ at everything—partners, parents, friends, housekeepers, and school leaders—often at the expense of our own wellbeing.   To check out The Aspiring School Leader series, sign up for Essentials for New School Leaders, or to find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/382

In this #coachbetter episode, Kim chats with members of the team from the Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (called AAICIS), where Kim is currently serving as the Executive Director.    The organization is celebrating its one-year anniversary by reflecting on its achievements since its launch in March 2024. The discussion highlights the unique support AAICIS offers to international school educators interested in or currently working in instructional coaching. The team shares how their all-volunteer, all-remote group has advanced coaching practices tailored specifically to the international school context. (For more about how AAICIS got started, check out our episode from March 2024 "Introducing the Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (AAICIS)") Listen to this episode to hear about all the work this amazing team has accomplished, including: Their successful launch in March 2024 An update on their research (to dig deeper into this check out episode 262 with Jordan Benedict) Their free resources, and what's coming next The support they provide for coaches, leaders and schools - and why this might be valuable for YOU and your school! How to connect with AAICIS Developments on their growing team If you're looking to join a supportive community of instructional coaches and leaders in international schools around the world who are as passionate about instructional coaching as you are, this episode (and AAICIS) is for you! Find the show notes for this episode here. Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

I remember the first time I “Marie Kondoed” my therapy room and got rid of materials that were published before I was born. There were shelves of things I never used, and having so many options created unnecessary decision fatigue every time I sat down to plan my week ahead. Over time, I started investing in knowledge instead of flashcards and games. I found my students did better when I kept it simple. I thought my students would be bored, but they actually became more engaged and independent. That's why I was so excited to talk with Marisha Mets from SLP Now, who shares my passion for systems and frameworks that don't require complicated materials. Marisha Mets earned her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Washington. She has worked as a school-based SLP and shares therapy ideas and resources on her blog (SLP Now). Marisha also developed a membership for SLPs that includes digital tools and resources to streamline evidence-based therapy, including a one-stop caseload management solution that currently supports thousands of SLPs. In this conversation, we discuss:✅How to manage both physical clutter and mental clutter.✅Identifying the point of diminishing returns when it comes to organizing.✅Deciding when to use a batching process vs. habit stacking. ✅Defining the “containers” you use to manage your workflow and your workspace.✅How to identify your “staples”.✅Investing in materials vs. knowledge/skills. You can connect with Marisha on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisha-mets-9aa396133/Follow her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/slpnowFollow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/slpnow/ Listen to my episode on the SLP Now Podcast here: https://slpnow.com/blog/how-to-write-iep-goals-an-expert-guide-for-slps/Learn more about SLP Now and read Marisha's free blog posts here: https://slpnow.com/The following resources were mentioned in this episode:“Outer Order, Inner Calm” by Gretchen Rubin: https://gretchenrubin.com/books/outer-order-inner-calm/“Atomic Habits” by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habitsIn this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Dr. Matthew Lee, research professor at Baylor University and co-leader of the Global Flourishing Study—a longitudinal project spanning 22 countries and nearly 200,000 people. They discuss what it means to flourish as whole human beings and how education can support not only academic success but spiritual, emotional, and relational well-being. Dr. Lee shares insights on how flourishing is not just about individual happiness or wellness, but about contributing to the greater good—what he describes as "ecosystem-wide flourishing." He and Eckert explore how love, hospitality, and compassion can shape the culture of schools, drawing from research and real-world examples, including organizations like Barry-Wehmiller that center care and community in their leadership. The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara Christian Caregiving: A Way of Life by Kenneth Haugk Connect with us: Baylor MA in School Leadership EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn X: @eckertjon Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl     Transcript: Jon Eckert: All right. Today we get to welcome a good friend and colleague at Baylor University. So Matt Lee is here with us today, and his work all revolves around flourishing, which is the ultimate goal of all education and one of the most intrinsically human things that we think about. So Matt, if you just give us a quick intro as to why you're at Baylor and kind of the 30,000-foot view of what you do here at Baylor. Matt Lee: Well, thanks, Jon. I'm delighted to be here at Baylor, and I would say part of the reason that I'm here is that the Global Flourishing Study is a joint project of Baylor and Harvard, and this is a five year, 22 country survey to understand the forces that affect flourishing for about 200,000 people globally. And we've got nationally representative samples in each of these countries. So we're almost able to generalize to all humanity, which is unusual for a study. And to have this longitudinal approach enables us to follow up over time, look at changes. We've got the time ordering nailed down, we've got some statistical techniques to address robustness. We're almost able to make causal claims that generalize to all humanity. So that was one of the reasons. The other thing is I just really appreciate Baylor's mission and ability to combine really rigorous research with a Christian commitment. And so I think that is a special strength of Baylor University, not to go into a commercial for Baylor right now. Jon Eckert: Oh no, we're all for that. But it's one of the reasons why our work overlaps, because we work with education leaders in over 45 countries and all 50 states and the stated goal of education since Aristotle has been for the flourishing of human beings. And so there's obviously a school component of this. You're looking at all of humanity. Again, that's not probably something I'll ever be able to say as a researcher that I've able to generalize findings to all humanity. But I'm curious to hear how you all think about words like flourishing in love and operationalize those for educators. What does that look like in whatever school you're called to? Obviously, we're here at Baylor and we can have a faith component to what undergirds everything we do, but a lot of our educators that we serve are in public schools, and there's secular humanism there, and there's all different kinds of kids with all different kinds of backgrounds. So what does flourishing and love look like universally, in the way you would define it? Matt Lee: Well, I would frame it as a dialogue. And so we are contributing to a dialogue. And I remember there was a chaplain at Harvard who used to just observe that Harvard tends to treat students as though they are just a brain on a stick or maybe a neocortex on a stick. And of course, there's more to human beings than that. And so when we think about flourishing, we think about multiple domains. We're flourishing in terms of our physical health, we're flourishing in terms of our spiritual health, our emotional health. And so there's all of these different domains at the individual level, but it's sort of meaningless in a sense if we're not contributing to the greater good. And for most people, particularly in the United States, the greater good is going to be largely defined in terms of a sacred narrative. So if we're not honoring that need to serve the greater good in terms of a sacred narrative, then we are dehumanizing people by definition. And so if we care about the inherent dignity, the infinite value of every person, that we need to attend to all of the domains of flourishing across levels. So flourishing is different than well-being and happiness and wellness and some of these other constructs because it really is not just about the person, it's about the person in their context. And their context might include a sacred context. Their context certainly would include a political and economic context. It's knowing we have the skills in order to make a meaningful difference in this person's life. We're not trying to fix anything. We know that that doesn't necessarily work, but we can be present with loving awareness in a way that is itself healing, and then we can get people the help that they need if we can't provide it. But it's not one person's responsibility to do that. So oftentimes when we think of love or compassion, we think of one-on-one, but this is actually something that you find at the level of groups. And Brian Wellinghoff, my co-author on the one article about Barry-Wehmiller, he's a senior director at Barry-Wehmiller. He said in the article, what we've found over these couple of decades is that when love is present, it promotes the conditions that are required for flourishing. It's not just that love is present at the level of one-on-one interactions, it's that it's now that love is part of the culture. Love is part of the context, and that enables everything that they do. And they help encourage that by promoting skills like listening and the practice of gratitude and regularly celebrating people, not just employee of the month where you get a nice parking spot and everyone hates you for the month or whatever. But like a culture of celebration where it actually is joyful to celebrate the people that you care about and you want to do that and you appreciate it when they do it for you. And you know it's going to happen because you can see your love, make a difference on a daily basis. You know that you're contributing, you know that you're engaged. And I remember asking Bob Chapman, again, the CEO of that company, "What do you do about free riders?" When I went to Harvard, I thought, "I'll never see any free riders," and there's free riders everywhere, and how do you do that? And so he said, "Well, we want everyone to get on the bus, but they're not necessarily going to get on at the same stop, but we have faith and we're committed that eventually everyone's going to get on the bus." So there's some mercy and there's some grace. And then there's the tough conversation. There's the tough love. It's not just the warm hug, it's the powerful love that says, "Look, I'm going to speak truthfully to you about your contribution as a co-creator of this culture," he calls it a culture of caring, but I think we could also call it a culture of love and compassion. Jon Eckert: So couple of things that came to mind when you were talking about that. I like the term sacred hospitality, but the book Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara came out just a few years ago. He ran Eleven Madison, and they became the best restaurant in the world based on not their service, but on their hospitality. And he differentiates service from hospitality. And it's absolutely a culture that gets created. It can't just be one person. It's how the whole team views the experience they're creating for diners. And it's a remarkable book that it's hard to replicate in schools because that is an elite experience with lots of money behind it, and public schools aren't functioning in that world. But how do we have that kind of an attitude about how do we see whole human beings and reach out in a hospitable way, not just in a service way? So I wonder if you have any... Are you familiar with Unreasonable Hospitality at all? Matt Lee: I've not read it, no. Jon Eckert: Okay. But does that align with sacred hospitality as you're considering it? Matt Lee: Well, one conceptual resource that I found helpful is from a book called Christian Caregiving, and this is written by the founder of the Stephen Ministries. This is the laypeople in a congregation who provide care to others in the congregation. They're not trained as psychologists or counselors, but they've been given a set of skills and they know their boundaries. That's the most important skill is knowing what's yours and what's for a professional and what's for God. And so when you think about the critical distinction in that book, it's between servitude and servanthood. And so when we are living into our vocation, that's servanthood. And when we are forced to do something that we wouldn't want to do in a way we wouldn't want to do it, then we're talking about servitude. And so when we imagine education and we think about a system that is perfectly designed to get the result that it gets, what is our system getting? It's perfectly designed to get disengagement. That's what we see from the Gallup data. So as you progress through your journey, you start out highly engaged in kindergarten, and then you're less engaged in middle school, less engaged in high school, and it just continues. It's a nice linear downward trend. Jon Eckert: That's not a nice trend, Matt. Matt Lee: Well, it's not nice, but from a research standpoint- Jon Eckert: It's clean. Matt Lee: It's very clean. So what are we doing systematically there? Well, we start out in kindergarten, we're sitting in a circle with our friends holding hands, finger painting the alphabet, singing songs. The creative arts are infused into this container of friendship. And we're learning our core material in that kind of container. And then we systematically start pulling all that stuff out. No more recess, take art maybe once in four years in high school. Jon Eckert: Elementary school, on average now, get 27 minutes of recess a day in the United States. Matt Lee: Oh, so we're- Jon Eckert: It's devastating. Matt Lee: We're doing it even younger than when I was a kid. Jon Eckert: Yes. Yeah. Matt Lee: I started doing this UN class called Love and Action at the University of Akron, and I said, "Rather than reading about this, why don't we practice it and then come back in a community of friends and share what are we learning?" And it just felt more like kindergarten to me. Let's sit in a circle and let's sing some songs about what we're learning. And I remember saying, "Well, do we even need exams at some point in these UN classes? Maybe there's a different way to be in relationship where we don't need the exams." And some of my colleagues would say, "Well, that's dangerous. You're going to have all these free riders." I had so few free riders in that context, and it's sort of like Barry-Wehmiller company as well. There's so few free riders because you empower people to be what they were created to be. Jon Eckert: Seeing data coming out on what leads to flourishing and mental health and what doesn't. But we're always looking for the things, what's working. I don't have time to spend a lot of time on the things that aren't working. I do like Bob Chapman's belief that everybody will eventually get on the bus. I don't believe that is true. I believe some people need to find another bus. But I think eventually you need to get the people that need to be on the bus, on the bus, and they'll get there. And they may choose there's another bus route that's better for them, and that will lead more to their flourishing. And that's great. But with 12,000 people in that company, that's not going to be 12,000 people that are on the right bus all the time. Matt Lee: Well, and I think maybe it's not everyone, but you go after the lost sheep. Jon Eckert: That's right. Yeah, you do. You do. That is fair. That's fair. And teachers definitely do that. And you can run yourself ragged. This is the last part of the time, and this is always the hardest part for me. I would be terrible at this, but you have four questions, four sentences. So one sentence for each one. So in all of your flourishing work that you've done, what is the most obvious finding that you're like, "That's kind of a duh, we all knew that and now we have empirical evidence that says that's true." Matt Lee: Better to give than receive. Jon Eckert: Okay. Well, there you go. Some ancient wisdom. All right, second. What's the most surprising finding that really jumped out? Like, "Oh, didn't see that coming"? Matt Lee: Yeah, I don't know that it was really surprising. It was just surprising to see it so consistently that groups that so obviously prioritize financial material stability, have the lowest flourishing on all the other domains. At the country level, at the group level, even within particular organizations. So we find in a paper that I've just... This is more than one sentence, but I'll give you an example. Jon Eckert: That's all right. Matt Lee: So I'm co-leading a paper on showing love and care to another person, and this is using the global flourishing study data. We find a fairly strong negative correlation with GDP. Countries that have higher GDP have people who show lower levels of love and care. Jon Eckert: Wow, okay. And I'm not- Matt Lee: So I'm not totally surprised by that, but it's still kind of shocking to see it so reliably surfacing in all of this work. Jon Eckert: I'll keep this short, but my daughters went down to the Dominican Republic to do some work there with a lot of high school and college students this summer. And they had an amazing experience because of the joy of the people that they were with in the Dominican Republic. And so the joy that they exuded through... Some of them had very little, but the joy was there and it made a fundamental difference I think will mark my daughters for the rest of their lives because they recognize, "Oh, really, joy is not tied to what we have." Matt Lee: Yeah. I had a group from Spain consult me a couple of years ago, "We're going to this impoverished country and we're going to help them with their flourishing." And I said, "Oh, really? You might find that they help you with your flourishing." Jon Eckert: 100%, right. So the last two questions. What's the biggest challenge you see globally or in the US, take your pick, that's inhibiting flourishing right now? Matt Lee: Yeah. I think that the way we understand flourishing or love or leadership is really just a small part of what those words represent. And so I think if we understood flourishing as ecosystem-wide flourishing, we would have the appropriate North Star. But if we keep doing it as, or understanding it as, a kind of subjective experience of wellbeing for an individual, I think we'll never get out of the crab bucket. Jon Eckert: That's good. And then what's your biggest hope for flourishing, globally or in the US? Matt Lee: My biggest hope would be that we would learn from the positive outliers who are already doing it everywhere in the world. And I think I remember some years ago... So I'm bad at one sentence. Jon Eckert: I know, I am too. This is a challenge. Matt Lee: I have to immediately support it with evidence. Jon Eckert: That's good. Matt Lee: So let me give you just one example of evidence. I was chair of the section on altruism, morality, and social solidarity of the American Sociological Associations. That's a lot to remember. But as part of my role as chair, I was also editing the newsletter, and I was approached by a member of the section who had done some research on concentration camps, Nazi Germany, and he found in his argument... I'll just cut to the chase. His argument was, most of the Holocaust museums focus on the narrative of victimhood. But what you saw in the camps was incredible heroism, incredible sharing under pain of death of your last crumbs and incredible, just inspiring altruism. The human spirit was soaring, even as the body was being destroyed by this evil regime. And so people who have never had their names in the history books have done incredible things. And Holocaust museums around the world could tell that story too. Not just the victim story and not to the exclusion of the victim story, but tell the story of empowerment. Jon Eckert: Wow. That's a great place to end. Thank you for taking the time, and thanks for the work you do, Matt. Matt Lee: Thank you.  

Do you ever feel that pang of anxiety when you realize you've missed an important meeting or weren't included in a crucial conversation?   If you're navigating this tension between wanting to know everything happening in your school and district versus recognizing what information you actually need to fulfill your leadership responsibilities, this episode is for you.   This week, we'll explore the fascinating psychology behind our desire to "be in the know" and how this need often stems from deeper places than we realize.    To check out The Aspiring School Leader series, sign up for Essentials for New School Leaders, or to find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/381

This #coacbetter episode is about the importance of intentional and structured conversations. This is a highlight from one of Kim's favorite episodes from a previous season, featuring Michele Mattoon, Executive Director of the National School Reform Faculty. Recently as part of one of AAICIS Leaders Speaker Series we had Jennifer Abrams share with our community about Stretching Your Learning Edges (Jennifer has also been a guest on the podcast if you want to check out that episode), and as she said on the podcast, Jennifer highlighted how as educators we are not trained in having conversations with other adults. Having intentional and structured conversations, through the use of protocols, can really help us navigate difficult and challenging topics that, as Michele says, sometimes need “guardrails”. Because instructional coaches work with so many different stakeholders, with so many different perspectives, experiences and opinions, it's so important for us to know how to structure conversation for productive discourse and dialogue. Protocols are one way we can do that. If protocols are new to you, make sure to check out the full episode with Michele. Once you start using protocols in your professional learning, and group conversations, you won't go back.  Find the show notes for this episode here. Like this episode, you'll enjoy these: Coaching Case Study: The Power of Intentionally Slowing Down Coaching Conversations with Sasha Robins [Ep 238]  My "Secret" Coaching Assessment One Question That Will Transform Your Coaching Practice Coaching Call: Shifting your Coaching Mindset from Problem Solving to Improving Student Learning with Vicki Heupel [260] Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

In this presentation, Robert Luddy walked through Thales Academy's mission—to offer the highest quality education at the lowest possible price—and the real, practical steps that educational entrepreneurs can take to establish similar schools and educational institutions.Robert "Bob" Luddy is the Founder and Chairman of Thales Academy, Thales College, Franklin Academy, and St. Thomas More Academy, and is the Founder and President of CaptiveAire Systems, North America's leading manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment and a quickly growing manufacturer of commercial and industrial HVAC systems.

In this episode, we dive into the often-overlooked art of writing clear, measurable goals for executive functioning. Unlike other academic or functional goals, executive functioning focuses on internal processes—making it harder to quantify and observe. Whether you're a teacher, therapist, or part of a school team, this episode will give you actionable tools to create meaningful IEP and therapy plan goals that truly support student growth.What You'll Learn in This Episode:✔️ Why executive functioning is all about the process—and why that's tricky for traditional SMART goals.✔️ Examples of goal formats that keep things simple, specific, and actionable.✔️ How to differentiate between goals that focus on behavior versus those emphasizing strategies.✔️ A sample list of accommodations to support executive functioning without over-accommodating.✔️ Tips to ensure students build independence with their accommodations over time.

Have you ever felt like you're drowning in the demands of school leadership?   Like you're constantly choosing between being a good leader and having a life outside of school?   You're not alone.   In this week's episode, I sit down with Jeff Linden of the Education Leadership with Principal JL podcast to share my journey from feeling completely overwhelmed as a first-year principal to discovering how to lead with intention while maintaining work-life balance.   To check out The Aspiring School Leader series, sign up for Essentials for New School Leaders, or to find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/380

This #coachbetter episode is another in our series of coaching case studies, with one of Kim's amazing clients, Jen Kagohara, ES Tech & Design Coach, Taipei American School, Taiwan. Jen is a graduate of The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program and when we recorded this episode she had just finished the program. These case study episodes are designed to share the story of a coach, and the development of their coaching program and practice in their unique setting.  We're so excited to share this episode with Jen with you because Jen has had many experiences that are shared by lots of the clients Kim works with. She's relatively new to her school, which has hired coaches, but doesn't yet have a coaching culture. Many coaches that Kim works with are in this exact same situation - in fact we have several other podcast episodes about this very topic, one is episode 70: 5 Steps to Move from “Having Coaches” to “a Coaching Culture”). Wherever you are in the process at your school, it's always valuable to hear what this looks like in different school contexts. In this conversation they talk about ... What coaching looks like in her school right now What makes coaching work and what are some challenges Jen's growth as a coach throughout The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program Her big aha moments as a new coach What she's planning for next in terms of her professional growth What she wishes she knew before she started coaching Her recommendations for new and aspiring coaches Find the show notes for this episode here. Like this episode, you'll enjoy these: Coaching Case Study: The Power of Intentionally Slowing Down Coaching Conversations with Sasha Robins [Ep 238]  My "Secret" Coaching Assessment One Question That Will Transform Your Coaching Practice Coaching Call: Shifting your Coaching Mindset from Problem Solving to Improving Student Learning with Vicki Heupel [260] Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

Dr. Trent Grundmeyer is an Associate Professor at Buena Vista University & Owner of Grundmeyer Leader Services. In this episode of the Ed Essentials podcast, Hunter discusses the critical aspects of hiring in education with Trent. They explore the importance of fit in leadership roles, strategies for aspiring administrators to stand out in a competitive job market, and the significance of personal and organizational alignment. The conversation also covers how to prepare for interviews, the value of building leadership experience, and the factors that influence job satisfaction for current administrators.Connect with Trent:www.grundmeyerleadersearch.comwww.bvu.edu/master-ed-adminConnect with Hunter:Email:  ⁠edessentials.network@gmail.com⁠X: ⁠@edessentials_⁠Instagram: ⁠@edessentials_⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-flesch-669a36122/⁠Facebook: ⁠@edessentialscollection⁠Website: ⁠https://www.edessentials.net/⁠

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & UnitsTeachers are stretched thin, and sometimes they just want clear, actionable guidance. But when does simply downloading information help, and when does it hinder real understanding and adoption? In this episode, we explore the balance between providing direct solutions and ensuring teachers engage in the work themselves to understand the "why" behind new strategies. We also discuss the importance of having champions in each building to support implementation and how to involve teachers in decision-making—even when there's pressure to move fast.Key Takeaways:When providing direct solutions to math teachers' pebbles is helpful and when it prevents deep learning.Why math teachers need to engage in the work to successfully implement new strategies or curricula.How having key advocates in each building can drive sustainable change in math.How to bring math teachers into the decision-making process, even under time constraints.Show Notes Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you'll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don't want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

Do you struggle with getting teachers onboard with RTI interventions? Do you have teachers who default students to special ed without any data? Join me on this episode where I have a conversation with Dr. Kate Anderson Foley, an experienced educational consultant, about:Creating a more integrated approach to support all students, not just those with special needsMoving beyond traditional intervention models to something more responsive and effectiveEmpowering school leaders to create systems where every student can succeedThis thought-provoking conversation challenges conventional thinking about special education and offers practical insights for educational leaders looking to make meaningful change.Connect with Dr. Kate Anderson Foley on Linkedin.Visit Dr. Kate Anderson Foley's Website. *FREE DOWNLOADS*Decisive Leadership- Free WorkshopThe Principal's Email DetoxPrincipal Checklist to Disconnect From School*RESOURCES FOR PRINCIPALS*Transform Your Time: 60 Day Action Plan for PrincipalsLeadership by Design: The Principal's Custom Habit SystemThe Principal's Overwhelm Toolkit*SOCIAL MEDIA*Barb Flowers, Ph.D- LinkedinDrBarbFlowers- Instagram

This session is a Q & A I did in the Language Therapy Advance Foundations member's group relating to how to support students through semantic study and working on complex syntax. I addressed the following FAQs:“How do I help students who struggle to define and describe words without making them prompt-dependent?”“How do I make semantic study more contextualized?”“What's the difference between a “task-based” goal and a “strategy-based” goal, and which type of goal should I be using for language and executive functioning?”I also provide examples of goals for observable behaviors vs. goals that focus on the process of getting to that behavior or end output. Highlights of this session include:✅Using the explicit instruction framework: “I do, we do, you do.”✅Using pauses, reflective questions, sentence starters, direct repetition, and declarative statements (hint: we should be using a blend of all these things.)✅Where we SHOULD use explicit, repetitive, “decontextualized” tasks in therapy for purposes of cognitive priming. ✅Why students need a blend of structured and unstructured tasks (from decontextualized to contextualized). This session came from a Q & A I did in Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ The following resources were mentioned in this session:The Explicit Instruction Framework by Anita Archer and Charles Hughes: https://explicitinstruction.org/This video on scaffolding sentence combining for younger students: https://youtu.be/LDLYlZgqpQUThe strategy-based goals for executive functioning came from information from the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers put executive functioning intervention in place. You can learn more about the School of Clinical Leadership here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Chris Mihealsick, the 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year from Westwood High School in Round Rock ISD. They discuss her passion for expanding access to high-level science education, the importance of mentorship for new teachers, and the challenges facing public education today. Mihealsick shares insights on supporting students new to AP coursework, fostering a collaborative classroom culture, and navigating the demands of teaching while avoiding burnout. The conversation also explores the impact of uncertified teachers and the role of teacher preparation programs.  The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: Armadillos to Ziziphus: A Naturalist in the Texas Hill Country by David Hillis Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave by Ryan Holiday Connect with us: Baylor MA in School Leadership EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn X: @eckertjon Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl     Jon Eckert: All right. This week we have Chris Mihealsick, the 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year from Westwood High School. She is in Round Rock ISD, and so she's representing educators across the state of Texas and we're really excited to have her here today. So Chris, welcome in. Chris Mihealsick: Thank you so much. It's so good to be here. Jon Eckert: And just give us a little background about how you got into teaching in the first place. I always love teacher origin stories, so how did you get to doing what you're doing now? Chris Mihealsick: Well, both of my parents were in education and for a really long time I thought, "Nope, nope, not for me, not for me." When I started college, I was a bio major. I worked in a lab. I thought maybe that would be my path. I kind of thought I was going to switch to environmental engineering, but my freshman year, I tutored some at-risk kids in biology and chemistry and I just loved it. I loved seeing them grow. I loved them going from really struggling in biology to being able to get Bs on their tests and be excited about science. And even as hard as I pushed against the family business, I just couldn't deny that that was where I was meant to be. I really liked working with teenagers and helping them learn and grow. Jon Eckert: The kids are always the draw. That's always the thing. And I feel like other professions that don't get to work with kids and see the way they become more of who they were meant to be, they miss out on that joy. And so that's cool that that's what pulled you in even though you were fighting the family business. So we're glad that you broke through that barrier. So tell us a little bit about... You have a platform this year as the 2025 teacher of the year. What are you most passionate about as an educator? Chris Mihealsick: I am incredibly passionate about students having access and being able to do higher level science. I teach AP Environmental Science, and I really say, "My course is a course for anybody." I work really, really hard to build students up that have never taken an AP class before. I also oftentimes will have some of the top students at our school, and I work very, very hard to make my class engaging for all levels. So I really believe that every kid deserves to have a higher level science experience before they leave high school. And that's kind of my mission as an educator. Jon Eckert: Oh, that's such a gift. As a former middle school science teacher, I always loved being able to pass my kids along to science educators like you because kids are naturally curious about the world. Environmental science, what a great place to try to explore where we fit in the world and how is this made to work and how can we be better stewards of this earth? That's something that a great teacher, I think, can hook any kid into. And so I love this idea that any kid can access those higher level courses because for so long we've been tracked in ways that some kids never get access to that class. Do you have any examples where you've seen a kid who maybe would've not gotten that opportunity in another school or with another teacher where you've seen some incredible growth that gives you belief that this is the right thing for each kid? Chris Mihealsick: Yeah. Every year I get students that this is their first time taking it. For example, I have two students this year. I have a student that has never taken another AP class and she started out getting 30s or 40s on most of the quizzes, and she's worked really hard. She stuck with it. I checked with her a semester, "What support do you need?" She just needed some extra help with some of the writing props because we do essays. Which is sort of a little bit unusual, I guess, in a science class, you don't tend to think of science classes doing essays, but our AP tests, they take a multiple choice part and they have to write three pretty large robust essays. So we do a lot of lab report writing, but we also practice that skill a lot because that's where the kids that have never taken an AP class before really tend to struggle. They can answer the multiple choice questions, okay, they're great in lab, they're fantastic in class, but they really struggle with that writing component. So really working with her this year and helping build her writing up as well as helping build her confidence up. She wasn't quite sure she fit in the class when we started this year, and she absolutely belongs there, I think every kid that comes to my door that's willing to take that chance, and that's a risk for kids, right? They've never taken a higher level of science before. Maybe they had a bad science experience before and they're jumping into this advanced class. So I want to honor that courage that those kids show, that decide, "I'm going to try this, I'm going to take this." So just giving them enough support. And I think also building that culture where the kids really work on helping each other. I try to build up really tight lab groups and then we switch them and they have to build up tight lab groups with a whole new group of kids. So really working with their peers quite a bit is a big cornerstone of my class as well. Jon Eckert: That's one of the things I love about AP is that it forces the writing, because writing is where you really see how kids are thinking, and that's the power in that. It's not rote memorization. You have to be able to think. And as an educator, it's the closest thing we get to getting inside a kid's head. And so I love that that's where you started. And people that listen to this podcast will know I'm always talking about joy through struggle. And it's so true that that student who struggles at the beginning and then gets to the point where she gets a three, four or five on that AP exam in her first attempt at an AP class, she's going to experience so much more joy than the kid who's taking their eighth AP class and they're getting their eighth or ninth four or five. That's great, that's success, but you don't experience the same level of joy if you haven't had that struggle. And so what I also love, the last thing you said really sticks with me, I've been pushing this for a while, that schools obviously have to be safe and psychological safety and physical safety all matter, but what you're celebrating and respecting is that struggle that kids do with others. And so it's not about being safe because those kids don't feel safe when they sign up for that first AP class. That feels like a risk. And so if kids feel like, "Feeling safe is not taking risks," that's a problem. And so what you've created is an environment in your classes where kids know, "Hey, this is a place where I can take risks," and then it's going to be celebrated and respected. And so I love that you're moving kids into that in tangible ways. What have been the benefits to other students in the class? Not the kids who are taking their first AP class, but to other AP students that are seeing a wider range of students in your class than, say, they might in another AP class. Have you seen any benefits to the classroom culture from that? Chris Mihealsick: I think students seeing anybody at our school attempting an AP class and being successful and being part of our group is really important. I think sometimes the highest flying kids at the school tend to think like, "I'm here and everybody else is not as academically robust as me." So really seeing, "Nope. You know what? A lot of people can succeed in a lot of different ways." Sometimes I have some of the kids that are the super high-flyer academic students that struggle with some of our lab work, and then other students are able to step in and be like, "Oh, nope, I got this. I can handle this procedure," or whatnot. And it just shows that there's huge value in everybody working together. There's huge value in everybody having access to these classes. And I think it opens everybody's eyes a little bit in terms of working with all kinds of different kids. Jon Eckert: Well, and again, going back to middle school science. In the lab, I felt like the lab was the grade equalizer because you had some high-flying students that never want to be wrong because that's identity threat to them. And so they don't want to take risks in labs because they don't want to look like they don't know what they're doing. And you can't fake your way through a lab very easily. And so I felt like getting kids partnered up of different abilities was gold because sometimes the kid that you thought would be leading in the lab is not. It's the kid who's like, "Oh, I'm willing to jump in and try this and we don't know what's going to happen and we're going to do this and we're going to track the procedure and we're going to do it safely." But I think that's a great point that I think science has some nice advantages when you have those labs because it's a vulnerable thing, especially for those high-flying kids that never want to be wrong. And that's really problematic for learning if you're not willing to acknowledge, "Hey, I don't know how to do this." That's the whole reason why you're in class. So it's good. So love that you came up with that. I also like... We've talked earlier about how you see building the profession. So we've talked about students, but where are your passions for the profession? Because you don't get to be teacher of the year in a state like Texas if you're only focused on kids. I mean, that's always our primary focus, but what's your hope for other educators in Texas and beyond? Chris Mihealsick: So I really, really care about good teacher leadership. I want every teacher to work in a department or a learning team that has a really competent, caring teacher leader. I want everybody to have a department chair that's a competent, caring department chair. I want people to be able to be mentored. I've been mentored five different times in my career and I'm getting mentored right now by the 2024 Texas Teacher of the Year for my next role. And just that ability for somebody that's there with you in the trenches. We're still in the classroom. I'm still teaching full-time. Teacher leaders are still there. They know the struggle, but they also can help guide you in really great ways that help you grow. I would not be where I am right now without mentorship I got when I first started teaching AP I didn't know what I was doing, Holy cats. And I had two AP teachers that kind of took me under their wing. They weren't even AP environmental science teachers at my school and really helped me learn what it was to help kids learn how to write for AP and how to do the more advanced lab skills. So I think teacher leadership is so important, especially right now when we're talking about, "How do we keep good teachers in the classroom?" Well, it's having people that support them that can help you grow to the next level. Really helping set that culture of your department is so important as well, that support system that... I am very, very fortunate I work for an amazing principal and I'm so grateful to have her support, but at the end of the day, there's one principal, right? But there's 200 of us in our building, and having those teacher leaders in the departments or in the learning communities is just really, really important in smoothing over the day to day, when you have questions about different strategies for working with a kid or how do I teach this in a more engaging way? Those teacher leaders can grow the staff and there's a lot more job satisfaction and working with people that are invested in you staying. Jon Eckert: And I think what you're saying is more important now than ever that the session that I met you in, they had put up a slide... This is from Raise Your Hand Texas, that 56% of new teachers in 2024 were uncertified. So this need for mentoring has never been greater because you have... And there's some great people who have come into the profession without certification, but the only way they're going to succeed is with great coaching and mentoring from people that have done this before because those uncertified people, for the most part, will not have gone through a teacher training program, they won't have done student teaching, they won't have had all those pieces, and now they're in your building. And over half of new teachers in Texas, that's their story. Have you seen an increased need for mentoring, or is this just kind of more of the same? Chris Mihealsick: No, we've seen a huge increase in the need for mentoring. There's a huge difference in getting a pre-service teacher that's gone through student teaching and has had some courses and knows the lingo, right? 504, IEP, all the acronyms. And somebody that has a good heart for kids and knows the content, but knows none of the management skills. So mentoring has been hugely critical. I've noticed a huge uptick in the mentoring that we've done on our campus in the last two to three years, for sure. Jon Eckert: Well, and it feels kind of crazy that we will turn kids over to someone who has no certification to teach when... My favorite statistic on this, I think this is right. In Ohio, to become a barber, you need 1500 hours of supervision. And I'm grateful. I don't want somebody coming in and hacking my hair up. But if you're requiring 1500 hours to cut somebody's hair and then nothing to be responsible, to be the teacher of record for children who are only going to get one shot at environmental science, who are only going to get one shot in third grade to increase their reading or to become a better human in first grade, to be... No certification. In some states it's even worse than in Texas where we're now... In some states, we're not even requiring a bachelor's degree. It's like we're having college students come in and be teacher of record because we're hurting in the profession so much. So my question for you... Obviously, when we have those teachers in our building, we're going to do everything we can to serve those teachers, but I do not want to burn out teachers like you who feel this burden not only for their students, but then for teachers who are coming in who are underprepared and who might be good in two or three years, but in those first couple of years, that's a lot of intensive work for you. What do we do to make sure we don't add more to plates that are already overflowing so that those teacher leaders don't burn out and leave? Chris Mihealsick: That is a really, really important question because I've seen that happen at our school where we've had good teachers leave because they've had two uncertified teachers they've needed to work with. And it's just overwhelming because you have all of your regular day-to-day responsibilities. You're maybe the team lead, so you're also working with your team, plus you also have to support the people that are working on training and getting into teaching. So it's really, really, really challenging. Our school tries to be really judicious about who we assign as mentors. So somebody isn't mentoring... Like for example, we had a biology teacher last year mentoring a brand brand new teacher, and this year we took her off mentoring. She's the team lead for our bio team, but we're like, "Nope, we're not going to have her mentor anybody else this year," because it was a lot last year. It was a lot. And you don't want to burn people that you know are effective and are doing good things for kids and really helping them grow. You don't want them leaving either. Jon Eckert: That's right. Well, I love that rotation idea, and that just means you have to develop a wide, wide range of teacher leaders because you have all different disciplines, especially in a comprehensive high school like you're in. You have all different disciplines. You have department chairs, but you just can't keep putting more on department chairs. Administrators, if they don't have background... If you've never been a science teacher, it's very difficult to give very specific feedback for how to get better if you've never run a lab. You can give general classroom management practices and think about student engagement, but you've got to have people with a lot of different kinds of expertise to give the mentoring just in time for people that are really needing that kind of feedback. So as you look around Texas, are there any real bright spots you see where you're really encouraged by some of the things that you've come across, maybe through the teacher of the year process or just people that you've worked with? I'm sure you're in networks of educators, but is there anything that has been really encouraging to you as you step into this role as teacher of the year? Chris Mihealsick: So I was really fortunate to do two different kind of talks. I did one in late February at Weatherford College with the Jack Harvey Awardee teachers. And first of all, I love, love, love hearing the good work that teachers are doing across the state because it just fills my bucket to hear how much teachers around the state truly care about the kids that they're in charge of. And Weatherford College is a two-year college, but they have some four year degrees and they have a teaching program, and their teaching program is growing. So that was really exciting. They're in North Texas. And I am a University of Texas grad. I will always be proud that I'm a UTeach teaching program graduates. They are doing some really, really... They've done historically since 1998... '99 I think is when they started. And they do some really great work at teacher prep. We consistently try to hire their graduates if we can because we know their graduates have the content knowledge, but also they've had a lot of field experience so they really know how to work with kids. So I think there's some really good stuff still happening all over the state in our teacher prep work. And that's something... Obviously, I want more people to join those programs. Lower enrollment is an issue that both of the schools have talked to me about, but I think that there's some really good work preparing some of our university students. And that's for sure. Besides all the great work from the teachers that I've just kind of talked to anecdotally as I've been kind of tootling about with my work is good. Jon Eckert: And I think why I love talking to educators like you is we have to stop cannibalizing our profession. So we have administrators making administration look so miserable that no teacher wants to step into it. And we have teachers making teaching sound so miserable that students don't want to step into it. And teachers told my own children, I've heard it said multiple times to their children, "Don't go into teaching right now." And what they don't understand is they're looking out for that person. They're saying it in love, but what they're doing is, is they're cannibalizing the profession. And if we don't have a strong teaching profession, we don't have other professions. And so that is really troubling to me. So I really respect what University of Texas does. Good to hear about Weatherford. When I came to Baylor six years ago and saw the program that they run for... I don't get to work in the pre-service teacher program, but they've done six different placements in a full year student teaching internship. Now in many districts, it's a paid internship if they're in high need districts. That is amazing. That is blowing away what we were doing in Illinois with our teacher preparation program where they had a 12-week student teaching placement and they had four practicum placements. That experience is gold when you're in with good teachers like you, and they can see, "Here's how I set this lab up and here's what it looks like at the beginning of the year, and here's what it looks like at the end of the year. That is powerful. And I am not a big fan of bureaucratic requirements that are unnecessary, but I certainly want good preparation for my kids' teachers, which means I want it for every kid in the state of Texas. And so really grateful for the way you're representing education. So let's shift into our lightning round here. I usually have three or four kind of common questions that I go across, and these are just pretty brief answers, if you have them. So best and worst advice you've ever given or received, you can start with either best or worst, but let's start with those two. Chris Mihealsick: Okay. Worst advice for sure was, "Don't smile till Christmas." Who thinks that's a good idea? You don't build relationships with your students by being a jerk. So worst advice for sure. Best advice was from my mentor who helped me when I was first teaching AP, Joy [inaudible 00:20:00]. She said, "You only have so much life energy, so decide what you're really passionate about and what you feel really skilled at, and just work to be really, really great at that." And I thought that was amazing because you get asked to do so many things as an educator, I am not great at facilities. I probably shouldn't sit on the facilities committee. So focus on what you're really good at and use your energy and your passion to get better at that, to make a bigger difference. Jon Eckert: Yeah, that's really, really helpful advice. So follow up on that, what is the most life-giving part of your job and what is the most soul sucking part of your job? Chris Mihealsick: For sure, working with the students. Even with all of amazing things I've gotten to do as Texas Teacher of the Year so far. And I love working with teachers. When I'm back in my classroom, which is most of the time, and just working with the teenagers and seeing them grow. I could teach for another 15, 20 years probably. We'll see how that all works out. But... Because I'm 23 years into my career, but for sure life-giving is just... I love working with the teenagers. Every single day is a little different. They'll say something funny or unique or they'll make a new discovery. Soul sucking, I would say probably paperwork. Not a fan. I'll do it because it's all the laws and all the things and I like my job. I'll do all the paperwork, but not my fave. Jon Eckert: Yeah, there's always some component of the job that is the reason why you need to get paid for the job. And I say paperwork for most of us is there because that's always going to be part of it. But all right. Best book that you've read in the last year. This could be education-related or just a fun read. Anything that jumps out at you as a good book you've read. I'm always looking for recommendations. Chris Mihealsick: So I read a mix of science and historical fiction and kind of leadership books. So my favorite that I've read lately is Armadillo's to Ziziphus by David Hillis. He is a professor at UT in biology. He actually discovered the Barton Springs Salamander. And it's just a whole bunch of short essays about natural history in Central Texas. And I am currently in the middle of reading Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday. I like his work too. He's a stoic, so he kind of talks about when things happen in life, we can't control that, but we can always control how we react to things. And I think his book right now has a whole bunch of little anecdotes about historical figures and their courage in different things. And I think it's just really relevant right now. I think being a teacher takes courage always, but I think especially right now, it's good to hear about other people's struggles and things they've overcome to make the world a better place. Jon Eckert: No, it's beautiful. I love those two. I have not read either of them, so I've got them written down. So thank you for that. Last two questions. What do you think is the greatest obstacle facing teachers right now? And then the second, the follow-up is what gives you the most hope? As you look around the state of Texas, what gives you most hope about what's happening in education? Chris Mihealsick: So challenging... I'm just going to be honest. I think the budget situation is really challenging right now. I'm hoping that changes for us because I'd like to see smaller class sizes for all of my colleagues and me so that we could give students the more individual attention that they deserve. But what gives me hope is two things. First of all, the students that I work with... I just... Every single year, I think, "You guys are going to change the world. You're going to go out, you're going to do something amazing for Texas and it's going to be phenomenal." So just seeing the potential and the energy that... I love working with juniors and seniors, they're my jam. Seeing them kind of grow and change and get ready to go off and then go off into the world and... That energy and that passion. Texas is in good hands with the teenagers that are continuing to graduate from our public schools. Yeah. Also hope the teachers that I've been meeting across the state... As a teacher in Central Texas, I'm a little bit insular and this is my world, but being able to get to travel a little bit and talk to people in other parts of the state has been really phenomenal. And I have a lot of hope for the kids of Texas because of the people I've been meeting. And I hope to meet a whole bunch more. So my hope for the next year is just to get to meet some more folks and to be able to start highlighting some of their good work as part of what I do. Jon Eckert: I love that. Well, Chris, thank you for what you do. And Round Rock, thank you for what you're going to do for the state of Texas. Thanks for your heart, for students and for educators. So grateful to be able to highlight your good work, and hope this year is amazing and we'll have to catch up with you at the end of your year. So thank you for joining us. Chris Mihealsick: Thank you so much for having me. This has been delightful.

As we enter April and the final season of this school year, this is the perfect opportunity to examine our intentions and how we're showing up in our lives.   Many of us feel stretched too thin—not feeling "good enough" in our various roles as educators, parents, partners, or friends. This overwhelming sensation often stems from trying to do too much without clear intention. When we operate on autopilot, moving robotically through our days, we miss the richness life has to offer.   This week, I invite you to raise the bar—not from a place of insufficiency, but from a desire for greater satisfaction and joy.   To check out The Aspiring School Leader series, sign up for Essentials for New School Leaders, or to find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/379  

In this #coachbetter episode, Kim introduces the domains of a coaching mindset. Did you know that the number one indicator of student success is collective efficacy? (Donohoo, 2017). Research shows that when we believe in one another, student learning improves.  How we can improve our collective efficacy through the lens of coaching – without hiring an instructional coach or a formal coaching program? Because we all want to improve student learning. And we all can benefit from coaching. But not every school has the capacity or finances to build an instructional coaching program. And the great news is, you don't have to have a formal coaching program to do it. All you need to get started is a coaching mindset. And every single person (students included) can work towards cultivating a coaching mindset. Find the show notes for this episode here. Like this episode, you'll enjoy these: Coaching Case Study: The Power of Intentionally Slowing Down Coaching Conversations with Sasha Robins [Ep 238]  My "Secret" Coaching Assessment One Question That Will Transform Your Coaching Practice Coaching Call: Shifting your Coaching Mindset from Problem Solving to Improving Student Learning with Vicki Heupel [260] Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

Having someone observe your therapy room or classroom can feel awkward; whether it's your boss doing your evaluation, or whether it's a special service provider who's supporting students in your class.When I've talked with administrators and service providers about classroom observations, they say it can be a learning curve for the person coming into the classroom as well. Yet having another set of eyes on your students can often be a valuable learning experience for both the person observing and the person being observed. That's why I invited John Mihalyo to the De Facto Leaders Podcast to talk about how school leaders can turn observations into meaningful learning experiences instead of an obligation. We also talk about what it takes to start new programs and initiatives, and how to take a proactive approach when it comes to marketing and communication. John Mihalyo is a highly accomplished education professional and the visionary founder of Elementary Advancement Solutions, a leading educational consulting company dedicated to empowering Catholic and faith-based school leaders. With a robust background encompassing over two decades of experience as an administrator and 15 years as a Catholic school principal, John Mihalyo has honed his expertise in addressing the multifaceted challenges encountered by educational leaders. John is also the host of the Catholic School Leaders podcast on the BE podcast network. In this conversation, we discuss:✅Why good school leaders visit classrooms before the official employee evaluation.✅Why starting a new program in a school can be a 3-year process (or more).✅The importance of marketing and communication (for both staff and community). ✅The difference between running public, private, and faith-based schools. You can listen to my interview on the Catholic School Leaders Podcast here: Navigating Executive Functioning to Support Student Growth with Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan (Link here: https://cslp.bepodcast.network/episodes/navigating-executive-functioning-to-support-student-growth-with-dr-karen-dudek-brannan)Connect with John on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmihalyo/Listen to the Catholic School Leaders Podcast here: https://cslp.bepodcast.network/Learn more about Elementary Advancement Solutions here: https://elementaryadvancement.com/In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership  We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

Do your teachers ever come to you with perceived problems they want your help solving? It's easy to get caught up in trying to solve every issue that comes your way, but what if some of those "problems" aren't really problems at all?   In this episode, I share a powerful coaching conversation I had with a principal who was struggling with a teacher collaboration issue. We uncovered some key insights about how we can sometimes create our own problems by making assumptions and trying to force everyone to fit into the same box. I invite you to consider a different approach to teacher collaboration - one that allows for flexibility, diversity, and acceptance among our staff members. By embracing individual differences and empowering teachers to find creative solutions, we can create a more harmonious and effective school culture.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/378

This #coachbetter episode is a case study conversation with two amazing educators: EAL (English as an Additional Language) Teacher Lindsay Manzella and INS Teacher John Stephany. Lindsay and John worked together at NIST (Thailand) at the time of recording, where they developed a unique model for co-teaching and coaching to support all learners in John's classroom, where Lindsay was supporting EAL students. Both Lindsay and John have had training in coaching so they have come to the co-teaching experience with a foundational understanding of how coaching works. In this episode they talk about: How Lindsay and John work together Why John, as an MYP INS teacher finds coaching so valuable Why Lindsay, as an EAL Teacher, finds coaching such a powerful support to her work What works well in their partnership as well as what can be challenging How this model might work in other schools Find the show notes for this episode here. Like this episode, you'll enjoy these: Coaching Case Study: The Power of Intentionally Slowing Down Coaching Conversations with Sasha Robins [Ep 238]  My "Secret" Coaching Assessment One Question That Will Transform Your Coaching Practice Coaching Call: Shifting your Coaching Mindset from Problem Solving to Improving Student Learning with Vicki Heupel [260] Let's Connect: Our website: coachbetter.tv EduroLearning on LinkedIn EduroLearning on Instagram EduroLearning on YouTube Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Join our #coachbetter Facebook group Learn with Kim Explore our courses for coaches Watch a FREE workshop Read more from Kim: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership (book) Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (chapter)

Send us a textMarch Madness isn't just about basketball—it's a masterclass in leadership. The way championship coaches build their teams, develop talent, and make in-game adjustments mirrors the way strong school leaders create thriving school cultures.In this episode, we're breaking down five powerful leadership lessons from March Madness that can help you coach your team to success. You'll learn how to:

Many young adults enter their post-high school years without the executive functioning skills needed to thrive. This is often because the people supporting them underestimate the amount of support they're getting, and there's no plan in place to fade that prompting. When young adults enter college, they have to manage sleep hygiene, long-term projects, and manage screen time. This is why I talk so much about using multiple service delivery models when supporting executive functioning; whether it be in the schools or in private practice; because many essential life skills cannot be taught without the right environmental scaffolding in place.  That's why I invited Michael McLeod from GrowNOW therapy to talk about why he uses a combination of direct sessions, summer camps with community-based activities, parent coaching, and educator training. Michael partnered and worked with The Focus Foundation in 2015, learning from incredible doctors, neuropsychologists, and various specialists – gaining in-depth training and experience with ADHD and Executive Function research and development. He currently specializes in ADHD, Executive Functioning, Social Executive Functioning, and Parent Coaching. From his experiences as an Executive Function Specialist, Michael developed a distinct model of Internal Skills Coaching to enhance these skills. Michael is a Keynote Speaker and has presented nationwide and internationally, training families and professionals on his unique GrowNOW Treatment Model for fostering Executive Functions & Resiliency.In this conversation, we discuss:✅Do graduate programs prepare clinicians to work on executive functioning out in the field?✅Frontloading vs. traditional social skills sessions.✅Why helping families set boundaries around screen time is an essential part of the services clinicians offer.✅Defining failure to launch and what it looks like in young adults.✅Situational awareness and its impact on safety for college students. You can connect with Michael at:GrowNOWADHD.com, here: http://grownowadhd.com/GrowNOW Instagram, here: http://instagram.com/GrowNOWADHDGrowNOW School Trainings, here: https://www.grownowadhd.com/training/ADHD Parenting Podcast, here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xATyVhNZU3abIejNIggvDListen to my previous conversations with Michael here:EP 008: Building accountability and motivation in kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod), here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-008-building-accountability-and-motivation-in-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/EP 009: Time management and device use boundaries in kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod), here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-009-time-management-and-device-use-boundaries-for-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/The following previous episodes were mentioned in this episode:EP 122: Executive functioning for college students: Beyond checklists and planners (with Jill Fahy), here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-122-executive-functioning-for-college-students-beyond-checklists-and-planners-with-jill-fahy/EP 193: Using Distance Learning to Increase Access and Opportunity (with Seth Fleischauer), here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-193-using-distance-learning-to-increase-access-and-opportunity-with-seth-fleischauer/In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews David Smith about his new book, Everyday Christian Teaching: A Guide to Practicing Faith in the Classroom. Smith shares how the book was inspired by teachers who wanted practical guidance on integrating faith into their daily teaching practices. The conversation explores how a bottom-up approach helps educators create hospitable, faith-filled classrooms through intentional rhythms and practices. Smith discusses redesigning assignments to build relationships rather than just complete tasks and emphasizes the importance of shaping learning experiences that reflect who students are becoming. The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: Everyday Christian Teaching: A Guide to Practicing Faith in the Classroom by David Smith EverydayChristianTeaching.com OnChristianTeaching.com Just Teaching by Jon Eckert Solutions that Heal by Alan Bandstra Connect with us: Baylor MA in School Leadership EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn X: @eckertjon Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl     Jon Eckert: All right, so welcome David. It's great to be able to talk to you about your new book, Everyday Christian Teaching: A Guide to Practicing Faith in the Classroom. So I just got it yesterday, so appreciate that. I'd love for you to talk a little bit about what brought you to writing this book. I mean, you've obviously written a lot of things. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: What brought you to this one right now? David Smith: Yeah. It was two experiences that really sparked the idea for this book. One, was just that the last book on Christian Teaching had circulated quite widely and a lot of schools had used it in professional development. And a couple of school leaders said to me, "Okay, we've read on Christian teaching, we believe you that this is a thing. We're on board, you've persuaded us. Now, how do we learn how to do this on a regular basis? We are kind of convinced of the concept, but how do we internalize this?" And then I had a slightly more detailed version of the same conversation when I was doing like an online seminar for Trinity Western University for some of their faculty. And at the end of, I gave a presentation about some of the old Christian Teaching staff and some different ways of connecting faith and teaching. And one of the faculty said to me at the end, "I go to a church, have done for years and years and years. I teach at a Christian university, have done for years and years and years, and I would never have made the connections between the two that you just made. How do I learn to think like that?" And I thought, it's another version of the same question. How do I learn to more instinctively think in a way that connects faith and teaching. Especially in a culture where so many of us have learned so deeply to keep those things apart, and that teaching is about tips and tricks and getting it done. And faith, it's about church and theology and so on, and it feels like we don't always have a great set of mental muscles for moving fluidly backwards and forwards between those two. So that just seemed like a great question, like how do you... Like don't try and persuade me of a philosophical position, but teach, like how do I learn to think about this on a regular basis? So that's what I was trying to address in the book, is- Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: How to learn to think. Jon Eckert: Well, and the intro is, Invitation to Wisdom, which I love, especially right now as we look at everything that artificial intelligence can do, all the things that can be offloaded to different kinds of tools. We have more tools to help people learn than we've ever had. And it also feels like deep, meaningful learning grounded in something more than just tips and tricks is increasingly obfuscated. And so I love this very human invitation to wisdom. So talk about why you started there. David Smith: Well, it's partly Comenius' fault, 'cause he's my hero. For those who are new to Comenius, a 17th century major Christian education thinker, and he's got this textbook called The Orbis Pictus, the World in Pictures. And it's probably the most famous textbook in the history of schooling. It went through 250 editions, close to over a couple of hundred years. And the very first line of the book is, "Come child, learn wisdom." And I just thought that's a pretty interesting way to start a school textbook, that's not how most of our textbooks start these days, right. And so I sort of borrowed that as the start of this book. And his book starts with this image of a road that we're walking along as we learn wisdom and the Bible, wisdom's often spoken of in terms of a path or a way. It's something you walk in, wisdom's not just something you get by getting the diagram straight in your head, or getting the doctrines all lined up, or knowing the sentences in the right order. Wisdom's something you have to learn how to walk in and walking is something that takes place over time and you kind of sway to the right and the left and it's got a rhythm to it. And again, that's sort of what I was going for with the book. So this book doesn't start with the philosophical concepts or the theology or the reasons why we need to do integration of faith and learning or that kind of top-down. It really starts with the rhythms of the classroom and how you start the class, what things you repeat, how you use silences, how you end the class, how you frame things. Those things that are happening to us every single day if we are educators, as we sort of walk through this life in the classroom. And again, if we're going to learn to think in a way that habitually connects faith and learning, it has to happen in that context. It can't just be when we're sitting in the great lecture with some great Christian thinker who tells us how the world fits together. It's got to be while I'm in class, while I'm in motion, while I'm moving. So the Comenius image seemed to help me capture a little bit of that, that we are walking along a road, we're trying to learn wisdom, we're trying to walk better, we are not just trying to have better theories or better solutions or better fixes. We're trying to learn to walk in a way that's got a certain kind of rhythm to it, a certain cadence. Jon Eckert: Yes. And I love that you begin and end with wisdom. So when you get to the close, before you finish it out, you get back to the purpose. And throughout the book you have what looked like woodcuts from your hero and it's a cool through line throughout the book. So learning to be wise, that's really what we want from education, is how to learn to be wise and, so appreciate that. And then, just the way you've broken the book down, it does really, and I think you said it even before we jumped on, it starts from the bottom up. Like what does this- David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Look like in the classroom? And then where is the wisdom in that? Where is the humanness in that? Where do we see our creator in that process? So- David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Can you talk a little bit how you came to that bottom up piece? Because I think a lot of times philosophers and people that are in the academy get accused of starting top down- David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Like, "You should do it this way." But I think what you're saying is here, this is how it is done, and then- David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Here's the wisdom in that. Can you speak a little bit about that? David Smith: Yeah. Oh, I could speak for hours about that, because there's something in this that's been kind of motivating everything I've done for 30 years, has been trying to push on that very thing, because. And I think a lot of it goes back to, I didn't grow up Christian, I became Christian as an adult. And then a couple of years after I became Christian, I became a teacher and then started figuring out how those two sort of connected with each other. So I started reading the Christian books and the philosophies and the theologies and going to conferences and listening to people. And I thrive on that stuff, I mean, I love a good philosophy book. I've got no objection to people writing great philosophy books. But I also find that sometimes, as a classroom teacher and I was a language teacher, I wasn't like a religion teacher or even a history teacher where we could talk about big ideas in class. I was teaching languages, I was doing this very nuts and boltsy kind of thing. And I just found that sometime, even when I'd read the book on what a Christian vision of knowledge is or of the world or whatever, that there was still this gap of like, yeah, but what do I do on Tuesday morning with my twelve-year-olds? And there's a moment I sometimes share with my students, and I remember, my very first semester in the classroom I was doing my student teaching and total newbie, no skills, and I made the rookie mistake of standing writing on the whiteboard for too long. I think it was a blackboard at the time, actually, writing on the blackboard for too long with my back turned to the class. And I turned around and a student in the front row had removed almost all of his clothes and was sitting there in his underwear, apparently just to see what I would do. And I just had this moment of like, they didn't tell me about this in teacher ed, just that the classroom is like the Wild West. The classroom is this place where very unpredictable, angular stuff happens and often the theory is, it's a thousand foot. So I've always been fascinated in this middle space, of how do you avoid, either ending up reading a philosophy book that's at a thousand feet and it might be brilliant and it might be inspiring, but you're still not quite sure what to do on Tuesday morning. But I also don't want to end up in the other end of the scale, and there's lots of this out there, which is the, like, 50 tips and tricks to get you through your week in the classroom stuff which is... Sometimes you get some good ideas out of that, but it's also kind of brainless in terms of lacking like a coherent reason why we should choose these tips and tricks. It's just like this big bag full of stuff and you're just going to pick stuff out that looks like it works, but there's no coherence to it. So for a long, long time I've been fascinated with how do we try to describe that middle space, where you want to do stuff that works, you want to actually live in the classroom, you want to actually teach, you want to actually help students. But you want to do it in a coherent way that's in touch with your beliefs and your values and your commitments and the way the world fits together. And that, it feels like a difficult but the most interesting space. And so much of our literature seems to drift off to one end or the other of that, like it's either philosophy of education, or else it's a hundred tips and tricks for teachers and how to rescue your classroom kind of stuff. Jon Eckert: Well, I want to go deeper into that idea and a couple things from the book, but you have to tell me, what did you do with the kid that's sitting there in his underwear? David Smith: It's actually one of those rare occasions where I think I probably did the right thing without having a lot of forethought. Jon Eckert: Okay. David Smith: I actually just laughed at him and invited him to go outside and put his clothes back on and then join us again and then carried on with the class. Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: And therefore, I think deflated his attempt to- Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: Capture everybody's attention for the next 15 minutes and make me look really stupid, so. Which I think was probably the right response, I think he was kind of- Jon Eckert: Right. David Smith: Hoping that I would sort of go ballistic or something, but- Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: I just sort of basically said, "That's really funny. Now go put your clothes back on." Jon Eckert: Yeah. Well done. Well done. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: A novice win. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: So one of the things, I just was having a conversation with the head of school at a really great school and they're talking about how they integrate their academic success. They've been very successful based on test scores and everything, they've got great scores K through 12, and they're actually a school that's funded by vouchers, so it's an interesting model, in Milwaukee. And so they've been doing this for a long time. So they have a faith-based component to it, but they're also measured by state tests, so it's kind of- David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: An interesting- David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Place to look at. And they're like, "We know we've got to get better on our faith integrations, we want to work on our K through 12 Bible curriculum, that's one of our strands. And this other strand is on improving academics." And my response was, those two things have to go hand in hand. David Smith: Right, right. Jon Eckert: Because you've got to have that integration about why do we do this well? We do this as a reflection of what our creator's given. It's all got to be woven in there. Have you seen schools that do that well? And what is a hallmark of that? So you've laid out all these great ideas here. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Have you seen schools where that's happening really well right now? David Smith: Yeah, there are schools here and obviously there's a lot of schools I don't know, so I'm sure there are schools- Jon Eckert: Right. David Smith: Out there that are doing brilliantly, that are just not ones- Jon Eckert: Right. David Smith: I happened to have visited. But the schools that I've visited that seem to be doing really well at this, seem to more often be schools that have really set aside intentional time to think about it together. That's the one simple thing I would put my finger on, it's the schools that have got time set aside each week for a professional learning community, where they're actually talking about how to integrate their values with their teaching and they're not just doing admin things or curriculum things or whatever. So I think this is very dependent on being able to build a reflective community where you can talk to each other about how your values are infusing your teaching and learning choices. Something I've been suggesting to schools for a while, is like why don't you take one of your professional development days each year and just cancel it and just tell your teachers to go to the park or whatever, but then say, and now you owe me six hours. And what you're going to do with that, is you're going to get together with three of your colleagues and for six months you're going to meet one hour a month at the local coffee shop with a nice pastry and a nice drink. And you're just going to talk about three things, what was the best thing that happened in my classroom in the last month where things really felt integrated? And what was the worst thing that happened in my classroom last month? And what's one thing I want to change in the next month? And just talk about those three things for an hour. And how much learning might you get out of that in terms of questioning your own practices and moving them forward? So to me, it's less about getting the perfect model and more about, can you build the kind of community where you question what you're doing together and can then start to make adjustments? And you can be constantly asking, why do we do it this way? Is it just because we did it that way last year? And how does this actually reflect what we say we're about on the mission statement? I mean, if I can throw in an example here, interrupt me if I talk for too long. But to throw in an example that's in the book, is a perfect example of this kind of, again, finding this middle space and questioning things. I was having breakfast a few years ago with some teachers at my daughter's school when she was in high school. And I was just venting, I wasn't even trying to be constructive, I was just complaining about the general state of the world. And what I was complaining about was that I'd noticed that during the vacations we got our daughter back, that she was articulate and she shared her life with us and we talked about things. And as soon as the semester started, it was down to monosyllables, and it wasn't because we had a bad relationship, it's just because she was tired all the time. And because school was colonizing her every waking hour, she would get up at 6:30 in the morning, to be on a bus by 7:20, to be in school by quarter to eight. We get on another bus at something after three and get home by four-something, and then we'd have supper together at five. Wasn't always our most brilliant hour as a family because my daughter just had long tiring days, and then she'd have four hours of homework. And what had struck me was that the homework was always designed to be done alone. And so she would disappear to her room with a pile of books and a laptop and the only role for me as a parent, was to either nag her to get it done or tell her to quit and go to bed. And after we had this conversation over breakfast, and I just complained about this, the teachers who'd been at that breakfast started surprising me. So a week later, she turned up in the family room one night at eight o'clock and she said, "Do you guys have some time, because I've got this weird homework from my religion teacher? I've got to talk to you for half an hour about whether you grew up Christian, or became Christian, or how you relate to all of that, because we're going to talk about it in religion class tomorrow, and you've got to sign this piece of paper to say that we talked about it for half an hour." And then another teacher sent home a homework where we had to choose a TV show and watch it together and then discuss what its value system was, and whether we thought this was a fruitful way to spend our time and they were going to discuss this in the media studies class. And there was a whole string of these from different teachers. But one of the things that struck me about this, was that this was a school whose official philosophy was that God has given primary responsibility for children to their parents, and the Christian school comes alongside parents to help them raise their children in a Godly way. And yet as a parent, the only role I was being given was to nag about homework and to sell food at sports games. And until this point, I wasn't being invited into the learning process, and what's more, the school was occupying, not only the whole day but the whole evening with tasks that the student was designed to do on their own. And as soon as we started asking this question, "Well, could you design homework activities that actually strengthen community and actually build relationships between people?" Suddenly you've got something that is a little more in tune with what the school says it's official philosophy is. My daughter said she learned more from them from the standard fill out a worksheet kind of homeworks. So it was actually beneficial for learning. Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: And it didn't necessarily involve throwing a Bible verse on all the worksheets. This is just more about trying to actually get the practices to line up with the values. So that's the kind of thing I'm sort of constantly fishing for, because we all think we know what homework is supposed to look like, so we all just keep doing what we think homework is. But maybe sometimes it doesn't look like that. Jon Eckert: Well, and I think that notion about homework is shifting significantly post-covid and what teachers actually assume students are doing on their own. Because I think the assumption is, that has been, that they're doing it on their own, I think that's a pretty false assumption now. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: That they would be doing anything on their own if you consider the tools that are available to them to get rote homework done. The thing I love about your example, is that homework assignment cannot be offloaded to ChatGPT, or if it was- David Smith: Right. Jon Eckert: It'd be, probably somewhat comical how ChatGPT might answer that question about how you came to faith and where your family, you know. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: So I think there is a benefit to that kind of homework and building community, because again, I think even with homework now, we need to lean into the humanness of what we do. Because there are a lot of other tools for getting assignments done and not always crediting the source of that assignment- David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Whether that's a friend, Photomath or some type of artificial intelligence tool. So I think if we're not rethinking homework right now, we're really sticking our head in the sand. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Because I don't think students need four hours to do homework anymore, I think they're way more efficient. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Because they divide and conquer and offload to other things, so if you're not giving a meaningful homework assignment that is not able to just be done by something else, that's a problem. What I also loved about your example, and this is from page 76 in your book, it really gets into hospitality and what that looks like. And so it's asking students to be hospitable and then asking families to be hospitable. And you have this great separation here that, I'm just going to read this. "The call to tolerance asked me to put up with your differences in exchange for you being willing to put up with mine. A Christian frame asks for more, extending the idea of love of neighbor to include strangers and even enemies." And so I do think as Christians, as educators, we have a really high call, that tolerance isn't even close to what Christ requires of us. And so- David Smith: Right. Jon Eckert: Welcoming students into that and helping them welcome others in it, that's a really high call. So can you talk a little about, this is from your framing sections, I thought that was a perfect place for it. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Can you talk some about that? David Smith: Yeah, I think there's more than one Christian idea that can become a framing device in education, and one that I've been thinking about for a long time is hospitality. There is this theme in scripture, from start to finish, about hospitality to strangers. And it appears in all the important places, it's in the law, it's in the gospels, it's in the prophets, it's in the epistles, it's everywhere. So there's also quite a long history of thinking about schools in terms of hospitality, so when you start thinking about that in curricular terms, what does a hospitable classroom look like? How do students experience the classroom? So the way I started one of my classes this semester, and I talked about this in the book as well, is I actually started the class with us all sitting around in a big circle. And I asked each student to, I asked them to pair up and introduce themselves to each other and share two pieces of information that they were willing to be made public. And then I asked each person to introduce their partner to the group. And as we went around the group, we tried to memorize all the information, so we stopped after every second or third person and said, "And what was her name and what was her cat called?" right, and so on. So it's a real simple thing. And then I had students journal about it, and I've done this for a few years now. And first, I think there's an interesting difference between coming to a classroom and having to introduce yourself and having somebody else introduce you- Jon Eckert: Right. David Smith: Having somebody speak up for you in the first five minutes of class. And then, rather than going around the class and doing the introductions and by the end you can't actually remember any of it, because 40 pieces of random information just went through your short-term memory. The fact that we're actually focusing on remembering things about each other, my students have written quite eloquently about, in fact, I was fascinated just reading the journals over the weekend. One of them said, "Teachers often say at the start of the semester, "We care about you, we are here to help you," but usually I don't believe them. I think it's just something teachers are supposed to say at the start of the semester. But this activity made me believe that you actually cared that we were there, because the information about ourselves actually mattered for the start of the learning." And it's not like I think that's the way every class has to start, there are different disciplines and contexts and so on. But again, it's how do we find these moves that actually create a welcome within the classroom and you then push it further, how is the classroom welcoming to voices from beyond the classroom? So whose pictures do we show? Whose stories do we tell? And then how do we enable students to go out beyond the classroom? If I give my student a homework where they have to go to interview someone, how do I help them to be a good interviewer, to ask good questions, to not roll their eyes when the person says something they disagree with, to show in their body language that they're interested in what somebody has to say? Suddenly you're into a whole new set of skills that you don't get if the homework is fill out a worksheet. So there's a whole continuum here in terms of, hospitality is a very rich way of thinking about lots of different facets of schooling, from just basic classroom relationships, to curriculum content, to what kind of skills we're trying to equip our students with. And tolerance is not nearly enough, tolerance just means I'm willing to not kill you. Jon Eckert: Yeah, yeah. No, it's a great example. We do some similar things in the, I teach a leadership capstone class, it's the only class I get to teach to undergrads. And I just had lunch last week with one of my students from last semester, who has been through a lot, really tough life as an atheist. When you dig in, you realize where a lot of the hurt is. And so at the end of the semester, I give each kid a book and I inscribe something in the front to encourage them where I've seen them grow, what I hope for them, how I'm praying for them. And I'd given this class, All Prodigal God, by Tim Keller. And it was interesting, when we sat down, she read it over break, and so she wanted to gather and talk about it at lunch. And the book is the story of the Prodigal Son, but it's really, God is the center of the story is a reckless spendthrift, so that's why it's Prodigal God. And it's a beautiful story. She actually said, in this way that I find having atheists in class to be unbelievably interesting to creating a different dynamic in the class. She was wise enough to identify herself as the elder brother in that, so not only was she not tolerating Christians on campus, she was looking down on them as being less than, because of how she felt like they made her feel and instead, she had become the older brother in it. And she articulated that at lunch, and I was like, the wisdom that she shared and the hospitality that she displayed by, A, reading a book that I gave her that's explicitly Christian. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: And then B, wanting to have lunch and talk about it. I mean, what a gift that is from a student to an educator to be able to have that, and then to have that all throughout the semester in class, 'cause we dealt with a lot of really hard things. And so I think that's a beautiful piece, and I love this, you say this on 113, which relates to, I think, both of those last two examples. It's about hopes and tasks, and I thought this was really good. "Instead of just giving a reading assignment, we could devote the same kind of reflection to tasks focused on other skills such as writing research or artistic creation, with the idea that we are trying to," this is the next sentence down a little bit. "A carefully articulated task becomes a chance to remind ourselves of who we are trying to become, as we read." And so if we started thinking that way and curating our assignments that way, I think that would fundamentally shift how we assign work in class. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Is there another example that you have where that's been really successful for you? David Smith: Yeah, I mean, just yesterday in class, I got the most nods around the room that I've had in a while, from students just going, "Oh, yeah. When we started talking about how there's something about school that if you're not really, really careful, slowly teaches you that the point of doing the assignment is to get the assignment done. And that in the end, what the teacher really cares about is that you get the assignment done, because what you're going to be penalized for is not failing to grow, it's not turning it in at 3 P.M, and it's not having written 250 words, or not having got to page 27. So a lot of the messaging that we give to students when we give out assignments, it's often like the last two minutes of class and we're already in a hurry, and it's like, "Make sure you read chapter two by tomorrow," right. So the strongest verbal message is, what I really care about is quantity, deadlines, getting it done, getting it turned in. And so I also find that what my students most often come and apologize to me about, is, "Oh, I didn't quite manage to get to the last three pages today," or, "I need to turn it in 30 minutes late, is that okay?" And a big part of me is going like, "Why would I care if you turn it in 30 minutes late? Like the world's not going to stop turning." So that means you're a good student being conscientious, the fact that you still want to get it in within 30 minutes. But what they're not coming to me and saying, is, "I started reading this and I didn't get through it because it was really challenging me and I had to go and think about it." Or, "I tried to get through it, but I didn't quite understand it. Can you help me figure out how to apply this?" And so, again, this is a big mountain to climb, but how do you start to shift the message from, school is about getting stuff done, to school is about growing and learning. And I think a real simple way to run at that is by being explicit about assignments. So if I give you something to read, is the message, "Read to page 27 by tomorrow?" Or is the message, "I'd like you to read to page 27, and when you get to page 22, you're going to find a paragraph there that's kind of a little dense, but it's a really core paragraph in this chapter, and we're going to need talk about it together tomorrow, because I've read this chapter eight times and I'm still trying to live out this paragraph and I'm not sure I'm there yet, so I need you to think about it with me. So when you get to that paragraph, stop, read it three times, then go find a friend and read it to them and see what they think. And if that means you only get to page 26, I can live with that, but this paragraph, right. And then see if you can think of some ways that you would live differently tomorrow if this were true." And I'm just making this up as I go along- Jon Eckert: [inaudible 00:27:12]. David Smith: But imagine that as a homework assignment, compared to the usual kind of, "Read to page 27, answer the first three questions, turn them in at 4:37 P.M. on Moodle." And it's all about messaging, and so if I could do that consistently, is there a chance that I could get more of my students believing that in the end, what I really care about is that something changed, that some learning happened. And not just that we all managed to click in the right place on the right day. Which, frankly, is the least of my worries, so. Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: Because even when you emphasize that, it doesn't happen anyway, so. Jon Eckert: Yes, no, I want to give that a giant amen. I mean, my classes are always designed, I take the best 25 authors, I've read their best article or their best chapter from their best book, and I have curated that as like, this is what we're going to focus on today. And I love that even focusing them further on the paragraph and going back to the example I just gave you from the student who I gave the book at the end of the semester. Like that's not an assignment, that's a, "Hey, I am grateful for you. This is my last, kind of bringing closure to class and here's this." And then it's, I may never see that student again, we may never have another conversation. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: But when you do, that's a much richer conversation, because it wasn't compulsory, it wasn't about compliance, it wasn't about getting something done, so I love that. I love that point. The last thing we always do, is we do a quick lightning round, and with all the years of experience you have, I got to imagine you've got some good answers. I just have four questions. The first one is, and you can do in whatever order you want, these first two. Best advice you've ever given or received as an educator and worst advice you've ever given or received as an educator? Start there. David Smith: Best advice, never talk to a child without eye contact. Jon Eckert: That's good. David Smith: That was the best piece of parenting advice I was ever given, actually. Jon Eckert: Yeah. That's good. David Smith: I think it's really easy for adults to talk at young people- Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: Rather than, to young people. And something I said in, at least once in a previous book is, I think teaching is something you do with people, not something you do to people. My students are not objects that I'm trying to hit with something, and if I can't establish communication, that we're actually human beings looking at each other and we're trying to figure something out here, then it's probably not going to go as well as it could. If I just kind of broadcast over the top of the assembled heads, that's not going to go well. Jon Eckert: Just watch a great kindergarten teacher, they're always down on a knee- David Smith: That's good. Jon Eckert: Eye to eye with kids, yeah. David Smith: Right. Well, I often find, it's not just kindergarten, university, I often find myself down on a knee by a table, 'cause that's where you should be, right. Jon Eckert: You should be, you just see it far less. I totally agree. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: No, but yes. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: That is good. David Smith: So- Jon Eckert: Worst advice? David Smith: And then worst advice. Worst advice I've been given, don't smile till Christmas. Jon Eckert: Oh yeah. Classic. David Smith: It's one of our old chestnuts. Yeah, it's funny, when I first started teaching, my early teaching was in some urban environments and I found it very difficult. And I did not have great classroom management skills when I started and I struggled, I had some unruly classrooms. But one of the things I also learned about myself was that I couldn't do the Policeman act convincingly, it's just not in my personality to look mad- Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: With students. Because I'm not actually very often mad with students, I just find classrooms fascinating. Jon Eckert: Even when they derobe. Yeah. David Smith: Yeah. And so, a few times early on, if I tried to pretend to be mad with students, then they just laughed at me, because it just wasn't convincing. So I had to gradually find other strategies, which had a lot to do with just investing lots of time in relationship building and trying to make the learning meaningful, and again, the one-on-one contact. And so the sort of be mean until they know you mean it thing, has just never ever worked for me. Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: Maybe there are people for whom it works, but even then, I'm just not convinced that an ethic of be unpleasant to people until they get on board is a great way to go. Jon Eckert: I'm pretty convinced that's not a great way, which I think you're being kinder than I am. I don't think that's an effective way to manage people, especially not in 2025. I don't think that's a- David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Ethic that's going to work. Okay, next thing, best book you've read in the last year related to education? David Smith: Oh my, read so many books recently and some of them were really, really specialized. Jon Eckert: Yeah. Or pick one of your top five. David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: Best book that I've just read. Well, you know what, I'm going to do the really embarrassing thing here, I really enjoyed your book. I read your book just recently- Jon Eckert: Oh. David Smith: Just Teaching by Jon Eckert Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: Is something that I've been getting ideas out of for my own classroom, and that's always a win. So that was a really great one. And another reason I have for picking that out is, at the moment I'm working up to a big research project on Comenius. So I'm reading a lot of- Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: Books about Comenius at the moment, and some of them are really great. Jon Eckert: Yeah. David Smith: But they're in German and they're really specialized, so. Jon Eckert: That is specialized. David Smith: But- Jon Eckert: That is specialized. David Smith: In terms of books that are just about the classroom, I did enjoy your book, Just Teaching. Jon Eckert: Okay. David Smith: And, yeah, another one I just read the other day, I just did a podcast the other day with Alan Bandstra, who's a teacher from Iowa, and he's got one called, Solutions That Heal- Jon Eckert: Okay. David Smith: Talk about infectious behavior in classrooms. And it's a self-published book, it's just a teacher who wanted to write about the things that are going on in his classroom, and I found it quite winsome. Jon Eckert: No, that's good. David Smith: [inaudible 00:32:43]. So, yeah. Jon Eckert: That's good. The funny thing is, whenever I ask that question about best book, I always have my pen ready to write it down. And as you're sharing that, I'm mindlessly, I literally wrote down, "Just Teaching," on my thing. I was like, okay. David Smith: so you can look it up later and see if it's any good, yeah. Jon Eckert: Right. I'll see, I'll check. But that's very kind. Last question, what makes you most hopeful as you look at schools right now? David Smith: It's funny, I don't draw hope from looking at institutions really, so it's not so much looking at schools. What always makes me hopeful is, like every student who is in my classroom right now is a human being who is spending a lot of money to learn how to help other people learn. And I just find my students are sometimes idealistic to a fault, there's some things that will get more complicated when they get into the classroom, but they are students who deeply want to do good for their learners. And I'm glad every semester, that I've just spent a semester with another 20, 30 young people who want to be teachers and who want to find a humane way of doing that and a faith informed way of doing that, in a way that does good in the world. And that's among my students. But I'm going away on a retreat as part of a research project this weekend, with five teachers from area schools. Where we're actually going to talk about hope for the whole weekend and how we're going to address that in schools. And again, just seeing their eagerness to be part of that project and to want to give up their weekend to talk about how we teach for hope in schools. So all over, when I do professional development, I just keep running into teachers who haven't given up yet and who are trying to do right by their students, do right by their faith, find a more true and wholesome way of doing things. And as long as there's a good subset of people who are doing that, then there's still a chance that it can get better. Jon Eckert: That's good, that's good. Good place to find hope. Well, hey, thank you for your work, really appreciate Everyday Christian Teaching. Super helpful, good follow up on Christian Teaching- David Smith: Thank you. Jon Eckert: Also, super helpful. Oh, and excited for the platform you're building out, we didn't even talk about that. But there's a platform that's going to go with all of this. Do you want to just say something to wrap up- David Smith: Yeah. Jon Eckert: And give people a sense of where to find that? David Smith: Yeah. I'll try to say this quickly. Where to find it, there's a website, everydaychristianteaching.com. It already exists, if you go there right now, you'll find a description of what's coming, but there's no actual resources there yet. We are hoping to have the first resources up there by March, we are building it frantically right now. But what it's going to be is really an extension of the idea that this book is about, how do you learn how to do this regularly, not just how do you have this one blinding moment of revelation, but how do you make this part of a routine? So we're building professional development resources that help to create community conversations around this. So there are some resources where you can just download everything you need to run a PD day. There's others where you can download everything you need to run a seven week or seven month whole school conversation around it. There's going to be self guided resources, so if there's just one of you or if there's a small group of you that want to do it at your own pace, there's going to be versions like that. And there's some graduate credit bearing options. And we're building these around specific topics like community or hospitality or Shalom, and we're sort of building out resources for each of those. Like I say, we're furiously working on finalizing details on some of these, and we've been piloting them out in schools and getting really good feedback. And so we hope to have the first ones available on there and we're trying to make it very affordable as well. First stuff should be up sometime in March at the latest, and yeah, go there and take a look and then keep coming back to see what we've added over time. Jon Eckert: No, that's great. Thank you for that. Appreciate your work. Thanks for being with us. David Smith: Yeah, you're welcome. Thank you for the invite.  

As a leadership coach, I've observed various leadership styles and approaches, and I've noticed that many school leaders are feeling distressed, concerned, and angry about the current state of education. The impact of leadership changes on schools, districts, communities, families, and students can be significant, and it's natural to feel a sense of uncertainty and fear.   I explore the reasons why we fear change and offer practical strategies for navigating the challenges of leadership during times of uncertainty. You'll learn how to slow down your mind, quiet your worries, and lead with clarity and confidence, even in the face of chaos and unpredictability.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/377

For episode 206 of De Facto Leaders, I share a Q & A session where I discuss Reading Recovery and cueing strategies for decoding, and I make some recommendations for additional information that will give you more information on this topic.I also share what you can do if you're in a district that uses Fountas and Pinnell reading levels, which often don't give detailed or consistent information about a kid's language skills. You'll also hear commentary on the Matthew Effect and vocabulary development. Finally, I discuss the role of executive dysfunction and mental health, a guide I created that dives into this topic further, and what clinicians can do to support executive functioning in schools.This Q & A session was done in the member's group for Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs build a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapyAdditional resources mentioned in this episode:You can find Angie Neal's Presentation on Speechpathology.com about using a collaborative approach to language and literacy here (you need a paid subscription to access): https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/language-and-literacy-collaborative-approach-9342You can listen to Sold a Story here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sold-a-story/id1649580473You can download the Executive Functioning Implementation Guide here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efguide We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

Financial uncertainty is a constant challenge for school business officials, but how districts respond to it can determine long-term success. Instead of simply reacting to budget shortfalls, SBOs must take a strategic approach to resource allocation and financial planning. In this episode, Jonathan Travers, President & Managing Partner of Consulting at Education Resource Strategies (ERS), shares insights on managing financial uncertainty, using return on investment to guide budgeting decisions, and building long-term sustainability rather than making short-term cuts. He also discusses common mistakes districts make when facing budget constraints and how ERS provides tools and frameworks to help SBOs optimize financial strategies. Whether you're preparing for future funding shifts or trying to stabilize your district's finances, this episode offers practical insights that will help you make more informed, data-driven decisions.Resources:ERS SSROI Tool KitBudget Hold'emContact School Business Insider: Check us out on social media: LinkedIn Twitter (X) Website: https://asbointl.org/SBI Email: podcast@asbointl.org Make sure to like, subscribe and share for more great insider episodes!Disclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the Association of School Business Officials International. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "ASBO International" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service. The presence of any advertising does not endorse, or imply endorsement of, any products or services by ASBO International.ASBO International is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and does not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for elective public office. The sharing of news or information concerning public policy issues or political campaigns and candidates are not, and should not be construed as, endorsements by ASBO Internatio...

Strong leadership is tested in challenging times. With shifting policies, financial strain, and increasing accountability, school business officials must make critical decisions that impact their districts, staff, and students. But how can SBOs maintain composure, ethics, and strategic clarity when facing these pressures?In Part 1 of our two-part series on Strengthening School Leadership, Jim Rowan, Executive Director of ASBO International joins us to discuss how SBOs can lead effectively through financial uncertainty, political shifts, and difficult decision-making scenarios.Key Topics Covered:✅ How to lead with confidence and composure during times of change✅ The role of ethics in school business decision-making✅ Strategies for maintaining trust and transparency with stakeholders✅ How SBOs can advocate for their districts despite financial and policy challenges✅ Practical leadership tools to help navigate uncertainty with clarityPart 2 will focus on budget strategies and financial decision-making with Jonathan Travers from Education Resource Strategies (ERS)—helping SBOs optimize resources, navigate budget shortfalls, and build financial sustainability.Contact School Business Insider: Check us out on social media: LinkedIn Twitter (X) Website: https://asbointl.org/SBI Email: podcast@asbointl.org Make sure to like, subscribe and share for more great insider episodes!Disclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the Association of School Business Officials International. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "ASBO International" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service. The presence of any advertising does not endorse, or imply endorsement of, any products or services by ASBO International.ASBO International is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and does not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for elective public office. The sharing of news or information concerning public policy issues or political campaigns and candidates are not, and should not be construed as, endorsements by ASBO Internatio...

Traditional discipline isn't working—so what should we do instead? In this episode, Joshua Stamper, educator and co-author of The Language of Behavior, shares how he transformed school discipline by replacing punishment with relationship-driven strategies.