Podcasts about school leadership

We know principals are busy—constantly managing urgent issues and putting out fires. But we also know this: school-level change is the most powerful lever we have for improving student learning in math. So the real question is: are we setting school leaders up for success?In this episode, we help you reflect on your current systems and support structures using a simple leadership audit:How are we positioning principals to take ownership of instructional leadership in math?Are they aligned to the school's math goals?What's getting in the way—and how can we fix it?You'll hear about common barriers schools face and gain actionable ideas from our work across North America to overcome them. If we want meaningful math improvement, engaging principals is not optional—it's essential.Key Takeaways:Why principals are essential for leading instructional change in mathHow to identify and remove barriers that limit their involvementWhat it looks like when district and school leadership are aligned on math goalsQuestions to help you audit your current leadership structuresStrategies to build principal ownership and capacity in math instructionNot 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 & Units Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!Create engagement while fuelling students sense making by using Make Math Moments ready-made lessons and units. Access our vast catalogue of lessons for elementary through high school math classes.Check the catalogue here --> https://makemathmoments.com/tasks/Are 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.

In this episode, I  interview Connie, a student from the Language Therapy Advance Foundations program. She shares her practical experiences and results achieved with her students. Key highlights include:✅ Engaging a Disengaged Student: Connie discusses her strategies for working with a high school student who was bored with therapy, emphasizing the use of engaging books to enhance vocabulary learning.✅ Time Efficiency: Learn how Connie cut her preparation time in half by implementing the frameworks taught in our program, allowing for more focused and effective sessions.✅ Achieving Generalization: Connie reports significant progress in several of her students who had previously plateaued, particularly in their ability to generalize syntax skills.This episode offers actionable insights for language therapists looking to improve engagement and outcomes in their practice.Ready to elevate your language therapy skills? Join Language Therapy Advance Foundations and start transforming your therapy approach today.  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

In this episode of Just Schools, Dr. Jon Eckert speaks with Dr. Lynn E. Swaner, the President US, for Cardus. Lynn's professional experience spans several sectors and encompasses roles in academia, sponsored research, associations, and independent schools. As a result, she is passionate about building bridges within and across fields. They share about the 2023 Cardus Education Survey and what it reveals about the long-term impact of different educational sectors, including Protestant Christian, Catholic, public, independent, and homeschool settings. Swaner highlights key findings: Christian schools continue to excel in faith formation, are improving in academic outcomes, and face growth opportunities around belonging and peer relationships.  The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: Cardus 2023 Findings Work and Worship: Reconnecting Our Labor and Liturgy by Matthew Kaemingk The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our "Correct" Beliefs by Peter Enns Connect with us: Center for School Leadership at Baylor University Jon Eckert LinkedIn Baylor MA in School Leadership   Jon: All right, so welcome to the Just Schools podcast. This is Dr. Lynn Swaner. She has a new role as of last year, so we're going to dig in a little bit into that and then some of the work we've been able to do together. So Lynn, thanks for being with us and just tell us a little bit about what you're doing. Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, thanks so much for having me, Jon. I'm excited to be here and join you and your listeners. So some exciting things that I've been working on, a new part of my role as Cardus President U.S., which I joined in January of last year. I can't believe it's almost been a year. And so in that role... It's helpful for me to explain a little bit about what Cardus does. Cardus is a nonpartisan think tank. It is grounded and rooted in 2000 plus years of Christian social thought. And what we look at are how the different spheres of society. So education is one. For example, healthcare could be another, government, family, citizenship, all work independently as well as work together for flourishing societies. And so we have research files in all of those areas. And of course here in the U.S., I'm still very involved in working with education and that's where we get to the Cardus Education survey, which I know we're going to be talking about today. But just a little bit of framing really quickly about Cardus's philosophy and approach to education. In many societies in the U.S. is no different, there's kind of this division of education into, for example, your traditional public or district schools. You've got private schools, you've got charter schools, which obviously are a type of a public school. You've got homeschooling, etc. And Cardus's position is that all education is public in the sense that it contributes to the public good. And certainly when we do the Cardus education survey, that's what we found will impact that a little bit. But we're finding that different types of schools and homeschooling actually contribute positively to a range of outcomes that we would want healthy, thriving, contributing citizens of our country to demonstrate to and to inculcate. Jon: So great introduction. I first became aware of Cardus through the Cardus education survey because Katie Weins was writing a draft of it as a next door neighbor back, I guess this would've been in 2011, 2012 that she was working on that. And I love the idea of what Cardus is about because it's not trying to say, Hey, we want to privilege this over this, over this. It's like, Hey, no, all education is for this common good and it's all public and let's do this work. And so at the Baylor Center for School Leadership, that's what we want to do. We want to support Christians in whatever work and whatever schools they're called to. So Cardus has been a huge blessing in our work, and it's one of the places where our work's been able to overlap. And so in this last year, we were able to do the data collection for the 2023 Cardus education survey for the U.S. So talk a little bit about the way we collect that data. Getting that nationally representative sample of 24 to 39 year olds is hard, it's expensive and it's not done very often. So can you dig into a little bit of how we collect this data and how Cardus is doing it since 2011, but how we did particularly in 2023? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Sure. And I'd love for you to chime into obviously Jon as a card senior fellow and as a co-author on the report. If you want to provide any additional flavoring to anything I'm saying, feel free to. But I think most particularly practitioners, and if you've done doctoral research, the type of research that you're used to is certainly collecting data on graduates through alumni surveys and things like that. And we also have anecdotal data, right? So graduates will come back and say, "Hey, this is the impact that this teacher had on me," et cetera. And from these and other places, I think most educators know that they make a difference in the lives of students, but we don't always know in a really rigorous way what difference certain types of schools make, let alone what is the impact of a whole sector. And that leads to all different kinds of questions like are we delivering on our promises in our mission statements, [inaudible 00:04:18] of a graduate, et cetera. So that's where the CES comes in. And it is quite different to the types of research that most practitioners will be aware of. And so there's essentially three different ways that I can differentiate the CES, the versus as you mentioned in the sample. So we survey over 2300 graduates in that age 24, 39-year-old bracket, it looks at the five largest educational sectors in the U.S. So those are traditional public schools, Protestant Christian, Catholic, non-religious independent schools and homeschooling. And so that enables us to kind of compare in a healthy way, not in a competitive way, but a healthy way, how graduates from a specific sector are faring. And the way that we do this is we use a leading polling firm in the United States. So we use Ipsos Public Affairs KnowledgePanel, and then from that they generate a nationally representative sample. And so most of the time practitioners will be more familiar with convenient samples, so for example, the alumni that they have emails for or the people who respond, this is very different where we're starting with that polling panel where actually it is already nationally representative and we can weigh things and make sure that it is. That's the first difference. The second is really looking at holistic outcomes. So when we administer the CES, we're asking questions about academic, spiritual, cultural, civic, relational, we even have mental health and well-being in 2023. So we're not just asking, did you go to college? Although we do ask those questions. It's really looking at more of those flourishing outcomes. And probably one of the strongest things that the CES does is we use rigorous controls, which is a fancy research term. So we actually screen out methodologically and statistically the impact of family background characteristics. So that's things like socioeconomic status, education level parents, religiosity of your family, that kind of stuff so that no two graduates are ever identical. But let's say you and I were very, very similar in our backgrounds. And then you multiply that over hundreds of people, we're able to estimate, well, we've got these people who are essentially the same in these major pieces. So any difference that we observe in their life outcomes, we can estimate that we can actually attribute that to the type of school that they went to. So again, nobody's exactly the same, but because we use those rigorous controls, we can actually start to estimate the difference of the specific type of school that they attended. That's just a little background on the CES and the power that it brings to these questions. Jon: Yeah, that's super helpful. And the charts that you see in the report will always have two bars. One that's the raw score and then one that estimates the school effect. And of course, we can't control for every variable, but we control for a lot of them to try to get a better handle. So you'll see those and we try to be as transparent as we can. Again, with any good research, that's what you want to do. Another thing, when we started timeout doing this iteration, I remember talking to you in Ottawa about this. We really wanted to get a sense of how schools have shifted since COVID, because that was this seismic shift and we realized that to collect those data was going to be insurmountably expensive and too hard to do. So we opted for this, which I actually like what we finally landed on this I think is great. These graduates, the 24 to 39 year olds in this sample, the youngest graduates would've finished in 2018. So I feel like we've got this really interesting baseline of what we launched into when COVID created this unbelievably tragic in many ways, but natural experiment when all education shifted because that created a seismic shift like we haven't seen in education ever. And so now we have this data that says, Hey, these are the 24 to 39 year olds that graduated from these places. And so I think the key is to see some of the major findings that came out in this iteration, because I think then future CES surveys will capture some of the shifts that happened in graduates post-2018 when 2020 hit. So can you just lay out three or four of the major findings? Obviously the report is quite long, so if you want to dig into all the different outcomes about civic life, family life, religiosity, faith, mental health, I love the mental health items that we added. What would you say the three or four main findings that people would be most interested in from this iteration of the CES? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, so obviously I'll speak specifically to the Christian school sector. In the actual report, we provide a summary of findings for each sector, so for Catholic schools, for Protestant Christian schools, homeschooling, etc. So I'll focus here specifically on Christian schools. And so there's essentially three large sort of theme, thematic findings, if you will. One is really good news in terms of consistency. One is some good changes. And then one is an area that as we've talked with school leaders about this, that they really want to be thinking more deeply about and focus on for growth and improvement. So the first key finding is consistency in faith formation. So as you mentioned, we've done this survey now four times in the U.S. and each since 2011, and in each iteration, Christian schools stand out most distinctly in their ability to foster faith formation. So when we look at things like religious engagement in terms of going to church, regular practices such as prayer, Bible reading, when we look at spiritual vibrancy, so like saying that their schools prepared them for a vibrant spiritual life or they have a higher sense of regularly experiencing God's presence compared to all the other formal schooling sectors, Christian schools stand out the most in terms of their graduates report that at much higher levels. And we even see beyond personal faith that graduates are seemingly living out those values in a couple of ways specifically. So for example, they participate in charitable giving and volunteerism at much higher levels than graduates of other formal schooling sectors. So that's really good news. Again, we've seen that consistently, and I think it makes sense, right? If you have schools, some estimates like 13 to 15,000 hours spent in a school in a formal schooling context, right? And if one of the stated outcomes is these types of spiritual formation outcomes, then we would hope to see that in the data. And in fact, we do. And again, remember this is after estimating school effect, right? So this is not the influence of family, although of course we know families influence this and churches, et cetera. This is saying we take two students that look the same in terms of background, we're going to notice this benefit, this boost. So that's consistent finding number one. The next- Jon: Hey, can I jump in there real quick, Lynn? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, please. Jon: So on that, just to make sure, because you're not able to see the charts because it's a podcast, we will try to link this to the podcast so you can look at the report. And Lynn's done a great blog summary of this too. So we will post that as well. What she means by that is, so for example on how often, if at all, do you pray to God or some higher power, 37% of public school students, there are baselines. So when you look at the report, don't think the public school people are left out, they are the baseline. Everything's being compared against the public school because that was the largest population that we look at. 24% more Protestant Christian school graduates pray to God or a higher power regularly, just the raw score. When you adjust for all the other demographics that feed into that graduate, that drops to 14%, that's still significant at the 0.01 level. So that means with 99% certainty, that's not random. And so that's what she means when she says, Hey, even controlling for school effects. So we try to focus in on those things that are significant even when you control for demographic backgrounds, because it would make sense. Well, if you grow up in a family where that's typical and that's normal and you have all these things, then maybe that's all that it is. And the school doesn't have any effect. That doesn't appear to be the case on an item like that. So thanks for setting up and let me interject there into the wonky details that people can't see. Dr. Lynn Swaner: No, that's really, really helpful. Trying to paint a word picture here, but just a plug for folks to access the report. One of the really great things about these graphics, which are some of the best I think we've ever done, is you can actually, on the online report, you can just simply click and download any of these figures. So if you want to pop it into... They're publicly and freely available. But yeah, thanks for flushing that out, Jon. So that's the consistency piece we've seen. Key finding number two is rising academic outcomes. So people who've been in Christian education for a while will remember the 2011 CES. I certainly remember when that came out because I was in a Christian school at the time. And at that time, Christian school graduates were reporting lower levels than their public school peers when it came to college attainment, when it came to feeling prepared for academics post-secondary school. And what we see in the 2023 data is that that has significantly improved. So now Christian school graduates are trending at the same levels when they report as their public school peers earning bachelor's degrees, how well-prepared they feel for college, et cetera. And I think, Jon, I'd be curious to hear your take on this, but this to me reflects what many Christian school leaders have shared with me anecdotally and what I have seen in the field. That over the past decade or so, schools have worked to increase academic rigor, right? So I think this is something that as I'm sharing this with school leaders, that seems to really ring true with them. That it used to be years ago sort of the sense of, well, we really, really care about the spiritual outcomes. We're not as concerned about academic. And there's been a rethinking of that to say, well, actually, if we're going to be a school, then we need to do academics really, really well, both... Because of our spiritual mission. Because we want to be excellent to honor the name of Christ, and also because we want students to be well-prepared for whatever good works. Think about Ephesians 2:10 that God has prepared for them. So Jon, I'm assuming you've seen some of that as well, but I think this is worth celebrating. There's still more work to do, right? We don't want to settle for, okay, Christian schools are at par with public schools. There's still more to do, but I think this is something worth celebrating. Jon: Well, I agree, and I think there's been this shift even in the last few years where there's some skepticism about college as the ideal outcome for kids because of the sense that some colleges skew worldview in these ways that may not be in keeping with the belief system that a more conservative family might have. And so the way this question is worded I think is well set up. And again, we took this from previous surveys, so it's not like Lynn and I are sitting here complimenting our structure of our question here. But it's how well did your high school prepare you for academic success in post-secondary education or training? So it's this kind of wide open, Hey, do you feel prepared? 31% of public school students said, yeah, they were. Even when controlling for the family effect and the other socioeconomic effects, Protestant Christian schools are 22% higher than that, so that's 53%, over half of them felt that way. Now, unless we think we're getting everything right, Catholic schools are at 59% and non-religious independent schools are at 64%. So we still have room to continue growing in that. I think that's one that, again, its perception is somewhat reality here. If you don't feel like you're prepared for post-secondary success, then you probably aren't. And at 24 to 39, you have evidence that says, yeah, I wasn't really well-prepared. And so I do feel like given the previous iterations of CES, I think Protestant schools have made some big gains there. And I think that's super encouraging. And I hope that coming out of COVID, that that momentum can continue. Because I think for many schools that was a moment to say, Hey, look, this is a really good place to try to meet needs for specific learners that help them be prepared for life, not just for economic outcomes, but for outcomes more broadly. Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah. I think too, just to go meta for a minute, I think it's also really encouraging... I'm encouraged by this, that if a whole sector or let's say a large number of schools within a sector say, Hey, this is something we're going to improve on, we're going to be intentional about, we actually have evidence that it can make a difference, and that should be obvious. But I think when you get into the nitty-gritty of leading a school, of teaching in a school day in and day out, that can be hard to remember. And so I hope that schools, educators, leaders find this encouraging that when we focus on something... And the other interesting piece here which we don't have to go into in depth, is that I think a decade or two ago, there was this perception maybe that if we focus on the academic, it would be at the detriment of spiritual formation. And we're not seeing that. So it's not like all of a sudden there's been this precipitous drop and spiritual formation with academic outcomes skyrocketing. That's not what's happening. And so I think that's just really kind of a validation of the work that schools have been doing and still need to do, but I just want to kind of point that out. Jon: Well, and to quickly add to that, if you look at the highest level of school completed, this is the broader perception of preparation for post-secondary. When you control for the sector, Protestant schools are almost identical to public schools on bachelor's degree or higher, a 0.01 higher in that. So it's not that we necessarily have more students going on to bachelor's degrees or higher in Protestant Christian schools, it's that they feel more prepared for whatever it is they're heading into, whatever that might be. And so I think that is an encouragement that academics, you don't look at academics as one subset that hurts the others. As Christians, we should be doing everything excellent ways. And so I like the robust way that the Cardus survey, especially this year, tries to look at that. Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah. So we'll move on to the final... And again, encourage everyone to download the report, lasts to be seen and to understand. But the final thing that stands out and that really is resonating as we speak with schools and leaders and teachers, is sort of this broad category of shortfalls in belonging and peer relationships. So the first thing is in terms of overall mental health and well-being, graduate of Christian schools report similar levels in terms of depression, anxiety as peers and other sectors. So that I guess is good news in the sense that they're not necessarily more anxious or struggling with well-being than other sectors. It's important to just mention that graduates of homeschooling are the only sector that experienced lower rates in that. So that's really interesting. That's a conversation for another day. But that's the first thing. But what we did observe is that... And this is slight, it's not extreme, so we can pull the numbers and they're not hugely significant, but it still, we can see this is that graduates of Christian schools seem to have a lower sense of belonging. So saying they felt that they belonged when they were in their schools and also slightly weaker peer relationships. And this all compared to their public school counterparts. So again, you mentioned the public school being the baseline. So we're not even talking about non-religious independent Catholic schools. We're just talking about the public school comparison. And what's really interesting is that even though they had this sense, lower sense of belonging, they still felt like their schools were really close-knit communities. And that's a bit of a paradox, I guess you could say. Their schools were really, really close-knit, but they didn't feel they belonged at the same rate as public school graduates and other graduates of other sectors. So I think this is... There's a lot of speculation. Obviously the data doesn't explain why this is the case. And as I've talked with school leaders, as you've talked with leaders trying to give some thoughts around this, some interesting things are coming up, which is it's very easy to look to the external environment for answers. So if you look at 24 to 39-year-olds right now, we know that a significant tranche of that group would've been impacted during high school by smartphones, social media, even some declining enrollment in private schools, right? So immediately we're going to... Cyberbullying, we turn to those kinds of things. And that's absolutely true, and there's no doubt that those things had an impact. But where the question is, is why didn't we see the same dip in the other sectors, right? Because arguably, Catholic school enrollments were dropping at the same time. Independent school enrollments, everybody's got smartphones. So I think there's something unique to the Christian school environment that we need to ask the question, what happened there? What's going on? And again, anecdotally, just as I saw over the last 10 plus years, an emphasis on improving academics, I think we've started in Christian schools to really be thinking about how do we build communities where there's a sense of belonging, right? Where we have people from different backgrounds, where we are working on bullying, we're working on these things. And it'll be interesting to track this into future years, but there's a lot of discussion about this and why this could be, how we can do this better. Jon: Yeah, I think this is a great example of where the CES is super helpful because Protestant schools and public schools are not statistically significantly different. About half the kids feel like they belong, about half don't. So we had about half say, agree or strongly agree in both public schools and Protestant schools. But what I'm fascinated by is the non-religious independent schools. Even when controlling for school effect, they are significantly by 21%, 18% different where you have 68, 70% of their kids feeling they belong. And when you lean into stereotypes about secular independent schools, it's like, oh, well, those are going to be clicky, they're elitist, and they're all these things, but based on these data, they feel like they belong and they have stronger relationships with students at their schools. So I mean, I think that's something to dig into. And Catholic schools are similar. They don't have quite the same effect, but Catholic schools are significantly higher on belonging and on the relationships with students in schools. And so again, if all education is public education, then we should be learning from each other, from our areas of relative strength. And so I think that's a super helpful finding, even though it may be a little bit hard to look at because we want to make sure each kid belongs at our school and half of them saying they don't feel they belong. That's a punch in the gut to educators, but we've got to look into it and we've got to find ways to do that better. And I think, my hope is that it's 2020 on all schools have gotten more thoughtful about that, and I hope Protestant Christian schools have been leading the way in that. And I hope we see that in future iterations of the CES. But are you optimistic about that, Lynn? Dr. Lynn Swaner: I am, and I think I would go back to what I said. One of the most encouraging things about the findings for me has been one, as a sector or a large number of schools in the sector say, Hey, we're going to focus on improving this. We see the results. And so I think certainly in all the marketing materials I've ever seen for every Christian school... I know Christian school is saying, we have a sort of unfriendly community or environment, and kids aren't going to... Usually it's the opposite where Christian schools are saying, we're a family, we're so close-knit. And I think the findings here suggest and encourage us to not just assume that that is happening. Just because we say that we're a close-knit community, that kids are loved and feel like they belong, just because we say that, doesn't mean automatically that that is happening. And so we just need to lean into that, and that's going to look different on every campus, right? I certainly am hopeful about some of the changing approaches to technology in schools that are more thoughtful, more intentional than I think reactional... Reactionary, I should say. So I think a lot of schools are thinking about, Hey, if we let kids have cell phones... I just heard about school the other day that lets the students have cell phones in passing periods. Well, okay, they have their cell phone in passing periods, but then they're not of looking up and talking with people, whereas other schools will say, you can't have them. We're going to lock them away for the full day. And then you have students who are like, I got to talk to people in the hall. So I just think schools are being more intentional about this. And I guess my encouragement would be to lean in that even more deeply and understand what this looks like at your school, what are some of the pressure points for students, ask your graduates and your alumni. And I think it's just a really good way for us to say, Hey, let's continue leaning into what we say about ourselves and also what we want to be. Jon: Yeah. I'm so encouraged hearing about all the loud cafeterias that are coming back. I think that's a blessing. And so that's an encouragement. So we're going to do a quick lightning round here, and I'm going to frame these, and you can answer them as succinctly as you can. But if you were to say, Hey, here is the worst piece of advice that you could take from the CES. If you were to say somebody were to look at this and say, Hey, you should take this finding from the CES, and this would be... What would be a misapplication of the CES? And then on the other side, what would be the best application of something coming out of the CES? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, that's an interesting one. I think a misapplication of the CES would be to make a declarative statement and say, if you want your child to be this way, you should send them to this type of school. I think that would be a mistake. Because there's a lot of nuance that the CES doesn't... At least if you read it doesn't capture it certainly. And so that would be sort of the negative mistake. How do I think it... And what was the other question? What would be the one thing I would want the- Jon: Best takeaway from the CES. Dr. Lynn Swaner: The best takeaway would be that not that different schools have different kinds of outcomes, and they're rich and diverse and holistic. And so each one of the sectors that we looked at has really, really positive things about it, including public schools and has some things that they need to work on. And so I think that the best takeaway would be to not write off any of schools and to also not say this is the only way to do it. But rather to look at the data to understand, hey, if you're a parent, to say these are our values as a family, these are the things that we want. And we see there's a couple sectors that do these things really well. There's a couple that maybe we wouldn't be interested in that and to make a really informed decision based on that. So I think that would be number one if you were families. And the second thing I would say is just for people who are involved in policymaking, people who are like lawmakers, advocates, is this is not a zero-sum game. There are millions of children in this country, and the vast majority, some, I think around 80% are in public school settings, about 20% are not, which that's not an insignificant number. That's one in five kids. And all of these schools are public education. All of these schools are training people and hopefully creating productive human beings and flourishing human beings and et cetera. And so when we look at how to set up our educational system, there really is... I think about our colleague, Ashley Berner at Jons Hopkins, who's also a senior fellow at Cardus. The subtitle one of her books, the title of her book is No One Way to School. There is no one way to school, and not every school is right for every kid, every year. And so if we have a robust educational system that allows families to make choices that fit their children and fit their needs and the types of things that they want to see for their kids, that is not only the most just system, but also the CES provides evidence that all kids can flourish. Jon: And that's the goal, each kid flourishing. So I always have to ask, what's your favorite book or one of your... I know you read a lot. One of your favorite books you've read in the last year? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, that's a really tough question. Jon: I know. I know- Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, I'm going to have to say two. One of which is a little bit more academic, and another one which is a little more accessible. So the first would be Work and Worship. So that's actually by Matthew Kaemingk and Cory Wilson. So Matt Kaemingk is out at Fuller. And it really looks at how... We were just having this conversation about Christian schools, right? So bifurcating, academics and spiritual formation. And we do that a lot with our work, right? Maybe a little bit less in Christian school settings, but really taking a look at how we bring our work as an offering of worship and how we worship through our work. And I was not raised in a liturgical background. Getting to know the beauty of liturgy more now as an adult and as I continue on in my faith, and just to be able to look through this book and see different prayers and liturgies for work has been really, really encouraging. So it's the first one. And the second one is The Sin of Certainty. Subtitles, Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our "Correct" Beliefs. So this is by Peter Enns, who's actually out of Eastern University near where I live. And what I really like about this book is I think I can't really diagnose this or talk about this briefly in a podcast. In fact, I'm working on a book that looks at this in depth. But God calls us to love him with all of our heart, our mind, soul strength, and love your neighbor as yourself, right? And I think it's easy for schools, it's easy for educators to focus on one of those. It's easy as disciples to focus on one, but that's really not, we're called for this sort of total discipleship. And I think a lot of times, there's been a lot of wonderful things through the emphasis on biblical worldview that we've had in Christian schools. But oftentimes that can morph into, Hey, let's have the correct beliefs, right? Let's get everybody to think rightly about these issues, about what's going on society, etc. And so much of our faith is not just thinking correctly, it's also learning to trust in God and not having the answers, right? And having complicated situations, right? Artificial intelligence, very complicated, right? So how are we going to get the correct belief around that? So this book has been really, really helpful to be thinking about how really people over millennia, literally millennia, have trusted God without always having all the answers in front of them. Jon: That's good. All right, last question. Looking ahead, after we clicked this data, which is kind of backward looking, what was your experience like in schools? And then we do all this work with schools in the present, and then we get to look ahead. What makes you most hopeful about what you see in the future for education that's for the common good? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah. So what makes me most hopeful, I've been spending a lot of time... In fact, I just got back from the International School Choice and Reform Conference presenting there on this data. And what makes me really hopeful is that there's a renewed interest in education by parents, by people who never saw themselves as educational entrepreneurs or edupreneurs as the topic is or as the title may be. So I think there's just a plethora of new types of school options coming on board. So hybrid micro-school, co-ops, all kinds of things that are growing and they're really, really exciting. It's a little bit of the wild west in some ways, but I am excited to see people excited about the possibilities for education as opposed to we're locked into choices that were made 100 plus years ago, and we're just sort of trying to live with the consequences. So I'm excited about the innovation and the diversity that I'm seeing in educational types and models. I think that's going to grow over the coming years. I think as we have more funding available at the state level, I think we'll see parents taking advantage of that. And I'm excited to see what's going to happen. I like change in general. I'm not a person who doesn't change, but I think we're due for a bit of a transformation of our educational system where we end up putting students at the center instead of systems and structures and sort of the way that we've always done things. Jon: That's great. Well, Lynn, really appreciate your time and the work that you do at Cardus and the Cardus education survey. Again, the great thing about Cardus is we're looking to support each kid in the way that they are made so they can become more of who they're created to be. So we don't like to get in the weeds on policy issues and how you should structure vouchers and are these bad. I mean, Texas, we're in the middle of voucher wars and at the end of the day, everybody in Texas wants to make sure each kid is educated well, and families have to be involved in those decisions. And are. I mean, we've made choices with where we live and where we go for years. And so school choice is not a new idea. And I think we need voices like Cardus there saying, Hey, look, this is what graduates are saying about these educa... And we put it out there transparently and we spend the money to get a nationally representative sample so that we try our best to give a accurate picture. So grateful for your work, always grateful for your work at Cardus, and thanks for your time.  

This episode focuses on the first phase of Thrive Model for Sustainable Instructional Coaching: Clarity. This is the second episode in the Refresh Your Coaching Practice series. The previous episode introduces the Thrive Model - if you haven't listened to that one yet, go back and listen so you have the framework for the entire series. This series is designed to be an annual refresh of your coaching practice - even if you've heard some of the episodes before, every time you listen, when you reflect back on your growth over the last academic year, you'll be able to take something new away to apply in your practice in the next academic year.  Download our free companion guide & workbook that aligns with this series at edurolearning.com/refresh 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)

We know principals are busy—constantly managing urgent issues and putting out fires. But we also know this: school-level change is the most powerful lever we have for improving student learning in math. So the real question is: are we setting school leaders up for math success?In this episode, we help schools and districts reflect on their current systems and support structures using a simple leadership audit:How are we positioning principals to take ownership of instructional leadership in math?Are they aligned to the school's math goals?What's getting in the way—and how can we fix it?You'll hear about common barriers schools face and gain actionable ideas from our work in math across North America to overcome them. If we want meaningful math improvement, engaging principals is not optional—it's essential.Key Takeaways:Why principals are essential for leading instructional change in mathHow to identify and remove barriers that limit principal involvementWhat it looks like when district and school leadership are aligned on math goalsQuestions to help you audit your current leadership structures for mathStrategies to build principal ownership and capacity in math instructionNot 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 & Units Show Notes PageLove 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.

Many clinicians, educators, and school leaders know they should be working collaboratively, but don't know how to find time to do it. If you have a friend or colleague who seems to have magical productivity powers, I promise there's a method to the madness. Most likely, they've just gotten really good at a concept I call “asset stacking”. It starts with asking yourself the question, “What can I create now that can save me time or effort later?”  In this third episode in the 3-part clinical leadership, I share how the concept of “asset stacking” can be used by both current and aspiring clinical and educational leaders to make an impact on the systems they're working in. Key Points:✅ Creating a long-term strategic vision for your professional growth✅ The concept of asset stacking and how to use it to impact systems✅ Multiple service delivery models that position you as a leader✅ Developing a master plan that aligns your expertise with system needsTakeaways:✅ Asset stacking compounds your influence over time✅ Your unique combination of skills creates distinctive value✅ Service delivery innovation positions you as a thought leaderAction Step: Begin your leadership master plan by identifying your unique "stack" of professional assets and one system-level challenge they could address.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

Leadership requires processing both professional and personal experiences, particularly when faced with injustice.   As school leaders, we encounter unfairness in various forms - from promotion decisions to resource allocation to systemic inequities affecting our students and families. I've found that managing these experiences requires understanding how our minds and bodies respond to perceived injustice.   In this episode, I share practical insights for acknowledging and safely expressing these difficult emotions without causing harm to ourselves or others. While solutions aren't always available, we can learn to validate our experiences, maintain our personal power, and find healthy ways to process these universal human experiences that impact us as leaders.   Find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/390

Our topic for episode 1 is Growing a Thriving Coaching Culture: Introducing the Thrive Model for Sustainable Instructional Coaching. This episode shares an overview of the Thrive Model for Sustainable Instructional Coaching that will set the stage for all other episodes in this series. Kim developed the Thrive Model after a decade of working with coaches and school leaders around the world. It brings together all of her own experience as an instructional coach, as well as the experiences of her clients, and all the expert guests she's interviewed on this podcast.  We use this model to structure all of our courses for coaches, and in particular The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program. You'll get an overview of the model in this series, and how the three elements of Clarity, Consistency and Community can be used to develop and refine your individual coaching practice and your coaching program in your school.  This series is designed to be an annual refresh of your coaching practice - even if you've heard some of the episodes before, every time you listen, when you reflect back on your growth over the last academic year, you'll be able to take something new away to apply in your practice in the next academic year. Download our free companion guide & workbook that aligns with this series at edurolearning.com/refresh 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 joined by Karen Borchert, Founder and CEO of Alpaca, for a powerful conversation about data-driven ways to boost teacher engagement. You'll also hear surprising insights about teacher well-being plus actionable strategies and digital tools that school leaders can use to cultivate a more positive and supportive school culture. Tune in if you're looking to create an environment where educators feel seen, valued, and energized! Show notes: https://classtechtips.com/2025/06/13/boost-teacher-engagement-bonus/ Sponsored by Alpaca: https://getalpaca.com/easyedtech Follow Monica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classtechtips/  Take your pick of free EdTech resources: https://classtechtips.com/free-stuff-favorites/   

As the school year draws to a close and the summer holiday approaches, we bring you a special end-of-year episode and the season finale. In this episode, two Grade 11 students, Francesco and Grace, took the mic. They sat down with our Head of School, Marta Medved Krajnovic, and Stephen Taylor, WAB's Director of Innovation in Learning and Teaching, to reflect on the year's highlights and look ahead to the future.  A Year of Celebration and Connection From September 1, when our community came together to launch the 30th anniversary, this year has been a joyful celebration of WAB's enduring spirit. Marta shared that alongside the opening ceremony and alumni profile awards, WAB hosted over 30 alumni reunions in cities around the world. These events offered opportunities to reconnect and reflect on what continues to make WAB feel like home, even decades after graduation.  Another major moment was the #FOEN25: Future of Education Now conference in March, where WAB welcomed global thought leaders to engage with students, educators, and innovators around the future of learning. Student agency, the concept that students are powerful co-creators of their learning, was a central theme, as it has been since WAB's founding.  The unveiling of the Jane Goodall statue during Jazz and Chill also stood out. Jane, a long-time friend of the school, represents the values of curiosity, courage, and care that continue to shape our learning environment.  Navigating Change and Transition  Change is a familiar part of life at international schools, whether it's moving from school sections, starting the diploma program, or preparing to graduate. Stephen highlighted the importance of WAB's traditions, like the Grade 8 bridge crossing or the Grade 12 graduation walk, in helping students make meaning of these transitions. These moments of reflection offer both a sense of continuity and celebration.  Francesco reflected on his own transitions through WAB and how, even amid change, there is a comforting sense of familiarity and belonging. Grace shared how these traditions help tie the past and present together, allowing each new generation of students to feel part of something larger.  AI in Education  One of the most discussed topics this year was the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education. Stephen described WAB's approach as “careful and considered,” striking a balance between the opportunities AI offers and the ethical considerations it demands, while maintaining a strong commitment to student agency. Rather than banning AI or adopting it uncritically, WAB encourages students to use AI as a tool to support and enhance their learning. "Who is doing the thinking?" is the essential question, Stephen emphasized.  Both school leaders and students acknowledged the challenges and uncertainties surrounding AI, from data privacy to environmental impact. Nevertheless, they agreed that learning to use AI responsibly is essential for future success. As Grace pointed out, demystifying AI and understanding how to use it appropriately prepares students for a world where such technologies will be integral to the workplace.  A Community of Lifelong Learners  A consistent theme in the conversation was the shared commitment to lifelong learning among students, teachers, and school leaders. Marta noted that even school leaders regularly participate in upskilling sessions, underscoring that everyone at WAB is "learning together", adapting to new technologies and global developments as a unified community.  This spirit of collaboration, curiosity, and resilience is what will carry WAB into the next 30 years and beyond, intertwining its past and future, its traditions and innovations. Don't miss this student-led conversation as we honor the past and look forward to what's ahead! 

In this second episode in the 3-part clinical leadership series, I explore the 'lesson planning trap'—a common situation where clinicians focus so much on perfecting individual sessions and miss broader opportunities for impact.I experienced this myself, spending years creating detailed therapy plans while seeing little change at the systems level. Then I realized the importance of distinguishing between planning for individual therapy and planning for effective service delivery. This insight transformed my practice and leadership approach.Today, I'll share how you can take your intervention skills and scale them for lasting change in your school or organization. Key Points:✅ Applying effective intervention principles to enhance service delivery.✅ Understanding the difference between therapy planning and service delivery planning.✅ Introducing scalable protocols that maximize your impact.✅ Evaluating your current strategies for scalability.✅ Utilizing intervention principles in team leadership situations.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

In this episode of Just Schools, Dr. Jon Eckert speaks with Lionel Cable and Joi Taylor Johnson from New Hope Christian Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. New Hope, founded nearly 30 years ago is an urban, college-preparatory elementary school providing students with a challenging, intellectual, and Christ-centered education Joi, a New Hope alum and now Director of Development, shares how the school helped shape her leadership and calling. The conversation highlights New Hope's innovative scholarship model, its farm and forest learning spaces, and the school's vision for expansion. The episode ends with a powerful piece of advice from Lionel's sister, “Do the exact opposite of what you want to do and watch what God does through you.” The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Connect with us: Center for School Leadership at Baylor University Jon Eckert LinkedIn Baylor MA in School Leadership   Jon: Well, Lionel and Joi, it is a blessing to have you here today. I'd love for you to just give our listeners a little bit of an idea of what New Hope Christian Academy is all about, where it's at, what its history is, and what your hopes are as you move forward. Lionel: First, thanks so much, Jon, for having me and Joi this morning. So New Hope is going on 30 years old. We were founded in the basement of a church downtown Memphis in 1995, 1996. Basically, it was established because there were no high quality, just private or public education options for kids in the downtown corridor. So we were founded to just offer teaching, learning, discipleship to families in need at the time. So over the past 30 years, we've grown to a little over 420 kids. 80% of our families, they have to qualify for free and reduced lunch. So the core of our mission truly is impoverished families and reaching out to them because we know in order to change that trajectory, it's two things. One, gets at the heart and that's the gospel, and then two high quality academics. If we can bridge those two things together, obviously that's going to change the trajectory of family, but then also change the trajectory of Memphis. Jon: And you have kids from age three all the way through sixth grade currently with the hope of expanding in the coming years. Is that correct? Lionel: Yeah, absolutely. Past 30 years due to our funding model, which is simply on a sliding scale, it was an impossible thing to expand. Now, with the passing of the Voucher Law in the state of Tennessee, the doors are now wide open for us to expand. So after next school year, we will be adding seventh and eighth grade. Jon: Yes. And so it's great to have your director of development on here because she has a vested interest in New Hope. So Joi, can you tell us a little bit about how you ended up back here professionally at New Hope? Joi: Yes, it's such a beautiful story honestly. I graduated from New Hope in 2007 and graduated from the sixth grade, and New Hope gave me a scholarship to go on to another independent school here in Memphis named ECS, Evangelical Christian School. And from there I went to the University of Memphis and I was all about social work and helping others. And from there, I helped start a program called the Choose 901 Alumni Program. And the alumni that we were helping were exactly the alumni from New Hope Christian Academy. And so I've kind of just always been in the works, helping our alumni get internships, jobs, and just connecting them to different opportunities and networks here in the city of Memphis. But as time went on, I kind of yearned to be back home. I wanted to be here and trying to advance the mission of New Hope. We want this school to be known all around the Memphis community and even further, because there's just so many great things happening here. This is the place that helped raise me honestly and cultivate the type of leadership and servant leadership that I have to this day. So it just made complete sense for me to come back and give my twenties, my thirties away to a school that helped make me who I am. Jon: I love that. And you mentioned this scholarship that happened after you left New Hope to go to another school. That is an unusual model. Joi: It's different. Jon: So can you talk a little bit about that Joi? How does that work? Joi: Yeah, so New Hope has always been a main proponent of school choice. Whether the actual vouchers have been passed or not, they've always just had a heart to connect students to quality education. Low-income students, underserved students to quality, Christ-centered education. And so they have always been connected to several foundations and donors who really care about what's happening in the Memphis community. And so they did the thing, they made sure it happened, and they've been doing it for 30 years now, funding scholars to go to different schools all around the city. Jon: That's such a beautiful thing, especially in a place like Memphis. Memphis is an amazing city, but it's also one of the most racially polarized cities that I've ever seen. And when they integrated Shelby County schools and they tried to connect with other counties, there was a lot of strife in that. And what I love about New Hope is it's, hey, each kid deserves an education that best fits that kid. And so ultimately you have people that have put money behind doing that, and then you have a school that's living out that mission pre-K through sixth grade, and now that's expanding with some additional opportunities. But even when it wasn't, it wasn't ever just about New Hope, but that's what I love. It was about the kids you were serving, and so therefore you're willing to use resources that a lot of schools would hold for themselves. And you're putting that scholarship with kids over the next six years to get you to the University of Memphis so that you can get through successfully. Do you know of other schools that have that model? I've been in a lot of schools and I don't know if I've ever heard that. Are you familiar with anybody else? Or Lionel, where did that idea come from? Was that just the community that you were in, or did that come from another school's model? Lionel: Yeah, so 30 years ago know when we opened, we wanted to go through 12th grade. However, the demand for high quality Christian urban education, it exploded, so we grew faster than what we intended. So the founder, Steven Carpenter, no, I can tell you the scholarship program, that was not a part of his original design for the school. It was around year four or five, we need to figure out are we going to expand or are we going to just send the kids somewhere else? And ultimately our checkbook said, okay, it's cheaper and actually easier to send the kids to our surrounding schools rather than add a grade at the time. So the model stuck. But I will tell you, Jon, you mentioned just Memphis being such a unique place. In the private sector, there are not a lot of urban ED private schools here. As a matter of fact, they're exact opposite of us. So I would like to think that our children know 30 years ago, they were really the first black and brown kids to go to some of these predominantly white spaces. So there were struggles there, but there was also opportunity for growth in terms of how New Hope could better support our kids when they left us to go to some of these other schools. So we created what was called the Alumni Support Office. There's three people in that office right now who spend 95% of their time on the campuses of the other schools to stay connected with the kids, to act as that bridge, to also act as a cheerleader, but then to also act as an advocate so that the children don't lose themselves in these spaces so that their identity can remain and then also so that they can cross the finish line. So with that particular model, we've had great success. Over the last 30 years, we have a 99.9% graduation rate from high school. 99.9% of our kids get accepted into college, 70% of which are actually working on their college degree or post-secondary. So I'd like to think it was a combination of the New Hope Scholarship opening the door, but then also that continued support that the organization offers all the way through to the finish line. Jon: Well, it's such a beautiful example of building the kingdom because it's not just a gift to your students, it's a gift to those campuses that were impoverished by the lack of diversity. They were not the kingdom because they were only serving a segment of the population. And so you enrich those campuses with the gift of your students. And so that's always one of the things when we study Brown vs Board of Education and the language of that, it's always like, well, how the black and brown kids are being harmed. And the counter argument to that is, all of the students who were not able to be exposed to different cultures and different kinds of kids and people within their own community, that's impoverishing to everyone. So you have been a gift financially in the scholarship to those schools, but to send kids out who are well-prepared in an academically rigorous setting with a heart grounded in Christ, like what a beautiful gift that is to Memphis. And so sometimes we hear all of the polarizing stories and the separation, and even in school choice discussions, it's this othering of, "how could you be for that or how could you be for this?" And it's like, "No, we want each kid to become more like Christ." And we do that best when we do that in community. And I feel like that's what you're living out. Now. Joi, can you talk a little bit about that experience of going to ECS? We've worked with ECS, a really fascinating school. How helpful was that office to you? Obviously you were successful, you went on to college, you're part of that 99.9% that Lionel talked about, but what was that experience like as a student? Joi: Honestly, it was really difficult. When I graduated, it was still in the early years of our alumni scholarship or support office, and so they were really still trying to understand how to get involved and be on the campus and really understand the difficulties we were experiencing as alumni going to these schools, because as Lionel stated, that New Hope is a predominantly black and brown school. And so when you leave this place and go to a predominantly white school, I mean, when I say culture shock, that's seriously what I was feeling as a seventh grader. We're already teenagers and crazy and feeling all kinds of ways. And so being in a completely new environment without my family really, we went through kindergarten through sixth grade together. And so leaving them and being placed in a completely new situation, it was really hard. It was really, really difficult. But the ASO office, they were there and they walked with me through all of those obstacles and difficulties and challenges that I faced, and they really encouraged me to just keep going because I was going to come out gold in the end. Even though it was some hard times, there was a lot of beauty in that as well. I tell a lot of people, the ECS definitely helped me academically. I mean, when it came to college, I was so ready. I didn't even blink to some of the work that they were throwing at me. But also spiritually. I mean, it really gave me that foundation of the Bible and knowing these verses and scriptures. Whenever I'm in these science classes or philosophy classes, and they really want to deter you from thinking that Jesus is the Savior and he is the creator, it really just gave me a foundation to know who I am, whose I am, I'm a daughter of the King, and it just really gave me a push to really get through everything. So I think I came out gold from doing all of that and trying to navigate it. Jon: Yeah, that joy through struggle is something that I think our current students have a hard time understanding. I mean, we want adversity. We don't want trauma. And so certainly going outside of your comfort zone to a new campus with support, that's adversity. We don't want it to bleed into trauma because I think through that adversity, we grow and become more of who we're created to be. And that's part of learning. I mean, that's the zone of proximal development. It's where you're at on your own versus what you can do with others through struggle, and that's where real joy is, and that's where transformation happens. So you would do some interesting things, Lionel, at your school with the forest and the farm. These aren't typical things that you think of in urban settings. Can you talk a little bit about what you're doing there and what the idea behind all that is? Lionel: Yeah, it was 2013, Mary Leslie Ramsey, who was the teacher that came up with the idea. We had recently been gifted the land from Habitat for Humanity, it's right across the street. They wanted to actually turn it into a subdivision, but found out it was on a floodplain, so couldn't do anything with it, so they gave it to us. She woke up one day with the head of school at the time and said, "Hey, the Lord has given me a vision. Do you see it? Do you see it?" And he kept saying, "I don't see a thing," because there was nothing there. And she said, "No, do you see this farm and this forest?" So she talked him into it, and obviously we didn't have a budget at the time to get it started. So we partnered with the Memphis Botanic Garden and they gave us all of the plantings that they were going to throw away. And it just really started with this small idea. Since Frayser is a fresh food desert, and the majority of our kids are either apartment dwellers or they don't necessarily go outside like they should, Mary Leslie just, she had the idea, "Okay, we've got to get our kids outside and we've got to expose them to something completely different than what they're used to." So that's when the farm and the forest was birthed. Currently, it is sitting on about five and a half acres. About one and a half of those acres, that's the actual farm. And it's more agricultural than it is animals. So our kids grow anything and everything from cabbage to strawberries to harvest their own honey. I mean, you name it, it is there. I'd like to think of it as the Garden of Eden because in the middle of Frayser, you wouldn't expect just this beautiful farm and forest that is there. We've got a full-time horticulturist who pours into that, and our teachers are able to go out there and do some applicable things with everything that is growing out there. With what's happening in the classroom, the forest piece is about four, four and a half acres, and we look at that as more of our play space. There are birdwatching observatories, there's about 1.7 miles of a walking trail that has been excavated there. I mean, just a beautiful space. And it's a way for our kids to really connect with our Lord. I mean, there's no better way to put your hands in the ground to plant something and just see how good God is by something coming up out of the ground. Jon: So you've got to tell me, how good are your kids at avoiding the instant gratification trap that gets really exposed in gardening. So they see something that is not even close to ripe, like that's it. I want to try it. Are they good at leaving it and letting it develop to its fullness of what the Lord wanted before they indulge? Or do they give in to that childlike instant gratification of the underdeveloped prefrontal cortex? Lionel: Yeah. Yeah, I think it's pretty developed. Jon: Okay. Lionel: Probably not at the beginning. And let me tell you why. So a part of Mary Leslie's strategy was also to give back to the Frayser community, so our kids understand the things that we plant, it's going towards a common good. So with this being a fresh food desert, every Friday, starting in late March all the way through, I'd say the end of October, we have what is called a pay what you can stand. And we invite the entire Frayser community to come in and grab as much produce as they'd like, and they can pay something or they can get it for free. So our kids know that, hey, we got to wait. We want that fruit to get ripe or those vegetables to be fully developed because it's going towards a good cause. Jon: That is so beautiful. The reason why I ask is last week I was at a school that's in a juvenile detention center down here in Texas, and they have violent youth offenders. They have quite a range of kids from age 13 to 18, and they have a garden. And in the English class, they were writing about weeds and the weeds they have in their own lives and then going out and weeding and tilling this garden. It was this beautiful lesson, but there was a very underdeveloped cucumber that one of the guys picked up and started munching for about 15 seconds. Until then, it's all out all over the ground because it was not ready. And the guy who's in charge of the garden says, "Yeah, they lose about 90% of the produce to kids not being able to delay that gratification to the point that it is ripe." And I think your point about they're doing this for someone else, that changes the calculus, that changes what it is. And now these kids are in juvenile detention through a series of tragic circumstances, bad decisions. Some of it may be related to not being able to delay gratification or not having the security of believing that something will be there the next day and not just taking what's available right now. But it was a fascinating lesson. So when you started talking about what your kids do, I was like, "Oh, I got to hear it." I had not thought about what a great lesson in delayed gratification gardening is. Because you take that too early and that thing that's going to be amazing in a week is inedible in the moment. So I love that. I love that. Joi, you're telling the story from a development fundraising perspective. Anything you want to add to what New Hope's doing that you think is particularly compelling? Joi: Yes. When I was a student at New Hope, we always craved for a middle school or a high school. We wanted to be at New Hope for as long as we possibly can. So for me to be here at New Hope, at the start of the transition of us actually bringing in a middle school, I mean, that's amazing to me. It feels like my sixth grade dreams are coming true right before my eyes. So I'm excited that I get to extend this type of opportunity to the current fifth graders who are here now. And then to the rest of the generations who are coming through, that they really get a chance to be involved and get this, it's like an incubator for Christ-Centered leadership and learning service and different activities that they get a longer chance to kind of experience that before they enter into high school where it really gets crazy. Middle school is just the beginning, but high school, I feel like we give them a chance to be prepared and cultivate their social emotional learning process needs that they have, so that when they are in those frightening or new situations, that they feel more prepared how to navigate these things. And so I think that's one of the best things that I'm excited about preparing or clearing out a new pathway for our students to really get time here with us here at New Hope. And then of course, it's our 30th anniversary. That's a huge deal. I don't know if we ever thought we would see this kind of day, but we're so blessed and thankful that we've made it. God has been with us the whole time. We've had a lot of obstacles, but we've come out on top every single time because his hand has been over us. And so I want to offer more partnerships and relationships to the community, especially right now. We have a really hectic education system going on, atmosphere in Memphis right now. So I really feel like this is a great time to amp up New Hope and tell more people about it because they are getting fearful and worried about what their child's education really will look like in the future. But we have been stable. We've been here for 30 years, and hopefully we can open our doors to more people. Jon: Yes. Love it. Love it. And the fact that you can describe middle school as a dream and not a nightmare, is a true testimony to the work of the spirit at New Hope. So love it. As a former middle school teacher and a middle school kid, I think I would have loved being at your farm and forest and in the culture you've built at New Hope. So that's a beautiful thing. We always end with a lightning round where I'll just ask a few questions and we just keep the answers to about a sentence if you can. I'm terrible at this, but if you can, that's better than me. So the first question is, what's the worst piece of advice you've ever received, as an educator or as a student, but just worst piece of advice you've ever gotten? Lionel: I guess I'll go first, Joi. Joi: Go ahead. Lionel: Honestly, I don't think I've ever gotten really bad advice. It may not have worked out because there's learning and failure. I just learned not to do that again, but I learned from it. So to answer your question, no bad advice. Jon: Well, one thing, Lionel, I would say that the piece I always give is people tell you to stay in your lane. And I feel like that's bad advice many times. And if New Hope would have stayed in its lane, you wouldn't have scholarships to send people off to school. You wouldn't exist. You wouldn't have a farm, you wouldn't have the wood. So I'm applying my bad advice that I received to New Hope as a counter example, and I'm grateful for educators that step up and speak out about, here's what we need, here's what we need to flourish, and here's what we need to do together. So I'll apply my bad advice to your good counter example. So thank you for that. Joi, what about you? Have you gotten any bad advice or are you as blessed as Lionel is to never have received bad advice? Joi: No, I think I have gotten bad advice before. Being in this new situation, raising money for an independent black school in Memphis, I think people have definitely told me that there are certain groups of people and populations I shouldn't ask money for support from or any type of activity from. But we're learning that our parents, our grandparents, the people in our community might be great people who can give and be a part of this whole mission that we have going on in New Hope. It doesn't have to be one specific person or they have to look a certain way. This is an opportunity for all. Jon: That's good. All right. Best advice you've either given or received? Joi: I will say the best advice that I think I've gotten actually come from Lionel. It was a couple of years ago, I was still in my previous job and antsy to get back home and to do work here at New Hope. And I talked to Lionel about it, "Like, why is it this not working out? I want to be here." And he told me to be still and wait on the Lord. And that's been the best advice because look where I am a couple of years later. I'm here and an opportunity to really lead in a big way, bigger than what I was trying to do earlier. So being still. Jon: Psalm 46:10, always good advice. All right. Lionel, what about you? Lionel: Yeah, you may have heard this one already, Jon. I think this advice came from my sister. About 10, 15 years ago, I had an opportunity, between two schools, to be the principal. One, was the highest performing school in the district, the other was the seventh worst performing school in the entire state of Tennessee. I was offered both jobs. Go out to the car, called my sister, I'm like, "Hey, I think I'm going to decline the worst school. I just want to go to the best school." And keep in mind, Jon, I had no experience at a failing school at all. Simple advice from her. She said, "Lionel, God has really blessed you in your career. Why don't you do the exact opposite of what you want to do and watch what God does through you?" Jon: That's amazing. Lionel: At that point, I accepted the job at the other place, and that's all she wrote. I mean, it was the best decision of my life. Jon: Yeah, love that. You have told me that. And it's always a good story to hear that again. Because I think so often I want my desires to always be aligned with Christ. And the more I am praying, the more I'm in the word, the more that is likely. But so often, my selfish desires get in the way of what He wants. And so love that. Okay. What do you see as the biggest challenge for New Hope specifically for the next 30 years? What would you say? And then we'll go back to what's your greatest hope? But we'll start with the challenge first. Lionel: Yeah. Prior to this year, it was the funding model. I mean, it's flipped on its head. 93% of our dollars came from donations. Past 30 years, we've never been in the red. Praise God, thankful for that. Now that ESA's vouchers, all of that is here, there is a path forward. So I think the challenge is how can we leverage our 30 years of experience and create more new hopes? New Hope, we serve 44 different zip codes in Memphis. In the north Memphis area is where we planted our flag, but South Memphis is the most impoverished area in the city. And my dream, my desire, my hope is that we can plant our flag in South Memphis and create a New Hope South Memphis, and then hopefully a New Hope East Memphis. So many children here, Jon, they need teaching, learning, and discipleship, and they need hope. And New Hope can certainly provide that through the gospel, but then also change that family's trajectory just through high quality academics and just building that foundation. So in short, to answer your question, the challenge is, how do we get more dollars? How do we leverage the dollars we have? How do we create these partnerships so that New Hope can grow well beyond Frayser, which is where we are now? Jon: Joi, anything you'd add to that challenge? Joi: He is the visionary leader of New Hope Christian Academy, so I stand behind him. That's our goal and vision. That's what we're doing. Jon: That's great. So then what's your greatest hope for New Hope or education in general, what's your greatest hope? Lionel: Oh, that's a loaded question, Jon. Jon: I know. We ask good ones for the lightning round and try to get you to give a parsimonious answer. Lionel: Oh. For Memphis specifically, and I think there's two parts to that. Memphis specifically, I'm hopeful that the education system will look more like the Kingdom, in particularly the private schools. Because it's not, Jon. I mean, again, New Hope and Collegiate, which is our sister school, we're the only ones that are high poverty, high concentration of black and brown children. Other schools are the complete opposite. And I always say, if you don't like diversity, you don't like heaven, you're not going to like heaven. And the thing is, I mean, I'm hopeful that in the independent school space that there will be room for growth so that it can look more like the Kingdom and that the leaders will be more Kingdom minded. As it relates to just education? We need more urban Christian education. I think that's the key. In the core of the city, we need high quality options for families because that's where the concentration of brokenness is, and in every major city in America. So I'm very hopeful, you know that the lens will look towards just again, high quality urban Christian education in cities across America. Jon: Oh, yes. Love that. Rebecca McLaughlin says, "Don't miss the fact that Christianity is the most diverse multicultural movement in the history of the world. And the church is becoming increasingly black and brown in 2025." So that's a great word and appreciate your heart behind that. Joi, anything you'd add to your hope for where things are headed? Joi: Yes. I think when people think of Memphis, their mind goes to our crime rate, our history, our music, and our food. And I think one thing about Memphis that most people miss is that this is a place with a lot of opportunity. And I'm grateful that the ESAs and EFS has made their way to the Shelby County area because crime is a big issue here. Safety is a big issue here. But I do know that that's directly related and linked to poverty. And I know that poverty can be changed with quality education. And so I think this is a great time for us to really capitalize on, now's the time. New Hope is the place for parents and community members to pour into and send people to, and maybe even replicate a school like that in their own city or their own state, that this kind of gospel and movement that we're trying to spread actually spreads everywhere. Jon: That's great. This resonates with what the Spreading Hope Network does. They're based out of Minneapolis. I'm sure they're aware of you and hopefully you're aware of them. Love the heart, love the work you're doing. Our team, they got to visit, it all came back. Bill Sterrett was enamored with the farm and the forest. Loved it. The team loved it. So anybody that gets a chance to get through Memphis and visit, I know they find a welcome team there that is just doing good work. And it's an encouragement and there's great joy in the work that we get to do with kids. So thank you for your time. Appreciate your work on our advisory board, Lionel. Joi, it's great to meet you virtually. Hopefully we'll meet you in person soon, and thanks for all you do. Joi: Sure. Thank you. Lionel: Thank you.  

Test scores rolling in can trigger intense emotions and identity crises for school leaders. As principals, we intellectually understand that standardized tests are just one measure of student growth and school success. Yet when scores arrive, we can't help but attach deep meaning to these numbers and worry about how they'll be interpreted by staff, families, and district leadership.   Through sports analogies and real-world examples, I explore why we shouldn't let a single data point define our identity as educational leaders. Just as elite athletes aren't defined by one game's outcome, principals and schools can't be reduced to a single test score. Our capacity to lead, inspire, and create positive change comes from within - not from external metrics.   Find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/389

Welcome to Eduro Learning's "Refresh Your Coaching Practice Series" This is a special podcast series designed to support you in refreshing your coaching practice. It's called (you guessed it), Refresh Your Coaching Practice. This series is an opportunity for you to reflect on your current practice as well as look ahead and consider opportunities for growth. You'll notice, as you listen, that we're following the Thrive Model for Sustainable Instructional Coaching: with episodes on clarity, consistency, and community, so you can refresh your practice on all three elements. Download our free companion guide & workbook that aligns with this series at edurolearning.com/refresh 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)

As the school year winds down, it's time to reflect—not react on your math impact. In this episode, we dive into one of the most important (and often skipped) parts of sustainable change for math programs: reflection and intentional decision-making.Using the Adopt, Adapt, Abandon protocol, we'll guide you through how to evaluate what worked, what can be improved, and what truly needs to go in your school or district math program. Plus, we'll share key insights and cautionary tales from the districts we support across North America.Our biggest advice? Don't toss everything out for the next shiny thing. Momentum matters. The flywheel is turning—let's not start from zero again.In this episode, you'll discover:How to use the Adopt, Adapt, Abandon protocol effectively for math programming.Why reflecting with evidence is critical before making changes to your math plan.How to avoid losing momentum by jumping to new initiatives too quickly.Lessons from other districts: what worked, what didn't, and what they're doing next.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 & Units Show Notes PageLove 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.

In this episode, we address the common experience of being overlooked in crucial conversations about the students we serve. Whether you're a clinician or educator who feels unheard while trying to contribute, aspiring to be in a leadership role, or currently in leadership and experiencing impostor syndrome, this discussion challenges you to embrace your role as a leader—regardless of your job title.We'll start this 3-part clinical leadership series by clarifying some misconceptions about leadership and explore how to change your approach.Key Points:✅ Why are important team members excluded from key team decisions about services and programs in schools and other organizations?✅ How to stay relevant and visible to colleagues so they see you as an asset.✅ Overcoming three core limiting beliefs:        

Finding balance between fun and structure after end-of-year testing can be a real challenge. As school leaders, we often notice a clear shift in energy, behaviors, and routines once testing concludes, leaving many of us struggling to maintain consistency while still allowing for meaningful closure and celebration.   In this episode, I share ways to help teachers plan activities that build life skills, encourage reflection, and maintain clear expectations, all while embracing the celebratory spirit of the year's end. Whether you're still in session or planning ahead for next year, this episode will help you rethink what's possible in the final weeks of school.   Find the full episode show notes and transcript, click here: https://angelakellycoaching.com/388

In this #coachbetter episode, Kim wraps up season 6 and highlights one of key themes from this season of #coachbetter - the value of developing a coaching mindset among all staff members as you work towards building a coaching culture.   Find the show notes for this episode here. Like this episode? You'll enjoy: Introducing the 5 Domains of a Coaching Mindset 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, 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.

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Christina Crook, author of The Joy of Missing Out and founder of JOMO Campus. Christina shares how a 31-day internet fast sparked a global movement around digital wellness. She discusses the impact of tech addiction on attention, relationships, and mental health.  Christina shares the transformation happening in schools that embrace phone-free environments. Through strategic programs and student-driven goals, she shows how embracing JOMO empowers young people to live with purpose and become light in dark digital spaces. The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: The Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World by Christina Crook experience JOMO Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen Connect with us: Center for School Leadership at Baylor University Jon Eckert LinkedIn Baylor MA in School Leadership     Jon Eckert: All right, Christina, welcome to the Just Schools Podcast. We've been big fans of your work for a long time. So, tell us a little bit about how you got into this work. Christina Crook: Yeah. Thanks for having me, Jon. This has been a long time coming, it's a joy to be here. So, yeah, how did the work of JOMO begin? I began my career in public broadcasting based here in Canada at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. And my education was a pretty critical look at mass communication, that was my background. And so, when social media started emerging early in my career in journalism, I was pretty keyed into the negatives early on. I was always asking the question, even when Facebook, and this is obviously dating me, emerged on the scene, that is the earliest major social media platform, I was always asking the question, "What is this displacing? Where is this time going to come from? How is this shifting my creative behaviors and my relationships?" And so, around that time, early in my career, I actually made a major move from Vancouver to Toronto. So, think just like West Coast to East Coast, essentially. And in one fell swoop, all of my relationships were all of a sudden mediated by the internet, because I'd made this major move, I only had really one close friend in the area I was moving to. And so, I started to notice my own digital behaviors shifting, and I was becoming more and more uncomfortable with my own social media habits. I was sort of creeping on the lives of my friends and family back home. Remember the good old Facebook wall? We would just do that now through snaps or whatever, see what people or the stories they're sharing. So, I was doing a lot of that and not going through the deeper, harder work of connecting directly with the people that I loved. I was also not getting to just creative projects that I was really passionate about, like writing. I'm a creative writer, so poetry and these different things. And so, I had a curiosity about what would happen if I completely disconnected from the internet for a large chunk of time. And so, I ended up doing a 31-day fast from the internet to explore what it was like to navigate the world, a very increasingly digital world, without the internet. And so, basically, off of that experiment, I wrote a series of essays and I had to publish a reach out to me about expanding off of that into a book, and that book became the Joy of Missing Out. And that is where the work of JOMO began. Jon Eckert: And when did that book get published? Christina Crook: 10 years ago. Jon Eckert: Yeah. Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: See, I feel like you were way ahead of the curve. This is before Jonathan Haidt had made this his passion project and other people were talking about it. So now, I think back then this would've been an early alarm. And so, I guess as you look at the future and where you're at, you've had 10 years, I'd love to hear about some of the success that you've seen and some of this shifting narrative, because I think what you shared, any adult can connect with that feeling of that being inbondaged to your device. I deleted my email from my phone in January and that has been unbelievably freeing, because I check that 70 to 80 times a day. And I tell everybody, it's embarrassing because at least Facebook and social media, there's something fun about it. Email's not fun. Hearing from your finance director that you need to do something different at 11:15 at night, it's no fun. And I was addicted to that and I got rid of it. So, I think we all have felt that, but I'd love to hear some of the success you've seen with schools, particularly, or anyone else, because I think there's a value in this for all of us. Christina Crook: Yeah. So, when I started in this space, definitely I could count on one hand the people that were actively talking about this. If I even suggested to a person that they had an addictive relationship with their phone, they would get their backs up, like, "How dare you even suggest this to me?" And since then, of course, just the acceleration of the conversation, the long-term studies showing the negative impacts on our attention spans, mental health, all of the things that we talk about on a daily basis now. But the expression of JOMO in schools came about a number of years ago when the head of the wellness department at Virginia Tech reached out to me. Unbeknownst to me, she'd been following my work for years, through my podcast and books and these sorts of things. And in her own words, their best and brightest students were coming back to campus languishing before classes had even started. And as a department, we talk about the wellness wheel, the eight dimensions of wellness, and they were seeing, across their department, how digital overuse or misuse was impacting all of these different dimensions of student well-being. And so, they'd gone looking for a digital wellness program for their students. They came up empty, one didn't exist, and so the invitation from them was to co-create a program with them. And so, that became four months of just discovery, first hand reading of the college health assessment, looking for the most recent college health assessment at Virginia Tech, looking for threads and needs and opportunities, for 10 interviews with staff and students. And there we concepted a four-week digital wellness challenge for their first year students. Through our pilot programs, we saw a 73.8% behavior change. Students not only had made a change to their digital habits, but they intended to continue with those changes. And their changes, just like you're describing, Jon, like the one you did, which is tactically, for example, in our week one building better focus, is removing those things. We know that environmental changes are the most powerful to change a habit in our digital and our physical spaces. So, things like removing an app that is an absolute time sack, or it's just created a very unhealthy habit is the power move. And so, the reason why it was so successful for students is because they'd maybe thought about making a change to their digital habits, but they've never actually done it. And here they were being incentivized to take the action. And when they did, they felt immediate benefits. So, we knew we were onto something and that's where the work of the campus work began. Jon Eckert: Well, and so I think if adults feel that, how much more important is that for kids? Mine happened as a part of a 28-day digital fast that Aaron Whitehead, the book he put out on that, that our church went through it. And when I did it, the idea was, just take 28 days free of it and then you can introduce things back in. Why would I introduce that back in? Christina Crook: Totally. Jon Eckert: So, it's been great. I also do not look at my phone until after I've spent time in the Word and praying and writing each morning. And I don't even look at the phone. It used to be my alarm clock. I got an old analog alarm clock, I moved that out, that was powerful. So, as an adult, I feel that. So, I cannot imagine how 13 and 14-year-olds could deal with that. That feels like not just an uphill battle, that feels like the hill is on top of them. Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: So, I'm curious. You mentioned Snapchat and I don't know if you saw this. This week, Jonathan Haidt on his substat came out with the court proceedings where he's done it to TikTok, now he's done it to Snapchat. And we've always said hard no to Snapchat, because Snapchat just feels like it was evil from the beginning, with disappearing content that you can't track but then can be screenshotted and any number of bad things can happen. But I just wanted to read this quote to you, because this is why I think your work is so important on so many levels. This was from a New Mexico court case. He said this: "A Snap's director of security engineering said, regarding Android users who are selling drugs or child sexual abuse material on Snap. These are some of the most despicable people on earth." This is his quote, this is a director of security. "That's fine. It's been broken for 10 years. We can tolerate tonight." That blows my mind. And so, this is what parents and educators are up against, because in my mind, that is evil. Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: That is pure evil. So, that's where it's not just addiction to things that are relatively harmless in moderation, this is pushing back on something that is really, really invasive. And Jonathan Haidt talks all about this, the predators that are online, we worry about the people in the real world and the real challenges are virtual. So, where, in your current work, are you seeing some of this success paying benefits in protecting kids, A, but B, more importantly, leading to flourishing? Christina Crook: Yeah. So, Jon, as you know, our work has shifted from the college space down now into high schools, primarily with private Christian high schools. And where we're seeing wins and gains is at the base level of education. We talk very early on, with students, about the different systems that are at work in each of the platforms they use on a daily basis. So, let's use a TikTok or a Snap, for example. We talk about gamified systems, we talk about hook modeling, all of the mechanisms that are there to keep them. We talk about streaks. And then we have them assess the different platforms they're using and they need to identify what are the different models and how are they functioning within the platform? I think many of us can remember when the live updating feature showed up on the early social media platforms, but many of those platforms were out for many years before the live updating feature came into play. Of course, streaks, which is just the most terrible design feature ever, but students don't really stop and think about it. But when you actually invite them to look critically, and this is why the foundation of my own education was so critical, is because I was always, and I continue to come to each of these platforms asking those hard questions. So, the gains we see with students actually looking critically at the platforms they're using on a daily basis, that's where the big wins are coming. Also, we have students do their own goal setting. So, when we work with a school, one of our first questions we ask students is, we get them to imagine, "Okay, it's graduation day, so congratulations, you've just graduated from the high school that you're listening from right now. You're wearing your cap and gown. You're looking back at your time at school and you have absolutely no regrets. What did you experience and what did you accomplish during your time here?" And students kind of get this far afield look in their eyes and they start to wonder and consider. And so, they start to tell these beautiful stories of, "I want to make lifelong friends. I want to make friendships that will sustain me into adulthood or into college. I want to get a great GPA, because I want to get into this school." I try and prompt them sometimes to think of more fun things like, "You want to get a boyfriend." There's play, like you were saying earlier. What are the fun elements also of the experience you want to have here? I say, "Great." Jon Eckert: Is there a JOMO dating app? Christina Crook: Not yet, but we are consistently hearing from our partner schools that dating is up because students are talking to each other, which is my favorite thing. But yeah, so students share all of these goals and aspirations they have. And I say, "Great. Is the way you're currently using your phone, your primary device, helping you accomplish or experience these things?" And so, we're connecting it to what they actually want. When you start talking to a kid about technology, all they hear is the Charlie Brown teacher. They just assume that an adult is going to hate on the way they're using tech and the tech that they're using. And so, we're trying to connect it to, "What are your desires, wants?" And that is where I believe the root to flourishing is, because it has to be. It's the desire within them. What is it that they desire, what is that core desire? And then how can they bring their technology use in alignment with that? Do I think that Snap should be thrown out the window? Well, yeah, mostly I do. I do think there are ways to strategically use almost every platform. We're a people that believe in redemption. These platforms, there are elements of them that can be redeemed. And so, yes, it is easier to eliminate an entire platform and I think there are some that, by and large, we should avoid. But I do think we also need to be asking the question, "How can these technologies be used to our benefit?" Jon Eckert: Okay. So, I want to start with, I love the question you ask about what would a life without regrets, when you graduate, look like? That's amazing. Love that. I also feel like I've gotten some traction with kids talking about the way the adults in their lives use their devices, because that opens the door for them to say, "Oh, yeah, I don't really like..." The Pew research study that came out last year that 46% of kids report having been phubbed, phone snubbed, by their parents when they want to talk. That's real, because everybody's felt it. And it really stinks when your primary caregiver is doing that to you. The only thing I will push back on is, I do not believe in the redemption of platforms. I believe in the redemption of human beings. And I absolutely believe that there are platforms online, some of them I won't even mention on air, but that release pornography to the world. Those do not need to, nor can they be redeemed and they should absolutely be shut down. And I don't know where on the continuum Snapchat fits, but when I see testimony like that from your director of security, I'm like, "Yeah, I have a hard time saying that that can be redeemed, nor should it be redeemed," when the in-person connection that Snapchat replaces and the streaks that it puts out there. Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: Yes, if you eliminated those things, which are what monetize it, then maybe it could be redeemed, but then there is no financial incentive to redeem it. So, I would push on that, that platforms can be redeemed. And some of them shouldn't be. Now, can they be used for good? Yes. Some, not all. But Snapchat could be used to encourage a friend, could be used to... There are ways you could use it. But are there better ways? Yeah. Christina Crook: Absolutely. Jon Eckert: Let's do that, because I think that life without regrets would look differently than, "Oh, yeah, I really sent a really encouraging Snap in my junior year of high school, it made a difference." As opposed to, "I showed up for a kid in person when they were struggling." Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: I feel like we've gotten this proxy virtue signaling where like, "Oh, I posted something about that." Who cares? What did you do about it? Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: And that is where I think your question hits on. But feel free to react. Christina Crook: No, it's great pushback. I think the posture that we're always taking with students is, we're not starting with, "You need to eliminate this," because the assumption they have is that it's just detox. It's just the removal of something. And we're saying, "What are the joys?" That's the joy of missing out. That is our body of work. What are the joys we can enter into when we mindfully, intentionally disconnect from the internet, or use it in ways that support our wellbeing and our goals? Jon Eckert: Yeah, no, that's always the way. With any change, you always have to be moving towards something instead of moving away. And so, you've got to make it invitational and inviting. And that's why JOMO makes so much sense. So, what do you see, you can take this in whatever order you want, is the biggest obstacles and opportunities for the work that you're doing? So, you can start with opportunities or obstacles, but take them both. Christina Crook: Yeah. So, I think it's one and the same. It's parent partnership. I think it's schools' partnership with parents. We know that the majority of technology used, especially now that we've got mostly phone free or phone controlled... Majority of the schools are moving in the phone free or phone controlled. The school direction that the minute students walk off campus, it becomes the parental responsibility. So, one of the challenges schools are facing is parents communicating with their kids all day long through the exact tools that we've asked them to put away. So, the kid's excuse is, "Well, my mom needs to message me." And so, there is this security conversation. "I need my phone to be safe." And so, addressing that, and of course in the U.S. landscape, there are real safety concerns with inside schools, and so there's a legitimacy to that. But how do schools clearly communicate and solve for that? So, we see beautiful examples. I'll use Eastern Christian and New Jersey as an example. So, they partnered with JOMO and Yonder at the same time to roll out their phone free mandate, they wrapped around the Yonder initiative with Joy and Digital Wellness Curriculum and Education. But what they did was, they established a student phone. A student phone in the school that doesn't require... There's no gate keeping. So, oftentimes they'll be like, "Oh, but you can just go to the office and use the phone." But there's a whole bunch of apprehension for students about necessarily making a phone call, for example, in front of the secretary. So, I thought that was a great solve. That was a great solve and we share that with other schools. The opportunity is parent partnership and education. So, we are solving that by providing our partner schools with just direct plug and play parent education that goes into the regular school communications, that's digital wellbeing strategies for families, conversation starters across all the age brackets, from K to 12, additional education and resources, and then just beautiful aspirational stories of Christian families that are navigating the complexity of managing technology in a way that's really human and honest and open. So, I think it's parent partnership. And then of course we're seeing great movements around parent pacts. I heard about Oak Hill here in Greater Toronto, that they've actually, as students come in, they're having parents sign a parent pact to delay phone use until the age of 16. It is as a community, that's a very low tech school. And so, the opportunities and initiatives around parents, I think, is exciting. Jon Eckert: That's very Jonathan Haidt of them. Christina Crook: Yes. Jon Eckert: And I think it is a lot easier when you do that as a group than as an individual parent or kid where you feel excluded. I just wanted to ask you this, based on what you said with the designated phone at the school. Eric Ellison, our great mutual friend, sent me this Truce software. Are you familiar with this? Christina Crook: I am, yes. We're getting to know them. Jon Eckert: What do you think? Christina Crook: So, I haven't got a chance to see it in practice, but to me, theoretically, Truce is the best possible solution. Jon Eckert: Yes. That's what it looks like to me, not having seen it in action. But talk about why you think that is, because our listeners may have no idea what this is. Christina Crook: Yes. So, Truce is a geofencing product. So, the moment everyone comes onto campus, the ability or functionality of your personal devices is controlled by Truce. So, that means that for all phones coming onto campus, automatically, the moment you drive or walk onto campus, you cannot access social media, for example. But you can continue to message your parents all day long and vice versa. And there are other controls for teachers. There's a lot of customization within it, but it just makes sense, because all the VPNs, all the workarounds, it finally solves for that, because schools are just product on product on product, firewall on firewall, and students are very smart and they have a million workarounds. And this is the only solution I've seen that solves for all of those problems. Jon Eckert: And that's what I wanted to know, because students are so savvy about getting around them. The only drawback I see, because I do think this breaks down a lot of the parent concerns and it makes so you don't have the lockers, you don't have to have the pouches, you don't have to do all the management of phones, is challenging when you have to take them from students. Christina Crook: Yes. Jon Eckert: Or you have to let them carry them around in their pockets, like crack cocaine in a locked magnetic box. Christina Crook: Don't touch it, don't touch it. Don't use it. Jon Eckert: Yeah, right. Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: So, I like it theoretically. The only drawback is, and Haidt wrote about this in 2023, there is some benefit, especially to high school students, to not having a constant access to a parent to complain about what's going on in school. A teacher gives you a grade and that's the way the student would see it. The teacher gives you a grade you don't like, and then you're immediately on your phone complaining to your parent. And before the kid even gets home, a parent's in the office to advocate or complain, depending on your perspective. Christina Crook: Yes. Jon Eckert: For the student, that constant contact is not always healthy. But I get like, "Hey, if that was the only issue that schools had to deal with with phones, that would be a win." And it does keep communication with the parent and the kid. And I, as much as I hate it, have absolutely texted my children in high school something that I need them to know after school. Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: And it is great when they can know those things in real time, because I didn't think far enough ahead to let them know beforehand, and I don't call the office regularly. So, I get that. But any other drawbacks you see to Truce? Because to me it does feel like a pretty ideal solution. Christina Crook: No, I think Truce plus JOMO is the winning combo. Jon Eckert: Right. And you need to understand why it's being done, because otherwise it feels like you're going to phone prison. And really, what you're saying is, no, there's this freedom for so much more if we take away these things that are turning you into a product. Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: So, yeah. Christina Crook: And I will say, when I go into a school, I'll talk to them in a chapel, for example, with students. I basically say, "I'm in support. Props to, basically, your leadership for creating a phone controlled or phone free environment." And there's three core reasons why, and one of them is that, fragmented technologies, the studies are showing finally what I intuitively knew, and I think many of us intuitively knew more than 10 years ago, but that fragmented technology use is actually healthier. The least healthy way to live with technology is continuously. It's the first thing you touch when you wake up, the middle of the day, which props to you, Jon, for changing that habit. And it's the last thing you look at at night. And then it's tethered to your body all day long. So, those breaks from the devices. And let's be real, the students, even if they have them on their person with a Truce-like product, they're not going to be reaching... It will be fragmented still, because they don't have anything to really reach for. Are you going to check your phone 1,800 times to see if your mom messaged? Let's be real, that's not happening. Jon Eckert: We've got bigger issues if you're doing that. Christina Crook: Yes. A podcast for another day. Yes. Jon Eckert: That's it. That's it. Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: No, that's good. Well, hey, I love that. I'd love for you to talk a little bit about, you have a summer resource for families that I think that's helpful. And then you also have some other interesting work, and then we'll jump into our lightning round. Christina Crook: Great. Yeah. So, I would just encourage people to go check out jomocampus.com/summer. So, we've got a JOMO summer tips page set up. It's just a bunch of resources for families. We've got an upcoming webinar about setting your family up for screen success. We know that in the summer it can be really a free-for-all. I have kids ages 11, 13, and 15, and if we don't have a game plan for the summer, it can all fall apart very quickly. So, things like helping your kids set goals for the summer. So, we often do an incentivized reading challenge as a family for our kids over the course of the summer. So, jump in there, take a look, there's some great resources there. And yeah. Jon Eckert: You head to the UK next week, and talk a little bit about what you're doing there. Christina Crook: Yeah. So, I've been a part of a great cohort called Missional Labs, where it's a faith-based accelerator program for non-profits and for-profit organizations. And so, we'll be together for theological learning and training, both in Oxford and in London. So, yeah, I'm really looking forward to that. Going to be connecting with Will or Ewing while I'm there, the founder of the Phone-free School Movement in the UK. So, very much excited about that, and then connecting with some Lambeth Palace folks and Church of England folks. So, yeah, it's going to be a good trip. Jon Eckert: That is great. Well, I'm glad your work is spreading and partnering. Again, at the center, we want to connect good people doing good work. And so, that's the reason why we work with you and so grateful for that. So, we move into our lightning round here, and so I almost always start with best and or worst advice you've ever given or received. So, you can take either one in whatever order you want. Christina Crook: So, best and worst for me is the same. Jon Eckert: Okay. Christina Crook: So, it was a mentor I had when I was in my 20s, and he said to me, "Just say yes. Just keep saying yes." And it was the right advice at the right time, and it was like a yes to God, just doors opening. "Yes, yes, yes." But eventually, it kind of did fall apart a little bit, because you can't actually say yes to everything, because I think there are seasons where it's just like, you just got to move and maybe it's when you're younger and those yeses all need to be strong and loud and clear, and to move through fear and towards the right things. But yeah, "just say yes" was a great piece of advice for a long time, and then I had to be much more discerning as I got older. Jon Eckert: So good. I do commencement talks. And when I do the talks, I almost always tell them to say no to good things, because if our hearts are rightly aligned with what the Lord wants us to do, then every yes is the right yes. My problem is my pride, my ego, other things get into the way of me people pleasing, and then I say yes to way too many things, and then I'm over committed. And they're all good things, but they diminish my joy and then the joy that I'm able to bring, because I become kind of a horrendous task oriented person who's only thinking about getting stuff done instead of the human beings that are the embodied souls that we work with every day. So, I think that's a great best and worst piece of advice, because I do think those yeses, when rightly aligned, are absolutely always say yes. It's just so many times I get out of alignment, so my yeses become a problem. So, best book that you've read or a project that you're working on that is book related. Christina Crook: Great. So, I do have a book. I'm rereading Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen. And I've been rereading it, because I am contributing a chapter to a forthcoming Nouwen collection that's coming out from Orbis Press next year. And can I read just one line that's related to what we just talked about? Jon Eckert: Absolutely. Yeah. Christina Crook: Okay. So, Henri's writing about a friend who had just visited him, and he says, "Friendship is such a holy gift, but we give it so little attention. It is so easy to let what needs to be done take priority over what needs to be lived. Friendship is more important than the work we do together." Jon Eckert: Yeah. Christina Crook: And that felt like just such an invitation, but there is also a conviction in that for me, because like you, Jon, I can be deeply task oriented. My ego definitely wants to perform and complete tasks, and I need the discipline of prioritizing friendship. Jon Eckert: Well, yes, thank you. Christina Crook: And joy. Jon Eckert: Henri Nouwen always, what a model of how to live a rich life with what matters. But I do love, again, I'll bring up Eric Ellison again, because he's how I got connected to you. Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: He just connects friends. And so- Christina Crook: Incredible. Jon Eckert: ... he lives for and with friends because of the life that he lives that's been really vital. And we've had some great dinners together, where it has nothing to do with work, it's just, how do we get to know the immortal being that's across the table from you? And I think that's easy to lose sight of when there's so much urgent work out there, but it's really the only immortal things we interact with are the human beings that we meet with. And so, keeping that in the right perspective is vital. So, no, I am grateful for that reminder. And this may feed into the last lightning round question. What's your greatest hope as you move forward in work and life? Christina Crook: Yeah. My greatest hope is that the young people in our world are empowered and freed to live life to the full. I think it's possible. I think our shared friend, Darren Spyksma, often reminds me that God has not forgotten where we are in the culture, and technology can feel so scary, but I think we can have reasons for great hope for the life that youth are choosing to embrace, the good choices that they're making. I see it in my own kids and I see it on campuses every day. Students choosing life, and life beyond the screen is what I really believe is where we see fullness of life. Jon Eckert: That's a powerful reminder. And just as an encouragement to you, I spent the last two Tuesday nights in our foster pavilion. It's a 7,000 seat basketball arena, and it has been packed with college students primarily worshiping. One was basically a revival meeting unite, is what has gone to 17 campuses and we've had, I think, over 12,000 kids have given their lives to Christ through it. And I think over 6,000 have been baptized. And then this last week, it was a Forrest Frank concert. And you see the phones go up. The phones go up and the first one is a signal. Everybody that was dealing with anxiety, depression, anything in the last week were asked to raise their phones. And I'm not joking, that night, of the 4,500 students that I think were in there, over 4,000 phones went up. That's a good use of a phone, to say, "Hey, I need help. I want something more." Christina Crook: Yeah. Jon Eckert: And I feel like that's what JOMO calls people to. And we have a hope that goes beyond just this, what world we experience daily, and I think that's where Darren's a helpful reminder. Like, "Hey, God's much bigger than all this." And so, that's the hope we all have. So, thank you so much, Christina, for the work you're doing and for being on today. Christina Crook: Thanks for having me, Jon.  

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

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Naomi Oliver, a former Principal of a school that served children rescued from human trafficking. Currently, Naomi applies her expertise as an Instructional Designer for The Global British School, an online Christian institution. Here, she crafts curricula that seamlessly blend British educational standards with faith-based values, ensuring a well-rounded and meaningful learning experience for students worldwide.  She reflects on the deep challenges educators face and the gritty optimism required to keep going. Through small, faithful acts of love and justice, Naomi reminds us that educators have the power to be a light in dark spaces, changing lives one student at a time. The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Connect with us: Center for School Leadership at Baylor University Jon Eckert LinkedIn Baylor MA in School Leadership   Jonathan Eckert: All right. So Naomi, if you could just jump in with an easy question here based on our initial interaction in the United States, can you just briefly give us your thoughts on Italian sausages? Naomi: Let's just say Italian sausages will always have a special place in my story. They were my first American meal, thanks to you. And I remember thinking, if this is how America welcomes people, I'm staying for dinner. Jonathan Eckert: Nice. I love that. Love that. So no, it was great. I know you got it late- Naomi: But more than that, sorry Jon, but more than that, they marked the start of an unforgettable experience and conversation that I'll always treasure. Jonathan Eckert: Yes. Well, we got to be with Eric Ellefson, which is always a good start. And I know you got in late that night and you hadn't eaten, and it was almost lunchtime. I was like, "Well, let's go find something." And you landed on Italian sausage, which made Eric, who's a Chicagoan, and me, who lived there for 22 years, very happy. So thank you for that. But I think what people that are listening are going to be most interested in is the work that you did while you were in India and then the work that you're doing now. So could you tell us a little bit about the school you led in India? Naomi: Absolutely. As I've already told you, Jon, I had the privilege of leading a school that serves some of the most vulnerable children in our society. Many have been trafficked or are the children of sex workers. It's more than just a school. It's a place of refuge and restoration. We provide education, we provide boarding, but it's just not limited to that. We provide mentorship, internships and make sure they have the right pathway into employment. The vision has always been to break the cycle of exploitation and give these children dignity, hope, and a real future. Well, I continue to serve as one of the directors, and I'm deeply invested in its ongoing mission. I have to say, attending your course on Just Teaching, which Eric led, made a profound impact on how I approached leadership. It helped me think more intentionally about justice in education and how to structure things with both compassion and integrity. So I'm really grateful for your book and the course that I could be a part of. Jonathan Eckert: Oh, well, I appreciate that. It feels like pales in comparison to the work you're doing. I think you had shared at the conference where we met that 80% of the kids that you were serving had either been trafficked or were children of mothers who were being trafficked themselves. And what I found so profound is the way that you stuck with them from education to internships, to trying to get them placed in jobs to get them out of this really vicious, vicious cycle. And I'm curious if you could tell us about a particular student who was maybe particularly memorable in the work that you've done. Naomi: Absolutely. I'd love to share. There's one girl I'll never forget. She came to us after being rescued from a brothel. She was only a child, but her eyes carried a weight no child should ever bear. I had mentioned this before when I was having a conversation with you that she had visible marks on her body, burns from cigarettes. She was initially violent and unresponsive. She couldn't speak our language, couldn't understand us. She did not trust anyone, and who could blame her? Honestly, I wouldn't have either if I had gone through what she had. And I just want to share my background as well. I've studied child psychology and counseling, but nothing prepared me for how helpless I felt in those early days. I remember questioning myself, wondering if we were even making a difference. I felt like a failure many a times, but God was patient with me even when I wasn't patient with myself. And slowly with time, counseling, and relentless love from our team, things began to shift. A few years later, that same girl got up on the stage during chapel and prayed in front of all the students. She spoke with such quiet confidence that it brought tears to my eyes. All I could do was just thank the Lord and think this is the same girl who came to us with no hope. What happened in her life wasn't because of me. It was God. It was grace. And grace carried her. Grace carried all of us. Jonathan Eckert: I can't even imagine being in that chapel session and hearing her pray. It gives you chills when you think about what the Lord does in the lives of students and we get to walk alongside and be part of that, and that's a blessing for us. So we know this, there are 250 million school-aged children who do not have access to schools around the world. And so that's a pretty bleak number. And you've dealt with some kids with some pretty long odds where things are very, very challenging. So where do you find hope in our work as educators? Naomi: Well, it's a staggering number and it can feel overwhelming if you let it, but I've come to believe that hope is never found in the size of the problem. It is found in the impact of each small faithful act. I find hope in the ripple effect of education. When you invest in one child, you're not just changing their life, you're changing their family, their community, and potentially in the scenario I mentioned, generations to come. I've seen it happen firsthand, a child who once believed they were worthless starts to dream and they begin to work toward that dream. Their siblings watch, their parents begin to believe again. That kind of impact may start small, but it is contagious. Jonathan Eckert: And I think that's a really helpful reframe. It has to be at the individual level and that's what makes the work you're doing so powerful is you break that cycle with the school you were serving in India where you have kids who are living on campus, who you have been able to get out of a really dangerous context for themselves and get them into a place where they can grow and be challenged and understand truth and grace and love, and then move that one individual kid ahead. Now, we are not going to be able to address all 250 million kids who don't have access to schools, but you were doing that for 250 kids in India and there are a lot of other amazing educators doing that around the world, we just need to expand those people that are impacting those individual lives. Because again, it makes life for us have more meaning. I always say educators, we never have to look around for the meaning in our work. We know with the work we get to do that that impact is real. It is overwhelming to think of 250 million kids not having access to schools, but there are kids that are within our sphere of influence that we can impact. And that's what I found so compelling about the work you were doing. And then I'd love to know more about the work you're doing now as you try to expand your impact and reach. Naomi: Absolutely. I'm currently working as an instructional designer for an online school, and my focus is on blending high academic standards with values-based learning. So that's students not only gain knowledge, but grow in character and purpose. This role is deeply personal for me as many children still living in brothels are struggling to break free. For them, online education is sometimes the only way they can access learning without leaving their current environment until they're able to. In addition to this, I'm also one of the directors of Changing Destiny, an initiative dedicated to empowering girls from red light districts by ensuring they have clear, meaningful career pathways after school so they never have to return to that life. Education both online and in person is central to that transformation, Jon. And we work hard to make sure every girl has access to the tools and support she needs to build a different future. I do this work voluntarily as an honorary role without receiving a single dollar from Changing Destiny because my heart is to empower these women and children. Just recently I had a long counseling session with the very first batch of students graduating from our school. Some of them want to become writers. Others dream of becoming doctors and professors. Seeing their dreams take shape despite the darkness they've come from, reminds me why this work matters. Their lives are changing and so is their future. Jonathan Eckert: Well, that's a beautiful example and your career arc is a beautiful representation of doing work really up close with individual students in really close proximity to really challenging circumstances. And then you're saying, well, we can't reach each kid that's there and so we need this virtual option that can give them a values-based strong education that will then launch them into something more as they become more of who they're created to be. And so I love the balance that you in your own career represent of this deeply personal work that you're now trying to scale up in ways that make education accessible beyond what you were able to do, even with the amazing school you had serving 250 kids, we might get closer to that 250 million that we need to hit. Naomi: Absolutely. Jonathan Eckert: That's great. So what do you see as the greatest challenge for educators currently? Obviously you've seen some challenging circumstances, but if you think broadly for educators, what do you see as the greatest challenge? Naomi: Well, one of the greatest challenges today is navigating the tension between academic expectations and the emotional, mental, and even spiritual needs of our students. The world is changing rapidly, especially in the aftermath of COVID. We've seen a surge in anxiety, trauma and a deep sense of disconnection in children and young people. Many are coming into the classroom carrying invisible burdens, things they may not have words for, but that affect everything from their attention spans to their self-worth. Well, as educators, we are being called to do so much more than just teach. We are expected to be mentors, to be counselors, social workers, motivators, and sometimes even surrogate parents. And most of us are doing it with very limited resources and support. It can be exhausting and emotionally draining, especially when we ourselves are navigating burnout or our own personal challenges. The hardest part is that the system often still prioritizes grades and outcomes over the child's holistic well-being. But the truth is no real learning happens when a child feels unsafe, unseen, or unheard. I think the challenge is learning to balance the pressure of performance with the calling to care. And that's something no training manual can fully prepare you for. It requires deep compassion, a lot of prayer, and a supportive community around you. If we don't acknowledge this challenge, we risk losing the heart of what education is meant to be. Jonathan Eckert: Well, I love that example because teaching is one of the most human things we do and it is absolutely contingent on relationship and that sense of belonging. And so it doesn't matter whether you're dealing with... In the US, we just completed a survey of some of the most elite private schools in the US compared to public school outcomes, compared to Christian school outcomes. And that sense of belonging is so integral to the adult outcomes. We were looking at people in ages 24 to 39, and actually right before we jumped on, I was working on a paper laying this out, and what you just said is so true, whether you're working with kids whose mothers are being trafficked or who have been trafficked, that sense of belonging is so acute and that goes across the whole human condition. So given the fact that most of the people listening have not had the experiences of educating in some of the places you have, I think it's really powerful to hear the connection that we all have to that same challenge. So with that said, what do you see as the greatest opportunity for educators? If that's the greatest challenge, this need to create a sense of belonging and connection holistically, then what do you see as the greatest opportunity? Naomi: Well, Jon, I believe we are standing at a pivotal moment in education. Technology has opened doors that were once firmly shut, making learning more accessible, creative, and collaborative than ever before. Children in remote villages now have the potential to learn alongside peers from different countries. Educators can share ideas, resources, and innovations across borders. That alone is revolutionary. But beyond the tools and platforms, I think the greater opportunity lies in re-imagining what education should be. For too long, schooling has been about memorization and performance. Now we have the chance to center education on what truly matters, which is love, justice, and transformation. We can build spaces where children feel seen and valued, where their identities are affirmed and their voices are heard. And when faith becomes a part of that conversation, when students begin to understand that they are not accidents, but intentionally created, loved and called, then the transformation goes even deeper. It no longer is just about passing exams. It's also about discovering purpose. We have an opportunity to equip a generation, not just with knowledge, but with wisdom, empathy and courage and that kind of education can really change the world. Jonathan Eckert: Yeah, well said. So this is our lightning round. So these are just short sentence long answers if you can. But first one, we'll go back to food. I'm a big fan of food. What was your favorite food you had when you were in the us? Naomi: Well, I'm still dreaming about those Italian sausages. I may or may not have Googled how to ship them internationally. Jonathan Eckert: Love it. It all goes back to the Italian sausage. Very good. We need to figure out how to get you some over there. I think Eric is, Eric's our director of networks and improvement at the center. So I feel like that's something he needs to figure out his network to help us improve our enjoyment of food. How do we get Italian in sausages to the UK? Naomi: Perfect. Jonathan Eckert: Next one. What's the worst advice you've ever received? Naomi: Stay in your lane. Thankfully I didn't. Jonathan Eckert: That was well said. And thank you for not staying in your lane. I mean, yeah, educators need to step into the work they're called to and that a lot of times it's not the lane everybody thought we were going to be in when we started. So what's the best advice you've ever received? Naomi: Love them first, then teach. It never failed me. Jonathan Eckert: That's so good. That's so good. And then what makes you most hopeful for educators? Naomi: The fact that so many still show up every day with love in their hearts and a belief that every child matters. Jonathan Eckert: Yes, that is so true, and that's the blessing of the job that I have. I get to meet educators like you that have seen really hard things and remain hopeful, and they are hopeful because of what they've seen the Lord do in the lives of students. And so that moves past, we talk about this all the time, it moves past naive optimism. That belief that you have when you first start educating, like, hey, we can change the world, and this can all be amazing. And then you get hit with the reality of it and you realize it's harder than maybe you thought it was. But over time, you develop a gritty optimism because you've seen kids get out of really difficult circumstances. You've seen kids become the writers, the professors, the doctors, the parents that they want to be. And so that's the joy of being an educator, especially if you get to stay in it for decades, and that's the beauty of the work. Well, Naomi, thank you for taking time to talk to us. Thank you especially for the work you do and the work that you allow the Lord to do through you. You have been a tremendous blessing to me and to the center and to the people that you are in network with through the initial interaction you had with us. But we know the Lord's going to continue to use you in powerful ways and we want to cheer you on and help any way we can, even if that's just sending you some Italian sausages. Naomi: Thank you, Jon. It really means a lot to have had this space to share. These stories are close to my heart and I'm grateful for the opportunity to shine a little light on the hope that's growing even in hard places. Thank you so much. Jonathan Eckert: Thank you, Naomi.  

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)

In this inspiring episode, Darrin sits down with Ronn Nozoe, lifelong educator and Chief Executive Officer of NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals). Together, they explore the current landscape of school leadership, the importance of supporting new leaders, and how educators can take ownership of their professional growth.Ronn shares reflections from his journey — from a classroom in Hawaii to national leadership — and discusses how listening, connection, and collaboration are reshaping the future of educational leadership. You'll also hear about the value of NASSP's Principal of the Year program and the upcoming United Conference in Seattle.Key Takeaways:Why school leaders today are true heroes and must be seen as professionalsThe impact of rapid turnover in leadership roles and how to navigate itHow NASSP fosters deep, authentic professional learningWhy listening is one of the most powerful leadership movesThe value of peer networks and nationwide connection through the United ConferenceAbout Ronn Nozoe:Ronn Nozoe is a lifelong educator and the Chief Executive Officer of NASSP. He has held leadership roles at ASCD, the U.S. Department of Education, and across Hawaii's Department of Education. A former principal and teacher, Ronn brings decades of wisdom and a deep commitment to transforming education through school leadership.Links Mentioned:Learn more about NASSP: nassp.orgExplore the United Conference: unitedconference.org

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

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

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.

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.