Ever encountered someone who just exudes joy, who brightens your day when you’re in his or her presence? What if we were able to be that kind of person for those around us? In this episode, Brent shares a recent experience and how it can remind us that every one of us, regardless of position, has the opportunity to share contagious joy.

In this episode, Brent shares a personal story to remind us that not only is it important to take care of ourselves so we can better serve others, but that self care can look different for each of us. As silly as it sounds, it might even take the form of a fast food restaurant. 

This episode will put a smile on your face as six amazing educators share heartwarming stories that remind us not to focus on the challenges of the job, but rather on the best parts of being a teacher. 

At some point in your life, you may have received the following advice – “Never look back!” While we definitely don’t want to live in the past, in this episode, Brent uses a personal story to make the case that looking back isn’t just okay, it’s necessary to remember and appreciate how far we’ve come.

Tisha is an innovative district Student Engagement & Professional Development Specialist, international speaker, Canva Learning Consultant, and Canva Education Creator from Southern Oregon. Previously, she served as a district Tech Integration Specialist and taught Family & Consumer Science for 25 years. Tisha is also a podcast host and author of Make Learning Magical. In this episode, Tisha and Brent talk about the importance of looking for the joy in what we do, as that joy can be...

Being a classroom or school leader is a serious job. A very serious job. Please don’t let the title of this episode lead you to believe otherwise. But in this broadcast, Brent reminds listeners that we should never let the mundane-yet-important tasks keep us from having fun and spending time with students.

Allyson has been an educator for 24 years, an award-winning school leader for 19 of those years. She is passionate about students and staff and leads others through their strengths. Allyson is also the author of multiple books, most recently publishing Leading the Whole Teacher with Dave Burgess Consulting. In this episode, Allyson discusses the importance of knowing more than just content and the need to make those we serve feel safe, seen, and valued.

Ashley has been in the field of education for 17 years. She began her career teaching middle school in Florida and then Long Beach, California, and she is currently an Instructional Technology Specialist in Southern California. She is also the host of the Blending In Podcast where she helps other teachers leverage the power of technology in the classroom. In this episode, Ashley and Brent share stories of how purposefully integrating technology can increase student engagement and transform...

Kevin has been an award-winning teacher in Southern California for over 20 years, currently teaching classes in history and economics at the high school level. Having a strong desire to share with other educators, Kevin shares a multitude of lessons and digital resources on his website at mrroughton.com. Another of his passions is Disney, and in 2021 he published Teach With Magic, a book that teaches educators how to use the leadership techniques of Disney Imagineers to create incredible...

Yes, you read the title correctly. This episode references the popular toilet spray that helps eliminate odors in the bathroom. “And, just how does this relate to education?” you ask. Well, in this episode, Brent shares a powerful reminder that while parts of the job may stink, our job as leaders is to do everything we can to make it stink less. Intrigued? Give it a listen!

Lisa is a 5th grade teacher in Southern California who is passionate about providing her students with engaging, outside-of-the-box learning experiences. She loves sharing resources at conferences, on social media, and through her website, and in this episode, Lisa shares how she draws on her own experience with game shows to make her classroom a “winning” environment for students.

Bill is the Director of Technology at Hillbrook School in Northern California. Passionate about helping educators harness the ever-changing face of technology to better individualize teaching and learning, he shares resources at billselak.com and through his Bill Selak Talks podcast. In this episode, Bill shares the incredibly important reminder that it’s not just okay for us to take a break to engage in a creative outlet, it’s essential. It’s not a waste of time. It’s an investment of time.

Erika is a veteran educator, serving in the field for 24 years. She spent 16 years as an elementary and middle school teacher, became a math specialist and instructional coordinator, and is now a second-year elementary principal in St. Louis, Missouri. Erika has a passion for supporting teachers so they can better support their teachers. Becoming an administrator is frequently referred to as “going to the Dark Side,” and in this episode, Erika and Brent discuss how it doesn’t have to be this...

In this episode, Brent uses a personal story and a scene from the classic movie City Slickers to transparently share the importance of avoiding the trap of comparing ourselves to others.

Carly has 15 years of experience in Multilingual Education, including her service as an EL teacher, a third-grade bilingual classroom teacher, and a district-wide Multilingual Instructional Coach. She is currently a multilingual education specialist at the Illinois Resource Center and the author of Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners. When talking about students and their progress, the words we use matter. A lot. In this episode, Carly and Brent chat about the importance of reflecting on...

Todd is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA). He was previously a Principal/Lead Learner at a PreK-5 school in Texas. He is also an award-winning author for his books Kids Deserve It!, Stories From Webb, Sparks in the Dark, and When Kids Lead. In this episode, Todd and Brent discuss how to tackle and overcome something plaguing all too many people – Imposter Syndrome.

In the previous episode, Brent’s recently retired father began sharing leadership lessons he’s learned throughout his career. In this episode, he’s back to share four more valuable pieces of advice, things he wishes he knew when he started his career, knowledge that can help listeners better serve those in their care.

To celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast, Brent chats with a distinguished guest – his father (be sure to check out father and son in Episode 6 as well). Don has recently retired from a long and successful career in a variety of leadership positions. In this episode, the first of a two-part conversation, he shares valuable pieces of advice, eight things he wishes he knew when he started his career, knowledge that can help listeners better serve those in their care.

Mike is an elementary school principal in Illinois and the author of The EduCulture Cookbook: Recipes & Dishes to Positively Transform School & Classroom Culture. Solomon is a middle school teacher and author of three novels for young readers: A Ghost in the Attic, Feasters: An Apocalyptic Tale, and Feasters: The Circle. Brent is the author of Stories of EduInfluence: 10 Life-Changing Powers to Unleash in Your School and the upcoming children’s book The Gift. In this episode, Mike,...

Vernon is an entrepreneur, speaker, life coach, consultant, and leader. He has over 17 years of experience in education working in large, urban school districts and has previously served in the roles of teacher, teacher leader, campus leadership team member, and district-level support. Get ready to be inspired as Vernon passionately reminds us that to maximize our influence, we must remember we're in the people business.

Rosalba has been an educator in Southern California for nearly 20 years. She started her career as an instructional assistant, taught for 14 years, and then moved into administration where she is currently in her first year as the principal of Castle View Elementary in Riverside, California. Rosalba is passionate about supporting those around her, and in this episode she and Brent discuss how there’s never been a more important time to actively encourage and support those we serve.

In this episode, Brent shares some of his reflections on the 2020-2021 school year, focusing not only on the challenges, but on the skills, knowledge, and experiences we gained because of them. As we prepare to welcome students back in August, Brent reminds us that we are better than we were 15 months ago. So let’s not just settle for things getting back to normal. Let’s get back to better!

Back as a guest on the podcast for the fourth time, John is a passionate educator doing amazing things as the Executive Director of Westlake Charter School in Sacramento, California. He is also the host of the incredible Learn With John Eick Podcast, one you definitely want to check out. In this episode, John and Brent take inspiration from Star Trek’s Captain Kirk and discuss how we can rewrite the unwritten rules of education to make students and adults more successful. Bottom line -- just...

Toby is a former elementary school teacher and currently an assistant principal at Gary Road Elementary School in Mississippi. He is a passionate educator who actively shares encouragement, resources, and expertise through Twitter and his blog. His wife, Leah, has been an educator and is currently working at home taking care of their three children. In this must-listen episode, Toby and Leah share an educator’s and parent’s perspective on the importance of how we report on student progress....