In this episode, we're shining a light on a pressing issue in the educational landscape: teacher burnout and attrition. With schools across the nation feeling the impact, we turn to expert Chase Mielke, author of Illuminate the Way: The School Leader’s Guide to Addressing and Preventing Teacher Burnout (ASCD, 2023), for insights and solutions. If you're a school leader, educator, or anyone passionate about creating a positive and sustainable teaching environment, this episode is a...

DEI feels like it’s becoming the (a) third rail in K-12 education. The quote in the title is from Verna Myers, VP of inclusion strategy at Netflix, and is included in Ruchika Tulshyan’s book Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work. In this episode, Jenn and I have a real and practical conversation with Ruchika about what you can do personally and as an organization to help everyone feel like they belong. As always, send your comments,...

Many of us as educators have assumed that the kids with strong grades and strong test scores were set up for success. Isn't that what we were supposed to work toward in schools? Dr. Borba has interviewed scores of students and has found that these 2 areas – grades and test scores  –  are not the markers of success today in the 21st century. Instead, as educators, leaders, and parents we should be focusing on 7 character strengths: self-confidence, empathy, self-control, integrity,...

Everyone has hidden potential for growth and achievement, but standard approaches to studying, practicing, coaching, and organizing education often leave this potential untapped. The practices of high-achieving individuals (and a high-achieving school system) reveal the surprising skills, scaffolds,and systems that unlock potential. Even better, anyone can learn them, and anyone can teach them, too. In this episode we have a great conversation about Adam Grant’s book Hidden Potential: The...

In this conversation between Dr. Andrea Terrero Gabbadon and Jenn, we talked about the reasons educators of color are leaving: working conditions and leadership behaviors. The good news is that school and district leaders can actually do something about this, and Dr. Gabbadon walks you through how. She shares 6 principles, backed by research, that will help you create the types of inclusive schools where educators of color will want to work and will thrive. Educators of color benefit all...

In this episode, I talk with Becky Gerdes and Ryan Siegle about their book Six Steps Toward Teacher Retention and a Long-Lasting Legacy. We focus mainly on their Six Steps to Maximize Your Leadership Impact and Improve Teacher Retention: Step One: Lead Authentically Step Two: Build Teacher Self-Efficacy Step Three: Foster Collective Efficacy Among Your Staff Step Four: Cultivate a Culture of Trust Step Five: Listen to Your Staff with Empathy Step Six: Unite Around a Shared...

In this episode, Jenn and I talk about Sharone Bar-David’s book Trust Your Canary: Every Leader's Guide to Taming Workplace Incivility. Bar-David provides some simple strategies for helping leaders see incivility (even when it’s hard to recognize) plus a whole toolkit of easy-to-implement ways to address it (so you can stop doubting yourself when it’s time to intervene). These skills are critically important for school leaders because two of the drivers of incivility are organizational...

Sometimes in education it helps to hear from our end users. In this episode I interview fellow Coke Scholar Raleigh Dewan (‘19). Raleigh is a 23-year-old entrepreneur and business owner (https://steadispoon.com/ and https://sistershaq.com/) from Austin, Texas. Raleigh and I talk about his experiences in K-12 and higher ed. and the advice that he has for aspiring and practicing school leaders. Raleigh has offered a discount at Sister Shaq tea for listeners of the show. Use promo code...

More than anything, organizations should strive for organizational health. In this episode, Jenn David-Lang and I talk about Patrick Lencioni’s 2012 book  The Advantage Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business. This book clearly and powerfully explains what your organization needs to do to become healthy: 1) Build a cohesive leadership team, 2) Create clarity, 3) Overcommunicate clarity, and 4) Reinforce clarity. Check out this great two minute video of Lencioni...

In the field of education, we have no choice, AI is here to stay. So, listen to this whimsical conversation with Technology Coach, Jason Strzalkowski, whose enthusiasm for all-things-AI-in-schools is infectious! Yes, we share ideas to spice up teaching to make learning more engaging, accessible, and equitable. But we know our listeners are busy educational leaders so you will be excited to hear ways to save principals and district leaders TIME with some AI efficiency hacks specifically for...

In this episode, Jenn and I interview Peter Liljedahl, the author of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. As former math teachers, Jenn and I had a great time talking with Peter about concrete and actionable ways teachers can improve math instruction. The practices are simple, high impact, and are easy and cheap to implement. Given what we know now, not implementing these 14 practices borders on educational malpractice. As always, send...

The research is clear: to provide equitable learning opportunities for all, schools must actively include students with disabilities alongside their peers in general education settings.School leaders don’t need a degree in special education to lead their school toward more equitable and inclusive education for all, but they do need to watch, listen, ask questions, and learn all they can about the law and research-backed practices. In this episode, Jenn and I interview Belinda Karge, the...

Are you the type of leader who gets up at 4:00 AM to exercise before work? Then this episode is for you. Are you the type of leader who NEVER gets up at 4:00 AM to exercise before work? Then this episode is for you, too. Kelly and Juliet Starrett are highly regarded exercise and health gurus (they mention working with Barack Obama in the podcast!) and they believe that MOVEMENT throughout the day has a much more profound impact on the body (and mind!) than just doing an hour at the gym each...

In this episode, Jenn interviews Mike about what new principals need to think about as they begin the new school year. Here is Mike's top ten list: Listen and Learn Communicate Effectively Lead by Example Stay Visible Manage Your Time Empower Your Teams Build Relationships Set Clear Goals Embrace Conflict Prioritize Self-Care If you would like us to go deeper on any of these individual topics, let us know. As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to...

In this episode, Jenn has a lively conversation with Ann Mausbach and Kimberly Morrison about their book Differentiated Supervision: Growing Teachers and Getting Results and how much of an impact you can have as a school leader by EXPANDING your supervisory practices beyond the typical individual observation and feedback we all do.   Instead, they suggest we include other practices such as observing teacher teams and giving feedback to the whole school. And observing for themes throughout...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I interview Berit Gordon about her book The Joyful Teacher: Strategies for Becoming the Teacher Every Student Deserves. This was a fantastic conversation about teaching and learning and what leaders can do to support teachers. Learn more about Berit and her work at her website. As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected].  Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment.  And...

In this fourth special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I talk about resources to help school leaders with teacher supervision and evaluation. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries three must-read books: Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership by Justin Baeder Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: How to Work Smart, Build Collaboration, and Close the Achievement Gap by Kim Marshall Leverage Leadership 2.0: A...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, interviews Adam Drummond about his book The Instructional Change Agent: Instructional Change Agent: 48 Ways to Be the Leader Your School Needs. Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and you can subscribe to The Main Idea at this link: https://www.themainidea.net/subscribe/ As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected].  Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment.  And...

In this third special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about resources to help school leaders be more organized, productive, and effective. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries four must-read books: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear Getting Things Done, by David Allen The Together Leader: Get...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I interview Jim Knight about his book Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other to Be More Credible, Caring, and Connected. While our conversation was mainly about conversations, we did head off on some great tangents. Learn more about the Jim and his work at his website. Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at [email protected]. As always, send your comments,...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Jane A. G. Kise and Ann Holm about their book Educator Bandwidth: How to Reclaim Your Energy, Passion, and Time. This was a compelling conversation with implications for professionals across our systems. To learn more about the authors and their work, please visit their page at ASCD.org.  Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at [email protected]. As always, send...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Michael Hass and Amy Ardell about their book Supporting Student Mental Health: Essentials for Teachers. Specifically, we talked about the authors’ 4R framework of helpful skills to develop: relate, recognize, respond, and refer. Michael mentioned the suicide prevention resources at The Lighthouse Project aat Columbia University. Here is the link to the website: https://cssrs.columbia.edu/.  Jenn has done a Main Idea summary...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Bill Sommers about his book Responding to Resistance: Thirty Strategies to Manage Conflict in Your School (An educational leadership guide to conflict management in the school community). Bill is a seasoned leader with a ton of experience and the sense of humor to match. This conversation could easily have lasted hours. His no-nonsense, straightforward approach to conflict is something we can all learn from. To learn more...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss Dan Pink’s book The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. Dan Pink is one of my favorite authors, and I never miss an opportunity to talk about his work. This was a fantastic conversation on a topic that is so important to  everyone’s mental health and well-being.  Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at [email protected].  As always, send your...