What is one of the highest leverage strategies we can use to improve engagement and performance for both staff and students? Showing people they MATTER. Dr. Zach Mercurio has uncovered the power behind this concept, and shares actionable strategies for how to create mattering that simultaneously accelerate connection and achievement.

Some pearls from Zach during the episode:

"We've told students or employees that they should be valued once they add value. That's how our society has been structured. Our worth is dependent on what we produce. Sadly, the opposite is true. People need to feel valued in order to add value."

"Mattering is different than belonging and inclusion. Belonging is being picked for a team. Inclusion is being asked to play in the game. Mattering is feeling that the team wouldn't be complete without you."

"When people feel replaceable, they act replaceable. When people feel irreplaceable, they show up and they commit. When people feel like they matter, they act like they matter."

"Before you evaluate someone, understand them. We have to go from 'what's wrong with you', to 'what is it like to be you'?"

"Your job is not to get the test score. Your job is not compliance to a state assessment level. Your job is to create an environment that makes sure people feel worthy and capable and supported enough so they can accomplish those things."

We know people's brains are wired to resist change. So what do we do next? Whether you are responsible for leading change in your job, or you are receiving changes from above, what are healthy ways to navigate these uncomfortable experiences? In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Britt Andreatta, author of the book Wired to Resist, she uncovers several actionable strategies that allow us to have a healthier experience through change. From identifying a "Air Traffic Control" monitor for the numerous impacts of change, to distinguishing the difference between normal resistance and toxic negativity, Britt gets into it all. Listen for concrete strategies to ways to use the science of change to have a more balanced experience through these inevitable phases in work and life.

Do changes at work or home instill an instant sense of panic? Turns out there is a scientific (and evolutionary) explanation for this. Dr. Britt Andreatta, author of Wired to Resist, explains how and why our brains are actually wired to resist change. In Part 1 of our conversation with her, we dive into why change is perceived as threatening and how leaders can strategically approach this human response with more realism and empathy. You won't want to miss this!

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What actually makes learning stick? Hear the story of motivated leader Fred Backhaus, who guided his elementary school teachers to design lessons with impact using one or more of the gears from our Six Gears (R) Framework - trust, agency, passion, memorable, meaningful, or motivational. The experience was transformational. Learn key leadership and instructional strategies that facilitate lasting learning for students and teachers alike.

We are all feeling the effects of having too much to do and not enough time to do it. Are there ways to do less that we might be missing? Dr. Leidy Klotz, author of Subtract, explains why our brains default to adding when faced with problems and how the less obvious options to subtract can save us time and energy. He also gives us a preview of his next book soon to be released called In a Good Place, exploring how space shapes our ability to think, learn, and thrive, featuring PLP and Pennsbury School District's partnership project called Portrait of a Classroom.

Deciding how and when to use technology in K-12 classrooms is a daunting challenge. It's hard to know how to balance the benefits and tradeoffs in a sustainable and manageable way. Dr. Jason Kotch, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning at Avon Grove School District in West Grove, PA, shares with us how he and his team have designed a district-wide technology plan based upon current brain science and input from stakeholders across their community. Learn key strategies for how to scaffold purposeful use of technology, in classrooms as well as at home.

How do we change cultures of burnout and disconnection to purposeful and collaborative? How do we feel confident about our value through inevitable ups and downs? LaVonna Roth, Founder of Ignite Your S.H.I.N.E. has important knowledge, experience, and strategies that shine (wink ;) ) a light on this important and necessary topic. Her S.H.I.N.E. Framework has guided numerous teams through self-discovery and culture-building that allows them to communicate and collaborate more effectively, at a time where this is essential. Enjoy the episode!

What do students think about effective their teachers' strategies are for their own learning? Meet PLP Intern Isha Patel! Isha is an 11th grade student who has been doing a passion project with PLP to uncover the science behind memorable teaching strategies. In this episode she shares her top 3 strategies to STOP, in efforts to help teachers cut out some practices that are no longer supported by research and also resonate with her personal experience as a student. Hear her fascinating thoughts that can help us all become stronger educators who put students' needs at the center of our focus.

Jump in to part 2 of our conversation with Dr. David Yeager, author of the powerful book 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People! How do we meet students' needs for respect and status in the classroom? What does he think about the role of cell phones in schools? Go deeper into the science of motivation to understand how to make a long-lasting difference for young people in schools and at home.

Motivating young people feels like a struggle! But does it have to be? Dr. David Yeager is the author of the powerful book 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People. He shares groundbreaking research which shows we may be misunderstanding young people in fundamental ways, which is contributing to their perceived lack of motivation. If we re-examine our beliefs about young people, and meet their underlying needs of respect, status, and feeling valued, motivation may come quicker than we think. He also provides a helpful reset on what growth mindset is and is NOT, so the objective is centered on meaningful growth.