Changemaker ED“U”

David starts this solo episode by inviting you to pause and take a breath with him and be in gratitude for your own growth journey. 

This episode focuses on trust within yourself. We have been taught to not trust ourselves, and trust things on the outside. We are not taught to trust that deep knowing within ourselves. We are constantly searching for external validation from our boss or coach, or partner, or others. 

We need to learn how to trust ourselves and our own feelings, senses, and intuition. That way, when someone shares your gifts and your strengths with you, it feels right because you are already fully aware of who you are. You don’t actually need their validation because you love yourself. 

Do you follow through on the feelings or intuition you have in certain areas of your life? Many of us don’t. Following through on the whispers of your heart will change your life. Be your own coach. See the greatness within you that David sees in you when he coaches you. And, act on it. This combination is powerfully effective. 

At times, we talk ourselves out of these intuitive feelings because we use the analytical mind. Try to trust the feeling and act on it, wherever it may lead you. Try not to let your logical mind override your knowing and trust the inner knowing of your soul. It is hard to trust ourselves, but you can do it with practice, just like any skill. 

When you start to practice this trust regularly and act on it, your life opens up and it is simply amazing! This practice will begin to let the part of you that wants to share the truth with you open up and you gain courage, confidence and clarity. Trust the feeling in your heart and the whispers in your soul. You deserve it. 

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend.

David has a great conversation with Dr. Tyler Hester who is currently the founder of Educators Thriving and also a vice principal in Richmond, CA. Previously, Tyler worked for the U.S. Department of Education, the Obama presidential campaign, was a classroom teacher, and a leader at Teach for America. Tyler has an undergraduate degree from Stanford, a Masters from Cambridge, and a Doctorate from Harvard. 

They discuss Tyler’s educational journey and how he launched Educators Thriving and his belief and commitment to creating education change. Many of us can relate to his story of wanting to create lasting and transformative change and all the challenges that come along with this commitment as an education changemaker. His commitment to changemaking led him to work on the problem of educator burnout. 

He shares how he learned that there are predictable personal challenges that we face as educators, yet we don’t have systems and a culture that systematically works toward solving this. As such, Tyler created Educators Thriving. It started with a book he was working on that is provisionally titled Don’t Be Miserable in October. It was through his research project at Harvard that he was inspired to work towards creating change around this core issue. 

Educators Thriving works to supplant professional development with personal development. He quickly started to see that there is a hunger for personal development and well being in education. He believes that by applying the sound research around well being, we can create lasting change. After realizing that so many educators had teachers that were burning out, he committed to bringing this program to as many educators as possible. He has an inspiring story and an amazing vision that he shares during this episode. 

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To learn more about Tyler (and his doctoral capstone) as he mentioned or Educators Thriving check out this website: https://www.educatorsthriving.org/ 

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend. 

David starts this solo episode by inviting you to pause and take a breath with him and envision your happy place to bring calm and peace to your day. This helps you calm your mind, body, and spirit. 

This episode focuses on self awareness from an emotional intelligence and mindfulness perspective. From a mindfulness lens, connect with that part of you that is limitless and boundless and live your life from there. Catch that feeling of expansiveness. 

When you can live in this place on a daily basis, you can begin to gain clarity about your life. Create the stillness within through whatever practices work best for you. As you master mindfulness, you begin to improve your overall emotional intelligence (EQ) skills, especially self awareness. 

David shares how mastering EQ is a key to excellent leadership from his experience as a leader. Get to know yourself incredibly well, get clear on your psychological self, and what makes you tick, AND also get to know the part of you that is bigger than yourself. When you can master both of these, you find the winning combination of the practicalities of EQ and the timeless and boundless connection to the flow of life and something much bigger than you. 

David closes by sharing about self awareness as a key to self leadership. The best leaders inspire. And it is important that you can inspire and lead yourself before you can lead others successfully. Mastering self awareness allows you to become a great leader because you lead yourself effectively. This translates to all other areas of your life. 

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend.

Lindsay Kobolt currently serves as the Director of Counseling and Community Well-Being at Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City Missouri. Lindsay is passionate about advocating for well-being initiatives in school systems. When the challenges of parenting, being an educator and striving for excellence became overwhelming, Lindsay found her way to mindfulness.

David and Lindsay have a great conversation about doing your own work on yourself to be a better educator. Lindsay shares her first hand experience of getting counseling for herself to be a better counselor. She took this concept and applied it to all aspects of her life. She began to heal within herself and find mindfulness as a tool to show up more whole for her school community. 

In this episode you will learn: 

• How you show up for yourself directly influences how you serve your community 
• How to deconstruct the belief that taking care of yourself is selfish and bad
• The benefits of simple mindfulness practices in all aspects of your life
• Ways to release the burden and pressure on yourself to be perfect and always available for others
• How mindfulness practices take time and the need to stay consistent and patient
• Ways to let go of the “shoulds”
• Simple ways to embody self compassion practices 
• Tips for dealing with your inner critic 
• How to meet each day with love and curiosity 

You can find Lindsay on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-kobolt-310a6a238/

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend.

David starts this solo episode with an invitation to practice letting go of your worries, and being in the now moment for a few minutes. Then he shares the key message for today’s episode. Pay attention to what lights you up! Observe what makes you happy and try to get out of your head and into your heart. Get clear on what wants to come through you as an education changemaker. Listen to the whispers of your soul. Ask yourself what would you love to do if money weren’t an object? Try not to let the stories of the mind talk you out of taking small steps toward your dream. What do you talk about that gets you really excited? Pay attention to that and spend more time with it. Connect with your soul’s essence and see what happens! When you stay connected to your soul’s essence, the universe will play with you and things get super fun. Use this simple activity of observing what lights you up to get some clues about your changemaking purpose. As you spend time with what lights you up, you begin to multiply that part of you. Your energy becomes contagious and others feel uplifted by you. 

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend.

David has a great conversation with Craig C Martin who is an award-winning gay Black Male Educator with over 20+ years of service and leadership centered on building culturally rich and inclusive scholar-centered learning ecosystems.  Craig serves as an Executive Director & Superintendent of Bridge Boston Charter School where he has implemented a competitive teacher compensation model; adopted SEL & restorative practices to champion student voice and reduce punitive disciplinary measures; as well as led diversity, equity, and inclusion work in his K-8 school community.

They discuss what it means to be a transformational educational leader and what are the mindsets, habits, practices, and discipline needed to be the best version of yourself as an educator. Craig shares about the importance of authenticity, how he aspires to be in the world in a non-judgmental way, and how he uses the Braving framework from Brene Brown. Craig also shares how he prioritizes himself with the intention to be a loving space for all of the people he leads and encounters throughout his day and life. 

In this episode you will learn:

• How he uses Brene Brown’s Braving inventory 
• How to create a spirit of resonance with others by doing your inner work 
• Setting boundaries for yourself and others 
• Strategies to deal with difficult conversations and people that cause a trigger within you
• The practices he uses to be loving, kind, and peaceful 
• The MARCH acronym he uses to navigate through a myriad of situations as a leader
• How he holds space for negativity within himself and others while also being hopeful for the future

You can learn more about Craig on his website: https://craigcmartinleads.com/

Where to find him on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Craigcmartin12  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craig.martin.984  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craig_da_mack/ 

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend. 

In this solo episode, David starts with a short guided practice to help you get calm and connected. He then shares his feeling of how we are experiencing a tectonic shift in our world. The pandemic was a watershed moment in our history. How will you respond? Do you want to choose to co-create this new reality as we experience this great time of change or do you want to go back to the same old ways from the past?  

As an education changemaker, ask yourself these questions: what wants to come through you as an emanation of your highest light? What is blocking you from letting this come through? As you continue to do this inner work, you begin to see your true north want to emerge through you. Be open to what this is. You already know this deep down. David invites you to open up, let life flow through you, and listen deeply to get clear on what it is. 

David shares his story about taking his vision of starting his own school to making it a reality. And, how he continued to follow his heart regardless of how the scared part of him wanted to talk him out of it. 

As you begin to continue your inner work and stay open to the infinite possibilities, take small action steps toward your highest calling. Live in your heart and follow your own truth, and create something one moment at a time.  Connect with your inner flame and your fire and go for it! 

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend.

Linda Ryden shares her experience teaching mindfulness since 2003 and how this led her to launch her non-profit organization, Peace of Mind. Linda’s work helps children apply mindfulness and neuroscience to notice and manage their emotions, build positive relationships, and skillfully handle real-life challenges like conflict resolution, bullying, implicit bias and racial, gender and other sorts of discrimination. Linda believes in the transformative power of mindfulness to help children become happier, more successful human beings who care about themselves, about each other, and about making the world a more fair and just home for us all. In this conversation, we discuss how her time teaching mindfulness has allowed her to fully embody the practices in her daily life. 

In this episode you will learn:

• The brain science around the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex, and how this knowledge can help you understand how to manage your emotions
• How to use metacognition to recognize your state of being, emotions, and how to use these skills in your daily life to become a better educator and/or leader
• The importance of integrating brain science with mindfulness practices
• How love is a radical act that can change the world and how to use simple compassion practices to move in this direction
• How she teaches 700 kids a day and uses mindfulness practices throughout her day to remain calm and effective and greatly improves her practice as an educator
• The basics of meditation and how there is no right or wrong way to practice

Linda also shares great resources for you to review further:

https://drdansiegel.com/

https://jeffwarren.org/

https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Teachers-Productivity-Classroom-Neuroscience/dp/0393708071 a book by Tish Jennings

How to find Linda

https://teachpeaceofmind.org/

https://www.facebook.com/peaceofminddc, https://www.instagram.com/TeachPeaceofMind/, https://twitter.com/peaceofmindorg

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend.

In this episode, David speaks from his heart, and shares the need to heal ourselves after this tumultuous 3 year period of insanity. He discusses how he lives in his “why” each and every day. 

David implores you to feel your pain and commit to being the best version of you for your community. He reminds you that you have all of the power and reviews the simple process that each of his guests use to take care of themselves, live with less stress, and make their “why” the north star that keeps them focused and free. 

This is a powerful episode where David shares the importance of living in your “why” while also acknowledging the deep pain we have experienced over the last few years. 

Pain is the portal to powerful growth and evolution. Keep the “why” as the vision for your daily life and commit to healing in order to build the habits needed to love your work every day. 

This episode will make you feel inspired and reenergized as you finish up the busy school year. 

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend. 

It was such a pleasure to speak with Lindsey Frank, M.Ed., who is the President of the Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully (COSEM). She has been an educator for over 12 years working with students from early learning-8th grade, and has been a districtwide Climate & SEL Coach. She has dedicated her work to integrating wellness within education through mindfulness and social-emotional learning. Her master’s is in Educational Leadership, she is a Mindfulness-Based SEL children’s book author, a special educator, and developed her education well-being company (The Butterfly Within, LLC) to support schools on their resilience journeys. Lindsey is committed to being a changemaker within education. 

We have a wide ranging conversation from the state of education from a wellness perspective, the courage to change yourself even if just one turtle step at a time, and how we want to move forward individually and collectively to heal ourselves and our communities after an incredibly rough few years. 

In this episode you will learn:

• About the soda can analogy and how you can only take so much before you explode
• How to navigate your daily life with simple mindfulness practices by finding small moments throughout your day as an educator to practice
• What mindfulness superpowers you already have and how to use them
• About Lindsey’s personal transformation of using health issues to take back her life by using mindfulness practices to mitigate her anxiety and panic attacks
• Her simple H.E.A.R.T. practice to use throughout your busy day
• How to overcome resistance or fear around practicing wellness and mindfulness
• How to use mindfulness to live your life in flow with the natural order of life
• And so much more! 

Lindsey also shares great resources for you to review further:

• Website: www.TheButterflyWithin.Me 
• You can find out more about her children’s books on her website and you can order books on Amazon. 
• For podcast listeners, you can access a free download of her Teacher’s Guide to The Superpower of Your HEART (visit her website, add the guide to your cart, and put in the code: MINDFULPODCAST)
• Consider joining a community of mindful educators and leaders for continued growth, become a COSEM member and explore our MBSEL Micro-credential: Visit www.EducatingMindfully.org 

Where to find her on social media:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindsey-frank-m-ed-6452a6157  

Instagram: @LindseyFrank88

​​https://www.instagram.com/lindseyfrank88 

Twitter: @LindseyFrank88 

https://twitter.com/LindseyFrank88 

Facebook: @TheButterflyWithin 

https://www.facebook.com/TheButterflyWithin 

David’s mission is to reach as many education changemakers as possible to help them be the changemaker they have always desired to be. If you feel moved by his mission, please go and rate and review the podcast or share with a friend.