In our first episode of Season 2, John Hattie joins Peter DeWitt to talk about the benefits of de-implementation, or deciding what NOT to do in the 2021-2022 school year. After COVID-19 forced many school districts to simplify, the temptation is to pick up again with lots of new programs to combat "learning loss" and other initiatives. John argues that leaders and teachers must take a different approach - one focused on understanding each child's learning individually, looking at the evidence, and making adjustments from there.

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COVID-19 was the disruption none of us wanted or expected - but it happened. Now school leaders have a choice: Will you contribute to the negative narratives surrounding it, or rebound better than before? In this informative and practical episode, Peter talks with Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey about shifting the narrative from "learning loss" to "learning leaps." There are several ways to accelerate learning as we rebound: 

• teacher clarity 
• collective student efficacy 
• reciprocal teaching 
• paying attention to feedback from kids 
• and so much more

It's time to celebrate all that we've learned and how far we've come as a community.

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Grading in the U.S. is typically a hodge podge amalgamation of many measurements: homework, quizzes, tests, projects, participation, and many other factors. Grading often becomes a game for many students, and some students simply refuse to play. But author Tom Guskey is hoping we can change our grading practices so that we (and students) no longer see grading as an end in itself, but instead as just a reflection of a moment in time. In this episode filled with personal stories and examples, Peter and Tom will discuss:

• the downfalls of percentage grading
• how grading is sometimes used as a punishment
• Tom's recommendations for better grading practices

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Memorization is not enough; applying what you know to new and novel situations is a necessary skill for all students today. This skill is called learning transfer, and it's the topic of today's episode with author Julie Stern. Julie talks about the importance of how teaching conceptual understanding can be a powerful way to engage students not only in learning, but in processing their own experiences. Listen in to hear: 

• practical examples of how to teach learning transfer
• how to transition from teaching to standards to teaching concepts
• how teaching concepts helps you teach standards more easily and efficiently

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Collective efficacy has become a buzzword in recent years - with accompanying misunderstandings, misapplications, and criticisms. In this de-mystifying and debunking episode, Peter DeWitt talks with collective efficacy experts Megan Tschannen-Moran (author of Evocative Coaching) and Jenni Donohoo (author of Leading Collective Efficacy). The authors clarify that collective efficacy  is about our collective beliefs in our own power to positively influence student learning. If a teacher (or leader) team has collective efficacy, then setbacks, challenges, and failures don't derail them. COVID-19 has actually provided a lot of opportunities for leaders and teachers to build collective efficacy throughout the school community. In this episode, you'll learn:

• The benefits and criticisms of collective efficacy
• The relationship between self-efficacy and collective efficacy
• The building blocks of collective efficacy

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John & Jessica Hannigan, authors of SEL From a Distance, speak from their own experience about how important social-emotional learning (SEL) is for students, teachers, and school leaders. SEL is not something that comes to any of us naturally; the skills to take care of ourselves must be taught explicitly. The authors share how to do that from a distance (i.e. online in virtual teaching), as well as in person. Full of personal stories, you will learn in this episode: 

• how to teach kids SEL explicitly
• the importance of taking care of ourselves as educators
• how to build clarity and a common understanding of SEL

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After publishing a 2011 paper on the four wrong drivers of school system reform, Michael Fullan sits down with Peter DeWitt to talk about the new right drivers that bring whole system success: wellbeing, social intelligence, equality investments, and systemness. School and system leaders can use these four drivers to focus on the right priorities as schools recover from COVID-19 and seek to accelerate learning again. Listen to hear:

• How we are democratizing leadership post-COVID
• Why having a mindset of systemness can help you "exploit upward, liberate downward, and lateralize everywhere"
• How "big spirit" can help leaders rise above hopelessness and lean into learned hopefulness.

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After distance learning in 2020, schools have an opportunity to engage multilingual learners and their families in a whole new way - or maybe even for the first time. In this episode, Peter DeWitt talks with Debbie Zacarian, Margarita Calderon, and Margo Gottlieb, the authors of Beyond Crises, about how school leaders can reach this population of students and families. The authors share practical starting points and real stories from schools doing amazing work. 

You'll hear: 

• why starting with a strengths-based approach, rather than a deficit lens, is so crucial; 
• how district leaders can make supporting multilingual learners a priority; 
• how to give multilingual students agency.

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We live in an age of hyperchange - with disruptions piling on top of each other. In our first episode of Leaders Coaching Leaders, award-winning principal Dwight Carter shares how school leaders can maintain positivity in the midst of accelerating changes - and even learn to embrace them. Not all disruptions are negative - some are actually necessary for growth. In his new book, co-authored with Mark White, Leading Schools in Disruptive Times, 2nd edition, Dwight and Mark show leaders the Coping, Adjusting, Transforming (CAT) framework for responding to disruption. 

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School leaders often make decisions to help their students and staff - but when it comes to investing in themselves, they are notoriously negligent. This is a big mistake, as James Bailey and Randy Weiner, authors of The Daily SEL Leader, point out. Social-emotional learning is personal work, and school leaders have to be willing to engage in the work themselves before they can lead others in doing the work. In this episode, Peter DeWitt talks with the authors to learn:

• The unlikely aspects of SEL you might be neglecting
• How to approach SEL work with honesty and authenticity
• The cost of not embracing SEL for yourself and your school

Learn more at corwin.com/leaderscoachingleaders

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