Leadership Talks

This podcast is dedicated to empowering Principals to prioritize their well-being while navigating the challenges of educational leadership. 

Vinita Mongia, a recently retired Principal and now a Leadership Consultant for School Leaders, introduces her transformative “CALM” Resilience through Self-Care Framework, designed specifically for Principals. Vinita shares actionable self-care strategies, that not only enhance leadership effectiveness, but also reduce stress. Her insights will inspire you to invest in your personal leadership journey, fostering greater CALM, CONFIDENCE, and clarity in your role. Unlock the power of well-being in your leadership—tune in now to transform your success from within, feel inspired, and reignite your “CALMfident” leadership journey.

Join Vinita on January 29, 2025 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. EST for a webinar where she shares more specific examples of how to apply the CALM framework to school leadership. Vinita will also share her journey and encouragement for school leaders to engage in personalized leadership development. To register and attend this FREE informative webinar, visit https://lu.ma/20eleojr.

RESOURCES:

• Biography and personalized leadership development services
• CALM resilience through self-care framework
• CALM placemat for personal reflection handout

OUR GUEST

• Vinita Mongia, Peel District School Board
  
  • LinkedIn - @vinita mongia
  • Website - www.vinitamongia.com
  • Email - [email protected]

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 24 Transcript PDF

Joining us for this episode is Nicole Andrée Vernon, who shares with us how she explored the ways in which Equity might support the success of our Mathematics classrooms and at the institutionalized level.

Teaching Equity and Mathematics (T.E.A.M.) Leadership is a mathematical leadership initiative that she developed in 2022 to monitor instruction, guide student learning, and build on school mathematical education improvement processes. T.E.A.M Leadership ensured that students were centered, reflected and affirmed within their classrooms and schools.

The primary goals of T.E.A.M. were to consider our mathematical classrooms, institutional & system issues from an Equity, Diversity and Inclusive lens, as it relates to:

1. Access
2. Achievement
3. Identity
4. Power within our mathematical classrooms.  

As a lead learner, Nicole focused on teaching practices that included opportunities for students to engage in active learning, and to probe, analyze and evaluate The Silenced Dialogue - the voices of those who have been marginalized because of race, gender, socioeconomic class, dominant language & ethnicity. Nicole continues to ensure that one’s teaching is within the context of ‘a system vision of excellence in education,’ and continues to co-construct shared reflections and encourage critical, courageous dialogue in collaboration with a network of courageous critical friends about the impacts of structures, power relations and mathematical inequalities. 

OUR GUEST

• Nicole Andrée Vernon - Durham District School Board

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 23 Transcript PDF

Josh Windsor joins us in conversation with Dr. Alison Yeung to share how they have worked together to educate parents regarding the use of cell phones and the impact of social media on teen mental health. Josh has implemented some school wide flexible policies to support student learning and assist students to self regulate with regards to their use of social media during learning time.   

OUR GUESTS

• Alison Yeung, MD Family Medicine
  • Instagram @thesmartphoneeffectmd
• Josh Windsor - Waterloo Region District School Board

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 22 Transcript PDF

Integrating circles is a simple, yet profound, practice to positively impact individuals in a school community. The goal of this podcast is to share information on how circles can be implemented in varied ways. Goals include building a strong sense of community, promoting active listening and restorative practices, and creating safe and inclusive learning environments.   

ARTICLES and RESOURCES

• Using Circles: quick tips handout. Inclusive, Safe and Caring Programs, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
• What You Need to Know About Community Circles. OCDSB Mentally Healthy Classrooms 2023, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
• Fisher, Douglas and Frey, Nancy. 2022. Community Circles Build Restorative School Cultures. ascd educational leadership, September 2022
• Riel, Margaret. 2000. Learning Circles: Virtual Communities for Elementary and Secondary Schools. eric.ed.gov ED441665
• Amos, Clifford. 2013. Teaching Restorative Practices with Classroom Circles. Center for Restorative Process and San Francisco Unified School District.

OUR GUEST

• Kim Esdaile - Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 21 Transcript PDF

This podcast, with guests Linda Cotnam and Sharlene McHolm, will give an overview of the classroom realities, in a way that only experienced educators can bring. They discuss what self-regulation is and what it is not. Together we invite our audience to explore the factors that impact self-regulation for both the child and the adult supporting them.

As school leaders, we play key role in addressing student achievement. This can be difficult when students have poor self-regulation. We know that self-regulation is a key component to so many aspects of a child’s life, including social relationships, academics and dealing with conflict. Being able to self-regulate is essential, and due to its importance, is a key part of Kindergarten programming/curriculum. What factors need to be considered? How should one react? Considering that self-regulation skills are so vastly different, not just in Kindergarten students but all the way into high school and sometimes even adulthood, what are the key factors that affect this and what does research say? We know the tension between exciting play-based learning and what teachers and DECEs struggle with when you have a child or three in the classroom that cannot handle the choice that it represents. How do we provide great provocations that will help all students and extend the learning of the brightest? Join us as we unpack in this episode.

OUR GUESTS

• Linda Cotnam - Waterloo Region District School Board
• Sharlene McHolm - Waterloo Region District School Board

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 20 Transcript PDF

Students clearly express that they want to see themselves in what they learn. For this episode, Andrea Gill joins us to share some of the student led projects that have taken place in her schools.  By fostering student voice in schools, student interest and goals are centred in their learning. Student census data alongside qualitative data, supports initiatives in learning that reflect student identity, lived experiences and community funds of knowledge.

Project-based learning increases engagement in students as they are in the drivers’ seat for their learning, with the educator serving as a mentor who scaffolds tasks and provides feedback. This model of teaching increases collaboration across the school fostering interconnection, increasing community-based school model and inter-peer coaching, mentorship and leadership. This is an exciting and engaging conversation to have and Andrea looks forward to sharing it.

OUR GUEST

• Andrea Gill - Halton District School Board

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 19 Transcript PDF

Please note that this episode mentions self-harm and/or suicide. While we don’t want to cause anxiety or stress, we acknowledge that this may be the experience for some people. If needed, we encourage you to reach out for support to a trusted friend or colleague, another personal resource or your organization’s Employee Assistance Program. Included for your reference is TDSB's resource page for Immediate Support/Help.

Robert Durocher (Métis/French, he/him), centrally assigned to the Urban Indigenous Education Centre of Excellence, partners up with Jordan Applebaum (he/him) to discuss the importance of Gender and Sexuality Alliance’s (GSA’s) in schools to support 2SLGBTQQIA+ students and community members. Affinity groups can work together to lead, centering Indigenous, Black, and racialized student voices. It is a crucial time to focus on joy for Two-spirit, Indigiqueer, trans, 2SLGBTQQIA+ students and communities with intersecting identities. This is why Robert and Jordan are sharing their experiences in this episode and why they support GSA staff advisors through the TDSB GSA Network which reaches students and staff across the system. Initiatives include the annual EnVision Conference, Two-spirit, Indigiqueer Conference, Queer Nature walks, GSA Network Meetings, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Pen Pals for literacy, joy, education, and building community connections.

TDSB GSA Network has a website and helps organize events, such as conferences, field trips for GSA members and Pride events. For more information visit: TDSB GSA Network

OUR GUESTS

• Jordan Applebaum, Toronto District School Board
• Robert Durocher, Toronto District School Board

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 18 Transcript PDF

School leadership provides a wonderful opportunity to influence change and growth. Schools naturally foster high achievement and celebrate those that walk our halls. Unfortunately, sometimes the strategies also reinforce perfectionist tendencies, foster self-sabotage and invoke the feeling of being an imposter.

As a (former) Principal, Lorraine LaPointe’s passion continues through studying the heart-mind-body connections and applying the latest brain research to create healthier habits of achievement, self-esteem and self-acceptance. This is needed today, more than ever! Through her company, Head Heart Synergy, Lorraine mentors, coaches and has authored the book Perfectionism Unplugged. She joins our podcast to share some powerful insights, metaphors and transformational stories showing how to turn fear of failure, anxiety and self-doubt, into the fuel for success.

OUR GUEST

• Lorraine Lapointe - retired Durham District School Board

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 17 Transcript PDF

Michelle Sigmann is a principal, a certified wellness coach and an author of a book that guides individuals through a framework of setting goals and actionizing their visions. Her leadership style lends itself to authentic ways of teaching and leading. In this conversation with Leadership Talks she touches on her personal story where overwhelm and stress almost had her at rock bottom. The experience galvanized her new outlook and is now fuel for her passion for supporting and coaching others.  

School leaders tend to believe that they should have all the answers. Michelle speaks about real, sustainable work and action that can be implemented. You can show up feeling less overwhelmed and stressed. You can balance the busy and transfer renewed energy into strategies that can be used in your school building.  

Consider starting your day with you (5-10 minutes) using these three easy guidelines:

1. Build up your self worth, be in control of your thoughts.
2. Identify stressors by writing it down to reflect and take control / prioritize. 
3. Be patient with yourself while you implement good habits.

Resources (with notes from Michelle):

• Time Audit - I briefly talked about trying to find time in your day. When you complete this audit make sure to do your busiest day. The goal is once you fill it all in to try and find 15-20 minutes in your day to replace it with a habit that is for you. Please reach out to me for a more detailed guidance on this.
• Power Statements - In the podcast, I talked about the importance of reframing your mindset by using positive self-talk / power statements. The science behind this is more than just the words. Do this each day for yourself and see the changes in your mindset and the way you show up in your workplace and home!

OUR GUEST

• Michelle Sigmann, Durham District School Board
  
  • IG - @michellefitnessmomma
  • LinkedIN - @Michelle Sigmann
  • Website - www.wellnessmichelle.com
  • Email - [email protected]

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 16 Transcript PDF

This conversation is with Dinusha Gunasingham and Samantha Stephen, who join us as representatives of the Transformational Administrators' Network; a group of administrators and educators invested in championing change management. With a focus on whole school implementation (for the benefit of ALL students), this group co-created the Transformative Administrators' Toolkit (TAT), an administrative toolkit that includes resources, materials, tools and frameworks that can be utilized by administrators to shift white supremacy culture by deprivatizing practice, employing evidence-based processes, setting direction through high expectations, centering and affirming students’ intersecting identities and fostering a climate of collaboration, responsibility and accountability that includes students, families and staff as active agents. 
 
Dinusha and Samantha highlight for listeners how they have used the 6-week Co-learning and Instructional Cycle, included in the TAT toolkit, to foster positive student outcomes. It is a proactive, responsive and intentional tool created to action a transformative process to address disproportionalities in special education. The framework provides scaffolded support for educators to work in community with students, families and colleagues using critical discourse to complete an evidence-based process with a focus on problematizing practice and not students, as well as encouraging ongoing and purposeful critical reflection of current pedagogy.  
 
Dinusha and Samantha were not able to consolidate all 6-weeks of the cycle for us in the podcast episode due to time constraints, however, they wanted to express for listeners that Weeks 4 - 6 continue with the collection of student and staff driven dialogue and data. Then analysis of the specific goals and intentional teaching strategies for when, in Week 6, a review team comes together to assess if the cycle should:

• (a) Continue.
• (b) If a referral to ISSP for a more intensive evaluation of supports (both school and / or community based) is required.
• (c) Discontinue with monitoring.  

The purpose of the 6-week Co-learning and Instructional Cycle is to action, in the most effective and intentional way, an individualized program to meet students' specific academic and socio-emotional needs using informed instruction. 
 
To further benefit students and support colleagues the Transformational Administrators' Network is open to sharing more information* on the TAT toolkit. Contact Dinusha at [email protected] or Samantha at [email protected].
 
*Note, the tool will only be shared with support in understanding the conceptualization. This allows the creators to ensure that the elements, use and framework are not used in a manner that operates outside of their original vision. They welcome inquires from anyone who is interested and open to a conversation and/or learning session.

OUR GUESTS

• Dinusha Gunasingham, Peel District School Board
• Samantha Stephen, Peel District School Board

HOSTS

• Lawrence DeMaeyer – Professional Learning Consultant, Ontario Principals’ Council
• Susie Lee-Fernandes – Director of Professional Learning and Engagement, Ontario Principals’ Council

Episode 15 Transcript PDF