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Little Things First
By Tracy Vandeventer/James MartinEducation
Little Things First episodes
- Understanding the true meaning of psychological safety: A human-centered approach
Dr. Shannon Wanless has written about psychological safety in education, and Tracy and Jim dig deep to find out what exactly it looks like. Dr. Wanless explains that there is fear psychological safety could be overused or misunderstood in education and in general circles. She stresses that our goal is not to create a safe space for everyone but to create a space where humanity is centered and where everyone has the opportunity to express their true feelings, whether they be unsafe, anxious, or fearful. Tracy inquires about the course Dr. Wanless has created with her colleagues about attentional practices. What are attentional practices? Find out from this episode. Finally, can school systems adapt to better represent a culture of safety and humanity? Dr. Wanless thinks that may not be entirely necessary. Get ready to be inspired!
littlethings1st.com
29 min - Adaptive vs. Technical Challenges: Seeking Solutions to Novel Problems Through Professional LearningThis week, Tracy and Jim chat with the creator of THE MAIN IDEA Jennifer David-Lang. Ms. David-Lang is well-known in leadership circles for her intricate book summaries on every leadership topic under the sun. You don't have time to read that professional book? Don't worry--likely Jen has a summary for it. The summaries also include ways leaders can operationalize the texts into professional learning for their staffs. In addition, Ms. David-Lang has used time away during the pandemic to create Masterminds groups, mini-PLCs of leaders from across the country who can work together in solving problems of practice. Finally, Ms. David-Lang and one of her colleagues Kim Marshall (a former LITTLE THINGS FIRST podcast guest) have just published their latest Marshall Memo collection and are excited to launch a website funded in part by the Gates Foundation to make these compilations available to the masses.themainidea.netlittlethings1st.com31 min
- The Plurality of Rurality: An Interview with Dr. Mara Tieken
On today's podcast, Tracy and Jim interview Dr. Mara Tieken, a scholar of rural education. who has published a book called WHY RURAL SCHOOLS MATTER. Here, Dr. Tieken discusses what she has learned about the topic and the little things that make a difference in rural settings. A major misnomer of rural settings is that they are predominantly white; however, demographics are quickly changing and equity needs to be prioritized. Are you in an urban or suburban setting and think this podcast is not for you? Find out why you should care about rural schools!
littlethings1st.com
29 min - What's going on in Mississippi? The case for strong district leadership for systemic change
Tracy and Jim re-interview Karin Chenoweth, one of our first podcast guests, to discuss her new book DISTRICTS THAT SUCCEED about the role that districts play in systemic change and sustainability. Karin talks about some of the flatlining that has occurred across the nation especially in reading, except for recent rising scores in Mississippi. She discusses some of the work Mississippi has specifically been doing with regard to the science of reading, a topic that Karin has explored on her podcast EXTRAORDINARY DISTRICTS.
https://edtrust.org/extraordinary-districts/
How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research
CCSSO's A Nation of Readers
littlethings1st.com
42 min - PIGLET: Inquiry-based Learning and The Altona Way
This week, we interview award-winning middle school principal Jeremy LaCrosse, the principal of Altona Middle in Colorado. In this episode, we discuss the school's move toward inquiry-based learning practices, providing choices to students in their own learning. We also discuss the role of design thinking in making learning more personalized. At Altona, Jeremy and his staff have made technology an amplifier of this learning process and have truly created an environment of risk-tasking, among the entire community, where innovation is celebrated.
littlethings1st.com
31 min - From "Yeah But" to "Yes And" : Changing the "This is the way we have always done it" Stance
Eric Sheninger is a national coach, author, and educational expert who talks about change in education and how to embrace an environment that might look different from that with which we are comfortable. Tracy, Jim and Eric discuss everything from personalized learning, competency-based grading, cell phones in the classroom (bring your own device), and modeling the learning that we expect.
littlethings1st.com
34 min - A new horizon at Horizons: A students-first approach at an alternative high school
Joel Asiala is the award-winning Principal at Horizons Alternative High School in Michigan. In this podcast, he shares how he is using a trauma-informed approach to change the trajectories of his students and how he is influencing the direction of high schools in his area. Mr. Asiala discusses his team;'s student-first approach that really focuses on the whole child. Find out what little things Principal Asiala and Horizons are discovering make a difference for some of our harder-to-reach students.
littlethings1st.com
32 min - Max Challenges the Status Quo: An Interview with Children's Book Author Kyle Luckoff
In January, controversy rocked the quiet school district of Murray Utah as a student asked his teacher to read one of his books to the class. The book happened to be one of Kyle Luckoff's Max adventures featuring a child identifying as transgender. The move sparked a controversy that threatened to challenge an equity book program in Murray School District. Similar reactions have taken place elsewhere across the country, leaving Tracy and Jim to wonder, "What are the little things that educators ought to be doing to ensure that all voices are represented in the classroom?" A former school librarian, Kyle Luckoff shares his perspectives and stories with "Little Things First."
littlethings1st.com
33 min - Make sure a student is in the room: Engaging student voice for equity and inclusion
Dr. Kevin Leichtman spent years teaching and collected many stories of impact through those years. While many educators keep those stories locked away, Dr. Leichtman decided to use them for good. He interviewed ten of his former students to discuss how schools made a difference for them. In this journey, Dr. Leichtman discovered the importance of student voice and found out, from the students themselves, how school can do a better job of centering student voices for more equitable school environments. He published these ten stories in THE PERFECT TEN, a book that just came out this month.
littlethings1st.com
36 min - A Breakfast Club for 2021: Greeting Posts, Woot-Woot Wagons, and Recess PlanningTracy attended the ESEA Conference and walked away with inspiration from principal colleagues Lynn Allen and Meaghan Jerr. The two principals have found ways to enact little, inexpensive changes that make a huge difference. Sound familiar? We thought so too, making Principals Allen and Jerr the perfect guests! Find out what they have discovered that can add to our repertoire of "little things."littlethings1st.com33 min
About Little Things First
From the publisher's feed
Two buddies with years of educational experience chat it out about all things teaching and learning.