Description:

Before recording this episode, I was very uncertain about how it would come out. Identifying strategies for doing professional development on the cheap had the potential to be disjointed and unactionable. Thankfully, I love how this discussion came out. There are some coherent themes running through the show, and doing great PD with few resources isn’t actually that difficult. But before we dig in…

Sponsor Spot 1: Are you ready to plan your next school trip? Kaleidoscope Adventures has been planning exceptional student travel for more than 30 years. They know which destinations, activities, and attractions are perfect for your students! Contact the experts at Kaleidoscope by clicking the link in the show – and then let them work their magic! They’ll handle all the details from start to finish so all you have to do is enjoy the experience! Kaleidoscope Adventures….. travel beyond expectations! Link is in the show notes! 

Show Intro

Guest Bio:

Michele Mattoon has served as executive director of the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) since 2010, working with schools and educators nationally and internationally to implement Critical Friends trainings and collaborative learning initiatives. A national facilitator for over 25 years and CFG coach since 1996, she has developed numerous protocols and co-edited "Protocols for All" and recent CFG training handbooks.
Before joining NSRF, Michele taught for over 20 years and served as elementary coordinator at Harmony School. She received the Hoosier Educator Award (2000) and Dorothy Johnson Award for Excellence in Education (2001). Michele also owns Coltrain Group, providing Facilitative Leadership training to businesses and organizations.

Warmup questions:

• We always like to start with a celebration. What are you celebrating today?
• Is there a story that will help listeners understand why you are doing what you do?

Questions/Topics/Prompts

• Rich PD on pauper’s wages
• Focus on the most important thing (understand what problem you are trying to solve and why it is a problem)
• Increase differentiation for individuals and empower them to be responsible for their learning 
• How to get maximum value from external trainers and trainings
• How to leverage internal resources (including teachers)
• How to ethically use stuff from external sources

Sponsor Spot 2:I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…
Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions.
And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Closing questions:

• What part of your own leadership are you still trying to get better at?
• If listeners could take just one thing away from today’s podcast, what would it be?
• Before we go, is there anything else that you’d like to share with our listeners?
• Where can people learn more about you and your work…

Summary/wrap up

• Know your people! It all begins here.
• Leverage expertise
• Follow up!
• Provide the structures

Sponsor Spot 5:

Thank you to our sponsors!

• IXL: https://www.ixl.com/assistant 
• Kaleidoscope Adventures: https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/the-assistant-principal-podcast-kaleidoscope-adventures/

Michele’s links:

Facebook > 

facebook.com/NationalSchoolReformFaculty

Threads (new) > (logs in with FB) 

threads.net/@nsrfharmony

Instagram > 

@NSRFharmony

https://instagram.com/nsrfharmony

LinkedIN > 

linkedin.com/company/NSRF/

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/ 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting 

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a 

The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520