Schools of Excellence: The No. 1 ECE & Private School Leadership Podcast

It’s the 1 year anniversary of the Schools of Excellence podcast! What a perfect time to reflect on how far this show has come, because this is a huge milestone at the Schools of Excellence. We just wrapped and returned from the Summit of Excellence which was held at the beginning of March. As I unpack and process everything that happened over the 2-day in-person event, I find myself reflecting and am so grateful for so many of the things that happened at the event. This inspired me further to make this episode where I can officially celebrate the achievement of the 1st anniversary of the podcast.

 

In today's episode, I talk about:

• The initial drive as to why I started the Schools of Excellence podcast a year ago.
• Insights into how I create the show's content and choose the topics I talk about.
• The growth we've seen in the show over the last year.
• How and why we need to celebrate milestones.
• Some of our goals as we enter the second year of the Schools of Excellence podcast.

... and so much more!

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

 

The Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ are the #1 community & training programs specifically designed for early childhood school leaders and owners who are committed to building schools of excellence

You get 24/7 access to exclusive templates & training to help you motivate your staff and build a collaborative culture that positively impacts the lives of children.

Plus the support & accountability you need to create massive momentum.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

You pride yourself on how freely your staff can come to talk to you, right?

As a school leader, you always want to be seen as an approachable and available director or owner that makes your staff feel heard.

The “open door policy” has trickled into our school culture, because we think that it makes our staff feel valued and appreciated since they know they can come to talk to us at any time, for anything.

In corporate, the open door policy means that all employees can bring their concerns, desires, or problems to company leaders at any time. This was intended to show that the leaders and executives care about what their employees have to say.

The intention here is GREAT. The end result isn’t

• You want to be available and approachable.
• You want your staff to feel heard and seen.
• You want your teachers to feel appreciated and valued.

But know this: “The leader who is always available, isn’t truly listening.”

This podcast episode is a reair of one of the first and most important topics where I speak about: 

• The myth of the open door policy
• How the application of this myth is likely to negatively impact your school
• What you should be doing instead

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Access the School of Excellence Time Management Bundle for only $47 here: http://chanie.me/time

Access the Scripts Workbook here: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/script-workbook/

Download the free door sign here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IXZpXOMoNNnedkkUyfAZWSoLIfBkGtFt/view?usp=sharing

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

This is a re-air of one of the most downloaded episodes in my special summer series that originally aired last year. I wanted to bring this back for those who are newer listeners. 

 

This summer series was all about the different ways that you can prepare yourselves for an upcoming school year. After nearly two decades in this field and speaking with hundreds of school owners and directors. There are very specific patterns of behavior I have noticed in successful school leaders.

In this episode, I share the top 5 signs of a thriving school leader and how you can incorporate them as you continue to build your school of excellence and leave your legacy.

 

In a nutshell, I speak about:

• Communication and how a thriving leader is one that builds time into their calendar to speak to their teams.
• The importance of celebrating wins and success even though it is very easy to get pulled into hardships and what is and isn't working.
• The biggest mindset shift that school leaders need to make by investing in their people.
• How strategy can be likened to planning a trip and how it plays a key role in successful school leadership.
• How radical self-awareness will change your entire life.

 

… and so much more!

 

To listen to the other episodes in the 2021 Summer Series listen to episodes #39 - #44.

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Access the Reflective Questions Workbook for only $9 here: http://chanie.me/reflectivequestions

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

This is a re-air of one of our most downloaded episodes in the Schools of Excellence Podcast. As one of the first episodes I ever released, I wanted to bring this back for those who are newer listeners. I hope you enjoy and get value out of this episode.

 

Like it or not, schools are home to a number of difficult conversations. Discussing topics such as...

1. Pay and benefits
2. Inappropriate behavior
3. Underperformance

These can be uncomfortable. But having successful one-on-one conversations is what separates great school leaders from ineffective ones. Difficult conversations may not be fun, but school leaders who navigate them successfully can build stronger relationships with their staff and provide needed guidance and correction on workplace performance or behavior - which fosters staff engagement.

Today’s episode is on one of the four shields of difficult conversations: Blame. As a leader, it is your responsibility to take note of when your team is using these shields and take the necessary steps towards having those difficult conversations. It is only by doing this that your team will feel heard, supported, and held accountable. 

 

In this episode, I talk about...

• The concept of self-protection and how it shows up in our day-to-day life.
• The 3 strategies for removing blame from your school’s culture.
• The questions to ask yourself when your staff start blaming each other
• Identifying the 4 shields that school leaders and teachers bring up in conversations when difficult conversations come up

 

When there is blame, there is no learning. You can create a friendly school environment for your staff to thrive where finger-pointing won’t become the name of the game. 

 

To listen to the other episodes in the Difficult Conversations series listen to episodes 15, 18 & 20.

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

The Four Shields of Difficult Conversations - BLAME: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/blame?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=soe&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=blame

School Leadership Toolkit: chanie.me/toolkit

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

In this episode, I discuss how by implementing the Gratitude Matrix, you can achieve higher retention and a more collaborative culture for your school. After 30 days of implementing the Gratitude Matrix, one of the executive directors in our Membership Program, Kerstin, went from 17 callouts in September to 4 callouts in August. What did she do? She implemented the Gratitude Matrix in her school, and saw an almost immediate shift because her staff felt valued and appreciated. This is why I am so excited to share the Gratitude Matrix with you; a very powerful, yet very simple system, that I teach to all of the owners and directors that I work with.

This is a re-air of one of our most downloaded episodes for the Schools of Excellence Podcast. 

 

As I mentioned in the last episode, during this time I am committed to creating valuable content for the upcoming Summit of Excellence that will be taking place on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. While I do that, I’d love to bring back some important conversations and also practice what we preach:  focusing on our priorities, creating margin for things that come up, and creating space to do what matters most.

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Schools in Transition: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/schools-in-transition/

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community.

If you want to…

Drive more impact in your community.

Be inspired by a network of peers.

Deliver higher quality care.

Or build a team of leaders.

 

Imagine your team…

• Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods.
• ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety.
• ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work.
• ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. 

… all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way.

Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. 

And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities.

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected].

 

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

 

This episode is a re-air of an episode I did a few months back and I wanted to do a throwback to it for a couple of reasons.

1. Because I've been getting so many questions from leaders around how to stop the cycle of excuses
2. Because creating a culture where people really level up and take personal responsibility for their actions is the premise of everything that we're doing at the Summit of Excellence.

 

In this episode, I discuss breaking the cycle of excuses. 

Everyone makes excuses. We've all made excuses, and we will continue to make excuses. But what does it take to break this cycle of excuses and encourage personal responsibility in our schools of excellence? It's not about eliminating, it's about learning how to break the cycle.

 

Allowing the cycle of excuses to continue is normalizing behavior and work ethic that is completely against our values, morals and ethics. If you (or your staff) spend most of your time giving justifications rather than leaning in and learning, it’s time to break the cycle of excuses for your center. Listen in, as I share tips on how to do this.

 

In a nutshell, I speak about:

• How genuine reasons and excuses get mixed up - and how to differentiate the two.
• Tips for breaking the cycle of excuses and why it is important to do so.
• How to shift the culture of giving excuses in your school of excellence.

… and so much more!

 

To listen to the other episodes in the Break The Cycle series listen to episodes 56 & 57.

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

The School Leadership Toolkit: https://chanie.me/toolkit

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

 

The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community.

If you want to…

Drive more impact in your community.

Be inspired by a network of peers.

Deliver higher quality care.

Or build a team of leaders.

 

Imagine your team…

• Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods.
• ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety.
• ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work.
• ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. 

… all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way.

Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. 

And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities.

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected].

 

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Training and coaching your staff to navigate conflict takes work. It requires attention and it’s not an overnight event. 

 

As the leader, you need to constantly be able to pour into yourself, uplevel, and recognize the skill gaps in your team. Only then can you lead from a place of bravery and courageousness, so that you can guide your team to level up in the same way.

 

In this episode, I talk about how you can help your team look at conflict from a different perspective. I also share a few great suggestions to help your teachers navigate different types of conflict scenarios. The tips shared here will help you get an idea of how you can build this core skill set in your team and make it a practice.

 

In a nutshell, I talk about:

 

• How to understand your team’s default response to conflict.
• Your staff’s reflex for how they currently self regulate.
• How your teachers’ responses to conflict indicate their level of emotional maturity.
• How to uplevel your team and invite them to respond to conflict in a different way. 

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Scripts Workbook on how to navigate conflict with leaders, staff, and parents: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/script-workbook/

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

 

The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community.

If you want to…

Drive more impact in your community.

Be inspired by a network of peers.

Deliver higher quality care.

Or build a team of leaders.

 

Imagine your team…

• Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods.
• ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety.
• ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work.
• ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. 

… all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way.

Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. 

And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities.

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected].

 

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

We spend so much time talking about how to discipline children and how to work on child behaviors, yet there's very little training on how adults need to be self-disciplined. Just because you're a grown-up, it doesn't mean you enter adulthood knowing how to be self-disciplined and regulate your emotions.

 

This episode is part one of a two-part series on how to coach your staff to navigate conflict. Because when they avoid the slightest disagreement, they’re compromising their true feelings, and they’re storing up frustration that can end up negatively affecting their health. If you are building sustainability within your organization, you can't avoid conflict, because it seeps into the culture. I want you to tune into this episode with an open mind, and understand that just dealing with conflict is a very reactive approach. And just like with anything that's important, we want to take a proactive measure in creating a culture where conflict is managed.

 

In a nutshell, I speak about:

 

• Powerful insight and data into the impact of conflict on organizations.
• Understanding where the root of conflict comes from.
• Why so many staff struggle with navigating conflict.

 

… and so much more!

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Scripts Workbook on how to navigate conflict with leaders, staff, and parents: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/script-workbook/

 

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community.

If you want to…

Drive more impact in your community.

Be inspired by a network of peers.

Deliver higher quality care.

Or build a team of leaders.

 

Imagine your team…

• Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods.
• ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety.
• ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work.
• ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. 

… all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way.

Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. 

And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities.

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected].

 

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-6

 

Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments

 

When we're constantly seeking fireworks, extraordinary wins, and giant momentum, we exhaust ourselves. We burn ourselves to the ground, and we can't be in business forever. We are putting too much effort into giant, extraordinary things and it will take a lot of discipline, self-awareness, and confidence to find joy in ordinary moments. 

 

In this episode, I speak to a longtime client who's become a dear friend over the last several years, Sharon Hopson. Sharon is the owner of La Bella Vita Montessori in Omaha, Nebraska. We talk about her transition to owning her legendary status as a leader and the need for instant gratification versus understanding how to play the long game in life. Sharon also shares some really personal stories of the power of delayed gratification, and how that's helped her play a larger long game in her company. 

 

In a nutshell, we talk about:

 

• Instant gratification versus delayed gratification from the lens of a school leader.
• Some of the transition points that made Sharon operate from a place of benevolence and generosity for her team.
• How Sharon redefined herself as a CEO of an early childhood center.
• The power of celebrating small wins.
• The importance of having a community of like-minded people to talk to.
• What it means to get support as a school owner.
• How Sharon fuels herself.
• Ordinary moments that bring Sharon joy and give her life meaning.

 

… and so much more!

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Watch the video interview of this episode: 

https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-6

The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community.

If you want to…

Drive more impact in your community.

Be inspired by a network of peers.

Deliver higher quality care.

Or build a team of leaders.

 

Imagine your team…

• Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods.
• ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety.
• ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work.
• ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. 

… all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way.

Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. 

And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities.

 

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected].

 

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-5

Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments

Are you a childcare owner or director who is a parent raising kids?

This conversation is for you.

In this episode, I speak to Mandy Moore, the owner of Steadfast Academy - a daycare center in Pasadena, Texas. Mandy sheds light on choosing work-life integration, choosing both family and business. We dig into a lot of the messiness and behind the scenes around leadership as a parent. Mandy also highlights how she and her husband navigate financial conversations and decisions together. As a business owner and as a mother of three young children, this conversation is rich with reflective questions, deep dive into what it really takes to consistently be in pursuit of excellence.

Tune in to learn more about:

• Mandy’s family experiences that drove her decision to start a childcare company.
• Some of the infant and toddler years, and what that looked like to Mandy as a business owner.
• How Mandy created a seamless transition from being the person who is responsible for every result to becoming the person that coaches for results.
• How money conversations with Mandy’s husband pan out.
• Some of the ordinary experiences for Mandy as a result of effective delegation.
• How to develop the practice of not being distracted when sharing quality time with family.
• Some of the grief associated with not seeing what's going on and not being part of every decision.
• What the next phase of this work-life integration looks like for Mandy.
• Some things you can think about and journal on as a school owner.

 

… and so much more!

 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Watch the video interview of this episode:

https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-5

The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community.

If you want to…

Drive more impact in your community.

Be inspired by a network of peers.

Deliver higher quality care.

Or build a team of leaders.

Imagine your team…

• Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods.
• ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety.
• ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work.
• ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. 

… all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way.

Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. 

And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities.

 

Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected].

 

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life. 

 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.