What if staff meetings ended with real decisions and classes felt like energizing workshops? We sit down with communication expert and author Chris Fenning to rebuild school time around clarity and outcomes using one simple framework: Topic, Purpose, Output. From IEPs and MTSS to department huddles and professional learning workshops, we show how to set relevance, choose the right activities, and leave each session with a tangible result you can print, share, or ship.

We unpack the difference between meetings and workshops and why that distinction matters for educators. You’ll learn how to write agendas as questions so anyone can lead with confidence, use the inverse time rule to handle niche items without holding everyone hostage, and stop “admiring the problem” by validating voices and shifting to solutions. Chris shares fast, inclusive techniques such as silent writing, quick polls, sticky-note clustering, and time-boxed sprints that surface ideas from the quiet, curb overtalkers, and keep momentum strong.

This conversation connects directly to SEL. Clear purposes lower stress. Named outputs build agency. Validation increases belonging. When we frame lessons as purposeful meetings - opening with a question, selecting activities that align with the goal, and closing with a visible product - students practice collaboration, focus, and reflective decision-making.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Chris via his website and LinkedIn.
• Check out Chris' books:
  • The First Minutes
  • Effective Emails
  • Effective Meetings 
  • 39 Ways to Make Training Stick 

What if US history class felt human, focused, and alive every single day? We sit down with high school social studies teacher Trevor Conde to unpack a design-first approach to SEL where routines create safety, novelty sparks curiosity, and students see themselves in the story. Trevor shares how backward design, clear weekly modules, and transparent due dates reduce friction and build self-management, while creative touchpoints turn content into a shared culture that students remember.

We walk through his daily architecture: collaborative “perch group” bell ringers that students own, a quick whole-class synthesis, and three station rotations with random groups that broaden social awareness and collaboration. Trevor explains the why behind randomization and how it grows real-world teamwork skills by stretching comfort zones. He also reveals a signature practice that boosts attention and presence: one device-free day each week. By committing to analog tools and shared materials, the class reclaims focus, deepens dialogue, and practices care for each other’s learning.

Along the way, Trevor models a growth mindset for professional learning by integrating literacy strategies and SEL into his existing goals, rather than treating them as add-ons. If you’re looking to balance routine with spark, bring SEL to life in your content area, and build a classroom that functions as a learning community, this conversation offers clear, practical moves you can try tomorrow.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Trevor via email at [email protected].
• Recommended reading: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles

What if the difference between a struggling reader and a confident one is not a love of books, but the routines around them? Dr. Steve Underwood joins us to unpack how predictable, evidence-based instruction changes the math on literacy and identity. From a childhood marked by poverty and round-robin dread to a career leading systems change, Steve shows why consistency, safety, and the science of reading can give every student a fair shot at comprehension and confidence.

We dive into the simple view of reading and then get practical. Steve walks through explicit, systematic phonics with everyday moves teachers can adopt: stable sound-spelling routines, precise finger cues that highlight graphemes, and three targeted blending approaches that keep the process consistent and the thinking focused. We connect those micro-moves to SEL - how choral response boosts participation without shame, how steady sequences reduce anxiety, and how emotional and psychological safety sets the stage for real learning. We also explore audio supports that preserve dignity and allow students to control the pace while building meaning.

We reframe reading as a purpose-driven cycle: preview strategically, monitor understanding as you read, apply insights afterward, and then discuss because learning is social. Finally, we zoom out to the systems level. When a school aligns on routines, students don’t have to relearn directions each year; they build skills.

If you’re ready to trade guesswork for what works, and to pair solid research with human-centered teaching, this conversation will equip you with steps you can use tomorrow. Subscribe, share with a colleague who teaches reading in any content area, and leave a review to tell us which strategy you’ll try first.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Steve via his website, LinkedIn, or YouTube.
• Steve also recommends these resources:
  • The Reading League
  • International Dyslexia Association
  • CORE Teaching Reading Sourcebook

Coaching should feel like a partnership where educators bring their expertise, name the barriers they face, and co-create next steps that actually fit their classrooms. We sit down with Kenny McKee and Kathy Perrett, co-authors of Compassionate Coaching, to explore a humane, practical framework for helping teachers move forward without judgment or gimmicks.

In this episode, we unpack six recurring barriers: lack of confidence, failure, overload, disruption, isolation, and tough school culture. Kenny shares how reframing "failure" with design thinking and action research turns data into direction, not blame. Kathy explains how to introduce coaching so it's not "come fix me," but truly collaborative. You'll hear how to offer options without overwhelming, ask for permission before advising, and attribute ideas in ways that build trust rather than hierarchy. We also highlight a simple data routine that changes conversations quickly: ask students two questions: "What helped you learn today?" What got in the way? Then use those insights to plan the next lesson together.

Across stories from elementary to high school, single-site to multi-school roles, we show how compassionate coaching strengthens teacher agency, elevates student voice, and adapts to wildly different cultures. You'll leave with practical tools for gathering meaningful, in-the-moment data, strategies for starting with willing partners, and a mindset shift: be the most coachable person in the building, model reflection, and celebrate small wins that compound. 

If this resonates, follow the show, share with a colleague, and leave a review telling us which barrier you're tackling next.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Kenny via his website, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• Connect with Kathy via her website, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• Purchase their book -  Compassionate Coaching: How to help educators navigate barriers to professional growth

Leading a school shouldn’t feel like juggling flaming clipboards. Tammy Musiowsky and Christine Arnold join us to share how minimalist leadership turns a noisy school ecosystem into a coherent one by aligning purpose, editing systems, and removing friction that wastes energy and time. They unpack the Triple P (purpose, priorities, pare down) and the Five Rs (reimagine, remove, repurpose, reinvest, refine) to show how small, smart edits in communication, operations, and culture create outsized gains for teachers and students.

We explore why interdependence matters: when leaders are stretched or unclear, stress cascades through the whole community. Tammy and Christine walk through concrete ways to “buy back” time by blocking deep work, backmapping deadlines, simplifying meetings, and building buffer zones so people can think. They make a powerful case that simplifying raises the level of thinking by freeing attention for strategy, feedback, and relationships.

Along the way, we get candid about tradeoffs, boundaries, and the signals leaders send without realizing it. A head-up greeting, a cleaner email, and a tighter agenda can shift the emotional climate of a hallway, a team, and a school day. If you’re craving fewer initiatives and more impact, this conversation delivers practical edits you can make next week, plus a mindset that keeps them sticking. We share favorite chapters on time and well-being, talk through tool choices and timelines, and highlight how to reduce friction in your own role, even without a formal title.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• ​Connect with Tammy and Christine via the Plan Z website, Tammy's Instagram, LinkedIn (Tammy), LinkedIn (Christine).
• Read their books:
  • ​The Minimalist Teacher
  • ​Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School Ecosystem

What if belonging wasn’t a poster or a pep talk, but a practice you could measure, build, and sustain? We sit down with Dr. Sheldon Eakins to unpack how leadership choices shape whether students feel accepted, supported, and included. From turning speaking engagements into chapters to designing a student belonging survey, Dr. Eakins shows how to move from intent to impact with tools any school can use.

We dig into inclusion and assimilation, and why asking students to “fit in” by quietly shedding their identity undermines achievement. Sheldon shares how to audit rituals and traditions, align mission and vision with lived culture, and break down silos between special education, multilingual learning, and general education. His potluck metaphor reframes the work: bring homemade, not boxed. Craft environments where every learner sees themselves on the table and feels safe enough to try something new.

Teachers will find concrete ideas to swap “classroom management” for community-building: co-create agreements, build respectful relationships, and design projects that connect standards to students’ lives. We also explore attachment theory across K–12, showing how even 50 minutes can become a secure base for growth. And for the time-starved, Sheldon offers a pragmatic take on AI: use it to draft plans and personalize entry points, then spend your energy on feedback, facilitation, and care.

If you’re ready to lead with clarity and purpose, and to build a culture where identity fuels learning, this conversation is your roadmap.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Dr. Sheldon Eakins via his website, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 
• Check out Dr. Eakin's books:
  • Leading Equity: Becoming an Advocate for All Students
  • What Are You Bringing to the Potluck?: How School Leaders Set the Table for a Community of Belonging
  • Meaningful Classroom Management: Adapting Your Teaching to Build Culture and Community

The first breath of the conversation is gratitude, and from there it builds into a grounded, courageous blueprint for how belonging becomes real. We sit down with Craig Aarons-Martin, CEO of CCM Education Group, to unpack the craft of creating brave spaces in schools and communities, not as a slogan, but as a daily practice shaped by rituals, reciprocal relationships, and stories that center joy without denying the weight of the moment.

Craig shares how his morning rhythm shapes the way he leads culture, equity, and SEL work across classrooms and organizations. He names the mountain and the valley: the mountaintop for its vantage point, the valley for its lessons. That frame powers his new book on brave spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, including the breakthrough chapter on advocacy that documents resilience, tactics, and light. We explore what it means to give “a cup of courage,” how to tell stories that invite action, and why the most effective change starts with regulating our nervous systems so we can co-regulate with students.

If you’re building cultures of belonging, leading SEL initiatives, or searching for practical ways to champion LGBTQ+ and Black boys’ brilliance, this conversation is your map and your spark. 

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Craig via his LinkTree, Instagram, LinkedIn, and his website. 
• Check out Craig's book and podcast:
  • Black Boy Joy Blueprint Journal: A Guide to Identity, Dreams & Leadership
  • Brave Voices podcast

Want a curriculum that students can’t wait to engage with? We sit down with authors Michael Fisher and Dr. Steven Weber to unpack a fresh, visual playbook for curriculum leadership that swaps compliance for curiosity and puts student agency, trust, and transfer at the center. Instead of dense theory, they created an illustrated, desk-ready handbook that leaders can use in five minutes to make better decisions on the same day.

We delve into what “contemporary” really means: understanding learners deeply, designing for the whole child, and fostering cultures where conversations matter more than binders. Michael and Steven share practical self-assessment tools that help teams identify their current state across vision, collaboration, data-informed decisions, and adaptability, then choose the next right move. 

We explore leadership stances, ranging from the dreaded “snoopervisor” to the motivator who earns trust, provides purposeful feedback, and fosters capacity growth. Along the way, we tackle teaching current events without the landmines, scaffolding that lifts rather than limits, and the kind of personalized learning that actually prompts transfer.

If you’re a principal, coach, or teacher leader ready to move from static maps to living systems, this conversation offers clear language, actionable visuals, and guiding questions to bring your team along.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Mike Fisher via his website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• Connect with Dr. Steven Weber via his website and LinkedIn.
• Check out their new book, Contemporary Curriculum Leadership, on the School Rubric site.

What if leadership skills were taught right alongside academic content?

In this episode, Maureen Chapman and James Simons, co-founders of Cor Creative Partners, share their powerful approach to helping all students develop leadership skills like motivation, perseverance, communication, and collaboration within everyday classroom learning.

Their new book, Leaders of the Class, challenges the idea that leadership development is only for a select few. Instead, they offer practical strategies that make leadership accessible to every student through intentional teaching and thoughtful integration.

You’ll hear insights on how to build authentic motivation, create space for productive mistakes, and support students as they grow into confident, capable leaders. This conversation is especially valuable for educators who want to strengthen engagement and support social-emotional growth without adding more to their plate.

Explore how leadership can come to life in any classroom and learn how to make it happen.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Connect with Maureen Chapman and James Simons via their website, Cor Creative Partners and LinkedIn (Maureen + James), and email at [email protected].

Purchase their new book, Leaders of the Class!

The teacher shortage has shifted from theory to reality. Schools now struggle to fill positions that once drew hundreds of applicants. This urgent challenge calls for rethinking recruitment and retention.

On this episode of the SELinEDU Podcast, iCarrie Bishop and Jessica Holloway share insights from their book Make Your School Irresistible: The Secret to Attracting and Retaining Great Teachers. Their message is clear: teachers don’t want pizza parties or casual Fridays; they want belonging, purpose, and partnership.

Carrie and Jessica reveal how retention begins long before recruitment, with every interaction signaling what it feels like to work in a school. From interview experiences to casual hallway conversations, small moments create the culture that helps teachers stay. They emphasize validating teachers’ real challenges, building authentic community, and fostering spaces where educators feel valued.

For disheartened teachers, the conversation also offers perspective: the right fit, whether in school, grade level, or subject, can reignite passion for the profession.

Tune in for a candid and practical conversation on how to build schools where teachers don’t just survive, they thrive.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Connect with Carrie Bishop via the website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Connect with Jessica Holloway via the website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Purchase your copy of Make Your School Irresistible: The Secret to Attracting and Retaining Great Teachers.