The Assistant Principal Podcast

If there is a theme running through the late summer podcast episodes, it’s this: listen to your teachers. Everything becomes easier when we listen. Today, two former beginning teachers of the year help us elaborate on the why and how of listening.

Sponsor Spot 1:I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn’t that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.

Show Intro

Guest Bio:

Natalia Mejia is the NCCAT 2023 Empower NC Beginning Teacher of the Year. She entered education to increase teacher diversity and holds degrees from UNC Charlotte, including a Masters in Latin American Studies. Having studied abroad in South Africa and Germany, she teaches multilingual students with a global philosophy rooted in Ubuntu ("I am, because we are") and the Mayan expression In Lak'ech ("You are my other me"). Natalia has co-authored two book chapters about her South African research and co-founded the nonprofits 49ers for Puerto Rico and Knit-Together Prana.
Xavier Adams is the NCCAT 2022 Prudential NC Beginning Teacher of the Year. Known as Mr. Xavier to his students, he teaches World History, Honors African American Studies, Honors Latin American Studies, and AP African American Studies at Orange High School in Hillsborough, NC. He also leads the school's teacher-equity team, student-equity team, and Minority Achievers Program.
His pedagogical approach centers on using historical understanding to create a better world today. Xavier has co-presented with students at venues including the National Governors Association and North Carolina's General Assembly, and helped students publish op-eds. He holds two master's degrees from Duke University, and is quickly becoming a notable author on multiple education topics.

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

Prequel: The three questions:

• What is your teaching superpower?
• What is the biggest difference between who you are now as a teaching and who you were when you began?
• What is one thing you wish your students would do differently?

Part 1

• Thinking back, what was the most challenging thing about your first few years teaching and what could/did your APs do to help?
• Are there things you did not know, but which others seemed to assume you did knew>
• Thoughts on how APs can accelerate the growth of their ECTs (early career teacher)?
• Anything else regarding ECTs?

Part 2

• It feels like a disempowering time right now. Last week I had Elena Aguilar as a guest and she talked about how disempowering a time this is. There are so many ways that people - young and old - are being told they don’t matter, aren't relevant, have no power, and, worst of all, don’t belong. The most obvious and egregious arena is politics and society, but social media, the economics, and the climate also make us feel small. Elena talked about how listening, and asking questions that put agency into the answerer’s hands, were tangible ways to communicate to people they matter. I hope all our listeners will embrace that idea that we can use questions and listening to increase agency. I’d love to have a discussion around this  - as it applies to all of us, students, families, teachers, admins. 
  • What’s your take?
  • What questions can we be asking?
  • How do we return agency to teachers and students?
• We are all North Carolinians, a state with a Democratic Governor and almost a supermajority Republican Legislature. As in many other states, there has been a lot of legislative activity aimed at chilling discourse in classrooms, especially as it relates to history. The bills have not become laws, but there is a chilling effect nonetheless. It is a scary time to cling to our authenticity and to push the edge of our teaching. 
  • How do you nurture your own strength?
  • How do you nurture student agency?
  • What can school leaders do to foster courage and authenticity in their teachers?

Sponsor Spot 3: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…

Sponsor Spot 4:Before we wrap, I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn’t that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.

Summary/wrap up

• Ask your teachers what they need (same message as last week)
• Build connections
• Affirm their value
• Protect them (give them the power to not self-censor)

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

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

Power Quote: I noticed… and I wonder…

Description:

Welcome to the third and final part of my interview with Elena Aguilar. Today we dive into how we can reconnect people with their sense of power – building teacher self-efficacy through reflective questions. Decades of research identifies teacher self-efficacy – the belief that what teachers do has an impact on student learning – as the bedrock for good teaching. Recent research suggest a large part of the leader’s impact on student growth (which is second only to the teacher’s impact) is a result of the leader’s ability to build teacher self-efficacy. So, today’s episode offers some essential information and techniques to unlocking teachers’ potential and fulfilling your leadership purpose.

Show Intro

Sponsor Spot 1:Being an assistant principal means that safety is a quadrant 1 activity – in your building and beyond its walls. So, when it’s time for the school trip, choosing the right planning partner is absolutely critical!
Kaleidoscope Adventures has been planning travel beyond expectations since 1993. The Kaleidoscope team of experts has a robust understanding of what it takes to travel with students – including safety, liability, and parent concerns.
When you travel with Kaleidoscope Adventures, you can trust that your students are in good hands.
If you want to learn more about Kaleidoscope Adventures, check the link in the show notes Kaleidoscope Adventures…. travel beyond expectations! 

Guest Bio:

Elena Aguilar is a writer, leader, teacher, coach and podcaster. She is the author of eight highly acclaimed books including: The Art of Coaching, The Art of Coaching Teams, The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development, and the newly released Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching. She has also been a frequent contributor to Edutopia, ASCD’s Educational Leadership, and EdWeek Teacher.
Elena is the founder and CEO of Bright Morning Consulting, an organization committed tohelping individuals and organizations create the conditions for transformation. She has taught tens of thousands of folks how to have conversations that build a more just and equitable world. Elena can be heard demonstrating these conversations on The Bright Morning Podcast.

Elena was a guest on episodes 204 and 205, June 2024, and in Parts 1 and 2 of this series, episodes 260 and 261.

Questions/Topics/Prompts

• Elena discusses it in Arise, but as part of the ACE section, and I would love to explore the idea further. What if all I did as an AP was recognize strengths?

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

• Today’s environment: stress as disempowerment: listening and asking questions that empower the teacher to come up with the answers.
• Strength based coaching (my version) centers the administrator. Get back to asking questions, even as simple as 5-minute coaching.
• Provocative questions: “I noticed (fact)… I wonder what belief/action…?”
• Beliefs and ways of being: deep, vague, and real => relationships (with self and others)
• Delegating so I can focus on what I’m best at (and what only I can do)
• Slow things down!

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

Elena’s links:

Elena’s new book: Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching

Specials for listeners:  Pre-Order Bonuses 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elena_aguilar_writer/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-aguilar/

Book Shop: https://bookshop.org/lists/books-by-elena-aguilar/

Bright Morning: https://www.brightmorningteam.com/

The Bright Morning Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bright-morning-podcast-with-elena-aguilar/id1517537206

Newsletter: https://www.brightmorningteam.com/resources/newsletter

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

Power Quote: Behind every action is a belief

Description:

Today we dive into part 2 of my interview with Elena Aguilar. Part 1 was a must listen and we released in back on July 1 (260). A link to that episode and my two previous episodes from 2024 are in the show notes.
In part 1 we talked about listening and I hope you’ve been able to exercise your listening muscle over the past couple weeks, and that you followed Elena’s advice to dig into your own story and beliefs around leadership and teaching.
Today we’ll talk about purpose – both the school’s and the teachers’, and how to support and grow teachers even in such a stressful and chaotic time. I love this episode because it contains a call to dig deeply into ourselves as leaders and give some very practical advice on how to help teachers. And, as with part 1, I include Elena’s closing words of wisdom – a call for us to slow down. It is so critical I wanted you to hear it again.

Show Intro

Sponsor Spot 1:Being an assistant principal means that safety is a quadrant 1 activity – in your building and beyond its walls. So, when it’s time for the school trip, choosing the right planning partner is absolutely critical!
Kaleidoscope Adventures has been planning travel beyond expectations since 1993. The Kaleidoscope team of experts has a robust understanding of what it takes to travel with students – including safety, liability, and parent concerns.
When you travel with Kaleidoscope Adventures, you can trust that your students are in good hands.
If you want to learn more about Kaleidoscope Adventures, check the link in the show notes Kaleidoscope Adventures…. travel beyond expectations! 

Guest Bio:

Elena Aguilar is a writer, leader, teacher, coach and podcaster. She is the author of eight highly acclaimed books including: The Art of Coaching, The Art of Coaching Teams, The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development, and the newly released Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching. She has also been a frequent contributor to Edutopia, ASCD’s Educational Leadership, and EdWeek Teacher.
Elena is the founder and CEO of Bright Morning Consulting, an organization committed tohelping individuals and organizations create the conditions for transformation. She has taught tens of thousands of folks how to have conversations that build a more just and equitable world. Elena can be heard demonstrating these conversations on The Bright Morning Podcast.

Elena was a guest on episodes 204 and 205, June 2024, and in Part 1 of this series, episode 260.

Questions/Topics/Prompts

• Context: Stepping into a new school year, new leaders, new schools, new teachers

• In 204, you talked about how an admin could be the person that helps teachers stay anchored to their north star… 

• how we help people grow when they are in the midst of trauma - and is that even possible. This is particularly germane given the chaos and otherization which is so prevalent right now.

Sponsor Spot 3: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

• Purpose requires knowing.
• Intersection between teacher and school purpose (might be harder than it should be)
• Can we better understand other people’s stories by knowing our own?
• ZPD, meeting them where they are, AND helping them understand why they are where they are (limiting beliefs)
• What do you wish your students could do better?
• Incremental change and pain points (M=V/E)

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/
• digiCOACH: https://digicoach.com/ 

Elena’s links:

Elena’s new book: Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching

Specials for listeners:  Pre-Order Bonuses 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elena_aguilar_writer/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-aguilar/

Book Shop: https://bookshop.org/lists/books-by-elena-aguilar/

Bright Morning: https://www.brightmorningteam.com/

The Bright Morning Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bright-morning-podcast-with-elena-aguilar/id1517537206

Newsletter: https://www.brightmorningteam.com/resources/newsletter

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

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

LinkedIn:

I’ve been connecting with many new and nearly new APs recently and my conversations inspired me to put together a diverse panel of assistant principals to have a conversation specifically for those of you just beginning your administrator journey. And of course, there are some great tips here for experienced leaders as well.

Sponsor Spot 1:I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Being an assistant principal means that safety is a quadrant 1 activity – in your building and beyond its walls. So, when it’s time for the school trip, choosing the right planning partner is absolutely critical!
Kaleidoscope Adventures has been planning travel beyond expectations since 1993. The Kaleidoscope team of experts has a robust understanding of what it takes to travel with students – including safety, liability, and parent concerns.
When you travel with Kaleidoscope Adventures, you can trust that your students are in good hands.
If you want to learn more about Kaleidoscope Adventures, check the link in the show notes Kaleidoscope Adventures…. travel beyond expectations! 

Show Intro

Guest Bios:

Trish Thomas is a dedicated educator with 22 years of experience, including 21 as a 4th-grade teacher and 9 as a head teacher. Trish recently completed her first year as an assistant principal at a career magnet high school in Pennsylvania. Proud wife of 21 years and mom to two sons—one in high school, the other starting at Temple University this fall.
Dez Caldwell is an award-winning Massachusetts educator who's held every role from paraprofessional to principal with leadership experience ranging from Pre-K to grade 12. He's co-host of the After School with the Admin podcast.  He describes himself as an ordinary guy who wants to help others do extraordinary things.
Marco Tirillo is a Connecticut based teacher and leader with 21 years in education. He’s served as a teacher and assistant principal in urban and suburban schools, grades 5–12. Marco is passionate about equity, SEL, and restorative practices, striving to create inclusive environments, empower students and staff, and build thriving school communities through advocacy, collaboration, and transformative leadership. Marco co-hosts the After School with the Admin podcast.
Mitchell Hall has spent his entire educational career in Maryland - 8 years on the Eastern Shore and the last 10 in Garrett County.  He taught special education, social studies, and gifted and talented before becoming an Assistant Principal last school year.  He’s beginning his first year as principal at Grantsville Elementary School.

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

I will also solicit my audience for questions about being a year-one AP, but our discussion will roughly follow this outline:

• Clarifying the role of the AP
• Building a relationship with the P
• Relationships with teachers
  • Veterans
  • Early-career
• Staying true to your purpose
• Getting support
• It’s a tough time out there. What do we need to be especially mindful of in taking care of (a) others and (b) ourselves?

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.

Summary/wrap up

• Smoky the Bear (Trish)
• Dez’ pro tip: learn when to “just walk by” teachers’ rooms during their planning so you can connect
• Ask for help!
• Know where the walls came from (Marco)
• Belonging and acceptance (Mitchell)
• Presence => trust

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

Marco Tirillo’s links: 

• After School With The Admins Podcast
• After School With The Admins Facebook
• After School With The Admins Instagram
• LinkedIn Profile

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

Teaser:

“Hello colleagues and welcome to the Assistant Principal Podcast. I’m your host Frederick Buskey. The goal of this podcast is to Improve the quality of life and leadership for assistant principals. Together we can achieve that by focusing on three things:Escaping the tyranny of the urgentEngaging in strategic behaviors each dayAnd, most importantly, becoming outstanding developers of teacher talent”
That’s how I began Episode 1 of APP back on August 26, 2021. It is a bit early to celebrate our fourth birthday but the content of this episode seems like a better fit for July, and as the podcast has grown by over 50% in the first half of this year, I think it is a good time to look at several of the foundational concepts I reference frequently.

Sponsor Spot 1:Before we get started, I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn’t that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.

Show Intro

Celebrations:

• Happy birthday to the pod! And still excited about 100K and continuing growth

Key Points Part 1

• Why redo episode 1?
  • Quality (lol)
  • My thinking has changed
  • So many new listeners – need to share core beliefs
• Strategic Leadership Consulting: the original value proposition
  • Escape the gravitational pull of urgency
  • Understand organizations and change
  • Become a purpose-driven strategic leader
• The three primary responsibilities of leaders
• The Eisenhower Matrix (3 v 2, protect and sustain)
• What does Support and Grow actually mean?
• The six dimensions (dive into this in episode 179)
  • People are the purpose
  • Purpose as a battleground
    • Test scores
    • Individual leaders’ purpose
    • Unit level purpose
    • Contested purpose: New signs in national parks echoing or previewing the narrative and values that will dominate our schools (“any signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans or that fail to emphasize the beauty, grandeur, and abundance of landscapes and other natural features.”)
    • Why do we have schools?
      • Systems level – complex and messy
      • Human level – clear 
  • Structures
  • Resources
    • Distinguishing between Static and dynamic
    • Time and attention as the most valuable resources
  • External forces
  • Internal forces – an actionable definition of culture!
• Support
• Grow
• Change leadership = alignment leadership

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 http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Key Points Part 2

• Strategic leadership
  • Urgent leaders
  • Strategic leaders
  • Four questions strategic leaders ask:
    • Is this simply urgent, or is it important?
    • What’s the problem?
    • How can I make this better right now?
    • Who can I grow today?

• What’s changed
  • Now I have a book
  • People before purpose (because people are the purpose)
  • Support and grow as explicit concepts

Summarizing (The big takeaway)

• People are the purpose
• We support people by aligning the organization to make their work easier
• We grow people by developing their KSDH
• Leaders use change processes to align the organization
• Support and Grow – it is the way we move our schools forward

*See also, Episode 179 from November, 2023

Sponsor Links:

IXL: http://ixl.com/assistant 

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

Episode Links:

153: Holding Up the Mirror

Close

• Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.
• You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/
• I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.
• If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html 
• Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.
• Remember the secret to good leadership:
  • Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others
  • Be fully present
  • Ask reflective questions
  • And then just listen
  • Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.
• Have a great rest of the week!
• Cheers!

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:

Power Quote: “Climate is the emotional state felt within the physical space”

Description:

I had so much fun recording today’s show. My guest stands tall (literally and figuratively) in the realm of helping school leaders develop positive culture and climate. If you are a regular listener, you know I have my own specific framework on school culture, so stay tuned to the end of the show where I will reflect on commonalities and differences between the approaches. I hope you have as much fun listening as I did recording, but before we get into it…

Sponsor Spot 1:As a loyal listener to this show, you know I am a big advocate for short, targeted observations, so I’m excited about digiCOACH sponsoring this podcast. digiCOACH makes it easier to follow up on observations with meaningful feedback. I love that you can focus on specific elements and that there is a ready-made bank of items to use for telling teachers what they are doing well! You can learn more about digiCOACH at digiCOACH.com or click the link in the show notes.

Show Intro

Guest Bio:

Stand Tall Steve (aka Steve Bollar) is an educational thought leader, former Superintendent of Schools, principal, author, and a school culture and motivation expert. He is a renowned speaker who has inspired countless individuals and organizations to achieve their goals and unleash their full potential. Drawing on his extensive experience in education and leadership, Steven delivers powerful and inspiring messages that challenge audiences to think differently about their lives and their work.
In 2023 Steve earned a place on Global Gurus World's Top 30 Education Professionals. He is the author of the book Stand Tall Leadership, the school culture and climate book series Ideas, Ideas, Ideas and a contributing author in Because of a Teacher.
Husband of one. Father of three. Owner of two dogs & 10 fish, Stand Tall Steve openly shares his knowledge, experiences, and creativity with others. He currently speaks to schools, organizations, businesses, and communities across the globe about how to think differently about schools, education, and life.
Ladies and gentlemen… Stand Tall Steve!

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

• Climate and culture
  • Let’s define culture
  • What do people get wrong when it comes to culture
  • Simplest ways to build a better culture?
• Leadership team
  • How do we balance supporting and growing teachers with managing all the stuff?
• Thinking big – how do we inspire hope AND acknowledge the real chaos and negativity out there?
• It’s a rough time – what are you hearing from people in the field and what’s your message to them?

Sponsor Spot 3: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…

Sponsor Spot 4:Before we wrap, I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn’t that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.

Summary/wrap up

There are a lot of great things in today’s show but I want to focus this summary on the core concepts Steve talked about of values, culture, and climate.

• 6 dimensions: overlap of people’s values and org. purpose = core values?
• Inner forces (aka culture): similar and different from Steve’s “climate”
• My climate experience… Building walkthrough
  • Reception
  • Facility (esp. art)
  • Student – student
  • Student – teacher
  • Teacher – teacher
  • Admin visibility
  • Four quadrant door peaking

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

Guest links:

Website: www.standtallsteve.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@standtallsteve1330

www.withinourranks.com 

https://www.youtube.com/@withinourranks

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/B0C...

Power Quote: “How do you want me to listen?”

Description:

Today’s guest is someone I consider to be a master at the art of coaching, which is appropriate as she wrote the best-selling book titled The Art of Coaching. I Had Elena Aguilar on the show a little over a year ago and we split the interview into two parts, episodes 204 and 205 (link in the show notes) because it was so rich and packed with powerful thoughts and techniques. This interview with Elena is even more dense – so much so that we are splitting it into three parts. In today’s section Elena and I dive into listening and there is so much packed into the span of fifteen minutes that I decided to release it as a full episode. If you listen closely, you’ll recognize that the discussion is embedded within the intro section of celebrations and stories. We didn’t even get to the main interview before Elena shared some wisdom that I wanted to put on its own, for your benefit.
After this conversation, I’ve added Elena’s thoughts on “the one thing leaders should take away.” It is consistent with today’s main topic, but I will also include it in each of the next two part of our discussion because it is so powerful I think we all, myself included, need to listen to it once a week.

Sponsor Spot 1: I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn’t that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.

Show Intro

Guest Bio:

Elena Aguilar is a writer, leader, teacher, coach and podcaster. She is the author of eight highly acclaimed books including: The Art of Coaching, The Art of Coaching Teams, The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development, and the newly released Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching. She has also been a frequent contributor to Edutopia, ASCD’s Educational Leadership, and EdWeek Teacher.
Elena is the founder and CEO of Bright Morning Consulting, an organization committed tohelping individuals and organizations create the conditions for transformation. She has taught tens of thousands of folks how to have conversations that build a more just and equitable world. Elena can be heard demonstrating these conversations on The Bright Morning Podcast.

Elena was a guest on episodes 204 and 205, June 2024

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?

Sponsor Spot 3: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

• The first step to listening is to understanding self: our beliefs, our ways of being
• Is the simple answer to everything listening? And asking good questions (which we dive into more in part 3)?
• How do you want me to listen? Decreases power and increases trust.
• Listening as a muscle (and how I exercised mine this morning).
• We will release part 2 and 3 in back-to-back weeks at the end of July and first week of August, so consider today’s episode to be a teaser of more incredible part of our discussion. Links to my previous 2024 episodes with Elena (204 and 205) are in the show notes.
• Our interview ended with “slow down” This July 4th week is a great time to practice that.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

Elena’s links:

Elena’s new book: Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching

Specials for listeners:  Pre-Order Bonuses 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elena_aguilar_writer/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-aguilar/

Book Shop: https://bookshop.org/lists/books-by-elena-aguilar/

Bright Morning: https://www.brightmorningteam.com/

The Bright Morning Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bright-morning-podcast-with-elena-aguilar/id1517537206

Newsletter: https://www.brightmorningteam.com/resources/newsletter

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

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

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

Link to post on LinkedIn for book giveaway

Description:

Today’s interview will be a bit different as my guest is coming from four decades of leadership experience in the corporate arena. Despite the different setting, the leadership lessons will sound familiar to you. I think this discussion with someone coming from a different place invites us to reexamine fundamental leadership themes from a slightly different perspective.

Sponsor Spot 1:Administrators, you walk through classrooms, take notes, and you plan to follow up… but how much of that feedback actually reaches teachers in a meaningful way?With digiCOACH, you don’t just observe—you coach in the moment. Provide clear, specific feedback instantly and track progress over time. No more forgotten notes or lost opportunities—just real conversations that drive real change.With digiCOACH, you’re not just giving feedback—you’re building a system for growth. Track trends, measure progress, and give teachers the real-time feedback they love. Ready to make coaching more impactful? Start today at digiCOACH.com.

Show Intro

Guest Bio:

With over 30 years of leadership experience, Jim Carlough is an accomplished business strategist, speaker, and author. Having successfully driven explosive growth for healthcare organizations—from start-ups to industry leaders — Jim is a trusted expert in building high-performing teams, revitalizing underperforming businesses, and guiding organizations through transformational change. Jim's core philosophy—leaders aren’t born; they’re developed—challenges the myth of innate leadership. In his book, The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership: A Roadmap to Success, Jim delivers a practical and inspiring guide for leaders at every stage of their journey. His approach focuses on six essential traits that empower individuals to embrace leadership as a skill that can be learned, honed, and mastered through experience, mentorship, and intentional growth.

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

• You’ve written a book based on your experiences and the leadership lessons you’ve learned from others. In The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership, you identify empathy and compassion as two of the six. I am really intrigued by this as my immediate reaction was, “aren’t these the same thing?” Help me understand…
• You shared with me in our email exchange you had a story involving a middle school principal that related to empathy and compassion. Can you share it?
• Your background is in the private sector and I noticed you were a VP of Client Development for Health Management Systems. I’ve done some work with corporate leaders and have been amazed at how similar being a VP is to being a school administrator. Corporate has their demands and the people you serve have a different set of demands, and you are right there in the middle trying to muddle your way through. Can you talk about this tension and then share some wisdom about how school leaders can navigate this?

Sponsor Spot 3: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…

Sponsor Spot 4:Before we wrap, I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn’t that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.

Summary/wrap up

• Whether you are in a school or the private sector, you can’t lead from your office (MBWA)
• Tasks versus people; tension between priorities
• Transparency, honesty, information => trust (integrity)
• Even during an end, your work matters (should be much easier in education, but we need to stay compassionate by supporting and growing our people)
• Link in the show notes – free books to the first three who comment on our LinkedIn post!

Thank you to our sponsors!

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

Jim’s links:

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/jimcarloughms

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimcarloughmotivation/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/jimcarloughms

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@jimcarloughms

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederic...

Power Quote: “Uncover the rock”

Description:

If you haven’t begun reflecting on the year yet, today’s episode will get you in the mood. I encourage you to pause today’s show frequently – there are a number of moments that deserve some contemplation and pausing to think about what something looks or feels like in your context could be very beneficial. This is such a thoughtful conversation – I found myself feeling both reflective and uplifted by the end. I hope you experience the same feelings.

Sponsor Spot 1:Before we dive in, I’d like to thank DigiCoach for sponsoring today’s show. As a loyal listener to this show, you know I am a big advocate for short, targeted observations, so I’m excited to have DigiCoach as one of our sponsors. DigiCoach makes it easier to follow up on observations with meaningful feedback. I love that you can focus on specific elements and that there is a ready-made bank of items to use for telling teachers what they are doing well! You can learn more about DigiCoach at digicoach.com or click the link in the show notes.

Show Intro

Guest Bio:

Will Lepech has worked in various roles within a K-12 system level. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Group Science, a Master of Arts (MA) in Educational Leadership K-12, has a Michigan Elementary Teaching Certificate with additional endorsements in Music Education and Science along with a Michigan School Administrator Certificate. Prior to becoming the Continuous Improvement Consultant at Montcalm Area ISD, he taught in self-contained elementary classrooms at multiple levels, and was an elementary assistant principal at Kent City Community Schools in Kent City, Michigan. In addition, Will served as the Kent City Community Schools Director of Multi-Lingual and Migrant Education Programs and held multiple roles in the MTSS/PBIS process. Will is a member of the Michigan Continuous Improvement Facilitators Network (MCIFN), as well as the Michigan Association of State and Federal Program Specialists (MASFPS)

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

• When you and I first talked, you shared some things you wish you had known while you were a building administrator. I’d like to have conversations around three of them, with you describing the “thing” and then the two of us digging into why understanding the “thing” is so challenging when you are in the midst of it:
  • The power of influencing at the granular (individual) level
  • Change process
  • Not having to have the answers
• If there is time, we can dive a bit more into the change processes.
• 
  

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 http://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…

Sponsor Spot 3:Before we wrap, I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn’t that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.

Summary/wrap up

• Individual versus systems focus (ultimately, does change happen at the individual level?)
• People are the purpose
• Uncover the rock = what’s the problem?
• Resistance is feedback – misalignment in the system and M=v/e
• Systems and structures support sustainability – good summer investment
• Strengthen what is, this is not the time for new stuff

Close

• Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.
• You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/
• I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.
• If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html 
• Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.
• Remember the secret to good leadership:
  • Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others
  • Be fully present
  • Ask reflective questions
  • And then just listen
  • Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.
• Have a great rest of the week!
• Cheers!

Sponsor Links:

IXL: http://ixl.com/assistant 

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

DigiCOACH: digiCOACH.com

Guest links:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/will-lepech-4a05b3342

Frederick’s Links:

Email: