The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast | The #1 Downloaded School Leadership Show

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

 

As a school head, you can't make ruckus sitting in your office with the four walls surrounding you and all the business of public education happening out in the school. Our guest today, Andy Lindsay tell us how he built himself a mobile office which ended up as a learning inspiration for an autistic student in the school.

 

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com

 

Key Talking Points 

1.     What is a mobile office?
2.     The development and advancement of Andy’s mobile office
3.     The unintended consequences of the mobile office
4.     Andy’s communication system between him and the teachers
5.     What is the French fries challenge

 

Key Milestones of the Episodes

[03:50]  Andy’s introduction

[05:25]  What’s a mobile office?

[06:08]  Development and advancement of Andy’s mobile office

[09:44]  The unintended consequences of the mobile office

[13:11]  The communication system

[17:01]  The French fries challenge

[22:33]  Danny’s ideal stuff profile

[29:06]  Danny’s top three priorities for his dream school

 

Key Quotes

1. “Isolation is the number one enemy of excellence and it is also a choice.”
2. “Sometimes we exist in a vacuum of natural talent and that will only get us so far.”
3. “Effective school leaders need to connect with others that can help them accelerate their growth and pass their knowledge on to as well.”
4. “You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
5. “You can't make ruckus sitting in your office with the four walls surrounding you and all the business of public education happening out in the school.”
6. “There are so many neat opportunities out there that are not in textbooks, but they're real.”
7. “Helpful teachers have to be helpful by nature.”
8. “Passion will lead you to success more than a desire for money.”
9. “I can inspire their passion, but they've got to have it in the corner to begin with.”
10. “We cannot be inflexible in any way. Flexibility has to be part of our part of everyday life for us.”

 

 Key Resources 

1. School Leadership Reimagined Podcast- Robyn Jackson
2. School Leadership Series with Daniel Bauer

 

About Our Guest

Andy Lindsey has worked in public education for 22 years as a teacher, coach, tech leader, mentor association leader and Dean of Students. For the past five years, Andy has served as an assistant principal, he has won statewide awards in Michigan as a first year teacher, social studies teacher and as an assistant principal. His secret sauce is passion for learning, leadership and kids.

LinkedIn

 

Tip of the Week

Network! Sometimes we exist in a vacuum of natural talent and that will only get us so far. So effective school leaders need to connect with others that can help them accelerate their growth and pass their knowledge on to as well.

 

Show Some Love

• BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS      $1/MONTH
• DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE!
• LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW

 

LEVEL UP 🚀

Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSORS

ORGANIZED BINDER

• Organized Binder is an evidence-based RTI2 Tier 1 universal level solution
• Focuses on improving executive functioning and noncognitive skills
• Is in direct alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Is an integral component for ensuring Least Restrictive Environments (LRE)

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/

 

The Conrad Challenge

The Conrad Challenge unleashes the potential of students to solve the world’s most difficult problems.

Register until November 1, 2019 at The Conrad Challenge

 

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

 

Why is career advancement for women more difficult than it is for men? What can women do to fight the bias at workplaces?

 

People put you into buckets based on who they perceive you to be. Women have had it all rough. Their ambitions and competence get questioned all the time. For instance, how can she deliver at work yet she has a baby to nurture? How can she be so ambitious?

 

Our guests today are here to help us understand how we can fight bias at workplaces. According to our guests, it all begins with demonstrating confidence, even when you are not confident.

 

Women are very often perceived as too weak, too sweet, too nice to be effective. If they’re very effective, then they’re considered to be unpleasant and unlikeable.

 

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com

  

Key Talking Points 

• How to deal with stereotyping that comes from transitioning from a smaller firm to a larger firm
• Where do we begin the journey of being comfortable to talk about our accomplishments?
• How can we enroll men in the bias conversation, and how can we get them to invest in the needed change?
• Goldilocks dilemma

 

Key Milestones of the Episodes

 [03:22]  Transitioning from a smaller firm to a larger firm. How to deal with the stereotyping

 [06:26]  Talking about our accomplishments

 [07:42]  How can we engage men in the conversation against bias?

 [11:10]  Goldilocks dilemma

 

Key Quotes

1.   “The way we present ourselves gives other people an idea of who we are.”
2.   “The balance between communal and agentic behaviors is dependent on the ability to manage the impressions that you create that other people have of you.”

 

 Key Resources 

1. Website
2. Twitter

3. It's Not You It's the Workplace: Women's Conflict at Work and the Bias that Built It by Andrea S. Kramer and Alton  B. Harris

 

About Our Guest

Andie Kramer and Al Harris are married practicing lawyers. They have been mentoring women and speaking and writing about gender communication for more than 30 years. Andie and Al offer women unique, balanced, and highly practical advice they can use to prevent gender biases from slowing or derailing their careers.  

 

Join the BLBS Mastermind 

What kind of leader makes a good mastermind member?  Danny asks members that he already serves and this it what they said about their peers: 

 

Mastermind members are supportive, wise and not afraid to kick your butt! ~Eileen, Deputy Head of Schools in China

 

Courageous, risk takers and learners are how I describe my mastermind peers. ~Chris, VP in Canada

 

Mastermind members are generous, driven and are never satisfied with the status quo. ~Melody, Principal in Kentucky

 

If that sounds like you or people you want to surround yourself with apply today at https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermind/

 

**Our 5th mastermind cohort is launching and is hands down the best professional development a leader can engage in.  Join Today!**

 

Tip of the Week

Be Consistent:  Consistency leads to trust.  Make sure you are doing what you say you are going to do each day.  Follow through and be consistent with your teachers. Your authentic leadership depends on it.   People love a leader who they trust.

  Show Some Love

• BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS $1/MONTH
• DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE!
• LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW

 

LEVEL UP 🚀 Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSORS

ORGANIZED BINDER

• Organized Binder is an evidence-based RTI2 Tier 1 universal level solution
• Focuses on improving executive functioning and noncognitive skills
• Is in direct alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Is an integral component for ensuring Least Restrictive Environments (LRE)

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/

 

The Conrad Challenge

The Conrad Challenge unleashes the potential of students to solve the world’s most difficult problems.

Register until November 1, 2019 at The Conrad Challenge

 

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

What is Courage? How can you lead with Courage?

Today we are honored to have Amanda Valenzuela on the show. Amanda will tell us what it takes to lead with Courage. According to our guest, Courage is asking that pesky question that you don’t want to ask at the end of the admin meeting because you know, it needs to be asked. How often do you hold back on something just because you think it doesn’t matter, but deep inside, you know you need to ask?

Amanda takes us through how she leads with Courage.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com

 

Key Talking Points 

• Amanda’s introduction
• Courage
• Leading with Courage
• How to find a voice

  

Key Milestones of the Episodes

[01:22]  Amanda’s introduction

[09:14]  What is Courage?

[10:57]  Leading with Courage

[19:09]  Finding your voice

[28:51]  Amanda’s top 3 priorities

 

Key Quotes

1. “When you’re on your path, the universe will conspire to help you.”
2. “If you are going to find your voice and you’re going to be willing to share your voice, you have to like yourself, and you have to believe that other people like you and or that what you have to say matters or no one’s going to listen to you.”
3. “As a woman, there’s no reason I can’t do anything that anyone else does.”
4. “You just can’t be worried about being popular all the time.”
5. “If you’re going to hold back, then there’s no way that your team can trust you.”
6. “Courage is asking that pesky question that you don’t want to ask at the end of the admin meeting because you know, it needs to be asked.”

 

Key Resources 

1. Dare to Lead- Brenae Brown’s

2. The Conrad Challenge

  About Our Guest

Amanda Valenzuela, native of Southern California, is the Upper School Coordinator and the Languages Department Head. She completed her undergraduate studies at California State University, Fullerton in Spanish Linguistics and Literature, and her graduate studies at UCLA, where she earned a Masters in Spanish and Ph.D. Candidacy in Hispanic Languages and Literatures. As a school leader, she credits the NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) for building her capacity to support equitable and inclusive educational practices at ESLA. During the 2019-2020 school year, Amanda is teaching Global Citizenship Through the Lens of Recent Spanish Cinema and AP Spanish Language and Culture. Amanda is also a 2019-2020 Leadership and Design Fellow (L+D) and a contributor to California World Language Project (CWLP) & the California Global Education Project. Amanda loves surfing, hiking, motorcycles, and storytelling.

LinkedIn

Tip of the Week

Build a team:  As you develop relationships within the organization take note of everyone’s strengths.  Build your team on complimentary pieces. In fact, build the team to bolster your weaknesses as a leader.  Do you have a school improvement team, a leadership team, or a data team? Effective school leaders build teams that can support their efforts.

 

Show Some Love

•     BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS              $1/MONTH
•     DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE!
•     LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW

 

LEVEL UP 🚀

Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSORS

ORGANIZED BINDER

• Organized Binder is an evidence-based RTI2 Tier 1 universal level solution
• Focuses on improving executive functioning and noncognitive skills
• Is in direct alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Is an integral component for ensuring Least Restrictive Environments (LRE)

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/

 

The Conrad Challenge

The Conrad Challenge unleashes the potential of students to solve the world’s most difficult problems.

Register until November 1, 2019 at The Conrad Challenge

 

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

Do you know students can advise you in ways that you cannot imagine?  Dr. Marcus Campbell tells us how his students helped him come up with the dress code for the school.  Additionally, Dr. Campbell tells us how his school changed the status quo and got more students to the AP classes regardless of their race.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com

  

Key Talking Points 

• How Marcus implemented dressing code in his school
• Race vs. Gender
• Breaking the status quo of the AP classes
• Being a better decision maker

 

Key Milestones of the Episodes

[05:10]  The history of dress codes

[06:15]  Adopting the Oregon chapter

[10:59]  What shift happened to the dress code?

[17:02]  Access and equity to AP classes

[24:47]  How Marcus makes decisions

[27:41]  Self-care

 

Key Quotes

1. “There's nothing worse than being inconsistent.”
2. “If you say you're going to do something, follow through.”
3. “Authentic leadership is a leader’s ability to lead with their mind their heart and their feet.”
4. “If learning is our focus, let's focus on the learning and leave the dressing.”
5. “Do what you have to do when you have to do it regardless of how you feel.”

 

Key Resources 

Frederick Douglas by Dr. David Blight 

 

About Our Guest

Dr. Campbell earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at National College of Education, National Louis University in the fall of 2015.

Marcus Campbell also serves as the Assistant Superintendent/Principal at ETHS since 2013. In this role, he serves as the educational leader and chief administrator of all school operations at Evanston Township High School and is responsible for implementing and managing the policies, regulations, and procedures of the Board of Education to ensure that all students are educated and supported in a safe, equitable, culturally relevant and student-centered learning environment.

Twitter

 

Join the BLBS Mastermind 

What kind of leader makes a good mastermind member?  Danny asks members that he already serves and this it what they said about their peers: 

Mastermind members are supportive, wise and not afraid to kick your butt! ~Eileen, Deputy Head of Schools in China

Courageous, risk takers and learners are how I describe my mastermind peers. ~Chris, VP in Canada

Mastermind members are generous, driven and are never satisfied with the status quo. ~Melody, Principal in Kentucky

 

If that sounds like you or people you want to surround yourself with apply today at https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermind/

**Our 5th mastermind cohort is launching and is hands down the best professional development a leader can engage in.  Join Today!**

 

Tip of the Week

Be Consistent:  Consistency leads to trust.  Make sure you are doing what you say you are going to do each day.  Follow through and be consistent with your teachers. Your authentic leadership depends on it.   People love a leader who they trust.

Show Some Love

• BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS $1/MONTH
• DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE!
• LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW

 

LEVEL UP 🚀

Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSORS

ORGANIZED BINDER

• Organized Binder is an evidence-based RTI2 Tier 1 universal level solution
• Focuses on improving executive functioning and noncognitive skills
• Is in direct alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Is an integral component for ensuring Least Restrictive Environments (LRE)

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/

 

The Conrad Challenge

The Conrad Challenge unleashes the potential of students to solve the world’s most difficult problems.

Register until November 1, 2019 at The Conrad Challenge

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

How can you attack the white supremacy culture?  Why is it that we are so afraid to talk about race? Why is it so difficult for us to kick start the conversation?

White supremacy has affected our schools but we are shy to talk about it.  Our Ruckus maker today takes us through the white supremacy issue in our schools and its remedy.

Joe Truss is a fourth year principal of Visitation Valley Middle School in San Francisco. He is working to bring PBL to the hood and empower students to rise above the odds. In addition, Joe Truss is a leadership coach helping educators to engineer for equity. He focuses on long-term planning, racial equity in the transformation of adult culture.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com 

 

Key Talking Points 

• The journey to end white supremacy culture
• White supremacy in our organizations and schools
• The illusion of objectivity

 

Key Milestones of the Episodes

 [07:06] Joe’s introduction

 [08:56] Joe’s catalyst to pursue white supremacy

 [11:20] First attempt to fighting racism

 [12:03] How to get back after defeat

 [17:54] Implementing change and learning

 [20:20] Is school an exercise of power hoarding?

 [25:51] The great release and a sneak peek into the future.

  

Key Quotes

1. “Vulnerability leads to authenticity and trust.”
2. “We fight for equity because it's so important.”
3. “School is an exercise of power hoarding.”
4. “People can drive their own learning once they want to.”
5. “Decolonize your mind.”

 

Key Resources 

Culturally Responsive Leadership

Culturally Responsive Leadership 1

 

About Our Guest

Joe Truss is a 4th year Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School, in San Francisco. He is working to bring PBL to the hood and empower students to rise above the odds. In addition, Joe Truss is a Leadership Coach helping educators to engineer for equity. He focuses on long term planning racial equity and the transformation of adult culture. 

Twitter

 

Tip of the Week

Being Vulnerable: Let those you lead know that you are human.  Let them know that you are passionate about everything you are working on. Being vulnerable leads to authenticity and trust.  Trust is so important and with trust you can accomplish almost anything. Listen to the podcast for an excellent vulnerability activity you can do with your teachers and teachers can do with students.  Being vulnerable is an excellent characteristic of a strong leader.

  Join the BLBS Mastermind 

What kind of leader makes a good mastermind member?  Danny asks members that he already serves and this it what they said about their peers: 

Mastermind members are supportive, wise and not afraid to kick your butt! ~Eileen, Deputy Head of Schools in China

Courageous, risk takers and learners are how I describe my mastermind peers. ~Chris, VP in Canada

Mastermind members are generous, driven and are never satisfied with the status quo. ~Melody, Principal in Kentucky

If that sounds like you or people you want to surround yourself with apply today at https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermind/

 

**Our 5th mastermind cohort is launching and is hands down the best professional development a leader can engage in.  Join Today!**

 

Show Some Love

• BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS $1/MONTH
• DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE!
• LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW

 

LEVEL UP 🚀

Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSORS

ORGANIZED BINDER

• Organized Binder is an evidence-based RTI2 Tier 1 universal level solution
• Focuses on improving executive functioning and noncognitive skills
• Is in direct alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Is an integral component for ensuring Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/

 

Teach FX

• Empowers teachers with feedback on student engagement
• A fitbit for teachers that measures student engagement
• Research shows that the more students speak in class, the more they learn, and the better they perform on standardized tests.
• Use your phone or laptop to analyze your class, and the app’s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm tracks your talk ratio automatically, with no extra work from you or an instructional coach. 
• The idea is to give teachers a useful barometer of student engagement you can check every day!
• You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://teachfx.com/

 

The Conrad Challenge

The Conrad Challenge unleashes the potential of students to solve the world’s most difficult problems.

Register until November 1, 2019 at The Conrad Challenge

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

We all know there a times when we have to “tell like it is” in a conversation. Yet, there is no roadmap to having these conversations. How you do give clear feedback without sounding rude or inconsiderate? How do we create environments where staff can move from “being nice” to telling us the truth when it matters?

These are the questions (and more) that Joseph and TJ cover in this episode

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com

 

Key Talking Points 

• The need for authentic feedback and criticism
• Why candor is more about being specific vs just being honest
• Why clear expectations should be the foundation of every relationship you build
• How to give conversation with candor and clear expectations
• Ensuring accountability within yourself
• Creating an environment where candid conversations can really happen

  

Key Milestones of the Episodes

[7:20] How do we break out a culture of trying to be nice all the time

[9:00] What are some common misperceptions people have about having candid conversations?

[17:35] What should we do if our best practices and strategies aren’t working?

[24:22] Being candid with yourself

[26:50] How to encourage candid conversations with staff

[29:17] How do we empower teachers to be more candid leaders?

 

Key Quotes

“Very often when we talk about candor,it’s associated with being rude..”

“Unfortunately, we often miss the mark in order to help people...because we sugarcoat things.”

“The relationship is far better when we have a firm ground on which to start it.”

“With precision, you can go faster.”

 

Key Resources 

Candid and Compassionate Feedback by Joseph Jones & Dr. TJ Vari

Nuance: Why Some Leaders Succeed and Others Fail by Michael Fullen

 

About Our Guests

Both of our guests are school administrators and educators.

Dr. Joseph Jones is the Director of Assessment and Accountability in the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District. Dr. T.J. Vari is the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools and District Operations in the Appoquinimink School District. Dr. Jones and Dr. Vari are co-authors of the new book: Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools.

Dr. TJ Vari LinkedIn

Dr. Joseph Jones LinkedIn

 

Tip of the Week

The Angry Parent: Always direct the angry parent back to the teacher.  The parent should always go to the teacher first as they are in the trenches and may have information the parent needs to possibly solve the issue at hand,  This is an important step as 99% of the time the issue will be handled at the teacher level and empowers the teacher and adds respect and trust.

 

Show Some Love

• BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS $1/MONTH
• DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE!
• LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW

LEVEL UP 🚀 Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSORS

ORGANIZED BINDER

• Organized Binder is an evidence-based RTI2 Tier 1 universal level solution
• Focuses on improving executive functioning and noncognitive skills
• Is in direct alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Is an integral component for ensuring Least Restrictive Environments (LRE)

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/

 

Teach FX

• Empowers teachers with feedback on student engagement
• A fitbit for teachers that measures student engagement
• Research shows that the more students speak in class, the more they learn, and the better they perform on standardized tests.
• Use your phone or laptop to analyze your class, and the app’s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm tracks your talk ratio automatically, with no extra work from you or an instructional coach. 
• The idea is to give teachers a useful barometer of student engagement you can check every day!

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://teachfx.com/

 

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

Where are you comfortable as a leader and where do you need to take the leap?

Our guest today is a perfect example of what it means to step out of a comfort zone.

Kristie Letter is an English teacher who decided to take a shift from teaching English to teaching innovation and design thinking. Such a great shift! Also, she is a creative writer with a book of short stories coming out this month.

Listen in and I hope you will enjoy the episode.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com

 

Key Talking Points 

• Kristie’s introduction
• Kristie’s career shift journey
• The Conrad challenge
• Embracing failure
• Failure resume

 

Key Milestones of the Episodes

[03:00]  Kristie’s introduction

[04:01]  Kristie’s shift from teaching English to teaching innovation and creative design

[09:30]  The Conrad challenge

[11:52]  Embracing failure

[12:42]  How can we benefit from collaboration?

[13:37]  The failure resume

[19:41]  Stepping out of the comfort zone

[23:30]  Kristie’s dream school

 

Key Quotes

1. “Every elite performer is incredibly self-aware.”
2. “Failure is a powerful teacher and a prerequisite for innovation and success.”
3. “By reflecting on your failures, learning from them and moving past them, you will level up.”
4. “Recognize your nervousness and see that as an opportunity.”
5. “We have to embrace this kind of failure because otherwise they, they can't keep ideating after the first idea fails if they don't have a staunch response to failure.”
6. “Failure needs to be something that we teach and it needs to be something that we require.”

 

Key Resources 

Fire in the Hole by Kristie Betts Letter

Conrad Challenge Website

 

About Our Guest

Kristie Letter is a teacher at a public charter in Lafayette, Colorado. Kristie is interested in how students and schools are afraid to fail. Her students won multiple awards in the Conrad Challenge. She is also a creative writer with a book of short stories coming out in late September called Fire in the Hole. 

Conrad Challenge Twitter: @ConradChallenge

Kristie Letter Twitter: @kristieletter

 

Show Some Love

• BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS $1/MONTH
• DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE!
• LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW

 

LEVEL UP 🚀

Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSOR

The Conrad Challenge

The Conrad Challenge unleashes the potential of students to solve the world’s most difficult problems.

Register until November 1, 2019 at The Conrad Challenge

 

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

Emotions are something we carry around with us 24/7, yet we only let them out for a few hours at home.

Why?

Why do we limit our emotions to such a small part of our day when they can have such a big impact on our life?

Christie Mann, author, leadership coach, and spiritual psychologist explores these questions through her own story as a 13-year old with a father in jail and mistaken belief that suppressing emotions was the best way forward.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com

 

Key Talking Points 

• Christie’s origin story of emotional recovery
• Why Christie feels children and adults need to have emotional wellness
• How to get started with expressing your emotions in a healthy way
• The power of transforming challenges into your life into lessons and gifts
• The “Cape On!” message Christie has for children and adults
• Different ways that adults can (accidentally) teach kids to suppress emotions
• Including emotional wellness in the curriculum for stronger kids and adults

 

 

Key Milestones of the Episodes

[7:00] Christie’s origin story

[9:10] Addressing emotional intelligence in children & adults

[11:40] How would you start learning how to work with your emotions, instead of suppressing them?

[16:07] How do you reframe challenges as gifts?

[20:23] What is the bigger “Why” behind your mission?

[24:05] The bad things we say as adults that emotionally harm our children

 

Key Quotes

“Part of the story was ‘I can’t feel emotions because there’s no time for it and there’s no space to be sad.”

“There is...much more demand for people to bring their full self to work.”

“I like to think about how much energy we put into suppressing our emotions.”

“I had to train myself how to allow emotions to come up in a healthy and responsible way because I’ve suppressed them for so long….”

“When we tell children in our world not to have the emotion...that is actually shutting down the emotion.”

 

Key Resources 

Adventures of Little Sass by Christie Mann

Christie Mann’s website

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday

 

About Our Guest

Christie Mann has made it her mission to fulfill her purpose of being a leader who develops leaders. Christie is a best-selling author, spiritual psychologist, leadership coach, speaker and Kundalini Yoga & Meditation teacher who designs and facilitates transformational content that make our world a healthier place to be. A proud member of CTI’s Faculty and Organizational Coaching teams and the creator of The Adventures of Lil’ Sass, a series of emotional wellness books for young people. 

Join the Adventure here: www.lilsass.com 

@adventuresoflilsass 

Website

Twitter

 

Tip of the Week

Don’t change anything as a first year principal: As a first year principal you need to take the time to develop relationships.  Know your people and observe what is what and how everything meshes together. Change is difficult and is much easier when trust has been built with your employees.  Be an active listener and focus on building strong relationships with your staff prior to making any changes. 

 

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• BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS $1/MONTH
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LEVEL UP 🚀

Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSORS

ORGANIZED BINDER

• Organized Binder is an evidence-based RTI2 Tier 1 universal level solution
• Focuses on improving executive functioning and noncognitive skills
• Is in direct alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Is an integral component for ensuring Least Restrictive Environments (LRE)

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/

 

Teach FX

• Empowers teachers with feedback on student engagement
• A fitbit for teachers that measures student engagement
• Research shows that the more students speak in class, the more they learn, and the better they perform on standardized tests.
• Use your phone or laptop to analyze your class, and the app’s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm tracks your talk ratio automatically, with no extra work from you or an instructional coach. 
• The idea is to give teachers a useful barometer of student engagement you can check every day!

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://teachfx.com/

 

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

If education is about the future, why do we spend more time checking boxes versus innovating?

Why do we highlight innovative educational programs only to repeat the same things we do every year in school?

These are the questions Dr. Elizabeth Micci tackles in this episode of Better Leaders, Better School. Dr. Micci shares with us her practices (like getting up at 5:45 to hike) and her experiences that led her to reflect and make a dramatic change to help create authentic and fun learning experiences for her students.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com

 

Key Talking Points 

• Why she gets up at 5:45 to hike with others
• Her graduate experience at Harvard and research on making powerful school change
• How to create unique and real-world experiences, even on a small “this is all we have from the county” budget
• The importance and practice of reflection

 

Key Milestones of the Episodes

[6:00] So...you get up before 5:45 ...to hike?

[7:33] What are some tips on improving your willpower to get up early and exercise?

[11:14] Dr. Micci’s experience and research at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education

[14:00] How did your experiences at the graduate school impact you?

[19:00] What are some examples of school projects that used unique, real-world experiences?

[25:25] How would you respond to critics of your real-world experience approach?

 

Key Quotes

1. “Getting up and getting that workout in before the day start adds a level of energy to out day that we didn’t have before.”
2. “Content, in the real world, is always integrated.”
3.  “We always say things in education like ‘Design with the end in mind’, but if you look at how operate, this infrequently happens.”
4. “It’s about asking yourself ‘What are you really trying to do, teach this student that’s right in front of you or check a box.”
5. “...look at the broader world as your classroom.”

 

Key Resources 

This is Marketing by Seth Godin

A Beautiful Constraint

Immunity to Change

Don’t forget to catch more episodes and resources at the Better Leaders Better Schools website.

 

About Our Guest

Beginning her career in education with Teach For America, Elizabeth taught secondary English before going on to co-found and administrate a college preparatory academy in Houston, TX. She returned to graduate school for her Doctor of Education Leadership degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, joining The Harbour School in 2017 as a researcher and member of the high school humanities faculty. Elizabeth was named High School Principal at THS in July 2018.

 

Dr. Elizabeth Micci’s Contact Info

Twitter

LinkedIn

 

Tip of the Week

Do No Be a Workaholic: Make sure you are balancing your life and no spending all of your time a school.  Leaders need downtime and time to reflect. Take that time whenever you can. Don’t stay at school late at night in your office.  Go home, find a new routine to help balance your personal and professional life. Model this for your teachers as well. They cannot be workaholics either!

Show Some Love

• BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS $1/MONTH
• DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE!
• LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW

 

LEVEL UP 🚀 Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSORS

ORGANIZED BINDER

• Organized Binder is an evidence-based RTI2 Tier 1 universal level solution
• Focuses on improving executive functioning and noncognitive skills
• Is in direct alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Is an integral component for ensuring Least Restrictive Environments (LRE)

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/

 

Teach FX

• Empowers teachers with feedback on student engagement
• A fitbit for teachers that measures student engagement
• Research shows that the more students speak in class, the more they learn, and the better they perform on standardized tests.
• Use your phone or laptop to analyze your class, and the app’s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm tracks your talk ratio automatically, with no extra work from you or an instructional coach. 
• The idea is to give teachers a useful barometer of student engagement you can check every day!

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://teachfx.com/

 

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker?  A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.

For some teachers and administrators, discipline is something that is to be dealt with.” If a child acts up in class, write them up or send them to principal.

But for Nathan a child “acting up” isn’t something to just be dealt with. It’s a student reacting to something.

That “something” is what Nathan believes we need to figure out and support. He shows us how to uncover that “something” and use it to build relationships that create better students and better leaders.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com

 

Key Talking Points 

•     The story of Luka, a powerful lesson in restorative conversations
•     Understanding what restorative conversations look like
•     Dealing with criticisms about restorative conversations
•     The Big “Why”- Why it’s important to support emotionally intelligent students

 

Key Milestones of the Episodes

[3:15]The powerful story of Luka

[7:33] What are some tips on improving your willpower to get up early and exercise?

[10:00] Doing restorative conversations: Why are open-ended conversations important?

[12:07} Doing reflective conversations: How does a restorative conversation look like?

[19:25] How would you deal with critics and skeptics of the “restorative conversation” method?

[22:44] BehaviorFlip

 

Key Quotes

1. “The best thing to do is to build a relationship with as many people as possible.”
2. “When you’re having a restorative conversation, the main component is you want to seek to understand.”
3. “I’ve always said that no matter what I do, that’s the population [I choose to work with]: underserved, underprivileged, at-risk….”
4. “Any support that we can put in place...is really going to make the world a better place.”
5. “Seek to understand every behavior in the school.”

 

Key Resources 

Hacking School Discipline: 9 Ways to Create a Culture of Empathy and Responsibility Using Restorative Justice (Hack Learning Series) Paperback

BehaviorFlip

Hacking School Discipline: 9 Ways to Create a Culture of Empathy and Responsibility Using Restorative Justice by Nathan Maynard

https://twitter.com/NmaynardEdu

https://twitter.com/BehaviorFlip

 

About Our Guest

Nathan is a co-author of Hacking School Discipline: 9 Ways to Create a Culture of Empathy and Responsibility Using Restorative Justice. He also is the Co-Founder and acting CEO of BehaviorFlip. He is passionate about addressing the school-to-prison pipeline crisis and closing the achievement gap through implementing trauma-informed behavioral practices. 

 

Contact Info

Twitter

LinkedIn 

 

Show Some Love

•     BECOME A PATRON OF THE SHOW FOR AS LITTLE AS              $1/MONTH
•     DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?  iTunes SUBSCRIBE HERE!
•     LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING AND REVIEW

 

LEVEL UP 🚀

Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

 

SHOW SPONSORS

ORGANIZED BINDER

• Organized Binder is an evidence-based RTI2 Tier 1 universal level solution
• Focuses on improving executive functioning and noncognitive skills
• Is in direct alignment with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Is an integral component for ensuring Least Restrictive Environments (LRE)

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/

 

Teach FX

• Empowers teachers with feedback on student engagement
• A fitbit for teachers that measures student engagement
• Research shows that the more students speak in class, the more they learn, and the better they perform on standardized tests.
• Use your phone or laptop to analyze your class, and the app’s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm tracks your talk ratio automatically, with no extra work from you or an instructional coach. 
• The idea is to give teachers a useful barometer of student engagement you can check every day!

You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://teachfx.com/

 

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools