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.

In this episode, Dr. Larry Hausner, an educator with decades of experience and owner of a school leadership training firm, discusses how school leaders (particularly principals) can unleash their change-make power successfully and achieve joy while working a complicated job. Dr. Hausner shared how he implemented change in school districts over his career and used that experience to help other school leaders have more satisfying careers.

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

•     The key to making successful change as a school leader
•     What you should do as a school leader during the first year
•     The top “pet peeves” that Dr. Hausner faced..and how he tackled them
•     Why coaching for principals is a good thing
•     How school leaders can achieve joy and meaning in their roles

[5:50] Navigating Change: Dr. Hausner shares the most important thing to remember as a change maker

[13:06] What Change Looks Like: Dr. Hausner shares some changes he introduced into schools and how he successfully did it

[17:05] The Power of Patience: The perspective school leaders should have when moving staff through a change

[19:00] Coaching & Principals: Why principals need coaching to provide the best service

[24:00] From burnout to joy: Why principals can be happy in their job

 Successful leaders have a knack for building relationships.”

“In education, we’re in the people business.”

“We need to provide coaching for principals so that they stay in the profession, they support students and teachers… and they actually might enjoy the job.”

The Principal Coaching Model: How to Plan, Design, and Implement a Successful Program

Coaching School Leadership

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

Read the Better Leaders Better Schools Roadmap

Dr. Kelly Crane, expert coach at BLBS shares a tip about an app called Wakelt.  Save your favorite content from across the web. Articles, videos, blogs, tweets, songs and more – bookmark anything you find online in two clicks.  Arrange your bookmarks into stunning collections. Add images, text and organize however you like to build stories from your content. Collaborate with others on group collections to share ideas, inspiration and knowledge. Share your collections with a single link.  It is a free app-go to your app store or https://wakelet.com/.

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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.

In this episode Daniel Bauer visits with Franklin Day about how we can support the needs of all students and constantly beating the drum, but that can be exhausting.  Franklin is also a guru when it comes to SPED, so if you need to level up your SPED knowledge this show is for you.

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

Franklin Day is the associate director of special education in Spokane Public Schools with responsibility for legal issues, compliance and supervision of related services and providers. He has worked in mental health, early intervention, public and private preschool, public and charter schools and in higher education systems, as an ABA therapist, a school psychologist and a school district administrator.

Franklin starts each day by running.  That is his centering grounding force.  Once he gets to work he is always fighting for change to improve programs and improve services for students.  Franklin talks about perseverance and hearing the same message over and over. Getting the concept in mind is important prior to moving forward.  It does get tiring but the why is the reason Franklin continues doing this work.

“I don’t believe anyone really hears the message until we’ve said it 5 to 7 times and that language has to be the same every time in order for people to understand what we are talking about.” - Franklin Day

Franklin always starts with personal interaction and building relationships.  He spends a lot of time in an office sifting through data but always wants to have conversations from person to person. He would much rather spend the time to drive to a school to talk with that person face-to-face.  It is a much more meaningful conversation.

“I think they get much more out of the conversation and I know I do.” - Franklin Day

Franklin talks about the fact that he is an introvert and shy most of the time.  To help others he believes that building micro-habits to connect with people on a regular basis.  Franklin has to force himself to go out and talk to those new principals but it always pays back.

“I have had 6 more conversations with this principal where it is not somebody who is new, scary, different, she’s a colleague and we are working together and it is much more comfortable circumstance and a much more comfortable interaction.” - Franklin Day

Franklin says that research shows that special education students will receive the best outcome and make progress with the majority of their time spent in general education settings.  Franklin sees a lot of schools focusing on schedules for the adults instead of focusing on students and their needs. We use pull out programs because it’s easier to schedule instead of going into the classroom.

“70% of our students have low impact disabilities that their needs could be me in the general education settings.” - Franklin Day

Franklin felt the need to grow in his leadership and wasn’t finding anything in his community.  He needed a place where he could be safe and have conversations about the challenges that were existing in his role.  Franklin needed feedback to grow personally and professionally.

“I keep coming back because it is an amazing group that I learn something from every week and I grow from those conversations.” - Franklin Day

Dr. Kelly Crane, expert coach at BLBS shares a tip on meditation.  She encourages listeners to download the app Headspace to begin the process of meditating each day.  Clearing your mind is not easy but very valuable. Start taking care of yourself today and schedule time daily to meditate.

Download resource: https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/

• 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

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.

Up next you can hear Daniel Bauer’s interview with Dan Pink. In today’s conversation he speaks with NY Times BestSelling Author Daniel Pink and discusses his new book: When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.

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

Daniel H. Pink is the author of six provocative books — including his newest, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, which spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list and was named a best book of 2018 by Amazon, iBooks, Goodreads, and several more outlets. His other books include the long-running New York Times bestseller A Whole New Mind and the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into 39 languages. He lives in Washington, DC with his family.

Dan wrote his latest book When to distinguish between the times when he should be doing certain things to ensure that they were done.  He was making decisions haphazardly and looked for guidance which did not exist at the time. Dan started researching timing and discovered that there is an abundance of research around timing in a multitude of disciplines.  They all shared a commonality and Dan focused on that part of the research.

“How does the rhythm of the day affect how we feel, how we perform, how do new beginnings affect us, how do midpoints affect us and shape our behavior, what do ending do for us and how do groups synchronize time.” - Dan Pink

Dan explains that we tend to move through the day in three stages.  We begin with peak then move to trough then recover. Most of us move through the day in this order with the exception of night owls.  They do not and are much more complicated. 20% of the population has an evening chronotype causing them to naturally stay up late and wake up late.  Peak is in the morning, trough is in the afternoon and recover is in the evening. Peak is the time of the day where we should be doing our analytical work.

“Trough is a very bad time of day for most people.  This is when you should do your administrative work.” - Dan Pink

Dan wrote this book because he wanted to read it.  There was nothing else out there like this and it impacted how he arranged his daily schedule.  He was glad that he wrote it because he learned a lot, it had the most impact in his day to day life, and it changed how he does things.

“I think I have written six books and of the six books I have written this one has probably had the most impact on my day to day life.” - Dan Pink

Dan explains that endings have multiple effects on our behavior.  One of those is that it energizes us when we see the end in sight so we kick a bit harder.  Endings help us encode experiences, which is they play a disproportionate role in how we remember and evaluate entire experiences.  Some endings are meaning makers and that means that we may not get to the end of something so we start searching for a rise in sequences instead of a decline.

“Interim deadlines can be effective for students with long term projects will help the students move a little bit faster.” - Dan Pink

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink

To Sell Is Human:  The Surprising Truth in Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

A Whole New Mind:  Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future by Daniel H. Pink

Facebook

Website

Twitter

Dr. Kelly Crane, expert coach at BLBS shares a tip titled, “What is a place that you”ve always wanted to visit?”  You put together a powerpoint with slides containing only the name of each person in the group. They find their slide and insert a picture of somewhere they’ve always wanted to visit.  You can put a text box to explain why. You give the group about 3-4 minutes to complete and then you discuss each person’s slide. It’s a great way to get to know people on a different level.  Excellent PD activity or an activity to do with your students.

https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/

• 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

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 is 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.

Up next you can hear Daniel Bauer’s wife Miriam interview him in this twist of events.  They discuss multiple facets of their relationship in this special 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

Daniel Bauer is the founder of Better Leaders Better Schools, a popular blog and most-downloaded podcast for leaders in education. He helps school leaders fight isolation and frustration through his leadership community, “The Mastermind,” in order to gain clarity and find solutions to their greatest challenges. Daniel is also the author of a “#1 Hot New Release" on Amazon, The Better Leaders Better Schools Roadmap, which helps educators create legendary schools.  

Daniel and Miriam begin the podcast by poking fun. Miriam begins by talking about her pet peeves from Daniel’s actions. She brings up how Daniel’s idea of cleaning is similar to taking a pile of dust and spreading it around the counter evenly, and also how he drips water onto the floor every time he washes his hands. Then they move on to the good qualities, as Miriam describes their marriage as a great adventure. They have a lot in common, and that makes their relationship exciting and fun. Miriam says she loves how supportive Daniel is when things get tough. Miriam credits Daniel for taking the leap, and working hard to achieve his dreams.

“You’ve been working so hard for the past few years, I’ve seen you go through the best of times and some really challenging times. You’ve stayed on course and I’m so proud of you for that.” -Miriam Bauer

When talking about his motivation, Daniel recalls a quote that really pushes him everyday. “Everybody wins when the leader gets better.” This provoked deep thought about Daniel’s leadership development. He felt like he was doing a decent job as a leader, but definitely wanted to improve. There are always ways to improve in anything, and Daniel was constantly finding ways to become a better leader.

“If it’s true that everybody wins when the leader gets better, then it’s my duty to do as much as I could to develop myself to serve the community, because everyone would be impacted in a positive way.” -Daniel Bauer

Daniel talks about where he got his confidence, and how he used that to take the leap. He says it is like double sided coin. One side has all of the fear and anxieties, and the other has the success and confidence. If you let the fear and anxieties win, the confidence and success will lose. Daniel says this analogy has allowed him to be more confident, because he doesn’t want fear and anxiety to ever win this battle.

"You don’t want to get to your grave and have all these regrets and what ifs.”  – Daniel Bauer

Daniel mentions how he has a much greater understanding of unconditional love with his wife. If Daniel and Miriam run into problems, they usually figure it out quickly and move on. Any differences they have are settled by the mutual trust they have with each other.  Daniel didn’t expect to find somebody that would be in his corner as much as Miriam has been. This allows him to focus on improving himself and his flaws.

"If you’re not careful that neediness or affirmation that everything will be okay, that can really get in the way of intimacy, trust, and relationships.”  – Daniel Bauer

• The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

• Website
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• 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

We help school leaders fight isolation and frustration via a leadership community in order to gain clarity and find solutions to their greatest challenges.

Website :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

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 is 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.

Up next you can hear Daniel Bauer’s interview with Elisabeth Bosnick.  They discuss how to break free from the status quo by creating a culture that is comfortable with “taking the leap”.

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

Elisabeth Bostwick is a multi-award-winning educator who is passionate about creating the conditions to spark curiosity and unleash creativity to empower learning. Driven to elevate education, Elisabeth speaks at both local and national conferences to support educators in their journey to foster cultures of innovation and authentic learning experiences for their students. In addition to being a classroom practitioner, Elisabeth has served as an instructional coach and grade-level chairperson. In these roles, she has worked alongside colleagues to support the integration of technology to deepen learning and has leveraged highly effective strategies to engage and empower all learners to maximize growth. Dedicated to making a long-lasting, positive impact on education, Elisabeth participates as a continuous learner to identify how we can support systemic change and develop essential success skills to ensure learners thrive to be future ready.

Elisabeth is also a co-author of Education Write Now, Volume II: Top Strategies for Improving Relationships and Culture. Recognized by PBS as a Digital Innovator All-Star and lead Digital Innovator for New York, Elisabeth regularly engages with other educators to bring professional learning experiences and contributes to individual and collaborative blogs in the PBS Teachers Lounge. She's also been named the NextGen Young Professional Leader in Education and had the honor of being the recipient of the governor’s Empire State Excellence in Teaching award. Above all, Elisabeth strives to serve as a model for her children. She hopes to inspire them to be dedicated to developing their strengths and interests—leading them to their passions and fulfillment in life.

Her new book, Take the L. E. A. P.: Ignite a Culture of Innovation will help readers reimagine learning by sparking curiosity, inspiring creativity, and promoting student agency.

Elisabeth talks about how her kids along with many others, were not asking as many quality questions as they could. This can lead to a feeling of unfulfillment and kids come home from school feeling as if they did not learn as much. She says that authentic learning and our traditional education do not always go hand in hand. Combined with the heavy emphasis on standardized testing, Elisabeth felt the need to create change in the way we look at learning.

“I felt driven to create a book to help educators break out of the mold of traditional education, and look at how we can infuse authentic learning with the interests and the strengths of the students we work alongside.” - Elisabetth Bostwick

Elisabeth encourages more teachers to bring bigger concepts into the classrooms in which they teach. She says we can inspire authentic learning by figuring out what our students wonder about. If we can find the things that interest them and relate them to the subjects in the classroom, students would be much more interested and interactive inside the classroom.

“There are so many overlapping elements that you can pick and choose, and scaffold it within your own classroom so that it works for you.” -Elisabeth Bostwick

Elisabeth talks about ways to find the students’ interests. She says if you ask most students what their interests are, they will be unrelated to school. Kids will say their interests are sports, video games, and toys. Elisabeth says we have to find out why the kids like these things. We need to expose these kids to a variety of subjects and concepts to find their interests in the classroom.

“It’s not just about a students’ interests, but how we can help kids identify what those interests are.” -Elisabeth Bostwick

Links to Resources

Take the L. E. A. P.: Ignite a Culture of Innovation by Elisabeth Bostwick

Education Write Now, Volume II (Eye on Education) by Jeffrey Zoul

The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity by George Couros

http://elisabethbostwick.com/

https://twitter.com/ElisaBostwick

• 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

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/

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.

Up next you can hear Daniel Bauer’s interview with Robert Palazzo. They discuss his role as a principal and building a new playground.

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

Robert grew up in Long Island, New York. He started his career as a school psychologist and became involved in developing a school-wide positive behavior program. Robert then decided to pursue his Master’s in Educational Administration and served as a k-3 principal. He then concentrated on trauma-informed practice and restorative discipline. In 2013, he opened a new playground at the school that did not have one for 10 years.

Outside of school, Robert enjoys time with his wife and 2-year-old and as a wedding DJ on the weekend.

Robert talks about how being with the kids is meaningful and checking in with all the departments are the highlights of his day. He likes meeting with the students at any time during the day and really building a relationship with them. Robert talks about meeting the students where they are at and making sure to be there at all times, such as lunch and recess.

“Early on as a school psychologist, I knew I wanted to be around them and know who they are. This is what’s helped me in my career and relationship building with the students.” - Robert Palazzo

Robert tells us that people before him wanted a playground, but it is a tough task to get done. He explains how the teachers did a great job of trying to fill time for the students and donating items so that the students could be happy. Robert was fortunate enough to hear that a grandparent was delighted to help to get the project done. He says that he got a lot of his drive from this and knew that it could be done.

“We raised 32,000 dollars from beginning of the 2017 school year to August 2018 which helped us pick who we really wanted to work with.” - Robert Palazzo

Robert talks about how they were able to do this from projects that the students could work on like a coin drive. He talks about how the community really got behind this project and worked hard to gain money. Having this support helped get the project done and was refreshing to see the community support it.

Robert tells us that meeting students where they are is essential and can only help the child be successful. He encourages his staff to listen to the students and really hear why something is going on.

“Actually listening to your students can help them grow and shows that you really do care for them.” - Robert Palazzo

Robert says that sometimes the staff has to call him in to talk with students and he is okay with this. He just asks that his staff reinforces their rules at school.

Robert says he comes from a small district and how leaders can be in isolation. He sometimes says that you need a soundboard to hear some discussions that helped him sustain himself in the work he does.

Robert also says that he has really enjoyed this service and how it’s kept him positive and excellent connections. He describes this as having a group of people that are there to champion you and support you on the not so good days.

“Listen to a child when they have something to say, those 5 minutes may change that whole child’s life.” - Robert Palazzo

Robert says that children have a lot to say, but they can always have something to share that has meaning to them.

I would continue to fill the school with people that love kids and care for them. Robert would then want to slow down the school process and allow teachers to dive deep into topics.

3 priorities

1.  Enthusiastic educators
2.  Deeper knowledge on topics
3.  Have fun

Power Of Moments by Chip Heath

Kids Deserve It by Todd Nesloney & Adam Welcome

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7izWQPRbLNuZndIejQ2MThNblBkWjVFV0pvNDFRQnh3bWpr/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7izWQPRbLNuNUlBZmxlOEtVRU9WdVNKMTNHT1hVMHRYN1dJ/view?usp=sharing

Twitter: @Palazzopves

Download resource: https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/

• 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

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/

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show is 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.

Up next you can hear Daniel Bauer’s interview with David Domena. They discuss creating memorable learning experiences.

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

David is a fourth-grade elementary teacher in southern California but is transitioning to third-grade. David came to education as a second year as he managed retail warehouses for 12 years, this gives him a different perspective on education. David is passionate about teaching the whole student, establishing meaningful relationships with the students, and creating memorable experiences for the students.

David is known for his honesty, enthusiasm, and strategically speaking his mind. David loves being present with his family and doing random acts of kindness.

David talks about how on the first day of class he took his students out to the volleyball court and did a cookie challenge. He told the students that this is all about trying something new and being open-minded. To get into the classroom, students just had to try this but did not have to be successful. David said this helped set the tone that everything is earned throughout the year.

Breaking things down into small steps can create clarity and help create a connection with the community that you are working within.

“This is all about trying things and not being worried about what others are thinking about you.” – David Domena

David says this is much more powerful when people do not know where it is coming from. The reward comes from people acknowledging the gift of kindness but not knowing who it actually comes from.

David’s most significant act of kindness is setting up a Kindness Club at school and seeing the students giving help. This help goes out to all the staff around the building.

Daniel reminds us that meeting with everyone in your community helps the overall goals of education. Everyone can have a great idea and hearing input from others can help create unity and a better learning environment.  

David shares that his why is getting rewards beyond a paycheck such as seeing students grasping a new concept or installing academic confidence. An example was when a student improved his score by 8 points and having the student realize that this was a great accomplishment and allowing them to take that small gain.

“Turning around someone’s day or witnessing a student’s growth shows that I’m doing the right thing.” – David

Was when David was back in the warehouse and the company was starting to plan his exit. David says that he was clueless about this and regretted not being able to prepare them for this. He wasn’t able to help them set up an exit plan, and he carried this with him for a while.

Some people do not want to take ownership of their mistakes which creates problems with not learning from their mistakes.

“I do call and responses for my students and have them move around a lot to get them to be comfortable with their mistakes. The students can acknowledge this and be okay with it.” David

David starts his day off early and gets a mild workout in before his wife and kids are up. David then sets his intention for the day.

Daniel reminds us to think where we need to be perfect and where can we give 70-80% effort. People get to leadership roles and want to give their best to certain projects and really diving into them to make them perfect.

Market it as a leadership academy and focus on foundational skills, leadership, kindness, and service. Academics would emerge from teacher passion and not force into what they need to teach.

3 priorities

1.   Enthusiastic educators
2.   Flexible curriculum
3.   Huge massive budget

Whole Brain Teaching

The Better Leaders Better Schools Roadmap by Daniel Bauer

• Instagram: @mrdelementary
• Gmail: [email protected]

Three leadership questions I ask everyday

Download resource: https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/

• 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

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/

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast.  This is a weekly show is 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.

Up next you can hear Daniel Bauer’s interview with Joël McClean.  They discuss servant leadership and the imposter syndrome.

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

Joël McClean began his career in education in 1997. He has worked as a science and chemistry teacher at the intermediate and secondary level and has been a school principal since 2006.

From 2014 to 2018, Joël was on detachment from his school board as a Pedagogical Leader at CFORP, serving the 12 French school boards of the province of Ontario in Canada, as well as various educational partners. As a leadership coach, he worked with school principals to help develop their leadership skills, as well as board-level pedagogical teams regarding leading, teaching and learning in the digital age.

Joël is presently an elementary school principal, as well as a Provincial Leadership Coach for his professional association. He is the founder of Inspire Life & Leadership Coaching, as well as founder and host of Inspire Leadership Podcast.

Joël believed his impact would come from being a classroom teacher and then a principal.  He wanted to develop himself and needed a different challenge. He began coaching principals and worked the processes with them to have a deep impact.  He was able to ask questions and let them come up with the solutions.

“Be an even better version of yourself today than you were yesterday.” - Joël McClean

Joël talks about a time after receiving a new job when he was sitting without a school to get ready, no staff to talk with, no kids coming in.  Joël began to wonder what he had gotten himself into. He was having some anxiety as they were building it from the ground up.

“It probably ended up being the best decision I could have ever made in terms of my career. ” -Joël McClean

Joël started with posting video tips, blogging, building a website and podcasting (in French) to reach as many leaders as he could on a broader scale.

“Everyone was like-minded that were creative and motivated people just pushing and pushing themselves and each other.” - Joël McClean

Stratosphere by Michael Fullan

Digital Leadership:  Changing Paradigms with Changing Times by Eric Sheninger

Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros

The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier

Leadership Step by Step: Become the Person Others Follow Hardcover by Joshua Spodek

The Better Leaders Better Schools Roadmap by Daniel Bauer

• @Jprofnb https://twitter.com/jprofNB

• https://inspireleadership.ca/

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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/

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools

Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools  podcast. This is a weekly show is 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.

Up next you can hear Daniel Bauer’s interview with Afika Afeni Mills they explore 3 skills all leaders need, going deep with equity and eradicating blind spots.

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

Afrika Afeni Mills is the Manager of Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning and an Instructional Coach with BetterLesson. She works with teachers, coaches and administrators to transform instructional practices and empower all students to thrive. A former teacher, administrator and prominent thought leader, she has been featured on podcasts discussing the school-to-prison pipeline and white fragility and co-presented Required Reading Reconsidered and Interrogating the Curriculum at conferences across the U.S.

Afrika holds a master’s degree in elementary teaching from Boston College’s Lynch School of Education, where she graduated first in her class. Afrika believes that all teachers can be motivated, engaged, dynamic educators and leaders when provided with the support needed to create student-centered, culturally responsive learning environments that inspire wonder and creativity and nurture diversity, equity and inclusion.

Afrika credits Paul Gorski of the Equity Literacy Institute for these three skills after a conference she attended.  These really resonated with her.

1. Having Good Will
2. A depth of knowledge and curiosity
3. The will to change

“When it comes to some of the inequitable practices and policies that exist in schools and even thinking about curriculum being inclusive and things like that, we also need to have a depth of knowledge about that history and the curiosity about that and what students most need and then the will to change those things to make sure we're always serving students the best. So I think those three, those three qualities are really important for a leader.” - Afrika Afeni Mills

Afrika talks about the conference she recently attended and how just serving others makes them more comfortable but really doesn’t solve or end the issue at hand.  She talks about this experience being eye opening.

“Paul Gorski said that those things absent of really thinking about why the inequities exist in the first place, it's not going to end anything.  So we really have to have that will to dismantle inequitable practices in our schools. And that just really was like, wow.  And I didn't really think about it that way.” - Afrika Afeni Mills

Afrika talks about the idea that if we are not experiencing some of the inequitable practices personally, then we have blind spots.  She says it’s not because we are terrible people, it just doesn’t occur to us to think about it.

“When I became a teacher, I'm just like, I grew up in Brooklyn, you know, I grew up in Flatbush, I know what it's like to have some challenges.  So when I became a teacher, I made the wrong assumption that I'm already culturally responsible because I'm a black woman who grew up in an urban setting. Right.  And then I started teaching and I'm like, oh man, was I wrong!” - Afrika Afeni Mills

• Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

• QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life by John G. Miller

• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

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• Email

• 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 :: Facebook :: Insta :: Twitter :: LinkedIn

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/

Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools