In the field of education, we have no choice, AI is here to stay. So, listen to this whimsical conversation with Technology Coach, Jason Strzalkowski, whose enthusiasm for all-things-AI-in-schools is infectious!

Yes, we share ideas to spice up teaching to make learning more engaging, accessible, and equitable. But we know our listeners are busy educational leaders so you will be excited to hear ways to save principals and district leaders TIME with some AI efficiency hacks specifically for our field.

And Jason was kind enough to compile a list of AI Tools for Educators: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1WbVM1pubX5FP4m9zcGyvQ07guJz7lFHbl-ilvdTPw/edit

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].

In this episode, Jenn and I interview Peter Liljedahl, the author of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. As former math teachers, Jenn and I had a great time talking with Peter about concrete and actionable ways teachers can improve math instruction. The practices are simple, high impact, and are easy and cheap to implement. Given what we know now, not implementing these 14 practices borders on educational malpractice.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].

The research is clear: to provide equitable learning opportunities for all, schools must actively include students with disabilities alongside their peers in general education settings.School leaders don't need a degree in special education to lead their school toward more equitable and inclusive education for all, but they do need to watch, listen, ask questions, and learn all they can about the law and research-backed practices.

In this episode, Jenn and I interview Belinda Karge, the author of Watch, Listen, Ask, Learn How School Leaders Can Create an Inclusive Environment for Students with Disabilities. Belinda shares practical strategies for school leaders to support all teachers in helping to create an inclusive environment for all students, and for students with disabilities in particular.

If you're up for a classic episode about special education. Check out this one from September 2015 where I interviewed two special education attorneys - one who represents students and families, the other represents school districts: Stay Out of Trouble with Special Education Law. It's a lively conversation.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].

Are you the type of leader who gets up at 4:00 AM to exercise before work? Then this episode is for you. Are you the type of leader who NEVER gets up at 4:00 AM to exercise before work? Then this episode is for you, too.

Kelly and Juliet Starrett are highly regarded exercise and health gurus (they mention working with Barack Obama in the podcast!) and they believe that MOVEMENT throughout the day has a much more profound impact on the body (and mind!) than just doing an hour at the gym each day. Plus, they say you can weave it into your already insanely busy day.

Why a podcast about physical health for the busy educational leader? We want you to be healthier, feel better, and have fewer aches and pains so you can stay in school leadership longer. Your school and your district are counting on you, and these practical ideas can help.

Listen as Kelly and Juliet share some super practical ideas for your own health and longevity, and a few great ideas for your school, too (listen to learn about the StandUpKids nonprofit and the idea of encouraging a WALKING BUS at your school!)

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at [email protected].

In this episode, Jenn interviews Mike about what new principals need to think about as they begin the new school year. Here is Mike's top ten list:

1. Listen and Learn
2. Communicate Effectively
3. Lead by Example
4. Stay Visible
5. Manage Your Time
6. Empower Your Teams
7. Build Relationships
8. Set Clear Goals
9. Embrace Conflict
10. Prioritize Self-Care

If you would like us to go deeper on any of these individual topics, let us know.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at [email protected].

In this episode, Jenn has a lively conversation with Ann Mausbach and Kimberly Morrison about their book Differentiated Supervision: Growing Teachers and Getting Results and how much of an impact you can have as a school leader by EXPANDING your supervisory practices beyond the typical individual observation and feedback we all do. Instead, they suggest we include other practices such as observing teacher teams and giving feedback to the whole school. And observing for themes throughout the school and giving whole-school feedback. There's a lot to their DIFFERENTIATED SUPERVISION model so listen in to learn more. This process is so effective that Kim Morrison (a current principal) has seen a 40% improvement in student achievement in 4 years using this differentiated supervision model. To find the authors, you can email them at [email protected] (Ann) and [email protected] (Kim) or on X (formerly Twitter) @amausbach and @kkimor or they can be found on Corwin's website https://us.corwin.com/books/diff-supervision-278182?id=616349

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I interview Berit Gordon about her book The Joyful Teacher: Strategies for Becoming the Teacher Every Student Deserves. This was a fantastic conversation about teaching and learning and what leaders can do to support teachers. Learn more about Berit and her work at her website.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at [email protected].

In this fourth special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I talk about resources to help school leaders with teacher supervision and evaluation. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries three must-read books:

• Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership by Justin Baeder

• Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: How to Work Smart, Build Collaboration, and Close the Achievement Gap by Kim Marshall

• Leverage Leadership 2.0: A Practical Guide to Building Exceptional Schools by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

These three books are a great place to start if you are looking to work on your knowledge and skills related to teacher supervision and evaluation. If you head to The Main Idea website, you can see this and other lists of Jenn's Must-Read Books for School Leaders.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected].

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org
• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow
• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow
• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, interviews Adam Drummond about his book The Instructional Change Agent: Instructional Change Agent: 48 Ways to Be the Leader Your School Needs. Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and you can subscribe to The Main Idea at this link: https://www.themainidea.net/subscribe/

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to [email protected]. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at [email protected].

In this third special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about resources to help school leaders be more organized, productive, and effective. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries four must-read books:

• The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg

• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear

• Getting Things Done, by David Allen

• The Together Leader: Get Organized for Your Success - and Sanity!, by Maia Heyck-Merlin

These four books are a great place to start if you are looking to work on improving your organization and productivity.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected].

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org
• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow
• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow
• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow