Creating NeuroWell School Cultures: Brain Science Strategies with Lisa Riegel

Are your discipline policies actually working against how students' brains learn? Educational neuroscience expert Lisa Riegel, Ed.D., reveals how understanding brain science can transform the way you approach student behavior, teacher burnout, and school culture. As author of NeuroWell and the newly released Aspirations to Operations, Lisa brings over 15 years of consulting experience helping schools move from reactive management to proactive, brain-friendly environments where both students and educators thrive.

In this transformative conversation with host Bridget Johnson, Lisa introduces the NeuroWell culture framework—built on emotional safety, supportive power-sharing, and proactive teaching strategies. She explains why traditional approaches to discipline often fail students with challenging behaviors, how intellectual safety impacts learning for struggling students, and why differentiation remains more theory than practice in most classrooms. Drawing on neuroplasticity research, Lisa demonstrates how schools can create environments where failure becomes a celebrated learning tool, persistence develops through safe experimentation, and staff wellbeing connects directly to student outcomes.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to establish emotional and intellectual safety using brain science principles that transform student engagement and reduce behavioral issues

• The three essential components of a NeuroWell culture and practical strategies to implement each pillar in your school or classroom

• Why focusing on people and relationships, not just policies and structure, is critical for addressing the teacher retention crisis

• How to leverage productive stress states (calm, alert, alarm, fear) to deepen learning without triggering student shutdown

• Concrete techniques for creating classrooms where mistakes drive learning, building students' capacity for persistence through challenges

Featured Guest: Lisa Riegel is an educational neuroscience consultant and author who has taught at the secondary, post-secondary, and graduate levels, including principal licensure courses at Ohio State University. She specializes in helping schools develop "NeuroWell cultures" that apply brain science to create emotionally safe environments promoting staff and student wellbeing.

Lisa's Books:

• NeuroWell and Aspirations to Operations by Lisa Riegel

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: Website: https://deansroundtable.org Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/ Email: [email protected]

The Table Podcast Series: Where K-12 educational leaders, student life professionals, and change makers connect to share insights, strategies, and evidence-based practices for building communities where everyone belongs.

Parent Feedback Strategies: Building Trust & Retention with Ryan Ermeling

Is parent feedback triggering more anxiety than insight at your school? You're not alone. In this essential conversation, Ryan Ermeling, founder of ParentPulse, reveals why traditional approaches to parent feedback create more problems than they solve—and what to do instead.

After working with nearly 300 private and independent schools, Ryan has identified patterns that transform family engagement from reactive crisis management into proactive community building. He introduces the Listen-Engage-Act framework, explains why continuous feedback outperforms annual surveys, and shares how small, responsive actions build exponential trust with families. With school choice reshaping parent expectations and retention becoming increasingly critical, this episode delivers practical systems for turning feedback into your school's competitive advantage.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to overcome "Post-Traumatic Feedback Disorder" that prevents authentic parent engagement

• Why systematic feedback loops create healthier school cultures than ad-hoc approaches

• Strategic methods for responding to anonymous feedback while maintaining dialogue

• How continuous feedback systems naturally support re-enrollment and retention goals

• The connection between feeling heard and psychological safety in school communities

Featured Guest: Ryan Ermeling is the founder of ParentPulse and a recognized leader in K-12 parent engagement strategies. Since 2022, he has partnered with nearly 300 private and independent schools to revolutionize feedback systems, helping educational leaders transform parent relationships from adversarial to collaborative partnerships.

Recommended Resources: ParentPulse feedback systems and school engagement tools

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org

Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/

Email: [email protected]

The Table Podcast Series: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.

Athletic Identity Beyond the Game: Supporting Student-Athletes' Character Development

What happens when the jersey comes off? For most student-athletes, the answer reveals a dangerous truth: their identity is so exclusively tied to sport that retirement feels like death. Casey Johnson and Michael Willett both experienced career-ending injuries in Division I football, discovering their self-worth was entirely dependent on athletic performance. Now they lead organizations transforming how we measure athlete potential and redefine what "more than an athlete" actually means in practice, not just empty rhetoric.

This conversation challenges the assumption that athletic identity simply needs support—it needs complete redefinition. Casey founded GYMNAZE to develop athletes holistically through mindset, character, and sports-intelligence assessments—measuring the traits traditional statistics miss. Michael created WalkOn Nation after earning his scholarship and winning championships at UCF, teaching over 5,000 athletes that they're enhanced, not defined, by sport. Together, they reveal why the emotional roller coaster of competitive sports affects everything from classroom performance to mental health, and why educators must understand the multifaceted challenges student-athletes navigate daily.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why career-ending injuries expose the vulnerability of one-dimensional athletic identity and how to prevent identity foreclosure before crisis hits

• Practical assessment tools for measuring coachability, resilience, and sports IQ through GYMNAZE's holistic platform—the character traits that determine long-term success

• How to support students through the performance-based highs and lows that dramatically affect their classroom presence, eating habits, and mental health

• Evidence-based strategies for integrating character development into athletic programs while maintaining competitive excellence

• The reframe that transforms athletic retirement from "death" to rebirth: understanding who you are and what impact you're leaving behind

Featured Guests:

Casey Johnson is Founder and CEO of GYMNAZE, a sports technology platform developing athletes through mindset, character, and sports-intelligence assessments. A former WalkOn who earned a scholarship and became a two-year starter at Norfolk State with a Psychology degree and 14 years in IT recruiting, Casey helps athletes discover who they are beyond performance.

Michael Willett is Founder and CEO of WalkOn Nation, redefining athletic identity after his University of Central Florida career (2013-2017) ended with injury. Having served over 5,000 student-athletes and staff, he teaches that athletes are enhanced, not defined, by their sport and helps them understand who they are and what impact they're leaving behind.

Recommended Resources:

• GYMNAZE platform for mindset, character, and sports-intelligence assessments

• WalkOn Nation programs for athletic identity development

• Character development frameworks for integrating athletics with student life programming

Visit the Deans' Roundtable:

Website: https://deansroundtable.org

Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/

Email: [email protected]

The Table Podcast Series: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together—building communities where everyone belongs.

Building Trust & Strategic Thinking in School Leadership Teams

Are you leading alone, carrying the weight of decisions, culture, and vision without the team support you need? Most educational leaders struggle with trust issues they can barely name—but the impact shows up everywhere. Join leadership consultant Susanne Carpenter for an honest conversation about building the high-trust, strategically focused teams that transform schools.

Susanne Carpenter is the founder and principal of Carpenter Leadership Consulting, specializing in executive coaching and high-performing team development. A Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and former Assistant Head of School at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, she brings extensive educational leadership experience to her work helping teams unlock strategic thinking and build trust-based cultures.

In this episode, you'll learn how to recognize the hidden signs of low trust (including the dreaded "meeting after the meeting"), create psychological safety where teams disagree openly and productively, quiet organizational noise that blocks strategic clarity, develop leaders who ask powerful questions instead of needing all the answers, and apply the counterintuitive principle of "go slow to go fast" to accelerate team performance.

Whether you're navigating your first leadership role or transforming an established team, Susanne offers practical frameworks grounded in real school leadership experience. Discover why trust isn't just a nice-to-have—it's the foundation that determines whether your team thrives or merely survives.

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org

Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/

Connect with Bridget Johnson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/

Email: [email protected]

The Table Podcast Series: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.

School Leadership Support: Building Communities of Practice That Prevent Burnout

School leaders today face unprecedented isolation while carrying immense emotional weight for their communities. The traditional professional development model isn't working—leaders need connection, reflection, and judgment-free spaces to grow.

Join Bridget Johnson with Jennifer Dubey and Kyle Conley, co-founders of Building Leaders, for an essential conversation about transforming how we support school leaders. Drawing from their combined 45+ years of experience in education leadership and development, Jen and Kyle share the critical gap they've witnessed between the robust support systems for new teachers and the stark isolation faced by school leaders. This episode explores practical solutions through communities of practice, cross-context learning experiences, and collaborative professional development that actually meets leaders where they are.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why traditional professional development often fails school leaders and what makes communities of practice different from conventional PD approaches

• How to create judgment-free spaces where leaders can practice new approaches, be vulnerable, and learn from failure without career consequences

• The transformative power of embedded school visits and learning from diverse educational contexts beyond your immediate environment

• Practical strategies for building sustainable leadership practices that prevent burnout while driving meaningful innovation in your school community

• How to access peer-driven collaborative learning experiences that provide both practical tools and emotional support for the leadership journey

Featured Guests: Jennifer Dubey is a leadership coach and facilitator with over 20 years of experience helping educators reflect, grow, and lead with clarity and heart. Her journey from highly-supported teacher to isolated school leader drove her passion for creating the developmental spaces leaders desperately need. She has held learning spaces for school leaders at Teachers College, Achieve Miami, Teach For America, and within several school districts.

Kyle Conley is an equity-centered systems leader with 25+ years of experience designing powerful adult learning environments. As a former principal who led a school turnaround, she experienced firsthand the isolation and under-preparation many leaders face. At Teach For All, she launched the Global Communities of Practice, connecting hundreds of school leaders worldwide for peer-driven improvement. Her focus remains on creating meaningful adult learning experiences with unwavering commitment to equity and access.

Recommended Resources: Building Leaders: building-leaders.org

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/ Email: [email protected] Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/

The Dean's Roundtable: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.

Mental Health in Schools: Dr. Olivia Moorehead-Slaughter on Supporting Students & Educators

How do we normalize mental health conversations in K-12 schools? What does psychological first aid look like for parents and educators? Join Bridget Johnson and child clinical psychologist Dr. Olivia Moorehead-Slaughter for an essential conversation about building emotionally healthy school communities while protecting educator well-being.

Dr. Olivia Moorehead-Slaughter brings 35+ years of experience supporting children, families, and educators, including 26 years as a school psychologist at The Park School in Brookline, MA. Now a Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University School of Medicine and Recording Secretary of the APA Board of Directors, she shares practical wisdom from decades of creating accessible, integrated mental health support in schools. As author of "Parents Guide to Psychological First Aid," Dr. Moorehead-Slaughter offers actionable strategies for navigating developmental challenges, crisis situations, and the emotional labor of student life work.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to normalize mental health conversations and build emotional vocabulary with students from early childhood through adolescence, creating a culture where taking care of mental health is simply part of being healthy

• The integrated, accessible approach to school-based mental health support that removes stigma and makes help-seeking a natural part of student development

• Practical psychological first aid techniques for educators and parents navigating student crises, developmental transitions, and challenging "mismatch years"

• Essential self-care strategies for student life professionals managing the emotional labor of their work, including setting boundaries, building community support, and maintaining daily wellness practices

• Long-game thinking for navigating difficult school years: How to find growth opportunities, build professional stamina, and maintain your north star during seasons of challenge

Featured Guest: Dr. Olivia Moorehead-Slaughter is a child clinical psychologist with over 35 years of experience in schools, courts, community health centers, and universities. She served for 26 years at The Park School, pioneering an open-door approach to mental health as a natural part of school life. Currently Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University School of Medicine, she consults with independent schools nationwide on diversity, equity, inclusion, and student well-being. Her leadership includes chairing the APA Ethics Committee, the Massachusetts Board of Licensure for Psychologists, and currently serving as Recording Secretary of the APA Board of Directors. Her book "Parents Guide to Psychological First Aid" helps caregivers navigate everything from early childhood through young adulthood.

Recommended Resources: "Parents Guide to Psychological First Aid" by Dr. Olivia Moorehead-Slaughter Dr. Jessica Henderson Daniel - Mentorship and leadership in psychology

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/ Email: [email protected] Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/

The Dean's Roundtable: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.

Measuring Student Emotions with Neuroscience: AgileBrain with Dr. Bill Nolen & Margot Moses

What if your school could measure student emotions as precisely as academic performance? In this groundbreaking episode, host Bridget Johnson sits down with Dr. Bill Nolen and Margot Moses from Leading Indicator Systems to explore AgileBrain—a revolutionary neuroscience-based platform that's transforming how schools understand and support student emotional wellbeing and motivation.

Dr. Nolen, Chief Scientist and co-founder with a doctorate in Psychometrics from Boston University, shares the fascinating neuroscience behind AgileBrain's unique image-based assessment approach. Margot Moses, Senior Advisor for Student Wellbeing with nearly 30 years in independent school leadership, provides practical insights into how schools nationwide are using emotional data to create more caring, connected, and resilient communities.

This conversation challenges traditional wellbeing surveys and self-reporting methods, revealing how neuroscience-based emotional measurement provides actionable insights that help every student—and every educator—thrive. You'll discover why emotions aren't obstacles to learning but essential partners in human functioning, and how schools can leverage this understanding to transform student support services.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How AgileBrain's 3.5-minute image-based assessment measures emotions without using any words, providing insights traditional surveys miss

• The neuroscience breakthrough that revealed emotions aren't just feelings—they're fundamental to all human decision-making and functioning

• Why the "Big Five" emotional motivators (achievement, connection, growth, power, and significance) matter more than you think for student success

• How to move beyond anecdotal wellbeing data to evidence-based emotional measurement that drives targeted interventions

• Practical applications for deans, advisors, counselors, and administrators to use emotional data in advisory programs, crisis response, and student support

• Why measuring emotions helps identify individual student superpowers and strengths, not just deficits or problems

• The critical difference between qualitative self-reporting and quantitative neuroscience-based assessment for student wellbeing

• Real-world case studies from schools successfully implementing emotional measurement to improve student life programs

Featured Guests:

Dr. Bill Nolen serves as Chief Scientist and co-founder at Leading Indicator Systems. With all three degrees from Boston University, including his doctorate in Psychometrics, Bill has designed assessments measuring human thinking, feeling, and behavior throughout his distinguished career—from corporate leadership programs to his groundbreaking work on the original Apple Macintosh team. He brings deep expertise in neuropsychology and assessment design to the emotional framework that powers AgileBrain.

Margot Moses is an experienced educational leader with nearly 30 years in independent schools. As Senior Advisor for Student Wellbeing at Leading Indicator Systems, she designs and implements wellbeing programs integrating emotional measurement and neuroscience into educational practice. A Klingenstein Center graduate from Teachers College, Columbia University, Margot has held leadership roles at Carolina Day School, The Madeira School, The Holderness School, and The Breck School, where she guided student life, curriculum, and faculty development.

Learn more about AgileBrain: https://www.agilebrain.com

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/ Email: [email protected] Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/

The Dean's Roundtable: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.

Systems of Care: How Schools Can Support Educators Beyond Self-Care

You cannot out-self-care a toxic environment. In this powerful finale to the Grace, Growth, and Greatness series, host Bridget Johnson welcomes back Dr. Keba Rogers to explore how educational institutions can move beyond wellness buzzwords to create sustainable systems of care that truly support the people doing this challenging work.

Dr. Keba Rogers, psychologist and founder of Keba Speaks LLC and Rooted, Resilient, and Rising LLC, brings over twenty years of experience supporting educational communities through meaningful change. She challenges the myth that individual self-care can compensate for toxic institutional cultures and offers practical strategies for building school environments where organizational responsibility and personal wellness work together to create sustainable leadership.

This episode brings together the complete Grace, Growth, and Greatness framework, showing how schools can establish foundations of belonging, build capacity through continuous improvement, and achieve purpose-aligned excellence that honors both high expectations and deep care for the humans doing the work.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why relying solely on individual self-care initiatives fails to address systemic workplace toxicity in schools

• The critical difference between organizational culture and climate, and how to assess both effectively

• Practical strategies for creating authentic systems of care within educational institutions

• How to redefine success and greatness in ways that align with institutional mission and individual capacity

• The three-phase Grace, Growth, and Greatness framework for sustainable school leadership

• Actionable approaches for balancing high expectations with genuine support for educators and administrators

Featured Guest: Dr. Keba Rogers is a psychologist, educator, and organizational wellness expert dedicated to strengthening school communities. As CEO and founder of multiple organizations including Keba Speaks LLC, Third Avenue Psychological Services PLLC, and Rooted, Resilient, and Rising LLC, she has spent over two decades helping children, families, and educators build mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. Her Grace, Growth, and Greatness framework provides educational leaders with research-backed strategies for creating cultures where everyone belongs and can do their best work.

Recommended Resources: Belonging Affirmation and Motivation Conference (December 3-5) - Registration available on Eventbrite Grace, Growth, and Greatness Series (Episodes 33-36) - Available on all podcast platforms

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/ Email: [email protected] Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/

Connect with Dr. Keba Rogers: LinkedIn: Dr. Keba M. Rogers Instagram: @dr.kebaspeaks, @gracegrowthgreatness, @rootedresilientrizing

Rooted, Resilient, and Rising: 2nd Annual Belonging, Affirmation, and Motivation Conference December 3-5 (Virtual) - Early Bird Pricing Available on Eventbrite For Individual therapy and School Neuropsychological Assessments - Third Avenue Psychological Services, PLLC, www.doctorkebag3.com

The Dean's Roundtable: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.

Curiosity Over Judgment: Dr. Keba Rogers on Empathetic Leadership

What if the most powerful leadership tool you possess is simply asking "tell me more"? In this compelling conversation, psychologist and educator Dr. Keba Rogers reveals why curiosity remains one of the most underutilized yet transformative skills in school leadership—and how our defensiveness prevents us from accessing it.

As part three of the Grace, Growth, and Greatness framework series, Dr. Rogers and host Bridget Johnson explore the hidden costs of pretending to know everything, the ego protection that drives us toward judgment instead of questions, and practical strategies for shifting from reactive defensiveness to responsive curiosity. Through real examples and actionable techniques, Dr. Rogers demonstrates how asking the right questions can strengthen collaboration, deepen empathy, and transform challenging interactions into opportunities for connection and growth.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why busyness and the pressure to appear perfect cause leaders to forget the powerful tools they already possess, including curiosity

• The two primary reasons school leaders default to judgment—and how ego protection sabotages authentic leadership and team collaboration

• Five essential questions that help leaders bridge the gap from judgment to curiosity while strengthening connections with staff and students

• How to interpret behavior as communication and recognize what staff absences, student actions, and workplace dynamics are really telling you

• Practical techniques for creating space to pause and respond rather than react, even in high-pressure educational environments where time feels scarce

Featured Guest: Dr. Keba Rogers is a psychologist, educator, and CEO and founder of Keba Speaks LLC, Third Avenue Psychological Services PLLC, and Rooted, Resilient, Rising LLC. With over two decades of experience helping children, families, and educators strengthen their mental, emotional, and social wellbeing, Dr. Rogers specializes in sustainable leadership practices through her Grace, Growth, and Greatness framework. Her expertise in educational psychology and restorative practices makes her a trusted guide for schools building more compassionate, effective communities.

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/ Email: [email protected] Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/

Connect with Dr. Keba Rogers: LinkedIn: Dr. Keba M. Rogers Instagram: @dr.kebaspeaks, @gracegrowthgreatness, @rootedresilientrizing

Rooted, Resilient, and Rising: 2nd Annual Belonging, Affirmation, and Motivation Conference December 3-5 (Virtual) - Early Bird Pricing Available on Eventbrite For Individual therapy and School Neuropsychological Assessments - Third Avenue Psychological Services, PLLC, www.doctorkebag3.com

The Dean's Roundtable: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.

Grace in Leadership: Why Educators Struggle with Self-Compassion with Dr. Keba Rogers

Why do you easily extend grace to struggling students and overwhelmed colleagues, but criticize yourself relentlessly when you make mistakes? In part two of this groundbreaking four-part series, Bridget Johnson and psychologist Dr. Keba Rogers tackle the self-compassion crisis plaguing educational leaders. Dr. Keba reveals why so many student life professionals don't believe they deserve the same grace they freely give others—and how cultural conditioning, systemic messages, and the pressure to perform create leadership patterns that prioritize everyone's wellbeing except their own.

This conversation moves from recognition to restoration, exploring how grace transforms leadership authority into authentic connection and service. Learn why grace isn't just a reaction to crisis but should be the foundation of school culture, discover practical strategies for recognizing your strengths and limitations without shame, and understand Dr. Keba's trademarked framework: "Extend Grace, Encourage Growth, Expect Greatness"—where greatness means your best effort in each moment, not impossible perfection.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to transform leadership authority into genuine connection through grace-centered practices

• Why educators withhold self-compassion and practical steps to break this destructive cycle

• How cultural conditioning impacts your ability to prioritize self-care in leadership roles

• Strategies for recognizing strengths and limitations under constant performance pressure

• How to create school cultures where grace becomes the norm, not emergency response

• Why valuing people over performance dramatically elevates team effectiveness and loyalty

Featured Guest: Dr. Keba M. Rogers is a psychologist, educator, and CEO with nearly two decades supporting children, families, and educators. Her trademarked Grace, Growth, and Greatness framework has helped 15+ schools and organizations transform leadership practices. She's delivered 90+ presentations and consultations, specializing in mental health, emotional regulation, and sustainable leadership for educational communities.

Recommended Resources:

• The Nap Ministry by Tricia Hersey

• 2nd Annual B.A.M. Conference: Rooted, Resilient, and Rising (December 3-5, Virtual)

Visit the Deans' Roundtable: https://deansroundtable.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/ Email: [email protected] Student Life Assessment Program: https://deansroundtable.org/k-12-student-life-assessment-program-independent-school-evaluation/

Connect with Dr. Keba Rogers: LinkedIn: Dr. Keba M. Rogers Instagram: @dr.kebaspeaks, @gracegrowthgreatness, @rootedresilientrizing

Rooted, Resilient, and Rising: 2nd Annual Belonging, Affirmation, and Motivation Conference December 3-5 (Virtual) - Early Bird Pricing Available on Eventbrite For Individual therapy and School Neuropsychological Assessments - Third Avenue Psychological Services, PLLC, www.doctorkebag3.com

The Dean's Roundtable: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.