Your Morning Boost - ForwardEd

In this episode, we take a big-picture look at the entire journey from kindergarten through college admissions and beyond. S2, E4

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-forwarded-network-advancing-voices-shaping-education--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.

Tired of the political noise? Learn how to model real civility for your school community! This week, Your Morning Boost welcomes Shannon Watson, Founder and Executive Director of Majority in the Middle, for a powerful discussion on empowering nonpartisan civic engagement and connecting it directly to school leadership. In honor of National Young Readers Week, Shannon shares vital strategies for public-facing leaders: modeling respectful understanding, avoiding sweeping generalizations, and why leaning into nuance is essential. You’ll learn the importance of literacy and empathy in bridging divides and how to ensure every decision centers on what is truly best for students. Dive in to discover how to humanize communication and foster cross-partisan relationships in your district. Action Item: Subscribe, share this episode with a colleague, and visit awbeducation.org and grundmeyerleadersearch.com for more resources on exceptional school leadership! Find out more about what we do: AWB Education - awbeducation.org Grundmeyer Leader Services - grundmeyerleadersearch.com Got a mailbag question?  Reach out to us at [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-morning-boost-forwarded--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

Your students are fluent in viral internet slang (like the cryptic "six-seven"), but are they literate in digital safety? The "six-seven" phenomenon—a playful reference to a social media scamming tactic—is a stark reminder of how quickly and often digital misinformation and security threats infiltrate our schools. In this timely episode of Your Morning Boost, we conclude our dive into the Fitting Five newsletter with a call to action: digital literacy must be treated as a core competency and a fundamental safety issue. Key Takeaways: Learn three systemic steps leaders must take to protect students in this hostile digital ecosystem:

1. Introduce a "Scam Whisperer" Curriculum: Integrate mandatory, short units across all subjects to teach critical thinking skills needed to identify phishing, deepfakes, and misinformation.
2. Model Responsible Digital Citizenship: Teachers and leaders must actively discuss, verify sources, and model healthy digital boundaries to give students a visible roadmap.
3. Engage parents with a Digital Wellness Compact: Host family workshops and secure a shared commitment to discussing online safety and modeling good habits at home.

➡️ CTA: It's time to prepare students for a complex digital life. Subscribe, listen, and share this episode with your digital safety and curriculum teams! Find out more about what we do: AWB Education - awbeducation.org Grundmeyer Leader Services - grundmeyerleadersearch.com Got a mailbag question?  Reach out to us at [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-morning-boost-forwarded--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

As the first quarter ends, we're focused on student grades—but what grade would you give your leadership? Waiting until the end of the year to assess your effectiveness means missing a crucial chance to pivot. In this sharp episode of Your Morning Boost, we dive into Dan P. Butler’s piece from the Fitting Five newsletter: "It's Time for Midterm Grades, but Not the Kind You're Thinking of." This challenge is not about judgment; it's about shifting from vague feelings of busyness to objective, fast, and focused course correction. Key Takeaways: Learn three objective methods to measure what truly matters: your behavior, your time, and your connections:

1. Implement the Stop-Start-Continue Feedback Loop: Use a brief, anonymous survey with trusted staff to gather crystal-clear, actionable data on your leadership behaviors.
2. Conduct a Candid Time Audit: Track your time for two weeks to see if your daily actions align with your instructional priorities (e.g., are you spending 70% on email and only 10% on walkthroughs?).
3. Check your Relational Capital: Identify the 10 most critical people for your school's success (custodian, union rep, veteran teacher) and proactively invest in any relationship that scores low.

➡️ CTA: Commit to this objective self-assessment now to ensure you finish the year strong. Subscribe, listen, and share this episode! Find out more about what we do: AWB Education - awbeducation.org Grundmeyer Leader Services - grundmeyerleadersearch.com Got a mailbag question?  Reach out to us at [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-morning-boost-forwarded--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

Are you spending all your time reacting to crises, answering emails, and managing external mandates? When leaders only play defense, they surrender the agenda to external forces—the media, the district, or community frustration. In this vital episode of Your Morning Boost, we dive into a powerful piece from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (via the Fitting Five newsletter) that challenges us to flip the script. Offensive leadership means you define the vision, set the pace, and prioritize the work that truly moves students forward. Key Takeaways: Learn the three high-leverage challenges that help you reclaim your time and initiative:

1. Commit to Proactive Strategic Planning by blocking non-negotiable "thinking time" to define your yearly agenda.
2. Build an Early Warning System (KPIs)—tracking weekly referral trends and monthly staff morale to catch small dips before they become full-blown crises.
3. Focus on Process, Not Just Outcomes by documenting and auditing core operational systems (onboarding, enrollment) to defend your core work against instability.

➡️ CTA: It's time to control the narrative of your school's success. Subscribe, listen, and share this episode with your leadership team! Find out more about what we do: AWB Education - awbeducation.org Grundmeyer Leader Services - grundmeyerleadersearch.com Got a mailbag question?  Reach out to us at [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-morning-boost-forwarded--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

Student attention spans are shrinking, and the science is clear: constant, fast-paced social media use is fundamentally impacting young people's ability to sustain the deep focus required for complex reading and long-term memory. This isn't just a distraction—it's a neurological shift. In this essential episode of Your Morning Boost, we dive into the latest research from Ed Week (via the Fitting Five newsletter) on how social media erodes cognitive endurance. School leaders cannot ban these tools, but they must become explicit trainers of the deep attention skill that the digital world depletes. Key Takeaways: Learn three systemic strategies to counter the "fragmentation effect":

1. Implement mandatory deep work blocks (20-30 minutes) requiring single-task, uninterrupted focus.
2. Teach sustained attention as a metacognitive muscle through explicit reflection prompts.
3. Design assessments that prioritize analytical summarization over simple fact recall to train working memory.

➡️ CTA: Ready to create analog skills and environments within your digital-heavy school? Subscribe, listen, and share this episode with your instructional team! Find out more about what we do: AWB Education - awbeducation.org Grundmeyer Leader Services - grundmeyerleadersearch.com Got a mailbag question?  Reach out to us at [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-morning-boost-forwarded--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

In this episode, we look back at the 2025-2026 college admissions cycle and unpack the trends, surprises, and lessons learned. We discuss what worked, what caught families off guard, and how the landscape continues to evolve, from acceptance rates and test-optional policies to majors and demonstrated interest. Learn what this year's results tell us about where admissions is headed and how future applicants can better prepare. We share real stories from families navigating the process, common mistakes to avoid, and silver linings that emerged even in disappointing outcomes. Whether your student is just starting their college journey or you're processing this year's results, this episode offers perspective, insight, and hope for the road ahead. S2, E3

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-forwarded-network-advancing-voices-shaping-education--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.

Join host Lisa Hill on Vice Principal UnOfficed as she takes a hilarious dive into stories about school security guards — the whistle-blowing, rule-enforcing, over-radio-communicating crew that keeps schools safe-ish. From hallway power trips to badge-wielding blunders, this episode proves that when it comes to keeping order, sometimes the biggest disruption comes from the one wearing the badge. Realtor Janae Griffith
Janae Griffith has 19 years experience in buying and selling homes in Central Iowa.

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Vice Principal UnOfficed website has moved! Boomark my new site: https://viceprincipalunofficed.com/ Email me: [email protected] Check out photos from each Vice Principal UnOfficed episode at:

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Resources used for Vice Principal UnOfficed can be found here. Thanks for listening! #KeepLaughing&Learning

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-forwarded-network-advancing-voices-shaping-education--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.

The link is undeniable: when great teachers leave, student discipline issues rise. In this vital episode of Your Morning Boost, we dive deep into the findings of the K-12 Dive article, "Teacher Turnover Contributes to Suspensions and Referrals Study Finds." We explore how the loss of relational capital (key student-teacher relationships) and procedural consistency (uniform rules) destabilizes school culture and leads to a spike in office referrals, especially for students with trauma. Key Takeaways: Learn three actionable, non-budgetary strategies to interrupt this cycle: establish a uniform tier one behavioral strategy (e.g., Be respectful, responsible, ready), mandate protected time for proactive relational check-ins, and develop high-leverage peer mentorship focused on behavioral support for new staff. Don't let staffing instability sabotage your school's climate. ➡️ CTA: Ready to build a resilient school culture? Subscribe, listen, and share this episode with your leadership team! Find out more about what we do: AWB Education - awbeducation.org Grundmeyer Leader Services - grundmeyerleadersearch.com Got a mailbag question?  Reach out to us at [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-morning-boost-forwarded--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

The pace of AI and EdTech evolution can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be a source of fear—it's a core leadership opportunity. Join the Control, Shift, Lead team as they welcome recognized educational technology leader and sought-after speaker, Amy Wichman. Amy, an administrator actively helping districts manage rapidly evolving technology, helps us re-frame the challenge: Control the narrative, Shift your mindset from instructional manager to digital leader, and Lead with an ethical and purposeful AI vision. Learn the practical steps leaders must take now to prepare students for a world where an AI assistant will be the norm. Don't let uncertainty lead to inaction; discover how to foster student contribution over mere consumption.

👉 Key Takeaways:

• How to proactively control the narrative around AI in your school community.
• The critical shift from an IT-only issue to a fundamental leadership responsibility.
• The importance of digital leadership and why you must engage parents and the community (especially since a recent study showed 83% of parents feel in the dark).

Don't wait! Listen now to gain the actionable strategies you need to lead your school into the future. Subscribe, share this episode, and visit our sponsors for more resources.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-forwarded-network-advancing-voices-shaping-education--6630377/support.

Thank You for Listening!  This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.

Want to keep the conversation going?

• Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
• Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
• Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the Edify family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
• Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.

Ready for your next boost? Browse our catalog and discover your next great listen on The ForwardED Network.