The Book Love Foundation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Moves Leaders Make - Season 1, Episode 7: Designing a School Around Values, Ritual, and Student Agency Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Moves Leaders Make, hosts Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen talk with Katy Inman, a school leader at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Founded by Nancie Atwell, the school is known for its deep commitment to reading, writing, and student-centered learning.

Katy shares how intentional rituals, shared faculty values, extended work time, and student-led portfolio conferences shape a culture where children feel seen, capable, and motivated. From daily morning meetings to goal-setting conferences beginning in kindergarten, this conversation explores how small structural moves create a school environment grounded in purpose, agency, and joy.

GUEST
Katy Inman — School leader at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• How daily morning meetings create belonging and shared purpose.
• Why faculty-selected annual values anchor school culture.
• The importance of long, uninterrupted work blocks for meaningful learning.
• How student goal-setting and portfolio conferences build ownership from kindergarten on.
• Moving away from grades toward narrative feedback and growth reflection.
• Designing a school intentionally small to function as a learning laboratory.
• Creating systems that welcome visiting educators to learn from practice.

BOOKS & REFERENCE
• Stoner by John Williams
• Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty

Moves Leaders Make — A Book Love Foundation Podcast; Hosted by Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen; Produced by Testwood Creative Studio; Music by ryanancona, licensed from Pond5; Learn more at booklovefoundation.org

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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Moves Leaders Make - Season 1, Episode 6: Leading Through Relationships and Conversation Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Moves Leaders Make, hosts Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen talk with Jaren Vetter, a school leader whose work centers on relationships, intentional time, and the power of conversation. From leading a small rural K–8 school to stepping into a larger high school principalship, Jaren shares how conferring with staff became the anchor of his leadership. Together, they explore how prioritizing people over paperwork, making space for vulnerability, and addressing conflict head-on can transform school culture. This conversation is a powerful reminder that leadership is relational work — and small intentional moves create lasting change.

GUEST
Jaren Vetter — High School Principal in Saskatchewan, Canada.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Why learning every student’s name is a foundational leadership move.
• Prioritizing people over paperwork in the daily work of leadership.
• How intentional conferring builds trust and strengthens school culture.
• Structuring time to protect relationship-building in busy leadership roles.
• Leveraging peer support and teacher leadership within a building.
• Addressing conflict through honest, face-to-face conversation.
• Why leaders must model the relational practices they hope to see in classrooms.

BOOKS & REFERENCES
• Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
• Same As Ever by Morgan Housel
• What Great Principals Do Differently by Todd Whitaker

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Moves Leaders Make - Season 1, Episode 5: Conferring as a Leadership Move Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Moves Leaders Make, Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen welcome Sam Bennett for a conversation focused on conferring as a leadership move. Together, they explore how listening, trust, and one-to-one human connection support both teachers and students.

GUEST
Sam Bennett works with teachers and leaders to support learning through conferring and conversation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Conferring centers listening and trust.
• Asking questions leaders do not already know the answer to supports growth.
• One-to-one conversations strengthen relationships.

BOOKS & REFERENCES
• That Workshop Book by Samantha Bennett
• The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist
• Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen
• Mary Oliver: “Sometimes” (poem line quoted)

Moves Leaders Make — A Book Love Foundation Podcast; Hosted by Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen; Produced by Testwood Creative Studio; Music by ryanancona (Pond5); booklovefoundation.org

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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Moves Leaders Make - Season 1, Episode 4: Leading with Joy, Advocacy, and Possibility Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Moves Leaders Make, Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen are joined by Elizabeth Rossini for a conversation about leadership rooted in joy, advocacy, and possibility. Elizabeth reflects on her educational journey and shares her belief that schools should be joyful places for both students and adults.

Elizabeth describes how meaningful change happens through small, intentional moves over time. She discusses piloting new initiatives, supporting teachers through change, and using accountability alongside trust. The conversation explores what it means to lead with clarity and courage, including having honest conversations when expectations are not optional.

This episode highlights leadership as a human practice — one built on belief, consistency, and the daily decisions that shape school culture.

GUEST
Elizabeth Rossini is an educator and school leader with 37 years of experience in public, international, independent, and university settings. She has served as a classroom teacher and administrator and shares insights from her work supporting teachers and students through long-term instructional change.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Schools should be joyful places for learning and leadership.
• Sustainable change is built through small moves made consistently over time.
• Leadership requires balancing support with clear expectations.
• Courageous conversations are a necessary part of leading change.
• Accountability works best when paired with trust and advocacy.
• Culture is shaped by what leaders choose to prioritize and reinforce.

BOOKS & REFERENCES
• Simon Sinek simonsinek.com
• The Missing Thread: A Women’s History of the Ancient World by Daisy Dunn

Moves Leaders Make — A Book Love Foundation Podcast; Hosted by Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen; Produced by Testwood Creative Studio; Music by ryanancona (Pond5); booklovefoundation.org

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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Moves Leaders Make - Season 1, Episode 3: Trust as the Catalyst for Innovation with Teacher Taylor Kanzler Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Elaine Millen and Penny Kittle sit down with high school teacher Taylor Kanzler to explore how trust empowers educators and fuels innovation in the classroom. From defining trust as “the coin of the realm” to co-creating a groundbreaking interdisciplinary podcast course, Taylor shares the habits, leadership moves, and relational mindsets that inspire both teachers and students to thrive.

GUEST
Taylor Kanzler, veteran high school English and Spanish teacher based on the coast of Maine. Co-designer of the interdisciplinary course If This Land Could Talk.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Trust is foundational. When teachers feel trusted, they gain courage to innovate.
• Publishing student work publicly raises engagement.
• Supportive leadership encourages experimentation.
• Small classroom pilots spark cultural change.
• Post-pandemic openness has paved the way for community-connected learning.

BOOKS & REFERENCES
• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
• Trust: The Coin of the Realm - essay by George P. Shultz
• “The water will always flow around the boulders.” - Taylor Kanzler
• “When trust was in the room, good things happened. Period.” - George P. Shultz

Moves Leaders Make — A Book Love Foundation Podcast; Hosted by Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen; Produced by Testwood Creative Studio; Music by ryanancona (Pond5); booklovefoundation.org

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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Moves Leaders Make - Season 1, Episode 2: From Classroom Creativity to Advocacy Filmmaking with Sully Gaudreault Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Moves Leaders Make, hosts Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen reconnect with Sullivan “Sully” Gaudreault, a former student whose love of storytelling evolved into a career in advocacy filmmaking. Sully shares how creative freedom in the classroom helped him discover his voice, and how he now uses film to fight for justice and human rights through projects with the Syrian Emergency Task Force and the Making an Exoneree program.

GUEST
Sullivan (Sully) Gaudreault, documentary filmmaker, teacher, and Deputy Director of Communications at the Syrian Emergency Task Force. Head of Documentary Filmmaking for the Making an Exoneree program.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Creative freedom can ignite lifelong passions and purpose.
• The learning process matters more than the final product.
• Small sparks of curiosity can grow into meaningful creative pursuits.
• Insights into Making an Exoneree and its impact: 12 exonerations since 2018.
• Leadership lessons: find people’s passions and give them space to act.

BOOKS & REFERENCES
• Serial Podcast (Season 1, Adnan Syed case)
• Omar Alshogre, Syrian activist and TED speaker
• Syrian Emergency Task Force
• Making an Exoneree
• 11/22/63 by Stephen King
• Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
• Percy Jackson - Sully’s first video project

Moves Leaders Make — A Book Love Foundation Podcast; Hosted by Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen; Produced by Testwood Creative Studio; Music by ryanancona (Pond5); booklovefoundation.org

Click here to view the episode transcript.

★ Support this podcast ★

Moves Leaders Make - Season 1, Episode 1: How Small Reading Habits Transform School Culture with Dr. LaQuita Outlaw Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Moves Leaders Make, hosts Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen talk with Dr. LaQuita Outlaw, Assistant Superintendent and longtime middle school principal. She shares how something as simple as carrying a book opened doors to deeper connections with students, staff, families, and even the school board. Together, they explore how joy, vision, and literacy can become everyday tools for leadership, and how small intentional moves create lasting culture change.

GUEST
Dr. LaQuita Outlaw, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Curriculum and Instruction, with nearly 30 years in education, including 19 as a middle school principal. Advisory board member with the Book Love Foundation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• How one small move made reading part of the fabric of school culture.
• Using literacy as a connector for staff, students, and families.
• The power of sharing “What I’m reading now / next / just finished” to spark curiosity.
• Choosing diverse books to reflect the community you serve.
• Effective leadership is rooted in connection, not compliance.

BOOKS & REFERENCES
• Wonder by R.J. Palacio
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
• John Maxwell: “Leadership’s not about titles, positions, or flow charts. It’s about one life influencing another.”
• Brené Brown: “Joy comes in ordinary moments.”

Moves Leaders Make — A Book Love Foundation Podcast; Hosted by Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen; Produced by Testwood Creative Studio; Music by ryanancona (Pond5); booklovefoundation.org

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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A conversation with author Laurie Halse Anderson about memoir writing - Season 5, Episode 3 Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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How we serve young Black people in American schools - Season 5, Episode 2 Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

In the second episode of the Book Love Foundation Podcast Season 5, Julia Torres talks to school librarian Edith Campbell about being educators of color and how young Black people are being served in American schools.
Instagram handles: @pennykittle, @juliaeri80, @crazyqulitedi, @ctvchelsea

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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Being a school librarian during a pandemic #LibCollab - Season 5, Episode 1 Jan 29, 2021

Show notes

In the first episode of the Book Love Foundation Podcast Season 5, Julia Torres talks to school librarians Julie Stivers and Kathryn Cole about the challenges and opportunities in their work during the pandemic and about their #LibCollab initiative.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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