Schools of Excellence: The No. 1 ECE & Private School Leadership Podcast

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**Schools of Excellence: The No. 1 ECE & Private School Leadership Podcast**

If you are an Early Childhood director or childcare owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 kids.

Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping school leaders to improve staff retention, increase teacher motivation, grow parent partnerships, create a collaborative culture, and enjoy a beautiful quality of life.

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about childcare and early childhood school leadership for those striving towards excellence.

If you are an early childhood or childcare school leader looking for strategies to grow your school, that are working TODAY, The Schools of Excellence Podcast is for you.

In addition to weekly solo episodes, she’ll also be inviting childcare and early childhood industry leaders to discuss the most pressing issues facing school leaders today.

Don’t miss an episode; subscribe today for everything you need for your school leadership journey!

Latest Episodes:

How to Coach Staff when they are in a State of Helplessness Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

One of my clients is a school owner who hired a new director to lead a brand-new location.

In the beginning, the director was doing a great job.

But then she started to fall short… including on tasks that were not all that complicated.

The owner was concerned the director was acting helpless, especially when it came to her regular duties.

She said to me, “Chanie, I don’t know what to do. What do I tell her? How do I train her?”

If she wanted to invest in this director, I suggested she take her out to breakfast. Spend some time getting to know her, human to human.

So they went out to breakfast.

It wasn’t a one-on-one meeting. It wasn’t a performance review. It was not an interrogation.

It was a chance for them to build a relationship outside the context of work, over coffee and a relaxing meal.

It went so well, they decided to keep it up every month for the next six months.

As the owner got to know her director better, and the more she came to understand who she was as a person, the owner became more empathetic.

And that empathy caused something surprising to happen:

The more empathetic the owner became towards her director, the less afraid she was to hold her accountable.

Knowing what’s going on with someone can actually make it easier to hold them accountable because you’re better able to express both expectations and empathy. Candor and kindness.

Before they knew it, the director had extricated herself from her helplessness, and she was back to being a high-performing professional.

In this week's podcast episode, I’m discussing ways you, as an ECE leader, can guide your staff out of those sneaky feelings of helplessness, while boosting morale and creating a healthier school.

Join me for a conversation about:

The six main reasons your teammates could fall into a state of helplessness
Why certain factors lead to feelings of helplessness
How you can take proactive steps to prevent your staff from feeling helpless
Ways to coach your staff out of a state of helplessness while keeping morale high

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

If you are feeling overwhelmed and helpless as a school leader, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. Inside, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you build a school of excellence.

Is there a helplessness epidemic at your school? It’s time to shift the culture. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center that values self-care. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Tolerating Good Enough For Long Enough To Create Excellence Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

I remember when I got my first W2 job when I was 19.

I was so proud and excited.

I was working hard, showing up every day, and doing my best.

But when I got that first paycheck, my heart sank.

I thought, “There’s something wrong. This is not the amount that was in my contract.”

I went to my boss and gently let her know about the mistake.

Little did I know there was no mistake.

She showed me the other side of the paycheck, with taxes, benefits, and withholdings.

It was Greek to me. I had no idea how the working world operated.

When I look back at that memory, I cringe.

And I honestly hope you cringe at your past self, too.

Because if you’re cringing by looking back, that means you’ve grown a whole lot in the intervening years.

Just remember, some of your employees are new to the ECE field—or are new to working in general, just like I was at 19.

You’ve hired a teacher for whom you have high expectations.

And they want to meet those expectations.

But before they can master classroom management and parent communication and curriculum planning…

They need to know the basics.

Where’s the bathroom? How do they clock in? Where are the supplies?

In this week's podcast episode, I invite you to temper your expectations while maintaining your high standards.

I want to encourage you to define and then tolerate “good enough” for long enough, so you can build a school of excellence.

Join me for a conversation about:

Why setting realistic expectations fosters an environment of growth
How to determine what “good enough” means for each employee
Ideas for supporting teachers in achieving good enough without sacrificing high standards
Why growing through the learning curve cultivates better employee performance in the long run

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

If perfectionism is your middle name, and you’re open to a loving reality check that ultimately benefits your teachers, your center, and you, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.

Are you adjusting how you onboard new staff at your school and you are craving support as you adjust your expectations? Allow me to help. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center that values self-care. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

Navigating Conflicting Emotions Around Big Decisions Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Big decisions are tough.

I was speaking with one of my clients who was considering letting a director go.

There was a clear mismatch of values between the director and the school.

Everything the owner had tried to get the director on track had failed.

And yet if she fired the director, the owner would have to expand her workload. She would get stuck doing all the director’s tasks, even though she was already tired. Plus, she would have to go through the exhausting process of hiring a replacement.

It all sounded like too much.

While she knew there was a discrepancy in values, she was considering continuing to put up with it.

I invited her to journal about the situation.

On the left side of her page, I asked her to write “What do my fear and my ego say?”

On the right side of her page, I asked her to write, “What does my higher self say?”

She spent some time expressing her thoughts on paper.

It gave her the clarity she needed: it was vital that she let the director go.

After journaling, she had so much more clarity, assurance, poise, and ease around the decision and the challenging conversation to follow.

Journaling is one of the great strategies I use for managing the challenging—and often conflicting—emotions that come up when we have to make big decisions.

In this week's podcast episode, I discuss additional methods of navigating complex emotions while we’re in the decision-making process.

Join me for a conversation about:

How mindfulness can impact your ability to make wise decisions
A calendaring strategy that encourages decision breakthroughs
Why speedy decision-making doesn’t correlate to intelligence or wisdom
Ways to assess when you need to make the decision

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

Decision-making is a key leadership skill that isn’t as intuitive as it sounds. For continuous coaching and support, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.

Are you facing a big decision right now? Are you looking for support as you make a significant shift? During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

Veteran vs New Staff: Leadership and Decision Making Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

During my second year of teaching, I was only 20 years old.

Our school had teachers do home visits before the school year started, so the child could get to know their teacher before entering the classroom.

I remember one home visit distinctly because the child’s mom came on so strong.

“How old are you? Do you have a college degree? Are you in a relationship? Have you ever provided childcare before?”

She interrogated me.

I remember thinking, “This woman’s going to eat me alive!”

The insecurity I felt is really common for new teachers. They don’t know how to be a leader yet, and they’re too green to conduct themselves with discretion and grace.

On the other hand, veteran teachers have a lot more self-assurance because of their years of experience.

In this week's podcast episode, I’m talking about the difference between new and veteran teachers when it comes to leadership and decision-making.

Join me for a conversation about:

The pros and cons of both types of teachers when it comes to curriculum planning
Types of classroom management guidance you can offer veteran and new teachers
Inherent advantages veteran teachers have when it comes to parent communication
Guidance you can provide new teachers when it comes to crises and professional boundaries

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

Nurturing your staff is an ongoing endeavor, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. For continuous coaching and support, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.

As you discern how to best guide and show appreciation for both veteran and new staff, you may be looking for personalized ideas and guidance. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

Veteran vs New Staff: Professional Development Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

I was recently texting with a one-on-one client.

She had a decision to make about professional development, and she asked me what she should do.

It would have been easier for me to say, “Do XYZ.”

But I didn’t.

Instead, I wrote back, “You hired me to coach, mentor, and uplevel you. I want you to trust your decision-making ability. What do you believe should happen?”

She clearly thought I was overcomplicating things (and I don’t blame her!). She wrote back, “Chanie, I just want answers.”

She had decision fatigue. She was spinning too many plates to have the bandwidth to think critically about one more thing.

But I’m a mentor, not an answer dispenser.

No one knows her school better than her.

No one has more institutional knowledge of her center than her.

No one knows her staff better than her.

No one knows the answer better than her.

I told her, “I’m here to teach you to dig deep. The hardest things in life are where you’ll meet yourself. Find a quiet place and listen to your inner wisdom.”

It clicked.

A little bit later, she let me know she’d made a decision.

She said, “Thanks for not letting me get away with what’s easy, instead of trying to figure out the why.”

Cheers to that!

Because here’s the thing: Now that she can sit with the discomfort of silence to make decisions, she can train her team to do the same.

Imagine how much surface-level, unnecessary professional development you could do without if everyone on your team developed self-trust.

Your new teachers could pinpoint specific areas of foundational learning to explore, while your veteran teachers could focus on advanced training opportunities and become mentors to the rest of your team.

In this week's podcast episode, we’re discussing how to support both veteran and new staff in your school when it comes to professional development.

Join me for a conversation about:

Whether specific professional development opportunities are meeting the core needs of your school
Ways to empower your staff to evaluate their professional development gaps
Strategies for becoming a strategic and compassionate mentor to your staff
Secrets for unlocking your self-confidence when it comes to professional development decisions

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

Get access to the Classroom Management Blueprint here: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/the-classroom-management-blueprint/

More about the show:

Veteran vs New Staff: Parent and Child Engagement Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

Recently, I was reading an article in the Journal of Human Resources that highlighted a difference in the teaching practices between veteran teachers and new teachers.

Veteran teachers demonstrate confidence and expertise in the classroom. They’re experienced, and they love to be recognized for what they’ve brought to your school.

New teachers are more likely to experiment and innovate, especially when it comes to integrating technology into the class. They’re searching for mentorship and validation.

Both are so valuable for any school. One is silver and the other gold.

This week, I’m kicking off a new three-part series in the podcast about the differences between veteran and new staff in ECE schools.

Our focus in the first episode is how the two groups manage parent and child engagement.

Join me for a conversation about:

Key indicators regarding whether someone is a veteran or a new staff member
How you, as a leader, can support both veteran and new staff at your school as they interact with parents and children
Pros and cons to both groups’ approaches and what they can learn from each other
Why one-size-fits-all approaches aren’t going to work for your staff
How you can break down your biases and create a supportive environment for all staff

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

Want to boost your leadership skills so you can be a better mentor for the veteran and new staff under your care? I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you build and grow a thriving school of excellence.

If you’re seeking ways to better support all the staff at your center, regardless of how long they’ve worked with you, I’d love to help you. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

Building a Culture of Excellence with Kathy Gray Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

In 2019, Kathy owned three ECE centers near Richmond, Virginia.

She felt a lot of empathy for the dedicated women who worked in her school.

They always were the kind of people who would always give, give, give without receiving in return.

They were burning the midnight oil and without inner peace. That meant burnout was on the horizon.

Kathy knew she couldn’t guide them as a leader just yet, because she was exactly the same.

She was running herself ragged wearing all the hats in her school.

When she reached her breaking point, she realized that work can always come and go, but family and her own health can’t.

She needed to prioritize her well-being.

This caused a culture shift at her school. “If I’m going to make time for my family and myself, I need to give my staff time for their family and themselves too,” she said.

Today, she owns five centers. Despite the expansion, she’s gained more balance, self-care, and boundaries than ever, allowing her, her colleagues, and her school to thrive.

In this week's podcast episode, I speak with Kathy about her leadership journey over the last three decades, and how she has completely transformed herself and her school.

Join us for a conversation about:

What Kathy wishes she’d known thirty years ago when she entered the field
How she improved time management and productivity with systems and technology
Why compassion and community are integral to Kathy’s leadership growth
How she’s thinking about the future as she and her husband build their legacy
How she got the most out of her coaching experience with Schools of Excellence

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

If Kathy’s story resonates with you and you suspect you’d go farther with a like-minded community and laser-focused personal mentoring, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.

If you and your leadership team are wearing all the hats, and you know you need to shuffle your company culture, allow me to help. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center that values self-care. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

Winning in the Dark: Shame and Anger Jun 03, 2024

Show notes

Recently, I was speaking with an owner who was opening a second location.

Despite this being an exciting time for her school, she was drowning in shame.

“Chanie, I keep starting and stopping, starting and stopping,” she told me.

I asked her what she meant.

She told me she felt ashamed that she couldn’t be consistent with her decisions. “I keep creating policies, implementing them, then getting pushback, and changing the policy again. I feel like I’m always backing out of my commitments.”

First of all, there’swisdom in flexibility, and sometimes updating a policy is the right step.

But in this owner’s case, she needed to build her self-trust so she could banish the shame.

And she was taking the perfect next step by exposing her difficult emotions in a conversation with me.

Shame thrives in the dark, but it withers in the light.

When you share your shame with a trusted mentor or community, it doesn’t seem so insurmountable anymore. This is what it means to win in the dark when it comes to shame.

Join me in the podcast this week for a conversation about:

Why shame and anger are common emotions for school leaders
What promotes the growth of shame and anger, and conversely, what loosens their grip
What your anger is telling you and to what extent you should listen
How to win in the dark by finding constructive ways to proceed around your anger
Real-life examples of how school leaders have overcome shame and anger, and managed to cultivate community and collaboration

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

Don’t let shame thrive in the dark. Shine a light on it by joining a genuinely supportive community. You’ll loosen shame’s grip on your heart as you learning it’s safe to be vulnerable with like-minded school leaders who truly get it. Please apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs, where you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.

If you want the guidance of a caring, experienced mentor as you navigate challenging emotions, I welcome you to work with Schools of Excellence through a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training and discussions with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

Winning in the Dark: Comparison May 27, 2024

Show notes

Comparisonitis is so common for school leaders.

I used to compare myself to others constantly.

It’s only natural in the face of successful-looking influencers and mountains of social media content.

But two and a half years ago, I got super honest with myself.

What was actually important to me? Was it accolades and endless business growth?

No. What truly mattered was these two things: my faith and my family.

So I committed to maintaining my business programs, revenue, and profit margins for 24 months, giving me the chance to focus on my deeply-held values.

This is when I began recording The Schools of Excellence Podcast.

Every week, I’d go into my windowless office, record a high-quality episode, and put it out into the world.

No one thanked me for the content. There was no overnight explosion of growth.

But I stuck with it because it would allow me to attract the right-fit clients while being home with my family.

My podcast is an example of winning in the dark. I’m working in private, with no accolades waiting for me, so that I can eventually achieve my desired outcome.

In a world where everyone wants instant gratification, I encourage you to win in the dark.

Not only will winning in the dark help you create a true school of excellence… it will help you dispel comparisonitis.

That’s because comparison requires looking outward, but you build confidence and self-trust when you keep the promises you make to yourself in private.

Join me in the podcast this week for a conversation about:

Where comparison comes from
How to know if you’re experiencing comparisonitis, with symptoms like second-guessing yourself
Long-term, damaging consequences of falling into the comparison trap
How school leaders can adopt a self-assured approach to their work instead
Incentives to winning in the dark, when you can’t rely on public accolades

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

Spoiler alert: One of the key strategies for building self-trust and worthiness is to join a supportive community. By sharing your wins with like-minded school leaders who truly get it, you’ll find the quiet recognition you crave. I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.

More about the show:

Winning in the Dark: Enoughness and Worthiness May 20, 2024

Show notes

My client, Jaycee, was doing something truly amazing. She’d worked hard and put in extra hours to build a culture of teacher collaboration.

As a result, there was unity within the staff, and children’s learning and engagement soared.

She was really pleased with the outcome.

…But no one else seemed to notice.

She brought the question to the Schools of Excellence community for owners and directors.

She kept reassuring us, “I am happy! This is exactly what I wanted.”

And then she’d add, “I just wish other people knew.”

However, the experience of sharing her unseen efforts and the endurance it required to lead with impact (but without acknowledgment), was enough.

She discovered she didn’t need accolades from teachers or parents because she had a safe community and because the end result was intrinsically rewarding.

I want to go deeper into the topic of winning in the dark—the phenomenon of discreetly or invisibly achieving success and overcoming challenges.

This week, I’m unveiling the first episode of a three-part series on the Schools of Excellence Podcast about winning in the dark.

In this week's podcast episode, I’m beginning the discussion with an exploration of the concepts of enoughness and worthiness.

It’s common to hinge your self-worth on what praise and acknowledgment you receive.

If you achieve your goal, but no one notices, are you still satisfied? Do you try to fill the void by going on to the next project before you take a few weeks or months to appreciate what you’ve accomplished?

If this sounds like you, you may have an opportunity to build up your sense of enoughness and worthiness.

Join me in the podcast this week for a conversation about:

How to discern whether you are struggling with enoughness
Common external pressures that can impact how worthy you feel
Why winning in the dark is especially challenging in the age of social media
The gap between intellectually and emotionally knowing you’re enough
Strategies for how to become unshakeable in your self-trust

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

Having an engaged and insightful mentor is a great way to guide you through the quiet obstacles that eventually lead to winning in the darkness. Work through your current biggest challenge with a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

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