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:

178. How to Lead the Last Staff Meeting of the Year May 13, 2024

Show notes

I’m one of the few people who actually enjoys public speaking.

Walking onto a stage excites me, and I gain a lot of energy from interacting with a crowd.

But I know I’m an outlier.

Most people panic when they’re asked to give a thought-provoking response in front of the whole staff with no advanced warning.

You can avoid this reaction in your staff meetings while creating a more thoughtful gathering. My suggestion is to prepare a handful of teachers ahead to be called on—and let them know the question early.

This is one of the tips I provide in my latest podcast episode about leading a productive, curated final staff meeting of the school year.

Join me for a conversation about how to:

Discern what needs to be discussed in a meeting versus in an email
Empower your team to learn from their frustrations and embrace innovation
Navigate challenges without relying on auto-pilot and “the way we’ve always done it”
Collaborate to bring future aspirations into reality as the next year gets underway
Co-create tangible reminders of positive memories from the school year

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

As you reflect on the 2023-2024 school year, you may wish you’d had more like-minded community or personalized support. If so, I encourage you to start the next year on the right foot by applying now for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive ongoing tools, coaching, and an engaged community that will help you work toward building a school of excellence.

Every school is unique, which is why I also offer an option for short-term super-individualized support for you and your school. During your 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 center thrive. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

Purchase Reflective Questions for Teachers here: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/reflective-questions-for-teachers/

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.

177. Defining Your Own Success at the End of the School Year May 06, 2024

Show notes

In January, the internet was full of cute memes about going back to the gym, eating salads, and recommitting to your health.

At the end of the calendar year, school leaders often take a look at fiscal performance and next year’s goals.

But right now, as the school year comes to a close, we tend to focus on the next thing.

Our brains are already in summer mode. We are entering a new season for our lives and our schools.

But what if, before jumping head-first into what’s next, we took a moment to breathe?

What if we paused for self-reflection?

The quality of your life is determined, in large part, by the quality of the questions you ask yourself.

This week on the podcast, I want to invite you to self-reflect with some thought-provoking questions you won’t hear anywhere else.

Join me for a conversation about:

Significance: What gives your work significance? Is that changing as you grow as a leader? Is there anything you need to let go of?
Impact: What is the effect of your leadership, decisions, and actions on your school and its stakeholders?
Relationships: How well do you understand the needs of your team members and the families at your school? How well do you meet those needs?
Vision: At your current breakneck pace, will your 70th birthday be the first time you have a chance to think about the legacy you’re creating through your work?
Personal Growth: How are you being intentional about growing as a leader? After all, the world keeps changing, and so do we.

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

Ready to define your own metrics of success within a supportive environment of like-minded school leaders? Apply for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, and an engaged community that will help you build a school of excellence.

With individualized coaching, you can learn even more ways to evaluate success. For personalized support for you and your school, let’s work together in a 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 center thrive. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

176. A Path to Leadership Mastery with Cayla Rush Apr 28, 2024

Show notes

In 2020, everyone’s world turned upside-down

Sioux Falls school owner Cayla Rush knew there was too much on her plate as the pandemic began, but she didn’t see an alternative.

She felt it was her responsibility to make countless decisions that could impact the health and well-being of her staff, herself, and the families she served.

“My self-trust was shaken,” she told me. “Before 2020, I felt like I could trust myself to make decisions. But then that went out the window.”

That’s when we met.

Instead of allowing herself to remain stuck, Cayla joined the Schools of Excellence Owner’s HQ. I’ve had the privilege of watching her grow into a transformed leader over the years.

Today, she is confident, resilient, and discerning.

She’s hired a great leadership team, pursues big dreams, and has learned how to coach her colleagues.

She even got a beautiful tattoo of the word “Breathe” to remind her of a big takeaway from the Schools of Excellence community. When she takes a deep breath and sits in the silence and discomfort, she hears her inner voice.

In this week's podcast episode, I sit down for a conversation with Cayla about her leadership journey.

Join us to learn more about:

Quick wins Cayla achieved when she first joined the community
How she turned her impostor syndrome into a deep sense of belonging
The impact of personalized coaching on her school’s growth and her personal growth as a leader
Steps she has taken to reject hustle culture in favor of resilience and wisdom

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

If you want to overcome self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and hustle culture within a supportive environment, apply for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, and a like-minded community of school leaders to help build a school of excellence.

If Cayla’s story sounds like your autobiography, I invite you to work with me through a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, highly personalized, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your center thrive. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

175. A Culture of Urgency: Creating the Calm Apr 21, 2024

Show notes

Have you seen Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and 40 Under 40 lists?

They feature the brightest, shiniest, hardest-working entrepreneurs. These individuals embody hustle, grind, and achievement.

It would be exciting to get on one of those lists, right?

Let’s step back for a moment.

When you’re 40 years old, or even 50, 60, 70, or 80, your school will still be there. You have your whole life to be an owner or director. As I like to say, “I’m playing the decades game.”

So who says you have to hit a certain level of success before a particular age?

Running your school may not be a finite opportunity, but being present for your current season of life is.

If you’re raising young kids, caring for an aging parent, planning a wedding, or anything else that’s important to you, you will only be in this season of life for so long.

Once the door on your current season of life closes, it will never open again.

Treasure the season of life you’re in.

Meanwhile, the school will still be there. It’s a constant in your life.

Now, don’t misunderstand me; I’m not saying you shouldn’t have big ambitions.

In fact, this is an extremely common misconception among school leaders.

They think that schools with a slower pace will achieve less. So they eat lunch at their desks, burn the midnight oil, and run themselves to exhaustion in order to meet their goals.

What they don’t realize is that rest, calm, and peace give you the breathing room you need to take stock, make intentional decisions, and take more meaningful actions.

Simply put, you can accomplish more, at a more sustainable pace, when you do less.

Last week on the Schools of Excellence Podcast, I talked about what causes a culture of urgency in schools.

In this week’s episode, I’m discussing how you can create calm and banish the urgency once and for all.

Join me for a conversation about:

Why calmness is the key to meaningful progress
Vital characteristics leaders need to adopt a culture of calm
Techniques you can implement in your school to cultivate well-being
Mindset shifts you can begin to embody today that will make a difference
How a culture of calm opens you up to incredible opportunities

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

Creating the calm in your school won’t happen overnight. If you could use support, book a 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 center thrive during your transformation. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

If you’re looking for ongoing, personalized support as you shift your school’s culture, apply for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, resources, and access to a thriving community that will help you work towards building a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

More about the show:

174. A Culture of Urgency: Recognizing the Patterns Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

Leaders have lots of amazing ideas.

And sometimes, those ideas can turn into multiple priorities. This is absolutely normal.

But when there’s a new idea, a new priority, every month, week, or day, it’s exhausting and confusing for the whole school.

As the focus shifts constantly from one urgent matter to the next, everything becomes a priority. In a culture like this, the team learns that when everything is a priority, nothing is actually a priority.

They may delay starting a project or put in low effort in the beginning, because they know the leader is apt to chang their mind.

Not only can this result in low morale and frustration on the part of both leadership and the team, it poaches employees’ buy-in, ownership, and innovation.

Short-term focus and inconsistent prioritization are two symptoms of a culture of urgency in a school.

Operating within a culture of urgency is such a difficult and stifling experience, so I’m dedicating the next two Schools of Excellence Podcast episodes to the topic.

This week, I’m discussing how you can recognize the patterns of a culture of urgency within your own school.

Join me for a conversation about:

Three key symptoms to help you diagnose a culture of urgency
Ten ways a culture of urgency negatively impacts a school and its leaders, staff, and families
One critical skill for leaders to learn that can help create a sense of deliberateness and calm
A valuable tool for understanding the core tension within your center

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

P.S. When you’re facing dozens of competing priorities, an outside perspective can help you focus on the next best steps to move you closer to your goals. Let’s work together in a 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 center thrive during this busy time. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

If your school is experiencing high turnover, burnout, and stress, you may have a culture of urgency. The Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program provides proven, ongoing support as you get to the root of the problem. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, resources, and access to a thriving community that will help you work towards building a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

More about the show:

173. The Invisible Labor of Decision Making Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

Summer is coming, faster than we could have anticipated.

Have you figured out what you and your family are doing for the break?

“What are your summer plans?” It sounds like a simple question—one you’ll probably get asked a bunch over the coming weeks—but the reality is anything but easy.

If you’re feeling panic or irritation at having to make yet another decision about summer break (or even what's for dinner), that’s because there is a whole world of invisible labor that goes into every single choice.

My friend, you are experiencing some very real decision fatigue.

In this week's podcast episode, I’m discussing the mountains of invisible labor that go into decision-making, so you can better protect your energy for the decisions that really matter.

Join me for a conversation about:

Five steps of decision-making you may not realize you’re already experiencing
Three types of invisible, draining labor that go into making choices
Why decision fatigue, emotional factors, and information overload compound the difficulty of choices
Concrete ways you can reduce your mental load and make decisions more judiciously

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

A common frustration I see in school leaders is overwhelm when they are making multiple large decisions at once. For instance, they might be onboarding a lot of new parents while also changing software or switching curriculum. If this sounds like you, let’s talk during a 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 center thrive during this busy time. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

If you’re feeling completely overwhelmed by decisions and wish you could have regular heart-to-hearts with like-minded school leaders about the challenges inherent in your work, apply for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, resources, and access to a thriving community that will help you work towards building a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

More about the show:

BONUS: Season of Life Reflective Questions Apr 03, 2024

Show notes

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

More about the show:

172. Respecting the Season of Life You're in Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

When my business was new, I was in the practice of waking up at 5:00am to work on some big, exciting projects. I would reply to emails and write content while my house was asleep, so I could get some focused work time in.

But when I had my fourth child, Yossi, I suddenly could no longer set an alarm for 5:00am and expect to be productive—because I was also waking up at 12:00am, at 2:00am, at 4:00am, and at 6:00am to care for my baby.

I often talk about respecting the season of life you’re in, and pre-Yossi and post-Yossi’s birth were two different seasons of my life. It was important for me to adjust my expectations and priorities accordingly, without getting stuck in guilt, shame, or regret.

In this episode of The Schools of Excellence podcast, I am doing something a little different. Instead of sharing my stories and thoughts, I’m giving you space for reflection and questions about your own life.

I ask questions like:

If you are in a season of grief and loss, who is in your support system?
If you are a school leader who is also raising young kids, how are you defining and evaluating the quality of time versus the quantity of time you spend with each of your children?
For leaders navigating a health challenge, do your career goals align with your health challenges, and does it make sense to realign them?
When leaders are caretaking loved ones, such as aging parents, are there time-wasting activities that could be minimized to make time for essential responsibilities?

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic

More about the show:

171. Redefining Leadership with Paige Kepner Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

“We were only closed for two weeks when the pandemic started, but I swear it felt like we were closed for four months.”

This is what Paige Kepner, Glen Allen, VA center owner, told me during a recent conversation.

I find this is such a common experience for school leaders when they're in the midst of a crisis.

The sheer amount of pressure, communication, decision-making, and information-gathering that happened in March, 2020 (and beyond), was overwhelming for school leaders. Not to mention the amount of energy they had to give to protecting their own families.

Paige had a five-year-old, a seven-month-old, and an empty center. She lost 60-70% of their enrollment in just a few days.

It was so stressful, she was literally having nightmares about drowning.

That’s when we met. She joined the Schools of Excellence Owner’s HQ in 2020 for coaching support, and we started with bite-sized actions to help rebuild her center and her confidence.

One of the lessons that really stuck with her was the analogy of the lobster, which gets uncomfortable as it grows into its shell. The bigger it becomes, the more miserable it is, until finally the old shell molts and it emerges with a fresh, new shell.

In the same way, we have to sit with discomfort as we are stretched by the unique challenges that come with school leadership. But if we can persevere, we can come out on the other end transformed.

In this week's podcast episode, hear directly from Paige about her experience of going from drowning to soaring.

Join us for a conversation about:

- Why Paige chose to invest in her team during a surprising time

- Her system for storing valuable information for future challenges

- How she has shifted her mindset around school culture and become a stronger leader

- The value of like-minded community for Paige

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic

More about the show:

170. The Paradox of School Leadership: Support Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

A director I was coaching a few weeks ago told me about a repeat problem that kept coming up in her center. She was constantly being interrupted by teachers coming to her office asking for help with little things. She was glad to support them, but it was getting to a point where she couldn’t focus on her own tasks.

Her own behavior—going out of her office to give them what they asked for, every single time—was enabling their behavior and dependency, instead of empowering them to be resourceful.

We want to be encouraging leaders with all the answers, but there’s a paradox here. We have to balance this urge to provide on-demand support with the necessity of giving our teams the environment to develop autonomy, independence, and individual growth.

This week, join me for a conversation about:

Why support is related to people pleasing and anxiety
How the paradox of support shows up in education, such as the push-and-pull between dependency and empowerment
Three practical ways you can balance support with autonomy
Journaling questions to investigate how you can navigate the paradox of support

Want a written summary of this episode?

Grab it here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/paradox

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

When certain aspects of our center spiral out of our control, we can either attempt to wrestle control back, or we can cultivate long-term stability and resilience. As you sit with the discomfort of the paradox of control, I would be honored to support you. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you’ll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training and coaching with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through the paradoxes of leadership. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/

If you’re looking for the ongoing guidance, camaraderie, and support of a community of like-minded leaders as you grow as a leader, 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 a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/More about the show:

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