The School Leadership Show

120 S8 E5 How about some help with talking about the election in schools? Oct 28, 2024

Jenn made me do this episode. I really didn't wat to, but I'm glad we did.

As we approach the upcoming presidential election, you may remember the fallout from the last two elections. Some school communities experienced heightened divisions, increased bullying, more tension in classrooms, and a general sense of uncertainty.

Fortunately, there are some steps school and district leaders can take to proactively anticipate some of these challenges. We need to plan ways to communicate clearly, set expectations, and create a calm and inclusive school environment while also thinking through ways to address challenges that may arise (heightened emotions, legal issues, inappropriate behavior.)

All of this while remembering that our purpose in schools is to educate! We need to remember this election brings plenty of opportunity (and responsibility!) to educate our students about civic issues, media literacy, and respectfully engaging in challenging and often contentious conversations.

Take a look at this 2-page resource - 5 Ways School Leaders Can Prepare for a Contentious Election and listen to our conversation with the very thoughtful Debbie McFalone

Dr. Debbie McFalone has a long and distinguished career in the field of education – after serving as a Teacher, Principal and Supe she now is a consultant and coach who works with both school-based and district-based individuals and teams across the state of Michigan. Her work focuses primarily on the areas of courage and integrity in leadership. Plus she has her 3rd book coming out in early 2025 Meeting The Moment: A Call For Courage. You can learn more about Debbie and her work at her website: https://www.livewellleadstrong.com/.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

119 S8 E4 Want better supervision? Listen to the source. Oct 08, 2024

Kim Marshall needs no introduction. He is the most recognized name in the field of educational leadership because he is the person behind the weekly Marshall Memo -- a subscription service that provides curated summaries of the most important articles in education each week.

In this podcast Kim provides an overview of the three essential areas school leaders need to keep an eye on to be successful supervisors and coaches:

• Supervising and coaching TEACHING

• Supervising and coaching LEARNING

• Supervising and coaching PLANNING

Most know him because he is the guru of mini-observations. In our conversation he shares what you need to be sure to do to ensure your observations and feedback are effective.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

118 S8 E3 Leading When It’s Hard - A Cell Phone Ban. Sep 10, 2024

In this episode, Jenn and I interview Dave Blanchard, a seasoned superintendent from a school district in Upstate New York. Three years ago Dave’s district implemented a distraction-free environment, which included no cell phones during the school day. We talk about this leadership challenge in the context of Jonathan Haidt’s 2024 book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.

If you would like a summary of the book along with discussion questions to use with families, email Jenn@TheMainIdea.net. If you would like to hear the research and ideas straight from the author, join a free webinar with Jonathan Haidt about The Anxious Generation on 9/24 at 3:00 PM EDT. RSVP here: https://home.edweb.net/webinar/mentalhealth20240924/.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

117 S8 E2 Learn what the BEST principals do differently than the AVERAGE ones. Aug 26, 2024

We were fortunate to get to talk to the renowned Todd Whitaker in today's podcast. He is one of the most influential thought leaders in educational leadership and has written 65 books on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness!

Today Whitaker talks about the latest edition of his classic book, What Great Principals Do Differently: Twenty Things That Matter Most.

Todd shares 8 of the 20 things he has found (through research AND personal experience as a principal) the BEST principals do that the average ones don't.

He was quite a hoot to talk to and you'll love his anecdotes. But most of all he helps school leaders with what may be the most important task, (and he says all of his books are about this important task) HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO.

To learn more about him, go to http://toddwhitaker.com/ or follow him on Twitter at @ToddWhitaker.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

116 S8 E1 Executive Functioning Isn’t Just for Executives Aug 09, 2024

Teachers spend a lot of time making sure students know what they’re supposed to do, and many students struggle to understand expectations and translate them into action. The results are less time for teaching and less capacity for learning.

Schools need to teach executive functions to all students in the context of the learning they are already doing to boost learning and engagement today and equip them for the future. In his book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom, author Mitch Weathers offers a beginning routine and a concluding routine any teacher can adopt to teach executive functions. You can learn more about Mitch and his work at organizedbinder.com or send him an email at Mitch@organizedbinder.com.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

115 S7 E10 It all starts with Belonging. Jul 13, 2024

Students today are suffering from an epidemic of disconnection. School leaders I work with see it in students’ disengagement from learning and in their mental health. While there are many factors at play here, there’s no doubt that belonging is something that kids (and grown-ups too) desperately need.

In this episode, Jenn and I interview Dominique Smith, who along with his co-authors Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Vincent Pompei, and Rachael Stewart, wrote Belonging in School Creating a Place Where Kids Want to Learn and Teachers Want to Stay.

Belonging in School is an actionable and illustrated playbook that will have you excited to take immediate steps and try out some new strategies today for making your school a place where everyone feels that they belong.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

114 S7 E9 If these are the next generation of teachers, we're all good! Jun 24, 2024

In this episode, Jenn had the privilege of speaking to three rising juniors in college, all of whom want to become teachers. While we've spent so much time fearing the loss of teachers from our field, it was so inspiring to remember that some energetic young people are going to bring so much to our schools, too. Exciting!

The passion of these three young women — Annie Morrison, Audrey Garfinkel, and Isabella Argote — was palpable! First of all, they KNOW kids — from teaching swimming and ballet to being camp counselors to starting an innovative virtual book club for young people during Covid — and will bring these rich experiences to our schools.

Whether you want ideas for how to work with our youngest teachers or you just want to be inspired, you should listen to this episode! You may end up wanting their resumes in a couple years...

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

113 S7 E8 Reading Is Everyone’s Business, Part 2 Jun 11, 2024

According to Beverly Cleary (yes, that Beverly Cleary), “Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.” Jenn and I couldn't agree more, and that’s why in this episode we talk about the book The Joy of Reading by Donalyn Miller and Teri S. Lesesne (Heinemann, 2022). Here’s more of what we know:

Decades of over-testing and standardized learning has crowded out students’ joy in reading. When it comes to reading, students report they are bored and uninterested. Research tells us that this undermines reading achievement.
Fortunately, educators at every level can cultivate reading joy by supporting students’ reading independence and reading community. And it can be done without abandoning evidence-based instruction.

Enjoy the second part of this lively conversation about this critically important topic.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

112 S7E7 Reading Is Everyone’s Business May 28, 2024

“If you’re not reading by the end of third grade, there’s a 70% chance you won’t become a proficient reader.” That’s what author Karen Gazith told us as we talked with her about her most recent book, The Power of Effective Reading Instruction: How Neuroscience Informs Instruction Across All Grades and Disciplines. Here’s more of what we know:

Neuroscience and decades of research have provided a clear understanding of how children learn to read and how teachers can help them when they struggle with reading.
Teachers in every grade level and content area need to provide their students with evidence-based instruction, strategies, and interventions that will support their reading development and empower them to succeed in school and life.

Enjoy this lively conversation about a controversial but important topic.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

111 Mini-sode 5: Trust us, your teams need work. May 10, 2024

In this fifth special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about resources to help school leaders with building better teams. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries of three must-read books:

Learning by Doing by Richard DuFour et al. - This book shows how to effectively implement PLCs so they will raise student achievement and improve the professional lives of teachers.
The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle - Great cultures can be built. This book shares the 3 key skills that organizations with extraordinary cultures have mastered — building safety, sharing vulnerability, and establishing purpose.
The Art of Coaching Teams by Elena Aguilar - This book provides the tools, tips, protocols, and theory needed to coach teacher teams to become highly effective.

These three books are a great place to start if you are looking to work on your knowledge and skills related to improving the teams that you work with. If you head to The Main Idea website, you can see this and other lists of Jenn’s Must-Read Books for School Leaders.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S7 E6 We Can’t Yoga Our Way Out of This Apr 10, 2024

In this episode, we're shining a light on a pressing issue in the educational landscape: teacher burnout and attrition. With schools across the nation feeling the impact, we turn to expert Chase Mielke, author of Illuminate the Way: The School Leader’s Guide to Addressing and Preventing Teacher Burnout (ASCD, 2023), for insights and solutions.

If you're a school leader, educator, or anyone passionate about creating a positive and sustainable teaching environment, this episode is a must-listen. To learn more about Chase and his work, you can find him here: https://www.facebook.com/chasemielkespeaker, https://www.instagram.com/chasemielke/.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other non-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

109 S7 E5 "Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance.” Apr 07, 2024

DEI feels like it’s becoming the (a) third rail in K-12 education. The quote in the title is from Verna Myers, VP of inclusion strategy at Netflix, and is included in Ruchika Tulshyan’s book Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work. In this episode, Jenn and I have a real and practical conversation with Ruchika about what you can do personally and as an organization to help everyone feel like they belong.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

108 S7 E4 We've had something wrong in education – it's not the GPA or the test scores. Mar 16, 2024

Many of us as educators have assumed that the kids with strong grades and strong test scores were set up for success. Isn't that what we were supposed to work toward in schools?

Dr. Borba has interviewed scores of students and has found that these 2 areas – grades and test scores – are not the markers of success today in the 21st century. Instead, as educators, leaders, and parents we should be focusing on 7 character strengths: self-confidence, empathy, self-control, integrity, curiosity, perseverance, and optimism.

Dr. Borba is an educational psychologist, author, and parenting expert. She has written over 20 books and has worked with everyone from Harvard to Sesame Street – mostly about the power of character skills and character education.

Dr. Borba’s work has profound implications for us in the field of education right now.

Listen to Dr. Borba share how these seven are what truly contribute to our students' well-being and how we can all foster these important skills.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

107 S7 E3 Find and Tap Your Hidden Potential Mar 09, 2024

Everyone has hidden potential for growth and achievement, but standard approaches to studying, practicing, coaching, and organizing education often leave this potential untapped. The practices of high-achieving individuals (and a high-achieving school system) reveal the surprising skills, scaffolds,and systems that unlock potential. Even better, anyone can learn them, and anyone can teach them, too.

In this episode we have a great conversation about Adam Grant’s book Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things and how to apply his insights to our own lives as busy educators.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

106 S7 E2 Educators of color are leaving schools: What can leaders do differently to support them to stay? Feb 13, 2024

In this conversation between Dr. Andrea Terrero Gabbadon and Jenn, we talked about the reasons educators of color are leaving: working conditions and leadership behaviors. The good news is that school and district leaders can actually do something about this, and Dr. Gabbadon walks you through how. She shares 6 principles, backed by research, that will help you create the types of inclusive schools where educators of color will want to work and will thrive. Educators of color benefit all students in our schools and it's time to look at the changes we can make in the culture, school practices, and frankly our own leadership behaviors that can make a real difference now in supporting and retaining teachers of color.

To learn more about Dr. Andrea Gabbadon Terrero and her work, take a look here: https://www.ilmconsultinggroup.com/.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

105 S7 E1 Forget Hiring; Let’s Try to Keep the Teachers We Have Jan 21, 2024

In this episode, I talk with Becky Gerdes and Ryan Siegle about their book Six Steps Toward Teacher Retention and a Long-Lasting Legacy. We focus mainly on their Six Steps to Maximize Your Leadership Impact and Improve Teacher Retention:

Step One: Lead Authentically
Step Two: Build Teacher Self-Efficacy
Step Three: Foster Collective Efficacy Among Your Staff
Step Four: Cultivate a Culture of Trust
Step Five: Listen to Your Staff with Empathy
Step Six: Unite Around a Shared Vision

This was a great conversation with a ton of practical steps that school leaders can use to help build an environment where teachers want to stay, which we all know translates into better experiences for students.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S6 E10 Listen To Your Inner Canary Jan 11, 2024

In this episode, Jenn and I talk about Sharone Bar-David’s book Trust Your Canary: Every Leader's Guide to Taming Workplace Incivility. Bar-David provides some simple strategies for helping leaders see incivility (even when it’s hard to recognize) plus a whole toolkit of easy-to-implement ways to address it (so you can stop doubting yourself when it’s time to intervene). These skills are critically important for school leaders because two of the drivers of incivility are organizational change and high stress levels – both of which are rampant in schools right now.

As we mentioned during the show, Jenn created this 8 Ways Leaders Fail to Address Incivility at Work (click on the title) document based on the concepts in the book.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S6 E9 An Entrepreneur Helps Mike Out Jan 01, 2024

Sometimes in education it helps to hear from our end users. In this episode I interview fellow Coke Scholar Raleigh Dewan (‘19). Raleigh is a 23-year-old entrepreneur and business owner (https://steadispoon.com/ and https://sistershaq.com/) from Austin, Texas. Raleigh and I talk about his experiences in K-12 and higher ed. and the advice that he has for aspiring and practicing school leaders.

Raleigh has offered a discount at Sister Shaq tea for listeners of the show. Use promo code schoolleadership for 20% off your first order or follow this link: https://sistershaq.com/discount/schoolleadership

Raleigh also helps me brainstorm ideas for the name of a newsletter that I am planning on starting. It’s pretty funny listening to him hammer on my suggestions, but we may have gotten there by the end of the conversation. If you have suggestions on a name for the newsletter and/or content ideas, please email me: mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Don't forget to rate the podcast in iTunes and leave a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S6 E8 How healthy is your organization? Dec 09, 2023

More than anything, organizations should strive for organizational health. In this episode, Jenn David-Lang and I talk about Patrick Lencioni’s 2012 book The Advantage Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business. This book clearly and powerfully explains what your organization needs to do to become healthy:

1) Build a cohesive leadership team,

2) Create clarity,

3) Overcommunicate clarity, and

4) Reinforce clarity.

Check out this great two minute video of Lencioni describing the 5 dysfunctions of a team: https://www.tablegroup.com/topics-and-resources/teamwork-5-dysfunctions/

And here is the self assessment to see which of the 5 behaviors your team is strong in and needs to improve: https://alonso-cadenas.github.io/team-dysfunctions-assessment/assessment

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S6 E7 A.I. in K-12, Part 1 Nov 21, 2023

In the field of education, we have no choice, AI is here to stay. So, listen to this whimsical conversation with Technology Coach, Jason Strzalkowski, whose enthusiasm for all-things-AI-in-schools is infectious!

Yes, we share ideas to spice up teaching to make learning more engaging, accessible, and equitable. But we know our listeners are busy educational leaders so you will be excited to hear ways to save principals and district leaders TIME with some AI efficiency hacks specifically for our field.

And Jason was kind enough to compile a list of AI Tools for Educators: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1WbVM1pubX5FP4m9zcGyvQ07guJz7lFHbl-ilvdTPw/edit

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S6 E6 Let’s Get Math Instruction Right Nov 10, 2023

In this episode, Jenn and I interview Peter Liljedahl, the author of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. As former math teachers, Jenn and I had a great time talking with Peter about concrete and actionable ways teachers can improve math instruction. The practices are simple, high impact, and are easy and cheap to implement. Given what we know now, not implementing these 14 practices borders on educational malpractice.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S6 E5 Creating an Inclusive Environment for Students with Disabilities Oct 11, 2023

The research is clear: to provide equitable learning opportunities for all, schools must actively include students with disabilities alongside their peers in general education settings.School leaders don’t need a degree in special education to lead their school toward more equitable and inclusive education for all, but they do need to watch, listen, ask questions, and learn all they can about the law and research-backed practices.

In this episode, Jenn and I interview Belinda Karge, the author of Watch, Listen, Ask, Learn How School Leaders Can Create an Inclusive Environment for Students with Disabilities. Belinda shares practical strategies for school leaders to support all teachers in helping to create an inclusive environment for all students, and for students with disabilities in particular.

If you're up for a classic episode about special education. Check out this one from September 2015 where I interviewed two special education attorneys - one who represents students and families, the other represents school districts: Stay Out of Trouble with Special Education Law. It’s a lively conversation.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S6 E4 You're NOT Too Busy to Take Care of Yourself Sep 11, 2023

Are you the type of leader who gets up at 4:00 AM to exercise before work? Then this episode is for you. Are you the type of leader who NEVER gets up at 4:00 AM to exercise before work? Then this episode is for you, too.

Kelly and Juliet Starrett are highly regarded exercise and health gurus (they mention working with Barack Obama in the podcast!) and they believe that MOVEMENT throughout the day has a much more profound impact on the body (and mind!) than just doing an hour at the gym each day. Plus, they say you can weave it into your already insanely busy day.

Why a podcast about physical health for the busy educational leader? We want you to be healthier, feel better, and have fewer aches and pains so you can stay in school leadership longer. Your school and your district are counting on you, and these practical ideas can help.

Listen as Kelly and Juliet share some super practical ideas for your own health and longevity, and a few great ideas for your school, too (listen to learn about the StandUpKids nonprofit and the idea of encouraging a WALKING BUS at your school!)

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. Additionally, if you have other NON-education books with implications for school leaders, send those suggestions our way, too. And finally, If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send Mike an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S6 E3 Top Ten for New Principals Aug 14, 2023

In this episode, Jenn interviews Mike about what new principals need to think about as they begin the new school year. Here is Mike's top ten list:

Listen and Learn
Communicate Effectively
Lead by Example
Stay Visible
Manage Your Time
Empower Your Teams
Build Relationships
Set Clear Goals
Embrace Conflict
Prioritize Self-Care

If you would like us to go deeper on any of these individual topics, let us know.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S6 E2 Want impact? Expand your supervisory practices this year. Aug 10, 2023

In this episode, Jenn has a lively conversation with Ann Mausbach and Kimberly Morrison about their book Differentiated Supervision: Growing Teachers and Getting Results and how much of an impact you can have as a school leader by EXPANDING your supervisory practices beyond the typical individual observation and feedback we all do. Instead, they suggest we include other practices such as observing teacher teams and giving feedback to the whole school. And observing for themes throughout the school and giving whole-school feedback. There's a lot to their DIFFERENTIATED SUPERVISION model so listen in to learn more. This process is so effective that Kim Morrison (a current principal) has seen a 40% improvement in student achievement in 4 years using this differentiated supervision model. To find the authors, you can email them at anntmausbach@gmail.com (Ann) and kkazmierczak@cbcsd.org (Kim) or on X (formerly Twitter) @amausbach and @kkimor or they can be found on Corwin's website https://us.corwin.com/books/diff-supervision-278182?id=616349

S6 E1 It’s Time to Find Joy Jul 12, 2023

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I interview Berit Gordon about her book The Joyful Teacher: Strategies for Becoming the Teacher Every Student Deserves. This was a fantastic conversation about teaching and learning and what leaders can do to support teachers. Learn more about Berit and her work at her website.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

Mini-sode 4: Supervising Teachers Jun 25, 2023

In this fourth special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I talk about resources to help school leaders with teacher supervision and evaluation. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries three must-read books:

Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership by Justin Baeder
Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: How to Work Smart, Build Collaboration, and Close the Achievement Gap by Kim Marshall
Leverage Leadership 2.0: A Practical Guide to Building Exceptional Schools by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

These three books are a great place to start if you are looking to work on your knowledge and skills related to teacher supervision and evaluation. If you head to The Main Idea website, you can see this and other lists of Jenn’s Must-Read Books for School Leaders.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E10 Be An Instructional Change Agent Jun 14, 2023

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, interviews Adam Drummond about his book The Instructional Change Agent: Instructional Change Agent: 48 Ways to Be the Leader Your School Needs. Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and you can subscribe to The Main Idea at this link: https://www.themainidea.net/subscribe/

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

Mini-sode 3: Being Organized and Productive May 10, 2023

In this third special episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about resources to help school leaders be more organized, productive, and effective. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries four must-read books:

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear
Getting Things Done, by David Allen
The Together Leader: Get Organized for Your Success - and Sanity!, by Maia Heyck-Merlin

These four books are a great place to start if you are looking to work on improving your organization and productivity.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E9 It’s All About Conversations Apr 10, 2023

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea, and I interview Jim Knight about his book Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other to Be More Credible, Caring, and Connected. While our conversation was mainly about conversations, we did head off on some great tangents. Learn more about the Jim and his work at his website.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E8 Why Educator Bandwidth Matters Mar 09, 2023

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Jane A. G. Kise and Ann Holm about their book Educator Bandwidth: How to Reclaim Your Energy, Passion, and Time. This was a compelling conversation with implications for professionals across our systems. To learn more about the authors and their work, please visit their page at ASCD.org.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E7 We Can’t Ignore Students’ Mental Health Feb 10, 2023

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Michael Hass and Amy Ardell about their book Supporting Student Mental Health: Essentials for Teachers. Specifically, we talked about the authors’ 4R framework of helpful skills to develop: relate, recognize, respond, and refer. Michael mentioned the suicide prevention resources at The Lighthouse Project aat Columbia University. Here is the link to the website: https://cssrs.columbia.edu/.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E6 Strategies to Manage Conflict in Your School Dec 20, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Bill Sommers about his book Responding to Resistance: Thirty Strategies to Manage Conflict in Your School (An educational leadership guide to conflict management in the school community). Bill is a seasoned leader with a ton of experience and the sense of humor to match. This conversation could easily have lasted hours. His no-nonsense, straightforward approach to conflict is something we can all learn from. To learn more about Bill and his work visit his website: http://learningomnivores.com/.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E5 How Regret Can be a Good Thing Dec 13, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss Dan Pink’s book The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. Dan Pink is one of my favorite authors, and I never miss an opportunity to talk about his work. This was a fantastic conversation on a topic that is so important to everyone’s mental health and well-being.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E4 Why do we still get grading so wrong? Nov 10, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Joe Feldman, the author of Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms. This was an amazing conversation on a topic that is so central to our work as educators. It’s amazing that we are still so tied to a system that was designed for the Industrial Revolution. You can learn more about Joe and his great work at the website for the Crescendo Education Group, where Joe is the CEO.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E3 It’s Time for a PD PARTY. Oct 13, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Elena Aguilar about her new book with co-author Lori Cohen The PD Book: 7 Habits That Transform Professional Development. To learn more about Elena and her great work visit her website: https://brightmorningteam.com/.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E2 Trauma-Sensitive Leadership Oct 11, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea flies solo to interview John Heller and Tom Hierck the authors of Trauma-Sensitive Leadership: Creating a Safe and Predictable School Environment. It was a great conversation, and I’m sad to have missed it live, but Jenn did a great job.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S5 E1 Gather Better Sep 12, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I have a conversation about The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. While not written explicitly for an education audience, the author lays out a fantastic framework for orchestrating any type of gathering. And we have lots of gatherings in education - everything from open houses to faculty meetings.

Jenn has done a brief (two-page) Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S4 E9 Time to Run the Room Jun 24, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I have a conversation with Tom Bennett about his book Running the Room: The Teacher's Guide to Behaviour. This discussion was a blast; I haven’t laughed that hard in a while. We get into all things behavior - philosophy and practice. Definitely check out Tom’s website to learn more about his work.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S4 E8 Street Data - What is it and why does it matter? Jun 11, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss the book Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation by Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan. We talk about what street data is and why we should care about it, equity traps and tropes, a new framework for approaching school improvement, changing pedagogy, and changing adult culture all to support improving teaching and learning.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

Mini-sode 2: Interpersonal Skills for School Leaders May 12, 2022

In this second special and short episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss interpersonal skills for school leaders, the things they don’t teach you principal school, in the context of four must-read books that Jenn has summarized:

The Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation by Shane Safir
Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen
Working With Difficult and Resistant Staff by John F. Eller and Sheila A. Eller
Trust Matters: Leadership for Successful Schools by Megan Tschannen-Moran

These four books are a great place to start if you are looking to work on your interpersonal skills to improve your leadership and support the people you work with.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

Mini-sode 1: Leadership Resilience May 12, 2022

In this special and short episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss leadership resilience in the context of three must-read books that Jenn has summarized and that we recorded podcasts about:

From Burnt Out to Fired Up: Reigniting Your Passion for Teaching by Morgane Michael
Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar
The Mindful School Leader: Practices to Transform Your Leadership and School by Valerie Brown and Kirsten Olson

These three books are a great place to start if you want to dig more deeply into the idea of leadership resilience.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S4 E7 Making Academic Conversations Matter Apr 05, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk with Jeff Zwiers about his book Next Steps with Academic Conversations: New Ideas for Improving Learning Through Classroom Talk. We talked about the importance of teaching and supporting students to have better academic conversations with one another. We also get into strategies that teachers can use to support students and how school leaders might approach helping teachers and students with this important work. To learn more about Jeff and his work, please visit his website: https://jeffzwiers.org/.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of Jeff’s book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S4 E6 Burnout is real; here's how to beat it. Mar 10, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk with Morgane Michael about her new book From Burnt Out to Fired Up: Reigniting Your Passion for Teaching. This was another one of those conversations that flew by. I feel like we could have talked for hours. We get into Morgane’s research-based approach to this important topic. She shares real and effective strategies for educators to manage their own self care in a way that makes sense. Morgane also has a podcast that I encourage you to check out, KindSight 101, where she interviews “world renowned educational leaders about the mobilizing power of kindness.”

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of Morgane’s book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net. Additionally, Solution Tree Press, the publisher of Morgane’s book, has compiled and curated a set of Wellness Solutions for Educators that is definitely worth a look.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S4 E5 Candid and Compassionate Feedback Feb 10, 2022

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I have a conversation with Joe Jones and T.J. Vari about their book Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools. We talk about how leaders can empower teachers and change culture with an approach to feedback that can be challenging for many leaders who have developed ineffective habits over time. We could have gone on for hours. These gentlemen bring a level of experience and insight to school leadership that is both refreshing and instructive. You can learn more about their work at their website: TheSchoolHouse302.com.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S4 E4 A Resource You Need Right Now Jan 07, 2022

In this episode, I interview Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and Kim Marshall of The Marshall Memo about their recent collaboration on The Best of the Marshall Memo website. This curated and expertly-organized collection of resources is a treasure trove of awesomeness for all educators. In addition to the best of the best Marshall Memo summaries of articles in 22 categories, there are actionable professional learning activities for leaders to implement today related to those topics. We had a great conversation, and it will be clear to you how these free resources can improve your practice. And if you haven’t already, it’s time to subscribe to The Main Idea and The Marshall Memo.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S4 E3 How School Leaders Really Can Impact Racial Equity Dec 11, 2021

In this episode, semi-regular co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Candace Raskin and Melissa Krull, who, along with Antonia J. Felix, are the authors of Principal Leadership for Racial Equity: A Field Guide for Developing Race Consciousness. These seasoned school leaders are phenomenal thinkers and are at the forefront of this important work. I can’t believe how fast this conversation went; it was amazing. Here’s the link to the authors’ website, which also includes a link to the book and all of the chapter resources: https://www.racialequityleadership.com/. The publisher’s website has additional information as well.

Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S4 E2 Trust-Based Observations Nov 10, 2021

In this episode, regular co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Craig Randall, author of Trust-Based Observations: Maximizing Teaching and Learning Growth. This was a great conversation and made me want to get back into classrooms and work directly with teachers again. Craig mentioned the Trust-Based Observation/Reflection form that he developed. The most recent version of the form can be found here.

Jenn David-Lang has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S4 E1 Time to Dive Deep into Deep Learning Oct 14, 2021

In this episode, I interview Joanne Quinn, coauthor of the books Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World and Dive Into Deep Learning: Tools for Engagement. This was one of the fastest 30 minutes of conversation I have experienced in a while. Joanne was amazing! You can access many of the authors’ materials about deep learning at their website: https://deep-learning.global/. You can also learn more about their upcoming Global Deep Learning Lab at https://deep-learning.global/dll21/.

Jenn David-Lang has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E10 PRINCIPALed Sep 10, 2021

In this episode, frequent co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Kate Barker, Kourtney Ferrua, and Rachael George about their book Principaled: Navigating the Leadership Learning Curve. This wildly practical text provided us with tremendous fodder for a wonderful and honest conversation about all things principal. Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E9 Mastermind Danny Bauer Aug 11, 2021

In this episode, frequent co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Danny Bauer who produces the wildly popular school leadership podcast Better Leaders Better Schools. We had a great and wide-ranging conversation about Danny’s new book Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader and how Danny approaches his masterminds groups. Here is a link to a free chapter of the book.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E8 Leading the Rebound Jul 09, 2021

In this episode, I interview Doug Fisher and Dominique Smith who, along with Nancy Frey and John Hattie, co-authored the book Leading the Rebound: 20+ Must-Dos to Restart Teaching and Learning. This was a great conversation about what school leaders and all educators need to be thinking about as they plan for a post-pandemic school year. Jenn David Lang has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E7 We Got This Jun 12, 2021

In this episode, co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Cornelius Minor about his book We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be. This was a fun and wide-ranging conversation about all things equity and how teachers and school leaders can work in the system and on the system to improve school for all kids. If you would like a copy of Jenn’s summary of Cornelius’s book, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

Also, Cornelius and his publisher graciously gave me a few books to give away. Email me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com if you would like a copy - while supplies last.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E6 Masterminds for School Leaders May 04, 2021

Co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her recent foray into the world of masterminds groups for school leaders as a tool for professional learning. It was a great conversation, and I learned a ton. If you would like to know more about the groups that Jenn is running, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E5 The Influential School Leader Apr 10, 2021

Co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her summary of The Influential School Leader: Inspiring Teachers, Students, and Families Through Social and Organizational Psuchology by Craig Murphy and John D’Auria. If you would like a copy of this summary, you can email Jenn at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E4 The Price You Pay for College Mar 04, 2021

Co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her summary of The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make by Ron Lieber. Jenn and I roped Jenn’s husband Tim into the conversation. Tim has many years of experience as a guidance counselor and college counselor. If you would like a copy of this summary, you can email Jenn at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E3 Distance Learning Playbook Part 2 Feb 07, 2021

Part 2 of 2. Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her summary of The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12: Teaching for Engagement and Impact in Any Setting by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie. If you would like a copy of this summary, you can email Jenn at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E2 Distance Learning Playbook Part 1 Sep 23, 2020

Part 1 of 2. Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about her summary of The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12: Teaching for Engagement and Impact in Any Setting by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie. If you would like a copy of this summary, you can email Jenn at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S3 E1 Leading in Disruptive Times - Clarity and Communication Jun 03, 2020

Welcome to Season 3 of The School Leadership Show.

In this episode Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about a new set of resources that she has developed to help school leaders through these challenging times. This series of one-pagers titled Leading in Disruptive Times each address an important topic in a clear and concise way. The first one we tackle is “Clarity and Communication.” If you would like copies of the one-pagers, you can email Jenn at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E11 Don’t Shoot the Messenger Dec 11, 2019

In this episode Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk with Will Parker about his new book Messaging Matters: How School Leaders Can Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach Communities, which Jenn has summarized in The Main Idea. You can learn more about Will and his work at his website: https://williamdparker.com/.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email: mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E10 Engaging with Student Engagement Nov 13, 2019

In this episode Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about student engagement. Our conversation is based on the book Engagement by Design: Creating Learning Environments Where Students Thrive by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Russell Quaglia, Dominique Smith, and Lisa Lande, which Jenn has recently summarized in The Main Idea.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E9 Why Aren’t We World Class? And What Can We Do About It? Oct 30, 2019

Teru Clavel is a comparative international education specialist, speaker, and author. Her book World Class: One Mother’s Journey Halfway Around the Globe in Search of the Best Education for Her Children, is a must-read for anyone interested in improving our education systems in the United States. Teru and I have a lively discussion about her experiences, what she learned about how different countries approach education, and the implications for our K-12 systems. Teru promised me a round two, and after you hear this conversation, you will know why I can’t wait to have her back on the show. You can learn more about Teru and her work at www.teruclavel.com.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E8 Critical Feedback and Difficult Conversations Oct 24, 2019

Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about critical feedback and difficult conversations. Our conversation is based on a chapter in a new book by Jenn David-Lang and Kim Marshall - The Best of the Marshall Memo Book One: Ideas and Action Steps to Energize Leadership, Teaching, and Learning. This is a wide-ranging discussion about strategies for having crucial conversations with students, colleagues, staff, and parents.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E7 Kim Marshall and the Book You Can’t Live Without Oct 17, 2019

In this episode educator and author Kim Marshall (www.marshallmemo.com) and I talk about his new book co-authored with Jenn David Lang (www.themainidea.net) - The Best of the Marshall Memo Book One: Ideas and Action Steps to Energize Leadership, Teaching, and Learning. We talk about the structure of the book and how it will help busy school leaders grow and develop. Kim has offered listeners of this podcast a free copy of, “Chapter Two: Managing Time for Impact.”

Kim also mentioned a cool book that he is currently reading - Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life by Amy Herman.

You can access much of Kim Marshall’s work for free at www.marshallmemo.com. His weekly Marshall Memo helps countless educators stay current on what’s happening in K-12 education. Enjoy this conversation with Kim Marshall.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E6 Interviewing and Hiring Sep 23, 2019

Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk about interviewing and hiring teachers. Our conversation is based on a chapter in a new book by Jenn David-Lang and Kim Marshall - The Best of the Marshall Memo Book One: Ideas and Action Steps to Energize Leadership, Teaching, and Learning. Specifically we discuss strategies for spotting candidates, reviewing and updating hiring processes, and developing interview questions.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E5 A Conversation with Elena Aguilar Sep 16, 2019

Guest host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea interviews author and consultant Elena Aguilar. Elena’s books - The Art of Coaching, The Art of Coaching Teams, and Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators - are must-reads for all school leaders. Jenn and Elena focus their deep and wide-ranging conversation on Onward.

You can learn more about Elena and her work at her website (https://brightmorningteam.com/), on Instagram (elena_aguilar_writer, bright_morning_team), and on Twitter (@brightmorningtm).

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E3 Transforming Education one Lever at a Time Jan 11, 2019

Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea returns to the show, and we talk with Grant Lichtman about his new book Moving the Rock: Seven Levers WE Can Press to Transform Education. This is an amazingly thought-provoking conversation about where we ought to be heading in education.

The best way to reach Grant is at his website: http://www.grantlichtman.com/.

You can reach Jenn through her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net). She’s offered to send listeners of this episode a free summary of Moving the Rock if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E4 Nerding out on Math Instruction Jan 10, 2019

Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea returns to the show and we nerd out on the book Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had: Ideas and Strategies for Vibrant Classrooms by Tracy Johnston Zager. As two former math teachers this conversation is wide ranging and fun. Here’s a link to the companion website to the book that has a ton of resources.

You can reach Jenn through her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net). She’s offered to send listeners of this episode a free summary of Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You'd Had if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E2 Transforming the Curriculum Through Art Nov 11, 2018

In this episode I sit down with Nicola Giardina, a museum educator, consultant, and founder of Inspiring Learners through Art. She has also recently published The More We Look, the Deeper it Gets: Transforming the Curriculum Through Art. Nicola and I talk about her approach to engaging students in higher level thinking through art using a framework that she developed called the Pyramid of Inquiry. You can learn more about Nicola and her work and find her book at her website: https://nicolagiardina.com/. Please enjoy this conversation with Nicola Giardina.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

S2 E1 Education Policy - Where are we and where are we headed? Oct 06, 2018

In this episode I sit down with Mike Petrilli, the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, and wildly prolific writer about education and education policy. We also talk about how policy can and and ought to policy into practice at the local level. I wanted to share a little more about Mike’s background from the Thomas B. Fordam Institute’s website because it is so impressive:

[Mike is also a] research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, executive editor of Education Next, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow for Education Commission of the States. An award-winning writer, he is the author of The Diverse Schools Dilemma, and editor of Education for Upward Mobility.

Please enjoy this conversation with Mike Petrilli.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

#50 The Best Movies About School Sep 03, 2018

This episode is a departure from our usual fare on the School Leadership Show. Today I sit down with Jack, a high school junior with an uncanny knowledge of film and pop culture. Jack is the co-host of The Everything Geek podcast (available in iTunes and @EveryGeekPod on Twitter), and he and I argue about the best movies where high school plays a central role in the story. Jack is one of the smartest and funniest humans I know. I hope you enjoy this back to school episode and that you have a great start to your school year.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com

#43 Dan Rockwell - The Leadership Freak Aug 27, 2018

I found Dan Rockwell’s blog Leadership Freak (www.leadershipfreak.blog) through The Marshall Memo. And now I’m hooked. His short but powerful blog posts have become part of my daily routine. During this conversation, Dan and I talk about the origin of the blog and his ongoing work with leaders through workshops, seminars, and individual coaching sessions. Here are a couple of notes from his website just to reinforce what a big deal he is:

Inc Magazine Top Fifty Leadership and Management Expert and Top 100 Great Leadership Speakers.

American Management Association Top 30 Leader in Business of 2014.

According to the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness, the Leadership Freak blog is the most socially shared leadership blog on the Internet.

We go deep on some big leadership concepts, and we get granular with very practical strategies for being a better leader. I loved this time with Dan, and I made him promise me a part 2.

You can reach Dan through his blog (www.leadershipfreak.blog) or by Google searching “leadership freak.”

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

#49 Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Aug 20, 2018

In this episode sometimes co-host Dan White and I get into all things teams - how to build them, how to think about the larger context, and much more.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

#48 It's Worse Than You Thought Aug 13, 2018

In this episode occasional co-host Dan White and I interview, Noah, a recent high school graduate about his experiences in a typical Upstate New York High School. Noah’s candid assessment of what works and what doesn’t in our classrooms is refreshing and compelling. And it’s certainly not all rainbows and unicorns.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

#47 Learning How to Learn with Dr. Barb Oakley Aug 06, 2018

Dr. Barbara Oakley is an educator, writer, and engineer with one of the coolest backstories I’ve ever heard. She has become an expert on learning and her most recent book Learning How to Learn: A Guide for Kids and Teens is spectacular - so spectacular that my 16-year-old daughter was impressed. Barb and I have a wide-ranging conversation about her background, learning in general, a little bit about math instruction specifically, and her thoughts on how we can improve teaching and learning in our schools. I was really impressed with Barb, and I made her promise to do a part two. I hope you enjoy her story and insights as much as I did.

Learning How to Learn: A Guide for Kids and Teens is available everywhere, and you can learn more about Barb and her work at www.barbaraoakley.com.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

#46 50 Years of Polling about Public Education Jul 30, 2018

In this episode I interview former Phi Delta Kappan Editor-in-Chief Joan Richardson. Joan is now in charge of polling for PDK and she has written an article on the 50-year history of the annual Kappan poll of U.S. attitudes toward public schools (http://pdkpoll.org/history). There is also a cool timeline compiling key findings from the last five decades of results, along with noteworthy events in the nation each year (http://pdkpoll.org/timeline). I had no idea about the origins of this annual poll, and I hope you find it as fascinating as I did. Joan has promised to come back on the show when the results of the current year’s poll are released in September.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

High-Performance Instructional Leadership in 21 Days Jul 26, 2018

A conversation with The Main Idea’s Jenn David-Lang and Justin Baeder, the author of Now We’re Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership

Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea returns to the show and we talk with Justin Baeder, the author of Now We’re Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership. Justin discusses his model for turning daily classroom visits into a powerful habit for instructional improvement. He offers a practical approach to mastering this high-leverage technique for helping teachers reflect on their practice and grow as professionals.

Now We’re Talking! is available everywhere, and you can learn more about Justin and his work at http://www.instructionalleadershipchallenge.com/.

You can reach Jenn through her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net). She’s offered to send listeners of this episode a free summary of Now We’re Talking! if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

You can present data better, really, you can. Jul 19, 2018

Dr. Stephanie Evergreen's books, Presenting Data Effectively and Effective Data Visualization, are must-haves for any leader who uses data (and what leader doesn’t use data?). Stephanie and I talk about trends she’s seeing in the world of presentations and data visualization. We also get into her 1-3-25 report format, creating better handouts, qualitative data, and so much more.

Below are a couple of the links that Stephanie mentions during the interview:

Spectrum Display: http://stephanieevergreen.com/spectrum-displays/
Academy: http://academy.stephanieevergreen.com

You can learn more about Stephanie and her work at her website: http://stephanieevergreen.com/

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

The Listening Leader - Why We Need a Whole Book About Listening Jun 10, 2018

During this conversation, Jenn and I talk about Shane Safir’s 2017 book Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation. At the intersection of neuroscience, mindfulness, and equity is the need to be a listening leader. Safir creates a framework and makes a case for the transformative power of listening. As with all of the books that Jenn selects for The Main Idea, The Listening Leader has the perfect balance of the theoretical and the practical.

You can reach Jenn through her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net). I’m a happy subscriber of The Main Idea and a big fan of Jenn’s work. She’s offered to send listeners of this episode a free summary of The Listening Leader if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net. It’s definitely worth the time. Enjoy this interview with Jenn David-Lang.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

Why we need to help our kids get friendly with failure? May 13, 2018

During this conversation, Jenn and I talk with teacher and author Jessica Lahey about her 2016 book The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So their Children Can Succeed. This is a wide-ranging discussion where we talk about so many topics like motivation and executive functioning, the critical time that is middle school, implications for teacher training, what school administrators can do to change mindsets about failure, the power of school culture, and so much more.

The best way to find Jess is to start at her website: http://www.jessicalahey.com/. You can reach Jenn at her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net). I’m a happy subscriber of The Main Idea and a big fan of Jenn’s work. She’s offered to send listeners of this episode a free summary of The Gift of Failure if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net. It’s definitely worth the time. Enjoy this interview with Jess Lahey and Jenn David-Lang.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

Are your teams as effective as they could be? Feb 06, 2018

A conversation with Jenn David-Lang about The Art of Coaching Teams: Building Resilient Communities That Transform Schools, a book by Elena Aguilar.

During this conversation, Jenn and I talk about her summary of the book The Art of Coaching Teams: Building Resilient Communities That Transform Schools, a book by Elena Aguilar. This book is packed with practical strategies for helping all of the teams you work with improve their effectiveness. It’s a great conversation, and as always, I’m smarter for having talked with Jenn.

You can reach Jenn at her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net). I’m a happy subscriber of The Main Idea and a big fan of Jenn’s work. She’s offered to send listeners of this episode a free summary of The Art of Coaching Teams if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net. It’s definitely worth the time. Enjoy this interview with Jenn David-Lang.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

Mindfulness Matters - Especially for School Leaders Dec 23, 2017

During this conversation, Jenn and I talk about her summary of the book The Mindful School Leader: Practices to Transform Your Leadership and School, a book by Valerie Brown and Kirsten Olson. We both make a case for the need for school administrators to develop their own mindfulness practices. Science, stories, and strategies. It’s all here. And if you don’t think you have time for mindfulness practices, then you need them more than anyone.

You can reach Jenn at her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net). I’m a happy subscriber of The Main Idea and a big fan of Jenn’s work. She’s offered to send listeners of this episode a free summary of The Mindful School Leader if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net. It’s definitely worth the time. Enjoy this interview with Jenn David-Lang.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you would like to support the show, visit www.patreon.com/leadership.

Context-Based Leadership Nov 30, 2017

In this episode veteran superintendent Dan White and I have a wide-ranging conversation about context-based leadership. Much of what we talk about is drawn from our many years of working with school leaders on the state, regional, and national levels. This is the first in a series of episodes with Dan related to the nuts and bolts of leadership in general and school leadership specifically based on our popular workshop Liquid Gold for Leaders: 30 Rules No One Has the Guts to Tell You. Enjoy this conversation with Dan White.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you would like to support the show, visit www.patreon.com/leadership.

It’s Time to be More Productive and Get Things Done Nov 27, 2017

Jenn David-Lang makes her fifth appearance on the show. She still holds the record. And there’s a reason I keep talking to Jenn - I always learn so much. Jenn produces The Main Idea (http://www.themainidea.net/), a monthly summary of a current education book. Jenn has over 30,000 subscribers and has an incredible perspective on all things education. We talk about David Allen’s updated edition of his classic Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. We get into Allen’s organizational system to help “people with too much to do and too little time,” Jenn’s words.

You can reach Jenn at her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net). I’m a happy subscriber of The Main Idea and a big fan of Jenn’s work. She’s offered to send listeners of this episode a free summaries of Getting Things Done if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net. It’s definitely worth the time. Enjoy this interview with Jenn David-Lang.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you would like to support the show, visit www.patreon.com/leadership.

Stop wasting your time on ineffective coaching practices - strategies for making the most of your work with teachers Mar 20, 2017

Jenn David-Lang makes her fourth appearance on the show. She now holds the record. And there’s a reason I keep talking to Jenn - I always learn so much. Jenn produces The Main Idea (http://www.themainidea.net/), a monthly summary of a current education book. Jenn has over 30,000 subscribers and has an incredible perspective on all things education. We talk about Paul Bambrick-Santoyo’s new book Get Better Faster: A 90-Day Plan for Coaching New Teachers. We get into Paul’s model for coaching and how he recommends setting up an entire system. The part about real-time, in-the-moment feedback is really cool.

You can reach Jenn at her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net). I’m a happy subscriber of The Main Idea and a big fan of Jenn’s work. She’s offered to send listeners of the show some free book summaries if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net. It’s definitely worth the time. Enjoy this interview with Jenn David-Lang.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you would like to support the show, visit www.patreon.com/leadership.

Are you organized yet? Feb 16, 2017

My favorite Professional Office Organizer, Kacy Paide, and I go a second round on getting and staying organized. Kacy shares many strategies and tips to help us all get our acts together. From the perils of too many systems to the power of structures, we get into lots of areas of organization and productivity. Kacy and I talked about the following resources during the interview:

Evernote software to organize and retrieve your stuff electronically: www.evernote.com
Podcast Recommendations:
- Debbie Millman’s Design Matters
- Asian Efficiency
- Mike Vardy’s The Productivityist
- The Leverage Podcast by Ari Meisel

You can learn more about Kacy and her work at www.theinspiredoffice.com. I can’t say enough about her work and how much she has helped me become more organized, efficient, and effective at work and at home. Enjoy this follow up interview with Kacy Paide.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you would like to support the show, visit www.patreon.com/leadership.

Enough with the Eye-Rolling - Educating and Parenting Teenage Girls Aug 13, 2016

Parenting and educating teenagers can be challenging. Teenage girls can take that challenge to a whole new level. In this episode Jenn David-Lang and her Husband Tim David-Lang and I discuss Lisa Damour’s 2016 book Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood. Not many books have had the impact on my thinking, my work, and my parenting that this one has had. Jenn, Tim, and I have a lively conversation about what we learned from the book and our own experiences putting the information into practice at work and at home. You’ll remember Jenn from two previous podcast appearances. She produces The Main Idea (http://www.themainidea.net/), a monthly summary of a current education book and has a ton of experience in education. Tim David-Lang is a guidance counselor for the New York City Department of Education and has worked with teenagers for many years. And like me, Jenn and Tim are the parents of teenage girls. Enjoy this conversation about a great book. Jenn has graciously agreed to share discussion questions and a summary of helpful language from the book. You can email her directly at j.davidlang@gmail.com, and she’ll send them to you.

Support The School Leadership Show by becoming a patron: https://www.patreon.com/leadership. Help mae the show even better!

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

If you’d like help improving your productivity and leadership skills, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on Twitter @doughtymike.

Winter Horseshoes and School Improvement May 16, 2016

In this episode I interview Brad and Genevieve Ermeling, two experienced educators who have collaborated on the bestselling book Teaching Better: Igniting and Sustaining Instructional Improvement. I loved talking with this husband and wife team about everything from what works in changing practice to mistakes and pitfalls administrators can avoid. The depth of their collective experience in teaching, learning, research, and school improvement is impressive. Information about Brad and Genevieve and their book can be found at their website www.teachingbetter.com (And why didn’t I register that domain name?). You can also follow them on Twitter @BradErmeling and @Graff_Ermeling. I hope you enjoy this interview with Brad and Genevieve Ermeling.

Brad and Genevieve will be hosting a free webinar on June 6, featuring more information on many of the topics discussed in this interview. You can learn more and register at www.Corwin.com. Choose online learning from the menu and click on webinars.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

Social Emotional Learning - The Other Side of the Report Card Apr 19, 2016

In this episode I interview Dr. Maurice Elias, an accomplished author and professor of clinical psychology and clinical health at Rutgers University. He is also the director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional Learning Lab, and Academic Director of The Collaborative, Rutgers' Center for Community-Based Research and Service. Maurice and I talk about the importance of social emotional learning and character development, particularly when it comes to adolescents. We get into emotional intelligence, misconceptions about SEL, what’s most important for school leaders to know, trauma-informed care, fostering a supportive climate, and mistakes to avoid. Maurice mentions several helpful links during the interview including the following:

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (http://www.casel.org/)
http://character.org/
The National School Climate Center (http://www.schoolclimate.org/)

He also blogs at edutopia.org: http://www.edutopia.org/user/67. And I encourage you to check out his book The Other Side of the Report Card: Assessing Students' Social, Emotional, and Character Development. I found it on Amazon.com. You can learn more about Maurice and his work at http://www.secdlab.org/.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

Why Critical Thinking Matters Apr 03, 2016

Dr. Rebecca Stobaugh is an experienced teacher and principal who is now an author, consultant, and college professor. Early in her career as a middle school principal, Beckie saw the need to improve the critical thinking skills of her students. We talk about what she learned during that process including the five misconceptions about critical thinking. While we focus primarily on supporting teachers as they support students developing critical thinking skills, the conversation transcends the specific content and hits many important leadership concepts - the importance of mentors, achieving critical mass for change, focusing initiatives. This was a great conversation, and you can learn more about Beckie and her work at the Mentoring Minds website: https://www.mentoringminds.com/meet-us. You can also follow Beckie on Twitter @RebeccaStobaugh.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

The Productivityist Talks Directly to School Leaders Mar 26, 2016

Mike Vardy is the host of the wildly popular Productivityist Podcast (http://productivityist.com/). He is also a writer, speaker, and productivity strategist. He’s also great to talk to. Mike and I have a lively discussion about all things productivity. What’s cool is that we start with the big picture: task centric vs. time centric thinking, mode-based theming for your days, and Mike’s own NOW Year Method. Then we move into specific skill and techniques including approaches to scheduling and setting up anchors. Mike generously provided a link for School Leadership Show listeners to download his NOW Year Method Basic Workflow (https://productivityist.com/doughty).

You can learn more about Mike and his work you can visit the Productivityist website or Mike’s personal site at http://mikevardy.com/. And make sure you subscribe to The Productivityist Podcast in iTunes and other podcast outlets.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

How to Get Good at Things Faster Mar 20, 2016

In this episode I interview Erika Andersen, an author, trainer, consultant, and executive coach. The time flew by. Erika shares her recent work on how to become a better learner (from her new book Be Bad First - Get Good at Things FAST to Stay Ready for the Future). This might sound simple, but it’s hard work. Her insightful model (ANEW) is a simple and practical approach to learning new things in all aspects of our lives. I also tap into Erika’s more than 30 years of coaching high-performing leaders to identify common mistakes that leaders must avoid. Erika promised a part two where we will get deeper into her work around the traits of great leaders.

You can learn more about Erika Andersen and her work at the website of her company - Proteus: http://www.proteus-international.com/. Erika’s personal website is http://erikaandersen.com/.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

If you’d like help improving your productivity and leadership skills, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on Twitter @doughtymike.

High-leverage Strategies for Helping Teachers Improve their Craft Feb 27, 2016

In this episode I interview Tim Bowman, a teacher, author, and entrepreneur from Australia. In addition to having the best accent of anyone I’ve interviewed yet, Tim has a great deal to share from a teacher’s perspective. His book Forget Being the Favourite: 88 Ideas on Teaching Differently is destined to become one of the most important and useful books for helping teachers improve their craft. We talk about some of the highest leverage strategies teachers can use and how to support that work from an administrator’s perspective. I learned a ton from Tim and really enjoyed our conversation.

Tim is also the founder of Class Creator, a software program designed to help schools with one of the most unpleasant tasks that leaders face - creating balanced class lists. You can learn more about Class Creator and Tim’s work at www.classcreator.io. You can reach Tim directly by email at Tim@classcreator.io.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

If you’d like help improving your productivity and leadership skills, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on Twitter @doughtymike.

Why are we all so bad at giving and receiving feedback? Feb 06, 2016

In this episode I interview Doug Stone, one of the authors (along with Sheila Heen) of the book Thanks for the Feedback and Jenn David-Lang who summarized the book for her Main Idea publication. We have a spirited discussion about the different types of feedback, why giving and receiving feedback can be so difficult, and how to get better at both sides of the process. You can reach Jenn at her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net) or on Twitter @The_Mainidea. I’m a happy subscriber of The Main Idea, and a big fan of Jenn’s work. Doug can be reached through his consulting group’s website at triadconsultinggroup.com/. After you read Thanks for the Feedback, check out one of Doug’s other books: Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

If you’d like help improving your productivity and leadership skills, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on Twitter @doughtymike.

Do you care about your health, happiness, and security? Jan 29, 2016

In this episode I interview Andrew Sykes of Habits at Work (www.habitsatwork.com and www.bratlab.com). His company helps organizations of all kinds tap their greatest source of competitive advantage - their people. Andrew and I talk about the pivotal habits that are essential for helping companies (and schools) foster the health, happiness, and security of all their employees. Time flew during this interview. Andrew had so many great things to share about how to develop habits to improve all aspects of your professional and personal life that we may need to do a part two. You can reach Andrew by email at andrew@habitsatwork.com and on Twitter @sykesandrew. Enjoy this interview with Andrew Sykes.

As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

If you’d like help improving your productivity and leadership skills, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on twitter @doughtymike.

“I love meetings; they’re the best part of my job,” said no one, ever. Jan 25, 2016

If you’re a school administrator, you probably spend more time than you would like in meetings of all kinds. In this episode Jeff Cimmerer and I talk about all things meetings - things that bug us, strategies to improve their effectiveness, and ways to avoid scheduling them in the first place. It is possible to reduce the number of meetings you attend and make the ones you have to have more effective. We rant and rave a little bit, but end up providing some pretty solid tips and advice. You can reach Jeff to complain about this episode at drjpc21@gmail.com or on Twitter @jeffcimmerer. If you’d like help improving your leadership skills and knowledge, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on twitter @doughtymike. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

What can a physician teach us about leadership? Jan 13, 2016

Ever since I read her book Every Patient Tells a Story, I have wanted to talk to Dr. Lisa Sanders. Dr. Sanders is a physician, author, and teacher of physicians. Her speciality is what works and what doesn’t work in the process of diagnosis. We talk about everything from how the process of diagnosis is like a detective story and how the cognitive biases inherent in the process apply to decision making for school leaders. We get into health, wellness, work-life balance (spinning multiple plates), diet, exercise, burnout, and how to get comfortable with uncertainty. We even talk about Dr. Sanders’s favorite and least favorite TV shows about doctors. Enjoy this interview with Dr. Lisa Sanders.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

If you’d like help improving your productivity skills, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on twitter @doughtymike.

Email - Why We Hate It and How to Deal With It Dec 20, 2015

If you’re like me, you probably get a lot of email, and it’s one of the worst parts of your job. If email is the best part of your job, then you need a new job. In this episode Dr. Jeff Cimmerer and I talk about all things email - its history, how people use and misuse it, strategies for managing it, and much more. While email isn’t one of those things that’s likely to make your career, using email inappropriately could send you into obscurity, or worse, unemployment. You can get control of your email in a positive way and spend more time with your friends and family. It’s time to stop letting this “tool” control your life. For more on mastering email consider listening to my interview with Merlin Mann.

If you’d like help improving your productivity skills, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on twitter @doughtymike.

Why Sitting is the New Smoking? Dec 08, 2015

In this episode I interview author, coach, triathlete, and competitive mountain bike rider Selene Yeager. Bicycling Magazine calls her the Fit Chick, and she was a lot of fun to talk to. Selene is a regular contributor to many different fitness magazines on training, nutrition, and injury prevention. I became a big fan when Selene’s article Sitting is the New Smoking appeared as the cover story in Runners World in 2013. We talk about how school administrators can combat the health effects of sitting in too many meetings. We also get into strategies for getting yourself to exercise like, “because it feels good, and I enjoy it.” Selene shares several of her personal productivity tips and routines as well as the projects she’s currently pursuing. We may need to do a part two.

To learn more about Selene and her work follow her on twitter @FitChick3 and visit her website: seleneyeager.com/. Enjoy this interview with Selene Yeager.

We’re sick of sitting through bad presentations. Nov 22, 2015

In this episode I sit down with friend and colleague, Dr. Jeff Cimmerer. Jeff is the Chief Information Officer for a large suburban school district in Upstate New York. He and I have a lively discussion about the horrible presentations we have seen during our time as school leaders. We share a bunch of dos and don’ts about planning, designing, and delivering effective presentations. Don’t be one of those school administrators that we talk about for giving bad presentations. You can get better.

For more on this topic consider listening to my interviews with Dr. Stephanie Evergreen and Dr. Nick Morgan.

If you’d like help improving your presentation skills or would like one of us to come talk to your team, please contact us. You can reach me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com and Dr. Jeff Cimmerer at drjpc21@gmail.com.

Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

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