Explore every episode of the podcast The School Leadership Show
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| Empowering Critical Thinking Through Media Literacy (from "NYSSBA's President's Gavel Podcast") | 17 Dec 2025 | 00:20:56 | |
I am excited to share a conversation I had recently with the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) on The President's Gavel podcast. This episode, based on a popular session from this year's Leadership in Education Event, explores media literacy and why it is arguably the most crucial skill set we need to teach students today. Join us as we delve into the challenges of the modern information ecosystem and explore how educators can empower students to become savvy thinkers, rather than merely "endless scrollers". Host: Ann Laszewski, Leadership Development Manager, NYSSBA Guest: Dr. Mike Doughty, Assistant Superintendent, Northeastern Regional Information Center, Capital Region BOCES (Previously joined the podcast for Episode 39: What's So Scary About AI? in 2023). Guest: Katherine Hamill, Director, Mid-Hudson Regional Information Center, Ulster BOCES Want to learn more about today's topic? Additional resources can be found in the original show notes for this episode. https://soundcloud.com/thepresidentsgavel/empowering-critical-thinking-through-media-literacy If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues. If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. Stay connected with me here:
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| S10 E2: Understanding Pop Culture's Role in Modern Education | 19 Sep 2025 | 00:46:07 | |
How important is it to stay in touch with pop culture as a school leader? In this episode, I chat with Brooke Hammerling, the host of "Pop Culture Mondays… on Thursdays" podcast and the author of the widely read Pop Culture Mondays Newsletter. We dive into Brooke's unique journey from PR and communications to becoming a vital source of pop culture knowledge, especially for a gen Xer like me. Brooke shares how staying current with the latest trends can help educators connect better with their students, and the challenges and benefits of balancing communication in today's fast-paced, digital world. We also discuss the resurgence of 90s culture, iconic school movies, and why media literacy is crucial for today's students.
If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues. If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. Stay connected with me here:
Connect with Brooke Hammerling and explore her insights:
00:00 Introduction 00:23 Brooke's Background and Podcast 02:22 The Pop Culture Mondays Newsletter 05:25 Impact of Pop Culture on Schools 07:54 Communication Challenges in Modern Education 28:51 The Impact of Misinformation in Schools 29:55 Pop Culture's Reflection on Education 34:18 Favorite School-Centric Movies 41:30 The '90s Revival
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| S9 E5: Don't leave teacher induction up to chance. | 08 Apr 2025 | 00:44:59 | |
In this episode, Jenn has a conversation with one of the educators who was featured prominently in Harry and Rosemary Wong's latest book, THE New Teacher Induction Book: How to Recruit, Train, and Retain New Teachers. Tara Link is a leader who started an induction program 18 years ago in Moberly, Missouri. She joined Jenn to talk about Rosemary and Harry Wong's latest book, and she had so many useful tips to share. Unfortunately, while we are losing a number of our new and newer teachers, we are also not doing as good of a job of supporting our new teachers as well. About 50% of all new teachers receive no induction at all. Tara shared some of the problems our new teachers face. Sometimes they don't receive anything more than a welcome and then the rest of their new teacher support is left up to chance. They also struggle with a whole new generation of classroom management issues that may have looked different in the past. Plus, newer teachers are increasingly coming through alternative certification routes so they may not have had enough training. Tara really emphasized the importance of DIFFERENTIATING the support we provide to new teachers and being extremely CLEAR. We discussed THREE KEY COMPONENTS of an effective new teacher support system that the Wongs outlined in their book: 1. COLLABORATION New teachers need to connect with a wide range of the people they plan to work with and need to feel they are part of something bigger than themselves. This connects to purpose and our Gen-Z teachers are particularly feeling the need to connect to their purpose. 2. PD TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF NEW TEACHERS We need to provide new teachers with PD on the basics -- classroom management, lesson design -- and not just jump into training them on the latest fad. As leaders we also need to continually model for new teachers. Be the model of what you want them to be. 3. A COMPREHENSIVE, MULTI-YEAR APPROACH We need to do much more with our new teachers than have them come a day or two before the rest of the staff. Tara developed a model program S.H.I.N.E. (Supporting, Helping, and Inspiring New Educators) that lasts two full years. She shares some successful elements of her program but encourages you to ask your experienced teachers what was helpful in supporting them and look around at your own resources to see how you can use them to support new teachers. Where to start? Tara recommends just choosing ONE system of support. Choose something you are already doing well and plus-one it, that is, add to what you're already doing well. RESOURCES • THE New Teacher Induction Book: How to Recruit, Train, and Retain New Teachers by Harry and Rosemary Wong (and Jenn's summary for The Main Idea is out in April) • Tara Link's latest book, Teacher Induction that Works: A Lasting Impact from Day One. 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. | |||
| Are your teams as effective as they could be? | 06 Feb 2018 | 00:43:42 | |
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.
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| Mindfulness Matters - Especially for School Leaders | 23 Dec 2017 | 00:41:48 | |
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 | 30 Nov 2017 | 00:35:46 | |
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.
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| It's Time to be More Productive and Get Things Done | 27 Nov 2017 | 00:41:46 | |
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 | 20 Mar 2017 | 00:44:53 | |
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? | 16 Feb 2017 | 00:45:47 | |
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:
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.
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| Enough with the Eye-Rolling - Educating and Parenting Teenage Girls | 13 Aug 2016 | 00:45:45 | |
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 | 16 May 2016 | 00:41:33 | |
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.
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| Social Emotional Learning - The Other Side of the Report Card | 19 Apr 2016 | 00:35:00 | |
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:
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.
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| Why Critical Thinking Matters | 03 Apr 2016 | 00:33:51 | |
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. | |||
| S9 E4: S.H.I.N.E Bright: Empowering Women Leaders with LaVonna Roth | 21 Mar 2025 | 00:43:10 | |
March is Women's History Month! This episode features a conversation with LaVonna Roth, an inspirational speaker and consultant whose work has inspired women leaders everywhere. Jenn introduced LaVonna, highlighting her impactful speaking on leadership. LaVonna shared her "S.H.I.N.E." framework, initially for students but powerfully applicable to adults and leaders. SHINE represents Self, Heart, Inspire, Navigate, and Exceptional, focusing on strengths, passion, inspiration, action, and becoming your best self. We explored how this framework resonates with all leaders because of its human-centered approach. LaVonna shared her journey of growth and emphasized the importance of focusing on strengths over weaknesses and overcoming imposter syndrome by recognizing one's inherent value. She offered practical advice related to self-reflection on one's abilities and letting go of perfectionism. We also discussed creating supportive cultures where leaders uplift others, referencing the idea of a "Firefly Effect," where collective support leads to greater success. LaVonna encouraged leaders to be open, collaborative, and to recognize and nurture the strengths of those around them. You can find more about LaVonna and her work at igniteyoushine.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.
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| The Productivityist Talks Directly to School Leaders | 26 Mar 2016 | 00:35:24 | |
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 | 20 Mar 2016 | 00:42:40 | |
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.
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| High-leverage Strategies for Helping Teachers Improve their Craft | 27 Feb 2016 | 00:30:34 | |
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? | 06 Feb 2016 | 00:36:09 | |
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? | 29 Jan 2016 | 00:39:32 | |
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. | 25 Jan 2016 | 00:46:46 | |
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? | 13 Jan 2016 | 00:40:30 | |
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.
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| Email - Why We Hate It and How to Deal With It | 20 Dec 2015 | 00:43:15 | |
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.
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| Why Sitting is the New Smoking? | 08 Dec 2015 | 00:33:07 | |
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. | 22 Nov 2015 | 00:42:14 | |
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. | |||
| S9 E3: Are you REALLY ready to respond in an emergency? | 11 Mar 2025 | 00:42:56 | |
Responding to emergencies takes two things: leadership and communication. Are you prepared? Mike and Jenn had a truly productive conversation with school preparedness expert, Chris Joffe. He talked about everything from why leaders need to start with themselves and understand how THEY respond to emergencies. He also shared that one of the essential keys is having an emergency org chart and teams to deal with the wide range of emergencies your school might have. Throughout it all, Chris emphasized that humans and relationships are key. Why? Because "emergencies require people to respond." Unfortunately, his data shows that the vast majority of emergencies are an escalation of an event – an incident in school that leads to fights, weapons, or even worse, a school shooting. To learn more about Chris and the services Joffe Emergencies provides for school: https://www.joffeemergencyservices.com/ Chris has offered to do a free workshop for subscribers to THE MAIN IDEA on the emergency preparedness stuff you won't find in the district handbook – it will be April 7 at 4pm ET / 1pm PT – sign up here (https://forms.gle/TSStmwiAo8jkSmvn7 ) or reach out to me 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. 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.
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| Leadership, Writing, and Politics | 07 Nov 2015 | 00:43:39 | |
In this episode I interview political reporter, television pundit, and author Eleanor Clift. Eleanor is a regular contributor to The Daily Beast and has a long history covering national politics - every presidential election since 1976. Many people know Eleanor as a perennial panelist on the syndicated talk show, "The McLaughlin Group." I started watching "The Group" as a high school student in the early 90s, and I've been a faithful viewer ever since. Eleanor and I talk about writing, communication with new media, what makes a good leader, and the challenges facing K-12 education. She even predicts the candidates and the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
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| Strategies for Managing Your Time and Attention | 03 Oct 2015 | 00:33:58 | |
In this episode I interview writer, speaker, and broadcaster Merlin Mann. We talk about managing all of the inputs that come your way. We go into great depth on managing email and working toward what Merlin has coined "inbox zero." We also talk about strategies for managing your time and attention in order to set yourself up for doing your best, most creative work. To learn more about Merlin and his work visit http://www.merlinmann.com/. Enjoy this interview with Merlin Mann. 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. | |||
| Stay Out of Trouble with Special Education Law | 18 Sep 2015 | 00:34:56 | |
In this episode I interview two fantastic attorneys whom I've known for several years about special education law. Joyce Berkowitz has a practice representing parents, and Dave Oakes works for the Harris Beach Law Firm and represents school districts. Our lively discussion centers on what school administrators need to know about special education law. We get into mistakes to avoid, how to stay current on changes to special education law - if that's even possible, when to call the attorneys, what to expect when the attorneys show up, and where the focus of all this work rightfully should be - on children. Joyce and Dave also share insights about their own personal productivity and setting priorities.
To reach Joyce you can Google her name (Joyce B. Berkowitz) or call her at (585) 421-9094. You can learn more about Dave and his work at Harris Beach's website (www.harrisbeach.com). Enjoy this interview with Joyce Berkowitz and Dave Oakes. 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. | |||
| So You Think You Can Implement - The Often Ignored Science of Implementation | 11 Sep 2015 | 00:32:47 | |
We all know how to implement, right? It's not as easy as it sounds. In this episode I interview Caryn Ward. Caryn works with the National Implementation Research Network or NIRN (http://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/). She is an expert on implementation science the research that supports it. We talk about the Five Implementation Frameworks, how they apply to education, and what they mean for school leaders, and pitfalls to avoid. Additional information and tools that Caryn mentions in the podcast can be found at The Active Implementation Hub (http://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/).
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| It's Time to Clean Up Your Office | 06 Sep 2015 | 00:38:57 | |
In this episode I interview Professional Office Organizing Consultant Kacy Paide. We talk about how much more productive and focused you can be when your environment is organized. It sounds so simple. Why aren't more of us there already? We get into practical tips, where to start, and mistakes to avoid. Kacy mentioned the following resources during the interview:
You can learn more about Kacy and her work at www.theinspiredoffice.com. She has a blog and a bunch of great instructional videos. Enjoy this interview with Kacy Paide.
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| Stop Staring at that Pile of Books You're Supposed to Read | 28 Aug 2015 | 00:32:26 | |
In this episode I interview Jenn David-Lang. 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 where we've been, where we are, and where we're headed in education. We talk about the importance of building relationships, mistakes for administrators to avoid, tips for personal productivity, and much more. Enjoy this interview with Jenn David-Lang.
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| Teacher Observation and Evaluation that Makes Sense | 21 Aug 2015 | 00:37:11 | |
In this episode I go another round with educator and author Kim Marshall. This time we talk in detail about teacher observation and evaluation and ways to make the process meaningful and doable for everyone involved. Kim shares several resources including a tool that districts might consider using to help streamline the paperwork involved with the observation process (https://www.t-eval.com/). 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 interview with Kim Marshall.
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| What Can a Reporter Teach Us About Communication and Working with the Media? | 13 Aug 2015 | 00:28:55 | |
In this episode I interview Justin Murphy. Justin is a seasoned journalist who reports on education both in print and online. We talk about how school administrators can build positive relationships with the media, mistakes to avoid when working with the press, and how to figure out the real story when you have conflicting information from different sources. We also get into a couple of productivity hacks that Justin has found useful as a reporter as well as his approach to staying caught up on email. Enjoy this interview with Justin Murphy. | |||
| Don't Hit Flies with Sledgehammers and Other Decision Making Wisdom | 17 Jul 2015 | 00:27:08 | |
In this episode I interview Dan White. Dan has been a school counselor, a high school principal, and a school district superintendent. He is currently the superintendent of a large educational service agency. We talk mainly about decision making, specifically how not to let another person's crisis become your crisis, using the time you have to make decisions, not hitting flies with sledgehammers, making thoughtful course corrections, and much more. This is likely the first of several episodes with Dan related to the nuts and bolts of leadership in general and school leadership specifically. The book Dan mentions towards the end of the episode is Time Present, Time Past by Bill Bradley. Enjoy this interview with Dan White. | |||
| It's Time to Give Better Presentations | 11 Jul 2015 | 00:29:08 | |
In this episode I interview Dr. Stephanie Evergreen, author of the book Presenting Data Effectively. She has worked across all sectors, including education, teaching and coaching people about how to communicate using data. We talk about what great presenters do, tips on creating good slides, how your visuals should complement your personality when you present, and more. We barely scratch the surface in this interview, and you are going to want to hear more from Stephanie. Her website is http://stephanieevergreen.com/, and you can go there to learn more about her book, read her blog, and listen to her podcasts. Enjoy this interview with Dr. Stephanie Evergreen.
Below are two links that Stephane mentions during the interview:
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| S9 E2: Year of Acceleration for All (Yes, that includes Black Males) | 24 Feb 2025 | 00:40:11 | |
Khalid Oluewu, principal of Webster Elementary School in Chicago, has done what many principals would love to do: He has created structures and practices at his school to ACCELERATE learning for all, and in particular for Black males. Wow. The idea started when he was a teacher and taught middle school math and had students come to him years behind. He looped with the students and in three short years he not only got them on grade level, but when they went to high school they were able to skip Algebra and start with Geometry. Now as a principal he put four things in place to accelerate learning - to have students learn one and a half years' worth in just a year):
The results? In one year the overall proficiency level leaped from just 6% to 50% and for Black boys, it went from just 2% to 30%! Truly impressive. And those numbers keep climbing up, far from the single-digit proficiency levels they were before. To learn more, check out these resources:
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.
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| Productivity Beyond the To-Do List | 20 Jun 2015 | 00:28:37 | |
In this episode I interview productivity expert Erik Fisher. His podcast, Beyond the To-Do List, is essential listening for anyone looking to increase their personal productivity and improve their work-life balance. We talk about priorities, rituals, multi-tasking, getting control of your email, tools to help you stay focused, and much more. You can learn more about Erik, follow him on Twitter @ErikJFisher, and download his podcast at http://beyondthetodolist.com/. Enjoy this interview with Erik Fisher.
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| You CAN Get Your Job Done in a Sensible Work Week | 12 Jun 2015 | 00:25:24 | |
In this episode I interview Jill Pancoast from The Breakthrough Coach. The training that she describes in the interview has helped tens of thousands of school administrators all over the world get out of their offices and spend more time in classrooms where the real work of school is going on. We talk about the characteristics of effective school administrators, developing a results orientation, minimizing distractions in your work environment, and much more. You can learn more about Jill and The Breakthrough Coach at http://www.the-breakthrough-coach.com/. | |||
| Productivity, The 5 AM Miracle, and Your Health | 05 Jun 2015 | 00:32:41 | |
In this episode I interview productivity author and podcaster Jeff Sanders. His wildly popular podcast The 5 AM Miracle changed my life, and I'm sure you'll enjoy this conversation with Jeff. We talk about the idea of intentionality when it comes to scheduling your day, the importance of developing anchor habits, what school administrators can do to be more efficient and effective, tips to increase energy and improve health and wellness, all kinds of resources on all of these topics and more. More information about Jeff and his work can be found at his website www.jeffsanders.com. | |||
| Dr. Nick Morgan on Becoming a Great Communicator | 29 May 2015 | 00:34:34 | |
In this episode I interview author and communications coach Dr. Nick Morgan. Dr. Morgan is the author of many books about public speaking and communications. We talk about what makes great communicators stand out, rookie mistakes to avoid, how to communicate effectively with social media, what to do when you have to talk to a reporter, how to give clear concise "say a few words" speeches, and much more. To learn more about Dr. Morgan and his work visit his website www.publicwords.com. I hope you enjoy this interview with Dr. Nick Morgan. | |||
| Health, Wellness, Energy, and Productivity for School Leaders | 22 May 2015 | 00:38:58 | |
In this episode I interview Dr. Charlie Shaw, a chiropractor and wellness expert, about what school administrators can do to increase their energy and improve their overall health. Charlie and I get into the impact of movement, hydration, and nutrition on productivity and wellness. While you may have heard some of the advice before, it's affirming to have it come from an expert in the field. We also talk about several specific personal productivity strategies that Charlie has found effective for maintaining balance while managing a busy chiropractic practice. Charlie mentioned a few links in the interview that I have included below:
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| Kim Marshall on Teacher Evaluation, Where Great Administrators Spend Their Time, and More | 16 May 2015 | 00:43:30 | |
In this episode I interview educator and author Kim Marshall. 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. We talk about how he creates and publishes the Marshall Memo, where education is headed in the next decade, best practices in teacher evaluation, how to stay current in the field, good habits that successful administrators have, and rookie mistakes to avoid. Enjoy this interview with Kim Marshall.
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| Instructional Technology: Past, Present, and Future | 08 May 2015 | 00:33:03 | |
In this interview with veteran technology director and CIO Dr. Jeff Cimmerer, we explore the past, present, and future of instructional technology. We also get into the traps and mistakes that school leaders can avoid to maximize the impact of technology and data in improving teaching and learning. Contact Dr. Jeff Cimmerer at drjpc21@gmail.com | |||
| Interview with Cheryl Dobbertin | 03 May 2015 | 00:29:25 | |
In this interview with educator and author Cheryl Dobbertin, we talk about how school leaders can support teaching and learning in their buildings. With public debate over standards, curriculum, and assessment at an unprecedented and fevered pitch, we get into how administrators can manage all of the competing interests while still focusing on good instruction. Enjoy this one with Cheryl Dobbertin. | |||
| Introduction | 03 May 2015 | 00:04:28 | |
In this first episode I lay out the purpose for the show - to fill a void. There are no podcasts out there dedicated to helping practicing and aspiring school leaders improve their craft. | |||
| S9 E1: A Truly Transformational Approach to Coaching | 11 Feb 2025 | 00:44:40 | |
After 30 years in the field Elena Aguilar gathered all of her experience and learning and put together the most powerful book on coaching we've seen -- Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching. Elena sees coaching as the way -- one conversation at a time -- that we transform our schools. In this deeply insightful conversation she shares the importance of coaching more than the teacher BEHAVIORS we are all used to coaching. She shared an example of how, when she coached a teacher to change her behavior -- and change her classroom from rows and direct instruction to groups -- once Elena left, she reverted back to the rows. Elena asked, 'Why?" and the teacher was honest in saying she just didn't believe that groups were the best way for students to learn. Elena has come to the conclusion that for coaching to be truly transformative, we need to coach teachers' BELIEFS, BEHAVIORS, and ways of BEING, or the "Three Bs" as she calls it. This approach to coaching is so successful because she acknowledges that teachers are human, and we need to address the emotions that are involved in the job. Listen to this great conversation, and you'll walk away with several ideas you can use immediately. Elena shares how you can transform that staff meeting you're planning by cutting out some of the content and carving out 6 minutes for people to connect before diving in. She also shared a few tools that she uses in her coaching -- the Spheres of Influence and Gaps Framework -- and once you hear her explain them, you can use them in your conversations and coaching with staff as well. Overall, Elena's ideas from her book Arise all aim at helping you to COMMUNICATE better with staff and creating the CONDITIONS so your staff can thrive. Learn more about Elena and her work: https://www.brightmorningteam.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. | |||
| S8 E10: Relationships, Relationships, Relationships | 08 Jan 2025 | 00:43:27 | |
Mike returns to the podcast! Jenn and Mike had a great conversation with Coach Carlos about his book Power Engage: Seven Power Moves for Building Strong Relationships to Increase Engagement with Students. No, he's not a coach of a sports team, but a former school leader who has successfully turned around three failing schools by improving STUDENT ENGAGEMENT. How? By focusing on relationships. Teacher-student relationships and parent-school relationships are particularly key. Listen as we talk about the 3 indicators every school should examine to detect problems with culture:
Then make sure your teachers are having the right type of relationships with students, that is, performance-based relationships. These are relationships where teachers have control and engagement is high. Not punitive relationships, and not permissive relationships. Coach Carlos also talks about the importance of our teachers having the right MINDSET. Do your teachers have a COACH-DRIVEN mindset? We know coaching is important as a pedagogical tool, but did you know it's important in building relationships, too? To learn more about his book go to: https://www.solutiontree.com/power-engage.html To learn more about Coach Carlos: https://www.solutiontree.com/carlos-johnson.html 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.
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| S8 E9: Building trust matters, and it matters deeply in schools | 03 Jan 2025 | 00:43:46 | |
Megan Tshannen-Moran and Jenn had a delightful conversation about the power of trust in schools. It is one of three factors that is so powerful that it oustrips SES in predicting student achievement. Far from being a "soft skill," building trust has become a must-have skill for educational leaders. In this conversation Megan not only defines trust for us, but she also gives us lots of concrete strategies and tidbits to build and keep trust alive in schools. We discussed what happens with betrayals of trust and Megan outlines in detail how leaders can bring their school through a step-by-step Appreciative Inquiry process to help when a school is experiencing a low-trust moment. You can learn more about Megan Tshannen-Moran and her work here: https://schooltransformation.com/ She also kindly offered to answer your emails here: mxtsch@wm.edu 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. | |||
| S8 E8: Is A.I. the teaching assistant we've all been waiting for? | 14 Dec 2024 | 00:54:05 | |
What a great conversation about the new book, The Artificial Intelligence Playbook: Time-Saving Tools for Teachers that Make Learning More Engaging! Jenn got to talk to all three of the authors: Meghan Hargrave, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey and learned so much. We discussed everything from what AI is and isn't, to the reasons leaders should address teachers' emotions around AI, to whether AI is going to take over our jobs! (Spoiler alert, the authors quoted Ethan Mollick who says, "AI won't take your job, but someone who uses AI will!" ... so listen to this podcast to be the person who knows how to use AI!) There are, however, things to be careful of — like students using AI for plagiarism — so we discussed some great ideas to address this. We also got into some concrete examples of the ways AI can help teachers with the important work they're doing:
The authors share examples of prompts you can feed into AI and some of the tips they have for making sure you get the best possible answers from AI. Since our listeners are mostly ed leaders, they also shared that on Corwin's website there's a school leader's guide to the book. There's also a study guide for teachers and a boot camp with self-paced modules on the website. The authors are all over social media. You can't miss them. If you've been shy about diving into AI, this conversation and this book are two great places to start! 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. | |||
| S8 E7: How to Supercharge Your Communication | 26 Nov 2024 | 00:41:45 | |
You probably know Charles Duhigg from his book, The Power of Habit. Or maybe Smarter Faster Better. Now he has a newer book out that is another great resource for school leaders — Supercommunnicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. Charles shares with Jenn how people mess up communication and how to improve it. He says that most miscommunication happens when we are having different conversations, and when we fail to connect. There are basically three conversation types: decision-making, emotional, and social relationships. You don't want to miss this conversation because you'll see how Jenn uses Charles's own techniques to connect with him emotionally in just ONE minute. And later in the podcast, Charles and Jenn role play a teacher and principal and how to diagnose and address a typical conflict. There are so many nuggets of wisdom for educational leaders in this podcast. One small thing you can do tomorrow? Ask deeper questions with staff. Instead of asking WHAT questions, like "What is happening today?" Ask, "How are you feeling about how things went today?" You can find more information at CharlesDuhigg.com or sign up for his Substack. He suggests supporting a local bookstore by picking up this book there. Also, Penguin Random House has a free guide for teachers and students on their 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. 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.
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