As a school leader, when is it best to make “top-down” decisions, and when should you make it a collaborative process? How can you tell which stakeholder input to prioritize? What’s the best way to communicate with your staff in a way that feels transparent, but doesn’t burden them with too much information? How can…
Category: School Administration
EP 160: Turning disagreements in to alliances in K-12 education (with Dr. Barb Flowers)
There’s a lot of “us vs. them” thinking happening relating to what’s going on in the school systems. Parents feeling like teachers don’t want to accommodate students with diverse learning needs. Teachers feeling like administrators don’t understand because they aren’t in classrooms anymore. Therapists feeling like teachers don’t want to reinforce strategies in their classrooms,…
SEEing to Lead: Seeing the whole staircase (with Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan)
This week, I’m sharing an interview I did with another host on the BE podcast network because I think it’s something you’ll really enjoy. The episode is going live in the De Facto Leaders podcast feed. Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. His experience in the classroom ranged from…
EP 144: Becoming a school founder and empowering students through project-based learning (with Tanya Sheckley)
Many people working in K-12 education have ambitions to start their own company where they have the ability to redesign the way student learning happens. The motivation often comes from wanting to create a scenario where they feel less constrained, more innovative, and more impactful. When I ventured into self-employment, I found that many of…
EP 143: Developing a cultural competemility mindset for educators and clinicians (with Melanie Evans)
Many clinicians are trained to focus on checklists and evaluations so we can walk in to work confident; knowing exactly what our protocols are. And while systems and processes are extremely important, we have to know how to use them flexibly. When we think about this in relation to cultural competency; we often think of…
EP 135: How to read the room, speak with confidence, and sell your ideas (with Roberta Ndlela)
If you want to learn how to present information to school boards, administration, or other leadership or land more speaking engagements, you won’t want to miss this episode! Reading the room is an essential life skill, whether we’re talking about a child navigating recess, or an adult trying to navigate the workplace. For kids, this…
EP 132: Perspective-taking for therapists, educators, and school leaders (with Lynn Hardin)
In some of the work we do with students, we may have to help them interpret the actions of others or help them understand how they’re coming across. Within the context of executive functioning, this is known as perspective-taking. This is an essential life skill in both our professional and personal lives; which is why…
EP 130: Using private practice to offer accessible services and advocate for your profession (with Ebony Green)
Most people involved in K-12 education aren’t in it for the money, but with high caseloads and low pay; a lot of people are considering a career transition. For people in therapy roles, private practice is a common option on the table; but many come from a “helping people” mindset and struggle with the idea…
EP 129: Professional learning communities and curriculum reform in public and private education (with Tom Conroy)
Many of my listeners don’t know this, but I went to a private Catholic school until 8th grade before transitioning to a public high school. I had what I like to call “Catholic school RtI”, where I got extra reading help with Sister Marie (and it paid off!). I’ve focused a lot of my content…
BONUS: The Authority: Baruti Kafele on The Equity & Social Justice Education 50
This week, I’m sharing an interview from another host on the BE podcast network because I think it’s something you’ll really enjoy. The episode is going live in the De Facto Leaders podcast feed. I’m pleased to bring you a conversation from The Authority Podcast here on the Be Podcast Network. You’ll hear from Principal…