In this episode, we’re joined by literacy expert Dr. Molly Ness, author of Making Words Stick, to unpack the science behind orthographic mapping and what truly effective spelling instruction looks like. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether “irregular” words really exist—or how to teach spelling in a way that actually transfers to reading and…
Category: Special Education
EP 217: Embracing Cross-Pollination, High-Quality Tutoring, and Agile Leadership for Student Success (with Dr. Kate Anderson Foley)
In this episode, we dive deep with educational consultant and innovator Dr. Kate Anderson Foley, who challenges conventional wisdom about student support systems and offers a fresh perspective on educational leadership. Dr. Anderson Foley’s shares revolutionary ideas about restructuring intervention frameworks and explains why some traditional approaches may be limiting student potential. Episode Highlights: ✅…
EP 206: FAQs: What if my district is still promoting three-cueing?
For episode 206 of De Facto Leaders, I share a Q & A session where I discuss Reading Recovery and cueing strategies for decoding, and I make some recommendations for additional information that will give you more information on this topic. I also share what you can do if you’re in a district that uses…
EP 153: Debriefing, de-escalation, and relationship repair (with Crissy Mombela)
Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors don’t have to define us. This is an important thing to remember for adults dealing with professional burnout and compassion fatigue; and it’s also important to model for kids. When school discipline focuses on punitive measures alone, we miss out on opportunities to teach kids how to manage emotions or…
EP 152: The cost of caring: Compassion fatigue in education and healthcare (with Crissy Mombela)
People working in school or medical settings are in a position to be caring for others in their professional lives; which makes it difficult to leave work at work. When you combine that with relationships outside of work, family responsibilities or having a child with a disability, there’s a high risk of burnout. I invited…
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 126: Behind the scenes of a K-12 staffing company (with Ryan Cleaveland)
Many clinicians start their careers feeling unprepared to navigate the job market. In a lot of professional groups, I’ve noticed a skepticism towards contract companies, recruiters, and staffing agencies simply because many people working in school settings don’t know who they can trust. If you’ve ever had a recruiter awkwardly slide into your DMs or…
EP 125: Time perception, anxiety, and future pacing
When I was younger I was fixated on clocks and the passage of time. It’s accurate to say it was an obsession of mine, to the point that it caused me large amounts of anxiety. It got difficult for me to tell when I was future-planning or when I was catastrophizing. On top of that,…
EP 124: Meditation for educators and the art of giving 85% (with Danny Bauer)
I have a love/hate relationship with meditation and mindfulness. I know I should do it. I even talk about why it’s beneficial. But I never want to do it…even though I feel better if I do. If that sounds familiar, you won’t want to miss episode 124 of the “De Facto Leaders” podcast. That’s why…