If kids haven’t developed certain academic skills by a certain age, their ability to advance in their education diminishes. This means the opportunities they have in adulthood decreases. As I’ve been talking with different curriculum experts and school leaders, many of them have shared that closing academic skill gaps is an important part of addressing…
Tag: social work
EP 127: Should I get my doctorate? (with Dr. Christy Borders)
I’m excited to share episode 127 of De Facto Leaders about a common debate for therapists and teachers: “Is it worth it to get a doctorate?” In this wide-ranging conversation with my colleague Dr. Christy Borders, we discuss ways to build language skills in students with hearing loss, as well as how to decide if it’s time…
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…
EP 122: Executive functioning for college students: Beyond checklists and planners (with Jill Fahy)
What if young adults are still prompt-dependent when they go away to college? Or what if they and their parents aren’t aware of how much support they’re actually getting? On top of that, how can professionals navigate the complexity of supporting language and executive functioning (or knowing when to address which skills)? I invited Jill…
EP 121: Do we all have an inner voice (and if not, should we try to develop one)?
In different discussion groups, I’ve heard the claim that up to 50% of people don’t have an inner voice. Since much of my work has focused on metacognition and language, I wanted to devote an episode to discussing some common questions that come up regarding this topic. That’s why in episode 121 of the “De…
EP 120: Career transitions and improv for educators and therapists (with Aimee Davis)
If you’ve ever thought about leaving the school systems, you may have wondered what options you have as far as jobs go. Maybe you feel burnt out, or maybe you just want a change and don’t want to walk away from education completely. I understand this dilemma on a deep level, so that’s why I…
EP 119: Teacher-centered leadership (with Dr. Chris Jones)
Many people who are involved in K-12 education want to be “student-centered”, but what if that’s not the most effective place for leaders to put their efforts? I wanted to discuss this topic with Dr. Chris Jones, who shares why school leaders can create a bigger impact by supporting teachers and those working directly with…
EP 118: Coaching aspiring leaders in school turn-around and community outreach (with Edward Gordon II)
Evidence-based practices and high-quality curriculum are important, but they aren’t the ONLY things school leaders need to think about. We can’t effectively serve students unless we understand their community, which means we have to think beyond the classroom or therapy room. That’s why I invited Edward Gordon, II, former principal and CEO of Gordon Leadership…