237: People over Pep Talks, Relationships over Rules | High School Principal David Beck

David Beck is the principal of Granite Connection High School in South Salt Lake, Utah. He has served as a teacher at Pleasant Grove High School, and Assistant Principal at both Cyprus High School and Granger High School in Utah. David earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from BYU.

In this episode we discuss the following:

• When one of David’s students was falling asleep in class, a pep talk was the last thing she needed—she was working until 1:00 a.m. and catching a 6:30 a.m. bus just to get to school. What she needed was love, respect, and repeated check-ins over time.
• Even when students have especially difficult lives, the answer isn’t to lower expectations, but to raise support through mentorship, consistency, interventions, and relationships.
• Often, what people need most isn’t money, but guidance—someone to help them navigate systems and help them believe a different future is possible.
• By applying the Heath Brothers’ Power of Moments framework and intentionally designing positive, celebratory experiences, the school massively increased graduation rates.
• In the end, it all comes down to relationships.