The School Leadership Show

In this episode sometimes co-host Dan White and I get into all things teams - how to build them, how to think about the larger context, and much more. 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 or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

In this episode occasional co-host Dan White and I interview, Noah, a recent high school graduate about his experiences in a typical Upstate New York High School.  Noah’s candid assessment of what works and what doesn’t in our classrooms is refreshing and compelling. And it’s certainly not all rainbows and unicorns. 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 or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

Dr. Barbara Oakley is an educator, writer, and engineer with one of the coolest backstories I’ve ever heard.  She has become an expert on learning and her most recent book Learning How to Learn: A Guide for Kids and Teens is spectacular - so spectacular that my 16-year-old daughter was impressed.  Barb and I have a wide-ranging conversation about her background, learning in general, a little bit about math instruction specifically, and her thoughts on how we can improve teaching and learning in our schools.  I was really impressed with Barb, and I made her promise to do a part two. I hope you enjoy her story and insights as much as I did. Learning How to Learn: A Guide for Kids and Teens is available everywhere, and you can learn more about Barb and her work at www.barbaraoakley.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. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

In this episode I interview former Phi Delta Kappan Editor-in-Chief Joan Richardson.  Joan is now in charge of polling for PDK and she has written an article on the 50-year history of the annual Kappan poll of U.S. attitudes toward public schools (http://pdkpoll.org/history).  There is also a cool timeline compiling key findings from the last five decades of results, along with noteworthy events in the nation each year (http://pdkpoll.org/timeline).  I had no idea about the origins of this annual poll, and I hope you find it as fascinating as I did.  Joan has promised to come back on the show when the results of the current year’s poll are released in September. 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 or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

A conversation with The Main Idea’s Jenn David-Lang and Justin Baeder, the author of Now We’re Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea returns to the show and we talk with Justin Baeder, the author of Now We’re Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership.  Justin discusses his model for turning daily classroom visits into a powerful habit for instructional improvement.  He offers a practical approach to mastering this high-leverage technique for helping teachers reflect on their practice and grow as professionals.   Now We’re Talking! is available everywhere, and you can learn more about Justin and his work at http://www.instructionalleadershipchallenge.com/. You can reach Jenn through her website for The Main Idea (www.themainidea.net).  She’s offered to send listeners of this episode a free summary of Now We’re Talking! if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net. 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 or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

Dr. Stephanie Evergreen's books, Presenting Data Effectively and Effective Data Visualization, are must-haves for any leader who uses data (and what leader doesn’t use data?).  Stephanie and I talk about trends she’s seeing in the world of presentations and data visualization.  We also get into her 1-3-25 report format, creating better handouts, qualitative data, and so much more. Below are a couple of the links that Stephanie mentions during the interview: Spectrum Display: http://stephanieevergreen.com/spectrum-displays/ Academy: http://academy.stephanieevergreen.com You can learn more about Stephanie and her work at her website: http://stephanieevergreen.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. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

During this conversation, Jenn and I talk about Shane Safir’s 2017 book Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation.  At the intersection of neuroscience, mindfulness, and equity is the need to be a listening leader.  Safir creates a framework and makes a case for the transformative power of listening. As with all of the books that Jenn selects for The Main Idea, The Listening Leader has the perfect balance of the theoretical and the practical. You can reach Jenn through 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 Listening 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 or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

During this conversation, Jenn and I talk with teacher and author Jessica Lahey about her 2016 book The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So their Children Can Succeed.  This is a wide-ranging discussion where we talk about so many topics like motivation and executive functioning, the critical time that is middle school, implications for teacher training, what school administrators can do to change mindsets about failure, the power of school culture, and so much more.    The best way to find Jess is to start at her website: http://www.jessicalahey.com/.  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 Gift of Failure if you send her an email at J.David-Lang@TheMainIdea.net.  It’s definitely worth the time.  Enjoy this interview with Jess Lahey and 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 or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

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. 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 or someone you know would like to sponsor the show, send me an email at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com.

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.