The Minimalist Educator Podcast

Ever feel like the noise never stops? We invited Dr. Amanda March, former school psychologist, professional learning expert, and founder of Rise and Align Consulting, to help us turn down the volume and bring clarity back to teaching and leading. Through vivid stories and practical tools, Amanda shows how naming and living core values reduces burnout, speeds up decision-making, and builds a school culture that actually supports the work.We unpack the science behind values alignment: what cognitive dissonance does to your brain and why aligning actions with beliefs lowers cortisol and lifts motivation. Amanda’s “tale of two district leaders” reveals how apparent personality clashes, independence versus collaboration, can transform into complementary strengths when teams do a simple values sort and embed organizational values alongside mission and goals. The result is fewer assumptions, more trust, and faster progress on what matters most for students.If perfectionism keeps you stuck, you’ll hear why it’s more helpful to treat it as an anti-value and replace it with a daily micro-practice: Rise, Align, Reflect. Choose one value each morning, define how you’ll embody it, and keep a visible reminder so you can redirect when you slip into polishing or procrastination. We also share team practices, like quick value shout outs, that deliver immediate wins for culture, recognition, and focus. This is minimalist education in action: fewer distractions, clearer choices, and consistent habits that protect energy and impact.If this conversation helps you rethink, reduce, or realign part of your practice, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review with your top core value. Your feedback helps others find these tools and keeps the work moving forward.Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.

What if the fastest path to a better school isn’t a new program, but a sharper focus on the people already doing the right work? We sit down with leadership expert and bestselling author Todd Whitaker to map a clear, practical route from average to exceptional. Todd shares why every school already holds the blueprint for success: great teachers are proving what’s possible with the same students and constraints, and how leaders can replicate those wins across the building.We dig into the daily moves that change culture: show up in classrooms, praise specifically, and make faculty meetings a source of actionable ideas rather than calendar clutter. Todd explains how to use “learning relationships” to anchor trust, why proximity and engaging lessons beat gimmicks, and how subtle tactics; like timing visits and modeling greetings, raise student engagement. He also offers a simple filter for busy leaders: if it doesn’t help you hire better people or improve the ones you have, minimize it.Clarity sits at the center of strong schools. Todd outlines how to teach expectations before correction, separate ignorance from insubordination, and prevent problems by setting norms in advance. You’ll hear concrete strategies for assemblies, hallway presence, staff memos, and faculty facilitation, plus a candid look at addressing negativity without draining morale. The standout takeaway: make every decision based on your best people. Superstars want everyone to succeed, including you, and their example can quietly reset the standard for the whole staff.If you’re ready to trade noise for impact and build a culture that lifts teaching every day, this conversation delivers focused, field-tested steps you can use tomorrow. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with the one practice you’ll start this week.Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.

Rural education isn’t about scarcity. It’s about clarity. We sit down with Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association, professor, longtime superintendent, and host of the Rural Scoop—to unpack how minimalist leadership helps protect the core mission of teaching and learning in communities that already operate lean. Instead of doing more with less, she argues for stripping away noise, centering relationships, and using place-based learning to make school deeply personal and relevant.Across a 32-year career in Arizona’s rural schools, Dr. Sadorf has seen the power of an asset-based lens: strong family ties, flat decision-making, and the ability to move quickly without bureaucratic drag. She shares concrete ways to fight initiative fatigue by choosing a few high-impact practices, aligning PD and budgets to those priorities, and communicating the why behind required tasks. Her mantra, "connection over compliance", keeps trust high and energy focused where it counts.We also dive into distributive leadership that taps the strengths of the whole staff. From data analysis to technology workflows to grant planning, leaders can “coach up” people across roles and build a healthier pipeline while spreading workload sustainably. For educators curious about moving from urban classrooms to rural communities, Melissa offers pragmatic guidance: learn the context, honor local culture, and build relationships before making big moves. The throughline is “intentional simplicity”: clear boundaries, protected time for learning, and a steadfast focus on what serves students.If you value practical strategies and a hopeful, grounded view of rural schools, this conversation will sharpen your focus and renew your purpose. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review to help more educators find these ideas. What’s one thing you’ll cut this week to protect the core?Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.

Coaching doesn’t fail because we lack strategies; it fails when our calendars, agendas, and relationships pull us in ten directions at once. We sit down with instructional coaching coordinator Lindsay Deacon to get practical about navigating principal friction, protecting energy, and keeping the work simple enough to sustain. From her early leap into coaching and time with Jim Knight and John Hattie to designing programs at scale, Lindsay brings field-tested moves that work in real schools with real constraints.We explore what to do when a principal blows off meetings or moves faster than information can travel. Lindsay’s approach starts with composure and listening: arrive with a few sharp coaching questions, mirror their immediate priorities, and align support without adding noise. You’ll hear why dropping your agenda, finding human common ground, and “witnessing the good” can flip the tone of a building. We dig into the mantra that changes everything—people are motivated by their goals, not yours—and how that one shift boosts buy-in, clarity, and measurable progress for teachers and students.Boundaries become a performance tool here. Lindsay shares a simple script: “My heart says yes, but my calendar says no”, that rescues focus during peak seasons and retrains colleagues to respect capacity. We talk about energy resets through offline hobbies like horseback riding and unexpected lessons from the FBI Citizens Academy: open-ended questions, rapid trust, and reading body language translate directly to high-impact coaching. Plus, a sneak peek at her next project, a presenter survival guide packed with solutions for group facilitation’s thorny moments.If you’re a coach, teacher leader, or admin who wants fewer tasks and better outcomes, this conversation offers clear language, usable frameworks, and renewal for the long haul. Subscribe, share with a colleague who’s juggling too much, and leave a review telling us which strategy you’ll try first.This episode is sponsored by Next Adventure EduCoaching. Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.

What if your greatest leadership move is not to add, but to edit? We share the thinking behind our new book, Your School Leadership Edit, and walk through a practical framework that helps you simplify systems, protect your time, and raise instructional impact without burning out your team.We break down the Five Rs—reimagining, removing, repurposing, reinvesting, and refining—and show how they apply to the big structures that shape daily school life: communication, expectations, teacher support, time use, and family participation. You will hear why “edit” is our guiding metaphor, how to subtract redundant work with confidence, and where to reinvest those reclaimed minutes and dollars for the biggest gains. Expect concrete moves like time audits, meeting redesigns, clearer definitions of “done,” and small process tweaks that compound into calmer days and stronger results.We also connect this minimalist approach to unlearning: questioning habits that survive out of tradition rather than evidence. Perfection is not the goal; reliability is. That means shipping minimum viable processes, refining what matters, and resisting the urge to polish forever. Along the way, we share personal shifts—like ditching a bloated digital task list for paper planning—and point you to free digital tools that accompany each chapter so you can take action right away.If you’re a principal, AP, coach, department head, or teacher leader who wants fewer initiatives and better outcomes, this conversation offers a clear path forward. Subscribe, share this with a colleague who needs breathing room, and leave a review to help more leaders find a simpler, more intentional way to run their schools.Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.

In this episode, we explore how trust-based observations replace ratings with strength-focused coaching that actually improves teaching. Craig Randall shares practical steps leaders can use to build trust, save time, and spark real growth in classrooms.• origin of trust-based observations and mentor influence• why rating pedagogy harms culture and lowers efficacy• minimalist nine-element form for precise, strengths-based feedback• micro-actions that lower threat and build trust• time math: 20+20 model versus six-hour cycles• navigating policy while shifting culture and practice• tipping point adoption, results, and union interest• future directions: trust-based leadership and coaching• pared down pointer: stop write-ups, prioritize brief cyclesThis episode is sponsored by Plan Z Education Services. Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.

Dr. Amanda Brueggeman shares insights from her research and experience with student-centered mentoring, a collaborative approach that keeps students at the heart of new teachers' learning. She explains how this philosophy contrasts with traditional mentoring methods and offers strategies for providing effective support that helps retain teachers in the profession.• The number one reason teachers leave the profession is lack of support• Traditional mentoring uses teacher-centered approaches while student-centered mentoring focuses on collaborative partnerships• Asking strategic questions across different support categories (emotional, communication, instruction) is more effective than generic check-ins• Both mentors and mentees can learn from each other in an effective mentoring relationship• Mindset greatly impacts teaching practice, with growth-oriented teachers being more open to collaboration and innovation• Time-blocking is an essential strategy for managing the many demands on educators' timeFor resources and more information on student-centered mentoring, visit amandabrueggemann.com.This episode is sponsored by ACBrueggeman Consulting: The Home for Student-Centered Mentoring and Educator Support.Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.

Courage isn't just a virtue, it's a skill that can transform our educational environments when practiced intentionally. In this compelling conversation with returning guest, Ming Shelby, we explore how educators can cultivate courage in challenging situations and discover unexpected joy through letting go.Ming shares a powerful personal story about facing an unexpected confrontation with a colleague. Rather than responding defensively or avoiding the conflict, she demonstrated the "power of the pause" by suggesting they revisit the conversation "when we're both resourceful." This simple yet profound technique created space for emotions to settle before engaging in what became a productive dialogue that preserved dignity on both sides. Most importantly, Ming addresses the timing of difficult conversations – waiting too long allows feelings to fester, while addressing issues promptly (within hours, not weeks) prevents additional complications.The conversation takes a provocative turn when Ming suggests that a necessary courageous shift in education involves "teachers letting go of control." Through illuminating examples ranging from kindergarten flexible seating to high school assessment practices, she illustrates how thoughtful release of control benefits everyone in the educational ecosystem. For educators hesitant to make changes, Ming recommends starting small: "It's not a one-time conversation...what if we tried this one thing?" This gradual approach honors the personal nature of teaching while still encouraging growth.We dive into positive psychology's role in education, exploring the "broaden and build theory" which explains how positive emotions expand our vision of what's possible with students. Ming shares how she transformed negative team meetings into spaces of celebration by simply changing the opening ritual to sharing positive experiences – a reminder that small structural changes can dramatically shift school culture. As Ming notes in her pare-down pointer: "Courage is contagious... courage is also a muscle. So keep practicing."This episode is sponsored by Plan Z Education Services. Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.

Dr. Monica Burns joins us to explore how educators can thoughtfully integrate AI tools to simplify their workload and enhance teaching practices. We discuss the evolution of AI in education since our first conversation and examine practical applications that prioritize teacher expertise while leveraging technological assistance.• AI serves as a thought partner and assistant rather than a replacement for teacher expertise• Effective AI use requires teachers to maintain their role as content experts, pedagogical specialists, and student advocates• Starting with your to-do list and wish list helps identify specific areas where AI can make meaningful contributions• Dictation features provide an excellent way to "brain dump" ideas without worrying about organization• The "reply to refine" approach helps develop effective prompts by gradually adding specificity• Privacy considerations are paramount—use district-approved tools and avoid uploading student information to free platforms• Different AI platforms offer varying features that might better suit certain workflows or preferences• When introducing AI to colleagues, focus on specific instructional pain points rather than forcing adoption• Environmental impacts of AI use should be considered alongside convenience and time-saving benefitsThis episode is sponsored by Plan Z Education Services. Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.

There's a powerful moment in our conversation with John Spencer when he captures what so many educators are feeling: "It's like you're designing for depth while the system keeps dragging everything to the surface." This sentiment strikes at the heart of teaching today – fighting against a culture of distraction to create meaningful learning experiences.Spencer, whose journey from middle school teacher to professor and influential education content creator began with his own transformative project-based learning experience as a student, offers a refreshingly honest perspective on student engagement. Moving beyond simplistic advice to "make class more engaging" or "remember your why," he presents a nuanced framework for understanding the difference between compliance and true engagement.What makes Spencer's approach so valuable is his practical wisdom about building student ownership gradually. "Ask yourself what am I doing for students that they could be doing themselves," he advises, suggesting educators build a year-long plan for incrementally releasing responsibility. This might mean starting with simplified choice activities before progressing to more complex, self-directed projects – creating a pathway for developing the skills and habits students need to engage deeply.Spencer also challenges common misconceptions about creative learning: that it takes more time (it actually allows for layering standards together), that it's impossible to assess (formative assessment works well), or that it leads to chaos (structure remains essential). His concept of "vintage innovation" – the productive overlap between traditional and progressive approaches – offers a refreshing alternative to polarized education debates.Ready to fight back against the "dopamine casino" of constant digital distraction? Spencer's insights provide both the understanding and practical strategies needed to help students develop focus, resilience and self-direction in a world that increasingly pulls them toward shallow engagement. Listen now to discover how you can create conditions for deeper learning in your classroom.Send us a textSupport the show Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.