Theschoolhouse302 #onethingseries Leadership Podcast

Mitch Weathers Joins Joe & T.J. Mitch became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. He rarely felt comfortable in the classroom. In fact, it took him 7 years for him to graduate from college. Choosing to become a teacher, Mitch was fortunate enough to experience school as if it was happening all around him. He was unsure how to jump into his learning with confidence. There is a loneliness to experiencing your education as a passive object as opposed to an active subject. From the moment he entered the classroom Mitch relied on his personal experiences as a learner. He recognized that what we teach, the content or curriculum, is secondary. We must first lay the foundation for learning before we can get to teaching. In fact, unless students develop a solid foundation for learning it does not matter how great your teachers deliver content, or how emergent the technology, or even how engaging a lesson might be. Mitch designed Organized Binder to empower teachers with a simple but research-back

In our most recent book, 7 Mindshifts for School Leaders: Finding New Ways to Think About Old Problems, we introduce 7 Mindshifts that principals and other school leaders can use to solve problems that are constantly plaguing our schools. It’s important that not every problem requires these shifts, but rather those that are important, persistent, and urgent. When a problem is IPU, we use our first mindshift, A Crisis Mindset. In this episode, Joe and T.J. explore what it really means to use a Beginner’s Mindset when solving a problem. It’s hard to accept, but our experience can prevent us from seeing solutions. Joe and T.J. were first introduced to this concept when they interviewed the late Richard Elmore on what it means to be a learning leader. Key Points Reinforced Throughout the Podcast The Beginner’s Mindset sheds preconceived ideas and thoughts on what should be done. Our own expertise can get in the way of seeing ideas and opportunities. Look to great business examples like Sarah Blakely of Spa

Joe and T.J. Recommend that School Leaders Read 7 Mindshifts for School Leaders: Finding New Ways to Think About Old Problems We want to share some of our favorite aspects of our newest book, 7 Mindshifts for School Leaders: Finding New Ways to Think About Old Problems. Written with our co-author, Connie Hamilton, this book calls into question some of the problems with our Educational Industrial Complex, problems that have persisted for too long, and the mindshifts that it will take to truly challenge the status quo. It’s for any school leader who wants better outcomes for all students. If you’re fine with the way things are, it’s not for you. Consider a problem, which is frankly too common: poor attendance. Lots of students miss days here-and-there rather than stringing them together with an obvious and long absence. The problem is that a student who misses a couple of days in September is likely to miss a whole month of school by the end of the year. Think of the type of impact that this kind of poor atte

Our job is to make the learner’s thinking visible. ~ Paul Blooberg About Paul Bloomberg Dr. Paul Bloomberg is the Founder and CEO of The Core Collaborative Learning Network based in San Diego, CA and New York City. The mission of the Core Collaborative Learning Network is to expand learner ownership and agency through building a culture of belonging and efficacy through collaborative inquiry. The Core Collaborative defines “learner” as ALL the people in a system who partner with students. The Core Collaborative strives to cultivate learners who embody empathy, open-mindedness, patience and perseverance who use their energy and expertise to make a positive impact in the world we share with others. Dr. Bloomberg is the co-author of the best-selling book, Leading Impact Teams: Building a Culture of Efficacy, a lead author of Peer Power! Unite, Learn and Prosper: Activate an Assessment Revolution through Mimi and Todd Press and a lead author on The EmpowerED Learner eToolkit. Paul has led multiple, successful

About Tanya Sheckley Tanya Sheckley is Founder and President of UP Academy, an elementary lab school which values innovation, empathy and strength and incorporates a unique neuro-development program for children with physical disabilities. Tanya’s vision and mission show it’s possible to celebrate differences, challenge what’s broken in the American education system, and that all children can receive a rigorous, well rounded education. She is an edupreneur, author of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms of Imagination and Impact, and host of the Rebel Educator podcast. She speaks frequently on the future of education and entrepreneurship. She is a rebel educator who works with new and existing schools to question the status quo and develop innovative student experiences through inclusion and project based learning. What You’ll Find in this Podcast Episode with Tanya Sheckley From selling beer to educating children. Don’t miss Tanya’s journey to creating UP Academy. She opens up about her daughter's edu

What You Should Know About Dan Dan Shortridge, author of DIY Public Relations, is a communications and marketing consultant and author with more than 20 years of experience in the trenches of local public relations and daily journalism. He's led communications for a school district and state government agencies and has helped support small businesses and nonprofits. He holds a master's of education in instructional design and a bachelor's in business administration--marketing. Before moving into public service, he worked for 11 years as a reporter, editor, and designer at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio. A national award-winning reporter, he was part of a team that won a Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service Journalism from the Society of Professional Journalists, and was an Ochberg Fellow with the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. He's also the co-author of three local-interest books about Delaware and Delmarva. He can be reached at danshortridge.com. What You’ll Find in This Episo

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. riff on how school leaders take control of their school’s story. Schools are unique and complex hubs of the community, doing incredible things each and every day that must be shared. The harsh reality is that many people believe that schools are failing our students. There is no doubt that schools and schools systems can improve, but great things are happening and need to be showcased. T.J. begins by explaining the very nature of our schools and how resources and support are paramount for success. We don’t overlook this because marketing is secondary to the critical work in schools that must be done up front. However, once that work is moving forward, we have to showcase the school, the students, and the staff. People already have an impression of schools so the narrative school leaders portray must be true, accurate, and also unique. If someone graduated from high school then they’ve taken biology. However, many of today’s biology classes are working with i

About Amanda Holdsworth Dr. Amanda Holdsworth, APR, is the founder of Holdsworth Communications, a PR and enrollment marketing agency in the education sector; the School Comms Lab, a membership community for school communicators; and Comms Mom, a global community for moms working in communications. A former collegiate tennis and soccer player, Amanda earned a B.S.B.A. in Communications Management and Honors International Studies from Robert Morris University, and both a Master of Arts in Strategic Public Relations and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California. Amanda’s work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNN Money, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc. and Parents Magazine, but her pride and joy is her family: husband, Doug, a successful entrepreneur and two daughters, Avery and Shelby. What You’ll Find in this Podcast Episode with Amanda Holdsworth Amanda has done PR work in higher education, private schools, and public schools. H

School leaders who want to build a strong school brand recognize the importance of learning specific skills to do so effectively. This month Joe and T.J. offer two books that reinforce their 5 ways that school leaders can think like a marketer and tell your school’s story. Culture is King--Marketing is about who you are, not what you are Great Brands Make a Difference--Marketing is about innovation and leadership First Follows Matter--Marketing is about knowing “the others” Stand Out Amongst the Crowd--Marketing is about being unique Show Up Regularly--Marketing is about being consistent Joe’s Pick: The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference Featured Authors: Linda Kaplan Thaler & Robin Koval Joe is a huge fan of Thaler and Koval’s work. The Power of Small is born from the genius that has birthed some of the greatest marketing advertising campaigns that we are familiar with. The simple mention of Aflac and our mind immediately goes to the duck. Enough said, they’ve done their jobs. W

About Jonathan Alsheimer Jonathan Alsheimer is the unorthodox, energetic, and entertaining middle school teacher who refuses to live a life of limitations. Jonathan is often referred to as "my favorite teacher" by his students, and he’s the author of NEXT LEVEL TEACHING. As a passionate educator and National Keynote Speaker, Jonathan Alsheimer presents about limitless possibilities for teachers and the impact of an infectious classroom and school culture. NEXT LEVEL TEACHING is about every teacher bringing their unique flair to better their school every single day, always reaching for the NEXT LEVEL. Jonathan, taught at the world-renowned Fred Lynn Middle School, which was featured in two documentaries "Relentless" and "Relentless: Chasing Accreditation." He has been featured as the teacher who forged a partnership with UFC Fighter and light-weight contender Paul Felder to bring the message that students should never give up, fighting for their education, and empowering them to believe in themselves, all prin

If You’re Going to Lead then You Must Read Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature two books on a particular topic each month. These are books that we have curated from 100s of titles to help school leaders to lead better and grow faster. This month we are completely focused on the 5 ways that school leaders can support new teachers. These are five research-based strategies to support and retain your most vulnerable teaching population. This is critical becasue we are definitely facing a crisis in education. School districts are moving to four-day weeks simply due to lack of staff. In a recent Ed Week article by Madeline Will, she wrote the following, “...the researchers estimate that there are more than 36,500 teacher vacancies in the nation. They also estimate that there are more than 163,500 positions filled by teachers who aren’t fully certified or ar

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into how school leaders must be very tactical about supporting their new teachers. So much time is spent identifying personnel needs, preparing for interviews, drafting the right questions, using the write words in the position posting, and the interview itself, but all of that means nothing if you fail to support teachers once they are hired. That’s all preparation for the game, not the game itself. If you want to play at a higher level, you realize the real work is after the hiring is done. In this episode, listen to Joe paint a dismal picture regarding vacancies across the U.S. This is why school leaders can’t mess up onboarding and support. What do the data say, in short, we are in a crisis: 36,500 teacher vacancies 163,500 positions filled by teachers who aren’t fully certified T.J. develops the conversation further by discussing our most vulnerable teacher populations: Our Best Teachers Our New Teachers He explains that our best teachers are in high

About Frederick White Dr. Frederick White is the COO of Digital PD 4 You, LLC and the author of the book, The Skin You Are In: Colorism in the Black Community, the First (2020) and Second (2021) Edition. Frederick has served as a leader in the educational field for twenty-four years. Dr. White has also spent the past fourteen years serving as an AVID staff development instructor. Dr. White obtained a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Trevecca University and currently serves as a principal of a middle school in Memphis-Shelby County Schools in Tennessee. His newest book is The Labyrinth of Leadership: Navigating Your Way Through the Maze, which we talk about on the show along with so much more leadership insight for school leaders who are looking to lead better and grow faster. Follow Frederick on Twitter @fdwhite02 to get his bi-weekly Labyrinth of Leadership tips for school leaders. What You’ll Find in this Podcast Episode with Frederick White The Labyrinth of Leadership, as Fredrick explains i

302 Thoughts for School Leaders In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into how school leaders must shift their minds to lead better and grow faster. Shifting our mindset is not easy. It requires a dogged pursuit to focus our mind in the most productive ways to function better as a leader. There are two major shifts that are worth making--embracing courage instead of being ruled by fear and maintaining a long-term mentality. Both of these are challenging but incredibly rewarding. In this episode, listen to Joe describe the power of cognitive dissonance and the stockdale paradox that we learned from Jim Collins. Learning to push forward and donning a cape of courage, rather than fretting with fear, is the mental shift that will push an organization forward. T.J. reminds listeners that the key is to fear less, not be fearless. Dive further into this idea with Tim Ferris and Performance Psychologist Michael Gervais. Lastly, Joe talks about how you can do this through the power of teamwork an

Leaders are Readers Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature two books on a particular topic each month. These are books that we believe can help school leaders to lead better and grow faster. This month we are completely focused on two mental shifts that school leaders must make for greater success. The first is shifting from a place of fear to operating in a space of courage. The second is shifting from short-term thinking to long-term thinking. As easy as it is to grasp both of these concepts as necessary, shifting the mind from fear to courage and from short-term reaction to long-term planning is incredibly difficult. That’s why we’ve chosen these two books that are designed to shepherd you through making the change necessary to lead better and grow faster. Joe’s Pick: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living Featured Author: Dale Carnegie First, let

Leaders have to regularly do hard things. ~ Ryan Hawk About Ryan Hawk Ryan Hawk is the host of The Learning Leader Show. He has recorded more than 475 episodes over the past 7 years. Forbes called The Learning Leader Show, “the most dynamic leadership podcast around.” Inc Magazine said, “it’s one of the 5 podcasts to make you a smarter leader.” Apple named it an “all-time best seller” in 2020 and 2021. Ryan is the author of Welcome to Management: How To Grow From Top Performer To Excellent Leader. Book Authority named it to its 100 Best Management Audiobooks of all time (#25). Forbes called it, “the best leadership book of 2020.” Ryan’s second book is called The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of The World’s Most Productive Achievers. It sold through its first printing in eight hours and shot to the top of the Amazon rankings. Previously, Ryan worked in corporate America for 12 years. He started as an entry-level telephonic sales rep and worked his way to manager, director, and ultimately

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into how school leaders can turn adversity into opportunity. Every leader will face issues and how they perceive those problems often determines how they will approach them, which can be the difference between success and failure. Listen to Joe describe the power of It’s Possible. This isn’t just wishful thinking but an earnest belief that regardless of the situation there is a silver lining. Inspired by Les Brown, Joe makes a compelling case for using this same belief and attitude in education. We know that every school and district is facing issues, whether it’s attracting and retaining teachers, student mental health needs, limited resources, unfunded mandates, etc. Take your pick, the list is long. T.J. ties this winning mindset to these perennial problems, and if we want to solve the most difficult issues facing education, leaders are going to need the proper mindset. T.J. mentions the crisis mindset definition that we created, which can be found in o

Leaders are Readers Learning and growing as a school leader through reflection, training, and experience is a professional choice. One powerful way to improve is through reading great books, which is why we feature a couple of books on a particular topic each month. These are books we enjoy and believe are worth reading. Our aim is to link great books to our theme for the month. This month we are focused on school leaders recognizing the opportunity within a crisis. We know how incredibly challenging this can be because every issue brings with it the fact that it also dominates everyone’s mental energy, which means that looking for opportunity in the very moment that you’re trying to solve a problem can be daunting. However, the crisis itself may be our only chance to think differently to not only solve the problem at hand but also determine what advantages may arise during the situation that can be applied in the future. Because this type of thinking is necessary during a crisis, we chose these two powerfu

When we start a new initiative in schools, we have to take into account the rich tapestry of things that are already in place. ~ Nathan Maynard About Nathan Maynard Nathan Maynard is a youth advocate, educational leader, and change maker. He is the co-author of the Washington Post bestselling and award-winning book, Hacking School Discipline: 9 Ways to Create a Culture of Empathy and Responsibility Using Restorative Justice. Nathan also is the co-founder of BehaviorFlip, the first restorative behavior management software. Nathan studied Behavioral Neuroscience at Purdue University and has been facilitating restorative practices for over 15 years. He was awarded “Youth Worker of the Year” through dedicating his time with helping underserved and underprivileged youth involved with the juvenile justice system in Indiana. He was on the founding administration team that opened Purdue University’s first high school in 2017, Purdue Polytechnic High School, serving youth in inner city Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior

In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into how leaders can implement, develop, and support innovation in schools by identifying three ideas that actually work for school leaders. Innovation in schools is often a byproduct of other areas of focus. For example, if schools purchase instructional technology, many leaders hope that the byproduct will be innovation. The fallacy in this approach is that the tool is the primary focus and not a culture of innovation beyond what the tool might provide. We know that computers and other devices alone don’t improve instruction or student performance nor will they be used with efficacy and excitement if the culture doesn’t already support innovation. However, in the right hands, those tools can completely transform a classroom. This is why innovation is so critical; it’s not a thing, but a value. By maintaining and fostering innovation as a value, we can permeate other areas of schooling and not just the obvious application of new tools, like technology.