Culture is being formed whether you're doing it on purpose or not. Today, David Robinson joins host Jon Eckart to discuss David's first year as a school leader. Over the course of his first year, David has put in the work to intentionally impact the school's culture. To do this, he's been implementing feedback, engagement, and well-being to lead his faculty and build a life-giving culture. To learn more, order Jon's book, Just teaching: Feedback, engagement, and well-being for each student . The...
Feb 21, 2023•29 min
Leadership of the past meant coming up with answers. Today, leadership means asking questions. Tod Bolsinger, the author of Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory joins host Jon Eckert to discuss what questions Christian leaders can start asking to become stronger leaders. One of the main questions he advises leaders to ask themselves is what can be eliminated from our life in order to focus on our priorities. To learn more, order Jon's book, Just teaching: Feedback,...
Feb 14, 2023•37 min
So many people struggle with addiction each year in the United States. And the ways young people use different substances has changed over the years. Today, David Magee, best selling author, joins host Jon Eckert to have a transparent and personal conversation about his journey with addiction and recovery and how he's been able to choose joy over addiction. He also discusses his work helping students who are experiencing addiction. To learn more, order Jon's book, Just teaching: Feedback, engage...
Feb 07, 2023•32 min
A lot of us are on a quest to fit everything we need to get done into our schedules. But few, if any of us, are ever actually able to fit it all in. Oftentimes, when we can't fit it all in, we feel guilty. But we're all human and can only fit in what we fit in. Today, Jen Pollock Michel joins host Jon Eckert to discuss her new book In Good Time and the lessons she's learned managing her time over the years. She also discusses how her time management missteps have helped her gain wisdom and under...
Jan 31, 2023•38 min
Is teaching an occupation or profession? Is it missional or is it professional? Is it exhausting or is it life giving? If we want to build a profession that our students deserve we have to think through what that looks like. Today, Erik Ellefsen and Matt Thomas join host Jon Eckert and discuss their experiences in taking on too much at work and leading to burnout. They share what triggered them to shift their mindsets to turn their exhausting work into life giving work. To learn more, pre-order ...
Jan 24, 2023•26 min
We've all struggled with work/life balance but few of us have ever achieved it. How can we integrate our work and life without blurring boundaries in unhealthy ways? Jackie Villareal is a recent graduate from Baylor's MA in School Leadership, she's recently started an administrative role at a new school all while raising her family. On top of all that, her son has been planning a wedding. Today she joins host Jon Eckert to discuss ways she's able to find the right amount of work/life integration...
Jan 17, 2023•21 min
Oftentimes, data and humanity are two separate things. But what if we started to rethink that mindset? What if we were able to utilize data to help us start seeing each student as an individual. Today, English and History High School teacher Katie Fitzpatrick joins host Jon Eckert. She discusses how she has used data to see each individual student and focus on their success. She explains how she's able to give attention to each student but not lose the whole group in the process. To learn more a...
Jan 10, 2023•22 min
In the moment, micro changes don't feel like they make an impact. But consistently making small, positive changes create habits that are life giving and create joy. Today, three educators from Baylor's MA in School Leadership program , Ryan Denham, Kathleen Peercy and Crystal Chapman join host Jon Eckert. Though they each come from very different school settings they have a lot in common. They discuss how they've each built life giving cultures in their schools through micro changes. To learn mo...
Jan 03, 2023•23 min
Spotlighting individual student accomplishments isn't easy. Most schools don't have the time or structure to be able to do it consistently. But it is so important to keep students engaged and feel like school has a purpose and is life giving. Brad Thornton is an educator outside of Chicago and a master of positive venting. He's become the go to source for friends and colleagues when they need to talk through something. Today, Brad joins host Jon Eckert and discusses how he and his colleagues cre...
Dec 27, 2022•23 min
The foundation to a student's success is their well-being. Sometimes that means taking a step back and focusing on the individual student's needs before focusing on their academic success. Heather Williams is a Baylor doctoral student and won the National Outstanding Assistant Principal award in 2021. Today, she joins host Jon Eckert and shares stories about how she has created a culture of community within her elementary school and how focusing on each student's well-being first sets the founda...
Dec 20, 2022•23 min
"Anything worth doing comes from a lot of effort." We've all heard that before what we don't hear about is all that effort typically results in exhaustion and burnout. But it doesn't have to. Hannah Kapitaniuk is currently working towards her master's degree all while teaching in an area where most educators spend their entire careers avoiding. She works with eighth graders in a math intervention program. Today, she joins host Jon Eckert to discuss how she's able to find joy while working in suc...
Dec 13, 2022•26 min
Being vulnerable isn't always easy, especially as an educator. But it's so important. Educators get to walk alongside students to help them become who they're becoming. Through their vulnerability educators can begin to put humans before outcomes and make connections with students as people. In today's episode, Jonathan Pokluda joins host Jon Eckert. Jonathan is our first guest who isn't an educator but through his work as a pastor, author, and podcaster, he's grown a large network of educators....
Dec 06, 2022•19 min
Schools have always been good at serving some students. Then as time passed -- through various federal programs -- they began to serve all students. But the most important thing to do -- to really teach for justice and create just schools -- is to serve each individual student. In today's episode Elisabeth joins host Jon Eckert. Over her career as a teacher, she's taught in four schools in three years and she discusses how she sees each student to build relationships and contribute to their succ...
Nov 29, 2022•20 min
Making connections, meeting students where they are and treating them as whole human beings. These are just some of the ways Cierra Nickerson, principal of Hall Success Academy, ensures she is running a just school. In our first full episode of Just Schools, Cierra joins host Jon Eckert to discuss how she contributes to students' well-being – one of the F.E.W core elements – by making connections with them to help them grow and find success both in school and outside of school. To learn more abo...
Nov 22, 2022•22 min
No more, "I am just a teacher." We need just teachers - those who teach and lead for justice. After all, teaching is the profession that makes all others possible. In this introductory episode of Just Schools, Jon Eckert and Erik Ellefsen highlight some of the key elements of how "Just Schools" are supported by "Just Teaching." And we unpack the importance of focusing on the F.E.W. core elements of teaching to simplify increasingly complex work. F.E.W stands for feedback, engagement, and well-be...
Nov 15, 2022•16 min
