For today’s episode, I interviewed my friend and fellow coach, Jess Johnson. Jess has been working with me to help me regulate my nervous system. When we go into freak-out mode, we don’t have to stay there. There are tools and strategies we can use to relieve our stress and reregulate ourselves, and Jess is here to share them. Discover simple stress-relieving techniques you can start using right now to regulate your nervous system when you start to freak out. Jess shares ways to proactively take...
May 07, 2024•59 min•Ep. 332
John Camp has spent 29 years in education and is currently the Head of Teaching and Learning at New England Innovation Academy. He has an innovative approach to grades where he’s shifting away from more traditional grading and assessment formats in the name of focusing on competency and real-world application of skills, and he’s telling us all about it this week. Listen in this week as I quiz John on why it’s worth re-evaluating our relationship with grades and how he’s experimenting with altern...
Apr 30, 2024•54 min•Ep. 331
While you might derive a lot of pleasure from your work, it is critical that your sense of fun and play come from other sources as well. Being able to check tasks off your to-do list, help a student, or mentor a teacher all feel amazing, but they cannot be the only things in your life that bring you joy and delight. I invite you to create fun for yourself in ways that put zero pressure on you to perform. Learn what happens when you only fill your play bucket from work, why there is no downside t...
Apr 23, 2024•16 min•Ep. 330
How you think about yourself is changeable, and the stories you tell about your self-identity will either hold you back or propel you forward. Your job as a school leader requires you to re-evaluate and make new decisions about your identity, and I’m showing you how to start. This week, I show you the impact of your self-identity and how to create awareness around it so you can change it if you wish. You no longer have to identify as a person who can’t handle hard things or isn’t cut out to be a...
Apr 16, 2024•28 min•Ep. 329
As a coach, I help site and district leaders build the skills necessary to lead their schools and navigate the mental and emotional challenges that come with the job. I am not here to offer legal advice; however, I can speak to the experience of facing legal issues as a school leader. Hear why you’re not alone if you are facing legal issues, and what to do when it feels scary. I’m showing you how this is not the time to take on the burden of tackling legal issues on your own and sharing thoughts...
Apr 09, 2024•17 min•Ep. 328
Do you know your boundaries? Are you able to clearly articulate them? Why do you feel unsure of yourself in setting and upholding your boundaries? And how can you do so effectively? In a world where you’ve been led by what other people tell you to think, feel, or act, you’re not alone if you’ve found yourself a little lost, unsure of your personal boundaries. Grounding ourselves in our boundaries is especially challenging for people socialized as women for various reasons, so this week, I’m show...
Apr 02, 2024•29 min•Ep. 327
I coach school leaders all day long on how hard this job is. And from personal experience, I can relate. School leadership is hard. However, as I listen to my principals share the difficulties they’re facing in their day-to-day, I had a revelation about the kind of hard they’re experiencing, and I’m sharing it with you on this episode. I break down the three kinds of hard I’ve identified, and why acknowledging the kind of hard you’re dealing with is the first step to overcoming it. Hear how our ...
Mar 26, 2024•18 min•Ep. 326
Daman Harris, Ph.D., is a trailblazing expert in educator retention and antiracist leadership. Dr. Harris is an experienced teacher, coach, principal, district administrator, adjunct professor, speaker, writer, and consultant. His first book, The Antiracist School Leader , articulates a big-picture framework and research-based actions for bringing the power of antiracist education to your school, and he’s here to show us how to have courageous conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusio...
Mar 19, 2024•43 min•Ep. 325
On this episode, I’m inviting you to think about the hiring journey from the perspective of the teacher you might potentially hire, and I’m showing you why this matters more than you think. Learn why you must consider the hiring and onboarding journey from the perspective of your teachers, how to provide the level of support they’re looking for during this process, and why doing so ahead of time helps your staff and teachers be the best version of themselves for you and your students. Get full s...
Mar 12, 2024•20 min•Ep. 324
The winter dip is real, and most of you are in testing season and conducting teacher observations right now, looking ahead to the end of the school year when you can finally take a breather. Whether you’re someone who loves planning so much that you get caught up in the details or someone who intends to plan but gets overwhelmed by the busyness of your job as a leader, I’ve got you covered this week. I show you why end-of-year planning matters and how to begin convincing your brain of the import...
Mar 05, 2024•17 min•Ep. 323
I know that many of you are tasked with having to decide on topics or themes and hire speakers or presenters for your school’s professional development days. I also know that for the majority of you, this process feels like another thing on your already full to-do list. Although planning professional development seems like just another box to tick, there’s an opportunity here for you to leverage the growth of your entire community. Learn how leaders are making decisions about professional develo...
Feb 27, 2024•25 min•Ep. 322
Wanting to make the ‘right’ decision is a thought we hold very tightly onto, and it drives our actions in unhelpful ways that you might not see right now. It’s no surprise that believing you have to make the ‘right’ decision is leaving you frozen. So if you find yourself spinning in indecision, procrastinating, and worrying about whether or not you’re making the right decision, this episode is for you. Hear the pitfalls of believing you have to make the right decision, and why there is actually ...
Feb 20, 2024•33 min•Ep. 321
Megan Conklin received her master’s in teaching in 2001 and has been working as a teacher, an instructional specialist, and a substitute ever since. She participated in the creation of sub-communities to offer support to substitutes, and she’s here to give tips on how principals can contribute to creating a more welcoming environment for substitutes. Learn what principals can do to enhance the experience of substitute teachers, the importance of providing positive feedback and inviting them back...
Feb 13, 2024•52 min•Ep. 320
The experience I’m hearing from my clients all over the country is that their teachers stress, worry, and freak out about district walkthroughs. There are several reasons most teachers dread this experience, which I’m diving into on this episode. However, as a site leader, you have the opportunity to leverage district walkthroughs to create empowerment, and I’m here to show you how. Hear my top tips for leveraging district walkthroughs to create a sense of empowerment and validation among your t...
Feb 06, 2024•23 min•Ep. 319
While our understanding of neuroscience has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, learning how to apply it in our daily lives is a whole other ballgame, and my guest today is here to fill the gap. Jessica Sinarski is an author, speaker, and specialist in brain development whose superpower lies in connecting with kids at the brain level, and she’s here to talk all things neuroscience and emotional literacy. She shares how she translates neuroscience into action steps for educators and childr...
Jan 30, 2024•42 min•Ep. 318
Obstacles are part and parcel of your desire to create impact, have influence, and contribute to the world in bigger and bolder ways as a school leader. You’re likely facing obstacles you could only dream of at one point in your career, and now, they’re a reality. Obstacles are a key part of the dream-come-true experience, but what’s preventing you from seeing this are your objections. Learn the difference between obstacles and objections, and get my top tips for overcoming the obstacles you’re ...
Jan 23, 2024•23 min•Ep. 317
Welcome to the third session of The Mid-Year Reboot for School Leaders! This is my favorite session of the entire class because we’re diving into the topic of generating momentum and how it’s a key element of the goal-setting process as a school leader. If you believe that pain and suffering are necessary components of setting and achieving goals, you are not alone. Learn a new framework for thinking about setting and achieving goals. I’m showing you why momentum is an essential part of the equa...
Jan 16, 2024•25 min•Ep. 316
This week, you’re hearing a clip from our second session of the Mid-Year Reboot that was centered around creating alignment. Alignment is the lens through which you make all of your decisions, and if your current school leadership experience looks like overexerting, overworking, and over-scheduling yourself, listen in. Join me today to hear what alignment means, why we tend to operate out of insufficiency, how our emotions fuel the actions we take, and questions that will guide you in creating a...
Jan 09, 2024•23 min•Ep. 315
While January is a fresh start for those following the calendar year, it marks the mid-point of the school year for educators. This is the perfect time to check in with yourself and to feel delighted in your work for the rest of the year, instead of pushing yourself to the finish line. And the Mid-Year Reboot is the perfect opportunity to refuel, renew, and reinvigorate. Listen in this week to hear the details of the Mid-Year Reboot and why you need to gift yourself this training in January 2024...
Jan 02, 2024•30 min•Ep. 314
I’m speaking to Candace Heiken: the founder of Lively Minds Institute and Cerebrate. With over 25 years in education, Candace is on a mission to cultivate independent, life-long learners through the development of executive function skills, and she’s here to share why prioritizing executive function instruction leads to an all-round win for everyone in your school community. Join us on this episode to discover how most difficult classroom behaviors can be easily linked to an executive function d...
Dec 26, 2023•51 min•Ep. 313
Coaching up is a tool that will help you navigate difficult conversations with anyone who has positional authority over you. If you want to advocate for your school community while reducing conflict with your superiors at the same time, coaching up is the secret to igniting awareness and getting everyone on the same page. Listen in this week to discover what coaching up means, what it looks like, and how to use it in conversations with your bosses. Learn how to first coach yourself through the r...
Dec 19, 2023•19 min•Ep. 312
This episode goes out to all the dad principals out there navigating your roles as school leader, father, and spouse. I’ve spoken to a number of my male clients who are struggling to figure out how to experience joy while running a school and supporting their families, and I’m sharing my insights with you this week. Hear how it’s possible to fulfill your heart’s deepest desires while maintaining your top priorities as a school leader and father. I’m showing you how to question what you believe i...
Dec 12, 2023•12 min•Ep. 311
Why are student behaviors so intense this year? Why does pressure feel like it’s at an all-time high right now? Why are teachers and staff members so discontent? Why does this job feel harder than ever before? Why is this all happening? This week, learn why believing that things happen to you will keep you stuck feeling disempowered, how to begin shifting the narrative of your questions, and why there’s nothing you can’t accomplish when you begin wondering how everything is happening for you. Ge...
Dec 05, 2023•19 min•Ep. 310
As a principal, you may be expected to fix everything, but it’s not actually your job to do so. If you feel called to attend to every problem that comes up, whether it’s with your staff, teachers, or students, listen in to hear how it’s having undesirable effects you may not be able to see right now. Tune in this week as I show you why it’s not your job, as school principal, to fix everything, and one important question to ask yourself when you feel the need to. Hear how to empower your school c...
Nov 28, 2023•15 min•Ep. 309
There is no amount of reassurance that other people can provide us with that will generate the feeling of appreciation. Feeling resentful for going the extra mile or like you’re being taken advantage of is an extremely disempowered way to lead your school. The good news is your leadership experience doesn’t have to stay this way because appreciation is always an internal job. Discover what might be going on if you feel unappreciated and how to create a culture of empowered appreciation as a scho...
Nov 21, 2023•20 min•Ep. 308
There’s an important distinction between allowing things to be hard, expecting things to be hard, and taking a break when something is too hard. I’ve been exploring this for myself in both my personal and professional life, and being able to differentiate between these three types of hard has been profound. If you’re at max capacity and feel like you’re drowning, you’re in the right place. Join me this week to learn how you might be succumbing to hard work in a way that isn’t serving you, questi...
Nov 14, 2023•18 min•Ep. 307
If you’re having trouble dealing with a staff member who isn’t showing up the way you expect them to, today’s episode is for you. We often believe that the way our staff behaves is a reflection of us as a principal, and that doesn’t feel great. You might think it’s your place as a leader to fix other people, but there’s a better way to approach these uncomfortable scenarios. This week, we're diving into the role emotional literacy plays in influencing your staff's behavior. I demonstrate why it'...
Nov 07, 2023•15 min•Ep. 306
Do you think being in a leadership position means you must sacrifice yourself in favor of productivity and success? My clients often find themselves judging the things that bring them joy in their lives, whether big or small. They may believe it's too trivial or luxurious to experience joy and happiness, and as a result, they deny themselves what is inherently their right as humans. Discover how allowing yourself to feel joy as a school leader is within your control. I'm explaining how you have ...
Oct 31, 2023•23 min•Ep. 305
As a school leader, you are a public figure. As a public figure, people believe they have the right to scrutinize you for any misstep or mistake you make. This is something you may face at some point in your career if you haven’t already, and it can be a scary experience. Learn how to handle public scrutiny as a school leader. I’m sharing the importance of understanding your nervous system in these situations, the questions to ask yourself when you come up against public scrutiny, and how to cre...
Oct 24, 2023•18 min•Ep. 304
We’re already in October, but we still have time to establish and revisit norms in our schools. I’m giving you a strategy I use with my clients when it comes to planning out norms and getting others to follow them from a place of compassion. Discover how to make your meetings more productive through establishing clear group norms. I’m discussing the purpose and benefit of having and following norms, both as an individual and a member of a team, how to be compassionate as you implement norms, and...
Oct 17, 2023•11 min•Ep. 303
