Transformative Principal

Amelia Leighton Gamel shares her take on the real causes of educators burning out and leaving the classroom, as well as what solutions leaders need to be focused on to retain staff.  Classroom management bootcamps, teacher mentorship programs, parent involvement, and administrator support are all part of her equation to help teachers be successful and stay in the profession.  Happy teachers, happy principals! Best way for listeners to reach out to Amelia:  text/call 517.392.1207 direct email to my personal account - gamelamelia@gmail.com website- equitableEDU.org About Amelia Gamel Amelia Leighton Gamel is a national speaker and consultant with comprehensive experience in the field of education having served as a public school teacher, published academic author, college professor and nationally recognized innovator of student success initiatives. She is the recipient of the J. Ward Preston Outstanding Faculty Award and has devoted her career to encouraging student success and assisting educators in effectiv

Dr. Marcus Belin serves as the Principal of Huntley High School and President of the Illinois Principals Association. Dr. Belin, native of Chicago, Illinois. attended Bradley University, where he received his bachelor’s in elementary education (‘10) followed by a master’s in education administration (‘14). He completed his doctorate at National Louis University in July 2020. Why it’s important for kids to feel like they belong. Everyone who intercepts can pour into them If you signed up to work in a school and you think your title matters, you’re in the wrong place. How do you make the interactions worthwhile? It’s like watering plants. A teacher that has literally saved kids lives Classroom is a netflix genre. What a relationship can be, if trust is the foundation. They’ll tell you those things that you want to hear, but also those things you don’t want to hear. A pound of flesh in discipline restorative practices - it’s not being soft. It was about punishment, then it was about discipline, now it is about

James Moffett is a principal in Kansas and he loves kids. Pretty empathetic Relationships Teri Barilla Question things I did as an educator If you were doing these things before the pandemic, you were as ready as you could be for the pandemic If you wouldn’t accept it from your supervisor, don’t dish it out to your kids. Accountability, structure, consequences, - all structured in love. It’s such a mindset shift for educators because it’s not how school was for us. Model it, live it, let them experience it. How do we help schools see that kids are respected on day 1. Teachers are structured beings Each vs. every. The Rabbit Effect How to be a transformative principal? Rest and recover and put more focus on the relationships you have in your building. Sponsors Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the

In this episode, there is a bit of passing of the baton, as we introduce the next Transformative Principal, Eric Makelky. Eric will be recording the majority of the podcast episodes you hear over the next few months as we try a little experiment. We don’t know how it will work out, but we are hopeful. Each month, Jethro will have a coaching session with Eric that you will get to listen to see what a coaching session is really like, and to see how someone grows over the course of a school year. We’ll try this out and see how it goes. There are other episodes that Jethro has already recorded that will be coming out throughout the year as well, so you’ll still hear from Jethro. If you’d like to connect with Eric, he has an email at erik at transformativeprincipal.com or you can follow him on Twitter at emakelky Here are some things Eric is looking for support in this year: - Matching expectations with culture - Onboarding and supporting teachers new to the profession and new to the principal. - Building trust wi

Nadine Levitt Twitter is a Swiss-born German, Kiwi, US transplant, and founder of the music technology company, Wurrly, LLC. She began her career as a lawyer but after 6 years of practice, she began to pursue a career in music as a professional opera singer and songwriter. She has performed extensively all over the United States and the world, sharing the stage with David Foster, Andrea Boccelli, Kiri Te Kanawa, Roger Daltry, Christina Perri, and Steven Tyler to name a few. Passionate about music in schools she sits on the national board of Little Kids Rock, and in 2016 led the development of the music education platform WURRLYedu, which empowers student voices and makes it easy to bring a fun and effective music education to schools. Nadine is also an author of children’s books, including the My Mama Says book series, which teaches kids to identify, acknowledge and direct their emotions. PDReimagined.com Mary Ellen Imodino-Yang TEDX Talk Value Care package. Each month has a theme. Work in groups to come up

Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD retired after leading the New City School in St. Louis, Missouri for 34 years and is now the Emeritus Head of School. He is currently a Scholar In Residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and teaches in the Educational Leadership program, preparing prospective principals. He also led the ISACS New Heads Network and founded the Non-Profit Management Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Hoerr has written several books, and his newest, _Taking Social Emotional Learning Schoolwide: The Formative Five Success Skills for Students and Staff_, was published in December of 2019. He has written more than 150 articles, including “The Principal Connection” column in Educational Leadership Magazine from 2004 to 2017. He was previously on the Transformative Principal Podcast episode 224 where we talked about who you are is more important that what you know, and episode 225 where we talked about his book, The Formative Five. - Why does Empathy matter so much? - If there were more e

Dr. Sadin has served as a special education teacher, a gifted education teacher, and a building administrator.  Most recently she served as a director of special education.  Dr. Sadin has been vice-president of her local School Board and is recognized as a Master School Board Member. She has conducted research on the perceptions of teachers working to create trauma-informed classrooms.  Dr. Sadin is a published author and has produced numerous webinars on children with attachment trauma in schools. Currently, Dr. Sadin works a director of exceptional education and as an education consultant and developmental trauma expert providing professional development to school districts, municipal service providers and parents.  Nationally, Dr. Sadin is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and conference presenter. Her Trauma Guide Series of books are available on her website, www.traumasensitive.com. Building resilient students Hope - Start and end with the people. Over half of teachers are seeking to leave! We are d

Show notes In this episode, Ross Romano and I share our vision for the BE Podcast Network! We talk about: 1. Origins of the idea and formation 2. What to expect when we launch 3. Vision and values behind the network 4. Benefits to listeners 5. Benefits to creators 6. How to engage https://bepodcast.network Sponsors Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do. I help you stop putting out fires and start leading. Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com Just Right Reader Just Right Reader Decodables are a great way to help your students learn how to read, with research-based strategies that are proven to be effective. Each grade level has over 100 books. Send books home in packs of ten, with video lessons accessible via QR codes on each book, with l

Ross Purdy Dean of Students at The Fay School in Houston. How can I best grab their hearts first? Want what’s best and care for them. 3rd year at Fay Being present asking questions, listening. Come in with a clean slate. I’m a goer and a a doer. Outdoor education program. With some students you have to earn the right to have their world opened up to you. 3.5 acres of forest that sits on the buffalo bayou. Start outdoor ed classes with team building. the power of the circle - inclusive Responsive classroom Everyone is seen. how to be a transformative principal? so easy to go down your checklist for the day and focus on your own stuff. Go out of your way to connect with kids. Take a time out from your personal agenda and be present Sponsors Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work

Michael D. Toth is founder and CEO of Learning Sciences International and leads LSI’s Applied Research Center. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning book The Power of Student Teams with David Sousa; author of Who Moved My Standards; and co-author with Robert Marzano of The Essentials of a Standards-Driven Classroom, School Leadership for Results, and Teacher Evaluation that Makes a Difference. Michael gives public presentations and advises leaders on the most critical issues in K–12 education today, including equity and access, academic rigor, and student agency. As a thought leader, Michael has moderated high-level events such as roundtable discussions between some of the nation’s top superintendents on topics like reimagining schools of the future. How Florida’s Lowest Performing School Improved from an “F” to an “A” After Partnering with LSI External operator. Overcorrection is not helpful ensure student agency after a year, nothing but love. Building All students are capable of student agenc

Dr. Susie Wise is a design leader with experience in the education, tech, and the social sectors. She coaches leaders in equity design and innovation practices. She teaches at the d.school at Stanford. Previously she founded and directed the K12 Lab at the d.school and co-created Liberatory Design. She is the author of the book Designing for Belonging. She was a previous guest on Transformative Principal Episode 121 Where we talked about #shadowastudent and Episode 122 where we talked about the design thinking process. I credit much of the work I did to write my book SchoolX to that conversation with Susie. One of four books that kick of a news series for d.school. - Equity vs. Equality - Belonging is the feeling we are going for when we talk about equity. - Work that I was doing with School principals. - Design cultures with their school. - John Powell work around othering and belonging. - using design tools differently. - Contributing is a powerful way to get to belonging. - Flow is one of the moments of

Mark is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. Educated at MIT, Mark has spent his career launching and fixing new ventures at startups, Fortune 500s, and academia. He’s developed new software languages, online marketplaces, new authentication systems, and tracked criminals and terrorists on the dark web. Mark helped create the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, MIT’s “Career Success Accelerator”, where he’s taught for twenty years. Mark also serves on the boards of non-profits Techie Youth and Plant a Million Corals. Moving from linear to non-linear learning Nobody is going to open a flashcard app Jump to the chapter that matters most to you. We don’t do a good job in making content applicable to our students’ lives. Power of small group conversations. How to be a transformative principal? Engage your staff in peer learning techniques. Sponsors Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough wo

Social media: The Be Podcast Network: Shows that help you be the change you want to see! Summer of Super Cool Surprises! I’m so excited to be talking to you again today. So far, this summer has been full of surprises, but I have something else for you today! I’m super excited to announce the Be Podcast Network. I’m expanding what I offer here at Transformative Principal to include more podcasts for more educators. You can learn more and sign up when it officially launches at bepodcast.network. Launch day is August 1st. I’ve still got a lot to do to make this launch happen. We’re starting with 7 great shows that you are going to love. Today, I’ll talk about a just a few of them. First of all, because this podcast is so successful, over a million downloads, longest running podcast for school leaders out there, many people are reaching out to me to interview them, and I just can’t possibly put them all on this show. They wouldn’t be released for years! Also, I really love podcasting. It’s so much fun, and I love

Dr Briony Scott is an Australian educator and columnist, and the Principal of Wenona in North Sydney, an independent K–12 girls school. Dr Scott has a Masters and Doctorate in Education from the University of Sydney; specialising in girls’ education, technology and pedagogy, motivational theory, and choice in education. Prior to Wenona, Dr Scott was Principal of Roseville College. She has worked as a systems analyst for Italian computer firm Olivetti and spent time volunteering as an Emergency Technician with the Wheaton Rescue Squad in Maryland, US. Dr Scott speaks regularly on educational and parenting issues at community forums and conferences. It’s really fascinating to think about leading a school that is focused on one thing, like all girls. How do you see your role differently because of the way your school is structured as an all-girls school? Gap of about 2 months pay in gender gap in pay You have to be aware of stereotypes. How women finally got into colleges for medicine You can’t be what you can’

In the world of education, no matter how confident, competent or experienced you are – pressure is a part of every process.  How well you handle those challenges, changes, and problems will often determine how successful you are going be. Michael Licenblat is a resilience expert who teaches people how to thrive in high pressure environments by bouncing back from pressures, challenges and setbacks. Drawing on his background in Psychology, Shiatsu therapy, and over 25 years of Martial Arts experience, Michael has helped countless companies and schools become ‘pressure proof’ and learn how to bounce back from the setbacks and challenges so they can out perform their competition. In Michael’s high energy, interactive and very practical presentations, he demystifies what people need to do to become resilient to pressure in today’s business world, and keep a clear head when dealing with difficult, demanding and stressful situations – without burning yourself out. The Resilient Principal - how to perform at your be

Mr. Jorge Ruiz is the Head of School of the International School of Sosua. He has been in the field of education for 20+ years. Mr. Ruiz has been a teacher in the Primary, Secondary, and University levels; as well as an administrator for Primary and Secondary. Mr. Ruiz is an educational consultant, specialized in Project-Based Learning, Professional Learning Communities, and Shared Leadership. He received the National Merit Award for Contributions to Education of the Dominican Republic in 2018. Mr. Ruiz has also hosted and served on Cognia Engagement Reviews in several countries of Latin America. Northern area of Dominican Republic - North coast of expats Less than 250 students 27 nationalities Many different points of view. Accredited by US and DR Got rid of homework and semester exams Comparison with theater and sports - it’s about the practice Pandemic changed a lot of things, let’s make it for the better! Learning gaps always exist - good we’re talking more about SEL Rebuilding relationships - sports are

Last month I talked about the TBD framework for making career decisions, and as I teased at the end of that episode, I was evaluating a current opportunity for myself. Today, I’m going to walk you through my thought process using the TBD framework. First, a little review, because maybe you don’t listen to every single episode! Gasp! TBD stands for Tribe, Brand, and Domain. I learned about it because a friend shared this article on LinkedIn with me called "[[Tribe, Brand, Domain (TBD)–How to Think about Building Career]] (link) It is written by David Boyce. This strategy is effective in evaluating where you currently are in your career, and can also be used to evaluate a specific position. The tribe part refers to the people that you are working with. Who are you surrounded by. I had a job just after I graduated high school, and I did not like the people that I was around. The owner seemed super shady, I never trusted my paychecks. My coworkers were very negative and vulgar. I knew that I didn’t want to be aro

Dr. Kyle Palmer is Author of the new book Parentships in a PLC He is an HR Administrator in Kansas City in Central school district. Kyle was on Episode 79 of Transformative Principal. Parents are so important Teachers who are afraid to reach out to If parents truly understood teachers roles. Education triangle - teachers and parents working together with students. For 2 years, we’ve put up a giant wall and closed doors to parents. Parent engagement vs parent enragement We want parents to be a voice, not just have a voice. Norms around parent engagement Parentship success team Strategies: Schoolwide norms How to be a transformative Principal? It begins and ends with how you treat people. Sponsors Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do. I help you st

Melissa Sherman grew up in rural Virginia playing in the woods and streams. Taught PK–7th grade in public and independent school in VA, AL, TN for 17 years before becoming a principal Was a title I reaching coach/interventionist for much of this time Now am a principal of a small independent PK–5th grade School, The Fay School in Houston We have chickens, a 3 acre forest and have kids spend lots of time outside Play in the woods and dig in the dirt for nature’s sake. Forest recess, incidents of injury are lower than regular recess Last child in the woods Give kids Free Forest Schools Obstacles to kids going outside. Raised bed gardens just take cinder blocks, dirt, and sunflower seeds. State parks have free or low-cost field trips Master gardener How Trust-based observations has helped Melissa. How to be a transformative principal? Go to recess and watch kids play! Sponsors Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds

Spike Cook, Ed.D., Principal, Lakeside Middle School, Millville, NJ. In addition to being a Principal, Dr. Cook published two books through Corwin Press (Connected Leadership: It’s Just a Click Away; Breaking Out of Isolation: Becoming a Connected School Leader). He is the co-host of the popular PrincipaPLN podcast and a regular on the Unlock the Middle Videocast. His blog, Insights Into Learning, was recognized as a finalist for Best Administrator Blog by the EduBlog Awards. Spike earned his Doctorate from Rowan University and is an Adjunct Faculty member in the Masters of School Administration Program He is featured in Twinkl’s 30 Education Influencers You Need to Follow and Klear’s Top Ten Middle School Influencers. Dr. Cook is also on the Education Advisory Board for Whole Health Ed. Connect with @drspikecook via Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram. Spike and Jethro discuss how to set goals as a school around test scores related to academics. Using surveys to assess culture. Climate da