Aspire: The Leadership Development Podcast

In this 21st Aspire Mailbag episode, Evan Robb, Jeff Gargas and I answer questions on different leadership topics provided by the listeners. Please join us for this episode as we answer questions on how to build an email to introduce yourself to a potential employer, ways to prepare yourself for a leadership position, summative evaluation feedback, and the latest news with the Teach Better Team!

With the drastic changes occurring in education, how do we propel students, staff and leaders to grow and explore in new ways? This week’s guest, Lainie Rowell, shares how providing opportunities of discovery and social emotional learning will enhance targeted change and innovative ideas for everyone in the organization.  In this episode, we discuss: Learning to Listen instead of Acting like the Expert The importance of Spending Time in Reflection “Evolving Learner” And Lainie’s new podcast, “Lemonade Learning” About Lainie Rowell:Lainie Rowell is an educator,https://www.amazon.com/Evolving-Learner-Shifting-Professional-Development/dp/1544338325 ( author),http://lemonadelearning.us/ ( podcaster), and international consultant who specializes in working with other educators to find innovative and sustainable ways to transform teaching and learning. Her areas of expertise include online/blended learning, designing innovative learning experiences, professional learning, and community building. During her mor

I had the amazing opportunity to moderate a segment during the Teach Better 12 Hour Live Event on social emotional learning (SEL). In this bonus episode, Mandy Froelich and I discuss important strategies to use in the classroom and on the campus to help regulate student’s emotions and assess student needs.     About Mandy Froehlich:Mandy Froehlich passionately encourages educators to create innovative change in their classrooms. A former Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, she has experience at many levels of the organizational structure. Her interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with school districts and post-secondary institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational cha

What is the highest level of learning in professional development? This week’s guest, Dr. Michele Schmidt Moore, shares how leaders can design professional learning environments that encourage and enhance teacher’s discovery, passion, and curiosity.   In this episode, we discuss: Passion Projects for Educators Intentional PD Designs The Leader in You Series And Michele’s podcast, “Design Lessons” About Dr. Michele Schmidt Moore:Dr. Michele Schmidt Moore, host of the Design Lessons podcast is a coach, speaker and educational thought leader dedicated to helping you design a personal and professional life that you love. Through her Uncover the Leader in You Series, she helps educators know their purpose, uncover their story, and design a passion project to increase their impact. She helps you dream big, and design a blueprint to level up your impact in your community, your district and the world.  For over two decades she has worked as a district and school level administrator, instructional desig

After creating and implementing new teaching strategies and building procedures, many educators are seeking to go back to “normal”. Should we keep any practices from this past year or should we go back to our previous strategies? This week’s guest, Thomas Murray, shares how we design learning experiences that impact all students, while creating a future ready skills.  In this episode, we discuss: Future Ready Leaders Future Ready Learners Going Back to “Normal” vs Continuing New Practices And Tom’s Book, “Personal and Authentic” About Thomas Murray:Thomas Murray serves as the Director of Innovation for http://www.futureready.org/ (Future Ready Schools®), a project of the http://www.all4ed.org/ (Alliance for Excellent Education), located in Washington, D.C. Prior to his current role, Tom has been a director of technology and cyber education and a school principal in Pennsylvania. In addition to his director role, Tom is a Blogger, speaker, school district consultant and author. https://www.amazon.com/Pers

In this bonus episode, Latrese Younger shares her five top leadership books and the reasons she loves these amazing resources. In addition, we discuss her school and how she is ending the school year strong.  About Latrese Younger:Latrese D. Younger has over thirteen years of education experience across several different school districts. She began her journey as an English Language Arts teacher in Dinwiddie County, VA, which she credits with firming her foundation in education excellence. Throughout her career, she has taught ELA for grades 6-12. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Virginia State University and a Master of Educational Leadership with a concentration in Technology Education from Strayer University Henrico Campus. She is a writer, a web curator for thehttp://vate.org/about-us/officers-and-board/ ( Virginia Teachers of English (VATE)) social media sites, and founder of the non-profit,https://mobile.twitter.com/leaders_black ( BWEL, Inc). (Black Women Education Leader

Today, May 9th, is a special day for two reasons, 1. It’s mother’s day and 2. Today is the 3rd anniversary of the Aspire podcast! Join Todd Nesloney and I as we celebrate mothers day, the three year anniversary of the podcast and our discussion on classroom and campus culture! Featuring Todd Nesloney and Joshua StamperAbout Todd Nesloney:Todd Nesloney is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (http://www.twitter.com/tepsatalk (TEPSA)). He was previously a Principal/Lead Learner at a PreK-5 school in Texas. He is an award winning author for his work in co-authoring Kids Deserve It! and Sparks in the Dark. He has also written the book Stories from Webb and published a children’s book, Spruce & Lucy. Todd has been recognized by John C. Maxwell as a Top 10 Finalist for the 2018 Transformational Leadership Award, by the White House as a Connected Educator “Champion of Change”, the National School Board Association as one of the “20 to Wa

As the school year comes to a close, we can all agree that we are exhausted mentally and physically. This past year and a half has been difficult in many ways and every educator's mental health has been affected. Just the other day, I was telling a staff member that COVID has made even the easiest decisions much harder. With this in mind, how are we taking care of ourselves? This week’s guest, Dan Tricarico shares how he uses the 5 “S”s, Which are stillness, silence, space, subtraction, and slowing down, to improve his mental health. In this episode, we discuss: How Leaders Can Improve Their Staff’s Mental Health Strategies for Social Media  Ways to Balancing Stress  And Dan’s Book, “The Zen Teacher” About Dan Tricarico:Dan Tricarico, CEO of The Zen Professional, teaches people how to maximize their performance without sacrificing themselves. As a national speaker, author of two top stress management books, and creator of The Zen Professional 5-Step Blueprint for stress reduction, Tricarico now

In your classrooms, are your students participating in one interactive lesson per unit or are they experiencing natural learning opportunities each day? This week’s guest, Becky Schnekser, shares how transforming her classroom allowed her students to explore, engage, and discover new learning opportunities to model interactive field experiences.  In this episode, we discuss: Field Science Professional Development Flipping to an Outdoor Classroom Teach Better Speakers Network And Becky’s Upcoming Book! About Becky Schnekser:Becky Schnekser is a K-5 Science teacher in Virginia Beach, VA. She believes science should not only be taught to learners of all ages, but it should be experienced in an authentic way. In order to bring authenticity to her science instruction, she joins field expedition teams around the world to gain insight into how science looks and feels globally in order to scale it for her learners and provide resources to educators worldwide. She is the founder of Outdoor Education Collective,

On your campus or in your district, do you have a lot of initiatives being implemented? What is the impact of each of those initiatives or programs? This week’s guest, Peter DeWitt, shares how relationship building and collaboration with teachers are the most rich actions by a leader and how you can have a greater impact on campus culture.    In this episode, we discuss: Collective Teacher Efficacy Flipped Meeting Model Instructional Leadership Tips New Book Announcement And Leaders Coaching Leaders Podcast About Peter DeWitt:Peter DeWitt (Ed.D) is a former K-5 teacher (11 years) and principal (8 years). He is a school leadership coach who runs competency-based workshops and provides keynotes nationally and internationally focusing on school leadership (collaborative cultures and instructional leadership), as well as, fostering inclusive school climates. His work has been adopted at the state level, university level, and he works with numerous school districts, school boards, regional networks,

In this bonus episode, Brad Hughes shares his five top leadership books and the reasons he loves these amazing resources. In addition, we discuss his new podcast and some Teach Better event details.  About Brad Hughes:Brad Hughes is the host of http://anchor.fm/brad-hughes (The Good News, Brad News Podcast). Brad is an elementary school principal in Ontario, Canada, with 25 years’ experience in education. Prior to becoming a school leader, Brad taught for 16 years from Kindergarten to eighth grade, most recently teaching middle school Visual Arts, French and Special Education. Brad has an ongoing commitment to reframing the joys and challenges of school life through a https://self-reg.ca/ (Self-Reg) lens. Brad is an optimist and recovering perfectionist, passionate about improving kids' lives by loving and supporting the adults that serve them. Follow Brad Hughes: Twitter: https://twitter.com/brad_hughes?lang=en (@brad_hughes) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradnewspodcast/ (@bradnewspodcast)

In remote learning, have you felt restricted with the new learning environment? This week’s guest, Dr. Ryan Read, shares how to use project based learning in all learning models for students to gain experience in solving real world problems.    In this episode, we discuss: Struggles with Blended Learning Building Authentic Relationship Remotely Social Media Burnout And The Pixel Classroom Podcast About Dr. Ryan Read:Ryan is serving as a business and technology teacher at Stillman Valley High School for the MCUSD #223 School District in Illinois. He has been in education for over ten years and holds a doctorate in instructional technology and curriculum development. Ryan is also the host of the Pixel Classroom Podcast as he continues to explore the world of Blended Learning, PBL and Social Emotional Learning.  Follow Dr. Ryan Read: Website: https://classroomsnextlevel.wordpress.com/ (https://classroomsnextlevel.wordpress.com/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ryan7Read (https://twitter.com/Ryan

This week’s guest, Tom Schimmer, shares his journey as a leader, redefining accountability in grading, the myths of standards based grading and the importance of descriptive feedback.    In this episode, we discuss: Standards Based Mindset Grading True North Myths about Standards Based Grading And Grading From the Inside Out About Tom Schimmer:Tom Schimmer is an independent education author, speaker, and consultant from Vancouver, BC. Over the course of his career he has been a classroom teacher, school administrator, and district level leader. Tom is an internationally recognized leader and expert in the areas of assessment, grading, RTI, and educational leadership. He has delivered both keynote and workshop sessions at several national and international conferences. As well, Tom has worked directly with schools and school districts throughout Canada, the United States, Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Bahrain, India, the U.A.E., the U.K., Russia, Singapore, Spain,

In this bonus episode, Greg Moffitt shares his five top leadership books and the reasons he loves these amazing resources. In addition, Greg introduces two bonus children’s books to instill leadership qualities in our classrooms.  About Greg Moffitt:Greg Moffitt is the Principal at Fairmont Charter Elementary School in the Vacaville Unified School District (Vacaville, CA) where he works with staff, parents, and – most importantly – students to create a school community that champions the strengths and talents of each individual. As principal, Greg has implemented programs that celebrate student success and promote critical thinking and compassionate citizenship. Previously, Greg served as the Principal at Winters Elementary School, increasing school-to-home communication, fostering parent and community engagement, and implementing programs to maximize student engagement. A former middle school teacher, Greg taught students about reading, writing, ancient civilizations, technology and leadership whil

Based on your past educational struggles, have you ever asked yourself, “Will I be enough in this leadership position?”. This week’s guests, Dr. Basil Marin, explains how his struggles in school created doubt about the impact he could make on student’s lives and his leadership capacity.   In this episode, we discuss: The Challenges of Higher Education Equity practices in schools Teaching Students “Professional Skills” And Basil’s character in the new book by Jeff Kubiak, “It’s Me” About Dr. Basil Marin:Dr. Marin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Eastern Mennonite University and a Master’s degree in Special Education from Liberty University. Dr. Marin also holds an Educational Specialist degree in PK-12 Administration and Supervision from Old Dominion University. Additionally, Dr. Marin recently received his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University. Dr. Marin is a humble and down to earth individual who is passionate about creating opportunities for all stu

In this 20th Aspire Mailbag episode, Jeff Gargas and I answer questions on different leadership topics provided by the listeners. Please join us for this episode as we answer questions and discuss how to measure your influence as a leader, advancing in a non-traditional route, planning for your first 90 days on the job, and about the Teach Better Team events!

When someone comes to you with a problem, do you immediately try to solve the issue? This week’s guests, Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad, explains how leaders need to use a coaching model of questions to find the best solutions and teach problem solving skills, similar to Glenda in “The Wizard of Oz”.

Have you ever been on the dance floor at a party or a wedding and when the DJ changes the song, everyone either runs on or off the dance floor? This week’s guests, Dr. Joe Clark, explains why leadership is similar to being a disc jockey and how to inspire others to take action and serve others.  In this episode, we discuss: Why it’s important to share when you made a mistake How to go above and beyond your position And his book, If the Dance Floor is Empty, Change the Song About Dr. Joe Clark:Dr. Joe Clark has worked as an educator since 1992, including six years as a high school English teacher, seven years as a building principal and assistant principal, and seventeen years in the central office as a superintendent and assistant superintendent. Dr. Clark is currently the superintendent of the Nordonia Hills City Schools, a district serving 3,600 students in Northeast Ohio. Dr. Clark received all three of his degrees at Kent State University: a B.A. in English, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration, an

When you add resources or programs to your campus or district, how do you decide what students receive these new opportunities? This week’s guests, Zandra Jo Galvan, shares how when presented an opportunity to add multiple resources to her district, she made sure all students had the same resources at their fingertips and she explains how to build partnerships with community businesses to expand her student’s experiences.    In this episode, we discuss: First steps when leading in a new district Building trust with members of your team And instilling social emotional health during the pandemic About Zandra Jo Galvan:Mrs. Zandra Jo Galvan has been serving as Superintendent of the Greenfield Union School District since August 10, 2017. Zandra has worked in public education for the past 28 years. Prior to joining GUSD, she served as the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for Gonzales Unified School District where she coordinated all educational programs, the LCAP development process

As a leader, are you taking on too many projects and responsibilities? If you tell someone you have too much on your plate, do you feel guilty for being transparent? In today’s episode featuring Ashley Duda, Sarah Johnson and Joshua Stamper tackle the topics of setting healthy boundaries, designating time for ourselves, and navigating through the F.O.G.