Leaders Coaching Leaders

In this episode, Peter DeWitt, co-host Mike Nelson and guest Elisa MacDonald tackle the challenging, yet rewarding task of discussing the importance of vulnerability within the educational community. Not only does MacDonald urge educators to be open about their struggles with their students, but she also emphasizes the need for this transparency amongst professional peers. She believes that by allowing students and colleagues to witness our challenges and the process of turning them into triumphant victories, we forge a potent precedent. This approach aids in constructing a culture that values perpetual learning and growth. In an interesting twist, MacDonald points out an intriguing paradox: the power in leading with intent and purpose while simultaneously staying open and receptive to the learning process. Join Peter, Mike, and Elisa for a deep dive into the nuanced art of teaching, leading, and learning, painting a picture where vulnerability is reframed from weakness to strength.

In this episode, we delve deep into the complex challenges often faced by students in urban areas - obstacles compounded by factors such as race, gender, social class, and more. Our guest is none other than Tyrone Howard, the President of AERA and a national authority in urban education. Howard brings his extensive knowledge and experience to the table, providing valuable insights and guidance for educators and leaders. He emphasizes the crucial role of listening to parents and students, encouraging them to actively participate in cultivating a thriving school culture where every student feels a sense of belonging while fostering a passion for learning. Additionally, Howard advocates for an organic and holistic approach to data collection in education, focusing on truly hearing what students have to say. This, he believes, is essential for shaping school policies that genuinely reflect students' needs and are specifically tailored to guarantee their success. Join Peter DeWitt and Season 7 Co-host, Mike Nelson, as we explore these critical issues with Tyrone, uncovering pragmatic strategies aimed at overcoming barriers to create an inclusive, successful learning environment for all students.

With her emphasis on relationship building as the backdrop for linguistically and culturally sustainable assessment, the bestselling author Margo Gottlieb tells educators that we can do better when it comes to how we assess multilingual learners. In this episode she discusses her latest edition of Assessing Multilingual Learners, and she offers educators welcoming and encouraging ways to support multilingual learners to succeed in school and beyond. How? By authentically integrating the needs of multilingual students as core to the assessment as opposed to just adding on components that may fail to meet their needs. To do this, Gottlieb suggests educators use asset-based language, student centered activities, relevant classroom assessments and more.

Politics, learning loss and a tsunami of initiatives can get in the way of what matters most in education: strategies aligned to key goals, systems for high quality professional learning and, most of all, creating a culture where all are seen and heard. Lionel Allen, hand picked by Arnie Duncan to lead the nation’s first turnaround school, is committed to helping leaders and teachers remember their “why.” In this episode, he passionately discusses a vision for our schools that centers students and values the adults charged to educate them. As he outlines in his new book Lead With CARE, affirmation, responsiveness, relationships and empowerment are all integral to designing the schools that students deserve.

A perfect storm is upon us and educators are in the middle of it. Identity issues often incite and divide us, but they are actually our way out of the storm. This is what this episode’s guests, Andrew Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley, posit. In their latest book, The Age of Identity, they seek to shed light on this topic to help educators make meaning of this highly complicated issue. They demonstrate how to be vulnerable, ask questions, and interrogate our own thinking to better prepare young people for a future where they can learn to live together and help others belong.

Too many schools still rely on deeply ingrained, segregated practices that fail to serve all students. Author of the book Leading for All and district leader Jennifer Spencer-iiams would like to change this. In this episode she shares lessons learned from spending nearly a decade building a school district where all students are served in their neighborhood school and in classrooms with their general education peers. Hear how to get better academic outcomes for all students, not just those identified with disabilities, by promoting self-efficacy, improving social and emotional health, and consistently implementing research-based instructional strategies.

One does not often pair unreasonable and irrational with care and hospitality, but superstar superintendent Mike Nelson does. As he sees it, to get at the kind of collaboration most school leaders crave requires them go far deeper into human relations than usual. In this episode, he defines what he calls human interconnectedness and provides specific examples of what it looks like and how to get there. Topics include how to make your staff feel seen and heard every day, the benefits of taking the time to build strong connections and tips for fully immersing yourself in the daily experiences of those you lead.

When there’s a nuclear meltdown happening with a student in your school, you don’t have a second to think. Author and consultant Ben Springer, shares the framework from his bestselling book Happy Kids Don’t Punch You in the Face, to discuss what to do in the heat of the moment, and how you can decrease the chances of incidents happening in the first place. His approach is a field-tested, integrating principles of behavioral intervention with the best practices of positive psychology—a fresh, effective response that respects the tough realities facing today’s educators.

On this episode, Pamela Snow, renowned speech-language pathologist and psychologist, gives an incisive analysis of how good people all over the world came to eschew the science of what works for reading instruction. She makes a compelling case for viewing school as a public health intervention, making it of the utmost importance that we get our teaching practices right. The bottom line is that while how we feel as educators matters, efficacy matters even more—and the two don’t have to be in competition. If you are looking for points to persuade educators to abandon low-value practices and to champion the right to literacy for all, you will find it in Pamela’s knowledge and wisdom.

Have you ever started your school year as a principal feeling overwhelmed and pulled in a million directions? It’s a common experience and one not addressed explicitly in a many training programs. This episode’s guest, Daniel Bauer, is on to talk about a practical solution: creating the perfect principal entry plan. You will hear him discuss his framework that promises big payoffs for just a few hours of focused work. If you believe crystal clear clarity on your goals is the most efficient way to support your team and sustain continuous improvement, hit play.

Planning for equitable accelerated learning is analogous to preparing a meal. Similar to a chef selecting the menu, gathering ingredients, and planning the occasion, educators choose aligned curricula to prioritize learning to help students internalize instruction. Straight from their new book Serving Educational Equity, Sonya Murray and Gwendolyn Turner share with listeners how to distinguish acceleration from remediation, establish effective foundational instruction, expand student engagement for all students, and use student excellence as the driver for full equity.

Research repeatedly shows that educators spend a lot of time doing activities that do not connect to student outcomes. Not on purpose, but in a world with so many distractions it becomes easy to lose the North Star. In this podcast, author and consultant Lyle Kirtman implores us to shed any projects or behaviors that do not align with our goals for student outcomes. In fact, he stresses that this is imperative if we want to stop the rapid rate of burnout that is impacting schools at all levels. Listeners will get tips on how to talk to data-averse teachers about data, use guiding questions to make decisions about what to do and what not to do, and how to skillfully push back against mandates that run counter to a school’s mission.

Schools need leaders, but fewer and fewer are entering into the position. And far too few are thriving once they are in the role. Two reasons: a mismatch of expectations and a lack of clarity about what the job entails. These signal that it is time to take a hard look at how we prepare aspiring leaders. Tim Cusack and Bustamante have surveyed the landscape, and share their findings in their latest book, Leader Ready. They propose four pathways to get budding leaders to bloom, including standards-based support, guided practice with mentors and mastery experiences.

New teaching staff, whether novice or veteran, are a central part of a successful school year. So why is it that they are often greeted at the door of our school community with the autopilot vibe of a ticket taker at the movies? In their latest book Onboarding Teachers, Fisher, Frey, Shin and Biscocho change the rules of engagement, offering activities and practical strategies that focus leaders and coaches on critical aspects of success for that make-or-break first year.

The one and only John Hattie joins LCL to share the sequel of his seminal book, Visible Learning. It is not merely an update on previous content, but a concerted effort to focus on what we don’t already know about, along with data that has changed. He also discusses the importance of paying attention to what teachers believe about learning, the need to highlight the many schools doing the work well and how to choose where to focus our limited time as educators. He reminds us that teachers and leaders have some of the highest coping strategies of any profession and that there is much to celebrate in all we do.

Scheduling common planning times is not just about moving some pieces around on a chart. It is also about the educators who enter these spaces and the beliefs they carry with them. In this episode Donahoo and Katz help listeners see that many decisions have both a technical and adaptive aspect to them. They ask listeners to reflect on unhelpful stories, bogus barriers, overconfidence, and other behaviors that need interruption. They also implore leaders to get comfortable with discomfort because it is the only way to get good ideas to stick.

Going deep into education research can feel daunting, but not when you’re listening to Tom Guskey. Sharing the highlights from his latest book, Implementing Mastery Learning, third edition, Guskey begins with a short history of mastery learning and ends with its continued relevance today. You will hear about formative assessment, effective correctives, high-quality enrichment, how to change mindsets, and much more. Rooted in a conviction that every students should have access to the tools of a scholar, Guskey reaffirms our belief that excellence for all is possible.

How much training did you get on classroom management before you became a leader or teacher? The answer is probably: not much—and we are seeing the catastrophic results. Larry Thompson is on a mission to elevate this work, so it stands shoulder to shoulder with all we know about curriculum and instruction. He views poor behavior as a skill deficit that can be improved with strategic coaching. Thompson touches upon how to listen to what a child is actually saying when they are upset, “spot” them in ways that build their autonomy and agency and ultimately advance high-quality culture in your school.

Do you know how to identify the white space in your organization? No? Well not knowing could explain why some of your great ideas fail to gain traction. In this podcast, James Marshall discusses how school leaders can master successful implementation. Based on his new book Right From the Start, Marshall sets forth a pathway to get predictable results from your programming. From needs assessment straight through to evaluation, you’ll get user-friendly guidance on how to tackle this work with confidence.

Joseph Johnson, an expert in urban education reform, shares what leaders in high performing urban schools do differently. He skillfully articulates that great achievement with these students is not an anomaly and, in fact, reliably occurs when certain pieces are in place. This includes making students and families feel valuable, focusing on mastery, ensuring culturally responsive teaching, progress monitoring and so much more. Johnson calls on listeners to reject the status quo that keeps so many students stuck. Instead, he shows how we can look to models of excellence for the strategies that actually work to help urban students thrive.