Amber Teamann serves as the Director of Technology for Crandall ISD, a fast-growing district outside of Dallas, Texas. During her educational career, Amber’s comprehensive understanding of student learning has resulted in a successful blend of technology and leading. Through her campus and district level leadership, she has helped initiate instructional change district-wide, empowering teachers at all levels.
Amber knows that we can all be better together and strives to make every day the very best it can be for each member of her staff and students. As an award-winning administrator, she has been a featured speaker in multiple states helping motivate, encourage, and help develop the capacity of teachers and leaders nationwide. Recognizing the power of social media, working with districts and campuses on finding their voice, and leveraging the power of connected educators has led her down a path she completely owes to the power of a professional learning network.
Key Thoughts from Our Interview with Amber Teamann:
Amber wastes no time diving into key strategies to stay connected with teachers and remain sensitive to the time of year and all the stresses associated with wrapping up this school year. Her wisdom will guide any listener who is looking to finish the school year strong and who wants to be mindful of the various activities that could easily send the wrong message.
Listen to how Amber continually recognizes that the classroom is the most important space in every school.
Amber reminds us that we always have to remember that as leaders our position precedes us as people–it is our responsibility to maintain the same level of energy and enthusiasm throughout the entire year.
Don’t miss Amber’s third key strategy, which is focused on how not to overwhelm our staff.
Amber identified Angela Watson as her go-to resource for herself and her teachers.
There is no doubt that Amber is techie, but you don’t want to overlook her sage advice on setting boundaries with social media.
One of her professional goals will resonate with any district leader who is really striving to make an impact through service.
Throughout this interview, Amber displayed a level of insight and wisdom. You can’t miss her testimony on how she learned the power in identifying what she doesn’t know.
Amber puts an end to this wonderful conversation by amplifying the concept that the smartest person in the room is the room itself.
Amber’s interview is filled with very specific strategies to end the year in a supportive and encouraging way, coupled with high expectations. We are grateful that she discussed her experience as a principal and those early lessons she learned that taught her how to effectively lead. It was an awesome follow-up to our latest blogpost on effective educational leadership and how to finish the school year strong.
We hope to hear from you about your favorite parts of both the blog and the interview. Please comment below.
Please follow, like, and share. Use #onethingseries and #SH302 so that we can find you. For more great leadership content, follow dereka206.sg-host.com.
On July 12th and 13th, we bring to you our Masterclass in Candid and Compassionate Feedback. It’s just 4 hours, 9-11AM EST, on both days. Email contact@dereka206.sg-host.com to reserve your seat. Also, on July 19th and 20th, we’re offering our first Masterclass in Building a Winning Team. Both days, 9-11AM EST, you’ll learn ways that you can build your reputation, tell your story, and attract top talent to your school. Email us today.
This episode was brought to you by GhostBed, a family-owned business of sleep experts with 20+ years of experience. With 30K+ 5-star reviews, you can’t go wrong with GhostBed. Their mattresses are handcrafted, and they come with a 101-night-at-home-sleep trial. For a limited time, you can get 30% by using our code — SH302 — at checkout. And, even if you tell someone about GhostBed, you can earn a $100 referral reward. Go to Ghostbed.com today and use SH302 at checkout.
Learn More About Jennie Magiera, Head of Education at Google
Jennie Magiera is the Global Head of Education Impact at Google, bestselling author of Courageous Edventures, and the founder and president of the non-profit Our Voice Alliance (whose mission is to elevate marginalized voices and perspectives to improve equity and empathy in education). Previously, she was the Chief Innovation Officer for CCSD62, the Digital Learning Coordinator for the Academy for Urban School Leadership, and a Chicago Public Schools teacher. A White House Champion for Change, Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Certified Innovator, and TEDx Speaker, Jennie works to improve education globally.
She is also passionate about transforming professional learning, having served on the Technical Working Group for the US Department of Education’s National Educational Technology Plan, co-founding PLAYDATE and other conferences. You can follow Jennie on Twitter at @MsMagiera and pick up her book on Amazon.
Key Thoughts from Our Interview with Jennie Magiera
Understanding the Diffusion of Innovation Curve and how it applies to people and their adoption of innovation is profound for educational leaders who are transforming classrooms into innovation hubs. Don’t miss our discussion about Crossing the Chasm.
You have to hear how Jennie shifted her approach as an instructional coach to enable people to see how technology can radically improve student achievement and solve their unique problems as teachers.
Her insight into how educators define and see themselves provides an excellent window into why change can be so difficult.
Listen to how she is “double clicking” on the humanity of change and who she would love to have pizza with.
Her time blocking suggestion is powerful for go-getters who are looking for more space in their day.
You can’t miss why she wants to learn Korean.
She articulates how she accomplishes an enormous amount in a day, yet also knows when enough has been done.
Don’t miss Jennie’s protractor story and how she describes that technology is a tool, only to be used for the right reasons.
One Thing Series Summary
Jennie’s interview is a powerful blend of technology and human performance. She eloquently describes that a people-first mentality is needed to successfully lead an innovation revolution in our schools. We are grateful that she discussed how she was not always an innovator but sought disruption to improve the student experience.
We hope to hear from you about your favorite parts of both the blog and the interview. Please comment below. Follow, like, and share.
Use #onethingseries and #SH302 so that we can find you. For more great leadership content, follow dereka206.sg-host.com.
This episode was brought to you by GhostBed, a family-owned business of sleep experts with 20+ years of experience. With 30K+ 5-star reviews, you can’t go wrong with GhostBed. Their mattresses are handcrafted, and they come with a 101-night-at-home-sleep trial. For a limited time, you can get 30% by using our code — SH302 — at checkout. And, even if you tell someone about GhostBed, you can earn a $100 referral reward. Go to Ghostbed.com today and use SH302 at checkout.
Man the ship and bring her to life. ~ First traditional order as an active unit in the Navy
Jon Rennie is a Business Leader, Author, and Speaker. He is Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Peak Demand Inc., a global manufacturer of products for electric utilities.
He served as a Naval Officer on Nuclear Submarines during the Cold War and has been leading industrial businesses for more than 20 years.
He is passionate about leadership and employee engagement. His articles and blog posts have been read and shared all over the world. He believes that Leadership can make a significant difference in the performance of any organization.
Jon provides incredible insight into how the absentee boss leads from their comfort zone.
When asked who he follows to learn and grow, Jon didn’t hesitate to acknowledge the impactful work of Coach Bru.
You have to hear why he gets up at 4:00AM every day.
Jon describes how a ship is nothing more than cold metal in a harbor and that it’s the crew who brings a ship to life. Listen for what he wants to continue to do and how he wants to grow.
Don’t miss what she says about his Dashboard University.
Lastly, Jon covers some of his fascinating life story; he reveals, in the end, that leaders don’t have to know all the answers.
Jon’s interview is packed full of practical ways to become a more present leader. We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!
Please follow, like, and comment. Use #onethingseries and #SH302 so that we can find you. For more great leadership content, follow dereka206.sg-host.com.
This month we’ve taken a different twist on your workplace meetings by focusing on our individual contributions to a successful meeting. Simply put, this month is centered on how you can make sure meetings are productive, regardless of your role and title.
We featured three primary roles that successfully change the dynamic of any meeting. The first was The Moderator, who guarantees the meeting stays on track. The second was The Examiner, who creates the right environment to vet ideas. And the third was The Closer, who makes sure ideas are followed up on and assigned to someone. Without these key roles, your meetings are boring and likely a waste of time.
How productive are your meetings? Remember, regardless of whether you lead them or are there to participate in them, you can have a tremendous impact.
Self-Assessment:
1. Are the meetings organized well with a clear focus?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Very Much
2. Are ideas systematically reviewed to determine their value?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Very Much
3. Are ideas followed up on and assigned to someone?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Very Much
Great Leaders Are Avid Readers
Review: In our #readthisseries we featured practical books that offer actionable information to improve your contribution as a teammate.
What does an expert have to say about being a great teammate? With a tremendous amount of educational experience, combined with being a certified John Maxwell coach, Jamy Bechler has a unique way of turning everyday life experiences into leadership lessons.
Check out his interview here. The one critical takeaway that we always have to remember is our perspective. In any situation, we need to maintain a proper perspective to be effective. If we find ourselves emotionally hijacked or mentally disrupted, we need to create space between us and the situation.
What Next…
Every month we challenge our readers to take action with our Three Minute Challenges.
To wrap up the month, our call to action is for you to take responsibility for the success within your part of the organization by being the best teammate you can be. Be a productive part of every meeting, don’t contribute to the negativity, and willingly try be The Moderator, The Examiner, or The Closer.
Let us know how it works for you, #TheThreeMinuteChallenge.
TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple and maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.
Please let us know how our leadership posts are working for you, what you are reading to improve yourself, and your thoughts on leadership and growth here on our blog and Twitter. Follow our #onethingseries podcast on iTunes and our #readthisseries on YouTube.
One Thing Series: Gaining Perspective as a Teammate w/ Jamy Bechler — #onethingseries
Leadership Isn’t About Having Complicit and Compliant Followers. ~ Jamy Bechler
Jamy Bechler is the host of the popular Success is a Choice podcast. He is also the author of The Bus Trip and The Leadership Playbook. As a former college basketball coach and high school athletic director, he now travels across the country speaking and consulting with sports teams and educators about leadership, culture, and teamwork. Jamy is also a certified John Maxwell Leadership Coach, and you connect with him on Twitter @CoachBechler or at his website JamyBechler.com.
His interview with TheSchoolHouse302 is full of leadership wisdom. He speaks directly to how we must maintain perspective to gain insight as leaders. Don’t miss it.
Key Thoughts from the Interview:
You can’t miss his compelling story regarding an obituary and the impact that it had on his mindset!
Jamy discusses John Maxwell and Jon Gordon and how influential they are on his work. But, he also talks about someone we were completely unfamiliar with, coach and communication specialist, Betsy Butterick. You can find more about Betsy, here.
You’ll want to hear what he has to say about being “dead right.”
He talks about how we need to be sensitive to situations so that we can prevent issues, be proactive, and prepare accordingly.
His thoughts about being intentional about seeing other people’s perspective are enlightening. You have to listen to the turtle on the log story.
Lastly, he breaks down how ego and impulse are basic human traits that limit us as individuals and leaders when we let them.
Jamy’s interview uncovers what it means to be a great teammate, someone who works to gain perspective as a leader, and much much more.
Please follow, like, and comment. Use #onethingseries and #SH302 so that we can find you. For more great leadership content, follow dereka206.sg-host.com.
Our Review and Reflect series embraces the powerful sentiment from Soren Kierkegaard: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Throughout this post, we take a deep dive into our leadership content so that you can develop the skills you need to lead better and grow faster.
Skills I need to develop so that I can achieve my goals in 2020…
We all have goals, dreams, and desires. Yet, despite our best efforts, we often fall short of truly achieving what we want. We know that motivation is fickle and willpower can be fleeting, so we developed a four part formula gleaned from seminal works throughout the ages. The key is not to pursue an endpoint, but to continually work toward success. Success is not a destination, it’s a lifestyle. It’s a culmination of efforts that result from a continual pursuit of greatness. For this reason, our formula has four phases that have a relationship with one another and that continually support your overall focus and growth.
Phase 1: Set One Big Important Goal. Identify one goal that you are passionate about and deeply want to achieve.
Phase 2: Bring It to Life. Write your goal down in words.
Phase 3: Create A Master Plan. Create a master plan designed with the details about what your goal looks and feels like once achieved as well as the deadlines for each of the moving parts.
Phase 4: Be Accountable. Get an accountability partner.
Are you on your way to success?
Self-Assessment:
How passionate are you about your goal?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Very Much
To what extent do you review and meditate on your goal?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Very Much
How clear is your master plan to achieve your goal?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Very Clear
Who is your accountability partner?
_________________________________________.
Wherever you find yourself on the scale for each area, we encourage you to immerse yourself into some powerful literature to lead better and grow faster.
Great Leaders Are Avid Readers
Review: In our #readthisseries we featured practical books that offer actionable information to improve your goal-getting.
Let us know if these great reads change your leadership practices and deliver real results.
Who should I follow…
What does an expert have to say about achieving success? Fred Stuvek was our podcast guest for this month and the interview was enlightening. Fred brings a ton of experience to the show with very practical ideas. There is nothing like listening to someone who has diverse experiences, particularly military, and can articulate how they have contributed to his success. Fred unpacks leadership and how we have to get out of our comfort zones to achieve what we want.
Action: Throughout this month during our Three Minute Challenges we asked you to take decisive action to identify your goals and build a plan of action. If you haven’t completed those yet, don’t waste another minute.
Listen to the entire podcast on iTunes, One Thing Series, and please rate and like (it helps).
That’s our #review&reflect for goal setting in 2020. Take a look back to take a step forward.
TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple and maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.
Please let us know how our leadership posts are working for you, what you are reading to improve yourself, and your thoughts on leadership and growth here on our blog and Twitter. Follow our #onethingseries podcast on iTunes and our #readthisseries on YouTube.
Subscribe here to join the tribe and get free leadership content each week via email–blog posts, podcasts, books to read, access to live events, and more.
More Resources for You
Grab a Copy of One of Our Books:
7 Mindshifts for School Leaders: Finding New Ways to Think About Old Problems. Order it Here
Retention for a Change is an Amazon Best Seller and our Latest Book: Order it Here
7 Mindshifts for School Leaders: Finding New Ways to Think About Old Problems. 
