new teacher supports – Page 5

Stoic Leadership and Remaining Calm in Times of Chaos with Guest Glenn Robbins

by Joe & T.J. | Mar 21, 2024 | #onethingseries, Action, Communication, Core Values, Culture, Daily Habits, Decision-Making, Education, Energy, Engagement, Excellence, Focus, Fulfillment, Goal Setting, Leadership, Leading Better and Growing Faster, Learning to Lead, Listening, Mental Mapping, Motivation, Motivation & Retention, Organizational Leadership, Passion, Planning and Preparation, Positivity, Principal Leadership, Principals, Professional Dialogue, Relationships, Resilience, Results, Service Leadership, Systems Thinking, Teacher Leadership, Teamwork

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About Glenn Robbins

Glenn Robbins is the proud Superintendent of the Brigantine Public School District in Brigantine, New Jersey. He has served as a public school superintendent in New Jersey since 2016. Prior to becoming a superintendent, he was a middle school principal, a high school assistant principal, a high school social studies teacher, and a varsity coach. He is a best-selling author of Calm In The Chaos: Ancient Stoic Wisdom for Successful School Leadership and a sought-after speaker.

Glenn has been awarded numerous administrative national and state recognitions, including the National Exemplar of Education Award, Northeast Innovative Superintendent Award, NJ Visionary Superintendent Award, Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools Member, NASSP Digital Principal of the Year, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Winner, and SETDA Student Voice Award Winner.

He has been invited to the White House and the US Department of Education several times. He is also the proud recipient of a National Superintendent Certification and serves as an AASA National Governing Board Member, AASA Aspiring Superintendent Mentor, and Chair of NJASA Technology Committee.

Glenn has been recognized across the globe for his innovative school and district improvement methods and has been featured in numerous conferences, books, podcasts, and other publications. Glenn is passionate about helping school leaders create schools where every student and educator can have the opportunity to succeed to the utmost potential in a VUCA world.

What You’ll Find in this Episode with Glenn Robbins

Glenn starts with the connection between stoicism and school leadership. He takes us back to ancient philosophy, including Epectitus.

The book is short and powerful. A practical read and guide for school leaders.

Glenn talks about how the world is so chaotic and how the wisdom in his book is a friend to new and inspiring leaders.

Listen to what Glenn says about being a Superintendent in a shore community and what he takes from the waves.

Glenn poses a great reflection question: How do we react when things hurt us?

Expressing gratitude once again is a primary habit and mindset people must embrace.

Don’t miss what Glenn says about the imposter syndrome.

Glenn mentions following Robert Greene’s work, Damon West, Chris Singleton, Danny Bauer, and other friends who have supported his leadership. Check out Billy Oppenheimer’s Sunday Six.

Glenn talks about the future. Don’t miss what he’s done with the school furniture.

Lastly, Glenn reminds us that running schools is not a zero-sum game; reach out to a leader on social media and connect about school leadership, personal growth, and human connection.

Joe & T.J. Are Now Booking Summer and Fall Events!

Space is limited, but dates are still available. If you’re ready to take your leadership skills to the next level or you want to build the capacity of the folks on your team, we have the solutions that you need. Our engaging keynotes and interactive leadership workshops are designed to equip you and your leaders with the tools and strategies you need to thrive in today’s complex and ever-changing educational environment. Contact us to learn more about our offerings and book a session for your organization today!

A few ideas:

Join one of our Mastermind groups
Book us for a keynote to kick off the year with your teachers
Allow us to train your school leaders on any number of our proven models
Have us join your retreat to kick things up a notch with practical takeaways
Bring us in virtually or in person to talk about one of our books
Call us for something unique

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Joe & T.J.

TheSchoolHouse302 · Stoic Leadership and Remaining Calm in Times of Chaos with Guest Glenn Robbins

Season 5, Episode 10 of the FocusED School Leadership Podcast with Guest Suzanne Dailey

by Joe & T.J. | Mar 11, 2024 | #FocusED, Action, Communication, Core Values, Culture, Daily Habits, Decision-Making, Education, Energy, Engagement, Excellence, Focus, Fulfillment, Goal Setting, Leadership, Learning to Lead, Listening, Mental Mapping, Motivation, Motivation & Retention, Organizational Leadership, Passion, Planning and Preparation, Positivity, Principal Leadership, Principals, Professional Dialogue, Relationships, Resilience, Results, Service Leadership, Teacher Leadership, Teamwork

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Teach Happier this School Year with Suzanne Dailey

This is Season 5, Episode 10 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Suzanne Dailey. Don’t miss what Suzanne has to say about teaching happier, gratitude, the brain, tons of book recommendations…and much more.

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Suzanne Dailey Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

Suzanne Dailey has been a teacher for 22 years. She is currently an instructional coach in the Central Bucks School District, where she has the honor and joy of working with over 500 elementary teachers and 8,000 students.

She teaches model lessons, facilitates professional development sessions, and mentors teachers to be the best for the students in front of them. Suzanne is a Nationally Board Certified teacher, a fellow of the National Writing Project, and has a Masters’s Degree in Reading.

She is dedicated to nurturing and developing the whole child and teacher and presents these topics at the local, state, and national level. Suzanne is the author of Teach Happier this School Year: 40 Weeks of Inspiration & Reflection and the host of the popular weekly podcast, Teach Happier. You can follow Suzanne Dailey on X: @DaileySuzanne.

FocusED Show Notes with Suzanne Dailey

Suzanne starts off by defining that teaching happier is also coaching happier and leading happier. Happier is not about toxic positivity but rather contentment and alignment.

When we feel happier as a person, we’re better coworkers, teachers, friends, etc.

Suzanne talks about the research- behavioral psychology and neuroscience- and says that there are very specific strategies that we can use to be happier.

Two practices she mentions early in the podcast are getting moving and practicing gratitude.

Every good teacher sees the person behind the student. ~ Suzanne Dailey

Don’t miss what Suzanne says about a leader’s ability to discern how each person is motivated. We were thrilled to hear her mention energy as something we need to manage.

Suzanne talks about her work in the 4th largest school district in Pennsylvania and a document that the superintendent uses to celebrate staff. This is practical and can be used by anyone.

She describes the book as broken into 40 small parts to be able to read a quick 2-3 pages per day and set goals. What are your weekly wins? Based on your reading, what will be your next right thing–2 degree shift in your thoughts, language, or actions?

Teach Happier This School Year is now an ASCD bestseller.

If you want to take care of the students, take care of the teachers. ~ Suzanne Dailey

Because Suzanne mentions so many books and research, Joe asks about how she digests books to become practical in her life. Listen to her strategies.

Suzanne calls for more books about people who work in spaces that care for others. She calls them “caregiving professions.” We can learn so much from people in these callings, and she says that the only way forward is to learn from them.

Joe catches a nuance that Suzanne is an instructional coach, but she also works at the cabinet level in her district.

Suzanne ends with her favorite impact, which is working with new teachers.

Books that Suzanne Dailey Mentions on FocusED

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

Big Potential by Shawn Achor

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Strive: for Happiness in Education by Robert Dunlop

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Season 5, Episode 9 of the FocusED School Leadership Podcast with Guest Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera

by Joe & T.J. | Mar 8, 2024 | #FocusED, Action, Communication, Core Values, Culture, Daily Habits, Decision-Making, Education, Energy, Engagement, Excellence, Focus, Fulfillment, Goal Setting, Leadership, Learning to Lead, Listening, Mental Mapping, Motivation, Motivation & Retention, Organizational Leadership, Passion, Planning and Preparation, Positivity, Principal Leadership, Principals, Professional Dialogue, Relationships, Resilience, Results, Service Leadership, Teacher Leadership, Teamwork

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Creating a Culture of Equity in Schools with Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera

This is Season 5, Episode 9 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera. Don’t miss what Dr. Buchanan-Rivera says about amplifying student voice, power and inequities in schools, making learning joyous…and much more.

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Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera has served as a teacher, principal of an international magnet school, director of curriculum, and director of equity and inclusion in her 17 years as an educator.

She is currently a DEI project specialist and adjunct professor in the College of Education at Butler University and consults through her business, EBR Educational Consulting, LLC.

Dr. Buchanan-Rivera’s research centers on identity-affirming environments. She completed a doctoral degree at Indiana State University in 2017, where she developed an instrument to measure inclusivity in classroom environments. She has written award-winning publications, and her work has been featured in Education Week, Edutopia, Educational Leadership Magazine (ASCD), K-12 Dive, educational journals, and national podcasts.

In April 2020, she was recognized as the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Education at Butler University due to her contributions to the field on a local and national level. Her first book, Identity Affirming Classrooms: Spaces that Center Humanity has spread her reach and consulting work internationally. In 2023, she won the Arnold Mickens Black Excellence in Leadership Award, and we invite you to follow her on X @ericabrivera.

FocusED Show Notes with Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Erica started the conversation about her own experiences in school where the educators had good intentions, but those intentions didn’t result in an inclusive environment. In fact, none of her teachers or school leaders were people of color.

She aims to amplify student voices, which she does throughout her text. Students don’t just talk about their trauma, but they identify opportunities to support all students in schools. In many cases, all we need to do is to listen to the students.

Dr. Buchanan-Rivera breaks down what it means to talk about “culture” in schools. We’re talking about “the ways of being” in schools, which includes the roles of power and inequities that exist within schools.

She says that there’s no real right or wrong way to amplify student voices but that the key is to ask students about their experiences in schools and the ways that we can improve the environment. Listen to what she says about her own listening tours.

Once we listen to our students, we should build what they say into our strategic plans for school improvement. ~ Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Joe asks about general threads in what Erica finds when she talks to students about their experiences in school. One common thread is that students want to know how they’re doing in school–they are curious to receive more feedback.

Just like adults, kids want to know about their strengths and areas for improvement, and they often don’t get that from school. ~ Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Erica tells us that we can drive change to a more joyous environment by unpacking our own belief systems. Do we truly embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in action? Do we believe that all students can learn? Are we treating students like humans?

She calls for equity audits as a fresh set of eyes on what teaching and learning really feel like in our schools–tools that assess systems.

As administrators, we often learn to manage dysfunction rather than learning to clean house. ~ Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Don’t miss what she says about outcomes that indicate that our effort in this space is working.

Erica says we need more support for administrators on leading change, having critical conversations, and growing as equity warriors. A needed book title: Navigating the DEI Space for School Leaders.

Accountability should be seen as an act of love. ~ Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Erica ended by talking about the areas in which she would like to grow as a school leader–helping principals navigate DEI successfully.

Books that Erica Buchanan-Rivera Mentions on FocusED

Punished for Dreaming by Bettina Love

Leading Your School Toward Equity by Dwayne Chism

All About Love by Bell Hooks

Season 5, Episode 8 of the FocusED School Leadership Podcast with Guest Meghan Lawson

by Joe & T.J. | Feb 15, 2024 | #FocusED, Action, Communication, Core Values, Culture, Daily Habits, Decision-Making, Education, Energy, Engagement, Excellence, Focus, Fulfillment, Goal Setting, Leadership, Learning to Lead, Listening, Mental Mapping, Motivation, Motivation & Retention, Organizational Leadership, Passion, Planning and Preparation, Positivity, Principal Leadership, Principals, Professional Dialogue, Relationships, Resilience, Results, Service Leadership, Teacher Leadership, Teamwork

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Teaching for a Lasting Impact with Meghan Lawson

This is Season 5, Episode 8 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Meghan Lawson. It was originally recorded in front of a live audience in Delaware and provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, Wilmington University, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what Meghan Lawson says about teaching for a lasting impact, creating a legacy of learning…and much more.

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Meghan Lawson Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

Meghan Lawson is a thought leader who studies and implements the conditions and systems needed for transformational change. A lover of learning who believes in the goodness of people, Meghan works to cultivate spaces that honor the humanity of all people.

She promotes storytelling, the exchange of ideas, and risk-taking. She is passionate about disrupting the status quo and creating kinder, forward-thinking communities of action.

Meghan is also intensely curious about how to enhance the customer experience in schools. Meghan began her career in the English Language Arts classroom. So, inevitably, her mantra is “Words matter.” She has worked in all levels of K -12 education as a teacher, school administrator, district administrator, and educational consultant. She’s the author of Legacy of Learning: Teaching for Lasting Impact, and you can follow her on X: @meghan_lawson.

FocusED Show Notes with Meghan Lawson

Meghan wrote her book because she’s finding educators all over the place who say things like, “I wish the work was fun again.”

Meghan says that the stories in the book are authentic, real, and feel like “coffee conversations.”

Joe asks what it means to “have fun at work.” Meghan talks about positive psychology research.

Don’t miss what she says about what it means to talk to ourselves.

When we can create environments where dopamine is high, we can be at our best.

Meghan calls for teachers to do an inventory of what they can and cannot control and then focus on the controllable aspects of the work.

She talks about the typical teacher’s perfectionistic personality and what to do about it.

Small moves done consistently over time can leave a big impact. ~ Meghan Lawson

If everyone contributes to growing by 1% each day, imagine what can happen. ~ Meghan Lawson

Joe brings up the Pareto principle and the focus we need on the 20% of our work that leads to 80% of the results.

Meghan says that one way to use the triangle in her book is to reflect on it in the aftermath of a mistake.

She says that all students deserve hope and that hope is a stronger predictor of success than any other measure. Hope, belonging, and engagement work together; when one goes up, the other two do as well.

Meghan calls out the fact that kids can go through the whole day at school (maybe weak) without anyone saying their name.

She says that she wants to do work she enjoys with people she likes to be around.

Meghan hopes that all of the unwritten books will get written. People need the confidence to write their stories.

Life is too short to read books that you’re not getting much out of. ~ Meghan Lawson

Don’t miss some of the strategies that she uses for reading.

Meghan ends by genuinely thanking educators for what they do.

Books that Meghan Lawson Mentions on FocusED

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

Finish by John Acuff

Better Days by Neil Allen

Season 5, Episode 7 of the FocusED School Leadership Podcast with Guest Luke Roberts

by Joe & T.J. | Feb 15, 2024 | #FocusED, Action, Communication, Core Values, Culture, Daily Habits, Decision-Making, Education, Energy, Engagement, Excellence, Focus, Fulfillment, Goal Setting, Leadership, Learning to Lead, Listening, Mental Mapping, Motivation, Motivation & Retention, Organizational Leadership, Passion, Planning and Preparation, Positivity, Principal Leadership, Principals, Professional Dialogue, Relationships, Resilience, Results, Service Leadership, Teacher Leadership, Teamwork

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Systems Thinking for School Leadership and Educational Reform with Luke Roberts

This is Season 5, Episode 7 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Luke Roberts. It was originally recorded in front of a live audience in Delaware and provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, Wilmington University, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what Luke Roberts says about systems thinking in schools and how the next phase of our leadership approach to change should not be linear in nature…and much more.

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Luke Roberts Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

Dr. Luke Roberts has worked in education in the UK for over 20 years to address issues of conflict, bullying, and educational opportunities. He worked on the national evaluation of restorative justice in schools before becoming a practitioner and trainer.

He became increasingly concerned that the whole school approach was not working and did an MBA and M.Ed. before completing his Ph.D. exploring schools as complex adaptive systems. This reframing of schools is central to his book and seeks to address the challenge of why innovation does not last in educational settings.

He has also worked in communities and prison settings to promote conflict resolution. He joined Highfive in the USA as Chief Innovation Officer to promote sustainable solutions to educational challenges.

He also advises government departments on system approaches and is a visiting lecturer at Cambridge University and the Royal College of Arts. His recent book is called Leading Schools and Sustaining Innovation. You can follow Dr. Luke Roberts on X: @LukeshRoberts.

FocusED Show Notes with Luke Roberts

Following his PhD, Luke wrote this book to make sure leaders can understand complexity without being too challenged by academic literature.

Luke wants leaders to have a usable framework for sustaining innovation.

Luke says schools are much more like beehives than machines. In machines, you can take parts out, but beehives are much more interconnected.

He talked about the hub and spoke model of school leadership whereby all of the spokes are centered on the leader. Then, when the leader leaves, the innovations die. Dr. Roberts tells a real story about this happening.

One problem that we discuss is that humans like power and actually like the fact that the system revolves around them.

Listen to what he says about being in a production mind versus being a gardener. This requires an identity shift for the school leader.

The conversation about the network effect in schools is fascinating, especially since it deviates from the traditional hub and spoke model.

Joe asked about the next steps that leaders can take to work toward the networked model.

No one perspective is going to solve the problem.

Don’t miss what he says about zooming out and validating history before moving forward.

Systems thinking is much different than change theory, which Luke says is part of the problem. Change theory is often linear and “beehives” are not linear organizations.

Luke calls for a greater focus on young people’s futures and schools that spend time on students’ sense of identity and how they will interact with society in the future.

Joe underscores the fact school is often something that is done to students rather than for them.

Dr. Roberts talks about injecting creativity into the system so that more educators are working in a safe space where they can be creative in the way they think about changing their schools.

We need the ability to play with boundaries, including time and the way the day unfolds. The structures of the day can limit people’s ability to think creatively and change the future of the environment.

Luke says that once you start to see systems, it’s so hard to unsee them. He references Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a systems thinker.

Luke asks the audience to ponder how we think about change, not reduce but increase what we should do.

Books that Luke Roberts Mentions on FocusED

The Grasshopper by Bernard Suits

Stoic Leadership and Remaining Calm in Times of Chaos with Guest Glenn Robbins

About Glenn Robbins

What You’ll Find in this Episode with Glenn Robbins

Joe & T.J. Are Now Booking Summer and Fall Events!

Season 5, Episode 10 of the FocusED School Leadership Podcast with Guest Suzanne Dailey

Teach Happier this School Year with Suzanne Dailey

Suzanne Dailey Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

FocusED Show Notes with Suzanne Dailey

Books that Suzanne Dailey Mentions on FocusED

Related Content from TheSchoolHouse302

Season 5, Episode 9 of the FocusED School Leadership Podcast with Guest Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Creating a Culture of Equity in Schools with Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

FocusED Show Notes with Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Books that Erica Buchanan-Rivera Mentions on FocusED

Related Content from TheSchoolHouse302

Season 5, Episode 8 of the FocusED School Leadership Podcast with Guest Meghan Lawson

Teaching for a Lasting Impact with Meghan Lawson

Meghan Lawson Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

FocusED Show Notes with Meghan Lawson

Books that Meghan Lawson Mentions on FocusED

Related School Leadership Content Based on This Show

Season 5, Episode 7 of the FocusED School Leadership Podcast with Guest Luke Roberts

Systems Thinking for School Leadership and Educational Reform with Luke Roberts

Luke Roberts Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

FocusED Show Notes with Luke Roberts

Books that Luke Roberts Mentions on FocusED

Related School Leadership Content Based on This Show

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