Hi WOL Friends,

It is so good to be back in the swing of things!

This podcast episode about building trust in online classrooms hit home for us as school leaders. Olivia Grugan and Allison Rodman bring authenticity to the conversation as we recognize that leading means being vulnerable. Olivia shares how our working relationship with Allison has helped the World of Learning to thrive as we added a full-time K - 12 program in the 23 - 24 school year. Working with Allison our team was able to navigate the stresses of expanding and doing new, hard things.

You can learn more about Allison’s work here. We are so grateful for the leadership and learning opportunities she has provided our team.

Thanks for reading and listening,

Pat

This Episode

We focused on these main ideas (listen in for the details):

• Importance of Relationships in Learning and Leadership: Our conversation emphasizes the critical role relationships play for our WOL team - both personally and professionally. Whether it's building trust with students in an online classroom, fostering a positive team dynamic among colleagues, or maintaining personal connections, we believe relationships are foundational. (It is not everything, but it is the foundation. Strong pedagogy in the live sessions, authentic and engaging content, etc.)

Our discussion highlights the need for clear communication, mutual support, and caring for each other as a whole - which blends the personal and professional- as part of who we are.

• Balancing Community and Autonomy: Another significant theme in our conversation was the balance between individual autonomy and the sense of community within a team or learning environment. Olivia and Allison discuss the challenges of maintaining personal boundaries. We dove into how our team navigates finding their own space in a highly connected world. Also, we have found that by respecting both the individual needs and the collective goals of a team we do our best work.

The idea of clear and kind communication is one important concept we have learned as we have developed as a team. Truthtelling does not have to be harsh or judgemental - and it allows for both personal autonomy and strong community ties.

• Navigating Technology in Professional and Personal Spaces: The impact of technology on work and life is a recurrent topic. We do it every day! All three of us reflected on how technology can both enhance and complicate our relationships and communication. Allison and Olivia discuss strategies for managing screen time, setting boundaries between work and personal life, and the potential benefits of disconnecting from technology to foster deeper connections with others. (Fact: we don’t always succeed!) This theme resonated with each of us as the world pushed toward constant connectivity. Listen in to hear about some of the intentional practices we use to maintain well-being and authentic relationships.

Quick Bites

A look back at our issue on Mindfulness!

Family Newsletter

Link to Parent Toolbox

Calendar of Events

MORE:

Podcasts that Lauren and Allie have been guests on:

Podcast with Dr. Nicole Turner Lee on the Digitally Invisible

What are you made for?? I really listened to this song for the first time. Beautiful.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit patmulroy.substack.com