Digical Education: Recent Episodes
Erik Ellefsen
Ben Wellbourn is the CEO of Schola, an organization that supports the growth of schools. Ben is an innovator in education and someone I love learning from.
I had the opportunity to converse with AI George Washington through Humy, an AI-powered platform that allows students and teachers to interact with nearly 2,000 historical characters.
This is a conversation with Stas Shakirov who is co-founder and CEO.
Jacob Kantor, the DODO of JK K12, cohosted a conversation with me prior to The AI Show at ASU-GSV, which included Fran Rosenberg and Michel Faliski. So we thought we'd discuss what we are discovering about AI, EdTech, and growth in this space as we seek better outcomes for students.
Jaime Bissa is the Director of the Center for Learning and Innovative Pedagogy at Baptist Health Sciences University in Memphis and a founding member of the Human Intelligence Movement.
In this conversation we discuss AI, innovation, and pedagogy as we rethink together what learning could look like.
I met Dr. Nina Shah on an MMRF trek through Iceland with myeloma patients, caregivers, doctors, and researchers. She shortly after became my doctor while I did an experimental CarT trial and through the process became a friend. She is currently Global Head of Multiple Myeloma Clinical Development and Strategy at Astrazeneca where she seeks better treatments and ultimately a cure for myeloma patients like me.
I hope you enjoy this conversation about innovation and leadership.
The AI Show at ASU-GSV is next week, and I had the opportunity to talk with the co-founder, Fran Rosenberg, and the assistant VP of the AI Show Program, Michel Faliski, about the event's genesis and how to make the most of it.
Jacob Kantor, my friend and friend to everyone, joined in for this conversation!
Hope to see you in San Diego on April 5-7.
As March Madness kicks off today, I thought I would post a podcast conversation with my friend Paul Putz. Paul is the author of "Spirit of the Game: American Christianity and Big Time Sports" and is the Director of the Faith and Sports Institute at Baylor University.
In this podcast, we talk about Paul's high school coach, leadership lessons from the book, and make some picks for both Final Fours.
Alistair Bullen is an interior designer who is the founder of AB Culture, is a Heartstyles facilitator, and an Executive Coach. In this conversation we talk about Alistair's description of himself as a "cultural architect" and how creative played a role in his professional journey, but also how creativity impacts leadership.
Caitlin Sienkiewicz is the founder of Condie Consulting, and our conversation is about her new book "Building Your Team in your 20s."
Cale McLellan founded In-Houz Consulting, an entrepreneur, a former student, and a thought partner in using AI in learning.
This is a conversation with Tim DeRoche of Available to All on his book "A Fine Line" and the impact of redlining on public schools and high-quality education for each student.
Ben Bajarin is CEO of Creative Strategies and a Principal Analyst in the technology industry. He is also a great friend who got me started on AI, and he has been a thought partner in my usage of AI as an educator. Enjoy the ongoing conversation and what he sees as the next transformation for 2025!
2024 was a slow year on the podcast because of my health, but I had the opportunity to meet some amazing people. In 2025, I hope to share some of those with you and the first is a conversation with the CEO and co-founder of Sora Schools, Garrett Smiley.
Ryan Schachtner is co-founder of Success Beyond Gameday, and I think you'll enjoy the conversation on how they have innovated to help elite athletes think beyond their sport and playing careers.
This was a longer conversation with my friend Mitch Weathers of Organized Binder about his work and book and general thoughts on our professional work.
"Democratizing access to dreams and opportunity" is a line from the Gladeo website that caught my attention as I have gotten to know Michelle and her company, which seeks to help people prepare for the modern workforce and the future of work.
Michelle is co-founder and CEO of Gladeo, the Grand Prize winner of the US Department of Education Future Finder Challenge. Check out this short video on their work.
In this conversation with Shaka Mitchell we talk about Education Policy and connect it with his blog and the Massai greeting, "How are the children?" As we see new policies created to empower parents and allow schools to become more distinctive we focus the conversation on the students and their opportunities and outcomes.
Shaka Mitchell is Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children and Political Science Professor at Belmont University.
Daniel Liebeskind is the founder and CEO of Topia, a platform-as-a-service technology for real time social interaction and spatial video chat inside customizable virtual worlds. From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, Daniel’s mission is to foster human connection through technology.
Check out his work with Topia!
Will Percy is Executive Vice President at TeamOptix, and he shares in this conversation about how we need to rethink leadership and talent development in our profession and schools.
I had the opportunity to speak with founders and friends, Alexandra Kazilo and Natalia Pereldik of FunExpected along with their Scientific Advisor, Leonid Rybnikov. FunExpected is a math-learning app for 3-6-year-olds that utilizes gameplay to build math understanding and confidence. Check it out!
I love these conversations with Mitch Weathers of Organized Binder and the author of Executive Functions for Every Classroom.
Stephen Carter is the Director of the CHCA Entrepreneurship and Sustainability program and the author of Teaching the Entrepreneurial Mindset.
My friend Thomas Arnett joined me again on the podcast to talk about his new research report FAMILIES ON THE NEW FRONTIER: MAPPING AND MEETING THE GROWING DEMAND FOR UNCONVENTIONAL SCHOOLING. And we talk about New Value Networks, policymaking in Education, and his emerging wonderings about AI in our profession too!
Ben Wellbourn is an education innovator who co-founded Verto Education and check out his new project, Minerva Baccalaureate.
Paul Matthews is a teacher in Australia and the founder/CEO of MyTeacherAide. This is a continued conversation on what he is discovering from his pilot launch of the Ai partner.
Caitlin Condie is a former teacher, employee at the Department of Education, and current consultant who leads Education MeetUPs as an opportunity for practitioners, school leaders, innovators, and policymakers to connect to solve problems, share stories of success, and catalyze the good work of educators internationally.
Enjoy the conversation and learn more here: https://www.condieconsulting.com/
In this conversation, I get to talk to former Superintendent Pablo Munoz on his new book "The Leaders Algorithm" as he shares his wisdom and experience.
Connect with him at Munoz and Company Educational Consultants.
In this conversation, I get to talk with Australian teacher and co-founder of MyTeacherAide, Paul Matthews. Paul shares how he is using AI to increase teacher productivity and wellbeing as we pursue great outcomes for each student.
Sign up to be part of the pilot of MyTeacherAide: https://www.myteacheraide.com/applynow
I had the opportunity to interview my friend and fellow educator, Laura Barringer, a couple of years ago on her book "A Church Called Tov" and what it might mean for us in our classrooms and schools as educators.
This conversation we added her father and New Testament scholar, Scot McKnight, who coauthored "Pivot: The Priorities, Practices, and Powers That Can Transform Your Church into a Tov Culture" which comes out in September.
Shara Hegde serves as Chief Executive Officer for Alpha Public Schools, a K-12 network of charter schools in San Jose, CA, focused on preparing students for college and career.
Before assuming the role of CEO, she served as Alpha’s Chief Schools Officer, directing the academic program vision and providing coaching and management to several key senior leaders. Prior to joining the Alpha team, Ms. Hegde served as the Founder, Executive Director, and Principal of Cornerstone Academy, a K-8 elementary charter school that is now part of the Alpha network of schools. Since its opening in 2010, Cornerstone Academy has been amongst the highest performing schools in the city of San Jose and was named a California Distinguished School in 2014 and 2018.
I have a couple of mutual friends in common with Greg who suggested I talk to him about his new book on #Kindness.
Greg Atkinson is the Founder and CEO of Worship Impressions, the First Impressions Conference, The Entrepreneurial Church Conference, as well as the Co-Founder of the Social Media Church Conference. Greg is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, speaker, leadership and life coach, consultant, and member of the Forbes Coaching Council and ICCI (International Christian Coaching Institute). Greg is the author of a new book “The Secret Power of Kindness.”
This conversation started around a lunch table in Austin, TX at an event to rethink education, and Juliet introduced me to her work at Bellwether and the idea of Assembly. I love Ed policy and ecosystem thinking, so was naturally drawn to her ideas and work but I had concerns that she patiently let me wonder about aloud.
Juliet Squire is a senior partner in the Policy and Evaluation practice area at Bellwether where she has provided policy analysis and advising support to school operators and support organizations, foundations, advocacy groups, and think tanks. Before joining Bellwether, Juliet worked at the New Jersey Department of Education, where she oversaw the state’s Race to the Top program and developed strategies for advancing technology-driven innovation. She previously managed school board relationships and new school development for National Heritage Academies.
Chris “Citizen” Stewart is an education activist, writer, speaker, podcaster, and influencer focusing on elevating the policies and practices that show the most promise for ensuring children thrive. He has had the privilege to be the Chief Influencer at brightbeam, a digital advocacy team that amplifies grassroots voices through Ed Post and other digital platforms.
He was the founding executive of the African American Leadership Forum, an intergenerational agenda-setting network of Black leaders across several states, which also connected me with accomplished mentors and advisors. Likewise, he has been a Pahara Fellow with the Aspen Institute and was the founder of the Wayfinder Foundation.
I heard Chris speak for the first time in 2020, follow the 8 Black Hands podcast regularly, and love the way he consistently introduces himself as a father who lives and breathes education policy. Today’s conversation stems from Chris’ blog Neither political party has an 'education' message worth hearing.
I met Dr. Matt Pritchard on Twitter because of the hashtag #WanderIntoWonder.
Matt is a "curator of wonder" who is a Science Magician and Independent speaker. He shared some of his ideas on this TedX talk that led to some of the questions in this conversation.
Bryan Goodwin is the CEO of McREL International and author of Learning that Sticks: A Brain-based Model for K-12 Instructional Design and Delivery. We talk about this book, but more explicitly about the implications of this for how we might better design schools and our learning environments.
Stephen Carter who is a former guest on the podcast wrote an article called "Fostering Intrepreneurship in Our Schools" that caught my attention that led to this conversation.
You can connect with Stephen Carter at his LinkedIn profile.
Writer, speaker and podcast host Christina Crook has been studying the relationship between joy and technology for over a decade. Whether you’re seeking presence, peace, focus or productivity, Christina has shaped tools and teachings to reconnect your habits with your happiness.
With all of the conversations of happiness, well-being, and current mental health issues this was a fun conversation for me to have as Christina is an expert in being mindful about our lives as well as being intentional about the use of technology. Enjoy the conversation, but also check out more JOMO resources at her website.
This is a continuation of a conversation with Thomas Arnett from earlier this fall that talks about educational innovation and the necessity to create new value networks.
Take a read of the report he wrote.
Namita Prasad is a Confidence Educator and in this podcast with my friend Mitch Weathers of Organized Binder we talk with her about her work and her book "The Power of Why Not."
Happy 2023, and I think this is a great conversation to kick-off the New Year and 2nd Semester of school. Dr. Erik Demeulenaere of Clark University wrote a journal article that intrigued me called Disrupting School Rituals based on a class he co-taught with two other local teachers in Worcester, MA.
I hope this encourages you as you think about this in your classroom and schools and how it might help you reimagine the good (but messy) work that can happen in those spaces.
Ben Bajarin is a great friend, a parent, and a great chef who introduced me to ChatGPT a couple weeks ago. In this conversation I wanted Ben's thoughts on this transformative technology and how we might reframe our thinking about how to best use and steward this technology.
Ben has been with Creative Strategies, inc since 2000. He covers consumer technology, personal computing devices, semiconductors, investments, and business strategy. His research has focused on the relationship between humans and technology, seeking to understand what drives their behavior with products and services. He joined Creative Strategies after spending time at Cypress Semiconductor and then founding two startups in the late ’90s.
He serves on several Industry Analyst advisory councils for leading technology companies. He maintains active engagement with Silicon Valley venture capitalists and startups. He has also given lectures at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Berkley’s Haas School of Business, and Harvard Business School. He actively advises investment banks like UBS, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley on core industry topics, investment thesis on all the large-cap tech companies.
His industry expertise has been referenced in the media by sites like Reuters, Financial Times, NYTimes, Wall St. Journal, Bloomberg, and more. He has published columns for Fast Company, Techcrunch, TIME, and MIT Technology Review.
This Future Ready conversation is with Dean Nicholas who is Head of School at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.
Stephen Carter is Director of Entrepreneurship at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy in Ohio that was part of the Future Ready book/research.
Bill Sterrett serves as Department Chair and Professor of Educational Leadership in Baylor University’s School of Education. Before joining Baylor in 2022, Sterrett served as Associate Dean and Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Prior to Sterrett’s 12-year tenure at UNCW, he was a principal and teacher in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Some resources mentioned in the podcast:
Bill Sterrett's Baylor Faculty page (with additional resources and links): https://soefaculty.baylor.edu/william_sterrett/
Sterrett et al (2022): https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1349031.pdf
Sterrett & Imig (2015): http://www.jsedimensions.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Sterrett-Imig-JSE-Nov-2015-Hope-Issue-PDF.pdf
Sterrett, Imig, & Moore (2014): https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Deborah-Moore-3/publication/281834859_US_Department_of_Education_Green_Ribbon_Schools_Leadership_Insights_and_Implications/links/55fa6f1d08aeba1d9f322eb6/US-Department-of-Education-Green-Ribbon-Schools-Leadership-Insights-and-Implications.pdf
Kathleen Peercy shares her story of moving from the classroom, to a specialist role, and now to an instructional coach and how it has shaped her love for students, colleagues, and our profession.
Jon shares the joy we experienced at Hope Academy and other lessons from the research.
Check out his new podcast Just Schools.
David Smith led the Civic Hospitality project, and he invited me to be part of the project team. In this podcast conversation I get to ask him how he got interested in a pedagogy of hospitality, how the fit with the Civics classroom, and some of his reflections on this project.
Learn more: https://civichospitality.com/
Lynn Swaner who was a primary researcher and author for this project shares some of the background of this project, some ways to use the book, and questions to ask throughout the journey.
David Hunt is the Education Director for Cardus who was a partner in the production of this research and book.
Traniece Brown-Warrens is a doctoral student at Baylor University and an elementary school principal. Check out her story that leads to some deep wisdom, and enjoy the energy and passion she brings to our profession.
I've had Thomas Arnett on the podcast before to talk about Innovation in Education, but this conversation stems from an article I really enjoyed entitled "New Value Networks: The missing piece in the K-12 disruption equation." I hope that you will read it and take a listen to this podcast conversation, and keep an eye out for more from and with Thomas.
Thomas Arnett is a senior research fellow for the Clayton Christensen Institute. His work focuses on using the Theory of Disruptive Innovation to study innovative instructional models and their potential to scale student-centered learning in K–12 education. He also studies demand for innovative resources and practices across the K–12 education system using the Jobs to Be Done Theory.
Future Ready is a new book that came out of a research project, and this is the first in a series of conversations with the researchers/authors or educators from the schools researched. This is a great start with my colleague Matt Lee who pushes us to think about "What is Possible."
Info on the book: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Ready-Lynn-Swaner/dp/1583312234/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZNLVACE8KCB9&keywords=future+ready+swaner&qid=1666810587&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjY2IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=future+ready+swaner%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-1
In this episode of "Stories in Becoming More Human" Dennis and I get to talk to Hailey Williams who is an Art educator in Texas. She shares the story of "Matthew" leading us into a great conversation about 'struggle.'
BONUS EPISODE: Schooled!
In this episode we connect with some of our favorite Christian school podcast friends and have some fun drafting our ideal schools using peculiar pools to choose from.
In round 1 we draft our school's name and motto using 80’s bands and their songs.
In round 2 we draft our school's sports teams, colors and mascot using a current pro sports team.
In round 3 we draft our school’s framework using some of the options from the Christian Deeper Learning network.
In round 4 we draft our school's building type.
In round 5 we draft our school’s mode of transportation.
In round 6 we draft our school's principal using characters from the Bible.
In round 7 we draft our school's lead teacher using characters from a TV show.
Darryll Ramsey Jr. is the principal of Eastwood Elementary School in Norwalk, CA, and he gets us kicked off for the 2022-23 school year in our continued conversation about how students change us as people and professionals. In this conversation he shares about the impact of belief and connection.
Dan Olson is managing director of the Anselm House at the University of Minnesota, founder and director of the Spreading Hope Network, and the author of an illustrated book "Oh, the Treasures You'll Know."
Our conversation is around this book, his reason for tackling a reimagination of a Dr. Seuss classic, and his hopes for future generations of students.
Since starting my work at Baylor I've had the opportunity to get to know Paul Putz and his work with the Faith and Sports Institute, and he is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter @p_emory. This is just a continuation of conversations we've had about youth sports in particular.
Keep an eye out for his book coming in 2023.
Paul Putz serves as Assistant Director of the Faith & Sports Institute, where he helps to lead and develop online programming and curriculum as well as assisting with communications and strategic planning. Paul received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Grace University, where he played basketball. He went on to get a PhD in history from Baylor. He has over a decade of experience as an educator in the high school and college classroom and his research and writing has been featured at Christianity Today, Slate, National Public Radio, Religion News Service, and more. His first book, which explores the history of sports and Christianity in modern American culture, is under contract with Oxford University Press.
I wish I had met Len a long time ago and also read his book "Greater Things: The Work of the New Creation" twelve years ago when we started our educational innovation network. However, this conversation was quite timely as we think about our work as Educators during these very reward yet difficult days.
Len is the Executive Director of Invite Resources (https://www.inviteresources.com/).
I have come to be a fan of Charlotte Mason's ideas on education and learning through my friend and colleague Deani Van Pelt who is President of Edvance and on the Board of Directors for the Charlotte Mason Institute. Recently, I connected with Deani as I wanted her thoughts on what we might be able to learn from Charlotte Mason for the post-pandemic world of education.
Dave Loewen is the Superintendent of Surrey Christian School outside Vancouver. We were talking this March at an event where he mentioned his concept of a 'Beautiful Story' school, which I'd never heard him talk about before, so I asked him to unpack some of his thinking out-loud with us on this podcast.
Jim Knight is a life-long educator who has been a teacher, coach, union leader, and school founder. In this episode he shares a story that caused him to look behind the behavior.
Jacob Kantor has become a great friend and we chat it up after his attendance at ASU+GSV, which I had never heard of until he shared it with me.
Check it out: https://www.asugsvsummit.com/
And I thought I'd publish it on his birthday. Happy Birthday Jacob!!!
Luciano Cid is a former classroom teacher who is now a Professor of Education at Biola University. In this episode he shares about his education in moving from Argentina to the US, his early years in the classroom, and what he has discovered in the two decades since he started.
Mitch Weathers is CEO/Founder of Organized Binder (https://organizedbinder.com/), has been a classroom teacher, and is currently an online teacher. In this conversation Mitch shares his story, the work of Organized Binder, the importance of practicing Executive Functioning skills in the development of learning, and how an physical paper product can help students innovate, create, and be curious.
Evan Willis is a pastor and educational researcher who shares what he has discovered through his work and research and how that is impacting who he is.
I had the opportunity to meet a long-time educator and school leader, Becky Midboe, in Northwest Washington. We got to talking about the podcast, how she shares it with others, and the things she's learned from it. This podcast is some of her reflections from those learnings.
Enjoy!
This is our monthly conversation with an educator as we hear their stories as inspired by my friend Dennis Eastman. This month's conversation is with Samantha Navarro of New Millennium Secondary School.
Dr. Doron Zinger is Director of CalTeach Science and Math Program at UC Irvine and has been a teacher and administrator. In this conversation we begin to scratch the surface of what Ungrading is, why it makes a difference in the learning community, and how to get started in thinking different about our work.
In this conversation, I get to talk to Andrew Campanella about National School Choice Week, and how to "Celebrate Schools and Engage Parents" as we support and develop educational opportunities for each student that best meets their needs, hopes, and dreams.
Andrew Campanella is the president of National School Choice Week, the largest public awareness effort in the U.S. focusing on opportunity in K-12 education. He is also the author of The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child, a guidebook that helps parents identify education environments that meet their children’s needs.
You can find some great resources on both of these links.
Aleishia Lewis is an educational and school leader in England who shares a story about a conversation with her son in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder and how that pushed her work further and deeper in her context.
Doron Zinger is Director of CalTeach Science and Math Program at UC Irvine's School of Education.
Dr. Rob Loe has been on the podcast before, but this is the first time since his move to Australia. Rob is a Senior Fellow at Chartered College of Teaching and the Relationships Foundation, Founder of Relational Schools, and now Executive Officer at Christian Schools Australia.
Jessica DeWit shares a connection from Season 1 about leading with curiosity to Season 2 and what happens with Coach Nate.
In this podcast we talk about Justin's book "The Inclusive Mindset" and his work around the country.
Justin Jones-Fosu is a full-time husband and daddy who also happens to be an international speaker, young-award winning entrepreneur, and author. He is the President/Chief Inspirational Officer of Justin Inspires International, LLC (www.justininspires.com) where he speaks 50-60 times a year for professionals, colleges, and youth internationally. He has spoken in 4 countries for over 250+ organizations, and has given over 450+ presentations. Justin is also the founder of Respectivity (www.respectivity.com), a company helping workplaces to develop better cultures of respect. He is a CAMPUSPEAK speaker.
My friend Drew Snelgrove shares some of what he's discovered about mentoring in his coaching career that resonates with the show.
Ginger Merritt-Paul started her education career in the juvenile corrections system and traces her story to more traditional schools and now as principal of a PBL school. I think you'll enjoy hearing her reflections on authenticity and choosing joy in the work.
This is a return to the short series conversation with friends on Leadership Lessons we've taken from the show Ted Lasso. My great friend, Lynn Swaner, shares a quick take from Season 1 that most people would have missed.
This summer I had the opportunity to read "A Church Called Tov" that challenges us to rethink leadership, power, and the creation of culture in churches. What I didn't realize at the time was that a college classmate and fellow educator, Laura Barringer, was the coauthor. Therefore, in this conversation I wanted to delve into a conversation with Laura about where this book came from, what she learned, and how it might impact our work in our classrooms and schools.
I liked how she encouraged us that we should be a "people of goodness."
Check out the book here: https://www.tyndale.com/p/a-church-called-tov/9781496446008
Mike Chen is an incredible friend, selfless educator, and servant-leader, but in this episode he shares about an encounter with a former student that reminded him that learning success and joy can coexist in a classroom and a school.
Check out Mike's work as leader of Pacific Bay Christian School: https://www.pacbay.org/
Adam Carter is Executive Director of Marshall Street Initiatives (https://www.marshall.org/who-we-are/) and has been Chief Academic Officer, Professional Development Director, and English Teacher at Summit Public Schools.
In this episode, Adam and I talk about his experiences as a young teacher and what led him to being part of a start-up charter school like Summit, but then we reflect on lessons learned from those experiences as well as work left undone as he continues his work through Marshall.
Dan Daly is a Special Education teacher in Chicago, a former student of mine, and a great friend. Dan shares a number of anecdotes about how he has changed because of his work. At one point, Dan states, "Just Show Up" which sums up who he is as a person and why he has been committed to this work and school for the past 9 years.
We enter a new school year, and I am going to do a monthly series with friends entitled "Becoming More Human."
This series was inspired by my first guest, Dennis Eastman, when we were having a conversation about how interactions with certain students made a difference in our life making us better professionals, but more importantly more fully human.
We do our work as educators to make a difference in the lives of students, but this flip in conversation drives us back to those times when we were changed because of the intertwined nature of our work and relationships. We hope your spirits will be renewed in this work as you think of the interactions that impacted you as we start a new school year.
Dennis Eastman is a professor of Education at Biola University and former charter school leader.
Had a great conversation with Athletic Director Matt Coleman in this continued short series on "Lessons from Lasso" as the 2nd season begins. Matt points through a number of anecdotes how Ted engages with the person before the work.
As we get closer to the Season 2 premier of "Ted Lass," I continue to ask old and new friends in education about a Leadership Lesson they derived from watching the show.
In today's conversation, my new friend Katie Ahmadzai shares about what she learned personally and professionally from Ted's interaction with Sam and why it is good to be a goldfish!
Ben Dykhouse, principal of Ontario Christian High School shares wisdom he took from Season 1 of "Ted Lasso" as he seeks to make the work personal and not to take it personally.
In this episode I talk with my friend, Emily Norman, who lives in the Richmond borough of London and got me hooked on the show Ted Lasso.
She has also written a blog about some of her other thoughts on leadership and lessons from the show here: https://wlce.org/2021/03/11/making-the-extra-pass/.
Susan Yem shares her thoughts from the show on learning from losing and the importance of the 'coach' in keeping the focus on the big picture. She even says, "winning creates a memory, but losing creates an opportunity."
This is the 2nd episode inspired by the show "Ted Lasso" where I get to ask high school principal James Walker what he learned from the show.
The podcast is back after a 6-month hiatus, which comes with stories for another time. However, I've started a new set of short conversations with friends who like me, love the show Ted Lasso on AppleTV.
In this first episode, I chat with my friend, Mitch Salerno, on his encouragement to "Start with Positivity." Is Ted Lasso's positivity real, what are its impact, and why is it so important?
Believe
This is a new series as we consider who is missing in school leadership, the classroom, and our profession as we seek to build flourishing schools.
Tyler is a principal in Denver, Colorado.
This is a new series as we consider who is missing in school leadership, the classroom, and our profession as we seek to build flourishing schools.
Nathan Wagner is an Interim Head of School in Texas.
This is a new series as we consider who is missing in school leadership, the classroom, and our profession as we seek to build flourishing schools.
Grace Lee is Director of Diversity in Georgia.
This is a new series as we consider who is missing in school leadership, the classroom, and our profession as we seek to build flourishing schools.
Joey Richards is Associate Head of School in Fort Worth, Texas.
This is a new series as we consider who is missing in school leadership, the classroom, and our profession as we seek to build flourishing schools.
Matt Lambro is Director of Student Development in Fort Worth, Texas.
This is a new series as we consider who is missing in school leadership, the classroom, and our profession as we seek to build flourishing schools.
Jenny Brady is a leader of the Christian Educators Diversity Alliance.
This is a new series as we consider who is missing in school leadership, the classroom, and our profession as we seek to build flourishing schools.
Edward Gregory is the Director of Education for the Diocese of Bath and Wells in England.
This is a conversation about the new Georgetown Center for Education and the Workplace's research on the ROI of a college degree (https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/collegeroi/). With my friend and independent counselor, Rob Schwartz, we dig into this research and what it means for students and families.
Rob Schwartz's bio:
Mr. Schwartz currently works as an independent counselor at Premier College Guidance (https://premiercollegeguide.com/), but was born, raised and educated in Southern California. He received his BA in Political Science from UCLA, his MA in History from California State University, Northridge, and a College Counseling Certificate from UCLA. His prior work includes stints with NASA, Morgan Stanley, and just shy of nine years at The Princeton Review. He is also a current faculty member of the UCLA College Counseling program.
Dave Mulder is one of my favorite educators, and I love to follow him on Twitter. The "No More Crappy Homework" podcast we did nearly 3 years ago is the most listened to of these podcast conversations, so I talked Dave into a follow-up conversation.
Dave's bio:
"I love to teach! Before joining the Education department at Dordt in 2012, I taught in Christian schools in California and Iowa for 14 years. While I thoroughly enjoyed teaching in K-12 schools, I have found that I also love teaching future teachers. I view this calling as a tremendous blessing, and I do not take it lightly.
My interest areas in education are varied, but include educational technology, online learning, teaching young adolescents, science education, social networks for professional learning, and teaching Christianly. I blog my reflections on these topics (and more!) and you are welcome to read along at http://iteach-and-ilearn.blogspot.com."
This is a conversation that builds on a prior podcast with Jon Eckert where he asks the question "Who do we need?", and pushes us to think deeper about who is missing in school leadership and what we can do about it. Emily shares insights from her current work, her study of Classical Languages at university, lessons from being a young head teacher, and our current affinity with the show "Ted Lasso."
Emily Norman is the Head of Networks for the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership, where she brings together school leaders from around England to think collaboratively about what it means to put a Christian vision into practice.
I had the opportunity to talk to Lynn Swaner about her research into Flourishing Schools and why some schools flourish and others do not.
Find the report here: https://community.acsi.org/flourishingschools/home
Lynn Swaner, is the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at ACSI. Prior to joining ACSI, she served as a graduate professor of education, academic researcher, and Christian school administrator. She is a Cardus Senior Fellow and the author and editor of multiple books on Christian education.
In this episode of the podcast I have the opportunity to talk to Dr. Patrick Wolf about his new research entitled, The Protestant Family Ethic: What Do Protestant, Catholic, Private, and Public Schooling Have to Do with Marriage, Divorce, and Non-marital Childbearing?.
Dr. Patrick J. Wolf is a Distinguished Professor of Education Policy and 21st Century Endowed Chair in School Choice in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited five books and over 175 journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, and policy reports on private school choice, public charter schools, civic values, special education, public management, and campaign finance.
Jon Eckert, Ed.D., is Professor of Educational Leadership, and the Lynda and Robert Copple Endowed Chair in Christian School Leadership. Dr. Eckert came to Baylor in 2019 with over two decades of experience in education. He taught and coached intermediate and middle school students outside of Chicago and Nashville for 12 years. After completing his doctorate at Vanderbilt University in 2008, he was selected as a Teaching Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education, where he worked in both the Bush and Obama administrations on teaching quality issues. For the past 10 years, he has prepared teachers at Wheaton College.
Kevin Vander Wal is a 6th grade Math and Bible Teacher at Timothy Christian School in Elmhurst, IL.
This is a new series where I ask educators, "what is something that we need to stop in order to do better things?" It was inspired by Jon Eckert's Edutopia blog "The No in Innovate" where he says, "we cannot do everything well. If we attempt to be all things to all people, we will fail to do anything well. Therefore, school leaders should thoughtfully abandon those things that fail to serve students well..."
Bill Postma is Director of Instruction at Unity Christian High School in Hudsonville, MI.
This is a new series where I ask educators, "what is something that we need to stop in order to do better things?" It was inspired by Jon Eckert's Edutopia blog "The No in Innovate" where he says, "we cannot do everything well. If we attempt to be all things to all people, we will fail to do anything well. Therefore, school leaders should thoughtfully abandon those things that fail to serve students well..."
Neil Okuley is Principal of Unity Christian Academy in South Holland, IL.
This is a new series where I ask educators, "what is something that we need to stop in order to do better things?" It was inspired by Jon Eckert's Edutopia blog "The No in Innovate" where he says, "we cannot do everything well. If we attempt to be all things to all people, we will fail to do anything well. Therefore, school leaders should thoughtfully abandon those things that fail to serve students well..."
Steve Beezhold is Director of Technology and Innovation at Charlotte Christian School.
This is a new series where I ask educators, "what is something that we need to stop in order to do better things?" It was inspired by Jon Eckert's Edutopia blog "The No in Innovate" where he says, "we cannot do everything well. If we attempt to be all things to all people, we will fail to do anything well. Therefore, school leaders should thoughtfully abandon those things that fail to serve students well..."
Josh Davis is Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction at Monte Vista Christian School.
This is a new series where I ask educators, "what is something that we need to stop in order to do better things?" It was inspired by Jon Eckert's Edutopia blog "The No in Innovate" where he says, "we cannot do everything well. If we attempt to be all things to all people, we will fail to do anything well. Therefore, school leaders should thoughtfully abandon those things that fail to serve students well..."
Sean Atchison is a 4th grade teacher and developer of CH Connect at Cherry Hills Christian School.
This is a new series where I ask educators, "what is something that we need to stop in order to do better things?" It was inspired by Jon Eckert's Edutopia blog "The No in Innovate" where he says, "we cannot do everything well. If we attempt to be all things to all people, we will fail to do anything well. Therefore, school leaders should thoughtfully abandon those things that fail to serve students well..."
Justin Smith is Head of Upper School at Little Rock Christian Academy.
This is a new series where I ask educators, "what is something that we need to stop in order to do better things?" It was inspired by Jon Eckert's Edutopia blog "The No in Innovate" where he says, "we cannot do everything well. If we attempt to be all things to all people, we will fail to do anything well. Therefore, school leaders should thoughtfully abandon those things that fail to serve students well..."
https://www.edutopia.org/article/no-innovate
Zach Gautier is Dean of Academic Services at Valor Christian High School.
This is a new series where I ask educators, "what is something that we need to stop in order to do better things?" It was inspired by Jon Eckert's Edutopia blog "The No in Innovate" where he says, "we cannot do everything well. If we attempt to be all things to all people, we will fail to do anything well. Therefore, school leaders should thoughtfully abandon those things that fail to serve students well..."
https://www.edutopia.org/article/no-innovate
Jessica Koehler is a writer for Psychology Today, former school psychologist, Psychology Instructor, leader of Koehler Academy (www.koehleracademy.com), and a homeschooler.
I came into contact with Jessica through her article “Wandering into Wonder: Understanding the intersection of personality and awe.” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beyond-school-walls/202003/wandering-wonder) after which she shared a report entitled "The Science of Awe" (https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Awe_FINAL.pdf).
Mitch Menning is Head of School at Intermountain Christian School in Salt Lake City, UT.
James Walker is the new principal at Capistrano Valley Christian High School in San Juan Capistrano, CA.
Nikki Daniels is Assistant Head of School at Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville, CA.
Rachel Druckenmiller is the daughter of educators turned entrepreneurs, a former Wellness Coordinator at a benefits consulting firm, and in 2019 started her own company called Unmuted (www.unmutedlife.com).
Gary Arnold is the Head of School and President of Little Rock Christian Academy in Arkansas.
Chad Dirkse is a Senior Fellow for CACE and President of Chattanooga Christian School in Chattanooga, TN.
This is the first in a series I've entitled "Get Ready" as we shift our attention from finishing this school year to starting next year. Throughout the next three weeks I hope to ask school leaders what is on the forefront of their mind as they prepare.
Carl Martinez is the Head of School at Whittier Christian High School in La Habra, CA.
This brings to an end the conversations I've been having over the past month entitled "What's Next" as we look beyond the shutdown to discover new ways to do learning, schooling, and education. Justin Cook is the Director of Learning for Edvance in Canada and has been a past participant on the podcast.
Corey DeAngelis has been on the podcast a number of times. He is the Director of School Choice for the Reason Foundation and just started a podcast of his own called "Random Assignment." I highly encourage following Corey on Twitter @DeAngelisCorey.
Chris Hobbs has become a friend on Twitter, and I have really enjoyed his insights into leadership, management, and sports. He is Athletic Director at The King's Academy in Florida, was Varsity Brands AD of 2019, and Coach and AD Magazines 40 under 40 in 2018.
When we recorded this it was his birthday!
Ben joined Creative Strategies in 2000 and has primarily focused his analysis and research on the consumer technology industry and consumer technology products and services. He has provided custom industry analysis and developed strategic plans for clients in the markets of the digital home, mobile computing, personal electronics, personal computing, the digital lifestyle and interactive entertainment media. His overarching goal with his analysis is to understand how and why consumers will use new digital technologies in their everyday lives both in the present and in the future.
Ben started Creative Strategies’ behavioral analysis and research center where consumer behaviors with technology products are studied. He led the foundation of Creative Strategies, Inc consumer market research panel and manages more than a dozen consumer studies a year.
Ben also manages the company’s practice that provides analysis and research to Wall St. investors as well as angel and top-tier venture capital firms.
David Hunt is Director of Education for Cardus (www.cardus.ca) and he wrote a recent piece that he references: https://medium.com/@dhunt_209/the-emergency-in-e-learning-what-is-education-for-1f7768ba4e20.
Lea Lundy is a life-long educator, parent, and friend. I thought her perspective on managing our current situation, but what comes in the Fall adds to the overall conversation.
Chuck Evans is an educational consultant for Better Schools LLC (https://www.betterschoolsllc.com/) and has been a regular participant on the podcast.
Dave Hill is founder of Heart Smart which focuses on Character and SEL development. Check out www.heartsmart.school and www.heartsmart.family.
Isaac Lewis is an Academic and College Counselor and colleague of mine at Valley Christian High School in San Jose, CA. Isaac and I enjoy having lots of conversations and has probably given me more feedback on these podcast than anyone else. In this conversation Isaac talks about colleges and whether students will go back if they don't open campus in the Fall.
Lastly, he throws in a prediction about his beloved Dallas Cowboys at the end!
Tim Van Soelen is a professor of Education at Dordt University and Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE), and in this conversation there is a ton packed into a 10-minute conversation.
Darren Spyksma is Director for Learning for the Society of Christian Schools in British Columbia and is someone I've had the opportunity to have many conversations about curiosity and the its impact on meaningful learning.
Mitchell Earl is Chief Operating Officer of Praxis (www.discoverpraxis.com), which is a 6-month career bootcamp without the traditional college education. I enjoyed this conversation in particular because I work with high school students who are trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Praxis is an interesting alternative to the traditional college system, and I think you'll find some interesting tidbits as this is an innovative approach for providing meaningful real-world experiences for young people.
John Pottenger is the co-owner of Match Frame Creative and is working on a documentary about education through the lens of Friedrich Froebel called "Garden of Children" (https://gardenofchildren.org/).
SportsRecruits (www.sportsrecruits.com) is a platform I use in my daily work as the athletic recruiting advisor at Valley Christian High School, and I have found their mission of empowering student-athletes through their innovative platform encouraging and intriguing. I think you will enjoy this conversation.
I always enjoy conversations with Rob Loe who is in the midst of a transition from England to Australia. He really encourages leaders to tear up the traditional playbook and start rebuilding around the pastoral role that schools play in the lives of students, families, and communities.
The leaders of Engage2Learn (www.engage2learn.org) are some of my favorite leaders in education to learn from and follow on Twitter. In the next of the conversation on What's Next, I think you'll hear themes around engagement, empowerment, and professional learning, but I was most struck by the ideas around building Frameworks for Learning and how partner schools are seeing great success with students as they have autonomy of their own learning
We often see research on humble leadership, but it is sometimes difficult to see lived out. At this time we are seeing it all around us, and Emily Norman points this out as the way forward for when things return to "normal."
Emily Norman is Head of Networks for the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership.
Over the course of the next few weeks I'm asking friends "What's Next?" in regards to their work and what they see coming after the corona virus shutdown.
In today's conversation, Matt Wheeler, co-founder of SportsRecruits, encourages student-athletes to "Control what they can control."
In this conversation on "What's Next" I talk with Daniel Pampuch who is Executive Director of Christian Schools Australia. I have consistently found that Daniel and the Australians have been ahead of the curve of change as I've gotten to know him and Australian schools.
I think you'll enjoy his thoughts as you focus on creating student-centered environments and starting with your value proposition.
In the course of the coming weeks I'm sharing short 5-10 minute conversations with friends about "What's Next?" as we prepare for what happens after this period of quarantine and emergency remote learning.
Jon Eckert is a friend that I've been having education conversations with for 18 years, and he is a professor of Education at Baylor University and author of Leading Together and Novice Advantage.
I've been having a number of conversations and reading many articles about the future of Education and schooling in this time of "emergency remote learning" and shelter in place. Therefore, I thought I would ask my friends in innovation a single question, What's Next, to get their reflections and spur our thinking as we look ahead. So look for a short podcast coming on Tuesdays and Thursdays for April and May.
In this 8-minute conversation with Mitch Salerno of Monte Vista Christian School he shares his initial thoughts about how Nothing and Everything will change, but upon further reflection he is going to double down on "What does it mean to be a learner?".
I had the opportunity to meet Serdar Ferit during a recent trip to London where he shared more about his work as a former teacher, creator of documentaries, and how that all came together in his new company, Lyfta (www.lyfta.com). Lyfta is a subscription based digital platform where teachers and pupils can access immersive storyworlds and curriculum-based lesson and assembly plans.
I had the opportunity to experience Awra Amba in Ethiopia, which I asked Serdar about in this podcast. However, the most striking thing to me about this conversation were Serdar's comments at the end about "leaning into the surprises."
This is the third podcast I've had the opportunity to do with Rex Miller (https://rexmiller.com/) who is the principal for MindShift, a leading futures consultancy, human performance, coaching, and organizational strategy company. Rex is also the co-author of "Humanizing the Education Machine" and was a guide for a recent MindShift project I had the opportunity to help develop (https://mindshift.school/).
This conversation is the third podcast I've had the opportunity to do with Rex and is about his recent MindShift project and new book "Whole: What Teachers Need to Help Students Thrive." See this website for more information on the book: https://hope.school/.
At the end of the conversation I get Rex's encouragement and prediction on what happens to "the system" after the coronavirus quarantine. I especially appreciated his comment that "there will be no going back."
The value of College has been brought into question over the past few years, and I get to do College Counseling for a profession. Therefore, I found the research that Albert Cheng, David Sikkink, and Cardus (https://www.cardus.ca/research/education/reports/what-do-they-deliver/) has been quite beneficial to me in thinking through the purpose, value, and outcomes of Higher Education. I specifically appreciate the conversation with Albert on the importance of gaining discernment for the opportunities in seeking a vocation and developing relationships.
Bio: Albert Cheng is an assistant professor at the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, where he received his PhD in education policy. He teaches courses on the history and philosophy of education as well as education policy analysis. He is known for his research on character formation, school choice policy, faith-based schooling, and homeschooling. He also serves on the editorial board for the International Journal of Christianity and Education. In addition to being a Cardus Senior Fellow, he is an research affiliate with Charassein: The Character Assessment Initiative at the University of Arkansas and the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University. He has a master's degree in education from Biola University and was a high school math teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area after completing a mathematics degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Happy New Year and welcome to the 2020s! In this podcast, Corey shares a bit about the Ed Policy scrum that he found himself toward the end of 2019, but most significantly we talk about what we've discovered in the past decade about School Choice, what he is researching and wondering about as we head into the 2020s, and a couple prognostications about the future along the way.
Bio: Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) is the director of school choice at Reason Foundation. He is also an adjunct scholar at Cato Institute.
DeAngelis' research primarily focuses on the effects of school choice programs on non-academic outcomes such as criminal activity, character skills, mental health, political participation, and schooling supply. He has authored or co-authored over 40 journal articles, book chapters, and reports on education policy.
This is a fun conversation for me as Kevin Broene is a very good friend, and I had the opportunity to work with him during our time together at Chicago Christian High School. It is exciting for me to share with you the thoughtful and innovative work that Kevin is doing with coaches and athletic departments around the United States.
Bio: Kevin Broene has innovated a new way of thinking about coaching evaluation and development as he leads Grit Leadership for Educational Athletics (www.gritleadershipea.com). He also currently serves as an Athletic Director at Grand Rapids Christian Schools, and has been an educator for fifteen years as a teacher, coach, and admissions director.
"Policy makers must combine efforts to promote competition among schools with well-designed accountability systems," states Dr. Derek Neal.
This is one of the longer conversations I've had for this podcast as it is economic modeling to better understand the effectiveness of Education Policy is new to me. The conversation is based upon the work that Dr. Derek Neal does in his class through the lessons in his book Information, Incentives, and Education Policy. I enjoy challenging my own beliefs, and in particular enjoyed the second half of the conversation about the combination of Accountability and Choice as the key cornerstones to effective policy.
Bio: Dr. Derek Neal is William C. Norby Professor in Economics in the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at the University of Chicago.
Dr. Neal studies labor, black-white wage inequality, economics of crime, and education policy. He is the recipient of Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2016), a fellow with the Society of Labor Economists (2008), President of the Midwest Economics Association (2009-10), former Co-Editor, Journal of Human Resources, former Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Labor Economics, and former Editor, Journal of Political Economy. He is also the author of Information, Incentives, and Education Policy.
This conversation is with Walter Blanks who shares his school choice story that started in Columbus, Ohio and has allowed him to become an advocate for students and families throughout the United States. Likewise, it has provided him the opportunity to engage in the broader policy conversations even with a round table conversation with the president at the White House yesterday.
Bio: Walter Blanks Jr. is a Communications Associate at the American Federation for Children. Before joining AFC full-time, Walter was chosen for the first cohort of the AFC Future Leaders Fellowship, which is a year-long advocacy and professional development program for graduates of private school choice programs. Before moving to Washington, D.C. to join the national team, Walter championed educational freedom and shared his story across the country serving as a 2018 50CAN National Voices Fellow, an advocacy fellowship that aims to find, connect and support young leaders in education.
To learn more about his work: https://www.federationforchildren.org/voices-archive/walter-blanks/
Benjamin Thomas is Founder and CEO of B2TheWorld (www.b2theworld.com) and the leader of Kigali International Community School in Rwanda. He is a New Yorker, the son of Indian immigrants to the U.S., and is a husband and raising 4 kids in Rwanda.
In this podcast, Ben shares about his journey that led him to Rwanda, the founding of B2TheWorld, the desire for educational opportunities in the most difficult parts of the world, and his work with educational leaders.
Personally, I've always been driven to understand the entrepreneur as I believe most innovators in education have an entrepreneurial spirit. A couple years ago, I began to listen to a podcast by Henry Kaestner called the Faith Driven Entrepreneur (www.faithdrivenentrepreneur.org), so I connected with Henry and asked him to share some of what he has discovered through his life experience and podcast interviews with entrepreneurs.
Henry Kaestner is Managing Partner of Sovereign's Capital, and Co-founder and previous CEO of Bandwidth. Mr. Kaestner has been involved in a number of other ventures, and has a second podcast entitled Faith Driven Investor (www.faithdriveninvestor.org).
If you've listened to previous podcasts you will know that I enjoy Education Policy and a desire to see the United States system become more dynamic, flexible, and innovative in educating students with all abilities, interests, and backgrounds. In this conversation I get to talk to Tommy Schultz about these ideas and his work at the American Federation for Children.
Check out "The Echoes of Dr. King: Walter's Dream" video we mention in the podcast: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=729947357464926
Tommy Schultz's Bio: He is the National Communications Director for the American Federation for Children. AFC is the largest school choice advocacy group in America dedicated to empowering families, especially lower-income families, with the freedom to choose the best K-12 education for their children.
In this conversation, I have the opportunity to talk about the past decade of the Cardus Education Survey (https://www.cardus.ca/research/education/) with Ray Pennings as the third installment of the US data will be released in October and 11 case studies from Canada will be published. Ray and I talk about how the differing school sectors actually provide a greater and more robust education system and that through this work in Education we need to have a greater imagination when it comes to systemic change in both the United States and Canadian systems.
Ray Pennings co-founded Cardus in 2000 and currently serves as Executive Vice President. Ray has a vast amount of experience in Canadian industrial relations and has been involved in public policy discussions and as a political activist at all levels of government. Ray is a respected voice in Canadian politics, contributing as a commentator, pundit and critic in many of Canada’s leading news outlets and as an advisor and strategist.
He was founding president of EduDeo (formerly Worldwide Christian Schools) and has served as Chair on the board of Redeemer University College, and as a board member for the Civitas Society and the Rosebud School for the Arts. Ray currently sits on the adjudication committee for the Redeemer Centre for Christian Scholarship and on the Champions Circle for Compassionate Ottawa.
John Waller founded Uncage the Soul Productions in 2004 after sampling a career variety pack that included being an adventure guide, jumping smoke on a hotshot crew, and a year as a high school science teacher. He lives along the edge of the Impassable Wilderness in Portland, directing, producing, and editing adventure documentaries, commercial shorts, and cause-related campaigns.
The mission of Uncage the Soul is to capture the wonder that is around us and compel the wonder that is within us. For more info check out www.uncagethesoul.com
I met John on my Iceland trek this summer where I got to watch him at work, and I was intrigued by how the name of his company reflected who he is, the work he does, and the mission of the company. I believe you will find some great insights especially at the end when I ask him for a final piece of advice for educators.
This podcast continues a theme over the past few months in regards to relationships, healthy communities, and character. Likewise, this was a fun conversation with me because in her book, Anne Snyder, has developed 16 questions that are helpful to character formation, but also push us to a better understanding of healthy organizations.
Anne Snyder is the editor-in-chief of Comment Magazine (www.cardus.ca/comment/), and a writer and convener devoted to questions of class and culture, beauty and a beatitudinal faith. Anne has directed The Philanthropy Roundtable‘s Character Initiative, a program seeking to help foundations and business leaders strengthen “the middle ring” of morally formative institutions. Her path-breaking guidebook, The Fabric of Character: A Wise Giver’s Guide to Renewing our Social and Moral Landscape, was published in 2019.
Daniel Pampuch is CEO of Christian Schools Australia, and one of my favorite professionals to follow on Twitter (@daniel_pampuch). Recently, he posted some research from Australia on teacher well-being that I found quite interesting especially since it has been a point of conversation in my own life as well as on this podcast.
This is a longer conversation with a short interruption in the middle, but I think Daniel has loaded his comments full of information for consideration and further conversation on building a healthier profession.
Dave Hill is the founder of Heart Smart (www.heartsmart.school), which is a character education program that originated with Dave's own life story and is now in 300 UK schools and making its way into schools in the US.
Dave shares about the story of Heart Smart, Boris the Robot, and his own family from where the idea. Likewise, he shares the "5 Core Principles" and sticky language of the Heart Smart program. Personally, I appreciate Dave's thoughts on healthy schools environments that have an appropriate balance of both Challenge and Love, and how both are necessary for the growth and development of children.