Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture: Recent Episodes
Schurtz&Ties
Inspired by the classroom, Kasey Schurtz and Brian T. Miller wrestle with how to become better teachers, leaders, and people.
What truly makes a difference in a school? Is it the little trinkets in the staff lounge? The thank you notes throughout the year? What? And more importantly, how do we know?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Sheri Humphrys and Dr. Kate Syson and talk about practical practices that actually impact school culture and teacher wellbeing.
As Kasey honestly proclaims, this is "one of the best episodes" because it brings "the research and years of practice" and makes sense of it in such a way that everyone can understand and use. And he is absolutely correct.
You can reach out to Dr. Humphrys at humphrys.sl@gmail.com or Dr Syson at ksyson@clearview.ab.ca.
Show Sponsors:
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
The problem with professional development is that it is so often done poorly. The other problem is that even though they are done poorly, they're required. They also aren't going away.
As educators, we need to do better.
In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss some of the reasons why PD has historically been so bad and why educators have lost interest. More importantly though, they offer a Golden Triangle to Professional Development. Either as a presenter or participant, if we can view professional development through the Golden Triangle of PD we will not only create better quality PD, we will be able to articulate WHY they are frustrating, allowing us to give quality feedback.
Kasey's Golden Triangle:
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Emotional
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Visionary
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Get dirty
Brian's Golden Triangle:
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Purposeful/Motivation
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Information/Nuts and Bolts
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Staff Connection/Building Relationships
Show Sponsors:
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
"Build relationships," we say. But what does that mean? What does that look like?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey (well, mostly Kasey) provide some purpose to the over generalized statement, breakdown what it means and looks like, and provide tangible guidelines to building healthy relationships.
Sometimes love . . .
- Looks like structure
- Lacks emotion
- Looks selfish
- Keeps what is ours
- Looks uncomfortable
- Looks like intolerance
- Excludes a behavior, never the kid.
Show Sponsors:
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Acknowledging culture is to see the person. Their heritage, their values, and their familial norms. Ignoring culture is to frustrate, separate, suppress, and oppress.
Healthy schools celebrate culture and share stories.
In this episode, Brian and Kasey invite Dr. Tina Curry in to discuss how schools can best recognize all students, celebrate stories, and embrace cultural difference.
Dr. Tina Curry is an award-winning coach, professor, and teacher and is current lead instructional coach at Fernwood Elementary School in Chicago.
Dr. Curry brings 24 distinguished years in innovative success as an educator in Chicago, is a valued member of the adjunct faculty at National Louis University, and a lead equity facilitator for DePaul University’s Office of Innovative and Professional Learning.
She is also a contributing writer to Teaching for Racial Equity: Becoming Interrupters, winner of the 2022 Excellence in Equity Book Award.
Show Sponsors:
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Few people understand the current and future landscape of education like Steve Bollar. As an educational leader and master motivator, "Stand Tall Steve" "works with forward-thinking organizations to generate new ideas, improve climate/culture and maximize leadership skills."
In this episode, Brian and Kasey sit with Mr Bollar and discuss culture and climate, the art of public speaking, and much more.
If you are interested in mastering the art of educational speaking, check out Within Our Ranks, "a specialized coaching program for educators aspiring to become professional speakers and trainers."
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
What does it mean for a school to be whole-child centered? What does it mean to be a mentally and physically healthy school? And more importantly, what do they look like and how do we get there?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey sit with Timothy Dohrer and Thomas Golebiewski and wrestle through those questions, discover real and purposeful answers, and gain a further understanding of what schools are and what they need to be.
Tim and Tom are authors of The Schools We Need Now: A Guide to Designing a Mentally Healthy School and are devoted to the improvement of how schools perceive, approach, and implement social and emotional health in their schools and surrounding communities.
If you are an educator, parent, or community member, don't miss out on this honest conversations about what educators and students need most.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
AI is here to stay. And as educators, we've been told that we must be prepared to embrace it, to teach about it, with it, and around it.
But how?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey invite Vera Cubero, a GenAI Enthusiast, AI Literacy Trainer, and Content Creator to share her experience, expertise, and wisdom of AI integration.
Vera Cubero is also an experienced educator with a wide range of experience in K12 education at the school, district, and state levels.
As the Western Region Digital Teaching and Learning Consultant for the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), she is influential in bridging the gap between education and innovative technology.
You can connect with Vera on Linkedin or email (vera.cubero@dpi.nc.gov).
Resources:
- North Carolina's Generative AI Implementation
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Schoolai.com
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magicschool.ai
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AI Acceptable Use Scale
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AI for Education
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Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, by Ethan Mollick
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
The best runners run hardest at the end. And as we enter the final weeks of the school year, as our exhaustion threatens to overcome and encourage us to coast, it is imperative that we dig in and finish the year strong.
In this episode, Brian and Kasey share stories and ideas of how we might do that, intentionally and purposefully.
References:
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World's slowest marathon time: 54 years
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Michael Phelps Gold-Medal Relay Race
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Classifying MLB's Closer Mentalities
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Team Hoyt
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The Wright Brothers: The Race for Flight
Show Sponsors:Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:X (Twitter): SchurtzandTiesGmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Voldemort was the one “who shall not be named.” In The Village, the creatures in the woods were “those we don’t speak of.” Yet, they were the driving force to the story.Engagement is no different.It may be the tabu word we often avoid, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t directly impacting our schools. Through clarity and empathy for demands of this profession, Brian and Kasey confront that which shall not be referenced in a way that reopens hope and excitement for engagement.Types of Engagement
- Intellectual-”constructing new knowledge” with high order tasks
- Physical-participating purposeful motion and physical activities
- Cultural-various cultures feel accepted, the environment does not class with cultures or make particular cultures feel unwelcome. (careful not to just tell the stories of old dead white men) (help students identify lines where personal freedoms and societal ethics converge)
- Behavioral-attend school, follow school expectations, do not infringe on the learning and rights of others.
- Emotional-feeling good while at school. (Procrastination is a result of avoiding bad feelings. Many students don’t do school work because they don’t feel good doing the work) remember how you made them feel
- Social-ethically engage in the community, are welcoming and feel welcomed,
Show Sponsors:Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:X (Twitter): SchurtzandTiesGmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Happy Spring Break!
Here are a few Schurtz and Ties favorites. Hopefully, it can add some beauty and intentionality to your break!
Growing Pains, by Alessia Cara
Scared to Start, by Michael Marcagi
I Wish I Was the Moon, by Neko Case
Run Away to Mars, by Talk
Epiphany, by Taylor Swift
Texas Hold 'Em, by Beyonce
Tiny Moves, by Bleachers
This Is Me Trying, by Taylor Swift
The Old Engine Oil, by Budos
Good as Hell, Lizzo
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
With Kasey out of town, guest Darrin Peppard steps in to talk about how we can nail our next interview.
Darrin is an author, publisher, speaker, and consultant focused on what matters most in leadership. Darrin’s an expert in school culture and climate as well as coaching and growing emerging leaders. He is known for his keen insight, culture-first leadership style, and dynamic personality.
He also hosts the Leaning into Leadership podcast, is an authentic educator, and timely leader.
Resource:
Nail your next interview outline
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Inspired by an Adam Grant episode,Is your organization a little culty? with NXIVM whistleblower Sarah Edmondson, Brian and Kasey ask the same question about education . . . is it a little culty?
Potential red lights of a cult include the assumption of neediness, that it comes at a great cost, has loaded language, and claims to have all the answers. All of which can be attributed to education
Does that mean it's a cult?
Maybe.
Check out this episode and help us answer the question, is education a little bit culty? Reference:
Psychology Today: 12 Signs Someone Might Be Involved in a Cult
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Are kids really struggling? Is their technology-driven life truly as bad as we make it out to be?
Maybe. Maybe not!
Are phones ruining our students?
Is there a romanticism to yesteryear's boredom?
Are the dangers real? Unprecedented? Or are they similar struggles that every generation has wrestled with before, just slightly different?
Yes, but also, haven't we said this for years?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey chat about the doomsday narrative of today's generation and the somewhat dichotomous and unfair message of engagement while also directly addressing the specific needs and struggles of today's school-aged generation.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Mental health is a hot topic, especially in public education. The problem is, how do we honestly and purposefully wrestle with it without tripping on the buzzwords? Who do we service first, students or staff? And what role can educators play in helping others when we too are struggling?
In this episode, we invite Charlie Peck to help us find answers to some obvious and not-so-obvious questions that surround mental health.
Charlie is a K-12 and licensed clinical therapist who specializes in trauma. She also brings 18 years of secondary teaching experience. She is an author, podcaster, keynote speaker, and all-around fantastic person.
You can discover more about Charlie Peck on her Thriving School Website or order her book, School Mental Health: The Thriving School Community
You can also listen to our earlier conversation with Charlie, on her Thriving Educator podcast, in an episode entitled, "The Power of Autonomy."
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Are boys lost in education? Are teachers struggling? And should educational leaders be student-centered, or teacher-centered?In this episode, Hal Bowman, the mastermind behind Teach Like a Rockstar, Be the One, and co-author of Dear Teacher: 100 days of Inspirational Quotes and Thank You, Teacher helps us answer these questions and much more. You can find out more about Mr Bowman at halbowman.com as well as Blacksmith Mentors, a life-coaching program built for young boys. Blacksmith Mentors: Forging Exceptional Young Men of Ironclad CharacterWhy does it seem to be binary, like we have to focus on or help on and not the other . . . can’t it be both?Show Sponsors:Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:X (Twitter): SchurtzandTiesGmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Erica Heilman is the host of Rumble Strip, the #1 Podcast of 2022 by The New Yorker and among the top 10 podcasts of 2022 by The New York Times, and is described as “an antidote to the eternal question, “For who? For what?”
In this episode, Kasey and Brian chat with Erica about the power of stories and storytelling. About what isn't important, and what is.
References:
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Small True Things
-
Finn and the Bell
Show Sponsors:Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
The melancholy of winter is real. Ignoring It won't help. Neither will wallowing in it. Acknowledging it, however, will.In the episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the dark side of motivation and wrestle with potential solutions. Keep showing upLesson from semi-rad - “Ideas about changing the world in 7 charts”“We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world” - Howard ZinGo SilentLesson from Taylor SwiftClean the ClutterLesson from The Minimalists Justin McRobertsQuit pushingQuit tryingQuit workingQuit pleadingQuit dreamingQuit askingQuit fixingQuit perseveringQuit just long enoughTo be still and quietTo look and listen;And see if you are stillDoing what you thought you wereAnd becoming whoYou want to be.Then either get back to itOr move onTo what’s nextSee the bigger pictureLesson from two BillsShow Sponsors:Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Superheroes can save the world, but can they teach children? Should they be in your classroom? Our schools? In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss the qualities of their favorite superheroes and whether or not they should be allowed to teach children.
Do they have reverence?
Are they patient?
Can we trust them?
References:
-
The Hero's Journey
-
The Rise of Wolf 8
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
The future of American education is set. Especially when seen through the lens of history. That doesn't mean we don't have a choice. Because we do. Dr. Flamm explains how.
Over 20 years ago, Dr. Flamm changed the trajectory of Kasey's life. In this episode, Kasey has the opportunity to thank his treasured professor, discuss the history of education, and wrestle with how it can (and should) influence the future of schools and teaching.
Dr. Flamm is a highly respected professor at the University of Ohio Wesleyan. Throughout his tenure, he has "received the Welch Award for Scholarly Achievement (2022) and three teaching prizes including the university’s highest honor, the Bishop Herbert Welch Meritorious Teaching Award (2012)."
He is the author or co-author of five books, including, Debating the Raegan Presidency, In the Heat of the Summer: The New York Riots of 1964 and the War on Crime (Politics and Culture in Modern America), and How 1954 Changed Historywhich is an Audible Original. References:
"Problems will always torment us because all important problems are insoluble: that is why they are important. The good comes from the continuing struggle to try and solve them, not from the vain hope of their solution." - Arthur Schlesinger
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Jim Papoulis is a world renowned conductor (not trains). He also works directly and consistently in schools and with students from all walks of life, using music as a bridge to guide students toward "self empowerment, self esteem, cooperation, commitment, and discipline."
He is also a master teacher.
In this episode, Jim connects the art of conducting to the intricacies and difficulties of teaching, as well as the struggles and unknowns of life.
You can learn more about Jim Papoulis at his website or email him at jimpapoulis.com.
Refences:
Rules for Young Conductors, by Pacific Symphony
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
"You can either entertain guests or clean up the house, but you can't do both." The same can be said about reflection and action.
In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the importance of reflection, what we can learn from the actions of bison and not cows, and how mirrors do more than reflect.
References:
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Friday Thought : The Patience of Repair
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Unexpected Kindness
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Before bears hibernate and the kids move out
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Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again
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Monopoly Makes People Mean
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Culture is the personality of the group. But how do we engage it? Change it? And challenge it?
And how do schools - buildings and classrooms alike - intentionally create and define culture?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey invite Jerry Jones (not that one) onto the show to talk about people, communities, and culture. And it is brilliant. Largely because Jerry says things like, "Curiosity lives in the pause." And after listening to this episode, it just makes sense.
Jerry Jones is a culture vulture, cross-cultural trainer, writer, and family man. He writes The Culture Blend and provides coaching, training, and content for culturally-minded people
References:
How to Ask GREAT cross-Cultural Questions
99 Questions for GLobal Families (a free E-book)
Bald Tires and Bad Habits: The right kind of change in a snowstorm year.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
From "Don't let data be your Bible verse," disharmony bringing peace, and how trees can help us make decisions, in this episode, Brian and Kasey run through a list of thoughts that have been on their minds but not thought completely through. They're half-baked.
Let us know which one piqued your interest!
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Are educators consumed by the abyss of seriousness? Is fear winning? It certainly seems so. In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle with why it seems education is struggling to find joy, teach with confidence, and see beyond failure.
They also focus on what education is doing well and the things that get educators excited about this unique profession.
Quotes:
-
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
-
“The media shows the tiniest percentage of what people do. There are millions and millions of people doing wonderful things all over the world, and they’re generally not the ones being touted in the news.” - Fred Rogers
-
"What did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? Herein lies the key to your earthly pursuits." - Carl Jung
References:
-
How to Spot an Idiot
-
Give and Take, by Adam Grant
-
The gorilla test and The invisible gorilla strikes again
-
When Safe Turns Stagnant: Taking Risks in Life Transformation, by Motaz Majed
-
The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Parent involvement has the greatest impact on the success of a student and school community. Yet, very little time is spent discussing, wrestling with, and learning how best to engage parents and close the relationship gap.
In this episode, Kasey and Brian get honest about why parents and schools struggle to understand each other, and what we - schools and parents - can do about it.
The solution isn't hard. But it isn't easy either. "Why? Because anyone who has ever done anything worth a damn, knows that they probably weren’t the main beneficiaries of their efforts. Our work may have lit up the world, but we still remain down in the mud, somehow."And it is fully worth it.
Resources:
-
Kasey's Tips for Calling Parents
-
Brian's Friday Thought (inspired by the ending quote), Things that are worth a Damn
References:
-
National Center For Educational Statistics
-
Gaping Void Blog post
Show Sponsors:Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:X (Twitter): SchurtzandTiesGmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Education failed to prepare students for the Internet. With AI, we can't make the same mistake. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss ways in which educators can safely and holistically incorporate AI, which includes diving deeper into humanity.
Plans that include:
-
Inviting local experts
-
Build career pathways with AI
-
Create a group of dedicated educators who will help develop guiding principles (political, social, economic, and emotional impact)
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
To celebrate 50 episodes, we check in and acknowledge the high and lows of the school year, reflect on what we've learned, and try our best to sound smarter than we are.
Educational sayings that don't exist, but could:
- If you only top off your coffee with creamer, eventually all you have is a cup of creamer and no coffee.
- Even God needed a New Testament
- You can’t find a light switch in the dark without banging your shin.
- Time also puts out fires
- You can’t teeter totter alone.
- Even idiots by baseball tickets
- Are we shoveling snow in July?
- A cat won’t follow a lemming off a cliff.
- Don't sharpen pencils when the printer is out of ink.
References:
Will and Rusty's Playdate Podcast
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Should schools be systems-based or people-based? Can it be both? Based on the profound insight of William Denning, Kasey and Brian wrestle with the limitations and opportunities of systems in education.
Do we manage failure or investigate its causes?
Are our systems failing or our people struggling?
Whose seat is missing at the table?
Do numbers really matter?
Let us know what you think! We're curious to hear your thoughts (schurtzandties@gmail.com)
References:
-
Dr. W. Edwards Deming: System of Profound Knowledge
-
Fundamental Attribution Error
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
“People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.”
In this episode, Brian and Kasey dive into the fears and realities of diving into the lives of the people around us, they acknowledge the difficulties and fears of doing so, and wrestle with real solutions that provide us with real outcomes.
"Find the beauty in others. If all you see is the ugly, you're not looking close enough."
References:
-
Farsighted by Steven Johnson
-
Paul Laurance Dunbar
-
Trea Turner story
Why we fear getting our hands dirty.
- Because we get dirty. And we don’t like that.
- Because we, truly, don’t care that much. And that is sad, but also okay. I think.
Because we don’t have time - better to buy from the local store/install program/sweeping consequences * Solutions: * Don’t Take it Personal : Make it Personal. * Don’t bring the dirt home - don’t get everyone else dirty! * Anticipate the Unexpected * Find the Beauty; Force the beauty
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Are we truly done, or merely exhausted? Are we ready to throw it away, or simply fearful of getting our hands dirty?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle with what it truly means to be done with systems, processes, even people.
References:
The Cult of Done.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Mr. Moore has served in the education world for over 40 years as a teacher, principal , and superintendent. In this episode, he reflects on his time, this profession, and the foundational purpose of education.
Thank you, Mr Moore, for your years of dedication, and for sharing your journey and wisdom with us.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
As educators, we often feel isolated. Sometimes its because we feel less then others and are fearful we will be discovered as a fraud. Other times, we feel isolated because we are successful and we are afraid the spotlight will only isolate us more. Both are unfair. Both are destructive. In this episode, Brian and Kasey talk about the pitfalls of comparisons, the manifestations of its destructive nature, and how best to overcome and confidently lean into who we are as people, and as educators.
"We take the best of somebody and compare it to our weakness, and of course we're not going to measure up." - Brian Miller
"Feeling insecure when comparing myself to others can often be a motivator to be better" - Kasey Schurtz
References:
How to Keep Going, with Austin Kleon
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Are schools broken? Or do they simply need some change?
In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss the current condition of schools, what the future of schools could look like, and how we can cause a ruckus right now.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
"Ideas are great but not the greatest."
In this episode, Danny Bauer explains why Ruckus Makers have a bias for action and a passion for change. And they do so by telling stories.
Mr. Danny Bauer is a principal development & retention expert, 2x best selling author, host of two of the world's most downloaded podcasts, and Chief Ruckus Maker. He founded Better Leaders Better Schools in 2015.
Ruckus Makers play the infinite game by:
- Challenging the status quo
- Designing the future of schools right now
- Continually investing in their own growth.
Also, check out GapingVoid and their culture walls, but also their blog. It is brilliant!
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Are safe spaces coddling the young mind? Are brave spaces empowering the fringe? And is there a healthy marriage of the two? In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle through the history of safe spaces, discuss its flaws, and consider a better, braver, and more appropriate way to raise up the current and future generations.
References: - The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure
- Moving from Safe Classrooms to Brave Classrooms
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Graduate of Georgetown and the University of Colorado, President and founder of the Frederick Mountain Group, and a wilderness guide for seven years, Jennifer Ford brings the good and powerful word! Speaking truth into public school marketing strategies and how best to engage in difficult conversations with passionate or politically charged parents, Jenn Ford breaks down how public educators can push through difficult times.
Kasey and Brian also consider alternative podcast partners.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Education is an exhausting profession. It is a service profession. And if we're not careful, it can get the best of us and steal our ability to give our best. In this episode, Kasey and Brian talk about how we can stay healthy, be mindful, and "sharpen our ax."
What dulls the ax?
- Physical Exhaustion
- Emotional Suppression
- Social Demands
- Mental Performance
How can we sharpen the ax?
-
Physical
-
Shut down the things that stimulate you (phones, grading, planning)
-
Go for a walk, find a workout partner for after school
-
Emotional
-
Go easy on yourself
-
Let yourself feel your emotions
-
Social
-
Find a positive social group, people who will refill your tank instead of drain it
-
Limit gossip to clarifying problems not magnifying problems
-
Find time to be alone
Mental
-
Indulge in a few guilty pleasures
-
Celebrate
-
Adjust your pacing-have slow, fun day
- References:
-
- “And into the words I go, to lose my mind and find my soul” - attributed to John Muir
- "Your imagination
Is in an awful place
Don't believe in manifestation
Your heart'll breakDon't you understand?
Your mind is not your friend again
It takes you by the hand
And leaves you nowhere" - The National - Are You Human? TEDTalk
- Giving Less than 100% is 100% okay
- The Simpson’s Moaning Lisa
- The Dash, a poem by Linda Ellis
- Resume vs Eulogy Virtues fromRoad to Character by, David Brooks
- “So consumed with whether or not we could we didn’t stop to think if we should” - Malcolm from Jurassic Park
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Being a member of a community, a tribe, is a basic human need. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss how to build a culture of belonging by emphasizing the key components of healthy community, namely: acknowledging the unique selves, providing an opportunity to serve, and emphasizing the importance of now.
References:
-
Building Belonging with Superintendent Kristi Dominguez, Outliars in Education Podcast
-
Beyond Diversity: How Firms Are Cultivating a Sense of Belonging, Wharton
-
"When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That's when you can get more creative in solving problems," Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
-
"A community of hands to helpThus the dream becomes not one man’s dream alone, But a community dream. Not my dream alone, but our dream. Not my world alone, But your world and my world" - Freedom's Plow, by Langston Hughes
-
"Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish . . .
What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse," - Oh Me! Oh Life! by Walt Whitman -
"Be interested, not interesting." - Barbara Jordan
-
Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose - Daniel Pink
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
How we start the year will set the tone for the year. In this episode, Brian and Kasey share some of their strategies for starting the year of strong with intentionality and authenticity.
- Light up the room: Be optimistic, lean into who you are, and shape the narrative.
- Make the intangible, tangible: Help staff and students remember Why we are here and what we're about.
- Make people feel at home: Give voice, give food.
- Wrestle with the question, "How are we going to resolve conflict?"
- Provide clarity of what to expect for the year.
- Start a habit that creates a healthy mindset: What is your dream?
References:
The Alchemist: “Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives.”
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too."
Shakespeare's Folly of Youth:
"Folly rode wildly on tiger of youth,
Howled like a wolf at now waning moon . . .
Martin Luther King:
"Tell them about the Dream, Martin." There is a fantastic episode on Hidden Brain that walks through this story.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Welcome back! Hopefully you have found ways to disconnect and recharge for the coming year. We also hope (and anticipate) that you are getting excited for the coming year!
In this episode, Kasey and Brian share what they are "hankerin' for" this coming year. From eliminating "friction points," working on student behaviors, to engaging in the Six Working Geniuses, we are ready for our students to enter the building!
Reach out and let us know what you are excited to try this year! We'd love to hear from you (SchurtzandTies@gmail.com).
References:
Responsibility Centered Discipline.
Fans First: Change The Game, Break the Rules & Create an Unforgettable Experience
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink
Working Genius, by Patrick Lencioni
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information andmention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
From Mr. Feeny to Mr. Holland and Mrs Johnson, Kasey and Brian discuss a variety of fictional (and nonfictional) teachers who have inspired them to be better teachers, educators, and people.
Let us know who we missed and what you think of our list!
Teachers Mentioned:
Mr. Feeny (Boy Meets World)
Mr Rogers (The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers)
Mr Keeting (Dead Poets Society)
Mr Holland (Mr Holland's Opus)
Mrs Johnson (Dangerous Minds)
Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)
References: Why Mr. Keeting is Responsible for Neil's Death
Gladwell owes Atticus an apology: An Open Letter to Mr. Gladwell
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Continuing our summer theme of lighter and quicker topics, in this episode, Brian and Kasey cover a range of "under cooked topics" from an update on ChatGPT, should public education be free?, whether teachers be held accountable for posting grievances on TikTok, and more.
Episodes Referenced: Ep. 15: ChatGPT is going to disrupt education. Here's how we can (and should) embrace it.
Ep 31: Education is a Wicked Problem, which means it is impossible to solve. We tried anyway.
References:
The Psychology of Free
"We want to do things that are big enough to make a difference, but small enough to get things done." - 17 Rooms Podcast
What we learned from Justine Sacco's Tweet
"You can't lead if you're not uncomfortable." - Karamo Brown
14 Ridiculous Dress Code Rules for Teachers You Won’t Believe Are Real
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
As educators, summer is an important time for us to refresh, renew, and regroup. This summer playlist can help!
Whether you're on a road trip, hanging out by the pool, or enjoying an evening with family and friends, check out these songs and allow them to inspire your summer, relax your mind, and renew your spirit.
Happy Summer! Enjoy.
And happy birthday to Kasey! He turns 45 today.
Songs:
I Love It, by Icona Pop
Vices, by Sarah and the Sundays
Sunroof, by Nicky Youre and Daisy
Step Out, by Jose Gonzalez
Dancing in the Street, by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
Ame Cherie, by Jr. Walker & the All Stars
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, Ottis Redding
Windows are Rolled Down, by Amos Lee
Boom, by X Ambassadors
If you have any song recommendations, send us a quick note and we'll make sure to add them in!
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
It's okay to give up on systems - even healthy. It's never okay to give up on people - keep knocking!
In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the complexity of being persistent, why it matters, and how it plays out in difficult situations.
Sadly, Kasey doesn't have an acronym.
What Persistence Looks Like:
-
Be visible and available
-
Be friendly - it can't always feel like you need something
-
Engage in the work with them
-
Know what's worth being persistent for - avoid fads!
Things Worth Knocking for:
-
Maintaining connections and community
-
Making people feel heard and seen
-
Core values
-
Maintaining communication and allowing people to continually move forward
References:
-
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
-
Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away
-
Resolution, by Ruby Archer
The waves oppose the cliffs with daily force,
And fall resisted back along their course.
My soul opposes fate with daily will,
And falls resisted back, defeated still,
With gathered strength returning, like the waves,
To wrest complete dominion that it craves.
The cliffs are stone, and stone will wear away.
Spirit shall rule, and fate itself obey.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
*Warning, there are curse words that are unbleeped in this episode
Remove ants and bees from the planet and the whole system will collapse. Remove humans and the world improves. Why is that? And how does it relate to leadership?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey work through the unique difficulties of educational leadershi* and why - at times - it is the most difficult form of leadership. From frustrated parents, unengaged students, combative staff members, and all the pressures of a demanding society, being an educational leader is seemingly impossible.
So why do it?
Answer: Because of hope.
The Complexity of Educational Leadershi*
- Only profession where EVERYONE has experience
- We have no teeth, but are filled with bite marks
- Are charged with the “Wicked Task” of fixing ALL problems for ALL students (and parents, and teachers) in a timely manner.
Solutions:
- Be Courageous: “Why not us?”
- Interpersonal: Willingness to confront yourself about what's true, even when it’s difficult to face.
- Intrapersonal: Ability to have a difficult conversation with one or small groups of people - confronting a difficult topic
- Public Courage: Stand up and be the face - make a stand (history books)
References:
At the Table Podcast
-
Four Letter Word
-
The Three Types of Courage
No graduation: 8th graders turned away from ceremony; parents furious
George Washington's First Annual Address to Congress
If, Rudyard Kipling
Leading with a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness
A Trickle Of Thought, Rose Marie Juan-Austin
Allow a dark soul to enter
Its kingdom.
A tinge of darkness,
Could create a spell
And wrap the Kingdom
With nightmares,
Leading to its death.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
In 1973, design theorists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber introduced the term "wicked problem" in order to draw attention to the complexities and challenges of addressing planning and social policy problems.
Education is such a problem.
In this episode, Brian and Kasey work through the complexities of education as a Wicked Problem. They provide potential solutions for both teachers and school leaders on how to not only engage this unique complexity but also how to move towards purposeful and effective solutions.
Wicked Problem Distinctions:
- No clear formula or solution
- No clear ending or stopping point
- It is filled with contradictions
- It is a process of trying to solve the problem while simultaneously engaging in the problem
- The problem can be defined in a variety of ways, impacting the potential solutions
Wicked Problem Solutions:
- Choose pillars of norms, rather than ending solutions, and pursue them
- Invite and collaborate with all stakeholders, of those who will suffer the consequences
- Embrace the iterative process
References:
Tackling Wicked Problems and Catalyzing Creativity
Solving for Pattern, by Wendell Berry
A Psalm of Life, BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
Everything Sad is Untrue, by Daniel Nayeri:
“Does writing poetry make you brave? It is a good question to ask. I think making anything is a brave thing to do. Not like fighting brave, obviously. But a kind that looks at a horrible situation and doesn’t crumble. Making anything assumes there’s a world worth making it for.”
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
"More than 80 percent of supervisors claim they frequently express appreciation to their subordinates," The Power of Moments claims, "while less than 20 percent of the employees report that their supervisors express appreciation more than occasionally. Call it the recognition gap."
In this episode, Brian and Kasey discover WHY this gap exists and wrestle through ways in which leaders can support their people and intentionally close the gap of recognition.
Big Picture: Why does this gap exist?
- Five Steps of Dependency
- Give it once, they appreciate it
- Give the same thing again, they will anticipate a third time
- Give a third time, they will have an expectation for a forth
- Give it a fourth time, they will feel entitled to it
- Give it a fifth time, they will be dependent on it
- Loss Aversion and The Power of missed opportunities
- Loss aversion “is a cognitive bias that describes why the pain of losing is psychologically twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining
- Lose $20 is more powerful than finding $20
- Lose prep time is more powerful than gaining extra time
- Love languages -
- Words of Affirmation
- Physical Tough
- Receiving Gifts
- Quality Time
- Acts of Service
Mudd on the Boots: What can we do about it?
- Nothing:
Givers and Takers: “Givers and takers differ in their attitudes and actions toward other people. If you’re a giver, you help whenever the benefits to others exceed the personal cost - you simply share your time, energy, knowledge, skills, ideas, and connections with other people who can benefit. If you’re a taker, you help others strategically, when the benefits to you outweigh the personal costs. You give your time, energy, knowledge, skills, ideas, and connections to other people who can benefit only when it benefits you." 2. Remember Who You Are
Strengths - embrace them, use them, grow them
Weaknesses - acknowledge them, then put in safeguards
-
Be the hero, not the villain
-
Have the same backstory - pain - but respond differently
- Villains say "The world has hurt me, I’m gonna hurt it back"
-
Heroes say "The world hurt me, I’m not gonna let this happen to anybody else"
-
If you acknowledge that you are not being thanked enough, make sure it does not happen to anybody else - step up and offer ways to support your staff/colleagues.
References:
Sound Relationship House, from the Gottman Institute
“The green forest flutters in our land and mountains, and I didn’t plant even one tree” -In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom, by Yeonmi Park
"Do you take pride in your hurt? Does it make you seem large and tragic? ...Well, think about it. Maybe you're playing a part on a great stage with only yourself as audience.” - John Steinbeck, East of Eden
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Reggie Jackson was nicknamed "Mr. October" because of his clutch hitting in the postseason. He finished the year strong! And so should we.
In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss ways teachers and administrators can finish the year with clarity and purpose. From roundtable discussions, award ceremonies, and renewing educational vows, how we end the year not only impacts how we remember the entire year, it prepares and excites us for what comes next.
Finish strong! And earn the nickname Mr. (or Mrs.) May.
Providing Clarity Reduces Anxiety
Reduce anxieties about this year:
- Clarify end-of-the-year procedures (final grades, end-of-the-year activities, schedule changes, etc…
- Remind yourself and others that we are where we are - don’t cram solutions to the year’s mistakes into the last few weeks.
Reduce the anxieties about next year:
- Give teachers their teaching assignments as early as possible, clarifying any major changes
- Allow teachers the opportunity to rest over the summer - remove the worry and ambiguity of next year
- Start something new - test it out! - so next year is more prepared
Provide a playbook for the start of the next school year:
- Have a plan on how you are going to integrate new staff members
- Identify a goal or three (with tangible actions and quantifiable objectives) for the year - what is our focus, and why does it matter?
Staff Building Activities:
- Staff-Driven Award: Allow staff an opportunity to celebrate and recognize their colleagues in a very real, very personal way.
- Objectify Staff: Provide a very purposeful picture of each staff member that objectifies them and their importance and impact on the school.
- Renewing Educational Vows: Provide an opportunity for staff members to walk through their educational journey and that brings them back to their "Why" of education.
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Does education have a problem with ignoring the "boring child?" And is being "boring" even bad - as a student or as a teacher?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the idea of education focusing too much on the fringe, why it's important to "grow the boring group," and why we should work hard to always separate the person from the idea.
Solutions:
-
Autonomy Week (If you would like more information on how to implement this, please reach out!)
-
Names in Jars
-
Utilize their Otherness
Sources Referenced:
-
The National’s Matt Berninger: "I have a healthy marriage because I write about looking into the abyss"
-
Can We Touch Your Hair, by Skye Jackson
-
When did being an average student become a bad thing?
-
The power, calm and happiness in being an average student
Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately."Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Even if you've never seen the show, Ted Lasso, this episode is still relatable to anyone interested in leadership or building culture in the workplace.
Brian and Kasey both love Ted Lasso, but not because he is perfect. In fact, he is far from it! In this episode, Brian and Kasey acknowledge the faults and weaknesses of Ted, draw out their impacts on building culture, and highlight his many gifts and talents as a leader.
"If you care about someone, and you got a little love in your heart, there ain't nothing we can't get through together."
Culture does not end with relationships. It starts with relationships, but it does not end there. Culture is what happens when the leader leaves the room. It's what happens when we are not in the building.
Happy 25! To celebrate this simple milestone, Brian and Kasey spend time reflecting on those who have influenced their journey, what good teaching looks like, and reminding us all why this profession deeply matters.
Mr. D; Mr. Donut; Mr. Denison:
"Take nothing on its looks. Take everything on evidence. There is no better rule." - Charles Dickenson, Great Expectations.
Mr. Furman:
Be purposeful with your positive words of affirmation, and specific. They matter.
Mr. Metzger:
“You see, some things I can teach you. Some you learn from books. But there are things that, well, you have to see and feel.” - Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns
Mr. Palladino:
Invest in who they are, now, not simply who they will become.
Dr. Flan:
“Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story.” - Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried
Matt Hard, Erik Trauger, and Kasey Schurtz:
Surround yourself with people who will make you better.
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
All too often, we try to solve complex problems with large-scale, pie-in-the-sky solutions. Anxiety is one of those problems. In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle through some very tangible, use-it-tomorrow solutions that combat the growing epidemic of teen (and adult) anxiety.
Why Are We Anxious?
-
Culture of success (Cult of achievement)
-
Origin stories
-
You are what you data
Solutions:
-
Re-establish our purpose
-
Rest
-
Restore
Podcast Referenced:
Why the Cult of Achievement in Schools Is Making People Miserable
Why Are American Teenagers So Sad and Anxious?
- Both by Plain English
Articles Referenced:
Why Girls Beat Boys at School and Lose to Them at the Office, by Lisa Damour
Do you use these words when you apologize? It's time to stop, researchers say
- Say you're sorry. Not that you "regret," not that you are "devastated." Say you're "sorry."
- Say what it is that you're apologizing for. Be specific.
- Show you understand why it was bad, take ownership, and show that you understand why you caused hurt.
- Don't make excuses.
- Say why it won't happen again. What steps are you taking?
- If it's relevant, make reparations: "I'm going to pay for the dry cleaning. Just send the bill to me. I'm going to do my best to fix what I did.”
Daniel Pink references . . . again:Book: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
TEDTalk: The Puzzle of Motivation
Literature Referenced:
City on a Hill, by John Winthrop
"Go west, young man" by Horace Greeley
If, by Rudyard Kipling
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!
Punishment and consequence are often used synonymously in our schools and homes, but they shouldn't be, largely because the key distinction between the two (me-focused vs you-focused) makes a world of difference in the short and long term. For the child and the adult.
In this episode, Brian and Kasey draw a line of distinction between punishments and consequences, wrestle with why that distinction is important for implementing systemic change, and argue over spankings . . . are they a punishment or a consequence?
Quotes Referenced:
"If you want to punish students, you have lost your professional soul" - Dr. Anthony Muhammad
"People like certainty more than hope" - Josie Duffy Rice
"A person who has been punished is not less inclined to behave in a certain way. At best, he or she learns how to avoid punishment." - B.F. Skinner
Why do we shout in anger? To cover the distance our hearts are experiencing.
How to Provide Appropriate Consequences:
-
Be Emotion-less in our responses
-
Empower More the people we are engaging with
-
Be Time-less in our timeline for change
Referenced Research on Punishment/Spanking:
I say dog, you say chicken? New study explores why we disagree so often
Spanking and Child Outcomes: Old Controversies and New Meta-Analyses
National Institute of Justice, "Student Suspensions Have Negative Consequences, According to NYC Study,"
What Science Says—and Doesn't—about Spanking: Are kids being spanked for acting out or acting out because they’re spanked?
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music! (It was generated from our Chat GPT Episode).
As educators, we can hold a single story of poverty, often understanding it and all its forms from an academic or "other" point of view. In this episode, Brian tries to gain a more personal understanding of poverty by asking Kasey to dive deeper into his childhood and inviting an old group-home friend, Kairi Hyman, to join the conversation.
Brian and Kasey (along with Kairi) also try to wrestle through the complexity of raising teens, the impact of music, the power of peer pressure, and how educators can often unknowingly place the unfair burden of imperfect parents on the student.
Also, hierarchical is a word. It's an adjective and it means, "of the nature of a hierarchy; arranged in order of rank."
Click here to find all of Kairi's music. You can also find him on Instagram.
If you connect with Kairi's experience of identity, of "not being suburban enough" and "not feeling hood enough," check out the book, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com
DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro-music! (It was generated from our Chat GPT Episode).
Hippopotamus laws, more commonly referred to as Eponymous Laws, are principles or rules named after a particular person. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss a variety of Eponymous Laws, the ethics of data collection, and wrestle through the distinctions between facts and truth.
Amara's Law:
"We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run."
Shobita Parthasarathy:"Our research shows that large language models such as ChatGPT are likely to reinforce inequality, reinforce social fragmentation, remake labor and expertise, accelerate the thirst for data and accelerate environmental injustice, due to the homogeneity of the development landscape, nature of the datasets, and lack of transparency in the algorithms that power them," she said. "This makes national and international policy action even more crucial."Down a Rabbit Hole, A Conversation with Seth Godin and Simon Sinek
Chesterton's Fence:
"The principle that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the existing state of affairs is understood. The quotation is from Chesterton's 1929 book, The Thing: Why I Am a Catholic, in the chapter, "The Drift from Domesticity":
In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, 'I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away.' To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: 'If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.
Goodharts Law:"When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure."
Campbell's Law:The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor
Goodhart’s Law: Recognizing and Mitigating theManipulation of Measures in AnalysisMichael F. Stumborg, Timothy D. Blasius, Steven J. Full, Christine A. HughesMiller's Law:
"To understand what another person is saying, you must assume that it is true and try to imagine what it could be true of."
Kasey Schurtz . . . because he forgot it last week:
"How much you can grasp something impacts your ethics."
Celine's Second Law:"Accurate communication is possible only in a non-punishing situation."Roads Go Ever On
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then, I cannot say.
Let us know your thoughts by emailing us at Schurtzandties@gmail.com
or by connecting with us on Twitter: SchurtzandTies.
Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro-music! (It was generated from our Chat GPT Episode).
Brian attended Innovative Schools Summit in New York; Kasey attended Solution Tree Summit in Arizona. In this episode, they reflect on their experiences, the ideas discussed, and the importance of relationships - which, as it turns out, is the most innovative thing in our buildings!
People and resources mentioned:
"Clarity proceeds competency" - Mike Mattos (@mikemattos65)
Inspiration gets us out of our seats. Conviction ensures we won't sit back down.
Mario Accosta (marioacosta31)
The Dip, by Seth Godin
The Seven P's of Competency: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance (Brian Wright)
Gerry Brooks (gerrybrooksprin - Instagram)
"The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth" - African proverb
Anthony Muhammad (newfrontier21)
- "Curiosity drives learning"
- Four ways to keep kids curious: Mystery, Cognitive Conflict, Controversy, Suspense
- If you want to punish kids, you probably have lost your teaching soul
"We are the only business that doesn't ask its clients how to improve our product" - Michael Bonner (michaelbonner_)
From hallway decorations to graduation, fear of humiliation to content, even the pursuit of safety, what gods are we intentionally or unintentionally serving, and what impacts do they have on our schools, classrooms, and students?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle with the culture of our schools, the purpose of graduation, and why today's students aren't much different than those of the past - they simply serve different gods.
Brian references the books:
- The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School, by Neil Postman
- Shifting the Monkey: The Art of Protecting Good People From Liars, Criers, and Other Slackers (A book on school leadership and teacher performance), by Todd Whitaker
- 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do), by Gever Tulley
Kasey references:
- Nietzsche's "God is dead" quote:God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?
-The Gay Science - Socrates quote:“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”
- We Wear the Mask, by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
Thank you for listening!
Please reach out and share your comments, questions, or suggestions:
Email: schurtzandties@gmail.com
Twitter: SchurtzandTies
Dr. Mary Jo Fresch has been an elementary teacher, literacy professor, has published more than 22 books, and is a brilliant and calming mind in the world of literacy learning. In this episode, Dr. Fresch walks through the history of teaching literacy, dissects the science of how we read, and provides practical, in-the-classroom advice for how to naturally engage students and teach reading. Most importantly, Dr. Fresch takes hold of the swinging pendulum of literacy learning and encourages teachers to do what they do best: know their students and teach with confidence.
You can learn more about Dr. Mary Jo Fresch at her website, maryjofresch.com, invite her in for a literacy workshop, or order her books at Amazon.
Follow Schurtz and Ties on Twitter (@SchurtzandTies) or send us an email (Schurtzandties@gmail.com)
Anchors give us stability and direction when times are tough. In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss the value of living a life focused on doing GREAT things (Give - Relate - Explore -Analyze - Try), why it matters, and how it looks.
Give:
- "If you’re a taker, you help others strategically, when the benefits to you outweigh the personal costs. If you’re a giver, you might use a different cost-benefit analysis: you help whenever the benefits to others exceed the personal costs . . . if you’re a giver at work, you simply strive to be generous in sharing your time, energy, knowledge, skills, ideas, and connections with other people who can benefit from them.” - Givers and Takers, by Adam Grant
- "The key to finding happiness is to transcend, to find happiness in the simple pleasures, to master the art of just being. When you romanticize the future more than the past, you move forward. But when you romanticize the present, you become free." - The Mountain is You, by Brianna West
- The Energy Bus, by Jon Gordon
Relate:
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You can read the story of Brian's grandma and J.C. and see their beautiful photo here, "Beyond Tolerance."
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"Ignore the words - hear the story."
Explore:
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"The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete" - Dangers of a Single Story, by Chimamanda Adichie.
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"I couldn't tell you, honey, I don't know. Where I'm going, but I've got to go. 'Cause every turn reveals some other road. I'm a traveler. . . When I'm gone, someone else will have to feel this wrong. Someone else will have to sing this song. Someone else will have to sing along." Traveller, by Chris Stapleton
Analyze:
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"An unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates
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My notebook has remained blank for months; thanks to the light you shower; around me. I have no use; for my pen, which lies; languorously without grief.; Nothing is better than to live; a storyless life that needs; no writing for meaning—; when I am gone, let others say; they lost a happy man; though no one can tell how happy I was." - Missed Time, by Ha Jin
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" . . .The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood . . ." - Man in the Arena, Teddy Roosevelt.
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"In matters of style, swim with the current. In manners of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
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"There are few choices in life where there are no risks on either side." - Beyond Chaos: Twelve More Rules for Life, by Jordan Peterson
Try:
- "Its the ability to maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of difficulties" - Good to Great, by Jim Collins
- "When you invent the ship, you invent the shipwreck"
ChatGPT is changing the educational landscape. In this episode, Brian and Kasey argue that this change is not only good for education, it is also needed. Becase of ChatGPT we have an opportunity to shift our focus away from content and towards what truly matters, on the things that will actually change the world . . . the human being stuff.
You can check out ChatGPT here.
Kasey quotes Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
"There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand."
"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change."
Brian references the book, The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School, by Neil Postman
"Schooling can be about how to make a life, which is quite different from how to make a living."
"There was a time when educators became famous for providing reasons for learning; now they become famous for inventing a method."
Follow us on Twitter: @SchurtzandTies
Or send us an email: Schurtzandties@gmail.com
Responsibility Centered Discipline (RCD) "has helped educators across North America transform student discipline and improve school climate." In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the format of RCD, its potential for impacting behavior, and why it is foundational in strengthening relationships and building the whole child.
For more information, check out:
Website: Givemfive.com
Book: Roadmap to Responsibility The Power of Give 'em Five to Transform Schools
Twitter: @RCDGivemFive
Unpaid Advertisement: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
Universal Design for Learning is an attempt to accommodate the needs of all learners by removing unnecessary hurdles. In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle with what UDL means for schools, classrooms, and daily living. But they only scratch the surface. Offering suggestions such as living an untimed life, savoring simple moments, and providing opportunities for all students to learn at their own rate and in their own way (link below), this episode sets the stage for a more in-depth and direct conversation of how we can apply UDL in our lives, starting today.
Scaffolded Planning to Differentiate Instruction, by Kasey Schurtz:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eMzOo7peCM_zkMSNx6qmbFSJ3melWXrfCbfp-SIcBZE/edit
This conversation also inspired Brian and his weekly Friday Thought: Look Beyond the Problem. See the People.
In this episode, Kasey and Brian talk through some of their thoughts and convictions from the break. Much like a barstool conversation, their discussion ranges from how we can change our experiences by simply adding mirrors, why not liking someone is very different (and much better) than disliking someone, and why schools should ditch Debate Teams in favor of an Arbitration Team.
Brian and Kasey are spending time with their families but will be back releasing weekly episodes the first week of January. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
(Part 2) Parents and teachers are on the same side; they both want what is best for the child. However, for a variety of fair and unfair reasons, the gap in understanding seems to be at an all-time high. In this episode, Kasey and Brian acknowledge the stereotypes, discuss potential misunderstandings, and offer solutions of empathy for both sides. Brian opens a can of frustration against one of Maya Angelou's famous quotes.
Parents and teachers are on the same side; they both want what is best for the child. However, for a variety of fair and unfair reasons, the gap in understanding seems to be at an all-time high. In this episode, Kasey and Brian acknowledge the stereotypes, discuss the misunderstandings, and begin to offer a way where both sides can start drawing closer together through the bridge of empathy. This is a two-parter.
In this episode Brian and Kasey discuss the recent success of Justin Fields and the insight this offers on achieving excellence.
Today Brian and Kasey share songs they would include on their education playlist.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1RG50HnSlkfsKb3PkeESko?si=hAICFvmwTeSo0r58Z8gskA
This week Brian and Kasey talk about some of the worst bosses in movies and television, and offer solutions on how to deal with incompetence, micromanaging, and narcissism.
Daniel Pink, author of Motivation: The Truth Behind What Motivates Us, writes that all people are motivated by three things: Autonomy, Master, and Purpose. In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss how this might look in the classroom, in our schools, and in our lives. Brian says "super important" a lot.
Education has always been a battleground for politicians and political parties. But with the continued shift in news coverage, social media, and individualized entertainment, has it become THE political background?
In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss how this shift is impacting education generically and educators specifically and, most importantly, what can we do about it.
Dot it for the kids vs Its the right thing to do
Perception is reality vs Truth is somewhere in the middle
It is what is is vs It is what you make of it
Kids these days vs Kids these days!
Date driven vs Data informed
Honor role vs On a role