The YouSchool Podcast: Recent Episodes
theyouschool
Katrina Waidelich (she/her) has worked in education for 14 years as a teacher, curriculum designer, and trainer. Katrina has dedicated her career to developing authentic, relationship based experiences in conjunction with high academic standards. She centers her classroom on empathy and understanding, challenging students and educators to be open to hearing new stories, and sharing their own. Katrina supports educators in the integration of technology, development of student centered practices, integration of social-emotional learning, and cross-curricular planning. Katrina serves as an education ally to marginalized populations by serving on her district’s Equity and Inclusion Committee, adopting restorative justice practices, and amplifying historically underrepresented voices in curriculum. In her free time, Katrina spends time cultivating her relationships with nature, her family, and her community.
There are a series of questions that are crucial for every young person to answer in order for them to be fully prepared to make the best decisions for their future- but they rarely get the chance to even think about them. One of the most frequent questions we ask kids is about their professional goals- what do you want to be when you grow up. It's an interesting question, for sure, but rarely is it actually helpful. Typically, it just creates anxiety and more confusion- not clarity and confidence like we hope. So what's a better way to help them? We put together a free mini-course for students called When you Get Older. It's a few simple reflection exercises that guides them to consider Who they want to be someday, not just what they want to do for work. It's a much, much more helpful starting point, and a conversation that can be started in the course but continue for years to come. It's super simple to get started-- and free, did I mention that? Just click the link in the bio, share it with your kid, and we'll take it from there. https://www.theyouschool.com/offers/qs8oqgf4
For more than the past year, we've told kids that being close to each other is dangerous- literally. Now, it's time to start reintegrating back to school, sports, and other activities, but it's not as smooth or as seamless as you might think. There's a lot going on. On top of that, kids today are growing up in a world of ubiquitous cellphone usage and screens- face to face socialization has been on a decline for years.
There's a lot for concern.
The primary way teenagers grow is through healthy peer relationships. They learn about themselves and how the world works and what's most important in life as they journey together, shoulder to shoulder, face to face.
But when a lot of kids are carrying heightened anxiety about being together, and fewer kids in general have adept social skills, it's time to rethink how we support kids in building relationships.
So welcome to our limited podcast series on Social Reintegration, where we interview educators and practitioners to discover best practices and common sense tools for anyone who has a kid in their life.
Welcome to the YouSchool.
Who Is Joe Erpelding?
"A Learner Just Like You
I’m a family man who learned about learning by being curios. Growing up in a large family (one of 10 kids - yep you read correctly) with brothers and sisters who finished college in two years, a Navy Officer, Engineers, full ride scholarships, and valedictorians, I had to fight to find my own way. I recall a family conversation where family friends were wondering if I was going to go to college. I realized at that moment that I am motivated by challenge. You can imagine, I was not much into doing "school" or being schooled in the typical manner. School for me was impersonal, routine and disconnected from reality. I would run home after school and spend hours in my backyard canyon creating forts, designing go karts and taking things apart. Learning . . . I would come to realize - It's Personal!
Being part of ten different educational spaces - with rolls from Instructional Assistant to Campus Principal - I have developed a deep passion for changing the way we "Do School" and ultimately Learning.
Like you, I have seen school and the world of education reform defined in numerous ways over the years - from 1:1 technology - PBL - The four C's - College and Career Readiness. They all have their shelf life as the pendulum swings. I wondered - there must be a different story?
With over two decades of real-life, in-the-trenches learning experience, my view is radically different. Transformation is about people and not about programs, fads or experts. State Departments, Districts and Schools buy programs because you can't buy culture. Transformation happens in learning organizations that fail forward, are audacious, and provide proof. It's how we should live our lives." Learn more about Joe at Erpelding.info or Learningitspersonal.com
There are a series of questions that are crucial for every young person to answer in order for them to be fully prepared to make the best decisions for their future- but they rarely get the chance to even think about them. One of the most frequent questions we ask kids is about their professional goals- what do you want to be when you grow up. It's an interesting question, for sure, but rarely is it actually helpful. Typically, it just creates anxiety and more confusion- not clarity and confidence like we hope. So what's a better way to help them?
We put together a free mini-course for students called When you Get Older. It's a few simple reflection exercises that guides them to consider Who they want to be someday, not just what they want to do for work. It's a much, much more helpful starting point, and a conversation that can be started in the course but continue for years to come.
It's super simple to get started-- and free, did I mention that? Just click the link in the bio, share it with your kid, and we'll take it from there.
https://www.theyouschool.com/offers/qs8oqgf4
Travis Sevilla is an artist and educator working for Canyon Crest Academy. Travis began teaching in San Diego at High Tech High North County as a multimedia/STEAM teacher. He moved to San Diego with his wife and two sons from Los Angeles for the opportunity to enjoy all that San Diego has to offer in the outdoors and to have an opportunity to work in a project-based learning environment with HTHNC. He has now made the move to Canyon Crest Academy in an effort to integrate some of the project-based and real-world learning into the dynamic environment CCA has to offer. In addition to CCA, Travis works with new teachers through San Diego State University and Guest Lectures at Universities on occasion. An avid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast, surfer, rock climber, and cyclist, Travis has a passion for learning from all of his endeavors. He is a dedicated teacher who works to bring real-world projects to his students that incorporate the arts and design thinking. He believes strongly in bringing out students' power of creative and critical thinking as solutions to complex real-world problems.
For more than the past year, we've told kids that being close to each other is dangerous- literally. Now, it's time to start reintegrating back to school, sports, and other activities, but it's not as smooth or as seamless as you might think. There's a lot going on. On top of that, kids today are growing up in a world of ubiquitous cellphone usage and screens- face to face socialization has been on a decline for years.
There's a lot for concern.
The primary way teenagers grow is through healthy peer relationships. They learn about themselves and how the world works and what's most important in life as they journey together, shoulder to shoulder, face to face.
But when a lot of kids are carrying heightened anxiety about being together, and fewer kids in general have adept social skills, it's time to rethink how we support kids in building relationships.
So welcome to our limited podcast series on Social Reintegration, where we interview educators and practitioners to discover best practices and common sense tools for anyone who has a kid in their life.
Welcome to the YouSchool.
Also, we have a simple, interactive mini-course you can share with your kids, no matter how old they are. Oh, and, it's free. Click here to get started.
For more than the past year, we've told kids that being close to each other is dangerous- literally. Now, it's time to start reintegrating back to school, sports, and other activities, but it's not as smooth or as seamless as you might think.
There's a lot going on.
On top of that, kids today are growing up in a world of ubiquitous cellphone usage and screens- face to face socialization has been on a decline for years. There's a lot for concern. The primary way teenagers grow is through healthy peer relationships. They learn about themselves and how the world works and what's most important in life as they journey together, shoulder to shoulder, face to face. But when a lot of kids are carrying heightened anxiety about being together, and fewer kids in general have adept social skills, it's time to rethink how we support kids in building relationships. So welcome to our limited podcast series on Social Reintegration, where we interview educators and practitioners to discover best practices and common sense tools for anyone who has a kid in their life.
Welcome to the YouSchool.
ABOUT JERRY I am an education leader who has skills in consensus building, management, building and sustaining a positive culture, promotion of the organization's mission, decision making, helping others be their personal best, leading by example, strong interpersonal skills, relentlessly positive, presenting to groups of all sizes, work ethic, communication (e.g. written, speaking, presenting, social media) and professionalism. I am interested in providing students the chance to maximize their potential in all areas and prepare them for college and career through leadership opportunities, personalized learning, rigorous academics & project-based learning assignments that have real-life application. I’m passionate about helping students know that we care about them, about personalizing education in a way that is meaningful, & providing voice, choice & skills that prepare students for successful & fulfilling lives. There are a series of questions that are crucial for every young person to answer in order for them to be fully prepared to make the best decisions for their future- but they rarely get the chance to even think about them. One of the most frequent questions we ask kids is about their professional goals- what do you want to be when you grow up. It's an interesting question, for sure, but rarely is it actually helpful. Typically, it just creates anxiety and more confusion- not clarity and confidence like we hope. So what's a better way to help them? We put together a free mini-course for students called When you Get Older. It's a few simple reflection exercises that guides them to consider Who they want to be someday, not just what they want to do for work. It's a much, much more helpful starting point, and a conversation that can be started in the course but continue for years to come. It's super simple to get started-- and free, did I mention that?
Just click the link below, share it with your kid, and we'll take it from there. https://www.theyouschool.com/offers/qs8oqgf4
For more than the past year, we've told kids that being close to each other is dangerous- literally. Now, it's time to start reintegrating back to school, sports, and other activities, but it's not as smooth or as seamless as you might think. There's a lot going on.
On top of that, kids today are growing up in a world of ubiquitous cellphone usage and screens- face to face socialization has been on a decline for years. There's a lot for concern. The primary way teenagers grow is through healthy peer relationships. They learn about themselves and how the world works and what's most important in life as they journey together, shoulder to shoulder, face to face. But when a lot of kids are carrying heightened anxiety about being together, and fewer kids in general have adept social skills, it's time to rethink how we support kids in building relationships. So welcome to our limited podcast series on Social Reintegration, where we interview educators and practitioners to discover best practices and common sense tools for anyone who has a kid in their life.
Welcome to the YouSchool.
ABOUT ALANI STAPLES
Currently serving as Director of Student Support at Lakeway Christian Schools in East Tennessee, Alani Staples has worked in youth services for 17 years. During this time, she has served in several capacities, including Outreach Program Director, Clinical Supervisor, and School Counseling Director. With an undergraduate degree from University of Richmond and Master of Education in School Counseling from Liberty University, Alani is passionate about empowering students and supporting families. Alani’s professional experience has allowed her to celebrate the joy of witnessing youth discover their full potential, specifically as it relates to academic success, overcoming hardships, developing healthy relational skills, and achieving their post-secondary goals. A native of Roanoke, VA, Alani and her husband Curtis, enjoy mentoring youth by supporting them to passionately pursue their interests and becoming impactful leaders with meaningful lives. Her love for giving back to the community has afforded her the opportunity to work with multiple school districts and faith-based organizations as a youth advocate, spokesperson, and founder of youth performing art programs throughout southwest Virginia. There are a series of questions that are crucial for every young person to answer in order for them to be fully prepared to make the best decisions for their future- but they rarely get the chance to even think about them.
A FREE RESOURCE
One of the most frequent questions we ask kids is about their professional goals- what do you want to be when you grow up. It's an interesting question, for sure, but rarely is it actually helpful.
Typically, it just creates anxiety and more confusion- not clarity and confidence like we hope. So what's a better way to help them? We put together a free mini-course for students called When you Get Older. It's a few simple reflection exercises that guides them to consider Who they want to be someday, not just what they want to do for work. It's a much, much more helpful starting point, and a conversation that can be started in the course but continue for years to come. It's super simple to get started-- and free, did I mention that? Just click this link, share it with your kid, and we'll take it from there.
MORE RESOURCES
Here are some additional resources that could be helpful for families and educators:
Emotion Sensation Feeling Wheel https://lindsaybraman.com/emotion-sensation-feeling-wheel/
Emotional Development Guide for Kids https://www.onoursleeves.org/mental-wellness-tools-guides/emotional-development
Recently (before the shutdown), Scott Schimmel and Brad Lichtman from the YouSchool's School Impact Team had the opportunity to sit down with Brett Killeen, a gifted leader and Principal at Canyon Crest Academy High School in Carmel Valley, San Diego. This conversation is gold if you're a school leader or a leader in training and care about designing a culture for student wellness.
Highlights from the conversation:
- 5:00 How a Principal secures buy-in for a vision and how to deploy 'reverent power'
- 8:45 Why reflection is so important for effective leadership
- 11:30 How vulnerability is a strength
- 17:10 Why the continuous feedback loop is so important
- 29:01 Celebration as a key tool for motivation
- 32:30 How to hire well for culture alignment
Learn more about Brett's background here
WHAT IF ALL TEACHERS WERE EMPOWERED & EQUIPPED TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT FOR EVERY STUDENT? Teachers are responsible for SO much. They’re overworked and underpaid. Whether a 2nd-grade teacher with a full room of littles, or a high school biology teacher with five sections- it can be an overwhelming load. But they also have tremendous opportunity to shape the lives of so many students.
No matter the reason why a teacher went into the business, we believe every teacher has an opportunity and a responsibility to make a personal impact on every student. Sure, no one can reach them all, and there will be some students who are easy to connect with and others who, well…
But regardless, we don’t think it has to be too complicated. Caring for kids in relevant, meaningful ways can and should happen every day, in every class, by every teacher.
Listen to this short episode, share it with a colleague, and sign up for our [free] email course on For the Sake of Kids today.
Learn more about our Professional Development live or digital workshops.
To access our Story Library, go here
WHAT IF ALL TEACHERS WERE EMPOWERED & EQUIPPED TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT FOR EVERY STUDENT? Teachers are responsible for SO much. They’re overworked and underpaid. Whether a 2nd-grade teacher with a full room of littles, or a high school biology teacher with five sections- it can be an overwhelming load. But they also have tremendous opportunity to shape the lives of so many students.
No matter the reason why a teacher went into the business, we believe every teacher has an opportunity and a responsibility to make a personal impact on every student. Sure, no one can reach them all, and there will be some students who are easy to connect with and others who, well…
But regardless, we don’t think it has to be too complicated. Caring for kids in relevant, meaningful ways can and should happen every day, in every class, by every teacher.
Listen to this short episode, share it with a colleague, and sign up for our [free] email course on For the Sake of Kids today.
Learn more about our Professional Development live or digital workshops.
WHAT IF ALL TEACHERS WERE EMPOWERED & EQUIPPED TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT FOR EVERY STUDENT? Teachers are responsible for SO much. They’re overworked and underpaid. Whether a 2nd-grade teacher with a full room of littles, or a high school biology teacher with five sections- it can be an overwhelming load. But they also have tremendous opportunity to shape the lives of so many students.
No matter the reason why a teacher went into the business, we believe every teacher has an opportunity and a responsibility to make a personal impact on every student. Sure, no one can reach them all, and there will be some students who are easy to connect with and others who, well…
But regardless, we don’t think it has to be too complicated. Caring for kids in relevant, meaningful ways can and should happen every day, in every class, by every teacher.
Listen to this short episode, share it with a colleague, and sign up for our [free] email course on For the Sake of Kids today.
Learn more about our Professional Development live or digital workshops.
To access our Story Library, go here
WHAT IF ALL TEACHERS WERE EMPOWERED & EQUIPPED TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT FOR EVERY STUDENT? Teachers are responsible for SO much. They’re overworked and underpaid. Whether a 2nd-grade teacher with a full room of littles, or a high school biology teacher with five sections- it can be an overwhelming load. But they also have tremendous opportunity to shape the lives of so many students.
No matter the reason why a teacher went into the business, we believe every teacher has an opportunity and a responsibility to make a personal impact on every student. Sure, no one can reach them all, and there will be some students who are easy to connect with and others who, well…
But regardless, we don’t think it has to be too complicated. Caring for kids in relevant, meaningful ways can and should happen every day, in every class, by every teacher.
Listen to this short episode, share it with a colleague, and sign up for our [free] email course on For the Sake of Kids today.
Learn more about our Professional Development live or digital workshops.
WHAT IF ALL TEACHERS WERE EMPOWERED & EQUIPPED TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT FOR EVERY STUDENT? Teachers are responsible for SO much. They’re overworked and underpaid. Whether a 2nd-grade teacher with a full room of littles, or a high school biology teacher with five sections- it can be an overwhelming load. But they also have tremendous opportunity to shape the lives of so many students.
No matter the reason why a teacher went into the business, we believe every teacher has an opportunity and a responsibility to make a personal impact on every student. Sure, no one can reach them all, and there will be some students who are easy to connect with and others who, well…
But regardless, we don’t think it has to be too complicated. Caring for kids in relevant, meaningful ways can and should happen every day, in every class, by every teacher.
Listen to this short episode, share it with a colleague, and sign up for our [free] email course on For the Sake of Kids today.
Learn more about our Professional Development live or digital workshops.
WHAT IF ALL TEACHERS WERE EMPOWERED & EQUIPPED TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT FOR EVERY STUDENT? Teachers are responsible for SO much. They’re overworked and underpaid. Whether a 2nd-grade teacher with a full room of littles, or a high school biology teacher with five sections- it can be an overwhelming load.
No matter the reason why a teacher went into the business, we believe every teacher has an opportunity and a responsibility to make a personal impact on every student. Sure, no one can reach them all, and there will be some students who are easy to connect with and others who, well…
But regardless, we don’t think it has to be too complicated. Caring for kids in relevant, meaningful ways can and should happen every day, in every class, by every teacher.
Listen to this short episode, share it with a colleague, and sign up for our [free] email course on For the Sake of Kids today.
Learn more about our Professional Development live or digital workshops.
WHAT IF ALL TEACHERS WERE EMPOWERED & EQUIPPED TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT FOR EVERY STUDENT? Teachers are responsible for SO much. They’re overworked and underpaid. Whether a 2nd-grade teacher with a full room of littles, or a high school biology teacher with five sections- it can be an overwhelming load.
No matter the reason why a teacher went into the business, we believe every teacher has an opportunity and a responsibility to make a personal impact on every student. Sure, no one can reach them all, and there will be some students who are easy to connect with and others who, well…
But regardless, we don’t think it has to be too complicated. Caring for kids in relevant, meaningful ways can and should happen every day, in every class, by every teacher.
Listen to this short episode, share it with a colleague, and sign up for our [free] email course on For the Sake of Kids today.
There's no question- students are suffering from anxiety at an alarming and unprecedented level. What do we do, as adults who care for them? How can we respond? And, in what ways are we the ones contributing to their anxiety?
This episode is an important one. We believe every student deserves the opportunity to construct a meaningful life for themselves, but we know that they will be severely undercut if they can't thrive throughout their teenage years and get lost in the fog of anxiety. We invited Matt Bishop, LMFT, on the podcast this week to share his thoughts and expert point of view.
About Matt: Matt Bishop is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works at Soul Care House in Mission Hills. A private practice and community of therapists in Mission Hills providing individual, couples and family therapy to the general population. Matt was born and raised in La Jolla and went on to graduate from San Diego State University with a bachelor's in psychology in 2011. In 2013 he graduated with his Masters in Counseling Psychology and is currently working on his dissertation as a doctoral candidate at Grand Canyon University researching the intersection between female clergy and mental health professionals. Matt began working with young people and parents in 2012 at North County Lifeline in Vista where he provided individual and group therapy to at-risk youth as well as and facilitated parenting workshops for the community. From there he went on to serve at the San Diego Rescue Mission as a director in their Recuperative Care Unit providing mental health counseling and case management to a challenging population. Since 2016, he returned to work with young people and their parents through Soul Care House. He emphasizes a holistic approach of psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual healing to individuals seeking support in their overall wellbeing. Matt has spoken to various audiences in churches, nonprofits, community organizations, workplace staffs, and universities.
In addition to being a therapist, Matt is a well-respected speaker and trainer and, in fact, serves on The YouSchool's broader team for Parent Education and Professional Development & Training.
Speaking Topics: Technology and our Youth: Navigating the Complexity of the Smartphone Era • The trickle-down effect: Why a healthy relationship among parents leads to healthier kids • Body Image, Eating Disorders, and Young People • Talking to your Teen about Sex and Sexuality • Normal Teenage development: When is a mistake by your kid just a mistake and when is it a red flag pointing to a deeper issue?
Contact Matt: MattBishopTherapy.com | matt@mattbishoptherapy.com
As an Author and Speaker, Donte focuses on building healthy relationships in our digital culture. While working in both urban and rural environments, Donte has helped many improve their self-esteem and build healthy relationships with others. Donte continues to use his writing and speaking platform to help others discover their purpose and teach them how to navigate through our digital age.
Learn more about Donte's speaking topics
We know it takes a lot for you to trust a new speaker, the last thing you want to do is break trust with your students and staff. So for a limited time, we're offering Uncommon Assemblies with Donte Allen for a ridiculously low price.
Get in touch with us soon to coordinate and schedule!
Your school culture has multiple dimensions, is constantly evolving, and is complex. You can’t possibly see everything at once, or by yourself. This is the start of a process to understand your current reality, and it requires humility, a willingness to see and understand, and patience. The best leaders who shape cultures to thrive are ones who look, listen, seek to understand, and invite other people to share- often and often and often.
FLOURISHING SCHOOL CULTURES ARE CREATED AND CULTIVATED BY UNCOMMON LEADERS LEADING UNCOMMON TEAMS, DEDICATED TO AND CONSISTENTLY FOCUSED ON FUNDAMENTAL VALUES AND VISION.
The first step towards any culture change or alignment is going through a process to clearly see your current school culture. We designed a tool you can use with your team, download it here.
Read an accompanying article here.
What is education for? What is school for?
On this brand new episode of 2020, we sit down with Brad Lichtman and have an in-depth conversation about leadership, culture, and how to create an environment where the natural result is human flourishing.
Brad’s deep experience as a school administrator (High School Assistant Principal, High School Principal, and Assistant Superintendent) is matched by his stellar reputation as a leader of character and class.
Read more about Brad's background and his work on our School Impact Team.
Tracy Yates is a founding staff member at Canyon Crest Academy, a high-achieving, large public high school in Carmel Valley San Diego. She's an English, Dance, and Health teacher, certified Wellness Coach, mother to five children, and has been through intense grief in losing her first husband but has chosen gratitude as a life practice- not just in her personal life and with her family, but also in the classroom.
We put together a simple worksheet you can use in your family at the dinner table, in the car on a road trip, or in your classroom. It's not that hard to cultivate gratitude! The exercise is called Three Good Things, originally put together by Martin Seligman in his Masters of Applied Psychology class at the University of Pennsylvania.
Download the worksheet here.
Inside of every student is the potential and desire to construct a meaningful life. But so many face significant challenges in discovering that meaningful life and most schools don't have deliberate plans to guide students to figure that out.
What can a school do to come alongside students in that very pursuit, to redesign the student experience and provide the resources and guidance for students to flourish?
Mrs. Alberts and Mrs. Myers, co-chairs of the English Department at Sage Creek High School helped launch the Genius Project several years ago, and are redesigning what students experience before they graduate.
More info about Shannon
More info about Corrie
Middle and High School is a time ripe with self-expression and self-discovery. Students are searching for identity, purpose, and connection. Those dynamics don't just happen, students need to be guided through experiences, reflection, and conversations to find clarity. Community service is a tremendous opportunity to provide all three, and our guest this week, Leigh Cambra, health teachers, Link Crew teacher and former ASB Director helped students launch This Club Saves Lives, and she's seeing students discovering who they are and what they're made for.
Bio
High school health education teacher Leigh Cambra, Carmel Teachers Association, helps teens make the world a better place. She created the This Club Saves Lives club with her students several years ago; it has grown to 70+ members who together with students in her classes carry out significant community and global service projects. She has led student efforts to bring awareness and actions to end the water crisis and collect feminine hygiene products for homeless women. She spearheaded initiatives to collect socks for the homeless; fill backpacks with school supplies and distribute them to elementary school students; repair and decorate a local safe house for women who have been trafficked; and much more. (bio from CaliforniaEducator.org)
Learn more about This Club Saves Lives
Watch a quick video about Leigh
Dr. Kim Jones of Palo Alto had a thriving practice as a pediatrician until she noticed a shift- more and more kids were coming in with anxiety and depression. Over time she realized she wanted to do more to support students upstream, not just in crisis intervention but to guide kids to discover meaning and purpose in their lives. Listen in on an important conversation between Scott Schimmel and Dr. Kim Jones.
Also video available: https://vimeo.com/369211340
Before coming to Sage Creek, Schuveiller worked at a multitude of schools, including La Costa Canyon, Fallbrook High School, Del Norte High School and Park City High School. Not only has he held the role of assistant principal three times, but he has also been an English teacher, AVID teacher, varsity baseball coach and an English Department Chair. In the 2013-2014 school year, Schuveiller was named Fallbrook Union High School District’s teacher of the year and the following year was a San Diego County Teacher of the Year finalist. Read more about Jesse...
(article excerpt from The Sage News)
What can a principal do to create a culture where the adults on a campus both care and nurture the social-emotional lives of their students AND challenge them to succeed academically? Dr. Bryan Brockett is the Principal of Carlsbad High School and a cultural architect who's designing an upside down world of high school where all students flourish.
1 00:01:41,880 --> 00:02:00,150 Scott Schimmel: Alright, Hey, everybody, this is the YouSchool podcast. I'm your host, Scott Schimmel, and I'm here with a friend of mine. That's also a colleague for the past couple of years. Bryan Brockett principal of Carlsbad High School, he's got a long resume as an educator inside schools and you'll give you a little synopsis of that.
2 00:02:00,150 --> 00:02:22,890 But I just want to say thank you for, for participating taking time out of the day I, I've, as I get to know principals better, I don't know a more complex demanding job than what you do. And so the fact that you carve out even 20 minutes for me means a lot to me. So why don't you just going to share a little bit of your resume not to go into I was born in But what have you kind of been there done that in terms of your education career?
3 00:02:23,580 --> 00:03:02,370 Dr. Bryan Brockett: Well, thanks for having me Actually, Scott, because I you know, as as I've told you, before, just carving out the 20 minutes to sit and talk and have some time to reflect is really valuable, as you know. So it's, it's, it's fun to be with you. But just my background. I'm from the area here in North County and in terms of education, I've taught at both the middle school and high school level. I've rancho santa fe middle school and Torrey Pines High School and then came into after 14 years in the classroom came into the administrative realm in Carlsbad here as an assistant principal at the middle school level and principal, the middle school level and now. It's my third year here at Carlsbad High School.
4 00:03:02,850 --> 00:03:17,430 Scott Schimmel: What's your favorite role? I mean, obviously, you love your job now, in case your boss is listening, but what's been your favorite gig you've had? You know, you know, honestly, being a middle school assistant principal, which I know for a lot of people sounds like maybe
5 00:03:18,990 --> 00:03:59,970 Dr. Bryan Brockett: that'd be a good reality show. Yeah, yeah, no, it's it. But that's a lot of fun. I think the one thing that I miss from being in the assistant principal role is, is you get a lot more hands on with working with students in that. And a lot of the kinds of things that we value in terms of coaching and supporting and really kind of digging in and get to know kids. You don't, I don't get as much opportunity to do that in my role. Now. That's one thing that I certainly Miss, and try to find ways to do and I'm always looking for ways to make sure that I'm connected with our kids and no, it's great. What would what would we if we got to go back in time and see what we like as a middle school teacher, like what would students say about you? How would they experience you we read the funding
6 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:14,850 I read the intense guy. Yeah, no, it's funny I was I was probably the the fun guy, I like to think that I, you know, got kids well prepared, I was a Spanish teacher. So, in that kind of language, you're always trying to, you know, make sure kids are prepared for the next level.
7 00:04:15,980 --> 00:04:52,460 But I think that I was the guy that I coached as well. And that was really meaningful to me to get to know kids classroom and have that other connection with them. And then, you know, I think I would be that that fun guy that that could, you know, would when I was getting serious or getting, you know, like, to the point in class, and kids knew that that was time to pay attention because that that was, you know, I didn't have to, you know, raise my voice or those kinds of things very often, but sometimes you do and always kind of taken that approach. But if you can prove that then kids know and when they get to know you, they know Okay, this is serious and we need to get moving now.
8 00:04:52,490 --> 00:04:59,060 Scott Schimmel: Yeah. Why? So? Why principal? Why did you want to climb the ladder most people don't want your job.
9 00:05:00,840 --> 00:06:00,000 Dr. Bryan Brockett: Yeah, it's interesting. So I actually for me, one of the real aha was for me was and I thought about administration, I would early in my career, I kind of hit up, I hit a crossroads and thought, do I really want to continue doing this for the rest of my career idea, you know, going back to law school and doing some different things. And and at that time, I realized, like, I really, I really did enjoy being in education. I really enjoyed working with kids. And so I went back at that point, got my administrative credential, and then continued to teach for nine more years because I really enjoyed what I was doing. Yeah. And just had a lot of fun with it. And I'll tell you really, what got me was I got into I had an interest in continuing my career and I got into the doctoral program in Educational Leadership at UCSD and Cal State San Marcos is a joint program. And I started that program as a teacher and people so you know, what are you doing this for? Like, what Why? What's you know, I said, you know, it's because it's an actual
10 00:06:00,000 --> 00:07:00,000 Me I had no, I really had no plan of where I wanted to go. Yeah. But I, as time went on, there was a specific professor in the program that I worked with. You may know Alan daily down at UCSD or anything on before. And we were doing an activity and Alan's class one day, and it was really all about kind of the barriers that we put up for ourselves. And it was something that forced me to really think about who I was where I wanted to go, what I felt like I could contribute. And that was, it was a Saturday afternoon. I absolutely remember we were an all day class, Saturday, Saturday afternoon, I went home that evening. And I said, I gotta do this, I got enough, I'm gonna be for real about what I want to do. I need to take the steps to to, you know, move forward and, and, you know, move into that admin role where I felt like I could bring something to the table. I could benefit, you know, students in schools a little wider level and you're able to do in the classroom. And that was really the turning point for me that they were I realized, you know, no, I think I have some
11 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:40,680 You know, from a leadership standpoint to bring, and that I can, I can really, you know,I know in any job there's going to be a level of on the job training that you don't really know what you need to know to get there. But when you think about an administration, particularly in a principal of a big High School, big traditional comprehensive high school, like, what were you prepared for? What were you not prepared for? Yeah, I you know, from when I think back to when I started as a, like I said, as a middle school assistant principal, yeah. There is no training. I mean, I remember the things that I was crazy because it's like, well, how do you you know, what if what if you need to suspend a student? What do you do? I had? No, there's
12 00:07:41,700 --> 00:08:00,060 none of that is transferable. I think one thing for me that I got, especially in in the doc program with a focus on educational leadership was that leadership lens and really thinking about my role in terms of my role as a leader right, less, less so you know, always through
13 00:08:00,060 --> 00:08:16,500 lens of just what I knew about education from coming up as a teacher. Yeah. system, but really stepping back and thinking about leadership practice and how you apply an education setting. Yeah. Other than that, yeah, it's it's pretty much all learning on the job.
14 00:08:17,730 --> 00:08:36,150 You know, I don't know, I don't know that a training program exists. That is that is ideal for this. But I think that what you have to bring to the table is is an openness and a willingness to learn. One of the one of the I had some some administrators I worked with previously and I remember to at the same time, and one of them was a guy who
15 00:08:37,230 --> 00:08:59,640 kind of always thought he knew the answer, or at least pretended he knew the answers and things sure which and for a while, that that becomes pretty apparent, you know, that you didn't know the answers to things that he would tell you. He knew the answers to. Right. And I had another administrator who is now you know, one of my counterparts at another school here in North County.
16 00:09:00,630 --> 00:09:34,200 Very solid principal who would always say no, I don't know, but I'll find out. And for me, that was a real aha about, you know what it takes to be successful in this job? Right. I don't know the answers to a lot of the questions that come my way. Yeah. You know, sometimes I have an opinion on them. Sometimes I know the answer. And a lot of times I really don't. And it takes a willingness to say, Hey, I don't know. I'm going to go look into it. Try find out. Yeah. I mean, you're I'm sure you're just constantly that mode. What do I do today? That sounds that sounds exhausting.
17 00:09:36,750 --> 00:09:53,880 People asked about the job. I say that one. There's never a dull moment and to I learned something new every day. I literally do it. Not a day goes by where I don't learn something new. Yeah, with a deal with people or whether it's a technical question or whether it's a legal question. Whether it's a pedagogical question. There's always
18 00:09:55,230 --> 00:10:03,360 Scott Schimmel: now that you're more removed from students, what? What are you doing? What do you do? do to stay connected? What do you do to try to understand their experience?
19 00:10:04,470 --> 00:11:00,090 Dr. Bryan Brockett: You know, one of the goals, you know, I have for this year, I think I shared with you when we talked a while back, really to be intentional about being out in classrooms more this year, right. And that's a good way to connect with with staff and students, right. And if it wasn't in classrooms, just being out on campus, I think, especially at a big, comprehensive high school, there's so much going on that my desk feels like this vortex sometimes, that I'm getting sucked into, and that it's, it's hard to get away from and so just to be able to pick up the computer and go sit out in the quad, you know, that chance to interact with students and staff and go into classrooms. And I you know, I shared that with our teachers, I said, Hey, I might just come in your room and sit up there and I can I can type emails just as easy sitting in the classroom as I can in my desk. So, you know, I think that that's, you know, you have those opportunities for those conversations. You have those opportunities to just see what's going on. Yeah. And, and it's I will tell you, you know,
20 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:39,840 Scott Schimmel: Since we talked a month or so ago, it's a battle, right? I mean, that's like battle to get away from the things that are sucking me in this week, for example, is is a week where I can say, I feel like I've been in meetings, non stop. And so it's a good chance to reset and say, Okay, what can I do now to get back out and get re engaged? Yeah. Well, I know, you probably don't directly but your assistant principals get a lot of the students that are struggling, that are for whatever the reason is, and there's a certain percentage, I'm sure you probably have a list of the students you know who they are. And then there's certainly especially at Carlsbad High School, there's, there's, there's a lot of common go getters, all stars, hyper involved, high achieving,
21 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:59,520 but then there's a whole group of students in the middle, and I don't know if that's but what what are you noticing, in this season across, like, what is it like to be a student there? What's the normal experience for the kid in the middle? Yeah, you know, it's a good question. I it's hard to tell sometimes, right? It's
22 00:11:59,970 --> 00:12:59,700 Dr. Bryan Brockett: It's hard to take, you know, I get one lens of sort of anecdotal evidence right on what I think is going on. I know, you know, one thing that made me feel really good at random, went back to school night earlier this week, I ran into it at that event. And she said, You know, I really liked hearing a lot of teachers talk about, you know, connectedness and positional, this year, I feel like that really stood out to me and I certainly got some of the work that we're talking about with our IT IS filtering out in ways that people are hearing. So, you know, my hope is that our middle of the road, you know, sort of kids are feeling that and now they're getting that, that that sense of connection. I think here, you know, one of the things that we always we always talk about is, is finding that point of connection, right? And it's easy to walk into a school with 2400 students and feel disconnected feel, you know, like you you don't have you place here, but it's also really easy to find your niche with kids and share your same interests.
23 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:20,520 That are passionate about the same things you are that are doing the same kinds of activities and whether that's through sports or arts, or one of our clubs or something like that. You know, that's the that's the advice that I always give. And so I think, you know, my hope is that students recognize that and, and are finding, I think that, you know, our evidence shows here that a lot of our students do have that experience.
24 00:13:21,630 --> 00:13:32,610 On an even bigger level, you know, the question is, you know, there's been another subset almost that doesn't get that, you know, we've, we've talked to you about how ASB we were the most spirited school in the nation.
25 00:13:34,190 --> 00:13:47,210 years ago, he does a great job. You go to the football games on the Friday night, you have all that stuff, but that isn't for everybody, either, you know, where the kids and that you know, even when you have something like that, that spirit that kind of brings a lot of people together.
26 00:13:47,240 --> 00:14:00,050 Scott Schimmel: Yeah, where the kids aren't quite connecting with that event and how do we support them? I can remember my first week of college, it was this orientation week and was eight days of activities and me being
27 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,320 more introverted. I just was like, please stop screaming in my face.
28 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:09,620 I just want I'm looking for a deep conversation here. I'm not like into exactly rah rah.
29 00:14:10,940 --> 00:15:00,020 When you think about students, classroom and activities and clubs, like, what do you hope that they feel? What do you hope that they kind of experience as it relates to interacting with the adults? Yeah, that's a good question. You know, I hope they feel a sense that someone cares about them. And actually, I should say someone I really that everyone cares about. Yeah, yeah, whatever that interaction is on campus. And we talked about this, you know, up in the front office here, you know, you walk in our office and you've got the attendance office and you got the front desk. And and, you know, I talked to the staff there that they're there, the front line, they're the first person that almost everybody when they interact with Crosby at high school for the first time experiences. So what's that impact that they can have, you know,
30 00:15:00,050 --> 00:15:59,510 Dr. Bryan Brockett: A teacher on a day in day out basis has that same opportunity classroom, it's hard because you got, you know, 30-35 40 Kids class. And it's hard to have that impact on, you know, on an individual level with every kid. But there are things that teachers can do, obviously, that you put out the, the wider, you know, that wider feeling. Good example, this morning, I was out on the front side of campus in a spot where I'm not usually so I'm not usually long classrooms over there. And I'm walking by and, you know, sure enough, there's, you know, one of our teachers second year teacher out the door, you know, greet and all the kids as they come and greet and kids that are walking through the gate from that direction. And that's, you know, just that little thing of, you know, that those kids that either walked in the class or even just walking by the he doesn't know, right, had somebody that said hi to him this morning, you know, yeah, and when we think about our, you know, if we go back to our Maslow's hierarchy, then yeah, that sense that like, wow, I'm here and somebody recognized me and recognize that I'm
31 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:59,970 Scott Schimmel: present today Yeah, totally goes a long way and starting to starting to his day off in the right way, I think even seen a kid's name, like hear a kid hears their name be said by someone else. And it's all particularly. But actually I don't know, I don't know how to categorize it, it just it just really matters. It feels feels something you feel something when someone knows that. I was talking with someone yesterday that I'm always so hesitant for some reason still, even as an adult married kids, like I should be confident my in who I am at this point. But even when I see a student or a kid that I know, and I know their name I've known for years, I'll still be reserved sometimes. And I just recognize it still feels uncomfortable. Or maybe I'm worried about them. I'm worried about them feeling uncomfortable. I'm worried about feeling like they don't know who I am and feeling rejected. But you know, for the sake of kids, I keep doing it. And that's I think what I certainly learned about you and what you care about as a leader is that everybody would catch that vision. This is why we're here for the sake of these kids. Yeah, no, I
32 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:14,850 Dr. Bryan Brockett: I can relate, I feel the same way that you do there. You know, it's just, it's, I'm pretty introverted as well. Generally speaking, I much rather spend an evening at home or, you know, if we're going to have, you know, people over friends over, like maybe two friends over, right.
33 00:17:16,500 --> 00:17:22,830 And it's funny people that know me at work, you know, often when I say that they say are really, you know, I can't believe
34 00:17:23,940 --> 00:17:59,940 Scott Schimmel: because, you know, so much of what I think is important about my job is just being out there with people and interact. And yet it's not something that comes naturally to me. Yeah, right. Yeah, interact, right. What do you on that note this one of my last questions for you What? What would be surprising for for let's say your staff about your role, what did they not understand and what's they not know for better and for worse, like, what I wish you knew about this role? I you know, I think that what people probably it's hard to appreciate until you do the job is the red
35 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:06,030 Dr. Bryan Brockett: Things that we deal with, whether that's whether it starts with you know,
36 00:18:07,050 --> 00:18:32,940 campus safety, to HR issues to student issues to trying to do the positive things and do the do the storytelling and do the recognition for people and in the relationship building the events that go on you know, school like ours the extra curricular activities and athletics take a huge chunk of time. So it's this it's this breadth of
37 00:18:34,260 --> 00:19:00,000 responsibility. And and it's what keeps the job it's interesting to me. It's what makes it never a dull moment when we're here. But I think it's probably hard to appreciate that and honestly, I didn't I didn't come into to this position especially the high school position blind I you know, spent time at a high school nine years, I worked closely with with my administrators there in a variety of capacity.
38 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:18,900 These I knew what they did. And and I don't think until you sit in the chair at a comprehensive high school like this Do you appreciate, you know just how much how wide the range and responsibilities and and things that you just need to be aware of and paying attention to our and like I said that's the fun and that's also something
39 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:27,810 go home just drained some days because of that and and but it's it's it all goes with the territory.
40 00:19:27,870 --> 00:19:55,050 Scott Schimmel: Yeah. What's the biggest concern you have these days for students when you see what's going on in their world? Yeah, I you know, I can sort of encompass it all. It I hate to use this word, but it's it's it's student safety and well, I guess I well being. Yeah. So it spans everything from from what we do to make sure that this is a safe environment. And I mean, physically safe, emotionally safe.
41 00:19:56,190 --> 00:19:59,880 Unknown: You know, that we're, you know, we're both edgy.
42 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:09,420 Educating and also, you know, addressing concerns when, you know, with student vaping and other things, you know, what's going on in schools?
43 00:20:10,680 --> 00:21:00,120 Dr. Bryan Brockett: You know, so So making sure that that that well being is there I end up to err on the side of well being in relationships. And and, you know, think that once we can establish that foundation, the the educational part of it a lot of ways takes care of itself. Yeah. It's not entirely true, of course, but, but it's again, I you know, I heard a speaker a couple years ago who did a whole presentation on Maslow's hierarchy of beans, right. Yeah. We don't often think about that anymore. You know, yes, that's education. One on One, you know, they do read a read of Maslow's hierarchy, they move on things right. And, and it really was an aha, for me Just a reminder at 20 years into my career. Yeah, that's still as relevant today as it was when he came up with that idea. And if we're not hitting those
44 00:21:00,210 --> 00:21:20,700 Unknown: Those base levels with kids. Yeah, it doesn't matter what you're teaching in the classroom. Yeah. So it's that's really it and it comes back to my concern for all of our kids is they feel that they feel that sense of well being. And that hopefully school gives them a positive sense of well being, you know, and doesn't, doesn't beat them down and doesn't drain them completely.
45 00:21:21,090 --> 00:21:59,970 Scott Schimmel: You know, I was talking to the head of a school recently who said that we need to put on pause this idea of culture and connecting with students because our student achievement went down a little bit. So we need to, we need to kind of push on that, you know, sit and reflect and I'm like, well, you might want to reconsider that because I would agree with you as well. If connection comes first connections the foundation students right here for learn more students, you feel careful, want to learn more like, it's not that. I think this is what you and I've talked about quite a bit. It's not that complicated, but it is. It's hard. It's hard enough like that, that Steve Jobs quits.
46 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:00,780 Simple as hard
47 00:22:02,220 --> 00:22:59,970 Dr. Bryan Brockett: work them. I give you a concrete example of that, that I really think it speaks to that point. We were concerned about our, our cast, you know, state testing schools as well. Yeah. And so one of the steps that we took, we really, you know, we were constantly trying to look at what we do instruction Lee and I'm for teachers to reflect that and, you know, obviously, that goes with the territory, but, um, you know, rather than rather than coming up with, you know, some tremendous new program or something to, you know, prepare for tests and things. Last year, we felt like we really actually what we had was a real effort gap in what our scores, we really just felt like the scores didn't represent what our students were capable of doing. Interesting. So, you know, we went out one of our assistant principals who does our testing work, and I went out and visited every classroom of all of our testing last year. And, and, you know, I like to thank, you know, it's you have to have some credibility.
48 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:59,970 To be able to then go out to talk to students and have an honest conversation about, hey, here's, here's what we think here's what we see. And here's what we think. Like, is that true? Yeah. And every classroom, we talked to all of our juniors every class that we went to, you know, I said, hey, look, here's, here's what we're seeing, like, Do you guys know why that might be? And in every time I had students that have the common say, Yeah, because, you know, kids aren't trying you know, because where's the messages me for? Here's this that the other and and we started to back up a little bit we started by meeting with our ESP students and really have a real conversation them and getting their input like, what what do you know like, what do you want to know what what should we be messaging out what what messages have you heard? So we had a lot of background to be able to kind of realize that that was the same messages and things that they had been hearing, and we're going to let them and and we went up last year, between eight and 10% in both English language arts you can have without doing really anything
49 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:01,590 concerted, right?
50 00:24:02,910 --> 00:24:53,130 Yeah, well better than walking around and getting face to face with students and saying, hey, hey, here's what we understand that like you, you may feel like this doesn't matter, we get that and we totally understand. But here's why it does matter in some certain ways. Here's all we're asking really is, is what we ask of you all the time, which is to show up and bring your best self forward and do the best you can. And like, I'm not asking you to study or do anything crazy. I just want you to do the best. And, you know, I think that we can credit most of our increase and all that I mean, I don't want to discount, you know, what the Matthew is doing? Yeah. But I really do think that that effort variable was was reduced. And I think that's a great example of, you know, the relationships. Yes. Like, it's not just me, like once I walk out, like the teacher has a follows routers.
51 00:24:54,420 --> 00:24:59,760 And they've got the relationships to be able to say, hey, yeah, we have here these pieces that we just talked about.
52 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:27,930 We should be aware of those and the teachers got one of our teachers who said, Yeah, I really want to after you're done, I'm going to address the same thing because it makes me look bad in my aren't bringing an f3. Me and she knew that you know, and was able to address that with her, her students this year. So, you know, they're all totally to me relational things right, but that correspond to academic achievement very easily. Yeah. Well, you're onto something.
53 00:25:29,070 --> 00:26:05,970 Scott Schimmel: There's a, there's a book too, right there. There's a talk to give. And, and, and it's so interesting. There's kind of arguing I felt defensive with a teacher a couple years ago. That's an AP math teacher not to pick on math. But since you brought up math, just like I don't understand, I have so much I need to cover. I don't have time for connection. I don't have time, just push, push, push. And I just said, Well, you know, studies are showing that if kids feel like they're connected to you, they'll do better. So worst case scenario, you actually don't care about kids. You don't want to connect with them. But you want to do your job well, you want to be effective at your job that is actually the strategy to get them there even if we have to kind of bleed your ego
54 00:26:07,170 --> 00:27:00,060 Dr. Bryan Brockett: look and great story along those lines sorry so you know I'm telling stories here because you were telling thing, but we had a we had a we have an AP math teacher teaches our calc bc class, all that stuff. And I had a somebody in the community reached out to me who writes books about communities and they come in and they they're actually based in CrossFit here. So they did a story about Carlsbad. And they they try to tie them to some educational lesson and things and their children's books. But what was as they started to ask around some things, this particular teachers name kept popping up in a few different sources. And so they got including Andy in their book as this math teacher you know, at and actually it turned out to be they do character so it was his dog actually, that was funny, but the spirit of the of the dog was
55 00:27:00,090 --> 00:27:22,830 Really, and the Rosen you know, AP Calculus teacher here across but I think speaks to that fact is you can have that super high academic rigor and still have that that impact and connectedness, iterating relationship and caring in a way that when when you know they want to put you in a book. That's the name that comes out, right.
56 00:27:23,190 --> 00:27:39,270 Scott Schimmel: That's beautiful. We challenge kids to reach their potential. We care for them along the way. It's it's two sides of the same coin. Well, Brian, thank you for taking the time. I love talking to you and hearing how you think and how you lead. So all our best and we look forward to work with you in the future too. So thanks for the time.
57 00:27:39,750 --> 00:27:40,860 Dr. Bryan Brockett: Yeah, thanks. Thanks for having me.
A little about our guest this week, Dana Moen:
My name is Dana Moen, principal of Classical Academy High School (CAHS). I have the great honor of serving as principal of this distinguished high school. CAHS is passionate about partnering with parents to provide the best education possible so that students become successful thinkers, communicators, and achievers. We provide a rigorous and flexible academic program that meets the University of California A-G requirements. As a Distinguished, award-winning, California public charter school, CAHS offers a nurturing environment teaching students to: work hard, live pure, lead with courage, and honor each other, while preparing students for college, career, and citizenship. CAHS has been recognized by Newsweek magazine as the 136th school in the nation for preparing students for college and number one in San Diego as the best high school for homebuyers in 2016. Classical Academy High School is located in downtown Escondido, is one mile from the 78 and 15 freeways, and is within easy walking distance from the Sprinter station on Valley Parkway.
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Transcript
1 00:02:52,470 --> 00:03:10,110 Scott Schimmel: Well, Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of YouSchool podcast. I'm here with a friend of mine and a principal local principal in San Diego, Dana, Moen- Dana, thanks for being on the show. And then give us a little context of where you're at what you're doing how you got there.
2 00:03:10,830 --> 00:04:00,540 Dana Moen: Okay, great. Um, cut me off. If I'm too long but I'm at Classical Academy High School. I've been the principal for going on 11 years now. I have the opportunity to help start this school 15 years ago when we when we opened the school cool. How did I get into education? I love my high school experience like high school was amazing to me. I felt like that changed the course of my life. I did some things really well. I did some things really badly. through all of that I just really enjoyed High School. So I've never left I decided I wanted to be a teacher. So went to school, to be honest and be a math teacher. calculus kind of changed me changed me my course to history became a history teacher coach, did that for about six years. Then I started doing ASP advisor and then had this opportunity to start school Classical Academy school.
3 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,750 Scott Schimmel: Where did you go to school in San Diego, you grew up here?
4 00:04:04,350 --> 00:04:16,860 Yeah, I've I've been in Escondido guy my whole life except except for when I went to Azusa Pacific University and then got a job in Covina right next to Azusa, but I have been born and raised in Escondido, California. So
5 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:30,210 I'm happy to be back. For those people that don't understand classical academies. It's it's extremely well respected charter school, but maybe talk about the model. So other principals listening in can understand what you what you do. Yeah,
6 00:04:30,210 --> 00:06:17,250 Unknown: so classical Academy, when I got on board, it was a K through eight model, and my wife had got a job as an educational specialist. And we were homeschooling our kids through classical, okay, that's a hybrid model, where most of the kids in K through six are coming to school two days a week. And the school is training parents and providing curriculum for three days at home. So that's what my kids were doing. That was the environment my wife was working in. I had got a job back at my alma mater, Escondido High School doing ASB their student activity, loving that. The school had gotten really, really large since I had gone to school. I mean, we were up maybe 2500 students when I mean just a different culture than even when I went to high school, you know, 20 years ago, or whatever it is 30 years ago. So I saw some great things happen at classical with the hybrid model. So I asked if there's anything I could help them do. And then Cameron curry now the executive director, he said, to come help us start a high school. So I'm more than four. I was amazing. I thought I was going to come over and start a leadership program or a PE program. Um, I did start a leadership program. But the probably one of the most exciting pieces was getting to be a part of that high school development team. And we toured several states and just took a lot of best practices into our high school. Our families still have that hybrid model where they can kind of have a hybrid of on campus at it and at home, but most of our families, by the time their kids are getting into high school are wanting their students to be on campus a little bit more. So our high school models like four days on campus Tuesday through Friday, okay. But most of our kids are doing some choose to do some online learning, but the vast majority are doing four days on on campus.
7 00:06:17,580 --> 00:07:02,550 Scott Schimmel: Well, I've spent, I've spent a lot of time with students at Classical. And I have to I tell some people lie. It's one of the most bizarre places I've ever been. I've called it the upside down world of high school. Because it's been absolutely remarkable. The level of, I'd say maturity of the students kindness towards one another. I mean, it's palpable. I remember working with a group of students probably three or four years ago, and halfway through, and it's conversations around their life and their values and their story. I just realized I might allow my backgrounds with college students, and they really carried themselves, like college students just very well spoken, thoughtful. And it's whatever you're doing, there it is, parents are listening in on this, I can consider that as an opportunity. Because I know we are
8 00:07:02,850 --> 00:07:17,250 Unknown: with Thank you, Scott. I mean, it's that our motto is partnering with parents, right? So that's our number one motto, it's part of the culture, everything we do our mission, vision values, your parents so that that impacts everything we do.
9 00:07:17,460 --> 00:07:39,630 Scott Schimmel: Yeah, and I know many of your teachers, and they are so engaged with students, like in their personal lives. And I call it mentoring and helping them grow personally. What do you guys do to to model that to ensure that happens? Like what are you doing as a principal to make sure that's,
10 00:07:39,000 --> 00:09:20,370 Dana Moen: that's all? That's a great question. I would start with, I started this conversation with high school impacted me, right. So yeah, the way the way high school probably impacted me the most was being part of the team. And being part of a team of culture. So I was highly involved in sports, I was highly involved in ASP. So my at least at the high school, my kind of goal here is that every single student belongs. So the way to get them belonging is to get them part of a team. So yeah, on the other flip side of that, as I asked every single staff member to get involved as well. So whether that's a few of them might be involved, because they're they're leading their department, but most of them are jumping into chaperone events. They're running a club, we have, I think we have this year 2020. early in the year, we have 25 active clubs going out and only have 30 teachers on this campus. So having 25 teachers running clubs, that says a lot about my staff, yeah. And then the vast amount of just sports and extra curricular activities, the arts, I just find that when kids get connected outside of the classroom is awesome. And there can be amazing connections in the classroom, right? We do a thing called cohort, where each year has a group of 25 to 30 students that they take for four years. And they meet once a week and trying to develop some mentor type relationships between student and teacher. But I find the place where they get where they feel belong, and they feel the love design teams.
11 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:46,020 Scott Schimmel: You your a dad, too. And you've obviously spent your career with students. And part of the conversation that we were going to have on this episode was around relationships and connection. So there's obviously a big question, but what are some of the themes that you've seen about how student culture is changing? And I know as, as parents and as educators, we just know, implicitly, it's changing. But what are some of the trends that you see? Yeah, that's
12 00:09:46,040 --> 00:11:00,810 good. So part of that belonging and why I want kids to get connected and belong is there's been some research that shows if kids feel connected to other students and the caring adult, then they feel more hopeful. If they feel feel more hopeful, the research shows that they're going to thrive in school and outside of school. Yeah. And for whatever reason is the kids get older, throughout school up into the middle school, high school grades, some of them start losing hope. So my job, my role is to give them hope, again, find hope by getting them connected. Now, you and I have chatted a little bit. And I've seen you know, kids get connected in the wrong ways, which I think we're going to go there eventually. But yeah, when they start when they start losing hope, you know, I think everybody knows, especially if you're an educator or a parent right now, it's stress, anxiety and depression are just through the roof right now. You don't I don't, I don't I actually don't exactly know why some people blame it on cell phones or, or screen screen time or whatever. Yeah, but I think there is a lack of human connection component as to why feeling stressed, anxious.
13 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:24,180 What, what are you doing as a as a leader? What is the staff doing? Obviously, you're getting connected, but you're part of your model is online education, or there's some component of distance learning at least one day a week? How do you kind of make sense of that? Obviously, they're getting involved in teams. But how do you talk about that with students?
14 00:11:25,920 --> 00:12:22,890 Yeah, we, we do have an online education component. And we we do have some kids that are actually fully online. So how do we get them connected to other humans through a teacher, Reza, other students? A lot of our online students are doing it because they're excelling in some area of their life, some passion that they're doing what? Acting or golf or music or singing? Yeah, so many of those kids are, are getting that connection, whether it's on one of our teams, because they're on the golf team, whether they're driving up to LA every day, and they're acting, and they're part of a community there. Right. So yeah, there is that. Now, those connections may or may not be with my staff, hopefully, they're with my staff, there's, you know, there's a requirement to meet with a teacher weekly. So even if you're in the online education, you're going to be meeting with teacher every single week.
15 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:31,530 Wow. So what does that look like from a teacher perspective? They're meeting with all their students every week.
16 00:12:33,340 --> 00:13:22,420 Unknown: Yeah, not all at the same time. So I technically and not the principle of the online program. Sure. Yeah. It's actually grown so much so much that we have an entire principal And Staff Dedicated to the online and the blended online, which most of our students that do online are coming now this year, three days a week. But yeah, like I said, there are some that are fully online. It's we find Scott at the high school that fewer students want that full online experience. And it really it really is those kids that are really spending 40-60 hours a week acting or right there, right there in action, nationally recognized golfer or something like that. And they need that flexibility to maybe do their their school work in the evenings or on the weekend.
17 00:13:23,920 --> 00:14:10,690 Scott Schimmel: But yeah, the vast majority of our kids want to come to school, and don't don't want to leave school. It's like, the end of the day, they just want to hang out. We my son and I were on a walk last night in our neighborhood. We don't live too far away from your school. And there's a it's just a bizarre scene we saw a garage this nighttime, the garage is open. And there's a kid apparently is 14. And he's got this camera setup with the light gear. And so we're walking by and my son goes, Oh, that's, that's so and so I'm like, Who? He goes, Oh, he's this like huge Tick tock, social media influencer guy. And so I'm like, Why don't you talk about some we walked by, and I looked this kid up. And he's got 1.3 million followers. And he's a model. He's got an agent. And I asked my son like, Well, how do you know who this kid is? Does he go to school with you? He goes, No, I think he goes to classical.
18 00:14:14,410 --> 00:14:17,260 Unknown: I don't know the kid. That's really funny.
19 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:41,250 Scott Schimmel: But it's one of those, like head scratchers, like that's that's a thing for a kid or, or even have someone that's so invested in their golf career or acting or dance. That's, I didn't know those kids grown up? No, I think that's changed. What? What do you see in terms of shifts and trends in students and connection that either concerns you or encourages you?
20 00:14:42,660 --> 00:16:30,720 Dana Moen: Yeah, well, I'd say I would like to focus on the web encourages me. So we've chatted a little bit about this in the last, you know, since we've started talking recently, I encourage my kids, when they start High School actually started in eighth grade, that I have three kids tips for them. And these are based on kind of my life experience. And yeah, and I like to encourage them that their grades do matter, because by the time they get to their senior year, here, they actually have a transcript and that transcripts going to impact their, their next four years, whatever they do, right. And it's not just it's not just getting into college, it's preparing them to, to be prepared to actually be successful in college, you know, and not be dropping out after their freshman year college. So their grades matter, their academics matter. And I encourage them to pay attention and follow directions and ask for help. Yeah, the second thing that we've just talked about today is getting connected. So I want to all connected somewhere, there's lots of places to get connected. The thing that I think that's encouraging and disappointing at the same time is that is the high school dating. Mm hmm. Um, they hear it classical, more encouraging than not seen, or So as we've seen a rise in anxiety and depression and stress, you have all seen a rise in not with my kids that are almost just walking around campus, like they're in a marriage relationship. Like they're already married, they're in this really intense emotional relationship, this connection, sometimes physical, everything is about that other person. And that's a scary thing that I've witnessed. And I've seen a lot of kids not handle that. Well. So my third piece of advice is don't date and high school.
21 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:36,690 Scott Schimmel: That's great. I mean, you can imagine that couple you're walking through the hall, and you're like, that's not going to go well.
22 00:16:38,220 --> 00:17:32,910 That's like, either you. And Scott, most of them, unfortunately, don't look happy. Yeah. I mean, I, you I'm married. I've been married for 24 years, and I, and it's a happy marriage, but there's been some rough parts of any relation that that you got to work through and, and high school, it's a tough time to work through some of those inner personal things with this right in a romantic relationship with another person. So yeah, I encourage the kids not to get into a serious dating relationship. And many, many are actually following my advice and thanking me by the time they graduate. They so good, they end up graduating with more friends. Great social skills, a really high grade point average. Yeah. And part of that is, is because they have waited a lot of that dating drama in high school.
23 00:17:33,270 --> 00:17:41,130 I can I can only imagine if I had done in hindsight, like not still have unresolved issues and drama at the high school reunion years later.
24 00:17:42,780 --> 00:18:05,090 And that was the one so I added my three things, get involved, get good grades, and don't date. That's the one that I did not do well in school. Right? That's like that was like I learned from the other model. Is it good for me? Yeah, I dated for a couple years really intense right relationship. We thought we're going to get married. And a great girl I you know,
25 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:06,660 I don't
26 00:18:07,050 --> 00:18:12,590 we're friends now a great, great gal, but it just wasn't healthy for either one of us in high school.
27 00:18:12,660 --> 00:18:16,820 So what to do instead if if the message is don't say what do you get them to do?
28 00:18:16,980 --> 00:18:22,580 That's awesome. And I and people, sometimes people get me wrong on this. When I say don't date.
29 00:18:23,490 --> 00:18:24,350 Unknown: I want that.
30 00:18:24,350 --> 00:19:11,840 Scott Schimmel: And like I told my son, my son's a junior in college. Now I wanted him to get to know as many girls in high school as possible. I wanted to have lots and lots of relationships. The kids that graduate high school with a lot of friends are the ones that didn't have one dating relationship through high school. They have, they have more guy friends, and they have more girlfriends. My, my daughter just graduated last year, she's also she's a freshman college, the, in her senior year, her group of friends planned a camping trip around California, they, they hit up these most amazing place. big group of guys and girls that were such good friends, that they were on this two week camping adventure. And the parents trusted them all as a
31 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:13,340 writer, I cannot imagine that.
32 00:19:15,060 --> 00:19:51,320 Because these kids had made great decisions, and they weren't romantically involved in each other. They had formed these amazing friendship. So what do I say in front instead? Yeah, create friendships, right? No invested in your friendships, guide friendships and girl friendships. And I don't mean don't ever go on a date. Like we do dances and right. It's real fun to ask somebody out on a meet and, and most of our kids here, they, they might ask somebody, but they're going in a group, they're not going to be and then 24 hours just with one person hanging out with the one person?
33 00:19:51,750 --> 00:20:22,200 Well, you're even in this context of this conversation, you're talking about very personal things for young adults, you know, it's like, you know, we're talking at school, your principal, the school talking about relationships, and dating and romance and all that stuff. Like, because there's there's quite a few teachers in the world educators in the world that would say that's not that's not what we do. That's not I have a degree in math or I have a degree and I don't I'm not qualified. So how do you make sense of that? Because obviously, you're going you're you're getting it?
34 00:20:22,800 --> 00:21:28,440 Yeah, I'm for I've been, like I said, I've been principal 11 years, I started saying, work hard on your grades, your grades matter. Get involved in don't date, I started saying that about nine or 10 years ago. And for the first couple years, I had a lot of parents, like people warning me Don't talk about dating, like, telling me I was wrong to say it, I was taking a risk. It's not my business. It's not my place. And I'm like, Guys, this isn't a rule. It's not a school rule. It is just it is it's just a nice arrangement. But it's costly traction. It's literally caught traction now, and more and more people are like, yeah, Mr. Mo, and you're completely right. And I actually have kids making decisions based off of my encouragement to them to adjust it. And honestly, there used to be Scott, this this notion that you're not normal, if you don't do right, Totally, yeah. It'd be like, you're not cool if you're not in a relationship wrong with you. Right. And, and that's more of the stereotype we're trying to break here.
35 00:21:28,440 --> 00:22:13,050 Yeah. Well, what I love as a dad, knowing that my kids, I'm on the other end of the spectrum from you, as a parent, my oldest is 13. So he's entering into those years. What encourages me as a dad is I know that he's pulling away from me, and my two girls will as well, they'll listen less than less likely to my advice, and look more and more to other people, probably their peers for how to make sense of the world, which is very normal and natural. But here you are in school, giving them wise counsel like wisdom from your life experience, like that is how this whole project needs to work this whole raising kids school. So I just want to thank you for that. That that's a that that warms my heart that there'd be leaders in schools who care about my kids in that way.
36 00:22:14,430 --> 00:22:57,210 And and I'm encouraging the kids, I'm encouraging their parents, I'm normalizing that it's normal not to be in this semi marriage type relationship, right? When you're 14 1516 year old in high school, right. And and I'm not saying that all relationships are wrong. That's not what I'm trying to say. I've seen very few freshmen navigate a healthy dating relationship. I don't know if I've actually ever seen a freshman of 14 or having a dating relationship. I've definitely seen some at about sophomores have a healthy relationship. And I've definitely seen some juniors and seniors have a healthy relationship. All that say the ones that
37 00:22:57,210 --> 00:22:59,280 avoid it completely right
38 00:22:59,310 --> 00:23:06,570 graduate with the most amazing interpersonal skills and the most amazing group of friends just ready to take on the world.
39 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,470 Yeah, you're just like, I'm just saying, This is research people. This is just numbers you choose.
40 00:23:11,010 --> 00:23:32,760 And research that me you mentioned research, I used to do my own informal, just kind of pulling like because my kids go to my high school. So I'd be driving around four or five kids. And I'd ask him, Hey, guys, what are your grades? What what kind of grades you getting right now? And I just kind of do a little poll. And I say how many of you guys were dating? And I was literally see
41 00:23:34,140 --> 00:23:39,930 which ones are dating or their grades? Were that was like informal poll. Yeah, I was
42 00:23:39,960 --> 00:24:30,330 so happy after multiple years of saying this, that a study just came out on the effects of teenage dating. It was it was conducted by the center, the Center for Disease Control. It's really for Control and Prevention. Why? Because they're looking at patterns of depression and suicide, and how dating is impacting those things. So they they ended up surveying almost 600 500 594 sophomores they surveyed, and they search they surveyed the sophomore and their teachers. And what they found out is that the the teenagers, the sophomores that were not dating were happier. They were depressed, and they had stronger interpersonal skills. Hmm. That's
43 00:24:31,500 --> 00:24:33,060 right. I've been right
44 00:24:33,060 --> 00:24:57,060 all along. Now there's a study. I feel like that's half of my life these days, is saying things and then finding that there's a study that's proven it, like recently has read this long white paper, and years of research that came to the conclusion that when students feel like an adult on campus cares about them, they do better academically. And I was like, Yes, I mean, but I'm glad somebody spent the time and money to go research that but then we already know that.
45 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:48,810 We didn't know that and was an amazing study. That was another study that came out that I'm like, that's why I've been pushing this connection. Like, I want kids to be connected at school because and the only reason I really knew it is it worked for me. It worked for me, and then I was seeing it work for other kids. My Okay, so it's not about one sport or one activity, but we have a lot of boys at classical that play football. There's 80 to 90 boys every year that play ball during this season. Those kids are jammin Yeah, great. their grades are extremely high. There's no discipline issues. But those kids don't go on to another activity after football. struggle. Some of them struggle.
46 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:54,090 Yeah. Dana's way to rule the world. This is awesome. This is great.
47 00:25:57,210 --> 00:26:42,390 Dana Moen: It is about a caring adults on campus. It's it's a group of kids, but it's also a caring adult. And that's why I encourage all of my staff to be advising a club or coaching or running a team on campus. I've a teacher that's not doing any club or sport, but he just he's going to start taking kids on Mondays when they don't have to be in school this winter up to Mountain High to do something, according well, and if you have a group of 10 or more, it's an amazing deal. And this and it's he's calling it a snow club. It's nothing official. Right? He's gonna have a snow club of our escondida kids and while driving a mountain high and walking on Mondays this winter.
48 00:26:42,390 --> 00:27:08,790 Scott Schimmel: Well, I feel like the whole mission of YouSchool is to pull out all the best of what you're doing and sprinkle it into local public high schools and middle schools. So thanks, thank you for what you're doing. Thanks for the culture you've you've created and continue to cultivate. And I just wish you guys absolutely the best. And hopefully I can continue to stop by and be refreshed and reminded there is an upside down where this will work. The project does. It does matter.
49 00:27:08,820 --> 00:27:13,200 Unknown: So thanks Awesome Scott, thank you so much. Thanks for all your support over the years. Yep.
Who is Kevin Kirk? Kevin Kirk graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2005 with a major in Sociology and minor in Criminal Justice. Soon after graduation, Kevin entered the United States Military, where he had both the honor and privilege to serve as a Navy SEAL. Kevin speaks fluent French and enjoys skydiving, scuba diving and developing his combat skills in his free time. After his brother passed away on December 2013, Kevin became inspired to help others and has since lived with that as his purpose. He is a proudly certified hospice volunteer. WHAT IS MAKE A WAVE? We are a revolutionary social media platform that promotes acts of kindness and tracks good deeds through the passing of coins.
We encourage people to "pay it forward" and share about it online-allowing users to see firsthand how their "ripple" turns into a "wave."
EXPLAIN THE COINS... These coins are passed through acts of kindness.
Each coin instructs the recipient to go to MakeaWave.com, where they are directed to type in that coins unique ID and learn what that SPECIFIC coin represents. This gives the ability for these acts of kindness to be attached to its own cause.
Causes can be the birth of a baby, a marriage, or even giving your waiter/waitress a big tip. You can even honor a lost loved one and put the coin in their name! It's up to you, you choose your cause and watch it MAKE A WAVE of kindness!
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Transcript of the Episode:
1 00:00:50,700 --> 00:03:33,870 Scott Schimmel: Well, hey everybody. This is Scott Schimmel, your consummate host of the YouSchool podcast. And I'm here live in studio, sort of, with my new friend Kevin Kirk, former Navy SEAL now is the director of a nonprofit called microwave foundation working with students. And so Kevin, first of all, welcome to the show. And then secondly, I know when people hear former Navy SEAL, they conjure up all these images. And so maybe you can just kind of tff for what was your role within the Navy and, and, and then a quick bridge to what are you doing now?
2 00:03:35,460 --> 00:03:57,030 Kevin Kirk: Yeah, so 9-11 happened when I was in college, and I realized that I want to serve you know, the nation. I want to be part of the best of the best. So I focused in on the Navy SEAL program. Took me took me about six years to get in. Once I graduated college. I had actually tried to sign up but I go the color blindness test.
3 00:03:59,460 --> 00:03:59,970 Scott Schimmel: Yeah, that's right
4 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:08,520 Kevin Kirk: Make a very long story short it actually took me six years to prove to the military that I could see could could in fact see colors
5 00:04:09,990 --> 00:04:13,350 Scott Schimmel: go Yeah, and you were just you're just dumb not blind
6 00:04:14,730 --> 00:04:29,100 Kevin Kirk: or deficient is oh thank you sorry excuse I didn't want to offend ever affecting your life. Obviously the Navy has to be very selective of people. Obviously, you don't want somebody going in that can't see colors that can be very detrimental.
7 00:04:29,100 --> 00:04:35,850 Scott Schimmel: Which by the way, I'm colorblind so I'm not gonna take any of this personally, I I'm sure I would have been a Navy SEAL as well if I had been able to see color.
8 00:04:38,190 --> 00:04:43,710 Kevin Kirk: happened was I actually I got denied for many, many years and I never gave up on it.
9 00:04:44,940 --> 00:04:59,970 And I wound up doing a lot of fundraising for the Navy SEAL Foundation, which is a foundation that supports navy seals and their and their families. So I did that. I was doing like a half Ironman. I would raise money for the
10 00:05:00,420 --> 00:05:32,400 Navy SEAL foundation then I did a full marathon that I did a full Ironman, it with each of these events, I was pushing myself to become better, but at the same time, I want to support the community that at that time I could not be a part of. So I did that for about four years and eventually I had kind of gotten noticed by the right people for supporting the community and they said, you know, we want to retest you we've seen that you wound up which is a you know, a personality trait that goes far with the seals. And by that's how they call it what do you call it?
11 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:36,810 Well, I mean, ultimately, perseverance,
12 00:05:38,490 --> 00:05:53,040 perseverance, you know, I just would not give up and I knew that about myself and that's probably my my strongest trade. So during that Meantime, of doing all the fundraising night actually bought the color vision machine. So
13 00:05:54,090 --> 00:05:59,670 last couple years, I have been prepping for this moment and I got to
14 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:07,080 Groton, Connecticut, and took the test. And luckily I said I had already bought machine already taken that test a couple thousand times.
15 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:59,580 I pass a test and it took me six years. But yeah, so I went in at 28. So I was a bit older, the average is probably around 228 is actually the cutoff. I just missed it by a few weeks. So definitely blessed at and then I got to buds which is Navy SEAL training. And that is they make a very long story short again, that's a that's a big kicker. For me. It was an extra buck kicker. That was a very, very tough program, both mentally and physically. And you know, I wanted to be challenged, I wanted to see the world both the good and the bad, so I could appreciate the good and my time in teams. I got to do both. So I feel very blessed to be on the path that I'm on. You know, there's been there's been pain in my life, but I always say that it's it's my job to turn that pain into something positive.
16 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:15,660 Unknown: Um, it's, it's pretty easy to find that and sometimes it's hard but you always have to be looking. So tell me about breakaway foundation. what's the what's the transition from the Navy to nonprofit working with schools? Yeah, you know, as kind of perfect lead in right.
17 00:07:17,640 --> 00:08:00,000 Kevin Kirk: You know, there is some pain in my life that I wanted to to turn into something positive. Right. So the backstory on that is I had returned from Afghanistan in 2013. And I was stationed in Virginia Beach at the time, but my family lived in a little town in Connecticut, Connecticut called Bethel. So I visited there for the holidays. Visit my family, my two brothers, Ryan and Tim, my parents. And unfortunately, while I was visiting home, my brother Ryan passed away, which was extremely tragic for me not to get into greater detail, but I was I was unfortunately one that found him. So it was a big shock to me to say the least, and
18 00:08:01,050 --> 00:08:42,570 My brother was an amazing, amazing guy. He had his share of troubles he had been an alcoholic until he was 32 years old. He passed away 36 so I always say if he had passed away when he was 32, he would have left the legacy of Hey, this is this is why you don't drink right because Brian Kelly, but he didn't drink he stopped that and completely turned around his legacy. He got really big into the a program. He loved to volunteer, he was a shift supervisor over at the local homeless shelter and really just became somebody that the family was so proud of. That journey of seeing, seeing him struggle inspired me.
19 00:08:43,620 --> 00:08:59,970 My father was an alcoholic is too as well. And it was they were going through their flight right around the time that I was going through my fight and SEAL training. And you know, I'm graduation day of your high school graduation, which was, you know, six, eight
20 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:19,080 years in the making, you know, I got to stand there with my brother and my father and tell them that they were my inspiration. And I took off you know, my my seal Trident, which, which is the most important thing to a seal. That's, that's saying what we do, and I gave it to my father. He's He's not a seal, God
21 00:09:20,250 --> 00:09:24,900 just inspired the hell out of me. So it was a very day. Sorry to get back.
22 00:09:26,100 --> 00:10:00,000 So when it was time to remember my brother at a service, we asked others to not bring flowers or anything like that that's not really what my brother lived for a Lyft for being kind to others and serving others. So we so there's a feel appropriate to do an act of kindness and my brother Ryan's name, and we set up a Facebook Memorial page called letters for Ryan and just asked others if you if you feel to please share your act of kindness on that page. We we didn't really know what we're
23 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:00,720 Expecting.
24 00:10:01,950 --> 00:10:25,530 And within 24 hours of saying goodbye, my brother formally, also in all these, all these ways of positive acts of kindness just started rolling in. And we found ourselves as a family, crying tears of happiness and not tears of sadness. Well then, you know, within 24 hours of saying goodbye to him, and we really thought that there was something special there.
25 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:30,810 You know, there was something that was very unique in the healing process with us there that
26 00:10:31,890 --> 00:10:47,820 that I really focused in on whether I knew it or not, at the time, I knew I was part of something special there. And that went on for probably about two months. And we saw that the activity really started to slow down as people moved on with their lives as as they should.
27 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:59,970 And for me, it it hit me in my heart that my brother's work was done. And I also realize that you know, there's nothing I can do to bring them back. I it made me
28 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:21,900 It made life and death very final for me. And I really took a look at my own life and, and tried to find a different type of meaning and, and really looked at my brother's life for that inspiration. And yeah, we say my brother wasn't a rich man, he didn't have money or anything like that. But I always say that he left us the greatest gift that you can through death, which is inspiration,
29 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:59,910 inspiration to be a better person, inspiration, be kinder to others, inspiration to find ways to serve others more, obviously got to take care of yourself. I'm not saying that we really left a beautiful legacy. And, you know, I looked at that legacy, and just thought of ways to keep that going. And I would talk to my brother Tim about it, who's you know, he's living in Texas, and now with his family, and his now wife came up with the idea of passing a coin. So, at the beginning, it was a coin that would be passed through acts of kindness to say
30 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:39,660 You go to Starbucks and just ask the barista, hey, next person orders medium coffee today, it's on me and I just paid find out that it's for free, just pass them on this coin, right and on the back corner would be the link to the URL for the Facebook page for letters for line. So that was was this that that really don't make waves. And we said on that we talked about it a lot. We kind of came up with some designs, but we never really moved forward with it. I think. I think we knew it was a great concept. But we also knew that it was a bit temporary, you know, I don't think we It was a band aid. Right? I don't think expected it to really flourish the way that something could my brother's name,
31 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,700 somebody else's name as well. So what we did,
32 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:59,160 and we just kept picking at it and as always on the front front part of my brain, which is you really want where you want your ideas that you're creating to be and one night I was in between sleep and consciousness, that weird kind of
33 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:08,640 Stage. And all of a sudden, in my dream, I saw the back of that coin and it didn't have the URL anymore. I had a serial number.
34 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:15,450 And this is, you know, I'm not an overly spiritual guy. So this was this was new to me.
35 00:13:16,620 --> 00:13:28,470 And I just knew that I was given some sort of inspiration to, to to work on, and I work on it. Just build the vision out I didn't sleep for three days and three nights actually probably about
36 00:13:30,270 --> 00:13:31,470 which wasn't foreign to me.
37 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:57,090 You know, there's that thin line between madness and creativity. I was definitely on that threshold. But I was I was loving the journey. This is all new to me. Well, new mission to to get prepared for 100% and I was actually I was going through my military transition at that time. So for me, it was I've had two columns in my life one was to be a Navy SEAL which was not easy
38 00:13:58,350 --> 00:13:59,970 to to make make waves
39 00:14:00,990 --> 00:14:05,520 reality which, which has been a journey, right? So.
40 00:14:06,930 --> 00:14:59,970 So yeah, so that's a why students why schools why students? Yeah. So when we started Nick with, we realized that we had a way through this on the back of that, that coin, where where that inspiration wound up going, was that on the back of the coin, it would lead that person that gets past the coin to make waves calm. So you read on the back where to go. And then once you get to our website, it's going to ask you for the specific serial number on the back of your coin. And once type, once you type in that coin, it unlocks the journey and the message of that coin right. So you can see all the time that let it to you. You can see what it will positive impact map so you can track the coins, or is all those you're a part of something now. Yeah, yeah. You know, we really, you always hear about, you know, one one act of kindness can change the world, right? What we really thought was that
41 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:14,310 You know, we can prove that we can prove that one minus can change, you're trying to operationalize that turn into a strategy. Exactly, exactly. So our mission now is make waves we multiply the good, and
42 00:15:15,900 --> 00:15:25,620 that really comes full circle with, with who we are and what we're trying to do. So, you know, once once the viewer looks, you know, at that coins profile
43 00:15:26,940 --> 00:15:37,470 they're driven to do an act of kindness to continue that chain of positive impact. And that's that's the way that we really focused on at the beginning with you the acts of kindness. And
44 00:15:38,490 --> 00:16:00,000 you know, we we played around with that had some good coins, get out there do some amazing things, you know, people getting, you know, hundred dollar tips and things like that. But then I had a teacher in Virginia Beach, contact me, same group of friends. And she told me that she would love to use the midway point in your classroom, which was thing before that. It was
45 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:59,910 is, you know a way to remember lost loved ones, you could create a profile for that coin to hold that remembers your lost loved ones. So acts of kindness in their name. That's that was our original vision. Okay, and then we got some started in her class. And I mean, I think everybody that knew about the project just fell in love with it and seeing, seeing the purity that the students have when they pass on the coin. It's so genuine and extremely refreshing. So we knew that was going to be a major focus of ours. So I got a couple more coins going for beta testing. And there was a school down in Texas that took the inspiration from Grossman Elementary in Virginia Beach, that previous school, and she took that and want to try it a little bit different. So the way it worked in her school was that the coin got passed from class to class, with different reading, getting student the student and the act of kindness
46 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:54,750 wasn't happening between the students in the classes, it was actually getting done to the community. For example, if I was a teacher and the coin got passed to my class, I would gather my students around and say, Hey, this is a microwave coin, its mission is to make the world a better place. It's now our assignment to plan and complete in a an active service to the community. And then they pass it on to another class to continue that chain. And I didn't really know what to expect when I heard about the plan but then once I saw it executed, I was absolutely blown away. Were these weren't small acts of kindness happen anymore. This was this was major positive impact happened in their community read the students were leading, and that the students were part of and it really it inspired all of us to work so much harder to make, make a wave a reality. I'm sure you can tell I'm getting all
47 00:17:55,980 --> 00:17:59,970 talking about the Yeah. I'm so passionate about it. So
48 00:18:00,810 --> 00:18:59,970 Yeah, I mean, we had they, they actually had a food drive for one of their first acts of service. And I was expecting maybe raising, you know, 45 pounds of food or something like that, which would have done great, right? Right. He is 1800 pounds of food my shelf, which provides 938 meals for that for that community. Wow. And imagine being in fourth grade and, and realizing that they you have the power to impact the community like that when you come together. We really from that point on our our focus really changed from promoting kindness to really promoting the power and possibility of unity and teamwork. What can what can we do when we all work together, which kind of leads us into the direction that we're going into the into the upcoming upcoming school year, which is, you know,
49 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:33,720 We're really excited we multiply the goods. So when we saw that we said, How do we how do we make this a little bit bigger? Right, so moving forward, it's actually going to be passed from school to school. Sweet. So the whole school will come together to do an active service to the community. And then they'll pass on the coin and just keep that going. But that would like a very simple concept. But the impact that that can do on a macro scale is absolutely amazing. Right? Read for some of the people that like data out there or numbers, I'm not a mathematician.
50 00:19:35,190 --> 00:19:59,970 But I respect it and I know its value. So you were to take the average number of students in a United States Middle School at 600. Right? So if we got 100 coins out there, the school year, if those schools if those coins just got passed on one time by school, the United States that would be 60,000 students coming together to make their communities
51 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:43,560 Better Place and we're we're trying to create a, you know systems and processes where we will take about two months for the school to plan and execute that passing, which bring it around that coin being passed five times that year. Right so if that if these coins start to get past five times this year is 100 coins and a year brings together 300,000 students to make the world a better place. Well, if if we started with a senior class and just said, hey, it's it's your job to leave your school through this assignment. By the time they're at their 10 year anniversary, those hundred coins will affect and positively impact 3 million.
52 00:20:45,300 --> 00:21:00,000 So now it just really kind of kind of blew our minds a little bit once we looked at the numbers and just how simple this can be. So now we're really focused on you know, bringing in principals and school systems that are looking
53 00:21:00,000 --> 00:22:00,000 Unknown: To use technology, to to teach their students lessons about teamwork, unity, serve others really just making the world a better place. It's all about promoting, while I was taking notes as you're talking and trying to imagine principals who have students that are learning these lessons from you, even from your own story, when you have setbacks, when you have roadblocks, become the kind of person who doesn't get overwhelmed or crushed by them. You keep going you by the color blind. You learn it, you figure out a way, you have pain and loss and trauma in your life. And you figure out what to do with that. And again, not to be overwhelmed, but to transform that redeem that. You learn these lessons of that your life has the power to make a difference. Like literally if you're listening to this and you're a school leader and activities director is be principal. Imagine your students learning those things. What would happen if you're starting students are learning those lessons, what would happen to their learning what would happen to their attention
54 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:43,290 Kevin Kirk: What would happen to a sense of inclusive at on campus this bullying? And imagine if young students were figuring out my life has purpose, the pain I've been through is worth something I can I can make a difference in this world. I don't have to get up. Yeah, no, I agree. 100%, you know, at at the core of makeweight, what our goal is, in its simplest form is we're looking to bring people together so that they can feel part of something bigger than themselves. And, you know, I was I was blessed with military intelligence in general to to always feel like I was part of something bigger. Yeah, not everybody has that. And I think, you know, make a point for some of the students that that are
55 00:22:44,370 --> 00:22:59,970 teams and things like that could really bring them in, get them social, make them feel like they're part of something positive. Yeah. Also one of the stories on cyber bullying with the coin. So there was this goes back to the student to student when it's past
56 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:21,720 from students in Virginia Beach, there had been a student there, this is a third grade classroom and the student was beginning to display behavior for bullying. Right? And this is this is a class where the Midway midway point has passed. And so the the student that was holding the coin that week, decided that they were going to do their act of kindness to bully.
57 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:29,070 And that act of kindness was completed and talking with the teacher that bullying stopped.
58 00:23:31,260 --> 00:23:55,560 And that that bully passed on that coin and one of my favorite acts of kindness, which I won't get into, but uh, yeah, really, it really came full circle with that with that coin and just seeing that you're just including others. Um, you know, the the teacher in Roseman Elementary, you know, she describes it as, you know, when somebody gets passed on that coin, it's their birthday.
59 00:23:56,850 --> 00:24:00,000 When you're that age, you know, your birthday is suffering.
60 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:23,100 special day. Well, that's, that's the same feeling that the students are getting. So just knowing that, that the, you know, there's coins out there just really helping our students become kinder and you know, learn how to work as a team to make the world a better place is just yeah, I have the best job in the world. Yeah. Well, something. Something tells me that you're going to figure this out and figure out a way to get this into every school across the country.
61 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:26,490 I will you said the country.
62 00:24:31,590 --> 00:24:59,880 You know, we, you know, we've spoke before, this is my why, you know, I, this is my passion. This is my, I don't want to use the word obsession, but this is this is my calling. And I'll never turn away from it. So I will. You're correct. I will keep going. Yeah, I feel like this is this is doing what it can. It's my job to do. So. I'm not the creator of this. I'm just the head volunteer and I'm on the guide. So Well, tell me how to find you.
63 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:53,640 Unknown: How do we get in touch with you? How do we bring you to our school? Yes, so my email is Kevin Kirk. That's KI rk at make a wave.com. Okay. And that's the website maker wave. com. Yeah, websites up there. There's some contact information as well. Great. And then on Instagram, we are making a foundation, right? In Facebook we are with. Awesome. Well, Kevin, thank you for being a part of the show for friend to us school and we can't wait to partner with you. And imagine students learning these deep things about life at a young age you think of maybe a generation ahead of us that are in the twilight of their lives in their, in their retirement trying to figure how do I make a difference now like imagine if we flipped that in kids as they're starting life new that's what life is all about. So thank you for what you're doing and bless your work. I hope it grows across the world.
Dr. Churchill is a highly respected educator who is proud to serve in his fourth year as Superintendent of Carlsbad Unified School District.
He is passionate about all aspects of teaching and learning, and is especially interested in classroom technology integration, early learning and kindergarten readiness, workforce development, and career pathways for all students. He previously served as an assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, high school principal, associate principal of curriculum and instruction, and a high school English teacher. He began his 24-year career in education teaching English for six years in China.
Dr. Churchill was recently recognized as the 2019 Innovative Superintendent by the Classroom of the Future Foundation. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for both the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and the Classroom of the Future Foundation, Dr. Churchill is also currently serving as the Chair of the Board of Governors for the North Coastal Consortium for Special Education.
Dr. Churchill earned his Educational Doctorate from Argosy University, a master’s degree in school leadership from Northeastern Illinois University, a master’s degree in teaching and learning from DePaul University, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Valparaiso University. Ben, his wife, and their two school-age daughters live in Carlsbad. The family is thrilled to be part of the active community of parents and other committed stakeholders in the district.
Connect with Dr. Churchill on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook - @SuptChurchill
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Transcript of the Entire Episode
1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:01:35,160 Scott Schimmel: Hey, everybody. This is Scott Schimmel, the co host, the host of the YouSchool podcast, and I'm here, I'm really thrilled to be here with Dr. Ben Churchill. He's been really gracious to make time for us in his office. And I've known I've known Ben, since probably the first week that you came here, I met you and a gym at Carlsbad High School, when you were fresh to San Diego. And it was great to welcome you here. And now it's going on to your fourth year. So, Ben, welcome to the show. And thank you for joining, would you just kind of tell us where you are, what you're doing, and what brought you here.
2 00:01:36,000 --> 00:03:41,250 Dr Churchilll: Cool, thanks, Scott. Life is good. I am here in Carlsbad, as you said, my fourth year as superintendent, Carlsbad Unified School District. And I feel very fortunate we we moved here from the Chicago area. Four summers ago, my wife and my two daughters. And I, we had decided, when I was finished my doctorate degree, we were looking for Superintendent jobs. I've been on the SU a chief academic officer in the Chicago region. And when when we thought about, you know, the the change on our family that that, you know, starting a superintendent job would entail, we thought, let's find somewhere really awesome to do this work. Right. So, so we looked at the map, we circled a couple of places on the map that we thought would be places we'd like to live and raise a family Why? Exactly right. Right. So So coastal San Diego County, was high on the list. I knew the search firm that was conducting the search for the Carlsbad superintendent. And, you know, it all worked out. So I feel very fortunate that we, we worked hard to get here. And that will work in an equally hard to stay here. Because it's an outstanding place to live great place to raise a family. And and and the people I work with are outstanding. So couldn't couldn't be a better situation personally. And professionally. The work is the right work. We have a really positive and supportive community. parents and community members are genuinely supportive of public education and Carlsbad. Yeah. So So we, we get to do a lot of good work, because we get to partner with so many good people who are either behind the scenes working in their school, we work with the business community do a lot of work with, with Connecting Kids, students to the world of work and opportunities there. And when you have this supportive, strong community, you can really do great things.
3 00:03:42,780 --> 00:03:45,720 Scott Schimmel: Quick question, White Sox or cubs. Haha,
4 00:03:45,780 --> 00:04:03,450 Dr Churchilll: I'm a Cubs fan. And a lifelong Cubs fan. And this season is just like every cup season since I've been alive, you feel great for a while. And then you get really, really nervous. So we're on the edge of our seat here for the next couple weeks.
5 00:04:03,510 --> 00:04:08,070 Scott Schimmel: Well, I'm a Dodgers fan. So I understand the past you understand you 30 years.
6 00:04:10,230 --> 00:04:12,540 What was your What was your doctorate in? I don't know,
7 00:04:13,080 --> 00:05:53,700 Dr Churchilll: Educational leadership. So I did research around how we use technology in schools, and specifically how we support teachers in learning about how to use technology in schools. So So from a leadership perspective, it's one thing to say we'd like to use devices in our classrooms, right? It's another thing to say how can we most effectively train and support our teachers so that they can most effectively use the tools. So we looked at a lot of larger scale research studies that had been done. The State of Tennessee, about 10 years ago, did a large scale study on the effectiveness of professional development for teachers related to technology and, and in that research, and then in the research I did, it was pretty clear, if you support teachers in an embedded ongoing manner. So over time, you can give them the support, they're going to be much more able to make a difference. And that's not just technology, that's pretty much anything, right. He's one and done, come sit in the gym, listen to me talk for, you know, four hours, and then go back and do your thing. We don't find a lot of effect there. There's a time and a place. Certainly, you know, we did a whole district kickoff three weeks ago, where I got everybody, you know, over 1000 employees, we are in the gym together at Carlsbad High School, we got to talk about vision and and, and our hopes and dreams. Um, so so that was a sitting gap. But but then you hope to support that over time with embedded ongoing conversation about those same things
8 00:05:54,210 --> 00:06:04,200 Scott Schimmel: with your vision for the district. Is that something that you're reinforcing over the past three yours? Is it? Was there a new direction for where you're headed?
9 00:06:04,410 --> 00:07:42,510 Dr Churchilll: Yeah, no, it's a great question. I walked into a great situation here at Carlsbad unified schools have been high performing. Students have done well on on traditional measures of student learning and growth. And our community has very high expectations for for students. So So I walked into a situation where we were doing well, parents wanted us to continue doing well. And our board, the board that hired me, essentially said, Good is not good enough, let's figure out a way to take it to the next level. So that's really been my mission now over the last three plus years. How do you take something that's seemingly firing on all cylinders? Right, and and how do you find ways to improve on that? And we talk a lot about innovation in schools and classrooms. Right. And and I'm very careful to remind folks that that innovation for the sake of innovating, right, is is is not the point. Right? Right. Right. Innovation is doing something in a different manner. For better results. Yeah. And keep your eye on that prize. We can do great things. Yeah, I'm not, you know, I'm not an education disruptor or right. Plenty of folks out there who are just running. And they're doing good positive things. I'm sure they are. I don't see the same need here. I see the need to let's find ways to analyze what's working and what's not. And the case that things aren't working. Yeah, if there's a problem to be solved, let's get after it and find new ways to to solve it. But not for the sake of change. Not for the sake right. Banner,
10 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:55,830 Scott Schimmel: will I mean, you are a I'd call you like a Twitter star. And you came out guns blazing. Since the beginning. What what are you doing with that? What is your strategy? What's your theory behind that?
11 00:07:56,340 --> 00:10:44,160 Dr Churchilll: Sure. So so I'm definitely I do try to be intentional. When we when we communicate publicly. One of my I think most important roles as superintendent is to both be a champion for public education, and a cheerleader for the outstanding things that are happening in our schools. We have a story to tell, I think it's a great story. And we have a choice, either. We allow others to tell the story for us. Yeah. Or we take control of the message and we share and we tell the story. And and not always rather be the one telling the story. Right. So if you listen to the news, if you read some things published nationally, you would be under the impression that schools are failing, that kids are doomed to a bleak future totally. And, and and i don't see that I see schools that are doing really well. teachers and administrators that are doing powerful things, kids that are changing the world, in their classrooms, in their backyards. And we'll are doing great things, and we'll go on to do even better things. Yeah. So so it's my role to tell that story. So, so, three years ago, it was the right time for us as a district to say, let's, let's increase our use of Facebook, let's get Twitter, let's get Instagram. Yeah, and and then use our websites, the four primary platforms for telling stories, sharing the good news of what's happening in our classrooms. And, you know, we're we're a small enough district, that that we we don't have a an employee that that does our, you know, our community connections. Right, right. Right. You don't have, right so, um, so you know, why don't you know, I rolled my sleeves and get to work on it. It's been awesome, because we've seen now every school principal, just about every school administrator, establish accounts at this site level, and then you know, professionally for their own leadership, and learning, set up accounts and start pushing good things out. They're teachers, classroom teachers, we have classroom Instagram accounts that are closed just for parents in the class, for example, that's again, and for a student safety and privacy. You know, there there are some that go that route. But but we also I think, can be responsible and have school wide accounts where, where you get to see some phenomenal things without violating student privacy rights. You can't do it. Right. So Oh, be bold, get out there, start taking pictures, start capturing the great stuff that's happening. Yeah. And I think, in my case, I enjoy doing it. So it's a natural thing for me. And then I get to share that with others. And and it's amazing how quickly it's taken off.
12 00:10:44,190 --> 00:11:46,950 Scott Schimmel: Yeah, there's so much that happens to your point in a school that goes unnoticed. Beautiful Things, consistent things. I know the Ken Ken Blanchard is an author, management leader guy, and one of his phrases is catch people doing things, right. And it seems to me, that's my lens for what you've been doing through social media, catching your teachers, particularly, it's not, it's not just the students. It's also the work and behavior of your teachers, which is beautiful, I got to spend an hour with a teacher in your district today, who's teaching a freshman success class, Mrs. Salvador, and to hear her heart for students and how much she cares about them. And the way she goes about asking about their personal lives, caring about their academic interests, all that stuff, it's like, this is beautiful, and she just goes about her day, every day. That's what she does. But to be able to capture that and highlight that- one, I think would give her the encouragement, I see you, I know you, I noticed what you're doing. It's work that's beautiful. But also to the rest of the you know, it's it's a way of reinforcing some of these core values that you have.
13 00:11:47,040 --> 00:13:05,430 Unknown: Yeah, yeah, it's, it's true and, and she's a great example, you, somebody, who, you know, relatively new teacher, you know, she graduated from Carlsbad high school, I might, you know, I see her in the end zone, a football game. I've gotten to know her, I think as well through the use of social media, as, as I have in person, a meeting. So so you can use social media to develop and strengthen relationships between, you know, the community and schools, but also between individuals, as superintendent, you know, I would love to say I know all 1000 plus of our employees, right? Well, but but but I don't, but but people like Salvatore, you know, I meet her and make an initial connection. And then by connecting over social media developer relationship, and and you know, it, it only makes our system better. When people feel connected. You talked about highlighting the good things that teachers are doing, that's also intentional on our part, you want to feel valued as part of an organization, right? And what better way to show value of people and for people, and by highlighting them, celebrating them, recognizing them, you know in a public public format,
14 00:13:06,270 --> 00:13:35,580 Scott Schimmel: I think of Roger, a campus supervisor, Carlsbad High School, one of the most innately talented people I've ever met at connecting with kids and mentoring them without ever being lame, old, you know, kind of a stodgy old guy. He's just, he's this call, I call him a counselor, a chaplain, like, he's all things to all people. And he just deeply loves students, and that what a beautiful thing, it's not even being in the classroom, per se, it's coaches, its staff, it's campus supervisor, it's amazing.
15 00:13:36,140 --> 00:14:03,770 Dr Churchilll: That that's another message that we really try to highlight over and over again, that it's not just about teachers, you know, it takes every single one of us to raise these really awesome kids, and get them ready to go out into the world. And Roger is another example of a guy who you're right, relationships matter. He's a master at it. He also looks really good and a fedora I know this from social media, because I see him on Fedora Fridays
16 00:14:06,710 --> 00:14:23,120 Scott Schimmel: Speaking of students and graduating, like what, what matters most to you what, what phrases or values do you beat the drum over, like when students graduate from your schools? What are what are you hoping that they're like and capable of doing?
17 00:14:23,700 --> 00:17:08,670 Dr Churchilll: Yeah, so so we have a graduate profile that that kind of spells out the attributes and characteristics that we hope every student leaves our school system with. And for me, that really distills the the core characteristics down into something that's pretty easy to understand. We talked about things like effective communicator, and collaborator, right? So kids who communicate well, who collaborate Well, we have the skill set to to be effective, not just individually, but in a group. We talk about things like ethical and responsible citizenship, what does it mean to be both ethical and responsible? Looking at it through the lens of citizenship? How do we interact with our community? How do we make our world a better place, but those are examples of some of the core values that I think we absolutely must expect our students to have? Yeah, things happen in a combination, both at home and in schools. But But as educators, I do believe we can't leave it up to chance, we can't just hope that they're going to be responsible citizens, right, we have to talk explicitly about what it means and how to get there. were designed for it, designed for it exactly right plan for design for and get after it. And, and not high school, we post we have graduate profile posters that are in every classroom. So our kindergarten students getting to see that that you know, lifelong learning is great and critical thinking are are part of our core values. Yeah. Do they understand what that means? Perhaps not. But yeah, but our can our teachers in kindergarten and first grade, second grade, start working elements of those core values and characteristics into what they teach? Absolutely, yeah. And so that's, that's something that, again, I walked into, we arrived in Carlsbad, and the district had already done the hard work of engaging with stakeholders, developing this, this profile of a graduate. And now I get to help make that that happened. But what's really cool is, I walked into a situation where the district values were in alignment with my values. And, and that's how we knew this was the right place for us, right, because the things that I care about, not just doing well on a test, for example, young, but also developing skills to be successful in, in the real world. Those were in alignment. And that's really cool, when you can work in a place that that shares the same set of values and thoughts and ideas that you do
18 00:17:08,000 --> 00:18:11,090 Scott Schimmel: With you as a father of girls in the district. I think, for me, I, I sometimes switch hats as a as a leader, as a speaker, as a trainer, when I'm speaking to schools and up and I'll actually put on my dad hat for a second, and I'll talk about hey, my, my three kids, and that this whole project of raising them and helping them become the kind of humans we want them to be you teachers, you staff, you coaches, you, supervisors, counselors, you are a huge part of that equation. And, and especially for teenagers, as kids very naturally pull more and more away from their parents, more look to peers and on campus activities, how much more so that you are modeling and demonstrating the kind of life that I hope my kids can look and say, I'd like that I like the way you're doing that, like the way you're living that out. It's it becomes very personal. And I think that that's one of the key reasons why education is such a hot topic. It is so deeply personal. Similarly, I think very similar to church and religion. And faith like people, it's, it's so personal to folks.
19 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:58,070 Dr Churchilll: Yeah, no, I couldn't agree more. And, and, and we have such a, a heavy responsibility. When you think about as educators, yeah, whether whether you're a coach, or a campus monitor, or an Office admin or or, or or teacher, whatever your role is, that that responsibility is real. And we need to keep that for in the forefront of your mind. You know, people talk about that this idea of having a North Star, right? What is it that that guides you and drives you? And and if you don't know and understand where where your own values lie, and what's important to you, and, and where you want you to go, and you know, what we want to know be able to do? It's gonna be hard to be as effective as possible.
20 00:18:58,310 --> 00:19:15,150 Scott Schimmel: Right? Yeah, model it first in your own life. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. So 10 years from now, if you could be really effective, keep making good things. Great. What, what is school look like? Do you think what, what looks different? What's distinctly unique about your future?
21 00:19:16,340 --> 00:22:00,810 Unknown: You know, rather than initially talking about what looks different in schools, you know, I think I'd like to hit on me, you know, what looks different in terms of some of the outcomes, you know, for me, in 10 years, the outcome would be that every single kid is graduating from from school, with, with the knowledge and skills to be successful in whatever comes next. And I'm not just talking about corals, bad schools, but I'm talking about all school, right? The goal should be that that every kid graduates, and every kid has a plan. And, and the skill set necessary to to execute that plan. You know, we send a lot of kids to college, here in Carlsbad, but 80% of our graduate school go off to trade school to your school or your school after graduation. And we're really successful in keeping those kids in college as well. I think most recently, it's about a 93%. rate of staying and in college Africa. That's huge, right? Yep. But there's still 20% of the kids that graduated from our schools that don't go on to college. Right. Is that? Right? Yeah, right, right. So I'm super proud of those kids who choose to go into military service. That's outstanding, a really good career path for many kids. And I'm super proud of the kids who go directly into the world of work, whether it be you know, an entrepreneurship avenue of their own making, or they go to work for somebody else. That's cool. So So, so by no means do, I think every kid has to go to college. But what we do often see here and in lots of other places, that that that percentage of kids that's not going to college, sometimes doesn't have a plan. Sometimes, you know, can can can be lost. And and so terms of outcomes, you know, I'd love for us to get to a point where no one is lost after high school, writing that, that they know and understand who they are, yeah, they want understand their their value to the world. And they have some sense of both what their passions are, and and what they're good at. So so that's what I hope happens, you know, how do we get there, we continue doing a lot of the good things we're doing now, thinking critically about what it is we do in school and how we do it, how we partner with with folks outside of school, and, and again, what what our core values are, if we can get all of these systems aligned, I really do think it's possible for every single student to walk out of our systems with a plan that they can execute.
22 00:22:01,140 --> 00:22:15,690 Scott Schimmel: I love it. I love it. Thank you so much for participating in this and for what you're doing. It's it's been a certainly a bright spot for our work in local schools. And I just feel like you guys are friends, family, partners in what we're trying to do with kids. So thanks. Thank you very much, Ben.
23 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:17,280 Dr Churchilll: Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.
It seems like only the rare few find work that completely matches and fulfills their unique purpose in this life, and Jorge Espinoza is one of them. An experienced school administrator with a background in school counseling, Mr. Espinoza currently serves as the principal for alternative education in Carlsbad Unified School District just north of San Diego, at Carlsbad Village Academy and Seaside Academy.
Mr. Espinoza is deeply passionate about caring for students and is notorious for doing whatever it takes to demonstrate love and care for students who are struggling to succeed academically.
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00:00:02,260 --> 00:00:15,700 Scott Schimmel: Hey, everybody, welcome to the YouSchool podcast. I've got a good friend of mine in a dynamic leader that I'm excited for you to listen to and get to know. Jorge Espinoza, would you tell me a little bit about how the heck you got to where you are? And where are you?
3 00:00:17,100 --> 00:01:59,070 Jorge Espinoza: Okay, well, I am the alternative education principal for Carlsbad Unified School District. So I have the distinct pleasure of working at Carlsbad village Academy, which is a continuation High School for students that are 16, or right around 60 or older. And typically, the kids come to me because they've fallen behind in credits, and we need to, you know, change the dynamic of high school for them, because for many of them, they just need a smaller environment someplace where they can, you know, have a little bit more eyes on them and accountability. And then I also work for I run Carlsbad seaside Academy, which is an independent study program for kids, you know, just need an alternative to, to a regular high school classroom as well, a lot of these kids that are, you know, they're doing other things, I have a significant number that take college level classes. Some of them are actors, some of them are athletes, some of them are just a dealing with anxiety, and they just have real hard time being in a class of 40 of their closest friends for two hours at a time and yes, can't handle that kind of situation. So that's where I am. So I was just kind of, you know, figuring out, I've been doing alternative Ed now since 2007. A long time. It's it's good time. I've been an assistant principal now or assistant principal principal, for since 2002. And I've been I've been teaching or an education since 1995.
4 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:05,940 Scott Schimmel: Yeah, it's like old are you normally I don't ask me. Like for now.
5 00:02:06,630 --> 00:02:11,250 Jorge Espinoza: I'm proud of I'm proud to say my 50th birthday will be on October 20 seconds.
6 00:02:11,430 --> 00:03:10,800 Scott Schimmel: Nice. Okay. Yeah, right. Yeah, that's awesome. That's awesome. So you, I mean, one of the core premises that we have a useful as everybody has a story inside them. And we would say a great story, that's, most people are waiting to figure out what that story is. But you get to in the alternative education space. That's not everyone has a unique story. Like that's why they're there. It's not as I think of a bigger High School, typical high school where there's, there's the the 10% of students that get in trouble or struggling, there's the five to 10% of kids that are just rock stars, and they're involved with everything. And then there's the middle, like the 80% of students that maybe they're just kind of getting through it. And the idea of trying to help them understand what their unique story is, actually, it's a process, it can be difficult. The students you spend time with, are like, here's my it's a story. And it's on, it's out in the open. So is that? Is that a big part of why you like what you do?
7 00:03:11,950 --> 00:04:40,780 Jorge Espinoza: It's a it's a major part of why I love what I do. Yeah, you know, I, I mean, I sit down with every student and every parent before they even start school. So I, I have this, you know, process that I go through with them. And we know discuss what got them there. We, you know, I go through, I look at their school records and things like that. And we, you know, it's like, it's funny, it's just we kind of go through the whole thing of, and, and the Moral Majority of the kids that come to me is it's like, it's not like they have this long rap sheet, right? No discipline. But what I do is I look at them like, Oh, so you could don't been doing an amazing job of hiding in plain sight, trouble, but slowly, just falling through the cracks. And not really knowing how to, you know, pull yourself out and engage with know the adults around you. And you know, stop what's been happening. And like, intrinsically, most, you know, the Moral Majority, like, I'll ask him straight up my first question to kids that come to CVA or like, do you want to graduate from high school? And their their immediate responses? Yes. I love that respect. I love that response. I'm like, Well, good. I'm like, good, because then we're on the same page and music. So you're saying yes to that, then without hesitation, you're not thinking about anything else, then we could definitely work together.
8 00:04:40,990 --> 00:05:49,750 Yeah. And so then, what's funny is is like, part of the time too, is like I sit there and we go over, like what's been going on since like, sixth grade, because I was asking like, when's the last time you felt that you were doing well in school? It's time to time and time again. It's like, well, fifth grade, and fifth grade. Was that last time that they had one teacher? Yeah, seven kids. Wow, I got to really No, no, you? Yeah. So, you know, they go to six, seventh and eighth grade. And they have a variety of teachers. And they're just kind of start No. Yeah, going through the whole, you know, so it creates this topology, like call, you know, where they fall behind, and like, they get to ninth grade. And they've said they've developed the habits of, you know, I can just hide through this. And because in middle school, if you fail every single one of your classes, but you become a seventh grader, and you can classes and you can become an eighth grader. You can finish eighth grade, and you may have failed all your classes. Right? They go to ninth grade and some of the same stuff. And so they don't realize that.
9 00:05:51,280 --> 00:06:38,590 And then they don't realize that you can't do this anymore. Yeah. Yeah, you have to be engaged in this that you have. So. So there, it's never too late when they show up, you know, and I and I, and I even tell them to like look at it. And I always tell them, it's it's the graduation day, which is like June 10, or June 11, or whatever it is. Not the not the drop the day that, you know, you're out of here. I get kids to come back for a fifth year. And then kids come back for a six year high school. Well, and they said you'll still take me. Like what why wouldn't I take you you want to graduate from high school? Right, right. Beautiful.
10 00:06:53,600 --> 00:08:06,950 Scott Schimmel: So one of the things I've noticed about you have spent a little time with your team has spent time with you. And I don't know how to say this in a really kind way. But you're just you're just really weird. You really different in my experience of other administrators, and not just saying that because you have a smaller school, or their students that are coming with certain challenges, but you seem to believe things very deeply. And I'm curious, I haven't asked you this yet. But what is it that you believe about students when they come to your school? What, what do you really had dig deep and think about that helps you keep pushing through some of these challenges.
11 00:08:09,480 --> 00:10:53,190 Jorge Espinoza: that a person's epiphany may not happen, on the time schedule that you think they should happen on? And that it's a sometimes a slow chipping away process that, you know, and when you get there, it's awesome. And, you know, I mean, it's, I mean, it's just, I don't know, man, I I believe I always I always think that I can, I can reach them somewhere somehow. And, you know, the hard part is, is that, you know, the kids that I that I don't care that I don't get it, and it doesn't happen or it may not happen. I it, like hurts me deeply. And, and to be be honest, it's like those are they're few and far between. But it happens. And it's hard. It's it's hard, but I just, you know, I just know that as much as sometimes you just like, you know, like, there's times you stand there like, all right, he came again today. Good. He's coming in the gate. All right. Hey, all right. You know, it's another day, it's another opportunity. So I just, you know, I, I, I, I think a lot of times to an education is is that we always try to find, all right, well, if this is the problem, then must move it somewhere else. You know, I mean, like, I used to work. When I worked at LA Unified, they used to have this thing called an opportunity transfer. You didn't if you didn't like a kid, and or there being a total pain in the ass, and you really want to, you know, move that problem around you the other high school in your area and say, Hey, I got one for you. And usually it was like, Oh, good. I have one for you a good swap. And that and there. And there were times where there's you know, and that was a, I was a counselor time. This one assistant principal hated me as I would, she would try to initiate this opportunity transfer. And I would go into the principal's office and please the kids case. And, you know, because I at that time, I was at risk counselor. So I had 200 kids that I had to follow in. And she told me one day she goes, you need to mind your own business.
12 00:10:56,400 --> 00:11:02,940 Well, this is my business I'm gonna do whatever I can to help these kids.
13 00:11:05,630 --> 00:11:10,790 Scott Schimmel: That's great. Yes. Let's tag that assistant principal when we post this episode. Shall we?
14 00:11:11,780 --> 00:11:12,560 Jorge Espinoza: Well, God rest her soul.
15 00:11:12,870 --> 00:11:19,590 Scott Schimmel: Oh, gosh. It's just got dark. Because Friday the 13th you know?
16 00:11:21,250 --> 00:11:31,990 Unknown: It took a while. But you know, you know, I mean, she's, she's still would be pissed at me about? Like, she said you don't have to believe in all of them. And Oh, that would come out her mouth.
17 00:11:32,050 --> 00:11:34,600 Scott Schimmel: Come on. That's, that's crazy.
18 00:11:34,900 --> 00:11:35,950 Jorge Espinoza: It was crazy.
19 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,280 Scott Schimmel: What What do you think students need?
20 00:11:40,770 --> 00:13:06,120 Jorge Espinoza: Um, I think the fundamental thing that kids need is just someone to believe in them. You know? I mean, I'll never forget this. This, this kid told me one time you said you're the only person that ever said that you were proud of me. And, I mean, yeah, I just, yeah, I never I'll never I'll never forget that kid looking me in the eye and telling me that. And, you know, it's just, they just need someone to believe in them. And, and a lot of times we know with these kids, parents, they're exasperated with everything that's happened then was with school and everything else that happens with them or, and so now that they have a hard time believing them to it. And a lot of times these parents have had a negative experience with school themselves. So recently, they just kind of like, well, this is just status quo, it means just going to history is going to repeat itself. Yeah. So I think what kids just need is they need someone to talk to them, they need someone to believe in them. They need someone to, you know, just sometimes just stepped in as that adult in their life that can give them some hope. You know,
21 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:21,750 Scott Schimmel: How do you how do you demonstrate, how do you communicate to a kid that you believe in them? What What do you do as you reflect on how you talk? Well, I mean, that's, that's a big part of I think, why I like spending time with you and your team- it's like, I actually want to see, what is it that you're doing?
22 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:49,290 Unknown: Well, I think the corny, but I mean, I mean, I mean, I tell them, I'm like look, I just wants to know is that when you become part of our dysfunctional family that we call Carlsbad Village Academy, that, you know, you're part of my family, and that I love you. And no, and when you screw up for you, when you last thing you're going to hear before you leave my office is like, Hey, I still love you.
23 00:13:51,760 --> 00:15:02,350 I think that it's just, I mean, my approach to them is is that you sit down next time you sit, you engage in a conversation, look them in the eye, you tell them about the things that you see the things that know the notice the thing that you notice, I mean, this morning, I had had this this, this young lady, and I've only had her for, you know, the first couple weeks, but I here at CVA I did work with her, you know, she was an independent studies me for the last year, I've worked with her sister, I work her sister Sister graduated from high school, you know, and so some ladies walking into school today. And I'm like, Hey, I just want to tell you, I just wanted you to notice that I want to want you to know, know that I noticed just how you just seem happier. And she stopped and looked at me. She goes, I really like being here. And now it's just like, wow, that's just one of those, those things where she lit up because you notice just how different she's feeling and how she's...It was a powerful moment standing at the corner. Right.
24 00:15:02,340 --> 00:15:10,770 Scott Schimmel: Right. And that's that's validation. That's affirmation. That's, "I see you." I care about you. Yeah. Yeah. Beautiful.
25 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:52,610 Unknown: So I mean, I mean, it just, you know, I mean, I think the thing that that's hard about doing these things, and you know, is is a, and I and I think the thing that gets me in trouble sometimes is I don't document everything. Everything's not in counseling notes and read the means, like, like the efforts there. But no, I mean, if I'm, if I'm coming to work at 430 in the morning, and I'm not leaving, right, at six o'clock, and I'm like, Oh, my God is write this down. Right. I think that part that's tough is that, yeah, you put all this into it. But yeah, so
26 00:15:53,350 --> 00:16:18,760 Scott Schimmel: Well, and that's the best part of the, the challenges of a system and having protocol. Like, when you were talking before, that when a kid doesn't come to school, which in a conventional High School, that can happen a lot. And if you've got 160 hundred 80 students or 2700 kids in a school, you might not notice the 55, the 100 students. But you handle that differently.
27 00:16:18,900 --> 00:16:42,780 Jorge Espinoza: I look at it every day, you know, the thing is, is that I go through, like, I'll go through the list. Here. I'll check to see. Okay, so whose parent call them in sick? All right, so who's who's who's Mia? And I know, a good majority of them. I've got their cell phone number. Quick. I mean, if you look at my cell phone, the question "Where are you?"
28 00:16:43,860 --> 00:16:44,790 Scott Schimmel: copy and paste?
29 00:16:45,980 --> 00:17:02,480 Jorge Espinoza: Is repeated thousands of times. Know, "where are you?" And then it will be? "I know, I see that you read my message. Answer me." Don't hide, you know,
30 00:17:02,450 --> 00:17:16,790 Scott Schimmel: yeah. Well, that's a part of what I mean, as you as you're sharing that. I'm believing you. That's, that's such a powerful way to communicate that "Where are you?" I noticed you're not here. Yeah, I'm going to find you- I'm going to look for you.
31 00:17:17,190 --> 00:17:39,860 Jorge Espinoza: Or like, you know, or the day after, I'm like, a everything. Okay, where, you know, are you feeling better? You know, I mean, those are questions, you know, and they'll say, or, or, Oh, I didn't feel well, yesterday. I'm like, you feel well, Are you sick? Yeah, I feel, you know, it's the next time you don't feel well. Let's come in, let's get a drink water. Let's try it, you know, because like, Look, get those days back. Right. Right.
32 00:17:40,980 --> 00:18:00,540 Scott Schimmel: What part of what you do and how your team's doing it can transfer to a bigger school? Do you think like if you could be a consultant or get up and do a TED talk in front of a bunch of principals of big schools? Like what, what would you say if this is what you can learn from how we do things...
33 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:24,960 Jorge Espinoza: Well, I mean, here, I would say this is like, you know, I've walked in their shoes. I mean, I, I've worked at a school with, you know, 4,700 kids that like, like, like Vegas, when I say we like Vegas, we never close, you know, a graduate kids on June 29. And July 1, you got a whole brand new.group of freshman coming in. Yeah.
34 00:18:26,840 --> 00:19:48,350 So what I mean, what I would say to them is, is that is, is get up, make it part of your day, to get out there and develop relationships. and developing relationships with kids is, it does mean that you're, you're chasing them down, you're, you're walking into class. I mean, I mean, I, when I used to work at in Marshall High School in LA, I mean, I would walk into class, I would stand at the door, I would survey the room, I would you know, make it attack with kids that, you know that I don't know, I got two fingers to my eye and like, I'm watching. No, I would isn't, then it's just then the kids that were you know, I mean, don't take a book turn a blind eye to kids that are ditching class, you know, in a big school walk up to me, Hey, man, where you supposed to be? Being and then have that question. And then like, you know, and there are times you find out like, you know, hey, something happened, or, you know, this is going on me, or I need this, and you can have a meaningful, powerful conversation, either walking them to class, yeah, walking them into a counselor, you know, taking them to the nurse. Right, whatever. Right. But
35 00:19:50,130 --> 00:19:52,050 Scott Schimmel: you gotta be there. Yeah,
36 00:19:52,000 --> 00:20:37,000 Jorge Espinoza: right. Right. But the reality is, is like, you know, you can, and a lot of times, it's difficult to do this is, is you just, you just got to know and think, is, me, one of the things that took me away from being at a large comprehensive high school was is that my Not I, my kids were were just born and and I was never home, because the only way to be that kind of administrator is when you have to, you have to accept the fact that it'll take a significant portion of your life. It's not if you want it to be a nine to five job, it'll never be a nine to five job, right?
37 00:20:38,260 --> 00:21:19,570 Scott Schimmel: It occurs to me that it, I think requires the kind of work that you're talking about. Getting out there being in front of classes, going into classrooms, greeting students talking to them, it actually requires, I think it's just generally vulnerable. And it's, it's uncomfortable, and it can feel awkward. And I think it requires, to a degree, a high amount of self confidence that your, your presence matters, and that you have a role to play. Because I'm sure what you get a lot is what feels like rejection, or contempt. Or, and that doesn't doesn't feel very good in the Middle Age of our lives.
38 00:21:20,500 --> 00:22:11,170 Jorge Espinoza: Really your life and you're in your early 30s. Really for me. I've been told to F off more times than I can. But you know what? It doesn't matter. Right? Yeah, coming back for more, you know, it's like, me, oh, yeah, I've, I've taken things personally. But you got to come back at the Edit. You know, and, and there are times to you know, you know, what means lots of good if you if you lose your cool, and you show your human side, and you jumped to a conclusion, you get a lot of mileage out saying you're sorry. You know, you know, when when kids know that you are vulnerable, and you are human being and that, you know, it makes you human.
39 00:22:11,420 --> 00:23:02,210 Scott Schimmel: That's cool. Yeah. One of my commitments just as small as walking my kids to school in the morning. And a couple of years ago, I realized how I'll see a bunch of kids because I coach a lot of sports, and I'm in their school lot. And at this point, I know quite a bit of the students, but I found myself I would see a student walking towards me that I knew or maybe I coached a season or two ago, and and I wouldn't say anything to them, I wouldn't say hi wouldn't greet them, I think, because I didn't want to feel awkward. I didn't want to feel Yeah, like who are you old guy. And instead one day, I just realized, I'm silly. That's all about me. That's all about me. And so I've made it a commitment Ever since then, if I know a kid's name, I'm going to say it. Because there's something powerful about the saying a kid's name greeting them.
40 00:23:02,100 --> 00:23:24,810 Jorge Espinoza: Oh, absolutely. You know, it's like, I spent at the corner every day, great kids, you know, like, I walk around school, like, you know, like, how are you? You know, and, you know, and, and, you know, they feel like they're greeted, and they're welcome. Yeah. It takes away some of that distance between you and them
41 00:23:26,190 --> 00:23:59,790 Scott Schimmel: Because there's a natural, high degree of distance between teenagers and adults. It's like developmentally. Right? They don't like you, but they need you. Right, they don't like you, but they have to have you. And that's, that's the rub. And I think the the phrase that's on my mind so much that you embody so well. Is this idea of FOR THE SAKE OF KIDS, that I will, as you say, I will go and greet them on the corner, even if they say F off. I will, I will call them at home even if they don't answer, I will go find them.
42 00:24:00,140 --> 00:24:05,090 I'll go to their house and pick them up. Bring them school, right. Yeah. I'm not supposed to...
43 00:24:06,620 --> 00:24:08,390 Don't worry this won't be recorded at all.
44 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:20,100 Jorge Espinoza: I readily admit that. It's just like, Look, man, it's just, I I'd rather have a year than not here. You know, yo, that's what it takes. That's what it takes today.
45 00:24:20,210 --> 00:24:40,430 Scott Schimmel: Yeah. Well, I want to just sincerely thank you for not just being on the show, but your friendship, what I'm learning from you what I'm honestly learning from you about how to love how to love students how to love people, your, it's like I see you. I see the work that you're doing. It is wonderful. I'm so happy that you're doing that work for the sake of kids.
46 00:24:41,110 --> 00:24:46,300 Jorge Espinoza: Well, you know, it fills my soul. Yeah. Yeah.
47 00:24:46,930 --> 00:24:51,400 Scott Schimmel: Well, thanks Jorge, and we'll be seeing you soon. Take care. Thanks.
Dr. Laura Spencer is a leading educator in the area of innovative leadership, teaching, and learning. She has served as a classroom teacher, an edtech director, and most recently as a district administrator who led transformational classroom change through design thinking and industry connections so that all students have learning experiences that value their unique strengths and passions.
Laura speaks across the United States at various conferences to teachers, administrators, and industry on topics ranging from effective leadership, sustainable edtech integration, and building an innovative culture for transformational learning. She is known for her engaging hands-on design thinking workshops and professional development as well.
Laura has been recognized as an Innovative Educator, Administrator of the Year, and San Diego County’s Top Tech Exec, as well as recently winning a CUE Gold Disk and the Classroom of the Future Innovate Award. She’s been featured on The YouSchool and Innovative Pedagogy podcasts. She’s also the President of SDCUE and a founding board member of EquityEDU. She is a proud US Army veteran.
Laura blogs at laurakspencer.com.
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Full Text of the Episode:
1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:41,310 Scott Schimmel: Quick record, and we are on video. And Hey everybody, this is Scott Schimmel. And this is the first time we've ever had a YouSchool podcast on video and on audio. So for those of you looking at my big giant face in this computer screen: Hello. And my lovely guest today, if you've been listening and following the YouSchool podcast, this is a we've had very few repeat guests, maybe two or three. And so one of them is a very, I don't know what it means, but it's a big deal to me. Laura Spencer, why don't you just kind of give us an update of who you are? what you're doing in the world? How do you like even categorize and explain what you do because you're an educator, but
2 00:00:42,690 --> 00:00:43,890 Laura: I'm still trying to figure that out.
3 00:00:43,890 --> 00:01:09,750 I'm an educator right now doing some consulting work, but really just trying to connect with people and help them understand what learning is about in today's society? How can they transform learning? How can I support them through that work, how can I cheerlead for them. So I look at myself as a and I don't want to say a jack of all trades, but just really getting out there and trying to make a difference. So connected with people who are doing the work and seeing how I can support that.
4 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:31,110 Scott Schimmel: You've done a lot of work on innovation design thinking, which is, I think, still very new in education. It's not necessarily new in the marketplace and in the business sector. But what is it? Is it accepted now, just your perspective is innovation and design- Is that is that a mainstay? Is it here to stay?
5 00:01:31,750 --> 00:02:25,480 Laura: I wouldn't go that far yet. I think there are more people that are trying to get on board. I think education is such a centuries old bureaucracy, that it's hard to just bring that into school systems are so many things that needed to change. But I think you have a lot of people that are trying to make a difference. So you'll see it interspersed, but you won't see it a lot as the way of things but you know, I think there's a lot of people are trying to make trying to make the move. So you see a lot of things talk about is innovation. And design thinking is starting to make a place it's trying to find it spot, you know, where where does it fit in? Because what people are trying to figure out and they're trying to understand, is it project based learning? Is it something you only do in a maker space? can it work in a core curriculum? So there's a lot of people trying to grapple with: How does it work in education versus how we've seen it work in industry? So people trying to figure that out
6 00:02:25,540 --> 00:02:27,610 Scott Schimmel: What do you Where do you think it fits?
7 00:02:28,120 --> 00:03:55,840 Laura: I actually think it's everywhere. Because I think you have to look at design thinking, first of all, as a mindset. If you can look at the world through empathy, it changes how you how you view things. So if you look at it that way that I think design thinking goes everywhere. As a teacher looks at how they're going to teach a lesson, they can use design thinking to consider the students needs, right? And how am I going to approach this from their lens? I saw thing on Twitter today, a guy sent a tweet out saying, teachers before you send letters from the parents, can you consider what parents are thinking? And no, don't? Don't come at them as "Let me tell you how to do your job." But are you building a community? Like that's that's design thinking, Right? Are you using your empathy to make a difference? And and then there's also the piece of now I want my students to use it. So are they using it intentionally? Are they using it to just do a project and then be done with it? So there's a lot of different ways design thinking can be used Yeah. And it's kind of weird, because I think the system has to change in order for design thinking to be really widely accepted. And yet, it's going to take design thinking to help the system change so that it can be wildly, you know, chicken and the egg, which should come first. But it's just that interesting paradox right now is education needs design thinking, and design thinking needs education. So how do we bring those two together? And so I've been been working with some some really cool teachers who are doing a lot of work working with schools. And you know, I know we're going to talk about it, but working with counselors and different groups, and really just trying to figure out how can we really bring this to life in a meaningful way? And not just have it be a project with a great at the end?
8 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,230 Scott Schimmel: Well, you're I think I'd call you like a Twitter star.
9 00:04:00,580 --> 00:04:08,410 You're a voice on Twitter, let's say yes. And I saw one of the things you did this summer was, I think you called it a design was a design thinking for happiness?
10 00:04:08,830 --> 00:04:09,850 Laura: Yes. Right.
11 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:44,470 Scott Schimmel: For High school kids. So I was like, What is that? What do you mean by that? Because the birth of your school is out of a design shop. And so like you're saying, I like the way said, it's just the way you approach things. And a lot of times people are asking me from like the the background of YouSchool what, what's our credibility? Where'd we get our PhD? Where did you know? We didn't we don't make least the core team. But everything we've done has been how do you actually understand what kids are going through? And how do you ask questions to give space for that? So tell me about what so it was arrangement of high school who called What do they want? What did you do?
12 00:04:44,860 --> 00:06:44,890 Laura: So one of the counselors from Rancho Bernardo knew friend of a friend, right have a lot of things happen, today's networking. So she reached out and she said, Look, we have about 70 amazing students that are going to spend two days at USD learning how to become pure counselors. Right? So they're going to be leading the charge at their school site, really helping students move forward. She said, we first she said, We'd love to have you come in and maybe do a keynote and get the kids jazzed up about the work you do. But then the more we talk, I said, How about we turn this into a workshop? The thing about keynotes is they're they're fun to excite people and get energized, and I like doing them. But with high schoolers, I just felt like I really wanted to take them further than just saying go out and be awesome. And get this at the tangible. So he switched it and did a morning workshop. And so the whole idea behind it is if you're a peer counselor, your job is to help with conflict, to help students navigate high school to handle peer relations to handle stress and anxiety, all the things that that happened. But a lot of times we spend so much time with those students talking about and here's the thing you can do, or here's the you can say, but not really showing them how to do it again, through the lens of the other person. So the design thinking for happiness was a pretty simple concept, and had all these things welcome into groups. And they first really sat and talked about what brought themselves happiness. So we did some reflection activity, they did said some jotting down on on paper and such as to when you feel like that pure bliss, right? Like Jason Silva talks about like the off. And I showed him a little video when you when you have off what's happening in your life. And so they thought about that for a while. And then they interviewed each other. So really taking it deeper. Tell me about your your experience. And we talked about interviewing, when you're interviewing to get information, kind of like an empathy interview. You're not saying Oh, yeah, yeah, let me tell you about me with that, right. It's all about listening. It's just about asking why it's about encouraging. So really spent a lot of time with the interview process, they were interviewing each other.
13 00:06:45,640 --> 00:07:07,990 And then they decided, as a group, what's one person in our group that we're going to design for their happiness, so I'm going to take myself out of the equation, and I'm going to design for that student instead of myself. And then I just took them to the whole design thinking process, the brainstorming that I do, and the prototyping, you know, it's pipe cleaners and styrofoam and cardboard had a whole wall of just, here's all the junk I could find in my shed that you can design it.
14 00:07:08,010 --> 00:07:09,060 Unknown: And
15 00:07:09,930 --> 00:07:23,430 Laura: but what they what they learned was how different happiness is for somebody else. And they talked about that when they did the shirt, we did feedback at the end, and each group of sharing is they realize this would have never been something I would have considered.
16 00:07:23,810 --> 00:08:05,660 Because it's not what I do. Right? So like, like, for me, if you say, hey, Laura, you know, what would make you happy this weekend, and I said, I'd love to go off roading this weekend, and you're just thinking like, I would never ever do that. So it was important for them to hear from each other and to design for that person. And then we brought it back to that conversation as as peer counselors. What's the important work here? It's not what you think is the right solution. It's what is happening in front of you. And we had a lot of conversations about that. Because I think especially at those ages, they hear these things like, Well, you know, if you're being bullied or you end up being, go talk to a trusted adult. And they actually when I when I brought that up, they kind of giggled in the room.
17 00:08:06,020 --> 00:09:43,520 Because let's be real, how many 16 year olds are going to walk up to a trusted adult and say, I'd like to talk to you about the anxiety in my life. And the fact that this girl is bullying me, right? Yeah. So we really had to have those conversations about how do you listen and take it from somebody else's perspective. But I told them, I said, Look, if you had said to me confront your bully, and they laughed, I said, I would rather curl up in the fetal position and cry. I'm not confrontational, like that brother dropped out of school, I probably would have fit. If you got to know me. And you realize that I love to write. And then you said, What would you like to write about what's going on? Now you're connecting with me and what I need, right? And not what you need. So is it was two hours it was I think it was it was transformational for them. Their projects were so amazing. You know, one group even did a skit about a girl going to a concert and having this experience with their friends and, and what they also learned was the missing pieces in people's lives. Because when you're designing for happiness, what you realize is like those moments aren't 24 seven. And they're really not meant to be I think you have to have non happiness in order to appreciate happiness. But they also started to realize things like there's a lot of loneliness. In high school, right? There is a there is a lot of anxiety. There's a lot of cliquish behaviors that are fun for some but absolutely terrifying and horrible for others. So it was it was pretty eye opening. And in fact, the counselor at the end, she said, Oh, I wish you could work with our staff on this, you know, we need this too. And, you know, say well call me when you're ready. And yeah, but I just think it's that type of work that we don't get time to do. We're always rushed.
18 00:09:43,780 --> 00:11:10,870 Scott Schimmel: Right? You know, I think mentioned in the staff, we get to do some work with principals and admin teams cabinets. And I think a more of a recent thought for me, because of design thinking is, is I just see an assumption that you all think you know, your students, because a lot of them come to your office that, you know, you hear about problems with students hear about the problems at home, with a small percentage of the students in your campus. And I guess my design thinking lens is you actually don't know your students at all. Unless you are a student, and go to class and sit with them, and are on the snaps with them. You actually don't you there's no way you could get to know them. And so what you're describing is a process to close that gap. I've been calling it immersion, like cultural immersion. Yes. Like with study abroad, like we're going there not to bring our values or our perspective, we're going there to immerse ourselves understands their values, I think of 21 Jump Street and her back in the day. Yes, these adults going back into high school life. Because if if you're in charge of policy, programs, curriculum, instruction, parking lot, security, like and you don't know them, what are the odds that you're going to design things for them that are a miss? And I would say 100% chance?
19 00:11:11,500 --> 00:14:15,850 Laura: Well, yeah, and I think too, I think back and just, you know, my, my days and schools and such and and doing things like focus groups? Oh, let's bring some students together. And let's have a focus group. But I think well, first of all, so you've already made some determinations just based on having a focus group? Do you now have kids to feel confident? You have kids who are talkers? And you have who have kids who have maybe been selected? Because they get along well with teachers, right? So you kind of remember sitting with the ASB group with him and thinking like, this is not this representative of the student body and so trying to understand, so he went immersion, and I do a lot with empathy mapping, just being able to sit back and say, if, if you're listening to a conversation by saying somebody, yes, what they say is important. But it's also important to look at what they're doing. What we talked about this with high schoolers, you know, are they talking along with their hands? They seem jittery? Are they diverting their eyes? Because they don't want to look at you like, those are all important things to note. And also, what might they be feeling? You know, there's certain usually words that kind of give you those clues, right? Oh, this is anxiety driven? Are you feeling happy right now? And, you know, what, what are they thinking? So when you look again, instead of just taking a face value of, well, you know, she said, she was mad at me. Okay, well, let's dig into that a little bit more, and really what's going on, and it can be something completely different. I think it's important to to do, my and my daughter's school does this cool thing every year, it's called shadow your student day. And so they, they're very nice, and that they make it a minimum day. For parents, you actually attend from from seven to eight to three, and parents, they are crazy. Yeah. So you know, I just follow my daughter to all of our classes for the day. And it's cool, because it's an opportunity for parents to I think, connect and remember what High School is like, Yeah, right. So for me, it's high anxiety day, like, I joke with my daughter, like, I do not want to go back to high school, like I dreaded high school, I just did not have great experiences, and now you're making me go back for a day. So that's a nice connection with her for her to kind of, you know, laugh and say, okay, mom, or for me to say I need my coffee. And she says we can have coffee, you know, during class and. And, but yet, on the flip side, it's also very painful. Because 1, high schools for the most part haven't changed, and that's not a slight on any of our teachers. It's just a sense of what it is. Right? And but the other thing, I think that when they're missing the mark is a lot of teachers kind of amp it up, oh, parents are here. Today, we're going to play a game or I built this lesson to engage the parents. And really, honestly, I just want you to do what you do. Yeah, I don't don't stop you your normal day, because I'm in the room. Right? You do. Because I think that would give me a better understanding of what my daughter's going through, right? If I go and say, Well, I don't understand why why you're so stressed out about biology. That lab was really cool today. Like, I don't care.
20 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:17,650 Scott Schimmel: Because if she was great, she was really excited.
21 00:14:18,670 --> 00:14:55,750 Laura: So I don't know. I think teachers of course, are afraid they will. They want to make a good impression. I am a teacher too, I probably would do the same thing. Right? Like when principal, you give your best lesson possible, right? You dust off, you're like, here it is. And but I think in terms of building empathy, and really like going back to your question, understanding each other, just do what you do. And let me let me understand out what's happening, right, and I can better help a child, as she stressed out through these days trying, trying to get into college, try another lifetime play sports and work a job and do her thing. And so that would help me better. I think.
22 00:14:58,000 --> 00:16:56,740 Scott Schimmel: Somebody said that, because I was at my wife and I went back a school night for our son's Middle School the other night, for some reason, I've never been able to go to back to school net for all of our kids I've always had work commitments. So this is my first one. And the way they designed it was we went to every single one of his class periods. So my wife and I were walking and we were in this like, you know, passing period. I was I knew a bunch of the parents kind of some of them. But my wife said, "Hey, I'm gonna use the restroom for a minute." And I'm like, "Well, what am I going to do? Just stand here?" "Yeah." And I stood there, and I was all I wanted to do is pull up my phone. So that I could hide. But I actually saw one of my son's buddies, and we've carpooled with him. And I waved, literally, I waved at him, and, and he didn't recognize me or didn't see me, and he turned away, and all of a sudden, I'm like, I'm waving at somebody who's not waving back. I'm like, "we gotta get out of here." We're bringing back all the memories. But it was it was so helpful to your point, to go home and think about my son, who I see him at night, when he's maybe grumpy, or tired, or had a stressful day. And honestly, I came back and I was like, buddy, you I love you. Like, you're such a champ. I can't believe you do this all day, like that's so stressful on so many levels. And he doesn't have the tools yet or the self awareness yet to realize when he waves at a friend, and they don't wait back, what actually just happened to him on the inside. Right, he has to live the rest of the day like that. Not knowing I mean, it's just so how do we and this is you and me talking. And how do we? How do we get school leaders, principals and superintendents like, how do we get them to do that work? I mean, it's not, it's not hard. It's not hard to immerse yourself in student culture for a day or two, it's not hard to find students who wouldn't normally come to a focus group and take them out to lunch, like you can do that. But what are your thoughts on that?
23 00:16:57,970 --> 00:19:26,320 Laura: I think you know, its face. It's not the actual action is not hard. But what's hard is making the time and seeing like the importance of doing it. Yeah. So in terms of like, how to how we do it. That's where I struggle, because I think once you do it, you're going to know it's a game changer, right? I think once you go out there and have those experiences, you'll never go back. I don't know how to how to do that. It's like the gift of time, right? The permission how many times I work with teachers, and they'll say, well, do I have permission to do that? Is it best kids? Then you have permission? Like it's weird. And I and I'm realizing it's all the way up? Like I think even superintendents, they report to the board. They have all the people that work in their office. And if they were to just go down the street and have lunch with a couple couple of kids, it'd be like, Oh, my gosh, your schedule is packed. So I think building that why is important. And again, that's that's what does, I think you can fit so well, right? Because that's, again, empathy and the defining piece of, we need to remember who we work for. And then how and we work for the students. We work for their parents. And so then how do we meet their needs? It's even back to school night, I was talking to a friend the other night at a district for back to school night starts at 515. Do you think are there 515? Right. Yeah. And they do that? Because it's more convenient to teachers. They can get out earlier, they can order home, right, but it's not convenient. How? How do we bridge that? We keep telling you stories? Yeah. He's uh, he's tired. What am I like my idols and my mentor. There's a superintendent in Wisconsin. His name is Joe San Filippo. And he he keynotes and he talks and you can find him you know, of course on Twitter, which is just where I met him. And one of the things he said to me is he said, you know, we might not be the most innovative district out there. I said, our stories are out there. That's his. That's his mission. And his storytelling. He gets stories out there every day about fall Creek, I think even Obama, one time was like a go crickets are set like 30 story is out there. Because that's what he's committed to doing, like getting out the good word about school. And so maybe it's just that maybe it's like you and I, and the ones who are doing it like, like amplifying those voices that are getting the word out and saying, What story could you tell today? Yeah, I told every principle and every Superintendent every single day, you need to tell a good story. How are you going to get it if you're in your office
24 00:19:26,380 --> 00:19:28,360 Scott Schimmel: today? Yeah. Right.
25 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:34,540 And stories, change culture, cement manager, right, calibrate the right things. That's
26 00:19:36,040 --> 00:20:01,750 Laura: right. And then they said, when you start to really tell the stories, and you start to listen, because in the beginning, it's probably only took a picture and these kids were building a robot. But then you start digging into that a little bit more, and you connect with that student and you realize this is a game changer for that child. Right? Now we're having a different conversation. Maybe the robotics club is even getting funded more, because you're in there, and you're making those connections and understanding what a game changer that is.
27 00:20:01,930 --> 00:20:03,250 Scott Schimmel: Yeah. Wow.
28 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,660 Unknown: Okay, years, that's just a thought, but just a thought.
We're all about rethinking education, and so is Paula Intravaia.
Influenced by innovative childhood home and school experiences, informed by future-focused educational thinkers and organizations around the globe, with interests in blockchain and XR technology, Paula Intravaia has aspired to bring joyful and meaningful learning to students as a teacher of Art, Kindergarten, 4th Grade, and currently as a TOSA/Design Engineer in San Diego, California.
Follow Paula @CDMdreamers and get in touch with her via LinkedIn.
Laura, a former middle and high school teacher, has focused her educational career on leading transformational change through Design Thinking and real-world connections so that all students have extraordinary learning experiences. She has overseen the implementation of technology-integrated instructional programs, the development of professional development to ensure the ongoing implementation of high standards of instructional practice, and the technical infrastructure to make sure those programs are a success. She’s been recognized as an Innovative Educator, Administrator of the Year, and San Diego County Top Tech Exec, as well as recently winning CUE’s Gold Disk award and the CFF Innovate Award.
Laura shares her ideas by presenting at conferences, including CUE and ISTE, as well as blogging at laurakspencer.com. She also serves as the President of SDCUE, the San Diego affiliate of CUE (Computer Using Educators).
Marisa Thompson is an educator living and working in Southern California and considers herself the luckiest person. She has a family she adores, friends who are family, and a life of variety, fun, and joy.
Marisa has an M.A. in Teacher Education and more than a dozen years of classroom experience teaching various levels of English including AP, Honors, College Prep, Remedial English, and Transitional English for English Learners. As a member of her district's Modern Learning Spaces, OER, Digital Portfolios, and ELA vertical teams, she helps assess success and develop curriculum and environmental goals for the secondary level as well as K-12. She is also an online instructor for the University of San Diego, a designated cooperating teacher for a CSU credential program, and a guest collaborator for a credential program at a private university.
Besides teaching, Marisa has worked as a coach and club advisor, and has traveled with students on educational trips to Greece, Turkey, Peru, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Traveling internationally since she was nine, she's been fortunate enough to visit more than twenty countries and nearly every continent.
She believes in the power of education, the transformative effects of travel, and the joy the unexpected can bring. Her children and students prove to her each day we can be optimistic about our future and she is grateful to be a part of their lives.
Follow Marisa @MarisaEThompson
UnlimitedTeacher.com Education without Limits: Transform Learning and Culture to Unleash Student Potential The TQE Method via the Cult of Pedagogy Podcast
We're thrilled to welcome a math teacher from a comprehensive public high school to the show, John Wilkes. John has been teaching for 18 years and rumor has it, he really cares about kids. In fact, he has a math equation: more care = better test scores.
There's nothing that wakes someone up like a well-told story. Even more, stories that are vulnerable and relevant. But what stories can you share?
We often hear teachers and leaders tell us: I just don't have any interesting stories. Not true! You just haven't spent the time yet to reflect on the stories from your life, categorize them, or allegorize them. That's where we come in. We have a free giveaway for you called: Your Story Library. It's a simple tool designed to help you to think back in your life to recall stories that can be used later to influence others.
Get your Story Library here.
Brittany and her small team of essay experts serve clients locally throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and seamlessly across the country and around the globe via email, phone, and video chat.
Until 2012, Brittany spent her professional career working in higher education, and held positions in admissions and student services at the University of Pennsylvania at Penn Law and The Wharton School; Princeton University (undergraduate) and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; and the Johns Hopkins University-Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). She has also served on admissions committees with American Councils for International Education and International Research and Exchanges Board; as an invited speaker to numerous community programs; and as an alumni interviewer and admissions representative for the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Brittany is an active Executive Board member and Membership Director of the Penn GSE Education Alumni Association and an Associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.
Brittany received her doctorate in higher education from the George Washington University in 2012. Prior, she attended the University of Pennsylvania for her master’s, and the University of Vermont for her bachelor’s degree—a degree she obtained in three years.
Connect with Brittany
Download Giveaway: Your Story Library Giveaway
1 00:00:07,830 --> 00:00:22,710 Unknown: Welcome to the YouSchool podcast where we believe inside of everybody there is a great story waiting to be discovered and lived. This is the show where we guide you on your journey in discovering what your story can be. It's your life. Don't let anybody else write it.
2 00:00:31,480 --> 00:01:32,080 Scott Schimmel: Hey, everybody, this is your, your consummate host of the YouSchool podcast. This is Scott Schimmel. And we are in a theme for the next couple months talking about story and the idea that not only our lives in a story, but also it's through stories, that we see the world and interact with the world. And a lot of the work we do if YouSchool is helping people uncover and discover and understand their own story, and so on. I'm thrilled to have Brittany, on the podcast today. And Brittany, you don't know this, but I hardly ever actually introduce anybody in the show. I'd rather just hear from your perspective, like, not only Who are you and what are you doing in the world, but again, we're talking about stories. So the backstory, how did you get into your work and what what led you there? So first of all, and say thanks for taking time, especially on a late Friday afternoon, you're in New York, I'm in San Diego. So this is way later for you. So thanks for taking the time and introduce yourself to the audience.
3 00:01:32,160 --> 00:02:35,750 Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to talk about my backstory. I'm a story person, I know you're a story person. So I'm excited to dig into it. But before I go into it, so I am a college admissions counselors own independent counselor, I'm based in Brooklyn, I've been doing this for about seven years. And my career story and my personal story are very much connected. So growing up, I was, I guess, kind of like a typical over achiever type student athlete. But as I got older, I sort of started to not fit into that typical, I guess, good student mold. I went to a number of different high schools, just trying to find something that was a good fit for me, my parents were really concerned wanted to find something that was a good fit for me. And I didn't have some great experiences early on, I was actually asked to leave school. And yeah, it was, it was a
4 00:02:35,930 --> 00:02:37,190 really nice way to say that
5 00:02:38,690 --> 00:05:54,060 it was a bad fit a lot about fit in college admissions. And I ended up back at my local public high school. And unfortunately, things went kind of downhill for me there. So by the time it came for me to apply to college, now my GPA wasn't great, wasn't horrible, hi, 2.8 million, seven, eight or nine range. There's some sees on there for sure. I decent test scores, though. But my high school counselor really didn't believe in me. I had had some disciplinary issues. Early in my my time in high school, you know, 10th grade, but both my parents had gone to college, both my parents are going to four year colleges, and they really thought that I should go to college. So that was something that they wanted me to do. And I wanted to go to college to I was really excited about going to college, but my high school counselor was not so excited about really applying Yeah, out of state, he thought really, I should just, if I was going to go anywhere, I should just apply it and maybe my state institution and probably keep my list at that. But you know, fast forward through that process. And I did get into college, I actually went to the University of Vermont. So I parents day, they were excited for me to get away. And I think that was a good thing. And my sort of journey in higher education kind of took off from there. So I went to the University of Pennsylvania for grad school, I went to George Washington University for my doctorate, and all of those degrees have actually been in education. And so in thinking about, you know, my career path and my career story, I always thought back to, you know, my experiences, and I just was really drawn to education, I was drawn to how education works, I was drawn to how education doesn't work for some people. And I, you know, did some exploring, and it wasn't on purpose that I got a job in admissions initially. But I really fell in love with it. And when I started to reflect back and really began to connect the dots, I felt like that was the perfect place for me to be. So I spent many years working in higher ed working in student affairs, working in admissions, you know, as the person that reads these application files. And then about seven years ago, I decided to switch sides and really get in a position where I can help families, you know, through this process, it's a tough process. It's not always a transparent process. And I really work with all different types of students. So students that go to Ivy League schools and students that have disciplinary records and 2.8 GPA, like me, and it's, it's just super rewarding to be able to look back on my journey, and help people have a more positive journey toward college and towards secondary education.
6 00:05:54,810 --> 00:06:04,080 By the way, I'm sorry to introduce you as a doctor. I will from now on Dr. Tell me more about why you shifted from admissions to doing work on your own.
7 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:48,790 I think that there's a couple of reasons that I shifted. I kind of am a little I'm and I'm antsy. So the work environment itself, I think that anyone that's thinking about their career, that's something that you don't often think about early in your career, like, what type of work environment? Is it good for me to get up and leave the house every day, kind of do the nine to five thing and go to an office or something different. And I figured out pretty early on that that going to an office every day and sort of that that typical work schedule just wasn't the best for me. And I think the biggest factor was also I didn't like rejecting students, specifically.
8 00:06:50,320 --> 00:08:00,010 And there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes and admissions that I just thought was just really uncool and not fair. And I loved. There are certain parts of working in admissions that I loved, I loved working one on one with the candidates with the applicants. Yeah, like sort of get providing them information, helping them through the process. And I loved reading their applications. I loved reading their essays, I loved reading their stories. And as someone that enjoys writing, I and having worked in admissions, I had, you know, a couple people that would ask me, you know, friends of friends and family, friends, stuff like that, to look at their kids essays and to kind of give them some advice. And I just started to put two and two together and really thought deeply about the things that I enjoyed about the role. And then, you know, sort of stroke of luck, I met someone that was an independent counselor and really learned a lot about how what I was doing in admissions and just my really kind of deep knowledge about higher education and how it works. How I could translate that into a role as an independent counselor and took the plunge. And that was,
9 00:08:00,490 --> 00:08:25,540 yeah. Well, your your entire line of business has obviously been in the news a lot lately. This operation was it Varsity Blues, and this huge, like, takedown by the FBI of parents like, so maybe this is a week or two late, but what's your what's your What was your first reaction, when you're hearing the news come out about parents manipulating the entire system?
10 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:34,000 This is a loaded question. My first thought my first thought was it sad.
11 00:08:35,280 --> 00:09:39,920 It's really sad. It's sad, because essentially, these parents are telling their children, you're not enough, you know, you're not good enough. And because of that, I'm going to do this for you. And you know, you can't do this on your own. And I think that's just a horrible, horrible message to send anyone and especially to send someone at such, you're formative age, so, so really just sadness. And frustration, I guess a little bit too, because on the other end there, there's parents on one end, and there's the schools, but then there's also kind of there were some some people in in my role involved. But those, those people aren't the majority. So the majority of people in my line of work are actually members of professional organizations, and they really love what they do. And they do things, you know, right. So it's sad, kind of on that front to to see sort of what we do put in a bad light.
12 00:09:40,830 --> 00:10:31,350 With the theme of story. I think, when I was watching the news and reading some of the news articles, I think the lens I was looking through, and having this I had the same reaction z like the cash, it's so sad, like, that's, that's crazy, it's come to that, or at least to several people, it's come to that, but the idea of manipulating the story about who you are. And in this case, its parents manipulate the story about who their kids are, in order for someone to like purchase a story. There's not to use too much like commodities language, but there's, there's something there about the story I have, this is not the story that's going to fit where I'm trying to get it to fit, you're not going to buy this story. So let's let's let's purchase another one. Let's create another one. I guess, I don't know what the question is in that, but what are your thoughts on that?
13 00:10:32,470 --> 00:12:40,630 So I think that, that this idea of creating a story, creating this certain persona, or whatever you want to call it, for the application, is a bad idea. It actually puts students at a disadvantage. So one of the ways that your story comes through and your application is in your essays. And so you don't get a ton of opportunities to really show admissions officers and your words, what matters most to you, and why who you are and what you're all about. And the stuff that they you can't glean from your resume, or your grades, or your test scores. If you don't present that authentic, true self that was behind the scenes look in the application, you're at a huge disadvantage. And, you know, back to sort of your, your question like what you're what you're talking about, like sort of creating that package. admissions officers, although there's no like, formal training on this, they are able to sense when a story is a manufactured story, or it's an authentic story. And it's just a vibe you can get. I mean, there are some kind of tale signs, like, you know, there are certain words that 17 year olds don't use, yeah. Or it just sounds like a 45 year old, wrote it. Or the story is just so ridiculous, you can't believe it. But it's, I think it's so much of that, that trying too hard type of story, or that when you sense a student is trying to tell you something that they think you want to hear that in and of itself is not being authentic, that means, you are trying to craft something, For what you think you know, who you think the reader is, or what they want to see. And hear
14 00:12:41,410 --> 00:12:58,030 And back when you were an admissions counselor for university, when you would get a sense, what, what did you do? Like, what's the typical response? If you're reading this story and think, man, this just doesn't smell right. sound right? It doesn't seem believable. What do you do with that?
15 00:12:59,470 --> 00:14:48,820 Well, there's no, like formal process for saying like, okay, we need to do some extended research on this first, or, but there are ways to kind of check the story, right? So one of the ways is looking at the other components of the application. So the letters of recommendation, for example, if the story of the students presenting, let's say, in the personal statement, like nothing kind of comes up to, you know, check that in those other letters, yeah, that is a red flag. And then the other, the other component might be not all schools have this, but the interview, so many schools do have this, this interview, and there's an interview report. And so if a student, you know, says they had this crazy thing happened in their life or something, and it never comes up in an interview, that would be like a pretty big red flag. I've also heard that admissions officers and the is rare. They can call high school guidance counselors and ask them questions. So that's why honesty is so important. Yeah. process, you just, you have to be honest, you have to be truthful. But even beyond that, like you should just be yourself because that's, you know, colleges don't admit. Half of this, colleges, don't they admit people, right? They admit people, they don't admit numbers, they don't know. They, they want to know the real you. There you are what you're all about. So I really try to get students to understand that it's okay. And it's actually to your benefit to be your unique self, whatever that is.
16 00:14:48,210 --> 00:16:07,770 Hmm. Well, it's it's interesting. My recently I at my mom's house, found my college essay that I wrote. My mom is like, if you know, there's hoarders you keep everything, she's like, the opposite of that. So it's like the one thing that made it through from my childhood, I don't know why, but there's this little file folder. And I opened it up. And there's my University of San Diego college application I read and I saw I read the essay. And I was so fascinated by it, and I started to read it. I'm like, Who wrote this? Like, literally, I don't, I don't remember, obviously, it was me. But it doesn't seem like me, because it nothing. This the tone didn't sound like me. I clearly wrote something that I thought I wanted someone else to think that this was impressive. And so I guess my question, and that is, there's so many students that I know and have known that when you when it comes to sitting down with them and saying, Hey, tell me your unique story. They just sort of blink at you. Like, what do you mean, there's nothing dramatic? I'm a normal kid who's gone to school and done well, and I played a sport like that's, that's it? So I guess my question is, how do you? How do you respond to that? And how do you help an average, I'm using air quotes here, average ordinary kid hasn't had anything dramatic happening in life, tell a story about themselves. Like what's the process you take them through?
17 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:21,070 Yeah. So we actually do a pretty formal brainstorming process with the students that we work with. And it's not easy at all. And not for us, it's not easy for them.
18 00:16:23,370 --> 00:19:07,950 It's brainstorming. But the reason that we do it is because we believe, and I say we because I have a couple colleagues I work with, we believe that everyone has a story. We know everyone has a story. And sometimes it's hidden in plain sight. And sometimes you need to dig around for it. So we really get our students to dig around, you know, in, in their back stories in their lives. And often, that means getting them to think about the stuff that's hard to think about this stuff that might feel embarrassing, you know, getting them to, you know, be vulnerable, it might be getting them to talk about some failures that they've had, you know, things like that. And it's like I said, it's not, it's not always easy, they don't always like that process, because it is, you know, it makes you vulnerable, you you have to, you know, kind of get this stuff out there. But from my experience, when it comes to admissions essays, vulnerability is where it's at, like, I that's my goal. And if I can give anyone advice that has to think about where is approaching this college application process, and in thinking about, you know, the story that they're going to present in their personal statement, I would push you to think about the hard moments in your life, the embarrassing things, the stuff that you might not want to tell people that you might not feel comfortable talking. I think going to that place is where kind of the good stuff is. And it's not that admissions officers, will they do want to see your human right. That's nice, but they want to get a sense of like, your personal characteristics, like what have you been through? Like, how have you developed into the person that you are, you know, whether that's, you know, resilient, or funny, more loving, or whatever, you know, those traits that you really feel like make you you. That's what admissions officers want to know about. And so you're often not going to see that in some of the really typical essays, big sports win, or the first time you got to be or know something. Yeah, I mean, and those things, yes, they probably all have affected you in some way. But just going a little bit further, a little bit deeper, can be just so helpful.
19 00:19:08,460 --> 00:19:43,650 One of my best friends at a college, his first job was as an admissions counselor. And one day I said, What do you do all day? And he's like, I just read, read, read. And he's like, it is so boring. And the but I said, Well, does it ever do you ever read anything that's like crazy, like, Oh, yeah, every now and then. And then he's like, and then we all walk around the office and like, you gotta read this one. Totally tell you are there any of those that stick out to you that you can share in your, in your years of doing this, like an essay or something that you that just felt, I don't know, absurd, or ridiculous or just crazy?
20 00:19:44,460 --> 00:21:17,570 I don't have too many crazy, crazy ones. But I do have a number that I really like. And I think all the essays that I tend to really like, have theme. And the theme is they show students in their most vulnerable moments. Because to me, that's the craziest thing a 17 year old can do. Yeah, my mind is by putting themselves out there. That is what really, you know, sticks with me. And whether that is a really weighted topic, like maybe a student's sort of journey to being able to come out to his friends, his or her friends or his or her family. Or if it's something that's a little bit more lighthearted. I had an essay, for example, that a young woman wrote that was about the time she spent in her parents. You know, nail salon. Little, little tiny moment, like a sliver of of someone's life. Yeah, yeah, it was colorful, it was a colorful, sad. And that was a fun way to to remember it, but but I do just really think that the most memorable. And the essays that I really kind of hang on to are the ones where I feel a connection to the student, I'm almost like, I feel like they told me
21 00:21:20,750 --> 00:22:14,420 Unknown: There's nothing that's going to wake somebody up, like a well told story. Even better, stories that are vulnerable, real, and relevant. What stories can you share? we hear all the time from teachers and leaders don't really have any stories, interesting in my life to share, well, you're wrong, you just haven't taken the time yet to really think about it to really be called and reflect the stories from your life that would be meaningful and relevant to the people that you're trying to influence. Andthat's why we put together Your Story Library, it's a really simple tool, you can download, and start to remember stories from your life. Go to the show notes. Download your story library today and start working on remembering all the interesting, fascinating, vulnerable and real stories from your life. So you can influence others.
22 00:22:19,980 --> 00:23:21,900 Scott Schimmel: When given kind of the state of affairs these days, and it's it's not just that new scandal, you know, it's such as parents that are going to these extraordinary unethical places to get the kids into school. But there's, there's also around that a much broader conversation around the entire college prep college admissions process of the extraordinary stress and competition and getting worse and worse every year. And I know, for example, I was sharing with some people yesterday that when I got into college, it was it wasn't that hard. And even at USD, where I went to, this is not bragging, but there was a top academic scholarship now. And now there was my friend told me this I'd probably I might get in, but I definitely wouldn't get any scholarship extended to me. So it's, it's changed and and mental health is affected and students dealing with anxiety and rejection. And so I guess my question on that, what do you think is going to change? Or even on the flip side of that, if you could change something, what would it be?
23 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:44,730 Brittany: I think well, how change? I guess I'll tackle first what might change? mean, I think possibly a lot could change and quite possibly very little could change. So like our system of higher education has been how it has been for a very long time.
24 00:23:44,820 --> 00:23:45,180 Scott Schimmel: Yeah.
25 00:23:45,750 --> 00:26:18,510 Brittany: And although I'm absolutely a glass half full type of person, I don't think we're going to see anything change soon on, like, the college end of things. Right. So from the top down, yeah. However, I do think something that will change is something that has to change, because of the sort of way college admissions is going. So not everyone can get in to top 25 schools, even the top 50 schools. Students and parents need to widen their college knowledge, they need to think outside of the box more, they need to learn about different schools, new schools, schools that they don't know. And they need to do this because not everyone can go to the same schools, you can have an amazing academic experience social experience, at so many colleges and universities, you just need to open your mind to those schools. Yeah, research them. And you need to look beyond the brand names that are those everyday names that we know, the college admissions landscape now requires it. And to me, that's actually a good thing. I've always tried to push students to think outside of the box a little bit and not necessarily kind of follow the crowd. And I think that one change that we will see, because of how competitive college admissions is getting is that students will start to do that. And we will start to hear more about schools that we don't know a lot about, and that students might not know a lot about, those schools will get more popular. And hopefully, there won't be this just laser focus on this super small set of colleges. I go on lots of college tours, I have colleagues that I know that have worked at different colleges, universities, there are so many amazing colleges in the US and abroad that there is just no need to be going crazy over 5, 10, 15, 25 schools, our students can get an amazing education at an so many other different colleges and universities, just the stress is not it's just not it's not worth it anymore. It's just not.
26 00:26:19,890 --> 00:27:25,320 Scott Schimmel: Well, maybe this is putting the letting the cat out of the bag a little bit. But Brittany and I put together as speaking to the audience now- we put together the past few months, a new digital course called your real college essay course. And we're really intending that, that students that don't have access to a high school counselor on a campus when a lot of high schools have a 450 to 750 Kids assigned to each counselor. So how are you ever going to get personal attention, or they don't have the access maybe in their community or financial resources to work with someone like Brittany one on one that we wanted to create a way of process for students to go through that can actually help them walk through and understand themselves understand their real story, and be able to tell that and an articulate way. So we're going live with that's right in the next few weeks. It's got to be Sam, it's been a labor of love and something we're both excited about that could have a real impact for a lot of students. So what are you excited about when it comes to that course?
27 00:27:26,160 --> 00:28:17,190 Brittany: I'm most excited about having students give us some feedback on you know, the brainstorming. So I talked about that a little bit earlier. Yeah, I'm a story person, the brainstorming is where these stories begin to emerge. So I'm really excited to see, you know, what the students that take the course, you know, come up with if it really helps them develop their thinking, deepen their thinking. And I hope that some of them will share their stories with us in the finished product in the in the essays because everyone has a story. Everyone has a unique story and exciting story. And colleges deserve to hear that story. And so I'm just so hopeful that this course helps students unlock those stories, and present, you know, their best, most authentic, you know, true self to admissions officers.
28 00:28:17,340 --> 00:29:48,570 Scott Schimmel: And when I think about when I think about myself, writing that sort of autopilot essay 20 years ago, because I thought that's what I what someone wanted me to say. And but but really, even more broadly than that the entire process for me was just going to autopilot. I knew I was in my family going off to for your school, I knew that was the directions where all my friends were going from the high schoolers at. But there was no real sense during that season of life of real discovery, I was not open was not thinking about things, I was not exploring who I was. And so the idea that we can actually leverage this pretty stressful season, maybe the most stressful season that a kid will go through in there, in some ways, and you're tired lives maybe. Yeah. But we could actually leverage that season as as a time to actually really get to understand yourself and who you are and who you want to be. And that's I think that's the great opportunity that the college essay particularly provides that it forces you to look backwards. And by looking backwards, if you do that, well, you will see where your life is headed. And you'll be able to have a little sense of confidence and clarity, and maybe agency I think, you know, I want that story to change direction. I want to go in a different down a different path. And so that would be amazing. Brittany, if we can reconnect in a year from now on the show and say, Look, story after story of students saying, Man, I really, this really helped me understand myself. And now I'm making different choices about my life path because of that, that that's our dream.
29 00:29:49,590 --> 00:30:19,080 Brittany: Absolutely. And I think it's possible with the course. And I think it's also possible when students and families and counselors and advisors and teachers and everyone that touches students college counseling and sort of college application journey, looks at it as a journey. And as something that you can learn from and grow from and kind of do in a way that is true, and good to you. And also not that stressful. Yeah,
30 00:30:19,110 --> 00:30:39,060 Scott Schimmel: yeah. Well, I took some great quotes from just what you're saying that I love your perspective. I'm so glad you're doing what you're doing and how you're doing it. I'm so glad that we can partner together. And thanks again for being on the show. I hope you have a great warm spring New York weekends because I know it's going to be warm here in San Diego. So we'll send over some good vibes.
31 00:30:40,230 --> 00:30:50,040 Brittany: Thanks so much that you know, I am a huge fan of yours YouSchool, I'm so glad that we are working on this course together. So send some warm weather my way.
32 00:30:53,390 --> 00:31:32,360 Scott Schimmel: Hey, thanks for joining us for The YouSchool podcast, we wanted to let you know that we have a new free mini course. That's a available for you called the Real Me course. It's available on our website, go to theyouschool.com/register, create an account and you'll see The Real Me course available for you for free. Within three quick exercises, you can get clear about your identity about who you are and what matters to you. Let us guide you through video and through interactive prompts for you to figure out and get clear about your real story. So go to theyouschool.com and thanks for joining us today.
If you don't know Joe yet, you should, and you will.
JOE'S SIMPLE MISSION; RECLAIM HUMAN CONNECTION
Over the last 15 years he's spoken in educational settings all over the world with one simple mission… to reclaim human connection.
Whether it’s a Middle School in Minneapolis, a Professional Development workshop in Montana, or an International Conference in Malaysia…people are craving connection.
It’s only when we stop and slow down, separate from our screens, and truly listen to each other’s stories, that we can course correct, and give our youth the best chance to leave their mark on this world. Greatness lives in every single person. Every student, and every adult.
My mission is to help them discover this greatness, believe they can obtain it, commit to it, and most importantly... share it with others.
Connect with Joe and learn more about his work: Joe's website
Two videos Joe mentioned in the conversation:
3 Phrases The Calling
Download Giveaway: Your Story Library Giveaway
Tracy Wilson is the Counseling Coordinator for the San Diego County Office of Education. She supports all counselors across every school in town. In other words- she's a big deal. From her experiences in the juvenile detention system, a school counselor, Assistant Principal and a mom herself, she has a unique perspective on the trends of social-emotional learning throughout the county.
This month we also have a giveaway for you called YOUR STORY LIBRARY, a simple tool designed for anyone working with students to become a better storyteller.
To get in touch with Tracy, go to www.sdcoe.net/schoolcounselors
So much of school is managing the externals: lesson plans, worksheets, assignments, papers, tests, projects, etc. The student experience is largely about the external world, but their internal world is where all the action is happening.
If you want to lead students to more meaningful moments, moments of insight, connection, self-discovery and empathy, then you need to learn how to address their inner worlds.
In this episode we mention the new mindfulness meditation videos available for you to use in your classroom (3 min or 6 min, no cost). Just shoot us an email info@theyouschool.com and we'll send you those videos as well as a short explanation video for how you can integrate a practice like this into your classroom.
How can a teacher be more thoughtful about cultivating moments in the classroom?
Tracy Yates joins us (again!) with some gold nuggets in this episode. We have an e-book for download this month- more info inside the episode.
More about Tracy
I'm a proud founding staff member at Canyon Crest Academy and began teaching full time in the fall of 1999 at La Costa Canyon High School before opening CCA in the fall of 2004. Creating both Envision Dance and Cinema Conservatories in CCA's second year, I went on to be Envision Director after Brian Kohn, then Director stepped into the position of CCA's Principal after David Jaffe's exit. (Kohn is now with Oakland School of the Arts, Jaffe is Superintendent at Rancho Santa Fe School District). After several years as Director and Envision Dance Coordinator, I stepped down and am "just" teaching. I am so proud of CCA and the amazing innovation of both staff and students each year.
A dancer since the age of 3, I've always had an interest in health and wellness. I've always been interested in exercise of any kind, eating well and mental health. So, I'm thrilled to teach the Intro to Dance with Health. The body has a profound ability to help heal the mind (and vice versa) so it'll be fun to infuse some of the latest research into both dance and health class.
Daniel Horgan is the Senior Director of Corporate Engagement for MENTOR. In this role, he is responsible for building and managing corporate partnerships that help close the youth mentoring gap in America while meeting business goals. A volunteer role with a YMCA summer camp at the age of 12 sparked Daniel’s passion for service. At the age of 18, Daniel pioneered the first youth-led Community of Promise in Pittsburgh under Retired General Colin Powell’s national America’s Promise movement, landing him a seat on the national board of directors and recognition from President George W. Bush. Daniel has over 18 years of experience working in the business and nonprofit sectors having served as the Executive Director at generationOn, the Vice President of Development at The Heart of America Foundation, the Senior Director of Community Affairs at Capital One, the Youth Program Officer at the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, and the Executive Director of Pittsburgh Cares. Daniel has extensive experience training, consulting and coaching in the areas of leadership, management, organizational development and public/private partnerships. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies (Intel, Deloitte, JPMorgan Chase, AT&T, Bank of America), national and local nonprofit organizations (Communities In Schools, Coro, DonorsChoose.org, Team Kids, Mentoring Partnership of SWPA, Youth Philanthropy Connect), school districts (Fairfax County Public Schools, NYC Department of Education) and government agencies (NYPD, NYC Service, NYC City Council, City of Pittsburgh). Daniel is the author of Tell Me I Can’t…and I Will and the producer/host of the Community Voices of Change podcast. He resides in New York City.
Connect with Dan on LinkedIn or send him an email dhorgan@mentoring.org
Show Notes:
Dan's top three tips for designing effective mentor moments:
- Be patient
- Be intentional
- Be super curious
Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring, by Mentoring.org
Travis Sevilla is an artist and educator working for Canyon Crest Academy. Travis began teaching in San Diego at High Tech High North County as a multimedia/STEAM teacher. He moved to San Diego with his wife and two sons from Los Angeles for the opportunity to enjoy all that San Diego has to offer in the outdoors and to have an opportunity to work in a project-based learning environment with HTHNC. He has now made the move to Canyon Crest Academy in an effort to integrate some of the project based and real-world learning into the dynamic environment CCA has to offer. In addition to CCA, Travis works with new teachers through San Diego State University and Guest Lectures at Universities on occasion. An avid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast, surfer, rock climber, and cyclist, Travis has a passion for learning from all of his endeavors. He is a dedicated teacher who works to bring real-world projects to his students that incorporate the arts and design thinking. He believes strongly in bringing out students' power of creative and critical thinking as solutions to complex real-world problems.
To connect with Travis go to his website.
Dr. Miller is an author, professor, coach, and consultant in the fields of leadership formation, organizational change, the psychology of adult development and learning. She received an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary and a PhD from the University of San Diego. Since 2013, Cara has been affiliated with Harvard University as a Teaching Fellow in the Extension School and an Instructor in Harvard’s Programs in Professional Education. She draws on developmental psychology to coach senior leaders in many contexts (individuals, partnerships, teams, boards). She utilizes adaptive leadership theory to consult to organizations from diverse industries engaging in change efforts (military, higher education, finance, ministry, manufacturing). She orchestrates the application of innovative organizational theory and methods to inform the architecture, governance, leadership development, performance strategies, and review processes for companies seeking alignment between their people strategy and their financial strategy.
Her clients experience her as: - an insightful, compassionate, and steady coach - a lively, interactive, and fun facilitator - an artistic, dynamic, and complex organizational architect of human capital all roles which are meaningful to me, and are solidly informed by rigorous foundational theory and practice.
Personally, as a practitioner and partner, she seeks to embody, facilitate, and teach timely, developmental, transforming leadership while accessing her deepest values of integrity, mutuality, and vulnerable power in my professional and personal roles, for the sake of individual and organizational sustainability.
Connect with Cara on LinkedIn, her website Inquiryp.com
Bob Goff is the New York Times Best-Selling Author of Love Does, as well as an attorney who founded Love Does, a nonprofit human rights organization operating in Uganda, India, Nepal, Iraq and Somalia. Bob is a sought after speaker, inspiring current and future influencers to get to the "do" part of life. Choosing to live audaciously, Bob connects to audiences in a powerfully inspirational, yet down to earth manner. Love Does has now been translated into ten languages!
Bob has pioneered the vision of Love Does (formerly Restore International) to fight for freedom and human rights, working to improve educational opportunities and to be helpful to those in need of a voice and a friend. Love Does has worked with Uganda's judiciary in bringing over 200 cases to trial, as well as pursuing justice, intervention and education for at risk women and children in Uganda, India, Nepal, Iraq and Somalia. Restore Leadership Academy in Northern Uganda educates over 300 students with a focus on character and leadership development. Because of Bob's vision and the work of Love Does, he serves as the Hon. Consul for the Republic of Uganda to the United States.
Bob created the Dream Big Framework, a seven-part program designed to help you identify your big ambition in life and then clear the path to pursue it wholeheartedly. Bob's been an inspiration, mentor and fan of the YouSchool since its beginning.
Find Bob online...everywhere.
MICHAEL IS A SOUGHT-AFTER EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT AND COACH. For more than 12 years, Dauphinee has had an insatiable interest in understanding the worlds most effective leaders and mapping the key elements to their success. He organized these ideas into the simple concept of a compass. “The Identity Compass,” is based on the four core values a leader needs to balance to amplify their influence and clarity.
Dauphinee’s nontraditional approach to business and leadership have earned him invitations to meet with an array of leaders and organizations, including: Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Shinola, The Detroit Lions, United Way Worldwide, The San Diego Padres, US Olympic Committee, USA Archery, Civila- Detroit, US State Dept., Home Depot, St. John’s Hospital System, and United Way of Metro Dallas.
In 2010 Dauphinee began working on a framework for identity-based leadership development but in fragile and conflict-affected regions of the world. With initiatives in Costa Rica, Nigeria, and Afghanistan, He has had the honor of sharing his ideas at the Afghan National Assembly, with members of the Afghan Security Council, Phoenix Industries, San Jose, CR and Faith Alive Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.
Dauphinee shares his passion with all he comes in contact with, speaking at retreats and corporate gatherings around the world.
In 2014 Dauphinee founded TDG Adventures to give people the opportunity to wrestle with questions of identity while trekking with locals in remote locations of the globe.
Currently, Dauphinee has offices in San Diego, Minneapolis, and Miami and spends 20+ days a month on the road. Dauphinee’s first book, Identity: A Compass for the Adventure of Life, was published in May of 2015.
Get in touch with Michael on his website or via LinkedIn.
DANNY KIMM CATALYZES INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO PERFORM AT THEIR BEST.
Danny is experienced in helping individuals design their personal and professional callings. He asks insightful questions at pivotal moments to help leaders make critical decisions that have long-term implications. As a storyteller and keynote speaker, Danny inspires movement and momentum. He is a gifted facilitator who creates psychologically safe environments for individual thinking and group collaboration.
Danny is a Senior Consultant at Centauric working with individuals and organizations of all sizes creating compelling experiences to help individuals and teams maximize their potential. He is an on-call faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership as well as an experienced Gallup-Certified Clifton Strengths coach. He has conducted over 500 individual coaching sessions, facilitated hundreds of workshops and presented in front of thousands.
Danny holds a Masters of Divinity and is currently working on his doctorate in I/O Psychology. His doctorate will focus on the impact of smartphone distraction on workplace productivity and speaks to organizations about how to harness the power of technology without hindering human connection.
Danny lives in San Diego, CA with his wife EJ and two dogs. He enjoys surfing, frequenting the movies and a good cup of coffee. Get in touch with him through his website.
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We are thrilled to have Sarah Hernholm join us in the YouSchool 'studio'. In 2009, Sarah Hernholm left her elementary school teaching days and launched WIT - Whatever It Takes. Convinced that a company could be built to provide youth with the tools and skills needed to become social entrepreneurs and leaders, she began her journey.
Six years later, WIT is the only college-credit social entrepreneur and leadership course for high school teens in the country. As Founder/President of WIT, Sarah helps launch WIT sites all over the country, and motivates teens to launch enterprises designed to change their communities! Sarah also created SMART CITY SATURDAY, which hosts teen only hackathons around the country. These hackathons provide teens the opportunity to spend the day tackling their city's greatest challenges and then at the end of the event, present their proposed solutions to city-officials.
Along the way she has delivered three TEDx talks:
- Power of Authentic Self-Expression
- The Importance of Asking - "Why is this happening for me (not 'to' me)?"
- Place More Commas Than Periods
These talks resulted in more talks...like the one about "risky" behavior shared in a recent Creative Mornings talk.
In everything she does, Sarah lives and leads with "11 Tips for Doing WIT". These Tips help develop greater emotional intelligence, along with activating an entrepreneurial mindset. As a result of the proven impact of the 11 Tips for Doing WIT, Sarah has partnered with organizations, companies, school districts, and parent groups to teach the 11 Tips for Doing WIT. These Tips resonate with everyone. While not everyone will be an entrepreneur and launch a business, EVERYONE can develop an entrepreneurial mindset, and benefit from enhancing and developing their emotional intelligence.
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram
Books recommended on the episode:
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Dan Pink
The Conscious Parent, Shefali Tsabury
Hey Parents!
Raising healthy kids who become thriving adults is kind of the thing we're all trying to do, right? In today's episode, we have a very compelling exercise you can do (perhaps over the holidays) that will help your kids become resilient and be able to handle the complexities and stress of life.
If you'd like, you can download this worksheet we designed to start drafting your own family backstory, then sit down with their kids and add some visual aids like home movies and photo albums to make your family backstory come alive.
And, if you haven't already, you can sign up for our parent email newsletter that will give you our best resources for parents who want to raise healthy adults.
Thane Marcus Ringler is a former pro golfer turned writer, speaker, collaborator, and entrepreneur living in Los Angeles, CA. After competing for nearly four years as a professional, he transitioned out of the world of golf into his new endeavors. In his current work, Thane is coming alongside freelancers, business owners, and entrepreneurs to help them by taking the professional athlete’s mindset to everyday people in everyday life. He is passionate about speaking to the journey from the journey, and wants to empower this generation to take ownership of their lives and never settle for less than they are capable of. He is also the host of The Up & Comers Show, a podcast all about learning how to live a good life. To find more on Thane and his work, visit: ThaneMarcus.com
From Here to There: A Quarter-Life Perspective On The Path To Mastery TheUpAndComersShow.com Connect with Thane on the socials: Instagram Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
In this episode, YouSchool President Scott Schimmel shares key thoughts on intentionally practicing giving thanks to cultivating a life of gratitude. We have an exercise you can download and use for your family to craft a Thanksgiving conversation. Download the family exercise here.
In this episode, we take a real-life look inside the life of three teenagers at a local high school. We talk about some of the hot topics students are facing, like:
-- What's it like to be a high school student these days? -- What's different, do you think, since your parents were in high school?
-- What's the top concern of high school students?
-- What's something teachers or parents don't understand about teenagers?
-- What's something you wish parents or teachers knew about you?
-- What do you think about academic pressure and stress? How do you handle stress personally?
-- What do you wish was different about high school?
-- What are you hoping for in the next five years?
What's it like to be the parent of three teens? What happens when noisy, smelly, eye-rolling and hormones meet warmth, patience, and engagement? That's what happens at the Kowack home. Stephanie is a very involved parent in her kid's schools, a huge proponent of social-emotional wellness programming, a leader in her community, and a great friend to the YouSchool. Some conversation highlights:
- How to build trust with kids so they share openly with you
- Crafting an environment of play in your home where teenagers want to spend time
- Advice for parents who have a communication breakdown with their kids
- How to calmly teach respect to your kids by modeling it first
- Her hopes for who her kids become as adults
Stephanie's Recommended Reading for Parents of Teens:
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Over-parenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success
The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy
Also, we have a free parenting e-book designed to help parents of teenagers re-think how they're approaching the most important project of their lives. Just let us know if you'd like to receive a copy.
About the Episode This episode is a must-listen for athletes and parents of athletes. Drake dives into his experiences in high school and college being the BMOC (big man on campus), how the confidence he gained through being a praised athlete translated into his life after competition, and what he's learned about being more reflective in his life. He also explores how he intends to apply the lessons he's learned from his own life so he can be a dad who doesn't go crazy when his kids play sports.
About Drake Drake Fages is an innovative mentor who has a real gift for professional coaching and motivation. Through his own experience as an All-American and Gold Glove 3rd baseman, experience of devastating injuries, and the struggle to find relevance and meaning outside of sports he has found a unique way to help students, young professionals, and athletes in transition. Today, he dedicates himself to guiding young people by serving as Director and Lead Guide for YouSchool Athletics. Drake received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Religion from Biola University. Drake has been described as “Funny, engaging, and extremely understanding in conversation”. Connect with him on LinkedIn or email.
This month we're diving into personal profile stories of fascinating people in the YouSchool world, and in this episode, you'll get to learn a lot about Joe Lara's life and his transition from Navy Special Operations to the non-profit sector.
Learn more about Joe Lara and connect with him on LinkedIn.
This month at the YouSchool we’re exploring the theme: THE EXPERIENCE OF YOU. We’re curious about what it’s like to be your unique self, an experience that no one else can share or genuinely understand but which makes up who you are in this world.
We want to encourage people to reflect on the experience they have in life, to grow more deeply in awareness of what it’s like to be alive in their skin, their personality, their family, their memories, their reactions, and their story. The punchline is to encourage people to embrace the unique way they operate and experience the world and to experience more peace and joy in their lives. We want to guide people to recognize the unique perspective and gift they have to bring to this world the more they choose to embrace their true identity.
A few questions to get you started on the journey:
— What makes me different or distinct from my siblings?
— What particular ways do I respond to daily challenges, stress, or problems?
— What do I find to be truly good, beautiful, or wonderful?
— What tapes play in my head as I go through the day?
— What recurring phrases do I use to express my surprise to the world?
Pay attention this week as you go to work, run errands, engage with friends or neighbors, and have a few quiet moments in traffic or before you drift off to sleep. What’s unique about who you are and how you operate?
The most critical project a parent undertakes is the raising of kids to become healthy, happy, and wise. In this short episode, we discuss a crucial step for parents to help their kids expand boundaries and responsibly earn more freedom in life. Download this accompanying worksheet, and feel free to share this episode or contact us (info@theyouschool.com) to explore hosting workshops for your school or organization.
Ryan graduated with college with a unique idea that most people told him would never work: to build a career out of being an intentional, engaged friend to as many people as he could. With uncommon sense tips and whimsy, Ryan shares his invaluable wisdom from his life experiences of collecting meaningful friendships and the power that comes from a real network of support.
Ryan's two book recommendations:
Harvey MacKay's Dig Your Well Before Your Thirsty
Keith Ferrazi's Never Eat Alone
Connect with Ryan, the man, the myth, and the legend, on LinkedIn.
In this episode, buckle up for candor. JJ shares the powerful story of his transition from the marines to civilian life, discussing his experience with combat, PTSD, his other than honorable discharge, his friend's death from suicide, and struggles with alcohol. JJ now helps lead the Clay Hunt Fellowship program for Team Rubicon USA.
JJ's advice for veteran transition:
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Reach out to people in your unit
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Find a local veteran group
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Build a new tribe for yourself with people you can trust
READ: I'm Living With PTSD But Will Not Be Defined By It
WATCH: JJ's story
Show Notes // 3 Critical Aspects of Healthy Friendships:
1) A commitment to a rhythm of connection: get-togethers, coffees, golf, meals, etc
2) Honesty as a foundation for intimacy - no honesty = no intimacy, and for men, shared vulnerability and weakness is especially hard so being honest in these areas is important. This also includes honesty about what’s hard in the relationships. So, honesty about the internal life, honesty about weakness, honesty about issues happening in the relationship.
3) Attunement/support/listening well - we have to learn how to show up AND how to receive the other person's inner life and struggles in a way that’s helpful!
About Charlie Ruce
As a therapist, I walk with individual men, women, and couples through these seasons of life that require guidance, clarity, healing, and a process to move from feeling stuck to feeling free and more alive and whole. If you have had therapy in the past but feel like you need to take another step, or you have been journeying inward on your own for a while now but know its time to seek the help of someone else, I would be happy to work with you to move through this season and into the next one. I also have extensive experience working with those in recovery from sexual addiction. If you have been in recovery for a while but need to take another step of healing and growth, I would be happy to journey with you."
Charlie specializes in:
- Those with previous therapy experience looking to take the next step
- Couple's struggling to connect deeply
- Trauma/Feeling like life should be "more" than it is
- Recovery from sexual addiction
Contact Charlie 619-272-6485 ext. 105 charlie@soulcarehouse.com
This episode is pure gold if you're someone who values relationships and wants to grow better ones. We talk a lot about how parents, teachers, and youth workers can encourage their students to find and build authentic friendships.
About Melissa:
I am passionate about supporting people facing the messiness of life — its difficulties and its joys — with actionable tools and approaches that can provide sustained change. It is inspiring providing space so people can take risks and bravely learn to respect their whole story — on their own terms. Working with clients in a therapeutic setting is a great privilege. I know first hand that the healing journey can be uncomfortable. Facing fears and reflecting inward is tough work. Yet, this is where people can discover the pathway to freedom by discovering their own reserves of courage.
I help teens and women struggling with disordered eating, trauma and distressing life events, anxiety, grief, life adjustments, identity issues, and shame. Together we can define your own goals for change.
Along with my own journey through therapy, faith is another avenue that has brought me great freedom. I enjoy integrating evidenced-based clinical approaches with faith for those who value a mind, body and soul approach.
Education: MA, Marriage and Family Therapy — Bethel Seminary San Diego BA, Psychology — San Diego State University
Specialized Training:
- Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) (Certification in progress)
- EMDR Trained Therapist — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: a specialized therapeutic approach that can help alleviate the effects of traumatic and distressing life events such as abuse and shame.
- Grief and Loss — Bereavement counselor working with terminally ill clients and their families in both pre and post bereavement
Affiliations: California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
Like many native San Diegans, I enjoy being outside as much as possible, particularly in water. I also love sporting events, concerts, dancing, and experimenting with art and writing. Growing up with 3 sisters inspired my love for women’s issues, humor, and deep authentic relationships.
Email Melissa.
Call Melissa at 619.819.0283 ext 5
To be honest, this is the conversation where I couldn't stop taking notes! Tracey's a longtime friend and former colleague who now has a deep passion for helping people discover and activate their strengths. Here's a recap of the episode that I'm sure you'll want to listen to a couple times and share with friends:
Two great questions for listeners to reflect on their own StrengthsFinder 2.0 results:
- Where does that strength come alive in you?
- What's a challenge you have where you can apply your strength?
For Parents (or coaches, teachers, youth workers)-- top five clues to discover your kid's talents:
- Rapid learning: what subjects or topics do you see your kids devour information?
- Motivation and natural curiosity: what are your kids naturally motivated to learn or do more of?
- Flow: what activities do you notice them in 'the zone'?
- Satisfaction: when do you hear them especially satisfied by an activity?
- Glimpses of excellence: what do you notice them being remarkably talented at?
Tracey mentioned a book she's reading by James Emery White called Meet Generation Z.
Buy the StrengthsFinder 2.0 Book & Assessment for you or someone you like a lot.
Connect with Tracey on LinkedIn-- she's a licensed and talented coach for 1:1 coaching, small groups or teams
Research has proven that if your work directly affects the lives or wellbeing of others, you will enjoy your work more. Scott shares two important insights that can help you find more meaning in the work that you're doing, whether you're a student, a parent, an employee, or an athlete.
Today's episode is all about the YouSchool's good friend Kyle("Buck") Buckett. Exploding with woo, the conversation hits on Kyle's entrepreneurship beginnings, his path into the SEAL teams, what's wrong (and right) with millennials these days and his critical work as CEO of One More Wave.
Please check out One More Wave and get involved as a supporter by donating to cover the costs of custom surf gear for injured veterans, buying their schwag (my favorite t-shirt in my closet), and hosting or attending one of their many creative events. Also, after listening to this episode please take 6 minutes to watch the powerful film Starbucks put together to cover their organization through their Upstanders series.
Through his upbringing, his faith, his career in the Navy, and now his mission to serve veterans through recreational therapy, Buck's an epic illustration of what this month's theme is all about.
If you're a school leader and you don't know Brad, then we're thrilled to introduce him to you. Listen in on a powerful conversation between Scott Schimmel and Brad Lichtman about teen suicide, school shootings, high academic standards and nurturing the hearts of students.
Charlie Ruce is one of the YouSchool's favorite partners. As Clinical Director of the Soul Care House, a group of licensed counselors and marriage and family therapists, we've appreciated being able to send YouSchool students, veterans and athletes over the years to their capable hands. Get to know Charlie and his team at the Soul Care House at their website.
If this episode piques your interest, check out this article and many others like it this month during our theme: PICK A FIGHT!
We have a great guest on this episode, Danielle (Dani) Gilbert, former Army intelligence now Team Rubicon USA ambassador and Clay Hunt Fellow-- not to mention a full-fledged YouSchool Guide. Every veteran has her/his own story, and Dani's story is unique.
To get to know our guest for this episode, just watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l66kO4xVqps
Mike's a good friend of the YouSchool and one of the first veterans to go through our LifeScript program a few years ago. His insights and perspective have been invaluable in shaping how we come alongside and serve veterans as they go through their transition. Mike cares deeply about helping veterans find the mental and emotional support they need in order to thrive through an extremely disorienting time in their lives.
He's also launching a new project, Operation School Shield, whose mission is to create safer schools, protect children and give veterans purpose through service to their communities. After listening to the episode please take a look at their website for ways you can get involved.
In this episode, we interview Kathy Pham, long time YouSchool Guide and full-time Director of Youth Development with UrbanLife in City Heights, an inner city neighborhood in San Diego. Kathy shares her own journey to transitioning from climbing the corporate ladder to dedicating her time and energy to being a role model, mentor, and friend to hundreds of inner-city high school students.
She brings up a lot of interesting topics, including urban farming, the Enneagram personality tool, Strengths Finder, an epidemic of fatherlessness amongst today's inner city youth, and a study on the increase of middle-aged men dying from suicide.
Connect with Kathy through LinkedIn.
The YouSchool Guides Tim Parlier and Scott Schimmel interview Craig Buchanan, a University of Washington fraternity student as he processes the transition from college to career. Listen in as they guide Craig to think through his identity, purpose, and belonging to find clarity and next steps.
We want to introduce you to our favorite partner in the Veteran community, Michael Davidson. Michael is a certified YouSchool Guide who works with transitioning veterans, and more importantly, he runs the Clay Hunt Fellow Program for Team Rubicon USA. Michael is a guide to many- his easy-going nature, thoughtful questions, and sage advice makes Michael a treasured friend and mentor. Get to know him and the work he leads at www.teamrubiconusa.org/clay-hunt-fellowship/
On this episode the President of the YouSchool Scott Schimmel has a conversation with Anthony Moore author and CEO of StuffGradsLike.com. Anthony is a top writer on Medium and has made a career writing about self-improvement and personal growth.
In this episode, YouSchool Guides Scott Schimmel and Drake Fages discuss how athletes have firm beliefs about themselves, about competing, and how those beliefs can be translated to be useful in other areas of life.
Check out our website, TheYouSchool.com to find more free, relevant resources for the athletes you work with, and to sign up for our flagship program, the LifeScript Program, an interactive journey to guide you to write a compelling story with your life.
In this episode, YouSchool Guides Scott Schimmel and Tim Parlier talk about how beliefs take shape inside of us.
Go to our website, TheYouSchool.com to find more free, relevant resources and to sign up for our flagship program, the LifeScript Program, an interactive journey to guide you to write a compelling story with your life.
In this episode, YouSchool Guides Tim Parlier and Scott Schimmel share thoughts on where beliefs get formed.
Check out our website, TheYouSchool.com for articles and other resources.
Welcome to the new YouSchool podcast! Each month we'll drill down into one of our key questions and principles for finding, defining, and unleashing a great story in your life. With rotating hosts, guests, and formats, these short episodes are designed to help you reflect on who you are, where you're headed, and how to live a great story.
Go to our website, TheYouSchool.com to find more free, relevant resources and to sign up for our flagship program, the LifeScript Program, an interactive journey to guide you to write a compelling story with your life.