Aspire: The Leadership Development Podcast

This week’s guest, Tom Schimmer, shares his journey as a leader, redefining accountability in grading, the myths of standards based grading and the importance of descriptive feedback.    In this episode, we discuss: Standards Based Mindset Grading True North Myths about Standards Based Grading And Grading From the Inside Out About Tom Schimmer:Tom Schimmer is an independent education author, speaker, and consultant from Vancouver, BC. Over the course of his career he has been a classroom teacher, school administrator, and district level leader. Tom is an internationally recognized leader and expert in the areas of assessment, grading, RTI, and educational leadership. He has delivered both keynote and workshop sessions at several national and international conferences. As well, Tom has worked directly with schools and school districts throughout Canada, the United States, Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Bahrain, India, the U.A.E., the U.K., Russia, Singapore, Spain,

In this bonus episode, Greg Moffitt shares his five top leadership books and the reasons he loves these amazing resources. In addition, Greg introduces two bonus children’s books to instill leadership qualities in our classrooms.  About Greg Moffitt:Greg Moffitt is the Principal at Fairmont Charter Elementary School in the Vacaville Unified School District (Vacaville, CA) where he works with staff, parents, and – most importantly – students to create a school community that champions the strengths and talents of each individual. As principal, Greg has implemented programs that celebrate student success and promote critical thinking and compassionate citizenship. Previously, Greg served as the Principal at Winters Elementary School, increasing school-to-home communication, fostering parent and community engagement, and implementing programs to maximize student engagement. A former middle school teacher, Greg taught students about reading, writing, ancient civilizations, technology and leadership whil

Based on your past educational struggles, have you ever asked yourself, “Will I be enough in this leadership position?”. This week’s guests, Dr. Basil Marin, explains how his struggles in school created doubt about the impact he could make on student’s lives and his leadership capacity.   In this episode, we discuss: The Challenges of Higher Education Equity practices in schools Teaching Students “Professional Skills” And Basil’s character in the new book by Jeff Kubiak, “It’s Me” About Dr. Basil Marin:Dr. Marin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Eastern Mennonite University and a Master’s degree in Special Education from Liberty University. Dr. Marin also holds an Educational Specialist degree in PK-12 Administration and Supervision from Old Dominion University. Additionally, Dr. Marin recently received his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University. Dr. Marin is a humble and down to earth individual who is passionate about creating opportunities for all stu

In this 20th Aspire Mailbag episode, Jeff Gargas and I answer questions on different leadership topics provided by the listeners. Please join us for this episode as we answer questions and discuss how to measure your influence as a leader, advancing in a non-traditional route, planning for your first 90 days on the job, and about the Teach Better Team events!

When someone comes to you with a problem, do you immediately try to solve the issue? This week’s guests, Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad, explains how leaders need to use a coaching model of questions to find the best solutions and teach problem solving skills, similar to Glenda in “The Wizard of Oz”.

Have you ever been on the dance floor at a party or a wedding and when the DJ changes the song, everyone either runs on or off the dance floor? This week’s guests, Dr. Joe Clark, explains why leadership is similar to being a disc jockey and how to inspire others to take action and serve others.  In this episode, we discuss: Why it’s important to share when you made a mistake How to go above and beyond your position And his book, If the Dance Floor is Empty, Change the Song About Dr. Joe Clark:Dr. Joe Clark has worked as an educator since 1992, including six years as a high school English teacher, seven years as a building principal and assistant principal, and seventeen years in the central office as a superintendent and assistant superintendent. Dr. Clark is currently the superintendent of the Nordonia Hills City Schools, a district serving 3,600 students in Northeast Ohio. Dr. Clark received all three of his degrees at Kent State University: a B.A. in English, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration, an

When you add resources or programs to your campus or district, how do you decide what students receive these new opportunities? This week’s guests, Zandra Jo Galvan, shares how when presented an opportunity to add multiple resources to her district, she made sure all students had the same resources at their fingertips and she explains how to build partnerships with community businesses to expand her student’s experiences.    In this episode, we discuss: First steps when leading in a new district Building trust with members of your team And instilling social emotional health during the pandemic About Zandra Jo Galvan:Mrs. Zandra Jo Galvan has been serving as Superintendent of the Greenfield Union School District since August 10, 2017. Zandra has worked in public education for the past 28 years. Prior to joining GUSD, she served as the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for Gonzales Unified School District where she coordinated all educational programs, the LCAP development process

As a leader, are you taking on too many projects and responsibilities? If you tell someone you have too much on your plate, do you feel guilty for being transparent? In today’s episode featuring Ashley Duda, Sarah Johnson and Joshua Stamper tackle the topics of setting healthy boundaries, designating time for ourselves, and navigating through the F.O.G.

In your district or on your campus, how are you identifying and supporting the social emotional needs of your students, staff, and parents? As many of you know, I believe, as a leader, we must focus on all aspects of a person, especially mental health and emotional regulation. This week’s guests, Jamie Peden and Kelly Starnes, share how they started to find solutions to improve students struggling with emotional triggers, empathy and resilience. In this episode, we discuss: Implementing Solutions as a Leader The Power of Stories Social Emotional Support for Teachers And the 3gStrong Program About Jamie Peden:Jamie is both an entrepreneur and educator, currently serving as principal of an elementary school in Texas. Having been a business owner in the past, Jamie leads her school looking for ways to teach children the tools to be successful and happy in life. She has led two elementary schools with a culture of growing kids socially, emotionally, and academically and is passionate to develop social emotio

In the 19th Aspire Mailbag episode, Hedreich Nichols, Jeff Gargas, and I answer questions on different leadership topics provided by the listeners. Please join us for this episode as we answer questions and discuss how to retain staff, make every student feel included in school, top characteristics of a good leader, and the newest Teach Better projects! About Hedreich Nichols:Hedreich Nichols, author, educator, and host of the YouTube series on equity strategies for educators, #SmallBites, is a retired Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter who uses her experiences as a “one Black friend” to help others understand race, equity, and the whys and hows of becoming more culturally responsive educators. Her YouTube serieshttps://www.youtube.com/Hedreich/ ( Small Bites) is one way she reaches educators striving to create more inclusive spaces. As an edtech teacher, Hedreich uses design thinking and project-based learning to empower students to become agents of change. Their student-led projects to provide them with opp

Regardless of which direction it's headed, a ship encounters different weather patterns during its voyage: smooth sailing, the doldrums, and storms. Like a ship, life is unpredictable and ever-changing. The Captain needs to be prepared for every situation. As a leader, what strategies are you using to be successful in this unpredictable time in education? This week’s guest, Randy Russell, shares how he has used his relationships and partnerships to provide support, resources and hope to his district.  In this episode, we discuss: Superintendent mentorship program Giving Opportunities to Leaders Mental Health Strategies for Adults And “The 3 Ships” book and podcast. About Randy Russell:Dr. Randy Russell currently serves as the Freeman, WA School District Superintendent. During his ten years in Freeman, the Freeman School District has achieved a high school graduation rate exceeding 98%; developed a collaborative professional development system grades P-12; successfully completed a $35 million construction

In your school or district, how is homework utilized and graded? Has your philosophy of homework changed during the pandemic and online learning? Today's guest, Dr. Erik Youngman, discusses the role of homework and shares strategies to make homework deliberate and valuable in our new educational settings.  In this episode, we discuss: Homework and Grading Practices Growth Mindset as a student and leader Building Leaders through Coaching And “12 Characteristics of Deliberate Homework”. About Dr. Erik Youngman:Erik Youngman is an education leader who is passionate about topics such as homework, growth mindset, grading, and leadership. He recently wrote the book, 12 Characteristics of Deliberate Homework. This is his twentieth year in educational leadership. Erik is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for Libertyville District 70 in Libertyville, Illinois. Previous education experiences include being a principal in Libertyville as well as an assistant principal and teacher

When you think of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), do you think about the procedures, curriculum, and skills needed for students? What about the adults in the building? How are they supported through your Social Emotional Learning structure? Today's guest, Tre Gammage, shares how the majority of schools don’t have programs for the adults in schools and strategies to help with mental health for all ages.  In this episode, we discuss: Being Proactive vs Reactive SEL strategies for Adults Creating a Support System for Development And The Dash Podcast About Tre Gammage:Dean of Students and SEL Consultant, Tre’ Gammage has always had a passion for helping others. With a vast background in speaking, podcasting, and consulting, Tre’ was once told “when you see someone living their dream, it makes you want to be a part of that dream or start to live your own” and he’s been living by that motto ever since. Tre’ became an International speaking champion in 2016 after finishing in the semi final round of Toastmaste

As a teacher, have you ever received feedback from an administrator who only was in your classroom once, twice, maybe three times a year? And if you are the administrator, did you feel the time in the teacher’s class was enough to provide true feedback to help with their progress? This week’s guest, Craig Randall, shares how he struggled with the traditional teacher assessment process and the strategies he used to create a new trust based program.   In this episode, we discuss: Teaching and leading overseas  Focusing on teacher strengths  Consistency of providing feedback  And how to construct Trust Based Observations About Craig Randall:Craig Randall is the author of Trust-Based Observations. His experience as a counselor, coach, teacher, and principal at schools in the US and overseas led him to develop and then write,Trust-Based Observations, a model of observation and evaluation focused on building trusting relationships that spark teacher risk-taking and innovation, and resu

In this 18th Aspire Mailbag episode, Todd Nesloney, Jeff Gargas, and I answer questions on different leadership topics provided by the listeners. Please join us for this episode as we answer questions and discuss common mistakes by new leaders, how to gain student feedback, increase staff morale, learn about the Teach Better Podcast Network and the newest podcast addition!   Featuring Todd Nesloney, Jeff Gargas, and Joshua StamperAbout Todd Nesloney:Todd Nesloney is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (http://www.twitter.com/tepsatalk (TEPSA)). He was previously a Principal/Lead Learner at a PreK-5 school in Texas. He is an award-winning author for his work in co-authoring Kids Deserve It! and Sparks in the Dark. He has also written the book Stories from Webb and published a children’s book, Spruce & Lucy. Todd has been recognized by John C. Maxwell as a Top 10 Finalist for the 2018 Transformational Leadership Award, by

Have you ever thought about taking a position in another district, city, or state? Where do you begin to create relationships with your staff, community, and local businesses? In today’s episode featuring Kelly McMahon, Sarah Johnson and Joshua Stamper tackle the topics of creating relationships in new professional settings, connecting to your community, and planning to develop connections outside of your office or campus.

As an administrator, there are days that can feel lonely and overwhelming, especially when you are new in the position. This week’s guest, Rachel George, shares her administrative struggles and humorous experiences to explain the key ingredients to flourish as a leader.  In this episode, we discuss: Why it’s important to focus on our purpose Focusing and building on our strengths  The keys to finding multiple mentors And her new book, “Principal Ed: The Educator’s Survival Guide” About Rachael George:From fighting wildland fires with the U.S. Forest Service to putting out fires in the classroom, education was the last place that Rachael thought she’d end up. It wasn’t until a hard conversation with a base manager in Grangeville, Idaho did Rachael realize she needed to put her chainsaw down and make a bigger impact on the world.   Rachael is a member of the ASCD Emerging Leaders Class of 2015, an NAESP Fellow, and currently serves as the principal of Sandy Grade School in the Oregon Tr

I had the amazing opportunity to moderate during the Teach Better 12 Hour Live Event with four amazing educators and podcasters. In this bonus episode, Jeffrey Prickett, Brittany Rincon, Robert Breyer, Deanna Lough, and I discuss the mission of our podcasts and how podcasts impact professional development.    Follow Dr. Jeffry Prickett:Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdprickett?lang=en (@jdprickett) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdprickett/ (jdprickett) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeffryPrickett/ (Jeffry Prickett) Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffryprickett/ (Dr. Jeffry Prickett) Blog: https://jdprickett.com/?fbclid=IwAR0FvfIMpKOk9PgZy9fH6IgUqradbHZTUnSjOuOf4N5gX6crmIEiwc7q_bc (Wordpress Blog Site) Podcast: https://www.teachbetter.com/podcasts/theprincipalleadershiplab/ (https://www.teachbetter.com/podcasts/theprincipalleadershiplab/) Follow Brittany Rincon:Twitter:https://twitter.com/BrittRincon ( https://twitter.com/BrittRincon) Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/teacherl

In a time where current events have created strong emotions, how are we able to have conversations about racism, equity, and injustice? This week’s guest, Hedreich Nichols, shares strategies she uses to facilitate difficult conversations, empower student’s voices, and increase equity in schools.

I had the amazing opportunity to moderate during the Teach Better 12 Hour Live Event with two amazing educators. In this bonus episode, Hans Appel, Tre Gammage, and I discuss how to incorporate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies on the campus for teachers and students.  Follow Hans Appel: Website: http://www.awardwinningculture.com (www.awardwinningculture.com) Twitter: http://twitter.com/hansappel094 (@)https://twitter.com/HansNAppel (HansNAppel) http://twitter.com/awculture (@awculture) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awardwinningculture/ (https://www.instagram.com/awardwinningculture/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Award-Winning-Culture-102176471490533/?modal=admin_todo_tour (https://www.facebook.com/Award-Winning-Culture-102176471490533/?modal=admin_todo_tour) About Hans Appel:Hans Appel has worked as a counselor in the https://www.rsd.edu (Richland School District) for the past 19 years and at https://enterprise.rsd.edu (Enterprise Middle School) since it opened. He’s pas