🎓 Join Educators From Across the Field → jigsawlearning.ca/summit - FREE to Register Did you know EVERY school needs four layers of teams to not only respond to the needs of students but build instructional capacity with intentionality and focus? Learn more in a FREE webinar at https://bit.ly/layeringteams In this episode of Leading Collaborative Response, Lorna and Kurtis are joined by principal Christina Barrington and head of Education Support Services Jillian Wilton from Saint John High Sc

In this episode, we consider calendar curation. What is currently on our calendar that we can delete, delay, or delegate so we can manufacture some white space in our lives.

Being busy can feel like progress. Having answers can feel like confidence. Keeping your door open can feel like good leadership. But when was the last time you stopped to question whether those habits are helping you lead? Dr. Christopher Jones returns to Leaning Into Leadership after first joining the show in episode 42. A veteran high school principal, Chris brings honest stories and practical ideas from his new book, The Leadership Riddle: A Leader’s Guide to Growing Without Losing Yourself

🎓 Join Educators From Across the Field → jigsawlearning.ca/summit - FREE to Register In this episode of Putting the Pieces Together, Jennifer, Lorna, and Kurtis engage in a conversation with Kristien Holtby, Director of Educational Services with Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools. The conversation starts and ends with hockey (GO OILERS!); however the focus is on how, at the division level, leaders can intentionally leverage the strengths and talents while focusing on achieving the collective p

🎓 Join Educators From Across the Field → jigsawlearning.ca/summit - FREE to Register In this episode of Leading Collaborative Response, Lorna and Kurtis Hewson engage in a conversation with Behaviour Consultant Laura Elliott, who shares why there is no such thing as a bad kid and how the intentional development of a behaviour continuum of supports can have a tremendous impact on staff mindsets regarding student behaviour. --------- Connect with Laura Elliott Email laura.elliott@horizon.ab.ca

Four hundred episodes. Countless connections. And plenty of lessons that never made it into principal school. In this special 400th episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper welcomes back two friends who have helped shape the podcast’s journey: Todd Nesloney and Sarah Johnson. From Todd’s encouragement to launch the show, and his appearance as the very first guest, to Sarah’s collaboration on Aspire to Rise, this celebration brings together the friendships, laughter, and shared learning behind

I keep asking the same question: where do you find balance when life keeps moving the goalposts? If you’ve felt stretched thin lately, balance” — I want to know I’m not the only one. Between school, bills, family changes, work, and trying to make space for the things I love, I’ve had to relearn this more than once. Some seasons look fine on paper and still feel heavy in real life. A setback can hit hard and still not be the end of your story. Small wins matter more than we give them credit for.

Summary In this episode, leadership coach Dr. Brandi Kelly talks with Will McLean, a principal navigating change and overthinking in leadership. They explore how to shed armor, trust oneself, and lead with authenticity amid challenges. Keywords: leadership, coaching, overthinking, trust, change, education, self-awareness, leadership growth Key Topics The impact of armor and overthinking on leadership The importance of self-awareness and trust Cost of inaction and hesitation in leadership

What if managing a stressful school year starts with changing your systems rather than working longer hours? In this episode of The Language of Behavior, Joshua Stamper welcomes educator, author, speaker, and former district administrator Dr. TJ Vari to discuss practical ways to manage stress and protect your time. TJ explains reverse time blocking, a strategy for recording how your day actually unfolds so you can identify recurring interruptions and build systems that address them. Josh and T

When things get messy, do you tighten your grip? Karla Reinhardt, principal and author of From Control to Connection, knows that instinct well. Early in her leadership she planned every meeting, printed every step, and answered every question, until she noticed her team had stopped bringing ideas to the table. In this episode, Casey and Karla talk about what control costs us at work and at home, and the three-step Triage Leadership Model Karla uses to slow down before she decides: 1. Stabilize

Simplify Your Next Steps 🧰 Grab the CTM Starter Kit - bit.ly/ctmstarter ______________________ 🌟 Need a Spark at Your Next Staff Meeting? We’ve curated an inspirational playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJjdJv93diJ8 Check out a number of complimentary resources and webinars to build a culture of collaboration. https://www.jigsawlearning.ca/free Take your PLC & MTSS to the next level. 🚀 Find out how!! FREE https://bit.ly/CR-overview Discover What's Missing: 🔎 Grab your Introdu

How can educators distinguish expected language differences from signs of a language disorder? In this episode, Dr. Ellen Kester explores how contrastive analysis helps teachers understand the influence of students' home languages on English literacy development. She discusses predictable cross-linguistic patterns, the importance of explicit instruction grounded in students' existing linguistic knowledge, and the role of dynamic assessment in preventing inappropriate special education referrals.

📊 Get Your Data Organized and work for YOU!! FREE Webinar→ bit.ly/5mistakesdata Turn Ideas Into Action 💡Get the Crafting Team Goals Toolkit - bit.ly/jlgoals In this weekly reflection, Kurtis and Lorna break down the importance of teams establishing goals to guide their collaborative efforts and some reminders for leaders regarding how to effectively establish the structures for creation, monitoring and support for team goals. Connected Resources: Podcast - team goal alignment - https://www.ji

Michael T. Brown, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) has been empowering individuals, families, businesses and communities with tremendous success, for over 25 years. Michael serves as the Principal of Browns’ Leadership Consulting, which provides counseling support to individuals and families; consulting services to organizations and businesses. Michael also served as a national trainer for the Why Try, LLC; one of the nation’s leading resilience education programs that specializes in studen

It’s spirit week, the room smells like candy, and you’re white-knuckling your way through a complex melody unit while thirty third-graders bounce off the walls. Sound familiar? Here is your official reality check: you don't have to push through a serious, high-stakes music lesson every single day to be an incredible educator! In this episode, Jeanette Mihalchik gives you radical permission to drop the benchmarks on high-energy days and embrace simple lesson plans every music teacher needs. Disc

What if the word ATTITUDE could be an entire leadership framework? Coach Pat Sullivan spent 34 years proving that it can. This week Pat joins Jon and Coach Jim for a conversation about what winning culture actually looks like, why your best players have to be your best team players, and what he learned from watching Michael Jordan talk to a brain-injured young man for an entire halftime while the rest of the arena left him alone. Pat has over 500 wins, a Hall of Fame induction, and a book call

Turn Ideas Into Action 💡Get the Crafting Team Goals Toolkit - bit.ly/jlgoals In this weeks podcast, Kurtis and Lorna discuss the power of school-wide interventions and some lessons learned when implementing a school-wide intervention block. Connected Resources: - Literacy Intervention Lesson Template - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XiJa1KSaGn19piQX_-0EDPooLw6RyVPLaJkcOuMAM4o/edit?usp=sharing - Interventions, Strategies and Accommodations blog - https://www.jigsawlearning.ca/publications/

What does it say about your leadership if everything falls apart the moment you step out of the building? In this episode, Joshua Stamper sits down with educational leader, consultant, author, and Legacy 7 podcast host James M. Holloway to explore leadership as architecture rather than simply a position. James shares how adversity shaped his journey and why strong school leadership requires relationships, emotional regulation, and systems that do not depend on one person. Together, they discuss

What happens when you hand a dozen women a microphone and one unfinished sentence? In this special episode, Casey sits down with women at a recent conference for quick micro conversations, each built around a single prompt: “Let me be clear...” You’ll hear from a business owner, an ER nurse, a three-time CEO and breast cancer thriver, a widow leading her family forward, a high school sophomore, and more. Listen for: The burnout line you’ll be quoting to your friends (hint: KFC) Why so many wo

What can educators learn from Indigenous ways of knowing, intergenerational learning, storytelling, and community-centered education? In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, host Lindsay Lyons talks with guest Dr. Anton Treuer, author, educator, and scholar, about how education can help create social transformation and prepare students to thrive in an increasingly diverse world. Dr. Treuer explores the importance of moving beyond a single way of teaching and learning and creating

Let’s chat—send me a text! You don’t need to find an empty week in your pacing guide to use a math project. In this episode, we’re looking at three ways projects can fit into the mathematics you’re already teaching: Investigate with math → Election Data + StatisticsMake a decision with math → Pitch ProfitPractice through a meaningful product → Stained GlassProjects don’t have to replace your instruction, practice, or curriculum. Sometimes they simply give students somewhere meaningful to use ...