As another school year begins, principals across the country are busy preparing classrooms, finalizing schedules, reviewing procedures, and checking countless items off their opening-week to-do lists. But what if the most important preparation has nothing to do with the building? In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard challenges school leaders to stop asking, "Is the school ready?" and begin asking, "Am I ready?" Drawing from his own experiences as a principal, superintendent, and leadership

What if resistance in your school is not a sign of defiance, but a signal that something deeper needs attention? In this episode, Becca Silver shares a research-informed approach to understanding resistance in K-12 education and why it is often rooted in unmet needs rather than unwillingness to change. She explains how school leaders and instructional coaches can move from reacting to resistance to diagnosing it with more intention, clarity, and empathy. Becca also breaks down the five needs th

Ryan Hawk has interviewed over 700 people for one of the top podcasts in the world. He has a five to one secret behind his best questions, a one in 25 ratio that turned a no-name show into a top 50 podcast, and a story about a quarterback he once beat out for a job who went on to win Super Bowls. This week Ryan returns for an unprecedented third appearance to talk about his new book The Price of Becoming, the power of compounding small habits, and why almost nobody, not even the most accomplish

Dr. Brandi Kelly shares a powerful analogy of building a home to illustrate the importance of creating a blueprint for leadership. She emphasizes the need to dream, design, and build intentionally in order to become the leader one aspires to be. Takeaways Dream, design, and build intentionally Leadership requires intentional planning and action Resources: Visit sparkhopeedu.com and book a Leadership Clarity Call with Dr. Brandi Kelly The Leadership Well Being Blueprint - Complimentary Reso

Let’s chat—send me a text! We often tell students: "Progress matters more than perfection." But does our assessment system communicate the same message? In this episode, we're continuing our Math Therapy summer book study with Chapter 7, where Vanessa Vakharia explores the connection between assessment, growth mindset, and mathematical identity. This chapter challenged me to reflect on my own grading practices, my experience with competency-based learning, and the conversations my department ...

Dr. Niki Elliott is a clinical professor and director of the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity at the University of San Diego. Dr. Elliott is a leading voice in neurodiversity and trauma-informed education, and she has trained thousands of educators and parents worldwide to better support children with learning differences, mental health diagnoses, trauma histories, and behavioral challenges. Her trainings consistently lead to measurable improvements in school climate, reductions in

What if overthinking is not a weakness, but a protection strategy? In this week's episode of The Language of Behavior, Josh and Charle talk about rumination, overthinking, and why so many people get stuck in thought loops when they are trying to protect themselves from uncertainty. The conversation explores how overthinking often shows up as a way to fill in blanks with worst case scenarios, especially in leadership, parenting, and education. Josh and Charle also share practical ways to interru

What would it look like if your family had a constitution, a shared document of values, mission, and legacy that guided every generation after you? This week, Jon Goehring and Coach Jim Johnson welcome Brad Dufrane, managing partner of New York Life's Finger Lakes office, 30 year veteran of the financial services industry, marathon and Spartan race finisher, and one of the most genuinely warm and thoughtful leaders the Lounge has had the pleasure of hosting. Brad opens with the three things he

Leadership growth isn't always about discovering a new strategy. More often, it's about becoming aware of something that has been true all along. In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard shares two defining leadership stories that changed the way he thinks about coaching, feedback, and personal growth. From a simple conversation with a superintendent that forever changed his communication style to a coaching experience that revealed the hidden system keeping a leader overwhelmed, this episode e

Welcome to Digital Learning Today. In this episode, Jeff Bradbury explores the strategic systems that shape the future of education, focusing on Instructional Coaching, Artificial Intelligence, Professional Learning, and the latest Educational Technology Trends. Join us as we explore the latest developments in the science of reading with Laura Stewart from the 95% Group. This episode kicks off a five-part series focusing on the evolution of literacy research, practical applications, and leaders

Join us for the online, on-demand workshop “Overview of Collaborative Response”, part of our Supporting Collaborative Response series. 👉 bit.ly/10refinecontinuum In this week's podcast, Kurtis and Lorna discuss the key shift needed when looking to co-create continuums of support related specifically to behaviour and attendance, to ensure we are getting to "root causes" when articulating and tiering our responses. Connected Resources: Four Tier Support Overview - https://docs.google.com/docume

How do school leaders respond when staff resist change? In this solo episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons explores how discourse can serve as a powerful form of change leadership. Drawing on adaptive leadership research, transformative learning theory, and the concept of constructive disorientation, Lindsay shares a practical framework for leading difficult conversations in ways that honor staff humanity, deepen learning, and create lasting organizational change. Whe

Let’s chat—send me a text! How do students begin to see themselves differently in mathematics? In this episode, we're continuing our Math Therapy summer book study with Chapter 6: Makeover. This chapter may be the most personal one yet. It challenged me to reflect on my own math story and reminded me that students don't simply need better grades—they need opportunities to build a healthier mathematical identity. I also share one of my favorite implementation ideas from the book: helping stude...

Connect with the Show Here! The fastest way to damage trust as a school leader is to make a big decision before you truly listen. Kendall Terry joins us for part two and gets honest about the leadership lesson he had to learn the hard way: slow down, gather more perspectives, and ask one more question before you drop the hammer. We also talk about what he’s most proud of, creating the kind of environment where teachers feel supported to build bold, creative learning experiences that students ...

Access a workshop guide to ensure you are truly engaging as a team - https://bit.ly/JLgroupteam This invaluable article will provide you with ten possible steps to consider when you introduce Collaborative Response to your team https://youtu.be/HNOgMOH_FN0 In this episode of Building a Culture of Collaboration, Lorna and Kurtis are joined by Jeanette Mihalchik, a National Board Certified Music teacher, arts integration specialist, and author of "Stories That Sing." They discuss how the arts ca

Welcome to Digital Learning Today. In this episode, Jeff Bradbury explores the strategic systems shaping the future of education: Instructional Coaching, Artificial Intelligence, Professional Learning, and Educational Technology Trends. In this episode, host, Jeff Bradbury speaks with Danielle Alcaraz, Senior Vice President of Sales at Cignition, about the growth of high-impact tutoring and its role in unlocking student potential. They discuss collaborative learning models, partnerships with ed

Recorded live at the #DLNY26 (Deeper Learning NY) Conference in Kingston, NY, hosted by Ulster BOCES, this special episode brings together the voices of ten remarkable leaders who are shaping the future of education. From principals and professors to consultants, environmental educators, children's book authors, and even a high school student creating unique learning experiences by bringing chickens into schools, each guest shares the experiences that have influenced their path and purpose. The

Relationships don't happen by accident. The strongest classrooms, teams, and organizations are built through intentional habits that communicate one simple message: You matter here. In Episode 288 of Leaning Into Leadership, Darrin sits down with veteran educator, football coach, and leadership speaker Tom Walls to discuss the power of what he calls microinclusions—small, repeatable actions that create belonging, trust, and buy-in without requiring hours of preparation. Drawing from more than 3

Why is it still so common for people to say, “I’m not a math person,” and how can school leaders help change that narrative? In this week's episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper sits down with Thomas O’Brien to explore why leaders are uniquely positioned to shape math culture, support stronger instruction, and create environments where both teachers and students see themselves as capable math learners. Thomas also shares why leading math instruction does not require a math background, and h

In this episode, Phil Januszewski shares his journey from a physics teacher to a motivational speaker focused on helping educators and givers thrive without burnout. Discover practical strategies for building resilience, finding joy, and creating sustainable leadership in challenging times. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Phil Januszewski 01:14 Phil's Journey from Teaching to Speaking 02:17 Strategies for Avoiding Burnout 05:04 Adversity and Resilience in Education 06:55 Building Sustainabl

Let’s chat—send me a text! What if we've been answering one of our students' most common questions the wrong way? When students ask: "When am I ever going to use this?" they're often not asking about future careers. They're asking something much deeper: "Why should I care?" In this episode, we're continuing our summer Math Therapy book study with Chapter 5: Motivate, and exploring how relevance, purpose, and meaningful feedback can transform student motivation. In This Episode ✨ Why motiva...