Let’s chat—send me a text! We spent the summer reading Math Therapy together—and now we’re sitting down with the author herself, Vanessa Vakharia, to talk about what happens when we take these ideas off the page and into our classrooms. And, apparently, what happens when the math teacher needs a little Math Therapy of her own. In this conversation, Vanessa and I start by talking about how Math Therapy has almost become a co-creation. The book may be published, but the work keeps evolving as t...

Rich Czyz is an author, educator, and speaker. He started his career as a fifth grade teacher, has served as a Basic Skills teacher, instructional coach, elementary supervisor and Director of Curriculum & Instruction. Rich is currently the Proud Principal of the Yardville Elementary School in NJ and Co-Founder of FourOClockFaculty.com, as well as author of several books including The Four O’Clock Faculty, The Secret Sauce, and his newest book, Autopilot, came out in Oct. Rich is passionate about

Think your syllabus is just a course document you download and forget? Think again! In this episode of the EduMagic Podcast, I'm sharing why your course syllabus is one of the most valuable tools for college success. I reached out to several professor colleagues and asked them one simple question: What do you wish students knew about your syllabus? Their answers were full of practical tips that can help you stay organized, understand expectations, communicate effectively with professors, and av

The world is noisier and more negative than ever. Jon and Coach Jim are not pretending otherwise. This week on a solo episode they share four proven strategies to help you fight back. First up is what Coach calls the cancel cancel technique. When negative self-talk creeps in, you say cancel and immediately reframe the statement in a positive direction. It sounds simple but the key is detaching the negative statement from your identity. There is a big difference between saying I stink and saying

In this week's podcast, Kurtis and Lorna engage in a discussion about why all voices need to be accessed in the collaborative team meeting and provide some practical strategies for how to bring forth all voices to increase engagement and develop high levels of psychological safety for teams. Connected Resources: If you’re ready to lead collaborative meetings that actually drive change, get the tools, strategies, and structures to transform your team meetings from routine discussions into powerf

I once threw a full hissy fit — jumping, stomping, the works — with my boss in a foyer. Another time, my job description was changed midyear by my boss 🫣. As a high achiever, I always said yes to the next leadership opportunity, even when I didn't feel ready. I just figured it out as I went. Turns out, you can't lead well without leadership skills — and most "leadership training" isn't built to give you those. In this episode, I break down the 5 reasons leadership training falls short, why lea

What does it actually mean to create a justice-centered curriculum? Many educators are committed to equity, inclusion, and justice, but translating those values into daily curriculum design can feel overwhelming. In this guest episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons sits down with educator, researcher, and framework designer Dr. Genevieve Erker-Caffrey to discuss her innovative P.O.W.E.R. Framework, a practical tool for creating justice-oriented social studies curriculum

Let’s chat—send me a text! After four weeks of reading Math Therapy together, we've reached the final chapter—and it ends with a powerful reminder. You don't have to become a different teacher. You simply have to become a more intentional version of the teacher you already are. In this episode, I reflect on the biggest lessons from the book, how my own classroom plans have evolved, and why helping students build healthier relationships with mathematics is a journey we'll continue taking along...

Connect with the Show Here! Two rival high schools can share a zip code and still feel like different worlds. When consolidation finally becomes real, leaders inherit decades of pride, fear, and unfinished arguments, and the smallest decision can feel personal. We sit down with Derek Cantrell, principal of Alleghany High School in Covington, Virginia, recently named the 2026 Virginia Outstanding High School Principal, to unpack how he helped bring two communities into one school without erasi...

Don’t let your next meeting feel like it should’ve been an email FREE Webinar - 10 Considerations To Transform Your Team Meetings bit.ly/transformteams Access a FREE webinar to learn about 5 mistakes leaders make when organizing data for teams…and how to correct those mistakes - https://bit.ly/5mistakesdata In this episode of Building a Culture of Collaboration, Lorna and Kurtis are joined by Hunter Flesch, an Associate Principal in Des Moines, Iowa, and the host of The Ed Essentials Podcast.

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