Dec. 28, 2025
363. Teaching with the Seasons for Whole-Child: Featuring Walter McKenzie, Heather Lageman, and Leigh Alley
What if social-emotional learning, culture, and instruction could move in rhythm with the real seasons of a school year instead of feeling like “one more thing” on everyone’s plate?
In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Walter McKenzie, Heather Lageman, and Leigh Alley introduce their book School Seasons xSELeratED and the xSELeratED Schools Framework, a month-by-month roadmap that helps educators care for the whole child and the whole educator with small, doable practices that fit into the flow of each month.
The trio shares how their adult-first approach to SEL honors educator wellbeing, offers 5–10 minute micro-moves that feel human rather than scripted, and uses seasonal themes, from belonging and renewal to closure and celebration, to build trusting, relationship-rich school communities over time. Whether you are a teacher, coach, or school leader, this conversation will help you see SEL less as a program and more as a sustainable way of being together that strengthens both people and practice.
New Book "School Seasons xSELeratED: A Year of Community and Collective Growth for Educators": https://amzn.to/3LeujUd — NEW Aspire to Lead Cohort: Join the December 1st Launch Ready to move from teacher to administrator? The Aspire to Lead Cohort is a monthly leadership program designed for educators pursuing administrative roles. Get expert training, peer accountability, interview prep, and a clear roadmap to advance your career. December 1st cohort launching soon. Limited spots available. READY TO JOIN? Apply for the Aspire to Lead Cohort: https://bit.ly/47xWzIu Limited spots available. Next cohort starts 12/1/25 📧 QUESTIONS? Email me: Joshua@joshstamper.com — #1 New Release, "The Language of Behavior" is NOW Available! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVT32KQ1?&linkCode=ll1&tag=aspirewebsite-20&linkId=d18e5a44a6582a22d15ee23193af7bb8&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl The Language of Behavior is an essential guide for school leaders committed to transforming their school culture and addressing student behavior through a more compassionate, effective approach. Drawing on their extensive experience in education, Charle Peck and Joshua Stamper challenge outdated disciplinary practices and offer a clear, trauma-informed framework that empowers educators to interpret student behavior as a form of communication. Through three core tenets—Consider the Environment, Explore the Root Causes of Behavior, and Respond with Intentionality—this book equips leaders with actionable strategies to foster positive behavior, build stronger relationships, and cultivate a more supportive school climate. Packed with real-world case studies, evidence-based practices, and insights into the lasting effects of childhood trauma, The Language of Behavior provides school leaders with the tools to create lasting, meaningful change. It offers a roadmap to reduce behavior issues, re-engage students and staff, and establish a culture of accountability and empathy. This book is not just a reference—it's a call to lead with vision and transform how we approach discipline, ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive. Bulk Orders: https://www.connectedd.org/bulk-orders —
About Walter McKenzie:
Walter McKenzie is the founder of The Worthy Educator, a thriving community of leaders in education supporting each other to have impact and build lasting legacies in their work. He has always embraced the heart in his work, and in the power of relationships. In joining forces with Heather and Leigh, he proudly adds his voice to their efforts to reclaim the mantel of social-emotional learning, for both students and adults. Before retiring from ASCD, he served 25 years in Massachusetts and Virginia public schools: 14 years as a classroom teacher and 11 years as a district director and assistant superintendent. He also served as a senior training specialist for the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., and its field offices around the nation. Across the span of his career, he has pursued uses of technology to support multiple paths to learning and knowing and being and doing. In addition to his work in public education, Walter is an internationally known presenter and author. He has been instrumental in launching and leading online professional development programs and postgraduate professional education courses, and he has actively facilitated online educator communities and web-based interdisciplinary instructional projects over the past 40 years.Follow Walter McKenzie:
- Website:https://www.theworthyeducator.com/ssxandhttps://www.theworthyeducator.com/xselerated
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/theworthyedcator
- Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-worthy-educator/
- YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorthyEducator
- Other:https://bsky.app/profile/theworthyeducator.bsky.social
About Heather Lageman:
Heather Lageman is a trusted friend, colleague and confidante of everyone who knows her. Well established in the state of Maryland and through her work with professional organizations across the country, she is dedicated to supporting the professional learning and development of dynamic and innovative educators. She is a certified life and engagement coach, administrator, and English teacher (grades 7-12) dedicated to fostering inspired and empowered students, educators, and leaders. A connector and community builder, she believes in nurturing all generations of educators and leaders and is committed to ensuring they have the support, professional learning, and resources they need to thrive. She finds joy in creating spaces for everyone to engage in coaching opportunities, core values exploration, cultivation of curiosity, and customized learning experiences. Heather brings to this work her whole self, her core values and her focus to live with an open heart and brave spirit that uplifts all. She has co-authored School Seasons xSELeratED: A Year of Community and Collective Growth for Educators (xSELeratED Schools) and xSELeratED Schools Framework: Social-Emotional Learning at the Speed of Life and her articles can be found in Maryland Family Magazine, Spectrum Education’s Teachers Matter Magazine, and in the Learning Forward Journal, the Learning Professional.Follow Heather Lageman
- Twitter (X):https://x.com/hklageman
About Leigh Alley
Leigh Alley is a strong advocate for the whole educator and the whole child, with a stellar career as a leadership and instructional strategist. Growing up in poverty in the poorest county of America’s most rural state taught Leigh the importance of education as a leveler of opportunity. She is a first-generation college graduate who has sought to bring educational access to the underserved, both learners and educators alike. Leigh’s career has been spent creating new and innovative ways of “upschooling” educators and administrators in Maine and beyond, allowing them to improve their practice wherever they are, whatever their means. Leigh holds a doctorate in Transformative Leadership and serves as Coordinator of Teacher Education at the University of Maine at Augusta, where she designed the first dedicated Master of Arts in Teaching Whole Child Education. She is an architect of the xSELeratED Schools Framework and previously led Maine ASCD for nearly a decade, earning a global ASCD affiliate award for excellence in professional learning design. Leigh serves on the advisory board of the Institute for Humane Education and contributes to international Solutionary curriculum and educator-wellbeing initiatives, helping schools translate neuroscience, ethics, and systems thinking into relationship-rich school communities that elevate belonging, resilience, and academic rigor. Leigh is the award-winning author of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) books for children and adults.Follow Leigh Alley
New Book "School Seasons xSELeratED: A Year of Community and Collective Growth for Educators": https://amzn.to/3LeujUd — NEW Aspire to Lead Cohort: Join the December 1st Launch Ready to move from teacher to administrator? The Aspire to Lead Cohort is a monthly leadership program designed for educators pursuing administrative roles. Get expert training, peer accountability, interview prep, and a clear roadmap to advance your career. December 1st cohort launching soon. Limited spots available. READY TO JOIN? Apply for the Aspire to Lead Cohort: https://bit.ly/47xWzIu Limited spots available. Next cohort starts 12/1/25 📧 QUESTIONS? Email me: Joshua@joshstamper.com — #1 New Release, "The Language of Behavior" is NOW Available! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVT32KQ1?&linkCode=ll1&tag=aspirewebsite-20&linkId=d18e5a44a6582a22d15ee23193af7bb8&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl The Language of Behavior is an essential guide for school leaders committed to transforming their school culture and addressing student behavior through a more compassionate, effective approach. Drawing on their extensive experience in education, Charle Peck and Joshua Stamper challenge outdated disciplinary practices and offer a clear, trauma-informed framework that empowers educators to interpret student behavior as a form of communication. Through three core tenets—Consider the Environment, Explore the Root Causes of Behavior, and Respond with Intentionality—this book equips leaders with actionable strategies to foster positive behavior, build stronger relationships, and cultivate a more supportive school climate. Packed with real-world case studies, evidence-based practices, and insights into the lasting effects of childhood trauma, The Language of Behavior provides school leaders with the tools to create lasting, meaningful change. It offers a roadmap to reduce behavior issues, re-engage students and staff, and establish a culture of accountability and empathy. This book is not just a reference—it's a call to lead with vision and transform how we approach discipline, ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive. Bulk Orders: https://www.connectedd.org/bulk-orders —
