Episodes

What does it take to have a tough conversation that is both clear and compassionate? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper sits down with Erica Bear and Tiffany Burns to discuss their new book, The School Leader’s...

What happens when students are not just disengaged, but quietly deciding school is too hard, too boring, or too risky to try? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper sits down with Katie Powell, Director of Middle L...

Recorded live at NCMLE, Joshua Stamper sits down with Charlie Peck, Gretchen Bridgers, and Vernon Wright to talk about their presentations, their current projects, and the power of connection at a conference built on learning...

What if the key to unlocking social emotional learning for your students has been playing in their earbuds all along? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper sits down with David Spellman, also known as the Positive...

Recorded live at the NCMLE Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Joshua sits down on the conference floor with two dynamic educational leaders, speakers, and authors, Frederick Buskey and Dr. Brandi Kelly.Frederick share...

What if the reason so many young students struggle in the classroom has nothing to do with behavior, laziness, or defiance, and everything to do with emerging executive functions that have simply not been taught yet? In this ...

What does it take to truly engage a middle schooler, build a classroom where every student feels like they belong, and sustain yourself as a leader for the long haul? In this second bonus episode recorded live at the NCMLE Mo...

What does it look like when a third grade STEM teacher from Houston uses comedy, creativity, and storytelling to pull back the curtain on the real life of an educator and build a community that refuses to feel alone? In this ...

What does it look and feel like to be surrounded by 400 passionate middle level educators for three days straight? In this first bonus episode recorded live at the NCMLE Moving the Middle Forward Conference in Charlotte, Nort...

What if the burnout crisis in education is not just a workload problem but a skills gap? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper sits down with Corwin author and educator Katrina Huels to unpack why 54% of K through...

Why do some students sit and do “nothing” when we give them plenty of time to work, and why does “just get to work” rarely change anything? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper talks with executive function coach...

What happens when a former assistant principal chooses to return to the middle school classroom and discovers a deeper, wider form of leadership than the front office ever offered? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua St...

Educators are exhausted, overextended, and still trying to show up fully for kids. So what does it actually look like to build a sustainable life and career in schools instead of just surviving the year? ​ In this episode of ...

Aspiring leaders asked: How do you lead with emotional intelligence (EQ) instead of ego, and navigate school politics without getting burned? In this bonus Aspire Mailbag with Jeff Gargas (COO, Teach Better), Joshua Stamper d...

What happens when discipline shifts from punishment to teaching? In this important conversation, Joshua Stamper and Nathan Maynard unpack the ideas behind Nathan’s new book The Science of Discipline , exploring how schools ca...

How can schools ensure every student benefits from collective expertise without overwhelming teachers with endless meetings? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper talks with Kurtis Hewson, co author of Collaborati...

What happens when we decide to be present, patient, and kind in the middle of one of the hardest stretches of the school year? In this week's episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper welcomes back Dr. Christopher Culver to e...

This bonus Aspire to Lead episode brings you a featured segment from the Thriving Educators Summit, where Mitch Weathers facilitates a fast paced conversation with TJ Vari and Joshua Stamper about what it truly means to lead ...

What if students’ “attention problems” were really a mismatch between how the brain works and how we structure learning? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper talks with first grade teacher, cognitive science scho...

What if the strongest leaders in your school are already in classrooms, waiting for permission to step up? In this week's episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper reconnects with longtime friend and former Teach Better teamm...

In this special conversation on Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper, Kim Gameroz, and Mitch Weathers share everything you need to know about the Thriving Educators Summit 2026 and how it was born from a desire to help teachers mov...

How do you lead staff who seem stuck in their ways, resist new ideas, and quietly shut out new colleagues? In this New Year episode of the Aspire Mailbag, Joshua Stamper and longtime co-host Jeff Gargas dig into anonymous lis...

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 M...

What if you could actually see the hidden influencers on your campus and use those connections to move culture forward instead of fighting it?​ In this energizing Aspire to Lead episode, Joshua Stamper sits down with Dr. Ben ...