Episodes

This week’s guest, Elijah Carbajal, shares how to be the best version of ourselves to create an environment that is inviting, caring, and accepting of all students. If you are looking to improve your classroom culture, this i...

In this bonus episode, Starr Sackstein shares her exciting announcement about Hacking Assessment and we discuss how to shift the “Grades Mindset”, change your grading system, and improve the feedback process. In this episode,...

This week’s guest, Dwight Carter, shares how the motto “Be GREAT” changed his mindset, school culture assessment, and trajectory of his leadership journey. Join us as we explore Dwight’s new district position and new book, Be...

This week’s guest, PJ Caposey, shares how experiencing a tragedy at a young age shifted his mindset on the value of time and how time management is key in any successful leader’s skill set. In this episode, we discuss: The Re...

In this week’s episode, we flip the script! Sarah Johnson is hosting the Aspire to Lead Podcast to celebrate the 200th episode and to learn about the exciting news of Joshua’s new educational role! Thank you to all of the loy...

This week’s guest, Erik Francis, shares how depth of knowledge and questioning is the missing link in education. Join us as we break down the stages of depth of knowledge and how you can incorporate multiple strategies into y...

This week’s guest, Tom Schimmer, dives into the frequent struggles and misperceptions of assessment practices. Tom provides excellent strategies to help provide feedback to your students and how to complete this important str...

This week’s guest, Dr. Michael Nagler, shares how he uses the motto “Think Differently” to shift his district into a problem solving and innovative group of educators, which prepare the students to be successful in their unkn...

This week’s guest, Noah Daniel, shares how in her leadership journey, she needed mentors to provide guidance, wisdom, and inspiration to build beyond her position and explore new opportunities. In this episode, we discuss: TE...

This week’s guest, BreAnn Fennell, shares how play in the classroom can address the physical and emotional development of our students, while increasing engagement. In this episode, we discuss: The benefit of being an Ambassa...

Research proves that by intentionally practicing gratitude, we can dramatically improve our disposition, bringing us more joy and better health. Consistently and intentionally practicing gratitude can also lead to better rela...

In this week’s episode, Kyle Krueger and Wilkie Law, share their struggles as a teacher and how providing their authentic self to their students allowed them to gain deeper relationships, model failure, and enhance creativity...

Skillful leadership is critical as schools return to a new normalcy. Improving students’ learning and addressing the challenges many learners experienced due to recent learning interruptions are top priorities for all school ...

In this week’s episode, my amazing wife, Leslie Stamper, offers trauma-informed strategies to help teachers identify and respond to student triggers, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation. In this episode, we discuss: Tools in...

In this week’s episode, Eva Mireles offers coaching strategies to help teachers perfect their craft and see new ways to approach teaching reading concepts that fits their personal teaching style. In this episode, we discuss: ...

In this week’s episode, Nick Moskaluk offers educators strategies to enhance the inclusion of creativity into your lessons to enhance student engagement. In this episode, we discuss: Including Social and Cultural Responsive T...

In today’s educational climate of budget shortages, rigid testing standards, and diminishing autonomy in the classroom, how can teachers bring creativity and passion back into their work? In this week’s episode, CJ Reynolds o...

This week’s guest, Dr. Efrain Martinez, shares his story of trauma and how it shaped him as a leader, impacted his productivity, and pushed him to focus on his mental health. In this episode, we also discuss: Using Emotional ...

Why did we become school leaders and teachers? To educate, uplift, and inspire all students. So when things go wrong, why do schools seem to use exclusion as a first reaction, especially for kids that need to be in class the ...

Aspire to Lead with Empathy, Creativity, and Passion I have a new book study course available for Aspire to Lead FREE on www.teachbetteracademy.com ! I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Jeff Gargas, the COO of the T...

This week’s guest, Carly Spina, shares how, when it comes to serving our multilingual learners, there are countless ways for us to serve their needs and strengthen our school practices. In this episode, we also discuss: Break...

This week’s guest, Matt Dunbar, shares how developing the foundational and essential skills of our students is important for their future success in our local communities. In this episode, we also discuss: Relationships and C...

In this 25th Aspire Mailbag episode, Jeff Gargas and I answer questions on different leadership topics provided by the listeners. Please join us for this episode as we answer questions on first year teachers, finding motivati...

Is balancing the many things you are in charge of in your life too much? This week’s guest, Sarah Johnson, shares how a shift in her career forced her to learn how to lead without a title, balance multiple jobs, and explore h...