Episodes

Whether you have found yourself saying or thinking THIS: "I don’t even know where to begin to make this better...," or THIS: "There are too many problems- I don’t even know where to start...," or THIS: "It is too hard to get people to implement this and I’m just one person...," you're going to want to tune into this episode! I know exactly how it feels to be the person in your position. Someone who desperately wants to lead change, to be a change catalyst, and to get people on board- but feeling...

I know your goal is to align curriculum and instruction so that unintentional learning gaps are decreased and teacher capacity increases (along with student learning). But isn't that always easier said than done? A lot of the time the attempt to get everyone moving forward on the same path ends up fizzling out (if it ever starts). Most leaders don't know that this happens because they don't have a framework for building capacity. And THAT is what this live is all about! Let's dig into what lead...

As an idea girl, I LOVE when people ask for ideas! But I can only help them and share valuable ideas if I have a more detailed picture of what it is they are seeking. For example, asking me for ideas for your son's birthday party doesn't really give me much information. I could provide better, more appropriate ideas if I knew his age, what he enjoys doing, what kind of party you're wanting to throw, how many people you'd like to invite, and how much you're planning on spending. It's the same wi...

Karle Delo​, a passionate and SUPER tech savvy educator, provides the most awesome tech tips on her social media platforms. She shares about everything from Google Docs, to Canva, to ChatGPT! I am always intrigued and excited by her content and I'm thrilled to have her as a guest on this episode! Catch our live conversation or the replay about ways leaders can embrace technology AND reduce teacher burnout! Karle Delo is an instructional coach with a specialization in technology. Before becoming...

As we begin to think about the year ahead, you are very likely considering how to support PLCs so they are effective and valuable instead of lame and something to check off a to-do list. I LOVED this Change Catalyst Conversation with Cory Camp about Blended PLCs and Teams! She brings her experience and expertise about what this looks like in schools so YOU can shape PLCs into what they were meant to be: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES! When you decide to roll out this idea in your own school ...

In this Change Catalyst Conversation, I'm going to share about a Root-Cause analysis strategy known as the 10-5-5 protocol! This protocol will help you take a problem statement and drill down to determine a root cause that you then can strategically approach with reasonable solutions within your control. Bonus: I'm going to model what it looks like to go through this process with a problem MANY schools face! Connect with Casey on⁠ Facebook⁠,⁠ Instagram⁠,⁠ LinkedIn⁠, or⁠ YouTube⁠! Join the Faceb...

Being the "newbie" on the team or the "newbie" to the school as an instructional leader can be exciting, daunting, invigorating, terrifying- ALL the things! Because we can be eager and anxious to get started, it can be a little overwhelming to navigate the new terrain and take the right steps. In this live session, I'm sharing the 5 of the most interesting (and powerful) things I've learned about navigating being the "newbie" instructional leader! Grab the free download here: www.catchingupwith...

If you’re planning a summer PD for teams or thinking about how to spend time at the beginning of the year having teachers investigate standards, this will be super helpful! Sarah Henry, coauthor if Arrows: A Systems-Based Approach to School Leadership, will be sharing about how she mapping standards with teams. She'll be sharing about the strategies and processes necessary to map standards with teams in order to have the greatest impact on collective efficacy and student learning. Learn about L...

Instructional Leaders!!! This is an episode you don't want to miss! Here's the question we're conversing around: Is lesson design a lost art? If so, why? What should lesson design truly entail? And how does lesson design affect school teams? Join me with my guests, Alissa Crabtree, Jana Lee, and Michelle Ruhe for this hot topic discussion and then enjoy the resources we've linked below! From Alissa: Launch Your Instructional Coaching Journey - Online Course Crabtree Coaching Email List Rock th...

Last month one of my podcast episodes was all about Why Tier 1 Instruction is Collapsing. I reviewed response data from a variety of stakeholders about this concept and the evidence was clear- everyone knows that Tier 1 instruction is lacking and almost everyone wants to place their focus on improving Tier 1 instruction in their school. But what wasn't clear to stakeholders is HOW exactly to make that happen. You see, we can encourage staff to provide high quality Tier 1 instruction. We can even...

Let's talk about the POWER of Listening Tours, a way Sherry St. Clair has crafted to help lead change in schools confidently and competently! In this episode, Sherry St. Clair will share all about the effective practice of Listening Tours. We'll chat about how listening tours can be implemented by instructional leaders as well as what to consider before delving into listening tours. Join us to learn about the POWER this practice can have on the journey toward collective efficacy and sustainable ...

I recently read a post on LinkedIn that read: "If you have 800 students in Tier 2, you don't have an intervention problem; you have a Tier 1 problem." That post blew up with comments! Hundreds of people engaged with the post. So, I started asking different groups the question, "Do you believe Tier 1 instruction is lacking or flat out missing? If so, why?" Again, the responses were intense! Tier 1 instruction is a hot topic with many perspectives to consider. In this Change Catalyst Conversation...

We all have mindsets that lead and guide us to take certain actions or say certain things or approach certain situations. Some mindsets are positive and some lead to something like "faux collaboration". In fact, there are five core mindsets that lead individuals and teams astray from collaborating well and reaching the vision or instructional goals collectively: 1. Mindset of control 2. Efficiency mindset 3. Mindset of avoidance 4. Task-oriented mindset 5. Socialite mindset It can be tric...

FAUX: made to look like something else that is usually more valuable : IMITATION, FAKE, INSINCERE... Does this really happen in collaborative settings and on collaborative teams? Is the collaboration just an imitation? Is it simply fake or insincere? Unfortunately, this probably happens more often than not. What looks like collaboration is often faux collaboration. Alissa Crabtree and I share our ideas and experiences with faux collaboration in this change catalyst conversation! We specifically ...

"EVERYTHING boils down to clarity. Literally nothing can be left to assumption." -Michelle Ruhe Isn't this SO true?! It's easy to assume that "everyone understands", especially when we think about common terms and phrases we throw around in education. But this is a dangerous assumption. And when left unaddressed, this assumption can limit (and dare I say, debilitate) staff, teachers, students, and parents! It's time to let go of the limiting lingo! In this episode we converse about what limiting...

Yep, I said it... PLCs: Just Say "NO"! The truth is that this buzzword term is becoming just that... a buzzword. For too many people, this term is coming up empty. Let's jump into a change catalyst conversation and CHANGE the bad taste that people are getting in their mouths about PLCs by thinking about WHAT we can say "NO" to when it comes to PLCs! Register for the FREE PLC Reset Sharecast Want to learn more about how to RESET PLCs or even start them from scratch?! I've got an opportunity for ...

Unfortunately, it is common for gaps (sometimes really BIG gaps) to exist between instructional leaders and teachers. What's even more unfortunate is that it feels nearly impossible to bridge that gap! And the effects of this gap can be devastating. In this live session, I've gathered people with many different perspectives to share their thoughts on why the gap exists and how to repair the disconnect. You'll hear from Classroom Teacher, Jules Brooks; Instructional Specialist, Casey Watts; Assis...

YOU can be the one to STAND OUT!!! And my friend, Allison Petersen, and I can help you to do that! Interviews of any kind can be nerve-wracking! That's not unnatural or uncommon. EVERYONE experiences a little nervousness or anxiety when it comes to interviews (even if you're someone who, like me, LOVES interviews ). But your nerves don't have to keep you from STANDING OUT! After this session, we hope you'll have strategies and tools to help you feel confident as you prepare to interview (whether...

According to C. Heath & D. Heath (2010), one surprising truth about change is that what looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity. In their book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, these authors explain the importance of providing "crystal-clear direction". They aren't the only experts to make this claim. THOUSANDS of leadership gurus make this claim about vision and clarity. In this live session, I want to provide a couple of ways instructional leaders can vision cast and ...

At the crux of making change happen is DATA- more specifically, the emotions tied to data. Unfortunately, a preoccupation with data itself can have negative side effects of decreased commitment and burnout as teachers relentlessly chase targets that are ever-moving or obscure. But what if we could leverage data in a way that creates a sense of purpose and direction, creating alignment and inspiring people to collectively move forward? Join this live to catch a glimpse of how to drive noticeable ...

What better reason to go live and record an episode than simply to celebrate my 40th birthday? In this episode, my dear friend and mastermind partner are celebrating forty years of life with a 10 x 4 game. We share 10 of our favorites in each of four major categories: 10 Leadership Books + 10 Leadership Gurus + 10 Coaching Gurus + 10 Ways to Make Teams Better! Get your notepad and pencil ready to jot our list of FORTY!! (also, you might note that this episode is (almost) exactly 40 minutes ...

Would you believe me if I told you that burnout has less to do with being overworked and more to do with doing the wrong kind of work? In this episode, I share about Patrick Lencioni's Working Genius model and how it can be utilized to rescue you and team members from burnout! Want to learn about how to recognize, provoke, and cultivate the working geniuses in others? Come join the latest professional learning event on Marco Polo: Better You, Better Team! In this unique professional learning ev...

For just a moment, I want you to imagine you're in the beginning phases of what could turn into a crucial or difficult conversation. You feel yourself getting offended. Maybe you notice you're beginning to disagree with what's being said by the other participant in the conversation. Your heartbeat begins to increase. You feel heat creeping into your earlobes or neck. You know that you WANT and maybe even NEED to say what's on your mind, but you just don't know how (without it being a complete bu...

Bada-da-da-da, I'm loving it! You know the place- McDonalds! Yesterday my son and I were heading to the local Farmer's Market and I had a craving for some Mickey D's breakfast- a sausage, egg, and cheese McMuffin to be exact. The line was crazy long, but it was moving pretty quickly. I had already decided I would get TWO McMuffins because I VERY RARELY eat breakfast and I definitely don't usually go to McDonald's. When asked, "What can we get for you this morning?" I said, "Two sausage McMuffins...