Episodes
June 18, 2023
Ep. 34: Summer Soundtrack (APPLE PODCAST RELEASE w/o music)
As educators, summer is an important time for us to refresh, renew, and regroup. This summer playlist can help! Whether you're on a road trip, hanging out by the pool, or enjoying an evening with family and friends, check out...
June 11, 2023
Ep. 33: #KeepKnocking : The Art of Never Giving Up on People
It's okay to give up on systems - even healthy. It's never okay to give up on people - keep knocking! In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the complexity of being persistent, why it matters, and how it plays out in diffic...
June 4, 2023
Ep 32: Educational Leadershi* : It's messy, and fully worth it.
*Warning, there are curse words that are unbleeped in this episode Remove ants and bees from the planet and the whole system will collapse. Remove humans and the world improves. Why is that? And how does it relate to leadersh...
May 28, 2023
Ep 31: Education is a Wicked Problem, which means it is impossible to solve. We tried anyway.
In 1973, design theorists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber introduced the term "wicked problem" in order to draw attention to the complexities and challenges of addressing planning and social policy problems. Education is such ...
May 21, 2023
Ep. 30: Bridging the Recognition Gap and Strengthening Your School Culture
"More than 80 percent of supervisors claim they frequently express appreciation to their subordinates," The Power of Moments claims, "while less than 20 percent of the employees report that their supervisors express appreciat...
May 14, 2023
Ep. 29: Finish Strong! Be Mr. May.
Reggie Jackson was nicknamed "Mr. October" because of his clutch hitting in the postseason. He finished the year strong! And so should we. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss ways teachers and administrators can finish t...
May 7, 2023
Ep. 28: "What about the boring kids?"
Does education have a problem with ignoring the "boring child?" And is being "boring" even bad - as a student or as a teacher? In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the idea of education focusing too much on the fringe, wh...
April 30, 2023
Ep. 27: Ted Lasso is flawed. And that's why we love him! And it's why we can learn from him.
Even if you've never seen the show, Ted Lasso, this episode is still relatable to anyone interested in leadership or building culture in the workplace. Brian and Kasey both love Ted Lasso, but not because he is perfect. In fa...
April 23, 2023
Ep. 26: Gossip. Lets chat about it! Because it isn't as bad as we think.
Whenever people are gathered, gossip is present. And that is okay! In this episode, Brian and Kasey point out the positives of gossip, explain how we can embrace it in our homes, communities, and workplace, and provide tangib...
April 16, 2023
Ep. 25: Influential Teachers: What made them great and why they are remembered.
Happy 25! To celebrate this simple milestone, Brian and Kasey spend time reflecting on those who have influenced their journey, what good teaching looks like, and reminding us all why this profession deeply matters. Mr. D; Mr...
April 9, 2023
Ep. 24: We are Anxious. So let's do something about it.
All too often, we try to solve complex problems with large-scale, pie-in-the-sky solutions. Anxiety is one of those problems. In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle through some very tangible, use-it-tomorrow solutions that...
April 2, 2023
Ep. 23: Punishment vs Consequence. What they are, what they aren't, and why the differences matter.
Punishment and consequence are often used synonymously in our schools and homes, but they shouldn't be, largely because the key distinction between the two (me-focused vs you-focused) makes a world of difference in the short ...
March 26, 2023
Ep. 22: Poverty. What it is and what it isn't, and the questions between.
As educators, we can hold a single story of poverty, often understanding it and all its forms from an academic or "other" point of view. In this episode, Brian tries to gain a more personal understanding of poverty by asking ...
March 19, 2023
Ep. 21: Hippopotamus Laws : What they are and where we see them. And more importantly, what can we do about them.
Hippopotamus laws, more commonly referred to as Eponymous Laws, are principles or rules named after a particular person. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss a variety of Eponymous Laws, the ethics of data collection, and...
March 14, 2023
Ep. 20: Make the Intangible, Tangible : How to capture meaningful moments, and why it matters
Life and work are busy. They are also consumed by screens. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss how leaders, teachers, parents - people! - can be intentional about making the intangible moments tangible, and why doing so ...
March 7, 2023
Ep. 19: From New York to Arizona: A barstool reflection of the sustainability of Education
Brian attended Innovative Schools Summit in New York; Kasey attended Solution Tree Summit in Arizona. In this episode, they reflect on their experiences, the ideas discussed, and the importance of relationships - which, as it...
Feb. 26, 2023
Ep 18: The Gods of Education and the the bargains we strike
From hallway decorations to graduation, fear of humiliation to content, even the pursuit of safety, what gods are we intentionally or unintentionally serving, and what impacts do they have on our schools, classrooms, and stud...
Feb. 19, 2023
Ep. 17: Stay calm. Teach. A conversation with Dr. Mary Jo Fresch
Dr. Mary Jo Fresch has been an elementary teacher, literacy professor, has published more than 22 books, and is a brilliant and calming mind in the world of literacy learning. In this episode, Dr. Fresch walks through the his...
Feb. 12, 2023
Ep 16: When in doubt, Do G.R.E.A.T. things! Here's how.
Anchors give us stability and direction when times are tough. In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss the value of living a life focused on doing GREAT things ( G ive - R elate - E xplore - A nalyze - T ry), why it matters, ...
Feb. 5, 2023
Ep. 15: ChatGPT is going to disrupt education. Here's how we can (and should) embrace it.
ChatGPT is changing the educational landscape. In this episode, Brian and Kasey argue that this change is not only good for education, it is also needed. Becase of ChatGPT we have an opportunity to shift our focus away from c...
Jan. 29, 2023
Ep. 14: Responsibility Centered Discipline: The most effective and purposeful method for changing behavior
Responsibility Centered Discipline (RCD) "has helped educators across North America transform student discipline and improve school climate." In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the format of RCD, its potential for impac...
Jan. 22, 2023
Ep. 13: Universal Design for Life: What Unnecessary Barriers can we Eliminate? (Part 2)
In this episode, Brian and Kasey dive deeper into UDL and offer a few tangible ways we can eliminate unnecessary physical and psychological barriers to life. Kasey pushes back on Brian's belief that hard lives create better p...
Jan. 15, 2023
Ep. 12: Universal Design for Life: What Unnecessary Barriers Can We Eliminate? (Part 1)
Universal Design for Learning is an attempt to accommodate the needs of all learners by removing unnecessary hurdles. In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle with what UDL means for schools, classrooms, and daily living. But...
Jan. 8, 2023
Ep. 11: Elevator Thinking, Spider-Man and How We Find Identity : A barstool episode.
In this episode, Kasey and Brian talk through some of their thoughts and convictions from the break. Much like a barstool conversation, their discussion ranges from how we can change our experiences by simply adding mirrors, ...