Episodes

In 2014 Admiral William McRaven addressed the University of Texas's graduating class. In his commencement speech he shared with them lessons that he has learned along his journey. These lessons are valuable to each and everyone of us. They can be applied to our personal lives and our lives within the classroom. This commencement speech has been viewed over 14 million times on youtube and has been turned into a book. This episode takes a look at a few of these lessons and how as educators we can ...

Olympians face pressure at the highest level. They have learned strategies and tools that allow them to control nerves, stay focused, and perform in the most tense moments. As educators we can use these tools to help us perform at the highest of levels in the classroom and at home. This episode will look at the book Train (Your Brain) Like an Olympian by Jean Francois Menard and discuss some of the strategies that Mr. Menard uses to train his Olympians with. These skills are truly beneficial to ...

We live in an age of distraction and never ending to do lists. As educators the stress that fills our days can lead to us missing out on so many joyful moments. This episode talks about the importance of being present and embracing the little moments that each day brings us.

The words we say to ourselves matter. Those soundtracks that we play over and over again. These words can build us up or tear us down. They can fuel us to take on new and exciting challenges or they can stop us in our tracks. Our personal soundtracks are important. This episode discusses strategies from Jon Acuff's book Soundtracks and focuses on ways we can identify the negative soundtracks and replace them with positive and empowering ones. As educators this is also important because we need ...

Making stronger connections in our classrooms, schools, and personal life is extremely important. This episode discusses tips from the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. This book has sold over 30 million copies and is thought of as one of the most influential books of all time. If you are looking to strengthen relationships then check this episode out!

The second episode in the summer series revolves around the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. This powerful book talks about four agreements that we can live by that will truly transform us and the way in which we see the world. Check out the podcast and definitely add this book to your must read list.

Anyone that works in education can attest to the fact that this has been a stressful year. It's one where it was very difficult to find that work life balance. This episode is about the power of slowing down, being present, and finding stillness in our lives. We take a dive into Ryan Holiday's book Stillness is the Key to discuss some of the strategies that we can use to be more still.

The way we approach our classrooms and the priorities that we have tremendously effect our students. This episode dives into five different things that make an impact on students, classrooms, and learning.

Reflection is pivotal to growth. Taking time to reflect on tough moments can offer valuable insight and lead to a tremendous amount of growth. That being said let's not just be happy that as teachers we were able to get through this school year. Let's use this school year as something to grow from. This episode dives into reflection and how we can use it to become the best educator that we can be.

This school year has been a year to remember. It's been filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, and so many unforgettable moments. This episode is all about looking back at this year and the lens that we view it with. Even though it challenged many educators far more than many years in the past we should look back and celebrate the year that it was.

This weeks episode looks at a study conducted by a UC Berkeley professor that measured the effect of positive physical interactions between players on NBA teams. The study found that the more positive interactions that there are the more successful the team was. This should be a lesson for educators as well. The more positive interactions that we have with our students the more engaged they'll be, the more risks they take, and the more they'll feel invested in learning.

As educators we have mastered the art of the to do list. We have lists for everything and we often consider it a good day if we can cross off everything from the list. What if we crossed off the "to do" list and created a "to be" list. This episode explores a "to be" list and the power that it can have.

This episode is a special reminder for all of us. Working in the field of education can be taxing. There is a lot of energy that is poured out each and every single day for all the students that everyone in the school system serves. This episode is just a reminder of what is important and is a lesson that each and every single one of us should hear!

The power of believing in oneself is invaluable. To achieve anything all of us must believe in our abilities. Self belief can be fostered in the classroom. The words we use and how we treat our students plays a big role in the identity that they create for themselves. This episode dives into one question that we should be asking our students daily. It's a question that was instrumental in helping Super Bowl Champion Russell Wilson pave his way into the NFL. As a young man his father would ask hi...

This school year has been filled with ups and downs. Moments of great joy and moments where we have struggled. This episode is dedicated to all those who helped us get through this school year. The coworkers who made us laugh, who listened to us when we needed to talk, and those who kept us going on those hard days. Recognize those colleagues. Celebrate those colleagues. This episode is for them!

There are lessons that we can learn from in every walk of life. It's important as educators that we look at people who have become ultra successful and look to see what made them that way. Analyze what makes up their mindsets and see if we can pass that on to our students. In this weeks episode the founder of SPANX, is discussed, and a certain mindset that she has that allowed her to take SPANX as a small start up and make it into a global giant! This is an important lesson that everyone can lea...

There are many times when we leave discussions, read an email, or hear about a transgression that took place and we automatically assume the worst. We assume that others had ill intentions. We create negative stories in our head and this can have a tremendous impact on our emotional, physical, and mental well being. These assumptions can also have a negative effect on us and can greatly impact our relationships with our students, the parents of our students, and our coworkers. What if we change ...

The teaching world has been transformed this school year. Every teacher has been impacted in one form or another because of the pandemic. At times this has lead many educators to feel stressed, burned out, and as if their impact in the classroom has greatly decreased. This episode tackles this issue and is a reminder to teachers everywhere that your value goes far beyond having the perfect lesson!

Having an optimistic mindset has been shown to increase longevity, motivation, and perseverance among many other positive things. With so much scientific evidence about the importance of optimism we should be teaching our students about how to be more optimistic. In this episode I discuss three ways that we can teach our students about optimism as discussed by Justin Su'a in his book Pep Talk for Parents. Mr. Su'a is the mental conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and is extremely knowledge...

As the NCAA basketball tournament gets on its way there is no better topic to discuss then the relationship between the coaches and the players. We often think most coaches lead with tough love, but in reality many of todays coaches love tough. Coaches today look to build relationships and invest in their players as people. They earn the right to coach hard and bring the best out in them. As educators we need to adopt a similar mentality. Invest in our students. Create those relationships and ea...

The midyear slump is something that can effect every educator at one point or another. When you have been pouring your heart and soul into the school year it can wear you down and make you feel as if you are running on empty. This episode is about pushing back against the midyear slump and regaining that motivation and drive needed to finish the school year strong.

How we view our students matters! It effects the way we talk to them, how we interact with them, and our relationship with them. In this episode a great teaching point from the book Road to Awesome, by Dr. Darrin Peppard, is discussed. Dr. Peppard talks about two questions that were asked one time at a faculty meeting that greatly effected the way that he approaches students and leadership today. Check this episode out as these two questions may just change the way you approach your students as ...

We have a choice in every situation that we face. We can be a thermometer and let the environment around us determine which version of ourself shows up for the world or we can be a thermostat and control which version of us shows up for the world. This episode discusses the importance of how we handle the different situations that present themselves during our school day and focus on creating a positive classroom environment for our students.

Listening to someone else while they're speaking is one of the most impactful things that we can do. When a teacher takes a moment to listen to their student they are letting that scholar know that he or she is seen, heard, and valued. When you take a moment to listen to your colleagues you are also strengthening a bond and creating a positive school climate. In this episode I talk about the power of listening, how we're not as good as we may think at this, and why it is essential that we become...