The Unwritten Rules of Business with Dr. Amy Stewart

I love the idea, but we have really gotten away from working together-- like at all. If we ask for help, we are mooching. If we don't get help, we struggle unnecessarily. How did we move away from helping each other?  Join me as I talk about the disconnect in education between parents and schools and what we can do moving foward. 

What are we keeping post-COVID-19? Through all of the tragedy, much good has emerged from it all. I was surprised by how quickly funding and other resources were expedited to those who needed them. What are some new practices that you'd like to see as we venture into some sort of "normalcy"? Join me for a discussion of the changes that could be continued in education and our communities as we re-open the world. 

What does this word mean to you? In this episode, I get personal about why I chose to leave my teaching job. To me, the definition of entrepreneurship has changed over the last three years. Join me as I discuss the value of you walking in your gift and really finding your "why" as many of you are entering this season of change and starting your own businesses. 

In the latest wave of "canceling," folks all over took to social media to once again argue with folks-- this time, it was about Dr. Seuss. If people can understand anything, it's do not come for people's childhood memories, unless you want to fight about it. In this podcast, I talk about the importance of de-emphasizing nostalgia when selecting instructional materials. We also dive into why these arguments about Dr. Seuss are another superficial fight against racial inequality. Join me! 

This is the series finale of the Unwritten Rules of Education! During my 3 years of entrepreneurship and owning a childcare center, there are just some elements of leadership that I chose not to utilize with my staff. We, as leaders, can make a conscious decision to lead with a positive mindset-- a growth mindset that allows for all members involved to grow! Join me! 

With all of the micromanaging practices in education, I can't help but think-- did I need a Master's degree for any of this?  In this episode, I dive into the importance of maximizing the strengths of staff. If we are required to have these expensive, higher degrees, then why aren't we using them?  Join me! 

Are they too young? Of course not! Politics is not a dirty word-- it is a process that runs our society. In this episode, I share some tools that you can use with your children to open up the conversation about politics-- which is just the idea of engaging with how your world is being run. We do have a voice-- we can impact change when we do not like something in our world. I discuss a free resource that can be used for you, your workplace, or your home-- Beyond the Hashtag- grab that here. 

Have you seen Kristen Bell's photo about her daughter wanting them to both to be Elsa for Halloween? LOL-- Kristen Bell voiced Anna in Disney's Frozen. She's got such a look of disappointment when she sees her daughter wants to be the other sister from the movie from Halloween. I giggled, but you know what? I really think we need to see the value of Anna. She was the one holding it down in the village in Frozen 2. In this episode, we talk about the importance of gifts and strengths of both sisters-- and your staff. Sure, Elsa's are great-- but so are Annas! You really need both. Be sure to check out our October Newsletter about Getting and Keeping Great Staff! If you are looking for your own strengths, consider our course on Getting That Job 101- Childcare Edition! 

I'm back! What a year we've had so far! I'm excited to get back to it! In this episode, we talk about who really saved the day with Aladdin and Jasmine's predicaments. We talk about the importance of local political leaders-- not just in this fun Disney tale, but in our communities. Towards the end of the podcast, I share more about this resource of how we can engage with our local leaders to help remedy concerns that impact our daily lives. We can't wait on the Genie to come grant us our wishes. You can take a look at it here! 

I too was upset initially when I heard "Black Lives Matter"-- why? Because I wasn't included. I didn't see myself in that message. As a white person, I am so used to the world being for me-- telling my stories---validating my voice. As an educator, this keeps up from making decisions for our brown and black kids. It keeps us in a Colorblind mindset because we choose to not see a problem. It only becomes a problem once we feel we are being left out. As you finish up this podcast and are looking for the next step-- please check out www.dramyheger.com to get info on my new mini-course-- Through the Looking Glass- Stepping Through the Two-Way Mirror in Education. Deep and difficult stuff-- but our kids deserve it. 

This one is for the students I left behind. It's to my former students who helped me grow up! It's the students I would've had. I saw your struggles that were amplified by an unjust society that refuses to really make things fair. You guys are my heart. Even from outside of the classroom. 

Look-- if you've never listened to any of my podcasts-- THIS IS THE ONE. I am one of the white people who scoffed off the idea of White privilege. I argued that it wasn't real and that I had worked for everything I have. Maybe the word "privilege" as we defined it wasn't the best word-- we have an advantage. But an advantage we didn't even realize he has--or we low key do realize it and do not want to give it up. Join me for this episode. THIS PODCAST IS FOR EVERYONE-- but especially for white people who are already rolling your eyes thinking I don't know what I'm talking about and I'm some hippy liberal-- okay-- I might be, LOL but take a listen-- just a small mind shift was what got my journey rolling. Something has to change. 

Well, when I a say "Go"-- I mean to find it online ASAP. This movie apparently came out back in April and not many people have heard of it. This movie stars three female leads of color who have special powers. Why a podcast? Because in 2019, when major movies with minority leads and super abilities are the money makers and this movie received hardly any marketing and was only released in select locations-- that was purposeful.  We cannot just excuse away the white-washed curriculum and assessments as an accident--or that it is unintentional that marginalized kids are not represented in the classroom or leadership. Great movie!! I only wish more people knew about it and could've experienced in theaters. 

I wonder how many times Beyonce' talked herself out of going solo. I wonder who was the first person who mentioned the idea to her. Was it her dad? Was that his plan all along? I wonder how Kelly and Michelle REALLY felt when Queen Bey let them know she wanted to try something on her own. I remember that first Crazy in Love video-- this was a new Bey-- the one who would continue to grow into the powerhouse she is today. How do we know when it's time for a solo act? How can we push through the guilt of leaving your support system behind? 

Another episode from Alaska! I was able to go visit a dog kennel for sleigh dogs!! The dogs who train and race in the Iditarod. This episode dives into the passion behind the mushers and how we can adopt that into our leadership strategies. Servant leadership allows the dogs to be happy and excel! 

Coming from Denali! It is literally the only town I remember and will most likely remember as I tour Alaska this week. Why this town? From the last few Twilight movies-- the blond cousins? "Our cousins from Denali" LOL! I honestly couldn't stop thinking about the movie as we drove through mountains of cloudy skies and tall trees. I couldn't help but play the music from the soundtrack in my head (and on my phone lol) as I thought back to scenes of them running through the forests or hopping through trees. Which honestly had nothing to do with this trip or this place, but it got me excited to go. I was excited to see the name on the sign LOL-- why? Because I had a positive point of reference-- I at least knew how to pronounce it LOL. We need to be sure our kids have points of reference when introducing new concepts. It allows them to bring context to the lesson-- they can be an expert with their background knowledge. 

The Bully-- the staple of most teen movies-- but what happens when that bully grows up and becomes the boss? How does this happen? What does it look like and how can we stop it. Intimidation has no place in education-- period. 

What makes a great sequel? Why do we rush to a prequel? And what makes a great remake? I've seen some bad remakes lol. You can take a good thing and mess it up. With your upcoming school year, how can you have a great remake of last year? How can you keep important elements without remaining stagnant and comfortable? Why are prequels important? What back information do we need to appreciate the present? How can we get kids and staff invested in the vision for an amazing sequel? 

How can a place called Pride Rock be taken down so easily with insecurities? The three lions were taken out (well almost of Simba) because of their self-doubt. When you are in a leadership role-- now is not the time to doubt your ability or your purpose. There are people following you- counting on you to move them forward. 

After watching the live-action Lion King-- I couldn't help but think... Mufasa could have prevented this. I don't believe in "out of nowhere"-- so Scar didn't just wake up one day and decide to take over. In this episode, we explore how to spot a Scar in your workplace and, as a leader, guide the narrative to prevent a hyena take over LOL! Be sure to get my free Cheat Sheet for dealing with your Scar ------>https://linktr.ee/dramyheger