Educational Leadership On The Go

Over the last year leaders across the education world have been challenged in ways they could have never imagined, but with challenges came a lot learning. As we mark one full year of educating through Covid-19 and the year begins to come to an end, it's time for educators to reflect on what worked and what did not work. One thing we know is we can't go back to the way it was, we have to use this experience to continue implementing some of the things we have learned over the last year in education. In this episode the crew reflects on the learning and encourages other leaders to do the same.  

A crisis is a time for leadership, and there are leaders that are ready to step to the plate and others that are not. While there are "leaders" among us each day, which ones can lead from a Meta-Leadership perspective that can think outside the box to solve pending issues for those that surround them? The crew is back in studio to discuss meta-leadership and how it relates to education and leadership in general. During the episode they mention the following two articles as reference....The Importance of Meta-Leadership During the Covid-19 CrisisAmerican Psychological Association

After months of focusing on their careers, the crew was back together to kick off the new year to hold a therapy session. Dr. Bain, Dr. Luhning, and Dr. Welborn all shared their thoughts on the current reality of education and what is going on inside our buildings. A couple of the items discussed:- The focus on learning we THOUGHT we would have this year.- "It's ok just being ok this year"- Being able to realize what you thought it would be is not, and being humble to admit being wrong and need to switch course.- Pull from yourself to help the others around you.- The "Educational Debt" of learning that is accruing over time.Thank you for listening and please share! 

As leaders and educators, are you opening or closing doors of opportunity for your students? What do your students really need from the adults in your building? As educators and leaders, we are responsible for developing students for future experiences. Those experiences will be in places and with people that come from all different backgrounds and cultures. Dr. Jaime Welborn and special guest Dr. Marshaun Warren discuss their work focused on cultural proficiency and how they are leading districts and schools to be more culturally proficient in all aspects. To register for their upcoming events please visit this link: Cultural Proficiency In You and Our Organization

We are back!!! Developing a Leadership Legacy is our content subject for today. Answer this question. If someone had to MC your retirement dinner and they had never met you before, what would they learn about you as they prepared? What would people say about your character, your leadership, and on and on? We are creating our leadership legacy right now, and every day we add to it both negatively and positively. Dr. Dustin Bain is flying solo on this podcast and speaks about an amazing experience he had back in December that led to this content. 

School leaders are currently dealing with unprecedented times in their schools. As leaders we have a choice to make, is this going to be a negative or positive experience for those we lead? Dr. Welborn, Dr. Luhning, and Dr. Bain discuss how this time in history can be an opportunity for us to be creative in our leadership. The team discusses how we can amplify student voice, support our staff and parents, and be the leader we have been chosen to be during this time. This episode provides practical ideas you can implement moments after you complete listening. 

School leaders and staff members are faced with educating our students among the COVID-19 virus. This type of challenge comes with no playbook or guide on how to best support our schools. Dr. Welborn, Dr. Luhning, and Dr. Bain discuss how they are helping lead their school communities through this difficult time. In addition, could what we are doing now to connect and educate our students be a lesson to what school should really look like moving forward? Please join the team as they analyze the challenge of COVID-19 as it stands on March 22, 2020. 

Dr. Bain, Dr. Welborn, and Dr. Luhning sit down to discuss the interview and hiring season that is upon us. The beginning of the calendar year in education brings the movement of new hires and the potential of movement among teachers and administrators. The crew sits down to discuss what candidates can do to prepare for their next position and how we can best hire candidates that support our current culture in the building. 

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a topic that has been revisited, revised, implemented, and analyzed for years in schools. Creating plans to address the individual learning needs of students is at the forefront of every educational leader across America. Dr. Dustin Bain is joined by guest Dr. Craig Hamby, Director of Elementary Education in Lindbergh Schools. Dr. Hamby and Dr. Bain sit down to discuss how recently Dr. Hamby has developed a new outlook and approach to RTI in his schools. The discussion walks through the philosophy and implementation of RTI moving forward. 

Setting goals that assist in an organization moving forward are essential, but then the reality of everyday craziness intervenes on our focus of meeting those goals. How many times have we been the leader at the front of the room or the leader sitting in the crowd hearing what our goals are for the year, and then we never hear about them again. Dr. Ryan Luhning and Dr. Dustin Bain discuss how leaders can stay focused on goals as the ebb and flow of the year comes at us. Dr. Dustin Bain references the following podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/55-the-art-of-energy-management/id1070649025?i=1000453044266https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-264-jeff-spencer/id1341346059?i=1000452857166

Are teachers working twice as hard today as they ever have? That's a question posed within the podcast and it leads to an in-depth discussion on the role of an educator around the social/emotional needs of students and the culture we are building as leaders. Show Co-Host Dr. Jaime Welborn had a recent article published in the Education Leadership Review https://www.icpel.org/uploads/1/5/6/2/15622000/elr_volume_20_1__fall_2019.pdf. Dr. Welborn completed research on a school district's journey toward becoming culturally proficient. Dr. Welborn shares some of the results from her research and a framework to help guide educators on creating equitable school environments. 

Shocktober and Februbury are two of the hardest months for staff members to grind through in schools. As leaders in buildings we see it year in and year out as the climate rides the waves this time of year. Dr. Bain, Dr. Luhning, and Dr. Welborn explore why this time of the year is such a grind and what we can do to support our staff through it. The leaders show some vulnerability with things they have experienced and ideas of how to support the teachers through the grind. 

Talking about change is the easiest part of the change process, but implementing and inviting those around us is challenging. Sitting in university classrooms having philosophical discussions about how to create and implement change is constantly on loop as you walk past college classrooms. When that talk leaves philosophical and becomes reality then the realness of emotions, differences and resistance of change kick in. Dr. Welborn, Dr. Luhning and Dr. Bain are back to speak about the realities of change and share experiences that have helped them get through the change process. 

The crew takes some time to share their excitement for the approaching school year. Dr. Luhning is getting ready to stand in front of his entire staff for the first time, Dr. Welborn will be welcoming college students into her classroom, and Dr. Bain welcomes back the Meramec staff for his 5th year. Listen to how they are preparing for the school year and the excitement in their voices about the school year that is right around the corner. 

Leaders battle to get the most out of every minute in every day as they balance the demands of their position. This podcast explores the idea of urgent vs. important and how leaders can better manage the time they have to be successful. Dr. Welborn, Dr. Luhning, and Dr. Bain discuss ideas to help manage time and issues that leader face and how to categorize them by priority. The podcast references the following articles and might be useful to listeners: 1. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec16/vol74/num04/What's-Important%C2%A2.aspx2. http://www.thrivingschools.net/blog/2017/1/30/important-vs-urgent-stephen-covey-at-school

Dr. Ryan Luhning and Dr. Dustin Bain sit down and discuss education from a global perspective with Maryville University Professor Dr. Stokes. Prior to joining the staff at Maryville, Dr. Stokes spent the vast majority of his career working in schools in England and opening a brand new school in Myanmar. Each summer Dr. Stokes takes a crew of doctoral students on a trip abroad to spend time in schools around the world to widen their educational perspective lens. 

Creating a student focused culture where not only is it kid first but also making a conservative effort to take care of the staff. Special guest Dr. Rodney Lewis joins Dr. Dustin Bain and Dr. Jaime Welborn to discuss the culture within our schools and the main points from his book Gritty which can be found on his website www.lewflu.com . Dr. Lewis is the current Assistant Superintendent of HR in the St. Charles School District. Prior to that he held principal positions in the Ferguson-Florissant and Valley Park school districts. Dr. Lewis is a first generation college graduate and through his foundation the Lewis brothers want to continue to help kids to do the same thing. Dr. Lewis' passion and desire to make the education world a better place was very evident through this high energy and entertaining discussion. 

Passion, enthusiasm, and leadership are words that can be used to describe special guest Dr. Joe Sanfelippo (@Joe_Sanfelippo) who joined the podcast to discuss changing the narrative in education. Joe is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek, Wisconsin School District (#GoCrickets). In addition, Joe is a keynote speaker traveling the country delivering a message to educators about changing the narrative within our schools, and creates leadership challenges through his #1minwalk2work videos on twitter. Joe asks leaders to focus on being intentional, opening doors, and building people to create the brand and  most optimal organizations possible. Joe's passion and desire are evident through this podcast interview and discussion. To learn more about Dr. Joe Sanfelippo please visit www.jsanfelippo.com and explore his abilities as a leader, author, and speaker.  

In November, 2014 Dr. Jim Wipke was named Superintendent of the Fox C-6 School District. The Fox School District was in the midst of it's most tumultuous time in history with front page stories about their financial turmoil, community distrust at an all time high, a staff with no direction, and students waiting to see where the future would lead them. While many of his surrounding colleagues wouldn't touch the job opening with a 10 foot pole, Dr. Wipke saw an opportunity to lead and be a change agent the students and community in the Fox School District were searching for. Dr. Jim Wipke, Dr. Dustin Bain, and Dr. Ryan Luhning sit down to discuss what it's like to be in the trenches and leading a culture of change. The three gentlemen sit down to discuss how a leader can navigate through the journey of change and be the leader everyone is looking for. 

Urgent vs. Important, what keeps you up at night, and what would you go back and tell yourself 365 days ago are just some of the great topics discussed with first year school administrators Mr. Kevin Griffin and Mr. Dustin Brown. Host Dr. Dustin Bain explores how the leaders navigated through the challenges of their first year.  Being a reflective leaders is essential to moving any organization forward and Mr. Griffin and Mr. Brown are clearly on that track.