FocusED: An educational leadership podcast that uncovers what is working in our schools‪.‬ TheSchoolHouse302

Be the Flame with Shane Saeed

This is Season 5, Episode 14 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Shane Saeed. In our wide ranging conversation, we discuss community building, setting norms, the science of learning, coaching teachers…and much more.
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Shane Saeed Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners
Shane Saeed is a district instructional coach in Colorado working with educators K-12. Prior to coaching, Shane was an elementary teacher. Shane has earned a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in literacy, a second master’s degree in School Leadership and is currently a doctoral candidate working on her degree in Executive Leadership with a focus on Educational Equity and will defend her research this spring.

Shane’s passion is sharing instructional practices with educators near and far. She is a keynote speaker and facilitates professional development nationally on topics such as the science of learning, the science of reading, and on relationship building using content from her book, Be the Flame, which outlines high-yield tangible strategies to cultivate strong positive relationships with all stakeholders.

Shane was named one of 20 Emerging Leaders for ASCD in 2022. Shane continues to work in public education in her Colorado school district and collaborates with teachers across the globe via social media. Follow Shane on X: @saeed_shane.
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FocusED Show Notes with Shane Saeed

It takes a community to create a safe space for students to air their grievances. Only then can teachers change behaviors, working toward an even stronger community. ~ Shane Saeed
Shane talked about connecting with acclaimed author Jimmy Casas, our friend and author of Culturize. Jimmy encouraged Shane to write her book, and Be the Flame was born.

Shane says that we often think of community building as a beginning of the year activity, but the truth is that community building should be ongoing.

Dr. Saeed talked about modeling activity for team building at a staff meeting so that teachers know how to use that same strategy with students. The difference is that the staff should also discuss the benefits and outcomes of the strategy so that they understand the WHY.

Don’t miss what she says about team building and “first drafts” that can reinforce learning foundations and mindsets for both students and staff.

Shane emphasizes the use of community meetings. Here’s a stem to try with students: “This week I did well at…and next week I would like to do a better job with…”

Shane talked about setting norms (for classrooms and adult meetings); she referenced Learning By Doing by the DuFours.
We asked Shane to talk about the structure of her book, which is focused on takeaways. The book includes stories, reflection questions, and things to use for immediate implementation.

As always, we geeked about a bit on the science of learning, including Shane’s description of prior knowledge.

Joe asks Shane to talk about how she organizes her learning. Don’t miss what she says about going deep into multiple authors and works. She calls these “suites” for her learning intentions.
Shane calls for more belonging in schools; one way to do this is to ensure a knowledgeable teacher versus one who can implement a program. This reminded us of a Delaware professional learning experience called DTI. Check it out.

Dr. Saeed uses cognitive coaching as an instructional coach. The thinking has to be the responsibility of the educator, not just a coach or administrator dictating what to do in every case.
She talks about how exhausted teachers are, and the fact that they make more decisions than a brain surgeon, which means we need to streamline and structure.

Kim Strobel Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

Kim Strobel is a renowned motivational speaker and author of the forthcoming Teach Happy: Small Steps to Big Joy, sought after by schools, businesses, and organizations worldwide. With her powerful message about the impact of happiness on well-being and the pursuit of fulfillment, she traverses the globe, sharing her insights.

Kim specializes in empowering educators and professionals, equipping them with the necessary tools and strategies to shift their mindsets, reclaim their happiness, reignite their passion, and lead with purpose.

Drawing from her extensive background as a teacher and curriculum director, Kim’s ultimate aim is to inspire her audience. Through her engaging talks, she presents captivating research, heartwarming anecdotes, and practical steps for achieving life-altering results.

In addition to her professional pursuits, Kim is a devoted animal rescuer, having rescued 187 dogs. She is also an avid runner and has an unwavering love for life.
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FocusED Show Notes with Guest Kim Strobel

A positive brain is 30% more productive than a brain that is neutral or stressed. ~ Kim Strobel

Kim starts with the fact that happiness is scientifically based, regardless of what some people may think about the skill of developing happiness.

She takes a step back and says that there are heavy feelings. She doesn’t promote toxic positivity, but we ought not get stuck in the gutter either.

Don’t miss what she says about the power of happiness in helping us to become more engaged and creative.

Kim isn’t shy about what we’re typically taught--put your head down and work hard, more hours, etc. That just doesn’t work if we want to be effective.

Joe is candid about how stress can create rumination and then we enter autopilot. He asks Kim to help with the mindset shift that many of us need.

Kim describes parts of the brain, how they work, and the subconscious mind that’s driving thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors.

She tells us that too many people are on cognitive overload. We have 70,000 thoughts a day and 60% are negative.

Our negative brains are what kept us safe as humans, but that’s mostly not necessary anymore.

Kim reminds us that our mind and our thoughts are within our control. The number one strategy to rewire our neurofeedback is to use gratitude. Writing down 3 thoughts of gratitude per day can literally change your mind about yourself and the world.

In our gratitude practice, which is a happiness habit, we must be specific--not just that we’re able to exercise but that we can run 30 miles per week. Be specific!

Don’t miss what she says about habit stacking.

She gives granular advice to teachers about how to build happiness habits with students in the classroom.

Joe asks Kim to dive deeper into her meditation chair. The need for tradition and habit is critical to build success and mitigate decision-fatigue.

Kim opens up about her own trials with panic disorder and suffering that she went through as she helped herself out of a dark state.

We can blame anyone for anything, but at the end of the day our happiness is our own responsibility.

Kim describes the work ethic that many of us have as being gratifying because we’re drained after giving our all to something but that’s not the best strategy for real happiness.

She tells us that 50 hours of work leads to about 37 hours of productive time; and, 55 hours leads to 35 hours of productive time. Five more hours and we lose 3 that were potentially productive.

Don’t miss what she says about putting our energy into the things that fuel us rather than the things that deplete us.

Check out the gratitude tracker that Kim mentions during the show.

Find Kim at https://kimstrobel.com/.

This is Season 5, Episode 12 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Wendy Turner. Wendy talks to us about adult burn-out, SEL strategies to use on yourself, what leaders can do differently to support teachers…and much more.
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Wendy Turner Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

Wendy Turner is an educator, author, and teacher leader who is passionate about social emotional learning. Wendy currently teaches third grade in Wilmington, DE and works to build capacity in others around social emotional learning practices in schools.

She was the 2017 Delaware Teacher of the Year, a Presidential Excellence in Teaching Science awardee, an NEA Global Learning Fellow, an Outstanding STEM Educator in Delaware, a Delaware Compassion Champion, and served as the teacher leader on the Delaware State Board of Education for two years.

Wendy now facilitates professional learning on social emotional learning both locally and nationally and regularly contributes to education blogs, articles, and podcasts. She is the author of Embracing Adult SEL, published by Routledge in 2023. You can follow Wendy on X: @mrswendymturner.
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FocusED Show Notes with Wendy Turner

Judgment is an insufficient use of resources for living your life. ~ Wendy Turner

Wendy talks about her time in the classroom and how she needed a break before coming back to the classroom. When she left, she felt burnt out, which led her to write her book about adult SEL. One thing that matters about this book is that it’s a self-help book for us to implement SEL for ourselves as well as others.

She tells us that she shares a lot of her personal life in the book to relate to readers who want to learn more about implementing SEL for themselves.

Joe asks Wendy if she thinks she could have not burnt out so fast if she had SEL when she left education before coming back to her current position. Don’t miss what she says about having some pieces of the practices but not all.

Don’t miss what Wendy says about having a “box of energy.”

Wendy talks about using empathy to take action--she calls this Curious, Connected, and Active. You have to check this framework out in the book.

T.J. points out Chapter 3 from the book and the foundation of SEL being self-awareness. You have to hear how Wendy responds to this using information from that chapter on page 49.

Wendy addresses the shame that we often feel and how to let it go, including our own pessimism about things that we can’t control.

Don’t miss what she says about her core values and how she uses them to make quality decisions.

Joe asks about barriers, roadblocks, etc to doing this work well. Wendy advises that it takes time--1 to 3 months. Try five new things in that time period.

Wendy talks about positively present as a place that she goes for inspiration.

She mentions a case study on SEL that she finds fascinating because it says that we need to start with adult SEL if we’re going to implement it successfully with our students.

Explicit, sustained, and embedded--these are the principles of implementing any professional learning that we want to stick, including SEL.

Wendy calls for SEL coaches in every school.

Joe asks Wendy to unpack SEL circles, which she does using CASEL practices.

Wendy says that teachers need practical, useful strategies that they can use right away. She talks about her next book, which is going to be an SEL playbook. Teachers know the what, but they need help with the how.

This is Season 5, Episode 11 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Mitch Weathers. Mitch defines executive functioning skills, why they are so important to teach students in school, and how to do it in every classroom…and much more.
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Mitch Weathers Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners
Mitch Weathers became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. Despite taking seven years to graduate college, he navigated the classroom with discomfort.

This unique perspective fueled Mitch's teaching approach. Recognizing the importance of laying a foundation for learning, he created Organized Binder. This research-backed strategy empowers teachers to impart executive functioning skills efficiently, preserving valuable instructional time.

By establishing a predictable routine, Organized Binder fosters safer learning spaces, shaping Mitch's journey from a struggling student to an innovative educator.

Mitch’s book helps educators understand and implement executive functioning skills in the classroom. It’s called Executive Functions for Every Classroom, Grades 3-12: Creating Safe and Predictable Learning Environments. You can find Mitch on X @organizedbinder.
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FocusED Show Notes with Mitch Weathers

Mitch talks about writing the book because not all teachers can access his company’s resources, Organized Binder, but they can design lessons that help students gain executive functioning skills. The book helps with that.

Mitch says that we can’t hope that students will pick up executive functions (EF) skills by chance.

Joe reminds listeners that we interviewed Curtiss Murphy and we must assume confusion. With that in mind, Joe asks Mitch to define EF.

Mitch said that one of the schools he works with calls EF skills “studentness.” The reason for this is that not all kids know how to “do school.” EF teaches how to do school well, and they translate to life skills.

Don’t miss the 6 skills that Mitch says matter for all other skills to fall in place.

We discuss predictable learning spaces and the need for the environment to be safe for risk-taking and other factors required for learning to take place.

Mitch calls for more routines so that kids aren’t spending their cognitive load on processing the demands of the classroom and the teacher so that they can place that demand on the learning intentions.

Don’t miss what he says about “shared routines” in schools and collective teacher efficacy. When we build shared routines, we’re also collectively rallying around something that we all care to deliver for kids.

EF skills are not necessarily something that should just be taught in isolation, but rather they should be used in the context of all learning scenarios.

Joe asks about the trouble with collective efficacy and why we don’t share practices for predictable learning environments. Mitch has a simple answer: too much isolation.

The rhythm and routine of the day shouldn’t change. ~ Mitch Weathers

Several times, Mitch mentions Visible Learning MetaX. All instructional leaders should know about this and how some strategies have higher effect sizes than others.

You want to listen to how Mitch describes the need for continuity in schools.

Mitch says that when you pick a routine to implement, you should explore why. The rationale is as important as the strategy itself.

Resources that Mitch mentions: Organized Binder and Teach Better’s Grid Method.

Mitch talks about CTE being the future of secondary education.

He tells us that too much of school is focused on content and teaching and not enough on the environment.

This is Season 5, Episode 10 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Suzanne Dailey. Don’t miss what Suzanne has to say about teaching happier, gratitude, the brain, tons of book recommendations…and much more.
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Suzanne Dailey Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners
Suzanne Dailey has been a teacher for 22 years. She is currently an instructional coach in the Central Bucks School District, where she has the honor and joy of working with over 500 elementary teachers and 8,000 students.

She teaches model lessons, facilitates professional development sessions, and mentors teachers to be the best for the students in front of them. Suzanne is Nationally Board Certified teacher, a fellow of the National Writing Project, and has a Masters Degree in Reading.

She is dedicated to nurturing and developing the whole child and teacher and presents these topics at the local, state, and national level. Suzanne is the author of Teach Happier this School Year: 40 Weeks of Inspiration & Reflection and the host of the popular weekly podcast, Teach Happier. You can follow Suzanne Dailey on X: @DaileySuzanne.
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FocusED Show Notes with Suzanne Dailey

Suzanne starts off by defining that teaching happier is also coaching happier and leading happier. Happier is not about toxic positivity but rather contentment and alignment.

When we feel happier as a person, we’re better coworkers, teachers, friends, etc.

Suzanne talks about the research--behavioral psychology and neuroscience--and that there are very specific strategies that we can use to be happier.

Two practices she mentions early in the podcast--getting moving and practicing gratitude.

Every good teacher sees the person behind the student. ~ Suzanne Dailey

Don’t miss what Suzanne says about a leader’s ability to discern how each person is motivated. We were thrilled to hear her mention energy as something we need to manage.

Suzanne talks about her work in the 4th largest school district in Pennsylvania, and a document that the superintendent uses to celebrate staff. This is practical and can be used by anyone.

She describes the book as broken into 40 small parts to be able to read a quick 2-3 pages per day and set goals. What are your weekly wins? Based on your reading, what will be your next right thing--2 degree shift in your thoughts, language, or actions?

Teach Happier This School Year is now an ASCD bestseller.

If you want to take care of the students, take care of the teachers. ~ Suzanne Dailey

Because Suzanne mentions so many books and research, Joe asks about how she digests books to become practical in her life. Listen to her strategies.

Suzanne calls for more books about people who work in spaces that care for others. She calls them “caregiving professions.” We can learn so much from people in these callings, and she says that the only way forward is to learn from them.

Joe catches a nuance that Suzanne is an instructional coach, but she also works at the cabinet level in her district.

Suzanne ends with her favorite impact, which is working with new teachers.

Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera has served as a teacher, principal of an international magnet school, director of curriculum, and director of equity and inclusion in her 17 years as an educator.

She is currently a DEI project specialist and adjunct professor in the College of Education at Butler University and consults through her business, EBR Educational Consulting, LLC.

Dr. Buchanan-Rivera’s research centers identity-affirming environments. She completed a doctoral degree from Indiana State University in 2017 where she developed an instrument to measure inclusivity in classroom environments. She has written award-winning publications, and her work has been featured in Education Week, Edutopia, Educational Leadership Magazine (ASCD), K-12 Dive, educational journals, and national podcasts.

In April 2020, she was recognized as the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Education at Butler University due to her contributions to the field on a local and national level. Her first book, Identity Affirming Classrooms: Spaces that Center Humanity, has spread her reach and consulting work internationally. In 2023, she won the Arnold Mickens Black Excellence in Leadership Award, and we invite you to follow her on X @ericabrivera.
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FocusED Show Notes with Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Erica started the conversation about her own experiences in school where the educators had good intentions, but those intentions didn’t result in an inclusive environment. In fact, none of her teachers or school leaders were people of color.

She aims to amplify student voice, which she does throughout her text. Students don’t just talk about their trauma, but they identify opportunities to support all students in schools. In many cases, all we need to do is to listen to the students.

Dr. Buchanan-Rivera breaks down what it means to talk about “culture” in schools. We’re talking about “the ways of being” in schools, which includes the roles of power and inequities that exist within schools.

She says that there’s no real right or wrong way to amplify student voices but that the key is to ask students about their experiences in schools and the ways that we can improve the environment. Listen to what she says about her own listening tours.

Once we listen to our students, we should build what they say into our strategic plans for school improvement. ~ Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Joe asks about general threads in what Erica finds when she talks to students about their experiences in school. One common thread is that students want to know how they’re doing in school--they are curious to receive more feedback.

Just like adults, kids want to know about their strengths and areas for improvement, and they often don’t get that from school. ~ Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Erica tells us that we can drive change to a more joyous environment by unpacking our own belief systems. Do we truly embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in action? Do we believe that all students can learn? Are we treating students like humans?

She calls for equity audits as a fresh set of eyes on what teaching and learning really feels like in our schools--tools that assess systems.

As administrators, we often learn to manage dysfunction rather than learning to clean-house. ~ Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Don’t miss what she says about outcomes that indicate that our effort in this space is working.

Erica says we need more support for administrators on leading change, having critical conversations, and growing as equity warriors. A needed book title: Navigating the DEI Space for School Leaders.

Accountability should be seen as an act of love. ~ Erica Buchanan-Rivera

Erica ended by talking about the areas in which she would like to grow as a school leader--helping principals navigate DEI successfully.