Mentoring Moments: Empowering Leaders to Mentor our Future

Dr. Rob Wottawa
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The Mentoring Moments podcast with Dr. Rob Wottawa unpacks the mentoring stories, strategies, and ideas within the educational setting. Guests include, teachers, principals, directors, authors, podcasters, superintendents and many more. Visit www.RobWottawa.com

  1. 4D AGO

    Mentoring Moments with David Wicks

    How does a physics teacher become the operational leader of a $100-million educational system? David Wicks, COO of Eastern Suffolk BOCES, shares his unique journey from the classroom to the executive suite, where he now translates strategy into action for 51 districts and 2,000 staff. He reveals how to operationalize equity, manage colossal risk, and mentor leaders at every level. This is a masterclass in executive leadership you won't hear anywhere else.

    34 min

  2. JAN 5

    Mentoring Moments with Dan Brazil

    What does leadership look like when it's built from the art room? In this special episode, Rob sits down with Dan Brazil—his former colleague, a 19-year art teacher, and the 2023 Pillar of Community award winner. Dan shares how he’s led from within for years, from running the most popular club in school to taking 88 students on transformative museum trips. Now, as he looks toward a formal leadership role, they explore the mentor moments that happen when a master teacher decides to redraw his own future. It’s a heartfelt conversation about the quiet leaders already shaping our schools.

    41 min

  3. 12/01/2025

    Mentoring Moments with Todd Bloomer

    How do you walk away from your dream job at the peak of your success? Todd Bloomer, former "neighborhood principal" and author of The Blueprint, did just that. He reveals why he left a school he loved to coach other principals, sharing how to avoid "administrative quicksand" and lead with joy. Get ready for a powerful conversation about legacy, satisfaction, and knowing when it's time to write your next chapter.

    31 min

  4. 11/03/2025

    Mentoring Moments with Debra Winter

    How do you lead through a crisis you were never trained for? Retired Superintendent Debra Winter—facilitator of Long Island's only special education administrator collegial circle for 21 years—reveals how to turn bureaucratic chaos into clarity. She shares her "sanity check" strategies for IEP meetings, how to advocate without being pigeonholed, and whether she'd rather mentor a paperwork-phobic principal or a data-obsessed director.

    30 min

  5. 10/06/2025

    Mentoring Moments with Dr. Jason Stanton

    How do you build a school culture where both students and teachers thrive? Dr. Jason Stanton, Director of Careers and Student Services, shares how his research on transformational leadership fuels real-world change. We dive into creating innovative CTE pathways, boosting collective teacher efficacy, and turning big ideas into actionable results. Get ready for a masterclass in leading with purpose

    30 min

  6. 09/29/2025

    Mentoring Moments with Rob Wottawa - Reflection Episode

    In this special solo episode, host Dr. Rob Wottawa reflects on the powerful themes from his first four guests—Darrin Peppard, Lauren Kaufman, Ellen O'Neill, and Brandon Beck. He unpacks his "buffet" philosophy of lifelong learning, shares how to handle "warning bell" people, and flips the mic to answer his own RW Rapid Fire questions. It’s a personal look at how conversations about mentorship translate into real leadership action. Tune in for actionable insights and a fresh perspective on leading from the heart.

    27 min

  7. 09/22/2025

    Mentoring Moments with Ellen O'Neill

    Dr. Rob Wottawa sits with newly retired elementary principal, literacy monster, and positive culture building friend Ellen O'Neill. We unpacked the transition to mentorship, the real world problems that a principal faces each day and how to address classroom managements as the level of influence. Of course we learn whether Ellen would rather mentor a principal who forgot it was picture day or one who accidentially called a kid "mom"?

    30 min

  8. 09/15/2025

    Mentoring Moments with Dr. Brandon Beck

    In this episode, Rob unpacks the idea of celebrating daily wins, looking in the mirror to question ourselves as leaders and teachers; and we all (including kids) need to move away from the fear of taking risks with Dr. Brandon Beck. Brandon is an author, motivational speaker, and leadership coach (https://brandonbeckedu.com/) and dove into how leadership over management, and how leaders celebrates along with their people and results in a positive impact!

    36 min
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About

The Mentoring Moments podcast with Dr. Rob Wottawa unpacks the mentoring stories, strategies, and ideas within the educational setting. Guests include, teachers, principals, directors, authors, podcasters, superintendents and many more. Visit www.RobWottawa.com

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