Innovative Schools Podcast

AccuTrain Corporation
  • 4.9 (10)
  • Education
  • Semimonthly

The Innovative Schools Podcast features conversations with authors, consultants, thought leaders and practicing educators working to improve K-12 schools around the world. These conversations include discussions on student mental and behavioral health, classroom behavior, school climate & culture, innovative teaching methods, student safety and more. Each episode provides an opportunity for administrators, teachers, counselors, social workers and others to learn about new insights and strategies for reaching and teaching students.

  1. 17h ago

    S4E7 - Transforming a School Through Community w/ Zulaika Quintero

    Principal Zulaika Quintero shares how her team transformed Immokalee Community School in Florida from a D-rated school into an A-rated school. Discover how student belonging, family engagement, community partnerships, and bilingual education helped create lasting change. 🔑 Key Takeaways • Building a school where students feel safe, valued, and connected creates a foundation for academic success.• Meaningful family engagement happens when parents are welcomed as partners and given ownership in the school community.• Understanding your students' cultural and language needs helps identify barriers to learning. 💬 Memorable Quotes • “I think it's more of them feeling and knowing that, you belong here and this is your home.”• “Giving others the opportunity to share their talents. What they do have, helps them feel empowered.”• “I think one of the most important things that I learned throughout my tenure here is you use others talents to make them feel inclusive and be a part of this team.” 🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn • Build student motivation and belonging through relationship-focused activities beyond academics.• Strengthen family partnerships by giving parents meaningful opportunities to contribute their knowledge and talents.• Identify learning barriers and develop programs that reflect your students' language and cultural backgrounds. ➕ Additional Practices • Create student leadership opportunities through team-building activities and collaborative challenges.• Have teachers lead parent workshops with one or two practical tools families can use at home.• Increase parent participation with student showcases, meals, childcare, and culturally relevant celebrations. 📚 Resources and Links • Innovative Schools Summit: https://innovativeschoolssummit.com/ ❤️ Love This Episode? • Share it with a fellow educator!• Rate & Review to help more teachers find this show.• Follow and listen: Instagram | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify Video Chapters: 00:00 Introduction01:15 Meet Zulaika Quintero02:59 The Immokalee School Community08:33 From a D to an A School11:07 Building Student Motivation16:47 Bringing Families Into the School22:00 Practical Family Engagement Strategies26:06 Celebrating Community Culture32:36 Empowering Families and Teachers37:33 Bilingual Education and Academic Growth45:43 Final Thoughts

    S4E7 - Transforming a School Through Community w/ Zulaika Quintero

  2. Oct 20

    S4E6 - Leading from the Middle: Influence Beyond Your Title w/ Charles Williams

    Former principal and education consultant Charles Williams joins Jordan and Will to explore how educators can lead through influence rather than authority. Learn how clarity, capacity, and care can help you create meaningful change without burning yourself out. 🔑 Key Takeaways • Leadership isn't about your title. You can influence positive change from any position.• Sustainable leadership requires clarity about responsibilities, realistic capacity, and care for yourself and others.• Leading with people instead of controlling them builds trust and supports lasting change. 💬 Memorable Quotes• “Well, you may not have that authority, but you do have influence.”• “Instead of asking how do I do more? It's how do I do better, right?”• “You didn't create more time in your day. You're just using that time better.” 🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn• Evaluate your responsibilities to distinguish essential work from unnecessary tasks.• Identify opportunities to simplify routines while maintaining or improving their impact.• Approach school leaders with questions and alternative solutions while respecting existing requirements. ➕ Additional Practices• Pause a nonessential routine temporarily to see whether anyone notices or needs it.• Replace time-consuming written newsletters with short video updates for families.• Practice saying no when new commitments exceed your capacity, and establish boundaries around personal time. 📚 Resources and Links• Charles Williams: @_mrcwilliams• Innovative Schools Summit: https://innovativeschoolssummit.com/ ❤️ Love This Episode?• Share it with a fellow educator!• Rate & Review to help more teachers find this show.• Follow and listen: Instagram | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify Video Chapters:00:00 Introduction04:31 Meet Charles Williams07:17 Charles's Education Journey11:58 What Is Leading from the Middle?15:11 Influence Over Authority17:57 Preventing Leadership Burnout22:06 Clarity, Capacity, and Care29:32 Simplifying Everyday Tasks39:28 Challenging Existing Practices45:43 Final Thoughts

    S4E6 - Leading from the Middle: Influence Beyond Your Title w/ Charles Williams

  3. Oct 6

    S4E5 - Let Students Do the Problem Solving w/ Connie Hamilton

    Educator and speaker Connie Hamilton shares insights into how educators can support students through productive struggle without doing the thinking and work for them. The episode also provides practical suggestions to build student ownership and problem-solving, and skills to increase a student's overall confidence. 🔑 Key Takeaways• Productive struggle provides students opportunities to persevere, learn from mistakes, and build confidence.• Helping students finish an assignment isn’t always the same as helping them learn.• The smallest useful amount of support leaves room for students to think, discover, and solve problems themselves. 💬 Memorable Quotes• “We’re the ones who solve the problem and they just do the solution.”• “Don’t rob them of the joy of discovery while they’re working through whatever challenge.”• “If we’re always giving less help than we could, that means we’re leaving the door open for students to help themselves.” 🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn• Ask “What have you tried?” before stepping in with a solution.• Redirect questions back to students or a partner to restart their thinking.• Let wrong answers breathe so students have time to recognize and work through mistakes. ➕ Additional Practices• Ask students before they get stuck to identify three things they can try if a challenge arises.• Use “stop and jot” or partner processing before whole-class discussion so more students develop a response.• Give the least amount of scaffolding needed, adding support only when necessary. 📚 Resources and Links• Connie Hamilton: https://www.conniehamilton.org/• Innovative Schools Summit: https://innovativeschoolssummit.com/• Dr. John Almario episode on challenge and struggle: Rethinking Productive Struggle w/ Dr. John Almarode ❤️ Love This Episode?• Share it with a fellow educator!• Rate & Review to help more teachers find this show.• Follow and listen: Instagram | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify Video Chapters:00:00 Introduction03:33 Meet Connie Hamilton05:49 Challenge vs. Struggle11:04 Rethinking What It Means to Help15:16 Learning Through Mistakes23:08 Give the Smallest Amount of Help27:18 Practical Classroom Strategies32:20 Stop and Jot34:55 Let Wrong Answers Breathe41:44 Coaching for the Thinking Process

    S4E5 - Let Students Do the Problem Solving w/ Connie Hamilton

  4. Sep 22

    S4E4 - Laughter in the Lesson w/ Devin Siebold

    Former teacher and comedian Devin Siebold explores how laughter can relieve stress, build community, and help students feel safe. Educators will learn practical ways to bring authentic humor into the classroom without needing to be a comedian. 🔑 Key Takeaways• Laughter can communicate safety and help students lower their guard.• Humor gives educators and students a needed break from stress and uncertainty.• Small moments of laughter can strengthen classroom community and connection. 💬 Memorable Quotes• “These teachers just got to laugh.”• “Laughter is humans’ way of communicating safety to one another.”• “Why can’t we just have some of that, even just a little bit of it, in the classroom?” 🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn• How to use humor to create a greater sense of safety in the classroom.• Ways to use laughter as a reset during stressful moments.•  Suggestions for finding authentic humor in shared educational experiences without “punching down.” ➕ Additional Practices• Intentionally create small opportunities to laugh with students.• Find healthy sources of humor outside school to disconnect and recharge.• When sharing classroom humor, focus on relatable experiences rather than specific students, parents, or colleagues. 📚 Resources and Links• Devin Siebold’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinsiebold/?hl=en• A Teacher in the Wild by Devin Siebold: https://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Wild-Devin-Siebold/dp/0578260182• Devin’s comedy tour for teachers: Bored Teachers Tour ❤️ Love This Episode?• Share it with a fellow educator!• Rate & Review to help more teachers find this show.• Follow and listen: Instagram | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify Video Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:32 Devin’s Teaching Journey07:56 From Teacher to Comedian11:26 Why Teachers Need Laughter14:24 Stress in Today’s Schools17:49 Bringing Laughter Into the Classroom23:59 Laughter, Safety & Connection27:03 Finding Humor Without Punching Down28:49 A Teacher in the Wild34:00 Encouragement for Educators

    S4E4 - Laughter in the Lesson w/ Devin Siebold

  5. Sep 8

    S4:E3 - How Serving your Community Serves your School w/ Dr. Tiffany Anderson

    Dr. Tiffany Anderson shares how relationships, service, high expectations, and community connections can transform schools. She challenges educators to get beyond the walls of the school, understand the people they serve, and build systems that create lasting change. 🔑 Key Takeaways Strong schools are built on trust and relationships.Challenges can be reframed as opportunities for change.Schools can become powerful centers of their communities.Lasting improvement requires systems, not temporary programs.Educators can accomplish more through connection and collaboration.💬 Memorable Quotes 🗣️“You can’t serve needs you don’t know.” 🗣️“Programs come and go... but systems will remain.” 🗣️“Listen to learn. Stop listening to respond.” 🗣️“We are not in this alone.” 🗣️“We are literally ambassadors of hope.” 🧠Strategies You’ll Learn How to identify what students and families truly need.Ways to build stronger connections with the community.How to break down silos across schools and teams.How to maintain high expectations while providing meaningful support.How networking can bring new ideas and solutions back to your school.➕Additional Practices Conduct community listening tours.Build partnerships that address barriers outside the classroom.Invest intentionally in relationship-building among staff.Seek out educators and schools you can learn from.Practice “listening to learn” instead of listening to respond.📚 Resources and Links 🔗 Links to https://youthlight.com/browse.php?p=tiffany+anderson 🔗 See more Tiffany on AccuEd.com: https://accued.com/programs/the_three_levers?category_id=104440 ❤️ Love This Episode? ✅ Share it with a fellow educator!⭐ Rate & Review to help more teachers find this show 💬 Join the Conversation on social media or in your next staff meeting! 💡Check out our Instagram! 💡Listen on Apple Podcasts! 💡Listen on Spotify! 💡Watch it on YouTube!

    S4:E3 - How Serving your Community Serves your School w/ Dr. Tiffany Anderson

  6. Aug 25

    S4:E2 - Rethinking Productive Struggle w/ Dr. John Almarode

    Jordan and Will sit down with Dr. John Almarode to explore the difference between challenge and true struggle. They discuss how educators can find the right level of difficulty, recognize when students are stuck, and respond without taking over the learning. 🔑 Key Takeaways Challenge isn’t struggle: Challenge is difficult but manageable; struggle happens when existing skills and strategies no longer work.Don’t design for struggle: Aim for the right level of challenge instead.Response matters: What teachers and students do after struggle begins determines whether it becomes productive.Build better strugglers: Teach students strategies for getting themselves unstuck.Competence builds confidence: Success can prepare students to tackle harder tasks.💬 Memorable Quotes 🗣️“We want them to know what to do when they don’t know what to do.” 🗣️“Competence leads to confidence, not the other way around.” 🗣️“We should not plan for struggle. Instead, we should plan for the right level of challenge.” 🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn Recognize the difference between challenge and struggle.Use prompts, cues, feedback, and scaffolding without taking over.Find the “Goldilocks” level of challenge.Build students’ metacognitive and self-regulation skills.Use previous success to build confidence for harder tasks.➕ Additional Practices Make student thinking visible through discussion and formative assessment.Prompt students before providing answers.Adjust support without removing rigor.Explicitly teach strategies for getting unstuck.Reflect and adjust when multiple students struggle with the same task.📚 Resources and Links 🔗 Links to John Almarode’s books: https://youthlight.com/browse.php?p=John+Almarode ❤️ Love This Episode? ✅ Share it with a fellow educator!⭐ Rate & Review to help more teachers find this show 💬 Join the Conversation on social media or in your next staff meeting! 💡Check out our Instagram! 💡Listen on Apple Podcasts! 💡Listen on Spotify! 💡Watch it on YouTube!

    S4:E2 - Rethinking Productive Struggle w/ Dr. John Almarode

  7. Aug 11

    S4:E1 - Setting the Right Tone w/ Gerry Brooks

    Gerry Brooks joins the Innovative Schools Podcast to share practical ways educators and administrators can start the school year strong. From building relationships with colleagues and families to being a visible, supportive leader, Gerry explains how investing in people early can set the tone for the entire year. 🔑 Key Takeaways Prioritize relationships during the first weeks of school.Make positive parent contact before problems arise.Remember that colleagues may be carrying challenges you can't see.Principals should be visible and present throughout the school.New leaders should listen and observe before making major changes.High staff turnover can be a sign of leadership problems.Support people publicly and address concerns privately. 💬 Memorable Quotes 🗣️“This is the two weeks where I say worry about everybody else.” 🗣️“A teacher will stay at a school without supportive parents if they have supportive administrators.” 🗣️“Support them publicly and criticize privately.” 🗣️“If you do it right, it’s the best career ever.” 🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn How to build stronger staff relationships.Simple ways to create positive parent connections.How principals can support teachers during the first month.How new administrators can approach school culture and change.How to give feedback without damaging relationships.➕ Additional Practices Spend 15 minutes a day making positive family contacts.Check in with people outside your normal circle.Ask families about students' interests and concerns.Celebrate progress beyond academics.Aim for more praise than criticism.Take time to know the people behind their job titles.📚 Resources and Links 🔗 Gerry Brooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gerrybrooksprin/?hl=en 🔗 Gerry Brooks Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GerryBrooks ❤️ Love This Episode? ✅ Share it with a fellow educator!⭐ Rate & Review to help more teachers find this show 💬 Join the Conversation on social media or in your next staff meeting! 💡Check out our Instagram! 💡Listen on Apple Podcasts! 💡Listen on Spotify! 💡Watch it on YouTube!

    S4:E1 - Setting the Right Tone w/ Gerry Brooks

  8. Jun 8

    S3:E11 - LIVE Season 3 Finale

    In this special live season finale of the Innovative Schools Podcast, Jordan brings together a panel of education experts—Katie Kinder, Kara Rigsby, Megan Diede, and Ernesto Mejia—to discuss how educators can make the most of their summer. Through stories, laughter, and practical advice, the panel explores the importance of rest, reflection, and renewal, while offering actionable ways to recharge both personally and professionally before the next school year begins. 🔑 Key Takeaways ✔️Summer should be viewed as a time of renewal, not just recovery. ✔️Rest is most effective when it is intentional and guilt-free. ✔️Reflection helps educators celebrate successes while identifying opportunities for growth. ✔️Creating memories often matters more than completing another to-do list. ✔️Small personal habits and mindset shifts can dramatically improve well-being. ✔️Educators should prioritize both physical and mental health during the summer months. ✔️The impact educators make often extends far beyond what they can see. 💬 Memorable Quotes 🗣️“Rest is a requirement, not a reward.” 🗣️“You're not going to remember the to-do list. You'll remember the memories you created.” 🗣️“What is your why for the summer?” 🗣️“The work that you do matters.” 🗣️“You are not thanked enough, appreciated enough, or respected enough.” 🗣️“Summer isn't about recovery—it's about renewal.” 🗣️“Create a memory list instead of a to-do list.” 🧠 Strategies You'll Learn How to use the Three R's: Rest, Reflect, and Rejuvenate as a framework for summer growth.How to intentionally schedule rest instead of waiting for it to happen.How to reflect honestly on the previous school year without dwelling on negativity.How to gather meaningful feedback from colleagues, administrators, and stakeholders.How to replace a summer to-do list with a memory-focused experience list.How to identify personal habits that bring energy and joy into your life.How to conduct a personal "check-engine light" assessment for your physical and mental health.How to carry positive summer habits into the next school year. ➕ Additional Practices Create a "Summer Memory List" with experiences you'd like to have rather than tasks you'd like to complete.Start a gratitude journal and identify three things you're thankful for each day.Schedule important health appointments you've been postponing.Ask trusted colleagues to identify two strengths and two growth areas for you as an educator.Try something completely new or outside your comfort zone this summer.Build intentional family experiences and traditions.Take time to celebrate successes from the previous school year before planning the next one.Identify one habit that fills your cup and commit to continuing it during the school year. 📚 Resources and Links 🔗 Megan and Kara’s IntergatED Website: https://integratedk12.com/ 🔗 Link to the previous episode with Kara and Megan: Teaching Through Integrated Pathways w/ Megan Diede & Kara Rigsby 🔗 Katie Kinder’s Website: https://katie-kinder.com/ 🔗 Link to previous episode with Katie: Digital Heroin w/ Katie Kinder 🔗Cool Speak with Ernesto Mejia Website: https://coolspeak.com/youth-motivational-speakers/ernesto-mejia/ 🔗 Link to previous episode with Ernesto: The Power of Family Engagement w/ Ernesto Mejia 🔗 Find them all at the Innovative Schools Summit: https://innovativeschoolssummit.com/

    S3:E11 - LIVE Season 3 Finale
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4.9
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

The Innovative Schools Podcast features conversations with authors, consultants, thought leaders and practicing educators working to improve K-12 schools around the world. These conversations include discussions on student mental and behavioral health, classroom behavior, school climate & culture, innovative teaching methods, student safety and more. Each episode provides an opportunity for administrators, teachers, counselors, social workers and others to learn about new insights and strategies for reaching and teaching students.

Information

  • Creator
    AccuTrain Corporation
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 AccuTrain Corporation
  • Show Website
    Innovative Schools Podcast

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