Member Voices

audio podcast by NAIS
  • 4.9 (20)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED MONTHLY
Member Voices

NAIS Member Voices focuses on the hard-working individuals that make up the independent school community. Each episode will feature a discussion with a different staff member at an NAIS member school about his or her role, challenges, successes, inspiration sources, and more. For more information about NAIS or any of the resources discussed, visit www.nais.org or contact us at membership@nais.org.

  1. Approaching Teacher Well-being with Erik Wormwood, Advent School

    OCT 7

    Approaching Teacher Well-being with Erik Wormwood, Advent School

    Erik Wormwood, Upper School Division Head at Advent School (MA) discusses how his school is navigating polarization and supporting student and educator well-being. He shares his approach to working with neurodiverse learners and some emotional proudest moments in education. We also talk about how “teaching is hard, even when you’re good at it” and Erik shares how he has dealt with some “spicy problems”, how he creates space for his team members to share what’s on their minds, and how he takes time for self-care. You can find some related NAIS resources from this episode by visiting nais.org/membervoices.

    31 min
  2. Equipping Students in the Age of AI with Autumn Adkins-Graves, St. Anne's-Belfield School

    SEP 2

    Equipping Students in the Age of AI with Autumn Adkins-Graves, St. Anne's-Belfield School

    Jackie Wolking speaks with Autumn Adkins-Graves, Head of School at Saint Anne's-Belfield School (VA). In their conversation, Autumn shares the importance of curiosity is in the age of AI in our schools and how her school created a portrait of a graduate with a futurist lens. She also talks about change management and how we affirm what's working well to move things along and how we have to stop trying to control tech or dismiss it. You can find some related NAIS resources from this episode by visiting nais.org/membervoices.

    41 min
  3. Transitioning to Headship with Maria Croley Madden, St. Martin's Episcopal School

    AUG 5

    Transitioning to Headship with Maria Croley Madden, St. Martin's Episcopal School

    Maria Croley Madden, Head of School at St. Martin's Episcopal School (GA) is going into her second year as Head. She talks about the transition to headship and how she’s preparing for year two. She details how being a “product of independent schools” prepared her for her current role and gives some tips for others transitioning to headship on preparing for the interview, working with the board chair, getting up to speed on finance – and more. You can find some related NAIS resources from this episode by visiting nais.org/membervoices.

    35 min
  4. Limiting Employee Turnover with Will Crissman, Tenacre Country Day School

    JUL 1

    Limiting Employee Turnover with Will Crissman, Tenacre Country Day School

    Tenacre Country Day School (MA), where Will Crissman is the head, has had almost no employee turnover the past few years. We talk about his approach to retention (and recruitment) during a time when many schools are struggling in this area. We also discuss Will’s approach to leadership – including keeping a steady emotional state, not asking people to do things he wouldn’t do himself, and having fun! You can find some related NAIS resources from this episode by visiting nais.org/membervoices.

    40 min
  5. Facilitating Classroom Conversations Around the Election

    JUN 2

    Facilitating Classroom Conversations Around the Election

    Charlie Grossman, History Teacher, and Mary Gentry, Math Teacher, at Breck School (MN) discuss how to facilitate civil discourse in the classroom and how to address polarization with the impending election. They detail how they created and navigated a course around the general election in 2016, lessons learned, and what the course might look like this year. Mary and Charlie also share how they focus on connection before content in the classroom and try to create a “brave space” for their students. Ultimately, our conversation ends on an uplifting note - with the two educators focusing on how their students and colleagues inspire them, and how this time of polarization creates an opportunity for independent schools to shine. You can find some related NAIS resources from this episode by visiting nais.org/membervoices.

    41 min
  6. Achieving Inclusivity in Polarizing Times

    MAY 6

    Achieving Inclusivity in Polarizing Times

    Arvind Grover, head of school at the Meadowbrook School (MA) shares how his school strives for inclusivity in a polarized world. He stresses the importance of actively assessing your school’s progress, putting support structures in place, and stopping to ask “is there an opportunity here?”. We also discuss staff retention strategies - like the importance of creating opportunities for faculty growth and making new hires feel like they’re ahead of the curve. Finally, Arvind shares how being a head has given him perspective, and why, despite everything, he still jumps out of bed every morning. You can find some related NAIS resources from this episode by visiting nais.org/membervoices.

    38 min
  7. The Conversation: Navigating a Head Transition

    APR 1

    The Conversation: Navigating a Head Transition

    Ariane Baer-Harper, head of school at Austin International School (TX) speaks with Jacques Weber, head of the Dallas International School (TX) who was the outgoing head at Austin International when she started. The two were able to work together for the last three months of the 2022–2023 school year, and their collaboration has continued to this day. Here, Baer-Harper and Weber discuss their successful head transition, the keys to its success, and a roadmap for other heads to consider. This conversation was published in the Winter 2024 issue of Independent School magazine. You can find some related NAIS resources from this episode by visiting nais.org/membervoices.

    21 min
  8. The Conversation: Coping With Tragedy

    MAR 4

    The Conversation: Coping With Tragedy

    Two colleagues at St. Mary’s Episcopal School (TN) - Head of School Albert Throckmorton and Director of Communications Jennifer Parris – talk about what they’ve learned about community and a school’s purpose following a tragedy. This conversation was published in the Fall 2023 issue of Independent School magazine. You can find some related NAIS resources from this episode by visiting nais.org/membervoices.

    34 min
See All (96)

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

NAIS Member Voices focuses on the hard-working individuals that make up the independent school community. Each episode will feature a discussion with a different staff member at an NAIS member school about his or her role, challenges, successes, inspiration sources, and more. For more information about NAIS or any of the resources discussed, visit www.nais.org or contact us at membership@nais.org.

Information

  • Creator
    audio podcast by NAIS
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2024
  • Episodes
    96
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Member Voices

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada