The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast with Daniel Bauer Daniel Bauer

 
Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. His experience in the classroom ranged from 8th - 11th grade working in an urban setting. A portion of this was spent opening a high school division for an expanding charter school. He has just finished his 14th year as a building administrator. Currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts, Chris is also the President-Elect of the Massachusetts State Administrators Association (MSAA).  He is the author of SEEing to Lead, a book that provides strategies for how modern leaders can and must support, engage, and empower their teachers to elevate student success. Chris vlogs weekly and is also the host of the podcast SEEing to Lead as a way to amplify teachers’, students’, and leaders’ voices in an effort to improve education as a whole. His Just cause is to continuously improve the educational experience for all those involved by being purposeful, acting with integrity, and building character.

Chris is passionate about continuous improvement and the idea that success is not a destination, but a process. Chris is a teacher centered principal and his beliefs around the importance of a positive work environment, continuous growth, and a healthy family work-life integration can be seen in the presentations and workshops he has given for the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA), Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE), Massachusetts Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (MASCD), the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP); and his participation in the Better Leaders Better Schools Mastermind group.

A finalist for the Massachusetts School Administrators Association’s Principal of the Year award and named the 2022 Massachusetts School Counselors Associaltion’s (MASCA) Administrator of the Year, Chris is described by his past Superintendent as being “...wholly invested in the success of the school…a creative problem-solver who is able to deliberate yet be decisive, be creative yet accountable…calm and clear-headed even under the most trying of times…has built a strong collaborative and collegial school culture…he is a positive influence on teachers, teaching, and learning.”


Chris’ education includes a BA from Bridgewater State University, an MA from Salem State University, and a Doctorate from Northeastern University. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his wife, Mary (Bella) and two boys, Tommy and Scotty.
 
 
Show Highlights
 
Leadership PD that doesn’t just check the boxes.
Get specific tools to create your vision.
Discover the leadership map you create yourself.
Be in a space with other innovative leaders invested in getting better every day.
Take responsibility for your role in the current situation that you exist in.
Tips to keep an open mind to constructive criticism when giving and getting straight forward feedback.
Accountability partners are the keys to keep you firing on all cylinders.
Sit on the Hot Seat to discard or dig in on ideas you want to implement in your school.



“The Mastermind certainly helps leaders become more proactive and get out of a reactive state.  You just ask, ‘Hey, do you have an answer for this? Well, actually I do’, and I have five more answers and I can anticipate five more questions, critiques and challenges.”
-Dr Chris Jones 
 
Get the episode transcript here!
Dr Chris’ Resources & Contact Info: Podcast: SEEing to Lead
Book: SEEing to Lead
Twitter: @DrCSJones
SEEing to Lead Newsletter
Linkedin
 
Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.
 
Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Wi

Irreplaceable Leadership
Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. His experience in the classroom ranged from 8th - 11th grade working in an urban setting. A portion of this was spent opening a high school division for an expanding charter school. He has just finished his 14th year as a building administrator. Currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts, Chris is also the President-Elect of the Massachusetts State Administrators Association (MSAA).  He is the author of SEEing to Lead, a book that provides strategies for how modern leaders can and must support, engage, and empower their teachers to elevate student success. Chris vlogs weekly and is also the host of the podcast SEEing to Lead as a way to amplify teachers’, students’, and leaders’ voices in an effort to improve education as a whole. His Just cause is to continuously improve the educational experience for all those involved by being purposeful, acting with integrity, and building character.

Chris is passionate about continuous improvement and the idea that success is not a destination, but a process. Chris is a teacher centered principal and his beliefs around the importance of a positive work environment, continuous growth, and a healthy family work-life integration can be seen in the presentations and workshops he has given for the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA), Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE), Massachusetts Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (MASCD), the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP); and his participation in the Better Leaders Better Schools Mastermind group.

A finalist for the Massachusetts School Administrators Association’s Principal of the Year award and named the 2022 Massachusetts School Counselors Associaltion’s (MASCA) Administrator of the Year, Chris is described by his past Superintendent as being “...wholly invested in the success of the school…a creative problem-solver who is able to deliberate yet be decisive, be creative yet accountable…calm and clear-headed even under the most trying of times…has built a strong collaborative and collegial school culture…he is a positive influence on teachers, teaching, and learning.”


Chris’ education includes a BA from Bridgewater State University, an MA from Salem State University, and a Doctorate from Northeastern University. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his wife, Mary (Bella) and two boys, Tommy and Scotty.
 
 
Show Highlights
 
Take a tiny step and turn it into a big change. No more finals!!
Success minimized critics. Take inventory and turn your enemies or critics to cheerleaders.
Stop running your schools like politicians and focus on what’s most important.
Innovation Career Pathways Curriculum knocks down roadblocks in learning.
If your school needs bumpers and floaties you’re not bringing out the best in your community. 
Stop making your staff dizzy and create a beautiful trail of improvement.
Pull off the band-aids and stop educating children for the fake world.
The most frustrating part of public education is people stop you from fear and being uncomfortable. 



“In public education, this is one of the most frustrating parts. People stop you from fear and being uncomfortable. And I'm not gonna sit here and talk about the idea of people being uncomfortable with any kind of change, because everybody knows that. But it comes down to people wanting to know where they fit into that change.  They can become much more comfortable when they realize that it's not disrupting them so much that they're gonna have to just adjust slightly. And it's a smaller ask. And before they know it, they're pulled into it.”
-Dr Chris Jones 



Get the episode transcript here!



Dr

 
 
Amanda Conley is currently the Principal at Middletown High School, in Middletown, DE.  She is a former Social Studies teacher, with experience in teaching at alternative and turnaround schools.  Currently, she is focused on leading an innovative, community-connected school and she is passionate about creating opportunities for all students and challenging our traditional grading systems.
 
Show Highlights
 
Innovative feedback to invest in your teachers and principles of instruction.
“Stealing little moments” with great focus will change your leadership.
Opportunities and lessons outside of education that have a big impact on your why.
Build confidence with a “cycle of growth”  for your students, teachers, and administrators.
Cultivate leaders in your building with tips for effective team leadership.
The course catalog you need to implement leadership projects for all your students.
Intentional resources to address teacher burnout and adult SEL in your building.
 
“I think about stealing little moments, whether it's a moment with my family, a fun little interaction to energize me for the morning, for my long day ahead, or at Walgreens listening to a Danny Bauer podcast while I get some antibiotics for a crying three year old. If it's a priority to develop yourself professionally, you're gonna find the time without sacrificing important stuff like your family.”
-Amanda Conley
 
Get the episode transcript here!!
Amanda’s Resources & Contact Info: Website
Twitter
Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.
 
Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today!
Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders. 
 
100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.
 
Apply to the mastermind today!
  SHOW SPONSORS: HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Transform how you lead to become a resilient and empowered change agent with Harvard’s online Certificate in School Management and Leadership. Grow your professional network with a global cohort of fellow school leaders as you collaborate in case studies bridging the fields of education and business. Apply today at http://hgse.me/leader.
 
TEACHFX
How much student talk happened today?
When classrooms come alive with conversation, learning improves, students feel a sense of belonging, and teachers feel inspired. 
 
The TeachFX instructional coaching app gives teachers powerful insights into their student talk, student engagement, and classroom conversation. 
 
With TeachFX, teachers see how much student talk happened, the moments of students sharing their brilliance, and the questions that got students talking.Learn how to pilot TeachFX with your teachers. Visit: teachfx.com/betterleaders
 
 
ORGANIZED BINDER
Why do students struggle? I'd argue that they lack access to quality instruction, but think about it. That's totally out of their control. What if there was something we could teach kids there was something within their control that would help them be successful in every class? It's not a magic pill or a figment of your imagination. 
 
When students internalize Executive Functioning Skills they succeed. 
Check out the new self-paced online course brought to you by OB that shows teachers how to equip their students with executive functioning skills. 
 
Learn more at organizedbinder.com/go
 
Copyright © 2023 Twelve Practices LLC
 
 
 

Leading as a Fearless Disrupter 
 
Dr. Towanna Burrous, President CoachDiversity Institute, is a best-selling author, trainer, and certified professional coach based in Washington, DC. As a much sought-after executive coach, Towanna and the Coach Diversity team deliver training, curriculum, and customized diversity and leadership programs for corporate and individual clients. 
 
Coach Diversity Institute Ranked No. 524 on the 2021 Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. Towanna is a trusted partner and problem solver for many clients tackling morale, employee retention, employee engagement, employee performance, and development. She has a Doctor of Education from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Howard University.
 
Show Highlights
 
Recognize the influence of positive and negative disruptors in your schools to leverage their talents. 
“Playing small” and  the fear of success.
A personalized resource to support leaders making cultural shifts.
Two “misses” people often make in coaching.
Leaders load balance to tie the vision and purpose together.
Live below the level to know and uncover unseen diversity that could exist within your organization.
Flip punitive punishments into necessary relationship building moments.
Common fears will push aside accountability.
 
“Even when you're scared, Ruckus Makers are disruptors. In the beginning it was a negative thing. I became a positive disruptor. I did it when I was scared. I did it when I was afraid. I did it no matter what, because I knew that it was my purpose. And your purpose is always gonna be wrapped up in some type of fear. And so I say just do it. Do it anyway.
-Dr Towanna Burrous 
Get the episode transcript here!!
 
Towanna’s Resources & Contact Info: Linkedin
Instagram
Coach Diversity Institute
Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.
 
Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today!
Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders. 
 
100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.
 
Apply to the mastermind today!
  SHOW SPONSORS: HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Transform how you lead to become a resilient and empowered change agent with Harvard’s online Certificate in School Management and Leadership. Grow your professional network with a global cohort of fellow school leaders as you collaborate in case studies bridging the fields of education and business. Apply today at http://hgse.me/leader.
 
TEACHFX
How much student talk happened today?
When classrooms come alive with conversation, learning improves, students feel a sense of belonging, and teachers feel inspired. 
 
The TeachFX instructional coaching app gives teachers powerful insights into their student talk, student engagement, and classroom conversation. 
 
With TeachFX, teachers see how much student talk happened, the moments of students sharing their brilliance, and the questions that got students talking.Learn how to pilot TeachFX with your teachers. Visit: teachfx.com/betterleaders
 
 
ORGANIZED BINDER
Why do students struggle? I'd argue that they lack access to quality instruction, but think about it. That's totally out of their control. What if there was something we could teach kids there was something within their control that would help them be successful in every class? It's not a magic pill or a figment of your imagination. 
 
When students internalize Executive Functioning Skills they succeed. 
Check out the new self-paced online course brought to you

 
 
Martín Blank is a visionary educator, breathwork instructor, and educational consultant specializing in whole-school wellbeing and teacher and staff retention. He’s worked with over 15,000 students, and 14,000 educators over the last 10 years in hundreds of schools across districts nationally. He uses positive psychology, stress management, and resilience training to help leaders fight staff burnout and turnover and create systems that enable school and district thriving. 
 
Show Highlights
 
Novice teachers outperform the “best” veteran teachers with the “best” students using these breathing techniques.
The question to ask students to pull their power and peace of mind.
The connection between emotions and breathing bleeds into a student's abilities and academics. 
Tools to sit with frustration and be able to focus despite distraction to be a lot less reactive.
8 sessions of a “Resilience Journey for Leaders” to create retention positive school climates and wellbeing for everyone.
Behavior is NOT where you should start in PD 
Whole school wellbeing training we need in order to increase our power as individuals and avoid “above the neck bias.” 



“One is this idea of drowning. Because that's what's happening. People are drowning. They're drowning in demands, and they don't have a life jacket. They don't have resources. Whether those resources are time, money or staff. Resources are limited, demands are high. That's a recipe for stress. If somebody's drowning, is that the moment to teach 'em how to swim? Is that the moment you say, ‘Hey, let me teach you Backstrokes, you'll be fine.’  No, man, they're drowning. They're in fight or flight. They're like, if you don't physically take them out of the water, then they might die. Trying to do self-care in an environment of toxicity, an environment of high levels of stress, high levels of demands, low levels of resources is akin to that. And it's a little bit tone deaf.”
-Martin Blank 



Get the episode transcript here!
 
Martin’s Resources & Contact Info: Linkedin
Twitter
School Wellbeing Solutions
 
 
Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.
 
Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today!
Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders. 
 
100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.
 
Apply to the mastermind today!
  SHOW SPONSORS: HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Transform how you lead to become a resilient and empowered change agent with Harvard’s online Certificate in School Management and Leadership. Grow your professional network with a global cohort of fellow school leaders as you collaborate in case studies bridging the fields of education and business. Apply today at http://hgse.me/leader.
 
TEACHFX
How much student talk happened today?
When classrooms come alive with conversation, learning improves, students feel a sense of belonging, and teachers feel inspired. 
 
The TeachFX instructional coaching app gives teachers powerful insights into their student talk, student engagement, and classroom conversation. 
 
With TeachFX, teachers see how much student talk happened, the moments of students sharing their brilliance, and the questions that got students talking.Learn how to pilot TeachFX with your teachers. Visit: teachfx.com/betterleaders
 
 
ORGANIZED BINDER
Why do students struggle? I'd argue that they lack access to quality instruction, but think about it. That's totally out of their control. What if there was something we could teach kids there was something within their control that would help them be successful in every class? It's not a mag

 
 
Formerly a high school English teacher and a new teacher coach in Palo Alto Unified School District (Palo Alto, CA), Jennifer Abrams is currently a communications consultant and author who works with educators and others on new teacher and employee support, being generationally savvy, effective collaboration skills, having hard conversations and creating identity safe workplaces. 
 
Jennifer’s publications include Having Hard Conversations, The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicate, Collaborate & Create Community, Hard Conversations Unpacked - the Whos, Whens and What Ifs, and Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives.  Her newest book is Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing (Up) at Work.  
 
 
Show Highlights
4) Let's dig into one of the facets you wrote about in this book that seems to be particularly important to develop during the time of quiet quitting and teacher recruitment and retention - building resiliency - tell me about what your take is on this important skill to buil
Help leaders, adults and educators “grow up at work and play nice” to communicate effectively and support each other. 
The professional credential we all need to start with and achieve.
Five facets to stretch curriculum and your learning edges. 
Suspend certainty and stop extinguishing better ideas being offered by your learning community.
Tips to create a level of professionalism and “healthy hygiene” where everyone takes responsibility for their contributions.
The umbrella book you need to have on your bookshelf. 
 
“The concept of adult development is something we don't focus on in schools. We have child development, we have their curriculum. We know where you're supposed to move vertically over through the grades. And this concept of adults developing isn't a piece of what we think we should be doing because we're already cooked.”
-Jennifer Abrams
 
Get the episode transcript here!
Jennifer’s Resources & Contact Info: Website: Jennifer Abrams
Twitter
Linkedin
Instagram
Facebook
Books:www.miravia.com/products/stretching-your-learning-edges-growing-up-at-work/
Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.
 
Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today!
Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders. 
 
100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.
 
Apply to the mastermind today!
  SHOW SPONSORS: HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Transform how you lead to become a resilient and empowered change agent with Harvard’s online Certificate in School Management and Leadership. Grow your professional network with a global cohort of fellow school leaders as you collaborate in case studies bridging the fields of education and business. Apply today at http://hgse.me/leader.
 
TEACHFX
How much student talk happened today?
When classrooms come alive with conversation, learning improves, students feel a sense of belonging, and teachers feel inspired. 
The TeachFX instructional coaching app gives teachers powerful insights into their student talk, student engagement, and classroom conversation. 
With TeachFX, teachers see how much student talk happened, the moments of students sharing their brilliance, and the questions that got students talking.Learn how to pilot TeachFX with your teachers. 
Visit: teachfx.com/betterleaders
 
ORGANIZED BINDER
Why do students struggle? I'd argue that they lack access to quality instruction, but think about it. That's totally out of their control. What if there was something we could teach kids there was something within their control that would help them be successfu