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

Christine Ravesi-Weinstein Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners ____ Christine Ravesi-Weinstein serves as a high school Assistant Principal in Massachusetts and previously worked as a high school science department chair for four years as well as classroom teacher for 15. Diagnosed with anxiety and depression at 23, Christine began her journey towards mental wellness. She began a non-profit organization in June of 2017 aimed at removing the stigma of mental illness and promoting physical activity as a means to cope with anxiety. As an avid writer and educator, Christine became passionate about bridging the two with her advocacy for mental health. Since March of 2019, she has had numerous nationally published articles, including the number one most read article of 2019 on eSchool News (she also had the number six and eight most read articles in that year). She has also published articles with District Administration, the Teach Better Team, Tech & Learning, and SmartBrief. Not only is she a highly sought after speaker, Christine is an MASCD Board Member, author of the books Anxious (by Times 10 Publications), Fighting Your Inner Voice, and Disrupt the Status Quo (both by Code Breaker, Inc.). Follow her work on Twitter @RavesiWeinstein and on YouTube at The Runner's High. ____________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Christine Ravesi-Weinstein Christine and her co-authors focused on the four areas of the book because everything fell into those four categories, including culture. Joe asked Christine to dive deeper into the conversation about positive toxicity. Don’t miss what she says about perspective building. Christine talks to us about strategies for listening and really hearing what others have to say. The seed of toxicity is the parking lot conversation that’s not productive for anyone. It’s the million decisions that we have to make in a day that prevent us from listening. ~ Christine Ravesi-Weinstein Sometimes the reason for our lack of failure is that we forgot what the goal is. Don’t miss what Christine says about the power of face-to-face conversations. Christine wants to eliminate numerical grading to improve the student experience. She believes that this can change the SEL landscape for kids. You have to hear what she says about Jim Hensen. Chrinstine shared that she reads a lot of books about running. She mentions Edutopia and Code Breaker as places to go for leading and learning. _________________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district. Let us know who you would like to hear from next.

This is Season 4, Episode 5 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Danny Steele. It was originally recorded live for a studio audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, the Delaware Academy for School Leadership, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what Danny says about Essential Truths for Principals…and so much more. _______________________________________ Danny Steele Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Danny Steele is in his 30th year of education, and this school year marks his second as the principal at Homewood Middle School. Prior to this position, he has served as an Assistant Professor of Instructional Leadership, principal, assistant principal, teacher, and coach. In 2005, Steele was recognized as the “Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year” for the state of Alabama. And in 2016, he was recognized as Alabama’s “Secondary Principal of the Year.” He has presented at numerous state and national conferences and spoken in school districts around the country. Danny has written or co-written five books. He has an undergraduate degree in History from Covenant College; an M.A. in History from the University of Alabama, Birmingham; and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Administration as well as Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership--both from Samford University. He resides with his wife and three children in Birmingham, Alabama. ________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Danny Steele Danny talks about the inception of the book and how Todd Whitacker pitched the idea as something that would be very broad for educators but was then split into two books: Essential Truths for Teachers and Essential Truth for Principals. Danny talks about the fact that we can get lost in doing what we’re doing and forget the reasons why we’re doing what we’re doing. Don’t miss what he says about getting swallowed up by the administrivia. He talks about the difference in the focus between being a teacher and being an administrator. You have to hear what he says about the sign above his door and why it’s there. We love what Danny says about instructional leadership. It’s not about improving teachers as much as it is creating the conditions for them to improve themselves. He talked about “cultural conditions” and why that’s so important for teachers and diminishing burnout. Fundamentally, teachers are looking for support. Danny talked about relationships and building them so that teachers can thrive in the school. Danny talks about the fact that a collaborative approach to teaching and learning is the key to improving the student experience. He says that we ought to focus on what students are doing, not just what the teachers are teaching. Check out what he says about skills beating content every day. Danny talks about being a huge fan of Todd Whitaker and points to several of Todd’s resources. He calls out the book, Hacking Learning Centers by Starr Sackstein Danny mentions Adam Grant and his book, Think Again. He talks about the need for us to do more work on race and equity in schools. _________________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district. Let us know who you would like to hear from next.

David Geurin Joins FocusED to Discuss What It Means to Be Future Driven…and More This is Season 4, Episode 4 of FocusED, and it features our guest, David Geurin. It was originally recorded live for a studio audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, the Delaware Academy for School Leadership, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what David says about being a Future Driven educator…and so much more. _______________________________________ David Geurin Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Dr. David Geurin is serving in his first year as superintendent of schools for the Fair Play R-II school district. Previously, he was principal at Bolivar High School for 14 wonderful years. Under his leadership, BHS developed many innovative programs and the school was honored as a National Blue Ribbon School and Missouri Gold Star School. Dr. Geurin is the author of Future Driven: Will Your Students Thrive in An Unpredictable World? He’s passionate about developing leadership, school culture, and authentic learning experiences. Most of all, he’s devoted to creating better future stories for all students. In 2017, Dr. Geurin was named Digital Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. He has shared his keynotes and workshops from China to the Bahamas and across the U.S. ________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with David Geurin David talked about being future driven and not just “polishing the past,” which he defined as doing what we’ve always done just a little better. The future should be altogether different. Joe asks an important question about balancing the standards while being innovative and meeting students where they are! David talked about shifting students' mindsets from getting through school to what they can get from school. It was awesome to hear David bring up work-based learning. That was a treat for both Joe and T.J. in terms of pathways and vocational/technical programming. Dr. Geurin talked about his 14 years as principal and the transition to superintendent. His excitement about leading a district is contagious. David talked about using Twitter to connect as well as his state and national associations. Get involved, get active! David reads more literature from outside of education than he does within the field. David talked about John Maxwell, Todd Whitaker, Carol Dweck, Simon Sinek, Adam Grant. He talked about Culture Code by Dan Coyle as a very influential book. David talked about the need for more support and resources for rural educators. Don’t miss what he says that he learned from George Couros and AJ Bianco. David wants to see more science opportunities and more outdoor experiences for students. We end with a discussion of intentional practices for inclusion in schools. David Geurin Quotes From FocusED We’re not just preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet, but we have to consider that we’re preparing them to be neighbors and friends of the future as well. ~ David Geurin We have to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset in the students. ~ David Geurin I don’t want to be the same today in my thinking as I was in the past. ~ David Geurin _________________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district. Let us know who you would like to hear from next.

This is Season 4, Episode 3 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Morgane Michael. It was originally recorded live for a studio audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, the Delaware Academy for School Leadership, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what Morgane says about getting teachers From Burnt Out to Fired Up…and so much more. _______________________________________ Morgane Michael Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Morgane Michael is the author of From Burnt Out to Fired Up. She has been an elementary school educator with the Greater Victoria School District in British Columbia, Canada, since 2008. Michael is a passionate advocate for social-emotional learning, kindness education, and educator well-being, and she leads professional development initiatives aligned with those efforts throughout her province. Michael pursued her interest in developing positive school culture through carrying out kindness and self-compassion practices, by promoting effective social collaboration, by nurturing creativity, and through building self-efficacy that is responsive to students' needs. She established a culture of high expectations by launching her podcast, KindSight 101, in 2018. She has interviewed some of the world's biggest names in education on the topics of kindness, well-being, self-compassion, and promotion of positive school culture. Morgane Michael is also the creator and founder of the Small Act Big Impact 21-Day Kindness Challenge, which seeks to promote and cultivate safe and supportive school culture. She shares insights from her podcast and lesson ideas on her blog, Small Act, Big Impact. Morgane Michael received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, and is currently completing a master's degree in educational leadership. She lives with her family in Victoria, British Columbia. ________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Morgane Michael Morgane calls the times we’re in “the merge lane back to normal.” Don’t miss what she says about expressing our full selves as educators. You want to hear what she says about teachers who have “a way of seeing us.” We were thrilled to find out what she learned from Tim Ferriss. Start building your “happiness jar” today. Morgane shared practical strategies for self-care and passion ignition, including the use of the following questions programmed in your phone three times a day: What am I feeling? Where am I feeling the stress in my body? What do I need to move forward? You have to listen to what she says about our 6 emotional needs. She talks about weaving other industries into our practice of learning so that we follow non-educator work. Seth Godin, Adam Grant, Brene Brown. What she says about deep work around our values. Morgane talks about Atomic Habits by James Clear. Without strong systems it’s hard to get to point B. _________________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district. Let us know who you would like to hear from next.

Julie Stern Joins FocusED to Discuss the Concept of Learning that Transfers…and More This is Season 4, Episode 2 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Julie Stern. It was originally recorded live for a studio audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, the Delaware Academy for School Leadership, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what Julie says in this episode about learning that transfers…and so much more. _______________________________________ Julie Stern Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Julie Stern has nearly two decades of experience facilitating adult learning and feels lucky to partner with educators to take their practice to the next level. She is passionate about synthesizing the best of education research into practical tools that support educators in breaking free from the industrial model of schooling and moving toward teaching and learning that promotes sustainability, equity, and well-being. She is a four-time, best-selling author of Learning that Transfers, Visible Learning for Social Studies, The On-Your-Feet-Guide to Learning Transfer and Tools for Teaching Conceptual Understanding, Elementary and Secondary. She is a certified trainer in Visible Learning Plus and Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction. She is a James Madison Constitutional Fellow and taught social studies for many years in Washington, DC and her native Louisiana. Julie moves internationally every few years with her husband, a US diplomat, and her two children. ________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Julie Stern Julie starts with a definition of “learning that transfers” — it’s not what we might think in terms of taking learning from short-term to long-term — but rather transferring learning from one situation to another in application. The vast majority of teachers already have the tools to plan for learning that transfers. ~ Julie Stern Don’t miss what she says about the first shift that we need to make and what needs to be at the heart of the lesson. You want to hear about what she says ISN’T transferable learning—isolated lessons that don’t apply to an additional situation. Julie talks about common errors that teachers make often without even thinking about it. There’s a big difference in the role that students and teachers take in classrooms where learning transfers. Students become pattern seekers. Teachers are no longer fact providers and sources of information. Julie talks about what it means to shift from subject matter to disciplinary literacy. Don’t miss what she says about content disciplines being a way to look at the world. Assessments are the floor, not the ceiling. Rote learning doesn’t work, even for standardized tests. ~ Julie Stern Go to LearningThatTransfers.com. Teachers, check out Chapter 8. Check Out These Recommendations from Julie Stern: Brooke Castillo’s The Life School Podcast. Good By To Overwhelm The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday Happy Days by Gabby Bernstein _________________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district. Let us know who you would like to hear from next.

This is Season 4, Episode 1 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Jessica Cabeen. It was originally recorded live for a studio audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, the Delaware Academy for School Leadership, and The School House 302. Don’t miss what Jessica says in this episode about leading with grace while maintaining high expectations…and so much more. _______________________________________ Jessica Cabeen Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Jessica is the Principal of Alternative Educational Programs and Austin Online Academy in Austin Minnesota. Prior to that, she was the principal at Ellis Middle School as well as the “Happiest Place in Southeastern Minnesota,” the Woodson Kindergarten Center. She has been an assistant middle school principal, a special education assistant director, and special education teacher. Jessica was awarded the NAESP/VINCI Digital Leader of Early Learning Award in 2016; in 2017, she was named the Minnesota National Distinguished Principal; and in 2021, she was named DIVE Principal of the year. She is a NAESP Middle Level Fellow and a Future Ready Principal. Jessica is the author of Hacking Early Learning, Balance Like A Pirate, Unconventional Leadership, and Lead with Grace: Leaning into the Soft Skills of Leadership. But by far her favorite space is the one that involves being with her husband Rob, two sons Kenny and Isaiah, and of course the family dog-Herman. Jessica can be found on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @JessicaCabeen and on her website: jessicacabeen.com. ________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Jessica Cabeen Jessica talked about going from one level to another and learning how to communicate effectively. Don’t miss what she says about vulnerability. Jessica talked about letting go of the perception that you have to lead with perfection. Leaders need to celebrate errors…what she called normalizing errors. Jessica talked about balancing grace with high expectations, what it means to have a tough conversation with people who you care about. You’ll love what she says about setting up a crucial conversation. The sandwich set up makes it so that people get their carbs but they miss the protein…you’ll know what we mean when you listen to the show. Leading with grace is not always leading gracefully. Jessica talks about what leaders need as they grow and the skill of grace. Leaders need to practice self-regulation by checking their energy and attitude each day. Listen to what Jessica says about her “miracle morning.” Don’t miss what Jessica says about having an “open door policy.” Jessica wants to see the student voice elevated in schools—seen, heard, valued in schools. Jessica talks about brain development research and resources. Check out The Power of the Adolescent Brain by Thomas Armstrong She mentions learning more about career pathways so that students can see themselves beyond schools. Book number five is on its way: Principal in Balance. Quotes from Jessica Cabeen Breath, smile, take a break, and have a life. ~ Jessica Cabeen No one needs to be May-tired in October. ~ Jessica Cabeen It’s not what you say but how you say it. ~ Jessica Cabeen Value people before their positions. ~ Jessica Cabeen _________________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district. Let us know who you would like to hear from next.

This is Season 3, Episode 14 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Joe Sanfelippo. It was originally recorded live for a studio audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience for Delaware teachers and leaders. Don’t miss what Dr. Sanfelippo says about what it means to lead from anywhere and how leaders build intention, connection, and direction in schools. _______________________________________ Joe Sanfelippo Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI. The Fall Creek School District was named an Innovative District in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Joe holds a BA in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from St. Norbert College, a MS in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a MS in Educational Leadership, and a PhD in Leadership, Learning, and Service from Cardinal Stritch University. Joe is also an adjunct professor in the Educational Leadership Department at Viterbo University. Joe has taught Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 5th Grade. He was a school counselor and high school coach prior to taking on an elementary principal position in 2005. He has served as a principal in suburban and rural Wisconsin. Joe started the #1minwalk2work Leadership Challenge, and co-authored The Power of Branding-Telling Your School's Story, Principal Professional Development: Leading Learning in a Digital Age, Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students and Parents Love, and his new book is Lead From Where You Are: Building Intention, Connection, and Direction in Our Schools. He was selected as 1 of 117 Future Ready Superintendents in 2014 and 1 of 50 Superintendents as a Personalized Learning Leader in 2016 by the US Department of Education. He attended summits at the White House for both distinctions. Education Dive named Joe 1 of 5 K-12 administrators to watch in 2018 and their National Superintendent of the Year in 2019. He has been a featured speaker in multiple states in the areas of Advancing the Use of Social Media for School Leaders, Telling Your School Story, Creating a Culture of Yes, and Personalized Professional Growth for Staff. Go Crickets!! ________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Joe Sanfelippo Joe wrote his new book as a legacy piece. Listen to what he says about his kids and leaving something behind. His insight about leading from a position of isolation is powerful. Joe sees a lot of leaders asking the same questions, that often have answers, but that everyone is asking in their own bubbles. Joe recommends balance in your emotional state when making decisions. You have to hear what he says about the highs and lows of school leadership. Joe talked about better student ownership through adult learning. When adults like what they’re learning, they’re more likely to translate that for kids. When it comes to “resources,” Joe says that teachers and leaders should have a core group to go to for reflection and support. Don’t miss what Joe says about amplifying your school's message. Joe’s final message about treating everything like it matters is inspiring. _____________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district with more knowledge, better understanding, and clear direction on what to do next.

This is Season 3, Episode 13 of FocusED, and it features our guest, John Almarode. It was originally recorded live for a studio audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience for Delaware teachers and leaders. Don’t miss what Dr. Almarode says about the importance of clarity for learning, evidence of learning, the science of teaching…and so much more. _______________________________________ John Almarode Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners John is an Associate Professor of Education in the College of Education at James Madison University and works with preservice teachers and graduate students across multiple teacher preparation programs. John is a bestselling author (of 11 books) and has worked with schools, classrooms, and teachers all over the world on the translation and application of the science of learning to the classroom, school, and home environments, and what works best in teaching and learning. Today, we discuss John’s book, Clarity for Learning and what that means for teachers and students as well as school leaders who are looking for instructional excellence in the classroom. ________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with John Almarode Don’t miss what John says about clarity of learning for teachers but also students. What do we want our students to learn? How do we want them to learn? How will they know if we’ve learned? Relaying feedback to learners is important but it’s also important for learners to relay feedback to us. Having learning intentions and success criteria is one thing, but they can’t just be practices on the board. Teachers need to pay attention to the verbs in the standards: “compare and contrast” versus “explain” and other behaviors that we want students to communicate and display. Don’t miss the secret that John tells us about what separate teachers who have the highest degrees of learning and growth. The science learning has been around since 1885. Once you learn something, if you don’t practice retrieving it, you’ll forget it. Unfortunately, we don’t always use the science. Our work now: how do we support teachers with the science of learning to apply it in the context of the classroom so that we can learn more about the science of teaching. John talked about his other book, How Learning Works, as a place to go to support teachers now in terms of where we might start with the science of learning. It is very difficult to learn in an environment where you don’t feel like you belong. ~ John Almarode Listen to John describe what happens in a threatening environment; students will simply not care about what the teacher planned for them to learn. John ends the episode with a message about focusing on what really matters most versus what we don’t have any control over. _________________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email.

Robyn Jackson Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Robyn Jackson is passionate about building better schools. As the CEO of Mindsteps Inc.®, she has helped thousands of K–12 administrators and teachers develop the clarity and confidence to turn their classrooms and schools into success stories. Jackson combines her experience as an English teacher and middle school administrator and her work in thousands of schools and districts to help teachers and administrators develop rigorous instructional programs that provide students with the support and motivation they need to reach or exceed the standards and helps refocus vision, mission, and core values to build better schools. She is the author of 10 books, host of the School Leadership Reimagined podcast, and an internationally recognized keynote speaker and consultant. ________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Robyn Jackson Robyn talked about the failed leadership models that we all learned but that aren’t working since they are designed to maintain. Don’t miss what she says about doing the work of leadership in schools without a new program, without firing people, without adding…by building. Don’t miss the 4 things that Robyn teaches in her builders’ lab. Robyn talked about vision statements being promises for our students. There’s great power in the way that Robyn describes teacher development, growing them one level in one year. Picking one thing to develop and targeting that area. We need to know the most critical areas of instruction to set as our focus for teacher growth. Robyn talked about this mantra: Bosses say “you go.” Leaders say “let’s go.” Builders say “come.” The leader dictates the vision but that staff should put boundaries around their own behavior by setting the core values. This is the purpose stage that Robyn teaches. Don’t miss what Robyn says about every teacher becoming a master teacher. Listen to what it means to interrogate your teacher evaluation system. What’s one thing that teachers need to do to get to the next level? Books mentioned by Robyn Jackson on FocusED Never Work Harder Than Your Students by Robyn Jackson Robyn mentions books outside of education, including the book Upstream by Dan Heath. She talked about trying to solve problems at the source. Robyn Jackson Quotes Being successful is boring. Being really successful is really boring. ~ Robyn Jackson The best gift you can give every student is a master teacher in every classroom. ~ Robyn Jackson We need staff to grow in both their skillset and their willset so that they’re not just better teachers but also that they feel safe to try new things, take risks, and improve practice. ~ Robyn Jackson _________________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district with more knowledge, better understanding, and clear direction on what to do next. This episode was brought to you by GhostBed, a family-owned business of sleep experts with 20+ years of experience. With 30K+ 5-star reviews, you can’t go wrong with GhostBed. Their mattresses are handcrafted, and they come with a 101-night-at-home-sleep trial. For a limited time, you can get 30% by using our code — SH302 — at checkout. And, even if you tell someone about GhostBed, you can earn a $100 referral reward. Go to Ghostbed.com today and use SH302 at checkout.

This is Season 3, Episode 11 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Thomas Hoerr. It was originally recorded live for a studio audience in Delaware, provided as a professional development experience for Delaware teachers and leaders. Don’t miss what Tom says about leading for empathy…and so much more. _______________________________________ Thomas Hoerr Brings Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners Dr. Tom Hoerr led schools for 37 years and is currently a Scholar In Residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, teaching in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program. His newest book, The Principal As Chief Empathy Officer: Creating A Culture Where Everyone Grows, shows the role of empathy in relationships in leadership. Hoerr believes that we can all grow our empathy. Hoerr currently writes a monthly leadership blog for ASCD and wrote a monthly column, “The Principal Connection,” from 2004 to 2018. His previous two books focused on the importance of SEL to students and staff (Taking Social Emotional Learning Schoolwide and The Formative Five: Fostering Grit, Empathy, and Other Success Skills Every Student Needs). Hoerr has written four other books, more than 170 articles, and has presented at schools and conferences around the world on grit, leadership, multiple intelligences, faculty collegiality, empathy, and the Formative Five. ___________________________________________________ FocusED Show Notes with Thomas Hoerr People value their leader, not because of what they know, but because of the relationship they have. Joe asked about strategies that leaders can employ to become more empathetic. Don’t miss the three things that Tom talks about. Leaders should always explain why they’re doing something, not just what they’re doing. Part of growing your empathy is knowing what you don’t know. ~ Tom Hoerr Tom emphasized the power in creating scenarios for professional dialogue. Don’t miss how Tom defines “empathy conversations” and the need for them. Dr. Hoerr addresses the problem with our political and social bubbles and how they prevent empathy. Let’s talk about the bubble! Naming it is the first step to widening perspective. You want to hear what Tom says about the 5:1 positive interaction ratio…for adults and students. Tom talked about writing empathy goals at the start of every year. Dr. Hoerr belongs to a book group, and he’s the only educator. A major theme from the podcast is about getting out of your comfort zone and gaining perspective as a school leader. _________________________________________ Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district with more knowledge, better understanding, and clear direction on what to do next. This episode was brought to you by GhostBed, a family-owned business of sleep experts with 20+ years of experience. With 30K+ 5-star reviews, you can’t go wrong with GhostBed. Their mattresses are handcrafted, and they come with a 101-night-at-home-sleep trial. For a limited time, you can get 30% by using our code — SH302 — at checkout. And, even if you tell someone about GhostBed, you can earn a $100 referral reward. Go to Ghostbed.com today and use SH302 at checkout.