Essential Questions for Educators (EQ4E)

Part of improvement is knowing your starting point. These five levels help identify your current location as well as how to get to the next levels!

There is a difference between a busy classroom and engaged students. I have some thoughts...

While I believe the answer to the EQ4E blog title is a big "yes!!!", there is a continuum. BUT - I believe every administrator should get back into the classroom. I have some experience and thoughts...

Listen in on a conversation with traditional professional development's biggest critic - my wife, Dani. Don't touch her planning period!!!

Resolutions are not hard to come by, but "improving in your craft" might not be toward the top of the list. I suggest three resolutions to help you improve and become the educator you were always meant to be.

How can you help students learn and study more effectively? And what about your own learning? Make it Stick is a book from Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel that hits the "Illusion of Knowing" head-on and offers solutions based on research.

Bos updates us on a recent road trip, the state of recess, and good things going on in his education life!

Learn about an instructional design model/template that is as universal and flexible as you are! Whether you adopt the model or learn from it, the Workshop Model has something for everyone.

Chat GP - what?!? How can Chat GPT help teachers? And teachers as learners? Let me count the ways... or at least a few. And another impressive AI resource for teacher. This is just the beginning...

Do your students understand what they understand? Mine didn't - so I came up with a way to help them calibrate their understanding of reality - something they could benefit from for a lifetime.

Your evolution as an educator is measured in years and decades, not moments. But sometimes there are concepts or skills you can put in to practice immediately with great results. This podcast is about three of those practices and is also a companion to my blog #41 on essentialquestionsforeducators.com.

Who has influenced you over the years? Do they know?

Sometimes consulting is straight forward, sometimes not so much, but on occasion you strike gold!

Kansas City Chiefs, an update on recess, and how to redesign schools (of course)! And more! All in this second interview with my son, Bosley, who is currently in the fifth grade. Enjoy!

How does someone get unstuck? One answer is to ask a group of colleagues for a brainstorming session using the "Stuckness Protocol." Listen to hear about the protocol and the impact it had on a group of teachers.

The choices you make in the time between an event occurring and your subsequent decisions can significantly impact the final outcome. Join us for an engaging conversation as we delve into this topic, sharing real-life stories and exploring potential solutions.

Listen and learn about four quick tips to reduce stress in the moment!

Assumptions can get us in trouble. But these same assumptions can also spark change. This episode is about how incorrect assumptions became the catalyst for a school to work toward improving relationships with its students. Note: This podcast episode pairs nicely with essentialquestionsforeducators.com, blog #13.

My first interview! Bosley, my 11-year old son, gives his thoughts on classroom engagement, the Kansas City Chiefs, recess, and literacy.

This final episode on the topic of Systems of Accountability wraps up the small group systems and moves into individual systems of accountability within the group context.

On this series (#6-#8) I talk about the massive difference between top-down accountability and systems of accountability. Both are needed, but they must be applied in the correct setting to build commitment (not compliance) toward a cause. Note: This podcast refers to blog posts #20-#24 at essentialquestionsforeducators.com

One of the most powerful lessons any leaders can learn is how to inspire commitment from faculty as opposed to compliance. Establishing systems of accountability is a big part of this.

This is part 2 (of 2) of Helping is not Always Helpful. Part 1 can be found in EQ4E #4. This episode gets into the Three Phases of Help, based on the work of Edgar Schein. I learned this technique around 2010, and have presented it at local, state, and regional conferences to teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators.

The act of helping is not always helpful according to one of my many mentors, Dr. Edgar Schein. I created a very popular workshop around this message and Dr. Schein's work in 2008, and wanted to share the basics. It is nearly guaranteed to improve your helping skills! Note: This podcast complements a blog post on essentialquestionsforeducators.com: #14.

How long does it take for a teacher, coach, or administrator to create meaningful relationships with students? Probably not as long as you think... Note: This podcast complements a blog post on essentialquestionsforeducators.com: #4.