Leading Out The Woods

Anchor Chat #27: Clarity Is the Strategy In this episode of Anchor Chats, Dr. Woods reflects on Clarity Is the Strategy, emphasizing that clear expectations, focused priorities, and consistent communication are the foundation of effective leadership and instruction. He discusses how a lack of clarity often leads to confusion, misalignment, and stalled progress—while intentional clarity accelerates...

Episode #129 is up! Check it out!!! Special Guest Ryan Tillman, Speaker, CEO, and Founder of Breaking Barriers United, joins Dr. Woods on episode #129 of Leading Out The Woods to discuss Teaching Peace in a Divided Time. In this episode, Ryan draws from his experiences as a former School Resource Officer to explore the root causes of conflict among students and share practical, relationship-driven...

Throwback Thursday! Teachers of Promise featuring Wade Whitehead Originally Released On: 9-9-2022 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode:Takeaways from this classic: Wade discusses what the Teachers of Promise Institute is and the impact it has made on education. As a Milken Award Winner and National Teachers Hall of Fame Inductee, Wade...

Throwback Thursday! Unpacking Collaborative Leadership featuring Pam Ehnle Originally Released On: 4-4-2025 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Pam shares the inspiration behind the book, Leading Out The Woods: Collaborative Leadership. ✅ Pam discusses why collaboration is essential for effective leadership. Whether you’re heari...

Anchor Chat #26: The Feedback Loop — What Happens After the Walkthrough? In this episode of Anchor Chats, Dr. Woods reflects on The Feedback Loop — What Happens After the Walkthrough?, emphasizing the critical role feedback plays in instructional growth. He discusses how timely, actionable follow-up after walkthroughs transforms observations into meaningful coaching conversations, strengthens prac...

Episode #128 is up!  Check it out!!! Special Guest Dr. John Craig joins Dr. Woods on episode #128 of Leading Out The Woods to discuss Growth Mindset. In this episode, they explore what it truly means to cultivate a growth mindset in schools, how leaders and educators can model it in practice, and why embracing continuous learning is essential for both personal and organizational growth. Together,...

Throwback Thursday! Learning from Mistakes & Failure in the Classroom featuring Dr. Julie Warner This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Dr. Warner discusses why she believes self-reflecting on mistakes and failure in your instructional practice is vital for improving your teaching. ✅ Dr. Warner shares ​​several examples from he...

Throwback Thursday! Loving Your Neighbor featuring Chris Singleton Originally Released On: 7-28-2023 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Chris shares his inspirational message of resilience, unity and forgiveness. ✅ Chris discusses the way he works with schools, universities, and other organizations to promote love and acceptanc...

In this episode, Dr. Woods explores how the first moments of the school day shape everything that follows. From adult presence at arrival to clear routines and instructional warm starts, effective start-of-day systems create consistency, calm, and connection for both students and staff. Rather than leaving mornings to chance, Dr. Woods highlights how intentional structures—predictable arrival proc...

Throwback Thursday! Authentic Literature featuring Dr. Donyall Dickey Originally Released On: 5-7-2021 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Dr. Dickey shares what authentic literature and how it should be used in teaching and learning. ✅ Dr. Dickey discusses his book, Mitigating Curricular Chaos, which shares strategies on constr...

Episode #127 is up!  Check it out!!! Special Guest Vernon Wright joins Dr. Woods on episode #127 of Leading Out The Woods to discuss Connect. Impact. Scale. In this episode, Vernon shares his instructional leadership philosophy and the intentional ways he builds connections, empowers educators, and scales meaningful impact across school communities. Together, they explore practical strategies lead...

Throwback Thursday! Episode #64: I Choose to Stay Originally Released On: 7-29-2022 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Dr. Thomas-EL discusses why 'he chose to stay' in education. ✅ Dr. Thomas-EL shares strategies on improving staff morale and capacity. Whether you’re hearing it for the first time or revisiting a classic, this...

Throwback Thursday! Student Content Creator featuring Rachelle Dene Poth Originally Released On: 3-12-2021 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Rachelle shares her thoughts on students having input on the content they create in classrooms. ✅ Rachelle discusses the paradigm shift from teachers being the “gatekeepers” of knowledge...

Throwback Thursday! Started from the Bottom, Now I'm Here  Originally Released On: 6-18-21 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Darrion discusses how he motivates and inspires his students and school community. ✅ Darrion shares advice with other educators trying to make a positive impact with students at-risk. Whether you’re hear...

Episode #126 is up!  Check it out!!! Diversifying the Educator Pipeline Special Guest Dr. Shaylyn Marks, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at California State University, Bakersfield, joins Dr. Woods on episode #126 of Leading Out The Woods to discuss Diversifying the Educator Pipeline. In this episode, they explore Dr. Marks’ research and her book, Diversifying the Educator Pipeline: Suppo...

Throwback Thursday! Title: Episode #107: Mindfulness Awareness for Educators featuring Danielle Nuhfer Originally Released On: 5-31-24 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode, we:- Danielle shares her three tips for bringing mindfulness awareness into the classroom for educators.- Danielle discusses her book, " The Path of the Mindful Te...

Throwback Thursday! Title: Episode #27_Staff Motivation & Morale featuring Dr. Todd Whitaker  Originally Released On: 2-26-21 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode, we: ✅ discuss the importance of staff motivation and morale in school management, ✅ provide tips on what you can do to ensure this is happening in your school. Whethe...

Anchor Chat #24: Too Much Data, Not Enough Direction In this episode of Anchor Chats, Dr. Woods reflects on Too Much Data, Not Enough Direction, exploring how educators can move beyond simply collecting data to using it with purpose and clarity. He discusses the importance of identifying meaningful trends, setting actionable goals, and aligning data analysis with instructional priorities. Dr. Wood...

Episode #125 is up!  Check it out!!! Special Guest Command Sergeant Major Bart E. Womack, U.S. Army (Retired), joins Dr. Woods on episode #125 of Leading Out The Woods to discuss Navigating the Storm: Crisis Response for School Leaders. A survivor of an insider threat attack within the 101st Airborne Division, Bart shares powerful first-hand insights that bring authenticity and urgency to discussi...

Throwback Thursday! "The Art of Delegation" featuring Dr. Marcus Belin Originally Released On: 11-19-21 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode, we explore: ✅ How ‘Delegation’ is an essential concept of leadership. ✅ Empowering colleagues to complete tasks unsupervised. Whether you’re hearing it for the first time or revisiting a class...

Anchor Chat #23: What’s Your Tier 1 Reality? In this episode of Anchor Chats, Dr. Woods reflects on What’s Your Tier 1 Reality?, examining the importance of understanding and strengthening core instruction. He challenges educators to evaluate the effectiveness of their Tier 1 practices, ensuring they meet the needs of all students before relying on interventions. Dr. Woods emphasizes that strong T...

Throwback Thursday! Is Financial Literacy Working? Originally Released On: 7-15-2022 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Dr. Thomas shares how we should conceptualize financial literacy. ✅ Dr. Thomas discusses barriers students and families routinely encounter when learning about financial literacy. Whether you’re hearing it for...

Episode #124 is up!  Check it out!!! Special Guest Rae Hughart, CEO and Founder of Teachers Deserve It, joins Dr. Woods on episode #124 of Leading Out The Woods to discuss her book Teachers Deserve It!, co-authored with Adam Welcome. In this episode, they explore the inspiration behind the book, the “why” that drives educators to teach, and how these powerful motivations often go unnoticed. Togeth...

Throwback Thursday! The Throwaway Kids: Combating the Stereotype Originally Released On: 4-9-2021 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Mirko discusses the obstacles that stand in the way of making sure that every student succeeds. ✅ Mirko shares what can be done to ensure that students who had experiences similar to his are able...

Throwback Thursday! Inside the Schoolhouse: What Great Principals Know and Do featuring Dr. John Gratto Originally Released On: 8-13-2021 This week, we’re revisiting one of our timeless episodes from Leading Out The Woods! In this episode: ✅ Dr. Gratto shares an overview of his book, “Inside the Schoolhouse: What Great Principals Know and Do.” ✅ Dr. Gratto discusses the key concepts that assista...