The Elemental Educator Podcast

In this episode of the Elemental Educator podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with LaVonna Roth, the creator of the globally recognized SHINE framework, to untangle a profound human paradox: How do leaders build massive platforms helping others recognize their value while simultaneously battling deep internal struggles with self-worth? LaVonna opens up about her personal journey of growing up wit...

Beat My Score From This Episode: https://www.whattimeswhat.com Most people think the education crisis is about funding, technology, or curriculum. They're wrong. After spending three decades leading enterprise technology teams and engineering large-scale software systems, Chris Roberts stepped into a high school classroom and discovered a problem that few people are willing to talk about. Many stu...

In this powerful episode of the Elemental Educator Podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with veteran educator, former school head, and curriculum coordinator Terri Walker to dissect the real reason teachers are leaving the profession in droves. The conventional blueprint of modern education is obsessed with giving teachers more: more tech, more professional development, and more checklists. Yet, t...

In this episode of The Elemental Educator Podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with veteran, ironman finisher, and best-selling author Scott to dissect the ultimate paradox of achievement: why reaching your highest external goals can actually hide your deepest internal wounds. Scott shares his raw journey from chasing "scoreboard moments"—like completing an grueling 140.6-mile Ironman or engineeri...

 Learn how to successfully lead massive AI implementation in education while protecting staff well-being and maintaining data privacy in this exclusive interview with veteran school district leader Dr. Tom D’Amico.  In this episode of the Elemental Educator podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with Dr. Tom D'Amico, the recently retired Director of Education for the Ottawa Catholic School Board. To...

Most leaders wait for the perfect conditions to lead, but true impact happens when you learn to thrive in the cracks of the sidewalk. Episode Summary: In this deep dive, leadership consultant and retired Associate Superintendent Corrine Thorsteinson reveals why trust is the "oxygen" of any successful organization. Drawing from over three decades in the education sector, Corrine breaks down the fou...

Learn how high-achieving leaders burn out and how to rebuild your identity, health, and purpose beyond success in this powerful leadership conversation. In this conversation, Tyler Comeau sits down with Howard Stribbell, global educator and leadership expert, to unpack the hidden cost of success and why so many high performers feel empty despite achieving more than they ever imagined. After buildi...

Learn how to avoid leadership burnout and build a strong team culture by leading with trust, values, and clarity instead of trying to fix everything yourself.   In this conversation, Tyler Comeau sits down with Jimmy Casas, educator, speaker, and author of Culturize , to break down one of the biggest leadership traps: the “fix-it” mindset. With over 30 years in education and decades as a school le...

Kree Govender explains why indecision quietly destroys momentum, confidence, and growth, and how choosing wrong is often far more powerful than choosing nothing at all. Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, mindset, and high performance: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Connect with me:   https://www.elementaleducator.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercomeau/ Ways to work wi...

Donovan Bailey shares the mindset, discipline, sacrifice, and execution it took to go from unknown to becoming the fastest man in the world. Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, pressure, mindset, and high performance: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Watch This Next: https://www.youtube.com/@ElementalEducator Connect with me: https://www.elementaleducator.com mailto:tyler@ele...

In this episode of The Elemental Educator , Dr. Shelley Moore dismantles one of the most dangerous assumptions in education: If a student is struggling, something must be wrong with the student. What if that assumption is the problem? Shelley is an inclusive education researcher, consultant, and global speaker who has spent her career helping schools rethink how learning actually works. This conve...

Most schools try to improve teaching the wrong way. They rely on top-down professional development, one-off workshops, and “sit and get” training sessions that feel productive in the moment but rarely change classroom practice. In this episode of The Elemental Educator , Dr. Matthew Rhoads explains why those approaches fail and what actually helps professional learning spread through a school syst...

Most leaders secretly believe that if they were better, smarter, or more experienced, things would feel less complex. That belief is wrong. In this episode of The Elemental Educator , I sit down with Dr. Corey Steeves to confront one of the most damaging myths in leadership: that complexity is a signal you are failing. Instead, we argue that complexity is the job. The weight, the ambiguity, the co...

Join host Tyler on The Elemental Educator podcast as he chats with strategist and change catalyst Lisa Riegel. Discover why most leaders fail not from lack of ambition, but because change stays theoretical. Lisa shares insights on operationalizing aspirations, the role of brain science in perceptions and resistance, her 8C Commitment Framework, and practical strategies for engaging employees, redu...

Challenging your boss can feel like career suicide, but knowing how to disagree with leadership respectfully, strategically, and confidently is a critical leadership skill under pressure. In this episode, we break down how to challenge your boss without killing your career by grounding your approach in core values, clear reasoning, and disciplined communication. My guest, Mark Pearmain, shares rea...

Do leaders avoid responsibility because it’s heavy, or because it exposes who they really are? In this episode of The Elemental Educator , I sit down with Danny Bauer, founder of Better Leaders Better Schools, to unpack why responsibility isn’t just about workload, but identity, values, and visibility. We explore why leadership gets lonely, why so many leaders hide instead of ask for help, and how...

How do you lead hard conversations, build psychological safety, and get real accountability without trying to control every outcome? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Amanda Fernandez to break down the “human element” of leadership: the mindset shifts and practical tools that turn tense teams into collaborative teams. We get into: Why “I don’t know” can be a power move that builds trust (not we...

Leadership under pressure, integrity under authority, and the identity shift that happens when you refuse to shrink. In this Elemental Educator episode, Janelle McLaughlin breaks down how a fear-based leader reshaped her definition of leadership and what she built after. In this conversation, you’ll learn: How “bad leadership” can become a blueprint for who you refuse to be How to stay kind withou...

AI in schools, digital wellness, and trust-first leadership for real classrooms. Micro-tools that work: phone away, deep breathing, and questions that spark curiosity. Bill breaks down how districts can lead AI change without getting trapped in slow policy cycles, and how to build a culture where people feel permission to adapt while staying anchored to pillars. Practical takeaways: How they appro...

Identity is built by choices, not labels. Redemption requires accountability, and pressure reveals who you really are. One in a row. Quiet the noise. Tell the truth when your reputation is on the line. This episode breaks down tools for rebuilding identity and leadership when every decision matters. What you’ll take from this conversation: Why “choices” beats the label trap (and how it changes you...

Caden Vittorini, former college athlete and performance coach, breaks down the “1% better every day” method for building habits, staying consistent, leading with clarity, and making faster decisions under pressure. This conversation covers daily standards, discipline, adversity, leadership scenarios, reframing negative beliefs, and how to create real change when motivation disappears. Guest Links:...

What You’ll Get From This Episode In this episode, I sit down with J.M. Ryerson —performance coach, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Let’s Go Win —for a raw and grounded conversation about success, adversity, and identity. JM opens up about the moments most people never see: personal loss, physical setbacks, business failures, near-divorce, and the internal reckoning that forced...

What You’ll Get From This Episode In this episode, two of Alberta’s most respected educational leaders — Ray Hoppins and Kurt Sacher — unpack the realities of leadership that most people never see. Across decades of service as principals, superintendents, mentors, and system-builders, their insights cut beyond theory into the lived experience of leading people, culture, and complex organizations....

What You’ll Get from This Episode In this conversation, human physiologist, author, and performance expert Dr. Greg Wells reveals the mindset shifts that turn adversity into adaptation. From breaking his neck at 15 to rebuilding his career after COVID, Greg has faced the kind of “shatter points” that force complete reinvention. He shares how radical responsibility, curiosity, and resilience shape...

What You’ll Get from This Episode In this conversation, performance coach and author Alan Stein Jr. unpacks the discipline of doing what works — not occasionally, but consistently. We explore why leaders tend to chase complexity, why fundamentals are often avoided, and what it looks like to build culture through repeated, observable habits. This episode challenges you to assess whether your action...