The School Leadership Show

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of  The Main Idea , and I interview Berit Gordon about her book The Joyful Teacher: Strategies for Becoming the Teacher Every Student Deserves . This was a fantastic conversation about teaching and learning and what leaders can do to support teachers. Learn more about Berit and her work at her website . As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mi...

In this fourth special episode, Jenn David-Lang of  The Main Idea , and I talk about resources to help school leaders with teacher supervision and evaluation. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries three must-read books: Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership by Justin Baeder Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: How to Work Smart, Build Col...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of  The Main Idea , interviews Adam Drummond about his book The Instructional Change Agent: Instructional Change Agent: 48 Ways to Be the Leader Your School Needs . Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and you can subscribe to The Main Idea at this link: https://www.themainidea.net/subscribe/ As always, send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mik...

In this third special episode, Jenn David-Lang of  The Main Idea and I talk about resources to help school leaders be more organized, productive, and effective. To support this work, Jenn has gathered her summaries four must-read books: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business , by Charles Duhigg Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones , by Ja...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of  The Main Idea , and I interview Jim Knight about his book Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other to Be More Credible, Caring, and Connected . While our conversation was mainly about conversations, we did head off on some great tangents. Learn more about the Jim and his work at his website . Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of  The Main Idea and I interview Jane A. G. Kise and Ann Holm about their book Educator Bandwidth: How to Reclaim Your Energy, Passion, and Time . This was a compelling conversation with implications for professionals across our systems. To learn more about the authors and their work, please visit their page at ASCD.org .  Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Michael Hass and Amy Ardell about their book Supporting Student Mental Health: Essentials for Teachers . Specifically, we talked about the authors' 4R framework of helpful skills to develop: relate, recognize, respond, and refer. Michael mentioned the suicide prevention resources at The Lighthouse Project aat Columbia University. He...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Bill Sommers about his book Responding to Resistance: Thirty Strategies to Manage Conflict in Your School (An educational leadership guide to conflict management in the school community) . Bill is a seasoned leader with a ton of experience and the sense of humor to match. This conversation could easily have lasted hours. His no-nons...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss Dan Pink's book The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward . Dan Pink is one of my favorite authors, and I never miss an opportunity to talk about his work. This was a fantastic conversation on a topic that is so important to  everyone's mental health and well-being.  Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Joe Feldman, the author of Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms . This was an amazing conversation on a topic that is so central to our work as educators. It's amazing that we are still so tied to a system that was designed for the Industrial Revolution. You can learn more a...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Elena Aguilar about her new book with co-author Lori Cohen The PD Book: 7 Habits That Transform Professional Development . To learn more about Elena and her great work visit her website: https://brightmorningteam.com/ .  Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMainIde...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea flies solo to interview John Heller and Tom Hierck the authors of Trauma-Sensitive Leadership: Creating a Safe and Predictable School Environment . It was a great conversation, and I'm sad to have missed it live, but Jenn did a great job.  Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would like a copy, you can email her at Jenn@TheMain...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I have a conversation about The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. While not written explicitly for an education audience, the author lays  out a fantastic framework for orchestrating any type of gathering. And we have lots of gatherings in education - everything from open houses to faculty meetings.  Jenn has done a brief (two-page) Main Idea s...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I have a conversation with Tom Bennett about his book Running the Room: The Teacher's Guide to Behaviour . This discussion was a blast; I haven't laughed that hard in a while. We get into all things behavior - philosophy and practice. Definitely check out Tom's website to learn more about his work. Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book,...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss the book Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation by Shane Safir  and Jamila Dugan. We talk about what street data is and why we should care about it, equity traps and tropes, a new framework for approaching school improvement, changing pedagogy, and changing adult culture all to support imp...

In this second special and short episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss interpersonal skills for school leaders, the things they don't teach you principal school,  in the context of four must-read books that Jenn has summarized: The Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation by Shane Safir Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving...

In this special and short episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I discuss leadership resilience in the context of three must-read books that Jenn has summarized and that we recorded podcasts about: From Burnt Out to Fired Up: Reigniting Your Passion for Teaching by Morgane Michael Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar The Mindful School Leader: Practices to...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk with Jeff Zwiers about his book Next Steps with Academic Conversations: New Ideas for Improving Learning Through Classroom Talk . We talked about the importance of teaching and supporting students to have better academic conversations with one another. We also get into strategies that teachers can use to support students and how school l...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I talk with Morgane Michael about her new book From Burnt Out to Fired Up: Reigniting Your Passion for Teaching . This was another one of those conversations that flew by. I feel like we could have talked for hours. We get into Morgane's research-based approach to this important topic. She shares real and effective strategies for educators to m...

In this episode, Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I have a conversation with Joe Jones and T.J. Vari about their book Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools . We talk about how leaders can empower teachers and change culture with an approach to feedback that can be challenging for many leaders who have developed ineffective habits over time. We could have...

In this episode, I interview Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and Kim Marshall of The Marshall Memo about their recent collaboration on The Best of the Marshall Memo website . This curated and expertly-organized collection of resources is a treasure trove of awesomeness for all educators. In addition to the best of the best Marshall Memo summaries of articles in 22 categories, there are actionable...

In this episode, semi-regular co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Candace Raskin and Melissa Krull, who, along with Antonia J. Felix, are the authors of Principal Leadership for Racial Equity: A Field Guide for Developing Race Consciousness . These seasoned school leaders are phenomenal thinkers and are at the forefront of this important work. I can't believe how fast this con...

In this episode, regular co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Craig Randall, author of Trust-Based Observations: Maximizing Teaching and Learning Growth . This was a great conversation and made me want to get back into classrooms and work directly with teachers again. Craig mentioned the Trust-Based Observation/Reflection form that he developed. The most recent version of the f...

In this episode, I interview Joanne Quinn, coauthor of the books Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World and Dive Into Deep Learning: Tools for Engagement . This was one of the fastest 30 minutes of conversation I have experienced in a while. Joanne was amazing! You can access many of the authors' materials about deep learning at their website: https://deep-learning.global/ . You can also...

In this episode, frequent co-host Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea and I interview Kate Barker, Kourtney Ferrua, and Rachael George about their book Principaled: Navigating the Leadership Learning Curve . This wildly practical text provided us with tremendous fodder for a wonderful and honest conversation about all things principal. Jenn has done a Main Idea summary of the book, and If you would l...