Sometimes we hold on to traditions in schools and in classrooms that don’t drive learning, culture, or experiences. Sometimes the traditions are exactly what is driving those critical pieces. In this week’s episode, we chat with Kelly Rodriguez about how to know when you need to overcome or change traditions and when you need to lean into the things that are working. Hint: ask your students! Kelly also stopped by to chat about teaching as a 2nd career, the various meanings of a “safe school”, creating staff ownership in new programs, and we game plan your next student-staff softball game! Links: You can follow Kelly on Instagram at senora_krod To learn more about how Kelly and how Maranatha utilize Houses and LiveSchool Points check out our case study here: https://www.whyliveschool.com/stories/maranatha-christian-schools Want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Or Follow us on Instagram: @getliveschool Or TikTok: @whyliveschool and for incredible resources on School Culture check us out at www.whyliveschool.com

* BONUS EPISODE * Teachers don’t need wellness PD or Pizza Parties. They need to be seen as professionals. Charmaine Williams is a veteran educator, accomplished writer, podcaster, and founder of the Controlled Chaos Academy. She joined Jordan and Anna this week to speak directly to school leaders on the behalf of teachers. Charmaine also stopped by to chat about student voice, relevant rewards, administrator visibility, teacher recognition, how to coach teachers to be their best, and providing transformative learning experiences. Links: You can connect with Charmaine at www.alwayscharmaine.com or find her on Twitter at @AlwaysCharmaine1 and be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn @CharmaineWilliams! Want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Or Follow us on Instagram: @getliveschool Or TikTok: @whyliveschool and for incredible resources on School Culture check us out at www.whyliveschool.com

What sets apart a great school from a failing school? What’s the secret sauce of schools that are closing achievement gaps? Why do U.S. teachers leave the classroom at twice the rate of other developed countries? In this week’s episode, we are joined by Education Researchers Laura Hernandez and Dion Burns from the Learning Policy Institute. Laura and Dion share their research on all of those questions above plus best practices in relationship building, self-assessing your school culture, developing trust in new programs, and we looked at time as the most critical resource in schools. Links: The Learning Policy Institute: www.learningpolicyinstitute.org Key Research to Reference: Instructional Leadership Corps and the Positive Outliers Studies Overall Design Principals: https://k12.designprinciples.org/ Want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel  or  Follow us on Instagram: @getliveschool Or TikTok: @whyliveschool  and for incredible resources on School Culture check us out at www.whyliveschool.com

If we are going to address the teacher shortage, we need to address teacher stress, burnout, and how society views the profession. Our guest today is working on doing just that by improving student engagement and bringing community involvement into the classroom through Project-Based Learning. Terra Tarango joins us this week to discuss Teaching Careers, Project-Based Learning, Community Involvement, Student Engagement, Fire Drills, Teacher Press Releases, Learning Loss, Pluto’s Planetary Status, and Coaching Teachers. Links: Don’t forget to follow @TerraTarango on Twitter or if you have questions you can email her at [email protected] and check her out at blueappleteacher.org! Want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Or Follow us on Instagram: @getliveschool Or TikTok: @whyliveschool and for incredible resources on School Culture check us out at www.whyliveschool.com

Sometimes school leaders have to do what’s best for their teachers and their students. Don’t be afraid to be that agent of change when the time comes to do what's best for your school. In this episode, Jordan is joined by Gerry Brooks (@gerrybrooksprin) and Lisa Kear (Elementary School Principal) to discuss leadership transitions, career adversity, building staff morale, teacher shortages, and how to balance what needs to be done with what your staff needs to get it done. Links: Don’t forget to follow @gerrybrooksprin on all of your favorite social media platforms! You can find Lisa via the Liberty Elementary Facebook page (libertyhawks)! Want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Or Follow us on Instagram: @getliveschool Or TikTok: @whyliveschool and for incredible resources on School Culture check us out at www.whyliveschool.com

Schools need innovation to successfully navigate the ever-changing waters of modern education. That innovation is impossible without the collaboration of all the necessary stakeholders. In this week's episode, we talk with Dr. Nick Polyak about creating a collaborative culture in your school that allows innovation to shine. Listen as Anna and Jordan talk with Superintendent Polyak about Career Mobility, Equity in Schools, Collaborative Cultures, Student Voice, School Leadership Trees, and how to create an Innovation Incubator in your school. Links: Don’t forget to follow Dr. Nick Polyak at @npolyak and check out “The Unfinished Leader”. Want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Or Follow us on Instagram: @getliveschool Or TikTok: @whyliveschool and for incredible resources on School Culture check us out at www.whyliveschool.com

We all underestimated the behavior needs we ended up facing last school year. Learn how @PrincipalTurk and his staff built empathy in their students through relationships and logical consequences.  Listen as Anna and Jordan talk with Anthony about those topics plus servant leadership, encouraging innovation, and internal podcasts to communicate with your school community.

How do we get teachers and students to want to be in our schools? Find ways to engage them. If we can find ways to make things more fun and interesting we need to do that. Because happy students are more likely to be able to learn, and happy teachers are more likely to stay and teach them. Listen as Anna and Jordan talk with @educatorandrea about PHD Educators, rolling chair havoc, mental health, teacher choice, and how teachers can impact culture change in their buildings. Links: Don’t forget to follow Andrea on TikTok (@educatorandrea), Instagram (@educator_andrea) and visit her site https://educatorandrea.com/ Want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Or Follow us on Instagram: @getliveschool Or TikTok: @whyliveschool and for incredible resources on School Culture check us out at www.whyliveschool.com

What’s the biggest rock that can be lifted in education right now? Rethinking the role of the teacher in the classroom.  Listen as Anna and Jordan talk with Dr. Greg Goins (@DrGregGoins) about the role of a teacher, a career in Education, and how leaders can spark change within their school communities. Links: Don’t forget to follow or subscribe to Greg’s Podcast: Reimagine Schools Want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Or Follow us on Instagram: @getliveschool Or TikTok: @whyliveschool and for incredible resources on School Culture check us out at www.whyliveschool.com

Coming Soon! The Flywheel Effect will be launching August 1st. Our show is all about sharing stories of admin, school support staff, and other educational change agents that have succeeded in their initial lift and have created cultures that have so much momentum that they grow and improve exponentially. We look forward to bringing you engaging discourse centered around School Culture and the educators who are working to change it in their school communities.