NHASCD Spotlight: A Podcast

Jen Schwanke, education leader and author, shares thoughts on how educational leaders can support their teachers and encourage practices that lead to the best outcomes for students. ABOUT OUR GUEST Jen Schwanke has been an educator for 24 years, teaching or leading at all levels.  She is the author of two previous books: You’re the Principal! Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders and The Principal Reboot: 8 Ways to Revitalize Your School Leadership. She has also written for Choice Literacy, Education Week Teacher, Principal, and Principal Navigator. She is a frequent co-host and contributor to Principal Matters: The School Leader’s Podcast. She presents at conferences for ASCD, NAESP, Battelle for Kids, RRCNA, and various state and local education organizations. She has provided professional development to various districts in the areas of school climate, personnel, and instructional leadership. She is an instructor in educational administration at Miami University. Having worked as a principal for 17 years, she is currently serving as a deputy superintendent in Dublin, Ohio.  More information can be found on her website, www.jenschwanke.com.  You can preorder her book at ASCD

Join us for a conversation with Allison Rodman to hear how she supports individuals and organizations with designing and facilitating professional learning that is personalized, purposeful, and paradigm-shifting. ABOUT OUR GUEST Allison Rodman is the Founder and Chief Learning Officer of The Learning Loop, an educational consulting organization that provides professional learning services to districts, schools, nonprofit organizations, and businesses internationally. Allison has experience as a teacher, instructional coach, school leader, director of professional development, board member, and consultant, which enables her to understand a wide variety of perspectives in her professional learning design and facilitation. She is an executive committee member of PhillyCORE Leaders, a diverse coalition of rising education leaders whose mission is to build a more positive and collaborative education community by connecting leaders who are making an impact on Philadelphia education. You can reach Allison, learn more about her work, and access tools and resources she has developed at https://www.thelearningloop.com/ Personalized Professional Learning: A Job-Embedded Pathway for Elevating Teacher Voice is available from ASCD,  Amazon, and other online booksellers.

Listen to Steve Ventura share the background of Achievement Teams and the four-step meeting protocol.  This framework provides a structure for teachers to accurately reflect on teaching between pre/post assessments while identifying areas of student needs. Next, teams decide on the very best instructional approaches to address those needs. When schools and school systems de-emphasize individual practice and promote collective ability, teams of educators continuously reflect on and improve their practice, and as a result, have a greater impact on student learning. ABOUT OUR GUEST Steve Ventura is a highly motivational and knowledgeable speaker who approaches high-stakes professional development armed with practical, research-based strategies. He is a former elementary and secondary teacher and has worked as both a school and a district-level administrator. He has published multiple books and articles and regularly presents and keynotes at global education events. He is passionate about helping school-based leaders instill a culture grounded in collective teacher efficacy through his flagship work, Achievement Teams. Through this collaborative work, Ventura has helped countless educators improve their teaching practices. You can learn more about Steve’s work and contact him at https://www.steveventura.com/. The Venturas' book, Achievement Teams: How a Better Approach to PLCs Can Improve Student Outcomes and Teacher Efficacy, can be purchased through ASCD and other online book companies.

With the increase in teacher/administrator stress and increase in challenging student behavior, self-regulation is key to bolstering resilience.  When an educator knows how to self-regulate they then have the capacity to teach and model to their students how to self-regulate.  Listen to Emily Read Daniels share information about the importance of a regulated classroom. ABOUT OUR GUEST & CONTACT INFORMATION Emily Read Daniels is the author of The Regulated Classroom©, an approach to cultivating conditions for felt safety in the classroom. She developed this approach after spending years as a school counselor working with dysregulated students and staff. In 2017, she founded HERE this NOW, a trauma-responsive schools consultancy and educator resource.  HERE this NOW began as a way for her to bring basic trauma-informed information to schools and educators.  In June of 2017, she resigned from her position as a student-assistance counselor to launch her own consulting firm. Her firm, HERE this NOW, provides training, coaching, and consultation to those organizations and systems seeking to become trauma-informed and trauma-responsive. You can reach Emily, learn more about her work, and access the resources she has developed at https://regulatedclassroom.com/ NH EDUCATORS Access FREE tools and professional learning here.

Authors Stefani Arzonetti Hite and Jenni Donohoo share insights on the relationships between student achievement and collective efficacy as well as their model for leading collective teacher efficacy. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Dr. Stefani Arzonetti Hite is an acclaimed author and internationally renowned leadership expert.  Backed by over thirty years of experience in education as a teacher, administrator, and international school leader, Stef supports schools in developing effective systemic change initiatives.  Dr. Hite is a member of ASCD's FIT Teaching® (Framework for Intentional and Targeted Teaching®) Cadre, is the founder of Tigris Solutions, and has authored several ASCD Educational Leadership articles.  You can reach Dr. Hite through Tigris Solutions. Dr. Jenni Donohoo is a five-time best-selling author and professional learning facilitator with more than 20 years experience in leading school change. Jenni works in school divisions across North America supporting high-quality professional learning designed to improve outcomes for all students. As the Director of the Jenni Donohoo Center for Collective Efficacy, Jenni has been recognized internationally as an educational thought leader and has delivered keynote speeches nationally and internationally. You can reach Dr. Donohoo at jenni.donohoo@praxis-engage.com BUY THE BOOK Collective Efficacy: Powerful Stories of Achievement and Equity is available from Corwin, Amazon and other online booksellers.

Listen to an interview with instructional coaching founder, Jim Knight about his newest ASCD book, The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching: Seven Factors for Success. ABOUT OUR GUEST & CONTACT INFORMATION Jim Knight is a founding senior partner of the Instructional Coaching Group (ICG) and a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than two decades studying professional learning, effective teaching, and instructional coaching,  You can reach Jim and learn more about his work at the Instructional Coaching Group. BUY THE BOOK  The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching:  Seven Factors for Success is available from ASCD, Amazon, and other online booksellers.

Noted leadership coach Dr. Jill Harrison Berg shares how teacher leaders amplify the power of collaborative inquiry as a means for identifying, interrogating, and addressing instructional inequity and speaks about the three levels of learning:  individual, relational, and organizational. ABOUT OUT GUEST & CONTACT INFORMATION Jill Harrison Berg, Ed.D. is a leadership coach, school improvement consultant, researcher and writer committed to maximizing the leadership potential of teachers. In addition to Uprooting Instructional Inequity (ASCD 2022), Dr. Berg is the author of Leading in Sync: Teacher Leaders and Principals Working Together for Student Learning (ASCD, 2018). Her monthly column, “Leading Together,” in ASCD’s Educational Leadership magazine aims to heighten leaders’ attention to the complementary roles that teacher leaders and administrators must play in restructuring and re-culturing schools for equity and excellence. You can reach Jill, learn more about her work, and access tools and resources she has developed for educational leaders at www.jhbergonline.com. BUY THE BOOK Uprooting Instructional Inequity: The Power of Inquiry-Based Professional Learning is available from ASCD (member discount available), Amazon and other online booksellers.

Members of the inaugural cohort of Klawe Fellows for EdReports share their stories and the importance of advocacy in their work. Buy the Book at Kendall Hunt

What role does empathy play in the success of a school leader?  Listen to Dr. Thomas Hoerr share the importance of empathy in being effective and the key skills in becoming a Chief Empathy Officer. ABOUT DR. THOMAS HOERR Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD retired after leading the New City School in St. Louis, Missouri for 34 years and is now the Emeritus Head of School. He is currently a Scholar In Residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and teaches in the Educational Leadership program, preparing prospective principals. He also led the ISACS New Heads Network and founded the Non-Profit Management Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Hoerr has written five books, and his newest, Taking Social Emotional Learning Schoolwide: The Formative Five Success Skills for Students and Staff, was published in December of 2019. He has written more than 150 articles, including “The Principal Connection” column in Educational Leadership Magazine from 2004 to 2017. BUY THE BOOK ASCD, Amazon, Barnes & Noble CONTACT INFORMATION Website; Email

Author and teacher Jennifer Orr shares how to take the passion and chatter that K–5 students bring to the classroom and turn it into conversation skills that make them better learners? ABOUT JENNIFER: Jennifer Orr is an elementary school teacher in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. She has taught for more than two decades in almost every elementary grade at schools serving highly diverse populations. She has experience with students who are learning English; in special education and advanced academic programs; and from military families. CONTACT INFORMATION jennorr.com Twitter:  @jenorr PURCHASE THE BOOK: ASCD; Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Gillis (Manchester School District), Sydney Leggett (SAU 75), and Meredith Nadeau (SAU 21), the original organizers of the NH Women in Educational Leadership Initiative, share the challenges for women in educational leadership. Contact Information: Dr. Jennifer Gillis - jgillis@mansd.org;  Dr. Sydney Leggett - sleggett@sau75.org; Meredith Nadeau - mnadeau@sau21.org

"Although a content-neutral approach to supervision—one that emphasizes general pedagogical features such as student engagement, cognitive load, or classroom management—is undoubtedly beneficial, the best instructional leaders know that content-specific approaches are necessary to achieve real excellence."  Listen to Dr. Rebecca Lowenhaupt and Dr. Rebecca Katsch-Singer share their insights and strategies from their work in the Instructional Leadership for Science Project (ILSP) and their book, The Instructional Leader's Guide to Implementing K-8 Science. Buy the book at ASCD, Amazon, Barnes & Nobel Website:  https://www.sciencepracticesleadership.com

Kathy Perret and Kenny McKee join the podcast to discuss dealing with barriers teachers face and the corresponding ways that coaches can help teachers surmount them.  They share insights from their new book, Compassionate Coaching: How Educators Navigate the Barriers to Professional Growth. Contact Information: Kathy Perret - kathyperretconsulting@gmail.com; Kenny McKee - Kennethcmckee@gmail.com Websites:  Kathy:  https://www.kathyperret.org; Kenny - https://kennycmckee.com Twitter:  Kathy - @KathyPerret; Kenny - @kennycmckee #educoach – a Twitter chat devoted to the topic of instructional coaching that is held every Wednesday at 8 pm CST/9:00 pm EST Purchase Book through ASCD Amazon Barnes & Noble

Jennifer Abrams, the author of Learning to Have Hard Conversations and Swimming in the Deep End, discusses her new book Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing (Up) at Work Contact information:  email - jennnifer@jenniferabrams.com or (605)868-1916 Website:  https://jenniferabrams.com/ Buy the book is at www.miravia.com/products/stretching-your-learning-edges-growing-up-at-work/ E-Book is at https://redshelf.com/book/1827571 In February Jennifer starts a new workshop series on the book is at https://miravia.regfox.com/stretching-your-learning-edges-2022

Katie Pagnotta, the owner of Resilient Roots, PLLC, is a NH licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC), certified NH school counselor, parent coach, consultant, and social-emotional learning (SEL) enthusiast.  Listen to Katie share how to support resiliency skills through integrating SEL throughout the school. Contact Information: resilientrootsccc@gmail.com

The Mindful Learners Collaborative team (Dr. Lisa Fermia-Hou, Kim Wyborney, and Jon Verity) discuss how schools work around the present-day situations and the need for students, staff, and administrators to build connections. Website:  https://mindfullearnersnh.com Contact Information:   Lisa@MindfulLearnersNH.com \

Whether it's planning and delivering instruction or just interacting with others throughout the day, every action you take is an opportunity to demonstrate empathy toward your students, your colleagues, and yourself.  Author Lisa Westman shares her motivation for writing this new ASCD book and explores three types of empathy within the educational experience. Contact Information email:  lisa@lisawestmanconsulting.com website:  lisawestman.com Purchase the book at ASCD,  Amazon

When leading in a school, everyday events and the chaos of life can sometimes get in the way of remembering what inspired you to become a school leader.  So, how can you regain that sense of purpose, renewal, and inspiration? Co-authors Vicki Bautista and Gretchen Oltman discuss their new ASCD book, What's Your Leadership Story?  A School Leader's Guide to Aligning How Your Lead with Who You Are to address that question. About our guests Gretchen Oltman is an author, attorney, and educator. She works as an associate professor of interdisciplinary studies at Creighton University, where she leads a program for graduate students pursuing degrees in leadership. Prior to this, she was a high school English teacher. She holds a law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law, a PhD in educational studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an MA in teaching from the University of Louisville, and a BA in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is the author or co-author of Violence in Student Writing, Law Meets Literature, The Supreme 15, The Themes That Bind Us, and Prepare to Chair. She regularly presents for ASCD, the Education Law Association, and the National Council for Teachers of English.  Gretchen can be reached at GretchenOltman@creighton.edu. Vicki Bautista is an assistant professor at Creighton University in the department of interdisciplinary studies. She serves as the assistant director for the MS program in integrative health and wellness. She received a BA from the University of Texas–El Paso in health science with a minor in community health and her MA from the University of Nebraska Omaha in health education. She earned her EdD in interdisciplinary leadership at Creighton University, focusing on department chairs and well-being. Prior to working at Creighton, she was employed in a variety of health promotion settings including nonprofit, government, and research in the high school setting. She presents regularly on the topics of leadership and well-being, self-care, and personal leadership philosophies.  Vicki can be reached at VickiBautista@creighton.edu Order the Book at ASCD

Co-authors Tammy Musiowsky-Borneman and Christine Arnold discuss their new book The Minimalist Teacher.  Tammy and Christine have developed a way to bring a minimalist mindset to the classroom and shed the burden of too many initiatives, strategies, and things in general. Their Triple P process helps teachers declutter in three steps: identify something's purpose, prioritize what is important, and pare down to essentials. Because the Triple P process emphasizes structured and candid self-reflection to determine what is essential, meaningful, and useful—and then discard what is extraneous—The Minimalist Teacher can be adapted to the physical classroom environment, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and more. Order the book through ASCD.   Learn More 

In this episode, Sarah Kunyosying and Susanna Hargreaves from the Amherst (NH) School District share their experiences with conducting an audit of their school's library collection to ensure a range of diverse experiences, voices, and experiences within a culture and group.

In this episode, we are excited for you to hear from co-authors Starr Sackstein and Karen Terwilliger as they discuss their new book Hacking Learning Centers in Grades 6-12.  Starr and Karen share their journey in the use of learning centers at the middle and secondary levels as well as how learning centers transform a classroom into a dynamic learning experience. Contact Information     Starr Sackstein           *email - mssackstein@gmail.com  *website - mssackstein.com  *Twitter - @Ms Sackstein     Karen Terwilliger             *email - kterwilliger005@gmail.com Buy the book Hacking Learning Centers in Grades 6-12           Times10Publications  OR   Amazon

Co-authors Megan Kortlandt, Carly Stone, and Samantha Keesling discuss the flexible structure for collaborative professional learning that they call the principal lab, in which K-12 principals learn with and from each other to become better instructional leaders. The authors are available for keynotes, workshops, coaching, and consulting. Contact Information: Samantha Keesling -      email - SamanthaKeesling1@gmail.com      Twitter - @Keesling_Math Megan Kortlandt      email: megankortlandt@gmail.com      Twitter: @megankortlandt Carly Stone       email:  carlystone3@gmail.com       Twitter: @CarlyStone_PL Buy the book at          ASCD,  Amazon, or Barnes & Noble

We begin Season 2 by featuring educators Constance Borro and Starr Sackstein. Constance is the founder and CEO of Mastery Portfolio which is an interactive software application that breaks down student grades on standards/competencies and not numbers. Its mission is to provide a means for motivation and equity through grading practices. Starr is COO of the company and a nationally renowned author, speaker, and educational thought leader. Ms. Borro and Ms. Sackstein discuss the idea of standards-based grading and reporting along with the benefits to students, teachers, and parents. Contact information:   constance@masteryportfolio.com starr@masteryportfolio.com Website: https://masteryportfolio.com/

Dr. Peter Michael Plourde is the director of faculty development at the University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC), teaches mathematics, and to the general public and to many of his students, is known as Professor Lyrical for his work as a hip-hop artist.  Join Dr. Randy Wormald and Executive Director Jan Yost for an interview with Prof. Lyrical and a discussion on the intersection of education and hip-hop. Website:  https://www.professorlyrical.com/ YouTube Playlist:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzwYaIlrCDBBEnWDbMf9-ow

Dr. Cara Procek, SNHU Professor of Education, shares some of the challenges that faced education students during the pandemic.

Listen to Stephanie Malia Krauss speak about her new book, Making It:  What Today's Kids Need For Tomorrow's World in which she goes beyond the question of what young people need to succeed in school, to ask what they need to be ready for life. RESOURCES Stephanie's website Purchase the book at Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million

Author Starr Sackstein talks about her newest book and offers best practices for results as SEL needs become more and more important. RESOURCES about Assessing with Respect:  Everyday Practices that Meet Students' Social and Emotional Needs order Assessing with Respect:  Everyday Practices that Meet Students' Social and Emotional Needs (Be sure to include our affiliate's PASS code, NHAFF , when you order Starr's book!) Starr Sackstein's website

We all know social-emotional learning is of the utmost importance, but what is the best way to teach it to our students?  Listen to teacher, author, and consultant, Elizabeth Peterson, share what SEAL is, the benefits of integrating the arts with SEL, and how to get started. RESOURCES Teach SEAL The Inspired Classroom

Join teacher, author, and consultant Elizabeth Peterson as she discusses how arts integration helps students engage in content and deepen their learning.

This episode is sponsored by Eduplanet21. Listen to Krista Leh, educator, adjunct professor, and educational consultant specializing in SEL, share tips, stories, and strategies that you can do to support SEL, build capacity and integrate SEL into the culture of the school.  She also discusses the role of an SEL Coach and teams. Krista is the founder of Resonance Education Inc RESOURCES Krista Leh's eduplanet21 SEL Institute eduplanet21 Navigating SEL From The Inside Out (Elementary School Focus) pdf

Teacher coach, ASCD and EdWeek Classroom author and ASCD Emerging Leader (class of 2014) Tammy Musiowsky-Borneman is this episode's guest speaker. Tune in to listen to Tammy discuss the importance of classroom culture and best practices for student engagement. FUTURE RESOURCE The Minimalist Teacher co-authored by Tammy and published by ASCD in June 2020.

Educators of all types - classroom teachers, administrators, support staff, coaches - are feedback-providers in various ways. Feedback is critical to the learning process at all stages. And yet, traditional feedback focuses on what the word describes, looking back. Lindsay Prendergast, discusses the impact of a mindset shift towards "feedforward" and the resulting impact our language and practices can have on student learning. RESOURCES Email:  lindspren@gmail.com, Twitter @lindspren Website, www.gradingforlearning.com The Feedback Fix by John Hirsch

Glenn Whitman, Director of The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Md., where he also teaches history joins us to discuss neuroscience in teaching and the Neuroteach Global Project. Resources The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning Neuroeducation Confidence Diagnostic (free measurement of current MBE knowledge and translation confidence) Neuroteach Global Pilot Access program (free for public and charter school teacher cohorts) Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academies An Educational Neuroscience Research Base to Get Your Started

Melody Arabo, EdReports Outreach Specialist and US Department of Education Teacher Ambassador Fellow, shares insights on why quality curricular materials matter and how EdReports can be used as a foundation for conversations about your curriculum. EdReports Fordham Institute Report The Opportunity Myth

Dr. Monica Burns, ASCD author and faculty member,  shares strategies and tech tips for encouraging student participation and engagement, inviting student collaboration, assessing and providing feedback, and building relationships with families. EPISODE RESOURCES Monica Burns' Website         On-Demand Video Tailoring Classroom Technology Tips for Learning Outside the Classroom - an archived presentation with handouts.          Books (Click to find each book on Amazon) Tasks Before Apps: Designing Rigorous Learning in a Tech-Rich Classroom 40 Ways to Inject Creativity into Your Classroom with Adobe Spark NEW: Classroom Technology Tips (Quick Reference Guide) NEW: Distance Learning Essentials (Quick Reference Guide) #FormativeTech: Meaningful, Sustainable, and Scalable Formative Assessment With Technology Deeper Learning With QR Codes and Augmented Reality: A Scannable Solution for Your Classroom.

Author, consultant, and NHASCD member, Mike Anderson (@balancedteacher) discusses health and balance in teaching.  Mike talks about some main areas of teacher wellness that are especially important right now and suggests small steps that both teachers and school leaders can take.  EPISODE RESOURCES To learn more about the Beat Teacher Burnout Institute, click here.  Get a 25% discount, if you are an NHASCD Member.  Contact Jan Yost to get the discount code. (nhascd@nhascd.org) Mike Anderson's Website

NHASCD President-Elect Steve Lebel and Executive Director, Jan Yost were invited by and joined our friends from MEASCD to talk about tips for remote teaching.  We joined MEASCD President Matt Drewette-Card and Executive Director, Dr. Leigh Alley for this informative episode.  Take a listen!

Author and consultant, Mike Anderson and NHASCD President, Steve Tucker, discuss the challenges of self-directed learning during the COVID-19 crisis. How do we support true self-direction (not simple compliance) in students as they work from home? What are some practical strategies teachers can try? They also discuss how to support self-directed learning in ways that are manageable and not overwhelming for teachers.

Dana Foulds, NHASCD Treasurer and Digital Learning Specialist at Broken Ground Elementary School (Concord, NH), shares information about the journey she and her team took after attending a webinar series on Social-Emotional Learning. EPISODE RESOURCES NHASCD Website - Resources   Category: Professional Learning and Tag:  Social-Emotional Learning