Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast. This is a weekly show is for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker? A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.
Up next you can hear Daniel Bauer’s interview with Rebecca Roper. They explore interesting topics such as how she starts each day, a program called the Principal Apprenticeship and her taking action on a letter activity Daniel described in the School Leadership Series.
We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com
For the last 17 years, Rebecca has worked in two different counties in VA. She’s currently the Principal at Donahoe Elementary School in Henrico County, VA and is in her fourth year leading this Title I school. Donahoe has 530 students, ranging from Pre-k to 5th grade. Prior to this, Rebecca served as the Associate Principal of Ward Elementary School in Henrico County, the Assistant Principal of Beaverdam Elementary in Hanover County, and 2nd and 3rd grade teacher at Pole Green Elementary in Hanover County.
Outside of work, Rebecca loves to start her day by working out and end it by reading. She enjoys baking for others and spending time with my family especially her two fabulous boys.
Rebecca takes us on a journey of her perfect day at work with waking up early and exercising to get in the right headspace. She arrives to work early before her teachers and organized things for the day. Next she greets the students with music, high fives, dancing to get in the mood for school. Rebecca tries to spend the rest of her day where the students are.
“One of the favorite things I love about my day is when I have a principal apprentice. We are a PBIS school and my students can use dolphin dollars they get for their awesome behavior and they can purchase 20 minutes they can spend with me as the principal apprentice.” - Rebecca Roper
Students love being a principal apprentice. Rebecca allows students to spend 20 minutes of their day with her holding her walkie, carrying her lanyard and experiencing that time with the principal. The students perspective is that she is on the phone a lot, in classrooms, run a fire drill’ whatever the day may bring. Students pay 80 dolphin dollars for this experience.
“When I ask them why do you think I am in the classrooms they say because we want to make sure that the kids are learning and you are watching the teachers and what they are teaching. Sometimes you have to talk to kids about their behavior.” - Rebecca Roper
Rebecca had her staff envision what type of year they had and write a letter to themselves about what they experienced. The letter was addressed to dear future self to describe the year the had, their successes, their achievements. The staff put the letters in a bag and Rebecca will give them back at the end of the year.
“They talked about how it was such a powerful activity. I gave them the choice of either putting the note away and I would give it to them at the end of the year or if they wanted me to read it and give them an idea of what they’re working towards where I can encourage them.” - Rebecca Roper
Transformative Principal:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/transformative-principal/id770942472?mt=2
Cult of Pedagogy
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cult-of-pedagogy-podcast/id900015782?mt=2
Rise Podcast
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/rise-podcast/id1245763628?mt=2
Join my hybrid group coaching & leadership development community
Website :: Facebook :: Insta :: Twitter :: LinkedIn
You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/
You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://teachfx.com/
Copyright © 2018 Better Leaders Better Schools
Welcome to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast. This is a weekly show is for ruckus makers -- What is a ruckus maker? A leader who has found freedom from the status quo. A leader looking to escape the old routine. A leader who never, ever gives up.
Up next you can hear Daniel Bauer’s interview with his friend Jennifer Abrams. She’s been on the show three times and has a new book out called Swimming in the Deep End. This book helps leaders escape the old routine. Keep listening and you’ll learn how to drive change and break from tradition in today’s podcast.
We hope you enjoy the podcast. All the highlights, resources, and next steps can be found below. Listen to the full episode here and learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com
Jennifer Abrams, a former English teacher and new teacher coach, is currently a communications consultant who works with educators and others on new employee support, being generationally savvy, effective collaboration skills, having hard conversations and creating identity safe workplaces.
Jennifer’s publications include Having Hard Conversations, The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicate, Collaborate & Create Community and Hard Conversations Unpacked - the Whos, Whens and What Ifs. Her new book Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives which released March 29th.
Jennifer does not want anyone to feel like they are drowning when they initiate change. She wants you to build up your ability to swim in the deep end. You may not be able to start in the shallows because an initiative has to happen now and there is an urgency for students. But you can work with someone or put on floaties to get to the deep end and while you are working in the deep end.
“I think that anytime we are working with adults to roll out bigger scale things in a school, in a department or in a district, we are not in the shallow end anymore. We are looking at some work that requires a little bit more strength, a little bit more skill set and there are times when your feet aren’t touching the ground.”
- Jennifer Abrams
Jennifer talks about the 4 foundational skills of how to make change.
Jennifer thinks that understanding others is a practical way to start to make change. Consider if people will push back and say they need more knowledge when you roll things out for the first time. Ask yourself what is the purpose, who is going to help me, and are they credible, will I be trained, and how does this connect to the culture I signed up for. People may be more willing to jump into the deep end if these are answered.
“If the person who is trying to roll out this initiative can anticipate those and can have answer to those before they start the initiative it might assist in making it more palatable.” - Jennifer Abrams
Jennifer encourages everyone to take a half a day with those people that will be in the deep end with you and craft the message that you are all on the same boat it is well worth it. Get out of your office and take 3 hours and put energy into it so the message is consistent. Unifying is worth your time.
Swimming in the Deep End by Jennifer Abrams
Hard Conversations Unpacked by Jennifer Abrams
Hard Conversations Unpacked - The Whos, the Whens and the What-Ifs by Jennifer B. Abrams
The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicate, Collaborate, and Create Community by Jennifer Abrams and Valerie Von Frank
You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/
Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools
Known as ‘The Connection Coach’, Tara Brown is an award-winning educator, author and international speaker whose 30-year professional journey has taken her from rural Florida to gang territory in California and to one of the largest high schools in Tennessee with over 43 countries represented. Her international engagements have included Dubai and Beirut, training both educators and students. Tara believes strongly in the power of connections and that a major key to reaching kids is the ability to build positive relationships.
Whether here or abroad, Tara’s passion and humor continues to drive her work to better equip adults with the ability to connect with youth in order to unleash their true potential. She is committed to helping strengthen organizations ‘One connection at a time’. Buckle up....because you are about to get ‘Tara-Ized!’
“We are world-class dopamine slingers committed to putting kids before content.”
-Tara Brown
Website :: Facebook :: Insta :: Twitter :: LinkedIn
You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/
Copyright © 2019 Better Leaders Better Schools
Barry Saide has been in education for 18 years. He currently serves as Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Tabernacle School District, in Tabernacle, New Jersey. He is a current board member for NJASCD, is an ASCD Emerging Leader, and ASCD Influence Leader. He is a former elementary school teacher, supervisor of curriculum and instruction, and adjunct college professor. He's served on educator work groups for the New Jersey Department of Education, and advised on policy for The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Great Schools!, and National Council for Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Connect with Barry via Twitter @barrykid1 or his website, barrysaide.com.
Join my hybrid group coaching & leadership development community
Website :: Facebook :: Insta :: Twitter :: LinkedIn
You can learn more and improve your student’s success at https://organizedbinder.com/
Copyright © 2018 Better Leaders Better Schools