Over the last year leaders across the education world have been challenged in ways they could have never imagined, but with challenges came a lot learning. As we mark one full year of educating through Covid-19 and the year begins to come to an end, it's time for educators to reflect on what worked and what did not work. One thing we know is we can't go back to the way it was, we have to use this experience to continue implementing some of the things we have learned over the last year in education. In this episode the crew reflects on the learning and encourages other leaders to do the same.  

A crisis is a time for leadership, and there are leaders that are ready to step to the plate and others that are not. While there are "leaders" among us each day, which ones can lead from a Meta-Leadership perspective that can think outside the box to solve pending issues for those that surround them? The crew is back in studio to discuss meta-leadership and how it relates to education and leadership in general. During the episode they mention the following two articles as reference....
The Importance of Meta-Leadership During the Covid-19 Crisis
American Psychological Association

After months of focusing on their careers, the crew was back together to kick off the new year to hold a therapy session. Dr. Bain, Dr. Luhning, and Dr. Welborn all shared their thoughts on the current reality of education and what is going on inside our buildings. A couple of the items discussed:
- The focus on learning we THOUGHT we would have this year.
- "It's ok just being ok this year"
- Being able to realize what you thought it would be is not, and being humble to admit being wrong and need to switch course.
- Pull from yourself to help the others around you.
- The "Educational Debt" of learning that is accruing over time.

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As leaders and educators, are you opening or closing doors of opportunity for your students? What do your students really need from the adults in your building? As educators and leaders, we are responsible for developing students for future experiences. Those experiences will be in places and with people that come from all different backgrounds and cultures. Dr. Jaime Welborn and special guest Dr. Marshaun Warren discuss their work focused on cultural proficiency and how they are leading districts and schools to be more culturally proficient in all aspects. To register for their upcoming events please visit this link: Cultural Proficiency In You and Our Organization

We are back!!! Developing a Leadership Legacy is our content subject for today. Answer this question. If someone had to MC your retirement dinner and they had never met you before, what would they learn about you as they prepared? What would people say about your character, your leadership, and on and on? We are creating our leadership legacy right now, and every day we add to it both negatively and positively. Dr. Dustin Bain is flying solo on this podcast and speaks about an amazing experience he had back in December that led to this content. 

School leaders are currently dealing with unprecedented times in their schools. As leaders we have a choice to make, is this going to be a negative or positive experience for those we lead? Dr. Welborn, Dr. Luhning, and Dr. Bain discuss how this time in history can be an opportunity for us to be creative in our leadership. The team discusses how we can amplify student voice, support our staff and parents, and be the leader we have been chosen to be during this time. This episode provides practical ideas you can implement moments after you complete listening. 

School leaders and staff members are faced with educating our students among the COVID-19 virus. This type of challenge comes with no playbook or guide on how to best support our schools. Dr. Welborn, Dr. Luhning, and Dr. Bain discuss how they are helping lead their school communities through this difficult time. In addition, could what we are doing now to connect and educate our students be a lesson to what school should really look like moving forward? Please join the team as they analyze the challenge of COVID-19 as it stands on March 22, 2020. 

Dr. Bain, Dr. Welborn, and Dr. Luhning sit down to discuss the interview and hiring season that is upon us. The beginning of the calendar year in education brings the movement of new hires and the potential of movement among teachers and administrators. The crew sits down to discuss what candidates can do to prepare for their next position and how we can best hire candidates that support our current culture in the building. 

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a topic that has been revisited, revised, implemented, and analyzed for years in schools. Creating plans to address the individual learning needs of students is at the forefront of every educational leader across America. Dr. Dustin Bain is joined by guest Dr. Craig Hamby, Director of Elementary Education in Lindbergh Schools. Dr. Hamby and Dr. Bain sit down to discuss how recently Dr. Hamby has developed a new outlook and approach to RTI in his schools. The discussion walks through the philosophy and implementation of RTI moving forward. 

Setting goals that assist in an organization moving forward are essential, but then the reality of everyday craziness intervenes on our focus of meeting those goals. How many times have we been the leader at the front of the room or the leader sitting in the crowd hearing what our goals are for the year, and then we never hear about them again. Dr. Ryan Luhning and Dr. Dustin Bain discuss how leaders can stay focused on goals as the ebb and flow of the year comes at us. Dr. Dustin Bain references the following podcast: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/55-the-art-of-energy-management/id1070649025?i=1000453044266

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-264-jeff-spencer/id1341346059?i=1000452857166

Are teachers working twice as hard today as they ever have? That's a question posed within the podcast and it leads to an in-depth discussion on the role of an educator around the social/emotional needs of students and the culture we are building as leaders. Show Co-Host Dr. Jaime Welborn had a recent article published in the Education Leadership Review https://www.icpel.org/uploads/1/5/6/2/15622000/elr_volume_20_1__fall_2019.pdf. Dr. Welborn completed research on a school district's journey toward becoming culturally proficient. Dr. Welborn shares some of the results from her research and a framework to help guide educators on creating equitable school environments.