EEpisode #296: Josh Korb
https://outofthetrenches.podbean.com/e/episode-296-josh-korb/
Josh Korb is the author of the newly released “Be the Cause: Educator’s Guide to EFFECTive Instruction”. He is a dynamic and multifaceted educator, passionately strives to revolutionize the world of education. Beginning his career as a math teacher, Josh’s innate drive to innovate led him to become a Director of Technology and Innovation. This role allowed him to merge his love for teaching with his profound experience in instructional technology, in hopes of transforming the educational landscape.
As an accomplished author, educational consultant, and captivating speaker, Josh shares his insights on the intersection of technology and education, inspiring audiences and unboxing potential. His ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and conviction has cemented his reputation as a thought leader in his educational community.
In addition, Josh’s entrepreneurial spirit and software engineering skills gave birth to Master3DU Inc., an EdTech startup with a mission to empower leaders, teachers, and students through mastery-based teaching and learning. This venture has positioned Josh as a pioneer in the edtech space, garnering accolades and inspiration.
In addition to his many accomplishments, Josh’s dedication to continuous learning is evident in his pursuit of a doctorate degree. As a doctoral candidate, he further explores the transformative power of technology in education and standards-based learning, honing his skills as a trailblazer in the industry.
Throughout his career, Josh Korb has proven himself to be an unstoppable force for change in education. By empowering others to embrace innovation and harness the power of technology, he continues to ignite the potential of countless leaders, educators, and students.
Trench story: When he became a teacher, he just wanted st’s to understand math, didn’t do anything extra. Had an accident 10 yrs ago, took 10 months to get back to walking & talking,
He wanted to make a difference after this, someone will look back and see the difference we make and influence we have on their lives. Every t has that opportunity. Small changes can add up to monumental shift for a kid.
Talk about your book: Be the Cause: Educator’s Guide to EFFECTive Instruction: stems from idea that t’s have a large impact that they may not seeing their lifetime. His mom was a music teacher, she connected w/ st’s on a deep level. He hears from former st’s of hers. Him & dad would skip rocks when he was little, a little pebble can cause a ripple effect. Approach lesson planning, interaction w/ st’s. Book is in 2 parts: EFFECT framework, how do we increase st engagement, foster productivity, etc. Research based best practices. Good for working in PLC’s and grade-level teams on.First part-being the cause, not waiting for the cause to happen. Effect framework-engagement, fostering creativity, collaboration, interpersonal skills, it all adds up to a transformative experience. Second part- putting theory into practice. It’s like a handbook: cause the effect. The why, the how & the right now. Individual lessons you can do that are research-based. Find even a small change that works. (Put link to book in show notes)
Doctoral candidate in Instructional Technology at Walden University is starting the writing piece. Will take another 1.5 yrs. Has done all the prep work. Focusing on digital badging K-12. Mastery report card-it’s how we assess & determine what child is able to do. Firefox & Mozilla came out w/ digital badging in 2010-like Google Apps, Apple Certification. Standards-based learning pair well w/ digital badging for students. His final product is case students, action research around digital badging, Marzano’s template.
Master3DU Inc., an EdTech startup with a mission to empower leaders, teachers, and students through mastery-based teaching and learning: started at the onset of COVID. What if a student could look at his device to track where they are in their standards? Figured out a way to reach parents w/o putting a grade on things. Why would be used this over traditional grading? Was a customized platform for the district. Even KG could look at and know what standards they were responsible for. Sticks most to K-5 range. Used in 4 different states.
Current title is: Director of Technology and Innovation does PD for the district, now in 2 yrs. Prior to that, was HS math teacher, MS Computer science, instructional coach. Conglomeration of lots of different things. Works w/ assist supt. on curriculum development, leads EdTech PD across the district. His perspective has to shift based on who he is giving PD to. He’s like Grover from Sesame Street- “Near and Far” clip. Looks at long-range district planning.
Is drafting a larger website that’s an extension of the book. Site is live now. Wants to talk about strategies to use AI. His site will be a central hub where ppl can come. Videos/online courses- will coincide w/ launch- mid-late May. Other part of site will be avail when book launches. We work together to achieve the common good. As a team, everyone achieves more.
out of everything: Idea of Chaos Theory-analogy of butterfly in one part of the world that causes a tsunami, We’re able to inspire a fire inside our kids every day. You may never see the impact of our work.
Where can ppl find you online: www.youcanbethecause.com is on social @mrjkorb on X IG: @MrJoshKorb he can keynote/lead PD. www.joshkorb.org View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QXy1GWNciVI
Episode #298: Danny Bauer
https://outofthetrenches.podbean.com/e/episode-298-danny-bauer/
Danny Bauer -2nd time as guest, to discuss new book Build Leadership Momentum: was on episode #42 in Feb ‘21
Danny Bauer is a
- Principal Development & Retention Expert
- Best Selling Author
- And Host of Two of the World’s Most Downloaded Podcasts
- As the Chief Ruckus Maker, he founded Better Leaders Better Schools in 2015.
Trench story in relation to the writing process, or other in past 2+ yrs. His 2nd book Mastermind: Unlocking School Talent within Every School Leader; the ABC’s of school leadership. He tried to write to too many audiences. First few drafts were thrown out. Stopped writing. went to park with his dog Alba. Cleared mind, created space. Needed a framework of why the framework of masterminds’ work. Book was supposed to be released 3-4 months before it came out.
Book talk: Much of your new book Build Leadership Momentum: How to Create the Perfect Principal Entry Plan which talks about building positive culture, setting the stage for success the first 91+ days of a new (or continuing) principals’ job. Delegating tasks to co-create an extraordinary culture. It’s a short and easy read (like my book!) that principals can use to work with their teams in delegating and developing/executing their 90-day plan. His book is conversational, to-the-point. Advice you’d give to a new principal taking over for someone who left the school with poor culture and little staff-staff or admin-staff connections: He wanted to deliver a result in as few words as possible. read book in 1 hr-2 hours to implement a strategic plan. Content came from an online challenge-60-90 m on how to create your entry plan. John Unger was one of the participants. When he implemented his template, John’s stress level was lower.
How is this entry plan different from others they may have access to or have inherited: we’re all playing a game, it’ll give you blank canvas to paint from. What’s in and out of bounds. Book includes surveys, getting to know staff better. What if teacher appreciation week were every week? Show up for your staff weekly.
Talk about pairing down to Scale up Operations: Everything can’t be included in a 90-day plan. Antoine St. Exupéry quote. Green Eggs & Ham was less than 50 words- playing w/in boundaries helps you be more creative. He likes to do things that don’t scale. Danny wants to serve 5k leaders. Right now, he can personally sign books people buy.
If your book was a joke, what would be the punchline? Everything is a joke. Danny lives by Rule #6-don’t take yourself too seriously. Very few principals actually have an entry plan. Those that do are part of top 1%. You could do entry plan for 4 quarters. 90-day timeframe is perfect. Not too far away.
What are resources one can find on www.buildleadershipmomentum.com? when book was launched, there were bonuses, autographed copies. Blank template entry. 12-month principal checklist. Ruckus Maker Mindset Tool. Taking the temperature, belonging, othering activity. Delegation spreadsheet, etc.
Speaking availability? Upcoming conferences? Upcoming live event in July 12-14 in Nashville around NAESP/NASSP (instead of Moab, as was mentioned on recording). Topic is leadership confidence. What sets them apart is this one has an adventure component. You learn a lot about leadership. Put into practice w/in 72 hours. reach out 312-788-7595. This may be for 50 ppl only. Ruckus maker Mastermind- stay tuned and follow Danny for more info about possible deep work days coming up. During those, he incorporates strategic thinking, collaboration with other mastermind members.
Out of everything? it’s about the intentionality. Not enough leaders create deep work days. Significant work & where it exists. Don’t get pulled into day-to-day operations. Block off time for strategic thinking.
Where can ppl find you online? www.betterleadersbetterschools.com FB@dannybauer X/IG: @heydannybauer
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AWnFmvTUNW4
Episode #299: Tom Hoerr
https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-5b94y-1612223
Tom Hoerr led schools for 37 years and is now a Scholar In Residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he teaches prospective principals. Tom began as a teacher and then moved into a leadership role as a principal in the School District of University City. He worked with the Pershing School faculty to achieve significant improvements in student performance at the same time that the school population became more impoverished. In 1981, Tom became the head of the New City School in St. Louis, a school founded on a commitment to progressive learning and respect for human diversity. During Tom’s 34 years at New City, the school raised funds to renovate the building, expand the campus, refurbish the theater, build the MI library, and establish an endowment for need-based financial aid. He was given Emeritus status when he retired in 2015.
Tom has written five books – The Formative Five: Fostering Grit, Empathy, and Other Success Skills Every Student Needs; Becoming a Multiple Intelligences School; The Art of School Leadership; School Leadership for the Future; and Fostering Grit: How do I prepare my students for the real world? – and more than 120 articles or book chapters. He has been the author of “The Principal Connection” column in Educational Leadership since 2004.
Tom holds a PhD in Educational Planning and Policy-Development from Washington University in St. Louis, an MEd in Educational Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and a BA in Education from Harris Teachers College.
Trenches story: will problem share about writing his last book- is biased for ch. 2, looked at first year as a principal and all the mistakes he made, that it never occurred to him to have empathy. Any job of being a leader, when you’re successful you’re not. He does presentations to principals. Ends with slide with a photo pf cafeteria trays. He shares a story about being at a principal’s conference where room was packed 3:00 on a Friday. Talk was about how they managed stress. 1 principal said he managed getting the right answer with the cafeteria trays- getting kids to put 100% of trays away when they eat. He’s not satisfied with 95%-his stress level goes to the ceiling- recognize excellence vs. participation. His trench story is trying to recognize when you can’t settle for excellence. Looking @ how far you get striving for excellence.
Latest book, Principal as Chief Empathy Officer. A few days ago did a zoom with principals in NY. Has talked about empathy in general, multiple intelligences. Fostering Grit, Formative Five– 5 success skills to develop in students regardless of who you are. We as a profession need to be looking @ ppl we create. His book was very successful. Taking Social-Emotional Learning School-Wide-as he was writing it- kept coming back to the principal. What the world needs is more empathy. Not just for principals. Leadership is based on relationships. We can each develop our own empathy. Many ppl do naturally. His goal isn’t to be an academic. Here are some tactics you can use as leader.
He’s observed that in his classes about Perspective Principals, that ppl in education are bringing stressors. Excellence vs perfection- we do what works. 1 exercise- he talks about the bubble-media biases us. Schools can bias us. Part of the role achieving empathy officer is how can you create a bond. Suggestion- principals don’t have lots of time but what was really helpful for him was to belong to a book group-every 6 wks. Talk about leadership with non-educators.
Virtual & in-person speaking events- several x’s monthly– main topics he presents on. Embeds SEL concepts, helps ppl to learn from another- no matter how good a speaker is, he wants to connect with ppl around him. Learning should be a constructive process. How can you change the culture within your school? He teaches on culture- Taking Social Emotional Learning School-Wide, uses Formative Five to embrace culture as a lens. Improving culture- creating a place where we’re all on the same team. Small thing- building a culture of gratitude. What can you do with staff- his recipe is to have every mtg begin with 90 sec. of gratitude. Establishing a culture of appreciation & gratitude. You can turn your culture. The “but” is “I don’t have enough time”. You don’t have enough time NOT to do it. Get a few ppl on board- there will be naysayers. Will change the norm over time.
Part of building community- he does a class on school culture; he’ll give an assignment- the students will come with a photo on their laptop & will talk about where they went on vacation.
At univ. he & colleague will start an all-virtual doctorate-students in year 1. They may start one in Jan. 2025- leadership, SEL. He’s been teaching virtually since 2020. However, it’s easy to build community only looking at the screen. Most students are currently in teaching roles.
Out of everything: we can each make change- the system may be difficult. We need to see where we can make a difference. Maybe it’s with the whole school. We have the obligation to bring our talents to the table.
Where can ppl find you online: www.thomashoerr.com email: trhoerr@aol.com
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KyNGg1KGzC0
Episode #301: AJ Bianco
https://outofthetrenches.podbean.com/e/episode-301-aj-bianco/
AJ Bianco: husband, and proud father of three, who has dedicated his professional life to the field of education. Currently serving as the Assistant Principal at East Brook Middle School in New Jersey, AJ brings experience and a passion for innovative teaching practices to his role.
One of AJ’s primary areas of focus is on empowering and supporting educators. He takes great pride in coaching teachers, guiding them towards strategies that not only elevate their teaching skills but also maximize the potential of their students. AJ is a firm believer in the transformative power of technology in the classroom and consistently advocates for its integration to enhance the learning experience.
Known for his commitment to progressive educational approaches, AJ champions Blended Learning practices, Personalized Learning, Project-Based Learning, and the Flipped Classroom model. He believes in tailoring teaching methods to the unique needs of each student, fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.
AJ’s influence extends beyond the school walls through his engagement with the education community. An avid podcast listener himself, AJ is not only the host of the ReflectEd Podcast but also the co-host of PodcastPD. Through these platforms, he shares his insights, interviews thought leaders, and explores the latest trends in education, all with the goal of inspiring and informing educators worldwide. To further extend his impact,
Trench story: His Co-host Chris Nessy- public perception of t’s is so different. As t, he taught from textbook, taught to a test. looks at first 5 yrs, would tell himself that he would “get there”. Never thought he was perfect teacher. He based what he was doing on many models, but used the Flipped Classroom, blended w/ station learning. Didn’t like giving HW. Don’t do just 1 thing that drives every st.
4th year as AP at current school-first 5 yrs- was where he grew up. Was consistently budget cut. Another 5 yrs at other school. Coached to become PD coordinator, didn’t like it, went back to CR for another 5 yrs.Became supervisor of curriculum /tech. Good mix of adult learning. Hasn’t done a ton of PD this year.
Personalized learning, How does that play out when you’re coaching t’s in your school? It’s not so much choice boards, it’s what they can find to have kids get interested in learning. For example his 6th grade team. Start w/ something small, like tic-tac-toe board. St’s are presenting, creating podcasts. He helps t’s understand what they can do better. He tells t’s to “let st’s go”. He has a pretty good mix of new & veteran t’s. Most staff members are around 20 yrs in. Modeling w/ them about where they want to be & how they want to continue their career. Get out of their box. His building is 5-8th grade (very different than 6-8 school).Comfort starts coming out after first ½ the year.. As grades go down, the engagement goes down. Grade doesn’t matter to them. Trying to bring in more SEL. When he observes CR, t’s aren’t lecturing.
Podcast PD is a podcast focused on professional development for educators. Each episode features interviews with educators, experts, and thought leaders in the field of education, discussing a wide range of topics related to teaching and learning. Previous episodes include conversations about instructional strategies, classroom management, technology in education, educational policy, and more. The podcast is aimed at teachers, administrators, and other education professionals who are looking to stay current on the latest trends and research in the field, and to gain practical insights and strategies for improving their own practice. Whether you’re just starting out in your career or are a seasoned veteran of the classroom, PodcastPD has something for everyone. Podcast PD- 150+ episodes so far. They interview other guests or sometimes the 2 of them talk. It’s the PD you’d get from school but more fun. Lighter mood, etc. Record last Sund of every month, release week after.
PodcastPD is hosted by AJ Bianco and Christopher J. Nesi. ? Is the podcast still going? 8 yrs ago he & Stacy Linder, Chris connected, did Twitter chats from Podcast PD. Was a live show w/ Twitter Chat.
ReflectED was his personal podcast. Will get it going again soon- 15-20 episodes.
Workshop presentations: He sees himself as a servant/transformational leader. Used to do flipped CR, blended, personalized learning. Didn’t use the same presentation twice. Now, he focuses on leadership-relationship-building w/ students. Goes to local EdCamps, NJASCD, loves talking to pre-service t’s. Wants to center approach towards MS students & staff. Wants to learn/do, how to be the best. Not in Masterminds, etc. as his kids are in sports.
out of everything: message would be to find your passion- we got into the profession because we love st’s. Right now, educators are loosing their why. We have to keep pushing fwd. Build up what we started. If we loose our way, we’re not helping our students (highlight in notes).
Where can ppl find you online: AJ maintains an active online presence through his website and podcast at www.ajbianco.me. Here, he shares resources, reflections, and valuable content related to education and leadership. You can connect with AJ and join the conversation on all social media platforms by following X,FB, LinkedIn, IG @AJBianco or podcast PD. View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/X5fdbilWQqE
Episode #302: Jonathan Cranford
Episode #302: Johnathan Cranford | The Out of the Trenches Podcast (podbean.com)
Johnathan has seven years of experience as a special education teacher at a therapeutic campus for students with severe emotional disturbance and five more years as an in-school suspension teacher at two middle schools. After discovering how in-school suspension programs are failing to meet the needs of our most at-risk students, Johnathan created a trauma informed in-school suspension program to address the current disciplinary, academic, and SEL requirements of our student populations. After successfully establishing ISS programs on multiple campuses, he created a roadmap for others to follow in his latest book The Art of In-School Suspension.
Trenches story: first 7 yrs of teaching, was at therapeutic camp for soc-emotional needs. Was HS ELA teacher. Struggled the first 3 yrs. P.E. teaching position opened up for K-12. Thought was a perfect fit. Used Cross Fit for a kid’s program. A kid kicked another one who was on the floor doing push-ups, during station set up. That was his first day. Hard to keep them under control. The population was tough to work with. Worked in that position 2 yrs. Finally left the campus.
Wrote a book in 2017 about eating disorder, Sugar Demons, his plan was to teach nutrition science. Had an interview. Was only going to be 2 per. nutrition, and other courses. Lots of preps. His wife’s school had an ISS position open. Has been in ISS position the past 5 yrs. MS level. He’s an ISS trainer in the district. Trains other campuses. Every school in his district has a teacher for ISS teachers. 10 MS, 5 HS in his district (near Houston) they all have ISS teachers. Aldine in TX has just paras tho. He thinks it’s better w/ a certified teacher. It needs to be a strong person in the room to keep it academically focus. He’s seen paras who do a great job, they use a lot of SEL. What matters is the growth mindset of person in position. Better chance of getting a certified teacher in because of how much you ask the teachers.
Book- The Art of In-School Suspension– district saw that his school was doing it great. He’s been writing blogs, will provide an online course. The PD will be with implementation science- have ISS teacher take the course. You have a set of instructions, how to evaluate them, provide them with instructions. The course is in pre-sale. Everyone he talks to says this is so needed. He does trauma-informed ISS. In the book, there’s an uneven triangle. You need structure and academics before you can have SEL. He starts w/ infrastructure, set up of the room. Also digital infrastructure. OSS gets us nothing out of them. 1% of ISS programs are effective. Other programs like his other places do exist. Trauma-informed intervention with…. SEL and the “art of ISS”, your own daily practice. How do you use it for personal growth?
How do you make it a place kids don’t want to go (or return to)? Kids beg not to go. They have to work the whole time. The expectation is they have to complete all their assignments. If they’ve completed all their daily work, minimum the core content. He makes sure they leave without 0’s. He works with backfilling a skill deficit. Something they should have learned in 4th grade math for example. Work teachers give gets done, so you’re partnering with teachers. They are then academically able to engage more in class. He likes what he does in the room and is motivated by the support he can give the teachers. Strike system- if they strike out, they get additional days of ISS. Rarely does it happen. Trauma-informed interventions. If there’s no real consequence, or ISS is a joke, t’s will give up. They don’t get into power struggles with kids. It does affect the whole campus. He doesn’t have kids every single day. 10% of st. population ends up going. 1300 kids at school. Some see once, some frequent fliers. Days he doesn’t have kids, he does campus sub or works w/ t’s on classroom management. # of kids- ideally you want to cap it @ 12-15. If it’s really busy, like up to 20 kids, it would be great to have a para there too. It should look like a regular intervention class. At his school they have 3 APs and behavior specialists who do discipline. He works with them closely to do anti-suspension. We can’t control what happens with OSS. Behaviors- it depends on the campus- the one he works @ they don’t have a lot of OSS. Previous campus they had more OSS-type behaviors. They also do placement in an alternative school. Vapes big on his campus- automatic alternative school placement by law there in TX. Wherever AP has some wiggle room. ISS is a Tier 2 intervention. Examples are blatant dishonesty, cussing out teachers, and blatant disrespect. CO & TX are very different in terms of how they handle discipline. There should be a lot more discipline implemented in other states like his district’s model. Some up w/ behavior ladders, matrix. Jonathan is anti-OSS. Alot of t’s quite b/c st. behaviors. ISS won’t solve all that it is something that is a base to start from. Principals are autonomous, Jonathan has influence at his campus but not others.
Online PD-Admin don’t have to take it, they can have their ISS teachers take it. It’s a course for the people in the room. There’s an implementation plan, evaluation system, hiring guide, everything you’d need to make it an effective intervention. If you can, you’d want to never have to think about it. For some kids, it takes time. The program takes time with them, they do benefit. This is a 6-12 issue. As HS principal, make sure it’s implemented as feeder schools.
Conferences- Will speak June 12 10:30 at TASK (TX admin conference).
out of everything: the last chapter is “the art of ISS”. This is the attitude he’s brought to it. You’re growing through this process. It doesn’t always feel good. It’s personal growth. Holly Whitacker’s quote. He applies it with the opportunity to redirect in an appropriate way instead of responding emotionally.
Where can ppl find you online:
Trauma Informed In-School Suspension Training System:
https://theartofiss.co/p/in-school-suspension-a-professional-development-course-for-iss-teachers
The Art of In-School Suspension Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Art-School-Suspension-Discipline-Benefits/dp/B0B7QHWZ73/
Twitter @mrcranfordiss
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sHgqdc2xnO0