How important is it to stay in touch with pop culture as a school leader?

In this episode, I chat with Brooke Hammerling, the host of “Pop Culture Mondays… on Thursdays” podcast and the author of the widely read Pop Culture Mondays Newsletter. We dive into Brooke's unique journey from PR and communications to becoming a vital source of pop culture knowledge, especially for a gen Xer like me.

Brooke shares how staying current with the latest trends can help educators connect better with their students, and the challenges and benefits of balancing communication in today's fast-paced, digital world. We also discuss the resurgence of 90s culture, iconic school movies, and why media literacy is crucial for today's students.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders, you can email me at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org

• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow

• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow

• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

Connect with Brooke Hammerling and explore her insights:

• Podcast: Pop Culture Mondays… on Thursdays

• Newsletter: popculturemondays.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/brooke

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:23 Brooke's Background and Podcast

02:22 The Pop Culture Mondays Newsletter

05:25 Impact of Pop Culture on Schools

07:54 Communication Challenges in Modern Education

28:51 The Impact of Misinformation in Schools

29:55 Pop Culture's Reflection on Education

34:18 Favorite School-Centric Movies

41:30 The '90s Revival

How does one navigate the journey from English teacher to Superintendent?

In this episode, I sit down with the recently retired Marie Wiles in a unique in-person interview. We dive deep into her 36-year-long career, from early teaching days and curriculum development to her tenure in various leadership roles, including her time as a BOCES district superintendent.

Marie shares her insights on the importance of instructional experience, the challenges of transitioning roles, the value of networks, and her unexpected journey into authoring a book, “Lessons from the Bard: What Shakespeare Can Teach Us about School District Leadership”. This engaging episode unfolds Marie's remarkable experiences and her perspectives on the future of education amid financial uncertainties.

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues.

If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com.

Stay connected with me here:

• Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org
• YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow
• Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow
• Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement

00:49 Marie Wiles' Early Career in Education

01:46 Transition to Higher Education and Doctoral Studies

05:21 BOCES Experience and Leadership Roles

08:53 Personal Life and Career Moves

17:19 Balancing Lesson Plans and Student Interaction

19:51 The Dunning-Kruger Effect in Leadership

20:31 Challenges and Realities of Leadership Roles

23:23 Gender Disparity in Educational Leadership

25:49 Concerns for the Future of Education

28:48 Hope and Faith in Youth

31:46 Writing a Book: Lessons from Shakespeare

32:03 The Process of Writing and Publishing

37:26 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of leadership today?

Tune in to learn how building your self-regulation can help you navigate dysregulated times and have more effective conversations.

In this episode, my co-host Jenn David-Lang and I had the pleasure of speaking with the amazing Jennifer Abrams, whom I see as a guru of interpersonal relations in education. Jennifer, a full-time international consultant and author of impactful books like Having Hard Conversations and Stretching Your Learning Edge: Growing (up) at Work, joined us to explore the critical topic of self-regulation in dysregulated times.

We talked about living in a VUCA world, Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous, and how we need to build complexity fitness by developing our cognitive, emotional, and psychological skills. Jennifer shared that becoming more self-regulated involves building self-awareness, like cleaning up our emotional "dust". It turns out only about 10-15% of people are truly self-aware, and one way to improve is by bravely asking for 360 feedback from your team.

We also dove into practical skills for leaders navigating challenging moments, such as learning to suspend certainty that your way is the only way. Saying "Tell me more" instead of reacting can be incredibly powerful. For extroverts like me, focusing on listening instead of jumping in is key. I shared my favorite tactic when someone is stressed: asking, "How long do we have to make this decision?". This simple question helps shift from feeling "subject" to circumstances to viewing them more "objectively".

Jennifer left us with powerful parting advice: "Go have humane, growth-producing conversations. That's the goal.".

Jennifer Abrams’ Newsletter: jenniferabrams.com

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes—including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders—email us at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. Please consider leaving a rating and review on Spotify or iTunes to support the show. Every bit helps! And if you found this episode helpful, share it with your colleagues.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Contact Mike directly at Dr.mike.doughty@gmail.com. To explore insightful summaries of top leadership books, connect with Jenn David-Lang at Jenn@TheMainIdea.net or visit TheMainIdea.net.

Timestamp:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

02:08 Understanding Dysregulation and Self-Regulation

07:08 Building Self-Awareness and Team Dynamics

24:00 Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders

27:29 Balancing Personal and Professional Needs

37:17 Personal Insights and Fun Tangents