The High-Growth Blueprint: 5 Years of Level 5 Excellence

From Resistance to Reflection: 6 Coaching Moves That Help Teachers Grow

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2382375/fan_mail/new] Instructional coaching works best when it is grounded in trust, curiosity and real classroom practice. In this summer highlight episode, Ashley Shaw looks back at three coaching-focused conversations from the first two seasons of the Making Schools Work podcast. Together, these clips explore how coaches can move beyond labels, listen more deeply, build teacher ownership and use reflection to help teachers make small changes that lead to stronger learning. You’ll hear from Becca Silver, Kanisa Williams, Jason Adair and Jen Zelina as they discuss what coaches need to know about resistance, role clarity, teacher support, microteaching and meaningful reflection. In this episode, you’ll hear about: *  Why coaches should stop thinking in terms of “resistant teachers” and start thinking about teachers experiencing resistance  *  How listening helps coaches understand what teachers actually need  *  Why coaching has to feel supportive, not punitive  *  How districts and schools can protect the coaching role so coaches can focus on instruction  *  What it means to move teachers from buy-in to ownership  *  How microteaching and reflection can help teachers make small, high-impact instructional changes  Practical Takeaways Good coaching is not about fixing teachers, catching mistakes or forcing compliance. It is about helping teachers feel supported enough to reflect honestly, think deeply and make meaningful changes in their practice. Across these conversations, one theme comes through clearly: coaching is most powerful when it is human and evidence-based. Coaches need to listen for what is underneath resistance, approach teachers from a place of potential, protect time for meaningful coaching and ground reflection in what students actually did and learned. Subscribe and Follow Subscribe to the Making Schools Work podcast wherever you listen, and follow along this summer as we revisit some of the most practical ideas from our first two seasons. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce.  Follow Us on Social: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SREBSchoolImprovement/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/srebeducation/] * X [https://x.com/srebeducation]

Leadership That Communicates: 6 Moves for Building Focus, Trust and Shared Ownership

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2382375/fan_mail/new] Strong school leadership is not just about having the right plan. It is about making the work clear, actionable and human for everyone in the building. In this summer highlight episode, Ashley Shaw looks back at six powerful conversations from the first two seasons of the Making Schools Work podcast. Each clip explores a different communication move leaders can use to build focus, strengthen trust, support teacher growth and create shared ownership across a school. This episode features practical insights from Marck Abraham, Natasha Brown, Bethany Wilson, Baruti Kafele, Tony Johnson and Thomas Murray. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: *  Clarify your school’s focus so your team can repeat it and act on it  *  Talk about data in ways that help students build ownership and pride  *  Move from “I work” to “we work” by inviting others into the work  *  Make teacher feedback feel like a growth conversation, not a gotcha  *  Lead across different generations, values and motivations  *  Communicate carefully enough to protect trust when the pressure is on  Featured clips from: Creating a School Culture of Love: Data & Accountability With Marck Abraham Featuring Dr. Marck Abraham Underdog Leadership: Driving Growth in High-Need Schools With Natasha Brown Featuring Dr. Natasha Brown The High-Growth Blueprint: 5 Years of Level 5 Excellence Featuring Dr. Bethany Wilson The Art of the Feedback Conversation: Part 2 With Principal Baruti Kafele Featuring Principal Baruti Kafele The Language of Motivation: Bridging Generations and AI in the Classroom Featuring Dr. Tony Johnson The Curse of Knowledge: Communication Science for School Leaders With Thomas Murray Featuring Thomas Murray Listen for these practical takeaways: Leadership communication is bigger than emails, announcements and staff meetings. It shows up in the way leaders explain priorities, talk about data, invite teachers into the work, give feedback, understand different motivations and respond when trust is on the line. Strong leaders do not just communicate more. They communicate with clarity, purpose and care. Subscribe and follow Subscribe to the Making Schools Work podcast wherever you listen, and follow along this summer as we revisit some of the most practical ideas from our first two seasons. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce.  Follow Us on Social: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SREBSchoolImprovement/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/srebeducation/] * X [https://x.com/srebeducation]

5 Practical Ways to Make Career Readiness Real

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2382375/fan_mail/new] Career readiness can sound like a big, abstract goal — something that belongs in a strategic plan, a district initiative or a career fair once a year. But helping students connect school to life after graduation can happen in practical, everyday ways. In this summer highlight episode, Ashley Shaw looks back at five powerful moments from the first two seasons of the Making Schools Work podcast. These clips offer practical ways educators can help students understand why school matters, what skills they are building and how those skills connect to college, careers, military service, technical training and life beyond graduation. You’ll hear from Mark Perna, Nicole Cobb, Marty Sugerik, leaders from Richland High School and the team from PENCIL in Nashville as they share strategies schools and teachers can use right away. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: *  Reframe school as a way for students to build options, not just earn grades  *  Help students recognize the career skills inside everyday classroom tasks  *  Ask students to investigate how academic skills show up in real careers  *  Create concrete next-step plans for students before they graduate  *  Build community partnerships around real student and school needs  Featured clips from: * The GPA Myth: Reframing Education as a Solution, Not a Problem *  Featuring Mark Perna * The Human Side of Career Readiness With Nicole Cobb *  Featuring Dr. Nicole Cobb * Designing Meaningful Projects: Making Project-Based Learning Work in the Classroom *  Featuring Marty Sugerik * Pacesetter Spotlight: Richland High School’s AP Program and Career Connectedness *  Featuring leaders from Richland High School * Featured Speaker Spotlight: Creating Community Programs With PENCIL *  Featuring Elena Kate and Bob Kucher Listen for these practical takeaways: Career readiness does not have to live outside the regular school day. It can start with a single sentence that explains why students are practicing a skill. It can become stronger when students research how that skill appears in careers they care about. It can become more concrete when schools help students identify possible next steps, financial plans and real people they can talk to before committing to a path. And it becomes much more powerful when schools build partnerships that are connected to what students actually need to experience, practice and understand. Subscribe and follow Subscribe to the Making Schools Work podcast wherever you listen, and follow along this summer as we revisit some of the most practical ideas from our first two seasons. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce.  Follow Us on Social: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SREBSchoolImprovement/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/srebeducation/] * X [https://x.com/srebeducation]

6 Smart Ways Educators Can Use AI Without Letting It Take Over: Highlights From Our Past Episodes

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2382375/fan_mail/new] Artificial intelligence is already changing how educators plan, teach and support students — but using AI well does not mean handing over the thinking. In this summer highlight episode of the Making Schools Work podcast, SREB's Ashley Shaw revisits six practical AI lessons from the first two seasons of the show. Featuring clips from conversations with Daniel Rock and Leslie Eaves, this episode explores how educators can use AI as a planning assistant, time-saver, brainstorming partner and student support tool without letting it replace teacher expertise or student learning. You’ll hear why strong prompts matter, how AI can help teachers protect time for the work that requires human judgment, and why assignment design matters more than ever. The episode also looks at how AI can support personalized learning, help students get unstuck and prepare them to use emerging technology ethically and effectively. In this episode, we explore: * How the SPICE framework can help educators write better AI prompts * Why AI should support teacher expertise, not replace it * How AI can save time on lower-value tasks so teachers can focus on feedback, relationships and student growth * Why assignments may need to change if AI can complete them without student thinking * How teachers’ knowledge of their students remains essential in an AI-supported classroom * How AI can help personalize support for students in the moment * Why students need to learn ethical AI use, not just efficient AI use The big takeaway: AI is not the teacher, the student, the assignment or the thinking. It is a tool. Used thoughtfully, it can help educators plan, personalize and support learning. But it still needs human judgment, strong guardrails and students who are actively doing the work of learning. Subscribe to Making Schools Work for more summer highlight episodes as we revisit some of the best conversations from our first two seasons and get ready for season three. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce.  Follow Us on Social: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SREBSchoolImprovement/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/srebeducation/] * X [https://x.com/srebeducation]

Does AI Rot Your Brain? (And Other End-of-Year Questions)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2382375/fan_mail/new] As another incredible season comes to a close, hosts Daniel Rock and Erin Anderson Williams sit down for a candid look at the major themes, tensions and breakthrough moments shaping our classrooms today.  In this wrap-up episode, the team dives deep into how schools are redefining student data, shifting the conversation around classroom engagement and navigating the rapidly evolving world of AI in education. From powerful school success stories to personal reflections, this episode is packed with honest, practical insights to carry into the summer and preparation for the upcoming school year.  Key Takeaways From This Episode * Data as an Informant, Not an Enemy: Hear how pacesetter principals are moving away from data meetings rooted in "blame, shame and anxiety" and instead empowering students to completely own and monitor their own academic growth.  * Compliance vs. Investment: Why true classroom engagement is much deeper than students simply sitting quietly or complying with instructions. The hosts break down how to spark genuine student curiosity and long-term investment in learning.  * The Calculator Analogy for AI: Does AI rot your brain? Erin and Daniel share a refreshing perspective, framing AI literacy not as a shortcut, but as a foundational tool that handles initial calculations so students can focus on deeper, high-level critical thinking.  * The Power of Transferable Skills: At the core of all school improvement is teaching kids how to think actively, analyze perspectives and master metacognition—skills that prepare them for workforce pipelines and for life.  Resources & Links Mentioned * Join Us This Summer: Explore the specialized tracks, learning communities, and immersive tours featured in this episode at sreb.org/conference [https://www.sreb.org/conference]. * Connect with SREB: Learn more about our school improvement frameworks and coaching support at sreb.org/school-improvement [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.sreb.org/school-improvement]. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce.  Follow Us on Social: * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SREBSchoolImprovement/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/srebeducation/] * X [https://x.com/srebeducation]