THE MAIN IDEA Podcast: Books for the Busy School Leader

How Teams Become Highly Effective, Part 1 with Bob Sonju and Kim Monkres

At this point, most schools have teacher teams, but not every teacher team is highly effective. In this episode, I got to sit down with Bob Sonju and Kim Monkres, co-authors of The Handbook for Highly Effective Teams, to explore what separates groups of educators who simply meet from teams that genuinely improve teaching and learning. Bob and Kim explain why collaboration isn't something educators automatically know how to do well and why creating a strong team foundation is essential before diving into curriculum, assessments, and student data.  They share practical strategies for building trust, establishing meaningful team commitments, navigating conflict, and creating a shared understanding of what students truly need to learn. I loved this conversation (and their book!) because of all of the actionable ideas, templates, tools, and protocols to help teams move beyond meetings and toward meaningful collaboration that benefits every student. Note that highly effective teams perform FOUR roles, and this podcast covers the first two (see the next podcast for the last two).  HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEAMS: 1. Build a strong foundation 2. Outline the essentials of what all students should learn 3. Effectively use assessments and data 4. Provide extra time and support when students don’t learn   Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 FIRST STEP: Have your teams assess themselves on the 15 critical actions that highly effective teams take (on pp.62-63 of the book or the Solution Tree website) to see where to start with this work. Here is a rough version of the self-assessment. [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vCwwB88kJTwoX1djfrch-RJDmJ-5SP8ypS_kM4P64Po/edit?usp=sharing] 1 RESOURCE: Bring in the authors to come work with your school or district — Bob Sonju [https://www.solutiontree.com/bob-sonju.html], Anisa Busby-Baker [https://www.solutiontree.com/anisa-baker-busby.html], Kim Monkres [https://www.solutiontree.com/kim-monkres.html] Book: The  Handbook for Highly Effective Teams [https://www.solutiontree.com/handbook-for-highly-effective-teams-in-a-plc-at-work.html]     Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net [Jenn@TheMainIdea.net] Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea [https://www.themainidea.net/subscribe/]) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind [https://www.themainidea.net/school-leadership-mastermind/] My 1-pager for this book [https://www.themainidea.net/free-resources/] If you got something out of this podcast, I hope you’ll follow me so you can listen to Part 2. Thanks!

What best accelerates learning? With Doug Fisher

In this episode I got to talk to Doug Fisher about one of his most recent books, The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning, co-authored with John Hattie, Nancy Frey, and John Almarode. Doug shares how he and his co-authors took John Hattie’s research about what works in schools, and turned it into an illustrated book. But the book doesn’t simply include illustrations of the “top 10” research-based strategies. Instead, Doug describes how it groups similar strategies together into clusters so teachers don’t have to figure out how to implement a set of random strategies! The result? A powerful set of strategies that most accelerate student learning! In the podcast we talk about three of those sets of strategies: -Improving classroom and school climate -Teaching students to drive their own learning -Collective teacher efficacy Doug is both inspirational and shares practical ideas — it’s worth listening to him!   Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTION: Review the book’s Table of Contents and assess, “Where are we strong?” Then based on that, decide on the logical next place to go and start with that chapter. And by the way, school climate is the prerequisite: we always say, “Climate first, learning second,” so make sure the climate is in place before diving into any of the other chapters. 1 RESOURCE: Another book by similar authors: Teaching Students to Drive Their Learning [https://www.corwin.com/books/teaching-students-drive-learning-286828?srsltid=AfmBOorgDD3oYq_0izkCkLnDykH-UegKbZkKa9h6R6k0h6AXULpzXHPo]   Connect with Doug Fisher: https://fisherandfrey.com/ [https://fisherandfrey.com/] and he posts a lot of content to LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasfishersdsu/] Book: The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning: An Introduction to What Works Best in Schools [https://www.corwin.com/books/visible-learning-made-visual-290288?_gl=1*1f671eo*_up*MQ..*_ga*ODMyNTA3OTIwLjE3NzE4NzE3NjE.*_ga_71Z4YS11XC*czE3NzE4NzE3NjEkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzE4NzE3NjEkajYwJGwwJGg4MjI5NzIwNzI.&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%7Bcampaignname%7D&utm_content=%7Badgroupname%7D&utm_term=illustrated%20guide%20to%20visible%20learning&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23505635993&gbraid=0AAAAAC7L0sPsIOd40XbeM7nvdQA_4tHZB&gclid=CjwKCAjw5s_QBhAdEiwADD_gBqIzYwP5vI3ZJfICtino6NkBjfIg6Fhj3cSvJrU-35hgdXWl0NzG2RoCQLcQAvD_BwE]    Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net [Jenn@TheMainIdea.net] Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea [https://www.themainidea.net/subscribe/]) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind [https://www.themainidea.net/school-leadership-mastermind/] See Jenn’s list of 4 Summer Books for Teachers [https://www.themainidea.net/wp-content/uploads/Teacher-Handout-4-Summer-Books-for-Teachers.pdf] — Let your teachers choose! I always learn something from Doug Fisher! If you did, too, please share this podcast with others. Thanks!

AI will replace tasks, not teachers with Peter Nilsson

I appreciated talking to Peter Nilsson about the book he co-wrote with Maya Bialik, Irreplaceable: How AI Changes Everything (and Nothing) in Teaching and Learning. Why? Because he’s an extremely thoughtful educator who knows what matters most: teaching, learning, and the deeply human work educators do every day. AI comes after that.  Peter says that AI may change how educators work, but it does not change the fundamental realities of teaching and learning. Great teaching is still relational, creative, emotional, and deeply human — and that’s exactly what makes it irreplaceable. This episode is ultimately less about technology — and more about what great teaching has always been.  In our conversation Peter describes the secondary AI can play for teachers as a Research Assistant, Planning Assistant, and Feedback Assistant. If you’re skeptical about AI (as I am!) it’s worth listening to this and also reading the book.   Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 MAIN IDEA: This book is about teaching and learning first, and about AI as it supports that. 1 HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTION: Research shows the best PL for teachers involves providing ongoing structures for teachers to try things out and talk with each other and share what they find. So create a space for teachers to talk about pedagogy and how AI can support their pedagogy. 1 RESOURCE: To dive deeply into the tech side the podcast The AI Daily Brief [https://aidailybrief.ai/]     Connect with Peter Nilsson [https://peternilsson.us/] or Maya Bialik [https://www.mayabialik.com/] or check out Peter’s newsletter, Educator’s Notebook [https://educatorsnotebook.com/] Book: Irreplaceable: How AI Changes Everything (and Nothing) in Teaching and Learning [https://www.solutiontree.com/irreplaceable.html]   Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net [Jenn@TheMainIdea.net] Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea [https://www.themainidea.net/subscribe/]) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind [https://www.themainidea.net/school-leadership-mastermind/] My 1-pager for this book: 3 Ways AI Can Assist Teachers [https://www.themainidea.net/wp-content/uploads/1-pager-3-Ways-AI-Can-Assist-Teachers.pdf]   If you have a colleague who is skeptical about AI, or a teacher who would like to learn more, I hope you’ll share this podcast with them. Thanks!

From Behaving to Belonging with Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod

Punishing students just doesn’t work. I think anyone who works in schools can see that this doesn’t change student behavior. And teachers are feeling beaten down by challenging student behaviors that seem to be on the rise. That’s why I appreciated chatting with Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod, co-authors of From Behaving to Belonging. They deeply believe we need to rethink how we address student behavior and instead approach it from a lens of love, connection, and inclusion. Together, they share why traditional discipline systems often fail students, how behavior is actually communication, and what schools can do instead to create environments where every student feels safe, valued, and connected. Our conversation is full of practical strategies for teachers and leaders that include mindset shifts, relationship-building practices, de-escalation techniques, and collaborative problem-solving approaches.   Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 MAIN IDEA: We’ve been wrong about behavior. It’s essential to feel belonging to behave in ways that are prosocial. 1 HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTION: Take this book and do a book study with staff. Spend meaningful time with staff cultivating community and care so you can reframe and help staff understand that behavior is communication and that belonging is the foundation.  1 RESOURCE:  A book about inclusion specifically for school leaders by the same authors: The Way to Inclusion: How Leaders Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs [https://www.ascd.org/books/the-way-to-inclusion?variant=123001]   Connect with Julie and Kate: Julie (inclusiveschooling.com [http://inclusiveschooling.com]) and Kate (kate.macleod@maine.edu) Book: From Behaving to Belonging: The Inclusive Art of Supporting Students Who Challenge Us [https://www.ascd.org/books/from-behaving-to-belonging?variant=121011] The 4 books I recommend for teachers for summer reading: https://www.themainidea.net/wp-content/uploads/Teacher-Handout-4-Summer-Books-for-Teachers.pdf [https://www.themainidea.net/wp-content/uploads/Teacher-Handout-4-Summer-Books-for-Teachers.pdf] Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net [Jenn@TheMainIdea.net] Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea [https://www.themainidea.net/subscribe/]) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind [https://www.themainidea.net/school-leadership-mastermind/] If you know other school leaders who want help in meeting the needs of students with challenging behaviors in a more productive way, I hope you’ll share this podcast. Thanks!

Reading the Word & Reading the World in Turbulent Times: with Michele Caracappa

I appreciated this powerful conversation with education leader Michelle Caracappa about the deeper purpose of literacy in today’s complex and often turbulent world. Drawing on her Substack Reading to Lead and her work in literacy and leadership, Michele challenges educators to rethink literacy — not just as a set of skills, but as a tool for understanding, agency, and transformation. In the podcast we explore what it means for school leaders to “stay awake” during times of social change, and how literacy can help both students and educators make sense of, and shape, the world around them. A Few Key Takeaways: 1. Literacy is more than reading — it’s about power and purpose Michelle emphasizes that literacy is not just about decoding text (“reading the word”), but also about interpreting and engaging with the world (“reading the world”). Both are important. 2. The question leaders must ask: “Literacy for what?” Beyond test scores and proficiency, leaders should reflect on the ultimate goal of literacy instruction. Is it just to “play the game”or to empower students to change it? 3. Staying “awake” as leaders matters more than ever Referencing Rip Van Winkle and Martin Luther King Jr.’s idea of “remaining awake through a great revolution,” Michele challenges leaders to stay conscious and responsive to the realities shaping their communities. 4. Literacy builds agency, and agency reduces overwhelm When students (and adults) use literacy to process, respond, and act, they move from feeling powerless to empowered. Writing, speaking, and reading become tools for action—not just academics. Walk away with MAIN IDEAs… 1 MAIN IDEA: Literacy isn’t just a skill — it’s a form of agency. And supporting teachers to teach it well may be one of the most powerful acts of leadership we have.  1 HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTION: · Reflect on your school’s current approach to literacy: Does it prepare students to both read the word and read the world? RESOURCES: Gloria Ladson-Billings — Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Asking a Different Question [https://www.tcpress.com/products/culturally-relevant-pedagogy_9780807765913] Michele’s Framework for Equity-Focused Literacy Improvement [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gev54MJ2dIyyTLKOXHfd6B2udyYqHwh8/view?usp=sharing] Connect with Michele Caracappa [http://www.weleadlearning.org] Michele’s Substack: Reading to Lead [https://michelecaracappa.substack.com/]     Connect with Jenn: Jenn@TheMainIdea.net [Jenn@TheMainIdea.net] Get monthly book summaries from Jenn (The Main Idea [https://www.themainidea.net/subscribe/]) Join an outstanding PL experience for leaders: Jenn’s Mastermind [https://www.themainidea.net/school-leadership-mastermind/] If you got something out of this podcast, I hope you’ll share it with a colleague. Thanks!