Inspire & Innovate: A Podcast for Educators

Have you noticed that kids just aren’t as tough as they used to be? Do you wonder why so many hands come up with so many questions the minute you assign a task?  Did you read that recent article about how elite college students no longer even have the sticktoitiveness to read a full book? Do you wish your students could persevere a little longer, bounce back a little faster? Today’s episode: “Can we Talk About Building Resilience?” is going to address just that.  Hosts Toby Lowe, Rachel Scott, and Julie Rust were lucky to be joined by special guest UMMC Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow, Dr. Peyton Thigpen,  as well as our three incredible school counselors: Courtney McGee, Shedrick Rogers, and Chelsea Freeman.

 

1:12-3:30: Toby introduces the theme of resilience by telling a success story about a fifth grader he taught, asking “what was it about this kid that made her decide ‘I’m going to give this a try’?

 

5:55-6:25: Courtney McGee, Lower School Counselor, introduces resilience and how it fits into CARES (cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self control) programmatic model.

 

7:16-9:00: Shedrick Rogers, Middle School Counselor, argues that kids are more resilient than we often give them credit for; perhaps we need to have more patience that we are not the end point in their journey.   

 

9:40-11:25: Chelsea Freeman, Upper School Counselor, campaigns for getting more comfortable with discomfort in her homage to Damour’s book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers.

 

12:49-14:10 : Dr. Peyton Thigpen encourages educators that the adults that had the most impact on us as children most likely challenged us to do hard things: “I’m not going to take your worst work; I know you have more potential than that.” 

 

14:11-17:10: Shedrick argues for the importance of consistently high expectations for youth in all areas: academics, social life, etc.

 

17:11-20:03:  So how do we actually help youth that are uncomfortable in the struggle? The good news is many of these skills can be taught, having social support and connection is vitally protective, and our school counselors have myriad tools to share.  

20:04-22:52: How can we best support the youngest students in our lives? Courtney and Peyton advocate for giving youth insight for recognizing their emotions, sharing language for naming them, and modeling strategies for coping.  

 

22:55- 29:38: Toby asks the million dollar question: how does all this resilience stuff take on a different note when it comes to us parenting our own kids? (Note: Julie found some solace in an episode of Hidden Brain featuring an interview with psychologist Peter Gray entitled “Parents: Keep Out!”)

 

29:40-31:05: Why we need to be the thermostat rather than the thermometer when it comes to our interactions with youth. 

 

31:10-39:00: Guests sagely address our first teacher-generated question: With attention spans and the ability to maintain sustained focus decreasing, specifically in upper middle school grades, how can we help students understand that they can, in fact, learn how to focus even at the age of 13?  

 

39:20-43:35:  Our second teacher-generated question elicits the comforting advice of “don’t change a thing; the conditions you are creating are the perfect recipe for building resilience!”

 My AP World History class is the first AP that students can take in the HS. The curriculum, set by the College Board, is extremely rigorous and fast paced. It's not unusual to have students crying in my office mid-September, but by the end of October, they seem to get their "sea legs" and begin to see improvement. I start the year advising them to work hard and trust the process. I continuously encourage them and teach skills along the way, but I still have meltdowns. What can I do better in the early days to help students understand that it's a marathon, not a sprint, and that their grades WILL improve? (Some have never earned B's or C's before and you'd think it was the end of the world!). Thanks!

 

45:02-47:45 : The episode ends on a “yay rah go teachers” note.  Because you all are awesome, and by simply building connections with students, you are building up their resilience. 

Do you teach? Do you work at a school in any capacity? Do you have kids of your own? Do these offspring of yours attend (or have they attended) the same school that pays your paycheck? If you have selected yes to just one of these questions, this episode is for you. But if you selected yes to more than one . . . well this episode may hit some very familiar notes (and I wish we could have invited you on as a guest.)  Join host Taylor Davis and guests Anna Frame and Lea Crongeyer for an exploration of the intersection of parenting and working as a school professional. 

 

2:58-3:20: Inquiring minds must know; what does a child call their parent when they are actually teaching them in a classroom setting? 

 

4:22-6:57:  How being a teacher and being a parent are sometimes very different and sometimes very similar; also we discover Lea has basically taught every kid in the world. 

 

7:05-8:14: Why Anna Frame is a lot less fun as a mom than a teacher; and the interplay of high expectations and “not MY kid!”

 

9:45-13:33: A surprise side effect of being a teacher momma: we never want to infringe on our kids’ teachers’ time or stress them out in any way.  

 

13:38-14:55: The added entanglements for mommas who are not only teachers at the same school but also ALUMNAE! 

 

14:56-16:30: “The balance of challenges and blessings” when your own kid is in the exact same grade you teach; the things we miss but also the insights we glean.

 

16:40-17:20: Julie’s surprise reveal that Lea Crongeyer is the real reason she ended up working at St. Andrew’s.  (When I was considering the job she texted me, “it is one of the most precious gifts of my life to have taught at the same place my kids go to school.”)

 

17:28-20:25: Julie’s biggest point of tension in these dual roles of administrator/teacher and momma is also incredibly generative.

 

20:26-21:16: Lea drops some major wisdom: “So parenting you do so much of it with your heart you have to have a lot of self control as a teacher . .. you can’t be momma bear at school”; and Taylor points out sometimes we have too many “inside” insights. :) 

 

21:16-23:20: Anna shares the good side of all this: we have a cheat code for what to talk to kids about in the car; also that year Lea let Taylor wake up  her own kid from nap.

 

23:40- 25:26: Being a momma-teacher makes you have so much grace and empathy for your kids’ teachers and other cheat codes that can give us a leg-up on our parenting partners.

 

25:31-26:38; 28:18-29:58: When your kid gets in trouble, sometimes [a different kind of] the swooping in is helpful; also why Julie loves student-led conferences.

 

26:48-27:33: Listen here to find out which of our children was NOT a good napper and required an elaborate ticket system to stay put!

 

30:25-31:40: Josh Brister finally gets on the mic to drop wisdom about how parenting has impacted his view of the parent/teacher relationship; also our podcast’s most dramatic moment in the  history of its existence!

 

31:41-32:46; 34:24-35:00: Not only do we give teachers more grace when we are in our parenting role, we give parents more grace in our teaching role; now we know how hard it is!  

 

32:47- 34:23: How parenting shifts our view of the value of writing qualitative comments to parents.

 

35:00-35:50: Sometimes we are very, very bad parents.  True confessions.

Hosts: Jessica Parker-Farris / Matt Luter

Guest: Michelle Portera

Recorded/Edited by Josh Brister

• (0:53-2:36) Episode Intro - Matt shares multiple resources that suggest loneliness is not a new conversation, although perhaps an unexpected and ironic one within the educational field given that educators are largely surrounded by others all day long
  • (2:36) Matt introduces himself, Jessica, and Michelle (Josh is quietly present and recording! Thank you, Josh!) 
  • (2:36) While meeting with TEAM early on, we began a conversation about under- discussed truths, and the topic loneliness came up.

• (3:44) Question 1:  How do you sense or experience loneliness in your profession, either in yourself or in others?
  • (4:10) Michelle has sensed loneliness in her 1st grade students; we all want to be seen and understood, including our kiddos; her assistant Rachel Scott does a great job noticing their students’ needs.
  • (5:40) Matt wonders how experiences might differ among teachers based on your division or particular role; Michelle feels connected to her 1st grade team; Jessica shares how her experience of connection shifted when she shifted from a kindergarten assistant to a lead elementary art teacher.
  • (8:28) Matt similarly shares being the expert/only person teaching a given topic can be isolating; has missed having someone to lean on/collaborate with possible challenges of autonomy.
  • (9:45) An ESL teacher for a time, Michelle agrees being the “lonely expert” can “mess with your confidence” and put you on the defensive rather than feeling connected with others.
  • (10:56) Matt shares that full autonomy of curriculum is perhaps a two-edged sword; Jessica mentions perhaps that’s another conversation: how much choice is too much not just for students but teachers as well?
• (12:06) Question 2: If yes, when have you felt the most lonely? And do you think it was related to a personal situation or your role within the community? 
  • (12:58) Michelle shares her experience of being the “newbie” on her 1st grade team and its challenges; she wisely acknowledges that loneliness can be a making all of our own, like when negatively comparing yourself to others. 
  • (14:49) Matt shares the importance of connecting with others in a way that is personally nourishing or revitalizing, and ironically, that might mean spending time in a quiet room with only one other adult.
  • (16:45) Throughout the day Jessica hunts out brief moments of, as Michelle so nicely puts it, “teacher togetherness,” where she can have even a moment of connection with other peers or adults, and Michelle shares a prior experience where teachers were reprimanded for chatting in the halls with one another and its effects on morale. 

• (19:57) Question: Do you feel that loneliness is something systemic about today’s world and culture? Do you feel it’s something that spans beyond teaching roles and into other ones? (Say maintenance staff? Admin? Students?) 

• (20:13) The chicken or the egg? Loneliness now a nation-wide discussion, Matt questions the exact roles COVID-19 and digital tech both played (and perhaps still play) in preventing togetherness. 
• (23:14) Michelle reflects being truly connected might require some intentionality and wise decision making.
• (25:21) Jessica feels having shared teacher goals or objectives isn’t the same as feeling personally connected to each individual  within the community; once again, Michelle questions whether that is related to our own willingness to be vulnerable with others.
• Jessica shares a tiny shift in her schedule allowed for small moments of connection with both co-workers and parents.

• (28:25) Question 5: What do you feel has helped you feel a stronger sense of connection/belonging and to your SA community?

• • Reiterating a few successful strategies mentioned like prioritizing and daily snippets of connections, Matt shares his own need to have strong and nourishing friendships outside of work.
  • (30:08) Michelle and Jessica reflect on the benefits of their shared PLC with Rev. Hailey Allin called Living Compass and other meetings times as opportunities for connection.
  • (33:30) Michelle expresses gratitude that St. Andrew faculty have access to a counselor, not just Saint students. 

• Question 6: What do we feel St. Andrew’s does really well to help folks feel connected and maybe where is there room for growth? 
  • (34:31) Michelle and Jessica agree St. Andrew’s does a great job of prioritizing celebration; Michelle also feels incredibly connected through her multi-grade level meetings.
  • (36:19) Matt highlights the Mentor Program and its supportive nature.
  • (37:44) Sunshine Committee and community members do a great job supporting community members went there’s a need.
  • (38:50) Michelle shares the importance of proactively reaching out to others.
  • (40:29) There’s always room for growth; Jessica highlights a few she values such as evolving language, openness, awareness, and empathy. 
  • (41:07) Michelle reiterates the need to “clear the air” and have hard conversations.  
• (43:00) Matt thanks Michelle for joining him Jessica to share thoughts on our teacher truths that perhaps often go under discussed.

(44:02) We conclude that we doubt we solved teacher loneliness, but Jessica feels hopeful that, just by taking the time to have this small, quiet conversation about our shared experience of teacher loneliness, can bring us all together. We are not alone in our loneliness! 

This week, join host Hannah Williams-Inman as she speaks with middle school educators Paul Buckley and Maria Edwards about experiences teaching as an introvert/extrovert. 

• (0:00-2:35) TEAM Intro and Episode Intro - Teaching as an introvert vs extrovert, and the way that may change the vibe and feeling of our day to day life here at SA.

• (2:45-3:10) - Can you figure out, based on this conversation, who is our introvert and who is our extrovert?
• (3:20) Question 1: What is your favorite part of the school day? 
  • (3:40) Maria starts us off - she loves seeing her lessons come to life, especially when a lesson hits well in a (probably morning time) class. 
  • (4:50) We reflect on how the time of day completely changes the vibe of a class.
  • (5:30) Paul speaks about how he loves the calm moments of the day, taking a moment of peace, and maybe even a quick walk around campus.
  • (6:15) We love our outdoor campus!
• (7:00) I forgot to introduce myself! Sidebar, it doesn’t take just an introvert to LOVE their planning period - I love mine too!
• (7:50) Another sidebar - Maria remembers a conversation between the three of us before she had actually been hired. We knew she was a winner!
• (8:25) Question 2: What part of the school day consistently stresses you out? 
  • (8:35) Hannah first - needing to be super flexible stresses me out, even though our environment and schedule at SA is typically so consistent and our days operate generally as expected, we still sometimes have to adjust on the fly. Such is life as a teacher.
  • (9:50) Paul shares - he feels stressed when lesson plans go awry, and he has to change things on the fly. He also shares that on a normal, regular day, lunch can be very stressful. It can feel draining, and it’s loud!
  • (11:25) Maria shares - she agrees that it’s stressful when a lesson plan flops, and being in year one of teaching is a lot of trial and error. Maria and Hannah both struggle with the way one lesson plan gone wrong can really flip the entire week/month/quarter on its head schedule wise.
  • (12:40) There is a unique struggle when classes are only 50 minutes.
• (13:50) “Just a quick sidebar…” figuring out how to effectively plan a class period (making sure you plan enough but not too much) is kind of the art of teaching, in a nutshell.
• (15:25) Question 3: How do you feel at the end of a school day? 
  • (15:40) “Do you mean before or after my nap?” - Paul uses his after school time to rest, and restore, by enjoying some silence and taking his dog on a walk.
  • (16:35) Maria gives a lot during the school day, but she gives herself a boost with some energy drinks, so she can still be active and head to the gym after school!
  • (18:30) Boundaries! Work/life balance with our families and our own ability to recharge!
  • (18:50) What does it look like to turn off “teacher talk” at the end of the day, especially when we are with non-teachers?
  • (19:45) Hannah shares that at the end of the school day, she may be tired and more mellow, but is also kind of ready to expend a different kind of “after school” energy. 
• (20:50) The big reveal! Who is our introvert?
• (21:45) We are so clued into the way our kids are each day; do we have the same amount of awareness for ourselves? Do we keep a finger on our own pulses as well?

 

 Sure, we’ve all experienced the very public job/side of teaching: how a teacher lectures or constructs a lesson.  But what about those more veiled parts of the job of teaching that no one sees? What stories can we share about invisible parts of teaching across a range of grade levels?  And what costs and benefits lurk in these often-hidden parts of our work?  Join Toby Lowe, Hannah Woodward, and Saana Watson for an in depth discussion on these themes.  

Show notes:

• (3:55-5:15) A glimpse into Saana’s spookiest time at St. Andrew's! (To learn more,  read this blog!)
• (5:18-7:24)  Hannah’s ghostly disappearing/reappearing act at SA; imagine the possibility within three inch binders; Toby and Hannah as polar opposites on the first grade team
• (7:32-11:01) Why work-life balance isn’t “one size fits all” and one hidden benefit of long work hours (shoutout to Mr. Chris!); also the very quotable: “Sure the work will still be there tomorrow, but so will all these children!”
• (11:02-12:31) The irony of working ahead.
• (12:50-14:52) Put plainly, differentiation just takes time. 
• (14:53-16:15)  Toby used to chug Sunny D; and the ebb and flow of productivity.
• (16:17-20:00) Why Toby’s SPOOKY invisible work is more about remaking systems;  also writing his own tests and homework
• (20:02-20:17) Why we should all stop giving  planners like Hannah a hard time! “I’m not miserable! This makes sense to me!”
• (20:18-22:32)  Why the timing of our invisible work matters 
• (22:50- 24:20) Why teaching kindergarten is just like teaching any grade but with a bit more material-prep. 
• (24:21-25:25) The glory and delight of how teaching takes up residence in your brain. 
• (25:25-26:58) That one time Zander knocked over a water glass on my laptop while we were playing Headbandz and the gentle reminder of “maybe one thing at a time.” 
• (27:03-27:42) Julie’s unpopular opinion:  grading papers is the best.
• (28:18-29:22) Hannah has some good advice if you plan to work late; good news though: there are lots of good areas to sleep in lower school. :)  
• (29:44-30:53) Another invisible teacher truth: we pay attention to our students’ social dynamics and care about the health of their friendships.

Sometimes you read a book or watch a movie that is so chock-full of hyperbole you just roll your eyes and lean into it for entertainment value.  Sometimes that very same book or movie magically transforms before your very eyes into the truest representation of life you have ever seen. Roald Dahl’s (1988) novel, Matilda did that, with its captivating story about a young girl who encounters injustice with adults in her life at home and school with bravery, intelligence, and creativity.  And in our household anyway, the latest iteration of Matilda in musical form directed by Matthew Warchus (from a screenplay written by Dennis Kelly featuring song/lyrics by Tim Minchin) did it again, with a catchy set of musical numbers that had us singing for weeks.  I had the privilege of sitting down with two third graders who love the movie, Elizabeth Bensler and Alianna Rust, as well as their very own Dr. Egger, Head of Lower School to discuss what the musical might teach us about parenting, schooling, and growing up:

 

3:12-6:16: Meet our guests, and learn which one most closely related to the terrifying character of Mrs. Trunchbull!

 

6:51-10:00:  What is up with the dynamic between Matilda and her parents?   

 

10:29-12:45: What St. Andrew’s has in common with the terrifying Cruncham Elementary; (related sidenote: we need a statue of Dr. Egger in the front of the school).

 

13:15-17:10: What all of us think about growing up: from the perspective of sweet Bev Egger, to our third graders, to Dr. Egger and me; the pros/cons of having control but also having responsibility. 

 

17:40-20:48: We have a delightful time comparing Mrs. Trunchbull to Dr. Egger; spoiler alert: they have like nothing in common! 

 

21:10- 25:07: We gush with love for the character Miss Honey, and not just because she’s a nice teacher; because she’s got some solid skills. Also Elizabeth and Alianna dish on which of their teachers most remind them of Miss Honey.  

 

25:45-30:44: We explore the premise of the lyric “sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty”; interestingly sibling relationships come up quite a few times.

 

30:58-33:50- We close out with our favorite scenes from the show, featuring circus-school, throwing hammers, dancing on top of desks, and floating above the clouds. 

As we discovered in the first three episodes of this series, the world of motion pictures depicting educational realities isn’t all bad.  In fact, Mr Rogers, 8th Grade, and Abbott Elementary are so well-done, they strike more chords that resonate than outright clash with our realities. But we are going to end our season with two episodes that take a very different approach.  Hyperbole, absurdity, and “THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN” come to mind.  But even in these films that show less restraint and more –ahem– “artistic license,” we found much to discuss, dare I say even learn?  This week- the at-times problematic but wildly entertaining, School of Rock.  Rachel Scott (LS Tech Integration), Sara Clark (LS Library), and Daniel Roers (our amazing podcast recorder/editor finally steps out from behind-the-scenes) discuss:

 

• 1:18-2:56: The art of substitute teaching, and our first hint that Dewey Finn has absolutely no clue what he is getting into.
• 3:00-5:05:  Daniel takes a trip down memory lane about his first few weeks on north campus, and asserts that there has to be a point that every teacher wishes they could act a bit more like the main character: goofy, fun, sarcastic, relatable . . . 100% themselves.
• 5:07-7:15:  Sure inappropriateness abounds, but Rachel points out that “sometimes it was a little refreshing”; why being honest with our students and avoiding needless sugarcoating can be the best policy. 
• 7:16-9:28: Our guests discuss their fury at public shaming in schools via data walls, behavior charts, names on the board, etc.
• 10:41- 11:27:  How one scene got Sara musing on the challenges of teaching an ungraded co-curricular.
• 12:33-13:07: Why School of Rock is currently trending on TikTok.
• 13:08-14:31:  Inspiring kids to find their passions, but breaking so many rules in the process!
• 14:33-16:18: Why asking youth what makes them mad can be a powerful springboard in the classroom.
• 16:18-16:49: The value of teaching kids to advocate for themselves.
• 16:50-19:15: The scene of a “lesson plan gone wrong” that the guest found oh-so-relatable.
• 19:15-20:37: Admin are people too! That time Dewey goes to the bar with his principal.
• 20:38-26:49: Who knew School of Rock had so much to say on the impact of emotions in classroom spaces?! Also shout outs to Rev. Hailey and Chelsea and our school’s general commitment to all things social-emotional.
• 26:50-28:20: Can you learn everything you need to know through music?: the potential in interest-driven, project-based learning.
• 28:21-end: The guests end with the big disclaimer: unless you want to lose your job, do not take cues from the Jack Black character.  But if you want a great laugh at the end of a long teaching week and are willing to suspend your disbelief, check out School of Rock.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Kim Sewell (PK4), Andrea Stallings (ECC Instructional Assistant), and Ruth Fletcher (Little Chapel) to delve deep with their educator and Momma hats into all things Mr. Rogers.  In their honest conversation, it becomes clear that the recent resurgence of interest around the show and man behind Mr. Rogers Neighborhood reflects some deep societal needs for connection, pausing, and emotional exploration.  Enjoy! 

 

2:35-4:13:  Ruth and Andrea discuss two very different vantage points on the impact of television on the lives of young children; should we be hopeful about its ability to foster play and creativity, or should we be concerned about its impact? 

 

4:14-5:50:  What provoked Mr. Rogers to utilize TV as a medium, and a peek into Kim’s evolution as a parent. 

 

5:55- 7:00:  The shows our guests’ children enjoyed when they were young, and their own personal early childhood relationship with Mr. Rogers Neighborhood growing up.

 

7:01-8:06: Why watching paint dry can be entertaining: the power of meditative television.

 

8:23-10:24: The “other type” of children’s show, and what chaotic or subversive television reveals about the intersection of consumerism and the world of TV, particularly in today’s streaming environment.

 

10:25-12:45: Wisdom for current parents of littles: watch what they watch, and turn on your “icky” meter.

 

12:46-13:47: How our guests feel that adult cartoons and marvel movies have impacted young people.  

 

13:48-16:09: On the other hand, the good old days weren’t so perfect: reflections on Bugs Bunny and nursery rhymes and the importance of differentiating reality and imagination for youth.

 

16:13-17:50: What imagination as a coping mechanism looks like in a PK4 classroom.

 

17:51-20:42: Why the first thing Ruth’s 1st-4th graders are asked to do when they enter the classroom gives us hope that slower, more deliberate programming can still entertain children; also, Bluey might be the new Mr. Rogers.

 

20:45-23:25: Tools we can practice as parents of young children after a busy day to help us “live much fuller lives”; “I think that’s the whole point: we all need to slow down.”   

 

Raise your hand if you want to go back to middle school.  Anyone? Anyone? (Why is it so quiet in here all of a sudden?) If the thought of re-inhabiting your 13 year old skin makes you cringe, you should be warned, Bo Burnham’s portrayal of Kayla’s culminating middle school year in Eighth Grade might very well transport you right back.  But for those of us that work with youth in this age range, Eighth Grade might be the most impactful PD experience out there.  Why? By putting us smack dab in the center of the young protagonist’s hopes, insecurities, successes, and failures, the movie will do more than just elicit sighs of recognition– it may very well help you see all of your students in an entirely new light. Here to talk about the movie and their wonderful, awkward 8th grade selves are Toby Lowe (5th grade math), Hannah Williams-Inman (7th-8th grade Spanish), and Hollie Marjanovic (US Learning Facilitator).  

 

3:55-5:10: How Hannah’s 8th grade year represented a huge identity shift from shy to confident, much like Kayla, the protagonist in the movie.  

 

5:15-7:55:  How Hollie’s 8th grade grade year was fraught with all of the normal awkward things in 8th grade, but also compounded by transferring to a new school and a school-wide tragedy; and the role that safe and kind adults played.  

 

7:59-10:11: Why 8th grade was Toby’s least favorite year, and that strong sense waiting for life to start, trying to find your thing when you don’t yet know quite who you are. 

 

10:15-11:02: Why it can feel like a huge relief for us as faculty to remember how marginal teachers can be in the lives of students, at best “blundering idiots.” 

 

13:27-15:55: How Kayla’s middle school experiences contrast with the reality of our 5th-8th graders at St. Andrew’s; also Hannah drops some wisdom: “All 8th graders want to belong and feel like they don’t.  100% want to be part of something and don’t feel they are part of something yet.”  

 

15:57- 17:55: We zoom a bit more into Kayla, her need to make help videos, and why 8th grade is, as Toby puts it, “such a well observed movie.” 

 

17:56- 19:30: Toby recalls the “ visiting your friend’s huge mansion effect” from his own coming-of-age, and Hannah points out that adolescence is a project of comparison: “Should my life look like I’m having fun in this pool party with friends?” 

 

19:36- 21:48:  We gush about perhaps our favorite 8th grade character in the movie, the oh-so-lovable Gabe.

 

22:55-26:32: The good, bad, and ugly of when Kayla gets a glimpse into high school life, and does this have implications for our 5th-12th grade north campus? 

 

26:38-34:35: We talk the role that technology plays in the movie, our own relationships with devices, researched links to anxiety, and our cell phone policies at school.  

 

34:36-35:30: Reasons we think Kayla’s dad should win best dad ever. 

 

35:31-37:20:  The climactic end of the movie, time capsules, and Kayla seeing the light after a very fraught year of growing up. 

 

37:42-41:11:Toby asks us to muster up our past 8th grade girl perspective: “Is there really all that staring and boy anxiety?!” 

 

41:16-42:20: Why we just want to find every awkward kid and hug them and make them feel better.  Also, we are ALL still Kayla, even those of us in our forties.  

 

44:28-end: Hannah ends the episode with more words of insight: “It feels impossible that someone could look at you with all your mess, frizzy hair, and think that you are easy to love. It seems impossible! But we’ve all been there! And they are so easy to love.” 

 

It’s time to grab a snack and get comfy on the couch.  This season we are looking at the ways that television and movies portray youth and schooling. For those of us on the inside, representations of our profession can often be pretty annoying.  (Take for example, the whole set of “savior” narratives in which the white teacher comes in with their unconventional methods and big heart and changes an entire school culture.)  But today we launch our season with what is perhaps the most entertaining and talked-about and (dare-I-say) possibly even realistic creative contribution to the genre: Abbott Elementary! Of course the best people to talk about it are our every-day south campus folks.  Hosted by first grade teacher Michelle Portera, this episode features perspectives from Taylor Davis (PK3), Anna Frame (4th grade), Meredith Boler (2nd grade), and Sarah Rabke (our awesome newish permanent LS sub).   Whether you are an avid fan of the show or have never even heard of it, you are going to love this episode. 

Want to skip to a particular topic? See below!

• 3:53-4:50; 31:23-31:54:  Why/how you should start watching Abbott Elementary immediately!
• 4:55-6:35: What Anna Frame’s favorite scene has in common with St. Andrew’s very own lost and found.
• 6:28-7:42: Why Meredith Boler loves the format: it’s so relatable.
• 7:46-8:58: How much the character Janine reminds us of our first year teacher selves, that one time Taylor Davis made the mistake of telling parents she was a first year teacher, and the age-old fear of young teachers everywhere: “What if I get to the number 3 and the students haven’t yet complied?!”
• 9:00-10:30: Michelle shares her own raw first-year-teacher-self story.
• 10:35-12:26: Why the substitute episode resonated big time for permanent sub Sarah Rabke, and a helpful reminder to us to include ALL the details in the sub plans. 
• 12:43-14:05:  The group discusses the most resourceful, loving, doesn’t-put-up-with-any-nonsense character: Melissa; also fun fact: if you need any Philly- translations to understand the series, make sure to ask our very own Sara Clark!
• 14:13-15:24: Why the aspiring-principal-turned-sub-turned-teacher Gregory reminds us of Jim in The Office;  and how his “reluctance . . . turns into a really deep passion.”
• 15:45-20:22: Michelle plays a clip from the show and guests shout out all the Ava character love; she simultaneously incorporates all of the cliches of bad administrators, is so edgy and inappropriate, but underneath that there possesses heart, truth, and insight.
• 21:07-23:27: The group explores the character of Barbara, who represents the most old school, veteran, master teachers in our schools.
• 23:28-25:05: In what is my favorite moment of this podcast episode, the group discusses the young, progressive teacher Jacob who may or may not be compared with Anna Frame’s husband, Andy.
• 25:08-26:29: Guests explore the magical Mr. Johnson,  eliciting a shout out to Greg Buyans and building managers everywhere, who do everything and know everything at any given time buoyed by a shocking amount of good humor.
• 26:31-28:15: It takes no stretch to find resonance in the bathroom/water situation episode for our south campus folks; Sarah recalls her first week on the job at SA this year: “Where am I and why is this happening?!
• 28:20-30:06:  Guests predict what is next with Janine and Gregory’s relationship; and they discuss what happens at education conferences, stays at education conferences.
• 30:15-31:23: Lest we leave thinking the show is a perfect representation, guests end with sharing all of the unrealistic moments in the show: lunch breaks together; manicures in the middle of the day?!  Come on, Abbott Elementary. No way.

In this final episode of Season 5, podcasts hosts Toby Lowe, Kim Sewell, Michelle Cooper, Buck Cooper, and Rachel Scott come together to talk across all six episodes on the subject of reframing accountability. They share behind-the-scenes secrets about their episodes, discuss how all of this talk impacted their own relationships with students and colleagues, and surface the best definition of accountability we could come up with by synthesizing the six conversations that preceded this one. Listen to the whole conversation, or skip around to what interests you in the show notes below:

 

2:30-16:15: Our hosts for the season share behind-the-scenes back stories about the process and experience of leading episodes about accountability; plus Kim shares an amazing post-script about how her four year olds became her accountability partners this semester.

 

16:17-17:14: One of our major takeaways from the season, that could indeed be a starting point for cultures of accountability, courtesy of Francis Croft: “We all need to get on the team of let’s assume everyone is doing their best.”

 

17:38-18:53: What a conversation in a middle school division meeting about grading made Toby ponder in relation to structures-control-accountability.  

 

18:54-20:22: Buck explores accountability as holding in tension everyone’s humanity with the fact that there are things we have to do (e.g. produce grades and do recess duty).

 

20:23-23:57: Hosts explore the trust/transparency tension combo that came up in the honor council and administrator episodes, and they articulate the truth that trust is doubly hard with the turnover that is naturally part of schools (admin and faculty, but also students that change grades and teachers every single year!) 

 

24:09-27:20: Stakeholder groups in our school that we wish we had invited or heard more from in this season and why.

 

27:22-28:58: After six episodes, what we can say about accountability for sure: it is best when steeped in relationships and incorporates a circular or bottom-up (rather than solely top-down) feedback loop.

 

28:58-31:32: The question that still persists: what do we do about justice and consequences?

 

31:50-32:59: Hosts share what they are going to take away from this system in terms of next steps: change what you can change, lean into grace, open up communication. 

 

33:18-36:30: Final words from Toby, the initiator of this season’s topic: “What’s next is always work- but it’s a good thing that the work is so delightful.  You should always be pushing yourself, your peers, and your bosses for more accountability.”

No season on accountability could possibly be complete without a conversation on what the word means for administrators.  Hollie Marjanovic sits down with Head of School Kevin Lewis and Cathy Davis, who currently serves as our math lab coordinator but has successfully juggled multiple faculty and admin roles since she began at SA in 1989.  In our conversation, we dive into St. Andrew’s past to get some answers about how we have become who we are today:

 

1:32-5:35: Cathy Davis’ favorite role in her time at St. Andrew’s and what it teaches us about the interplay between administrative work and the work of teaching.

5:41-6:58 : What Kevin meant by “accountability” when he set it as a theme for us all this year: the strong supports we all provide each other as we work in concert.

7:08-8:28 : The question Hollie posed that totally stumped Kevin: WHO is actually considered “administration”? Kevin’s conclusion: “Does it matter as long as we are able to support each other as we work together to accomplish our mission and the goals of our school?”

9:16-11:18: What was the structure of administration like when Cathy Davis first began in 1989?

11:20-16:33: What schools were like before the unceasing onslaught of digital communication.

16:35-18:10: To whom are administrators held accountable? Kevin shares the official structural answer (the board) and then his more pragmatic take: “I’m accountable to all of you [faculty, parents, students, general public].”

17:36-20:39: What that mysterious SLT (Senior Leadership Team) is about and why it exists.

20:44-25:37: We examine whether more circular or bottom-up methods of evaluation and feedback could be powerful mechanisms for administrators to improve their performance.

25:38- 27:32: How does our admin model and ratio of faculty-admin-staff compare to other independent schools? 

27:35-29:43 : Cathy recalls a pivotal turning point in our school’s history and why meeting locations matter.

29:44- 31:45: What has changed in our school’s environment to shift structural, admin, faculty, and student needs?  

31:48-34:11: Hollie, Kevin, and Cathy talk about board meeting minutes and the vital intersection of transparency and trust.