Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
345 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 26 ratingsCuriosity sits at the intersection of creativity, effective human interactions, problem-solving and purposeful change. Unfortunately, the pace of life — at home, work, and school — often sidetracks our natural curiosity. So, let’s see the familiar from a different angle or something new as a possibility to consider.
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Episodes
216: The Quest to Rediscover Humanity At Its Very Best
August 16, 2022 04:00 - 59 minutes - 48 MBMy guest in this episode is Dennis Pitocco. Dennis is Chief Reimaginator of 360° Nation, an organization and approach to life that includes the award-winning BIZCATALYST 360°; Real Voices 360°, and GoodWorks 360°. Everything Dennis and his team do is “for good” versus for-profit and founded upon their quest to rediscover humanity at its very best.
215: Being Curious to Explore Our Identity and Relevance
August 09, 2022 04:00 - 26 minutes - 21.1 MBMy guest in this episode is Sarah Elkins. Sarah is a storyteller, the podcast host and author of “Your Stories Don’t Define You. How You Tell Them Will,” and a Gallup certified StrengthsFinder coach. In this episode, Sarah focuses on the role curiosity plays in informing our identity and how we define the relevance of our lives. And through that focus, Sarah has laid bare the bedrock of emotional intelligence because our personal identity and relevance are two key drivers of our behaviors ...
214: Being Curious to Overcome the Uncertainty of Transition
August 02, 2022 04:00 - 22 minutes - 18.3 MBIn this episode, the first in the Curiosity series, I’ve asked a number of people to come on the show over the next few weeks to talk very briefly about an aspect of their life that makes them tilt their heads in curiosity and want to know more about how to satisfy it. My first guest is Pat McHugh. Pat is the Executive Vice President of Sales for the hand2mind school publishing company, which develops supplemental curriculum, social and emotional learning products, and hands-on resources. ...
213: Bridging Our Great Divide by Listening to Understand
July 26, 2022 04:00 - 52 minutes - 42.1 MBMy guest in this episode is Mary Thomas-Vallens. Mary, a 40-year classroom teacher in the Irvine California Unified School District, currently serves as a moderator and in various other capacities for the Braver Angels organization, which works to depolarize “reds” and “blues,” “conservatives” and “liberals” and help them become better listeners.
212: The Heart and Art of Advocacy
July 19, 2022 04:00 - 53 minutes - 43.1 MB"It's really all about building relationships. Actually, that's what advocacy is about at its core." Sue Inches is an experienced environmental advocate, educator, and policy consultant. She is the author of the highly acclaimed Advocating for the Environment: How to Gather Your Power and Take Action.
211: Understanding a Very Delicate System: the Supply Chain
July 12, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 48.5 MBWhen the supply chain works, it’s a beautiful thing. But as the old saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and given the complexity of most supply chains today, any disruption can have a significant impact. Today's guest St. Claire L. Gerald, an Association of Supply Chain Management Certified Supply Chain Professional, helps us understand why the system is so delicate and how it can impact us.
210: Getting Comfortable with Navigating Change
July 05, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 48.2 MBMy guest in this episode is Leanne Gordon, the principal of Leanne Gordon, a firm dedicated to helping individuals navigate what overwhelms them when considering change, their personal or their organization’s false starts in change initiatives, and the inevitable resistance they’ll encounter leading change.
209: "Speak Earth" — Having Meaningful Conversations About the Environment
June 28, 2022 04:00 - 50 minutes - 40.4 MBTania Marien is an independent environmental education professional and the Director of Talaterra — "Speak Earth" — a network of independent environmental education (EE) professionals who contribute to lifelong learning and environmental health in communities. OK, that’s Tania’s official bio. After talking with her for a couple of hours and studying what she does and how she works, I prefer to describe her as a “citizen for our age”: she’s a connector, an organizer, a contributor, a doer, ...
208: And A River Runs through It
June 21, 2022 04:00 - 51 minutes - 41.4 MBMy guest in this episode is Steve Ehrlich. Steve is semi-retired, but now applying his life-long experience in adult learning, psychology, and literature to a new chapter — bringing the transformative lessons and stories gleaned from the fly fishing environment to support personal and professional growth. In this episode, we will wade into the literature of fly fishing — a contemplative, lyrical, and often poetic genre that examines water and our association with nature as a metaphor for...
207: Engaging with History to Help Make Sense of Today
June 14, 2022 04:00 - 53 minutes - 42.7 MBMy guest in this episode is Dr. Donna Curtin, a historian serving as the Executive Director of the Pilgrim Hall Museum. Pilgrim Hall is “the oldest continuously operating public museum in the country and America’s museum of Pilgrim possessions. I wanted to talk to Dr. Curtin because as a former high school history teacher and developer of social studies classroom materials for more than 35 years, I’m very concerned about the restrictions being placed on what some history teachers can teach e...
206: Discovering the Pathways to Discovering Purpose
June 07, 2022 04:00 - 42 minutes - 34.1 MBMy guest in this episode is Bradley Wright, a professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut and host of the “School of Purpose” podcast. When I began to investigate curiosity, Bradley’s focus on purpose was one of the first ideas that intrigued me because I don’t ever remember saying to myself, “That’s why I’m here! That’s what I meant to do in life!” Instead, it was more like, “Well, maybe I could teach.” Curious as I am, I wanted to explore the relationship between my passion fo...
205: It Is Always About Telling the Story
May 31, 2022 04:00 - 55 minutes - 44.1 MBHow do you go about telling a very inviting and understandable story in film? My guest in this episode, Rita Grant, is an award-winning documentary film cinematographer, director, and producer, and the driving force behind Sweet Sage Pictures. In our conversation, she explains how she harnesses her technical skills, curiosity, instinct, and heart behind the camera.
204: Living in Harmony with Yourself and the World
May 24, 2022 04:00 - 47 minutes - 38.4 MBToday I’m joined by Erica Nelson, a member of the Navaho Nation. Erica is a fly fishing guide, host of the “Awkward Angler” podcast, and a contributor to the “Awkward & Clueless Beginning Fly Fishing” show on YouTube. She is a Brown Folks Fishing ambassador, a community that cultivates the visibility, representation, and inclusion of people of color in fishing and its industry. She is also the passionate co-founder of REAL Consulting, which focuses on bringing diversity, equity, and inclusio...
203: Being Curious Enough to Avoid a Big Regret
May 17, 2022 04:00 - 52 minutes - 42 MBBill Whiteside is a sales and marketing executive turned software salesman turned writer of narrative non-fiction, specifically a forthcoming book about an incident in Winston Churchill’s tenure as Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II. Our conversation explores the incident, which we then use as an opportunity to examine what makes a great leader great, what constitutes the art of writing great, truthful narrative non-fiction, and Bill’s personal journey to satisfy his curiosity.
202: Telling Your Authentic Story
May 10, 2022 04:00 - 47 minutes - 37.9 MBWe rarely reveal our true self to others, and sometimes (very often?) we don’t reveal it to ourselves. Sadly, we can’t interact effectively with others if there are layers of our personal onion between us. Diane Wyzga, a self-described story doula works to help professionals pull back the curtain and get to the heart of their message — their authentic story.
201: Learning About Life and Leadership from a Fly Fishing Guide
January 04, 2022 05:00 - 44 minutes - 35.3 MBWhat can we learn from non-traditional sources if we’re willing to look at things differently? How can we break out of our often self-imposed boundaries to see what the universe is offering us? For example, this podcast is broadly about “K12 education,” but it’s really about thinking and doing things differently to get different results. And in the case of this episode, what can a fly fishing guide, Spencer Seim, tell us about leadership? And what can we learn from seemingly random events?
200: Caring for Faculty and Staff Through Mindfulness
December 28, 2021 05:00 - 41 minutes - 33.6 MBThe "Trauma in Schools" podcast series focus primarily on the trauma that students carry with them into the classroom. But, many school faculty, staff and administrators are also experiencing trauma. COVID has dislocated relationships and put pressure on educators to quickly address ”learning loss.” There is a critical need for school leaders at any level to promote self-care through mindfulness training. Mindful leadership expert, Michael Bunting, explains the first safe steps.
199: Enabling Systems Change Through the Spirit and Science of Collaboration
December 21, 2021 05:00 - 47 minutes - 37.8 MBThose who work for substantial educational change, do so within the context of today’s heated nation and world. Two thought leaders are adept at shining a light on those educators who are trying to lead their communities out of darkness. Dr. Michael Fullan and Dr. Mark Edwards have penned an argument for change that highlights how eight districts are combining the emotional and scientific basis for how educators and communities can work together to address the problems we face.
198: The Neuroscience Underpinnings of Trauma in Schools
December 07, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 28.7 MBIf students are in a state of high stress or trauma, the part of the brain that facilitates learning is inaccessible. Thus, student academic achievement rests squarely on the shoulders of student wellness. Neuroscience researcher, Melissa Hughes, Ph.D., explains.
197: Using Simulations to Train Trauma-informed School Personnel
November 30, 2021 05:00 - 43 minutes - 35.1 MBOne of the goals of our series is to raise awareness and the level of discourse around student trauma and mental health in general. And if we’re not bringing these subjects out into the open, kids keep all those emotions bottled up inside of them. Dr. Glenn Albright and Kim Weiland from Kognito, a firm that develops avatar-based simulations to help develop trauma-informed educators, explain.
196: A Transformation Story: Can You Hear Me Now?
November 23, 2021 05:00 - 50 minutes - 40.3 MBPeriodically on Getting Unstuck, we welcome a change maker to tell their story of personal transformation: how a specific event or catalyst propelled them into a different role or way of thinking from where they once were. Today, we hear from Suzanne DeMaillie who went from being the parent of three children to someone who led a four- year crusade to bring about a specific educational change. And as we’ve learned from countless other examples, bringing about an educational change isn’t alway...
195: Closing the Post High School Divide
November 16, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 28.2 MBSome students from low-income communities – often kids of color – may lack aspirations for a post high-school future because they feel it’s simply unrealistic to think of life outside of their current situation. But many students from low-income communities do have aspirations, yet they are sidelines because of real or perceived societal barriers blocking their way. The organization OneGoal helps them find a pathway. Priya Linson, OneGoal’s Executive Director of its Chicago chapter, explains.
Getting Unstuck #195: Closing the Post High School Divide
November 16, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 28.2 MBSome students from low-income communities – often kids of color – may lack aspirations for a post high-school future because they feel it’s simply unrealistic to think of life outside of their current situation. But many students from low-income communities do have aspirations, yet they are sidelines because of real or perceived societal barriers blocking their way. The organization OneGoal helps them find a pathway. Priya Linson, OneGoal’s Executive Director of its Chicago chapter, explains.
194: Treating Students as a Natural Resource
November 09, 2021 05:00 - 37 minutes - 30.1 MBAs today’s guest observed, “Many kids fall through the cracks somewhere.” Maybe they’ve experienced trauma outside of school, and as a result, they don’t fit in inside of school. But Jeff Rivero, veteran history teacher at Yosemite High School in Merced California, knows how to reach them and help them uncover their passion. How? He treats them like the natural resources they are.
193: Giving Student Voice to School Reform
November 02, 2021 04:00 - 47 minutes - 37.8 MBOver the years, we've heard a lot of ideas from teachers, administrators and thought leaders on how to reform high school so that the institution would better serve tomorrow's graduates and the complex world they face. But we'd never heard students' ideas on how to improve their high school experience. In this interview, we get the details on the student-generated and award winning plan from Sheri Nelson (Assistant Principal) and Alex Campbell (teacher) of Elizabethton HS, Elizabethton, TN.
Worth it #23: Wait, I'm Thinking Here, OK?
October 29, 2021 04:00 - 4 minutes - 3.66 MBThis week I talked with Janani Pathy, Principal of the Bill Hogarth Secondary School in Markham, Ontario Canada. Janani is one of those “unstuck” leaders that we profiled recently in our “unstuck” series. “Unstuck” leaders tend to demonstrate a few key behaviors, one being, they're highly adaptable and innovative. As a result, they don't tend to get stuck very often. That observation led to a discussion of a process for overcoming obstacles that Ryan Holiday outlines in his book, The Obstacl...
192: Tending the Garden of Future Leaders
October 26, 2021 04:00 - 42 minutes - 33.8 MBOver the summer, we’ve been running a series called “Unstuck” where we’ve profiled school leaders who are not just getting unstuck, they’re already unstuck. A number of behaviors define them. They're adaptable, flexible and innovative community-minded, focused on life skill development and the whole child; and finally, they believe there is an imperative to develop student leaders. Today's guest, principal Janani Pathy, epitomizes the unstuck leader.
Worth it #22: And This Led to That
October 22, 2021 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.02 MBThis week I talked with Peter McWain, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Sante Fe Public Schools. We reviewed a number of positive instructional outcomes that emerged from living under COVID. Unintended consequences occur all the time from change. While planners usually target desired outcomes, they often don't consider the negative outcomes that could accrue. To avoid that, change planners could ask themselves a question such as "How might the opposite of our desired outcome...
191: Changing the K12 System of Education — Update
October 19, 2021 04:30 - 23 minutes - 18.6 MBWe recorded our first interview with Peter McWain, Santa Fe Public Schools Director of Curriculum and Instruction during the summer of 2018. As schools emerge from COVID — and as educators try to prepare today’s students for an ever volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, we wanted to revisit some questions from our initial conversation: What is the purpose of U.S. education? What do we want for our graduates to know and do with their knowledge? And what kind of people do we want...
190: Changing the K12 System of Education
October 19, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBWe recorded our first interview with Peter McWain, Santa Fe Public Schools Director of Curriculum and Instruction during the summer of 2018. As schools emerge from COVID — and as educators try to prepare today’s students for an ever volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, we wanted to revisit some questions from our initial conversation: What is the purpose of U.S. education? What do we want for our graduates to know and do with their knowledge? And what kind of people do we want...
Worth It #21: I Know You Can Do It
October 15, 2021 04:00 - 6 minutes - 5.32 MBThis week I talked with Dr. Lindsay Lyons, an educational coach who helps teachers integrate student voice in classroom learning so as to develop shared classroom leadership. There's a lot of interest in student agency, but there's also concern from many teachers and students. Teachers are leery of giving up control and not being able to cover everything they need to cover. Students are simply used to taking direction from their teachers. The research, though, says "Just do it!" and the bene...
189: Creating the Right Environment for Shared Leadership
October 12, 2021 04:00 - 46 minutes - 36.9 MBIf you asked people to identify the qualities they want to see in high school graduates, most people would respond with points such as Independent thinking, Collaborative, Problem solving, Emotionally intelligence and Adaptability. These are also all qualities that we would want to see in leaders, rights? But what kind of opportunities do we routinely give kids to develop these leadership qualities? And what kind of barriers stand in the way of practice? Leadership coach, Dr. Lindsay Lyons...
Worth It #20: The Power of Plural
October 08, 2021 04:00 - 6 minutes - 5.07 MBThis week I talked with Erin Mote, co-founder of the Brooklyn Lab Charter School in Brooklyn, New York. Erin is passionate about helping the school's "scholars" discover their interests, their passions, and in the process, help shape their individual identity. This idea that we can be shaped by multiple interests and passions led us to investigate the book RANGE and the TEDx Talk "The Hidden Power of Not (Always) Fitting In." Life, we discovered, should be about investigating and living poss...
188: Helping Students Unlock Their Superpower
October 05, 2021 04:00 - 56 minutes - 44.9 MBErin Mote is the cofounder of the Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, a community-based school organization that serves more than 1000 students. She is also the Executive Director and Co-Founder of InnovateEDU. In this episode, we'll go from the design of the charter school that Erin and her then soon-to-be-husband scratched out on the back of a cocktail napkin to a flourishing school of "scholars," many of whom come with a figurative backpack full of challenges and hard-earned grit and resi...
Worth it #19 — Give Your Imposter Syndrome a Time Out
October 01, 2021 04:00 - 4 minutes - 3.91 MBThis week I talked with Daniel Bauer, podcast host, author, mastermind facilitator, and coach. He has defined the art of growing leadership talent that seeks to change education to better serve 21st century students. He grows "Ruckus Makers." As successful as he is, he's as susceptible to self-doubt and the voice of his inner critic – his imposter syndrome – as the rest of us. The imposter syndrome is an extremely persuasive, loud, and rude critic – a real bully. But there are ways to turn i...
187: The Art of Unlocking Leadership Talent
September 28, 2021 04:00 - 37 minutes - 29.9 MBWe’ve been running a series called “Unstuck,” which focuses on school leaders who are not just getting unstuck, they’re already "unstuck." And by "Unstuck," we mean they are leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership. Whiles he’s not technically a leader inside a school anymore, Daniel Bauer epitomizes our “unstuck” philosophy with a unique brand of his own: developing "Ruckus Ma...
Worth It #18: Take Time for Yourself
September 23, 2021 04:00 - 4 minutes - 3.94 MBThis week I talked with Dr. Daisy Morales, the new Superintendent of the Live Oak School District in Santa Cruz, CA. Daisy’s big concern coming into the district on Day 1 wasn’t rectifying the “lost learning” associated with managing classrooms in a virtual or hybrid environment. Her primary concern coming out of a year of COVID was with the wellness of her faculty and staff. So, we stay with wellness in this episode and focus on three unique ideas to help faculty and staff promote their own...
186: Developing a Wellness-Focused Culture
September 21, 2021 04:00 - 41 minutes - 33.2 MBDr. Daisy Morales is the new Superintendent of the Live Oak School District in Santa Cruz, CA. Like other smart, experienced leaders, Dr. Morales didn't come into the district with her guns of change blazing. Instead, she began a series of one-on-one and group listening meetings to determine the priority for the year. Not priorities, but priority. And what she discovered is that the worlds of instruction and learning, and social-emotional learning need to come together. Fast.
Worth It #17: Nurturing the "Beginner's Mind"
September 17, 2021 04:00 - 4 minutes - 3.78 MBThis week I talked with Connie Liu and Jordan Mareno of “Project Invent,” an organization that brings innovation, design thinking, and community problem solving into the classroom. "Project Invent" is all about helping students maintain their curiosity and sense of discovery — what a ZEN master would call their "beginner's mind." This approach isn't just a nice to have. Today’s organizations operating in an environment of volatility, complexity, and ambiguity want innovative thinking from th...
185: Developing Community Changemakers
September 14, 2021 04:00 - 39 minutes - 31.3 MBTeaching kids 21st century skills is not new news. Fortunately, most school systems have instruction in place that addresses the 4Cs or variations of them along with life & career skills and media skills. How schools develop the skills, however, does vary. Do you teach these skills in discrete lessons? Or do you weave them seamlessly into project-based experiences? In this episode, Connie Liu and Jordan Mareno of Project Invent share their philosophy and program.
#185: Developing Community Changemakers
September 14, 2021 04:00 - 39 minutes - 31.3 MBTeaching kids 21st century skills is not new news. Fortunately, most school systems have instruction in place that addresses the 4Cs or variations of them along with life & career skills and media skills. How schools develop the skills, however, does vary. Do you teach these skills in discrete lessons? Or do you weave them seamlessly into project-based experiences? In this episode, Connie Liu and Jordan Mareno of Project Invent share their philosophy and program.
Worth it #16: Redefining the Impact of Global Warming
September 10, 2021 04:00 - 4 minutes - 3.76 MBThis week we talked with Sunny Summers, the Founding School Leader of New Harmony High School in New Orleans. Our conversation centered on how one goes about designing a new school, especially one that is place-based around the local ecosystem. That approach is unique, but what really defines New Harmony is its people – its faculty and students. And people is where we go with this week's mini-feature, as we explore how one author is redefining global warming by focusing on the people affecte...
184: Hiring Teachers Who Have That "Thing"
September 07, 2021 04:00 - 48 minutes - 38.8 MBThis interview is part of our “Unstuck” series. By "Unstuck," we mean our guest is leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership. This week talked with Sunny Summers, Executive Director of New Harmony High in New Orleans. New Harmony High rewrote the book on place-based learning because everything the students engage in leverages the local ecosystem: the land, the people and their cul...
#184: Hiring Teachers Who Have That "Thing"
September 07, 2021 04:00 - 48 minutes - 38.8 MBThis interview is part of our “Unstuck” series. By "Unstuck," we mean our guest is leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership. This week talked with Sunny Summers, Executive Director of New Harmony High in New Orleans. New Harmony High rewrote the book on place-based learning because everything the students engage in leverages the local ecosystem: the land, the people and their cul...
Worth It #15: It's Critical to Think Critically
September 03, 2021 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.26 MBThis week we spoke with K12 social studies educator, Casey Jakubowski, Ph.D.. Our conversation dove into the debate about the purpose of teaching U.S. History. Is it about instilling patriotism, examining the promise of America versus its practices, or teaching critical life skills? A mixture? Teaching skills is where we go with this week's "Worth a Listen, Look or Read." We make the case that helping students develop their critical thinking is critical given that employers are looking for it.
183: Whose History Is It Anyway?
August 31, 2021 04:00 - 48 minutes - 39.1 MBThe teaching of U.S. history and civics is in the news a lot these days. We’re seeing controversy and divisiveness around the approach we should take with our students. Stress what's good about the U.S. and where we're making progress toward meeting our goals? Focus on where the promise is not yet being met? The discussions are leaving many teachers in pedagogical limbo. And students may be denied the opportunity to engage in some critical thinking. Guest Casey Jakubowski PhD, a K12 speciali...
Worth It #14: W.A.I.T. – Why Am I Talking?
August 27, 2021 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.79 MBThis week we spoke with Principal Michelle Pinchot who was asked to turn around a low-performing school. Rather than jump in immediately with a bunch of 'solutions," Michelle started asking a lot of questions and listening. And listening is where we go with this week's "Worth a Listen, Look or Read." We'll watch a TED Talk to learn about 5 strategies we can use to improve our listening. And then we'll learn about the 7-38-55 rule, which, well...check out the episode for the skinny on that.
182: Unleashing the Power of a Team of Teacher Leaders
August 24, 2021 04:00 - 45 minutes - 36.4 MBThis interview is part of our “Unstuck” series. By "Unstuck," we mean our guest is leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership. This week we talked with Michelle Pinchot, Principal of the Heritage Computer Academy in Garden Grove, CA. Her challenge? How do you improve a low-performing school where only 50% of the faculty feel pride in what they're doing? Hint: don't start with a sle...
Worth It #13: Aspire to Make a Difference
August 20, 2021 04:00 - 3 minutes - 3.11 MBIn this week's podcast, we talked with Mike Matsuda, Superintendent of the Anaheim Union High School District. Mike's focus has been to build a three-part framework that brings greater alignment between what happens in the classroom and the world of work. One of those elements speaks to developing student voice. We dug into that idea by watching a video that features a graduation speech given by Denzel Washington. In that speech, Washington outlines the real goal of having students develop t...
181: Stressing The Urgency for Change. Now.
August 17, 2021 04:00 - 45 minutes - 36.1 MBThis interview is part of our “Unstuck” series. By "Unstuck," we mean our guest is leading or embracing a major shift in student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, or personal leadership. In this episode, we talk with Superintendent Mike Matsuda around his singular vision — to bring better alignment between what students are doing in the classroom right now and the world they’ll face upon graduation — and the urgency by which he's pursuing it.