92: Building a Culture of Empathy and Curiosity with Tom Willis

Tom Willis is a former classroom teacher and a prior CEO for Cornerstone, a school system in Detroit. He also believes in the power of lifelong learning.  These beliefs have shaped his primary goal in life: helping others move beyond their self-limiting beliefs so they can reach their God-given potential.  

 

He was fortunate to earn an engineering degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.  

 

He thanks God every day for his amazing wife and three wonderful children.

Join us for this wonderful conversation about the essential skills school leaders need to be effective, empathetic, and supportive leaders who create a community that supports growth.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

Tom's transition into educational leadership and the challenges he faced.The essential skills and characteristics needed for effective leadership in a school district.The importance of having educators model SEL behaviors and emotional intelligence in their schools and classrooms.The role of curiosity in education and leadership.Asking the right questions to facilitate conversations.How to shift from being a “doer” to a leader who supports growth.The fundamental job of a leader.

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Connect with Tom and Phoenix Perform on LinkedIn and YouTube.Visit www.phoenixperform.com to learn more about their work to create exceptional cultures.Check out UP Academy’s Project Literacy Curriculum at projectup.us. Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination MeetLearn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

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MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth. 

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.