School Culture By Design
119 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsDuring 30+ years of wandering the continent, visiting schools and listening to school people share their joys and frustrations, Phil Boyte has learned a lot about building great school culture. In this podcast you will hear examples Phil has seen work to enhance school culture, stories from some of his heroes in education and simple ideas to start implementing on your campus today!
We invite you along on this listening journey. You will hear simple and transformative stories about building community, vulnerability, and trust on your campus. No matter what role you play, we believe everyone has a hand in creating a school no one will want to leave.
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Episodes
Episode #118 - The Power of Creating Opportunity Across the Campus
March 13, 2024 05:00 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBMike Brasier is an innovation Principal in his fourth year leading Thompson Junior High School and has a deep passion for building schools that provide equity, empowering kids and teachers to do what they love, and creating opportunities to do so. Mike shares how leveraging the ‘Four P’s’ - Passion, Peers, Play and Projects, has empowered his people and created unity and excitement across his campus. Listen in to learn how Mike puts these principles into action to create a school where tea...
Episode #117: Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom - Guest Roni Habib
January 31, 2024 14:42 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBRoni Habib is a speaker, author, and expert in helping leaders, educators, and parents become happier and more resilient. During this podcast, Phil and Roni talk about the value of creating vulnerability and connection with students. Roni shares how he uses the concept of RAAMP to help build emotional intelligence for everyone. Check out his new book: Happy & Resilient: The Complete Guide to Joyful Teaching, Learning, and Living
Episode #116: The value of focusing on staff culture - Guest Casey Giovannoni
January 04, 2024 17:53 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBStep into a conversation with Casey Giovannoni, a dedicated advocate for student well-being, who took on the role of principal at Central Valley High School amidst post-Covid challenges. In this podcast, Casey offers a glimpse into the journey he and his team undertook to harmonize excellent student academics with a thriving staff culture. He shares ideas, lessons learned along the way, and the impactful outcomes seen through their efforts to enhance staff culture.
Episode #115: Leading with Compassion - Guest Michele Anderson
November 21, 2023 19:41 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBMichele Anderson is the principal at Sunnyside HS in Fresno, California and believes great change starts by leading with compassion. She shares lessons in partnering with the parents and the power of inviting students into PD with your staff. Simple reminders to start with a PEOPLE FIRST approach with both staff and students.
Episode #114: 3 Mindset Shifts for the Fall
October 06, 2023 21:28 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBPhil and Laurie Boyte take listeners on a journey through their recent trip to Italy, discussing mindset takeaways they gained from their travels. Embrace the unknown and unpredictable aspects of life for more fulfilling experiences. Infuse passion and love into work to create meaningful connections. By shifting your mindset, you can experience life in new ways and build deeper relationships with others. How can you implement these mindset shifts into your school culture?
Episode #113: Dr. Tron Young - Be the Thermostat
September 13, 2023 15:36 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBDr. Tron Young is the building principal at Joseph Arthur Middle School in O’Fallon, IL and was named the 2020 Illinois Middle School Principal of the year. During this podcast, Dr. Young shares his leadership philosophy of being a "thermostat, not a thermometer," which means setting the culture and tone instead of just reflecting it. In this dynamic interview, Phil and Tron talk about bus tours, the 4 goals Dr. Tron sets with his students each year, and his FRIDAY FIVE that has truly helped...
Episode #112: The Impact of Core Values on Culture
August 15, 2023 17:36 - 32 minutes - 44.4 MBCraig Tucker from ImplementED joins the podcast to talk about how having clarity around your mission, vision, and core values can have a tremendous impact on culture. He shares why data is so valuable and gives a sample activity you can do to get perspective from different voices from your school/organizational community.
Episode #111: PEOPLE FIRST for everyone
August 02, 2023 18:18 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBLeslie Loewen has served California’s Central Valley as a teacher, coach, club sponsor, and administrator for more than 24 years. She is focused on active learning, positive relationship-building, and planting the seeds of knowledge and leadership through student engagement. During this podcast, she and Phil talk about how slowing down and truly listening to people can help cultivate a healthier culture. She also talks about the power of building relationships with the “forgotten” staff memb...
Episode #110: Building a PEOPLE FIRST Culture Through Connections
July 16, 2023 00:51 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBAs Brene Brown said, “We are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.” Join Phil Boyte and Shyana Frost as they talk about the power of starting with connections in order to build a PEOPLE FIRST culture. They have heard all the reasons it can feel hard to focus on this work between not enough time, resistant participants, or even lack of priority… but they believe starting with the human work is vital to team succe...
Episode #109: Hire and Retain Great Staff - Guest Raleigh Bame
May 02, 2023 02:55 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBHiring the right people is critical for school culture. Think about it, the team you hire is the team you will come together with everyday, the team you’ll be in the trenches with, and the team that becomes like a second family. Join Shyana Frost and Raleigh Bame, Principal, Laurel Park Elementary, as they discuss the importance of hiring and retaining great people to fill your staff. Listen in as they provide strategies and ideas that can be applied to your hiring process to put people firs...
Episode #108: Magic of Moments - Guest Shyana Frost
April 11, 2023 09:00 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBThe tiny moments that you conclude your year with can be a marker for what people remember about the school year. Join Phil Boyte and Shyana Frost, COO at Learning for Living, as they discuss how to infuse “Moments of Magic” into the last weeks of the school year to create a fun and engaging environment. Gain ideas on tiny moments you can use as is, or twist - think Rubik’s cube - to change up your routine and create joy amongst your staff, colleagues and students.
Episode # 107: The power of positive leadership - Guest Jennifer Prince
February 23, 2023 15:13 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MBJennifer Prince joins Phil to talk about the power of being a positive leader. She is the Executive Director of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation for the Glendora Unified School District and shares pieces of the research she did for her dissertation focused on the relationships between positive leaders, teacher satisfaction, and overall staff morale. Listen in as she and Phil give practical ways to create more positivity in whatever role you play.
Episode #106: The Chick-fil-A approach to culture - Guest David Hamel
February 10, 2023 01:45 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBDavid Hamel, Owner and Operator of Chick-fil-A in Durham, North Carolina joins Phil to talk about how Chick-fil-A approaches building a people focused culture. He has seen the strongest leaders are willing to be intentional and inconvenienced, shares the companies CORE 4, and the concept of calling people UP versus OUT. Looking for amazing inspiration from an excellent company? This is a great podcast for every leader looking to grow their people.
EPISODE #105: Be Great - Guest Dwight Carter
January 25, 2023 18:40 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBDwight Carter has been an educational leader in a variety of capacities over the past 25 + years and has a passion for building great culture. During this podcast, he shares why re-setting expectations coming out of the pandemic is so vital, how to practice those expectations, and then the power of trusting your staff and students to live them out. Dwight believes in the power of a smile and hello, and wraps up the podcast sharing about his book BE GREAT.
EPISODE #104: The power of a pit stop - Guest Paul Lundberg
December 16, 2022 00:19 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBPaul Lundberg believes every good team needs a healthy PIT STOP along the way and during his conversation with Phil, he talks about leveraging the acronym RISE (Reconnect, Inspire, Serve, and Evaluate) to ensure teams are connected and clear on where they are going next. See the CULTURE BLOG for a PIT STOP template to guide your teams reflection time.
Episode #103: Purposeful play to build student engagement - Guest Dr. Deborah Beagle
December 13, 2022 10:30 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBPhil Boyte and guest Dr. Deborah Beagle, Director of Student Activities, share activities that build connections and school culture! From playdough, coins, balloons, to paper airplanes, hear how Debbie uses common items with activities to teach lessons of being intentional, kind, seizing the moment, and more! Check out our Culture Blog for resources to download, including Debbie’s paper airplane example to inspire positivity.
Episode #102: Culture of Trust - Guest Dr. Robert McBride
November 22, 2022 10:30 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBGuest Dr. Robert McBride, Superintendent of Lockport Township High School District 205, shares three ways leaders can build trust. Hear his examples of scheduling time to be present and available, being fully transparent, and teaching others to cultivate a culture of trust. Plus, try the “Fun Facts” activity by asking someone, “What is one fun fact about you?” to build a connection!
Episode #101: Beat burnout and create connections - Guest Stephanie Haynes
October 25, 2022 09:30 - 28 minutes - 26 MBPhil Boyte and guest Stephanie Haynes, veteran educator, speaker, coach, and author, discuss causes of educator burnout and provide ways to cope with it. Don’t miss their ideas on building connections, including the classroom activity, “Uplift Jar.”
Episode #100: Celebrate what you wish to perpetuate - Guest Dr. John Eick
October 07, 2022 10:02 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBPhil Boyte and Dr. John Eick, Executive Director at Westlake Charter School, share ideas on how to celebrate staff, create opportunities to share stories, and build a school culture prepared for disruptive change. Don’t miss Dr. Eick’s relationship building activity everyone can do with a photo on their cell phone.
Episode #99: Tiny moments that cultivate culture - Guest Shyana Frost
September 13, 2022 09:55 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBShyana Frost, our resident culture guru and COO, puts on her Kindergarten Mom hat to reflect on how tiny moments have helped create trust in her school community. Listen in to hear examples (some accomplished in just one minute!) that made a huge impact and how everyone on campus can create a “people first” culture. www.LearningForLiving.com
Episode #98: Storytelling sparks connection - Guest Robin Nott
August 24, 2022 14:12 - 26 minutes - 24.8 MBGuest Robin Nott, Fine Arts Artist and Educator from Richland, Michigan, discusses how storytelling enables students to share their true story and connect with each other in a meaningful way. Download his “Story Sparks” activity to build connections at your next staff meeting or in the classroom. As Robin says, “everybody is a storyteller.” LearningForLiving.com
Episode #97: Leadership and prioritizing people first - Guest Paul Lundberg
August 09, 2022 14:09 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBPhil Boyte and guest Paul Lundberg share ideas on leadership and prioritizing “people first.” Paul breaks down 3 ways for managers to evolve into leaders. Leaders invest in their people, create fellow leaders, and inspire by listening. He further states how listening and being engaged in a conversation without tapping out builds strong relationships and breaks down conflict.
Episode #96: Creating connections on campus - Guest Laurie Beyer
July 26, 2022 09:30 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBIn this episode, Phil Boyte and Laurie Beyer, Principal at Maidu Elementary School in Roseville, California, share ideas on how to connect with kids, build trust with staff, and build community on campus. Laurie reminds us of the importance of focusing on what is going well and being present. Listen in to hear more about her superpower of knowing every student’s name.
Episode #95: Culture and Community - Guest Aaron Ragon
July 06, 2022 09:30 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBIn Episode 95, Phil Boyte and guest Aaron Ragon, Lead Counselor for Douglas County School District in Colorado, share ways to support staff and student well-being. Listen in to hear how Aaron builds community and trust with his team of counselors. He also reminds us to find moments of humor in our day.
Episode #94: Igniting Culture and Breaking Down the Walls - Guest Jason Jedamski
June 08, 2022 09:30 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBPhil Boyte and guest Jason Jedamski, School Culture Coach and owner of Ignite2Unite, share ideas on creating irresistible experiences, building campus and community connections, and creating a school no one wants to leave. Stay tuned until the end for an exciting announcement about the future of Breaking Down the Walls!
Episode #93: Hakuna Matata Culture - Guest Dr. Deborah Beagle
May 03, 2022 09:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBIn this episode, Phil Boyte and guest Deborah Beagle, Director of Student Activities at Vernon Hills HS, Illinois, discuss school culture, leadership development, and the value of a supportive school community. Debbie shares her inspirational journey with breast cancer and how her school and network supported and encouraged her. Listen in to hear about her Hakuna Matata theme that helped her stay positive during her cancer journey and the encouragement she gives to have “no worries.”
Episode #92: Spring ideas and traditions - Guest Melissa Wright
April 12, 2022 09:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBJoin Phil Boyte and guest Melissa Wright for ideas to encourage and celebrate staff and students at the end of the school year. Melissa shares ways to build school culture, boost morale on campus, and bring back fun and meaningful spring traditions. Melissa is a Jostens Renaissance Advisor and Mathematics and Dance Teacher at Kennebecasis Valley High School in Quispamsis, NB, Canada.
Episode #91: Tiny moments make a difference - Guest Shyana Frost
March 31, 2022 12:52 - 30 minutes - 28 MBIn this episode, Phil Boyte and Shyana Frost, COO of Learning for Living, talk about how tiny moments everyday help build trust and relationships on campus. Shyana shares examples why it is important to communicate effectively and acknowledge the dedication, achievements, and hard moments that our colleagues and students are experiencing. Also, stay tuned until the end to hear an announcement about a NEW leadership program for administrators, “People First Administrator Training.” Learn m...
Episode #90: Mental Wellness - Guest Lianna Gantz
March 08, 2022 10:00 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBPhil Boyte and guest Lianna Gantz, Central HS Teacher and 2021 Texas Student Council Advisor of the Year, discuss school culture and mental wellness. Lianna and her students work together to plan “Mental Wellness” Week and “Stop the Silence” Week to increase awareness and understanding of mental health and suicide prevention. Listen in to hear her ideas on sharing positivity, creating a caring campus, and building relationships with a “10 Gives, 1 Ask” approach.
Episode #89: Redefining Education - Guest Maureen Stover
February 22, 2022 10:00 - 33 minutes - 15.2 MBPhil Boyte and guest Maureen Stover, 2021 National Teacher of the Year finalist, discuss redefining education coming out of the pandemic. Opportunities include creating a culture of trust, support, and intentional communications. Also, hear about Maureen’s equity in education initiative with her North Carolina regional team.
Episode #88: Student engagement ideas - Guest Scott Backovich
February 08, 2022 10:00 - 31 minutes - 14.4 MBIn this episode, Phil Boyte and guest Scott Backovich, founder of ENVOLVE Schools, share “Student Engagement Ideas.” Scott shares his approach on being a silver lining specialist, the importance of staff and student acknowledgement, and student activities you can do this spring to increase student involvement and create community.
Episode #87: Leadership in Education - Guest Rachael George
January 25, 2022 13:44 - 34 minutes - 15.7 MBListen in to hear Rachael George’s incredible journey to education and her passion to pay it forward. She shares advice from her book Principaled as well as her newly released book, She Leads: The Women’s Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership, including strategies to navigate leadership positions and building school culture. Phil and Rachael also discuss the value of taking time to hear each other's stories to create a culture that puts people first.
Episode #86: Healthy Culture - Guest Vince Caguin
January 11, 2022 14:17 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBIn this episode, Vince Caguin, Natomas Unified Executive Director of Nutrition Services & Warehousing, shares 3 mantras on building “Healthy Culture” with a focus on child nutrition, taking care of staff, and supporting local farmers. For Vince and his dedicated team, “it’s more than food” as they quickly became a cornerstone for the community during the pandemic. Listen in to hear Vince's secret recipe to the success of his program.
Episode #85: SEL ideas to build community in the classroom - Guest Kelly Griffin
December 07, 2021 13:39 - 36 minutes - 17 MBKelly Griffin wants to “change the educational ecosystem” with an emphasis on social emotional learning (SEL). She shares numerous SEL activities to help build community in the classroom. Kelly also discusses the importance of teaching and practicing self-awareness, self-management, and coping skills. CLICK HERE for the Better Together Connect Cards that Kelly mentions during this episode.
Episode #84: 3 skills to build a positive self-identity - Guest Donovan Taylor Hall
November 16, 2021 14:24 - 32 minutes - 15.1 MBDonovan Taylor Hall, youth advocate and educator, is an inspiring, positive force for youth. He helps kids improve their most important relationship… the one they have with themselves. Donovan shares 3 skills to help students build a positive self-identity. Listen in to hear about the importance of encouraging helpful self-talk, creating a growth mindset, and practicing gratitude.
Episode #83: Get on your feet leadership - Guest Brooke Barton
October 21, 2021 14:15 - 27 minutes - 12.8 MBBrooke Barton is on a mission to build positive school culture and develop “get on your feet” leaders … because as Brooke says, you can’t lead sitting down! Don’t miss her school’s unique approach to the typical canned food drive that gets more students involved, the “Big Greet” to welcome students mid semester, and more ideas that help build amazing campus culture!
Episode #82: Learning from wins and losses - Guest Kenny Monday
September 14, 2021 14:14 - 26 minutes - 12.3 MBBe inspired by Kenny Monday, former Olympic gold medalist wrestler and current Head Coach and Director of the wrestling academy at SPIRE Institute. Kenny shares the value of learning from all experiences, including wins and losses, to drive us forward. Kenny is creating opportunities for youth and student athletes as he believes “when we re-invest in our youth, we make a deposit into our future.”
Episode #81: Road to Awesome - Guest Darrin Peppard
August 31, 2021 13:10 - 33 minutes - 15.6 MBTake a journey on the “Road to Awesome” with Phil Boyte and guest Darrin Peppard, keynote speaker, author, and former teacher and administrator. Darrin shares ideas on how to build positive school culture and how focusing on what people are doing right changed his mindset.
Episode #80: Back to school with excitement - Guest Christina Onuskanich
August 10, 2021 14:23 - 18 minutes - 8.61 MBIt’s back to school time, and we are chatting with Christina Onuskanich (Mrs. O), Teacher at Central Mountain Middle School in Mill Hall, PA. Christina shares ideas on how she is kicking off the new school year with a focus on engagement and building relationships. Ideas include dedicated circle time, welcome back activities, mindfulness tools, team building, and a school wide book reading of “Deep Kindness” with her goal to “Let kindness lead the way this year.”
Episode #79: Celebrating and Supporting Staff - Phil Boyte
July 27, 2021 12:45 - 15 minutes - 7.17 MBListen in to the CULTURE LEVER series finale and hear ideas on how you can CELEBRATE and SUPPORT your staff. It starts by creating and building genuine connections with colleagues. Phil Boyte shares ideas to consider this fall, such as relationship builders, check-in’s, and the Love List to get to know your staff and how they like to be celebrated or supported. Download the staff Love List (plus some student love list questions in this blog post): https://www.learningforliving.com/cultu...
Episode #78: Creating Irresistible Experiences for Students - Guest Jason Jedamski
July 13, 2021 18:37 - 25 minutes - 11.8 MBJoin Phil Boyte and guest Jason Jedamski, Director of the Vanguard Academy of Broken Arrow, OK, as they share ideas on "Creating Irresistible Experiences for Students." Jason shares his passion to create an environment of emotional commitment among staff and students across campus and in the classrooms. JJ believes in micro experiences and that these moments create momentum. Listen in and consider how you can create irresistible experiences at your school this fall!
Episode #77: Build connections at your gatherings - Guest Shyana Frost
June 29, 2021 12:00 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBNext up in the CULTURE LEVER series, join Phil Boyte and guest Shyana Frost, Learning for Living COO, for an episode packed with ideas and tips on how you can intentionally build connections at your GATHERINGS from staff meetings to social events. #PeopleFirst
Episode #76: Welcoming Students Back - Guest Ted Goergen
June 15, 2021 11:00 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBIn this episode of the School Culture By Design CULTURE LEVER series, Phil Boyte welcomes back guest Ted Goergen, Director of Student Activities at Adlai E. Stevenson HS in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Ted views this fall as an opportunity to recalibrate and reimagine school culture and shares ideas on “Welcoming Students Back.”
Episode #75: Reboarding ideas to welcome staff back - Phil Boyte
June 01, 2021 13:25 - 11 minutes - 5.5 MBContinuing the Culture Lever mini podcast series, this episode focuses on the “Onboarding/Reboarding” lever and gives ideas for welcoming staff back to your campus this fall. Hear how to communicate “we are so glad you are here” from day one with culture at the forefront.
Episode #74: Culture Levers & Communication - Phil Boyte
May 18, 2021 12:29 - 13 minutes - 6.25 MBListen in as Phil Boyte provides an overview of the CULTURE LEVERS, four core areas that can be leveraged to intentionally build thriving school culture. In this episode, Phil focuses on the COMMUNICATION lever and shares simple ways to take a “people first” approach to communicate with your staff leading into the fall semester.
Episode #73: Potential this spring - Phil Boyte Mini Podcast
April 13, 2021 15:37 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBSpring is here and before we know it school will be out for summer, so what a great time to pause and consider the potential we have before staff and students leave for the year. During this mini podcast, Phil shares the concept of "intent versus capacity" and thoughts on prioritizing this spring for optimal impact.
Episode #72: Digital4Good: Empowering students to be part of the solution – Guests Kim Karr and Malorie Bournazian
April 01, 2021 13:51 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBJoin Phil Boyte and guests Kim Karr, co-founder of #ICANHELP, and Malorie Bournazian, Lead Intern at Digital4Good, as they discuss using technology and social media in a positive way and empowering students to be part of the solution. They share tips on how educators can encourage students to have safer and healthier digital habits as well as the importance of training students to help and support fellow students as they often turn to one another. Additional resources, including free cur...
Episode #71: COVID-friendly Spring Ideas for Staff and Students – Guest Debbie Hawkins
February 12, 2021 15:06 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBJoin Phil Boyte and Debbie Hawkins, Campus Culture Director, at Sunnyside High School in Fresno, California, for a run down on virtual and social distancing ideas for this spring. Debbie has created possibilities and fun events for her staff and students during this pandemic without skipping a beat. Listen in to hear how she helps her school stay connected, including STUDENT events such as Senior Shout Outs on Instagram, Move Up Day, and Virtual Prom; and STAFF events including social dist...
Episode #70: Culture, Life, and People First – Guest Phil Campbell
January 05, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBJoin PB and PC as they bounce questions back and forth about culture, travel, books, self-care, and so much more! Get to know the two friends who are deeply passionate about building great culture, as they share both personal and professional experiences and insights.
Episode #69: Habits of Leadership – Guest Jennifer Duston
December 15, 2020 18:34 - 31 minutes - 14.7 MBIn this episode, Phil Boyte interviews guest Jennifer Duston, former teacher and administrator, and current Client Partner with Franklin Covey Education. Hear Jennifer’s views on celebrating hard work, being yourself, and how leadership skills prepare students for life after school. She also shares a virtual spin on making “emotional bank account” deposits to help increase engagement and build relationships among the school community while distance learning.