Schools Of Excellence Podcast
234 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 86 ratingsIf you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies - equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and a beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.
In addition to weekly solo episodes, she'll also be inviting industry leaders and the changing makers of the landscape of education to give listeners the insides knowledge of what it takes to sustain excellence.
Don't miss an episode, subscribe today for everything you need for your leadership journey!
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Episodes
Stories of Resilience Trailer
May 06, 2021 14:00 - 3 minutes - 5.57 MBThe COVID crisis took a huge toll on the educational landscape and school leaders struggled to rise to the ever-changing obstacles that were thrown their way sometimes every hour! We are still reeling with consistent uncertainty, ambiguity, and chaos. Leaders are trying to make sense of it all and rebuild their cultures and trust with the teams and the families. This 6 part series are stories of school leaders who navigated these challenges and the practices and mindset that help...
18. Difficult Conversations: Deflection - Part 3
May 04, 2021 14:00 - 15 minutes - 21 MBAs a school owner, you can agree with me that being the boss can be more difficult and less fun than most people think. The biggest challenge? The staff members at your school. Even if you're a born "people person," being in a position of authority means making tough choices, having tough conversations, and often finding yourself in a tough spot. During tough conversations, you may have noticed some of your teachers using the deflection method to avoid taking responsibility. How do you re...
17. Difficult Conversations: Deflection - Part 3
May 04, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutes - 19.5 MBAs a school owner, you can agree with me that being the boss can be more difficult and less fun than most people think. The biggest challenge? The staff members at your school. Even if you're a born "people person," being in a position of authority means making tough choices, having tough conversations, and often finding yourself in a tough spot. During tough conversations, you may have noticed some of your teachers using the deflection method to avoid taking responsibility. How do you re...
17. Teacher Appreciation Week
April 27, 2021 14:00 - 17 minutes - 23.6 MBGratitude and appreciation need to be a habit - a constant in your life. And having a week in a year that is focused on key stakeholders that drive success in your school, is really special. It shows that you value them, and reinforces a culture you'd want to see in a school of excellence. While we may not remember every single detail of what happens in our lives, we will always remember specific moments of experiences. In this week’s episode, I share ideas on how you can make your teacher...
16. Teacher Appreciation Week
April 27, 2021 10:00 - 16 minutes - 22 MBGratitude and appreciation need to be a habit - a constant in your life. And having a week in a year that is focused on key stakeholders that drive success in your school, is really special. It shows that you value them, and reinforces a culture you'd want to see in a school of excellence. While we may not remember every single detail of what happens in our lives, we will always remember specific moments of experiences. In this week’s episode, I share ideas on how you can make your teacher...
16. Bonus episode: Predictions & Cautions - Wrapping Up the School Year and Planning for Fall
April 23, 2021 17:43 - 44 minutes - 60.5 MBWhen leaders fail, their failure is highly attributed to their lack of preparation. As school owners, we tend to work really hard on executing our plans, but we also want to take time to look ahead, predict, understand cautions and traps that we might fall into if our plans are not actualized. We must be ready. We must be prepared. We must lead. In today’s episode, I share predictions on how best to end the school year and cautions on what is going to happen in the fall. Your ability t...
Bonus episode: Predictions & Cautions - Wrapping Up the School Year and Planning for Fall
April 23, 2021 13:43 - 42 minutes - 59 MBWhen leaders fail, their failure is highly attributed to their lack of preparation. As school owners, we tend to work really hard on executing our plans, but we also want to take time to look ahead, predict, understand cautions and traps that we might fall into if our plans are not actualized. We must be ready. We must be prepared. We must lead. In today’s episode, I share predictions on how best to end the school year and cautions on what is going to happen in the fall. Your ability t...
15. Difficult Conversations: Crying - Part 2
April 20, 2021 14:00 - 15 minutes - 21 MBLet’s face it, when a teacher starts to cry during a difficult conversation, it can make even the most experienced school owner uncomfortable. It’s hard to know what to do, and our own emotional reactions can get in the way of thinking clearly. In today's episode, I tackle the second shield used by teachers when a difficult conversation comes up - crying. It's not the actual conversation that causes the response; it is the belief of what's actually happening. And a lot of times, when lea...
14. Difficult Conversations: Blame - Part 1
April 13, 2021 14:00 - 17 minutes - 24.2 MBLike it or not, schools are home to a number of difficult conversations. Discussing topics such as... pay and benefits Inappropriate behavior Underperformance These can be uncomfortable. But having successful one-on-one conversations is what separates great school leaders from ineffective ones. Difficult conversations may not be fun, but school leaders who navigate them successfully can build stronger relationships with their staff and provide needed guidance and correction on workplac...
13. 3 Ways to Transform Morale During this Season
April 06, 2021 14:00 - 20 minutes - 27.5 MBReady to roll back emotional exhaustion and recharge your workplace? Employee morale doesn’t simply translate into how happy your people are; it’s a direct reflection of how healthy your school culture is, how well you and other leaders are communicating with teams, and how effective your managers are. High morale only occurs when employees feel taken care of by their school. And because this year has been filled with stressful distractions, ensuring your people are getting the support...
12. The Daily Huddle
March 30, 2021 14:00 - 19 minutes - 18 MBAre you wondering how to get everyone on your team operating from the same playbook? If you're a school owner, a very common scene we have is the admin team or the directors are confused about what they're supposed to be doing in their day. Many times I hear from owners that their directors are doing a whole bunch of different things. They're busy all day long, but they're not doing specific targeted activity that truly drives the school forward. In the end, no one ends their day feeli...
11. Why I Date My Kids
March 23, 2021 16:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBHow do we ensure that our children feel seen and heard and valued and respected through all of life's challenges and hurdles? I'm really blessed to be the mother of four children ages 3 to 10; and if you’re a parent, you know that children require a tremendous amount of time and attention. As parents, we want to be filling their buckets. We want to ensure that they feel that their home is a safe haven for them, that their parents are their rocks and they can always turn to them for sup...
EP 11 Why I Date My Kids
March 23, 2021 12:00 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBHow do we ensure that our children feel seen and heard and valued and respected through all of life's challenges and hurdles? I'm really blessed to be the mother of four children ages 3 to 10; and if you’re a parent, you know that children require a tremendous amount of time and attention. As parents, we want to be filling their buckets. We want to ensure that they feel that their home is a safe haven for them, that their parents are their rocks and they can always turn to them for sup...
10. Q&A With Chanie - Build to Last Workshop, Day 5
March 17, 2021 02:15 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBListen to Session 5 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie is answering the questions you have been asking this week during live sessions about school leadership, culture, creating a sustainable schedule, and increasing retention. In this session, I answer these questions: How can I help my teachers to be problem solvers, and bring me solutions instead of their problems? How do I connect more with parents? How can I c...
EP 10 Q&A With Chanie - Build to Last Workshop
March 16, 2021 22:15 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBListen to Session 5 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie is answering the questions you have been asking this week during live sessions about school leadership, culture, creating a sustainable schedule, and increasing retention. In this session, I answer these questions: How can I help my teachers to be problem solvers, and bring me solutions instead of their problems? How do I connect more with parents? How can I c...
09. Work/Life Integration: Build to Last Workshop, Day 4
March 12, 2021 00:45 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBListen to Session 4 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through work life integration as a school leader, and why you don’t have to sacrifice your time with your kids, spouse, or family to build the school of your dreams. And today I’m teaching on a topic that is near to my heart and from the biggest pain points of leaders all around the world. The quest to integrate our home life and our work life. In today’s s...
EP 9 Work/Life Integration, Build to Last Day Four
March 11, 2021 20:45 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBListen to Session 4 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through work life integration as a school leader, and why you don’t have to sacrifice your time with your kids, spouse, or family to build the school of your dreams. And today I’m teaching on a topic that is near to my heart and from the biggest pain points of leaders all around the world. The quest to integrate our home life and our work life. In today’s s...
08. Ten Ways to Build School Culture: Build to Last Workshop, Day 3
March 10, 2021 23:38 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MBListen to Session 3 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through 10 ways to build school culture as a school leader. You see, I know you want a culture where: Your staff feel valued and appreciated They show up committed and fully ready to be there They have buy-in to your visions And they follow through with accountability even when you aren't looking The good news these aren’t dreams These are things ...
EP 8 Ten Ways to Build School Culture - Build to Last Workshop
March 10, 2021 19:38 - 55 minutes - 51 MBListen to Session 3 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through 10 ways to build school culture as a school leader. You see, I know you want a culture where: Your staff feel valued and appreciated They show up committed and fully ready to be there They have buy-in to your visions And they follow through with accountability even when you aren't looking The good news these aren’t dreams These are things ...
07. Theme Days & Time Blocking: Build to Last Workshop, Day 2
March 10, 2021 02:41 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBListen to Session 2 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through theme days and time blocking to create a sustainable calendar as a school leader. How would you like to get an extra 90 minutes in your day, every single day? Many of the directors that I work with have created a warm and inviting culture, and think that closing their door to get things done goes against everything they've worked to build. On the oth...
EP 7 Theme Days & Time Blocking - Build to Last Workshop Day 2
March 09, 2021 22:41 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MBListen to Session 2 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through theme days and time blocking to create a sustainable calendar as a school leader. How would you like to get an extra 90 minutes in your day, every single day? Many of the directors that I work with have created a warm and inviting culture, and think that closing their door to get things done goes against everything they've worked to build. On the oth...
06. Vision Casting & Decision Making: Build to Last Workshop, Day 1
March 09, 2021 00:42 - 1 hour - 66.3 MBListen to Session 1 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through vision casting and decision making as a school leader. The truth is, there is an endless list of things you can buy for your school and do for your staff. But the reality is, every single director has limited time, money, resources and people. And if you're unsure about where your focus should be at any given time, you're likely just making decisions f...
EP 6 Vision Casting & Decision Making - Build to Last Workshop Day 1
March 08, 2021 20:42 - 1 hour - 65.2 MBListen to Session 1 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through vision casting and decision making as a school leader. The truth is, there is an endless list of things you can buy for your school and do for your staff. But the reality is, every single director has limited time, money, resources and people. And if you're unsure about where your focus should be at any given time, you're likely just making decisions f...
05. The Primary Role of a School Leader
March 02, 2021 00:24 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBListen to Session 1 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through vision casting and decision making as a school leader. The truth is, there is an endless list of things you can buy for your school and do for your staff. But the reality is, every single director has limited time, money, resources and people. And if you're unsure about where your focus should be at any given time, you're likely just making decisions f...
EP 5 The Primary Role of a School Leader
March 01, 2021 20:24 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBListen to Session 1 of the Build to Last Workshop in today’s episode on The Schools of Excellence Podcast where Chanie walks you through vision casting and decision making as a school leader. The truth is, there is an endless list of things you can buy for your school and do for your staff. But the reality is, every single director has limited time, money, resources and people. And if you're unsure about where your focus should be at any given time, you're likely just making decisions f...
04: The Myth of The Open Door Policy
February 22, 2021 23:39 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBThe “open door policy” has trickled into our school culture, because we think that it makes our staff feel valued and appreciated, since they know they can come talk to us at any time, for anything. Today Chanie breaks down this myth of the open door policy, and shows you how the application of this myth is likely negatively impacting your school, and what you should be doing instead. Chanie is hosting a 5-day workshop called the Build to Last Workshop, to help you remove overwhelm and inter...
Ep 4: The Myth of The Open Door Policy
February 22, 2021 19:39 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBThe “open door policy” has trickled into our school culture, because we think that it makes our staff feel valued and appreciated, since they know they can come talk to us at any time, for anything. Today Chanie breaks down this myth of the open door policy, and shows you how the application of this myth is likely negatively impacting your school, and what you should be doing instead. Chanie is hosting a 5-day workshop called the Build to Last Workshop, to help you remove overwhelm and inter...
03: The Gratitude Matrix: Achieve Higher Retention & Collaborative Culture for Your School
February 11, 2021 03:05 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBAfter 30 days of implementing the Gratitude Matrix, our executive director Kristen went from 17 callouts in September to 4 callouts in August. What did she do? She implemented the Gratitude Matrix in her school, and saw an almost immediate shift because her staff felt valued and appreciated. This is why I am so excited to share the Gratitude Matrix with you; a very powerful, yet very simple system, that I teach to all of the owners and directors that I work with. If you loved this episode,...
02: The Pyramid of Excellence: Five Stages of Growth for Your School
February 11, 2021 03:00 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBAre you ready to elevate to the next level more quickly, and with less stress? I have had thousands of conversations with school leaders all across the world, helping me to create five clearly definable stages in the Pyramid of Excellence. Identifying what stage your school is at will allow you to build the right infrastructure and execution system to go along with it, so you can lead confidently and clearly. If you loved this episode, come take our free quiz at Chanie.me/pyramid to find o...
01: The Ripple Effect: It Starts With You
February 11, 2021 02:55 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBWhat legacy do you want to leave? It all starts with you at the center of the Ripple Effect. You have the power to create a brand that’s impact goes beyond your staff and students, it’s the legacy that you want to leave on your community. You have complete control over your mindset, confidence, and decision making, and in this episode I am showing you how to utilize this ability to step into your school every morning with elevated confidence and trust. If you loved this episode, come join ...
Welcome to the Schools of Excellence Podcast
February 11, 2021 02:45 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBWelcome to the Schools of Excellence Podcast! If you are wondering how to bring clarity to the everyday ups and downs of being a director and owner of a school, this podcast is for you. When you tune into this show, I hope you find inspiration and fortitude to move forward with running a school that you are proud of...a school of excellence. Mentioned in this episode: School Leadership Toolkit School Leadership Toolkit: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/toolkit/ School Leadership Toolk...
Ep 3: The Gratitude Matrix: Achieve Higher Retention & Collaborative Culture for Your School
February 10, 2021 23:05 - 21 minutes - 20 MBAfter 30 days of implementing the Gratitude Matrix, our executive director Kristen went from 17 callouts in September to 4 callouts in August. What did she do? She implemented the Gratitude Matrix in her school, and saw an almost immediate shift because her staff felt valued and appreciated. This is why I am so excited to share the Gratitude Matrix with you; a very powerful, yet very simple system, that I teach to all of the owners and directors that I work with. If you loved this episode,...
Ep 2: The Pyramid of Excellence: Five Stages of Growth for Your School
February 10, 2021 23:00 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBAre you ready to elevate to the next level more quickly, and with less stress? I have had thousands of conversations with school leaders all across the world, helping me to create five clearly definable stages in the Pyramid of Excellence. Identifying what stage your school is at will allow you to build the right infrastructure and execution system to go along with it, so you can lead confidently and clearly. If you loved this episode, come take our free quiz at Chanie.me/pyramid to find o...
Ep 1: The Ripple Effect - It Starts With You
February 10, 2021 22:55What legacy do you want to leave? It all starts with you at the center of the Ripple Effect. You have the power to create a brand that’s impact goes beyond your staff and students, it’s the legacy that you want to leave on your community. You have complete control over your mindset, confidence, and decision making, and in this episode I am showing you how to utilize this ability to step into your school every morning with elevated confidence and trust. If you loved this episode, come join ...