The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast with Daniel Bauer Podcast By Daniel Bauer cover art

The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast with Daniel Bauer

The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast with Daniel Bauer

By: Daniel Bauer
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 The BETTER LEADERS BETTER SCHOOLS podcast is in the TOP 0.5% most downloaded shows of over 2 million podcasts across the world. The BLBS show was created for RUCKUS MAKERS in education -- those out-of-the-box school leaders making change happen. Launched in 2015, this category-defining podcast in educational leadership has helped over 1 MILLION leaders LEVEL UP. Each week host DANIEL BAUER has a conversation with a leadership expert and invites you to listen in. Turn your commute, chores, or workout into professional development and then GO MAKE A RUCKUS! BLBS is the #1 downloaded podcast for school leaders.© 2015 Better Leaders Better Schools Education
Episodes
  • Jennifer Bertram on Trusting Your Inner Leadership Expert

    Jennifer Bertram on Trusting Your Inner Leadership Expert
    May 14 2025

    The Ruckus Report Quick take: International school leader Jennifer Bertram reveals how trusting your intuition can lead to unexpected leadership opportunities, and how joining a supportive community of fellow leaders transforms professional growth.

    Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Originally from Canada, Jennifer's teaching journey began in Montevideo, Uruguay, followed by many years at Escola Americana de Campinas, Brazil. She transitioned to administrative roles including Secondary Dean of Students and Assistant Principal. Jennifer then served as Middle School Principal at the American International School of Dhaka for five years before moving to American International School Chennai with her family.

    Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Jennifer Bertram challenges traditional education paradigms:

    Key Insight #1: Leadership Pathways Aren't Always Conventional

    • What's broken: The belief that leadership journeys must follow a prescribed, traditional path

    • The shift: Embracing unexpected opportunities, even when they seem imperfect or challenging

    • Impact: Discovering authentic leadership styles while gaining valuable experience in roles others might avoid

    Key Insight #2: Community-Fueled Confidence

    • What's broken: The isolation and loneliness of school leadership positions

    • The shift: Joining supportive communities of like-minded leaders who face similar challenges

    • Impact: Creating a professional network that offers accountability, resource sharing, and emotional support

    Key Insight #3: Sticky Core Values Drive School Culture

    • What's broken: Abstract, forgettable school values that don't connect with daily practices

    • The shift: Creating "sticky" core values that tell stories and create memorable mindsets

    • Impact: Transforming school culture through principles like "Every day is a new day," "Together we," and "The gift of concentration"

    Quotable Ruckus "Leadership can be lonely. It can be one of those places where you would love to be able to talk about an issue with someone, and you just can't for various reasons. What I found in the Mastermind was a group that is very open." – Jennifer Bertram

    Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

    1. Tomorrow: Trust your intuition when an unexpected leadership opportunity presents itself

    2. This Month: Create one "sticky core value" that can be turned into a memorable, actionable school goal

    3. This Semester: Build a support network of leaders facing similar challenges to combat professional isolation

    Connect & Continue

    • 🎯 Get the full episode transcript:here

    • 🔗 Follow Jennifer Bertram: LinkedIn

    • 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: https://ruckusmakers.club/join

    Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.

    Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL: Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more here

    Expressability K12: Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12 Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time sucking tasks. Visit Expressability K12 to learn how here

    ODP Business Solutions: Want to know why 67% of STEAM programs fail? Hint: It's not the budget. After researching many schools, ODP Business Solutions® uncovered three make-or-break factors that determine STEAM success. The best part? You probably already have what you need. See the research: here

    Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?
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    41 mins
  • Dr. Derek Mitchell on Transforming Schools Through Authentic Connection and Community

    Dr. Derek Mitchell on Transforming Schools Through Authentic Connection and Community
    May 7 2025
    The Ruckus Report Quick take: When traditional approaches to school improvement aren't working, the answer may not be more control - but rather more connection. Dr. Mitchell reveals how transformative leadership starts with listening and building authentic relationships. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Derek Mitchell serves as the CEO of Partners in School Innovation, working with schools that face long histories of chronic underperformance and serve predominantly high-poverty communities. His organization partners with schools to create lasting, meaningful change through innovative leadership approaches. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Dr. Mitchell challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1 ● What's broken: The assumption that out-of-control schools need stricter discipline and tighter control ● The shift: Building authentic connections with students by listening and understanding their perspectives ● Impact: One principal transformed his challenging middle school by first meeting with 30 struggling students to truly hear their needs, leading to innovative solutions like stealth support systems for students in distress Key Insight #2 ● What's broken: Traditional professional development that's neither professional nor developmental ● The shift: Creating authentic learning communities that build relationships while focusing on growth ● Impact: Moving PLC meetings off-campus and sharing meals together led to vastly improved outcomes and stronger teacher collaboration Key Insight #3 ● What's broken: The "skill solution" approach to addressing performance issues ● The shift: Using the skill-will-way matrix to properly diagnose and address teacher performance challenges ● Impact: More effective interventions by matching solutions to the real root cause - whether it's skill, will, or way Quotable Ruckus "Working within the lines will only produce what's been produced in the past. If we're really talking about excellence for each and every child, mean every young person reaching their potential, we got to get beyond the lines." - Dr. Derek Mitchell Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: 1. Tomorrow: Color-code your calendar based on your top 3-4 strategic priorities to see how you're really spending your time 2. This Month: Move one regular meeting off-campus to build stronger relationships and more authentic dialogue 3. This Semester: Create a system to proactively schedule regular check-ins with your supervisor where you set the agenda and priorities Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: here 🔗 Follow Dr Derek Mitchell: Linkedin, 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: Link Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here. Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL: Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more here Expressability K12: Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12 Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time sucking tasks. Visit Expressability K12 to learn how here ODP Business Solutions: STEAM programs failing before they start? Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash).Learn the blueprint: here Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?
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    48 mins
  • Mitch Weathers on Educational Trends and the Future of Teaching

    Mitch Weathers on Educational Trends and the Future of Teaching
    Apr 30 2025
    The Ruckus Report Quick take: This experimental episode explores emerging educational trends with Mitch Weathers, diving into AI's impact on teaching, the evolution of education's purpose, and whether teaching remains a recommendable profession. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Mitch became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. Despite taking seven years to graduate college, he navigated the classroom with discomfort. This unique perspective fueled Mitch's teaching approach. Recognizing the importance of laying a foundation for learning, he created Organized Binder. This research-backed strategy empowers teachers to impart executive functioning skills efficiently, preserving valuable instructional time. By establishing a predictable routine, Organized Binder fosters safer learning spaces, shaping Mitch's journey from a struggling student to an innovative educator. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Mitch Weathers challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: AI's Impact on Education What's broken: The notion that AI will completely replace teachers within the next decade The shift: Reimagining education as developing transferable competencies rather than just delivering content Impact: Creating learning environments where teachers serve as guides and mentors while AI supports content delivery and practice Key Insight #2: Redefining Education's Purpose What's broken: Education systems focused primarily on knowledge transfer without clear career pathways The shift: Focusing on developing student agency and capacity for learning in new environments Impact: Preparing students for future careers that don't even exist yet through transferable skills Key Insight #3: The Teaching Profession's Future What's broken: The perception of teaching as financially unrewarding and morale-killing The shift: Recognizing teaching as a meaningful profession with immediate visible impact Impact: Creating school cultures where educators feel fulfilled beyond financial compensation Quotable Ruckus "When you boil down education to its raw elements, it's a messy human-to-human endeavor, which means relationships matter." – Mitch Weathers Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask yourself: "What are we teaching and why?" in light of AI advancements This Month: Identify transferable competencies your students need beyond content knowledge This Semester: Create a plan to balance technological integration while preserving meaningful human relationships Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: [Link] 🔗 Follow Mitch Weathers:Twitter, Linkedin,Facebook &Organized Binder 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: The Ruckus Maker Club.club/join 📚 Read Mitch's Book: Executive Functions for Every Classroom Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here. Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL: Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more here Expressability K12: Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12 Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time sucking tasks. Visit Expressability K12 to learn how here ODP Business Solutions: Want to know why 67% of STEAM programs fail? Hint: It's not the budget. After researching many schools, ODP Business Solutions® uncovered three make-or-break factors that determine STEAM success. The best part? You probably already have what you need. See the research:here Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?
    Show more Show less
    53 mins
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