Schools of Excellence: The No. 1 ECE & Private School Leadership Podcast
Episodes
How to Become a Better Decision Maker
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As a mom of four, it often feels like I’m supposed to have all the answers. Whether it’s a homework problem, an argument with a friend, or maki...
88. You Are Not The Only One: Guiding the Parents
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you respond to difficult situations with parents? I know many resourceful school leaders just like you who Google solutions. But this approach ...
Creating and Nurturing Confident Staff
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are few things more heartwarming than seeing a child beam with confidence after overcoming a challenge. You can see the shift happen almost i...
87. You Are Not The Only One: Leading Yourself
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As a leader, you need to learn how to separate yourself from your team. Because if you try to stay at the same level as your teachers or the other sta...
Skills to Build Awareness
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you felt truly seen? I’m talking about the type of connection where you feel heard, validated, and unafraid of being judge...
86. Plan the New School Year with Wise Decision Making Filters
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode will help enlighten you on planning the school year with discernment and wise decision-making filters. Because if we don't filter, e...
85. The Paradox of Self Reliance and Community
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is from a live training where I share with you an interesting topic of the paradox of self-reliance and community. Full schedules are ...
84: A Letter of Appreciation & Gratitude for Yourself
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, I share a compelling practice of self-love and self-recognition; writing a letter of gratitude to yourself. Writing this letter to...
83. Strategies to Help your Staff Think Big Picture
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into how you can help your staff to start thinking of the big picture by understanding the bigger context. Seeing the bi...
From the Archive: How to Run the End of Year Staff Meeting with Reflective Questions
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
May is an incredible time for reflection regardless of whether you run a 10-month or a 12-month academic school year. End-of-year reflections serve tw...
82. Priorities Reset: Reflect, Restore, Recast Part 2
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is part 2 of this exclusive inside look at a members-only call on Priorities Reset: Reflect, Restore and Recast. In today's episode, we're diggin...
81. Priorities Reset: Reflect, Restore and Recast Part 1
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is an inside look at a members-only call on Priorities Reset. This session is divided into three core parts; reflect, restore and recast....
80. Build to Last: How to Navigate and Deal with Conflict
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the final part, part 4, of the Build to Last workshop series. From improving our mindsets and inviting calm to learning about theme days, t...
From the Archive: Teacher Appreciation Week
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gratitude 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 su...
79. Build to Last: How to Build a Culture of Excellence
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part 3 of the 4-part series, the Build to Last workshop series. During each episode in this series, we’re going to be digging into specif...
78. Build to Last: How to Manage your Time with Theme Days and Time Blocking
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part 2 of the 4-part series, the Build to Last workshop series. During each episode in this series, we’re going to be digging into specif...
77. Build to Last: How to Improve your Mindset with Vision Casting and Decision Making
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part 1 of the 4-part series, the Build to Last workshop. Every single week, over the next four weeks, we're going to be digging into specif...
76. How to Mentor Veteran Staff
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all need a sense of belonging. And when new teachers come in, they come with this innate human need to belong to a community. So how do you, as a s...
75. The Importance of Celebrating Milestones and Reflecting on our 1 Year Anniversary
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the 1 year anniversary of the Schools of Excellence podcast! What a perfect time to reflect on how far this show has come, because this is a hu...
74. The Myth of The Open Door Policy
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You pride yourself on how freely your staff can come to talk to you, right? As a school leader, you always want to be seen as an approachable and avai...
73. The 5 Signs of a Thriving Leader and School
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a re-air of one of the most downloaded episodes in my special summer series that originally aired last year. I wanted to bring this back for t...
72. Difficult Conversations: Blame
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a re-air of one of our most downloaded episodes in the Schools of Excellence Podcast. As one of the first episodes I ever released, I wanted t...
71. The Gratitude Matrix: Achieve Higher Retention & Collaborative Culture for Your School
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I discuss how by implementing the Gratitude Matrix, you can achieve higher retention and a more collaborative culture for your school...
70: Reair: Break the Cycle of Excuses with Personal Accountability
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a re-air of an episode I did a few months back and I wanted to do a throwback to it for a couple of reasons. Because I've been gettin...
69: How to Coach Staff to Navigate Conflict: Part 2
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Training and coaching your staff to navigate conflict takes work. It requires attention and it’s not an overnight event. As the leader, you nee...
68. How to Coach Staff to Navigate Conflict: Part 1
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We spend so much time talking about how to discipline children and how to work on child behaviors, yet there's very little training on how adults need...
67: Ordinary Moments: When is Enough Enough with Sharon Hopson
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-6 Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellen...
66. Ordinary Moments: Choosing Business and Family - You Can Have Both with Mandy Moore
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-5 Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence ...
65. Ordinary Moments: Choosing Focus Over Busyness with Aliya Roberts
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-4 Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellen...
64. Ordinary Moments: The Power of Difficult Conversations with Kathy Cameron
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-3 Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellen...
63. Ordinary Moments: The Cost of Doing it All with Jessica Kelley
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence h...
62. Ordinary Moments: Transition from Manager to CEO with Sara Schreiner
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence...
61. Kind vs. Nice in your School Culture
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Want to be a great school leader? Stop being nice. Being nice works well with strangers, but leaders who care about the long-term growth of their team...
60. An Exclusive Look Inside the Summit of Excellence
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things that we teach a lot at the Schools of Excellence is the quality of decision-making. When potential clients or attendees connect with...
59. Boundaries During the Holidays
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The holiday season can evoke feelings of sipping warm drinks by the fire, reuniting with loved ones, and opening gifts. But for school leaders who alr...
58. Break the Cycle of Excuses with Personal Accountability
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone makes excuses. We've all made excuses, and we will continue to make excuses. But what does it take to break this cycle of excuses and encoura...
57. Break the Cycle of Dependency with Effective Delegation
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As a leader, you likely live, sleep and breathe your school. You want to remain comfortable making the same decisions you have always made. You probab...
56. Break the Cycle of Stress and Burnout
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Burnout not only hurts our productivity, it also affects our mental and physical well being. In fact, there is evidence that links burnout to weakened...
55. 2 Mindset Shifts to Increase Retention
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to have a team that is accountable, hardworking, and responsible? Employees no longer feel compelled to serve companies that do n...
54. Work Ethic Redefined with Scott Wayman
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to have a good work ethic? In today’s episode, I share a special conversation from my Owners Only membership program with Sco...
53. Changing the Narrative of School Leadership with Daniel Bauer
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As a school leader, you play a pivotal role in affecting the climate, attitude and reputation of your school. You are the cornerstone of how your scho...
52. Do You Feel More Satisfied When Your School Succeeds Because of You or Without You? With Lori Buxton
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is part of a special live streaming that we do once a month on our Facebook page. In today's conversation, we talk about a very though...
51. Up Level Staff QUICKLY!
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As a school leader, you have a lot on your plate. You have a ton of responsibilities and your to-do list likely never ends. However, pausing and think...
50. Do you know HOW to stop and pause?
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Many school leaders feel time-pressured, tethered to their smartphones so they can stay on top of work and home responsibilities. It can be tough to s...
49. The 3-Step Marketing Method To Attract The Right Families For Your School with Mike Michalowicz
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you rely solely on referrals to fuel your school, you’re making one of the most common mistakes a school leader can make. This puts the fate of y...
48. You Can’t Plan Your Way Out of Chaos
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes we think we can plan our way out of chaos, or if we plan enough then we can avoid chaos entirely. But this isn’t always the case. Because ...
47. Are you living in time poverty or time abundance?
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I know you have hundreds of things you wish you could do with your life, but you just can’t find the time, right? You want to read a book, learn to ...
46. A 15 Minute Meeting with Yourself
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the new school year! After the roller coaster ride of the past school year, school leaders will be bracing themselves for all kinds of...
45. Grace, Responsibility and Leadership
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Grace is a word that's rarely spoken about in the realm of leadership. Because as leaders of schools of excellence, we often want it all. We want thin...
44. 5 Signs You Are Too Comfortable and Need to Take Some Risks
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone and tried something different? Did you know that your life begins where your comfort zone ...
43. Set Up Your Staff for Success by Defining What Winning Looks Like
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Summer is winding down, and every teacher has plans in the works as they look forward to the new school year. Whether you run a private school or a ch...
42. The first staff meeting of the school year
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Starting off the new school year on the right note will set up your school for excellence. As a school leader, the last thing you’d want is overload...
41. How to Create a Personal Leadership Philosophy
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Great school leaders use a variety of tools to maximize their impact as leaders. One of them is leadership philosophies that are helpful in establishi...
40. The 5 Signs of a Thriving Leader and School
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is the second episode in our special summer series! This summer series is all about the different ways that you can prepare yourselv...
39. The 8 Guideposts to Prepare for an Amazing School Year
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Soon the last weeks of summer will be upon us, the new school year is right around the corner. New beginnings always have a few pieces to them. There ...
38. How to Plan for Summer Using the IRER Method
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Summer is such an exciting time! It is a season filled with so many great ideas which if not well thought out, will never get to see the light of day....
37. Build Your Confidence & Resiliency Toolkit
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you on the verge of falling apart and wondering whether this is what resilience for school leaders looks like? Having an amazing school is not a r...
36. Guest: Sally Haughey, Founder of FairyDust Teaching
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, I speak with a close friend and guest expert, Sally Haughey, CEO and Founder of FairyDust Teaching. FairyDust started in 2010 as...
35. Overcoming the Perfectionist Mindset and Focusing on the Process
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you the kind of school leader that is obsessed with results? Do you find it hard to celebrate the small milestones that your school crosses and co...
34. Stories of Resilience with Sara Schreiner
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sara Schreiner is the owner of sunshine Academy in Laurel Montana. She's married to Greg and the two of them have two children; Sophia-Jo and Wyatt wh...
33. Ideal Week for High Achieving School Leaders
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As a school leader, the urgent demands of life will always fight for your attention. And so you need to decide what gets your attention, not the other...
32. Stories of Resilience with Jennifer Bulmer
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Bulmer is the owner of Juvenescence Child Development Centre in Calgary, Alberta - in Canada. She is a proud mom to 2 teenage daughters ages ...
31. The 6 types of support every leader needs and 4 things to look out for when choosing a coach
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
So many of us get caught up in the different types of support that we need. Sometimes we think we only need financial support, or bookkeeping suppor...
30. Build to Last Workshop: How to Navigate and Deal with Conflict and Impossible Conversations
05 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's the last day of the Build to Last Workshop! Directors and owners spend on average 4 hours solving fielding and solving problems from teachers a d...
29. Build to Last Workshop: How to Build a Culture of Excellence
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today is Day 3 of the Build to Last Workshop Series! In today's training, I discuss how to build a culture of excellence: Do you want staff that show ...
28. Build to Last Workshop: Time Management: Theme Days and Time Blocking
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you ready to create a calendar that serves you and leads to NO MORE INTERRUPTIONS? So many directors and owners come to me and tell me they are so...
27. Build to Last Workshop: Mindset: Vision Casting and Decision Making
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Day 1 of the Build to Last Workshops! Here's what you'll learn in Day 1 all about mindset and leadership: ✅ The 3 Pillars of Building a S...
26. 5 Reasons You Should Invest in Yourself and the #1 Reason Leaders Don’t
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Investing in yourself is very scary because you have to take a bet on yourself. Yet it is one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself beca...
25. Stories of Resilience with Alex Bernath & Miken Oliver
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Bernath & Miken Oliver lead the Nourish Early Learning Center in Oregon, Ohio. Alex actually lives in Brooklyn, New York, and leads the center fr...
24. How to Run the End of Year Staff Meeting with Reflective Questions
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
May is an incredible time for reflection regardless of whether you run a 10-month or a 12-month academic school year. End-of-year reflections serve tw...
23. Stories of Resilience with Kathy Gray
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kathy Gray is the owner of Creative Creators Learning Centers in Williamsburg, Virginia. Kathy has 3 daughters ages 17-25 and regularly hangs out with...
22. 3 Pillars of a School of Excellence
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you run your day, or does your day run you? Do you feel pulled in so many directions to the extent that you hardly can take a rest? I feel you. As ...
21. Stories of Resilience with Kerstin Brinson
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The first positive COVID case in Seattle Washington was announced in February 2020. As the rest of the nation went about their regular lives, Kersti...
20. Difficult Conversations: Victimhood - Part 4
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is the final one in the four-part series of the Four Shields of Difficult Conversations. So far, I have talked about blaming, crying...
19. Stories of Resilience with Nicolene Santomartino
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listen Friday mornings for new episode releases of the Stories of Resilience Series during May and June -- Today, tomorrow, and for an indefinite futu...
Stories of Resilience Trailer
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID crisis took a huge toll on the educational landscape and school leaders struggled to rise to the ever-changing obstacles that were thrown th...
18. Difficult Conversations: Deflection - Part 3
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As 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 sta...
17. Teacher Appreciation Week
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gratitude 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 su...
16. Bonus episode: Predictions & Cautions - Wrapping Up the School Year and Planning for Fall
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When leaders fail, their failure is highly attributed to their lack of preparation. As school owners, we tend to work really hard on executing our pla...
15. Difficult Conversations: Crying - Part 2
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s face it, when a teacher starts to cry during a difficult conversation, it can make even the most experienced school owner uncomfortable. It’...
14. Difficult Conversations: Blame - Part 1
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Like it or not, schools are home to a number of difficult conversations. Discussing topics such as... pay and benefits Inappropriate behavior Underpe...
13. 3 Ways to Transform Morale During this Season
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ready to roll back emotional exhaustion and recharge your workplace? Employee morale doesn’t simply translate into how happy your people are; it’...
12. The Daily Huddle
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are 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 a...
11. Why I Date My Kids
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How 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...
10. Q&A With Chanie - Build to Last Workshop, Day 5
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listen 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 yo...
09. Work/Life Integration: Build to Last Workshop, Day 4
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listen 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...
08. Ten Ways to Build School Culture: Build to Last Workshop, Day 3
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listen 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 ...
07. Theme Days & Time Blocking: Build to Last Workshop, Day 2
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listen 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 ...
06. Vision Casting & Decision Making: Build to Last Workshop, Day 1
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listen 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 cast...
05. The Primary Role of a School Leader
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listen 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 cast...
04: The Myth of The Open Door Policy
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The “open door policy” has trickled into our school culture, because we think that it makes our staff feel valued and appreciated, since they know...
03: The Gratitude Matrix: Achieve Higher Retention & Collaborative Culture for Your School
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After 30 days of implementing the Gratitude Matrix, our executive director Kristen went from 17 callouts in September to 4 callouts in August. What di...
02: The Pyramid of Excellence: Five Stages of Growth for Your School
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are 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 th...
01: The Ripple Effect: It Starts With You
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What 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...
Welcome to the Schools of Excellence Podcast
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome 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...