This episode is packed with ideas about how to build trust, create meaningful influence, and develop organizations where people actually want to belong and contribute. My guests are Bobby Dodd and Dr. Ben Johnson, and they are the authors of Intentional Influence: Harnessing Culture Mapping to Build Commitment. They bring incredible insight and practical wisdom that school leaders, teachers, and organizational leaders can apply immediately to their work.

Test Scores Should Be A Conversation, Not A Number

May 13

I don't know my doctor's test scores.

Seriously. I have no idea where she went to school, how she ranked in her class, or what she scored on her medical boards. And honestly? I don't care. What I care about is whether she listens when I talk, explains things in a way that makes sense, and actually helps me understand what…

Teacher Appreciation Week is one of the best weeks of the year. Schools fill with energy, kindness, and generosity. Tables are covered with donuts, cookies, fruit trays, and coffee. Lunches are catered, and small gifts are shared. These gestures matter. They take effort, and they send a clear message that teachers are valued and seen.

But there is another form of appreciation that often gets overlooked, and it may be the most powerful one we can offer. It does not cost anything. It does not require planning or a budget. It simply requires intention. One of the best ways to honor a teacher is to…

The Heartbeat of Our Schools

I want to talk about the people who hold our schools together.

Not the people with the biggest titles. Not the people who get the standing ovations at board meetings. I want to talk about the people who answer the phone when a worried parent calls. I want to talk about the people who know every student's name, every teacher's schedule, every deadline that matters, and every unwritten rule that keeps things running.

I want to talk about administrative assistants.

They are the heartbeat of our schools. And…

You are the School.

Every child who walks through our doors carries two names: their own and the name of our school. Whether they are in kindergarten or a senior ready to graduate, when they step out into the world, they represent something bigger than themselves. They represent us.

The same is true for every adult in our district. No matter your position, you carry the name of the school too. When you work in the…

What I Would Do If I Were the Principal….

I’ve heard a lot of people say over the years, “If I were a principal, I would…”

And then they fill in the blank with their ideas, quick fixes, simple solutions, Monday-morning-quarterbacking, confident declarations about what should happen next. So simple. So easy. So certain.

But most of us have never sat in that chair. It’s a hot seat. A fighter pilot cockpit. Think NASA.

I didn’t know it either, not really, not until I…

Coaching Makes a Difference

I just got home from my daughter’s track meet, and I can’t stop thinking about what I witnessed. A few days ago, I watched her run on that same track and she gave it everything she had. But tonight was different. Tonight, I saw the impact of coaching in a way that was clear, powerful, and impossible to miss.

Her coach was right there with her, watching closely, making adjustments, offering encouragement, and…

Well, it’s happened again.

I ran into a major website issue that set me back and delayed a number of things, including my podcast, which is never easy when you care about showing up consistently. At the same time, I know who I am. I have tenacity, and I am not giving up. So here we go again, and I am committed to making this better than ever. Thank you for being on this journey with me.

I’ve been creating and sharing ideas online since 2008.

When I stopped and really looked at it, I realized I’ve created over 1,400 pieces of content, 260 of which are episodes of the Wired Educator Podcast. That’s years of thinking, writing, reflecting, creating, and trying to contribute something meaningful to others. That work matters to me. It always has.

The path to get here, however, has not been smooth.

For a long time, I built on WordPress, and while it served me for a season, it also created more problems than it should have. Sites crashed. Errors piled up. Entire sections of my work became inaccessible. I’ve had to start over more than once, not because I wanted to, but because I had no choice.

What bothers me most is not just losing access to that work, but I also lost the breadcrumbs all over the internet… links that once led people back to me and my work, now those old links lead to nowhere. (It would be great if you would consider resharing my work with your friend, colleagues and followers.)

I made a decision to clean everything up, start again and move everything to Squarespace.

This is a fresh start, but it is also a better foundation. It finally feels like…