Hello Insightful Educators

One of my favorite things to do is grab coffee with someone and catch up on the books, podcasts, TED talks, articles, shows, and people influencing them.

So, alongside the full newsletter, I push out a weekend edition of insights I think you will find influential in your journey as an Insightful Educator.

Think of it as you and I grabbing coffee and jamming on what’s influencing us at this time.

Feel free to reply with what you are finding helpful and invite a friend to subscribe! The more people around the table…the better!

What I’m Reading Now

What School Could Be by Ted Dintersmith

I’m going to be honest. This is one of my FAVORITE books to engage and recommend. I’ve lead faculty and family discussions over this book, and it never fails to inspire. I got the chance to discuss this work with the author and can say that he is a kind, gracious, and insightful human being. In this book, Dintersmith goes across America to highlight what is working in education and what moves need to be made to transform schooling on behalf of students and educators. From the back cover “it is a compelling meditation on learning, human potential, and the power of the human spirit”. I say Amen to that! If you are looking for a guide book and road map for innovating schools and inspired strategy to lead them well, this is it!

Two key quotes:

My favorite quote: “The goal should not be to do things better. The goal should be to do better things”

“It’s important to distinguish between teaching someone a subject and helping them learn how to think like an expert in the field

Another book to read…and person to know

Classticity: 12 Essential Concepts for Applying Neuroscience in the Classroom by Dr Ron Titus

I have to admit upfront that Dr Ron Titus is a close personal friend of mine who is also an outstanding educator, leader, and upstream thinker. I have watched Dr Titus lead his school with humility and innovation far into the 21st century. In this book, Dr. Titus distills twelve core brain-based principles—ranging from growth mindset and memory to attention and emotion regulation—that educators can immediately weave into lesson planning and daily interactions. Each concept is paired with real-world classroom strategies, making it a go-to resource for fostering deeper learning and student well-being. For professional learners seeking research-backed tools that truly transform teaching and learning environments, this is essential reading.

TED Talk worth watching

What if the purpose of school were purpose?

I LOVE this TEDx Talk!! In it, Ross Wehner invites us to reimagine school not merely as a place to learn facts, but as a launchpad for deeper human journeys: self‑discovery and contribution. He explores the science of purpose and shares real-life examples of schools fostering emotional engagement and agency—encouraging students to think, feel, and do as they explore what truly matters . For educators committed to nurturing purposeful learners, this talk is both an urgent provocation and a practical roadmap.

Thought I’m Pondering

You can complement this edition of Educator Insights with the Creating A Learner Led Environment: Transforming the learning environment from “Subject Centered” to “Learner Led” edition of The Insightful Educator newsletter in which I outline the why and how of shifting from subject centered schooling to learner led…and the tremendous success we have in this model at Odyssey Leadership Academy

Read it for yourself here:

Join the Journey

I’m in the midst of creating some really powerful resources to inspire, uplift, encourage and bring together visionary, upstream educators and leaders just like you to curate a community of practice ready to change the narrative of education!

These resources will include

• Digital ebook to help school leaders flourish and thrive as they foster human-centered education at their sites

• Video courses aimed at offering inspired strategy for those ready to do something new and unique in education

• Curated cohorts of like-minded, like-hearted visionaries to come together and learn with and from one another

• Mountain retreats aimed at re-centering the work of education in human and communal flourishing

If that sounds interesting…hit me up!

Follow and share this newsletter and join me on this mission to reimagine education!!!

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