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Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture

Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture

By Schurtz&Ties

Inspired by the classroom, Kasey Schurtz and Brian T. Miller wrestle with how to become better teachers, leaders, and people.

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivePD.com and is a proud member of the TeachBetter Podcast Network.
Currently playing episode

Ep. 9: Curse of Knowledge vs Gap of Knowledge (Part 1): Analyzing the gaps of misunderstanding between teachers and parents

Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and cultureDec 04, 2022

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48:04
Ep. 69: Should we be hairy finishers? Maybe. Probably . . . Absolutely!

Ep. 69: Should we be hairy finishers? Maybe. Probably . . . Absolutely!

The best runners run hardest at the end. And as we enter the final weeks of the school year, as our exhaustion threatens to overcome and encourage us to coast, it is imperative that we dig in and finish the year strong.

In this episode, Brian and Kasey share stories and ideas of how we might do that, intentionally and purposefully.

References:

- World's slowest marathon time: 54 years

- Michael Phelps Gold-Medal Relay Race

- Classifying MLB's Closer Mentalities

- Team Hoyt

- The Wright Brothers: The Race for Flight

Show Sponsors: Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year! ⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom." Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic: X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Apr 23, 202450:07
Ep. 68: Rethinking that which shall not be named

Ep. 68: Rethinking that which shall not be named

Voldemort was the one “who shall not be named.” In The Village, the creatures in the woods were “those we don’t speak of.” Yet, they were the driving force to the story. Engagement is no different. It may be the tabu word we often avoid, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t directly impacting our schools. Through clarity and empathy for demands of this profession, Brian and Kasey confront that which shall not be referenced in a way that reopens hope and excitement for engagement. Types of Engagement

  • Intellectual-”constructing new knowledge” with high order tasks
  • Physical-participating purposeful motion and physical activities
  • Cultural-various cultures feel accepted, the environment does not class with cultures or make particular cultures feel unwelcome. (careful not to just tell the stories of old dead white men) (help students identify lines where personal freedoms and societal ethics converge)
  • Behavioral-attend school, follow school expectations, do not infringe on the learning and rights of others.
  • Emotional-feeling good while at school. (Procrastination is a result of avoiding bad feelings. Many students don’t do school work because they don’t feel good doing the work) remember how you made them feel
  • Social-ethically engage in the community, are welcoming and feel welcomed,

Show Sponsors: Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year! ⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom." Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic: X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com #DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Apr 19, 202458:39
SPOTIFY Release Spring Break

SPOTIFY Release Spring Break

Episodes with music are only available on Spotify.

SPOTIFY Release Spring Break

Mar 26, 202401:03:39
Ep. 67: A Spring Break Soundtrack

Ep. 67: A Spring Break Soundtrack

Happy Spring Break!

Here are a few Schurtz and Ties favorites. Hopefully, it can add some beauty and intentionality to your break!

Growing Pains, by Alessia Cara

Scared to Start, by Michael Marcagi

I Wish I Was the Moon, by Neko Case

Run Away to Mars, by Talk

Epiphany, by Taylor Swift

Texas Hold 'Em, by Beyonce

Tiny Moves, by Bleachers

This Is Me Trying, by Taylor Swift

The Old Engine Oil, by Budos

Good as Hell, Lizzo


Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Mar 26, 202428:57
Ep 66: How to nail your next interview, with Darrin Peppard

Ep 66: How to nail your next interview, with Darrin Peppard

With Kasey out of town, guest Darrin Peppard steps in to talk about how we can nail our next interview.

Darrin is an author, publisher, speaker, and consultant focused on what matters most in leadership. Darrin’s an expert in school culture and climate as well as coaching and growing emerging leaders. He is known for his keen insight, culture-first leadership style, and dynamic personality.

He also hosts the Leaning into Leadership podcast, is an authentic educator, and timely leader.

Resource:

Nail your next interview outline

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Mar 17, 202451:34
Ep. 65: Is Education a little bit culty?

Ep. 65: Is Education a little bit culty?

Inspired by an Adam Grant episode, Is your organization a little culty? with NXIVM whistleblower Sarah Edmondson, Brian and Kasey ask the same question about education . . . is it a little culty?

Potential red lights of a cult include the assumption of neediness, that it comes at a great cost, has loaded language, and claims to have all the answers. All of which can be attributed to education

Does that mean it's a cult?

Maybe.

Check out this episode and help us answer the question, is education a little bit culty? Reference:

Psychology Today: 12 Signs Someone Might Be Involved in a Cult

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Mar 11, 202457:18
Ep. 64: The Kids are Alright . . . Aren't They?

Ep. 64: The Kids are Alright . . . Aren't They?

Are kids really struggling? Is their technology-driven life truly as bad as we make it out to be?

Maybe. Maybe not!

Are phones ruining our students?

Is there a romanticism to yesteryear's boredom?

Are the dangers real? Unprecedented? Or are they similar struggles that every generation has wrestled with before, just slightly different?

Yes, but also, haven't we said this for years?

In this episode, Brian and Kasey chat about the doomsday narrative of today's generation and the somewhat dichotomous and unfair message of engagement while also directly addressing the specific needs and struggles of today's school-aged generation.

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information, mention Schurtz and Ties, and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Mar 04, 202455:18
Ep. 63: Thriving Educators, Thriving Schools. A conversation with Charlie Peck

Ep. 63: Thriving Educators, Thriving Schools. A conversation with Charlie Peck

Mental health is a hot topic, especially in public education. The problem is, how do we honestly and purposefully wrestle with it without tripping on the buzzwords? Who do we service first, students or staff? And what role can educators play in helping others when we too are struggling?

In this episode, we invite Charlie Peck to help us find answers to some obvious and not-so-obvious questions that surround mental health.

Charlie is a K-12 and licensed clinical therapist who specializes in trauma. She also brings 18 years of secondary teaching experience. She is an author, podcaster, keynote speaker, and all-around fantastic person.

You can discover more about Charlie Peck on her Thriving School Website or order her book, School Mental Health: The Thriving School Community

You can also listen to our earlier conversation with Charlie, on her Thriving Educator podcast, in an episode entitled, "The Power of Autonomy."

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Feb 26, 202448:19
Ep. 62: Lost Boys and Struggling Educators, with Hal Bowman

Ep. 62: Lost Boys and Struggling Educators, with Hal Bowman

Are boys lost in education? Are teachers struggling? And should educational leaders be student-centered, or teacher-centered?
In this episode, Hal Bowman, the mastermind behind Teach Like a Rockstar, Be the One, and co-author of Dear Teacher: 100 days of Inspirational Quotes and Thank You, Teacher helps us answer these questions and much more.
You can find out more about Mr Bowman at
halbowman.com as well as Blacksmith Mentors, a life-coaching program built for young boys.

Blacksmith Mentors: Forging Exceptional Young Men of Ironclad Character


Why does it seem to be binary, like we have to focus on or help on and not the other . . . can’t it be both?

Show Sponsors:
Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."
Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies
Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking
Feb 22, 202451:01
Ep. 61: Identifying the Humanity, with Erica Heilman

Ep. 61: Identifying the Humanity, with Erica Heilman

Erica Heilman is the host of Rumble Strip, the #1 Podcast of 2022 by The New Yorker and among the top 10 podcasts of 2022 by The New York Times, and is described as “an antidote to the eternal question, “For who? For what?”

In this episode, Kasey and Brian chat with Erica about the power of stories and storytelling. About what isn't important, and what is.


References:

- Small True Things

- Finn and the Bell

Show Sponsors: Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom." Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Feb 11, 202401:04:28
Ep. 60: The Dark Side of Motivation

Ep. 60: The Dark Side of Motivation

The melancholy of winter is real. Ignoring It won't help. Neither will wallowing in it. Acknowledging it, however, will. In the episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the dark side of motivation and wrestle with potential solutions. Keep showing up Lesson from semi-rad - “Ideas about changing the world in 7 charts” “We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world” - Howard Zin Go Silent Lesson from Taylor Swift Clean the Clutter Lesson from The Minimalists  Justin McRoberts Quit pushing Quit trying Quit working Quit pleading Quit dreaming Quit asking Quit fixing Quit persevering Quit just long enough To be still and quiet To look and listen; And see if you are still Doing what you thought you were And becoming who You want to be. Then either get back to it Or move on To what’s next See the bigger picture Lesson from two Bills Show Sponsors: Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom." Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Feb 04, 202451:02
Ep. 59: Superheroes in the classroom? Maybe.

Ep. 59: Superheroes in the classroom? Maybe.

Superheroes can save the world, but can they teach children? Should they be in your classroom? Our schools? In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss the qualities of their favorite superheroes and whether or not they should be allowed to teach children.

Do they have reverence?

Are they patient?

Can we trust them?


References:

- The Hero's Journey

- The Rise of Wolf 8

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by ⁠PeerDrivenPD⁠, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠:⁠ "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Jan 28, 202452:06
Ep. 58: The Future of Education, According to History. A conversation with Dr. Flamm.

Ep. 58: The Future of Education, According to History. A conversation with Dr. Flamm.

The future of American education is set. Especially when seen through the lens of history. That doesn't mean we don't have a choice. Because we do. Dr. Flamm explains how.

Over 20 years ago, Dr. Flamm changed the trajectory of Kasey's life. In this episode, Kasey has the opportunity to thank his treasured professor, discuss the history of education, and wrestle with how it can (and should) influence the future of schools and teaching.

Dr. Flamm is a highly respected professor at the University of Ohio Wesleyan. Throughout his tenure, he has "received the Welch Award for Scholarly Achievement (2022) and three teaching prizes including the university’s highest honor, the Bishop Herbert Welch Meritorious Teaching Award (2012)."

He is the author or co-author of five books, including, Debating the Raegan Presidency, In the Heat of the Summer: The New York Riots of 1964 and the War on Crime (Politics and Culture in Modern America), and How 1954 Changed History which is an Audible Original. References:

"Problems will always torment us because all important problems are insoluble: that is why they are important. The good comes from the continuing struggle to try and solve them, not from the vain hope of their solution." - Arthur Schlesinger

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Jan 21, 202401:12:49
Ep. 57: The meaning of conducting, with Jim Papoulis

Ep. 57: The meaning of conducting, with Jim Papoulis

Jim Papoulis is a world renowned conductor (not trains). He also works directly and consistently in schools and with students from all walks of life, using music as a bridge to guide students toward "self empowerment, self esteem, cooperation, commitment, and discipline."

He is also a master teacher.

In this episode, Jim connects the art of conducting to the intricacies and difficulties of teaching, as well as the struggles and unknowns of life.


You can learn more about Jim Papoulis at his website or email him at jimpapoulis.com.


Refences:

Rules for Young Conductors, by Pacific Symphony

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Jan 14, 202401:00:43
Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Jan 08, 202404:59
Ep. 56: Reflection: why bison run and mirrors distort.

Ep. 56: Reflection: why bison run and mirrors distort.

"You can either entertain guests or clean up the house, but you can't do both." The same can be said about reflection and action.

In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the importance of reflection, what we can learn from the actions of bison and not cows, and how mirrors do more than reflect.

References:

- Friday Thought : The Patience of Repair

- Unexpected Kindness

- Before bears hibernate and the kids move out

- Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again 

- Monopoly Makes People Mean

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Dec 24, 202351:09
Ep. 55 : The Culture Blend, with Jerry Jones

Ep. 55 : The Culture Blend, with Jerry Jones

Culture is the personality of the group. But how do we engage it? Change it? And challenge it?

And how do schools - buildings and classrooms alike - intentionally create and define culture?

In this episode, Brian and Kasey invite Jerry Jones (not that one) onto the show to talk about people, communities, and culture. And it is brilliant. Largely because Jerry says things like, "Curiosity lives in the pause." And after listening to this episode, it just makes sense.

Jerry Jones is a culture vulture, cross-cultural trainer, writer, and family man. He writes The Culture Blend and provides coaching, training, and content for culturally-minded people

References:

How to Ask GREAT cross-Cultural Questions

99 Questions for GLobal Families (a free E-book)

Bald Tires and Bad Habits: The right kind of change in a snowstorm year.

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Dec 17, 202359:16
Ep. 54: How to survive a rip current and the sacrifice for power - a barstool episode.

Ep. 54: How to survive a rip current and the sacrifice for power - a barstool episode.

From "Don't let data be your Bible verse," disharmony bringing peace, and how trees can help us make decisions, in this episode, Brian and Kasey run through a list of thoughts that have been on their minds but not thought completely through. They're half-baked.

Let us know which one piqued your interest!

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Dec 11, 202347:01
Ep. 53: Why so serious? A turning from the abyss; a call towards joy.

Ep. 53: Why so serious? A turning from the abyss; a call towards joy.

Are educators consumed by the abyss of seriousness? Is fear winning? It certainly seems so. In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle with why it seems education is struggling to find joy, teach with confidence, and see beyond failure.

They also focus on what education is doing well and the things that get educators excited about this unique profession.

Quotes:

- "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

- “The media shows the tiniest percentage of what people do. There are millions and millions of people doing wonderful things all over the world, and they’re generally not the ones being touted in the news.” - Fred Rogers

- "What did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? Herein lies the key to your earthly pursuits." - Carl Jung

References:

- How to Spot an Idiot

- Give and Take, by Adam Grant

- The gorilla test and The invisible gorilla strikes again

- When Safe Turns Stagnant: Taking Risks in Life Transformation, by Motaz Majed

- The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Dec 03, 202301:01:54
Ep. 52: Teachers and Parents and Bridging the Relationship Gap. An honest discussion.

Ep. 52: Teachers and Parents and Bridging the Relationship Gap. An honest discussion.

Parent involvement has the greatest impact on the success of a student and school community. Yet, very little time is spent discussing, wrestling with, and learning how best to engage parents and close the relationship gap.

In this episode, Kasey and Brian get honest about why parents and schools struggle to understand each other, and what we - schools and parents - can do about it.

The solution isn't hard. But it isn't easy either. "Why? Because anyone who has ever done anything worth a damn, knows that they probably weren’t the main beneficiaries of their efforts. Our work may have lit up the world, but we still remain down in the mud, somehow." And it is fully worth it.


Resources:

- Kasey's Tips for Calling Parents

- Brian's Friday Thought (inspired by the ending quote), Things that are worth a Damn

References:

- National Center For Educational Statistics

- Gaping Void Blog post

Show Sponsors: Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year! ⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom." Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic: X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com #DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Nov 19, 202301:02:21
Ep 51. AI and education's obligation.

Ep 51. AI and education's obligation.

Education failed to prepare students for the Internet. With AI, we can't make the same mistake. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss ways in which educators can safely and holistically incorporate AI, which includes diving deeper into humanity.


Plans that include:

- Inviting local experts

- Build career pathways with AI

- Create a group of dedicated educators who will help develop guiding principles (political, social, economic, and emotional impact)

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Nov 13, 202353:10
Ep. 50: "A cat won't follow a lemming off a cliff" and other educational sayings that don't exist.

Ep. 50: "A cat won't follow a lemming off a cliff" and other educational sayings that don't exist.

To celebrate 50 episodes, we check in and acknowledge the high and lows of the school year, reflect on what we've learned, and try our best to sound smarter than we are.


Educational sayings that don't exist, but could:

  • If you only top off your coffee with creamer, eventually all you have is a cup of creamer and no coffee.
  • Even God needed a New Testament
  • You can’t find a light switch in the dark without banging your shin.
  • Time also puts out fires
  • You can’t teeter totter alone. 
  • Even idiots by baseball tickets
  • Are we shoveling snow in July?
  • A cat won’t follow a lemming off a cliff.
  • Don't sharpen pencils when the printer is out of ink.


References:

Will and Rusty's Playdate Podcast


Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Nov 05, 202352:13
Ep. 49: Can Education be a System of Profound Knowledge?

Ep. 49: Can Education be a System of Profound Knowledge?

Should schools be systems-based or people-based? Can it be both? Based on the profound insight of William Denning, Kasey and Brian wrestle with the limitations and opportunities of systems in education.

Do we manage failure or investigate its causes?

Are our systems failing or our people struggling?

Whose seat is missing at the table?

Do numbers really matter?


Let us know what you think! We're curious to hear your thoughts (schurtzandties@gmail.com)

References:

- Dr. W. Edwards Deming: System of Profound Knowledge

- Fundamental Attribution Error

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Oct 29, 202355:26
Ep. 48: Get your hands dirty. Engage in the mess. Find solutions.

Ep. 48: Get your hands dirty. Engage in the mess. Find solutions.

“People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.”

In this episode, Brian and Kasey dive into the fears and realities of diving into the lives of the people around us, they acknowledge the difficulties and fears of doing so, and wrestle with real solutions that provide us with real outcomes.

"Find the beauty in others. If all you see is the ugly, you're not looking close enough."

References:

- Farsighted by Steven Johnson

- Paul Laurance Dunbar

- Trea Turner story

Why we fear getting our hands dirty.

  • Because we get dirty. And we don’t like that.

  • Because we, truly, don’t care that much. And that is sad, but also okay. I think.

    Because we don’t have time - better to buy from the local store/install program/sweeping consequences

  • Solutions:

  • Don’t Take it Personal : Make it Personal.

  • Don’t bring the dirt home - don’t get everyone else dirty!

  • Anticipate the Unexpected

  • Find the Beauty; Force the beauty

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Oct 22, 202347:59
Ep. 47: The Cult of Done. Is it worth throwing away?

Ep. 47: The Cult of Done. Is it worth throwing away?

Are we truly done, or merely exhausted? Are we ready to throw it away, or simply fearful of getting our hands dirty?

In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle with what it truly means to be done with systems, processes, even people.

References:

The Cult of Done.

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Oct 15, 202348:27
Ep. 46: Safe, secure, and stable. A reflection of over 40 years.

Ep. 46: Safe, secure, and stable. A reflection of over 40 years.

Mr. Moore has served in the education world for over 40 years as a teacher, principal , and superintendent. In this episode, he reflects on his time, this profession, and the foundational purpose of education.

Thank you, Mr Moore, for your years of dedication, and for sharing your journey and wisdom with us.


Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com

#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking

Oct 08, 202352:20
Ep. 45: The destructive and constructive nature of comparison.

Ep. 45: The destructive and constructive nature of comparison.

As educators, we often feel isolated. Sometimes its because we feel less then others and are fearful we will be discovered as a fraud. Other times, we feel isolated because we are successful and we are afraid the spotlight will only isolate us more. Both are unfair. Both are destructive. In this episode, Brian and Kasey talk about the pitfalls of comparisons, the manifestations of its destructive nature, and how best to overcome and confidently lean into who we are as people, and as educators.


"We take the best of somebody and compare it to our weakness, and of course we're not going to measure up." - Brian Miller

"Feeling insecure when comparing myself to others can often be a motivator to be better" - Kasey Schurtz


References:

How to Keep Going, with Austin Kleon

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Oct 01, 202355:04
Ep. 44: The Future of Schools, Now

Ep. 44: The Future of Schools, Now

Are schools broken? Or do they simply need some change?

In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss the current condition of schools, what the future of schools could look like, and how we can cause a ruckus right now.


Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Sep 24, 202347:10
Ep. 43: Be a Ruckus Maker, with Danny Bauer

Ep. 43: Be a Ruckus Maker, with Danny Bauer

"Ideas are great but not the greatest."

In this episode, Danny Bauer explains why Ruckus Makers have a bias for action and a passion for change. And they do so by telling stories.

Mr. Danny Bauer is a principal development & retention expert, 2x best selling author, host of two of the world's most downloaded podcasts, and Chief Ruckus Maker. He founded Better Leaders Better Schools in 2015.


Ruckus Makers play the infinite game by:

  1. Challenging the status quo
  2. Designing the future of schools right now
  3. Continually investing in their own growth.

Also, check out GapingVoid and their culture walls, but also their blog. It is brilliant!


Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts or share a topic:

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Sep 17, 202349:01
Ep 42: Safe vs Brave Schools.

Ep 42: Safe vs Brave Schools.

Are safe spaces coddling the young mind? Are brave spaces empowering the fringe? And is there a healthy marriage of the two? In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle through the history of safe spaces, discuss its flaws, and consider a better, braver, and more appropriate way to raise up the current and future generations.


References: - The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure

- Moving from Safe Classrooms to Brave Classrooms

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!

⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Sep 11, 202351:05
Ep 41. "Localize your message" and how best to embrace the hard, with Jenn Ford

Ep 41. "Localize your message" and how best to embrace the hard, with Jenn Ford

Graduate of Georgetown and the University of Colorado, President and founder of the Frederick Mountain Group, and a wilderness guide for seven years, Jennifer Ford brings the good and powerful word! Speaking truth into public school marketing strategies and how best to engage in difficult conversations with passionate or politically charged parents, Jenn Ford breaks down how public educators can push through difficult times.

Kasey and Brian also consider alternative podcast partners. 

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Sep 02, 202345:55
Ep. 40: "Sharpen Your Ax" : Spend time focusing on humans

Ep. 40: "Sharpen Your Ax" : Spend time focusing on humans

Education is an exhausting profession. It is a service profession. And if we're not careful, it can get the best of us and steal our ability to give our best. In this episode, Kasey and Brian talk about how we can stay healthy, be mindful, and "sharpen our ax."


What dulls the ax?

  1. Physical Exhaustion
  2. Emotional Suppression
  3. Social Demands
  4. Mental Performance

How can we sharpen the ax?

  1. Physical

    - Shut down the things that stimulate you (phones, grading, planning)

    - Go for a walk, find a workout partner for after school

  1.  Emotional

    - Go easy on yourself

    - Let yourself feel your emotions

  • References:

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Aug 27, 202345:40
Ep. 39: "You. Belong. Here." Three intentional ways to create a culture of belonging

Ep. 39: "You. Belong. Here." Three intentional ways to create a culture of belonging

Being a member of a community, a tribe, is a basic human need. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss how to build a culture of belonging by emphasizing the key components of healthy community, namely: acknowledging the unique selves, providing an opportunity to serve, and emphasizing the importance of now.


References:

  • "When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That's when you can get more creative in solving problems," Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
  • "A community of hands to helpThus the dream becomes not one man’s dream alone, But a community dream. Not my dream alone, but our dream. Not my world alone, But your world and my world" - Freedom's Plow, by Langston Hughes
  • "Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
    Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish . . .
    What good amid these, O me, O life?
                                           Answer.
    That you are here—that life exists and identity,
    That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse," - Oh Me! Oh Life! by Walt Whitman
  • "Be interested, not interesting." - Barbara Jordan

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


⁠⁠TeachBetter.com⁠⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Aug 20, 202339:10
Ep. 38: Start the Year off Strong. Lean into who you are

Ep. 38: Start the Year off Strong. Lean into who you are

How we start the year will set the tone for the year. In this episode, Brian and Kasey share some of their strategies for starting the year of strong with intentionality and authenticity.

  1. Light up the room: Be optimistic, lean into who you are, and shape the narrative.
  2. Make the intangible, tangible: Help staff and students remember Why we are here and what we're about.
  3. Make people feel at home: Give voice, give food.
  4. Wrestle with the question, "How are we going to resolve conflict?"
  5. Provide clarity of what to expect for the year.
  6. Start a habit that creates a healthy mindset: What is your dream?


References:

The Alchemist: “Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives.”

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too." 

Shakespeare's Folly of Youth:

"Folly rode wildly on tiger of youth,
Howled like a wolf at now waning moon . . .


Martin Luther King:

"Tell them about the Dream, Martin." There is a fantastic episode on Hidden Brain that walks through this story.

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


⁠TeachBetter.com⁠: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Aug 18, 202337:31
Ep. 37: What are you hankerin' for?

Ep. 37: What are you hankerin' for?

Welcome back! Hopefully you have found ways to disconnect and recharge for the coming year. We also hope (and anticipate) that you are getting excited for the coming year!

In this episode, Kasey and Brian share what they are "hankerin' for" this coming year. From eliminating "friction points," working on student behaviors, to engaging in the Six Working Geniuses, we are ready for our students to enter the building!

Reach out and let us know what you are excited to try this year! We'd love to hear from you (SchurtzandTies@gmail.com).


References:

Responsibility Centered Discipline.


Fans First: Change The Game, Break the Rules & Create an Unforgettable Experience


Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink


Working Genius, by Patrick Lencioni


Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


TeachBetter.com: "The Teach Better Podcast Network is dedicated to supporting the entire school ecosystem through in-depth conversations around topics you care about. Covering a variety of areas in education, each podcast aims to support educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive, student-focused classroom."


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

X (Twitter): SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it⁠ was generated from our Chat GPT Episode⁠) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Aug 06, 202345:55
Ep. 36: Favorite fictional teachers and what they teach us about being human.

Ep. 36: Favorite fictional teachers and what they teach us about being human.

From Mr. Feeny to Mr. Holland and Mrs Johnson, Kasey and Brian discuss a variety of fictional (and nonfictional) teachers who have inspired them to be better teachers, educators, and people.


Let us know who we missed and what you think of our list!


Teachers Mentioned:

Mr. Feeny (Boy Meets World)

Mr Rogers (The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers)

Mr Keeting (Dead Poets Society)

Mr Holland (Mr Holland's Opus)

Mrs Johnson (Dangerous Minds)

Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)


References: Why Mr. Keeting is Responsible for Neil's Death

Gladwell owes Atticus an apology: An Open Letter to Mr. Gladwell

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it⁠ was generated from our Chat GPT Episode⁠) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Jul 02, 202351:34
Ep. 35: Chatbot, the psychology of free, and the discomfort of leadership. A barstool conversation

Ep. 35: Chatbot, the psychology of free, and the discomfort of leadership. A barstool conversation

Continuing our summer theme of lighter and quicker topics, in this episode, Brian and Kasey cover a range of "under cooked topics" from an update on ChatGPT, should public education be free?, whether teachers be held accountable for posting grievances on TikTok, and more.


Episodes Referenced: Ep. 15: ChatGPT is going to disrupt education. Here's how we can (and should) embrace it.

Ep 31: Education is a Wicked Problem, which means it is impossible to solve. We tried anyway.


References:

The Psychology of Free

"We want to do things that are big enough to make a difference, but small enough to get things done." - 17 Rooms Podcast

What we learned from Justine Sacco's Tweet

"You can't lead if you're not uncomfortable." - Karamo Brown

14 Ridiculous Dress Code Rules for Teachers You Won’t Believe Are Real

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it⁠ was generated from our Chat GPT Episode⁠) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Jun 25, 202335:12
Ep. 34: Summer Soundtrack (SPOTIFY RELEASE with music)

Ep. 34: Summer Soundtrack (SPOTIFY RELEASE with music)

Episodes with music are only available on Spotify.

As educators, summer is an important time for us to refresh, renew, and regroup. This summer playlist can help!

Whether you're on a road trip, hanging out by the pool, or enjoying an evening with family and friends, check out these songs and allow them to inspire your summer, relax your mind, and renew your spirit.


Happy Summer! Enjoy.

And happy birthday to Kasey! He turns 45 today.


Songs:

I Love It, by Icona Pop

Vices, by Sarah and the Sundays

Sunroof, by Nicky Youre and Daisy

Step Out, by Jose Gonzalez

Dancing in the Street, by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas

Ame Cherie, by Jr. Walker & the All Stars

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, Ottis Redding

Windows are Rolled Down, by Amos Lee

Boom, by X Ambassadors


If you have any song recommendations, send us a quick note and we'll make sure to add them in!

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out ⁠PeerDrivenPD.com⁠ for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it⁠ was generated from our Chat GPT Episode⁠) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Jun 18, 202351:47
Ep. 34: Summer Soundtrack (APPLE PODCAST RELEASE w/o music)

Ep. 34: Summer Soundtrack (APPLE PODCAST RELEASE w/o music)

As educators, summer is an important time for us to refresh, renew, and regroup. This summer playlist can help!

Whether you're on a road trip, hanging out by the pool, or enjoying an evening with family and friends, check out these songs and allow them to inspire your summer, relax your mind, and renew your spirit.


Happy Summer! Enjoy.

And happy birthday to Kasey! He turns 45 today.


Songs:

I Love It, by Icona Pop

Vices, by Sarah and the Sundays

Sunroof, by Nicky Youre and Daisy

Step Out, by Jose Gonzalez

Dancing in the Street, by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas

Ame Cherie, by Jr. Walker & the All Stars

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, Ottis Redding

Windows are Rolled Down, by Amos Lee

Boom, by X Ambassadors


If you have any song recommendations, send us a quick note and we'll make sure to add them in!

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Jun 18, 202321:26
Ep. 33: #KeepKnocking : The Art of Never Giving Up on People

Ep. 33: #KeepKnocking : The Art of Never Giving Up on People

It's okay to give up on systems - even healthy. It's never okay to give up on people - keep knocking!

In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the complexity of being persistent, why it matters, and how it plays out in difficult situations.

Sadly, Kasey doesn't have an acronym.


What Persistence Looks Like:

- Be visible and available

- Be friendly - it can't always feel like you need something

- Engage in the work with them

- Know what's worth being persistent for - avoid fads!


Things Worth Knocking for:

- Maintaining connections and community

- Making people feel heard and seen

- Core values

- Maintaining communication and allowing people to continually move forward


References:

- Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

- Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away 

- Resolution, by Ruby Archer

The waves oppose the cliffs with daily force,
And fall resisted back along their course.
My soul opposes fate with daily will,
And falls resisted back, defeated still,
With gathered strength returning, like the waves,
To wrest complete dominion that it craves.
The cliffs are stone, and stone will wear away.
Spirit shall rule, and fate itself obey.

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Jun 11, 202345:04
Ep 32: Educational Leadershi* : It's messy, and fully worth it.

Ep 32: Educational Leadershi* : It's messy, and fully worth it.

*Warning, there are curse words that are unbleeped in this episode


Remove ants and bees from the planet and the whole system will collapse. Remove humans and the world improves. Why is that? And how does it relate to leadership?

In this episode, Brian and Kasey work through the unique difficulties of educational leadershi* and why - at times - it is the most difficult form of leadership. From frustrated parents, unengaged students, combative staff members, and all the pressures of a demanding society, being an educational leader is seemingly impossible.

So why do it?

Answer: Because of hope.


The Complexity of Educational Leadershi*

  • Only profession where EVERYONE has experience
  • We have no teeth, but are filled with bite marks
  • Are charged with the “Wicked Task” of fixing ALL problems for ALL students (and parents, and teachers) in a timely manner.


Solutions:

  • Be Courageous: “Why not us?”

    • Interpersonal: Willingness to confront yourself about what's true, even when it’s difficult to face.

    • Intrapersonal: Ability to have a difficult conversation with one or small groups of people - confronting a difficult topic

    • Public Courage: Stand up and be the face - make a stand (history books)


References:

At the Table Podcast

- Four Letter Word

- The Three Types of Courage


No graduation: 8th graders turned away from ceremony; parents furious


George Washington's First Annual Address to Congress


If, Rudyard Kipling


Leading with a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness


A Trickle Of Thought, Rose Marie Juan-Austin

Allow a dark soul to enter

Its kingdom.

A tinge of darkness,

Could create a spell

And wrap the Kingdom

With nightmares,

Leading to its death.

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Jun 04, 202358:59
Ep 31: Education is a Wicked Problem, which means it is impossible to solve. We tried anyway.

Ep 31: Education is a Wicked Problem, which means it is impossible to solve. We tried anyway.

In 1973, design theorists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber introduced the term "wicked problem" in order to draw attention to the complexities and challenges of addressing planning and social policy problems.

Education is such a problem.

In this episode, Brian and Kasey work through the complexities of education as a Wicked Problem. They provide potential solutions for both teachers and school leaders on how to not only engage this unique complexity but also how to move towards purposeful and effective solutions.


Wicked Problem Distinctions:

  1. No clear formula or solution
  2. No clear ending or stopping point
  3. It is filled with contradictions
  4. It is a process of trying to solve the problem while simultaneously engaging in the problem
  5. The problem can be defined in a variety of ways, impacting the potential solutions

Wicked Problem Solutions:

  1. Choose pillars of norms, rather than ending solutions, and pursue them
  2. Invite and collaborate with all stakeholders, of those who will suffer the consequences
  3. Embrace the iterative process


References:

Tackling Wicked Problems and Catalyzing Creativity

Solving for Pattern, by Wendell Berry

A Psalm of Life, BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Everything Sad is Untrue, by Daniel Nayeri:

“Does writing poetry make you brave? It is a good question to ask. I think making anything is a brave thing to do. Not like fighting brave, obviously. But a kind that looks at a horrible situation and doesn’t crumble. Making anything assumes there’s a world worth making it for.”


Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you, also, Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

May 28, 202342:25
Ep. 30: Bridging the Recognition Gap and Strengthening Your School Culture

Ep. 30: Bridging the Recognition Gap and Strengthening Your School Culture

"More than 80 percent of supervisors claim they frequently express appreciation to their subordinates," The Power of Moments claims, "while less than 20 percent of the employees report that their supervisors express appreciation more than occasionally. Call it the recognition gap."

In this episode, Brian and Kasey discover WHY this gap exists and wrestle through ways in which leaders can support their people and intentionally close the gap of recognition.


Big Picture: Why does this gap exist?

  1. Five Steps of Dependency

    1. Give it once, they appreciate it

    2. Give the same thing again, they will anticipate a third time

    3. Give a third time, they will have an expectation for a forth

    4. Give it a fourth time, they will feel entitled to it

    5. Give it a fifth time, they will be dependent on it

  1. Loss Aversion and The Power of missed opportunities

    1. Loss aversion “is a cognitive bias that describes why the pain of losing is psychologically twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining

      1. Lose $20 is more powerful than finding $20

      2. Lose prep time is more powerful than gaining extra time

  1. Love languages - 

    1. Words of Affirmation

    2. Physical Tough

    3. Receiving Gifts

    4. Quality Time

    5. Acts of Service


Mudd on the Boots: What can we do about it?

  1. Nothing:

    Givers and Takers: “Givers and takers differ in their attitudes and actions toward other people. If you’re a giver, you help whenever the benefits to others exceed the personal cost - you simply share your time, energy, knowledge, skills, ideas, and connections with other people who can benefit. If you’re a taker, you help others strategically, when the benefits to you outweigh the personal costs. You give your time, energy, knowledge, skills, ideas, and connections to other people who can benefit only when it benefits you."


  2. Remember Who You Are 

    Strengths - embrace them, use them, grow them

    Weaknesses - acknowledge them, then put in safeguards


3.    Be the hero, not the villain

  1. Have the same backstory - pain - but respond differently

    1. Villains say "The world has hurt me, I’m gonna hurt it back"

    2. Heroes say "The world hurt me, I’m not gonna let this happen to anybody else"

  2. If you acknowledge that you are not being thanked enough, make sure it does not happen to anybody else - step up and offer ways to support your staff/colleagues.

References:

⁠⁠Sound Relationship House, from the Gottman Institute⁠⁠

“The green forest flutters in our land and mountains, and I didn’t plant even one tree” - ⁠⁠In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom, by Yeonmi Park⁠⁠


"Do you take pride in your hurt? Does it make you seem large and tragic? ...Well, think about it. Maybe you're playing a part on a great stage with only yourself as audience.” - ⁠John Steinbeck, East of Eden


Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!


May 21, 202349:15
Ep. 29: Finish Strong! Be Mr. May.

Ep. 29: Finish Strong! Be Mr. May.

Reggie Jackson was nicknamed "Mr. October" because of his clutch hitting in the postseason. He finished the year strong! And so should we.

In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss ways teachers and administrators can finish the year with clarity and purpose. From roundtable discussions, award ceremonies, and renewing educational vows, how we end the year not only impacts how we remember the entire year, it prepares and excites us for what comes next.

Finish strong! And earn the nickname Mr. (or Mrs.) May.


Providing Clarity Reduces Anxiety

Reduce anxieties about this year:

  • Clarify end-of-the-year procedures (final grades, end-of-the-year activities, schedule changes, etc…
  • Remind yourself and others that we are where we are - don’t cram solutions to the year’s mistakes into the last few weeks.


Reduce the anxieties about next year:

  • Give teachers their teaching assignments as early as possible, clarifying any major changes
  • Allow teachers the opportunity to rest over the summer - remove the worry and ambiguity of next year
  • Start something new - test it out! - so next year is more prepared

Provide a playbook for the start of the next school year:

  • Have a plan on how you are going to integrate new staff members
  • Identify a goal or three (with tangible actions and quantifiable objectives) for the year - what is our focus, and why does it matter?


Staff Building Activities:

  • Staff-Driven Award: Allow staff an opportunity to celebrate and recognize their colleagues in a very real, very personal way.
  • Objectify Staff: Provide a very purposeful picture of each staff member that objectifies them and their importance and impact on the school.
  • Renewing Educational Vows: Provide an opportunity for staff members to walk through their educational journey and that brings them back to their "Why" of education.

Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

May 14, 202351:38
Ep. 28: "What about the boring kids?"

Ep. 28: "What about the boring kids?"

Does education have a problem with ignoring the "boring child?" And is being "boring" even bad - as a student or as a teacher?

In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the idea of education focusing too much on the fringe, why it's important to "grow the boring group," and why we should work hard to always separate the person from the idea.


Solutions:

- Autonomy Week (If you would like more information on how to implement this, please reach out!)

- Names in Jars

- Utilize their Otherness


Sources Referenced:

- The National’s Matt Berninger: "I have a healthy marriage because I write about looking into the abyss"

- Can We Touch Your Hair, by Skye Jackson

- When did being an average student become a bad thing?

- The power, calm and happiness in being an average student


Show Sponsors:

Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivenPD, a teacher training platform that brings "candid conversations from some of the best classroom educators in the country." You can "get your training directly from the teachers in the trenches as current classroom teachers guide your professional learning with authentic insights and practical strategies you can try immediately." Check out PeerDrivenPD.com for more information and mention Schurtz and Ties and get 10% off any purchase for one year!


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

May 07, 202357:55
Ep. 27: Ted Lasso is flawed. And that's why we love him! And it's why we can learn from him.

Ep. 27: Ted Lasso is flawed. And that's why we love him! And it's why we can learn from him.

Even if you've never seen the show, Ted Lasso, this episode is still relatable to anyone interested in leadership or building culture in the workplace.


Brian and Kasey both love Ted Lasso, but not because he is perfect. In fact, he is far from it! In this episode, Brian and Kasey acknowledge the faults and weaknesses of Ted, draw out their impacts on building culture, and highlight his many gifts and talents as a leader.


Favorite Ted Quotes:

"If you care about someone, and you got a little love in your heart, there ain't nothing we can't get through together."


"If that's a joke, I love it. If not, I can't wait to unpack that with you."


"Be curious, not judgmental."


"I promise you there is something worse out there than being sad, and that's being alone and being sad. Ain't nobody in this room alone."


Culture Takeaways:

Culture does not end with relationships. It starts with relationships, but it does not end there. Culture is what happens when the leader leaves the room. It's what happens when we are not in the building.


Norms are what happens when leaders are in the building.

Culture is what happens when leaders are out of the building.


Belief alone isn't enough. Work has to be done.

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!


Apr 30, 202346:12
Ep. 26: Gossip. Lets chat about it! Because it isn't as bad as we think.
Apr 23, 202345:00
Ep. 25: Influential Teachers: What made them great and why they are remembered.

Ep. 25: Influential Teachers: What made them great and why they are remembered.

Apr 16, 202347:33
Ep. 24: We are Anxious. So let's do something about it.

Ep. 24: We are Anxious. So let's do something about it.

All too often, we try to solve complex problems with large-scale, pie-in-the-sky solutions. Anxiety is one of those problems. In this episode, Brian and Kasey wrestle through some very tangible, use-it-tomorrow solutions that combat the growing epidemic of teen (and adult) anxiety.


Why Are We Anxious?

1. Culture of success (Cult of achievement)

2. Origin stories

3. You are what you data


Solutions:

1. Re-establish our purpose

2. Rest

3. Restore


Podcast Referenced:

Why the Cult of Achievement in Schools Is Making People Miserable

Why Are American Teenagers So Sad and Anxious?

- Both by Plain English


Articles Referenced:

Why Girls Beat Boys at School and Lose to Them at the Office, by Lisa Damour

Do you use these words when you apologize? It's time to stop, researchers say

  1. Say you're sorry. Not that you "regret," not that you are "devastated." Say you're "sorry."

  2. Say what it is that you're apologizing for. Be specific.

  3. Show you understand why it was bad, take ownership, and show that you understand why you caused hurt.

  4. Don't make excuses.

  5. Say why it won't happen again. What steps are you taking?

  6. If it's relevant, make reparations: "I'm going to pay for the dry cleaning. Just send the bill to me. I'm going to do my best to fix what I did.”


Daniel Pink references . . . again: Book: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

TEDTalk: The Puzzle of Motivation

Literature Referenced:

City on a Hill, by John Winthrop

"Go west, young man" by Horace Greeley

If, by Rudyard Kipling

Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music (it was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Apr 09, 202301:20:49
Ep. 23: Punishment vs Consequence. What they are, what they aren't, and why the differences matter.

Ep. 23: Punishment vs Consequence. What they are, what they aren't, and why the differences matter.

Punishment and consequence are often used synonymously in our schools and homes, but they shouldn't be, largely because the key distinction between the two (me-focused vs you-focused) makes a world of difference in the short and long term. For the child and the adult.

In this episode, Brian and Kasey draw a line of distinction between punishments and consequences, wrestle with why that distinction is important for implementing systemic change, and argue over spankings . . . are they a punishment or a consequence?


Quotes Referenced:

"If you want to punish students, you have lost your professional soul" - Dr. Anthony Muhammad


"People like certainty more than hope" - Josie Duffy Rice


"A person who has been punished is not less inclined to behave in a certain way. At best, he or she learns how to avoid punishment." - B.F. Skinner


Why do we shout in anger? To cover the distance our hearts are experiencing.



How to Provide Appropriate Consequences:

1. Be Emotion-less in our responses

2. Empower More the people we are engaging with

3. Be Time-less in our timeline for change



Referenced Research on Punishment/Spanking:


I say dog, you say chicken? New study explores why we disagree so often


Spanking and Child Outcomes: Old Controversies and New Meta-Analyses
National Institute of Justice, "Student Suspensions Have Negative Consequences, According to NYC Study,"

What Science Says—and Doesn't—about Spanking: Are kids being spanked for acting out or acting out because they’re spanked?


Please reach out and let us know your thoughts, share a topic, and let us know what you think!

Twitter: SchurtzandTies

Gmail: schurtzandties@gmail.com


#DoGreatThings and #KeepKnocking


Thank you to Matt Hard for the outro music! (It was generated from our Chat GPT Episode) and Karl DeCock for creating the cover art!

Apr 02, 202301:02:05