Mike Brasier is an innovation Principal in his fourth year leading Thompson Junior High School and has a deep passion for building schools that provide equity, empowering kids and teachers to do what they love, and creating opportunities to do so.  Mike shares how leveraging the ‘Four P’s’ - Passion, Peers, Play and Projects, has empowered his people and created unity and excitement across his campus.  Listen in to learn how Mike puts these principles into action to create a school where teachers love what they do and kids are engaged and having fun!

Roni Habib is a speaker, author, and expert in helping leaders, educators, and parents become happier and more resilient. During this podcast, Phil and Roni talk about the value of creating vulnerability and connection with students. Roni shares how he uses the concept of RAAMP to help build emotional intelligence for everyone. Check out his new book: Happy & Resilient: The Complete Guide to Joyful Teaching, Learning, and Living

Step into a conversation with Casey Giovannoni, a dedicated advocate for student well-being, who took on the role of principal at Central Valley High School amidst post-Covid challenges. In this podcast, Casey offers a glimpse into the journey he and his team undertook to harmonize excellent student academics with a thriving staff culture. He shares ideas, lessons learned along the way, and the impactful outcomes seen through their efforts to enhance staff culture.

Michele Anderson is the principal at Sunnyside HS in Fresno, California and believes great change starts by leading with compassion. She shares lessons in partnering with the parents and the power of inviting students into PD with your staff.

Listen in to hear simple reminders to start with a PEOPLE FIRST approach with both staff and students.

Phil and Laurie Boyte take listeners on a journey through their recent trip to Italy, discussing mindset takeaways they gained from their travels.

• Embrace the unknown and unpredictable aspects of life for more fulfilling experiences.

• Infuse passion and love into work to create meaningful connections.

• By shifting your mindset, you can experience life in new ways and build deeper relationships with others.

How can you implement these mindset shifts into your school culture? 

Dr. Tron Young is the building principal at Joseph Arthur Middle School in O’Fallon, IL and was named the 2020 Illinois Middle School Principal of the year. During this podcast, Dr. Young shares his leadership philosophy of being a "thermostat, not a thermometer," which means setting the culture and tone instead of just reflecting it. In this dynamic interview, Phil and Tron talk about bus tours, the 4 goals Dr. Tron sets with his students each year, and his FRIDAY FIVE that has truly helped cultivate a school of people first.

Learn more about Dr. Young by visiting his website HERE.

Craig Tucker from ImplementED joins the podcast to talk about how having clarity around your mission, vision, and core values can have a tremendous impact on culture.  He shares why data is so valuable and gives a sample activity you can do to get perspective from different voices from your school/organizational community.

Leslie Loewen has served California’s Central Valley as a teacher, coach, club sponsor, and administrator for more than 24 years. She is focused on active learning, positive relationship-building, and planting the seeds of knowledge and leadership through student engagement. During this podcast, she and Phil talk about how slowing down and truly listening to people can help cultivate a healthier culture. She also talks about the power of building relationships with the “forgotten” staff members and how to cultivate a “check-me” culture.

Join Phil Boyte and Shyana Frost as they talk about the power of starting with connections in order to build a PEOPLE FIRST culture. They have heard all the reasons it can feel hard to focus on this work between not enough time, resistant participants, or even lack of priority… but they believe starting with the human work is vital to team success.

Hiring the right people is critical for school culture. Think about it, the team you hire is the team you will come together with everyday, the team you’ll be in the trenches with, and the team that becomes like a second family. Join Shyana Frost and Raleigh Bame, Principal, Laurel Park Elementary, as they discuss the importance of hiring and retaining great people to fill your staff. Listen in as they provide strategies and ideas that can be applied to your hiring process to put people first and ensure a good fit both for the school and for the person.

The tiny moments that you conclude your year with can be a marker for what people remember about the school year. Join Phil Boyte and Shyana Frost, COO at Learning for Living, as they discuss how to infuse “Moments of Magic” into the last weeks of the school year to create a fun and engaging environment. Gain ideas on tiny moments you can use as is, or twist - think Rubik’s cube - to change up your routine and create joy amongst your staff, colleagues and students.

Jennifer Prince joins Phil to talk about the power of being a positive leader. She is the Executive Director of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation for the Glendora Unified School District and shares pieces of the research she did for her dissertation focused on the relationships between positive leaders, teacher satisfaction, and overall staff morale.  Listen in as she and Phil give practical ways to create more positivity in whatever role you play.

David Hamel, Owner and Operator of Chick-fil-A in Durham, North Carolina joins Phil to talk about how Chick-fil-A approaches building a people focused culture. He has seen the strongest leaders are willing to be intentional and inconvenienced, shares the companies CORE 4, and the concept of calling people UP versus OUT. Looking for amazing inspiration from an excellent company? This is a great podcast for every leader looking to grow their people.

Dwight Carter has been an educational leader in a variety of capacities over the past 25 + years and has a passion for building great culture. During this podcast, he shares why re-setting expectations coming out of the pandemic is so vital, how to practice those expectations, and then the power of trusting your staff and students to live them out. Dwight believes in the power of a smile and hello, and wraps up the podcast sharing about his book BE GREAT.

Paul Lundberg believes every good team needs a healthy PIT STOP along the way and during his conversation with Phil, he talks about leveraging the acronym RISE (Reconnect, Inspire, Serve, and Evaluate) to ensure teams are connected and clear on where they are going next. Click HERE for a PIT STOP template to use with your staff.

In this episode, Phil Boyte and guest Dr. Deborah Beagle share activities that build connections and school culture! From playdough, coins, balloons, to paper airplanes, hear how Debbie uses common items with activities to teach lessons of being intentional, kind, seizing the moment, and more! Check out our Culture Blog for resources to download, including Debbie’s paper airplane example to inspire positivity.

In this episode, guest Dr. Robert McBride shares three ways leaders can build trust. Hear his examples of scheduling time to be present and available, being fully transparent, and teaching others to cultivate a culture of trust. Plus, try the “Fun Facts” activity by asking someone, “What is one fun fact about you?” to build a connection!

Phil Boyte and guest Stephanie Haynes, veteran educator, speaker, coach, and author, discuss causes of educator burnout and provide ways to cope with it.

Also, hear their ideas on building connections, including the classroom activity, “Uplift Jar.”

In this episode, Phil Boyte and Dr. John Eick, Executive Director at Westlake Charter School, share ideas on how to celebrate staff, create opportunities to share stories, and build a school culture prepared for disruptive change.

Don’t miss Dr. Eick’s relationship building activity everyone can do with a photo on their cell phone. 

Shyana Frost, our resident culture guru and COO, puts on her Kindergarten Mom hat to reflect on how tiny moments have helped create trust in her school community.

Listen in to hear examples (some accomplished in just one minute!) that made a huge impact and how everyone on campus can create a “people first” culture.  

Phil Boyte and guest Robin Nott, Fine Arts Artist and Educator from Richland, Michigan, discuss how storytelling enables students to share their true story and connect with each other in a meaningful way. As Robin says, “everybody is a storyteller.”

Phil Boyte and guest Paul Lundberg share ideas on leadership and prioritizing “people first.” Paul breaks down 3 ways for managers to evolve into leaders. Leaders invest in their people, create fellow leaders, and inspire by listening.

He further states how listening and being engaged in a conversation without tapping out builds strong relationships and breaks down conflict. 

In this episode, Phil Boyte and Laurie Beyer, Principal at Maidu Elementary School in Roseville, California, share ideas on how to connect with kids, build trust with staff, and build community on campus. Laurie reminds us of the importance of focusing on what is going well and being present.

In this episode, Phil Boyte and guest Aaron Ragon, Lead Counselor for Douglas County School District in Colorado, share ways to support staff and student well-being.

Listen in to hear how Aaron builds community and trust with his team of counselors. He also reminds us of the importance of finding moments of humor in our day. 

Phil Boyte and guest Jason Jedamski, School Culture Coach and owner of Ignite2Unite, share ideas on creating irresistible experiences, building campus and community connections, and creating a school no one wants to leave.

Stay tuned until the end for an exciting announcement about the future of Breaking Down the Walls!

In this episode, Phil Boyte and guest Deborah Beagle, Director of Student Activities at Vernon Hills HS, Illinois, discuss school culture, leadership development, and the value of a supportive school community.

Debbie shares her inspirational journey with breast cancer and how her school and network supported and encouraged her. Listen in to hear about her Hakuna Matata theme that helped her stay positive during her cancer journey and the encouragement she gives to have “no worries.”

Join Phil Boyte and guest Melissa Wright for ideas to encourage and celebrate staff and students at the end of the school year.

Melissa shares ways to build school culture, boost morale on campus, and bring back fun and meaningful spring traditions.

In this episode, Phil Boyte and Shyana Frost, COO of Learning for Living, talk about how tiny moments everyday help build trust and relationships on campus.

Shyana shares examples why it is important to communicate effectively and acknowledge the dedication, achievements, and hard moments that our colleagues and students are experiencing. 

Phil Boyte and guest Lianna Gantz, Central HS Teacher and 2021 Texas Student Council Advisor of the Year, discuss school culture and mental wellness.

Lianna and her students work together to plan “Mental Wellness” Week and “Stop the Silence” Week to increase awareness and understanding of mental health and suicide prevention. Listen in to hear her ideas on sharing positivity, creating a caring campus, and building relationships.

Phil Boyte and guest Maureen Stover, 2021 National Teacher of the Year finalist, discuss redefining education coming out of the pandemic.

Opportunities include creating a culture of trust, support, and intentional communications. Also, hear about Maureen’s equity in education initiative with her North Carolina regional team.

In this episode, Phil Boyte and guest Scott Backovich, founder of ENVOLVE Schools, share “Student Engagement Ideas.” Scott shares his approach on being a silver lining specialist, the importance of staff and student acknowledgement, and student activities you can do this spring to increase student involvement and create community. 

Listen in to hear Rachael George’s incredible journey to education and her passion to pay it forward. She shares advice from her book Principaled as well as her newly released book, She Leads: The Women’s Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership, including strategies to navigate leadership positions and building school culture.

Phil and Rachael also discuss the value of taking time to hear each other's stories to create a culture that puts people first.

In this episode, Vince Caguin, Natomas Unified Executive Director of Nutrition Services & Warehousing, shares 3 mantras on building “Healthy Culture” with a focus on child nutrition, taking care of staff, and supporting local farmers. For Vince and his dedicated team, “it’s more than food” as they quickly became a cornerstone for the community during the pandemic.

Listen in to hear Vince's secret recipe to the success of his program.

Kelly Griffin wants to “change the educational ecosystem” with an emphasis on social emotional learning (SEL).

She shares numerous SEL activities to help build community in the classroom. Kelly also discusses the importance of teaching and practicing self-awareness, self-management, and coping skills.  

Donovan Taylor Hall, youth advocate and educator, is an inspiring, positive force for youth. He helps kids improve their most important relationship… the one they have with themselves.

Donovan shares 3 skills to help students build a positive self-identity. Listen in to hear about the importance of encouraging helpful self-talk, creating a growth mindset, and practicing gratitude. 

Brooke Barton is on a mission to build positive school culture and develop “get on your feet” leaders … because as Brooke says, you can’t lead sitting down! 

Don’t miss her school’s unique approach to the typical canned food drive that gets more students involved, the “Big Greet” to welcome students mid semester, and more ideas that help build amazing campus culture!

Be inspired by Kenny Monday, former Olympic gold medalist wrestler and current Head Coach and Director of the wrestling academy at SPIRE Institute.

Kenny shares the value of learning from all experiences, including wins and losses, to drive us forward.

Kenny is creating opportunities for youth and student athletes as he believes “when we re-invest in our youth, we make a deposit into our future.”

Take a journey on the “Road to Awesome” with Phil Boyte and guest Darrin Peppard, keynote speaker, author, and former teacher and administrator.

Darrin shares ideas on how to build positive school culture and how focusing on what people are doing right changed his mindset.

It’s back to school time, and we are chatting with Christina Onuskanich (Mrs. O), Teacher at Central Mountain Middle School in Mill Hall, PA. Christina shares ideas on how she is kicking off the new school year with a focus on engagement and building relationships.

Ideas include dedicated circle time, welcome back activities, mindfulness tools, team building, and a school wide book reading of “Deep Kindness” with her goal to “Let kindness lead the way this year.” 

Join Phil Boyte and guest Jason Jedamski, Director of the Vanguard Academy of Broken Arrow, OK, as they share ideas on "Creating Irresistible Experiences for Students." Jason shares his passion to create an environment of emotional commitment among staff and students across campus and in the classrooms. JJ believes in micro experiences and that these moments create momentum. 

Listen in and consider how you can create irresistible experiences at your school this fall!

Next up in the CULTURE LEVER series, join Phil Boyte and guest Shyana Frost, Learning for Living Chief Operating Officer, for an episode packed with ideas and tips on how you can intentionally build connections at your GATHERINGS from staff meetings to social events. 

In this episode of the School Culture By Design CULTURE LEVER series, Phil Boyte welcomes back guest Ted Goergen, Director of Student Activities at Adlai E. Stevenson HS in Lincolnshire, Illinois. 

Ted views this fall as an opportunity to recalibrate and reimagine school culture and shares ideas on “Welcoming Students Back.”

Spring is here and before we know it school will be out for summer, so what a great time to pause and consider the potential we have before staff and students leave for the year.

During this mini podcast, Phil shares the concept of "intent versus capacity" and thoughts on prioritizing this spring for optimal impact.

Join Phil Boyte and guests Kim Karr, co-founder of #ICANHELP, and Malorie Bournazian, Lead Intern at Digital4Good, as they discuss using technology and social media in a positive way and empowering students to be part of the solution.

They share tips on how educators can encourage students to have safer and healthier digital habits as well as the importance of training students to help and support fellow students as they often turn to one another.  

Join Phil Boyte and Debbie Hawkins, Campus Culture Director, at Sunnyside HS in Fresno, CA, for a run down on virtual and social distancing ideas for this spring. Debbie has created possibilities and fun events for her staff and students during this pandemic without skipping a beat.

Listen in to hear how she helps her school stay connected, including STUDENT events such as Senior Shout Outs on Instagram, Move Up Day, and Virtual Prom; and STAFF events including social distance lawn chair lunches, staff competitions, and a virtual holiday party.

In this episode, Phil Boyte interviews guest Jennifer Duston, former teacher and administrator, and current Client Partner with Franklin Covey Education.

Hear Jennifer’s thoughts on celebrating hard work, being yourself, and how leadership skills prepare students for life after school.

She also shares a virtual spin on making “emotional bank account” deposits to help increase engagement and build relationships among the school community while distance learning.

In Phil Boyte’s latest podcast, hear Rhett Ladner, 27-year veteran educator, share ideas on creating a school where everyone is excited to be there.

Don’t miss Rhett’s “mullet philosophy” of injecting some fun into everyday activities and the pivotal question from his colleague that transformed his mindset and approach… Be Yourself!

Hear from Sara Cowey, Educator and Activities Director, on creative and fun ways she is connecting students virtually this fall, ideas for staff collaboration and recognition, and the importance of self-care.

As Sara and Phil discuss, everyone on campus (virtual or in-person) is “in this together” and it is critical to not only take care of each other but also ourselves.

Listen in as Phil Boyte and his guest Mark Schumacher, former high school teacher turned keynote speaker and stand up comedian, share some educational humor! 

Mark has a brilliant way of finding humor in the classroom setting or staff meetings. Take Mark’s challenge on how you can find more humor around you! Also, he shares tips on what you can do if a comedic student becomes a distraction and ideas to bring laughter into the virtual classroom environment. 

In this episode, Phil Boyte and Steve Bollar, a.k.a. Stand Tall Steve, an educational thought leader and former superintendent and principal, share IDEAS TO CONNECT VIRTUALLY with staff and students as many of us begin the school year with remote learning.

Hear Steve’s ideas of going ‘old school’ in your approach to building connections during these virtual times.

Join Phil Boyte as he and his good friend, Phil Campbell of The Green Room Podcast, talk about the power of cultivating relationships during a virtual time. They share thoughts on the using social media, creative ways to connect with those who feel disconnected, and offer approaches to help shift mindset even from afar.

Phil welcomes back Heather Garcia to dive deeper into “Staying Positive in an Ambiguous Time” - Part II. Heather pulls from her vast experience and shares ideas for administrators and teachers to carry a mindset of HOPE, JOY, and COURAGE in their lives. Listen in as she shares her thoughts on using this time to focus, provide clarity for teams, and encourages you to consider the “boomerang” challenge! 

Join Phil as he welcomes back Kristin Patten, for a second interview on the podcast as she shares an amazing idea they rolled out at Antelope High School this past week called “Titans ALL IN Virtual Spirit Week.” Listen in as Kristin shares the idea, how they set it up, and the ripple effect of the TITAN SPIRIT that captured the entire community and alumni around the world! 

On this episode, Phil interviews Christiana Kraus about the importance of intentionally building relationships as a new administrator. She believes as leaders; we must foster and build clear communication, processes, and practices that focus on relationships, which is the building blocks to a strong foundation of positive culture and climate in a school community. Listen in as Christiana shares a few practical tips she has implemented this year as the new principal at Paramount High School in Los Angeles.

During this podcast, Phil Boyte interviews Steve Moo’s, the custodian at Country Lane Intermediate in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Steve has become the heartbeat of his campus and through this highly inspirational interview, we hear why he believes his role is simply to be a “mentor with a mop.”

During this podcast, Phil Boyte interviews Kelsey Graham, the teacher who was selected during our Teacher Appreciation Week for doing incredible work on her school campus! Listen in as Kelsey shares how they catch students doing great things around campus, support their staff members monthly, and focus on building thriving culture all year long.

Join Phil Boyte as he interviews Allie Snyder as she reflects back on this past year as she started her teaching career at Weaverville Elementary in North Carolina. During this podcast, Allie shares simple things that were helpful to her and things she wished she would have known from the start.

On this mini podcast episode, Phil Boyte and Jason Jedamski share ideas on how to use your graduation ceremony to support the culture you want using the "look like, sound like, feel like" filter.

On this episode, Phil interviews Corissa Stobing, the Director of Activities at Ygnacio Valley High School in California, about the 4 things that "make it or break it" for a Week of Welcome. Corissa has learned so many valuable lessons when designing a great week for both staff and students and she shares a few during the podcast.

On this episode, we interview Dr. Amy Besler about the 5 actions that create new norms on campus. Amy began her career as a high school English teacher and has since served in the roles of dean of students, assistant principal, and principal and is now a director of secondary education for Elk Grove Unified School District. Her passion for school culture led to her dissertation on the topic, through which Amy studied the ways California high schools had positively transformed their school cultures. Listen in as she shares her top 5 actions and ideas to create new norms today!

On this episode, Phil Boyte and Jason Jedamski share the importance of building great relationships in the classroom. They talk about the design for a brand new resource called Connected Classroom; a strategic online course (which provides a simple system), that equips teachers to build relationships through PLAY which grows TRUST and engages students to LEARN.

On this episode, we interview Azul Terronez, an international leader in project-based learning, educational entrepreneurship, and innovative practices. Azul has worked in a variety of roles within education and has so much to share about healthy schools.

During the podcast, Azul and Phil talk about the power of classrooms focused on relationships first and creating a community of care. Azul shares about the importance of celebrating mistakes, an awesome project called “design a classroom,” and how to stay fresh in the classroom.