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School Culture By Design

During 35+ years of wandering the continent, visiting schools and listening to leaders share their joys and frustrations, Phil Boyte has learned a lot about building great school culture. In this podcast, he and his team share stories from impactful leaders who are putting their PEOPLE FIRST and give simple techniques to design a culture where everyone can belong. We invite you along on this listening journey. You will hear simple and transformative stories about building community, vulnerability, and trust on your campus. No matter what role you play, we believe everyone has a hand in creating a place no one will want to leave.
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Now displaying: 2020
Dec 15, 2020

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

Dec 1, 2020

In this mini podcast, Phil Boyte encourages you to take a moment to REFLECT on what is positive in your life and to CELEBRATE those around you! This year we have challenged ourselves in many new ways… be sure to celebrate the incredible, resilient person that you are.

Nov 12, 2020

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!

Oct 22, 2020

Hear Phil Boyte and Dr. Maria Peek, Educational Consultant at Future Behavior and former teacher and administrator, share ideas on how students and staff can connect virtually.

Maria has a passion for building relationships with students, parents, and community. Listen in to hear how she prioritizes building relationships and takes what works well in-person to the virtual environment. Maria grounds herself in her “why” and encourages others to reflect on their “why.”

Sep 25, 2020

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.

Sep 9, 2020

When your mantra is “Teach to Make a Difference,” the outcome is amazing. Dr. Farah (Meadows) Ortega-Choate shares what she is doing this fall to inspire culture with both students and staff while distance learning. Hear her ideas on building relationships early in the semester and the importance of “connection before content.”

Farah is in her twentieth year of teaching in Desert Sands Unified School District at the secondary level and is currently the Activities Director, AVID Coordinator, ASB and Renaissance Teacher, and AVID Teacher at La Quinta Middle STEM Academy.
Aug 20, 2020

In this episode, Phil Boyte and his guest, Sabrina Goodwin Monday, Global National Sales Director of Mary Kay Cosmetics, encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and think in an innovative way.

 

Get a dose of positive mental attitude (PMA) as Sabrina shares many inspirational ideas on how to motivate others, the importance of listening and understanding, and working with an end goal in mind.

 

Aug 14, 2020

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.  

Aug 5, 2020

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.

One approach Steve recommends is to go “old school” during these virtual times to help build connections… from picking up the phone, defining classroom values, supporting social emotional needs, to learning about new students and staff… because we are people first!

Don't miss Phil and Steve demonstrate a Relationship Builder, “HIGH, LOW, CHEER,” that you can also easily use to create connections with staff and students in a virtual environment this fall.

Jul 21, 2020

During Episode #60, Phil Boyte talks with Jimmy Gleich, Director of Activities at Bishop Gorman High School, about re-thinking how we return to school this fall.

While the start of every school year is important, this fall we have a tremendous opportunity to change how we welcome back students and staff! In their conversation, Jimmy shares ideas and activities to build connections as you kick-off the fall semester… whether that is in-person or distance learning, or a hybrid.

Looking for ideas on how to plan an unforgettable Day 1, how to create time/places for students to socialize while social distancing, how to utilize social media to create connections, and more… then don’t miss this episode!

Jul 7, 2020

Listen in as Phil Boyte and Hans Appel discuss ideas to cultivate positive culture. Hans reflects from his recent book, “Award Winning Culture” to bring you real life examples of where to start to impact your school and what he does to make himself approachable to students. As we think ahead to fall and what returning to school may look like, Phil and Hans share a reminder of how we can check-in and support the adults and students on campus and build in intentional time.

Jun 16, 2020

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. Looking for ways to expand your perspective and find the possibilities in the midst of whatever might be ahead… you won’t want to miss this idea filled podcast!

May 26, 2020

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! 

May 14, 2020

Join Phil as he welcomes Heather Garcia to the podcast. Heather has played many different roles in education including teacher, coach, activities director, principal, and eventually at the district level as an associate superintendent. While her roles have evolved overtime, one thing has never changed… her contagious attitude and way of staying positive even in the most challenging of days. During this podcast, Heather talks about the power of staying positive even in the midst of ambiguity, ideas she has seen work for her own life and ideas you can take back to the school environment. 

Apr 14, 2020

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 in April called “Titans ALL IN Virtual Spirit Week.” Many schools have been rolling out virtual spirit weeks, but what makes this one unique is the idea that Kristin, the Activities Director at Antelope High School in Antelope, California had to include alumni from her past student government classes to participate and help coach her current leaders. 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! 

Mar 30, 2020

During this episode, Phil talks with Rochelle Whellams, a motivational speaker and leadership facilitator about the mindset she lives by and how it impacts her everyday life. During their conversation, Rochelle shares how being intentional with what she gives her energy has been life giving and shares the 5 questions she recommends using to filter thoughts. Looking to hit this week with a new dose of perspective? You won’t want to miss this great episode. 

Feb 19, 2020

On this episode, Phil interviews Christiana Kraus about the importance of intentionally building relationships as a new administrator. Christiana views her role as an educator as an opportunity to serve others well, with heart and with intentionality.  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.

Jan 16, 2020

Join Phil Boyte and his guest Dean Whellams as they talk about the power of building trust over time and the concept of Psychological  Safety. Dean spends his life helping cultivate incredible leaders, so you won't want to miss as he shares very practical ways he has seen educators cultivate the culture they want through organic change.

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