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Get the full webinar recording, slides, transcript, audiobook, and hardcopy book for $1 when you try the Instructional Leadership Association for 14 days » Get the book Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership About This Episode In this episode, I have something special for you—the audio of my recent webinar The Now We're Talking! Walkthrough System. Enjoy, and if you'd like the book, get it for $1 here.  Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book Teachables: Bite-Size Strategies That Make a Major Impact in the Classroom About The Guests Cheryl Abla brings over thirty years of experience in education, partnering with schools and districts across the country to help teachers and leaders create classrooms where every student excels. A former educator who taught across grades 1–12, she brings practical classroom insight to her work supporting instructional strategies, problem-based learning, classroom technology, teacher coaching, and multilingual learner success, with a focus on simple, high-impact strategies that make learning meaningful and sustainable. Cheryl is the co-author of Teachables: Bite-Size Strategies That Make a Major Impact in the Classroom (2024), The New Classroom Instruction That Works (2022), and Tools for Classroom Instruction That Works (2018). She has also written numerous Edutopia articles focused on engagement, belonging, and effective instruction. Lisa Maxfield draws on more than three decades of experience in education organizations to empower teachers and leaders with the tools, training, and support they need to succeed. As a Project and Customer Success Manager, she leads impactful implementations, delivers engaging professional learning, and builds lasting partnerships that help educators thrive. Deeply committed to supporting the teaching profession, Lisa has presented at AESA and ASCD conferences and co-authored Teachables: Bite-Sized Strategies That Make a Major Impact in the Classroom. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book Becoming an Expert Teacher: Deliberate Practice for Effective Teaching About The Guests Nidhi Sachdeva is a scholar, educator, and international speaker recognized for her work in advancing evidence-informed education. Her scholarship spans educational technology, microlearning, and teacher education, with a focus on translating cognitive science into practical, high-impact instructional design that foster equitable educational outcomes. With more than twenty years of teaching experience, she has taught German, Hindi, and English as a Second Language in diverse multilingual contexts, bringing a deep understanding of language, cognition, and culture to her academic work. Born and raised in India, she completed her early studies there before moving to Toronto, where she continued her academic journey and earned her PhD at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. She now teaches graduate courses at OISE on the theoretical foundations of teaching and learning in the Master of Education program. Nidhi is also a professor at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam and leads projects on developing teacher expertise.  Sachdeva is Chair of researchED Canada and co-author of the globally read Science of Learning publication. She has delivered keynotes and participated in international scholarly roundtables across North America, Europe, South America, and Australasia, contributing to global conversations on instructional clarity, equity, and professional standards in education. Through her writing and public engagement, she advocates for education grounded in evidence rather than ideology. Paul A. Kirschner is one of the most influential voices in the national and international education debate. For decades, he has conducted research and translated scientific insights about learning, memory, and teaching into clear, educationally applicable insights. Paul is a professor emeritus at the Open University of the Netherlands, an honorary doctor (Doctor Honoris Causa) at the University of Oulu (Finland), a visiting professor at the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Flanders, and the owner of the educational consultancy kirschner-ED.  He is regarded worldwide as a leading expert in his field and has published approximately 450 scientific articles, in addition to several hundred popular science contributions and blogs for teachers and school leaders. In addition, he is the first or co-author of several influential and widely read books, including Instructional Illusions, How Learning Happens, How Teaching Happens, Evidence-Informed Learning Design, Ten Steps to Complex Learning, Developing Curriculum for Deep Thinking and Urban Legends about Learning and Education and Instructional Illusions.  Throughout his career, Kirschner has been an influential voice in the debate about education and learning. He is known as an advocate of evidence-informed education and as a critical thinker who sharply examines educational myths and unproven hypes. He is a champion of evidence-informed education and has responded critically to popular but unsubstantiated educational practices (educational myths and eduquacks).  Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book Science Teaching for Social Justice About The Guests Gretchen Kraig-Turner teaches biological sciences at a high school in northwest Washington. Gretchen earned a BS in zoology at the University of Washington, an MST at Portland State University, and did postgraduate studies in MLL education at Pacific University and with the Oregon Writing Project at Lewis & Clark College. Jana Dean spends most of her working life with middle school students and teachers. She currently serves as CEO of the Mathematics Education Collaborative and supports a fantastic team of middle school math teachers in North Thurston Public Schools. Her research focuses on the intersection of content learning and language learning. Jen Sauer currently teaches 6th- 8th-grade science at a public school in Knoxville, Tennessee. She has also taught 6th grade in Atlanta and English in Japan. She received a BS in elementary education in Memphis and an MS in science education at Georgia State. She is a co-founder and committee member of the Knoxville Outdoor Learning Committee. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book Reforming Lessons: Why English Schools Have Improved Since 2010 and How This Was Achieved About The Guest Sir Nick Gibb served as Member of Parliament for 27 years, serving first as shadow schools minister and then as schools minister under four different prime ministers from 2010 to 2023, where he oversaw substantial reforms to the English education system, working with Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove. He received a knighthood in the 2025 New Years Honours List.  Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book, Cultivate and Activate: Building Teacher Capacity for Instructional Leadership Guest Host: Barbara Blackburn Barbara Blackburn, PhD is the author of more than 40 books and a full-time consultant who works with schools around the world to help raise the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. Dr. Blackburn has been repeatedly named to the Top 30 Education Gurus and Top 10 Professional Development Programs by Global Gurus. See all of Dr. Blackburn's guest appearances on Principal Center Radio About The Guests: Keith Fickel & Justin Baeder Keith Fickel is a retired middle school and high school principal in the southwest Houston, Texas, area. His focus during his decade as principal was to ensure that high levels of student learning, achievement, and personal development occurred in every classroom, every day. He accomplished these aims through the intentional empowerment of teachers and staff to effectively lead not only their classrooms but the school as a whole. Keith prioritized building and maintaining a strong bond with the school community through trust during his principalship. He began his career in education in 1991, serving first as a classroom teacher and a band director for seventeen years, then as an assistant principal, associate principal, and campus principal during the second half of his career. His entire educational career was at the secondary level in both private and public school settings. Keith has facilitated or cofacilitated professional learning sessions at the district, regional, and state levels on a variety of topics. He is a member of the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and ASCD. In 2008, he was a campus Teacher of the Year, as well as a finalist for the Fort Bend ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year. In 2022, he was named the Fort Bend ISD Secondary Principal of the Year, and he had the honor of serving as the founding principal of the district’s newest high school in 2023, prior to his retirement. Keith earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in music education from Texas Tech University, and he completed his principal certification through the University of Houston. He resides in Sugar Land, Texas, with his wife, Anne, who was also a music teacher. Together, they have an adult daughter who is also in education.   Justin Baeder, PhD, is director of the Principal Center, where he helps school and district administrators build capacity for instructional leadership. Driven by the belief that leaders belong in classrooms, he created the Instructional Leadership Association to help school leaders confidently get into classrooms every day, have feedback conversations that change teachers’ practice, and discover their best opportunities for school improvement. The Instructional Leadership Association now has thousands of members in more than forty countries. Prior to starting the Principal Center, Justin served as a teacher, head teacher, and principal in Seattle Public Schools, finishing his ten-year career in Seattle as principal of Olympic View Elementary. He has contributed to School Administrator, Principal, Principal News, Principal Navigator, and Education Week. Justin presents regularly at state and national conferences, including ASCD, Learning Forward, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and has spoken at numerous in-person professional learning events in the United States, Canada, and El Salvador, as well as at countless virtual events. Justin holds a PhD in educational leadership and policy from the University of Washington, where he is a graduate of the Danforth Educational Leadership Program. He holds a master of education degree in curriculum and instruction from Seattle University and a bachelor’s degree in science education from Harding University. He resides in Heber Springs, Arkansas, with his wife, Amy, and two daughters, Vivienne and Genevieve. To learn more about Justin’s work, or to contact Justin, visit PrincipalCenter.com or follow @eduleadership on X. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book Unchartered: How One High School Transformed First-Generation College Success Read Erika's Substack, Ask An Educator About The Guest Erika Kitzmiller, PhD is a research associate professor at the Crown School of Social Policy, Practice, and Work and the Kersten Institute for Urban Education at the University of Chicago, where she studies historical and contemporary policies and practices that contribute to inequality and identifies solutions to end it.   She has published research articles in Harvard Educational Review, Teachers College Record, and Educational Researcher and opinion pieces in The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Hechinger Report, as well as many other venues. She has received funding from Harvard University, the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, among many others. She has a Substack newsletter, Ask an Educator.  She is the award-winning author of two books, The Roots of Educational Inequality: Philadelphia’s Germantown High School, 1907 – 2014, and Unchartered: How One Public High School Transformed First-Generation College Success. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is brought to you by Ascend, our new membership for educators who want to lead at the next level. Loaded with our brand-new job search and instructional framework tools, Ascend is accessible to everyone at just $19 a month. Check it out at PrincipalCenter.com/Ascend

Get the book, Fix Your Tier 1 Instruction: Applying the Science of Good Instruction to the Art of School Leadership About The Guest David M. Corvi is a Leadership Coach at Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston College, author, and school leadership practitioner. With over two decades of experience across urban public schools, charter networks, and nonprofit educational organizations, Corvi has dedicated his career to improving instruction for every student by developing the leaders who make it possible. He is available for keynote speaking, workshops, and full day professional development engagements. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book, Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students About The Guests Erika Bare is superintendent of South Umpqua School District in Oregon, and has more than 20 years in the profession as a teacher, principal and district leader. Tiffany Burns has served as a principal, instructional coach, and teacher in her more than 20 years in K-12 education, and is currently teaching pre-service teachers at the university level. They have worked together for more than a decade, and are the authors of Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students, and their new book A School Leader’s Playbook for Tough Conversations. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Learn more about the Collaborative Behaviors Conference Visit Continua Consulting's website About the Guests: Courtney and Chris Daikos Chris and Courtney Daikos are the co-founders of Continua Consulting Group, where they provide MTSS implementation support to schools and districts including collaborative behaviors and strategies for leadership. Chris, a veteran of the US Army Rangers, is an experienced educational & psychological consultant, school administrator, special education teacher and school psychologist. Courtney is an experienced educational leader and classroom teacher. She has led urban schools and school districts as a principal and director at both the elementary and secondary levels, serving communities with significant linguistic and cultural diversity.  Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book The Art and Science of Teacher Coaching Visit Nancy and Doug's website, FisherandFrey.com About the Guest Nancy Frey, PhD is a professor in educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. She is the author of dozens of books, including The Courage to Learn, The Art and Science of Coaching, How Scaffolding Works, and The Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning.    This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Student at a Time About This Week's Guest Muriel Summers is an award-winning principal who twice guided her school, A.B. Combs Elementary in Raleigh, North Carolina, to being named the top magnet school of America and the original leadership school featured in FranklinCovey’s Leader in Me. She has been recognized as teacher of the year, principal of the year, and with an honorary doctorate, the William and Ida Friday award for Leadership in Innovation, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine given by the Governor of North Carolina (the state’s highest honor given to a North Carolinian), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Award for Leadership in Education, and the Ralph Kimmel Award, North Carolina’s highest honor for principals. She now serves as the Global Ambassador for the Leader in Me, and is the co-author, with Stephen R. Covey, Sean Covey, and David Hatch, of The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Student at a Time.

Get the book, After the Donut: An Introduction to School-Based Father Engagement About The Guest Keith Schumacher is the Founder and Executive Director of the National Alliance for Father Friendly Schools and the creator of School-Based Father Engagement (SBFE), a practical framework designed to help schools build meaningful, year-round connections with fathers and father figures. With over 18 years of experience working alongside schools and districts across the country, Keith has trained and supported hundreds of campuses in creating environments where male role models feel welcomed, valued, and involved. His work focuses on helping school leaders move beyond one-time events and build sustainable systems through structure, training, accountability, resources, and trust. Before entering the education space, Keith served 28 years with Atlanta Fire-Rescue Department, retiring as a Captain and EMS Supervisor. Today, he brings that same leadership mindset into education, helping schools strengthen family engagement in ways that directly impact student success. Keith is the author of After the Donut, a book that challenges the status quo of father engagement and provides school leaders with a clear path forward.   This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book, A School Leader’s Playbook for Tough Conversations Visit Erika & Tiffany's website, ConnectingThroughConversation.com   About The Guests Erika Bare is superintendent of South Umpqua School District in Oregon, and has more than 20 years in the profession as a teacher, principal and district leader. Tiffany Burns has served as a principal, instructional coach, and teacher in her more than 20 years in K-12 education, and is currently teaching pre-service teachers at the university level. They have worked together for more than a decade, and are the authors of Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students, and their new book A School Leader’s Playbook for Tough Conversations.   This episode inspired a new members-only feature in Repertoire—Network, a one-tap way to track quick interactions with teachers and plan them intentionally. Try it here for free or learn more »

Get the book, Transformational Tools for Special Educators: How to Beat Burnout and Become the Best at What You Do Visit Katrina's website, www.HuelsAppliedHarmony.com About The Guest Katrina is an educational consultant with more than twenty years of experience in the field, including work as a classroom teacher, special education supervisor, assistant director, and executive director. Her background in psychology and evidence-based practice shapes everything she does, from instructional design and program leadership to developing accredited professional learning programs that spark growth, resilience, and purpose. She is the author of Transformational Tools for Special Educators (Sage/Corwin Press) and The Motivation Toolkit: Cultivate Your Inner Drive.   This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.