Mafost Mashup

If you’ve sat behind the principal’s desk for more than 6 hours, you know it’s difficult, and in some cases impossible, to stay focused on any single task. Magnify that challenge across days, weeks, and semesters, and you have the daunting challenge of staying focused as a school principal or educational leader. Why is it so hard to stay focused? What are the pitfalls and sidetracks for meeting goals or following through?  How can we make it easier to say no to distractions? What supports can we use to stay focused? Where to Find Distractions Quick Tips for Staying Focused Costs of Distractions Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals Too long, unfocused 2 Methods to Stay Focused as a School Download the tools at  http://mafost.com/resources/  Learn more about the collaborators who made this episode possible. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

Problem-Solving on Teams is not as easy as it looks. Teacher teams, school leadership teams, and district leadership teams can get distracted by sophisticated problems. In this episode, you'll find the role leaders can play in improving the performance of teams in educational improvement.  Download the research at mafost.com/mashup/ What are your ideas or questions? Leave a voice message using the link below. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

Bonus Episode: Saying No This Summer. It really is the only way to open the space for improvement. Why must we say no? How does it benefit the school? Get the monthly article at mafost.blog Need help with a topic? Have a question I can answer for you? Send me a comment at mafost.com/pod/ or tap the voice message button in this app. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

What is a blog crawl? This strategy will increase your school leadership network, your professional learning, and your contribution to the profession. A blog crawl is a great way for school leaders and principals to collaborate and generate new ideas and solutions. This episode will examine the benefits of a blog crawl and show how to get started.  > Why a Network?  > How to Build Your Network  > Leadership Collective Efficacy  > Why a Blog Crawl?  > What is a Blog Crawl?  > Biggest Benefit of a Blog Crawl?  > The Essence of a School Leadership Network  > Blog Crawl First Steps and Invite Send your topics, ideas, or questions to https://mafost.com/pod/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

This is the single most important strategy to improve learning in any school, and here's a simple 3 step process for scaling A/B Testing (split testing) in your school. Plus:  - The Fallacy of Waiting on Proof -   - John Hattie Misunderstood and Misused -   - An Example of A/B Testing -   - 3 Steps to Scaling A/B Testing -  Get the research, book references, and show notes at https://mafost.com/mashup. I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions. Send me a written comment at https://mafost.com/pod or a voice comment in the link below. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

Now is the time to jump start the next school year. Here are 5 strategies to help you with this, plus bonus ideas from a few friends. School Leadership Strategies in this episode: Plan Out Your Summer Collaborations.  Address August Amnesia.  Create Outlier Policies.  Visit With Your People.  Manage Up.  Comments and Ideas from Friends: Decluttering, Goals with Initial Steps, Using Padlet, Pause But Don't Stop, Community Engagement Slide. Share your comments or ideas at  https://anchor.fm/mafost/message  Get the show notes for the podcast or join the educational leadership blog at https://mafost.com/  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

In this bonus episode, we briefly look into the planning fallacy and why it makes action so difficult for strategic plans or improvement plans. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

It takes more than spreading the narrative, using social media, or creating a "brand" to make change happen in school culture. As a matter of fact, there are three categories for leadership behaviors that can impact school culture. In this episode, I'll share 5 ways to initiate change that can result in a positive school culture. 2:29 Defining Leadership Behavior 2:51 Three Types of Leadership Behavior 4:36 Action 5:56 Be a Feedback Loop 7:31 Stoke the Fire 8:31 Clarify the Problem 10:26 Research Download Get the research and show notes at mafost.com/mashup/ and look for this episode title. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

Let's get concrete on the topic of empowerment. Here are 6 ways to empower your teachers, teams, and staff members. Download the research for this episode at mafost.com/mashup/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

In part 2 of this discussion, we talk about the core concepts and practices in personalized learning, both with and without technology. Several metaphors are given for personalized learning, and Marci shares insights into how Lexia Learning uses technology to enhance teaching. Get the show notes at mafost.com/mashup and join the daily blog at mafost.com/blog. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

In this episode of the Mafost Mashup, we discuss ways to boost morale, one communication misstep, and the concept of vulnerability-based trust in a school culture and team. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

What does personalization look like in classrooms? What role can technology play in personalized learning? In part 1 of the interview with Marci Houseman we talk concepts of personalization and how they apply to one elementary classroom. Get the show notes at mafost.com/mashup/ Follow Marci on Twitter at @marcihouseman --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

Stop doing lists are critical to keeping focus in your school improvement efforts. However, this simple to use strategy will make stop-doing lists an automated part of your plans.  mafost.com Music by Lobo Loco --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

How do you shift the instructional climate? Let's talk about the 3 factors in instructional climate and some actionable how-to strategies for each factor. Do you get the monthly email? Get it at https://mafost.blog/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

These 6 ways cost nothing. When used, they will empower your star teachers and solve the morale problem. Is the school climate a little off? Is teacher morale low? Is turnover a problem? In this episode you'll find: 1) How to Say Thanks 2) How to Treasure Hunt 3) Avoid Task Vacuums 4) Manage Your Own Fears 5) Manage Frameworks 6) Create a Culture of Success Consider leaving your thoughts or a question at mafost.com/pod Thanks to our sponsors: Anchor, Flipboard, and Broke for Free. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

What is your vision for your school? How is that vision different than a shared vision. In this how-to episode of season 4, we look a simple method you can use to create your vision.  Do you have Questions? I'd love to answer them. Go to https://mafost.com/pod/ and submit a question to be answer on the podcast. Also,  get the daily email three days per week at https://mafost.com/lead/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

There are 5 culture crafting strategies for school leaders in this episode: SGI Clarity Smash the But What Abouts Use Conditioning (Words Not Needed) Avoid Rubbernecking The Mafost Mashup is beginning a series of how-to episodes for principals and school leaders. This is the first, and you can keep up with the research and show notes at mafost.com/mashup Get the daily email at https://mafost.com/lead - innovative ideas to your inbox, three days per week. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

This is a mashup of season 1 focusing on Action, Finishing Strong, Empathy, and Impact on Learning. Topics include: Dynamic Teams for Culture Data Developing the Instructional Plan Using April and May to Finish Strong Empathy in School Leadership Situational Awareness Research on Staff Happiness Misuses of Data Impact on Learning Get the show notes at https://mafost.com/mashup The daily blog is delivered to your inbox 3 days per week, and it's focused on People, Culture, and Impact. Sign up at https://mafost.com/lead The Mafost Mashup is currently sponsored by Anchor, Flipboard, and TeamTom Education, LLC. You can also support this podcast by leaving a review, subscribing, or passing it along to a friend. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

Four highly actionable ways to use celebration to impact professional learning and student learning on your campus. These are research-based strategies and not fleeting tactics or gimmicks. Get the research and show notes at https://mafost.com/mashup --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message

Immediacy. It can increase your impact as a school leader. It's an actionable way to lead with empathy. But what is it? How can you do it? Learn More at https://mafost.com/blog --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mafost/message