Send us a text [Podcast Sponsor] Kind Cotton: Soft, sustainable apparel, where every purchase provides a book to a child. What separates schools that grow from those that stall? One word: trust. In this episode, Becca unpacks research showing that strong trust can double a school’s chance of improving student learning. She breaks down the four types of trust: integrity, intent, capabilities, and results and shares how leaders can pinpoint where trust is missing and rebuild it with ...

Send us a text [Podcast Sponsor] Kind Cotton: Soft, sustainable apparel, where every purchase provides a book to a child. In this powerful episode, Becca sits down with Dr. Anne Ishimaru and Dr. Dakota Irby, authors of Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change, to unpack what it really means to lead for equity in today’s schools. Together, they trace the evolution of equity leadership through four distinct phases: morning (where new roles and policies first take...

Send us a text [Podcast Sponsor] Kind Cotton: Soft, sustainable apparel, where every purchase provides a book to a child. Ever wonder how the smallest moments can spark the biggest shifts in learning and leadership? In this episode of Research Rundown, Becca reveals the science behind a simple one hour intervention that slashed achievement gaps and boosted happiness for years, all by strengthening students’ sense of belonging. Discover how tiny, everyday moments can ripple out to c...

Send us a text [Podcast Sponsor] Kind Cotton: Soft, sustainable apparel, where every purchase provides a book to a child. How can schools and teams make data feel human and actually useful? In this episode, Becca talks with data culture expert Jessica Lane about approaches that move beyond dashboards and charts to create meaningful impact. Jessica shares practical ways to start small, focus on “tiny data,” and connect every action to real student outcomes. Through stories and actionable ...

Send us a text Discover how teacher agency really works. In this episode, Becca explores the research on teacher agency, showing it’s not simply a personal trait, but shaped by school leadership, collaboration, and trust. You’ll hear why true teacher ownership can’t be forced, and how creating the right conditions helps teachers grow, lead, and stay engaged. 📥 Download this FREE resource to help you spot and support both internal and external teacher agency. 📚 Curious about the research beh...

Send us a text Get ready to see leadership and the next generation from a whole new angle. In this insightful episode, Becca sits down with author and leadership expert Tim Elmore to talk about what Gen Z is bringing to the workplace. Tim shares stories that challenge assumptions, clears up common misconceptions, and shows how Gen Z can help leaders grow sharper in their skills. You’ll hear why shortcuts sometimes represent a new kind of work ethic, how regular check-ins can strengthen team c...

Send us a text Why does the same feedback spark growth in one teacher but shut down another? In this episode, Becca Silver unpacks the research on the “four ways of knowing” and how it shapes the way educators receive feedback. You’ll learn how to recognize these differences, adjust your coaching approach, and move past resistance with compassion and clarity. This conversation will help you shift feedback from frustration to connection, so real growth can take root. 🔗Discover the research beh...

Send us a text What happens when a teacher leader decides to stop fixing everything and start empowering others? In this episode, I sit down with Todd Goodman, a teacher and leader who has sparked a grassroots movement of change in his school community. Todd shares how shifting away from the exhausting “fix-it mindset” freed him to build trust, empower his peers, and create real transformation for students. You’ll hear how frameworks like FFIRE Your Complaints™ and reflective listening didn’t...

Send us a text One of the biggest mistakes leaders make with new initiatives is selling the benefits without naming what it might cost teachers. Grounded in Kahneman and Tversky’s Prospect Theory, this episode explores why the fear of loss often outweighs the promise of gain. Whether it’s autonomy, time, competence, or belonging, the risks teachers anticipate can feel heavier than the advantages leaders emphasize. Through research and real-life examples, you’ll learn how to shift pushback int...

Send us a text Diagnose why your team is resisting or stuck: Take the Quiz! In this episode, Becca Silver interviews Bethany Rees about her unique approach to leadership, using the metaphor of the "body of leadership": head (mindset), heart (relationships), hands (execution), and guts (accountability). They discuss the importance of pausing, reflection, and focusing on what truly matters ("rocks over sand") to avoid burnout and be more effective leaders. Bethany shares practical mantras and s...

Send us a text This episode of Research Rundown explores the concept of ego depletion, the idea that self-control is a limited resource that can be exhausted by daily demands. Becca explains how teachers' resistance to new instructional practices may stem from mental fatigue rather than defiance. She shares research by Roy Baumeister and offers strategies for coaches to support teachers, such as clarifying expectations, protecting time, and understanding individual drains. The episode encoura...

Send us a text In this episode, Becca Silver is joined by Tami Shaw to discuss effective approaches to designing professional development (PD) systems. Tami shares insights from her book "Radically Simple Training," including practical activities like using quotes to foster meaningful connections among participants. The conversation explores the importance of making PD relevant and engaging, emphasizing strategies such as "less is more," anchoring activities in the content, and shifting from ...

Send us a text Craig Randall shares his trust-based coaching model for educators, which integrates trust-building into the observation and feedback process. The model uses regular, strengths-based classroom visits and reflective conversations to create a safe environment for teacher growth. By focusing on teachers’ strengths and fostering open dialogue, the approach encourages risk-taking and collective teacher efficacy. Resources and the observation form can be found at trustbased.com. John ...

Send us a text Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe shares a deeply human approach to resilience, grounded in both research and personal experience. She introduces the five pillars of resilience—belonging, perspective, acceptance, hope, and humor—as essential anchors for navigating adversity. Rather than viewing resilience as simply “being strong,” she reframes it as the ability to recover, adapt, and move forward with intention. Her concept of “stressing wisely” challenges the idea that stress should be ...

Send us a text Learn more about *The Resistance Remedy* On Demand Course In this episode, Dr. Donna Spangler shares the coaching breakthrough that changed everything: She stopped trying to convince teachers, and they started showing up with purpose, ownership, and even excitement. After going through The Resistance Remedy course, Donna realized she wasn’t dealing with a skill gap—she was missing the belief gap. Once she started listening for mindset signals like value, belonging, and ...

Send us a text If you feel like your days are just putting out one behavior fire after another, this one’s for you. I sat down with Hunter Flesch, Associate Principal and host of the Ed Essentials Podcast, to talk about how he moved from 17 behavior calls a day (yes, SEVENTEEN) to just five—and did it by redesigning the system, not just responding harder. We unpack what systems thinking really looks like when the school day feels like chaos—and how a tiered support system for students and tea...

Send us a text **Check out The Resistance Remedy HERE!** Can you lead with optimism without slipping into toxic positivity? In this episode, Jason Adair from Southern Regional Education Board and I unpack what real optimism looks like in schools—and why it’s a critical ingredient in the Ownership Mindset. We explore the difference between sugarcoated cheerleading and grounded, actionable hope. Drawing on the work of Simon Sinek and Martin Seligman, they highlight how coaches can model optimis...

Send us a text Coaches and leaders—what if the biggest resistance to change isn’t from your team… but from you? Your inner critic! In this episode, I’m joined by Amanda Younts of Midlife Catalyst to unpack the internal resistance we rarely name but constantly feel. We’re talking about the shoulds, the shame, the inner critic, and the hidden expectations we carry that sabotage our best intentions—especially when we're leading others. You’ll hear: Why self-judgment masquerades as “high standard...

Send us a text You know that teacher who should know better by now? The one who should care more? Be further along? Yeah… that “should” is telling on you. In this episode, we’re talking about the quiet coaching killer: holding teachers to invisible expectations that keep you stuck. And we’re calling in a mindset shift that doesn’t lower the bar—but finally gives you a real shot at helping them meet it. We’ll unpack the Expectation Continuum, drop a research-backed tool called mental contrasti...

Send us a text We toss around the term school transformation but often it’s just accountability with better branding. In this episode, I sit down with Matt Hickson from Modern Classrooms Project to talk about what real school transformation looks like—and why it has to be responsive, reflective, and rooted in collective efficacy, not top-down plans. Matt breaks down the School Transformation Inventory—a tool built by leaders, for leaders—and shows how it helps schools move from scattered stra...