Nadine Levitt Twitter is a Swiss-born German, Kiwi, US transplant, and founder of the music technology company, Wurrly, LLC. She began her career as a lawyer but after 6 years of practice, she began to pursue a career in music as a professional opera singer and songwriter. She has performed extensively all over the United States and the world, sharing the stage with David Foster, Andrea Boccelli, Kiri Te Kanawa, Roger Daltry, Christina Perri, and Steven Tyler to name a few. Passionate about music in schools she sits on the national board of Little Kids Rock, and in 2016 led the development of the music education platform WURRLYedu, which empowers student voices and makes it easy to bring a fun and effective music education to schools. Nadine is also an author of children’s books, including the My Mama Says book series, which teaches kids to identify, acknowledge and direct their emotions.

• PDReimagined.com
• Mary Ellen Imodino-Yang TEDX Talk
• Value
• Care package.
• Each month has a theme.
• Work in groups to come up with strategies to come up in daily life.
• Do things in 2–3 minutes or less.
• How do you get up when you don’t know where the ground is?
• The power of curiosity.
• It’s not an end destination, it’s a journey.
• Music to move you.
• The power of music in SEL situations.
• We shouldn’t teach music to be a musician.
• Physiological - music is one of the only things that can really get into our brains.
• Music can interrupt other emotional cycles.
• People are more inclined to buy expensive items when the store is playing classical music.
• How to rekindle their passion?
• Time scarcity - brought on by an emotional response that you’re feeling overwhelm.
• Interrupt overwhelm - do something different
• Free to teachers, cost to districts.
• The more you apply these skills the easier it is to avoid and manage overwhelm.
• Emotions are just messages
• We are engineered to see patterns. Thoughts are just patterns.
• Often our thoughts are not based in patterns.
• When you become aware you’re telling yourself a story, just tell yourself.
• Respond rather than react.
• Communication cards
• Need to speak freely: challenged and rewarded.
• When we share, we don’t feel shame.
• The need for people to take responsibility for their part.
• Leadership - formal and informal leadership opportunities.
• Leadership is having control over the outcome.
• Controlling your own identity.
• SEL - Teach emotions in an isolated way
• How you can use for deeper learning

Sponsors

Transformative Principal Mastermind

Lead a school everyone can be proud of.

Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do.

I help you stop putting out fires and start leading.

Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

Just Right Reader

Just Right Reader Decodables are a great way to help your students learn how to read, with research-based strategies that are proven to be effective. Each grade level has over 100 books. Send books home in packs of ten, with video lessons accessible via QR codes on each book, with lessons in Spanish and English. Learn more at https://justrightreader.com

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

• News Item – The Boston Globe Publishes an Editorial Urging Schools to Prohibit Student Phone Use at School
  “https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/22/opinion/sorry-kids-no-more-phones-school/”

• Overarching Questions / Issues

• This is a global issue

• 2022/2023 freshman are the iGen – born after introduction of iPhone in 2007 (!)

• Is this part of a move to de-emphasize screens in education generally?

• Will strict private schools scare away tech-savvy students?

• Justifications

• Distraction / Loss of Focus
  • On average, kids unlock their phones 50 times each day
• Impact on Grades
  • Many educators report improved performance when access to devices is restricted
• Post-Pandemic Need for Non-Phone Socialization
  • Kids who engage more face-to-face are generally happier

• Less spontaneity and real-world creativity

• Teaching self-control should be part of school’s social-emotional curriculum

• “I think great ideas come from boredom.” – John Kalapos, Buxton history teacher and tech committee chair

• Methods

• Complete on-campus bans – no smartphones at all

• Partial bans – students allowed to use phones between classes and at lunch

• Lockbags / Pouches
  • In some schools, teachers and administrators have a tool for unlocking containers
  • Other schools have unlocking magnets at each exit; kids tap the bag on the magnet as they leave
  • Partnership with Yondr [ https://www.overyondr.com/ ]
  • Originally founded in 2014 to limit use of phones in music venues

• Cabinets (“Cellphone Hotels”) / Lockers / Hanging Shoe Organizers

• Some schools permit “dumb” phones and the use of laptops to access the internet
  • One private school is promoting the Light Phone [ https://www.thelightphone.com/ ]

• Teachers encouraged to model good behavior by observing school bans

• Objections and Concerns

• Parents want to be able to contact their children
  • In 2015, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio abandoned a policy against phones in schools
• Kids are NOT enthusiastic
  • Protests and fire alarms pulled at Torrington High School in Feb. 2022

• Kids ignore school policies (as many as 2/3 disregard bans, according to a national survey)

• Efforts to police bans may also be damaging to learning and student mental health

• For some students, a phone may be their only technology

• Concerns over security of devices during the day

• Some teachers and school board members want to have schools incorporate phones (and especially social media) into curricula

• Schools need to upgrade phone systems to make it possible for parents to reach children

• Schools need a plan for digital withdrawal; phones, apps, and social media designed to be addictive

• American Academy of Pediatrics dropped screen time limits for kids 5 and older because the impact of screen time varied based on the personality and circumstances of each kid

• Resources

- #2022–08–22 Sorry, kids, no more phones in school
“https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/22/opinion/sorry-kids-no-more-phones-school/”
- #2022–08–21 Boston high school teacher wants city to implement smartphone ban
“https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/21/opinion/boston-high-school-teacher-wants-city-implement-smartphone-ban/”
- #2022–08–18 “They don’t interact with each other.” The growing movement to ban phones in high schools.
“https://www.mamamia.com.au/mobile-phone-ban-australia/”
- #2022–08–15 Utah middle school bans phones from entire school day
“https://kslnewsradio.com/1973508/utah-middle-school-bans-phones-from-entire-school-day/”
- #2022–08–14 High school phone ban ‘more urgent than ever’ amid pressure on teens
“https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/high-school-phone-ban-more-urgent-than-ever-amid-pressure-on-teens–20220809-p5b8dp.html”
- #2022–08–13 Some Mass. high schools adopt strict cellphone-free policies this school year
“https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/13/metro/mass-high-schools-adopt-strict-cellphone-free-policies-this-school-year/
” - #2022–07–16 A boarding school in the Berkshires is banning smartphones for students and teachers
“https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/07/16/business/boarding-school-berkshires-is-banning-smartphones-students-teachers/
” - #2022–05–09 Chicopee High principal says cell phone locking has resulted in better student performance
“https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/05/chicopee-high-principal-says-cell-phone-locking-has-resulted-in-better-student-performance.html”
- #2022–02–25 Police respond as high school students protest phone policy
“https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/02/25/metro/police-respond-high-school-students-protest-phone-policy/
” - #2018–06–01 How one local high school teacher got his students to actually put away their phones
“https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2018/06/01/students-check-their-devices-cellphone-hotel/LuoA4LUJ807R0t5BsVnKTL/story.html
”

Check out this episode!

Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD retired after leading the New City School in St. Louis, Missouri for 34 years and is now the Emeritus Head of School. He is currently a Scholar In Residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and teaches in the Educational Leadership program, preparing prospective principals. He also led the ISACS New Heads Network and founded the Non-Profit Management Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Hoerr has written several books, and his newest, _Taking Social Emotional Learning Schoolwide: The Formative Five Success Skills for Students and Staff_, was published in December of 2019. He has written more than 150 articles, including “The Principal Connection” column in Educational Leadership Magazine from 2004 to 2017.
He was previously on the Transformative Principal Podcast episode 224 where we talked about who you are is more important that what you know, and episode 225 where we talked about his book, The Formative Five.
- Why does Empathy matter so much?
- If there were more empathy in schools, we’d be in better shape.
- If you don’t have empathy, it’s hard for people to follow you.
- If you do have empathy, it’s easier for people to follow you.
- Empathy is a muscle. You can make it stronger
- intentional and transparent
- Voluntary - making it voluntary is having empathy.
- listening, aggressive, pursuing.
- One of your problems - you look too busy.
- I was working; I was being accessible.
- Who are you closest to in your school.
- Even if my idea is the best, it’s not the best if nobody is on board.
- Breakfast with Tom - agenda is yours.
- Empathetic Conversations - extension of this notion that I really want to get to know people as people, not just teachers.
- I know you as a student, I want to know you as a student
- Leadership is about relationship.
- Teacher observations - school principals should use them as a way to build trust and observations.
- Educators are underpaid.
- Herzberg’s theory of motivation
- Teaching is far too siloed
- If people can just read one part of the book, what is it? The part about listening.

Sponsors

Transformative Principal Mastermind

Lead a school everyone can be proud of.

Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do.

I help you stop putting out fires and start leading.

Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

Just Right Reader

Just Right Reader Decodables are a great way to help your students learn how to read, with research-based strategies that are proven to be effective. Each grade level has over 100 books. Send books home in packs of ten, with video lessons accessible via QR codes on each book, with lessons in Spanish and English. Learn more at https://justrightreader.com

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Show notes

Dr. Sadin has served as a special education teacher, a gifted education teacher, and a building administrator.  Most recently she served as a director of special education.  Dr. Sadin has been vice-president of her local School Board and is recognized as a Master School Board Member. She has conducted research on the perceptions of teachers working to create trauma-informed classrooms.  Dr. Sadin is a published author and has produced numerous webinars on children with attachment trauma in schools. Currently, Dr. Sadin works a director of exceptional education and as an education consultant and developmental trauma expert providing professional development to school districts, municipal service providers and parents.  Nationally, Dr. Sadin is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and conference presenter. Her Trauma Guide Series of books are available on her website, www.traumasensitive.com.

• Building resilient students
• Hope - Start and end with the people.
• Over half of teachers are seeking to leave!
• We are doing it to ourselves.
• We have to start with what happened to us?
• Resilience is the ability to adapt and overcome challenges.
• Google Meet rooms open.
• Choose 1 issues
• The flight of teachers from the profession.
• What are the components that a school leader needs to create a resilient school?
• Deeply rooted in social justice and forgive yourself.
• Google Scholar - science of hope - When you say the word hope, you begin what they define as hope.
• Use the word Hope
• Then laugh.

SEO Keyword

motivate teachers

Question someone would ask where this would be the answer

How do I help my teachers when they are just plain worn out?

Blog Post (<1000 words)

Teachers are worn out. We have a teacher shortage. Things are too tough right now.

I hear these things all the time! I recently talked with Dr. Melissa Sadin on the Resilient Schools Podcast about these challenges we are facing. How do we help our schools become resilient? Melissa talked about 2 things that are vital to our success.

Hope begets hope

If you talk about hope, you feel hopeful! That seems maybe too simplistic. But if you do a google scholar search for “science of hope” you will find there is a lot out there to support this very simple idea: When you say the word hope, you feel hopeful.

Is that really all we need to do? Just say it? Well, yes, it really is that simple. Melissa recommends having mini contests to see who can say the word hope the most! It makes a difference.

A laugh a day keeps the burnout away

Melissa’s second suggestion was just as valuable. Laugh. I know, the “Live. Laugh. Love” signs are a bit overdone, but there is so much power in laughter.

To make a complex topic extremely oversimplified, serotonin (also called the happy hormone) staves off anxiety and depression. There’s been some chatter on Twitter recently about SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) whose main goal is to increase serotonin levels in the brain.

Just laughing is not the answer to everything, of course, but it is a simple thing to help. Melissa shared how teachers were sharing jokes with kids every day, and, of course, the kids thought the jokes were no good, so they started sharing their own. This laughter caused them all to be happier, more patient, and more importantly, more resilient.

What is resilience?

Resilience is the ability to adapt and overcome challenges. That’s Melissa’s simplified definition after researching this topic for years. I believe in my core that if you can read, you can do just about anything in this world. However, if you can learn to adapt and overcome challenges, you will be more prepared for whatever life throws at you.

Email

In our podcast today, we are talking with Dr. Melissa Sadin, who has written a ton about trauma-informed practices.

We talk specifically about the teacher shortage and what can be done about it.

First, yes, teachers are struggling! So many are just trying to make it to the end of the year.

Melissa’s advice is simple, though, just talk about hope and laugh.

If that’s all you have time for today, say the word hope and laugh as much as you can. Can you say hope 25 times in a day?

Just talking about it is enough to make us start feeling hopeful.

Then, share jokes and laugh. Both of these things are incredibly powerful.

Don’t just take my word for it, though. listen to the whole interview at https://resilientschools.com

Video

Twitter Thread

How do we solve this tragic teacher shortage and burnout crisis we are in right now?

First, we need to be come resilient. Resilience is the ability to adapt and overcome challenges. via @MelissaSadin

Second, we need to have, talk about, and repeat hope. @MelissaSadin recommends having mini contests to see who can say the word hope the most! Learn more from this interview at resilientschools.com

Sponsors

Transformative Principal Mastermind

Lead a school everyone can be proud of.

Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do.

I help you stop putting out fires and start leading.

Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

Just Right Reader

Just Right Reader Decodables are a great way to help your students learn how to read, with research-based strategies that are proven to be effective. Each grade level has over 100 books. Send books home in packs of ten, with video lessons accessible via QR codes on each book, with lessons in Spanish and English. Learn more at https://justrightreader.com

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

Show notes

In this episode, Ross Romano and I share our vision for the BE Podcast Network!

We talk about:
1. Origins of the idea and formation
2. What to expect when we launch
3. Vision and values behind the network
4. Benefits to listeners
5. Benefits to creators
6. How to engage
https://bepodcast.network

Sponsors

Transformative Principal Mastermind

Lead a school everyone can be proud of.

Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do.

I help you stop putting out fires and start leading.

Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com

Just Right Reader

Just Right Reader Decodables are a great way to help your students learn how to read, with research-based strategies that are proven to be effective. Each grade level has over 100 books. Send books home in packs of ten, with video lessons accessible via QR codes on each book, with lessons in Spanish and English. Learn more at https://justrightreader.com

New Episode of @TrnFrmPrincipal

 - News Item -- On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.       -   The Court expressly overruled Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)       -   Each state is now able to adopt its own laws regarding the practice of abortion   -   Overview       -   An important reminder: Roe was a privacy case       -   The Court was trying to balance three separate constitutional principles           -   A woman's right to privacy           -   The State's interest in protecting the health of a pregnant person           -   The State's interest in protecting the life of a viable fetus       -   Roe was an extension of two earlier privacy cases: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), which established a federal "right to privacy" with respect to a married woman's ability to obtain contraceptives from her doctor, and Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972), which extended that same right to unmarried women.   -   How Might Cybertraps Arise?       -   Suspicious Circumstances           -   It is often difficult to tell the different between a spontaneous miscarriage and a self-medicated abortion           -   Approximately 30% of all pregnancies end in a spontaneous miscarriage       -   Criminal Investigations           -   Abortion is now banned in six states               -   Alabama               -   Arkansas               -   Mississippi               -   Missouri               -   Oklahoma               -   South Dakota           -   It is a crime to perform abortions and in most states, to "aid and abet" someone having an abortion           -   The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) does not prevent a doctor or medical organization reporting personal health data if they think a crime has been committed           -   Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) is very similar in this regard.           -   If someone reports that an abortion has occurred, local law enforcement or a local prosecutor could initiate a criminal investigation           -   Law enforcement can:               -   subpoena data from online account               -   conduct forensic exams of digital equipment       -   Civil litigation           -   A handful of states, led by Texas, have created systems that deputize enforcement to private citizens           -   Under that scheme, an individual located anywhere in the country can file a lawsuit alleging that another person performed an illegal abortion or aided and abetted a person in obtaining one           -   If the lawsuit is successful (by "a preponderance of the evidence"), the defendant can be ordered to pay a minimum of $10,000 as well as costs and attorneys fees           -   All of the usual civil litigation rules apply, including discovery of relevant evidence (apps, browser history, social media, cell phone records, etc.)   -   Risks for Educators       -   Social media posts that are contrary to state law       -   Requests for advice from students   -   What Data Is Collected?       -   Cybertraps for Expecting Moms & Dads       -   Erratic protection of personal data across the country       -   Communications           -   Email           -   Messaging       -   Health Care Data           -   Health Care Providers           -   Employers       -   Financial Records           -   Bank accounts           -   Credit cards           -   Online payment apps (Paypal, Stripe, etc.)       -   Browsers and Search Engines       -   Social Media           -   Selfie-incrimination           -   Tagging       -   Apps           -   Fertility           -   Health, General       -   Smartwatches           -   Can pinpoint the start of pregnancy from biometric information       -   Geolocation           -   Cellphone tower pings           -   Apps               -   Location tracking (Foursquare)               -   Geo-announcements (Twitter)           -   Location tracking by Google Maps, Waze, or iMaps       -   Governmental Tracking Tools           -   License plate readers           -   Biometrics   -   Other Looming Constitutional Issues       -   The Right to Travel           -   Some states are considering laws that would prohibit their citizens from traveling out-of-state for abortions           -   Criminal enforcement would be difficult (although surveillance tools are growing increasingly powerful)           -   Civil enforcement presents many fewer constitutional questions       -   Free Speech/Freedom of the Press           -   Some state legislators have also expressed interest in trying to prohibit web sites from publishing certain information about abortion (self-medication, availability of out-of-state services, etc.) within their states           -   As a practical matter, it's challenging to block such content (VPNs, TOR browers, etc.)           -   Such efforts would call into question the fundamental structure of the internet   -   Resources       -   #2022-07-20 Data privacy, abortion limits set to collide post-Roe           [https://rollcall.com/2022/07/20/data-privacy-abortion-limits-set-to-collide-post-roe/](https://rollcall.com/2022/07/20/data-privacy-abortion-limits-set-to-collide-post-roe/)       -   #2022-07-13 In a Post-Roe World, the Future of Digital Privacy Looks Even Grimmer           [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/technology/personaltech/abortion-privacy-roe-surveillance.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/technology/personaltech/abortion-privacy-roe-surveillance.html)       -   #2022-07-08 How to protect your privacy in a post-Roe America           [https://mashable.com/article/how-to-protect-online-privacy-post-roe-abortion](https://mashable.com/article/how-to-protect-online-privacy-post-roe-abortion)       -   #2022-07-08 Protecting digital privacy post-Roe           [https://whyy.org/episodes/protecting-digital-privacy-post-roe/](https://whyy.org/episodes/protecting-digital-privacy-post-roe/)       -   #2022-07-06 How online searches and texts can put you at risk in a post-Roe world, and how to protect yourself       -   #2022-07-02 Data privacy concerns make the post-Roe era uncharted territory           [https://www.npr.org/2022/07/02/1109565803/data-privacy-abortion-roe-apps](https://www.npr.org/2022/07/02/1109565803/data-privacy-abortion-roe-apps)       -   #2022-06-30 Deleting Your Period Tracker Won’t Protect You           [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/30/technology/period-tracker-privacy-abortion.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/30/technology/period-tracker-privacy-abortion.html)       -   #2022-06-29 The future of privacy rights in a post-Roe world           [https://www.axios.com/2022/06/29/privacy-right-roe-v-wade-dobbs-v-jackson-online-data](https://www.axios.com/2022/06/29/privacy-right-roe-v-wade-dobbs-v-jackson-online-data)       -   #2022-06-28 Why some fear that big tech data could become a tool for abortion surveillance           [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/why-some-fear-that-big-tech-data-could-become-a-tool-for-abortion-surveillance](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/why-some-fear-that-big-tech-data-could-become-a-tool-for-abortion-surveillance)       -   #2022-06-27 The Biggest Privacy Risks in Post-Roe America           [https://www.theverge.com/23185081/abortion-data-privacy-roe-v-wade-dobbs-surveillance-period-tracking](https://www.theverge.com/23185081/abortion-data-privacy-roe-v-wade-dobbs-surveillance-period-tracking)       -   #2022-06-24 What police could find out about your illegal abortion           [https://www.vox.com/recode/23059057/privacy-abortion-phone-data-roe](https://www.vox.com/recode/23059057/privacy-abortion-phone-data-roe)  

Check out this episode!