Leading with Purpose: Insights for Principals in 2025
Summary
In this enlightening continuation of our dialogue with Dr. Shervita West and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson, we delve into the paramount significance of authentic and meaningful feedback within educational leadership as the 2025-2026 academic year commences. Our esteemed guests elucidate the crucial role that principals play in fostering a culture of continuous growth among their teaching staff, emphasizing the necessity of timely and specific feedback that is action-oriented. They advocate for the establishment of collaborative environments where educators can share best practices and support one another, thereby enhancing the overall educational experience for both teachers and students. Furthermore, Dr. West and Dr. Dawson address the challenges inherent in modern educational landscapes, urging leaders to remain steadfast in their commitment to humanizing educational practices. This episode serves as a vital resource for educational leaders who aspire to create inclusive and empowering environments within their schools.
Additional Notes
As we delve into the second part of our engaging discussion with Dr. Shervita West and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson, we explore the pivotal role of school principals in fostering an enriching educational environment as the 2025-2026 academic year commences. The conversation unfolds with an emphasis on the significance of authentic feedback and coaching from leaders to teachers, which is deemed essential for continuous professional development. Dr. West elucidates her experiences with principals in Atlanta, emphasizing the necessity of collaborative walkthroughs to identify successful teaching practices and areas requiring improvement. She advocates for a culture of shared learning and cooperation among educators to bolster the effectiveness of instructional strategies across schools.
The dialogue further delves into the broader implications of such leadership practices, suggesting that principals must cultivate an environment where vulnerability is not only accepted but encouraged. Dr. Dawson reinforces this notion by highlighting the importance of building genuine relationships within the educational community. She asserts that trust and mutual respect are foundational to creating a supportive atmosphere where both teachers and students can thrive. This segment of the conversation poignantly addresses the challenges that educators face, particularly in light of the current socio-political climate, and urges leaders to remain steadfast in their commitment to a humanizing educational experience.
This episode encapsulates the essence of educational leadership as a transformative and relational endeavor. Dr. West and Dr. Dawson leave us with a profound understanding of the necessity for principals to clarify their purpose and to actively engage with their communities to ensure that every student feels valued and supported. The insights shared in this episode are not merely theoretical; they serve as a clarion call for all educational leaders to embody the principles of empathy, collaboration, and authenticity as they navigate the complexities of modern education.
The conversation also touches upon the innovative work of Dr. Dawson’s Best College Match Foundation, which aims to assist first-generation and underrepresented students in their post-secondary journey. This initiative, along with Dr. West’s focus on creating inclusive sensory spaces for students, underscores the critical need for educational leaders to prioritize the holistic development of every learner. Thus, we are reminded that effective leadership in education is not solely about administration but fundamentally about nurturing the human spirit.
Takeaways:
- In the context of the 2025-2026 school year, principals must clarify their purpose and vision.
- Authentic feedback from principals to teachers is crucial for fostering ongoing professional growth.
- Creating inclusive learning environments requires intentional design to support sensory-sensitive students.
- Establishing strong relationships among educators is essential for a supportive school culture.
- Collaborative practices among school leaders lead to improved educational outcomes across the district.
- The Best College Match Foundation exemplifies how targeted support can change students' lives significantly.
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Transcript
What do they have to say?
Speaker A:Find out.
Speaker A:A new episode of the Wheelhouse begins.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to give us a listen.
Speaker A:Season 10 features a team of four like minded friends and colleagues.
Speaker A:Kathy Mone, Michael Pipa, Dr. Alicia Munro and yours truly.
Speaker A:We've opened the conversation this season to thinking about empowering educators to cultivate open doors and unlimited possibilities for each student.
Speaker A:The Wheelhouse exists to create an inclusive community of empowered educators who believe that together we can disrupt the transactional hurting nature of schooling.
Speaker A:To create districts, schools and classrooms where each student feels confident, optimistic, capable, well supported and emboldened to be and to become who they're meant to be.
Speaker A:Episodes of the Wheelhouse will explore bodies of knowledge and expertise that align to this vision and are guiding principles.
Speaker A:Our team and our guests are committed to this fundamental challenge to realize what we want for each student to experience in school.
Speaker A:Today's episode is part two with our special guests, Dr. Shavita West, a performance coach, faculty member at ASCD, the founder of SL West Consulting.
Speaker A:She spends her time empowering school leaders to build sustainable systems and lead with impact.
Speaker A:Her research centers on creating safe spaces to support students sensory sensitivity, especially for boys of color.
Speaker A:And our other special guest, Dr. Opal Davis Dawson, President of Dawson and Associates and she's an instructional leadership coach.
Speaker A:She's the co founder of the Best College Match Foundation.
Speaker A:An ASCD faculty member, a curriculum strategist, she spends her time advancing innovation and educator growth across K12 classrooms and post secondary pathways.
Speaker A:As we jump back into our conversation with Dr. West and Dr. Dawson, the Wheelhouse's own Michael Pipa had just asked them how important they thought authentic, meaningful feedback and coaching from principals to their teachers is to ongoing growth.
Speaker A:Let's find out how they respond.
Speaker A:And now, episode eight in a great conversation with our special guests, Dr. Shavita west and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson and our Wheelhouse team, Kathy mone, Michael Pipa, Dr. Alicia Monroe and me.
Speaker A:You're not going to want to miss it.
Speaker A:Take a listen.
Speaker B:You know, I believe in giving feedback.
Speaker B:I believe feedback should be timely, that it should be specific and it should be action oriented.
Speaker B:One of the things that I do with my principals in Atlanta is when we're doing our walkthroughs or our learning walks, identifying those common threads in classrooms that we see that are Working really, really well.
Speaker B:And then where we find there's opportunity to grow and we calibrate.
Speaker B:We do those walkthroughs together initially to calibrate and to give feedback to their staffs.
Speaker B:And what I say to them is, you give classroom feedback and I give feedback to you.
Speaker B:And then when we find those practices that are strong, I'm encouraging them to share those with colleagues.
Speaker B:And sometimes I'll share with their colleagues.
Speaker B:I'm like, hey, over at this school, they're doing this really, really well.
Speaker B:Let me connect the two of you together so that you can spend some time collaborating and talking.
Speaker B:And that has been something, honestly, over the last year that I've seen more traction around.
Speaker B:And it's a practice that wasn't necessarily as strong before.
Speaker B:And so I think that it is up to leaders, and I say leaders broadly, for those who are going in, coaching principal leaders, evaluating principal leaders, who indirectly supervise principal leaders, that we have to intentionally set stages for them to be able to do collaborative work, just like we do with classroom teachers.
Speaker B:And I think that takes us modeling what that looks like, but also removing barriers.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I don't do it under the lens of, this is ineffective here.
Speaker B:You should be trying this, because this works well over there.
Speaker B:It is about building strong practices across our district, across our schools.
Speaker B:And that means that we are intentional about laying the groundwork of what we find to be really strong, effective practices that we know are rooted in research that is working well in certain schools.
Speaker B:And we're making that available to everybody.
Speaker B:We're not holding it to ourselves.
Speaker B:I remember I came into the principalship, and I was so fortunate to have so many strong leaders that was around me that they was more than willing to share.
Speaker B:And one of the things I always remember is that they're like, you do not have to struggle in this job.
Speaker B:You do not have to struggle in this job.
Speaker B:You can ask for support and help, and I'm setting the same stage.
Speaker B:You don't have to struggle in this job.
Speaker B:Ask me for help, and if I don't know, I'm going to connect you with the right people to be able to support and help you.
Speaker B:And I think that that is somewhat of a little shift, if I'm honest, is because, you know, principals for so long have been afraid to admit when they're struggling, and then they do so at their own detriment.
Speaker B:And so we've got to create cultures where that's not the norm.
Speaker B:That's not what we do.
Speaker B:We support and we help each other.
Speaker B:Why because it makes us better as a system of schools, but it also makes each school system inside, internally, better when they have the support that they need.
Speaker C:I love that response.
Speaker D:Right.
Speaker C:Because what you're tracking is exactly what Opal and I call her, Dr. Dawson in official space.
Speaker C:But please bear in mind that I love and adore Opal and Shavita.
Speaker D:It's feeling.
Speaker D:It's mutual, for sure.
Speaker C:Honoring the title.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker C:So Dr. Dawson talked about the fundamentals of building relationship.
Speaker C:I can only feel that I can trust and be safe in spaces where there is a valid, legitimate relationship.
Speaker C:And that takes us from coming out of our comfort zones and those silos of those compact principals offices or.
Speaker C:Or your AP corridor or your classroom and being brave enough and courageous enough to come into community.
Speaker C:But just like you said, Dr. West, we have to have a culture that truly supports it.
Speaker C:That love has to be baked into the walls to make sure that a question and an ask is valid and legitimate.
Speaker C:So I saw Dr. Dawson getting ready to respond, but I just wanted to add that piece because I think that's so important when we're talking about a humanizing approach to education.
Speaker D:Exactly.
Speaker D:And as you all were talking and I was taking notes, and I was like, no, Oprah, you need to really listen so that the notes make sense.
Speaker D:And I think that's what happens is oftentimes we're listening to respond as opposed to listening to understand.
Speaker D:And so I think that's critical.
Speaker D:One thing that we did to help build that.
Speaker D:And everyone talks about PLCs, but in our PLCs, and in our staff meeting, we did something with the Success Analysis protocol.
Speaker D:And that was simply, okay, let's find what that success is, and then let's plan from that success what it took to get there.
Speaker D:And so at least once a month, we would do that protocol.
Speaker D:And it worked really well, because what it did was it shifted how teachers thought about their practice.
Speaker D:Because we're conditioned to see the glasses half empty.
Speaker D:That's just in our minds.
Speaker D:We do that.
Speaker D:But how do we shift them to understand?
Speaker D:Really, it's half full.
Speaker D:And that's okay, even if it's a drop in there and it's full, some water in there, no matter what.
Speaker D:Then when I saw that that Success Analysis protocol was a little overwhelming because of how I organized it.
Speaker D:We just did something called wow, Wednesdays, where they brought one success they had had that week.
Speaker D:They could choose whatever it was and share how they did it.
Speaker D:If they didn't want to share it, they could put it up on the chart, because some people don't want to speak in front of audiences, but they teach every day.
Speaker D:So that's always lost on me.
Speaker D:And so, yeah, that part of it, what I saw, though, in talking about it with a teacher I worked with in a district last year, she started something that she called.
Speaker D:She would flash a picture up on the board when she was in a faculty meeting, and it was based on whatever the focus was for learning.
Speaker D:It was called claim it, name it, and explain it.
Speaker D:So if that was something in your classroom, you said, oh, my goodness, that's my classroom.
Speaker D:And then she would say, oh, wonderful, tell us about it.
Speaker D:And then she would say, then, you know, be like a big celebration and everything.
Speaker D:But what that did was it was a safe space that had been created, and it allowed teachers to see, oh, you know what?
Speaker D:She was in my classroom.
Speaker D:Oh, my goodness, she took a picture of something.
Speaker D:And so then it's seeing the success through our lens as leaders, because we put the picture up there, but then it's showing them, oh, yeah, you see all this good stuff going on in your classroom.
Speaker D:And she was pretty intentional about making sure that she got into every classroom.
Speaker D:At one point, there were so many good things happening.
Speaker D:She said, you know what?
Speaker D:You all.
Speaker D:I started off with just doing one, but then I realized that's not possible.
Speaker D:So this week, we're going to do about four of you all.
Speaker D:They were like four of us.
Speaker D:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker D:You know, that kind of thing.
Speaker D:And so it's just those types of words where you're hyping them up, if you will, and getting them to believe in themselves, because everyone, just like the kids, don't.
Speaker D:They don't come with a boatload of confidence.
Speaker D:They don't valet.
Speaker D:Students don't come knowing how to behave.
Speaker D:You got to teach them what that behavior looks like, how to do school, the same way you would teach them to read.
Speaker A:So I want to kind of bring this part of the conversation to an ending.
Speaker A:I have one final question, and then I want to talk a little bit about your own individual work before we wrap up today.
Speaker A:One of the, you know, the wheelhouse is all about disrupting this transactional hurting nature of school.
Speaker A:One of the four guiding principles that we're really focusing on today is the very first principle, which is that we believe that educating our children should be a humanizing, relational, and transformational endeavor, and that all else is secondary.
Speaker A:And we've really encapsulated a lot of that conversation.
Speaker A:But I want to ask a really difficult question.
Speaker A: This is: Speaker A:What advice, what one piece of advice would each of you give to principals about that guiding principle, about humanizing the environment for children and for teachers in light of where we are in the calendar and the beginning of this school year?
Speaker B:So I think what immediately pops in my mind is being able to clarify your purpose, your why.
Speaker B:Why are you there?
Speaker B:Is it just to roll out initiatives and, you know, stay in your office and push paper, or is your why to truly see your school community thriving, to be better?
Speaker B:And what does that look like for you?
Speaker B: hink that in today's culture,: Speaker B:And I really do think that there has to be an intentionality for a leader to block out that noise, to be able to sift through all of that and get back to the core of why you're there and your purpose and to truly put that vision into action.
Speaker B:And knowing, as we said, you cannot do it in isolation.
Speaker B:So who do you need to galvanize on your team to support the work that you're doing?
Speaker B:How do you continue to make that commitment day after day when it, when.
Speaker B:When it's difficult, when they cut the budget and the funding goes away?
Speaker B:How do I make lemonade, you know, lemonade out of these lemons?
Speaker B:How do I continue to push forward with the work that I know I'm called to do, even when it gets difficult?
Speaker B:I think that that's going to resonate different with every leader, and that's why you have to know your.
Speaker B:Why.
Speaker B:We talk about strengths, but we need to go to authenticity as well.
Speaker B:If you came into this job because it was a title or a bump in your salary, you're going to be sorely disappointed, and they're never going to pay you what you're really, really worth.
Speaker B:And so you've got to be committed to doing this in spite of all the other things that are going on.
Speaker B:And, you know, to.
Speaker B:To move past the distraction and get back to, to what the core of your leadership is.
Speaker A:Thank you, Dr. Dawson.
Speaker D:I would have to say.
Speaker D:Yet what's your why?
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:And students really are the purpose.
Speaker D:They're the center of everything that we do.
Speaker D:And one thing I always say is no one went into education to say, you know what?
Speaker D:I'm just going to sit behind my desk all day and mess up students lives.
Speaker D:No one has said that one would hope.
Speaker D:And so what we have to get our leaders and our teachers to remember is why did they come into this in the first place?
Speaker D:What was it that sparked your interest or your desire to become a teacher or a leader?
Speaker D: ,: Speaker D:Because we all know that our schools are just a microcosm of what's happening around them.
Speaker D:Some things we just are just outside our boat.
Speaker D:We can't control it.
Speaker D:But those things that are inside of our boat that we can control as much as possible, that's what we need to focus on.
Speaker D:And I always say that our presence tells that story of what we value.
Speaker D:So even if we can't really tap in with everyone about, okay, so why did you start doing this?
Speaker D:Because I know it's hard, it's heavy, but here's my presence that is a present to you so that you can understand what's valued and the way that we're moving.
Speaker A:So, you know, having these two geniuses here at the wheelhouse, I want to be able to take a moment and talk for just a moment.
Speaker A:And I'm hoping that Dr. Dawson will come back and we'll spend a whole episode talking about some of the work that she's doing.
Speaker A:But I wanted to ask you, and I wanted just to have you mention for just a moment, you are the co founder of the Best College Match foundation, which does some amazing things.
Speaker A:And so if, if our listeners have never heard, like, what is that?
Speaker D:Right, Right.
Speaker A:What is this thing you're doing that is so beautiful, Opal?
Speaker D:Well, I'm so glad you asked because the Best College Match foundation is a nonprofit, and our opus is to help first generation and underrepresented students and their families navigate the journey post high school, so post secondary.
Speaker D:And we have a MATCH framework which is M A T C H. And basically what that stands for is their ability to master their self awareness.
Speaker D:Who are they as a person?
Speaker D:Because we know if they understand themselves, they have that confidence to move forward, then we're looking at also those academic proficiencies.
Speaker D:Oftentimes we think about, okay, you're smart enough to get this scholarship and to get into college, but the real idea there is not only to get in and have it paid for, but to stay and finish the next thing with the T is is them understanding what's that targeted college or career exploration or where they actually want to land.
Speaker D:Everyone's not going to do a four year college or university, but there's a match for them and so we help them to find that.
Speaker D:And then the C stands for choosing that financial path.
Speaker D:How are we going to help you to pay for this in a way that's going to allow you to come out on the other side debt free or as close to being debt free as possible.
Speaker D:The final letter is H, which is how are we going to help them to hone those life skills that they need so that they have the tools, the confidence and support to find the fit for the future.
Speaker D:And what I love about the work that we do, other than the fact that I get to do it with my husband, is the fact that we know we're changing lives, we're giving an outcome with some simple inputs I might say, that are going to change the trajectory of students lives.
Speaker D:We have, as I said, first gen.
Speaker D:Many of the students that we serve are first generation.
Speaker D:Their parents never even imagined anyone.
Speaker D:This last year we worked with a group of students.
Speaker D:We had two that were the first to graduate from high school and they ended up getting full rides to two or four year institutions.
Speaker D:And I won't talk all day about the work that we're doing.
Speaker D:However, what I will say in closing is that and you can tell I get excited about it, but what I will say in closing is that if we can tap into whatever that strength is, we've talked about leaders, we talked about teachers, but the students, especially as they get into middle school and high school, which are the ages that we work with, that they can see that, oh my goodness, I can do this, I'm competent enough to do it and I have the character that's built up in me to make it all work.
Speaker D:So we look at character, competence and confidence, but we do a lot with social emotional learning and so that's the foundation for it.
Speaker D:So thank you for asking.
Speaker D:Grant.
Speaker A:Well, it's super exciting to watch from afar and I hope that we'll talk offline later.
Speaker A:I hope you'll come back and we could talk for a whole episode on the Great.
Speaker D:Love to come back with that.
Speaker D:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker D:And I'll bring my husband too.
Speaker A:Perfect.
Speaker A:Well, we will stay tuned friends, because we will hear more about the Best College Match foundation from Opal Davis Dawson and her husband who I, Greg Dawson.
Speaker A:So I'm super excited about that.
Speaker A:Yay.
Speaker A:Shavita, I want to just for a moment, I know You've been on the wheelhouse in season nine, and we talked about sensory spaces for children, especially how they benefit black boys.
Speaker A:And, you know, I know you're.
Speaker A:You're continuing to write an amazing book because I get to read it as it's drafted, and it's so.
Speaker A:It's so exciting.
Speaker A:So since you were here in season nine and we were talking about it, have there been any new revelations, new thoughts that you want to.
Speaker A:That you want to share right now with folks who are listening and who know what you're doing with the sensory classroom spaces?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, of course, we're at the start of this new school year, and so I've really had the opportunity to get in classrooms and to support teachers as we're creating these inclusive learning spaces for all students, especially our black boys, as they're showing up a new school year and the transitions going into a new school year, recognizing that for kids who have those sensory processing difficulties, that we have to be intentional right.
Speaker B:About creating learning spaces that are welcoming for them as well.
Speaker B:And that is a very close lens into how our classrooms are designed and set up.
Speaker B:I always love the first of the year where we have all the pretty bulletin boards and, you know, our classrooms look great.
Speaker B:And then you get a kid who may be a little overwhelmed or overstimulated with what's going on in the classroom, and then, you know, that sometimes can dysregulate them.
Speaker B:And so really working on how we identify, you know, some of those.
Speaker B:Those behaviors before they escalate to a point where we have a student who is struggling in the classroom.
Speaker B:And so I'm excited.
Speaker B:I've had the opportunity to work into some kindergarten classrooms with some five year olds and helping, you know, those teachers build out some of those tools to really support and help that.
Speaker B:And so that is really not the full breast of the work, but just a small smidget of how do we continue to create these learning spaces that welcome and value all learners and that looks different for each of them as it does for each of us.
Speaker B:Ironically, I've gotten more into conversations with adults identifying certain behaviors, and they're like, oh, you know what?
Speaker B:I feel like that might be my child, or I feel like I may have some of those things that it's really never talked about.
Speaker B:So I'm hoping that moving into a space where this becomes common language, right.
Speaker B:A part of the conversation as we're talking about how we create successful classrooms, that sensory awareness becomes a common language that we're embedding in those conversations so that we can truly, truly start humanizing and supporting all learners and how they show up.
Speaker B:I think Oprah mentioned that, you know, no parent ever decided today that they were going to send us not less than the best version of their children.
Speaker B:And so we have to be open to understanding that that looks different in every child, but we also have to be prepared.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And how we plan for their success.
Speaker B:And so I'm loving this work.
Speaker B:I'm excited about the future and hopefully adding to that space of academia with a book that really talks about, from a leader's lens, how we can continue to create those inclusive spaces for all.
Speaker D:Students, as she talked about.
Speaker D:Okay, and how do we keep the conversation going?
Speaker D:How do we make sure that this is in the fabric of the work that we're doing?
Speaker D:What she has done since she's been writing the book is if she's in a space that is overwhelming, she'll say, oh, my goodness, this is just too much.
Speaker D:This is sensory overload.
Speaker D:And I'm looking like, this is really good for me, you know?
Speaker D:But I think that models what we have to consider for children.
Speaker D:We've talked about, okay, how are we as adults going to model?
Speaker D:And she just naturally does it.
Speaker D:And after all these years, over 20 years of being colleagues and friends, I never knew what overwhelmed her.
Speaker D:And so now it's more intentional in understanding that, okay, Opal, you know, you may be rocking and rolling in this environment, but your best friend over here is like, okay, Opal, I'm just gonna go sit out here for a minute.
Speaker D:And it's not because I'm being standoffish.
Speaker D:It's because it's sensory overload.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I explained that, that I have had to teach myself how to regulate in certain spaces.
Speaker B:And for our children, they have yet to learn that.
Speaker B:And that is what this process, hopefully, is about, is teaching educators to support those learners as their learning how to regulate in spaces that are not necessarily designed for them as learners.
Speaker B:And how do we get to making those subtle shifts that support that?
Speaker A:Well, I just want to say, as you're listening to this episode, you know why we have been targeting Dr. Opal Davis Dawson and why we keep inviting Dr. Shmitovas back to the wheelhouse, because they're just geniuses.
Speaker A:They are brilliant.
Speaker A:They are fantastic leaders and fantastic coaches of leaders.
Speaker A:So thank you very much, Opal Davis Dawson Chavito S. For joining us today in the wheelhouse.
Speaker A:As we did with last week's episode, let's debrief part two of this conversation with The Wheelhouse's caffeimony.
Speaker D:Foreign.
Speaker A:Hey.
Speaker D:Hey.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:It's Kathy Moni time.
Speaker A:Hi, Kathy.
Speaker E:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker E:That was the best intro.
Speaker E:I mean, you do some really great intros, but come on.
Speaker D:That.
Speaker E:That was the best.
Speaker E:I'm gonna have to stop and hit pause and rewind quite a bit on that one.
Speaker E:This is.
Speaker E:I'm gonna.
Speaker E:I'm gonna be busy more often.
Speaker D:Just.
Speaker E:So I can get that individualized intro.
Speaker E:So.
Speaker D:Hi.
Speaker A:Hi.
Speaker B:Hi.
Speaker A:I'm sorry that you were able.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You missed that conversation, which then we split into two episodes because it was so incredible.
Speaker A:And that means you and I get to chat one on one twice.
Speaker A:Not just once, but twice.
Speaker A:So it's Kathy Moni time.
Speaker E:Well.
Speaker B:Oh, look at that bonus.
Speaker E:It's Kathy and Grant time.
Speaker E:How about that?
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker E:I'm so glad to be here.
Speaker A:I'm thrilled to have you.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Thrilled to have you.
Speaker A:So it's kind of fun to just be able to kind of debrief and talk about when you pull someone like Dr. Shavita west and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson into a room and just pick their brains about what it means to humanize the space and what's the role of the principle.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:There's just a lot.
Speaker A:There's just a lot to talk about.
Speaker A:And of course, as we bring this, as episode eight airs in September, it's going to drop in September for almost the entire country.
Speaker A: Now we are immersed in the: Speaker A:By now, everybody's in.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Labor Day's over, and they had so many interesting things to say.
Speaker A: I posed that question around: Speaker E:They did.
Speaker E:You know, as I was listening and thinking about the challenges that we continue to face, I just think that Chavita and Opal really reminded us of the significance of the role of building leaders and really understanding the.
Speaker E:The intentionality that's needed of setting and living into our purpose and ensuring that with that intentionality comes the support and walking alongside and showing up and.
Speaker E:And supporting and doing all of those things for our staff as they then in turn, are doing that for our students.
Speaker E:Because those.
Speaker E:Those challenges, unfortunately, do not appear to be going away anytime soon.
Speaker E:And so as leaders really, really thinking about and listening, hopefully, and being rejuvenated and refreshed through the reminder of the work and the significance and the importance of the work that they do, that's, to me, what the second half with Shavita and Opal really lifted up.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I think as you were talking I was thinking about, you know, educators, you know, teacher, classroom teachers and other support personnel who are coming, who are into the work.
Speaker A:Some of them are a month in.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Many of our schools started the beginning of August or some are just starting today.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:The day after Labor Day.
Speaker A:And there's so much uncertainty.
Speaker A:There's so much, I think, anxiety and angst that everybody brings to the school space, from the principal to superintendent to the classroom teacher to students and parents, wondering what tomorrow will bring.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I think that whole idea of holding true to your vision and walking alongside them because our students don't need to feel that there's enough.
Speaker A: will feel intense pressure in: Speaker A: , uncertainty that comes with: Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker E:And there's the word, you know, that humanizing and doing that in all of these shared spaces.
Speaker E:And so each adult isn't figuring it out alone.
Speaker E:And every student that's coming to the school, into the classrooms, into those spaces isn't coming into that space, meeting an adult that's trying to figure it out alone.
Speaker E:Because it is humanizing.
Speaker E:It is about that for each and every person in that space.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:And thinking about what that means and how to walk alongside all of the folks who are doing that work with students directly in classrooms and with, you know, all of the folks who are providing additional support in lots of different roles.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Within.
Speaker A:Within a school.
Speaker A:And we also had an opportunity to, you know, to talk about.
Speaker A:To talk with Shavita about sensory spaces and sensory awareness and sensory sensitivity and.
Speaker A:Which is a focus of her work.
Speaker A:And then we got to talk to Opal about the Best College Match Foundation.
Speaker A:So in addition to their work in humanizing the spaces, they're also doing some other things that are really, really impressive as well.
Speaker E:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker E:And as educators, for us and for those listening, to be able to dig into those additional resources and learning and opportunities to learn and grow and those then supporting how we're learning and therefore supporting our staff.
Speaker A:You know, we just recently.
Speaker A:Well, you do all the work, so we just.
Speaker A:You just recently posted.
Speaker A:Students Matter posted this amazing graphic with Shavita west and Opal Dawson and Rich Anya Beni all together.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Because we're really trying to connect what Rich said in his episode as a classroom teacher with what they're doing.
Speaker A:Any thoughts about that particular.
Speaker A:That graphic was so powerful.
Speaker A:That image was so powerful.
Speaker A:Why did that come to mind for.
Speaker E:You I can't imagine being in a school building without all of the people working in tandem.
Speaker E:And when Rich spoke so heart with his heart about what it, what he did, what he does, the impact that he had that he continues to have post retirement in education, when he was in the classroom and then listening to Shavita and Opal about their impact in their role as building leaders, it was a very obvious connection.
Speaker E:And this is how it should be.
Speaker E:It should be all this, all the time, everywhere.
Speaker E:And how do we really showcase that so that more and more people that are either living that can be affirmed by the work that they're doing, that humanizing space that they're continuing to live into, or those that aren't quite there yet and how it is possible and the need for it because every student, every adult deserves it.
Speaker E:And so you can't have one without the other.
Speaker E:So we have to connect those.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Well said.
Speaker A:Well said.
Speaker A:So if you you want to hear more from Shavita west or Opal Davis Dawson or even Rich Anya Beddy, they will be back at the end of season 10 in the finale which will be another two part Housewives style reunion the last two episodes of the season which dropped the last two Tuesdays in September.
Speaker A:So hey Kathy Mone, it has been a pleasure having Cathy Moni time and we'll see you all next week in the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:And that's a wrap of season 10, episode 8 of the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:A special thank you to my amazing guests Dr. Shavita west and Dr. Opal Davis Dawson and the Wheelhouse team, Kathy Mone, Michael Pipa and Dr. Alicia Monroe.
Speaker A:You were back in the studio next week with national award winning educator Terry Perez.
Speaker A:Don't miss this exciting episode dropping on September 9th.
Speaker A:We hope you'll join the Wheelhouse Company.
Speaker A:Are you a like minded educator who's committed to open doors and unlimited possibilities for each student?
Speaker A:Follow Students Matter LLC on Instagram or LinkedIn or any of the four of us who are also on LinkedIn.
Speaker A:You can subscribe to the Wheelhouse Chronicle on Substack.
Speaker A:Michael's waiting to hear your comments and we're all really excited to continue this conversation with you.
Speaker A:That's thewheelhouse.substack.com or you can join the curated community the Wheelhouse Forum, only available at Students Matter's very own Learn Harbor.
Speaker A:That's learnharbor.thinkific.com the Wheelhouse is a production of Students Matter LLC.
Speaker A:Our show's theme music, Off We Go was written and performed by Cody Martin and obtained through soundstripe.com stop by our website, check out what we offer, who we are and what's important to us at www.ourstudentsmatter.org.
Speaker A:together, our goal is simple.
Speaker A:To prove to each student and to each teacher that they are both distinctive and irreplaceable.
Speaker A:Until next time, Remember, we got.
Speaker B:It.
