The Smart Thinking Podcast

Do you have a purpose statement? If not why not? No Purpose - no point!
What process do you use to ensure you are living your purpose and doing what you need to do in order to be the best you?
This episode is a great reflection opportunity for you to help you create a statement to guide you and the episode ends with a call to action and as well as the research to help you lead others to their purpose. 
What moves you forward in life?
When do you lose track of time?
What do other people count on you for?

This summer Jared and Ted joined forces at the Smart Thinking Leadership retreat and presented to hundreds of educators. Jared was a smash hit and his research, strategies, and ideas were quickly taken back into educational systems to support learning and a movement away from "edutech"
We've done our children and teachers a disservice and it's time to admit it, fix it, and move forward! 
Take a listen as these two chat about the impact of technology on learning and then - -go get the rerelease and updated copy of his book "The Digital Delusion." 

Too often those of us in education forget one simple idea about ourselves: we matter. Join Ted as he explores the ways in which we matter and he reminds us how impactful we actually all are and how to put up guardrails to ensure we are engaged for ourselves and others.
The episode ends with advice he gathered from over 40 educational professionals to help us all remember our IMPACT! 

What principle guides you when you lead others? From today forward it will be the RIDE principle. A keen recognition of your influence with others.
Listen as Ted take's the lessons from horseback riding and applies it to how we should manage our classrooms, staff rooms, and board rooms. Because humans and horses literally share a heartbeat when together and so do we when we are leading groups. How we act is how they'll react!
R: Resilient
I: Interdependent 
D: Determination
E: Enthusiastic 

Hey Hey! Ted has written another book and on this episode he describes why listening to a nudge helped him complete his first full leadership book. A book filled with practical and applicable ways to approach life.
Go To Your Storm is an inspirational, personal growth, and leadership development book written by veteran educator and coach Ted Neitzke. Dedicated to equipping young people, new leaders, and even experienced individuals with a resilient approach to life, the book blends authentic personal anecdotes from Neitzke’s decades-long career in education and coaching athletics and people. The six chapters serve as a life and leadership framework for everyone.
Pre-sale has already begun and pre-sale orders will be autographed and include a free gift.
Book can be pre-ordered here. 
 

Why do so many people struggle on teams and working together? Well, there is no simple answer -- but there is a process.
Join Ted on this episode as he brings you a practice to help elevate your teams and support your leadership while either leading or participating on a collaborative team. 
Collaboration is not compliance and too often we ignore all the social ways teams can fail. Clarity, clear expectations, and telling the team what we "do" and "don't" do -- will increase outcomes and engagement. 

Summer is an amazing time. How can we utilize this summer to reinforce and recognize the efforts of educators? Ted shares with us the research on everything teachers - from hours worked to the money they spend in their classroom. The call to action on this episode is to utilize the summer months to increase staff engagement with a few simple tools that will elevate educators!  
Get yourself a pen, some notecards and Forever stamps - -cause we're going to intentionally impact those we serve alongside! 

Ted had crafted a list of texts to read so that you can invest in yourself this summer as a person and leader. These texts will bring you opportunities to practice self-empathy, mindfulness, well-being, and seek meaning. As he explains in this episode - reading matters for all elements of your life and once in a while we need to step away from reading books about our field or content and focus on ourselves.
These texts will help you grow, inspire you, empower you and entertain you! 
Poetry Changes Lives, Christopher Burns
On Th e Shortness of Life, Seneca
The Mental Health Playbook, Amy Morin
Eat Like A Sardinian, Francesco Mattana
It Wasn’t Meant To Be Perfect, Gaelynn Lea
Unplugged, Tom Freston
The Meaning of Life, Robert Brooks

Why do we ignore the wisdom of different generations? Likely because we don't understand the contributions that we are all capable of making. We look past people with lot's of experience and we look past people we think have no experience. But, we all have unique experiences, wisdom, and skills that when combined together, offer the solutions to almost all problems. 
Take a listen as Ted explores the use of a game to get people to build an understanding of the ways in which each generation can work together to increase all outcomes.
 
Click here for the Game.  

This is a very powerful conversation with a psychotherapist and author who provides some serious smart thinking on how to approach your own mental wellness as well as how to support others. This conversation will leave you wanting her books and everything produced by Amy.
Amy Morin and Ted have a wonderful conversation that is applicable to all! 
These common sense -- best practices - -allow you to understand how to approach the issues you face for yourself and others.
 
Book: The Mental Strength Playbook, Amy Morin