Episode Details

Sponsor: Sanebox

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Transformative Principal on Stitcher

Refer A Principal

In this second part of my interview with the amazing Chris Wejr, we go deeper into the ideas of student discipline and learning. We also discuss some other cool things that are happening at his school.

• Punishment. How to approach it correctly.
• How do we help students with disabilities.
• How to deal with parents of victims that are upset that there are not visible consequences for misbehavior.
• If we don’t teach this child, he will continue doing this.
• Following up with parents a couple weeks after an incident to ensure it is not still happening.
• Restorative practices - should be tied to negative behaviors.
• Finding opportunities for kids to serve others.
• Be proactive to find opportunities to prevent problems that may arise.
• FedEx Prep - giving teachers time to be innovative and productive on their own with their own passions.
• Advice for being a transformative principal. “It comes from the teachers, of course. I can’t transform something in a classroom.”
• Something in his office that motivates him. I asked him to send me the picture of him with the paddle.

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL, and Renaissance Learning:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Sa