Matt talks about how his background in youth ministry led to his career in education, and leading a charter school drum line whose drums were made from donated trash cans (1:42)
Matt recalls some of the worst moments of those early days in his education career, the worst one being when the head of his master’s program told him “if this is the best you can do, you should quit” (4:50)
How those terrible lows helped Matt become the school leader he is today (8:31)
Some of Matt’s best days from later in his career (12:44)
A lot of Matt’s favorite success stories involve helping kids make breakthroughs in their math skills (15:43)
How Matt wound up moving from teaching into school leadership (19:26)
How teachers can get buy-in from your principal for your new ideas (20:44)
How school leaders can inspire their teachers to take risks and try new things (23:38)
Matt shares a little bit about his book The Classroom Chef (26:24)
The best advice about teaching Matt ever heard came from his mom (27:02)
Despite his book and reputation, Matt’s biggest strength is not his math skills (27:56)
Matt has a few books he highly recommends for school leaders (29:10)
Matt’s advice for school administrators on working with students – every student has a story that you need to know (30:19)
His advice for school administrators on working with the teachers in your building – all kids deserve awesome (31:43)
If Matt had a time machine, here’s the frank but funny advice he would go back and give his younger self when he was just starting out in administration (32:41)
Books mentioned in this episode
The Classroom Chef: Sharpen Your Lessons, Season Your Classes, Make Math Meaningful
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Connect with Matt Vaudrey
About EducatorsLead:
Educators Lead is a podcast created to help launch educators into the next level of leadership. This show is for you if you are interested in educational leadership as an assistant principal, principal, superintendent, teacher or someone who hopes to be a school leader one day. Educators Lead offers inspiration and practical advice to help you lead more effectively. Jay Willis interviews school leaders three days a week to discuss why and when these educators made the decision to move into school leadership, challenges along the journey, and stories that made it all worthwhile. Educators Lead is a great resource for any educator looking to make a greater impact.
Educate. Inspire. Lead.
