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PODCAST

Aspire to Lead

Joshua Stamper provides an opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced and accomplished educational leaders. As we grow in our leadership skills, it’s imperative to learn from other leader’s successes, trials and misconceptions. Join us each week as my guests provide valuable stories, resources, and advice to enhance your leadership journey.

education how to

All Episodes

33:08

371. Lead Where Your Feet Are: Featuring David James

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/03/08

What happens when a former assistant principal chooses to return to the middle school classroom and discovers a deeper, wider form of leadership than the front office ever offered? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper talks with David James, seventh grade social studies teacher, lead mentor, and conference director for the North Carolina Association for Middle Level Education, about what it really means to lead where your feet are. David shares how his journey from substitute

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36:19

370. For the Educators Who are Exhausted and...

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/02/28

Educators are exhausted, overextended, and still trying to show up fully for kids. So what does it actually look like to build a sustainable life and career in schools instead of just surviving the year?In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper sits down with Kim Gameroz to celebrate the launch of her new book Becoming the BISON and explore how teachers can "be intentional so others notice" in ways that protect their wellness, elevate their impact, and spark real change on campus. Kim

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29:17

Aspire Mailbag: EQ Over Ego & Navigating School Politics

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/02/21

Aspiring leaders asked: How do you lead with emotional intelligence (EQ) instead of ego, and navigate school politics without getting burned? In this bonus Aspire Mailbag with Jeff Gargas (COO, Teach Better), Joshua Stamper dives into self-awareness, empathy, humility, and building feedback loops to ditch ego-driven decisions for people-first leadership.They also tackle the politics game: map power dynamics, build advisory circles, watch before acting, and strategically invite influencers to

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29:29

269. The Science of School Discipline: Featuring...

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/02/13

What happens when discipline shifts from punishment to teaching? In this important conversation, Joshua Stamper and Nathan Maynard unpack the ideas behind Nathan’s new book The Science of Discipline, exploring how schools can move from compliance-driven systems to accountable, trauma-informed practices that actually change behavior. Nathan shares what he has learned working with struggling schools in all 50 states, why generic consequences fail, and how to design clear, sustainable discipline

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34:49

368. Every Child Deserves a Team: Featuring Kurtis...

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/02/08

How can schools ensure every student benefits from collective expertise without overwhelming teachers with endless meetings? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper talks with Kurtis Hewson, co author of Collaborative Response and co founder of Jigsaw Learning, about a school wide model that replaces fragmented teams with purposeful, layered collaborative structures centered on data, evidence, and a clear continuum of supports.Kurtis explains how to shift from “tiering students” to

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26:14

367. The Science of Kindness and Belonging: Featuring...

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/01/31

What happens when we decide to be present, patient, and kind in the middle of one of the hardest stretches of the school year? In this week's episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper welcomes back Dr. Christopher Culver to explore the science of kindness and belonging, the impact of chronic stress on educators, and why self compassion must come before we can sustain compassion for others.Dr. Culver shares vulnerable pieces of his own story, including seasons of deep darkness and imposter syndrome,

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19:44

BONUS: Leading Well at Every Level with Mitch...

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/01/29

This bonus Aspire to Lead episode brings you a featured segment from the Thriving Educators Summit, where Mitch Weathers facilitates a fast paced conversation with TJ Vari and Joshua Stamper about what it truly means to lead well in today’s schools, whether you are an aspiring leader, assistant principal, principal, or district administrator. The trio digs into mindset shifts from classroom to leadership, why every leader deserves a coach, how to build influence before you have a title, and why

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32:20

366. Designing Routines for Executive Function...

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/01/25

What if students’ “attention problems” were really a mismatch between how the brain works and how we structure learning?In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper talks with first grade teacher, cognitive science scholar, and author Sarah Oberle about what executive functions actually are, core and higher order cognitive processes like working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility, and why they are so often misunderstood as behaviors in schools.Sarah describes how explosive

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22:51

365. Establishing Your Leadership Identity and...

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/01/18

What if the strongest leaders in your school are already in classrooms, waiting for permission to step up? In this week's episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper reconnects with longtime friend and former Teach Better teammate Brad Hughes, elementary principal in Ontario, Canada, to explore how aspiring leaders can build confidence, prepare for interviews, and maintain personal and professional balance without rushing into formal roles. Brad shares stories from his 30+ year journey, from

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19:49

364. From Surviving to Flourishing Together:...

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/01/10

In this special conversation on Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper, Kim Gameroz, and Mitch Weathers share everything you need to know about the Thriving Educators Summit 2026 and how it was born from a desire to help teachers move from surviving to truly thriving after years of running hard and lean in schools. Listeners will hear the story behind the free virtual summit, what makes its fast paced, highly practical sessions different from typical PD, and how districts are using past summit recordings as

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32:12

Aspire Mailbag: Communication, Culture, and Conflict...

Aspire to Lead ·

2026/01/03

How do you lead staff who seem stuck in their ways, resist new ideas, and quietly shut out new colleagues? In this New Year episode of the Aspire Mailbag, Joshua Stamper and longtime co-host Jeff Gargas dig into anonymous listener questions from the Aspire Voxer community about culture, communication, and accountability. Josh and Jeff unpack practical strategies for having hard one-on-one conversations, rebuilding trust after past leadership missteps, and balancing empathy with firm expectations

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37:04

363. Teaching with the Seasons for the Whole-Child:...

Aspire to Lead ·

2025/12/28

What if social-emotional learning, culture, and instruction could move in rhythm with the real seasons of a school year instead of feeling like “one more thing” on everyone’s plate? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Walter McKenzie, Heather Lageman, and Leigh Alley introduce their book School Seasons xSELeratED and the xSELeratED Schools Framework, a month-by-month roadmap that helps educators care for the whole child and the whole educator with small, doable practices that fit into the flow of

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38:21

362. Harnessing Cultural Mapping to Build Commitment:...

Aspire to Lead ·

2025/12/21

What if you could actually see the hidden influencers on your campus and use those connections to move culture forward instead of fighting it?In this energizing Aspire to Lead episode, Joshua Stamper sits down with Dr. Ben Johnson, assistant superintendent and executive coach, and award-winning principal Bobby Dodd to unpack their new book, Intentional Influence, Harnessing Cultural Mapping to Build Commitment. Together, they introduce cultural mapping as a practical way to “make the invisible

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23:37

361. You Don’t Have to Leave the Classroom to Lead:...

Aspire to Lead ·

2025/12/14

What if the strongest leaders in your school are already in the classroom and do not need a new title to make a bigger impact? In this inspiring episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper sits down with educator, author, and department chair Dr. Chris Jochum to unpack his book You Don’t Have to Leave to Lead, that reframes teachers as highly skilled influencers, not “just” a teacher.Dr. Jochum shares how his journey from ESL and Spanish teacher to leading a large teacher education department shaped

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22:53

360. Time, Tools, and Tactics for Real Instructional...

Aspire to Lead ·

2025/12/07

What if the difference between surviving the principalship and loving it again came down to how you spend 90 minutes of your day? In this energizing episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper sits down with longtime collaborators Dr. Joseph Jones and Dr. T.J. Vari from The Schoolhouse 302 to explore how their new book, Time, Tools and Tactics of Instructional Leadership, A Principal’s Guide to Leading Learning, helps leaders escape operational overload and step fully into the role of instructional

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23:38

359. Inside-Out Transformation with Mental Health...

Aspire to Lead ·

2025/11/29

What if the key to improving student behavior and strengthening school culture starts with how adults care for themselves and each other?In this dynamic Aspire to Lead conversation, Charle Peck joins Joshua Stamper to reveal how a new cohort model is reshaping the way educators care for their mental health and support one another. Charle shares how districts are forming dedicated teams of teachers, counselors, social workers, and administrators who come together to learn nine essential skills

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26:02

358. Building a Leadership Life That Lasts: Featuring...

Aspire to Lead ·

2025/11/24

What if the real secret to long term leadership is not endurance at all, but learning how not to lose yourself along the way? In this standout episode of Aspire to Lead, Principal Evan Robb returns with a candid and deeply human look at what it truly means to lead for the long game. From becoming a principal at thirty two and opening a school of more than one thousand three hundred students to spending over two decades in the role, Evan shares the honest lessons that titles never teach such as

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29:39

357. Building a Values-Driven Leadership Life:...

Aspire to Lead ·

2025/11/16

In this transformative episode of Aspire to Lead, Dr. Sarah Johnson rejoins host Joshua Stamper for a masterclass in authentic leadership and personal growth. Together, they share candid stories about why every educator, no matter their role or experience, needs to clarify their core values to build trust, weather challenges, and find joy in their journey. Dr. Johnson reveals lessons from her recent doctoral research on resilience, burnout, and spiritual self-care for school leaders, explaining how

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33:29

Aspire Mailbag: Trust, Control, and Checking our Ego

Aspire to Lead ·

2025/11/08

Leadership isn’t scripted...and neither is this conversation.In Episode 35 of Aspire Mailbag, Josh Stamper and Jeff Gargas tackle two listener questions that every leader has wrestled with (even if they won’t admit it): 💬 How do you respond when you’re told to do something you’re already doing—without sounding defensive?💬 And how can leaders recognize when their own need for control is actually blocking trust and innovation? With their trademark mix of honesty, humor, and hard-earned insight,

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22:08

356. Turning Behavior Support into a Promise of Care:...

Aspire to Lead ·

2025/11/03

What if behavior support wasn’t a system to manage but a promise to keep? In this inspiring episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper and guest Tim Grivois explore how leaders can transform traditional approaches to behavior into authentic commitments to student well-being and inclusion. Drawing from his experiences as a teacher, principal, and consultant, Tim challenges the norms of PBIS and “Check-In/Check-Out” systems, offering strategies that center relationships, trust, and belonging. Together,

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427 results

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