On The Way To School
🎙️ On the Way to School: Six Minutes to Elevate Your Educator’s Day 🎙️ Embark on a transformative journey with On the Way to School, the essential podcast for educators and school administrators seeking to enrich their mornings with impactful insights. Each concise six-minute episode delivers powerful tips and strategies to empower your educational leadership and classroom effectiveness. Hosted by Christopher S. Dennis, PhD. What You’ll Discover: - Conflict Resolution: Master techniques to navigate and resolve classroom and administrative disputes smoothly. - Leadership Skills: Develop and refine your leadership qualities to inspire and guide your team and students. - Social Justice in Education: Explore actionable strategies to foster an inclusive and equitable learning environment. - Growth Mindset: Cultivate a resilient and positive mindset that encourages both personal and professional development. - Daily Motivation: Receive daily doses of inspiration to keep you energized and focused throughout the school day. Why Listen? Designed for the modern educator, On the Way to School offers a quick, yet profound, daily ritual to enhance your teaching and administrative skills. Whether you’re commuting, preparing for the day, or enjoying a brief moment of quiet, our episodes are tailored to fit seamlessly into your busy schedule. Tune In: Available on all major podcast platforms. Subscribe now and make On the Way to School a part of your daily routine. Empower your mornings, transform your day, and inspire your students. --- Subscribe today to ensure you never miss an episode. Start your day with knowledge, insight, and a renewed sense of purpose. Let’s shape the future of education together, one morning at a time. #OnTheWayToSchool #EducatorTips #SchoolLeadership #ConflictResolution #EducationPodcast #TeacherMotivation #GrowthMindset #SocialJusticeInEducation #MorningInspiration #DailyEducator #TeacherLife #SchoolAdmin #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeacherSupport #EducationalLeadership #StartYourDayRight #PodcastForTeachers #EducationalInsights #InspiringEducators #TransformTeaching
Episodes
This episode examines a form of discipline that prepares rather than punishes, utilizing athletic experience to demonstrate why consistency and readiness are essential to effective leadership.
Dr. Chris Dennis outlines three core ideas: discipline is about respect (not control), consistency stabilizes teams and enables risk-taking, and discipline strengthens your identity, allowing you to handle unseen high-stakes work. He recommen...
Greetings and welcome back to On the Way to School, the podcast for educators and administrators ready to start their day with a boost. I’m Dr. Chris Dennis.
In this episode, we delve into board culture, examine why silence can be more detrimental than disagreement, and discuss how unhealthy boards can harm schools. Dr. Dennis shares a framework for culturally affirming governance focused on honoring trustees’ lived experiences, en...
Dr. Chris Dennis explores how school leaders can lead with principle instead of neutrality during politically charged times, from government shutdowns to culture wars and book bans.
He outlines practical steps, states clear values publicly, backs faculty, invites disagreement but bans disrespect, protects marginalized students, and anchors decisions in mission to help leaders navigate crises and strengthen school communities.
In this episode of On the Way to School, Dr. Chris Dennis delves into one of the biggest challenges for educators and leaders today: effective time management.
He shares real talk about what happens when busyness takes over purpose and how to reclaim your calendar without losing your impact. With practical tips on setting boundaries, protecting your energy, and delegating with confidence, Dr. Dennis reminds listeners that “y...
In this episode of On The Way to School, Dr. Chris Dennis reflects on what it means to lead when the room is tired. After a long night of delayed flights returning from Nashville, and still waiting for his grandson, Bishop, to arrive, he shares insights about showing up with authenticity and care, even when energy is low.
Dr. Dennis explores three key principles: acknowledging others’ effort, finding balance in communication, and a...
Dr. Chris Dennis explains the importance of timely pulse surveys and an equity & inclusion tool to gather reliable feedback from faculty, staff, and families before holiday breaks.
He emphasizes using data responsibly, bringing in institutional research to avoid bias, protecting anonymity while engaging respondents, and turning survey results into clear, evidence-based actions.
In this episode, Dr. Chris Dennis explains how educators can share difficult news with parents while preserving trust, dignity, and equity. He outlines three pillars: honoring the family’s experience, ensuring fairness, and respecting cultural context—and emphasizes clear structure, affirmation, and a sustainable path forward.
Listeners will receive practical steps and sample language for delivering consequences compassionately, in...
Host Dr. Chris Dennis explores the mid-year pressures school leaders face — grading periods, conferences, and the tough decisions that shape classroom and school outcomes.
He explains how data, feedback, preparation, and empathy guide course corrections, and reminds listeners that hard choices grounded in values aim to improve experiences for students, staff, and families.
Host Dr. Chris Dennis recaps a busy week: chaperoning sixth graders to Catalina Island, attending the Harvard-Westlake Pollyanna Conference on neurodiversity, and an energizing board meeting highlighting the advanced inquiry curriculum.
He reflects on building relationships with students and staff, the importance of supporting neurodivergent community members, and reminds educators to prioritize self-care during the busy season.
Welcome back to "On the Way to School." In this episode, Dr. Chris Dennis speaks to brand-new school leaders who feel present in the room but not yet in it. He reframes leadership as identity, not title, and reminds new leaders that they already carry leadership through their lived experience.
He shares three pillars for early leadership growth:
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Your experience is leadership capital.
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Name roles, seek structure, understand u...
In today’s episode, Dr. Chris Dennis reflects on a full and meaningful weekend before drawing a powerful lesson from the golf course. From celebrating Dr. Roger Bridges’ milestone birthday over nine holes to joining Mocha Moms and honoring fellow educator Dr. John Carroll at the Private School Axis event, Chris highlights the importance of community, fellowship, and recognizing those who serve. He also shares a family moment, sendi...
Dr. Chris Dennis shares a personal story about tearing his hamstring after skipping a warm-up and connects it to why educators and administrators should prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally before meetings and the school day.
Learn quick, practical warm-up ideas—physical stretches, vocal exercises, and mental resets—to help you enter the day focused and ready.
Host Dr. Chris Dennis reflects on a night at an LAFC match and draws a simple analogy between soccer and school leadership: understanding roles, positioning, and teamwork leads to better opportunities to score.
After a long day, he shares how watching the game helped him see the importance of preparation, knowing your teammates, and embracing wins and setbacks as part of leading well.
Dr. Chris Dennis reminds educators and school leaders that while organizations move on, individual influence endures. Using a real campus example, he emphasizes that your daily consistency and presence matter to students, parents, and colleagues; even those who never say thank you.
He encourages listeners to save notes of appreciation, reflect on the positive effects of their work, and continue to show up with authenticity and stea...
Dr. Chris Dennis reflects on settling into the school year and the difference between tactical tasks and strategic leadership. He discusses how administrators can avoid becoming the default problem-solvers, create clear off-ramps, and regain balance in their work.
The episode offers practical advice to check your calendar, empower staff to lead solutions, and protect time for long-term initiatives while managing daily demands.
This morning, I’m recording live from my car! Literally on the way to school. I had a plan for today’s episode, but I decided to pivot. Lately, I’ve been thinking about what I call political fret and worry; how the government shutdown, activism, and civic anxiety are showing up in our classrooms and communities.
Students are asking deeper questions, colleagues are rethinking their work, and I’m reflecting on how all of this shapes ...
Dr. Chris Dennis reflects on a winning week and shares a classroom lesson that used protest music to teach equity, justice, and leadership. Students brought meaningful songs, examined them through interpersonal, institutional, internalized, and ideological lenses, and found renewed connection and purpose.
For homework, listeners are asked to choose two favorite songs, reflect on why they matter and how they shape mood and relations...
In this episode, I remind K–12 leaders to model and promote workplace benefits, prioritize staff check-ins, and provide meaningful feedback and professional development to support our colleagues. I share brief stories about the impact of small gestures and encourage everyone to practice self-care by utilizing physicals and fitness programs. I emphasize that as leaders, we can create a healthier school community by leveraging and ad...
Welcome back to "On the Way to School," Today, I reflect on the impact of Coach Tuck! How his encouragement to sprint the 400 and join relays helped me discover speed, win championships, and shape my athletic path.
I connect coaching to leadership by guiding staff, parents, and students, explaining the purpose of voluntary affinity spaces, and handling pushback with patience and clarity.
As equity practitioners and leaders, keep th...
Happy Tuesday on the way to school!
As I reflect on my journey, I can't help but recognize the profound impact that coaching has had on my life. From my high school track coach who identified my potential early on to the executive coaches who have helped me refine my professional edge, I've learned invaluable lessons along the way.
One key takeaway has been the importance of being coachable. Accepting guidance and striving to meet ...
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