Episode 42 — Culture First Classrooms with Dr. Darrin Peppard

Happy New Year and welcome back to No Name Paper! To kick off the year, Meghan and Candice revisit and re-release one of the most powerful conversations from early in the podcast—an inspiring, wisdom-packed interview with Dr. Darrin Peppard, leadership expert, bestselling author, consultant, and host of the Leaning Into Leadership podcast.

Dr. Peppard dives deep into what it truly means to build culture-first classrooms and schools—places where students and staff feel seen, valued, trusted, and empowered to thrive. From practical shifts teachers can make tomorrow, to transformational leadership lessons learned the hard way, this episode is rich with reflection, hope, and actionable strategies.

• Why classroom management isn’t about control—it’s about intentional culture-building

• How relationships, visibility, and curiosity change school communities

• Culture over compliance: moving beyond punishment to support and growth

• Serving multilingual and marginalized students with belonging and dignity

• Leadership truths: how administrators support culture instead of stifling it

• The real impact of culture on attendance, achievement, and discipline data

• How teachers build legacy through micro-moments students remember forever

• Encouragement for teachers who feel alone in the work of positive culture

• “We’re in the people business.”

• “Put culture first—and everything else follows.”

• “Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

• “Titles don’t make leaders. Actions do.”

• “Belonging drives achievement.”

✔️ Teachers focusing on classroom climate
✔️ School leaders navigating change
✔️ Educators feeling burned out or isolated
✔️ Anyone who believes culture shapes everything

A few rapid-fire highlights? Relationships matter most. Self-reflection changes practice. Leadership isn’t firefighting—it’s intentionally guiding people and culture.

Author of:

• Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader

• Culture First Classrooms

Host of:

• Leaning Into Leadership podcast

Culture isn’t accidental. It is built—moment by moment, choice by choice, relationship by relationship. This episode is your reminder that your presence, your intention, and your heart matter.