Fan Mail!

Imagine walking into a school where a principal tells a fart joke, and within seconds, students take deep breaths and self-regulate back to attention. Sound impossible? For Leroy Slanzi, this is everyday reality in schools that have embraced his emotional intelligence framework.

With over 25 years of experience across elementary, middle, and high school leadership, Slanzi brings a unique perspective to the educational leadership conversation. Having begun his career as a special education teacher, he quickly discovered that managing the emotional responses of adults was often more challenging than working with students. This insight became the foundation for his approach to school leadership and eventually led to his book, "Emotional Schools."

Slanzi argues that dramatic shifts in childhood experiences over the past 15 years—reduced free play, increased screen time, helicopter parenting—have created a generation of students struggling to manage stress and persevere through challenges. "We're seeing more kids with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, behavior disorders," he explains, noting this trend began well before the pandemic and continues to accelerate worldwide.

Rather than lamenting these changes, Slanzi developed a framework that teaches students the science behind their emotions. Even kindergarteners learn how deep breathing activates the prefrontal cortex, allowing for better decision-making. Using consistent language and visual cues throughout the school, this approach becomes embedded in daily interactions rather than existing as a separate program.

The results speak for themselves. Schools implementing Slanzi's framework report dramatic improvements in student behavior, attendance rates, and academic performance. Teachers spend less time managing disruptions and more time teaching. Perhaps most impressively, students begin to self-regulate independently, taking deep breaths when frustrated or overwhelmed instead of melting down or acting out.

Whether you're dealing with elementary students who think you "walk around with a cape on" or high schoolers contemplating their futures, Slanzi's approach offers practical strategies for building emotional resilience alongside academic skills. Ready to transform your school culture through emotional intelligence? Visit EmotionalSchools.com to learn how you can bring these evidence-based practices to your community.

Connect with Leroy Slanzi:

Emotional Schools (Amazon):

Support the show

Connect with Principal JL Click Here:

Want to be a guest on Educational Leadership with Principal JL?

Send Principal JL a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1742787866678447e5bdb89c1

Fan Mail!

Dr. Darrin Peppard's educational leadership journey began when his college roommate asked for help coaching fifth-grade basketball. That simple moment sparked a passion that would guide him from classroom teacher to award-winning principal, superintendent, and eventually to becoming one of education's most respected leadership voices.

The turning point in Darrin's leadership philosophy came during his first year as an assistant principal while processing over 2,200 discipline referrals. During a contentious staff meeting about enforcing rules on hats and cell phones, someone asked, "Why does it always have to be about what they do wrong? Why can't it be about what they do right?" This question fundamentally shifted his approach from punishment to celebration, from compliance to culture-building.

What makes Darrin's insights so valuable is how he transformed this philosophy into practical action. Rather than imposing solutions, he assembled diverse teams of educators and students to identify root causes of problems. When investigating poor third-period attendance, students revealed they were skipping because they were hungry after being forced to throw away breakfast items at the door. Simple solutions like strategically placing trash cans dramatically improved attendance. His commitment to making everyone feel "seen, heard, valued, and trusted" ultimately raised graduation rates to historic highs.

Now through his company Road to Awesome, Darrin coaches educational leaders to get clear about what truly matters to them, be intentional in their actions, and lead with purpose. His bestselling books "Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader" and "Culture First Classrooms" (co-authored with Katie Kinder) provide actionable frameworks for building positive school cultures. As Darrin explains, effective leadership isn't about perfection—it's about clarity, intentionality, and focusing on relationships first.

Ready to transform your leadership journey? Connect with Dr. Peppard through his website roadtoawesome.net, subscribe to his Leaning Into Leadership podcast, or join his email list for weekly insights that will help you move from crisis management to purposeful leadership. The road to awesome begins with a single step—what will yours be?

Connect with Dr. Darrin Peppard by clicking on the links!

Rood to Awesome Website:

Principal Academy:

Road to Awesome Book (Amazon):

Culture First Classrooms Book (Amazon):

Leaning into Leadership Podcast:

YouTube Channel:

Support the show

Connect with Principal JL Click Here:

Want to be a guest on Educational Leadership with Principal JL?

Send Principal JL a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1742787866678447e5bdb89c1

Fan Mail!

Death is something no school leader wants to face, yet crisis management becomes an unavoidable reality when tragedy strikes. Drawing from the painful experience of navigating four student deaths in just three years, this deeply personal episode explores the profound challenges of leading a school community through grief and loss.

The sobering statistics tell only part of the story. With suicide ranking as the second leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds and over 6,600 youth suicides in 2021 alone (CDC, 2023), schools face an unprecedented mental health crisis. These aren't merely numbers—they represent faces, stories, and futures abruptly ended, often because young people with still-developing brains see permanent solutions to temporary problems.

Behind every effective crisis response stands a carefully orchestrated team. From verifying facts to identifying those most affected, from staged communication to comprehensive support systems, we break down the essential components of compassionate crisis management. The episode details practical strategies for supporting both students and staff, acknowledging that teachers must navigate their own grief while simultaneously supporting vulnerable students.

Perhaps most compelling is the question that emerges from these experiences: while we train educators to recognize distress signals, should we be empowering students to do the same? As the frontline witnesses to their peers' struggles, could students become our most valuable allies in suicide prevention? This thought-provoking discussion invites educational leaders to collaborate on innovative solutions to protect young lives.

This conversation isn't just about managing crisis—it's about reimagining how we approach mental health in schools. Join me in exploring how we can better support our school communities through their darkest moments and perhaps prevent future tragedies through collective wisdom and courage.

National Center for Education Statistics report from May 31, 2022

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Educational Leadership with Principal JL?

Send Principal JL a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1742787866678447e5bdb89c1

Connect with Principal JL Click Here: