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.

Happy holidays, teacher friends! Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, winter break, or simply breathing for the first time in weeks, this episode is our gift to you. We’re revisiting powerful, joyful, meaningful moments from some of our favorite conversations this year—with incredible educators who bring creativity, courage, purpose, and fun into classrooms every day.

You’ll hear:

• 🎙️ Debbie Tannenbaum on authentic, student-centered EdTech and reflection

• 🌮 Gabriel Carrillo on food as connection + AI literacy + real talk PD

• 🎭 Kiki (Keke) Powell on joy, costumes, innovation, and believing BIG for kids

• 🎮 John Meehan playing a lightning-round classroom strategy game that is pure teacher joy

Light, warmth, laughter, growth, and seriously good thinking—this one feels like gathering around a holiday table with the best people in education.

00:00 – 01:55
Holiday welcome + episode intro + setting the tone for warmth, joy, and reflection

01:56 – 10:14

• Co-teaching with empathy and pacing for teacher comfort

• Building culture, not one-off tech moments

• Student reflection beyond pencil & paper

• Creating problem-finders, not just problem-solvers

• Shifting from consumption → creation

10:44 – 16:45

• Food as a universal engagement tool

• Classroom + PD lessons = meals we craft with intention

• AI literacy, ethics, modeling, and district responsibility

16:45 – 19:56

• “Click-click-click” PD isn’t learning

• Implementation matters

• Coaching + co-teaching + real classroom transfer

• Evidence from student artifacts + classroom practice

20:20 – 21:56

• Why she dresses up

• Family support

• Costumes as engagement & memory anchors

• Learning that feels magical

21:56 – 25:15

• Choosing brand partnerships with integrity

• Using influence to help teachers

• Awards, impact, gratitude, and growth

25:34 – 28:20

• Grant writing courage

• Student-led innovation

• Listening to kids

• Thinking WAY beyond flexible seating

28:20 – 33:40
Fast-paced fun deciding whether to:

• Keep it 🔥

• Rethink it 🤔
  Topics include:
  Bell ringers • Homework • Classroom jobs • Digital badges • Extra credit • Assigned seats • Lectures • Escape rooms

Teacher PD disguised as joy? Absolutely.

✔️ Holiday encouragement
✔️ Fresh EdTech mindset
✔️ A spark of joy + creativity
✔️ Leadership thinking without overwhelm
✔️ A laugh (or three)

Debbie Tannenbaum
Gabriel Carrillo
Kiki “Keke” Powell
John Meehan

If you enjoyed today’s episode:

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Wishing you peace, joy, and a season full of rest and inspiration!

⏱️ Episode Breakdown⭐ Debbie Tannenbaum (Meaningful EdTech & Reflection)⭐ Gabriel Carrillo (Food, Connection & AI Literacy)⭐ Gabriel Carrillo (PD That Actually Works)⭐ Kiki / Keke Powell (Joy, Costumes & Classroom Magic)⭐ Keke Powell (Purpose, Partnerships & Recognition)⭐ Keke Powell (Innovation & Pop-Up Learning Pods)⭐ John Meehan Game Segment — “Rush or Rethink It”🎧 Listen If You Need:🙌 Featuring❤️ Thanks for Listening!

No Name Paper — Relax & Rejuvenate: A Midyear Reset for Educators

Episode Type: Curated Clips + Solo Reflection
Host: Meghan Wells
Length: ~25 minutes

This episode of No Name Paper is a pause button.

As the school year winds down and life speeds up, Meghan brings together some of the most meaningful moments from our most-listened-to episodes — featuring Elizabeth Lainez, Todd Nesloney, Dr. Darren Pepperd, and a bonus game with Cheryl Graff — to offer one clear message:

👉 Hang in there. Recover. You’re doing better than you think.

This is not a strategy episode.
It’s not a productivity push.
It’s a reminder that educators are people first — and rest is not something you have to earn.

A powerful reminder that culture isn’t a program — it’s the small, human choices educators make every day, especially when things are hard. Darren shares how prioritizing culture transformed attendance, behavior, and outcomes on his campus.

When you’re intentional about culture, it really does float all boats.

Our most-listened-to guest reframes game-based learning as low-stakes, low-lift strategies that make classrooms more livable — from cleanup challenges to classroom community building.

You don’t have to start big. Small, everyday things make a huge difference.

This is the moment where teachers stop scrolling and think:
“Okay… this is worth my energy.”

Todd speaks candidly about burnout, guilt, therapy, and why educators must stop martyring themselves for the job.

You cannot take care of your students if you are not taking care of you.

A grounding reminder that rest, boundaries, and personal days are not selfish — they’re essential.

Because it wouldn’t be No Name Paper without a little joy. Cheryl Graff shares stories from an international student exchange and plays a rapid-fire culture swap game — a reminder that laughter and connection still matter.

After this episode, No Name Paper will be taking a two-week break — not because we’re done, but because we believe in modeling recovery.

During the break, you’ll hear:

• A combined episode of tech-focused tips and ideas

• A re-edited version of our Dr. Darren Pepperd interview, revisited with fresh perspective

We’ll be back in the new year with intention, balance, and episodes ready to support you through the rest of the school year .

We’re starting the year focused on:

• Social-Emotional Learning

• Burnout prevention

• Sustainability for educators

Not because it’s trendy.
Not because it’s required.
But because it feels right.

Before systems, strategies, and outcomes — people need to feel okay again.

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📚 Browse our Bookshop:
👉 bookshop.org/store/nonamepaper
A curated collection of books by authors featured on the show — focused on culture, leadership, and staying human in education.

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✨ Episode Description🧠 What You’ll Hear in This Episode🟡 Culture Before Compliance — Dr. Darren Pepperd (3:39–6:26)🟡 Small Wins That Restore Energy — Elizabeth Lainez (7:56–11:23)🟡 Burnout, Boundaries & Being Human — Todd Nesloney (12:27–16:07)🟡 A Little Fun to End — Culture Swap Game with Cheryl Graf (17:12–21:17)🛑 Important Podcast Update🌱 Looking Ahead: What’s Coming in the New Year💬 Stay Connected🎁 A Simple Way to Support the Podcast