Turning disagreements in to alliances in K-12 education (with Dr. Barb Flowers)

De Facto Leaders

There’s a lot of "us vs. them" thinking happening relating to what’s going on in the school systems.

Parents feeling like teachers don't want to accommodate students with diverse learning needs.

Teachers feeling like administrators don't understand because they aren't in classrooms anymore.

Therapists feeling like teachers don't want to reinforce strategies in their classrooms, or that administrators don't value their expertise.

It’s easy to default to thinking the worst of the person on the other side of the table, but what if we approached interactions assuming the BEST?

When we assume the worst, we may miss opportunities to form partnerships; or at the very least, have compassion for other people who are most likely trying to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.

Giving someone the benefit of the doubt is a challenge when you’re burnt out, or if you feel the person you're interacting with has more authority and power than you.

That’s why I wanted to have a conversation about this topic with Dr. Barbara Flowers, an elementary principal and life coach for educators and administrators.

Barb Flowers is an elementary school principal and an educator life coach with 14 years of experience in the field of education. Holding a Ph.D. in K-12 Leadership and currently pursuing certification as a Confidence Coach, her passion lies in supporting educators to reduce burnout and enhance their confidence in their roles. Drawing from her personal journey as a teacher and early administrator, during which she struggled with confidence issues and self-doubt, she is driven to help others in overcoming similar challenges. Now, her mission is to empower educators, ensuring they navigate their professional journeys with resilience and self-assurance. Barb also is the host of The Teacher Burnout Podcast and The Principal's Handbook Podcast.

In this conversation, we discuss common conflicts that happen in K-12 education and how to resolve them, including:

✅Finding time to pull kids out for therapy; considering both the therapist’s and teacher’s point of view.

✅Determining when kids should receive support in a special education setting versus when they should stay in general education with support.

✅Navigating co-teaching: Does it make things easier for general education teachers, or does it add more work to their plates?

✅When being good at your job becomes a hazard: How to avoid overloading staff who are good at supporting students with complex needs.

✅Why therapists are hesitant to co-teach, and how to have conversations with your building administrator about making inclusion intentional.

You can connect with Barb on her website here (https://barbflowerscoaching.com/) or on Instagram @barbflowerscoaching (https://www.instagram.com/barbflowerscoaching/).

Listen to The Teacher Burnout Podcast here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-teacher-burnout-podcast/id1680061535).

You can listen to my conversation with Barb on The Principal’s Handbook Podcast here (https://cp.bepodcast.network/episodes/effective-strategies-for-collaborating-across-multidisciplinary-teams-with-karen-dudek-brannan)
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I also mentioned The School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers guide their teams to support students’ executive functioning across the day. This program will help you plan direct therapy, but will also help you lead change management on your team, no matter your job title. You can learn more about the School of Clinical Leadership here (https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership).

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