Leaders shape culture by what they choose to value out loud. 'Kindness' doesn't always get center stage, but what if it is one of the most reliable indicators that a school community is healthy? We have a moving conversation with Julie Magadance, assistant director for counselling and guidance services in a large urban school district in San Antonio, Texas, and start with a moment from a graduation ceremony that stayed with her - where school leaders highlighted kindness as being the most redeeming characteristic of an entire graduating class, and celebrated the impact to the whole school community.

Having supported young people from ages 4-18 in her capacity as teacher, school counselor and crisis intervention counselor, Julie reflects on how positive character traits such as kindness, unfold for all ages in environments of empathy and connection. As young people grow, the audience gets bigger, the social world gets louder, but the core need for safety, boundaries, mattering and belonging stays constant. Solution Focused conversations and interventions by school staff, counselors and caring adults, help students to support one another as they productively learn in inclusive spaces.

Join Julie's Solution Focused Online Peer Consultation Group which she co-facilitates with Sharon Casey and Erin Cusanno. This group is for school based practitioners and leaders. Go to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScP0LA0i7yes1SIjaMjibuAP-RO00gxE47e0czLnas9i1OAEg/viewform.

We thank you for listening! Please subscribe, share this episode with an educator or school leader, and leave a review so more people can find us.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Work Collaborative, a not-for-profit movement restoring confidence in schools worldwide. Based on the best-selling book Change Starts Here by Shane Leaning and Efraim Lerner, Work Collaborative helps schools lead change from within instead of relying on external solutions. The collaborative’s approach trusts that teachers, leaders, parents and students have the capability to solve their own challenges when given the right support. If you're interested in solution-focused approaches that build internal capacity, join this global movement of educators at workcollaborative.com.

Instructional Coaching Group is the global destination for coaching in education, including instructional coaching and leadership coaching. Led by Dr. Jim Knight, ICG’s work is grounded in more than 25 years of research focused on improving teaching and strengthening leadership, with the ultimate goal of increasing student success. Through research-based learning and consulting, the Instructional Coaching Group partners with schools and systems worldwide to build sustainable coaching practices and programs that support schools. www.instructionalcoaching.com

The Canadian Centre for Brief Coaching (CCBC) - Founded by Dr. Haesun Moon, is a company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The CCBC provides competency-based workplace training programs as well as coaching and consulting services to organizations across sectors, both in Canada and across the globe. Since its inception as a research body and think tank comprised of graduate students, subject-matter experts and community partners, the CCBC has evolved to provide programs and services designed with Solution Focused Coaching as the fundamental framework. Go to: www.pracademia.com

Family Based Solutions is a charitable organization based in the UK and founded by Ayse Adil and Joe Lettieri. They offer counselling services, support groups, solution focused training, online support and global leadership. They work collaboratively to end the cycle of abuse in families and to repair relationships. Using Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), FBS gives families full control of their healing, alowing families to take small and manageable steps toward their bests hopes. Go to https://familybasedsolutions.org.uk/