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Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Dr. Mel Vandevort - Educational Leadership, Educational Consultancy, Teacher Transition Coach, Educational Administration, Educational Entrepreneurship

223 episodes

17 hours ago

Send us a text Second semester doesn’t need more initiatives—it needs more intention. In this episode, Dr. Mel reinforces a message she’s already been naming all year: strong leadership isn’t about adding more, it’s about protecting what matters most. As the pressure ramps up and fatigue sets in, this conversation centers on choosing quality over quantity, leading with presence, and staying aligned to the mission so your people can finish the year strong. This episode is a reminder that New Y...

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Entrepreneurship,

Self-Improvement

All content for Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders is the property of Dr. Mel Vandevort - Educational Leadership, Educational Consultancy, Teacher Transition Coach, Educational Administration, Educational Entrepreneurship and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Send us a text Second semester doesn’t need more initiatives—it needs more intention. In this episode, Dr. Mel reinforces a message she’s already been naming all year: strong leadership isn’t about adding more, it’s about protecting what matters most. As the pressure ramps up and fatigue sets in, this conversation centers on choosing quality over quantity, leading with presence, and staying aligned to the mission so your people can finish the year strong. This episode is a reminder that New Y...

Show more...

Entrepreneurship,

Self-Improvement

Episodes (20/223)

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Quality Over Quantity: Living Out “New Year, Same Mission” in Second Semester #220

Send us a text Second semester doesn’t need more initiatives—it needs more intention. In this episode, Dr. Mel reinforces a message she’s already been naming all year: strong leadership isn’t about adding more, it’s about protecting what matters most. As the pressure ramps up and fatigue sets in, this conversation centers on choosing quality over quantity, leading with presence, and staying aligned to the mission so your people can finish the year strong. This episode is a reminder that New Y...

3 days ago

11 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

🧭The One Word That Will Shape Your Leadership This Year #219

Send us a text As a new year begins, it’s easy for leaders to feel pressure to set big goals, make sweeping changes, or “fix” everything at once. In this episode, Dr. Mel invites building leaders to pause—and choose something far more powerful than a resolution: one word to guide their leadership all year long. Listen to Episode #117 – Realign, Refocus, and Tackle 2025, for the steps to picking your word of the year. Reflection Questions for Leaders What do my staff, students, and commu...

4 days ago

9 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

⚡Power Surge New Year, Same Mission — Stronger Leadership #218

Send us a text As the calendar year comes to a close, Dr. Mel reminds building leaders that effective leadership doesn’t require reinvention — it requires recommitment. In this Power Surge episode, she encourages principals and school leaders to enter the new year grounded in purpose, aligned to mission, and focused on consistency over constant change. Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on...

5 days ago

4 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Power Surge ⚡It’s Not Too Late to Change the Ending #217

Send us a text In this Power Surge follow-up episode, Dr. Mel reminds building leaders that leadership growth doesn’t require a new role, a new year, or perfect timing. Inspired by A Christmas Carol, this short reflection challenges principals and school leaders to remember that even late in the school year, small, intentional leadership shifts can change culture and impact. Reflection Question: 👉 What is one small leadership decision I can make this week that changes the ending of this scho...

1 week ago

3 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Lessons From A Christmas Carol About Leadership, Legacy, and More #216

Send us a text In this holiday episode of The Empowered Educator Show, Dr. Mel reflects on leadership lessons from A Christmas Carol and connects them to the real work of building leaders. This episode focuses on reflection, relationships, school culture, leadership legacy, and the power of transformation. What I Cover: Why relationships matter more than authorityHow leadership experiences shape decision-makingWhat school culture reveals about leadership impactWhy legacy matters more than tit...

1 week ago

9 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Peace Over Pressure: A Christmas Eve Power Surge #215

Send us a text On Christmas Eve, the noise fades and the pace slows—inviting leaders to pause in a way they rarely allow themselves to do. In this special Power Surge episode, Mel speaks directly to school leaders who have been carrying responsibility, expectations, and unseen weight all year long. This episode is a reminder that leadership doesn’t always look like doing more. Sometimes, the most faithful leadership choice is stillness, trust, and rest. Grounded in the Christmas story and Scr...

1 week ago

2 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Power Surge⚡You Are More Than the Title on Your Door #214

Send us a text In this Power Surge episode, Mel reminds school leaders that their role—principal, assistant principal, superintendent—does not define who they are. When leadership becomes tied too tightly to a title, burnout, insecurity, and pressure follow. This episode calls leaders back to what truly matters: character, values, and heart-led leadership. Grounded in Scripture and leadership research, this short but powerful message will help you lead anchored, steady, and confident—no matte...

2 weeks ago

4 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Choosing What Fits Your School: Because Not Every Idea Is the Right One #213

Send us a text In this episode, Dr. Mel breaks down one of the most important — and overlooked — leadership skills for building principals: discernment. With so many podcasts, books, conferences, and PD sessions offering “must-try” strategies, it’s easy for leaders to feel pressure to implement everything they hear. But great leadership isn’t about collecting ideas — it’s about choosing the right ideas for your school, your staff, and your current season. Dr. Mel shares how to filter advice t...

3 weeks ago

12 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Leading Through the December Dip #212

Send us a text December has its own personality — kids are wired, staff are tired, and patience is thin. This stretch is real, and your leadership tone matters even more right now. Your team is watching your reactions, your pace, and your posture. The December Dip isn’t about perfection. It’s about steadiness. It’s about lifting the emotional weight your team is carrying just a little bit. Sometimes that looks like humor. Sometimes it looks like grace. Sometimes it looks like simply acknowled...

3 weeks ago

3 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

The App That Makes Data Feel Easy: A Look at Teamchers Technologies with Lea Hickerson #211

Send us a text In this episode, I'm diving into a tool educators have been begging for — something that finally brings data, collaboration, and accountability into one simple, modern space. Teamchers Technologies is an educator-created app designed to help schools move from episodic data meetings to everyday data-driven practice. Along with creator Dr. Lea Hickerson, I explore how the platform lets teacher teams and administrators set goals, store documents, collaborate in threaded chat...

1 month ago

22 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Power Surge Protecting Your Peace During Holiday Chaos #210

Send us a text “Be still and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10 Episode: The holiday season hits different in schools — concerts, programs, discipline spikes, evaluations, data cycles, parent emails, and schedule changes. It’s a lot. But even when the pace is fast, your spirit doesn’t have to be. You can choose stillness even inside a storm. Protecting your peace isn’t selfish — it’s stewardship. Peace is leadership currency. When you’re calm, it allows everyone else to settle. When you’re o...

1 month ago

4 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

10 Family Engagement Activities Every School Should Be Doing #209

Send us a text In this episode, Mel breaks down ten high-impact, easy-to-launch family engagement activities that help schools build trust, strengthen relationships, and create meaningful partnerships with families. These ideas work in every school setting — public, private, charter, or Christian — and can be scaled up or down based on your resources. If you’re looking for fresh ways to bring families into the learning experience, this episode gives you the exact blueprint. What You’ll Learn...

1 month ago

13 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Power Surge ⚡Don't Just Give Them Donuts, Give Them Gratitude #208

Send us a text Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase! Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points. Calling All Educators! I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more. I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources. I would really appreciate your input as a teac...

1 month ago

4 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

10 Family Engagement Strategies That Transform Schools #207

Send us a text Dr. Mel walks through ten research-backed family engagement strategies that help strengthen trust, boost achievement, and change the way families experience your school. Engagement isn’t about “getting parents to show up.” It’s about partnership — real, reciprocal, relationship-centered partnership that helps kids win academically, emotionally, and socially. Sources SchoolStatus — family engagement & communication best practices: https://www.schoolstatus.com/blog ParentPow...

1 month ago

17 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Power Surge⚡Leading with Joy, Even on Hard Days # 206

Send us a text Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase! Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points. Calling All Educators! I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more. I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources. I would really appreciate your input as a teac...

1 month ago

5 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

Power Surge⚡Hold Your Peace — Leading When the Voices Get Loud #205

Send us a text Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase! Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points. Calling All Educators! I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more. I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources. I would really appreciate your input as a teac...

1 month ago

4 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

🎙 Engagement in Action - Episode 4: Sustaining Momentum and Building a Culture of Growth #204

Send us a text In this final episode, Dr. Mel shares how leaders can move beyond coaching cycles to create a living culture of feedback and reflection that keeps engagement thriving. Learn how to build reflective habits, align systems to support growth, and celebrate wins to sustain teacher energy and excellence all year long. Download Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase! Down...

1 month ago

9 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

🎙 Engagement in Action - Episode 3: Model. Practice. Repeat. The Secret to Teacher Growth #203

Send us a text Modeling and rehearsal are the “secret sauce” of effective instructional leadership. In Episode 3, Mel breaks down how school leaders can coach teachers through modeling, practice, and repetition — simple but powerful strategies that turn new skills into classroom habits. This episode helps school leaders make coaching more collaborative, more actionable, and more effective — without increasing the workload. 🔑 Key Takeaways Model First — Then Ask Teachers to Try It Removes con...

1 month ago

7 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

🎙Engagement in Action — Episode 2: See It. Name It. Do It. Coaching in Real Time #202

Send us a text Episode 2 breaks down the “See It. Name It. Do It.” coaching cycle from Get Better Faster and shows how leaders can deliver high-impact, real-time feedback that quickly improves teacher practice and student engagement. Perfect for principals, APs, instructional coaches, and leaders looking to build confidence in coaching cycles and classroom walk-throughs. 🔑 Key Takeaways Real-Time Feedback Builds Faster Growth You don’t need a full post-conference to make change — micro-feedb...

2 months ago

10 minutes

Empowered Educator: Leadership in Motion | Educational Leadership, Principal Leadership, Teachers as Leaders

🎙Engagement in Action — Episode 1: How to Build a Strong Foundation #201

Send us a text n this kickoff episode of Engagement in Action, Dr. Mel lays the groundwork for how school leaders can coach teachers toward authentic student engagement and effective classroom management. Using the frameworks from Get Better Faster (Bambrick-Santoyo) and Teach Like a Champion (Lemov), Mel breaks down how to define, model, and sustain engagement as a leadership practice — not just a teacher strategy. This episode is designed for principals, assistant principals, instructional ...

2 months ago

9 minutes