The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast with Daniel Bauer

Author: Daniel Bauer

The BETTER LEADERS BETTER SCHOOLS podcast is in the TOP 0.5% most downloaded shows of over 2 million podcasts across the world. The BLBS show was created for RUCKUS MAKERS in education -- those out-of-the-box school leaders making change happen. Launched in 2015, this category-defining podcast in educational leadership has helped over 1 MILLION leaders LEVEL UP. Each week host DANIEL BAUER has a conversation with a leadership expert and invites you to listen in. Turn your commute, chores, or workout into professional development and then GO MAKE A RUCKUS! BLBS is the #1 downloaded podcast for school leaders.
Be a guest on this podcast

Language: en

Genres: Courses, Education, How To

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

Get all podcast data

Listen Now...

How ABCDE Days Made 6th Graders Love Science Again with Jessica Levine & Mitch Weathers
Episode 53
Tuesday, 30 December, 2025

📣 The Ruckus Report Quick take: Jessica Levine restructured Wednesdays to unlock autonomy, connection, and deep learning in her sixth-grade science class. Joined by Mitch Weathers, this episode explores student voice, the power of routine, and why helping kids feel known is just as critical as teaching content. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Makers Jessica Levine is a sixth-grade science teacher who created "ABCDE Days" — a protocol born from pandemic chaos that now transforms how her students learn, reflect, and grow. Mitch Weathers is an educator, author, and systems guru who helps schools build executive function and organization into the DNA of instruction. He co-founded Organized Binder and co-authored a new book on self-regulation in early grades. 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧠 Key Insight #1: School should center the whole child, not just content. What's broken: Treating academics and social-emotional learning as separate. The shift: Jessica's "B" day prompts students to reflect on how they're being — emotionally, socially, and mentally. Impact: Deeper student connection, emotional literacy, and trust in the classroom. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Systems aren't stifling — they're liberating. What's broken: Teachers winging it or relying on memory for every class routine. The shift: Mitch shows how naming and systematizing common tasks frees up energy for deeper learning. Impact: Students thrive with predictability, and teachers save time and sanity. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Every student deserves a caring adult connection on campus. What's broken: A shocking number of students report not feeling seen by a single adult. The shift: Simple routines like anonymous surveys and sticky-dot walls help identify who's floating through school unseen. Impact: Schools proactively create connections — and prevent isolation-driven behavior issues. 💬 Quotable Ruckus "I'm not teaching content anymore. I'm teaching kids how to learn — and how their brains work." – Jessica Levine 🏋️ Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask students one "B" question: How are you being? This Month: Add structure to one routine that currently drains your energy. This Semester: Run a campus-wide check — does every student have one trusted adult? 🔗 Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript here 🔗 Join us on the Adorable Red Hats show. 📧 Email hello@adorableredhats.com with your pitch. 👩🏻‍💻 Learn more at adorableredhats.com. 📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning? This show isn't about doing school better. It's about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible. 🧠 Here are four ways we can help you on your Do School Different journey 📬 Subscribe to the Free Newsletter — An opportunity to Do School Different 3x a week. Tools, mindset shifts, and strategies that actually work: https://ruckusmakers.news 🗖 Read Ruckus Maker Media — Exclusive content on Substack. Premium leadership insights, AI prompts and custom gpts, new books before the bookshelf: https://ruckusmakers.media 💥 Join The Ruckus Maker Club — Our private network + workshops, The Automatic School tools, AI Prompt Library, and more: https://ruckusmakers.club 🤨 Apply to the Mastermind — Weekly coaching, peer mentorship, and our proven leadership system (The Ruckus Maker Flywheel) to help you transform your campus: https://betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermind 🔍 Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: ODP Business Solutions® Looking to create the kind of campus experience students never forget? ODP Business Solutions® transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary learning environments. 🔍 Learn more: odpbusiness.com/education IXL Over 1 million teachers rely on IXL because it is empowering, it helps them make better decisions with reliable data, and it adapts instruction based on student performance. 🔍 Learn more: ixl.com/leaders Play Piper Too many students love tech but don't see themselves as scientists or engineers. Play Piper's hands-on STEM kits and engaging curriculum changes that. 🔍 Learn more: playpiper.com © 2025 Twelve Practices LLC | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?