Leading Better and Growing Faster with Joe & TJ: Guest Debbie Silver Talks about Inspiring Educators to Enjoy the Job They Once Loved

About Debbie Silver

Dr. Debbie Silver is a former Louisiana Teacher of the Year, a best-selling author, and a highly sought-after speaker. She has presented to educators, administrators, parents, and students in 49 states, Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and the Middle East.

Her best-selling books include Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers, Teaching Kids to Thrive, and the recently updated and revised Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8, and Deliberate Optimism: Still Reclaiming the Joy in Education.

Debbie’s high-energy sessions address both the art and heart of teaching. Audiences delight in hearing this 30-year veteran teacher whose presentations are described as “where learning collides with laughter.”

What You’ll Find in this Episode with Debbie Silver

Debbie starts off with the fact that her book Deliberate Optimism focuses on leadership, specifically teacher leaders.

Dr. Silver talks about the need for teachers to have more time without students so they can break the stagnation and build a relationship culture.

Don’t miss what she says about optimism and “what matters.”

Debbie talks about incremental steps rather than massive changes. We need to balance the art and the heart of teaching.

She reminds us to look for glimmers, not triggers.

She dives into the idea of failing better and building our collective efficacy.

She talks about teaching educators to vent properly and not pull the profession down.

Don’t miss what she says about new teachers not having more than 4 hours of teaching a day so that they can spend more time observing master teachers.

T.J. asks Debbie about modeling. Don’t miss her response and her call for unity.

Her insight about teacher training and isolation is thought provoking. What we expect from teachers, specifically new teachers, is impossible and unlike any other profession.

Joe mentions the potential that PLC have to support teacher capacity and growth. Listen to what she says they cannot be.

Her ingredients for leadership success are straightforward: common vision, shared value system, mutual respect, and optimism.

Debbie brings up Brene Brown, Rick Wormli, Association of Middle Level Educators, and other resources that you’ll want to check out.

The one thing people should do more regularly is to give others the benefit of the doubt. She reminds us that adults want to be treated like adults.

Dr. Silver ends with wanting to learn more about how to use Artificial Intelligence. Our riff on Chat GPT is great.

Let us know if there’s a guest who you want us to have on the show by leaving a comment below or by contacting us at [email protected]. And don’t miss our leadership content updates every week by subscribing on the site.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Joe & T.J.