This interview was originally recorded on July 29, 2022, as part of Leoni Consulting Group’s All Things Marketing and Education Podcast.
Access this episode's show notes, including links to the audio, a summary, and helpful resources.
[Start of recorded material 00:00:01]
Elana:
Hello, and welcome to All Things Marketing and Education. My name is Elana Leoni, and I've devoted my career to helping education brands build their brand awareness and engagement. Each week I sit down with educators, EdTech entrepreneurs, and experts in educational marketing and community building. All of them will share their successes and failures using social media, inbound marketing or content marketing, and community building. I'm excited to guide you on your journey to transform your marketing efforts into something that provides consistent value and ultimately improves the lives of your audience.
Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of All Things Marketing and Education. This week, I am excited to be sitting down with William Jeffery, a.k.a. Coach Jeffery on the Twitters and everywhere else, I think. William is the principal at Columbia High School in Columbia-Brazoria Independent School District in Texas. So we'll be talking to him a little bit about his role in the school in a leadership position now. But William is also one of those rare folks that have worked in the classroom, started out science teacher – for all those science teachers listening, what's up? He was a basketball coach, and then he transferred over into the district, too. So I find your journey fascinating, William. We'll get into it. But you were at the district as a digital learning specialist and a science coordinator. Now you're back in the school as a principal. So we're going to talk all about that.
And for those of you educators that are like, "Oh, I want to do what he did. What are some tips?", we'll get into all of that. William is also a pro podcaster, and I got to be honest, I'm like, "You're the expert here. I'm a little nervous. I'm just one that likes to talk to educators." He hosts and produces not one but two popular podcasts. One's called I Want to Speak to the Principal. And he also does a Flipboard EDU podcast, too. So William is, like all the people on my show, really humble, inspiring, people gravitate towards him, he gets awards. And the latest award he's gotten is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Award in 2020. And then he also got the award for being an Outstanding Educator in 2020. This is during the pandemic, whoa! From Corporate Vision Magazine. So I first met William at San Antonio ISTE. Do you remember that? Like their first –
William:
Yeah, I do.
Elana:
Yeah. Yeah. And I think someone – I was in a hall, someone said, "You got to meet William. You got to meet Coach Jeffery." And I think maybe it was like Rafranz or something. And we started talking and we ended up at the same lunch with Shelly's family.
William:
Yes.
Elana:
Maybe we'll, like, post the picture in the Show Notes, but we have this, like, gaggle of educators. What is it? Like, 20 educators and Shelly Terrell's family. And they all live in San Antonio, and they hosted us. And that was such a beautiful moment, we're at this beautiful Mexican restaurant, and we had mariachi bands and stuff. And we all just got to know each other. But I remember my talk with you, and the more I started learning about you, I'm like, "You need to get your voice out more. You're doing some really cool things. We need to get you blogging." Like, at the time, podcasts weren't a big thing. But look at you now, you're on all the podcasts. So I don't want to say that my claim to fame is getting you to do that, but I just remember that sticking with me, that conversation. I'm glad that your voice is out there, and that you're helping so many people with your wisdom and from your different perspectives in all of the places in education.
So we are going to be talking about the power of podcasting today. Really all things EdTech, as those become very ubiquitous. I'm sure he's going to be dropping some tech stuff throughout it all, his experience, really, and his journey of being in all these places in education and what it's taught him. So, lots to talk about. Let's start by welcoming William Coach Jeffery to the podcast. So excited to have you here.
William:
Thank you for having me. I really appreciate you taking the opportunity to interview me. And looking at someone like yourself, I'm like, "Man, that's an amazing thing. You're on a podcast, you have your own podcast, you run your own company." I mean, I think you do amazing things. You're a great connector. So just thank you for the opportunity.
Elana:
Oh, thank you. It's a bit smoke and mirrors. I always feel like such an imposter. All I want to do in this space is really elevate your all voices because – and I want our space to learn and listen as much as possible to the people that they're serving, as good marketers should do.
So William, let's talk a little bit about you. I know it is probably hard to talk about yourself sometimes. But I'd love to start from the beginning of, like, you may be in high school or college and saying, "Gosh, I want to be a teacher." And in your case, you became a science teacher. But, like, how did you get into the world of education?
William:
Well, believe it or not, I was a special education student. I did not learn to read until I was in the third grade. And I was illiterate, like, the first beginning part of my elementary school. And come to find out I had dyslexia, I didn't know it. And I didn't get a pass from my parent until it came on The Cosby Show when Theo was dyslexic. There was an episode where Theo wasn't doing good in school, and I remember watching that episode and my parent, my mother and my grandmother was sitting there, and they finally got it. They was like, "Huh."
So that's when I started to get a lot of extra help. So I was a special education student. I almost failed the fifth grade. I did go to college. I graduated from high school. I played basketball. I was not an NBA prospect, but in my mind I thought I was, and I thought that I could play college basketball. And I tried to walk onto a team at Prairie View, and it didn't work. And so, I just know that my parent told me to go to college. So I didn't know what to major in. And so I saw this young lady who I thought was attractive. And stupid, I walked up to her, trying to holler at her, and she told me she was a biology pre-med major. And I said, "Me, too." And we were right in the orientation line, and so that's how I chose my major.
And I struggled biology pre-med, I ended up dropping out of college twice. And I went back, I finally graduated. It took me a long time to finish college, probably about six years, maybe seven if I'm being honest, to finish my undergraduate degree. Which I finished in biology pre-med. At that time, I was working in the pharmacy at Walgreens as a part-time job, learning to be a pharmacy technician. Got really good at that. Didn't know that dyslexia was actually a bonus because it allows me to be creative. I was very good at my job, I learned the medicines very well, and I tried to go to pharmacy school. I took the MCAT, I didn't do good on the MCAT. I took the pharmacy test, and at the same time when I was working in a hospital. So I started off working at Walgreens, and then I transitioned to a pharmacy technician – that was in the hospital. And one of the busiest hospitals in Houston, Texas, they were looking for a person with a degree to teach a night class to adults to get into pharmacy technician. Because I had the degree and my brother had encouraged me to go to graduate school, I had just started graduate school at that same time.
And so that's what happened, that's how I became a teacher. So I did adult education at a place called Remington College. I taught there for about two and a half years. And then from Remington College, I went and got a job. And the North Side High School, which is now called – it was Jeff Davis High School, but it's now North Side High School. Went to go work there as an assistant basketball coach, assistant football coach, and a physics teacher. And so that's what started my journey.
I had great mentorship at that place. I worked there for nine years, and I loved that place. My coworkers were amazing. And so they taught me how to teach. I learned I was a horrible teacher. I thought I knew what I knew when I came from the college. But they really taught me how to work with students with low socioeconomic backgrounds. The average student at that particular time at Jeff Davis High School, which is now North Side High School, the average income was $29,000. That was probably about like 15 years ago. So students were very poor. It was 98% Hispanic. I did not speak Spanish at all. It was great, it was just a great experience. And I learned how to teach. It was in the middle of fifth ward, which is one of the poorest areas in Houston, Texas. So we call it the hood, but I was embraced by the families, I was embraced by the faculty. Ended up becoming a varsity head basketball coach from there. My principal was really pouring a lot of me, a lot of mentoring. I was one of the first teachers to use technology in the classroom. As a matter of fact, I went and got all of the old computers and put them in my classroom, and they were trying to figure out like, "You're doing physics, you're doing science. How are you using technology in the classroom like this?
So basically what happened from there is, I started a training in HISD. I'm going to toot my horn and say I was the first person to use technology at a high level in Houston independent school district. I was using Google Docs when it was rightly – that's just how long I had do it. I was a part of Google Buzz, the first part, when that came out and then when they transitioned to Google Plus. And I was all on top of that. My class was on Google Buzz and on Google Plus. And if I'm really being honest, I could say that I probably helped to start Google Classroom, if we really want to be honest. Because nobody was really using it like that in the beginning.
And then from there, I went to Fort Bend ISD to go work with the Hall of Fame basketball coach. Because at that time I thought I was going to be an NBA coach. And I went to go work with a Hall of Fame coach, which was another amazing time of my life. Because that's my start of being mentored into leadership. And so working with the hall of fame coach, Ronnie Courtney, that taught me just a different mindset on how to be a leader in a community, how to lead students on another level, and how to be a leader amongst my peers.
And then from there, that's where my technology integration experience reached a new level. From there, I went to become a digital learning coach in Fort Bend ISD, which I had another group of amazing people, we call them Team Awesome. I still keep in touch with them today, and they mentor me, as well. And so that's when I learned about presenting on national stages, presenting at TCA, a presenting at ISTE, those things came about. Doing things that are viral, consulting with companies about different products, which is just how I got introduced to Flipboard at that particular point. Flipboard wrote an article because I was using Flipboard in my classroom. And from there, I went to be a K-12 science coordinator for a district of about 28,000 students. And from there – I've stayed there about two years, and now I'm an assistant – and that was four years ago. And I was an assistant principal for three years at Columbia High School, home of the Mighty Roughnecks.
Elana:
He's pointing to his shirt for all of you that are just listening on audio.
William:
I got to represent. And now I'm the principal, so great. I'm there with another group of great people. I have great teachers who I love being a part of. I love working with them. I don't want them to ever say they work for me. We all work together to achieve a goal. And that is to help students become successful. And I have great mentorship and my assistant superintendent, Chris Miller, and my superintendent, Steven Galloway. And I'm just lucky. I've been blessed to be around good people. So, that's my career in the nutshell.
Elana:
And you said so many amazing things, but I want to just start and say thank you for sharing your initial journey to education. Especially because it's not – I think sometimes people think educators are born, like they want to be a teacher. They talk about it in elementary school, and it's this linear path. But sometimes it's messy, and messy in a good way, where you're just trying to find some self-discovery, and we have some significant challenges. And you had a lot of challenges. So I thank you for telling us and being vulnerable enough to talk about, like, the learning disabilities and The Cosby Show and all of the things. I'm just still processing. I think that's really amazing.
One thing that stuck with me as you told the story was you had this confidence, and I love it. I love it. Like, this confidence, "I'm going to be in the NBA. I'm going to be an NBA coach. I was going to teach." And I was never born with that. Or maybe I just wasn't around a lot of people that fostered that in me. So I admire that. And when you said, "Oh, well, that didn't work out." You just readjusted and you learned. And I love that. I love that you're like, "Well, that didn't work out. But I learned this and I went here."
William:
That is just ignorance. I mean, and my ignorance is bliss. Like, I feel that when I put my mind to something, I don't know what it takes in order to do it. And so when I run into the buzz saw, and I'm down to the end, and I know it's not going to work, well then, I just get ignorant about something else, it just starts something new. So, that's really how it all boils down to, I guess, that confidence is just assuming that I can accomplish anything that I put my mind to. Until I run into, like, so much friction where it's time to change course. I've been lucky to be with people who, within every stage of where I've been is I'm lucky to have the right mentorship, to know when it's time to change course. And so I can't take all of the credit, it is just that somebody saw something in me and said, "You might want to look at it this way." And I think that's also important, too. In anybody's educational journey, whether you are a marketer or a salesperson or an EdTech consultant, or you're mentoring teachers, having people who can look at someone's abilities and steer them in a direction where they can be a lot more successful versus grinding their – bumping a head against the wall, I think that's important.
Elana:
Yeah. And this is the pro podcaster, and you already went for it. But I was like, I keep hearing the term mentor and you are lucky, you keep saying, "Over here, I had this mentor, and then I got mentored here, and then I got mentored here." And it's so important. And for you – potentially, I don't know, you can tell me this is because you come from a team mindset, team sport mindset. Maybe you were more open to even finding and identifying and welcoming it in mentors, too. Because your entire journey, you talked about not just you, but the team around you, right?
William:
Yes, yes. And then also, too, I know what my deficits are. I knew that early on, I couldn't read. And so I had to do a lot of creative things not knowing how to read, I had to pretend like I was up to speed with everybody else. And I remember the third grade, when they started to test and it became apparent I was illiterate. I had faked and faked and faked all the way up to that point. And then I was called to the carpet to make that change. And so when I got brought out of the classroom and I got in those small group things, my teachers made sure that I knew what I needed to do and to ask for the help that I needed. And I think that early on, like, those lessons embedded, kind of stuck with me, as long as my parent, too... Like when my mother found out that I was not – because my mother, I think, was a genius, actually. And there, I think I have several family members who are geniuses. And so when my mother found out that I couldn't read, it was a whole different approach to how learning happened in my house. And my mother and grandmother focused on learning my entire – while they were alive, that's what they talked about. That's something that was also fostered in my house. Like, if you don't know the answer, it's OK, ask. I think that's what happened.
Elana:
Yeah. And for the educators listening, a lot of you have – potentially right now, when you're listening, you might have shifted into a new grade level, a new school. You might be thinking of alternate career paths within education. We are talking to a man that went through lots of them. And really, I don't think you said, "Hey, I'm going to be a principal one day. Here's how it happens." It's just really kind of way-finding.
William:
Yeah.
Elana:
And if you're never too late to start something, please, I hope you find Coach Jeffery's story inspiring, because it inspires me of just going with the flow, but in a way, learning as much as possible. And if you have that attitude, I feel like you almost, like, were this gravitational pull for awesome people, because you're talking about all these awesome people in your life.
William:
That's why I started my podcast because I felt that with the people who I've been able to come in contact with, like you, Shelly Terrell, Dr. Sarah Thomas, Dr. Will, all these amazing – I don't really know Dr. Will, but Brian Romero Smith, Valerie Lewis. There's just so many talented educators who I've had conversations with – Rafranz Davis – just who have a mentoring mindset, people that I felt that people need to know. Like I needed to record these conversations of excellence. Not that it was excellence on my part, but just the intellectual knowledge that these people have. And they were about educating kids. And so that's something that I'm also very passionate about, because I was a special education student, and it took someone with passion to get me to even learn how to be literate. And so that's just something that I've always gravitated towards.
Elana:
So, getting a little specific, in your journey when you were in the classroom, in the school, it seems like it was more mentors helping you transition out. But there's a lot of educators in the classroom that are kind of thinking about, like, "How do I dip my toe in the water outside?" Whether it be, like, a tech integration role at the school, or maybe going district like you did. What were those things you were weighing about how you made that choice?
William:
Well, one of the things that I learned about when I was with Ronnie Courtney was he was a Hall of Fame basketball coach. And he had mentored a lot of different NBA players. He had coached so many NBA players. We had all kind of coaches coming to our school from all over the country, these major basketball programs. And so as I watched him and as he gave me leadership roles, we would talk. And he would say, "Hey man, you need to become an expert in your field. Like, it doesn't matter what you do. You're good in technology, and I know that you like basketball, but Jeffery, you might want to take a look at what that looks like. You need to fill out the role and become an expert."
And so he would push and he would talk, and I just loved his leadership style. I just thought he was just one of the most engaging, nuts and bolts – he knew about basketball. He forgot more about basketball than I ever knew. But he encouraged us to become an expert. And coaching with him let me know that I don't think that I would be as successful as a basketball coach as he would. And I was a pretty decent basketball coach, I mean, coaching against guys like that, that lets me know that I had a lot more to learn. And so where was my gifts? And so that was another thing that he used to – "What are you gifted in? And if you're gifted, and that's the thing that God put inside of your heart, so expand that."
And so those are the talks he would – those mentoring talks is what he would have for me. And so my mindset was, once I felt I filled my box, it was time to go to the next level. And so that was an encouragement of the people who I work with. I know as a leader currently, right now, I am trying to mentor teachers who are currently filled out their roles as teachers. And so one of the mindsets that they got is like, once you become an expert teacher that you shouldn't move on, but you should. Because anytime you grow anything, when it outgrows its base or outgrows its pot, you have plants behind you, you have to re-pot those and plant those in a new place.
And so when you have filled your environment, then you make room for somebody else. And so I think as a leader, it's important to look at the skills that people have and to also be a gardener, to help them to get to places where they can bloom. OK? And also to, in that same mindset, my mentality about leadership and about teachers going from one place to the next is that inside of every seed is a forest. And in the right conditions, that seed is going to grow into a tree. And that tree is going to produce fruit. And that fruit is going to produce a tree. And that tree is going to produce more trees and fruits. And so the issue is, if people aren't in the right environment, then they become negative, they die. And so basically what we want to do is, you need to move in order to grow.
Elana:
Yes. And I'm part of an education community called Nourished Teachers. And there's so many educators posting there sometimes about, like, "Hey, I'm in this environment, but I love my kids and I love my teachers. But I get yelled at a lot, or it's a toxic environment." And I just pause and say, "You need to leave." You're not able to, in your words, become that forest. You're stuck potentially as just one tree. It's scary, I can't imagine, like ... you seem to go in just, like, bullish and in a good way, and just be like, "I'm doing this." But for me, I get a little scared. It's a new place, a new environment. That's the right thing to be able to fully be that expert like you were talking about.
William:
Yeah, yeah. Once you've got that knowledge and your expertise and you can't grow anymore, then you look to give other people opportunities to grow past you. So if you're in the place where you feel you are doing the most work, then now that becomes your responsibility to put new people in the environment or create the environment where people can grow.
Elana:
Yes. That's like a mic drop moment right there. I was like, "Gosh, I need to do that." We all need to learn from you. So, let's dive into some EdTech stuff.
William:
Sure.
Elana:
I know that you talked about how you brought a lot of the EdTech stuff to the schools and districts. And you just are obviously really passionate about EdTech and using it in the right way to facilitate learning in the classroom. But in your different roles as a teacher in the district, and then now as a principal, like, how do you determine what tech to use? Like, what are the things you look for? And what are the things you're like, "Nope, not using that product."
William:
Most definitely. I look at, first of all, its pedagogy. And as we all know that every tech tool doesn't fit every situation. And what's most important in any type of educational format is the relationship between the learner and the person who has the knowledge. And so the issue is, whatever you can do to increase feedback where that learner and that teacher can exchange that basic principle of knowledge exchange between feedback and growth and feedback and growth, that's what tools need to be incorporated into a pedagogical cycle, where students are being successful.
And so, just certain frameworks that come to mind, the 5E Model, making sure that happens; blended learning, making sure that happens with students are given space and choice. And teachers are given opportunities where students can show knowledge in various ways using creativity. So it's very basic, these things that have always been around with good teachers: allowing students the ability to talk in class, allowing students to show their work, allowing students to be creative, allowing students to have choice over how they present it. And so with technology, that's what I'm looking at. Like, how does it fit in a pedagogical process? How does it allow the teacher to be the facilitator? And not get into the way of the exchange of instruction and learning. And then also, too, what ways does it give the student to get a glimpse into their future? How would this piece of technology be a part of their future? And can this be something that is beneficial to the learning process? And it will incorporate students to want to consume more knowledge?
Elana:
Yeah. I mean, you said a lot of things. The marketer in me is like, "I can make a checklist off of this, and this will be awesome for people." But I'm just going to list a couple. You said, like, blended learning, making sure that learning outcomes are fully supported, so we're not just, like, attracting to bells and whistles. We had another guest on our show, Lisa Highfill, and she talked about don't just have them do the technology, too. Like, go deeper and actually respond to it. Like, you ask them to put out something, look at it, incorporate it into your teaching, too. But that shift for students becoming creators, voice and choice.
So you said a lot of good things. And I think that for both, either teachers, principals, or EdTech professionals, like, listen and maybe rewind that part of, like, what are the considerations that educators really look at with this vast sea of technology? Are those specific tools that you're like, "These ones are really great for this, or these are the ones I generally say yes to?" Or are there red flags, too, and be like, "These are the tools I would not – " Not naming the tools but, like, the characteristics of like, "I just don't use tools that do this."
William:
So it's very basic for me. Again, I'm looking at things that will enhance the exchange between learning and teaching, teaching and learning. And that's why – I mean, it's a good time for me to throw in Flipboard. Flipboard, to me, is a Swiss army knife. Now, I don't get paid by Flipboard, I've never gotten paid by Flipboard, actually. It's just something that I use in my classroom accidentally; I stole it from another teacher. And so what this teacher was doing, this chemistry teacher, name was Lisa [inaudible 00:29:39]. When I worked in Fort Bend, she would put these magazines together for her students and to have them – after they finished their work, they would go to these magazines that she would create on Flipboard. And they would do some research and then they'd write a synopsis of what they read.
And so I was able to use that, but then also add other skills into that. So things that allow multimodal processing for students. So anything that is multimodal, where students can read, they can talk about it, they could write about it, they can create something from it, those are the things that I would say are high-yield for me. Anything that is passive that students like, low-level learning, as far as like a video or something that is low-level. Just something where students are just not necessarily creating, but just might be consuming, but consuming in a way that they can do it offline. Those are the tools that I probably will stay away from, things like that.
I'm excited about some of the ways that people are using technology, because some of the things that I never would've put together, people are using. Like, I know I spoke to someone on my show. Her name is Bia Valle, she's using Clubhouse to have people practice their English from all over the world. And then they make these Flipboard magazines and talk about those Flipboard magazines on Clubhouse. I thought that was amazing. Because Clubhouse, you go there and a lot of people are trying to sell you stuff. And then sometimes, it's the weirdest conversations. But I've found that class very fascinating. That's just one example. She's doing that with adults. So, just things like that, I find fascinating.
Elana:
Yeah. And it's just like, you give people their own voice and choice, like their digital toolbox to say, "Do this." And that educator was like, "Alright, let's throw in some audio. Let's throw in some free audio tools like Clubhouse." I love it. I mean, you mentioned a little bit about your podcast, and I'd love to be able to talk to you about your journey into podcasting, like professionally as an educator that has a couple of shows. But also, how have you seen it incorporated in the classroom with students and student learning? And how'd you get there? And all that fun stuff. Let's get into all things podcasting.
William:
My first initial introduction to podcasting was through a lady by the name of Rachelle Wooten who worked in Fort Bend. She wrote a book on podcasting. And I had been following up on it since about 2008. I always wanted to do it, but I never had the gumption to do it. And so Rachelle had wrote this book, and she was saying, "Hey man, you just might as well go ahead and do it." And then I met Rafranz Davis. And Rafranz was like, "Listen, you need to get your voice out there. You need to just do it." So I had two "just do its." And then I met you, and you was like, "Hey man, you need to just do it."
So it was not too long after I had those three "just do its" that I just went to my boss and I was like – or actually another mentor of mine – I was like, "Let's do a podcast. And I'm thinking about doing it, and I just don't have a name for it." He said, "Let's call it I Want To Speak To The Principal." Because he was a former principal and now a truancy officer, and I was supporting principals at that time. And he was like, "OK, let's do this." And so we did it.
The first episode I had me and another coworker of mine, and we did it and I loved it. Just recording a conversation and so I thought, and I had a lot of trial-and-errors just trying to figure out "What's my niche?" Then I ended up doing it by myself. So the podcast of I Want To Speak To The Principal was kind of like on hold. But how I got to my current podcast was during the pandemic. The pandemic had just started, and I told you that I was familiar with Flipboard, I used to go there for resources. And when I got there during the pandemic, like, right when the pandemic started, I was like, "I'm looking to look for resources, but I can't find it. I want to share it out. I don't see a lot of the educational resources that I used to have." And they were like, "Well, we were thinking about starting up our education part of it again, because we were doing these recipe walks where people would go and do these tastings around San Francisco." And because of the pandemic, they couldn't do it anymore.
And so they were looking for something else, and it just so happens that I pitched them, "Hey, can I do a podcast? And then I need to use your colors, and then I need to use your logo. And then I need to – can I do that? Can I write some information? And then y'all post it on there for teachers." And they was like, "Sure." And that's how that podcast came about. And now I'm like 75, 76 episodes in. And that was a huge blessing that I was able to work hand in hand, almost in a symbiotic relationship with Flipboard and the people that's there. And so that's how I started podcasting.
Elana:
Yeah. And for educators listening, too, sometimes podcasts can sound quite scary. But what we're really talking about is a way to connect and reflect. And podcasting is a way to do that. And if you decide to go that route, don't put this big thing on your head. Like, "I got to have downloads, and that's got to be perfect and I have to have this intro." Like, that's what stopped me. I'm sure that's what stopped Coach in the beginning, too. But like, you just go and you say, "I'm doing this to learn. Or I'm doing this for X." And don't care about anything else. And it will all come. But I have learned an incredible amount connecting and learning and, what you said, sharing it out. Like, that's how I initially used Twitter, because I felt selfish not sharing things out that I was privy to be a part of. I was privileged to be in a role that I could see educators across the U.S. "So what are you doing" – I just challenge educators on this call – "that you think needs to be shared out and help out the world? And how can you use anything? It could be podcasting, it could be blogging, it could be voice notes to yourself. But reflect, too, on your practice and learn and connect."
William:
Yeah, I agree. And that's a part of that becoming an expert in your field. Become an expert at what you like doing, and then share with other experts, get other people's perspectives. And that's all a podcast is, is a recorded conversation. And then look for a mentor, find somebody who may know a little bit more about you in that particular area. If you really want to hone in your skill and you want to sharpen a saw in that way, I think that's a really good way to do it.
Elana:
Yes. And I do want to mention that you do have that podcast planner for students, too. That people can plug in. Like, he literally got so into podcasting, here he created a planner for students to do it in their classroom. And it's, like, these really cool templates that they can download.
William:
Yes. So I do have a podcast planner for students and teachers. That was my first independent-type printing situation. So, that's something that I'm learning on, too. I was just one of those optics to put it out there and see what happens. And I quickly learned the Amazon copy-your-book situation. So, I'm planning a new way to get my books out there. But that's a great learning experience, to say that I've published those two – well, actually, I published three books. Been a part of publishing three different books, so that's good. Like to say I'm an author.
Elana:
Yes, you can. Yes, you can. Well, at this time, when this podcast will launch, it will be at the thick of educators planning for the school year, kind of towards the tail end. And I know that you have that past history as a basketball coach. And I'm wondering if you can give 'em a little bit of a pep talk. Like, well, this is a time where there's a lot of, I think someone put it to me like anxious anticipation when they go in. There's anxiety, there's past traumas, there's triggers, there's all sorts of things being thrown at them. And they probably had a month, maybe, depending on when their school district launches their school. But how did they navigate? How can you help them, Coach?
William:
Here's what I would tell you. If I was coaching you, I would tell you that if you are not having fun, you need to find something else to do. If you are not having fun with the kids that you are leading, you need to find something else to do. Because these kids are dependent on you. And not only are the kids dependent on you, you are dependent on you. And that joy and that happiness comes from what you already have inside of you. Because remember, inside of every seed is a forest. And the only way that seed can grow into a forest is if it's in the right environment. Make sure you take care of yourself, make sure you collaborate, communicate so that your education will be powerful. I believe in you. And if there's one thing that you can do to change your life, it is to go on with a positive attitude and to find joy in children.
Elana:
Oh, give me some goosebumps. And I love how you talk about it, really, it is finding your joy. And when you find your joy, you become this, like, joy bubble.
William:
Yeah.
Elana:
And you foster joy in others, and you become that mentor that you were talking about, that you were so lucky to find in your life.
William:
Yeah. I've been very blessed to just be around people who like what they do and just tell me to like what I do. I was talking to Mandy Froehlich, and she's telling me about mirrored neurons. We were talking about negativity. And so what the issue is that people who are really negative is that they have these mirror – well, we all have mirrored neurons. And so basically, they're trying to fit in. And so it works the same way with positivity. It's the reason why we watch sports, it's the reason why people coach. The people in the stands can't play the sport, but they're so much into it is because they're playing the game with the people that's on the court. So have that same mindset with children. Be the excitement and the joy when students learn something new, and that will invigorate you. Learn something new yourself, test yourself. Becoming expert is hard and fun. And for those of us who like learning, it's hard and fun, and it's good. It's good. It's life-changing.
Elana:
Oh, there's an emergency vehicle coming through here. So I just ... my mic is good, but I don't think it's that good.
William:
Yeah.
Elana:
All right. One of the things, when you were talking, it reminded me of, I find mentors – this just being a marketer – I find mentors in the marketing space at times. And Gary Vee is somebody I do look up for, for inspiration. If you look at him amongst all the socials, he's the first on things, he's talking and really in a blunt way. But one blunt thing he said very much mirrors what you said is that, be an expert. Find one thing, and if you're doing, like, I don't care if it's paid marketing ads, like, go in and take all the Facebook courses. Like, there's so much things free online is, like, there's no excuse not to just dive in, be that expert that you can be. And then start consistently connecting with other experts, getting better and better and better.
And that just reminded me of that. I know that there's lots of people that talk about it. There's that 10,000-hour thing about really jumping in and becoming that expert. But thank you for reminding me of that. Because we get lost, we get lost in the shuffle of work and that we've got to do so many things. And if educators could just actually teach and not be bothered by all of the, like – excuse my language – crap all around them that they have to deal with. Maybe they wouldn't lose sight as much, because our system isn't really designed for them to really fully own and be an expert. But it sounds like you were in systems that did support that.
William:
Yeah. I mean, I have my own barriers that I have to fight as a principal. Being in a place where students are in poverty, in some areas hard. And you go to work, and you try to fit the needs of people. But when you love something, that is the passion that you need in order to get you through the tough times. It's the love of something. And so that love only comes when you feed it. You have to feed it. And by feeding it, you may not be – some teachers don't need to be in the classroom. Some principals don't need to be principals of schools. If you don't love what you're doing, if you don't have love for it, if you can't find that love for it – and I'm talking about your job, not relationships with people. But I'm talking about your job. It's not set in stone, if that's how you have to make your money. You can make your money doing what you love. And that's what I think teachers have to remember is that make your money where you love to make money, what you love to do.
Elana:
Bit of a transition, I was going to ask you this question, but you just answered it. So you're going to have to answer another to this one. But we always ask all of our guests, especially in education. There's so many challenging times, I can't imagine all the challenging times you've gone through. But currently as a principal in a high-poverty district, how do you –
William:
I shouldn't say my district is high-poverty.
Elana:
OK.
William:
I shouldn't say that. In previous high-poverty districts.
Elana:
Currently not. OK. But when you are feeling just drained, you have those teachers, you have the students that just pull at your heartstrings, I can't imagine every day. How – beyond loving what you do, because love is something that guides you and obviously keeps refueling you. What are the other things you do to get you to focus, put that pep in your step? Get you to do those liners across the basketball court.
William:
Well, I am a believer, number one. And so I have to go to my source on a daily basis to make sure that I'm filled up enough so that I can get through throughout the day. And as I drain and fill pots, and as I have my pot filled, I just try to make sure that I'm doing what a believer should do. And walk in that right way, spending time with my family. My wife is an educator, my kids are both doing things and finding joy in what they do.
And then there's times where I need time to myself. And so that's also important, too. I'm just spending time with myself, making sure that my battery is charged, going to bed on time, which is just something I'm struggling with now. That's something that I really need to do better, is get in the bed and get up. I know I need to get in the bed and then get up. Also, too, managing our time is just writing down thoughts. One of my mentors, Dr. Michael Milstead, told me to get a journal. And just journal my thoughts. And the journaling was also very peaceful for me. It also helps encourage me, too. Because when I have bad days and I journal the things that I do, and I go back to look at how I got through those situations, it's motivating. So, those are some ways in which I try to get through tough times.
Elana:
Really good ways. So I hope those of you listening find inspiration and can find one of the things, whether it be the inspiration that William was talking about, or really all of the things. And from what I take away from this, is you have a beautiful mindset, and you have lots of challenges in education. There are insurmountable challenges. But it's really navigating all those challenges with joy. And I thank you for that gift, because it's a beautiful way to look at life. And when you do that, people will gravitate towards you.
So just to end this part of it, I know that people are like, "I want to hear more of this man. And he now has podcasts I can listen to, he has a website, I'm sure." Are there things and ways that people can get in touch with you?
William:
Yes. You can find me on social media all the way @CoachJeffery. And my podcast that's currently is the Flipboard EDU Podcast. I love that process, I'm still going through that. And I might revive the I Want To Speak To The Principal because my mentor, Dr. Michael Milstead is so busy. He's doing a whole bunch of stuff, but I like him as a cohost. But those are the ways you can get in touch with me. And you can also email me WilliamJeffery5@gmail.com if you want to talk.
Elana:
Awesome. Well, great. Thank you all for listening. We have some Show Notes. So there are a lot of resources that we talked about with Coach here. So you can access this episode's Show Notes at LeoniConsultingGroup.com/27. It's only our 27th episode, and I got like three times as many to go, but we're all just having fun in the journey. So that's LeoniConsultingGroup.com/27. And thank you all for listening. If you are finding these episodes valuable, we do appreciate reviews. It really helps us get the word out, people that need to hear these beautiful messages. So we will see you all next time on All Things Marketing and Education. Take care everyone.
Thanks so much for listening to this week's episode. If you liked what you heard and want to dive deeper, you can visit LeoniConsultingGroup.com/podcast for all Show Notes, links, and freebies mentioned in each episode. And we always love friends, so please connect with us on Twitter @Leonigroup. If you enjoyed today's show, go ahead and click the subscribe button to be the first one notified when our next episode is released. We'll see you next week on All Things Marketing and Education.
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Elana Leoni, Host
Elana Leoni has dedicated the majority of her career to improving K-12 education. Prior to founding LCG, she spent eight years leading the marketing and community strategy for the George Lucas Educational Foundation, where she grew Edutopia’s social media presence exponentially to reach over 20 million education change-makers every month.
William “Coach” Jeffery, Guest
William "Coach" Jeffery received his Bachelor's degree in Biology Pre-Med and a Master’s degree in Counseling Education from Prairie View A&M University. He earned a second Master's in Educational Administration from Stephen F. Austin University. Coach is currently the principal at Columbia High School in Columbia-Brazoria ISD. Additionally, he is an affiliate curator and author of educational content with Flipboard. He is the executive producer and host of two successful podcasts, I Want to Speak to the Principal and Flipboard EDU Podcast, which reach thousands on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Music. Coach’s latest accolades include the Microsoft Innovative Educator Award 2020 and Corporate Vision Magazine Education and Training Awards for Outstanding Educator 2020.
About All Things Marketing and Education
What if marketing was judged solely by the level of value it brings to its audience? Welcome to All Things Marketing and Education, a podcast that lives at the intersection of marketing and you guessed it, education. Each week, Elana Leoni, CEO of Leoni Consulting Group, highlights innovative social media marketing, community-building, and content marketing strategies that can significantly increase brand awareness, engagement, and revenue.
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