On this episode of the Innovative Schools podcast, Liz and Will sit down with Doctor. LaQuanta Nelson to talk about how important positive and clear communication is in your school. Come on, let's learn together.
Will Anthony:Hey, everybody. Welcome to this episode of the Innovative Schools Podcast. My name is Will. I'm joined today with Liz.
Liz Freeman:Hey, everybody. Glad to be here.
Will Anthony:Awesome. Awesome. We're also joined today by Laquanta Nelson. Say hey, Laquanta.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Hello. Hello. Great morning.
Will Anthony:It is a great morning. It is a Before great we hop into everything today, I just wanna, of course, thank you for being here. So glad you could be a part of this episode of Quanta. But I wanted to ask you both a question. It kinda was gonna move into our topic, so I'll just start here.
Will Anthony:What's something a leader can do or has done that you've seen that immediately makes you question their leadership?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:You're coming in hot this morning.
Will Anthony:Course. Course.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:In hot. I think for me, it is tough to sit in a seat and know that your leader is being untruthful. Like, I think that is one of those that immediately makes you question their leadership. I can be honest in saying that it is not always easy to be transparent as a leader, knowing that there are a lot of always moving pieces and pieces to the puzzle that everybody does not understand. However, to just blatantly be untruthful says to my head, alert, alert, alert.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Okay. So I think that that's it for me. That's one of those red flags for me.
Will Anthony:Absolutely. I can definitely agree with that. I was thinking if they just can never admit a fault, if everything is always someone else's fault, it's always someone else's doing, it's never on them. I think that's a big one for me, for sure.
Liz Freeman:Yeah. I don't know. I'm thinking there's so much value in having a really good team and being led by a really great leader. And so I think one thing that really shakes me up is when from the top down, there is kind of like a disrespect. Like they don't value the contributions of a really good team.
Liz Freeman:Because I think we're all being partnered together for this time to bring about a common good and you can't do that when there's disrespect or untrust, you know, that's hard.
Will Anthony:Absolutely. I really like those answers. I feel like I in my past experience before working, you know, with Accutran, feel like I could definitely spot out those moments that we've kind of named and what I've kind of dealt with before. So I just like like hearing you explain it immediately gave me a story, you know, in my head to kind of talk about and mention. So that was nice.
Will Anthony:Awesome. Well, I wanted to set that up because we want to talk about positive communication in leadership in schools. That's what we wanted to kind of focus on today. So LaQuanta, if you wouldn't mind just for a minute first, just kind of letting our guests know maybe what you've been up to, what you do normally, and where you're at. That would just be just kind of let them know what you've been doing.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:That's a loaded question. What have I been up to? All the things, right? I'm just so fortunate to be able to do what makes my heart smile every day. And that is supporting schools and organizations around building these cultures that everyone can thrive in, whether we're talking about the janitor, whether we're talking about a senior, or, you know, we're talking about your front office receptionist.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so it's just great to be able to do that. So I have some new partner schools that we've been working with. It's a tough time for everybody. Right? Because schools are are these microorganisms or these these microisms of of the greater society in which they operate.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? And so it's no secret that right now, like, a lot of places are struggling for one reason or another. And so people come in schools and and organizations, and they're the same people who are struggling outside of the building. Right? So they come in the building and they're struggling.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so how do we come into a space and level set and align regardless of what's happening outside of the building to get the work done, especially in schools? You know, it's critically important that we get education right more now than ever before. So I'm just so fortunate to be able to do that on a day to day basis. So yeah, that's what I'm up to in schools and organizations, helping them figure out how do we make this place even more compassionate? Wow.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:How do we make this a place that people feel like they are seen, they're valued, they're heard, that we believe in them. And so that's my day to day now. Of course, I miss being in my own building every day. Like that's a real thing, like I struggle with that, but I know that I'm doing my dash, you know, that we don't like but to talk about at some point or another, we all are going to get out of here. And so I want to do as much good to as many people as I possibly can.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so right now that is what purpose work looks like for me is being in multiple places at multiple times.
Liz Freeman:That's so beautiful. Thank you.
Will Anthony:That is awesome. Now did you used to be a I'm just starting to forget. Did you used to be a teacher? What what was your past in education?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I was a math teacher, and and and everybody asked, like, what do what do you do for a living? And I'm still a math teacher. Okay? I am still I am forever a math teacher, middle school math teacher. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so that's how I started my career. And I'm just so fortunate to have started right there in the middle. Know, lot of people are like, Middle school is crazy. Like, No, keep me away from middle schools. I absolutely love middle schools.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:It's the special place for crazies like me, right? You gotta be a little bit, a lot of bit, okay, if we're honest. Crazy to love middle school and I absolutely do. So yeah, I started as a middle school math teacher, did that for quite a few years. And then I, you know, I never imagined myself being an administrator.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:That was not my desire in life. Okay? My desire was to remain a math teacher for twenty, twenty five years and then help other math teachers. That was my goal. But, you know, my folks found out that I had some certification and training and the ability, and they were like, uh-uh.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Come on up. Come on up. So I did. The rest is history. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:That's
Will Anthony:They pulled you right up there.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Yeah.
Will Anthony:Alright. Awesome. Well, let's get into it. I wanna kinda get into the meat of what we're talking about. So Laquanta, I've heard you use this term before, vibrating higher.
Will Anthony:What does that mean? And what does that mean for teachers specifically?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Listen. Ultimately, what it means is that we must manage our emotions if we want to maximize our impact. I think that's the shortest way that I can help. Like, if you want to have high levels impact with students, you know, if you wanna have high levels of learning with your students, if you wanna have high performing teams in your schools, and you're like, you have got to learn how to operate above the noise. You've got to learn how to, regardless of what's going on around you, not let it get in you.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Okay? So that you can go higher. I always give this analogy, you know, is there are just some things that are too heavy to hold onto if you want to go to your next level. And so vibrating higher is about that. It's about understanding that how I feel in a morning before I walk into a building is gonna have this massive impact on the people that I interact with throughout the day.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:You know, COVID taught us we are all spreading something. Okay? Every day, all day.
Will Anthony:We love that. All spreading something.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so vibrating higher is this concept of what are you spreading every day? Are you spreading positive energy? Are you spreading love? Are you spreading that anxiety that you have deep within? Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And we've just got to be EQ, I say it all the time, you can have a great IQ, but if your EQ is thrown off, your impact is compromised. That's what vibrating higher is all about, recognizing And research has shown us this, right? So y'all, my background is also in psychology And I really feel like my background in psychology has aided me just as much or even more than my degrees in education, right? Yeah. Research in psychology has proven time and time and time again that, you know, this concept of this phrase that we've said lately, catch my vibe.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Like, that's a real thing that's been proven. Right? So if you hold your arms all the way out, like, in essence, we have this force field around us all day, every day that's carrying your energy. And so think of this, as you're passing through the grocery store, you don't even have to say hello to somebody. Like literally you are passing them and you are communicating through your energy.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so vibrating higher is all about honoring that. Like that's heavy, but it's also beautiful. Like if you're aware, it's like, wait a minute, let me check myself. Let me check myself before I step into this position because who you are in your person has a direct impact on who you are and how you operate in your profession. And so that vibrating higher is all about that.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:If you want to have greater results with the people that you work with, the people that you teach, that you lead, that you love, you first got to master your emotions and make sure that you're bringing the best version of yourself every single day. So that's what that's about.
Will Anthony:I actually really like that phrase. That's something I have been thinking about
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Yeah.
Will Anthony:As of, like, just recently kind of preparing for this as well. Like, I play on some different volleyball teams sometimes. And just when we start the game, if we're not starting hype and excited, the first ball drops and hits the ground, attitude dropped immediately. Yeah. And it's so hard to pull that back up.
Will Anthony:It's like, it's so immensely difficult to be able to do that. So that's sort something I've been really thinking about is just trying to focus on vibrating higher to just keep it in check and be showing up my best self the best that I can for everybody. Yeah. That's really good. Yeah.
Liz Freeman:I have a question. Sure. Laquanta, I have had the honor and privilege of being around you at many of our Innovative School Summits. Yes. And every time I see you walk through the hallway or you're walking into one of those breakout rooms or precon rooms, and you always, always, always just have that really positive, very vibrating high kind of energy where you're just spreading that positivity.
Liz Freeman:I always see a smile on your face. And I know that can't always be incredibly easy or simple to do. Like, do you have any, like, strategies that you practice that are helpful when you're like, hey, I'm bringing a lot of stuff in the door, but I want to show up as my highest and best self. Like, can you help me girl? Help our help our listeners.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:You know, we are our habits. Our habits I think I posted this morning about this, like your thought patterns. Right? Yeah. Your habits really dictate your being.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:If if you I'm a crybaby, so, you know, you're talking about me smiling all the time. I'm literally over here, like, you know. But it's critically important that you create habits of of wellness. You know, some of us are focused so much on our physical, you know, I'm going to the gym, I'm pumping iron, I'm doing this, but you forget your spiritual being. You you forget your your mental being.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so for me, I I am a woman of faith. I daily meditate. I start every morning crisscross applesauce on the floor. And if it's a morning where I get up and I find myself, like, in a rush, I'm like I literally, at some point in the morning, have to stop to practice this this attitude of gratitude are a game changer for me. There was just a study that was done not too long ago basically around this concept of those that are practicing gratitude versus not.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Literally, they the control group just went about their day regularly. Right? The the group that was, being tested, they wrote down 10 things that they were grateful for every single day. And those things were around their personal life, their professional life, and then their inner life. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:So they had to, within those three buckets, write down a cumulative 10 things that they were grateful for. And at the end of that thirty day period, kid you not, 23 is a funny number because it pops up all over the place in my work that I do. But those folks that were practicing that simple like, literally, you didn't have to write it down. You could literally be driving your car. It didn't matter the method in which that they engaged in the practice, but as long as they said or wrote down 10 things that they were grateful for that day, they were 23 on average, 23 and up to 31% happier.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:They didn't have more money. They didn't have more handsome husbands or more well behaved children. You know? They literally had the same life, but practicing gratitude every day intentionally around those three buckets, right, helped them tremendously. It's so funny because I remember one of the days that I was coming in, I was late from a flight.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Y'all know flights have just been all over the place lately. They I was late flight was crazy. So I ended up having to drive in. Okay? So flight just kept delaying delaying.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I was like, I'm gonna miss Innovative if I just drive. And so we literally last minute at the airport, got a like rented a car and drove up. Right? On the way there, like, you get a I got a call. Basically, my house was having a leak.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:All of these, like, like, this is real life that happens. You know? And so I told Sam that, it's been a morning. Sam was like, really? I started telling him some of the things.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:He was like, It's like, Sam, it's okay. I'm just gonna take a couple of deep breaths. And in this moment, I am alive. I am here with you guys, and I I get the opportunity. I still have opportunity to make impact.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? And so it's just reminding yourself that even in this moment, things can be wild. They can be really, really wild. And there are things that are beyond my control, but it's like, what can I control in this moment so that I am operating in my dash? You know, my sister passed last year from breast cancer almost a year ago exact.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:She passed on October year.
Will Anthony:I'm sorry.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Yeah. She was a trooper. And I'm gonna tell you, she taught me so much. She thought she was my second mom. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:But outside of that, even through her illness, like her last few days, she was a talker. She was one of those people that in school, like, she used to get the notes she talks too much. She was brilliant. Right. Like, she got the my mom got the notes she talks too much.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Like, that was a note. But she she was fluent in sign language. So even on her last days out, she she wanted to communicate. That was she wanted to communicate. And we were talking the last few days.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:You know, she got to where she couldn't talk anymore. And kid you not, her last communication to me. Thumbs up. Thumbs up. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so it's this thought process that we always have a choice. You you've got a choice. You've got a choice whether you are going to wallow in despair when life is happening, or you've got this just wildly courageous, right, almost like rebellion. Like, I'm going to rebel against what's happening at this moment and I am going to choose positivity. I'm going to choose optimism.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And research has shown that when you learn to train your brain to choose optimism, to be more positively focused than negatively focused, you are 31% more productive, more creative, right? And you free up your spiritual, your mental space just to be, to breathe, to live, to be better, right? So I've just found in my professional world, you know, doing turnaround work is not easy. Like, literally, I started going gray. That's when I started getting gray hair.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Okay. Doing turnaround work. But I would tell anybody that that is and has been the most impactful work of my life. Right? To go into spaces where people say there is no hope, you know, to go in spaces where they say these kids can't and show that it actually can be done.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:You know? And it require it's it I and as I'm talking out loud, I'm thinking, right, being positive in 2025, being optimistic in 2025, right, having hope, it is an act of rebellion. Like, god darn it.
Liz Freeman:It is.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I don't have to choose to operate in the way that every so yeah.
Will Anthony:Like, there was a lot in that that was able to take away with, honestly. There's a lot of stuff in that that I really liked. That was really good. You kind of were mentioning for a minute there, you said that there are things that we can't control. So I kind of want to take things back into schools to where sometimes it feels like there's too much that we can't do.
Will Anthony:So how knowing that schools can be stressful, how can teachers kind of put on a model of not fear? I mean, you know, have a pedagogy of hope instead of fear without, you know, losing accountability over staff and students? I
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:think that it's important right now to honor and activate the power of the pivot. Right? So when for example, I kid you not, this was yesterday, I was booked to do a keynote at a conference that really focuses, you know, on black and brown students, on staff, assistant teachers, you know, the whole nine. Right? They do a lot of after school programs.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Got a call yesterday, funding is cut. Like, zero, like, they are having to put a complete halt, yeah, on on the program. And so, you know, when she calls, she she's crying. She's like, they need the support. They're tired.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:They're stressed. We've got to build into them, but I can't I said, okay. You can't do that, but what can you do? And so it's that power of the pivot. Like, there are some things that they're beyond our control, but in the moments that those things happen in schools, right, we we pause and we say, but what can I do right now?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:What can I do to still have impact on teaching and learning? And, you know, one of the activities that I always do in the workshops, you know, when I'm with teachers is let's talk about the attributes and the characteristics and the words and the thoughts and the phrases that come to mind around the perfect school. Okay? Nine times, a very few times, right, and I've done this with tens of thousands of people at this point, Very, very, very rarely will people say something like the curriculum. Very rarely do they say something like the accountability rating.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? They say things like culture of love, care, challenge, you know, respectful. Like, these are the types of words that people use to describe the most impactful learning experiences. And so what I remind people is everything that you just said is within your control. All the things that honestly matter the most in a school setting are things that are within my control, that are within your control.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I have a 12 year old. Yes, I want him to be high performing, but more than that, I want him to be seen. I want him to be challenged. I want him, you know, to operate in a place where he's being shown what kindness looks like, and that is also expected of him. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so all of those things, those aren't policies. Like, nobody honestly think about that. That's a lot of that stuff comes back to your moral compass. Right? Like, those are things that are within your control.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And I think in school settings sometimes because we do have the pressure to perform. Accountability ratings just were released in the state two weeks ago, and y'all people were stressed. Like, I got calls the night before saying, listen, we dropped. I know then in the morning when this hits, like, I have the scarlet letter on my head again. You know?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:So we cannot negate that schools need expectations for high performance. They absolutely we rise to those expectations. Right? But in the same time, we've got to acknowledge that the things that get us to those high expectations, they are not just the curriculum. It's so much more than that.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:It's how do you care? Like, do the kids know you care? Do the people know you care? All of those are the things that truly matter in a school setting. And so when you're talking about stress, it goes back down to what's within my control.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:This baby is in front of me right now and I can control helping them to see that they're low, that they're cared, that they're challenged, right? That I believe in them. And so, you know, those are the things at the end of the day that make a difference in a child's life. We all know the saying, Maya Angelou, right? You may forget what somebody said to you, but you'll never forget how they made you feel.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:So much of what has to be attended to right now more than ever in schools for impact is making sure that that we attend to the the thing the the culture of care. Right? The culture of care.
Liz Freeman:That's so empowering to be like, this is what I can control, this is how I'm gonna show up well. Like, I feel like that's just so powerful for an educator.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Yes.
Will Anthony:Yeah. Honestly, I feel like for everyone, honestly. True. So true.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Talking about vibrating higher, you know, going back just for a second, I kid you not. I'm a foodie. Okay. I love to eat. I do.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I'm always trying to find what's the best restaurants. Right? And and live music. That's my other thing. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Live music is my other thing. But so we were on a concert tour, and we found this restaurant that had really high ratings for the food. Right? So me and my friend, we go in and I could tell that the waiter was off. I mean, he was off.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so we weren't midway through the meal and he came back and he looked at me and I was smiling at him and he said, Can I be honest? I said, Sure, it's Friday. Of course, we're honest on Fridays. He laughed his head off. He was like, I have had the shittiest day.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Excuse my French. I've had the worst day. He was like, and it is something about your smile that like, thank you. Like, thank you. So after that, we laughed.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:His whole demeanor changed. Right? And so it was that concept of vibrating higher and culture of care. Like, I recognize he was having a bad day. But instead of saying, hey, give me the manager because this guy is off, it was like, you know what?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I'm just gonna give him some light. I'm gonna give him some of my culture of care. And so immediately it was that recognition that, you know what? Okay, I probably could adjust my attitude. And so I think talking about in schools, so many times, especially when we're talking about teachers and students that are reluctant learners is what I call them.
Liz Freeman:That's a good term.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Reluctant learners that can be tough. You know? Sometimes you wanna beat them over the head and then, oh, let me call the manager on them or let me, you know, let me activate, you know, the discipline chart on them. When sometimes what they need is for you to just see it, see where they are, but shine shine your light on them and model that for them for them because oftentimes, especially you're talking about middle school, they'll auto correct. And we don't give them the credit of that, that they can auto correct if we would simply model what we expect of them.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Talking about reducing stress, if we would learn that there is so much power in what we do versus what we say. Right? Folks are losing their voice in schools. I'm a fuss at school at kids that, you know, it's like the louder you talk, they they turn the volume down in their ears. You know?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so that's stressful for a teacher to say, I'm talking and they're not listening. But talking about reducing stress, modeling, walking the talk is so powerful. It really, really is a game changer for teaching and learning, both academically and character, because we know we're teaching character development all day, every day. And the best way we do that is through the way that we walk and the way that we talk and the way that we respond because they're watching how you respond. So the way that we respond to not so nice things all the time.
Will Anthony:Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Well, this has been great so far. I think right now we're gonna take just a quick break.
Will Anthony:So we'll be right back. Don't go anywhere. But when we come back, we're gonna talk with Laquanta about what are some practical things that you can take back to your classroom to start using tomorrow. See you in a minute. Hey, everybody.
Will Anthony:Welcome back to this episode of the Innovative Schools Podcast. Liz and I are sitting with Laquanta Nelson as we talk about positive leadership and positive communication in schools. Before we hop right back into that LaQuanta, for those who can see your video here, you have this awesome plaque or board behind you.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Yes.
Will Anthony:Can you tell us about that or how'd you get it?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:So it's just, you know, I felt like I do a lot of videos, and you know, it's the age of content creation. And so I just wanted to always have my logo in the background, but it's very important that people know what BOSS stands for. You know? I think people see BOSS and they think one thing or another. But particularly moving forward, I I wanna challenge those in education to to be BOSS.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? And so what that means is to be bold, optimistic, spontaneous, and substantial. And it's this concept that it it doesn't matter your position. It doesn't matter if you're the janitor, if you're the principal, if you're the superintendent, if you're the TA. If we would all operate in our purpose regardless of our positions, students, the school, the culture, the organization, you will be better for it.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so, know, that's what we're all about is to help everyone understand that you've got power. You we all have these individual, unique, beautiful gifts and talents purpose. We all have a very unique purpose. And if we would operate in it, the world would be better for it. And so that's the ultimate goal of education, right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Is to help everybody realize their potential and to wake it up, not just to realize it, because I think we all, a lot of people like, know, like there's more that I can do, but we don't do it. Right? And so BOSS is all about recognizing that you've got purpose, you've got talent and gifts and not only recognize it, but activating it. Now, like even with students, you know, we have BOSS girls. I have BOSS girls who were first graders and second graders that are like, yeah, I'm learning to advocate and I'm advocating and communicate for my people.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Yeah, so being boss is, it's a movement, right? It's not just a label, it truly is a movement that we're on to help people live their absolute best lives while they have breath in their bodies.
Will Anthony:That's awesome. Think you kind of mentioned that you having talents and skills. I think a talent you have is coming up with these short phrases that get stuck in my head. Yes. Because the other one is GPS, please.
Will Anthony:Yes. Can you tell us kinda what that means and kinda how you go into that?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Well, it's very important that people know, like, where are we trying to go. Like so if I'm the principal of the school, right, or I'm the superintendent, have I communicated in a very clear and concise way to to all of my people that are on my team? So if I'm I'm a principal, do my teachers know our actual goals for the year? Do they know our vision? Do they know our mission?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? And and I like to think of it this way. I'm a fast driver. Right? I'm getting better with it.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? Because I'm getting older, I'm like, I probably should slow down. Right? But
Will Anthony:you drive an Altima?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:No. Oh my gosh. Do you?
Will Anthony:Oh, okay. Oh.
Liz Freeman:Okay. I was like, oh, wow.
Will Anthony:Thought that was a few safe guess.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:No. I I think that have I ever had a Nissan? I'm trying to think. Maybe I had I had a g six one time. So I think yeah.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Okay. Yeah. Had a anyway, Infiniti. Yeah. But anyway, so GPS me is I think of it this way.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Me and my friends, we are all going to trail each other to some event. Right? I don't tell them where we're going. I just say, hey, y'all follow me. We'll get there.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:In my mind, we were going to Las Vegas to see Bruno Mars. Okay? In my mind, that's where we're going.
Will Anthony:I'm jealous. I'm jealous.
Liz Freeman:And we
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:can be next time. Phenomenal, by the way. I saw him a couple of weeks ago. Oh my gosh. But so in my mind, we're all gonna drive cross country to to go see Bruno Mars in Vegas, the nine PM show.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:That's in my mind, but I just told him y'all follow me. Right? I'm a fast driver. I'm a fast driver, and traffic is crazy, and we're changing lanes and we've got a long way to go when somebody has to use the bathroom. I didn't I didn't know.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I just kept driving. Right? I get there. I'm cute. I'm ready for the concert and I look back and nobody's behind me.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right. Had I said to them, y'all, we I've got everybody tickets, front row tickets, right, to Bruno Mars, Las Vegas, 9PM show tomorrow. Right? That's where we're going. Like, even if in the midst of me driving, right, in my fast driving, if they lost sight of me, right, if they knew we are all going to the Bruno Mars concert 09:00, meet me there, even if they lost me along the way, they can recalibrate.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:That GBS, they can recalibrate, and they can find me. And so it's the same concept in our schools. Like, as as a leader, if I am constantly communicating to my people, this is the end goal. This is where we're going. This this is where I want us to end up.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Even if we kind of have to activate the power of the pivot, even if we have to, you know, when you get lost and you take a wrong turn, it's re it recalibrates for you. Right? Yeah. It's critically important that we do that. That's at the t at the school at the principal leadership level, in a school level, at in a classroom level.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:As a teacher, day to day, do my students know the learning targets? Do they know where we're trying to go? Do they know that by the end of this class period, you should be here? Right? I think that we don't always give our students due diligence.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:We don't give them credit for the agency that we need them to activate in the learning process when we don't GPS them. Right? Like, say, this is where we're going. And there are multiple ways to get there. That's the other thing.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And that's the beauty of math. Right? I love being a math teacher. There are so many ways to get there. There are so many ways.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so I think we have got to do a better job in education of of painting this picture of, yes, this is the big goal. This is where we want to go, but there are so many ways to get there. If And we just keep that GPS on, right, keeping alignment, even if we go left, we can recalibrate and we can get to the end goal that we want to. So that's what GPS is about, is about honestly, again, that clear, concise communication. Do people know where we're going?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Do they know the vision? Do they know the goal for the day? Do they know the mission? Do they know the action steps? Are they clear?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Have you clearly communicated that we're going to see Bruno Mars?
Will Anthony:Yeah. Because I I would have beat you there, I think, if I had known
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:that you were going. I think I
Will Anthony:think I would have beat you there. Yeah. Yeah. I do like that, though. It's it makes a lot of sense.
Will Anthony:I mean, you need to be clear in the way that you communicate and set a clear goal so that everyone can can reach it. I mean, that just that just makes perfect sense to me, honestly. And I feel like I've never thought about it in that kind of terminology, but absolutely. Yeah.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And there's so much research around it. You know, research has proven that, in the learning setting. You know, it's one of those high yield strategies that teachers sometimes just because it is so simple to make sure that at the beginning of every lesson, you are activating the prior knowledge and you are clearly communicating where we are going today. It's a very simple, but high yield strategies that teachers need to make sure. And as leaders too, as principal or a superintendent, your people need to hear your voice every day saying, hey, this is the vision.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:This is where we're headed. So powerful.
Liz Freeman:Yeah. Wow. That's incredible.
Will Anthony:Yeah. Well, the next thing I want us to kinda talk about here, within communication, I've heard you use this term. You said, was it clear as kind?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Yes. Yes. That's for neighbors. Unkind. Yes.
Will Anthony:Urban okay. Yes. We love her neighbor. I guess we kinda just talked a little bit about it, but if you could just kinda put an emphasis on why clarity is so crucial.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:You know, when we aren't clear, we leave these massive holes for people to interpret however they'd like. You you you when you aren't clear, you leave this massive void in communication. And where there's a void, all the stuff that you don't want to have there is going to fill it. Like, it's human nature to go negative, honestly. Like, it's human nature when people see a hole to think that if I step in the hole, I'm going to die.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Okay? It's human nature to think that there's a hole there, so there has to be something wrong. Right? So when we leave these voids in communication, confusion fill it. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:It's it's gonna feel it. It's all the conflict is going to fill it. All chaos is going to fill it. All the things that you don't want to go in that void, that's what's going there. And so it's critically important that, you know, every day, all day, and as a leader, you've got to check yourself because sometimes you think that you're clearly communicating.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Think about this, even in a math lesson, you can think you clearly articulated the concept, right, down to where it's attainable for the students. But if you're looking at your data and your data shows that nobody in the classroom mastered it, well, as a teacher, I've gotta go back and I've gotta reflect on how am I communicating the learning targets? How am I communicating right the steps? How am I communicating this big picture concept down into something that, you know, is not so tough for students to understand? Same thing with our our stat with with principals.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? You can tell people we want excellence in teaching and learning. But what is that? What does that look like? What does it sound like?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:What does it feel like? And so we've got to create in communication these exemplars for what it is that we're looking to have happen in our schools and in our classrooms. And so that's what we're talking about when we're saying clear is kind. And, again, that's Brene Brown, and and she is our guru on vulnerability. And and it's so critically important in schools that in our communication, we're vulnerable.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:We're honest. We're transparent. It's very, very important that we're we're doing those things because in the communication, we all have also have to understand that it's two way. Right? And so that's a big piece that we are leaving out in schools as principals, in classrooms as teachers, that communication is not just a one way deal.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? It's two, three, four, five way. And so we've got to set ourselves up so that we have not just we're communicating clearly, but we have these clear lanes that people feel safe to say their thoughts and safe to share their perspective because it's only then that we really, really can get, again, the highway of learning, that we can go fast on the highway. When it's two lanes, three lanes, four lanes, and they're clear. There's there's no chaos in it.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:No no rough tires in the road. Right? It's clear. We can press the gas. And so, you know, creating environments where people feel safe and seen helps to support clear communication.
Will Anthony:When you were talking about clear communication, it makes you think have have you guys ever seen that video, where a teacher asks, their students to write out how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:No. No. I'm not do that.
Will Anthony:So she sits them down, and so she asked them to, you know, explain the process. How do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? And then she would follow those instructions exactly. But because they weren't clear, it would say things it would just say spread the peanut butter, and she would say on what? And she would just spread it on her hands or on and they would say spread it on the bread.
Will Anthony:So she would put it on top of the bread that's still in the plastic wrap because it wasn't clear communicating to take that out the loaf, grab a butter knife, get the jelly, you know, and make those things clear. So they had to they had to you know, they're all laughing and having fun about it, but they had to go back
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Mhmm.
Will Anthony:And completely redo that because it just was not clear communication. So that just kinda made me think of that think of that situation that those holes that are created are massive. Yeah. Massive holes between communication. Absolutely.
Will Anthony:Yeah. That's crazy. That's it.
Liz Freeman:I feel like that could just it lends to so much, like, messiness and honestly, a lot of conflict, especially from, like, a leadership and especially an educational standpoint when there are those holes that are left.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Absolutely. Open. I'm gonna have to go over it. This sounds great. I'm peanut butter.
Will Anthony:Yeah. It's very funny. It's very good. Yeah. I guess speaking of conflict, with conflicts happening in in school, I mean, some every single day, how can we have good communication and approach that that still protects relationships and the culture?
Will Anthony:Like, how does how can I use good communication to keep those two things alive? I
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:think that conflict has gotten a bad rap. Right? I think when people think of conflict, they automatically go to negative. But I think in schools, if we would shift our perspective so that conflict is seen as opportunity. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Instead of it just being, oh my god, woe is me. We've got conflict. Conflict is an opportunity to to clarify, right, to to strengthen commitment. It's opportunity to get people to to buy into what we're we're doing because conflict brings us this opportunity to communicate, to to share thoughts, to share perspectives. And what's true is if we want the best solutions in our schools, we've gotta have more perspectives at the table.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? And so conflict is just an opportunity for us to have clarity around what are we doing. You know what? I I I don't understand. What what are we doing?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:It's an opportunity for us to, again, strengthen the commitment because, again, once people are clear about what we're doing, it's like, oh, I get that. That's what that is what I wanna do. We are on the same page. We do have the same goals. And so I think we we negate the value of conflict.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Conflict does not have to be a negative thing. It can be door that opens, you know, the lanes to new levels of success in our school that we would only view it as that. Every day is something new in schools. Right? We are living in a very new time.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:We're all having to daily adjust and pivot. And because we're living in new times, we've gotta constantly be looking for new solutions. You're not gonna get the best solutions if it's just one train of thought. Like, I need to know what do the students think about this. I I need to know what do my teachers think about this.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I I need to know what do my parents think about this. I I need to have multiple perspectives on this thing because from my view, the world is different. I I am for example, what are you guys right now if you tell me what's what are you looking directly at in front of you? Straight ahead, what do you see?
Will Anthony:A screen. Right.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:So for me, if I'm looking straight ahead, I am looking out the window. It happens to be a gloomy day here on the coast. Right? So for me looking ahead, that that's what I see. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so if we aren't careful, we will take what we see as the concrete absolute end of it. And that's not the case. Right? And so we've got to be willing to understand that two truths can exist at the same time. I can be looking out of my window at a gloomy sky, and you could be looking at a screen that has me on it.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? And so as we're looking at creating solutions, I need to know what you see because otherwise I'm gonna create a solution for a problem that you don't have. So it's critically important that we're constantly viewing conflict as opportunity for us to communicate around what what we see and what we're experiencing because we also take it for granted and assume that everyone's experience is the same in an organization, in a school, in a classroom. Mhmm. And it's not.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:But you don't know that unless we've opened those lanes, right, of communication up for people to be willing to open up and and share that. And that can be viewed as conflict when people are sharing that my experience is not your experience. Right? But if we would view conflict as opportunity, it truly changes the game. Yeah.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Absolutely, dude.
Will Anthony:Yeah. Yeah. This is great. I'm I'm taking notes. I'm I'm taking all this.
Will Anthony:I'm about to apply this the rest of my life, honestly. Communication and clarity. I am. Yeah. Let's move into more, I guess, some of the practical takeaways that we can give here.
Will Anthony:So you have the phrase be makers of moments. Yeah. What are some practical ways that schools can create those unforgettable experiences?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:So in my young age, I did not struggle with attention deficit. I did not have issues focusing, staying on task. In my old age, after being I called it administration happened. Okay? Administration happened to me.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I've been diagnosed with administration. Okay? After you have been in a seat where everybody expects you to have the answers all day to everything at any given moment, your mind is constantly on let me be proactive, think through possible scenarios, what could happen, how can I fix this, how can I support this, how can I challenge this, how can I so your mind gets to a point that it's like this? Right? And so it's taken me years, right, to start to recognize it and then to start really working on slowing it down.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so I will tell anybody to be real makers of moments, you've got to train your brain to slow down. You've got to be in the moment to make the magic happen. Right? You gotta be in the moment to make the magic happen. And so so many times we have opportunity to be someone's light, to be someone's encouragement, to be their lifter, but your brain is going so fast.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:You're on to the next thing. You're standing there with someone. They're sharing a thing, and instead of you being in the moment listening right there with them, you're trying to figure out how am I gonna make sure the cafeteria line is running fast today. Right? Or you're trying to think through, it's raining outside, and I'm down a man for car rider line.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Like, who am I gonna get to fill in the car rider line? Right? Or even in the classroom, you're thinking as a teacher, you're thinking the bell is gonna ring in five minutes, and I gotta hear if I can get through this problem so I can get so our mind is often three, four, five feet ahead of where your body is. And so for me, I'm constantly saying be where your feet are planted. Be where your feet are planted.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And it's only when we are in the space where our feet are planted that we can activate the magic of the moments. Right? And so in schools, what does that look like? So for me, for example, it could be a random Monday morning, and I got a call from a parent that says, I don't know what the heck y'all are doing up there, but my child has been reading all weekend. I love it.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Thank you. You know, whatever. They're gonna take their AR test this morning, and I'm I'm excited.
Liz Freeman:Right? So
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:it could be for me a random Monday morning. I'm in the Colorado line to get a a communication that or a call like that. So when I get back to my office, I'm running the AR report. I and every child that is taking a AR test that morning, I am calling their name out on the on the intercom, and I'm saying, meet me in the atrium. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I'm in the atrium. I got a happy forum. Like, literally, it takes me two seconds to run the report. It takes me sixty seconds to jump on the intercom and say, I see you. I know what you were doing this weekend because you just took a AR test.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Meet me in the atrium. Literally, we're in the atrium. We're clapping. They're grabbing their their thing. They're back.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I mean, honestly, ten minutes of my time. Wow. Two minutes of theirs, and I have made their day. Not only did I make their day, but that mom, she's excited because she's thinking my faith is in the number. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:So that's just one example because middle school, again, I'm a middle school girl. People would say kids want middle school kids won't read, boys won't read. And I'm thinking, oh yeah, they will. We've gotta figure out how to motivate them, how to drive them. What matter of fact, what are you reading?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:You know? It's like that walk the talk. The way that I was able to get non readers to get interested in reading is because I was reading books. Right? And I was like basically pitching books.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I was like a commercial, like a walking commercial. Hey. Have you heard about this book? No. Well, let me tell you what happened.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:This girl in here, she's a b c d e f g. You know? And so that was how we turned kids on a reading, first of all, by walking the talk, by being readers and being able to pitch it, but, like, being makers of moments with reading, with literacy. Right? So those random reports.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Same thing for PBIS or whatever it is that you're focusing on, you know, what gets measured gets done. You know, we hear that so many times. And so we were working on literacy. And so even for me, I was always trying to figure out how do I move the needle with literacy. And so being a maker of moment, even around our goal.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so I think sometimes people think, you know, they may think, oh, it's just a party, you're throwing a party or you're no, this party is attached to a product and to an outcome of learning. Right? And so thinking through what is the big picture? Again, go back to that GPS me. What is the big picture?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Where are we trying to go? And how am I in the moment sparking acceleration and excitement around getting to that big picture? And so that's just an example of that, you know, of of how how do you become makers of moments like in the moment, listen to what people are saying and take that feedback and run with it. So that's just one example of that.
Liz Freeman:Yeah. I feel like you feel so seen also in that moment, especially taking it back to those like core values of what the teachers can really own in their spaces. It's like that child felt so seen when he was like, oh, I was reading all weekend. The mom was so excited. And you're instilling that value into that child where it's like, I can follow and I can excel here because like I was celebrated and my value was instilled even through something as simple as, you know, reading a book.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Absolutely. You know, another
Liz Freeman:example so beautiful.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:So that was as a principal, like principal hat, big down, teacher hat. When I tell you, I had lesson plans. I planned them out. But if there was a moment in a classroom where I saw a student activating agency or they had a question or they were ready to take the lead on the learning, honey, we are activating it. We we listen.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Hashtag I am now the teacher. You're the student, come on, let us have it. Right? And so literally there were times that I would stop teaching and I would say, tag, you are it, you've got it. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And I would take their seat, they would take mine, like those things. But you've got to be in the moment to see that this child has mastered the skill. Not only have they mastered it, but they are confident around it. They're ready to roll. And so those simple things.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:In a math classroom, listen, to teach mean, median, and moe, we're having a fashion show. And then I kid you not. I have some of my babies who are now lawyers, who I kid you not like homecoming because I started teaching in my hometown. Like they were like, you remember that time we had a fashion show when you were twenty years later, I started my career teaching math. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so just being willing to step outside of the box, like, you have your curriculum. Yes, we have these high quality instructional materials, but they will never take the place of you being in the moment with your beautiful babies that are in front of you, with your beautiful team that's in front of you and activating the excitement that that can happen only when, like, I see you. So yeah.
Will Anthony:That's beautiful. Yeah. Alright. This last question for you, Laquanta, is kind of a two parter.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Alright.
Will Anthony:So if you could give educators listening just one thing that they could start tomorrow to improve their classroom or school's communication, what would it be? And then my part two to that could also be, how could you push that to maybe a principal and administrator? What's something maybe they could start doing to help their communication as well?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Oh, that's heavy because there's so many things that I think that we can do. This sounds really crazy, but I think what I would say is Michael Jackson said it best, I'm looking at the man in the mirror, right? I'm asking him to change his ways. Right? I I think one of the most powerful things that we can do to start changing the way we communicate is to look at how we are showing up.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? I I think that looking at because communication, what you say out of your mouth is just one small facet of communication. Your body language, the energy, like all of these pieces matter when you're talking about communication. And so if I'm coming in the conversation and I'm coming in arms folded, head sideways, like that is communication. That is communication even before it comes out of your mouth, right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And so just being really self aware of how you're showing up to school, right, how you're showing up in the classroom is critically important. The other piece that I always tell people, of course, that's before what comes out of your mouth, but you gotta be careful about what comes out of your mouth, my friends. Know, one of my chapters in Boss Moods, my book, it's entitled Language That Lifts. Like all day, every day, you have the power to I don't care if I'm re redirecting a child with misbehavior or I am having to provide some guidance on lesson plan feedback as a as a teacher. I've got the opportunity to be honest, transparent, and uplifting at the same time.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:And I think people forget that. I think people think if I'm being honest and it's one of those, you know, courageous conversations that it has to be rough, that has to be cold, and it does not. Right? I can be honest. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I can provide actionable feedback and be uplifting at the same time. And so I think those are are two powerful things. Number one, recognizing how you show up in a school. Right? How how you show up with with children, how you show up with teachers, and how you show up with parents before you open your mouth, and most definitely, like, what are you saying day to day when when you're communicating?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:I I like to think of this, and I always when I'm coaching teachers and and principals, I I tell them this. I have this parrot. Right? And I'm gonna let my parrot I need you to keep my parrot for just a few days for me. When the parrot comes back, he is gonna be repeating things that you've said multiple times.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:What is my parrot gonna say when he returns to me after being on your shoulder for a few days? So you've got to know that the things that you are saying as a leader to your people every day, they're playing it over and over in their head when you're not around. As a teacher, the things that you're saying, those little things over and over to your students, they're playing it in their sleep as a parent. The things that I'm saying to my child before they get out of my car, the car ride online, like that is what they're hearing throughout the day. And so we've gotta be very, very intentional with with what we're saying and how we're saying it.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:We really want to maximize our impact. And again, being boss, it goes back to the that's what it's all about, making maximum doing maximum good to as many people as you possibly can. And so our communication is most definitely a major part of that.
Will Anthony:Wow. I love that. I'm gonna start imagining I got a parrot now.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Oh, yeah.
Will Anthony:Honestly. Yeah. I'm gonna start doing that. I was I really like that. Make me Because now I'm starting to think.
Will Anthony:Yeah. Now I'm starting to think, what would the parrot when I give it back, what the parrot be saying?
Liz Freeman:Yeah. Gonna help me be more mindful at the words that
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:are coming out it repeatedly. That's it. That that's it. Just to be more mindful and to know that I'm a human being too. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:So in the process of this, don't, like, get stuck in, wait a minute. Let me think over a thousand things before I say it out loud. No. It's just being mindful. And it's a habit.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Right? It's a habit. The more you practice it, the easier it becomes to, you know, be be intentional with with the words. The Four Agreements is one of those books, you know, outside of mind that I highly recommend. Right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:But The Four Agreements is one of those quick reads that it will help you with that, to just think through to being mindful. Right? To be impeccable with your words is that fourth agreement. If it's not the fourth one, it may be the third one. Anyway, being impeccable with your words, right?
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Because after they're said, you can apologize, but
Liz Freeman:you know It stays.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:It stays. And it's a beautiful stay or it's a tough stay. So you get to decide. Yeah. Wow.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Yeah. I can
Liz Freeman:still think back to the things that people have said to me in the heat of the moment or things like that. And I I it still has that lasting imprint. And so just being mindful that as best as we can, nobody's perfect, but as best as we can, just being so mindful to uplift with the words. That doesn't sacrifice honesty or it doesn't sacrifice the truth of what needs to be shared. But, yeah, we gotta be uplifting and mindful.
Liz Freeman:Those things last.
Will Anthony:Yeah. Honestly. Absolutely. Yeah. Alright.
Will Anthony:Well, thank you so much, Laquanta, for joining us. Honestly, this is probably one of my favorite episodes that I've been able to be a part of.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Don't make me smile.
Will Anthony:This parrot. I'm gonna I'm gonna remember this parrot, and I'm gonna I'm gonna be present where my feet are planted. Yes. For sure. There's a he had a lot of these key things I think I'm gonna remember for a long time.
Will Anthony:So thank you so much.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:It's been an absolute pleasure. You guys know I absolutely love the Accutrain. I call y'all family. You're the Accutrain family. And so it's always a pleasure to be with you guys.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Y'all are a great group of humans, you know? And I don't say that lightly because I am impeccable. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say, but you guys have just been phenomenal. And so just kudos to what you guys are doing. So you just keep doing what you're doing because you're helping more people than you ever would know.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:You know, you just can't imagine the impact that you are having. So you just keep going too.
Will Anthony:Thank you. That's so sweet. Thank you so much. Yeah. I think I'm wearing a little bit.
Liz Freeman:You need a tissue?
Will Anthony:Alright. Well, thank you so much. We'll see you next time.
Dr. LaQuanta Nelson:Be boss.
Jordan Bassett:Well, I hope you enjoyed that conversation between Liz and Will and doctor LaQuanta Nelson. If you wanna contact her, we're gonna put all that in the show notes down below. We hope you learned something on this episode. If you did, we'd love it if you shared it with some of your education friends. We want to help as many educators and teachers as possible just become better versions of themselves, and we can only do that with you guys sharing it or liking it, leaving us a review, any of that kind of stuff.
Jordan Bassett:We hope you enjoyed this episode, and we'll see you on the next one.