Control Shift Lead - 🤯 Stop Reacting, Start Defining Your Future with AI! 🤖

Are you a school leader striving for excellence? Do you crave actionable strategies and fresh perspectives to navigate the challenges of education today? Get ready to take charge. This is Control Shift Lead, giving you something to control, something to shift your thinking, and something concrete to help you lead your school. With Jim Witchman of Inspired Edification and Adam Bush of AWB Education, your journey to empowered leadership starts now. All right, welcome back to Control Shift Lead, the podcast for educators, administrators, teachers, all of us who want to stop reacting and start defining their future. And today we're going to talk about that at Educational Technology. I'm Adam Bush, joined as always by Jim Weitchman. Jim, Happy, November feels like we just blanked in the first quarter. The school year is already behind us. Yeah, just a time though. It's good time to reflect, good time to sip a one beverage, enjoy that early fall momentum. November is it's my favorite time of the year, not just because it's a special day in my world, but it also is the month of the Scorpio. I know a little bit of October scorpio, but the November scorpios are they're my people. That's awesome. Also, November in some places they call it no school November. Yeah, and I jokingly say that. But the assessments are happening right now. There's certain there's various holidays that are in here. It can be tricky. In fact, I know many school districts don't even have a full five day week whenin this, which makes it tricky. It also means that we have to be a little bit more intentional with how we're doing things and how we navigate, not just academically, but. Our people, our people. True. No, good, Well, I'll tell you what. We got a guest here today, we do we do a very very famous guest in my world anyway. Yeah, we have Amy Richmand with us here, and I'm very excited about this, the guests that we have with us. And speaking of defining the future, as you mentioned there, we have this incredible guest. She is a recognized leader in educational technology. I sought after speaker and an administrator who is actively helping districts manage rapidly evolving AI and ED tech. And actually, if I go back a few years, if you think about Iowa coor so when Iowa Core came out, Amy was the one person I think she was like halftime Maybe I don't know, Amy, maybe three fours, but she was Iowa Core before Iowa coor was a thing. So she goes back to before it was cool exactly. She's here to help us frame that challenge not as nessedly an IT issue, but as a core leadership opportunity. So please help me. Welcome the love of my life, Miss Amy Witchman. Oh, welcome Amy. Hello. I'm not sure I feel about that introduction, but let us finde Well, we. Got you here, tell us a little about yourself and what you're going to share with us tonight and share with our listener. Yeah, so I think we could probably get right into it. I think probably one of the hottest topics for all educators and actually worldwide is really full intelligence and really it's impact on education. It's potential way that is going to mold our next generation of students as well as their futures. Right, what are the jobs they're going to have, What are the jobs that are going to be here in the next five years, ten years, twenty years. What a literacy that we need to make sure that we're bringing into our schools. What are the conversations we need to be had, because it truly is moving faster than the world can keep up with, or that really, in particular, schools can keep up with, so lots and lots to talk about, in fact, probably so much we're not even to get it all done today. That's true. Well, I'll tell you what that's set up as exactly what this show is about. Right here. We're going to drill into those in all of our three segments. Our control, our shift, our lead, and we're going to give some actionable strategy is that we can use starting tomorrow. But I think you're right. I think there's a lot that can fit into this, and we might have to just kind of keep track of our time and keep it short otherwise, Holy cow, because there's plenty to go along here. But say what, let's get right to it. We're gonna take a quick commercial break, and then as soon as we do that, Amy, we're gonna dive right into the control. I'm getting into that segment. Okay, So listeners, hang with us, we'll be right back. We'll get into control right after this. Welcome back everyone, and welcome back Amy. Your framework starts with control, and our control is shift lead, which is really about cutting through the noise and taking charge of the narrative around AI and ed tech. You emphasize that control is about managing the approach. So let's just jump right into it and talk about the administrators and look in the control because that sense of ownership is crucial. Yeah. So I had a few things listed here under control because I think what we tend to do as administrators is we try to control a lot. We try to control a lot because we have to make sure everything is orderly and that we're managing things the way we need to manage things. And we need to make sure our students have, you know, everything going right for their daily engagements at school. When thinking about AI, I think one of the things that we can do with the artificial intelligence and leadership is control the narrative. So we have like with anything extreme, oh my gosh, we need to make sure all of it's blocked from that all the way to the other end where people are like, let's open it up and everybody should be using it in every class we talk about and difficulty is what is that balance? And I think it is part of an administrator's role and function to help control that narrative. So not about oh my gosh, the robots are taking over the world. You all are stop to extreme about what's coming. But I think it's about specific literacy and leadership related to controlling the narrative because it's our obligation that our students are prepared for sure. What we do know is Generation alpha will never be without an AI assistant, and cimly, Generation Beta is coming right behind them, and they will be totally in a world that has never existed without artificial intelligence around their corner. So we need to be thinking about that. And some of that also means then you're controlling the clarity. So what is it that you are talking about as a school administrator that's related to what we're making permissible in our schools versus what we're not. Do we have a guidance committee in our school who's helping us think about what it is that we're going to unpack, what it is that we're going to do, what policies are in place, What is it that that group of people in your building is working on, who guide policy, communication, and all the things that might be questions for your school community. And I was just say. What I hear you talking about there that I think people need to realize is everything you're saying is proactive, right, This is not we wait until we all of a sudden have everybody at the front door with pitchforks and torches ready to come after us because we don't understand like we need to get out ahead of it. We need to be prepared because we can't stop it, or should we. But yeah, so that that preparation piece, that's the part, like you said, we can control that. We can get some policies in place and get. Something going there and control the narrative positively. You know what we are doing, knowing that this is going to be such an integral part of our students' lives. Can you equate this or parallel parallel this too. The first time we had computer labs, everybody would stop what they're doing and then go to the type of papers. And then we had this thing called the World Wide Web, and then people had to do something, and then Google comes around. I know you've been a part of like the rolling out technology and so forth, and I know that you've also been a part of we say, twenty first century skills. But yet we were swimming in it twenty you know, after a quarter of the twenty first centuries done. So could this be parallel to some of some of those same practices. Yeah, I'll even give you a bigger analogy. Most people compare artificial intelligence to recumbnent DNA. And if you remember back in the day when Dolly the sheep was cloned and it was so all the listeners might not have even. Around you might want to. Yeah, I was gonna think you might put it a year to that. I know what you were talking about. We're there still. Yeah, So for the listeners out there who don't know what that means. There was a sheep back in the day that they cloned, and people thought that for sure the world was going to come to an end because they thought for sure everyone would be cloning one another, and there was no ethical there was no moral guidance around that. There was just a lot of lack of policy. There was a lot of confusion really took people aback. And the social implications of that. You know, people had a lot of questions about even bigger than just the World Wide Web. It, you know, has a bigger societal impact really to think about. You know what it is that we have stepped into. So when I think about the control that I hurt hear you, so please correct me if I'm wrong. It is here, it's happening, and you've already said that the future generations is just going to be what they do, just like remember when we were told we're not going to have a calculator with us all the time. So it's going to be kind of like that same concept along the way. We can control how we embrace it, and we can control how we try to fight it, and one's going to be a little easier, honest than the other. Now, you also talked about the policies and some of the guidance that goes along with that. Is there, I mean, is there? We'll get your contact information later on, but you could provide the guidance about how that is. We don't have to keep recreating the whill is that mean? Is that true? Yeah? Many states and the United States are creating state wide policy, so that's good, and local school boards are working to create policy as well. I think there's a piece of that also that goes into another piece of control, which is the parental and community engagement FELT policy and guidelines. Parents get very confused. I think too, we have to remember that artificial intelligence is not It's actually been around since the nineteenth phase, and it was used for different things. There's machine learning, there's different levels of artificial intelligence. I think it was with the GPT release that really brought people to this alarming state and now brought it as part of their everyday engagement U suid. You know, everybody has the app download and everybody's using it. Everybody's you know, all the things. So I think, you know, you think about all the things that you did with artificial intelligence that you didn't even know about. So when your Netflix tells you that you should watch this show it rhythm right, your social media, your TikTok, all of those things are artificial intelligence in the background. You know. People are using artificial intelligence for smart things in their homes. You know, so we've been using it for a while. But it's just truly this deep conversation that we need to be having around AI and education. What a powerful reminder that control is less about stopping AI and more about strategically framing and managing our responses to it, whether it be in our school or our district, or any classroom even when if it goes along with that, and I really like, I mean, it's like an obligation that you're describing to prepare our next generation because it's going to happen when we get the opportunity to control of how we're going to do that. Hey, listeners, we're going to take another quick break here and we're going to come back and when we're going to lean into the shift part our definition of digital leadership. So stay with us, all right, we're back and we are ready to talk about the fundamental shift in mindset. So, Amy, you talk about stopping the treatment of AI as just a technology department topic and framing this as this core leadership opportunity. So what does this shift from instructional manager to digital leader really look like in practice? Yeah, that's a great question. And again, this is about the leadership mindset around ed tech and AI. It does not just belong to the tech department. The tech department has a lot to do, but it's our obligation as leaders just to be attuned to really what's going on with both ed tech and AI. So that includes you know, your digital footprint, what it is that your systems are doing and interacting, how are you establishing your budget to support these topics. It's really about being an instructional leader and manager, but it's also including being a digital leader and fulfilling the expectations of that role, and certainly including some of the things that we've already talked about. We alluded to some of the things related to parents and engagement and all that. But what's going on in schools right now is parents. In a recent Common Sense Media study have indicated that about eighty three percent of them know that their kids are using AI and know that it's out there, but they're hearing nothing from the school. So interestingly, why would that be. Why do you think that is? That's a great question, I think in lou of not knowing what to give to parents or what to do with students, policies, digital learning, all of the things under that umbrella. In lieu of not knowing what the moves are that we should be making, we don't make any moves. Then, yeah, parents reflect that. Is there a fear in that too? Is there? Are they? Yeah to be Yeah, absolutely. And I do think too, it's again not just in our schools, but in the workplaces where parents are I think they are hearing you know you're going to lose your job to AI, and you're sure these things and the robots and the you know things, all the things ye very overwhelming and with a low level of understanding, becomes a greater fear. Yes, And when you have less communication in the absence of knowledge, now we create our own fear or our own narrative, if you will. Yeah, So I think we have to go back to how as a leader, how are you thinking about AI and technology in your school? Not just using it and consuming it, but how are your students contributing to this world that's living in now? So our kids are at home consuming, consuming, consuming, asking AI, asking a asking AI. And we need to kind of flip the script as educationational leaders with this mindset of digital leadership and truly flip the coin and say, how is my school and my students going to contribute? What are the things we are going to be creative about. What is it that we're going to bring to the table, learn about and ultimately make ourselves each good citizens of the world in the digital world that we're living in. It's kind of that stop hiding from it, because we're going to have to use it and should use it kind of like we said in the last segment too. But I think you're right. I think that is part of it, that there's a fear all around which is probably just from unknown and like Jim was saying, when we don't know, we just fill in the gaps with what we think might be instead and help that we're right. Unfortunately, Hey, Adam, I think we surpassed you're A quote of the of the podcast with an Amy witchmand One was the one I grabbed me from the shifting is we need our kids contributing versus consuming or maybe auld blend of both, but just that that contributing. Now, my shifting and mindset just went through. Okay, how did that happen versus just getting on like Amy said and typing in CHGBT, put input it out there and give me tell me the answer with that. Yeah, well then get away from just that compliance piece, Like you know, thou shall not use versus like there's a good This is very very beneficial. I mean, the amount of deep concepts that kids can get into, it's not as you know, using that tool to be able to explore the deeper pieces of that learning can can really lead to some some higher rigor within our classrooms. We just have to be willing to get to it to use it the right way. We're all talking about another shift, which is your PD. I know the PD when it did. I know that everybody is fighting for fifteen minutes on the PD schedule, on the faculty staff meeting, whatever it is. But we've got a shift, you know, by starting to think about what is the practices of equity feedback efficient SEE and all the things that can accompany AI use of AI tools, and what it is our students need to be learning because they can't become curious if they don't have a teacher in the classroom who also has a bit of curiosity. So my challenge is to everybody, they say, how do I fit it in? I challenge people to the people I work with, I challenge ten minutes every month. If you could surface the perfect ten minutes every month, you could really generate a lot of conversation in your building, and you could also send people on their way to become role models and also creators in the AI spaces and the ed tech spaces. Adam Well, I think we have our first control shift shift lead. On this one. I know I was going to say, mark that on our two do list for next time, like, well, our last cast had two, you better come up with three. Yeah, I like that, but it's true. I mean we're always battling from that now. I also think of it as a few of when we have Google. You know, I actually I think I heard this from you, Amy was kids are googling our questions. So is we need to maybe think about how our instruction is evolving so that we're not just asking questions it can be googled. Let's use Google to help us with that same kind of concept. With that, which goes along back to the it's okay that our teachers have to evolve and in the instructional process and as leaders, we got to make sure that we are allowing that to happen as well. Yeah, I mean, as you were talking about that, it reminds me of I mean, are you telling me like my forty five minute session I did with staff last August about how we could use and I think at that time we use chat, GPT and Google Gemini to differentiate for learners. But I did it. It was forty five minutes. We're done, right, That's we showed you no go, you got right. I mean we do that with kids too. It's like no, no, no, no, no no no. I told you how to ask for action. There's that work. Yeah, I mean, we just we have to understand that this is a tool. But it's a tool that we can kind to use. But you only know that if you do it. Like I used to be able to play piano, I'm not very good at playing piano anymore. You know why because I haven't done it in a while. And I think that's something for us sometimes as leaders, we forget that it has to be a constant thing. It's not just an introduction or then it just becomes one more thing, and this isn't one more thing. Yeah, and when we're talking about artificial intelligence too, let's also keep front and center that it's not just large language models. So we can use a lot of different artificial intelligence. There are many, many, many tools that are developed every single day for educators and not for educators. You can see how you compare to Freddie Mercury. There's an AI tool that you can sing a song and do that. There is now a Dungeons and Dragons AI tool that will allow for you to interact and play the whole Dungeons and Dragons game with the AI. I mean, it's a lot of things that we can consume, use learn about embed in our curriculums that are beyond the large language models too. Well, and like you said, the kids are using it and the next group of kids are all going to use it. They're not going to do anything different. So it's time for us to lead and time for us to teach kids where they're at. Yeah, it's exciting, but a lot of new stuff. Yeah, you're right well, Amy, that that's a fundamental change in perspective. I will say that because I don't know if we always think about it that way. It certainly is. It's about empowering people, not just you know, policing tools and just you know, saying what we can and can't do. It's really about embracing the concepts behind it. Digital Leader's leader, right, Yes, it's a leadership. All right. All right, listeners, we have one more segment coming up, and that is our lead So we'll talk about building an ethical and purposeful AI vision for your school, and we'll do so right after the break. Welcome back to our final segment with the Amy witchmand We've discussed what we can control. We've talked about the mind shifts that we made to make. In fact, I'm still swimming with the contributing versus consuming. That's one that I'm going to hang on to a little bit within that along the way, Amy, the final piece of our framework is lead, moving beyond the experimentation to truly leading the narrative of how AI aligns with student learning it and I guess when I think of leading, I'm thinking of everybody, not just the title of principle or assistant principle or director. And you've even alluded to it's not the tech department or the ed tech. This is bigger than that, and it's more about application and embracing along the way. So when you think about the lead portion of the control shift lead, or in this case it was control Shift Shift lead, what are some of the most essential steps of leader must build and then this ethical and purposeful AI vision. I know that both of you are going to be surprised about this, but you got know your why. You have to know the why. You have to know what it is that is aligning with student learning, teach, your growth, the community engagement, and you have to know the why around that. Maybe your why is different from someone else's, maybe you're at a different stage than another, but you need to be thinking about what is your why? Really think about and the transparency around what it is that you're learning yourself. How are you growing as a leader. What is it that you want to have for your building a year from now, two years from now, five years from now. What is the trajectory of the growth that circulates around getting to the why and ensuring that we adhere to the why. And you know, it's about building an AI vision that embraces and connects with ethics security. You know, we as school districts must adhere to FURPA. It's very important, particularly in AI that we pay attention to that. And you know, learning design within the context of your culture in your building. So all of that really needs to piece together for really what it is when we're talking about leading this next generation of students, leading your educators and your community. So a lot of this is, you know, thinking about things that you want to create too as part of that strategic plan. Do you want an AI playbook? Do you want AI guidelines? Do you want all of your teachers to be using the same kind of AI clesterroom policies. That's probably something that we overlook because you don't want to have half of your teachers using one AI classroom policy in other half of them using a different one. You know, how do we again fulfill the why of where we are in twenty twenty five and what it is that we want to fulfill as part of you know, the legacy? See that is you as an administrator in that building. I think you know. Another idea is to sit and think yourself. Take a minute to write down what is AI to you? What is your vision again around the why? And really what would AI done well look like if you were in your school building and thinking about the next steps that would make this a norm for your culture. What I'm hearing is this more than anything else, is which you start off with the why? But I heard purposeful and intentional. So often that we have our leaders, they call them, I'm always putting out fires, I'm the firefighter, I'm always putting on fire. So the lead aspect of this is stop trying to do that, take a step back, start thinking five years down the road, what do we want here? That is this is just how we do it? And then we're going to backpedal that up to again, what are we going to do two years from now, in one year from now? And what I like about that is you didn't say come together with a group of teachers or administrators, come together and kind of process this. You said, start with you individually, and how do you see it, what do you know? And then maybe we can bring somebody in it kind of like navigate that together. But you really are focusing on if we're not intentional with what we're doing, we're going to just be battling fires left and right, whether it be behavioral or academically or you know, it's not meaningful, it's not manageable, and it's not tangible. Those are three things that I think that we we really need to hear. And when I hear Amy talk about this, it goes back to I mean, it all comes to so many different levels. We talk about expectations in the school, we talk about the intentionality of an instruction, but a very important component that's new to a lot of us. Wow, as you're talking through that, I think there's a lot of us. Depending on where you're at, you know, depending on your your situation, you could be it could be one person and a very large administrative team. You could be superintendent of a district where you're the superintendent slash curriculum director slash bus driver slash food service direct. Right, it's going to be varied regardless of where we're at in this profession. But I also think that if you're not ready for that, if you can't, if you can't say your why when it comes to using AI, that might be the time you need to reach out to a colleague somewhere, even if it's a neighboring district, or start getting together to talk about this, because you can't you're not going to want to stop the momentum let alone, can you so? But but I think you're right, Jim. If you don't, if you don't understand that part for you, it's gonna be really hard when the times get tough to keep going with your why if you don't really understand. It, and it's hard to have you know, do relate to your community and answer questions about it with your community. If you don't know what that foundation of the why is. And I say that a lot. If you're an education leader, you must know your why. But again, this is why it's so important to sit and think about it. By the way, your why cannot be We're not going to do this because will be done to you. So this one is not one you can put back in the back. It's it's out right what I yeah, I think about if you go back and I know that you go back and ask and talk to the staff members that I work with as a principal, they will go up and down it and they'll tell you what I was strong at and what I was as strong at, and what I wasn't strong at. I had to let go and learn this. So if you were the if you're the principal and you didn't you know, or the leader of whatever that case, if title is and you're not sure of it or scared of it, like Adam said, you get to lean into it. But it's okay because the title is just describing the jobs and roles you do. And if you are that principal or superintendent, what a great opportunity for you to open up and allow and bring people in along the way. And then I'm gonna guess that that's probably somehow I mean like bringing in the community as well, like engaging them in some of this process. Yeah, I mean I think too it's important for this work in particular, Once you know your why as a leader, you need to engage a guiding team, and a guiding team will be your go to. They will be the folks who continue to see what's coming ahead. You can have them work on your classroom policies because it might be teachers and a few community members as well, maybe some students even, But that guiding team meets consistently to have a conversation about AI and you know when we look at the implementation, you know, evidence and whether something is working or not. That team of people will be the folks who you can rely on as a leader to say, hey, we tried this and this fit within the parameters of our strategic plan and or why and all the things, let's go back to it and the you know, the the guidance team they may say that was a total bust and it was terrible and we not have this be our policy. But you know what you learn those things how you you know, that's how you lead. And I think some of these things that we've talked about certainly will be supported by the guiding team. And again thinking about the transparency and I talked about this earlier of what goes along with your own curiosity as a leader. They I can really bring your district a long ways and you or you're building, Yeah, what. A powerful blueprint for action on this. I mean there's there's a lot here in this short timeframe, and you have to go back and play it in zero point five or whatever. That is just to slow things down and kind of embrace some of that. And I also see like workshops here of just like slow and steady within that. I know it's a popular word for people leading with purpose and transparency is clearly the next frontier probably should have been all along the way, but this is it's so important right now more than ever. We're going to take our final commercial break, and when we come back, Adam and I will do a quick recap of today's episode and then we'll have any kind of are in the missing gaps? All right, listeners, we're back for our final moments today with Amy Witchman. Amy, first of all, thank you so much for just sharing your powerful control shift lead framework around AI with all of our listeners today. This has been awesome. You're welcome your knowledge around this. I think we've only just tapped into that briefly. I think this is going to be the first of another time we're gonna have to bring you on to really get deep into. Honestly, I have had the benefit of actually spending a lot of time with administrators. Yeah. It really has enabled me to learn from them and learnt together. And you know, I think sometimes as an administrator you need a critical friend to kind of push you along the way in your journey. And so critical friends critical friend. So that there, there you go, Jen, I'm gonna take us step for we're gonna start calling her, calling these people critical colleagues. There weet critical, writing it down, critical. Colleagues, all right. Took me until the end segment. But the namy, you gave me the volleyball set and we'll spike that home. I like that. Critical colleagues, Yeah, right at the end, right at the end. Hey, you know what else that I was inspired for Amy to do today is also learned a little bit more about this the sheep Dolly. So did you know that Amy age threw U right back into nineteen ninety six to two thousand and three was when Dolly Dolly's life she was a female obviously with that and it just said everything that Amy said where it really spooked people into into thinking things. It was the Clone by Keith Campbell and Ian Wilmot. If you will. Sure if we go back in the archives, we can find some Saturday Night Live episode that's going to lean into that too. I want to just point out that I'm not sure how many principles were born before them. Have some? Yeah, Well, and the whole point of that really is you know that came and then the regulations and the polity and so really it is very similar and in. Minimation science is just amazing how that always works, isn't it. That's crazy? Well, Jim, there's been a lot of great information here for our listeners to take away today. Can you give us a quick recap of these key actions that were talked about today? So I can give a recap, but I also want to know this is going to be something like Adam you shared earlier, Like there's a lot here and so I can grab it and put it in a nutshell. Within that, I also want our listeners that's like we have in the past. You can reach back out for questions. We're going to give our Amy's contact information if you want to reach out to them. But when I think of the control part, what I really was it was, it's about controlling the narrative. We can do that, we get to decide we can step back or we can lean in. And the control portionity is controlling the narrative. That that and when I think of the shift, it's seeing digital leadership is a component of who we are and we don't necessarily have to be the master of how to do technology or how to live technology, but be understanding that we have to be the leader on this because I don't know the names of the next generations as Amy rattled them off a little bit, but we can't be the barriers to their learning and to their growth process. And then I'm also going to as my personal to the second shift of this control shift shift lead is then we want our students to be consumers, yes, but also we want them to be contributing to this, and we can give them the opportunity. In fact, they're probably already doing this and we don't even know it. We don't want them to gear down when they come to school. Within that, and then lead, lead with intention, Lead with purpose, And looking at that five year gold what does it look like out there, and then when we don't know or aren't comfortable with it, lean in into what our purpose is and what our why is, and then how are we going to live that in a way so that we don't end up as firefighters, that we are opportunists for our students within that. It's pretty good recapture. That's awesome. That's a lot of really good stuff, Amy, Well, yeah. A lot to talk about when people say, can you come talk to me about AI for one hour now? Because there I could do, you know, twenty five days for you what we need thinking about and what we need to be doing in our schools and all the things that go along with artificial intelligence. So what is next for you, Amy, Who is the next person you're going to talk to or what work you're doing? Not for just one hour, because obviously it's going to need to be more than that. What's what's next on the Amy witchmand Tour? Yeah, So I actually too, am very involved in cybersecurity as well. So I do a lot with cybersecurity, a lot with artificial intelligence, and a lot with education technology in general. I think in general, the scope of my work in the last decade truly has been authentic tech integration and encouraging teachers and administrators to take risks and what is it that you want to be and do for the future students and the students we have now and ultimately, you know, to transform the system. And I know that's difficult to do and people say, oh my god, I'm going to transform the system. But it's you know, about the little nudges along the way, intentional mindsets, the things we've talked about here. What you can you know, control, shift and lead as a letter really is lots of the work that I do every day. That's cool. That's cool. Go about you, Adam? What about you? Well your plans for November? I got one class done in my doc work and on a class too, so yeah, yeap, moving along with that. But I tell you, just continuing the work that we're doing every single day, and kids just keep coming and we just keep teaching and keep trying to evolve and adapt as they teach us just as often as we're teaching them, that's for sure. So help me, tell me, help me what I'm missing here working on your doctorate. You've got AWB education in the morning where it's segments all the time. You have control shift lead, you're a principal, you're a director, a father. Has also a basketball referee. That basketball refece coming there four weeks. Yeah well yeah, yeah yeah. Did you you didn't? I mean there's a lot there, Adam, So yeah. Within that, ye, stay busy, yep, stay busy. And we have a morning show, the Your Morning Boost podcast that comes out every single morning. We've got a lot of guests lined up for that one too. It's just fun. It's just great. I just get to talk with people and learn and learn and learn and learn and learn. That's awesome. That is that is worth it. That's worth every minute of it. Yeah yeah. But before Okay, now, Jim, I'm going to ask you the same question. However, I do have something and this is a surprise. I didn't tell you this was coming. But I have another mail bag question. Have another mail bag question I do. This one is for you, So you're ready, here we go for me. Oh boy, yep. So this is a Lena out of Indiana. Okay, So Elaina says, this question is for Jim. Jim. I'm curious do you ever sleep at night? Because you have more energy than I think anybody I've ever seen. So obviously she's catching our YouTube videos, which is great. If you are joining to this podcast. In the end hour, at the top of the hour, we revealed that I was Jim's spouse. At the end of the hour, Elaine, I'm going to shout out to you, the answer to that question is no, No, It's always been like this, just all the time. Thank you writing doing. Yeah, I've never known any different Jim, that's for sure. Yeah. To answer that is Amy talked about the purposeful in Heavy Drive, and min who I am is about being purposeful. So I really believe that my soul is telling me that I need to make sure that our educators stay in the game. And they see that the POTENTI and themselves, and they see the potential in every child that walks through because the school district in the Tamoiowa, they educators there saw potential in me when I never did, and even when I resisted it, they sell through all that. And so I try to sleep, and I do sleep sometimes, but with them the good ideas come that come and we got to do something with them along the way. With that, but I really do appreciate that, and I appreciate you watching listening and maybe you were. Maybe you're one of the people that I got to speak with that in Indiana a couple of weeks ago or a month ago, or whatever the case that was. But I do appreciate that that was a good, safe one. So thank you, Lene. I appreciate you watching and listening and giving me a shout out there with that. Hey, but this is what I get to do it in the month of November one, I get to be coaching in the Redwood Force of California. So I'm excited about that. I get to go back and visit some other places that that I'm I call kind of like my West Virginia home. I love spending time with the Thanksgiving that coming up with and that that means a lot to me. I think I'll get to see my son back from college anyway, we're kind of hoping about that. And November eleventh, Adam, I hit the number eighty eight. Oh yeah, yeah, good for you. Eighty eight. It hits me November eleven, so it's kind of a big day for me. And if you're not Iowa, that's a magical number to reach your pension goals. Yep. So if you're an outside Bible listener. That is a very big deal for an educator in Iowa. Absolutely it is. And the rest of us that aren't quite there yet know when we will be most of the day. Yeah, Kelly, if you know who Dolly is, you know where eighty eight are. I know where eighty eight is. Hey, But honestly, hey, Amy, thanks for being here making this happen tonight. And then Adam, as always, man, I appreciate being a partner with this, how it started, where it's going, and you do such a great job of producing this as well. So I always want to thank all of that and listeners, just like I always share with you, is no matter what, under any circumstance, you're never alone in you matter, and Adam and I and our previous guests and Amy are always here for you to reach out because you're not meant to ever do this alone. As Brene Brown reminds us. That's right. You can reach me on if you need to get in touch with me. LinkedIn is probably the best location. Any other ways, Amy, any other social media posts that are people should keep an eye out for me. We'll have your contact and on social media lately, but LinkedIn is a guaranteed Hello for me, So reach out that way. That's best, good and always. You can reach out to us too at the show. We'll we'll get you in touch with Amy as soon as we can. Thank you perfect, All right listeners. We hope this episode gave you something you can control in your district, fift in your mindset, and a clear path to leading your school with confidence in this world of AI that we are all living in. So Amy again one more time, Thank you again for your time and expertise, and thank. You listening here. It was fun. Thank you yeah, awesome, Thank you Jim a good novel. We'll see you again next month. Host eighty eight man, see you later. You've been listening to Control Shift Lead, brought to you by Inspired Edification and AWB Education. We're glad you joined us for today's discussion on empowering school leadership. To dive deeper and explore more of Jim and Adams work. Find us at www dot AWB education dot org. Thanks for listening. We look forward to connecting with you again soon