Had fun recording this episode! I have known Kelly Henkel for 5 years, and have such respect for how he establishes inclusive environments and builds genuine relationships with both his students and athletes he coaches. Kelly is a fantastic resource for creating culture, student-led learning initiatives, and standards while always maintaining calm and professionalism.
Click here to listen to this episode.
My main takeaways:
- Culture is NOT what's on the banner. "We need to understand that the actions of the adults and kids who are in the building or the members of your team, that really is your culture." CLICK TO TWEET
- Dig a little deeper with kids who are closed off and/or have difficulties learning. Once you understand what makes them tick, it is so much easier to teach/coach them
- When teachers/coaches are vulnerable in front of their kids, they create a cohesiveness in their room
- Ask kids how they're doing. You may be the first person to actually ask, which matters to kids
- We need to have perspective, especially in schools or teams. Everybody is dealing with something, and it may be minor in the grand scheme of things, but it may not be minor to that person. Understanding that perspective and having kneel down conversations, instead of the confrontation across the room, goes a long way with building rapport with students
- Growth mindset: Kids may not be there yet, so celebrate those tiny victories along the way
