Jethro Jones on Breaking the Robot Principal Playbook

Quick take

Most school leaders are trained to lead like emotionless robots. But students aren't spreadsheets and staff don't need a boss with a checklist — they need a human being. Time to reject the premise that logic alone should run our schools.

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🏴‍☠️ BREAKING DOWN THE OLD RULES

In this episode, Jethro Jones challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Emotions Are Your Leadership Superpower

• What's broken: The robot principal mentality that emotions should be locked out of work

• The shift: Embrace emotional intelligence as the very thing that makes leadership work — connection

• Impact: Leaders build authentic relationships instead of being terminators hunting for data points

Key Insight #2: From Sage on Stage to Compass Among Us

• What's broken: Teachers controlling every learning moment as the "sage on the stage"

• The shift: Become a "compass among us" — pointing to true north while students navigate their own path

• Impact: Students take ownership of learning while teachers focus on what computers can't do: the human connection

Key Insight #3: Discipline Matrices Are BS

• What's broken: One-size-fits-all discipline charts that treat every situation identically

• The shift: Use the smallest possible intervention that changes behavior — sometimes just a look

• Impact: Fewer office referrals, more authentic relationships, and students who actually learn from mistakes

✌️ YOUR DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT CHALLENGE

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Check in with someone by asking "How are you?" instead of "How did your students do on that assessment?

2. This Month: Replace one discipline matrix consequence with a restorative conversation

3. This Semester: Audit your teaching staff — how many are still stuck in "sage on the stage" mode?

✅ CONNECT AND CONTINUE

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Podcast created by Danny. Audio engineered by Dragan. Show notes written by Christina. Email sent by Soniya