The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth20 Heinä 2021

Episode 47: Educating the Youth with Kelly Simon

Today, I'm SO honored to welcome my mentor and role model (even if she doesn't know that yet), Ms. Kelly Jo Simon. Kelly is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (or the CIA) for Western Dubuque County Community School District in Iowa. Being the Director of the CIA is no small task. For one, the size of the WDCCSD makes it the largest in the state of Iowa in terms of square miles (555 sq mi). They serve students and families from five counties for a total of over 3000 students. In addition to the logistical challenges that poses for Kelly and her colleagues, her role has her also requires her to lead educators and administrators in each of the district's eight schools in addition to the students in her charge. It is truly a feat. During her time in her role, Kelly has gone from trying to organize schools and curriculum to creating a culture of happiness, success, and opportunity. During her tenure, WDCCSD has become a sought-after district for young families, but also for people looking for a job in education. I am honored and excited to share this interview with my friend Kelly with all of you here at Small-Minded today. Key Takeaways

The hardest question she's ever been asked is "what is your role?"
"What are you willing to struggle for?" She believes that this is the question we should be asking young people when helping them plan for themselves and their futures.
She was told in high school that she wasn't college material. She said she owned responsibility for the choices she had made to get to that conversation with her guidance counselor, but that helped her forge forward to go to college.
"Be careful labelling potential in their high school years." A student/child cannot have their potential defined in their formative years.
"One of the best and most humbling parts of small town living is owning up to your past mistakes…Embrace it, move forward, you don't run." Just because it was your story then, doesn't mean it is your story forever. The faster you own up to it, the faster you can move on.
"Our product is people." In order to provide the best education for all students, Kelly and the district's admin team have created a culture around The Happiness Advantage. This approach helps teachers and staff find what makes them happy and choose happy, so they can take that into their classrooms and share the same concept with their students.
And a TON more. Make sure to listen in to the full episode for all the gold that Kelly shares about her philosophy on education and what WDCCSD is doing right to care for all the kids in their district.

Connect with Kelly! Follow all that Kelly, her colleagues, and her students are doing at www.wdbqschools.org or follow Kelly at @kellyjosimon on Twitter. Follow for More Follow Small-Minded on Instagram and Facebook Follow Molly Knuth Media on Instagram and Facebook For more about our Instagram workshops this month at MKM visit mollyknuthmedia.com/shop.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(276)

245: The Art of Unraveling with Erin McGuire-Henson

This week on The Found Podcast, Molly reconnects with returning guest Erin McGuire-Henson, a nervous system healer, coach for soul-aligned entrepreneurs, and newly published author of The Art of Unrav...

25 Maalis 46min

244: Go First: Courage, Community, and Starting Over with Erin Moore

This week on The Found Podcast, I'm joined by brand photographer, mother of four, and longtime friend Erin Moore for a deeply honest conversation about courage, community, and what it really takes to ...

18 Maalis 42min

243: Your Story Is Your Superpower with Danielle Letayf

This week on The Found Podcast, I'm joined by Danielle Letayf — founder of Badassery, personal brand strategist, podcast guesting expert, and the perfect woman to help us kick off our Women's History ...

11 Maalis 43min

242: Hot Takes vs. High Character: A Women's History Month Reflection

It's officially Women's History Month, and this year, instead of starting with statistics, I'm starting with a question: In 2026, are we elevating hot takes…or high character? When I was in seventh gr...

4 Maalis 46min

241: The Ecosystem of Opportunity: How Community Colleges Build Stronger People, Businesses, and Communities with Amy Lasack of NICC

What if education wasn't a one-time phase of life, but an evolving journey designed to meet people exactly where they are? In this episode of The Found Podcast, Molly sits down with Amy Lasack, Vice P...

25 Helmi 44min

240: More Than a Title: Reintroducing Myself (and Why Your Path Doesn't Have to Be Linear)

If you've been here for years or you're only a handful of episodes in... this one is for you. After recently stepping back into the guest seat on another podcast, I realized it had been a while since ...

18 Helmi 45min

239: The Power of "The Pause" with Molly Schreiber

Some people build businesses. Some people follow a calling. And sometimes… those two things become the very same path. This week on The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth, I sit down with fellow Iowan and...

11 Helmi 48min

238: Five Things I'm Embarrassed I Had to Relearn (and What They Taught Me About Leadership, Money, and Showing Up)

This one is a little raw. A little unpolished. And very real. After batch-recording months of episodes and stepping into a new season of leadership, I sat down at the mic for the first time this year ...

4 Helmi 45min