What If Schools

What If Schools

Author: Matt Foster February 4, 2020 Duration: 9:12

Three What Ifs that could spur creativity in finding solutions for the challenges in your school.


Matt Foster hosts Mafost Mashup, a podcast that translates sharp business and marketing principles into actionable strategies for school leaders. It’s built on the idea that the core challenges of running a school-building a thriving culture, motivating people, and driving meaningful impact-are fundamentally leadership and operational issues. Each episode serves as a mashup of proven concepts from the commercial world, rethought for the unique environment of education. You’ll hear practical, often unconventional, approaches to the daily work of principals and administrators, all aimed at fostering better learning environments. The conversations move beyond theory into the nitty-gritty of implementation, focusing on the human elements that make or break any initiative. For those who lead schools, this podcast provides a steady stream of ideas to refine their practice, engage their teams, and ultimately improve their institutions. It’s a companion for thoughtful leaders who believe that running a school well requires both heart and a keen operational mind. Dive into the Mafost Mashup for perspectives that are directly applicable to the complex, rewarding work of educational leadership.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Mafost Mashup
Podcast Episodes
Mistakes Made Lessons Learned Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:32
Elisabeth Bostwick, Chris Chappotin, Jon-Eric Ziaer, and Chris Legleiter share mistakes they made and lesson they learned from their experiences leading learning. Topics include: Asking for Help Context Switching - Findi…
What's A Mistake That Made You Better? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:52
Mark French, Heather Patterson, Cathy Jacobs, and Lauren Higgins discussion four lessons. Assumptions. Student Discipline. Letting Go. Relationships. These amazing school leaders and principals share mistakes they made t…
Emotional Hijackers and Problem Solving That Doesn't Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:49
Rational problem-solving doesn't work (most of the time). This episode shares a quick strategy that does. Are We Rational Thinkers? Four Steps to Rational Problem-Solving Actionable Empathy, Not Just Venting Who Controls…
Culture Crafters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:46
4 Leadership Tips for Culture Crafting. 4 Management Tips. Questions to evaluate your school culture. Starting points for building trust and solving problems. Get the research and show notes at https://mafost.com/mashup…
Phrases to Help with Tough Conversations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:27
Tough conversations are an unavoidable part of life. In school leadership, having the right words to say will compound your leadership influence. Here are 9 phrases that can help you navigate difficult conversations in y…
18 Questions in 8 Minutes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:11
Every school leader needs questions. We lead with questions. We learn from questions. Here are 18 questions for school leadership, management skills, and instructional systems. Subscribe to the daily blog at https://mafo…
Brief History of Management [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:30
What do World War II, Peter Drucker, and School Principals have in common? That's the guiding question in this brief history of management. Leave your thoughts at https://mafost.com/pod/
Innovation - Three Riffs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:28
What do the Houston Texans, Stock Market, and School Innovation have in common? Plus, a special invite to go.822tribe.com
Obstacles and Traits (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:01
In this episode, part 2 of "10 Obstacles and 10 Traits," we look into teacher obstacles 6-10, which are: Upward Mobility Perceived Disconnect Support Sabotage Cynicism Likewise, 5 leadership traits are offered to help ta…