In this 174th episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I interview an amazing educational leader, author of four best selling educational books, and difference-maker, Allyson Apsey.
Allyson Apsey is passionate about students and staff and leads others through their strengths. In her role as an elementary principal, she tries to be transparent, vulnerable, and supportive. She is an author, national speaker, and mom to two boys.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
Despite the fact that she never wanted to set foot in a school again after high school graduation, there is nowhere else she’d rather spend her days than in classrooms. In fact, she doesn’t even have a chair at her desk because she is moving around the school all day long. The challenges and delights of being a principal fill her days with joy. She enjoys nothing more than helping others be the very best they can be.
She is so proud of her school district and the Zeeland, MI community, and she loves being the principal of Quincy Elementary. She cannot imagine a more dedicated, passionate, and skilled group of teachers. They elicit wonder, excitement and a love for learning in their students.
Recognizing the significant impact trauma has had on many of our students, staff, and families, Allyson became a Certified Trauma Practitioner in Education. The support students affected by trauma need are beneficial to all students because they are grounded in a foundational core of strong, positive relationships based on trust.
She is honored to serve on the Executive Board of Directors for MEMSPA (Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association) as State and Federal Relations Co-coordinator.
Allyson writes on a blog called Serendipity in Education and has authored several books—The Path to Serendipity, Through the Lens of Serendipity: Helping Others Discover the Best in Themselves, the picture book The Princes of Serendip, and a middle-grade chapter book called The Serendipity Journal. She also loves speaking to passionate groups of educators as everyone works to be happy and effective people for the benefit of everyone.
She is married to Jim and has two amazing sons with him, Laine and Tyson.
She is blessed.
Mentioned in this Podcast:
Allyson’s website: allysonapsey.com
Allyson’s books: You can find all of her books at this link.
Here’s a link to my new children’s book, it’s the perfect back-to-school bedtime book:
Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness
Have a great school year. Please subscribe to my newsletter and podcast.
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Trevor MacKenzie is an award-winning English teacher at Oak Bay High School in Victoria, BC, Canada, who believes that it is a magical time to be an educator. By increasing student agency over learning, weaving in strong pedagogy, transformative tech use, and sharing learning to a public audience, Trevor’s learners are ready to take on important roles in the 21st century.
In short, I have been feeling the need to step back from publishing episodes of The Wired Educator Podcast in order to reflect on all that is going on in the world around me and to adjust and become more intentional in providing solutions.
Jeff Gargas is the COO and Co-founder of the Teach Better Team and co-author of Teach Better. He works with educators to increase student engagement and improve student success. He also offers 1-on-1 coaching for teachers who have a product or idea they want to share with others to better education.
Dr. William Rankin is a learning-experience and learning-frameworks designer and educational theorist who served as worldwide Director of Learning at Apple from 2013 through 2016. An academic with more than 25 years of classroom experience, Rankin helped design the world’s first smartphone-based one-to-one learning program for higher education, for which he was named Campus Technology magazine’s Innovator of the Year for mobile learning in 2008. In 2009, he was named an Apple Distinguished Educator, and in 2010, he began a three-year tenure on the US Board of Apple’s Distinguished Educators program.
Dr. Kris Felicello has been in the field of education for over 25 years as a Teacher, Coach, Athletic Director, Assistant Principal, Principal, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and he is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the North Rockland Central School District in Rockland County, New York.
Pat Adkins is the Superintendent of the Port Clinton City Schools in Port Clinton, Ohio. Port Clinton Schools have been recognized as a National Forum School to Watch and selected as a Model School by the International Center for Leadership. Pat’s thirty years in education include roles as a high school teacher, director of technology, coach, building principal, and Superintendent. He has not only survived but has thrived as Superintendent in Port Clinton for 15 years. He is an adjunct professor for Ashland University where he teaches administrative leadership courses. Pat has spoken at schools and conferences across the country about building dynamic school culture and was a featured speaker at the What Great Educators Do Differently conference in Houston, Texas this past October. 
Christy Whittlesey, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) has been an educator in settings ranging from PreK-higher education for the past 17 years, and is currently a PreK-12 Fine and Performing Arts Administrator and a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Arts Ambassador in Massachusetts. In addition to her work in the arts, Dr. Whittlesey regularly collaborates with school districts and organizations to update policy and lead professional development to create gender-friendly schools where all students can thrive, regardless of gender.
Stephanie Castle is a good friend of mine and a fellow Apple Distinguished Educator. I’ve had the good pleasure to travel with her to different parts of the world through the Apple Distinguished Educator Program. She’s a wonderful human and an incredible teacher. She is the first person from whom I ever heard