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A Quick Note to Listeners:
Before this week’s episode, Will and Jen take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is:
How do I face a team of teachers who resist collaborating and like to “admire the problems” more than look for solutions?
Listen in to hear their response!
Meet Tyler Comeau:
Today, we have a truly inspiring guest joining us. Tyler Comeau is a visionary leader, an advocate for transformative education, and the creative force behind Elemental Educator, a wonderful podcast for all things education. As a principal, content creator, and leadership coach, he’s redefining what it means to lead with purpose and passion.
Through his innovative approach that connects leadership with the elements—earth, water, fire, and air—he empowers educators, leaders, and change-makers to ground their values, embrace change, overcome adversity, and take bold action.
His podcast, Elemental Conversations, dives deep into these themes, bringing together thought leaders and game-changers for powerful discussions. He is also a doctoral candidate with a research focus on the critical decision-making of Alberta’s principals, shining a light on the support structures that empower school leaders to thrive. Prior to his work as a school leader, Tyler was a tennis coach and through that work he learned that he loved making an impact and helping people grow.
Please welcome to the show, the Elemental Educator himself, Tyler Comeau!
The Elemental Leader:
At the start of his interview with Will Parker, Tyler Comeau tells listeners about his book, The Elemental Leader. Tyler states that one of the motivations for writing this book is the hope that he can help leaders unlock their potential. In The Elemental Leader, Tyler outlines what it would look like if leadership could correlate with the elements: earth, water, fire, and air. The book uses case studies from twelve leaders throughout the world and analyzes how they lead through the elements. It also provides actionable strategies for readers to apply to their own leadership. Leaders who want to check out The Elemental Leader for themselves should visit this website.
School Community and Happenings:
Next, Tyler shares some of the things that are happening in his school community that make him feel proud. One thing that makes him feel proud about his school is that he has a team that loves to try new things and be innovative. Something else that makes him feel proud about his school is their Green Program, where students get to learn about agriculture and farming. His school currently runs a full scale farm through the Green Program. After implementing this program, Tyler took the time to speak with students about what other kinds of programs they want to see at their school. Based on that feedback, Tyler’s school now has a computer programming program and a guitar club.
Critical Decision-Making:
On top of being a principal, Tyler Comeau is working towards his doctoral degree. The focus of his doctoral research is on critical decision-making for principals. Specifically, he wants to understand the decision making process of leaders who reside in the same province as him. He looks at four different types of decisions: decisions based on personal experience, decisions based on the opinions of others, decisions based on the understanding of policies, and decisions based on morals or ethics. Tyler states that his hope is that he can have the resources to help these other leaders and answer their questions based on the resources that he knows are available within their province.
Staying Connected:
Listen in to hear the full conversation between Will Parker and Tyler Comeau. If you would like to stay connected with Tyler, check out the links below.
