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Leading with Teachers Shifting the Culture of School Observations
Episode 31st March 2026 • Control+Shift+Lead • Inspired Edification and AWB Education
00:00:00 00:36:12

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Is your feedback building professional capacity or simply creating anxiety? In this episode of Control Shift Lead, hosts Jim Wichman and Adam Busch sit down with school administrator Kanika Dorsey to dismantle the "gotcha" culture of school observations.Kanika shares her powerful framework for moving toward non-evaluative feedback, emphasizing that the most impactful leadership happens when you leave the laptop at the door and pick up a sticky note. We discuss the "Control" of the feedback loop, the "Shift" toward high-frequency, low-stakes walkthroughs, and how to "Lead" by empowering teachers to facilitate their own instructional rounds.Whether you are a seasoned principal or an aspiring leader, this conversation offers a blueprint for building a culture of trust, focusing on "one or two things" for sustainable growth, and keeping student achievement at the heart of every classroom visit. Kanika also shares her deeply personal journey of resilience—from a single parent in the Bronx to a powerhouse instructional leader—reminding us why leading with heart is non-negotiable in K-12 education. This is a ForwardEd Network production.

Connect With Our Guest & Hosts

Kanika Dorsey:

  1. Instagram: @kanikadorsey

Reach out to the Hosts:

  1. Adam Busch: adam@awbeducation.org
  2. Jim Wichman: inspirededification@gmail.com



Thank You for Listening! This has been an episode from The FowardED NetworkWhere we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.


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