S10 E1: Guiding Through Change (Insights from Marie Wiles)

How does one navigate the journey from English teacher to Superintendent? In this episode, I sit down with the recently retired Marie Wiles in a unique in-person interview. We dive deep into her 36-year-long career, from early teaching days and curriculum development to her tenure in various leadership roles, including her time as a BOCES district superintendent. Marie shares her insights on the importance of instructional experience, the challenges of transitioning roles, the value of networks, and her unexpected journey into authoring a book, “Lessons from the Bard: What Shakespeare Can Teach Us about School District Leadership”. This engaging episode unfolds Marie's remarkable experiences and her perspectives on the future of education amid financial uncertainties.   If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes, including great non-education books with lessons for school leaders you can email me at [email protected]. I would really appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps a lot. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues. If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. Stay connected with me here: Official Website: theschoolleadershipshow.org YouTube: youtube.com/@theschoolleadershipshow Facebook: facebook.com/theschoolleadershipshow Instagram: instagram.com/theschoolleadershipshow   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement 00:49 Marie Wiles' Early Career in Education 01:46 Transition to Higher Education and Doctoral Studies 05:21 BOCES Experience and Leadership Roles 08:53 Personal Life and Career Moves 17:19 Balancing Lesson Plans and Student Interaction 19:51 The Dunning-Kruger Effect in Leadership 20:31 Challenges and Realities of Leadership Roles 23:23 Gender Disparity in Educational Leadership 25:49 Concerns for the Future of Education 28:48 Hope and Faith in Youth 31:46 Writing a Book: Lessons from Shakespeare 32:03 The Process of Writing and Publishing 37:26 Final Thoughts and Gratitude