About this podcast
The Elemental Educator Podcast explores the defining moments behind exceptional leadership.
Hosted by Tyler Comeau, school principal, doctoral researcher, author, and speaker, the show features in-depth conversations with educators, executives, entrepreneurs, athletes, and world class thinkers who have led through uncertainty, adversity, and change.
Every episode is built around four elemental forces that shape every leader:
🌍 Earth: the values that ground us.
💨 Air: the adversity that strengthens us.
💧 Water: the change that transforms us.
🔥 Fire: the decisions that define us.
This isn't a podcast about quick leadership tips or trendy management advice. It's about understanding how extraordinary people think, grow, and lead when the stakes are highest.
Because every great leader is forged through the elements.
Decide with Fire. Stand on Earth.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 108 episodes
- Why Great School Leaders Stop Solving Every Problem · 1 h 7 minWhat happens when a school leader becomes the answer to every problem? Tyler Comeau sits down with Kurtis Hewson, co-founder of Jigsaw Learning and co-author of Collaborative…
- You Got Their Attention | Now What · 1 h 17 minGetting someone’s attention is only the beginning. David Babcock explains how humour, trust and the right next question can turn a passing interaction into a meaningful…
- Jason Schilling on Alberta Teachers | The Weight of the Chair · 1 h 5 min · Episode 106What does it cost to lead when teachers are under pressure—and everyone is watching? Alberta Teachers’ Association President Jason Schilling joins Dr. Tyler Comeau for The Weight…
- When “Control What You Can” Becomes Bad Leadership · 1 h 20 min · Episode 105Phil Januszewski returns to The Elemental Educator after making one of the biggest decisions of his career: leaving the classroom after 20 years to become a full-time speaker…
- When Does Commitment Become Rigidity? · 53 min · Episode 104What happens when commitment becomes so strong that changing course feels like betrayal? Colin is pursuing an outcome nobody can guarantee: becoming an MMA champion after…
- When Persistence Becomes a Leadership Mistake · 1 h 0 min · Episode 103Leadership culture tells us to finish what we start. Push through. Stay disciplined. Keep the commitment. Don’t quit. But what happens when continuing is no longer the courageous…
- How to Stop Letting Other People Define Your Worth | LaVonna Roth · 53 min · Episode 102In this episode of the Elemental Educator podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with LaVonna Roth, the creator of the globally recognized SHINE framework, to untangle a profound…
- The Student Skills Crisis Is Worse Than Anyone Realizes | With Chris Roberts · 1 h 6 min · Episode 101Beat My Score From This Episode: https://www.whattimeswhat.com Most people think the education crisis is about funding, technology, or curriculum. They're wrong. After spending…
- Why Great Teachers Are Leaving Education (And How We Stop It) | Terri Walker · 53 min · Episode 100In this powerful episode of the Elemental Educator Podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with veteran educator, former school head, and curriculum coordinator Terri Walker to…
- How to Find Yourself When Success Leaves You Empty | The Power of Subtraction with Scott Lackey · 1 h 5 min · Episode 99In this episode of The Elemental Educator Podcast, host Tyler Comeau sits down with veteran, ironman finisher, and best-selling author Scott to dissect the ultimate paradox of…
- How to Scale AI in Schools Without Overwhelming Your Staff | Dr Tom D’Amico · 49 min · Episode 98Learn how to successfully lead massive AI implementation in education while protecting staff well-being and maintaining data privacy in this exclusive interview with veteran…
- The Invisible 'Oxygen' Every Successful Team Needs (with Corrine Thorsteinson) · 1 h 4 min · Episode 97Most leaders wait for the perfect conditions to lead, but true impact happens when you learn to thrive in the cracks of the sidewalk. Episode Summary: In this deep dive…
- Successful But Not Healthy: The Hidden Cost of Leadership No One Talks About · 1 h 1 min · Episode 96Learn how high-achieving leaders burn out and how to rebuild your identity, health, and purpose beyond success in this powerful leadership conversation. In this conversation…
- Leadership Under Pressure: How to Stop Drifting From Your Core Values with Jimmy Casas · 1 h 4 min · Episode 95Learn how to avoid leadership burnout and build a strong team culture by leading with trust, values, and clarity instead of trying to fix everything yourself. In this…
- Why Indecision Is More Dangerous Than the Wrong Decision · 1 h 5 min · Episode 94Kree Govender explains why indecision quietly destroys momentum, confidence, and growth, and how choosing wrong is often far more powerful than choosing nothing at all. Subscribe…
- How Donovan Bailey Became the Fastest Man in the World (Mindset, Discipline, Execution) · 53 min · Episode 93Donovan Bailey shares the mindset, discipline, sacrifice, and execution it took to go from unknown to becoming the fastest man in the world. Subscribe for more conversations on…
- Is Inclusion Just Better Exclusion? (What Most Schools Get Wrong) | Dr. Shelley Moore · 1 h 1 min · Episode 92In this episode of The Elemental Educator, Dr. Shelley Moore dismantles one of the most dangerous assumptions in education: If a student is struggling, something must be wrong…
- Why Most Schools Fail to Improve Teaching (And What Actually Works) | Dr. Matthew Rhoads · 59 min · Episode 91Most schools try to improve teaching the wrong way. They rely on top-down professional development, one-off workshops, and “sit and get” training sessions that feel productive in…
- Why Leadership Feels So Hard (And Why That Means You’re Doing It Right) | Dr. Corey Steeve · 1 h 2 min · Episode 90Most leaders secretly believe that if they were better, smarter, or more experienced, things would feel less complex. That belief is wrong. In this episode of The Elemental…
- Why Most School Change Initiatives Fail (And How to Actually Make Them Work) | Lisa Riegel · 1 h 8 min · Episode 89Join host Tyler on The Elemental Educator podcast as he chats with strategist and change catalyst Lisa Riegel. Discover why most leaders fail not from lack of ambition, but…
