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Real Talk School Leadership with Dan Mault
Real Talk School Leadership is a podcast for educators, administrators, and change-makers who believe schools can be better — and are willing to do the work to make it happen.
Hosted by Dan Mault, elementary school principal and Creativity & Change Leadership graduate student, this show dives into the real conversations behind leadership in today’s schools. Each episode explores creativity, organizational change, team dynamics, and innovation through the lens of everyday practice — from building strong staff cultures and navigating challenges to rethinking systems and empowering diverse thinkers.
Blending research with real-world experience, Dan shares reflections from the principal’s office, lessons from graduate coursework, and practical strategies grounded in frameworks like FourSight, the 4 Ps of Creativity, and collaborative problem solving. You’ll hear honest insights, actionable ideas, and stories from the field designed to help you lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose.
This isn’t about quick fixes or trendy buzzwords.
It’s about people.
It’s about process.
And it’s about creating schools where both adults and students can thrive.
If you’re ready for authentic conversations, thoughtful leadership, and practical creativity in education — welcome to Real Talk School Leadership.
Real Talk School Leadership with Dan Mault
Episode #5 - Play = Problem Solving: Why Elementary Classrooms Need More Play, Not Less
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In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we dig into something that often gets squeezed out of elementary schedules — play — and why research says that’s a mistake.
If we truly want students who can think critically, solve complex problems, and innovate in a rapidly changing world, then play isn’t extra… it’s essential.
Grounded in research from Jaak Panksepp, Stuart Brown, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Roberta Golinkoff, this episode explores how play strengthens executive function, boosts academic performance, builds creativity, and supports the problem-solving process we’ve been talking about all season — Clarify, Ideate, Develop, Implement.
We also address the real tension educators feel right now: packed schedules, curriculum pacing, assessments, and academic pressure. The question isn’t whether we can “afford” play, it’s whether we can afford not to.
If we want students prepared for a world defined by innovation, automation, and rapid change, we must teach them how to think — not just what to memorize.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics, 142(3), e20182058.
Brown, S. (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. Avery.
Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2016). Becoming brilliant: What science tells us about raising successful children. American Psychological Association.
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., et al. (2015). Putting education in “educational” apps: Lessons from the science of learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(1), 3–34.
Panksepp, J. (2007). Can play diminish ADHD and facilitate the construction of the social brain? Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 16(2), 57–66.
Torrance, E. P. (1977). Creativity in the classroom: What research says to the teacher. National Education Association.
World Economic Forum. (2023). The future of jobs report.