.png)
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 #6 - Creativity by Design: Rethinking What School Can Be
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What does it really take to prepare students for a future we can’t predict?
In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, Dan Mault introduces the core ideas behind his upcoming book, Creativity by Design: A Practical Guide to Innovation, Student Engagement, and Creative Teaching. This conversation dives into one of the biggest challenges facing schools today—how to move beyond compliance-driven learning and begin developing students who can think, adapt, and create.
Dan breaks down the Creative Schools Model—a practical framework built on curiosity, thinking, exploration, innovation, and environment—and explains how these elements work together to shape meaningful learning experiences.
More importantly, this episode goes beyond theory.
You’ll walk away with simple, actionable strategies you can use immediately. This is just a small snippet of what is inside the book!
If you’re a teacher, principal, or educational leader looking for realistic ways to bring creativity into your classroom or school—without adding one more thing to your plate—this episode is for you.
Because the future isn’t waiting.
And neither should we.