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- Episode #97: Build Hope and Spread Kindness to Impact Globally with Roman Nowak
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- Episode #68: An Educator’s Journey to Spark the Learning in Others with Meredith Johnson
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- Episode #63: Magical Learning by Creating Unforgettable Experiences with Tisha Richmond
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- My One Word for 2019: Possibilities
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- Teaching and Learning Approaches Chart (v1)
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- I believe…
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- Episode #29: Learn about the World with the World with Julie Lindsay
- 6 Tips to Find Your Magic
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- Random Acts of Kindness PBL
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- Top 10 Rethinking Learning Posts in 2017
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- Build a Toolkit so Learners Become Future Ready
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- Time to Ban Average in Education
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- Join the Random Acts of Kindness Movement
- Episode #21: Modeling Behaviors We Want to See with Starr Sackstein
- Design Thinking Process with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
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- Accountability vs Responsibility
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Episode #108: Aspire to Lead with Empathy, Creativity, and Passion with Joshua Stamper

Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Joshua (Josh) Stamper, a middle school administrator in North Texas, is passionate about community and engagement. He provides strategies on trauma-informed practices and how to develop a restorative mindset. Josh hosts the Leadership Development Podcast and created the A.S.P.I.R.E. model, which is the staple in his new book, “Aspire to Lead”.
Background
Joshua graduated from college with a Fine Arts degree and initially worked in the graphic design field for a number of years. He was always passionate about encouraging students to achieve their goals, initially coaching traveling soccer teams when he wasn’t working. Desiring to further his impact on students, Joshua returned to school to attain his teaching certificate, then worked as an Art teacher and coach at the middle school level for 6 years. Inspired to affect change at the campus level, Joshua completed his Masters in Educational Administration and has spent the past 8 years as a Middle School Administrator.
Joshua has had the amazing opportunity to work at four campuses, two districts, and hundreds of students, teachers, and administrators. Prior to Joshua’s current position, he was a classroom educator and athletic coach for 6 years working with students in grades 6-8.
In addition to his administrative position, Joshua is a podcaster, Teach Better Podcast Network Manager, author, blogger, leadership coach, and education presenter.
Your Family
Joshua is married to Leslie and the father of five. Joshua and Leslie became foster parents in 2011 and had the privilege of adopting three of their children from foster care.

Joshua and Leslie are trained in trauma-informed practices for meeting the emotional, social, and behavioral needs of children who have been through adverse childhood experiences, which Joshua also applies to his role as administrator. Josh and Leslie have co-written the following blog posts to help and support other educators and parents with Trauma-Informed practices:
Aspire to Lead Podcast #aspirelead
The Aspire podcast (The Leadership Development Podcast) provides those who are looking to build their leadership capacity an opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced and accomplished educational leaders. As we grow in our leadership skills, it’s imperative we learn from other leader’s experiences, successes, trials, and misconceptions.
Teach Better Speakers Network
https://www.teachbetter.com/speakersnetwork-joshuastamper/
The Teach Better Speakers Network covers a variety of educational topics and services. Joshua supports educators in the field toward creating and maintaining a progressive leadership journey.
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Joshua’s Contact Information
Website: https://joshstamper.com/
Blog: https://joshstamper.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joshua__Stamper
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshua__stamper/?hl=en
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Interested in checking out more of the Rethinking Learning podcasts and reflections, click on the podcast tab at the top, the logo below, or go to https://barbarabray.net/podcasts/
About the author
Barbara Bray is a Story Weaver, empowerment coach, award-winning author, international keynote speaker and podcast host helping people turn life’s hardest chapters into their most meaningful work. As the creator of the Grow Your Why movement, she guides women, educators, and leaders to transform adversity into purpose, clarity, and momentum.
Her message isn’t theoretical; it’s lived. Barbara learned later in life that she survived childhood polio, a truth her parents kept secret so she would never see herself as a victim. That foundation of resilience carried her through multiple reinventions, including a career-ending injury and a lung cancer diagnosis that reshaped how she thinks about time, truth, and legacy.
For more than three decades, Barbara has worked at the intersection of storytelling and transformation, helping people reclaim their voice and direction. Through her books, podcast, and coaching, she challenges a common belief: resilience isn’t about bouncing back—it’s about growing forward, on purpose.

