
Finishing Strong Navigating the May Slide in Leadership
From Control+Shift+Lead: The Education Leadership Podcast by Inspired Edification and AWB Education
May 1, 2026 · 40 min · Season 2 · Episode 5
About this episode
The episode discusses strategies for educational leaders to navigate the challenges of the end-of-year season and avoid the 'May Slide'.
Are you and your staff just "crawling to the finish line"? 🏃♂️ The "May Slide" can drain the energy out of even the best school cultures. Discover how to stay present, celebrate the journey, and finish the year with purpose. EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode of Control+Shift+Lead , hosts Adam Busch and Jim Wichman host a leadership roundtable with Dr. Jeremy Braden and Dr. Jill Urich . We tackle the unique challenges of the end-of-year season in education. We explore the "Control" and "Shift" segments of leadership, focusing on what to stop doing right now to reduce noise for your staff and how to move from simple reflection into intentional design for the next school year. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Why "counting down" to summer can be a leadership mistake. The "Restaurant Analogy" and its impact on student learning. How to get out of the "data mud" using AI and trend analysis. Moving from a "gotcha" mentality to a growth-oriented school culture. WHAT PROBLEMS THIS EPISODE SOLVES Feeling drained and "spent" during the end-of-year rush. Struggling to turn end-of-year reflections into actionable change. Managing staff anxiety as the school year closes. Avoiding the "May Slide" in…
People in this episode
Hosts: Adam Busch, Jim Wichman
Guests: Dr. Jeremy Braden, Dr. Jill Urich
Topics covered
- leadership challenges
- end-of-year reflections
- school culture
- intentional design
- staff management
- May Slide
Keywords
- leadership
- education
- end-of-year
- staff anxiety
- intentional design
- school culture
- AI
- data analysis
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: AWB Education, Inspired Edification, ForwardEd Network
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- From Points to Pointers: Shifting the Grading Paradigm · January 5, 2026 · 48 min
- From Survival to Celebration: Energizing Your Staff in December ❄️ · December 1, 2025 · 45 min
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