Schurtz and Ties Podcast

April 4, 2025

In this episode with Schurtz and Ties, educators and leaders, Kasey Schurtz and Brian T. Miller, talk with Jennifer about having hard conversations and tangible strategies to use to have them more effectively and humanely.

About:

Schurtz and Ties is a podcast about education and culture. Inspired by the classroom, Kasey Schurtz and Brian T. Miller wrestle with how to become better teachers, leaders, and people. Schurtz and Ties is sponsored by PeerDrivePD.com and is a proud member of the TeachBetter Podcast Network.

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Jennifer Abrams

About Jennifer Abrams

Jennifer has been recognized as one of "21 Women All K-12 Educators Need to Know" by Education Week's 'Finding Common Ground' blog. She considers herself a "voice coach," helping others learn how to best use their voices – be it collaborating on a team, facilitating a group, coaching a colleague, supervising an employee and being an all around better human being in all types of interactions.

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    Praise for Jennifer

    “Jennifer’s session was not just a workshop, but an invitation to look inward at how we, as adults, show up in our professional roles. She reminded us that hard conversations are not about winning or avoiding conflict, but about cultivating clarity, empathy, and courage.

    One of the most powerful takeaways was this: for dialogue to be truly effective, we must learn to communicate with precision while holding space for humanity. Hard conversations should not shut people down; they should open the door to growth-producing feedback that strengthens trust, relationships, and professional practice. My learning experience with Jennifer was a reminder that our impact as educators is amplified when we are willing to pause, reflect, and engage with one another in ways that foster both accountability and compassion.”

    Farah Darazi, PYP Program Leader
    Advanced Learning Schools, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia