Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball

Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball

by Dr. Denise Ball
Education
Season 1
Joy in the Work | Episode 2: Make Room for Joy
Joy in the Work | Episode 2: Make Room for Joy What happens when we create environments where people have permission to learn, take risks, make mistakes, and grow together? In Episode 2 of Joy in the Work, Dr. Denise Ball welcomes Dr. Nicci Dowd for a thoughtful conversation about making room for joy in our classrooms, schools, and professional learning communities. Nicci explores the importance of academic humility, creating safe spaces for collaboration and learning, and how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has influenced the way she approaches both her courses at Marymount University and the professional learning she facilitates. Denise and Nicci have the privilege of serving together on the Marymount University faculty, collaborating as adjunct consultants with ADAC, Inc., and beginning a second year of research with a wonderful team focused on school culture and developing practical tools to help school leaders create environments where educators can thrive. One question to carry with you: Are we creating environments where people feel safe enough to learn, make mistakes, and experience joy along the way? Join the conversation on YouTube: [https://youtu.be/ZeFiwsHr9hg] or listen wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.
S1 · E2
Aug 16, 2026
24:41
Cultivating JOY -Part I with Dr. Denise Ball presented by Marymount University
Cultivating JOY Part I: Creating School Cultures Where Christ Is Magnified What does it look like to intentionally cultivate a school culture where educators feel seen, supported, and called to thrive, and where Jesus Christ is magnified in the daily life of the community? Recorded as part of Marymount University’s Cultivating JOY series, Dr. Denise Ball leads a conversation exploring a four-pillar framework for examining the cultures we create for students, educators, leaders, and families. The virtual gathering welcomed registrants from more than 28 (arch)dioceses across 24 states, reminding us that while our schools and communities may be separated by miles, we share a common mission. This episode captures Part I of the conversation, including reflections on the intentional work of building healthy, joy-filled Catholic school cultures and the importance of creating environments where people can belong, grow, serve, and flourish. The conversation continues on January 21, 2027, when Marymount University hosts Part II, an in-person book talk centered on Dr. Ball’s forthcoming Loyola Press book, The Four Pillars of JOY for Catholic Educators: A Pocket Retreat. So much good is happening in Catholic education, and we can do more when we keep learning, reflecting, and walking alongside one another. This podcast can be found on YouTube and anywhere you enjoy your favorite podcasts. www.youtube.com/@SharingTheGoodwithDrDeniseBall
S1 · E1
Sep 11, 2026
1:00:38
JOY IN THE WORK | Episode 4 | Father Pawel Sass | Pastor-Principal Partnership
When we talk about Catholic education, school leadership, and positive school culture, there is an essential partnership I believe we need to discuss more: the pastor-principal relationship. I have been blessed throughout my career to serve alongside amazing priests and to have mentors like Msgr. Chuck Kosanke in the Archdiocese of Detroit and Father John Williamson in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Their positive, collaborative approach to Catholic education helped shape my own lens on the importance of partnership, shared mission, and recognizing the gifts each person brings to the work. What a JOY, then, to welcome Father Pawel Sass, M.A., S.T.L., Pastor of the Shrine of Saint Jude in Rockville, Maryland, Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, to my podcast for Episode 4 of the Joy in the Work series. Pastors and principals have distinct roles, but they share an extraordinary mission. When their relationship is grounded in trust, communication, humility, prayer, mutual respect, and JOY, that partnership can help shape the culture experienced by teachers, students, and families throughout the entire school community. St. Jude Regional Catholic School is blessed to have Father Pawel as a pastor, spiritual leader, and collaborator. I left our conversation inspired, and I believe taking a few minutes to listen to him is well worth the time. What becomes possible in our Catholic schools when pastors and principals see their partnership not simply as a responsibility, but as a gift? Join the conversation: https://youtu.be/BqIdg4uuwCU Or listen where you enjoy your podcasts.
S1
Aug 28, 2026
58:18
Joy in the Work | Episode 3 | Joy, Belonging, and the Power of Community A Conversation with Dr. Joy Roberts
JOY IN THE WORK | Episode 3: Joy, Belonging, and the Power of Community What a joy it was to welcome Dr. Joy Roberts to Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball for a wonderful conversation about joy, belonging, relationships, and the power of community. Joy is the co-founder and president of Friendzy.Co, an organization that partners with schools across the nation and across governance models to help create classroom and school cultures where students and educators experience a strong sense of belonging. Joy reminded us that strong communities do not happen by accident. They are built through relationships and through the everyday ways we help people know they are seen, valued, and connected. Our conversation explores what belonging can look and feel like for students AND the adults who serve them, why relationships matter to school culture, and how we can intentionally create communities where educators, students, and families can thrive. I am grateful to Joy for generously sharing her wisdom, research, experiences, and JOY! As I reflect on our conversation, this is the question I carry away to reflect on: What if one of the greatest sources of joy in our work is knowing that we belong to something larger than ourselves? I hope you will join the conversation. Join the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OfkNJkom_rY Or listen wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts. When we train our eyes to see the good, amazing things happen. #SharingTheGood #JoyInTheWork #Belonging #SchoolCulture #SchoolLeadership #CatholicEducation #EducatorJoy #Community #Friendzy
S1
Aug 26, 2026
39:07
Middle School Culture Blueprint: Reflections from the Field - Episode 1
Middle School Culture Blueprint: Reflections from the Field Creating a Positive Start to the 2026–2027 School Year I am grateful to host this conversation with Catholic educators, school leaders, and diocesan leaders who are serving and making a difference in and for middle school communities. Featured guests: Dr. Nancy Baker Mary Peters Lynsie Reavis Karina Lepkowski Tricia Florance This episode is connected to The Middle School Culture Blueprint, a manuscript project I am blessed to be developing with Dr. LaTonya White. Together, we laugh and discuss practical ways to welcome teachers, support students, build belonging, strengthen team culture, and begin the school year with intention, clarity, and JOY. #SharingTheGood #MiddleSchoolCultureBlueprint #CatholicEducation #SchoolCulture #MiddleSchoolLeadership #CultivatingJOY
S1
Aug 13, 2026
1:02:32
Joy in the Work | Episode 1: Lead with Joy
What if joy was not something we waited to find in our work, but something we intentionally chose to lead with? In the first episode of the Joy in the Work series, Dr. Denise Ball welcomes Dr. Christina Mendez-Hall for a heartfelt conversation about choosing joy as educators and school leaders. Together, they explore how joy can influence the way we lead, strengthen relationships, navigate challenges, and contribute to positive, healthy school cultures. As a new school year begins, this conversation offers a simple invitation: before the meetings, plans, initiatives, and inevitable challenges, consider how you want to show up for the people you serve. Joy does not mean ignoring the hard parts of our work. It means making room for gratitude, hope, laughter, faith, purpose, and connection alongside them. One question to carry with you: How will someone experience joy because they crossed your path today? Join the conversation and consider what might happen when we choose to Lead with Joy. Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball “When we train our eyes to see the good, amazing things happen.”
S1
Aug 13, 2026
37:03
What will be the legacy of my words?
Words rarely disappear when the conversation ends. They can linger in a heart, shape a relationship, awaken curiosity, restore confidence, offer forgiveness, or become part of the story another person carries forward. After spending several days in the presence of my mother- and father-in-law, who have shared 65 years of marriage, I found myself reflecting on the words that build a life, a marriage, a family, a classroom, and a community. In this episode of the Words Have Power series on Sharing the Good, I invite us to consider not simply the words we speak, but the legacy they may leave behind. For educators– What words will my students carry with them after they leave my classroom? Did I tell them they were capable? Did I cultivate curiosity rather than fear of being wrong? Did my words communicate…I see something in you? For leaders– What words do people associate with being in your presence? Did my words invite collaboration? Did my words make difficult conversations safer and more productive? Have my words preserved another person’s dignity even when disagreement was necessary? For families– What language are we handing down from one generation to the next by the words we choose to use today? Sometimes, the legacy of our words isn’t ONLY about what we say but also about the words we choose NOT to say… The apology we finally offer, The conversation we have the courage to enter, OR The grace we extend when someone’s words have hurt us. As we begin to welcome a new school year, I invite educators, parents, and leaders into a simple reflection: Before you speak, teach, correct, post, email, lead, or respond, ask: If these words were remembered, would I be grateful they were mine? Thank you for being a part of the Sharing the Good community! Until next time, let us cultivate joy and be committed to sharing the good, knowing that when we train our eyes to see the good, amazing things do indeed happen! Join the conversation LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/deniseballedu Instagram: deniseball_edu YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SharingTheGoodwithDrDeniseBall Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SharingTheGoodWithDrDeniseBall Blog: www.unlocktheteacher.org Sharing the Good is also available wherever podcasts are enjoyed!
S1
Aug 13, 2026
6:08
Words Have Power, Episode 1
Words can encourage, affirm, and create a sense of belonging, or leave a lasting impact in ways we may not realize. In this first episode of the Words Have Power series, Dr. Denise Ball invites educators and school leaders to reflect on the language they use and how intentional words can help build positive, joy-filled school communities. The complimentary Educator Toolkit: 90 Positive Comments to Help Every Student Feel Seen, Valued, and Connected is available at www.unlocktheteacher.org.
S1
Jul 30, 2026
3:39
Wisdom from Oxford: What Are We Taking Home with Drs. Ball, Dowd, McMillan & Roberts
Sitting atop the Oxford Castle mound, I found myself reflecting on the extraordinary gift of being in Oxford among scholars from around the world. To be welcomed as a researcher into a community filled with such innovative, curious, and brilliant minds is both humbling and deeply inspiring. Throughout the Oxford Symposia 2026, I have been gathering wisdom nuggets, forming new connections, and considering how research can move beyond presentation rooms to serve educators, students, schools, and communities. In this video, I invited three remarkable fellow scholars to share one reflection they are taking away from their time in Oxford: Dr. Nicci Dowd, Assistant Professor at Marymount University and a member of our Oxford Symposia 2026 Research Team (https://marymount.edu/) Dr. Joy Roberts, Co-Founder of Friendzy and a member of our Oxford Symposia 2026 Research Team (https://friendzy.co/) Dr. Alvera “Ali” McMillan, representing Louisiana State University and presenting research on the intersection of literacy and nature place-based learning as a transformative pedagogical approach to K-12 education Their reflections remind us that research is not only about what we discover. It is also about the relationships we form, the questions we carry forward, and how we use what we learn in service to others. What do we take home from experiences such as these? New knowledge, certainly, but also new relationships, renewed purpose, and a deeper responsibility to use what we learn in service to others. When we train our eyes to see the good, amazing things happen. May we continue to seek knowledge in all things, Denise This conversation is available anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. #SharingTheGoodwithDrDeniseBall #OxfordSymposia2026 #EducationalResearch #SchoolCulture #ProfessionalLearning #Literacy #PlaceBasedLearning #MarymountUniversity
S1
Jul 23, 2026
3:29
Joy of the Work: Belonging, Retention, and School Culture | Episode 3
In the final episode of the three-part Summer Series, Belonging, School Culture, and the Joy of the Work, host Dr. Denise Ball welcomes back Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling, Associate Superintendent for the Archdiocese of Omaha. Denise and Anita explore the important connection between belonging, joy, teacher retention, school stability, and the overall health of a school community. Their conversation considers how leaders can move belonging beyond a one-time welcome and make it part of the rhythm, language, practices, and lived experience of the school throughout the year. They discuss why joy grows when people feel connected to one another and to a shared mission, how belonging can help educators feel less isolated, and why small, sincere, and consistent leadership practices can make a lasting difference. As school leaders prepare for the 2026-27 school year, this episode offers a timely invitation: choose one practice that helps people feel seen, known, valued, supported, and connected, and commit to it consistently. A joyful school community is not a perfect school community. It is a community that continues to see the good, name the good, and carry the good forward together. Dr. Denise Ball extends her heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Anita Harkins-Mehsling for sharing her research, wisdom, leadership, and generous heart throughout this summer series. Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball is available wherever you enjoy podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio. The video conversation and the complete summer series can also be viewed on the Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball YouTube channel. When we train our eyes to see the good, amazing things happen. For the video, please visit the Sharing the Good with Dr. Denise Ball YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/QapHgB7frhY
S1
Jul 14, 2026
1:05:01
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