Moves Leaders Make - Season 1, Episode 7: Designing a School Around Values, Ritual, and Student Agency

In this episode of Moves Leaders Make, hosts Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen talk with Katy Inman, a school leader at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Founded by Nancie Atwell, the school is known for its deep commitment to reading, writing, and student-centered learning. Katy shares how intentional rituals, shared faculty values, extended work time, and student-led portfolio conferences shape a culture where children feel seen, capable, and motivated. From daily morning meetings to goal-setting conferences beginning in kindergarten, this conversation explores how small structural moves create a school environment grounded in purpose, agency, and joy. GUEST Katy Inman — School leader at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. KEY TAKEAWAYS • How daily morning meetings create belonging and shared purpose. • Why faculty-selected annual values anchor school culture. • The importance of long, uninterrupted work blocks for meaningful learning. • How student goal-setting and portfolio conferences build ownership from kindergarten on. • Moving away from grades toward narrative feedback and growth reflection. • Designing a school intentionally small to function as a learning laboratory. • Creating systems that welcome visiting educators to learn from practice. BOOKS & REFERENCE • Stoner by John Williams • Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty Moves Leaders Make — A Book Love Foundation Podcast; Hosted by Penny Kittle and Elaine Millen; Produced by Testwood Creative Studio; Music by ryanancona, licensed from Pond5; Learn more at booklovefoundation.org Click here to view the episode transcript. ★ Support this podcast ★