{"podcast":{"title":"Aspire to Lead","slug":"aspire-to-lead-881344","podcast_index_feed_id":881344,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/aspiretoleadpodcast/","website_url":"https://joshstamper.com/aspire-episodes/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/68992553-1a23-4339-b684-7f934e770ff5/cySyp0cbw84xoTA-YIXVlMWF.png","author":"Joshua Stamper","episode_count":300,"summary":"Joshua Stamper provides an opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced and accomplished educational leaders. As we grow in our leadership skills, it’s imperative to learn from other leader’s successes, trials and misconceptions. Join us each week as my guests provide valuable stories, resources, and advice to enhance your leadership journey.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-12T14:19:32.017064+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/aspire-to-lead-881344"},"episode":{"title":"371. Lead Where Your Feet Are: Featuring David James","slug":"371-lead-where-your-feet-are-featuring-david-james","published_at":"2026-03-08T01:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/aspire-to-lead-881344/371-lead-where-your-feet-are-featuring-david-james","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/aspire-to-lead-881344","url":"https://joshstamper.com/lead-where-your-feet-are-featuring-david-james","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/521dc79d-24dd-47d8-9294-303dfcca6f26.mp3","summary":"What happens when a former assistant principal chooses to return to the middle school classroom and discovers a deeper, wider form of leadership than the front office ever offered? In this episode of Aspire to Lead, Joshua Stamper talks with David James, seventh grade social studies teacher, lead mentor, and conference director for the North Carolina Association for Middle Level Education, about what it really means to lead where your feet are.​ David shares how his journey from substitute teacher to AP and back to the classroom reshaped his view of growth mindset, professional learning, and influence, and why he now sees every student in his 1,200 student building as “his kid.” He breaks down the BT support structures at Harold E. Winkler Middle School, including a non evaluative mentoring model and weekly Wolf Pack Workshop PD that is led by teachers for teachers, and explains why consistency, clear structures, and teaming are non negotiables in middle level education.​ The conversation closes with a preview of the upcoming NCMLE conference in Charlotte, where David is conference director, and a powerful challenge to aspiring and current leaders to connect beyond their buildings and invest deeply in the roles they already hold, rather than chasing titles. About David James David is an 18 year veteran of K-12 education. He started his teaching journey as a graduate of Ohio University in 2007. After moving to North Carolina in the fall of 2011, David became part of the inaugural teaching staff at the award winning Harold E. Winkler Middle School, a 6-8 International Baccalaureate school located in Concord, NC, 15 miles north of Charlotte. David currently serves in multiple teacher-leadership capacities at HWMS. As an English/Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher, Le…","meta_description":"What happens when a former assistant principal chooses to return to the middle school classroom and discovers a deeper, wider form of leadership than the…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1988,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/aspire-to-lead-881344/episodes/371-lead-where-your-feet-are-featuring-david-james/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/aspire-to-lead-881344/371-lead-where-your-feet-are-featuring-david-james.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}