411: How Can Schools and Communities Collaborate to Prevent Bullying
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Release Date: 04/21/2026
424: Telling the Story You Can't Forget
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
The story behind this episode The story I relate in this episode emerged when, in September 2019, I walked some of the World War I battlefields in Belgium and France with my guide, Iain McHenry. As we walked along where a trench had existed during the war, Iain told me the story of an archaeological dig that recovered and eventually identified the remains of a British soldier who was killed there in November 1914 in a German mortar attack. The story has stayed with me because of how the soldier, Richard Lancaster, was finally identified and because there are literally thousands of other...
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423 - Giving an "A"
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Today on Getting Unstuck Hi, I’m Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I’m periodically releasing mini-episodes of “Cultivating Curiosity.” In about 10 minutes, I’ll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini-episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work. At some point during the summer of 2019, I was walking in our nearby forest preserve, listening to a podcast with Tim Ferriss in conversation with Seth Godin. Tim Ferriss always asks his guests during the wrap-up what...
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422: Is It Possible to Reinvent Oneself Without Having All the Answers? Pt 2
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest JoAnne Duncan has had a varied career, from Alaskan fly-fishing guide to elementary teacher and principal, always focused on valuing the strengths of every student and staff member. Though she’s stepped away from her career in public education, she continues to learn, grow, and inspire others. A lifelong learner, she finds joy and insight outdoors, exploring nature and discovering new ideas, always growing, always learning, and always curious. Summary In Part 1 of this episode, JoAnne reflected on her unconventional path into education, her transition into school...
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421: How Can You Learn to Love Life's Unanswered Questions?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Elizabeth Weingarten is a journalist and applied behavioral scientist who works at the intersection of science and storytelling. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she has worked on the editorial staffs of The Atlantic, Slate, and Qatar Today, and was Managing Editor of Behavioral Scientist. Her writing has appeared in publications including The Atlantic, Slate, CNN, The Financial Times, Quartz, Harvard Business Review, and Time. She has led research programs at the think tank New America, the consultancy ideas42, and at tech companies Torch and...
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420 Avoiding Groupthink? A Leadership Practice Demonstrated on the Way to Pluto
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Hi, I’m Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I’m periodically releasing mini-episodes of “Cultivating Curiosity.” In about 10 minutes, I’ll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini-episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work. This week’s mini-episode comes from a May 2023 interview with Dr. Alan Stern. Today, Dr. Stern is an aerospace executive and remains a planetary scientist. In 2015, he was the Principal Investigator on the historic New Horizons mission to Pluto....
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419: What is the Priority?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Hi, I’m Jeff Ikler, host of the Getting Unstuck - Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I’m periodically releasing mini-episodes that, in under 10 minutes, dive into an evergreen idea from a previously broadcast episode. The content in these mini episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work. This week’s episode was inspired by a conversation with educator Dr. Deb Gustafson in December 2019, when she explained how, as a principal, she had applied Jim Collins’ flywheel principle from Good to Great in her elementary school. The idea The flywheel is an...
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418: How Can Leaders Create the Conditions for Staff to Succeed?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Rich Gassen has worked at UW-Madison for over 15 years as Production Manager and, more recently, as Director at Digital Publishing and Printing Services. He focuses on empowerment, autonomy, and process improvements with his team. His work mantra has always been “Show Up and Participate,” which continues to guide him in his lifelong learning. He also leads a community of practice for supervisors at UW-Madison, focusing on training and development. Summary In this episode, Rich discusses his leadership journey and the principles that guide his work. Drawing on more than 35 years in...
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417: What's One Question You Can Ask to Build Capacity?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Hi, I’m Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. It’s summer, and our thoughts naturally turn to making the most of longer days and warmer weather. We’re desperate to be outside. With that in mind, I’m periodically releasing mini episodes of “Cultivating Curiosity.” In about 10 minutes, I’ll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work. The idea This week’s mini episode was inspired by a July 2021 interview with Dr. Melissa “Missie”...
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416: How Can We Make Work Feel and Be More Meaningful?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest After 11 years at IBM, Brooke Erol left a “great job on paper” to pursue a more aligned, purpose-driven life. She founded Your Best Life Inc. to help professionals find meaning at work, and later Purposeful Business to support leaders in building people-centered organizations. She is the author of and Create a Life You Love, and speaks globally on leadership and purposeful work. Summary In this conversation, career coach and author Brooke Erol explores the changing nature of work, fulfillment, and identity in an era shaped by burnout, layoffs, and artificial...
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415: Is It Possible to Reinvent Oneself Without Having All the Answers? Pt 1
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest JoAnne Duncan has had a varied career, from Alaskan fly-fishing guide to elementary teacher and principal, always focused on valuing the strengths of every student and staff member. Though she’s stepped away from her career in public education, she continues to learn, grow, and inspire others. A lifelong learner, she finds joy and insight outdoors, exploring nature, and discovering new ideas, always growing, always learning, and always curious. Summary In this episode, JoAnne reflects on her unconventional path into education, her transition into school leadership, and...
info_outlineMy guest
Dr. Shileste Overton Morris serves as the Chief Programs Officer at the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit and the Director of the Center for Schools and Communities. The Center delivers national, state, local, and international services that build capacity in schools, districts, and organizations supporting children, youth, and families. Dr. Overton Morris’ expertise includes strategic leadership, parent engagement, belonging, and education leadership. She serves on multiple statewide and national boards. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at Temple University, College of Education and Human Development.
Summary
In this episode, Dr. Overton Morris discusses the complex and evolving nature of bullying in schools, emphasizing that it is less about individual “bad actors” and more about systemic conditions and power dynamics. Drawing on decades of experience in school safety and social-emotional development, she explains that bullying involves repeated behavior and an imbalance of power, now amplified by technology and social media, which extend harm beyond school hours and increase its reach and permanence.
Dr. Overton Morris highlights that modern bullying includes not only physical and verbal aggression but also relational aggression—such as exclusion, rumor-spreading, and digital harassment. She underscores how adolescents’ underdeveloped executive functioning contributes to impulsive and harmful online behavior, sometimes with serious legal consequences.
A central theme is that effective prevention requires a comprehensive, consistent, whole-school approach. Schools that implement structured frameworks—such as social-emotional learning, positive behavior supports, and restorative practices—can significantly reduce bullying. These approaches depend on aligned adult behavior, proactive monitoring, and a strong, inclusive school climate.
She also stresses the importance of equipping all school personnel—not just teachers—to recognize warning signs and intervene early. For parents, active listening, observation, and partnership with schools are key.
Ultimately, Dr. Overton Morris argues that bullying prevention is “adult work”: it depends on the environments adults create, the behaviors they model, and their willingness to consistently address harmful conduct.
Takeaways
Bullying prevention isn’t about reacting to incidents—it’s about intentionally creating environments where bullying is less likely to occur, which depends on consistent, aligned adult behavior and system-wide commitment.
Links
Center for Schools and Community
Referenced
Interview with Dr. Dana Milakovic: Nurturing the Emotionally Safe School Environment
Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture that Brings out the Best in People by Dr. Donna Hicks
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
Trauma in the Schools podcast series