Classroom Matters

Most educators would tell you that the first year of teaching is usually the most challenging. That was no different for our host Kristy Houle and her colleague Tim Gore.  Join Kristy and Tim for some surprising, yet hilarious stories as they remember back to their first year of teaching.

Anyone that has ever worked in a public school setting know that the school secretary is the first person that most parents and community members see.  It sometimes falls on them to set the tone and climate of the school building and to keep things running smoothly.  This may seem like an easy task, but we will learn differently in this episode of Classroom Matters.  Join host Kristy Houle as she sits down with school secretary Tiffany Allen as they dive into a behind the scenes look at how the front office runs in an effective school environment.

In this podcast you'll hear:

• The many challenges of being a school secretary
• How good student-secretary relationships are formed
• How to show your school secretary your appreciation

Education usually ensures a life-long career, however, Dr. Bernard Dubray has pushed that to the limit. Dr. Dubray has been in the education field for over 50 years and is currently the longest running superintendent for the state of Missouri. His devotion to the community, students and teachers is evident in the work that he does, but he has also made tremendous impacts in the areas of academics and finances. Join host Kristy Houle as she chats with Dr. Dubray about everything from his last 50 years of education and what the future may hold for him.    

In this episode you'll hear...

• Dr. Dubray's journey and how he got where he is now
• What his day as a superintendent looks like
• His relationship with teachers and opinion on the national teacher shortage

Eric Hadley has been knee deep in the world of science for over twenty years. Working as an educator and expert in the field of STEM, he has witnessed firsthand how far public education has come in teaching future generations the importance of science and critical thinking skills. Join host Kristy Houle as she sits down with Eric to discuss how science education has progressed over the last two decades and the steps educators are taking to ensure students are prepared for a science driven society.

In this episode you’ll hear…

• The ways in which STEM can be used in the classroom setting
• About the gender gap in STEM classes and activities
• Why creativity and an affinity for creativity doesn’t negate a child’s STEM abilities

How important are the arts in today's classroom?  It seems as though the arts programs are always the first to be cut when school budgets get low.  In today’s episode of Classroom Matters I will be chatting with Tom Tobias and Ed Grooms about arts education and the impact it has when we remove it from the public-school setting.  Tom is a retired K-12 arts teacher and has also spent time with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education serving as the Arts Education Director.  Ed Grooms has been in education for over 50 years in which he taught a wide variety arts curriculum and gifted students.  Join me in my conversation as we tackle such topics as assessment of the arts, fostering creativity and the long-term benefits of arts programs in public education.

In this episode you'll hear...

• How budget cuts affect the arts
• How arts classes can positively influence learning in core classes
• What the arts have to do with STEAM

Join host Kristy Houle and colleague Tim Gore for another dose of reality as they discuss things they DON’T miss about teaching.  

Becky Jennings is no stranger to substandard professional development for teachers.  As an expert in the professional development field for over 20 years, she has experienced the challenges and helped create resolutions for the epidemic of ineffective teacher training.  In this episode of Classroom Matters she sits down with host Kristy Houle to discuss the pitfalls of professional development and how the education system is progressing in it’s efforts to improve the current model.

In this episode you'll hear...

• How professional development could better engage teachers
• What administrators can do to help foster teacher growth
• How applied learning can improve how teachers understand their professional development

Join host Kristy Houle and former educator Tim Gore as they reminisce about aspects of teaching they miss most.  Everything from read alouds to interacting with students Kristy and Tim dive into some funny memories and retrospective thinking with a touch of humor…and coffee.

Public education has seen a tragic increase in the amount of school shootings and overall school violence in the last ten years.  Students are no longer just “duking it out” on the playground and then calling a truce.  In today’s society teens are more likely to respond to difficult situations in a more violent fashion than in years past.   Social media and the instant access to violent video games, music lyrics and television programs could be playing a part in this increase, but how do we help students learn better coping mechanisms and how are these violent incidents impacting the school setting?  Join host Kristy Houle as she chats with law enforcement and school resource officer Kip Heinle as they discuss the efforts that other resource officers around the nation are attempting to deal with on a day to day basis.

In this episode you'll hear...

• What it's like to be a School Resource Officer
• How school safety has changed over time
• What we can do to keep our schools safe