Classroom Matters

On today’s episode I will be sitting down with two amazing educators who not only work in the world of alternative education, but also strive to help other educators through their roles in the Missouri Alternative Education Network.
Amy McEvoy currently serves as the President of MAEN and Dan Davinroy is the President-Elect. Their mission, which aligns to the National Alternative Education Association is to provide advocacy and support for professionals who work on behalf of children and youth receiving alternative education services.
We will be discussing the challenges that alternative education is facing during the pandemic and debunk the top 5 myths of teaching in an alternative school setting.

Classroom Matters Host - Kristy Houle
Podcast Producers - Jessica Pierce and Kristy Houle
Podcast Audio Editing - Jessica Pierce
Educate.Today Executive Director - Tim Gore

Today, our guest is National Teacher of the Year 2020, Tabatha Rosproy.  We spoke with Tabatha earlier this month about her recent accomplishment of being named the first early childhood Teacher of the Year.  

Tabatha Rosproy is a 10-year veteran of education and the first early childhood educator to be named National Teacher of the Year. Tabatha currently teaches preschool for the Winfield Early Learning Center in Winfield, Kansas.  As the Covid-19 pandemic forced the close of school buildings across the country, Tabatha served as a co-chair of the educator task force that helped compile Kansas's Continuous Learning Guidance in which the primary goal was to develop guidance for Kansas educators to meet the immediate need of supporting learning outside of our normal practices. This and many other accomplishments have led Tabatha to be a role-model for all teachers around the nation as they struggle to teach in uncharted waters.  We'll hear about the challenges that Tabatha has faced teaching early childhood in the wake of a pandemic and how her positive attitude helps encourage and impact others.

Classroom Matters Host - Kristy Houle

Podcast Producers - Jessica Pierce and Kristy Houle

Podcast Audio Editing - Jessica Pierce

Educate.Today Executive Director - Tim Gore

Kristy sits down with 12-year-old Mikey Wren, the youngest vending machine owner in the country.  Mikey's interest in business started with a lemonade stand and grew into the ownership of several vending machines across the St. Louis area and two best-selling children's books. Hear Mikey and his supportive mother, Arriel, talk about what drives him, how he balances business with school, and his plans for the future.

In this episode of Classroom Matters, host Kristy Houle chats with Stacy Clay, Senior Vice President and Director of Community Affairs, First Bank and Dr. Steven Coxen, Associate Professor of Education, Maryville University about their involvement with the Education Technology Initiative and how this partnership is assisting St. Louis school districts.

Listen to Kristy and Tim talk about the upcoming fall semester and the different ways that being remote and using online resources can be beneficial.

Watch our first ever video podcast episode on our Youtube page!

Join host Kristy Houle as she wraps up this three part series with Online Safety expert, Ronna Glickman. In this episode they will discuss the importance of online safety during this season of remote-learning and share some strategies to keep your kids focused and safe while working online.

Join Kristy Houle as she dives deeper into conversations with Online Safety Expert, Ronna Glickman.  In part two of this series Ronna discusses the impact too much online or screen time on a child's brain development.

What is the right age to get my child a cell phone? Should I monitor my child's social media usage? How does too much screen time affect my child? These may be familiar questions you've asked yourself. Join host Kristy Houle as she kicks off this three part series with Online Safety Expert, Ronna Glickman.

What started as a grassroots effort by St. Louis parents has turned into a community organization designed to help parents make the best educational choice for their children.  Navigate STL Schools is a non-profit focused on helping St. Louis families find local schools that are the right fit for the unique needs of their children. Join host Kristy Houle as she chats with Executive Director, Anna-Stacia Allen, and Founding Board President and Community Parent, Gloria Nolan, about the challenges families face when looking for the best educational option and how Navigate STL Schools can help.

Tina McCord has been in the world of education for over ten years and is also the founder of the Zuni Learning Tree website.  Tina's passion is for supporting teachers and having high-quality resources available in one place.  Join host Kristy Houle as she chats with Tina about the Zuni Learning Tree resources and how teachers and parents can utilize them during a time of remote learning.