Dr. Kevin Colleary speaks with co-host Annemarie about the importance of Social Studies instruction and offers advice and resources for both teachers and families to help prepare today’s students for participation in a democratic society.

We chat with another CNUSD educator whose enthusiasm and dedication to her profession is truly infectious. Melanie Oliver, a teacher at Highland Elementary is one of CNUSD’s Teachers of The Year and was honored as one of the four Riverside County Teachers of the Year for 2016. After she was honored with teacher of the year, she was eager and ready to connect with fellow current and former Teachers of the Year, but no such environment existed, so she set out to create an organization for educators to connect and learn from each other.

Ivy joined Dr. Ernest Morrell in Washington D.C. at the Watergate Hotel at a Literacy Summit in October 2016 to discuss the importance of not just bringing media into classrooms but how to guide students in examining it critically. Dr. Morrell also explains how to inspire kids to love themselves as readers. He reminds us, that as educators, there is always the opportunity to reinvent.

How do you fit all of Pam Allyn's words of wisdom into one episode? Oh, that's right: You don't. Pam Allyn had so much to share that we created two episodes. In part 2, Allyn discusses how to build Super Readers, the idea that literacy is a social-emotional learning journey, and provides tips for how to support independent reading. If you would like more information about Super Readers, you can join the community at Scholastic and follow #SuperReader on social media. Be sure to check out part 1 of our chat with Pam Allyn.

In this inspiring episode, Pam Allyn, global literacy advocate, author, and education expert, discusses the importance of the classroom library. Students should be able to authentically see themselves in the books we provide for them. Literature must act not only as mirrors, but as windows to the outside world. Allyn believes that our human diversity is a blessing to all, and books can serve as windows to places and perspectives that students might not experience otherwise. Literacy is a fundamental human right.

Kelly Gallagher had so much to offer, that we needed 2 episodes to cover his interview. In the second half of his interview, the author and long-time teacher, Gallagher, discusses his use of SparkNotes, his collaboration with Penny Kittle, and his call to action--building a culture of reading in our schools.

Kelly Gallagher had so much to offer, that we needed 2 episodes to cover his interview. In the first half of his interview, the author and long-time teacher discusses the importance of reading and writing volume as well as the need for using literary texts to provide opportunities for kids to participate in imaginative rehearsals for the real world. Gallagher also offers advice for the massive grading load that comes with increased reading and writing among students.

In this episode, Kate sits down with her longtime friend, Gina Carlson Brown, to continue the conversation on cultural proficiency and equity. Gina explains how her role as a mother and teacher propelled her into this important work. "If we are educating 21st century learners in a global economy, then we really must educate to appreciate diversity in its many forms. We need to have the ability to have constructive conversations." Gina Carlson Brown reminds us that we all play a critical role in creating equitable learning experiences for our students and families.

There are a lot of terms used in education these days---social emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, microaggressions, cultural proficiency, unconscious bias etc. Educators Delores and Randall Lindsey describe how individuals can use the tools of cultural proficiency to examine their own assumptions and biases, and ultimately, transform education.

In this bonus episode, Delores and Randall Lindsey share how the author of Opening Doors: An Implementation Template for Cultural Proficiency, Trudy Arriaga, EdD, put into practice the important work developed by the Lindseys and their team while serving as the superintendent of Ventura Unified School District. You’ll also hear Ivy ask the Lindseys about the parallels between microaggressions and cultural proficiency.