Ronnie Thomas is the founder of Fun Weird Science, an education company built on the belief that STEM lessons can apply all kinds of disciplines. A science teacher with 25 years of experience and two Teacher of the Year awards, Thomas started Weird Fun Science after developing a reputation for engaging and versatile teaching methods.

In our discussion, Ronnie and I discuss the efficiency of hands-on learning and why he was inspired by it. We also talk about his mission to expand STEM education in underserved communities and in early education, and his belief in the need for more innovation in schools.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode136.

Craig Randall is the developer and author of “Trust-Based Observations.” He has spent the last 30 plus years in education, working as a counselor, coach, teacher and principal. Now, Craig spends the majority of his time training school leaders all over the globe in the trust-based observation system, transforming the world of teacher observations to a model of trust and support that fosters growth mindsets and teaching innovation.

In our discussion, Craig dives into his educator journey, going from teaching to administration. He also criticizes teacher evaluation frameworks like Danielson and Marzano, citing research showing they decrease teacher efficacy. Our conversation will really make you thinking about evaluations.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode135.

Rebecca McAllister is a certified teacher, literacy specialist, and co-founder of The Active Reader. With over 10 years of classroom experience, Rebecca has always been passionate about helping young learners thrive—but it wasn’t until she became a mom that everything shifted. Teaching her daughter to read made her realize that even as an educator, she had never been shown how to teach reading in a clear, systematic way. That realization led her to structured literacy and Orton-Gillingham training—and lit a fire that hasn’t gone out since.

In our episode, Rebecca and I discuss how she came to co-found Active Reader and what she’s done to build the business up. We also get into strategies for improving reading skills and what we’ve seen during our teaching days. A quick but informative episode!

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode134.

David Martelli is a dedicated educator and leader in STEM learning, with over 20 years of experience designing innovative educational spaces and programs. His career began in the U.S. Air Force, where he led high-tech programs before transitioning into education. As Head of Computer Science and Engineering at a school, he built a cutting-edge Makerspace, giving students hands-on experience with technology and engineering.

During our discussion, David describes his educator journey, highlighting his experience in robotics and computer science, his transition from engineering to teaching, and the impact of COVID-19 on his educational initiatives. We also get into why Guild Hall’s Makerspaces are so helpful for students.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode133.

In this episode, I speak to Shannon Russell of the Second Act Success Podcast. Russell is a career transition and business coach empowering women to leave unfulfilling careers and build joyful, purpose driven businesses. She recently published a book “Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life,” which comes out May 7.

During our discussion, Shannon passes along a lot of great tips for moving to new horizons, such as celebrating past achievements for motivation. She also tells the story of how she started her own franchise, Snapology, after working in television for years. She’s full of wisdom after years of working as career coach and finding a second act herself.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode132.

This week I speak to Richard Welsh, an associate professor at Vanderbilt University and the founder of its School Discipline Lab. We talked about his new book, “ Suspended Futures: Transforming Racial Inequities in School Discipline.” The book focuses on prevalence of exclusionary discipline in schools, particularly among Black students, who are twice as likely to be suspended. The book is eye-opening and hopeful, as its full of strategies for making classroom discipline more equitable.

In our discussion, Richard breaks down what the research on school discipline disparities says and why he started researching the subject in the first place. He also explains why educators need to be involved in fixing these issues. It’s an important episode and hopefully by discussing the issue, we will start seeing some positive change.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode131.

Today’s guest is Dr. Ashley Potvin, a research associate at the Renée Crown Wellness Institute whose new book, “Creating Compassionate Change in School Communities: Leading Together to Address Everyday Suffering in Schools” comes out later this month. The book focuses on helping teachers cultivate compassion and reduce suffering in their schools — a topic we can agree is important.

Before earning her PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from CU Boulder, had several jobs in education, including teaching social studies at middle and high school, and working as teacher coach. We talk about her journey towards becoming a researcher and the longterm impacts of teaching relationships. We discuss how to create compassion in schools, and the kinds of compassion you might’ve forgotten about, like self-compassion.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode130.

Let’s talk about what it takes to be successful as a curriculum developer. I think teachers have the best background possible. We need more people who know what it's like in the classroom to be creating curriculum. Teachers have the most relevant experience. But that's not to say that we don't need to learn other skills.

In this episode I talk about what curriculum agencies look for that you can’t get in the classroom. Of course I get into lesson plan frameworks, curriculum pedagogies, and curriculum portfolios. But I also get into what curriculum agencies are looking for that isn’t so obvious.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode129.

When you're looking to make a change in your life, whether it's leaving the classroom or really anything else, it can feel completely overwhelming once you’ve decided to change. What do you do? You have plenty of options, but here’s what might not be obvious: having these moments is actually how we find our way to our next chapter.

On today’s episode, I explain the meaning of one of my favorite phrases, “the only way out is through.” We all know you learn though doing it, but if you look back at your struggles, there’s more lessons that you might not recognize right away. I’m here to convince you that when times get tough, it’s time to embrace the struggle.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode128.

Nitin Gour is the founder and CEO of Bloomster. Bloomster is a dynamic platform that empowers students by teaching over 25 essential life skills.. Nitin started Bloomster after spending two decades in the corporate world, working first in tech and then finance. Nitin came to recognize that academic success alone isn’t enough to prepare young individuals for real-life challenges. This realization inspired him to establish Bloomster, a mission-driven platform dedicated to closing the gap in traditional education

Nitin and I discusses his journey towards creating Bloomster and what he has in store for its future. He also gives his opinion on integrating AI into education.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode127.