Humans of Teaching

After years traveling the globe with classes of students to fascinating, historical places, Ron Kotwica chose to make one of the hardest decisions of his life - to leave behind his planned career of being a physical education teacher and turn his side hustle into a full time career. While this choice meant Ron would be giving up his plans for a traditional classroom experience, it did not mean that he was giving up on teaching. 

In the early 2000s, Mr. Nice Guy Games was born, based off the advice of Ron's father, to "just do it". Ron's day consists of not only teaching his employees to be experts of the tabletop games that they sell, he teaches them to care, because to Ron, caring is the most important thing. Caring about your work, your employees, your customers; anyone.

At Mr. Nice Guy Games, players aren't just learning the rules of the games when they play, they are learning the rules of life - how to win or lose with pride, how to mentor others, and how to listen, discuss, strategize, and analyze. Through coaching advanced players to participate in high-stakes tournaments, oftentimes with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line, guiding customers on the rules of a new board game, mentoring his employees, and playing in weekly events in his own store with the regulars, Ron is able to participate in his other true passion in life - teaching. Ron has made hundreds of amazing memories at Mr. Nice Guy Games and he is looking forward to making hundreds more, all based on his motto, "it pays to care".

If you are a fan table top games or collectible card games, be sure to check out Mr. Nice Guy Games in Monroeville, PA. Their store is truly a marvel and they are sure to have anything to meet your hobby interests!

You can also check them out on Facebook here.

Are you a teacher with a unique story and perspective to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be on the show!

Follow us on Twitter: @HumansOfPodcast

We post teasers of every upcoming interview for the month on Twitter for our "Listener Questions" segment. If you have a question for any of our interviewees, make sure to comment you question to our post on Twitter to have it asked live on the show!

We are always looking to make Humans of Teaching better and better with each new episode. Please make sure to leave a rating and a comment on what aspects you really enjoy about the podcast and some things that you would change. This podcast was made for you!

Be sure to subscribe to Humans of Teaching so you don't miss a single episode and check out our website to learn more!

Thank you all for your continued support.

Taking on a brand new profession in an entirely different country was a difficult choice and true challenge for Nicole Al-Amoudi, but it turned out to be one of the most important and worthwhile decisions of her life. After graduating from college, Nicole set out on a two-year journey to Japan, teaching English as a Second Language. Leaving behind her home and everything she knew, Nicole made a new one within the Shiga Kenritsu Torahime High School in Nagahime, Japan. The experiences she shares provide invaluable insight on what it is like to teach in an entirely different school system, in a location where you know little of the culture, language, and people. Nicole embraced those challenges and took them head on, becoming a passionate and dedicated teacher to her Japanese students, where they became excellent English speakers, even winning various academic competitions based on their language prowess.

During her interview, Nicole shares how teaching in Japan compares to teaching in the states, some of her favorite memories of her experiences, and walks us through a day in her life teaching nearly 7,000 miles away from where she currently calls home. Her stories provide perspective on the importance of compassion, acceptance, and patience in teaching.

Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School is an online, tuition-free public school for students in all areas of PA. If you are interested in learning more about PA Distance, head to padistance.org to see all of the amazing things this school has to offer!

Are you a teacher with a unique story and perspective to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be on the show!

Follow us on Twitter: @HumansOfPodcast

We post teasers of every upcoming interview for the month on Twitter for our "Listener Questions" segment. If you have a question for any of our interviewees, make sure to comment you question to our post on Twitter to have it asked live on the show!

We are always looking to make Humans of Teaching better and better with each new episode. Please make sure to leave a rating and a comment on what aspects you really enjoy about the podcast and some things that you would change. This podcast was made for you!

Be sure to subscribe to Humans of Teaching so you don't miss a single episode and check out our website to learn more!

Thank you all for your continued support.

In this episode, we are sitting down with Pat Moloney, a police officer of 40+ years, a senior master of the North American Police Work Dog Association, and owner of Moloney's K-9 Academy, where he trains dogs for therapy, search and rescue, and as companions. Pat provides in-depth stories of his days on the force, detailing how the dogs he trained performed search and rescue operations for missing people, found cadavers, spotted explosives and drugs, and even saved the lives of many other police officers on the job. He trains dogs, not just for his love of animals, but for the benefit of his community and the people around him.

You can find Pat teaching his therapy and companion classes at Garden City Fire-Hall in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. If you want to reach out to Pat and learn more about Moloney's K-9 Academy, find them on Facebook and shoot them a message!

Are you a teacher with a unique story and perspective to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be on the show!

Follow us on Twitter: @HumansOfPodcast

We post teasers of every upcoming interview for the month on Twitter for our "Listener Questions" segment. If you have a question for any of our interviewees, make sure to comment you question to our post on Twitter to have it asked live on the show!

We are always looking to make Humans of Teaching better and better with each new episode. Please make sure to leave a rating and a comment on what aspects you really enjoy about the podcast and some things that you would change. This podcast was made for you!

Be sure to subscribe to Humans of Teaching so you don't miss a single episode and check out our website to learn more!

Thank you all for your continued support.

Today we are joined Miss Michelle Morrow, a passionate and dedicated special education teacher. During her interview, Michelle provides a crash-course overview of all things special education. We hear the personal stories that led her into the field of special education and are walked through a typical school day in her shoes as a Learning Support teacher. Michelle wears many hats throughout the school day, as many teachers do, but she shares how important embracing the "tiny victories" are to remembering why we love teaching and would never give it up for the world.

Are you a teacher with a unique story and perspective to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be on the show!

Follow us on Twitter: @HumansOfPodcast

We post teasers of every upcoming interview for the month on Twitter for our "Listener Questions" segment. If you have a question for any of our interviewees, make sure to comment you question to our post on Twitter to have it asked live on the show!

We are always looking to make Humans of Teaching better and better with each new episode. Please make sure to leave a rating and a comment on what aspects you really enjoy about the podcast and some things that you would change. This podcast was made for you!

Be sure to subscribe to Humans of Teaching so you don't miss a single episode and check out our website to learn more!

Thank you all for your continued support.

In this episode, we will be sitting down with Miss Marisa Petraglia, a high school social studies teacher who specializes in the field of psychology. Marisa walks us through a day in her life as a cyber teacher. While cyber education is a field often surrounded by misinformation and misconceptions, Marisa details how this style of schooling provides many of the same opportunities as brick-and-mortar schools, while also preparing her students for futures in a globalized world where technology use, self-advocacy, and an ability to work collaboratively as well as independently will be essential skills to possess.

Interested in speaking to Marisa more about her experiences in cyber education and her psychology background and initiatives? Reach out to her on Twitter @MissPetraglia

Are you a teacher with a unique story and perspective to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be on the show!

Follow us on Twitter: @HumansOfPodcast

We post teasers of every upcoming interview for the month on Twitter for our "Listener Questions" segment. If you have a question for any of our interviewees, make sure to comment you question to our post on Twitter to have it asked live on the show!

We are always looking to make Humans of Teaching better and better with each new episode. Please make sure to leave a rating and a comment on what aspects you really enjoy about the podcast and some things that you would change. This podcast was made for you!

Be sure to subscribe to Humans of Teaching so you don't miss a single episode and check out our website to learn more!

Thank you all for your continued support.

Humans of Teaching is a podcast that explores the unique and amazing ways that humans, of all walks of life, teach others. We sit down with personal trainers and collegiate coaches, CEOs and drill sergeants, and educators of all types to learn how and why they teach, as well as the lessons they've learned along the way. Through these personal and in-depth interviews, we hope to learn more about the ways that teachers provide effective, meaningful, and lasting learning to their students; whether those students are clients, officers, pets, or children.

Join us here at Humans of Teaching as we learn and share what "great teaching" can really be.

Are you a teacher with a unique story and perspective to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be on the show!

Follow us on Twitter: @HumansOfPodcast

We post teasers of every upcoming interview for the month on Twitter for our "Listener Questions" segment. If you have a question for any of our interviewees, make sure to comment you question to our post on Twitter to have it asked live on the show!

We are always looking to make Humans of Teaching better and better with each new episode. Please make sure to leave a rating and a comment on what aspects you really enjoy about the podcast and some things that you would change. This podcast was made for you!

Be sure to subscribe to Humans of Teaching so you don't miss a single episode and check out our website to learn more!

Thank you all for your continued support.