When did you decide you wanted to be a teacher?  For some of us we were rather young, and for others it wasn’t until after college.  For James Sturtevant, it was the latter.  But his late arrival to the teaching career path has not impeded his ability to become an exemplary educator.  In this episode we discuss what he did early in his career that kept him in the field, how being open to new ideas accelerated his career and challenged him to write his first book, and why he continues to serve the world of education as an adjunct lecturer and his continued writing practice with the release of his new book “Teaching In Magenta: 100 paths to joy and well being for you and your students”

Timestamps

0:01 - Intro

3:01 - James and his school-age experience

7:45 - Post-college and falling into a teaching career

11:07 - Experience at Ohio State

13:12 - Best thing about that first year of teaching

16:26 - Being open to new suggestions to improve your craft

23:12 - The conception of “You Gotta Connect”

27:21 - Balancing connecting with students and holding them accountable

30:50 - Favorite tips and tools from “Hacking Engagement” - Voxer and PearDeck

40:10 - Where “Teaching in Magenta” came from.

45:32 - Path #1 - Apologize.

49:10 - Final thoughts on how fast your career goes

50:30 - Exit Ticket Questions

55:48 - Nugget and Wrap-up

Teachers are leaders.  But how can we begin to develop our leadership skills to become high quality educators and strong leaders within the greater school community and education world?  Dr. LeTendre gives us his thoughts on this episode.  We discuss his early mentors and his experience teaching in Japan, some of the pros and cons of testing and data collection, and how we can begin to see ourselves and our profession more of a community function of social influence, and less of a mechanistic outcome measurement based sort of process.  Tune in now!


Timestamps

0:01 - Intro

3:26 - Dr. Gerald LeTendre background and school experience

7:13 - Teacher who left the best impression on him.

9:41 - You usually don’t know when you leave an impact.

11:22 - First mentors - Three Japanese teachers.

13:04 - Importance of community in education, and teacher’s diminished status.

15:29 - Path to researching teacher quality and educational leadership.

18:01 - The purpose of testing, and how data can help (and harm) us.

22:42 - What are our cultural expectations for teacher leadership?

26:23 - Last thoughts - how we develop a system to help teacher achieve.

28:38 - Exit Ticket Questions

35:27 - Wrap up and takeaway.

We probably don’t do this very often, but we should. Just like diet and exercise, we know we should do it to stay healthy and we know we’ll be better for it, but it can be hard to discipline ourselves.  I’m talking about developing a culturally and linguistically responsive classroom.  In this episode I sit down with Dr. Fernando Naiditch to talk about his experience growing up in Brazil and all the things that influenced his journey to becoming a professor of education in the States.  We cover everything from Paulo Freire’s influence, to his international journeys, to his current work on helping teachers develop a classroom environment that meets the needs of all learners.  By making sure their culture and language are discussed, and represented in the lessons, teachers can create a community of learners who feel welcomed.

Timestamps

0:01 - Intro

3:04 - Fernando Naiditch Background and K-12 Private Education in Brazil

7:05 - Why he’s a proponent of public education

11:13 - Experience in the middle east and traveling the world

16:08 - The digital divide in education and how it’s been amplified by COVID

17:22 - Influence of Paulo Freire and the importance of reading and literacy

22:31 - Experience in England, and english as a 5th language!

26:20 - What is Culturally and Linguistically Responsive teaching?

38:15 - Example: Responding to a student who was mislabeled as having a learning disability

41:57 - Developing Critical Thinking: From Theory to Practice

46:26 - Exit Ticket Answers

55:53 - Wrap up and Takeaways

Teaching is hard. You have responsibilities that go above and beyond the job description. On top of spending years in college becoming experts in your field, you must also must become experts in children’s psychology, neuroscience, and interpersonal relationships… all three of which are some of the least-well-known subjects within the scientific community.  So it comes as no shock when Dr. Doug Green wrote his book and titled it “Teaching Isn’t Rocket Science, It’s Way More Complex”  In our episode today we dive into all the things Dr. Doug has learned in his career as a teacher and administrator, and all the work he’s doing now to research and surf the web for useful “byte” size tips for teachers.  Enjoy!

Timestamps

0:01 - Intro

3:37 - Dr. Doug Green school experience, and career highlights

14:00 - Inspiration from high school chemistry teacher

16:46 - Importance of the teacher-student relationship

23:02 - EdD program and influence of the internet in the classroom

26:24 - The beginnings of the Dr Doug Green blog and his executive book summaries

30:53 - “Teaching Isn’t Rocket Science, It’s Much More Complex”

33:24 - Issues with American Gifted and Special Education 

36:12 - How does race play into gifted and special education placement?

38:14 - Researching for the book and how we might restructure our school if we had a do-over

44:54 - Exit Ticket Questions and Answers

51:09 - Wrap-up and Nuggets

Summary

We all know that no two students are the same.  But sometimes we expect ALL students to adhere to our classroom expectations without conflict.  This disconnection is bound to create tension.  Dr. Sandee McClowry talks to us today about how we can use her Four Temperaments to better understand our students, and better respond to and even prevent misbehavior or breaches in expectations.  We dive into how to help our Hard-Worker, Grumpy, Friendly, and Cautious students use their temperaments to their advantage to create a stronger classroom culture where everyone thrives.

Timestamps

0:01 - Intro

3:31 - Sandee McClowry background and school experience

7:45 - Catholic vs Public school and creating community.

9:01 - High school to PhD in Nursing and the transition to education

13:31 - Definition of Temperament and highlight of the Four Temperaments

18:15 - Supporting the Industrious - “Henry or Hillary the Hardworker”

20:18 - Supporting the High Maintenance - “Gregory or Gretchen the Grumpy”

24:24 - Supporting the Social & Eager to Try - “Fredrico or Felicity the Friendly”

25:12 - Supporting the Shy & Cautious - “Carlos or Coretta the Cautious”

26:52 - How to balance giving reinforcements to students

30:58 - Fair is not equal, and how to work that into your classroom structures

33:36 - Using temperament training to help students who otherwise may be identified as ADHD

38:34 - Reframing the behaviors and how to redirect it

40:23 - The Three R’s - Recognize, Reframe, Respond

46:20 - Exit Ticket Answers

51:46 - Wrap-up and Nuggets

Summary

What is it about the human existence that we can easily point out improvements that other people can make, but it’s so hard to find the areas in which we need to improve?  It’s called bias, and it can be a big problem when we don’t take the time to check our own, especially when it comes to gender stereotypes. Dr. Kieran Nduagbo walks us through what gender bias looks like in the classroom, how we can begin to recognize our own biases through reflection, and what resources will help us make a more equitable learning environment for EVERY student.  

Timestamps

0:01 - Intro

3:26 - Dr. Kieran Nduagbo’s experience in Nigeria school, becoming a nun, moving to Germany, and coming to the USA to teach Special Education.

11:04 - Pros and Cons of being a principal

13:07 - Article in ASCD Newsletter, researching gender difference in the classroom

17:37 - Definition of Gender Bias

21:07 - Gender identity conversation becoming less taboo

23:47 - How to NOT promote gender stereotypes

27:17 - Where should teachers start to learn about gender stereotypes

29:59 - Current research - reflection in the teaching profession

32:55 - Exit Ticket Answers

41:43 - Wrap up and Nuggets

Summary

Bullying has been a hot topic for many years now, and it’s pretty well accepted that bullying behaviors happen because of some sort of power differential, such as physical size, social skills, mental abilities, etc.  But Dr. Seria Chatters has observed that many times the power differential exists because some students are “othered,” meaning for some reason they are marginalized from that community.  These reasons might be race, weight, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other trait that might cause someone to feel excluded from the group.  This is what she refers to as “bias-based” bullying.  We dive into more of this definition, some strategies for increasing diversity to reduce bias-based bullying, and her new research study. 

Timestamps

0:01 - Intro

4:11 - Seria Chatters international and rural-America school experience.

16:22 - Unexpected full-ride to college!

20:23 - First job experience (at Einstein’s Bagels!) and returning to school

25:55 - Exploring “Bias-Based” Bullying

33:08 - How oppression can be perpetuated in our education and curriculum.

40:50 - Breaking down the three tiers of support in Seria’s new research.

53:55 - Recognizing and Addressing some bullying trends.

1:01:59 - How to examine your curriculum to find areas of oppression. 

1:06:27 - Exit Ticket Questions and Outro

Summary

Walking is something you probably don’t think about often.  It’s sort of like breathing, we just do it.  Dr. Kimberly Powell shares with us today that there is so much more to walking!  She breaks down how she was inspired early in her career by Howard Gardner and his Multiple Intelligences Theory, and later actually got a chance to work with him.  Her early interest in psychology has led her down many paths, and more currently she is working with communities that have experienced some sort of social, cultural, or racial marginalization… and she does it all through art.  Our conversation takes us down the path of a research project she did with Japanese-Americans in San Jose California and “storywalks” and “placemaking.”  She even breaks down how these strategies can be applied to many different age and subject areas.  Listen up!

Timestamps

0:01 - Intro

3:20 - Dr. Powell school age experience - finding her place in the arts

12:27 - Introduction to Howard Gardner and his Multiple Intelligence Theory (Frames of Mind)

15:22 - Exploring how we create forms of knowledge and expression in our world

18:34 - Working with communities who experience marginalization through art

21:42 - Bringing life to research through art-spaced research methods

25:22 - Research-creation.  How is research a type of creation, how is art a type of research?

29:08 - Taiko Drumming and influences of Japnese-American culture after WWII

35:33 - WalkingLab Research: How culture, arts, walking, and community are intertwined.

43:31 - “Storywalks” and “Placemaking” in Japantown, San Jose

47:23 - Examples of applying WalkingLab research to your classroom.

54:14 - Closing the loop: Defining ‘curriculum theorist’ and ‘education anthropologist’

56:14 - Exit Ticket Questions

1:01:18 - Wrap up

Summary

Dr. Jonte' (JT) Taylor is a self-proclaimed Renaissance Man, a man of many talents and interests and you'll see that today as we dive into his story.  From backing out of a political career, to earning a bachelors in Special Education, to working in a group home for adults with severe cognitive disabilities, to being a teacher in the juvenile justice system, to obtaining a masters and PhD he takes us through everything he's learned about Special Education, Science and STEAM education, new advances in virtual practice classrooms... and of course, walking tacos!  Tune in to this very entertaining conversation.

Timestamps

0:01 - Intro

2:52 - Getting out of Mississippi 

7:59 - Choosing a major, avoiding politics

11:26 - Working with students in the juvenile justice system

13:44 - Beginning a masters and doctoral program.

16:00 - Circling back to working with kids

18:39 - Behavior coordinator / autism program experience

22:11 - Iowa, a postdoctoral position, and walking tacos!

25:22 - Working on a program in science education

29:37 - Current work and research

32:50 - Using Virtual Classrooms for preservice (and current) teacher training

47:10 - Final Thoughts - teachers as writers and researchers.

49:55 - Exit Ticket Questions and Answers

Summary
Do you ever find it challenging to bond with students who have different experiences as you? I know I try to be very aware of my privileges, and sometimes that makes it hard for me to authentically connect with students who might be part of a marginalized population.  That’s what we talk about in today’s episode with Dr. Boni Wozolek.  We dive into how to navigate conversations with LGBTQ+ students, how to acknowledge and check our biases to bring equity and access to our classrooms, and how to use our privilege to help marginalized populations.

Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
4:30 - Boni Wozolek background
8:06 - Navigating conversations with LGBTQ+ youth
13:20 - Bringing equity and access to our classroom
15:40 - Acknowledging and checking our biases
19:11 - Current research - Assemblages of Violence
26:05 - How to be a “member” of a community when you’re not “part” of the community
30:44 - Learning how to Listen Deeply, especially as an authority figure.
33:48 - Final thoughts on thinking critically about our intersectionality
38:15 - Exit Ticket Questions
50:51 - Nuggets of Wrap-up.