Lead. Learn. Change.

SHOW NOTES

2:30 – teachers are bridge builders

2:55 – a passion for building connections and helping others realize their potential

3:40 – overwhelming appreciation for men and women in the U.S. military

5:50 – being better tomorrow than you are today

6:10 – focus most on what you need to do well, show up the next day, and improve

7:00 – chorus director Janice Folsom was an inspiration

8:10 – the capacity to command a room, getting a team to work toward a common goal

8:35 – painting a picture of goals and transfers to the real world, and why that’s important

9:10 – building opportunities for students to engage in Georgia’s booming creative industry sector

9:50 – shift from a traditional choral background to focusing more on creation

10:25 – learning how to build relationships and partnerships, and using those skills in the classroom

11:20 – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent Georgia’s teachers

11:40 – great experiences to connect with a wide representation of various sectors

12:35 – Gen Z – philanthropic intentions and a desire to be social media influencers

13:35 – if you want to be an influencer, be a teacher!

14:15 – there are elements of being a teacher that are difficult and you can make a huge difference

15:15 – Top Ten Back to School Tips project – collaborating with other Teacher of the Year candidates

15:40 – I am an ambassador, not the best teacher in the state or even in my school – this is a chance to elevate the profession

16:20 – a diverse range of best practices is a great way to honor others’ voices

17:00 – from a focus on teaching academic standards to an application of learning

17:30 – learning what the pivotal knowledge and skill sets are in different careers

19:30 – Trilith Studios (Marvel films+) leading to an idea for students to create new and original content, help them become entrepreneurs, etc.

20:15 – students creating music and more – help from Tiffany I. M. Jones (then in an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra outreach role)

21:10 – forming an entertainment label – Hall Pass Entertainment and opening the door to students’ interests – students naming the label, creating art work, forming teams and committees

22:15 – middle school students releasing music albums, posting to a YouTube channel, and starting a podcast

23:00 – former middle school students now in high school are returning to Rising Starr Middle School to assist with the current work students are undertaking

23:45 – even once a semester, make sure that students are engaged in at least one project that is strongly connected to career roles

24:00 – share the stories of success and the great work students are doing

26:55 – AI (artificial intelligence) – stifling or enabling and accelerating creativity?

27:30 – first use of a floppy disk and an iPod – life-changing moments

28:15 – despite capabilities, there are things that AI doesn’t do very well

29:45 – the future of work may bend toward jobs centered around creativity

31:40 – which is more important, teaching or learning?

32:30 – retired teachers, your job isn’t yet done

32:55 – Teacher:Student impact ratio is huge

33:10 – Who did you inspire?

33:30 – it’s often the small moments that make the biggest impact

33:40 – teacher Teddye Martin knew I needed a place to belong and connect

34:30 – Ms. Martin instilled the love of education

34:55 – a teacher’s superpower is building connections, and we change the future when we help students see their potential

35:50 – first thoughts when announced as Teacher of the Year

36:20 – students, parents, colleagues, community partners can teach us as well, and help us look at things in a different way

36:55 – gratitude for so many people who helped me along the way and who have made possible this opportunity to serve as an ambassador

Email: [email protected]
Facebook:GATeacher
X: @2024GaTOTY 

Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornet flight story

Georgia Teacher of the Year webpage

Georgia Teacher of the Year events request

Christy Todd 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year press release

Rising Starr Middle School, Fayette County Georgia

Trilith Studios

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts

Hall Pass Entertainment

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change

SHOW NOTES

0:55 - Contextual introduction for this episode’s unique features

3:20 – Sample DJ clips

4:15 – Guest introduction

5:05 – Cancer, voice change, a long stint behind the high school football stadium game night microphone

6:00 – Rick starts his three-decades of announcing Friday night home games

7:55 – Son Rowdy follows Dad Rick at the football field

8:45 – Family members want to hear the players’ names

10:30 – Daughter Grace, a performance from the (very) early years

12:00 – David (Reynolds) stands in for Brad Pitt

13:25 – Wife Margaret makes a huge difference in the community

15:55 – The story behind Be Nice to Grace Day

21:05 – Jeanne Burr (and Walter Hooper) as a catalyst for Rick on the air for the first time (at age 17)

24:45 – Listening to Chicago’s AM station WLS

27:00 – John Records Landecker

30:00 – A lesson learned about making others feel important

32:24 – Interviewing Garth Brooks

33:40 – The first time cancer rears its head

39:30 – Focused radiation, bolted to the table, and a special mask

43:10 – Jimmy Buffet embedded in a family tradition

44:40 – Cancer reappears – in a new location

46:00 – Friend Amy’s powerful question

46:40 – God’s gameplan for Rick

49:45 – Lydia, a face from the past, and a new connection for the future

52:35 – High school reunion delays

54:10 – Living in a small town, great friends, great community

58:00 – Sharing one’s story to give others hope

59:40 – A lesson Rick wants us to hear

1:04:40 – One of many similar stories of good fortune – Running out of gas on I-75 North

1:07:00 – A mini-facelift’s role in the past twenty years of Rick’s life

1:07:50 – The most recent doctor’s visit and current prognosis

1:09:40 – The unexpected result of Rick losing his voice

LINKS:

Instagram: @therickontheradio

John Records Landecker

Emory Proton Center

Rowdy Zeisig, the new Dalton High School football announcer

Jeanne Burr

Dunaway Drug Store

Beaulieu’s beginning

Jimmy Buffet’s ’Twas the Night Before Christmas

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change

2:50 – words (including jackalope) and an older book

4:30 – everyone “owns their own channel” now

4:50 – you don’t have to wait for permission

5:30 – teaching experience

5:45 – difference between learning and education

5:55 – connection between autodidacticism and conditions for learning

6:10 – a good day is when…

6:40 – Mr. Jon Guillaume decided to change my life

7:00 – not an accident that the arc of one’s life can be redefined because of a teacher

7:40 – helping others become who they want to be is a calling

8:40 – why the first U.S. teachers’ college was called the Normal School

9:00 – teaching to the test correlates with restrictions

9:20 – options, decisions, and choices are still available

9:40 – little things, repeated - with a goal - add up to big things

10:05 – persistence is always generous

10:20 – Beth Rudd, a great teacher with tremendous impact

11:15 – teachers are not given nearly enough recognition

12:20 – respect for public school educators

12:40 – learning creates positive tension

13:20 – useful incompetence is a tool for learning

15:00 – word choices are a symptom of how our brains work

15:35 – Will this be on the test?

15:45 – curiosity is the Why, not the What

18:00 – Song of Significance

18:15 – dignity and respect

18:45 – spectator or participant?

19:05 – questions to ask that lead to improvement

19:45 – redefining creative work

20:45 – the standard solution is not the creative one

21:40 – The Art of Possibility

22:10 – when I turn 84…

22:45 – Where is the community orchestra in your life?

23:00 – What supports your achievements?

23:35 – generosity is not synonymous with free

24:30 – raising the quality and making a difference are generous behaviors

25:00 – there are many kinds of learning

25:25 – sharing one’s thinking about what is being noticed

26:15 – writing for one’s readers and for those with whom those readers will share the writing

27:15 – attitude is a skill

28:15 – the real skills of honesty, integrity, enthusiasm, loyalty

29:05 – The Carbon Almanac and Michel Porro

29:40 – owning a camera, taking a photo, and properly using pictures with intent

30:20 – Alt text

31:30 – Seth’s mom

32:30 – generosity plus initiative equals possibility

33:00 – Sotheby’s event – imperfect but amazing

35:00 – learning from others while working together

35:35 – no such thing as closing thoughts

35:45 – the best way to pay it forward

37:25 – end

Links and credits:

Cover Photo of Seth – Darius Bahsar and Archangel

The Song of Significance 

The Art of Possibility

The Boston Philharmonic

Seth’s blog

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change

Be ready to go - Traffic Lights and Bumper Stickers

A glance in the rearview mirror is not the best compass.

The Sankofa Bird

Reflections and Call to Action

Filters

PAGE Break – Members Matter

Sankofa - Berea College link

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change

SHOW NOTES:

3:00 – deciding to be a teacher when in middle school

4:10 – as a teenage dad, deciding to be a good father

6:00 – your support system is your true family

6:40 – fairness, love, respect – Hightower family and blood family

7:50 – homeless, couch surfing, and fourteen schools

8:20 – road to success is very hard

8:35 – choices, decisions, and consequences – life!

9:45 – June 2, 2017 – everything changes

10:45 – delivering newspapers for the AJC, seven days a week, eleven years

11:40 – Be More! – be a teacher

12:45 – managing priorities – keep the main thing the main thing 

13:25 – if you want to gain, you have to take some things away

14:40 – if you bring work home, home can become work

16:30 – doing something for myself, for the first time

17:00 – this is meant for me because it’s happening to me

17:30 – I never thought I would be on anyone’s podcast

17:50 – meet your blessing halfway

19:40 – Mr. Ron Kitchens

20:20 – students, technology, and physical activity

21:45 – favorite sports

23:15 – involving all students in physical education – opportunities to learn and lead

24:45 – stamina – custodian and PE teacher

25:30 – communicating with students- providing guidance and encouragement

26:15 – anything you set your mind to, you can do it

26:25 – if you want good, you can have good

26:45 – minimal surprises, but with kindergarten…

27:45 – seeing growth and development of students

28:30- teaching or learning, which is most important?

29:10 – great teachers listen and learn

29:50 – other teachers – Ms. Stanford, Ms. Sherwood, Ms. Ware, Ms. Peeples, Ms. Dumars, Ms. Wilson

31:20 – if you want something, go after it

32:00 – thanks for listening to my story

Links:

DeKalb County Schools

Hightower Elementary

Briar Vista Elementary

Indian Creek Elementary

GSU PETE (Physical Education Teacher Education) department

Good Morning America – ABC news

Steve on Watch (show, Steve Harvey)

Story by Reese Waters

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change

SHOW NOTES:

NOTE: Episode 47 will be followed by a guest episode, Tylan Bailey, who made a career move from school custodian to . . . teacher. You won’t want to miss it.

Thereafter, guest, book, guest, book, guest… will serve as the pattern for our epidsodes until the book selections are completed.

Today’ s episode includes:

Lead purposeful change - Where are We Now? Where are You?

Change the Story!

We learn best from others, and PAGE has learned more from teachers than from any other source.

What has truly changed as a result or your learning, your leadership, and your work?

Work on relationships - The Narnia Principle

Success is linked to beliefs, imagination, relationships, and focus.

PAGE Break – Shared commitment

All educators deserve access to quality learning experiences.

Words to Live By (Mark Cuban, Albert Einstein, Constance Baker Motley, Allene Magill)

Measuring What We Do in Schools: How to Know if What We are Doing is Making a Difference, by Victoria Berhnardt

Learning Forward’s standards for professional learning

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change

SHOW NOTES:

Set your direction - Which Gear?

Improvement isn’t instantaneous, but movement toward it is manifested in individual moments

Begin with those you serve - Who’s on First?

PAGE Break – CCRPI 

Don’t dwell solely on answers. Spend time getting the questions right.

Working on the Work: an Action Plan for Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents by Phillip Schlechty

Why Johnny Can’t Read: And What You Can Do About It, by Rudolph Flesch

Why Johnny Still Can’t Read: A New Look at the Scandal of Our Schools, by Rudolph Flesch

Georgia Department of Education – Curriculum and Instruction – Accountability

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change

Another installment of readings from Lead. Learn. Change., the book, pages 19 to 41. 

Book Selection installments and Guest episode pattern

Acknowledgement correction

Foreword or Forward?

This is my favorite book…

How to use this book

Your work cannot thrive in isolation

Make a difference - If a complainer whines in the woods

Great teachers impact lives

Transformation might be a synonym for learning

All of us can learn from all of us

You are creating your legacy

Your questions might be more insightful than your answers

Set your direction

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change

SHOW NOTES

2:30 – second-career educator and an effective, thoughtful, and creative teacher

3:30 – every never you utter in life becomes your roadmap

3:45 – I will never be a teacher. I hate school

4:00 – perhaps not the greatest horse rider but a great teacher of horse riding

5:00 – going back to school to become a teacher

5:15 – David as Amy’s first assistant principal

5:30 – engage and intrigue students

5:45 – first experiences in higher ed

6:10 – tech ed in the private sector

6:50 – coordinator of field placement – working with student teachers

7:05 – HOW to teach is the overarching theme and key component of the teaching and learning process

8:15 – Amy gave names to the PCs in her classroom

9:20 – don’t use technology gratuitously – have a rationale 

10:05 – technology can enhance collaboration

10:30 – ask, “How will technology enhance learning?”

10:45 – Answer Garden, word clouds, discussions and connections between what surfaces via tech and human interaction and “wondering”

12:55 – you must establish structure, boundaries, and routines

13:05 – you must get to know your kids (your students, your learners)

13:35 – respectful dialogue is a precursor to learning

14:15 – what is a professional boundary?

15:05 – norms AND non-negotiables

16:00 – David’s interaction with students In School Suspension 

17:50 – breaking convention for learner benefit

18:15 – am I enjoying what I am doing right now?

18:45 – if you are not connecting with your students, figure out why and work on adjusting what needs to change

19:35 – the "endless bulletin board”

19:55 – Think Tank and the Issue Fish

21:10 – an idea, borne out of panic

21:45 – be willing to dive in and try something – if it doesn’t work, try something else

22:00 – student work as an opportunity for affirmation

23:45 – what teacher-leadership looks like 

24:20 – be a leader with those you lead

25:00 – intentional boundaries – individual and contextual, but consistent

25:15 – don’t take yourself too seriously – don’t feel sorry for your own failures

26:05 – an orchid named Spike

27:00 – everything good I learned about education, I learned in the barn

27:30 – first horse at age eight, competition, and lessons about good riding

27:45 – listening, waiting, life is not all about me

29:30 – grateful for the experiences I have had

30:05 – teaching or learning – which is more important?

30:15 – if we stop learning, we’ve given up

31:00 – find what happened good today

31:35 – learning and courage drive change 

31:50 – be brave enough to learn something new or that’s different from what you expect

32:25 – I’ve had an amazing life (and I did want to serve in the military), but I really wouldn’t change anything

33:45 – why teach? To help people discover who they are, to facilitate a deeper level of understanding

34:45 – not to tell them what to think, but to teach students about their potential as thinkers

35:15 – working with professors on and retrieval practice and backward planning – adding pedagogy skill sets (the teaching craft) to content expertise

36:20 – an opportunity to positively impact future teachers

37:00 – I would not be the person I am today without my father (whose undergone an incredible transformation in his life), and Dr. Beverly Armento at Georgia State University (a mentor and amazing educator)

Links and other show details:

Amy's email

Flagler College

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change

5:05 – the meaning of engagement, with an emphasis on relationships

6:30 – engagement, challenge, reflection, and learning

7:35 – initial awareness of the concept of working on the work

8:25 – theory, practical application, and context for a student-centric approach

9:40 – a book is borne out of a passion for teaching

10:55 – sharing content on the internet is easy but taking it to the next level takes effort

12:35 – what it means to be a teacher leader

13:10 – leadership cultivates an environment that models for learners how to maximize learning’s benefits

14:25 – technology increases connections and provides a platform for interaction with many others

15:10 – it’s important to convey to students the value of what they are learning

16:10 – learning world languages can have an impact beyond the classroom

16:45 – literacy’s broad significance

17:55 – colonialism’s intersection with language and identities

18:30 – “Who are we?” and “Where do we come from?” are sometimes answered inside a study of world languages

20:30 – design qualities – the most important ones are those that appeal to the learners and draw them into the work

21:20 – novelty and variety – a great idea, when properly leveraged

24:20 – young people, to be successful, need to understand that their voices matter

25:25 – students need to realize the consequences and impacts of their decisions

26:45 – teachers need to be intentional about creating a classroom where every student is heard and valued

27:50 – ensuring that student talents and interests have a platform in the classroom

30:00 – the organization of the book is intended to provide a spectrum of support from Why? to What can I do tomorrow? And 

30:45 – Mr. Bob Pollock, Lakeside High School, DeKalb County Schools, Georgia – storytelling as a teaching tool

32:30 – the importance of the backstory and highlighting connections that are sometimes missing in some educational materials

33:20 – the call to action – make sure that student voice and student empowerment are part of each student’s school experience

35:00 – read the book, use the book, one bite at a time, and it will make a difference in your teaching

Megan’s website   

Designing the Modern World Language Classroom: How to Guide Students to Proficiency

The Schlechty Center

Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats

Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

David’s LinkedIn page

Lead. Learn. Change. the book

Instagram - lead.learn.change