My Disney Class podcast

Walt's Pilgrimage with Christopher Tremblay

In today's My Disney Class Podcast episode, Ryan and Howie welcome Dr. Christopher Tremblay to the show. Christopher currently serves as Director of Admissions & Recruiting for Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. He earned his doctorate of education in educational leadership from the University of Michigan in 2014 and has a post-master's certificate in enrollment management from Capella University. Christopher has also conducted national research on certifications in the fields of enrollment management, college admissions counseling, financial aid, and college access. He is also a Walt Disney scholar and teaches a college course based on the life of Walt Disney. Christopher has also published several books on the life of Walt Disney. These include Walt's Pilgrimage, Walt's Pilgrimage JR., The ABC's of Walt, Walt's Ancestors, and Walt of the Day.

On today's show, Christopher will talk with us about his love of Disney and specifically his passion for the journey Walt Disney took to create the world of Disney we know today. We learn about what lessons can be learned from the drive and determination Walt had and how we can turn that into lessons for ourselves and our students. Christopher will also talk with us about his college course that takes students across the country following Walt's footsteps until they reach the pinnacle of Walt's journey, Disneyland! Christopher ends the show discussing his personal train trip that will recreate Walt's journey and he also shares some answers to a quick round of Disney favorites questions.

We hope you enjoyed our chat with the amazing Dr. Christopher Tremblay! He really is following the footsteps of the great Walt Disney, in more ways than just the physical steps. Don't forget, if you haven't already, to join the fun and supportive community we have in our Facebook group, Educators who love Disney, and don't forget to rate and review our podcast on Apple music. Your support and feedback will only make us better!

In today's My Disney Class Podcast episode, Ryan and Howie talk about the future of Disney now that Iger is back and making changes in the new year! We all make resolutions this time of year and Disney is no different. Howie and Ryan discuss some of these future predictions for the Disney company in 2023 and talk about why these may happen and what caused the need for the possible change.

On this show, Ryan and Howie dive deep into the articles that have been recently written and published about Bob Iger returning to his role as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. They also discuss how Bob Chapek fairly or unfairly gets blamed for the needed return of Bob Iger to right the Disney ship.

When you think about the CEO of a company and the Board of Directors that makes all these sweeping decisions that trickle down through the company, it's not hard to draw a parallel connection to how a Superintendent and the Board of Education work. There are two basic approaches to the style of leadership that a CEO or Superintendent can take. The first is a dictatorship, where the CEO can isolate themselves from the board and try to make all the decisions themselves, or the second choice is where they take a more democratic approach and work with the board. I think we all know which way tends to work best in our school districts and it's not really that different for major companies like Disney. Ryan and Howie speculate on how Mr. Chapek's approach and Mr. Iger's approaches to their management style differ and what that has led us to today in the Disney community and world while also influencing what might come from it as well. They will also share their personal hopes and wishes for 2023 to wrap it all up.

We hope you enjoyed our evaluation of Chapek and Disney's 2022, as well as our look to the future in 2023! We also would like to take this time to personally thank each and every one of our listeners and supporters. You made 2022 a year to remember and we can't wait to experience the magic of the My Disney Class community in 2023. Don't forget, if you haven't already, to join the fun and supportive community we have in our Facebook group, Educators who love Disney, and don't forget to rate and review our podcast on Apple music. Your support and feedback will only make us better!

In today's My Disney Class Podcast episode, Ryan and Howie welcome back our favorite former Imagineer and education disruptor, Brian Collins! Brian was a Disney cast member since the early 1990s and helped create magic daily as he worked both on the front line of customer service at the Contemporary Resort and as a Disney Imagineer. During his time at WDI, Brian was a show writer and worked on classic attractions like Jungle Cruise and The Great Movie Ride, to name a few. This is Brian's 6th time on the show and if you are looking for more of his background story then you definitely want to check out episode 20 of season 2 or episode 12 of season 3. If you want to hear about other educational ventures Brian has committed his talents, check out episode 22 of season 7.

On today's show though, Brian is here to discuss his recent European trip. Though this really wasn't a European vacation, like the Grizwalds took in the 80s, he did find some time between two speaking engagements to create some havoc and have some fun. One of the areas we focus on in today's show is Brian's time in Demark, where he spoke to 15 and 16-year-olds at a school. Brian's focus there was to help them understand the pursuit of the American dream and answer their probing questions about the U.S. culture. As you will see though, Brian shares with us all that he learned about them and their culture, as we compare the two countries and their values and thoughts on education and their careers beyond.

We hope you enjoyed our chat with the incredible Mr. Brian Collins! Just like Walt modeled, there is always something to learn from our travels and definitely the opportunity to refocus our perspectives. Don't forget, if you haven't already, to join the fun and supportive community we have in our Facebook group, Educators who love Disney. Don't forget to rate and review our podcast on Apple music. Your support and feedback will only make us better!

Iger With Your Nose So Bright!

In today's My Disney Class Podcast episode, Howie and Ryan discuss the recent return of Bob Iger in his role as CEO of the Walt Disney CO. Bob Iger returned to The Walt Disney Company as Chief Executive Officer on November 20, 2022, shocking most all of us. He previously served as CEO and Chairman of The Walt Disney Company from 2005 to 2020, then Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board through 2021.

Over Mr. Iger's 15 years leading Disney, he was the steward of one of the world's largest media companies and some of the most respected and beloved brands around the globe. His strategic vision focused on three fundamental pillars: generating the best creative content possible; fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology, and expanding into new markets worldwide He, for some of us, most notably enhanced Disney's storytelling with acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox.

Ryan and Howie will discuss what they think this means for the company and how leaders can sometimes take the fall for things that are out of their control. They will also discuss what this potentially doesn't mean for the company and how working with our own school and district leaders can show parallels to what Disney is experiencing with the rehiring of Bob Iger into his previous role as CEO.

We hope you enjoyed the discussion and opinions we had about the recent announcement of Mr. Iger returning to his role as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. There is always something to learn from Disney that we can bring to our professions as educators and how they handle their leadership positions is no exception. Don't forget, if you haven't already, to join the fun and supportive community we have in our Facebook group, Educators who love Disney, and don't forget to rate and review our podcast on Apple music. Your support and feedback will only make us better!

In today's My Disney Class Podcast episode, Howie and Ryan compare two of their recent trips. Howie went to Universal Studios in Orlando, yes you heard us right, Howie went to that place that shouldn't be mentioned! Just kidding, we love Universal too and as you will find out in this episode, Howie is warming up as well. On the other hand, Ryan traveled to Wisconsin to visit two schools that are implementing personalized learning with their middle school students and are doing quite innovative things.

Howie talks about his recent trip and compares the attractions at Universal and those at World Disney World. He talks about the costs, lines, theming, and much more. Some of you may be surprised at what he reveals that he believes that Universal is doing better than Disney. Ryan then ends this episode by sharing what is in the works at his school in the terms of choices his students will have next year in the different styles of personalized learning they will offer in four distinct academies at his school. To help him gather data and see successful systems already in place in schools utilizing the personalized learning approach, he traveled to two schools in Wisconsin. Both these schools are several years into this personalized learning journey and there are definitely some cool things happening at these schools.

We hope you enjoyed the comparisons made today in both theme parks and schools. Don't forget, if you haven't already, remember to join the fun and supportive community we have in our Facebook group, Educators who love Disney, and don't forget to rate and review our podcast on Apple music. Your support and feedback will only make us better!

Esterland with Maria Esterline.

In today's My Disney Class Podcast episode, Ryan and Howie welcome back to the show, Maria Esterline. Maria is a very passionate educator that has been in education for 20 years. She has worked in various roles but is always on the mission to better education for all stakeholders, especially our children. Currently, Maria is working for the University of Florida teaching a few online classes with a future in-person class that she developed for the spring. She is also a full-time teacher at Kanapaha Middle School in Gainsville Florida. At Kanapaha, she is teaching 6th-grade math and loving being back in the classroom.

In this episode, Maria catches us up on her educational journey and how she is bringing the magic of Esterland to life for her 6th-grade students. She shares with us the power of building trust and community in a classroom and how that has impacted her classroom both academically and behaviorally. Maria gives us some insight and tools to create this magical environment in our classroom like the one she has developed and named Esterland for her students. You will also hear Maria's passion and heart for her students and education in general, which drives her to be the best educator she can be. Maria models this passion for excellence by continuing her learning at the University of Florida in classes that help her develop her teaching toolbox. She models what it takes to be a life-long learner by sharing the challenges and successes she has in her classes with her students. We believe you will feel Maria's love for her students and the educational system in today's podcast and we know that Maria will inspire you as much as she inspires us!

We hope you enjoyed hearing from our friend and incredible educator, Maria Esterline today. She definitely represents all that is good in education today. Don't forget, if you haven't already, remember to join the fun and supportive community we have in our Facebook group, Educators who love Disney, and don't forget to rate and review our podcast on Apple music. Your support and feedback will only make us better!

In today's My Disney Class Podcast episode, Howie and Ryan discuss the upcoming Halloween season and how Disney and Universal help guests celebrate this spooky season. They also talk about how they celebrate the season personally and Ryan shares his experience with Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. They wrap up by comparing the Disney Dress code with various school districts and their dress codes for teachers.

Ryan and Howie share what their experiences have been with dress codes at their schools and they also share some pretty outrageous teacher dress codes from districts across the country. These conversations also lead them to discuss and consider gender-specific dress and respecting students' and even teachers' personal gender decisions. While both of them admit to being fairly naive to these types of situations, they both express the need for inclusion for all students and teachers.

We hope you enjoyed the tips and practices shared in today's episode and we definitely hope you have a safe and treat-filled Halloween! Don't forget, if you haven't already, remember to join the fun and supportive community we have in our Facebook group, Educators who love Disney, and don't forget to rate and review our podcast on Apple music. Your support and feedback will only make us better!

In today's episode of My Disney Class Podcast, Ryan and Howie welcome back to the show Jeff Bradbury. Jeff Bradbury is an ISTE Award Winning (2021) and globally-recognized educator, educational broadcaster, public speaker, and entrepreneur whose powerful message has inspired thousands of educators through the TeacherCast Educational Network. Jeff Bradbury is a Technology Integration Specialist and the creator of the TeacherCast Educational Network. Jeff currently works in Norwalk Public Schools where he created and teaches a Broadcast Journalism and Technology curriculum that introduces students to marketing, app development, podcasting, and live broadcasting at West Rocks Middle School.

On this episode though, Jeff isn't here to just talk educational technology or even about his wonderful Teachercast Network. Instead Jeff is here to talk to us about the DAS program that he recently used on his family trip to WDW. The DAS program is designed for people that have a disability to ensure they have an equal opportunity to enjoy the parks just as much as someone without a disability can. Even though most of this episode is about DAS and Jeff's family trip, we are educators, and we couldn't resist the opportunity to talk a little educational shop with this incredible educator. So we ask Jeff to catch us up on what he's been up to in his educational life and we also talk a little innovation with him as well.

We hope you enjoyed catching up with Jeff as much as we did. If you would like to connect with Jeff, check out the link to his website in the show notes below. Also if you haven't already, remember to join the fun and supportive community we have in our Facebook group, Educators who love Disney, and don't forget to rate and review our podcast on Apple music. Your support and feedback will only make us better!

In today's episode of My Disney Class Podcast, Howie and Ryan discuss ways that they and their students stay in the creative idea zone! If you look up the definition of creativity, you will indeed find something that references using your imagination to create a new idea. Most of the time this creation is something artistic in nature. While this is true for artistic endeavors, a definition like that doesn't seem to do creativity justice to the actual broadness and scope that it entails. After all, creativity is found in far more places than on canvas, within the pages of a book, or across the keys of a piano. Creativity drives us to not only create but to innovate. Ultimately, that is what we do on a daily basis as educators and it's what we want our students to do as well.

In today's episode, Ryan and Howie will share some tips and practices that they use both on themselves and with their students. A lot of these practices are either taken from Imagineers that have shared them in various places and books or they are ideas that Howie and Ryan have come up with themselves that personally help them stay in the creative idea zone.

We hope you enjoyed the tips and practices shared in today's episode. We hope that there is at least one or two that you will find useful for yourself or your students, maybe even both! Don't forget, if you haven't already, remember to join the fun and supportive community we have in our Facebook group, Educators who love Disney, and don't forget to rate and review our podcast on Apple music. Your support and feedback will only make us better!