In this episode, we candidly discuss and reflect on our first days of school for the 2021-2022 school year.

Stacey is entering 3rd year as a 5th-grade teacher after spending many years as an instructional technology coach.

Chris is entering his 14th year as a Social Studies teacher.

AJ is entering his 2nd year as a middle school Assistant Principal.

How have your first days/weeks of school been this year? Comment below or send us a voice message that we play in a future episode.

Stacey - Unlocking Us Brene Brown and Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt

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We continue the conversation to help the new, first-year, teacher. We’re going to share more tips and tricks.

Also check out episode 102

Topics Discussed:

• Relationships

1. with Colleagues
2. with Admin
3. with Students
4. with Parents

• Relationships with KEY building personnel

1. Custodians
2. Secretaries/Administrative Assistants
3. Site or district technology specialist

Tips & Tricks from Social Media:

• Ruth Replogle (@ruthreplogle) - Gather good ideas. I listen to podcasts while I'm doing housework at night, and I listen to audiobooks while I walk to and from school.
• Shea Smith (@EDUlonggame) - Get to know your site or district technology specialist. They can make your life in the classroom much easier!
• Lisa Dabbs (@itslisadabbs) - 1. Reach out to parents via phone, email or an app and make positive connections with them long before you need to contact them due to an issue with their child. 2. Set up a private digital community on FB or IG where parents can see & share in the day to day activities. 3. Do seek out a mentor that can be that sounding board and guide on the side! This is critical!
• Kristin Edwards (@kedwards51) - I wish that someone had told me that I should join prof. Organizations and Twitter for support. I also wish that I understood what knowledge I would gain with experience. During your first year, you don’t know what you don’t know…but you will get there in time. 
• gotLearning (@GrowthOverTime) - #1 All students can learn. #2 Your classroom should be as much like life beyond the classroom as possible. #3 The best classroom management program is a good instructional program.
• Ryan Gutsch (@BBTtrivia) - 1. Get to know the custodians and office secretaries. They truly run things. 2. Never work during your lunch break. Take that time for yourself.
• Kathy Iwanicki (@kathyiwanicki) - Listen more...usually there is a reason behind why things are done the way they are.  Sometimes it is for a good reason!

Alfonso Mendoza:

• My EdTech Life

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Teaching is not an easy job. You will hear this from most teachers no matter how much experience they have. For many who enter this profession the first year is the toughest and most challenging. Think about it. You're fresh out of school perhaps your only meaningful teaching experience was during your student teaching experience which was probably 14-16 weeks.

In this episode, we discuss and share tips and tricks for the first-year teacher with the hope that your first year might go just a little bit smoother.

And don't worry...episode 103 will contain part two!

Topics Discussed:

• Classroom Management
• Time Management

Tips & Tricks from Social Media:

• Sean Scanlon (@polonerd) - Don’t hesitate to ask questions from veteran teachers and don’t try to do too much.  You can’t do everything the first year.
• Jessica Verrault (@JessicaVerrault) - Don’t hesitate to ask questions or to ask someone to teach you to do or use something that could really benefit your students.  Also, don’t be afraid to share your own ideas.
• Dr. Kim Ramadan (@KimRamadan) - Find positive educators to be your “people”. Practice self-care. Ask for help.
• Ruth Replogle (@ruthreplogle) - 1. Find a mentor. If your school does not assign you one, find somebody who will answer your questions, show you where to get supplies, and navigate the school's culture. 2. Get plenty of sleep. You can't get too much.
• Shanna Martin (@smartinwi) - Be yourself! Kids can see right through you if you are not genuine.
• Rafranz Davis (@RafranzDavis) - It’s ok to put your own mental health first. It’s ok to prioritize yourself once you leave that campus. In other words, don’t take your work home with you.
• Tim Belmont (@tbelmontedu) - 1. Go easy on yourself. It’s not going to be perfect. 2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice. 3. Keep your life outside of school a priority.
• Ryan Gutsch (@BBTtrivia) - Try your best to separate work and home. Leave school mail off your phone.
• Dan Whalen (@whalen) - 1. Take care of yourself: sleep, hydrate, eat as best as you can. 2. Be kind to yourself if you don’t follow rule 1. 3 hours of sleep and a piece of cake from the lounge for lunch will happen. Just reset tomorrow 3. Smile and have fun w your kids. The rest will come with time.
• Cindy Assini (@cindyAssini) - You can be effective while having work-life boundaries! Lean on colleagues and prioritize. More work at the expense of healthy habits is not better; part of our jobs is teaching/leading through example by being a healthy, whole human. Nurture yourself physically, emotionally, socially, financially, and spiritually. In addition to doing what you enjoy, self-care looks like setting boundaries, getting a financial planner, and eating nourishing food.
• Rich Czyz (@RACzyz) - Find the person that will support U, motivate U, and help U through year 1! It may not be ur grade level or dept colleagues or even someone in ur own school. Don’t be afraid to connect w/ others outside your school. And always take charge of your own PD! 12 days of Secret Sauce tips
• Oona Abrams (@oonziela) - Don’t be like I was in 1996. SMILE EVERY DAY AND OFTEN!

AJ:

• The Rewatchables - a film podcast from the Ringer Podcast Network, features The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and a roundtable of people from the Ringer universe discussing movies they can’t seem to stop watching. Listen to the complete archives of 150-plus movies, including 'The Hangover,' 'Godfather 2,' 'Dunkirk,' 'Creed,' and many more classics.
• 60 Songs That Explain The 90s

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In episode 14 we spoke with Don Wettrick about Genius Hour and we’ve known for years how amazing this experience can be for students. But planning it and implementing it can be a daunting task.

In this episode, we’re speaking with a friend of the show Dani Kennis about how she created and implemented Mini Genius Hour with her students.

Highlights

• What is Genius Hour?
• What is a Mini Genius Hour?
• What elements from traditional genius hour did you include?
• What will the beginning of the year look like with this project and experience?
• What are the time constraints?
• What did presentations look like?

Resources

• Mini Genius Hour Google Doc
• Dani's IG Post

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What have we learned from creating PodcastPD?

• Stacey, AJ, and Chris share, roundtable-style, the lessons they've learned through 99 episodes of creating this podcast.

Highlights

• Stacey

1. Sometimes asking for something is all it takes
2. There is so much more I want to learn, explore, and do
3. Having a community of dedicated educators knows no value

• Chris

1. More than #edtech
2. How to be live :-)
3. I get by with a little help from my friends

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Educator self-care is more important than ever and in this conversation Stacey, AJ, and Chris discuss what self-care means to each of them and share their experiences with self-care.

• What is self-care?
• How do you do self-care?
• What do you wish you were doing?

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While some teachers have worked with students in their classrooms all year others haven’t at all and we’re talking about it.

Chris - Art of Manliness - The Secrets of Public Speaking from History’s Greatest Orators (4/7/21)

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Students: The Missing Link In Teacher PD

James F. Nagle and Penny A. Bishop

Educational Leadership | February 2021 | Volume 78 | Number 5

• Have you ever experienced PD where students were involved?
• What is the value of the student perspective on teaching and learning?
• Student Consultancies - Most effective when...
• Set the tone
• Clarify the purpose
• Try different models
• Be conscious of power dynamics
• Act on their new learning

We just celebrated 6 years of PodcastPD! Thank you for joining us on this journey to change the professional development game through podcasts and podcasting.

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Dani Kennis is a Special Education Social Studies teacher in Clarkstown, NY. Dani is passionate about professional development, building relationships & Social Emotional Learning (SEL).

Topics Discussed:

• How do you define SEL?
• How has SEL helped foster relationships with students?
• How does SEL impact classroom management?
• How could someone start integrating SEL into their classroom?
• What will SEL look like when the world is 'normal' and post-COVID?

Stacey shared: The Daily from the New York Times. This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m. She specifically recommended Odessa Part 1 and Odessa Part 2

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Erich Stephen and Ryan D. Bartel, co-hosts of The Peg Doesn't Fit, join us for our second #PodStudy discussion. AJ recommended listening to episodes 15 and 17 of their podcast where they each talk about their dream school.

The Peg Doesn’t Fit - The world of education continues to try to operate in the confines of an antiquated system. Despite its flaws, solutions continue to be offered that adds to an increasingly convoluted system that continues to resist change. Join us as we talk about our frustrations and attempt to provide solutions.

Erich: 

• Standards
• Curriculum
• Remote Learning, after the Pandemic
• Community Day - Realworld Activities
• Feeder Programs for MS/HS
• Grading and Skills over Content

Ryan:

• Interoperable
• Interdisciplinary
• International
• Start with the end in mind - what does the ideal graduate look like? What do they need when they leave school?
• Learning maps and Badges through Portfolios
• Student internships
• Budget with community support and contribution
• Planning, PLC time, Workload

Resources:

• Mastery Transcript Consortium

Chris shared: The Dumb Dad Podcast - It's pronounced Dad, the "dumb" is silent. Comedians Kevin Laferriere and Evan Kyle Berger are just a couple of dads trying to have a little fun along the way. We believe the only way to erase the stigma that Dumb Dads get painted with is to parent harder, not dumber.

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