powerED Up

Bethany Petty is a passionate, energetic, dedicated educator focused on providing her students with experiences that will best serve them as learners. She was willing to freestyle rap at a moment's notice, and then translated that into rapping on TikTok. She creates an environment where students have to fulfill high expectations and engage in meaningful work. Even still, her actions and demeanor only add to the exciting learning environment.  

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JoAnn Nocera left her successful career on the foreign stock exchange and went into education.  She has never looked back and always had her eyes set on bringing out everyone's creativity.  She took the crayons out and let her students shine. An educator's ability to be fleixble in the moment can be the biggest key to a successful lesson. Creativity becomes a keys to a student's success. We need to stop setting restrictive expectations for students that prevent them from taking risks and trying to grow.  It is amazing what students can accomplish with one piece of tin foil!

Candace Young is an incredible PE teacher passionate about inspiring movement and health.  She spends her entire day teaching five and six-year-olds the key habits for success in life.  Her classroom is dynamic, engaging, and organized.  Her positive attitude is palpable through the conversation and her passion for making a difference. She has really high expectations for students because she truly believes, they can accomplish anything they put their mind to.

Dr. Monica Burns was a very early adopter of a 1:1 environment utilizing iPads over ten years ago and has not looked back.  She is the founder of www.classtechtips.com. She demonstrates the value, purpose, and benefits of integrating technology into the classroom.  She helps us understand how to move students from being consumers to authentic creators.

Chris Stuchko is an amazing high school special education teacher supporting students, teachers, and creating diverse experiences. He spends a great majority of his day supporting students. He brings a fantastic approach to co-teaching to help empower all students in the classroom. Chris also received a grant a few years ago to start a podcast.  He hosts the "9th Grade Experience" to capture what it means to be a 9th grader and support students starting that new journey.

Melissa Lowry is a humble, honest, experienced, and amazing administrator. Her beliefs are strong and she feels she needs to serve her teachers.  She leads them with radical honesty. Teachers are the ones that make the biggest impact on students, so it's a principal's job to create a culture of success.  Leaders set the tone of the building, and they do it through their positive actions.

The start of an educator's true journey begins during student teaching.  This is a time where future educators learn their chops, build their confidence, and confirm this is the career for them. We had the chance to sit down and talk with Matt's brand new student teacher Anthony Wiggins.  Anthony has only spent a few weeks in the classroom and has already learned so much about himself.  The enthusiasm and rawness in his conversation are palpable.

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Stephanie Noll shares her amazing journey in education and relocating for specific jobs and growth.  After starting in the K-12 system, Stephanie became a full-time college professor, and then went BACK!  It was amazing to hear the growth she made in those transitions.

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Ken and Matt recorded LIVE and in-person together for the first time at the Pennsylvania Education Technology Expo and Conference.  They had a blast together and focused the conversation on attending conferences.  These experiences are extremely valuable for teachers to learn, grow, network, and step outside their comfort zone.  This podcast focuses on connecting educators and empowering everyone through voice.  Conferences provide that experience at the highest level.

Mike Kuczala came back to the powerED Up Podcast to be our first repeat guest.  We were thrilled to discuss his new book The Peak Performing Teacher. We are teaching in the most challenging time in the history of public education. The demand for teachers to navigate the pandemic and just the expanding responsibilities of a classroom teacher is putting us on the edge.  Mike shares five key habits for success.