Rebel Educator®

This week we’re joined by Chris Hull, founder of Otus, an edTech tool designed by educators to simplify the way schools manage data, assessments, and instruction.

Join us as we dive deep into an innovative approach that reimagines education as a personalized journey of discovery. Learn how Otus is using AI and data to empower teachers to do what matters most: connecting, inspiring, and truly seeing each student's unique potential.

From transforming traditional grading to creating comprehensive student profiles, this conversation explores how technology can become a powerful ally in education—creating more efficient tools that give teachers back their most valuable resource: time with students.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• The evolution of educational technology and its impact on teaching
• Creating efficient systems that support teacher-student interactions
• The importance of understanding individual student journeys
• Balancing technological tools with human empathy and connection
• Developing skills for continuous learning and adaptation

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Connect with Chris on LinkedIn
• Visit www.otus.com to learn more about how Otus combines data, assessment, progress monitoring, and grading to maximize student performance and save educators time.
• Want to open your dream school with the freedom you deserve and the support you need?Visit https://openmyschool.my.canva.site/rebelkaipod to learn more about our partnership with KaiPod Learning and get help opening your dream school!
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

GUEST BIO:

Chris Hull is the founder and President of Otus, an education technology company that provides schools across the U.S. with comprehensive solutions for assessments, data management, and insights into student performance. As a former educator, Chris has firsthand knowledge of the challenges and rewards of the classroom, an experience that has fueled his commitment to developing innovative solutions that empower educators and enhance student outcomes. 

His journey from teaching to founding Otus was driven by a passion for education and a desire to make a meaningful impact. He believes that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed, which begins by equipping educators and school communities with the right tools and data to make a difference in students’ lives.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 

Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7

Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

Kids need the chance to make decisions. 

But how do we create the right balance between structure and independence? 

Tune in for strategies that empower kids to take ownership of their choices.

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Want to open your dream school with the freedom you deserve and the support you need?Visit https://openmyschool.my.canva.site/rebelkaipod to learn more about our partnership with KaiPod Learning and get help opening your dream school!
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 

Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7

Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator: www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

What happens when we give students the tools to restore relationships rather than simply punishing behavior? 

In this week's episode, AJ Crabill, Senior Coach at Student Led Restorative Practices, shares with us how community circles build belonging, mediation circles resolve conflicts, and restorative circles address harm. 

Tune in to learn why these approaches better serve student success and how you can implement them in your own spaces.

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Connect with AJ on LinkedIn
• Visit www.StudentLedRP.org to learn more about student-led restorative practices
• Get your copy of AJ’s latest book: Our Tools They Deserve: Why Adults Choose Retribution, How Students Can Practice Restoration
• Want to open your dream school with the freedom you deserve and the support you need?Visit https://openmyschool.my.canva.site/rebelkaipod to learn more about our partnership with KaiPod Learning and get help opening your dream school!
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

GUEST BIO:

Airick Journey "AJ" Crabill is the Senior Coach at Student Led Restorative Practices and serves as the Director of Governance for the Council of the Great City Schools where he leads school board supports for the nation’s largest urban school systems. Improving student outcomes is his relentless focus. His passion to improve student outcomes is rooted in his past: bounced in and out of foster care, he attended eleven different schools as a child. Guided by the idea that student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change and drawing on his intimate familiarity with the triumphs and terrors of America’s safety nets for children, he has devoted much of his adult life to advocating for the well-being of the United States' most vulnerable youth.

He recently served as the Conservator at DeSoto (TX) Independent School District. During his guidance, DeSoto made double digit literacy gains and improved from having F ratings in areas of academics, finance, and governance to the district earning B ratings. He served as Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency and he spearheaded reforms as board chair of Kansas City (MO) Public Schools that doubled the percentage of students who are literate and numerate and, eventually, led KCPS to full accreditation for the first time in decades. He received the Education Commission of the State's James Bryant Conant Award, which recognizes extraordinary individual contributions to education and is the author of, "Great On Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective." His new book, "Our Tools They Deserve: Why Adults Choose Retribution, How Students Can Practice Restoration" is about a fresh approach to school behavior that focuses on equipping students with the tools they need to succeed—both in school and beyond.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 

Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7

Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

Starting a school isn't easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. 

In this episode, we break down the biggest challenges to opening a school and share strategies to help you overcome them.

Whether you’re considering starting a microschool, virtual school, or something entirely new, this episode will help you take the next step with confidence!

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Want to open your dream school with the freedom you deserve and the support you need? Visit https://openmyschool.my.canva.site/rebelkaipod to learn more about our partnership with KaiPod Learning and get help opening your dream school!
• Join our community on Skool 
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 

Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7

Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

Tired of playing it safe as a principal?

The 90-Day Accelerator shows school leaders how to Do School Different and create campus experiences students actually get excited about. → https://accelerator.ruckusmakers.club/?rootabl=tanyasheckley

The secret to student success might not be what you think. Our guest reveals why executive functioning skills—the ability to organize, manage time, set goals, and complete tasks—form the foundation for all learning yet are rarely taught explicitly in schools. Through his personal story of classroom struggles, he shares how he developed an innovative approach to embedding these skills naturally into daily routines. 

Tune in to learn why his book on executive functioning became an instant bestseller and how his "Organized Binder" approach is transforming classrooms across the country.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• Why some students naturally "get" school while others struggle despite their intelligence and effort 
• The hidden skills that are rarely taught but essential for academic success 
• A practical approach to embedding executive functioning skills into classroom routines without adding to a teacher's workload

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Connect with Mitch:
  • organizedbinder.com 
  • https://www.instagram.com/organizedbinder/
  • https://x.com/organizedbinder
  • https://www.facebook.com/organizedbinder
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchweathers/
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Book: Executive Functions for Every Classroom, Grades 3-12: Creating Safe and Predictable Learning Environments
• The 90-Day Accelerator is opening soon, and waitlist members get two live coaching calls plus exclusive leadership courses ($750 value). Claim your spot → https://90-day-waitlist.carrd.co/?rootabl=tanyasheckley 
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

GUEST BIO:

Mitch became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. He rarely felt comfortable in the classroom. In fact, it took him 7 years for him to graduate from college.

Choosing to become a teacher, Mitch was fortunate enough to experience school as if it was happening all around him. He was unsure how to jump into his learning with confidence. There is a loneliness to experiencing your education as a passive object as opposed to an active subject.

From the moment he entered the classroom, Mitch relied on his personal experiences as a learner. He recognized that what we teach, the content or curriculum is secondary. We must first lay the foundation for learning before we can get to teach. In fact, unless students develop a solid foundation for learning it does not matter how great your teachers deliver content, or how emergent the technology, or even how engaging a lesson might be.

Mitch designed Organized Binder to empower teachers with a simple but research-backed strategy to teach students executive functioning skills while protecting the time needed for content instruction. The secret is found in establishing a predictable learning routine that serves to foster safer learning spaces. When students get practice with executive functions by virtue we set them up for success.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 

Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7

Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

Ever wish you had a blueprint for transforming your school without drowning in administrative tasks?

The 90-Day Accelerator is opening soon, and waitlist members get two live coaching calls plus exclusive leadership courses ($750 value). Claim your spot → https://90-day-waitlist.carrd.co/?rootabl=tanyasheckley

In this episode, we dive into the evolving world of microschools and a recent article published by the Center for American Progress, "The Importance of Holding Microschools Accountable".

As the founder of a microschool, I understand the need for accountability, but the current system we're being held to often doesn't support the innovation and flexibility that microschools thrive on.

How can we balance the need for oversight with the freedom to create dynamic, student-centered learning environments?

Tune in to discover why we need a new approach to accountability and how it could shape the future of education!

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The 90-Day Accelerator is opening soon, and waitlist members get two live coaching calls plus exclusive leadership courses ($750 value). Claim your spot → https://90-day-waitlist.carrd.co/?rootabl=tanyasheckley 
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 

Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7

Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

Ever wish you had a blueprint for transforming your school without drowning in administrative tasks?

The 90-Day Accelerator is opening soon, and waitlist members get two live coaching calls plus exclusive leadership courses ($750 value). Claim your spot → https://90-day-waitlist.carrd.co/?rootabl=tanyasheckley

How do you create meaningful change in education without losing your job?

My guest this week, Jennifer D. Klein, explores the delicate balance of innovation and resistance through the lens of her experiences in nontraditional education. 

Jennifer shares with us her incredible insights about leading change in schools today. From poetry in the wilderness to navigating political turbulence, discover how language, timing, and understanding can help leaders create schools where every student thrives.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• The transformative experience of growing up in alternative education
• How leaders can navigate resistance to change while staying true to their educational vision
• The unexpected ways language choice can impact how communities receive educational innovation
• Creating school environments where each child is celebrated

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Connect with Jennifer:
• https://principledlearning.org
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdeborahklein
• https://x.com/jdeborahklein
• https://www.instagram.com/jdeborahklein/
• https://www.facebook.com/jdeborahklein
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

GUEST BIO:

Jennifer D. Klein is a product of experiential project-based education herself, and she lives and breathes the student-centered pedagogies used to educate her. She became a teacher during graduate school in 1990, quickly finding the intersection between her love of writing and her fascination with educational transformation and its potential impact on social change. A former head of school with extensive international experience and over 30 years in education--including 19 in the classroom--Jennifer facilitates dynamic, interactive workshops for teachers, leaders and students, working to amplify student voice, to provide the tools for high-quality project-based learning in all cultural and socio-economic contexts, and to shift school culture to support such practices. Motivated by her belief that all children deserve a meaningful, relevant education like the one she experienced herself, and that giving them such an education will catalyze positive change in their communities and beyond, Jennifer strives to inspire educators to shift their practices in schools worldwide.

Jennifer’s first book, The Global Education Guidebook, was published in 2017, and her second, The Landscape Model of Learning: Designing Student-Centered Experiences for Cognitive and Cultural Inclusion, written with co-author Kapono Ciotti, was published in 2022.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 

Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7

Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

Ever wish you had a blueprint for transforming your school without drowning in administrative tasks?
 
The 90-Day Accelerator is opening soon, and waitlist members get two live coaching calls plus exclusive leadership courses ($750 value). Claim your spot → https://90-day-waitlist.carrd.co/?rootabl=tanyasheckley

How do we create schools where students actually want to learn? Meet Kapono Ciotti, an educator working to transform schools from teacher-centered stages to student-led learning environments. Drawing from his experiences in progressive education systems, Ciotti shares practical strategies for letting students take the lead in their learning journey. His innovative approaches and the What School Could Be framework offer a roadmap for educators ready to trust students with real ownership of their education.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• The shift from industrial-age schooling to student-led learning
• Building genuine learning communities in schools
• The role of AI in transforming education
• Creating schools where students want to be
• New frameworks for measuring educational success

  RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Connect with Kapono and What Schools Could Be on LinkedIn, Instagram, the WSCB community, and by visiting www.whatschoolscouldbe.org
• What Decade Is Your School Preparing Students For? Take the survey and find out: www.whatschoolcouldbe.org/survey
• Visit www.principledlearning.org to learn more about Jennifer D. Klein and her work
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

GUEST BIO:

Kapono Ciotti attributes his educational philosophy to his own schooling experience in a progressive, social-constructivist school during his early years in Honolulu, Hawaii. He taught in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Dakar, Senegal, for over a decade before moving into school leadership. Kapono has led schools in the United States and Egypt, where he put into practice the philosophy of "students making the world a better place," shifting school culture to impact-based education practice. His strong belief in education being an act of social justice drives his work.

Kapono has worked internationally in educational change organizations, leading the work of Deeper Learning and place and culture-based pedagogy, and he is currently the Executive Director for What School Could Be. In these roles, he has trained teachers in over 100 schools and school districts over four continents, impacting hundreds of thousands of students. In addition, Kapono spent 15 years as National Faculty for the National Association of Independent Schools in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, facilitating national and international learning experiences. As a curriculum writer, he has authored multiple curricula for federal and non-profit programs. His work has significantly contributed to the organizations What School Could Be, The Buck Institute, EdLeader21, The Pacific American Foundation, and many others.

Kapono holds a Ph.D. in International Education Leadership from Northcentral University, a Masters degree in Social Change and Development from the University of Newcastle, and a Bachelors of Language and Culture from the Evergreen State College. He currently lives between Hawaii, Cairo, Egypt, and Dakar Senegal.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 

Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7

Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

Ready to Turn Your Expertise into a Business?

Don't miss Educator 2 Entrepreneur (E2E), a groundbreaking course by my friend, Anthony Kim -  3x successful founder, bestselling author, and education thought leader.

E2E is specifically designed for educators ready to make the leap into entrepreneurship, even without startup capital or traditional business experience. Through 20 action-packed lessons across 5 modules, you'll master Anthony's proven framework to build a thriving and sustainable education business.

Learn more here:  https://www.educator2entrepreneur.org/a/2148024700/NbhcSHYv

I'm so excited to share my recent TED Talk with you all!

In this episode, I’ll take you behind the scenes of how this opportunity came to life and share my full talk, where I explore the power of brave questions and how they’ve shaped my journey as an education innovator.

Tune in now to listen and get inspired!

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcasts

We’d love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 

Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7

Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.

Ready to Turn Your Expertise into a Business?

Don't miss Educator 2 Entrepreneur (E2E), a groundbreaking course by my friend, Anthony Kim -  3x successful founder, bestselling author, and education thought leader.

E2E is specifically designed for educators ready to make the leap into entrepreneurship, even without startup capital or traditional business experience. Through 20 action-packed lessons across 5 modules, you'll master Anthony's proven framework to build a thriving and sustainable education business.

Learn more here:  https://www.educator2entrepreneur.org/a/2148024700/NbhcSHYv

Daniel Bauer and Glenn Robbins chat with us about Stoic principles like wisdom, courage, and temperance and how they can help guide leaders in education to act with integrity, even in challenging times. Learn how to focus on what truly matters, navigate ethical dilemmas with confidence, and inspire your school community through grounded and purposeful leadership.

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Connect with Daniel on X and Instagram or give him a call/text at 312-788-7596
• Connect with Glenn on X and at GlennRobbins.com
• Get your copy of Calm in the Chaos: Ancient Stoic Wisdom for Successful School Leadership
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

GUEST BIO:

DANIEL BAUER  is an unorthodox Ruckus Maker who has mentored thousands of school leaders through his Better Leaders Better Schools blog, books, podcasts, and powerful coaching experiences.  Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader is a book that reimagines what professional development for school administrators looks like in order to meet the needs of all school leaders who currently feel isolated and overwhelmed.

GLENN ROBBINS is the proud Superintendent of the Brigantine Public School District in Brigantine, New Jersey. He has served as a public school superintendent in New Jersey since 2016. Prior to becoming a superintendent, he was a middle school principal, a high school assistant principal, a high school social studies teacher, and a high school varsity coach. He is also a best selling author of “Calm In The Chaos: Ancient Stoic Wisdom for Successful School Leadership”, and sought after speaker.

Glenn has been awarded numerous administrative international, national, and state recognitions including the EDTECH Digest International Finalist, National Exemplar of Education Award Winner, Named Top 100 Educational Influencer in the US, Northeast Innovative Superintendent Award, NJ Visionary Superintendent Award, Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools Member, NASSP Digital Principal of the Year, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Winner, and SETDA Student Voice Award Winner. He has been invited to the White House and the US Department of Education several times. He is also the proud recipient of a National Superintendent Certification, and serves as an AASA National Governing Board Member, AASA Aspiring Superintendent Mentor, and Chair of NJASA Technology Committee. 

Glenn has been recognized across the globe for his innovative school and district improvement methods, and has been featured in numerous conferences, books, podcasts, and other publications. Glenn is passionate about helping school leaders create schools where every student and educator can have the opportunity to succeed to their utmost potential in a VUCA world.

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Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth.