Discover how Mackin Educational Resources partners with educators to provide comprehensive support for classroom and library resources. In this episode, Jennifer McCarty Plucker, Ed.D., Director of Learning and Development at Mackin reveals invaluable free services and tools available to educators, including:

➡️Access to a catalog of over 3 million titles

➡️Expert help with curating classroom resources and text sets

➡️Free Storyteller Spotlight events featuring authors like Jeff Kinney

➡️Technical support for processing, barcoding, and labeling

➡️Digital integration through MackinVIA and MackinVision platforms

➡️Makerspace resources and hands-on learning materials

➡️Collection analysis services

➡️Family engagement resources

Perfect for teachers, librarians, and education leaders looking to save time and money while enhancing student engagement. Learn how Mackin's "let's find a way to yes" approach helps educators build diverse, standards-aligned collections that serve all learners.

Drawing on foundational research from John T. Guthrie and real classroom experience, this episode offers you practical solutions for getting quality materials into students' hands. Whether you're managing a school library, building classroom collections, or supporting family literacy initiatives, you'll discover tools and strategies you can implement right away.

Episode Mentions: 

• S3 E39: Using Inquiry to Inspire Lifelong Readers with Dr. Jennifer McCarty Plucker
• Engagement With Young Adult Literature: Outcomes and Processes by Gay Ivey, Peter H. Johnston 20 March 2013 https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.46 or https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/rrq.46
• Teens Choosing to Read by Gay Ivey and Peter Johnston https://a.co/d/e4K9Q5s
• Mackin website and catalog: www.mackin.com
• Library Custom List Request form: https://search.mackin.com/list-request
• Classroom Custom Book List Request form: https://home.mackin.com/classroom/classroom-custom-book-list-request/
• Storyteller Spotlight: https://home.mackin.com/resources/storyteller-spotlight/ 
• To Reach Jen: jenniferplucker.com or MackinLearning.com

Jen’s Other Recommended Resources:

• Link to blog writing: https://mackinlearning.com/author/jennifer-mp/
• Link to order  Inspiring Lifelong Readers https://a.co/d/9xIeTUK
• Baiting the Reading Hook: https://ascd.org/el/articles/baiting-the-reading-hook

#EdChat #SchoolLibrary#LibraryLife #LibraryResources #Librarians #SchoolLibrarians #LibraryLove #Literacy #ReadingCommunity #LiteracyMatters  #EdTech #DigitalLearning #ELearning #TechInEd #ClassroomLibrary #TextSets #MakerSpace #ClassroomResou

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this bonus episode of Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies, I explore the fascinating science and power of repetition in learning. Following my conversation with Stephanie Leavell, creator of Music for Kiddos, I dive into how repetition impacts brain development, memory retention, and skill mastery across all age groups.

Drawing from multiple research sources, I break down key concepts like active recall, the spacing effect, and spaced repetition learning. I share a compelling classroom observation of how repetition helped both a teacher and his students build confidence through multiple presentation practices. The episode also covers how repetition benefits early childhood development, the importance of repeated read-alouds for young children, and why we find repetition in music so appealing.

Whether you're an educator, caregiver, or lifelong learner, this episode offers practical insights into how strategic repetition can enhance learning outcomes and why "practice makes perfect" is more than just a saying – it's backed by neuroscience. I conclude the episode with valuable tips for implementing repetitive practice effectively in both classroom and home environments.

Episode Mentions: 

➡️S4 E15: Music Therapy in Schools: Strategies for Teachers and Child Development with Stephanie Leavell, Creator of Music for Kiddos

➡️Unlock the power of repetition: A groundbreaking learning method - Traverse 10/2023

➡️Eva Keiffenheim’s The Feynman Technique Can Help You Remember Everything You Read  

➡️9 Benefits of Repetition for Learning - Iris Reading

➡️The Power of Repetition - Queensland Government - Department of Early Childhood Education and Care 8/2023 

➡️Repeated Read Alouds May Lead to Reading Success for Young Children by Timothy Rasinski

➡️Why we love repetition in music - TED-Ed by Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis

➡️Hot Chocolate song reel

#TeacherResources #TeacherTips #TeachingStrategies #EducationPodcast #TeacherLife #EduTalk #EducatorResources #K12Education #LearningScience #BrainDevelopment #CognitiveScience #SpacedRepetition #ActiveRecall #LearningStrategies #StudyTips #MemoryTechniques #BrainScience #LearningProcess #EarlyChildhood #EarlyLearning #ReadAloud #EarlyLiteracy #ChildDevelopment #EarlyEducation #PreschoolActivities #KidsLearning #ParentingTips #EarlyYears #MusicEducation #MusicTherapy #MusicAndLearning #ArtsEducation #MusicInSchools #ChildrensMusic #MusicForKids #MusicTeacher #MusicClassroom #MusicLearning

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this episode, I dive deep into the transformative power of music education with my guest Stephanie Leavell, creator of Music for Kiddos and board-certified music therapist. You’ll discover how music serves as more than just entertainment, acting as a vital tool for child development, emotional regulation, and academic learning. 

Stephanie shares practical strategies for incorporating music into early childhood education, including lesson planning tips and the critical role of repetition in learning. From her journey as a reluctant performer to becoming a passionate music educator, Stephanie offers valuable insights for teachers, therapists, and caregivers about creating engaging musical experiences. 

Whether you're an educator looking to enhance your classroom practices or a caregiver interested in supporting your child's development, my conversation with Stephanie illuminates the multifaceted impact of music on young minds. 

Join us to learn how to build a more musical environment that supports children's growth, emotional well-being, and learning potential.

Key topics include:

➡️Simplifying music lesson planning for early childhood

➡️Understanding children's music processing and engagement

➡️Creating supportive learning environments through music

➡️Balancing structure and flexibility in music education

➡️The emotional impact of music on child development

Episode Mentions: 

• Slow Down song
• Watermelon Watermelon song 
• Berklee College of Music
• Music for Kiddos community, blog, & podcast
• Dr. Sarah Gulish 
• Rosie Rocks!

Stephanie’s Other Recommended Resources:

• F-Flat Books
• Fyütch
• Miss Katie Sings
• Blog posts on sensory systems and music & 5 Ways to Simplify Your Early Childhood Music Lesson Planning

#StephanieLeavell #MusicforKiddos #TeachingStrategies #EarlyChildhoodEducation #TeacherResources #TeacherTips #PreschoolTeacher #MusicEducation #MusicTherapy #ChildrensMusic #MusicTeacher #MusicForKids #ChildDevelopment #EarlyLearning #ChildhoodEducation #PlayBasedLearning #SensoryProcessing #TeacherPD #TeacherGrowth #EducatorResources #TeacherCommunity #MusicCommunity

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this bonus episode of Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies, I reflect on my recent conversation with Denise Goldin-Dubois about her Three Student Protocol.

I explore essential aspects of building trust and relationships in educational settings, drawing insights from influential books and my mentors in the coaching field.

I delve into the importance of distinguishing between facts and inferences when working with teachers, the hidden values behind complaints, and the art of genuine listening in coaching relationships. 

I share practical wisdom from works like Agents of Change by Lucy West and Toni Cameron,Coaching A-Z by Haesun Moon, PhD, and The Thin Book of Trust by Charles Feltman, offering valuable perspectives on developing meaningful connections in educational environments.

Perfect for educators, coaches, and administrators, this episode provides actionable insights on:

➡️ building trust, 

➡️ understanding the developmental landscape of teaching, 

➡️and creating stronger relationships in educational settings. 

I end with Charles Feltman’s practical steps for cultivating trust through care and transparency in professional relationships.

#EdChat #TeacherCoaching #EducationalLeadership #ThreeStudentProtocol #TrustInEducation #SchoolCoach #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeacherPD #RelationshipBuilding #SchoolCulture #TeacherSupport #InstructionalCoaching #AssetBasedThinking #EducatorWellness #CoachingConversations #SchoolImprovement #TeacherMentoring #StudentSuccess #TeacherEffectiveness #SchoolLeadership

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

Join me in conversation with veteran educator Denise Goldin-Dubois to explore her innovative three student protocol – a powerful planning and reflection tool that helps teachers deepen their practice. With over 25 years of experience in public education, Denise shares how focusing intentionally on three specific students can transform instruction for an entire classroom.

Learn how to move beyond broad generalizations and track observable facts about your students rather than making inferences. Discover practical strategies for making your planning more concrete and actionable, whether you're a classroom teacher, instructional coach, or administrator. Denise explains how this protocol can be adapted for multiple contexts, from individual classroom planning to professional learning communities and teacher evaluations.

This episode offers valuable insights for educators looking to humanize their practice while improving outcomes for all learners. Whether you're teaching math, literacy, or any other subject, you'll come away with practical tools to better understand and support your students' unique needs and potential.

Highlights include:

• How to select and track three focus students without falling into high/medium/low categorizations
• Ways to anticipate and plan for student responses to tasks
• Strategies for using the protocol in professional learning teams
• Tips for making evaluation data more meaningful through student-centered narratives
• Methods for shifting from teacher-centered to student-centered instruction

Episode Mentions: 

• Julia Aguirre
• Cris Tovani

Denise’s Other Resources:

• Five Promises of Math Class
• Why plan & How do We do it for the mathematics classroom?

#ThreeStudentProtocol #FivePromisesofMathClass #TeacherTips #StudentCenteredLearning #DifferentiatedInstruction #InstructionalCoaching #TeacherPlanning #ProfessionalLearning #TeacherPD #EquitableEducation #TeacherReflection #DataDrivenInstruction #EdChat #PedagogyMatters #StudentSuccess #TeachingStrategies #HumanizedLearning #PLCs #PLTs #TeacherCommunity #MathTeachers #K12Education

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this bonus episode, I delve deeper into transformative approaches to feedback and assessment in education. Building on my conversation with Tyler Rablin (S4E13), I share crucial insights from my recent experiences coaching middle school teachers and explore why less is often more when it comes to student feedback. I challenge traditional notions of mastery-based assessment, advocating instead for a growth-focused approach that recognizes each student's unique learning journey.

Drawing from respected educational research and my hands-on coaching experience, l discuss why formative assessment should be viewed as an ongoing action rather than a mere task. I explore practical strategies for making feedback more meaningful and share a powerful story about co-teaching and student self-assessment.

Whether you're an educator, administrator, or caregiver, this episode offers valuable perspectives on creating more effective and student-centered assessment practices.

Key topics:

👉The optimal amount of feedback students can effectively use

👉Rethinking formative assessment as a verb rather than a noun

👉The importance of prioritizing growth over mastery

👉Practical strategies for implementing student-driven assessment

👉Real-world examples of effective co-teaching and feedback models

Episode Mentions:

➡️Angela Stockman’s blog post: 10 things you don’t know about formative assessment

➡️S2 E6: No More "Point-Less" Grading Systems with Dr. Sarah M. Zerwin

➡️Sarah Zerwin’s book: Point-Less: An English Teacher’s Guide to More Meaningful Grading

➡️Eva Keiffenheim’s The Feynman Technique Can Help You Remember Everything You Read

#FormativeAssessment #tudentFeedback #TeacherCoaching #GrowthMindset #StudentCenteredLearning #EdChat #TeacherPodcast #FormativeAssessment #StudentFeedback #TeacherCoaching #MiddleSchoolTeaching #GrowthMindset #StudentGrowth #CoTeaching #EducationalLeadership #TeachingStrategies #StudentCenteredLearning #ProfessionalLearning #AssessmentPractices #TeacherTips #EducationInnovation #SchoolLeadership #KidsDeserveIt

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

Join me in conversation with coach and author Tyler Rablin to explore transformative approaches to student motivation and learning. Focusing on his book Hacking Student Motivation: 5 Assessment Strategies That Boost Learning Progression and Build Student Confidence (Hack Learning Series), Tyler shares innovative strategies for assessment, feedback, and building student confidence. 

Drawing from his experience as a high school English teacher, he discusses how educators can move beyond traditional grading to create learning environments that empower students, foster autonomy, and help them see their own potential.

You will gain practical insights into creating meaningful learning progressions, providing effective feedback, and motivating students through choice and personalized learning approaches.

Episode Mentions: 

• Larry Ainsworth & Priority Standards
• Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory of Motivation & Social Learning Theory
• John Hattie & Effect Sizes Related to Student Achievement
• Daniel Pink

Some of Tyler’s favorite resources that connect to our conversation:

• Ohio's Learning Standards extended
• My Assessment Resource Document

Tyler’s published writing and work:

• Hacking Student Motivation
• Tyler’s blog
• Tyler’s Edutopia author page

#Education #HackingStudentMotivation #StudentMotivation #AssessmentStrategies #TeacherInspiration #LearningProgressions #Feedback #StudentConfidence #EducationalTechnology #TeachingMethods #StudentEmpowerment

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this bonus episode, I share insights from my recent work with school district coaches, highlighting the importance of flexibility, responsive coaching, and building professional communities. 

I detail a transformative week of coaching labs and one-on-one sessions, exploring innovative approaches to supporting educators. The episode offers a deep dive into how coaches can:

➡️Create more adaptive professional learning structures

➡️Develop collaborative thought partnerships

➡️Design flexible coaching cycles

➡️Support teachers in reimagining classroom interactions

You will gain practical strategies for creating more responsive and supportive educational environments, with a focus on truly meeting the needs of both teachers and students. 

Whether you're an educator, coach, or administrator, this episode provides valuable insights into modern educational support methodologies.

Episode Mentions:

• S4 E12: Coaching Impact Circles: Transforming Team Feedback Through Learning Labs with Morgan Davis
• Vander Ark, T. (2018, August 22). Personalize learning and build agency by using the 4 PLC questions. Education Week. 
• Knight, J., Hoffman, A., Harris, M., & Thomas, S. (2020). The instructional playbook: The missing link for translating research into practice. ASCD.

#InstructionalCoaching #TeacherCoaching #CoachingImpact #ProfessionalLearning #TeacherPD #CoachingNotes #LearningLabs #TeacherCollaboration #CoachingCycles #PLCs #EdLeadership #CoachingLeadership #SchoolLeaders #InstructionalLeadership #TeacherLeader #CoachBetter #CoachingCommunity #TeacherCommunity #EdChat #TeacherLife #EdTech #FutureOfEducation#EducatorsOfInstagram #TeacherGrowth #TeamCoaching #CoachingImpactCycles #TeacherReflection #CollectiveLearning #CoachingRisks #JeffcoSchools #ColoradoTeachers #COedu #PublicEducation #K12Education

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

Join me in conversation with Morgan Davis, a coach's coach from Jeffco Public Schools, about reimagining coaching support through coaching impact circles. Morgan shares how her district is blending learning labs, research-based practices, and team coaching to create more effective professional development experiences. She discusses her innovative approach to "team coaching notes" and explains why maintaining a spirit of inquiry, rather than showcasing perfection, leads to more authentic teacher growth. 

The conversation explores how creating spaces for genuine teacher collaboration doesn't always require heavy structure, and why the most effective coaching frameworks emphasize vulnerability and continuous learning. Morgan also offers practical insights into how coaches can balance being both facilitators and learners while supporting teacher development across 166 buildings serving 81,000 students.

Episode Mentions: 

• Karrie Fansler’s Responsive Coaching Cycle
• BOCES
• Previous Episodes 
  • S2 E14: Risk-Taking with Instructional Coaches & Teacher Teams with Amy Ellerman & Morgan Davis
  • S3 E33: Why Instructional Coaches Need Their Own Coaches with Sam Bennett and Morgan Davis
  • S4 E2: The Art of the Classroom Visit: Insights from Morgan Davis on Effective Coaching Practices
• Morgan Davis & It’s About Making Space
• Jeffco Public Schools
• Morgan’s Coaches - Vicki Reed and Katie Grisham 
• Ron Ritchhardt’s - Cultures of Thinking in Action
• Jim Knight’s Impact Cycle
• Communities of Practice
• Sam Bennett
• Huang, J. W. (2023, November 28). 4 practices of warm demander teachers: A well-known approach that combines high expectations with a firm belief in students’ ability to succeed can guide them to deeper learning. The Learning Professional. 
• Killion, Joellen. (2024, August). Coaching heavy, coaching light: How to deepen professional practice. The Learning Professional, 45(4). 
• Denise Goldin-Dubois
• Team Coach Notes (Sample)
• Cognitive Coaching & Reflecting Map Questions:
  • Decisions: What decisions were you making before the lesson or in the moment?
  • Others: What are you noticing about students or other teach

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this BONUS episode of Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies, I explore the transformative power of growth mindset, community building, and shared meals. I reflect on my conversation with community leader Christa Núñez, diving deep into how educators, organizations, and individuals can foster continuous learning, equity, and meaningful connections. Drawing from insights by Carol S. Dweck and inspirational resources, I discuss the importance of viewing challenges as opportunities, valuing effort, and building trust through intentional community engagement.

Episode Mentions:

➡️Christa Núñez

➡️S4 E11: Urban Agriculture Education: Building Equitable Food Systems Through Community Grants with Christa Núñez

➡️Khuba International

➡️The Learning Farm

➡️Dweck, C. S. (2010). Even Geniuses Work Hard. Educational Leadership, 68(1), 9.

➡️EL Education. (Updated in 2023). Core Practices: A vision for improving schools.

➡️The Power of Sharing a Meal | Laura Flosi | TEDxYouth@Upanga

➡️The Unifying Power of Food: How Sharing a Meal Brings Us Together

#EducationPodcast #GrowthMindset #CommunityBuilding #TeachingStrategies #UrbanAgriculture #FoodAndCommunity #ProfessionalDevelopment #EducatorInspiration #SchoolCulture #MeaningfulLearning #KhubaInternational #FarmerScholar #UbuntuLibrary #TheLearningFarm #FoodJustice #LandAccess #CommunityEmpowerment #EquitableAgriculture #LiteracyMatters #BlackFarmersUnited #CommunityGrants #LocalPolitics #GrantStory #WomenInAgriculture

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.