Well hey there, and welcome back to the Sustainable Teacher Podcast, I’m so glad you’ve decided to join me today for this four-step reflection process every educator needs, and I’ll just add that every  teacher needs this if in fact they are feeling the pressure of all the change, and the overwhelm of seemingly never satisfying anyone whether it be parents, administration, or even our students.  Now, I recognize that never is a dramatic word, but I’m betting it describes how you feel right now regardless of if it’s dramatic or not, so I’m sticking with it.

I was on a walk with my nine-month old puppy the other day, and when I’m on walks that’s when my wheels really get to turning, most of the time in good ways.  Often I won’t even bring my headphones or listen to a podcast, although Ii’ve done that before, because the silence and the space for my mind to go where it wants leads me to some great ideas whether it be for this podcast, for teacher training, or for myself and my family.  This story has nothing to do with this episode other than that the idea of this topic for today’s episode came from one such walk after a day of working with my preservice teachers in my Intro to Educational Technology class.  

Having three classes of preservice teachers looking to me for guidance has very much got me thinking and prioritizing the advice I give so as to inspire but not overwhelm them, remain honest with them but not lead them to despair in what is a very hard career field to step into every day.  One such piece of advice I wanted to give them the other day and that I will give to you today is that you are not always going to get it right.  And that is ok.

And even when you do get it right, it’s not going to be perfect.  Most of the time that doesn’t sit well with us educators because we value what we do so much.  Oftentimes the pressure and burden we bear each day on getting things perfect is self-induced and it’s because we see the immense impact we can have, and we don’t want to get it wrong.  This is the amazing thing about teaching, but also the most stressful in my opinion.

But if we are going to make it past the statistically deadly year five or heaven forbid all the way to retirement, we have to take a step back and recognize what’s really important and keep our focus on that.

And that’s what today’s episode is all about.  After listening, you’ll have a four step reflection process that is NOT just about making sure you take the time to reflect on your practice (although, yes that is necessary), but that more importantly will help you keep what’s important, important.

We are teaching (and living) in a time where we are second guessing ourselves and everything we believe to be effective in our classrooms, and as much as I’m aware how much has changed, the basics of how the human brain learns, and how it does that best in a safe and welcoming environment surrounded by people they’ve emotionally connected with is still the same.  So I hope these four steps help you confidently step back into the role as the number one influence on student learning in your classroom and help you prioritize exactly what is important about what you do.

Let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/four-step-reflection-process-for-every-teacher 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

FLIPPED CLASSROOM WEBINAR: https://www.teachonamission.com/flippingwebinar 

Well hey there and welcome back to the Sustainable Teacher Podcast. I am so excited to have Samantha Fecich of EduMagic on the podcast today, and I’ll share a couple of reasons why.  First, I’ve recently  stepped into the higher ed  space, and she’s been there for a while, so it was nice to have a conversation within that context.  Secondly, as a special education teacher turned educational tech expert, she gives a refreshing perspective on ed tech in ways that reinvigorate my passion for the field and I think this conversation will do the same for you.

In this episode you will hear us chat about various topics including student-life balance for preservice teachers, tech tool (and non-tech tool) recommendations for preservice teachers, as well as the purpose and possibilities of educational technology for students today.  So no matter what you teach, this episode will be valuable for you, but will be especially valuable for pre-service teachers out there.

Without further ado, let’s bring on Dr. Samantha Fecich

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/sustainable-ed-tech-with-samantha-fecich 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

STUDENT VOICE WORKSHOP: https://www.teachonamission.com/studentvoiceworkshop

Welcome back to the Sustainable Teacher Podcast, and today  we have a return guest, my  husband, Bill Rice.  He was first on the podcast back on episode 39, so not too long ago, where we talked about his perspective as principal and husband to a sustainable teacher - so if you haven’t yet, you’ll want to go back and give that a listen.

In this episode, though, we are focusing in on a particular subject, and that is grading.  Specifically, the meaning of grades and how a teacher could be more aware and intentional around what it means when they give a student a specific grade.

This is not a light conversation, and there are certainly fourteen other conversations (or podcast episodes) we could have from this one interview.. And maybe some day we’ll go there, but today we’re focusing on the work Bill has recently done in his research on the meaning of grades, and what it’s been to just scratch the surface on this issue.

So without further ado, let’s bring Bill back to the podcast.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/the-meaning-of-grades-with-dr-bill-rice 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER CHALLENGE:  https://www.teachonamission.com/sustainableteacherchallenge

It’s happening right now.  Really it is.  We have three Sustainable Content Teacher Memberships open for enrollment right now, with amazing teacher- content coaches just waiting to support you, provide you with materials, and get you confident in your course.

Here’s the thing.  As much as we, meaning myself and the amazing content coaches on my team love to teach and are absolutely reaching thousands of students, that’s not the only kind of impact we want to have.

We believe in empowering teachers.  Building their confidence, and most importantly, removing huge chunks of their to-do list (without sacrificing effectiveness of course) so they can focus more on what this pandemic has taught us is truly important about what we do… making connections with our students.  That’s it.

When your students are connected to you and within your classroom, they perform better.  But most teachers, especially those new to their content area or course, don’t have the mental space or time on their calendar to truly make those connections.  All they have time for is planning and grading.  We’re here to change that, and we’re ready to do with our membership, the Sustainable Biology Teacher, the Sustainable English Teacher, and the Sustainable Psych Teacher.

In this episode I’m going to share the full experience with you so you know exactly what’s included and exactly how you’ll be feeling at the end of the most supportive year you’ve ever had.

Let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/it-s-happening-what-s-it-s-like-to-be-in-one-of-our-sustainable-content-teacher-memberships 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

AP® PSYCH: 
https://www.teachonamission.com/appsych. 

AP® BIO:
https://www.teachonamission.com/apbio  

HIGH SCHOOL ELA:  
https://www.teachonamission.com/ELA 

TELL US WHAT YOU TEACH: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy3L26NF5sbBtwHbd01h7g_Uao2LABhyxax4sDao5LVY3OOw/viewform?usp=sf_link  

Today I am sharing with you three things that I am reevaluating during this back to school season.  We teachers are lucky in that we really have two times throughout the year where we get a fresh start.  At the new year that is the calendar year, and at the new year that is the school year.

And so I am taking this opportunity to make sure that all systems are a go, and that there’s not anything that’s dragging us down as we each are working towards a thriving and fulfilling life.

We’re going to talk about my attempt at going paperless at home, how I’m using the big D word, that is Delegation, and a mantra I’ll be using this year as it is clear that I’m taking on a bit more than usual in this season, so I’m wanting to be aware of that and completely prepared. 

Also stay tuned until the end, because I give a bonus tip.

By the end of this episode you will have a clear understanding of three things you could be considering or implementing in your own life in order to continue striving for sustainability in your teacher- and home-life, because this is an incredibly stressful time of year, but it’s also one that allows us to determine how we want our year to go, so let’s take the bull by the horns and make it our most sustainable year yet.

Here we go.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/3-things-at-home-i-m-reevaluating-this-back-to-school-season 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER CHALLENGE: https://www.teachonamission.com/sustainableteacherchallenge 

Well hello there teacher-friend and welcome back to the Sustainable Teacher Podcast where we talk about all things sustaining daily teacher-life so we don’t have to spend our evenings and weekends working, and yet are still effective in the classroom.

Today I am excited to welcome Dr. Monica Burns of Classtechtips.com onto the podcast.  Monica is a former New York City teacher and edtech expert that is now sharing her edtech expertise with schools and teachers around the world.  Her focus, both on her Easy EdTech Podcast and many publications, is to infuse technology for engagement and differentiation in order to simplify and streamline the technology integration process.

Monica is here today to talk about student voice and creativity, and how technology can help us elevate both of those important aspects of our classrooms, particularly in the flipped classroom.

I just know you will leave today’s episode with some great ideas and maybe even a new tool to try but not because the tool is “cool”, but because it’s going to help you accomplish the more important purpose behind the tool.

Without further ado, let’s bring on Dr. Monica Burns.

 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/honoring-student-voice-is-easier-than-you-think-with-monica-burns 

MONICA’S BOOK BONUSES: https://classtechtips.com/bookbonus

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

STUDENT VOICE WORKSHOP: https://www.teachonamission.com/studentvoiceworkshop

Hey teacher-friend, welcome back to the Sustainable Teacher, I’m so glad you decided to tune in today, and oh boy do I have an episode for you.  In this episode I am introducing you to none other than my main-man and husband, Dr. Bill Rice.

I’m excited to bring him on the podcast not just because he’s my husband and I think he’s pretty cool, but also because he is an administrator.  He is a high school principal at a school about 15 minutes down the road from us, and today he is offering a wonderful perspective - well, two perspectives actually - on what it is to be a sustainable teacher, and that is from a principal’s role and the role of a teacher’s spouse.

My goal in interviewing Bill is not so that we can say, “see, this is what you should be doing” to either our principals or our spouses, but so that teachers can see that your sustainability is what’s most important, next to being effective with kids, and that the classroom atmosphere and overarching learning experience you build for your students is more important than any one, overly amazing lesson that you feel you have to create every day of the week.

This is an incredibly important message especially now, during the back to school season which we’re in at the time this episode will air, and I hope the message resonates with you more than any amount of stress you’re feeling.

Without further ado, let’s bring Bill on.

 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/being-a-principal-and-spouse-to-a-sustainable-teacher 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER CHALLENGE: https://www.teachonamission.com/sustainableteacherchallenge

AP® Psychology, Intro to Psychology, Sociology, Hybrid Psychology, American History, Honors American History, Women and Minority Studies… all courses that I taught in my ten years in the classroom.  In each course I did have some materials from former teachers or current teams that were willing to collaborate, but I had to learn the content and standards of each of these courses… and this is nothing novel.  I’m betting you’ve had a similar experience whether you’ve had multiple preps or had to teach a new course.

And as I shared in last week’s episode, a teacher who has to focus on learning the content they teach, although that is important, is less able to focus on their students’ growth.

I’d like you to have both.  Know the content, well enough at least, and get to connect with kids and focus on their growth… all without having to sacrifice your evenings and weekends to do so.

My mission here at Teach On A Mission is to empower teachers to confidently step into that role as the number one influence on student learning.  And there are very specific ways that I believe we can do that, and that I can help with.  I will elaborate on the few ways I think that can be done given the pressures of the education field today, but for this episode I want to focus on just one.  That one is content coaching.

You’ll leave this episode with a sense of surity that a content coach is exactly the kind of targeted support you need that allows you to sustainably be knowledgeable in your content area, but not overwhelmed by learning the new content so that you can focus on building relationships with students. 

And here’s why…  When a teacher is told they’re teaching a new course, subject, or grade-level, their personal lives and well-being are the first sacrifices in the name of being effective with students in that new content area.  It doesn’t HAVE to be that way.  We don’t always have to DIY aspects of our professional lives.  A teacher who can focus more on their students and less on everything else, yes, including the nitty gritty of your content, is more effective in getting their students to show growth year after year.

Alright teacher friend, let’s get to it.

 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/do-you-need-a-content-coach 

 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

 

AP® PSYCH: https://www.teachonamission.com/appsychologyteacher 

AP® BIO: https://www.teachonamission.com/apbiologyteacher 

HIGH SCHOOL ELA:  https://www.teachonamission.com/englishteacher 

TELL US WHAT YOU TEACH: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy3L26NF5sbBtwHbd01h7g_Uao2LABhyxax4sDao5LVY3OOw/viewform?usp=sf_link  

The conversation and debate around what is best for students, and what impacts learning most is not a new one in the human experience.  It's been hotly debated for quite some time.

What impacts student learning most?

Are tests the best way to measure student learning?

Or, wait, don’t tests hinder learning?

How does technology impact learning?

Standards-based, flipped classroom, project-based, problem-based, student centered, backwards planning, flexible seating...

Wow - so many things.  So many ways to impact student learning.

How in the world do we know what strategies impact students the most?

That's just it... there is no ONE strategy that will impact student learning more than another.

But...

... there is one person.

If you're reading this post, this is probably no surprise to you that teachers are the number one influencer on a student's learning.

But I don't want to just say that and claim it as truth.  I want you to see for yourself.

And that’s exactly what I want to show you in this episode.

After listening to this episode you’ll feel reassured, but definitely empowered, without a shadow of a doubt that you as the educator in the room are THE number one influence on student academic achievement in your classroom, above all other aspects and influencers.

And as the school year is about to ramp back up it’s so important for you, teacher-friend to keep this fact in mind, because when a teacher feels hindered or somehow that their autonomy is overshadowed by the one million other aspects influencing their students (most of which being outside their control), if they remember their impact, they can rise above those other aspects.

 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/are-teachers-the-top-influence-on-student-learning 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

AP® PSYCH: https://www.teachonamission.com/appsychologyteacher 

AP® BIO: https://www.teachonamission.com/apbiologyteacher 

HIGH SCHOOL ELA:  https://www.teachonamission.com/englishteacher 

TELL US WHAT YOU TEACH: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy3L26NF5sbBtwHbd01h7g_Uao2LABhyxax4sDao5LVY3OOw/viewform?usp=sf_link  

Attention all High School ELA teachers, more specifically 9th and 10th grade English Language Arts teachers who are ready to stop forcing their students to read, but want to build a love of reading into their classroom and students… this episode is for you.

Today I am welcoming Emily Fox to the podcast and to Team Teach On A Mission as our new ELA Content Coach for 9th and 10th grade teachers, and she is sharing 3 of her 5 steps to help your high school students not hate reading!

She’s also giving you all 5 steps in a downloadable and printable resource you can grab at the link below, so be sure to click and grab that your classroom.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/3-steps-to-help-high-school-students-not-hate-reading 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

5 STEPS TO NOT HATE READING DOWNLOAD: https://www.teachonamission.com/reading