Teach Me, Teacher

Hello everyone! I don't know about you, but leadership has been on my mind a lot these past few weeks. It's as if there has been large events of some kind, putting the weight of leadership into perspective, but I can't quite figure out what... In any case! I am also feeling revolutionary and wanted to talk all things leadership and what it takes to make a difference, both as a principal and as a teacher. To do this, I brought on Amen Rahh, otherwise known as Principal Rahh on Instagram. Amen Rahh is known as the Revolutionary Principal for how he has built and founded University Pathways Public Service Academy "The U" an urban public school in South Central Los Angeles. His passion and dedication to students is superb, and his vision is clear. Today, we cover his history, and then move into how equity is at the center of creating a revolutionary school. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book Connecting with Students Online by Jennifer Serravallo. This book's been getting a lot of buzz because finally someone is getting down to the nitty gritty details of effective online teaching during an unprecedented crisis. Jen Serravallo keeps the focus on what teachers do best: build relationships with students that drive learning and progress. And she shows how to do it remotely. She offers 55 streamlined instructional strategies we can use right away. Everything from conferring to small groups to communicating with a child's parents or caregivers. Like everything Jen writes, Connecting with Students Online is accessible and respectful of teacher's time. It's filled with ready-to-use suggestions, and you don't need a school technologist to implement them. You'll find something here to help everyone in your classroom grow, even if you can't be with them in person. Best of all, Jen will donate a portion of the proceeds from this book to organizations that help children directly impacted by COVID-19. If you don't have Jennifer Serravallo's Connecting with Students Online, head over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing. Or order yourself a copy. You'll help yourself, your kids, and children struggling because of this this pandemic.

Hello everyone! One of my goals of this podcast has been to reach out to as many areas of education as possible. I believe that the types of educators who spend their free time listening to a teacher podcast are the same types of educators who want to be informed on as many aspects of education as they can—especially if that knowledge will benefit their classroom. Today, we are looking at the deep work of one speech-language pathologist, her approach when working with kids in person and online, and how this might help us navigate the world of working with young minds who might need a little help with coping and communicating. Rachel Musial is a CCC-SLP, Instagramer, podcaster, and advocate for treating everyone with humanity and dignity. Her approach to working with children through their emotions and speech is inspiring, and filled with many helpful anecdotes that can directly improve how we communicate with kids in our schools. Make sure to check her out online after enjoying the show! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book Connecting with Students Online by Jennifer Serravallo. This book's been getting a lot of buzz because finally someone is getting down to the nitty gritty details of effective online teaching during an unprecedented crisis. Jen Serravallo keeps the focus on what teachers do best: build relationships with students that drive learning and progress. And she shows how to do it remotely. She offers 55 streamlined instructional strategies we can use right away. Everything from conferring to small groups to communicating with a child's parents or caregivers. Like everything Jen writes, Connecting with Students Online is accessible and respectful of teacher's time. It's filled with ready-to-use suggestions, and you don't need a school technologist to implement them. You'll find something here to help everyone in your classroom grow, even if you can't be with them in person. Best of all, Jen will donate a portion of the proceeds from this book to organizations that help children directly impacted by COVID-19. If you don't have Jennifer Serravallo's Connecting with Students Online, head over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing. Or order yourself a copy. You'll help yourself, your kids, and children struggling because of this this pandemic.

Hello everyone! Educators DO A LOT to make sure kids get the content they need. They stay late to tutor. They craft lessons on the weekends and over breaks. They think and plan, and think and plan, and do it because it is all for the kids! One of my favorite educators modeling this right now is the wonderful CJ Reynolds, author of the fantastic book, Teach Your Class Off. In this episode we continue our talk about how CJ believes we should all be going the extra mile to build quality relationships with students, and meeting them where they are through their interests. We talk about why he loves pushing what is possible with students, and how doing something as simple as decorating your class to achieve a specific vibe might seem small, but could mean the world to your students. It's not enough to be good. We have to take the extra step to be great. It's for the kids! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book Connecting with Students Online by Jennifer Serravallo. This book's been getting a lot of buzz because finally someone is getting down to the nitty gritty details of effective online teaching during an unprecedented crisis. Jen Serravallo keeps the focus on what teachers do best: build relationships with students that drive learning and progress. And she shows how to do it remotely. She offers 55 streamlined instructional strategies we can use right away. Everything from conferring to small groups to communicating with a child's parents or caregivers. Like everything Jen writes, Connecting with Students Online is accessible and respectful of teacher's time. It's filled with ready-to-use suggestions, and you don't need a school technologist to implement them. You'll find something here to help everyone in your classroom grow, even if you can't be with them in person. Best of all, Jen will donate a portion of the proceeds from this book to organizations that help children directly impacted by COVID-19. If you don't have Jennifer Serravallo's Connecting with Students Online, head over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing. Or order yourself a copy. You'll help yourself, your kids, and children struggling because of this this pandemic.

Hello everyone! Educators DO A LOT to make sure kids get the content they need. They stay late to tutor. They craft lessons on the weekends and over breaks. They think and plan, and think and plan, and do it because it is all for the kids! One of my favorite educators modeling this right now is the wonderful CJ Reynolds, author of the fantastic book, Teach Your Class Off. In this episode we talk about how CJ believes we should all be going the extra mile to build quality relationships with students, and meeting them where they are through their interests. We talk about how this approach came about for him, and how his life led him to a career of being the teacher he needed as a kid. I loved this one! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book Connecting with Students Online by Jennifer Serravallo. This book's been getting a lot of buzz because finally someone is getting down to the nitty gritty details of effective online teaching during an unprecedented crisis. Jen Serravallo keeps the focus on what teachers do best: build relationships with students that drive learning and progress. And she shows how to do it remotely. She offers 55 streamlined instructional strategies we can use right away. Everything from conferring to small groups to communicating with a child's parents or caregivers. Like everything Jen writes, Connecting with Students Online is accessible and respectful of teacher's time. It's filled with ready-to-use suggestions, and you don't need a school technologist to implement them. You'll find something here to help everyone in your classroom grow, even if you can't be with them in person. Best of all, Jen will donate a portion of the proceeds from this book to organizations that help children directly impacted by COVID-19. If you don't have Jennifer Serravallo's Connecting with Students Online, head over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing. Or order yourself a copy. You'll help yourself, your kids, and children struggling because of this this pandemic.

Hello everyone! Wait... didn't we already post an episode this week? YES WE DID... And you all let me know your thoughts on it. Lots of praise. Lots of criticism. Much more to discuss. Because I believe in the power of ideas and addressing them head on, I knew I couldn't just let the most contentious episode of the podcast go without part 2 for too long. A week felt like too much, especially when so much is said in this second half I believe many critics, and fans of part 1, need to hear. There are a lot of facts and emotional arguments to be made on this subject, but one thing is certain... we must keep the dialogue going. Many people like Brain are forced to be quiet about their passion for keeping schools open because they will get bashed into silence if they speak up. On a subject so divided, it is worth it to hear one another out. Echo chambers are thr antithesis to progress. Brian Mendler, a former self-contained SPED teacher turned staff developer, has a LOT to say on this topic. He believes schools should be open. They should offer online options for those that need them, and adjust to pandemic life, but still keep the doors open for the kids and families that need it most. He believes that schools are essential. Get ready for part 2! As educators, we owe it to ourselves to hear all sides, not just the side we agree with.

Hello everyone! Just this time a year ago, saying, "Schools should be open," and "Many kids are safest at school," would have gotten you retweets, likes, and applause. Today, however, it might get you flamed on social media or yelled at. Yes, we are in a pandemic. Yes, things are different because of this. But is the role of schools different? Are schools so non-essential we can just keep closing them down? Is the work we do with kids in our building so easily sacrificed? Brian Mendler, a former self-contained SPED teacher turned staff developer, has a LOT to say on this topic. He believes schools should be open. They should offer online options for those that need them, and adjust to pandemic life, but still keep the doors open for the kids and families that need it most. He believes that schools are essential. Disagree? Agree? Regardless, I hope you listen to this one. As educators, we owe it to ourselves to hear all sides, not just the side we agree with. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book Connecting with Students Online by Jennifer Serravallo. This book's been getting a lot of buzz because finally someone is getting down to the nitty gritty details of effective online teaching during an unprecedented crisis. Jen Serravallo keeps the focus on what teachers do best: build relationships with students that drive learning and progress. And she shows how to do it remotely. She offers 55 streamlined instructional strategies we can use right away. Everything from conferring to small groups to communicating with a child's parents or caregivers. Like everything Jen writes, Connecting with Students Online is accessible and respectful of teacher's time. It's filled with ready-to-use suggestions, and you don't need a school technologist to implement them. You'll find something here to help everyone in your classroom grow, even if you can't be with them in person. Best of all, Jen will donate a portion of the proceeds from this book to organizations that help children directly impacted by COVID-19. If you don't have Jennifer Serravallo's Connecting with Students Online, head over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing. Or order yourself a copy. You'll help yourself, your kids, and children struggling because of this this pandemic.

Hello everyone! After the success of the Teach Me, Teacher resolutions for 2020, I knew I had to have a follow-up for this year. And as promised, this is a bonus episode, meaning you will still get the regular scheduled Monday episode in just a few days! In the meantime, let's discuss where our minds should be going into this next year. There are 4 resolutions detailed in this episode, and they are: Be a leader Don't reinvent the wheel, improve it Play to your strengths, not the limitations and weaknesses of others Listen to people doing your job Thank you for listening to the podcast ALL THROUGHOUT the pandemic, and thank you for starting 2021 with the podcast! Enjoy!

Hello everyone! Describing 2020 as BLEAK is an understatement. Thankfully, we have people like Gerry Dee looking to make it a little brighter. Gerry Dee is the star of his sitcom, Mr. D, about a gym teacher going through his experiences as an educator, and all eight of its seasons are now available on Amazon Prime! Gerry joined me on the show to talk about his comedy, how his previous years as a teacher formed his work, and how he attempts to keep his comedy authentic to the real world of teaching. Whether you need a break during the holiday season, or just want to experience a conversation between a current public school teacher (me), and a popular comedian, this is the episode for you. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Risk. Fail. Rise. A Teacher's Guide to Learning From Mistakes by Colleen Cruz. You've likely heard the adage, 'Everyone makes mistakes.' But knowing why we make mistakes can help us learn from them and improve situations once we've made them. In Risk. Fail. Rise. teachers will learn how to address their own teaching mistakes, model with their own mistake-making, and improve their responses to others' mistakes. Colleen Cruz shares what research says on mistakes as part of learning and what that means for teaching. If we can create school cultures where we talk honestly about mistakes, then we can grow and create opportunities for children to grow in all the ways they deserve. And we deserve those opportunities too. Risk. Fail. Rise. is available as a book and ebook. Look for the audiobook in early 2021. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.

Hello everyone! Last week we began talking about what new teachers could expect going into teaching this year, and in this episode, we dive even deeper and hit on some essential truths for ANYONE entering education. Maddie Fairchild, otherwise known as @Fairchildin5th on Instagram, joins me again to speak honestly about the challenges we face today, and ultimately, why it is all worth it. In this episode, we take a tour down what are the realities of teaching during Covid and what that could mean for new teachers. Ultimately, we recognize that this is such a wild time to begin teaching, but if you stick with it, you will be rewarded in so many different ways. If you are a new teacher or need some honest affirmation that THIS IS HARD, then you are in the right place. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Risk. Fail. Rise. A Teacher's Guide to Learning From Mistakes by Colleen Cruz. You've likely heard the adage, 'Everyone makes mistakes.' But knowing why we make mistakes can help us learn from them and improve situations once we've made them. In Risk. Fail. Rise. teachers will learn how to address their own teaching mistakes, model with their own mistake-making, and improve their responses to others' mistakes. Colleen Cruz shares what research says on mistakes as part of learning and what that means for teaching. If we can create school cultures where we talk honestly about mistakes, then we can grow and create opportunities for children to grow in all the ways they deserve. And we deserve those opportunities too. Risk. Fail. Rise. is available as a book and ebook. Look for the audiobook in early 2021. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.

Hello everyone! It's about that time of year when new teachers start requesting episodes that deal with all starting out, and I have been hard at work gather the right people to talk about it with. First up is one of my favorite educators on Instagram, Maddie Fairchild, otherwise known as @Fairchildin5th on Instagram. Maddie is a 5th grade teacher who loves bonding with her students, letting them read, and being honest about the realities of teaching. In this episode, we take a tour down what are the realities of teaching during Covid and what that could mean for new teachers. Ultimately, we recognize that this is such a wild time to begin teaching, but if you stick with it, you will be rewarded in so many different ways. If you are a new teacher or need some honest affirmation that THIS IS HARD, then you are in the right place. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Risk. Fail. Rise. A Teacher's Guide to Learning From Mistakes by Colleen Cruz. You've likely heard the adage, 'Everyone makes mistakes.' But knowing why we make mistakes can help us learn from them and improve situations once we've made them. In Risk. Fail. Rise. teachers will learn how to address their own teaching mistakes, model with their own mistake-making, and improve their responses to others' mistakes. Colleen Cruz shares what research says on mistakes as part of learning and what that means for teaching. If we can create school cultures where we talk honestly about mistakes, then we can grow and create opportunities for children to grow in all the ways they deserve. And we deserve those opportunities too. Risk. Fail. Rise. is available as a book and ebook. Look for the audiobook in early 2021. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.