Hello everyone! Today on Teach Me, Teacher, I am continuing my talk with Nicholas Ferroni! Last week, we discussed why men in the classroom needs to be something seen more often, and this week we dive deep into what teaching is, how powerful it can be, and how we should all take part in making the messaging about teaching POSITIVE. I had the pleasure of hearing Nicholas speak at Get Your Teach On this year, and I KNEW I had to have him on the show to share his insight and perspective on education. Nicholas Ferroni is a nationally recognized educator and activist who educates, mentors and inspires students to reach their goals while driving a national dialogue about education reform. Named “Upstander of the Year” by the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) for his outspoken advocacy and support for LGBTQ youth, Nick was also noted as one of the “100 Making a Difference” and one of the “Most Influential Educators in America.” His expertise and strong opinions about education and revisionist History have made him a sought after expert on national platforms including ABC’s ‘The View,’ MSNBC, ABC, HLN and more. It’s hard to find someone as outspokenly POSITIVE about education than Nicholas, and I’m honored to have him on the show. Enjoy!   Support Teach Me, Teacher by checking my memoir for educators here.  Check out Teach Me, Teacher Presents: Reading – Writing Workshop here.  Like our the show’s music? Check out our theme music creator, Bryan Pascarella, here.  A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

Hello everyone! Today on Teach Me, Teacher, we are talking about the power of men in the classroom with none other than Nicholas Ferroni. I had the pleasure of hearing Nicholas speak at Get Your Teach On this year, and I KNEW I had to have him on the show to share his insight and perspective on education. Nicholas Ferroni is a nationally recognized educator and activist who educates, mentors and inspires students to reach their goals while driving a national dialogue about education reform. Named "Upstander of the Year" by the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) for his outspoken advocacy and support for LGBTQ youth, Nick was also noted as one of the "100 Making a Difference" and one of the "Most Influential Educators in America." His expertise and strong opinions about education and revisionist History have made him a sought after expert on national platforms including ABC's 'The View,' MSNBC, ABC, HLN and more. It's hard to find someone as outspokenly POSITIVE about education than Nicholas, and I'm honored to have him on the show. Enjoy!   Support Teach Me, Teacher by checking my memoir for educators here.  Check out Teach Me, Teacher Presents: Reading – Writing Workshop here.  Like our the show’s music? Check out our theme music creator, Bryan Pascarella, here.  A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

Hello everyone! Welcome to part 2 with Kelly Gallagher! Today we are continuing our talk about authentic literacy, and we are diving DEEP into the practice of conferencing and why you should be doing it everyday.  Since 1985, Kelly Gallagher has devoted himself to the teaching of reading, writing, listening and speaking—first and foremost, as a high school ELA teacher in Anaheim, California, and also as an author/consultant who works with educators around the world. Today, he is considered one of the leading voices in literacy education. He is the author of 180 Days, Readicide, and In the Best Interest of Students.  How Kelly has grown over the years, conferencing, and more, all in this episode. I could not be any more excited than to bring this talk to you today. Enjoy! Support Teach Me, Teacher by checking my memoir for educators here.  Check out Teach Me, Teacher Presents: Reading – Writing Workshop here.  Like our the show’s music? Check out our theme music creator, Bryan Pascarella, here.  A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

Hello everyone! Welcome to season 4 of the Teach Me, Teacher Podcast! If you're new to the podcast, welcome! If you're returning, then you know how I like to start things off every season...WITH LITERACY. Season 2 started with the wonderful Donalyn Miller. Season 3 started with none other than the amazing Penny Kittle. And now season 4 is starting with Kelly Gallagher himself! Since 1985, Kelly Gallagher has devoted himself to the teaching of reading, writing, listening and speaking—first and foremost, as a high school ELA teacher in Anaheim, California, and also as an author/consultant who works with educators around the world. Today, he is considered one of the leading voices in literacy education. He is the author of 180 Days, Readicide, and In the Best Interest of Students.  In this episode we talk about how to create authentic experiences both in reading and writing, and how not to kill the love for reading and writing. Books, equity, clubs, representation, and more, all in this episode. I could not be any more excited than to bring this talk to you today. Enjoy! Support Teach Me, Teacher by checking my memoir for educators here.  Check out Teach Me, Teacher Presents: Reading - Writing Workshop here.  Like our the show's music? Check out our theme music creator, Bryan Pascarella, here.  A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

Hello everyone! With the new school year upon us, I know you all are gearing up to make MAGIC happen in our classrooms! You're planning great experiences, sitting through PD, and trying to catch some sleep. To support you, I'm planning an AMAZING season of great podcasts coming for season 4, but I wanted to cover some key pieces first, as usual. In this intro, you'll hear about who is coming on the show for the season opener, how to win a FREE copy of my book, and why I left literacy coaching. (If you want to know why I went into literacy coaching, click here!) Thank you all for supporting the podcast and thank you for listening! Season 4 is going to be amazing! -Enjoy! A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

Hello everyone! I couldn’t be any more excited to bring you none other than Hamish Brewer  for part 2 of our close out to season 3 of the podcast! If you missed part 1, check it out here. If you don’t know who Hamish is... the relentless, tattooed, skateboarding principal in Northern Virginia isn’t your normal principal. Hamish is high octane, constantly calling on his students to “Be Relentless. Mr. Brewer has become known as an educational disrupter and game changer who transcends the status quo and typical educational norms. He is known for working with some of the most at risk students in America and getting results, and that’s exactly what we discuss in this episode! This is the perfect listen for starting the new school year, because those kids in our schools need us to be excited, they need us to be motivated, and they need us to be our best. Hamish knows how to get it done, and he takes us along for the ride! Enjoy! Support Hamish by checking out his book here. Support the podcast by checking out my new book, Teach Me, Teacher – Life Lessons that Taught Me How to Be a Better Teacher. A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

Hello everyone! I couldn't be any more excited to bring you none other than Hamish Brewer to close out season 3 of the podcast! If you don't know who Hamish is, the relentless, tattooed, skateboarding principal in Northern Virginia isn’t your normal principal. Hamish is high octane, constantly calling on his students to “Be Relentless. Mr. Brewer has become known as an educational disrupter and game changer who transcends the status quo and typical educational norms. He is known for working with some of the most at risk students in America and getting results, and that's exactly what we discuss in this episode! This is the perfect listen for starting the new school year, because those kids in our schools need us to be excited, they need us to be motivated, and they need us to be our best. Hamish knows how to get it done, and he takes us along for the ride! Enjoy!   Support Hamish by checking out his book here. Support the podcast by checking out my new book, Teach Me, Teacher – Life Lessons that Taught Me How to Be a Better Teacher.

Hello everyone! It is my absolute pleasure to bring you one of my favorite people in the world, Nicole Marte, otherwise known as @MarteintheMiddle on Instagram to continue our discussion about the power of teaching middle school, why it's the best school, and debunking (and validating) myths about teaching middle schoolers. If you missed part 1, check it out here. A lot of personal anecdotes in this one, both from Nicole and I, and just a lot of pure fun. This is one of those great episodes of the podcast where we just talked and enjoyed our mutual love of teaching. Nicole is definitely one of the coolest teachers out there, and you owe it to yourself to be fueled by her kindness and honesty. Come and listen along and laugh with us! Enjoy! Support the podcast by checking out my new book, Teach Me, Teacher – Life Lessons that Taught Me How to Be a Better Teacher. For more science in middle school, check out my episode with Josie Bensko from @maniacsinthemiddle on Instagram here!

Hello everyone! It is my absolute pleasure to bring you one of my favorite people in the world, Nicole Marte, otherwise known as @MarteintheMiddle on Instagram. In this episode, we dive into why we both LOVE middle school so much, the magic of teaching 6th grade, and why relationships at this critical age are so extremely important. We also spend a healthy amount of time praising how teaching science is an amazing experience. A lot of personal anecdotes in this one, both from Nicole and I, and just a lot of pure fun. This is one of those great episodes of the podcast where we just talked and enjoyed our mutual love of teaching. Come and listen along and laugh with us! Enjoy! Support the podcast by checking out my new book, Teach Me, Teacher - Life Lessons that Taught Me How to Be a Better Teacher. For more science in middle school, check out my episode with Josie Bensko from @maniacsinthemiddle on Instagram here!

Hello everyone! Today I have a special announcement: Teach Me, Teacher: Life Lessons That Taught Me How to be a Better Teacher is now available for purchase! To celebrate, I took some time to talk about the book, and read a few pages from the opening chapter. I hope that you'll take the time to listen and read the book. I wrote it for you. Buy on Amazon Buy on B&N ABOUT THE BOOK: Jacob Chastain grew up in an environment filled with drugs and violence. Inside the home that should have felt safe, fear and anxiety were the desperate norm. Stability and security eluded him as he was shuffled between family and friends that would take him in. But at school, things were different. There, day after day, year after year, Chastain’s teachers saved him. Teach Me, Teacher is the true story of a childhood marked by heartache—a story that may be similar to that of the children sitting in your classroom. It’s the story that shaped Jacob Chastain into the educator he is today. Lessons learned from his experiences as a child and as a growing educator offer reflections on the trials and triumphs facing teachers and students everywhere. From these lessons, we learn that one’s darkest moments can ultimately lead to a meaningful and fulfilling life when someone cares enough to step in and make a difference.  Written in celebration of teachers and the power of education, Teach Me, Teacher affirms that you have the power to save a life.  ———————————————— PRAISE FOR TEACH ME, TEACHER “Jacob Chastain pours his heart out on the pages of Teach Me, Teacher by sharing his personal journey through childhood trauma. His message that “action is the antidote to suffering” is a powerful reminder to us all to do more, be more, understand more, and care more for our students.” —Kim Bearden, co-founder and executive director, The Ron Clark Academy, author of Talk to Me “Teach Me, Teacher is one of the most courageous, heartbreaking, hopeful books I’ve ever read.” —Regie Routman, author of Literacy Essentials “Jacob Chastain’s raw honesty is something that we need more of in the education world.” —Halee Sikorski, A Latte Learning “Teach Me, Teacher is both an uplifting memoir and a message to all of us in education of the power we have to build relationships and make a difference for all of our students.” —Dr. Sue Szachowicz, senior fellow, Successful Practices Network “Jacob Chastain takes us on a transformational journey where past and present converge into possibility. His story of resilience and hope is a celebration of the impact each of us can have when professional purpose leads the way.” —Dr. Mary Howard, author of Good to Great Teaching “Everyone has their past, and Jacob’s had challenges. At times raw and emotional, this book allows you to experience Jacob’s journey towards understanding, acceptance, and redemption. Jacob shares example after example of how negatives in life can open doors, and his experiences can help the reader to better define a sense of purpose.” —Evan Robb, author of The Ten-Minute Principal and coauthor of TeamMakers “My heart bled for children of shattered and dysfunctional families when I read Jacob Chastain’s Teach Me, Teacher. Jacob has an insight many of us don’t inherently have as teachers. His powerful story is a reminder that as teachers, we can and do make major impacts in the lives of our students. I applaud Jacob’s willingness to be open and share his story. His book is filled with life lessons for us all, both in and out of the classroom.” —Haley Curfman, elementary educator, The Weary Teacher “Jacob Chastain has done something that is extremely difficult—he has shared parts of his abusive childhood as well as his teaching experiences to show how he transformed negatives into positives to create a meaningful life, start his own family, and becoming a reflective teacher who responds to his students’ needs. By sharing his painful memories,