Teach Me, Teacher

Hello everyone! I hope you are ready for some AMAZING content today, because I have brought on one of my favorite educators in the literacy space, Martin Brandt, to discuss his book Between the Commas, and how to use writing instruction that WORKS! In this talk, we discuss: That writing is more than just responses to questions and essays How to achieve sentence focus The power of writing instruction that frees students from artificial constraints ...and much more! I don't know about you, but I am a bit over everything in teacher land being about "the virus." For this episode, I just wanted a pure talk about teaching writing. And that's what it is! Enjoy! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators. Obviously, this is a challenging time for every educator. Your taking care of yourself and your family, you're thinking about friends and loved ones you can't see in person. And you're also adapting to trying to teach and care for your students virtually. Heinemann and their authors are providing free resources to support remote learning during this time. This page is being updated daily. So just go to Hein.pub/RemoteLearning to find all of the remote learning resources that are available for you to access for free.

Hello everyone! Last week, I recorded the first ever LIVE episode of Teach Me, Teacher! I gave away books, interacted with the audience, and talked about teaching while under quarantine. The live audience seemed to really enjoy coming together and being a part of the show, so I hope you enjoy this as a podcast. In this episode, you'll hear a lot about my perspective on how to approach certain aspects of teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic, and advice on how to think about our challenges we are facing as teachers and parents. If you missed this episode live, make sure to follow Teach Me, Teacher on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram to get the announcement on the NEXT live episode (coming soon)! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students' writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty's laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher's journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what's possible as a writing teacher. To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Hello everyone! I am SO EXCITED about this week. Why? Because even in the face of great adversity, there are so many districts pushing to keep learning going, and so many teachers working to create a temporary "new normal" for their students. Hopefully, this episode keeps you inspired and keeps you pushing to be your best—and it should, because we are talking about what the best teacher professional development is! Wait, you don't know? And you think I'm going to spoil it in this post? NOPE! I want you to dive in and enjoy the talk. Let us know if you agree on Twitter, Instagram, or even in down below in the comments! If you missed last week's episode and the first part of my talk with Kevin Butler, go check it out! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students' writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty's laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher's journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what's possible as a writing teacher. To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Hello everyone! Today we are asking the question, Why Can't Public Schools Look Like That? with none other than the great Kevin Butler! If you don't know who Kevin is, you are missing out, because he is a wealth of inspiration for what schools CAN BE. In his work at an independent school, he continuously models ideas, lessons, and teaching practices, that are next level and completely inspiring. If you believe teaching is boring or feel like you are being limited by "the system," then this episode is for you! In this talk we touch on: His many roles as a teacher and director of curriculum What inspires us to push the boundaries of what teaching can be Why scripted curriculums are the bane of teaching How to overcome limitations put on you as a teacher And much more! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students' writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty's laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher's journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what's possible as a writing teacher. To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Hello everyone! I teased the "morning meeting" discussion last week, and it is here this week! If you want to spice yours up, learn what they are, or just listen to a great talk, this episode is for you! You might know Megan as @sparkles_and_pompoms on Instagram, where she is always smiling, dressing up as characters, or transforming her room into something amazing. In this episode, we talk about: What are morning meetings What book you should get to learn about them How to spice them up How to use content in your morning meetings And much more! I love this talk so much, and I know you'll get so much out of listening to Megan's advice. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students' writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty's laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher's journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what's possible as a writing teacher. To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Hello everyone! It is that time of year when everything can start feeling...dull. I mean, with testing, meetings, and everything else that pops up in February and March, our classes can start to feel a little less than exciting. But does it have to be that way? Not if Megan Siclare has anything to say about it! You might know Megan as @sparkles_and_pompoms on Instagram, where she is always smiling, dressing up as characters, or transforming her room into something amazing. (You might also know her as the "morning meetings queen," though you'll have to wait for part 2 of our talk for that genius advice!) Regardless! Today we are talking about trying something new in the classroom. Where do the ideas come from? What does it take? What does it cost? How do you overcome the fear of failure? And much more! I love this talk so much, and I know you'll get so much out of listening to Megan's advice. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students' writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty's laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher's journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what's possible as a writing teacher. To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Hello everyone! Today, I am continuing my talk with Jonathan Alsheimer, and his view on what NEXT LEVEL TEACHING is all about. This episode is filled with ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and stories that are guaranteed to get you fired up to do the work you do, and to reach to new levels in your classroom. Jonathan is hands down one of the educators to pay attention to in 2020 (and beyond). He is the unorthodox, energetic, and entertaining middle school teacher who refuses to live a life of limitations and works with UFC Fighters, Celebrities, and Clothing Brands. Jonathan is the author of "NEXT LEVEL TEACHING" soon to be released. You might also know Jonathan through his work and connection with the fantastic Hamish Brewer, and Fred Lynn Middle School. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension by Sara K. Ahmed. Topics such as race, gender, politics, religion, and sexuality are part of students' lives, but sometimes it's hard to know how to respond as teachers when these subjects come up at school. You probably have stories of your own about situations or conversations that caught you off guard or made you feel uncomfortable. Being the Change is based on the idea that people can develop skills and habits to help them in the comprehension of social issues. Sara provides clear lessons to help teach about important social comprehension concepts. You can create a socially minded classroom where you explore identity and diversity, build listening skills, understand and address bias, become better informed, and more… first with yourself and your peers, and then with students. Being the Change is available as a book, ebook, and audiobook. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.

Hello everyone! Today, we are going all out with PURE INSPIRATION for you with my friend Jonathan Alsheimer. Every bit of this episode is filled with ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and stories that are guaranteed to get you fired up to do the work you do. Jonathan is hands down one of the educators to pay attention to in 2020 (and beyond). He is the unorthodox, energetic, and entertaining middle school teacher who refuses to live a life of limitations and works with UFC Fighters, Celebrities, and Clothing Brands. Jonathan is the author of "NEXT LEVEL TEACHING" soon to be released. You might also know Jonathan through his work and connection with the fantastic Hamish Brewer, and Fred Lynn Middle School. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension by Sara K. Ahmed. Topics such as race, gender, politics, religion, and sexuality are part of students' lives, but sometimes it's hard to know how to respond as teachers when these subjects come up at school. You probably have stories of your own about situations or conversations that caught you off guard or made you feel uncomfortable. Being the Change is based on the idea that people can develop skills and habits to help them in the comprehension of social issues. Sara provides clear lessons to help teach about important social comprehension concepts. You can create a socially minded classroom where you explore identity and diversity, build listening skills, understand and address bias, become better informed, and more… first with yourself and your peers, and then with students. Being the Change is available as a book, ebook, and audiobook. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.

Hello everyone! Today we are continuing our talk with the fantastic Jenn Kleiber about culturally responsive teaching, but we are diving DEEP into practices, professional learning, and even how to set and manage goals for students to learn and grow. Jenn Kleiber, is the author of Building a Bridge From "I Can't" to "I DID!": Creating Independent Learners Through Culturally Responsive Teaching, and speaks with such authenticity that it's hard not get inspired to work ever harder at what we do after listening to this talk. Jenn has so much to offer from her experience working with students of all backgrounds, and she enriches our practices in this podcast. In this talk, we hit on: How to not scaffold so much we are spoon-feeding Where to start with planning our teaching Why my teaching might look different than yours The importance of knowing and respecting our craft as a teacher Why giving everything pre-planned to a new teacher is the wrong thing to do This is a FANTASTIC talk, and is sure to illuminate some ideas and concepts for you to better serve your students! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension by Sara K. Ahmed. Topics such as race, gender, politics, religion, and sexuality are part of students' lives, but sometimes it's hard to know how to respond as teachers when these subjects come up at school. You probably have stories of your own about situations or conversations that caught you off guard or made you feel uncomfortable. Being the Change is based on the idea that people can develop skills and habits to help them in the comprehension of social issues. Sara provides clear lessons to help teach about important social comprehension concepts. You can create a socially minded classroom where you explore identity and diversity, build listening skills, understand and address bias, become better informed, and more… first with yourself and your peers, and then with students. Being the Change is available as a book, ebook, and audiobook. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.

Hello everyone! If you have been in teaching for a little while, you have probably heard the term "culturally responsive teaching," at least a dozen times. If you're like me, you probably leave trainings on the matter more confused than before. Because of this, I brought on one of my favorite people and colleagues, Jenn Kleiber, author of Building a Bridge From "I Can't" to "I DID!": Creating Independent Learners Through Culturally Responsive Teaching. Jenn has so much to offer from her experience working with students of all backgrounds, and she enriches our practices in this podcast. In this talk, we hit on several pieces of culturally responsive teaching, such as: What is culturally responsive teaching Why some people might be resistant to it What does it look like in the classroom Why deep culture matters This is a FANTASTIC talk, and is sure to illuminate some ideas and concepts for you to better serve your students. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension by Sara K. Ahmed. Topics such as race, gender, politics, religion, and sexuality are part of students' lives, but sometimes it's hard to know how to respond as teachers when these subjects come up at school. You probably have stories of your own about situations or conversations that caught you off guard or made you feel uncomfortable. Being the Change is based on the idea that people can develop skills and habits to help them in the comprehension of social issues. Sara provides clear lessons to help teach about important social comprehension concepts. You can create a socially minded classroom where you explore identity and diversity, build listening skills, understand and address bias, become better informed, and more… first with yourself and your peers, and then with students. Being the Change is available as a book, ebook, and audiobook. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.