Teacher Tales

In this episode, we will have a truly inspiring conversation with Matt, an award-winning teacher in New Jersey whose enthusiasm and passion for teaching is contagious. Need a lift to rise up to your greatest potential, just listen to Matt! He says that his greatest passion is to make kids feel like they can flourish and be risk-takers in their learning journey. Matt believes that students are just an extension of the teacher and that we need to be coaches, role models and lifelong learners in order to inspire our students to experiment and let their creativity and curiosity run wild. In order to do this, Matt really focuses on developing student agency and has come up with 3 highly effective strategies that empower student learning and allow them to see the relevance of what they are learning. These strategies are NUTS, SATS and TCOL. Listen to Matt explain them and give examples for his Spanish class. BUT the great thing is that these strategies can be implemented in any content area! Check them out, try them out and share with others!  

In this episode, we meet Ebony, a Spanish teacher of color who gets real with us about what it is like to be a teacher post-pandemic and in a large metropolitan city in Georgia. Ebony reminds all teachers that we are only ONE person with limited time, and that we are only ONE brick in a foundation of lifelong learning. WOW! Teachers cannot expect to be perfect, should set boundaries and have healthy outlets to prevent burnout. Ebony says that perfection is the enemy of good and that students don’t need a perfect teacher, but rather one who cares and works toward their good. We talk about how one of the biggest obstacles in schools today is the erosion of trust and how it is important to build a community of trust, collaboration and unlimited possibilities for learning. Students must be seen and heard and see themselves and their potential in their teachers as role models, mentors, leaders and guides. Finally, Ebony has some FABULOUS advice for new teachers, although, I think veteran teachers could benefit from her suggestions and insights as well. Check it out!  

In this episode, we will gain another perspective on education and be deeply inspired by yet another fabulous educator, this time from the post-secondary world. Grant is a college professor at Georgia Southern where he not only researches and is an expert on chivalry, but he also is a Medievalist and Renaissance scholar. Additionally, he teaches a methods/pedagogy class and prepares teachers for the profession. But wait…there’s more… he also teaches courses in LSP (Language for Specific Purposes) and produces a podcast for teacher “PD on the go” entitled The World Languages Collaborative podcast. I invite  you to check it out and share with others.  No matter what you teach, you will find ideas and inspiration on Grant’s podcast! He strongly believes that teachers are like fisherman. We cast a net as wide as we can and “hook” our students. Then, through professional development and our lifelong passion for learning, we increase the size of our net and the ability to “hook” more students. Grant also shares so many inspirational insights to the stories that teachers can create for a student through their caring, encouragement and support.  As Grant and I explore the power teachers have to set a student on the best pathway toward their future, our conversation travels the depth and breadth of being lifelong learners. I hope you will  take a listen, be inspired and travel along with us!  

In this episode, we will gain great insight on education from an international perspective. My guest, Brantley, is the East Asia Education Director of Dwight Schools, and she shares with us the great need for students to be exposed to an international curriculum, to develop intercultural skills and to strive for global citizenship through their education. More importantly, she talks about how we are operating within an educational framework that contains “restraints” and that we need to “disrupt the reality of our context” in order to bring about innovation, ideation and change. Brantley explains that we need to get “out of the box” in our thinking and doing in order to bring to light what is really needed for teachers and their students. She also shares some ideas on how to avoid teacher burnout, how to value teachers more and how to treasure and celebrate what is truly wonderful about the American education system. We can all use that pep talk and inspiration, so please share! You can also check out more about Brantley and the Dwight School here.

In this episode, I have a personal conversation with Adrienne, a teacher who helped lift me up and kept me going when I was ready to quit and leave the profession. So many teachers are feeling this now, and it is so critical that we realize how important it is to not be negative and pass judgments on each other, but rather to lift each other up with our words and actions. We shouldn’t feel jealousy. It’s not a competition. It is about the profession and acknowledging the worth of EVERY teacher and what strengths they bring to the classroom. Adrienne sums it up well: “we need to motivate and uplift each other to get through our lows.” Amen! Adrienne and I talk about teacher pay, teacher morale and administrative support. But wait…we also talk about how school life is much different than corporate life and how reverence and respect can go a long way toward retaining teachers in the profession. And maybe, THAT is an important part of what each teacher can do to make a difference in education. Reach out and BE THE CHANGE you want to see in your school!

In this episode, we meet JoAnne, a district supervisor in New Jersey who wears many hats. Originally, JoAnne set out to become a lawyer. However, after working in a refugee center in college, JoAnne became impassioned to become a teacher and champion for ESL bilingual students. She became a mentor, leader and instrument for change. JoAnne realized that she was (just) a piece of a bigger “machine” at work and that she needed to show up and do her part to keep the machine running. She couldn’t control the whole machine, just the piece or part that she was in that machine. JoAnne tells us that this creates real power and a sphere of influence that can make a difference. Also, in a moment of vulnerability, JoAnne shares how an accident left her with a traumatic brain injury and how she had to learn to talk, walk, read and write again. Nonetheless, she doesn’t linger there, but instead shares how this has changed her perspective on learning, how the brain works, communication, accommodations and the power of listening. She also has some great advice about how to best deal with parents, something all teachers could use right now, correct?  Enjoy and be sure to tuck those pearls of wisdom away in a safe place where you can find them again when you most need them. Thank you, JoAnne! You are a true inspiration to us all!

In this episode, you are going to meet many people…well, at least it will feel like that because this individual, Jennifer (author name, Ivy), is a multi-talented, accomplished educator that completely debunks the saying “those who can, do and those who can’t, teach”! Like all outstanding and effective teachers, Jennifer has many talents and passions that she shares from her heart to the hearts of her students and those around her. She lives her passion and like one of her favorite characters, the Little Prince, she helps us all see the world through our hearts. As a teacher in the classroom, Jennifer’s passion propelled her to go above and beyond for her students, even without being monetarily compensated because in her heart, she knew that the best and biggest compensation would always be the positive and lifelong impact she would have on her students and the connected relationships that would be with her forever…in her heart and theirs. Jennifer knew that she was planting seeds of love and passion in her students that would blossom and grow into so much more. Jennifer, like so many teachers, is living proof of the ancient proverb found in many cultures that states that a society grows great when we plant trees under which we know we will never sit in its shade. Thank you!  And be sure to explore some of Jennifer’s (Ivy’s) other talents and adventures as an award-winning author on www.jenniferivywalker.com  Pass it on!

In this episode, you will meet Tony, a middle school Mandarin teacher who once believed the most important thing he wanted to achieve in life was to pursue the “American dream” of success by going into business and eventually becoming a millionaire. He did pursue this dream, and was indeed successful. However, he felt unfulfilled and like he needed and wanted to do more. He discovered that money was not a true reward in life, but rather, that the greatest payback and reward that we can get is to make a difference in the life of a child and leave behind a legacy that will live on long after we are gone. Tony explores some deep philosophical questions for teachers…what is our why? and how do we honor those who have come before us and those who will come after us? and what is the true impact of a teacher? 

In this episode, which comes just as teachers finish up what has proven to be one of the MOST difficult years in their careers, we present this opportunity to rekindle their SPARK in teaching. Meet Mary, a teacher and visionary who, like most teachers, still has a big heart in the teaching game and want to do something to make a difference. So, what little and big things can teachers do to “spark their passion, pride and purpose for measurable improvement in the classroom and meaningful change in their own well-being”?  Mary has observed that, for various reasons, teachers “flat line”, “burn out” or “lose their spark”. She believes that teachers “spark the minds of children and fuel them for life,” which is the vision of her company S.P.A.R.K. = Striving Professional Aspiring to Revive K-12 education. How do we measure what really matters in education?  Check out what SPARK U has to offer in personalized professional development to help you re-ignite your spark and renew your teaching spirit.  

In this episode, we journey through the career and lessons of a very wise role model in education. Her name is Jana, and she shares with us how she “never” wanted to be a teacher like her mom. Well, the first lesson she learned was to “never say never” because she met a special needs child who touched her heart and lit up all the “teacher buttons”. We can’t even begin to share all the experiences and wisdom here, so you will just have to listen and be touched by her stories that demonstrate what really matters in education – empathy, grace, modeling and leadership. She gives personal examples, shares heartfelt and touching stories that will inspire and touch the teacher heart in all of us. She also ends with a famous quote by Dr. Seuss (her favorite), which sums up what roles we all play in education: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not!” Teachers care so much, and we need to tell them how much we appreciate them and what they do with a kind word, a note of gratitude, a shout out on social media, a kind gesture, and maybe just by asking “how may I help you and support you?”

If you are looking to change the school culture, your classroom culture and just make learning better for all, check out Jana’s company REAL at her website www.realleaderslearn.com