Teachers on Fire

→ How can education podcasting impact professional growth over time?

→ What is the single most dangerous misconception schools are making about artificial intelligence right now?

→ How can design thinking prepare secondary students for a complex, uncertain, technology-driven future?

Welcome back to the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.

Today’s Teacher on Fire is Alex Gray. Alex is head of sixth form, BSME Network Lead for AI in Education, and founder of the DEEP Education Network, a global platform connecting 1,000+ educators across 50+ countries with courses, community, and evidence-based frameworks for modern teaching. He hosts The International Classroom Podcast, one of Dubai's largest education podcasts with hundreds of thousands of views.

You can connect with Alex

on LinkedIn,

on Instagram @deepeducationnetwork,

on YouTube @deepeducationnetwork, and 

on his website at deepeducationnetwork.com/blog.

Timestamps from This Episode

0:00:00 - Alex Gray is a secondary educator and podcaster in Dubai

1:48 - Alex's journey from the UK to Dubai

5:43 - Teacher sustainability in international contexts

9:26 - Teacher burnout around the globe

12:31 - Podcasting as professional development

15:46 - AI literacy

23:09 - School misconceptions about AI

25:30 - Vibe coding

29:20 - Design thinking in secondary

34:54 - Alex's courses for educators at deepeducationnetwork.com

37:46 - How and where to connect with Alex online

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.

→ How can we improve the effectiveness of the questions we ask in the classroom?

→ What’s a better way to respond the next time we get the classic “I don’t know”?

→ What does collecting actionable microdata look like during a live lesson?

Welcome back to the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.

Today’s Teacher on Fire is Connie Hamilton. Connie is an author and instructional expert known for helping educators shift more thinking to students through effective questioning, collaboration, and high-impact classroom practices.

You can connect with Connie

On Facebook and LinkedIn, 

On Instagram @conniehamiltonEd and

At her website at conniehamilton.org.

Timestamps from This Episode

0:00:00 - Connie Hamilton is an education author, speaker, and presenter

1:14 - How to improve teacher questioning

2:57 - Questioning that shows student reasoning

5:10 - How to respond to "I don't know"

7:39 - Questions that produce more equity and inclusion

11:41 - Teacher invisibility - giving students agency and ownership

15:33 - Productive struggle - what teachers need to know

20:12 - Microdata points for instructional coaches to look for

25:55 - Signs of curiosity and inquiry in a classroom

27:20 - Providing coaching support to teachers without burdening

30:37 - How and where to connect with Connie Hamilton's work

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.

→ What is the single most rewarding aspect of international teaching?

→ For educators considering an international leap in their teaching career, what are the most crucial factors to consider?

→ What is the most common mistake teachers make when interviewing for an international teaching contract?

Welcome back to the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.

Today’s Teacher on Fire is Gregory Lemoine. Greg has been teaching overseas for the past 25 years in international schools. He is the author of Finding the Right Fit: Your Professional Guide for International Educator Recruiting Fairs and Amazing Stories of a Teacher Living Overseas. On The International Teacher Podcast, he enjoys spreading the best kept secret in education: international teaching.

You can connect with Gregory

On Facebook and LinkedIn,

On Instagram @internationalteacherpodcast, and 

At his website, itpexpat.com.

Timestamps from This Episode

0:00:00 - What to consider before teaching internationally

1:29 - Five years of the International Teacher Podcast

4:01 - Reverse culture shock

6:18 - The countries Greg has taught in

10:47 - The path to ed leadership in international schools

12:29 - International teaching recruitment fairs

15:59 - The life of a third culture kid (TCK)

19:59 - How AI is impacting international schools

24:04 - The most rewarding aspect of international teaching

25:57 - How and where to connect with Greg Lemoine online

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.

→ How do traditional grading systems quietly undermine deep learning?

→ How can teachers shift assessment paradigms without burning out?

→ What steps can administrative teams take to genuinely support their staff?

About Danielle Paloposki

Danielle is an educator and former school administrator with extensive experience as a classroom teacher and middle level leader, specializing in standards aligned, competency based assessment. A contributing author to the British Columbia K–12 Reporting Policy, she has led system wide shifts from traditional grading to competency focused approaches grounded in feedback, professional judgment, and evidence of learning over time. Danielle now partners with the Canadian Assessment Centre to support schools in building coherent, humane, and sustainable assessment systems that cultivate transferable skills and self regulated learners.

You can connect with Danielle

On Facebook, LinkedIn, 

On Instagram @dpalo_ed, and 

On her website at https://danielle-paloposki.mykajabi.com/

Timestamps from This Episode

0:00:00 - How traditional assessment undermines learning

4:15 - Why Danielle founded the Competency Code Collective

9:52 - How to support teachers in assessment transitions

16:10 - Are learning targets just for administrators?

18:59 - From evaluator to learning coach

23:39 - Ensuring our assessment language is consistent

31:08 - How to use AI to design better assessment

35:49 - Assessment resources from Danielle

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.

→ Which foundational money concepts do our students struggle with the most?

→ Why do states and districts continue to downplay the importance of financial literacy in our curricular standards?

→ What is one practical way for teachers to build financial literacy in their classrooms on Monday morning?

Welcome back to the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.

Today’s Teacher on Fire is Debra Kierstead. Deb is an elementary teacher and financial literacy coach who helps educators bring real-world money skills into the classroom. Her hands-on approach makes budgeting, saving, and spending feel simple and fun - for students and teachers alike.

You can connect with Debra

On Facebook, 

On Instagram @kierstead.deb, and

At her website, liveskillsmoney.com.

Take advantage of Deb's free starter class: www.liveskillsmoney.com/free-starter-class (not sponsored)

→ How can we build literacy skills and environmental stewardship at the same time?

→ What is the Everglades Foundation Literacy Program, and what resources do they offer classroom teachers?

→ What is Everglades Ecoquest, and how can educators use this web-based platform to bring interactive, gamified learning to their students?

Welcome back to the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.

Today’s Teacher on Fire is Jennifer Diaz. Jennifer Diaz is the Vice President of Education at The Everglades Foundation, where she has dedicated the past 12 years to building and leading Florida’s only comprehensive, statewide Everglades environmental education program. Since joining the Foundation in 2014, she has guided the growth of the Everglades Literacy Program into a national model for place-based environmental learning, now adopted by 31 school districts and reaching more than 300,000 students and families annually.

You can connect with the Everglades Foundation …

On X @EvergFoundation,

On Instagram @evergladesfoundation,

On Facebook and LinkedIn, and

At their website, evergladesfoundation.org.

Timestamps from This Episode

0:00:00 - Welcome to Jennifer Diaz, VP of Education at the Everglades Foundation

0:16 - The mission and vision of the Everglades Foundation

1:07 - Everglades Foundation literacy resources are free to anyone

2:02 - Building environmental stewardship through literacy skills

4:13 - The Teacher Toolkit 41 lesson plans are curriculum-aligned

6:03 - Resources for Spanish and Haitian Creole learners

7:41 - What is Everglades Ecoquest and what does it offer students?

10:35 - Hands-on learning experiences related to the Everglades

12:59 - The Champion Schools program builds environmental leadership

15:54 - A first step to take to build environmental literacy

17:11 - How to connect with the Everglades Foundation

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.

How can teachers challenge their gifted learners without burning out?

How we spot high-ability learners who might be masking their abilities in the classroom?

How can we make sure our choice boards don’t just become busywork?

Welcome back to another episode of the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.

Today’s Teacher on Fire is Dr. Alicia Schroeder-Schock (pronounced Shrader-Shook). Alicia is an educator, consultant, and founder of Elementary Elevated, where she helps teachers design engaging, rigorous learning experiences for advanced elementary learners. With an Ed.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership and a master’s in Educational Psychology, Alicia presents nationally on gifted curriculum and  differentiation and serves on the board of the North Dakota Association for Gifted Children.

Connect with Alicia

On her blog at elementaryelevated.com

Timestamps from This Episode

0:00:00 - Welcome to Dr. Alicia Schroeder-Schock

1:31 - What are high-ability learners?

2:16 - How can we spot them?

3:44 - What does elevating standards look like?

5:53 - How AI can help to elevate standards

6:53 - How to design choice boards

8:36 - From objectives to outcomes

10:51 - What is curriculum compacting?

14:57 - Elevating the student writing process

19:13 - How to differentiate for high-ability learners

20:41 - Social and emotional challenges

25:05 - What's keeping you on fire?

28:58 - How and where to connect with Dr. Alicia Schroeder-Schock online

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.

→ What are executive functions, and why do they matter?

→ What are the differences between core and higher order executive functions?

→ How can we tweak the physical and acoustic environment of our classrooms to support all learners?

Welcome back to another episode of the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.

Today’s Teachers on Fire are Sarah Oberle and Mitch Weathers, authors of Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom: Promoting Self-Regulation for a Strong Start.

Mitch Weathers is an educator, author, and nationally and internationally recognized expert on executive functioning in the classroom, known for translating brain science into practical strategies that work in real schools. His work centers on strengthening students’ skills in organization, task initiation, self-regulation, and follow-through through intentional systems that support learning without increasing teachers’ workloads. Through his writing, speaking, and consulting, he challenges educators to reconsider why students struggle and equips them with a shared language and concrete tools to unlock student potential.

Sarah Oberle is an educator, writer, and professional learning designer with 18 years of experience as a primary classroom teacher. Her work centers on helping educators understand how learning happens and how that understanding shapes daily instructional decisions.

Timestamps from This Episode

0:00:00 - Mitch Weathers and Sarah Oberle are veteran educators and authors

2:37 - What are executive functions?

4:29 - Why executive functions matter in primary grades

6:59 - Designing tier one environments that support all learners

10:10 - Confusing behaviors with executive functions

14:13 - Core vs higher order executive functions

16:45 - How to reduce cognitive load and improve working memory

20:51 - Two ways to reduce cognitive load in the primary classroom

25:22 - How to tweak the physical and acoustic learning environments

31:15 - Why starting the whole class together makes a difference

36:07 - How Sarah uses voice recorders in her first grade classroom

38:45 - A first step to take for the overwhelmed educator

45:38 - How and where to connect with Mitch and Sarah online

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.

→ How can an education podcast impact personal growth and professional practice?

→ Is there still room for more education content creators today?

→ How do two veteran educators view today’s educational landscape?

About These Guests

Today’s Teachers on Fire are Martin Stuible and Roy Hunt, hosts of the After the Bell podcast. Martin Stuible is deep into his third chapter of life with his creative company, Creative Moments on 11th. Roy Hunt is a geologist, world traveller, master teacher, and podcaster.

Timestamps from This Episode

0:00:00 - Martin Stuible and Roy Hunt are the hosts of the After the Bell podcast

1:28 - How Martin and Roy connected

4:45 - How the After the Bell podcast was born

9:24 - How the podcast has impacted personal growth

13:46 - Is there still room for more education podcasts

20:21 - Practical habits of self-compassion for overwhelmed educators

24:26 - Thoughts on AI in education today

31:08 - Thoughts on the thesis of the Digital Delusion

40:20 - How to connect with the After the Bell podcast

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.

→ How can educators model healthy skepticism while also being brokers of hope regarding AI tools?

→ What practical boundaries can we set so our students don't outsource their critical thinking to algorithms?

→ With all that is going on in education and politics, how can we preserve cultures of joy in today's classrooms?

About This Guest

Dean Shareski is a Senior Partnership Consultant with Advanced Learning Partnerships, bringing decades of experience at the intersection of education, leadership, and innovation. He works closely with school systems to translate big ideas—especially around learning design, leadership development, and emerging technologies—into practical, scalable strategies. Known for his clear thinking and candid approach, Dean helps leaders move from aspiration to action.

Connect with Dean Shareski

On X @shareski,

On Instagram @dshareski, 

On his podcast at The Canadian_Ed Leadership Show, and

On his blog at http://ideasandthoughts.org or http://shareski.ca.

Timestamps from This Episode

0:00:00 - Dean Shareski is an author, speaker, writer, and K-12 education consultant

1:50 - Educators as "brokers of hope"

4:53 - How to model healthy skepticism with AI tools

7:38 - Losing students' productive struggle to AI

13:38 - Leverage digital tools to amplify and transform student learning

17:26 - How to protect the wonder and joy of our classrooms

20:59 - Building school teams like the Blue Jays of 2025

24:42 - Sports gambling creeping into schools

28:31 - What gives Dean hope for the future

31:48 - What keeps Dean's fire for learning burning bright

34:33 - How and where to connect with Dean Shareski online

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.