In this episode I take a dive into lessons I've learned from some of my favorite podcasts. We talk about the power of being present and staying in the moment. The importance of community and ways that we can find those creative sparks. Take a listen and find out about some new podcasts that you might want to checkout!

Fresh Air at Five - Bryon Carpenter 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fresh-air-at-five/id1547552441

Evolving with Gratitude - Lainie Rowell
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-43-freshair-is-better-together-with-guest/id1617309262?i=1000598465599

Aspire to Lead - Joshua Stamper
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/foundations-of-instructional-coaching-featuring/id1384210762?i=1000598080590

Teach Better Team - Rae Hughart and Brad Hughes
https://www.youtube.com/@TeachBetterTeam

Leaning Into Leadership - Dr. Darrin Peppard
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-57-the-grass-fire-analogy-with-hal-bowman/id1605493835?i=1000598050778

Coaching U - Brendan Suhr
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-255-bob-starkey-lsu-tigers/id1498048309?i=1000596650561

There is something important that all of our students need to know. Something that they deserve to know. In this mini episode we discuss this and the difference that it can make in the lives of our champions!

In this episode I'm joined by Nikki Jones. She has been an educator for 16 years teaching 1st and 3rd grade and is currently and instructional technology coach. 
Nikki is passionate about using technology to challenge students to think critically, problem solve and be creative. In this conversation we explore taking risks, creativity, connecting and being inspired by learning communities, one point rubrics, gratitude practices, and so much more!

Topics:
1. Choice and voice to empower students to share their learning that is best for them.
2. Microsoft Flip - extremely versatile and students can use it at any level
3. Middle of the year is a great time to rebuild those relationships especially coming off of break.
4. Whenever implementing new technology focus on three things that you want students to try. 
5. Single Point Rubric - There is one goal or one thing to create.
6. Use and borrow ideas that you see others doing. Make tweaks and make them your own.
7. Fear of failure holds people back.
8. Our littlest ones are ready to be creative and take chances and along the way it can get stifled out of them. 
9. Use technology to enhance instruction
10. Steal Like an Artist - People have great ideas 
11. Be on the look out for things that spark your ideas
12. Take one idea  that you’re looking at and turn it into multiple different designs
13. Teach students that if their first few ideas don’t work that’s alright. We take feedback and adjust.
14. Build resilience in your students.
15. Have a form of daily gratitude. Consider something like Flip to make nightly gratitude videos. 
16. Take risks as an educator.
17. Model what gratitude looks like. 
18. Use Flip to create folders that you can keep throughout the year. 
19. Use social to connect with communities such as Microsoft Flip and Adobe team. 20. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room. Be around others that spark your creativity.
21. Take risk and try at least one thing.
22. Don’t compare yourself to others and steal your joy.
23. Give yourself credit for the things that you are great at. 

Connect with Nikki: @mrsjones72812 on Twitter

Nikki's Bio:
Nikki Jones is an Instructional Technology Coach in Northern Virginia. Prior to moving into her current role where she supports K-5 with meaningful tech integration, she taught 1st and 3rd grades. Nikki has a master's degree in education and 16 years of experience using technology to challenge students to think critically, problem solve and be creative. To educate future-ready students Nikki focuses on creativity, STEAM and computer science! She is passionate about helping, inspiring and training educators to integrate technology in ways that are innovative, highly engaging and promote student choice, voice and creation. She works closely with staff members to help them build their technology skills and become more confident while integrating technology that empowers student learning! Nikki is a  Flip Student Voice Ambassador, a SMART Ambassador, Novel Effect Ambassador, Ozobot Certified Educator, Adobe Creative Educator Leader, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, HP Fellow in Cohort 4, Quizizz Game-Changer and Class Dojo Mentor.

This episode is inspired by a chapter in Dear Teachers, written by Dr. Brad Johnson and Hal Bowman, that was title "Why Would a Kid Want to be Successful if He Doesn't Remember What Success Feels Like?". As we are deep into the midpoint of the school year it is important that we ask ourselves if all of our students have felt success lately. Do they remember what success feels like? 

This episode is a solo episode where we look to tap into the knowledge of others outside the teaching profession. Today's episode is about three lessons learned from Kobe Bryant. When you think of one of the greatest players of all time Kobe is one of the names at the top of this least. However, he was much more than just a basketball player. He was most importantly a proud girl dad, an individual who spoke three languages, an academy award winner, and so much more. This episode dives into three lessons that I have taken away from listening and watching countless episodes of this extremely wise man. 

Kobe Bryant on Valutainment - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9GvDekiJ9c

Jay Shetty w/Kobe Bryant - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kobe-bryant-on-how-to-be-strategic-obsessive-to-find/id1450994021?i=1000449110208

Lewis Howes w/Kobe Bryant - https://lewishowes.com/podcast/kobe-bryant-mamba-mentality-nba-championships-and-oscars/

Relationships are at the core of teaching. One of the best ways to strengthen a relationship is by letting others know that you appreciate them. This mini episode is all about a strategy from Dr. Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, called gratitude visits. Learn what a gratitude visit is and how it can help strengthen relationships. 

Taking time to look back and reflect on what we've learned is important. Too often we take information in, but we fail to put it into practice. This episode takes a look back at some recent guests on the podcast and some of the wisdom that they have shared.  In this episode we talk about the power of the people we surround ourselves with from Phil Januszewski. The importance of letting our students know that we appreciate them early and often with Livia Chan.  Becoming a great storyteller and understanding on how others receive information with Dan Garrity. Recognizing that we can do so much with so little with Cari Matejka and the 8 pillars of belonging with Jessica Lander. 

Have you ever had a morning where you wake up and you just feel down. Where you can't shake that feeling no matter what you do. This episode is all about a simple strategy that you can use to help lift you up on those tough days. It's something that is simple. Something that any of us can do. It's something though that we have to be very intentional about. Check out this episode to help you maintain that positive mental state.

In this conversation Jessica Lander discusses educating immigrant and refugee students. We talk about her book Making Americans that is a wonderful book about the  exploration of immigrant education across the country. She talks about seeing these students for their energy, talents, and drive. Jessica discusses the lessons she learned from traveling around the country and meeting innovative schools who are leading the way in innovation for these students. The tips and knowledge that Jessica shares during this interview is something that is not limited to students who are new to the United States. The principles that she discusses is something that all students would benefit from. 

Topics discussed:
1.Think about the different strengths, gifts, and perspectives that the students bring.
2. Don’t lower standards and expectations for students. Keep high expectations
3. Sometimes we sell students short because we can associate language acquisition with intelligence.
4. Think thoughtfully and intentionally how you support immigrant students.
5. If we are serious about reimagining immigrant education we have to ask the young people who are attending out schools about what they need. 
6.How can schools foster a strong sense of belonging where students feel that this is their home and they can build a future there.
7.Schools need to think about how can we create a sense of belonging
8.Eight pillars of belonging - opportunities for new beginnings, supportive communities, assurance of securing, chances to dream, committed advocates, recognition of students strengths, acceptance, opportunities for students to develop their voice.
9.Schools can be a community hub. Connect school to the community. 
10. Collaborate with community partnerships.
11.Global Village Project - the only school in US dedicated to refugee girls who have spent a lot of time outside of school.
12. Honor students identity
13. Bring laughter and joy into the classroom
14. Create a community that is supportive 
15. Family engagement is pivotal - seeing it as an equal partnership
16. When meeting with parents lead with questions. For example What are hopes and dreams for your kid? How can we build trusting relationships together? 
17. Recognize that students might come to school with different sorts of trauma
18. Trauma sensitive garden 
19. Use complex and interesting language.
20. Meet teacher where they are and help them with what they need.
21. Get students involved in action civics. 
22. Help them develop their skills to share their voices.
23. The way that we learn from each other is extremely powerful.
24. Learn from each other’s history
25. We Are America Project

Jessica Lander Bio:
Jessica Lander is an award-winning teacher, writer and author. She teaches history and civics to recent immigrant students in a Massachusetts public high school and has won numerous awards for her teaching, including being named a Top 50 Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize in 2021, presented by the Varkey Foundation and being named a MA Teacher of the Year Finalist in 2022, presented by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Jessica writes frequently about education policy and teaching. She is the author of Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education, a coauthor of Powerful Partnerships: A Teacher’s Guide to Engaging Families for Student Success and the author of Driving Backwards.

Book: 
Making Americans https://www.amazon.com/Making-Americans-Struggles-Inspiration-Immigrant-ebook/dp/B09PQM33FS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1TV7F6ZB1Q3MO&keywords=making+americans&qid=1673760376&sprefix=making+americans%2Caps%2C568&sr=8-1

Website: https://www.jessicalander.com

One strategy that we can use to fuel gratitude and appreciation within the classroom can be to notice the great things that are happening, to name the great things that are happening, and that helps you nurture this. Past guest Livia Chan discussed this and how she uses this to fuel gratitude and appreciation in our classroom. We can use this strategy for ourselves as well to help spark these positive feelings in our own lives as well. This episode discusses this.