In this episode of Teaching Gwinnett, we dive into the transformative power of literacy with two dynamic leaders in Gwinnett County Public Schools—Julie Erdmann, Director of Language Arts and Literacy for grades K-5, and Christina Kim, Director of Language Arts and Literacy for grades 6-12. Together, they share insights into how strong literacy skills build a foundation for lifelong learning and success, the strategies GCPS employs to engage readers of all ages, and the role of family and community in fostering a culture of reading. Tune in for an enlightening conversation about why literacy is the key to unlocking student potential and academic achievement across every grade level.

New Season Unlocked! Teaching Gwinnett is thrilled to kick off our latest season with some special guests from the world of E-Sports! In our premiere episode, we're joined by the Rocket League E-Sports champions from Brookwood High School, along with their dedicated coaches. In two years of existence, they’ve two Georgia High School Association State Titles!

In this episode, we learn what happens behind-the-scenes of E-Sports practices, explore the dedication it takes to become champions, and discover what makes this fast-growing sport so unique!

They’re small, easy to hide, odorless and they’re making kids sick. We’re talking about vapes. In this episode of Teaching Gwinnett, GCPS School Social Worker Jose David Vargas, and GCPS Director of Behavior Support and Interventions Grady Caldwell and School Resource Officer Robert Hill, discuss the alarming truth about vaping among students. In this eye-opening discussion, we delve deep into the hidden dangers of vaping, its impact on youth health, how educators and law enforcement are combating this growing problem, and what parents can do to protect their loved ones. We end the show with another "Pop Quiz."

Informational and Help Resources:

GCPS Director of Behavior Support and Interventions

678-301-7008

Attention: All families planning to send their child to kindergarten in the fall. It’s time to get active! Kindergarten registration is underway. Kim Holland, Gwinnett County Public Schools executive director of Early Learning and School Readiness, drops by the show to explain how to register for kindergarten and, “going mobile”. The latest innovative and progressive way GCPS is hitting the road to help parents and caregivers be their child’s first and best teacher. We end the show with another edition of Pop Quiz.

Drivers Education, after-school care, community events, classroom and gym rentals... Gwinnett County Public Schools' (GCPS) Community Schools Program does it all.

GCPS' Director of Community Schools, Soraia Felgenhauer, stops by to discuss how the Community Schools Program and its partners support students and families while also meeting the needs of the community. Listen in and learn about the amazing opportunities available to you, then stick around for another edition of Pop Quiz!

This edition of Teaching Gwinnett is all about sports! Some stellar student-athletes and coaches, from Brookwood and Mill Creek High Schools, stop by to talk about their respective softball and football seasons and:

We close the show with an extended version of Pop Quiz featuring their take on who would win an epic 2 on 2 basketball game between stars of yesterday and today.

The student hosts and teachers behind Eagle Talk! McKendree Elementary School's informative, engaging, and fun podcast "take over" Teaching Gwinnett.

In this episode, we learn about the history of shoes, when, why, and where they were created, the different types, and which popular sneaker brands the hosts like the best. We also hear from the educators who started Eagle Talk! Why they created it, what it's like working with the talented hosts and the response from their school community. We close the show with another edition of "Pop Quiz."

Community-Based Mentoring is an opportunity to pair caring adults with students in grades 4 through 12 to provide guidance, encouragement, and support to help them become successful young adults, both in and out of the classroom.

They make students, staff, and parents feel unsafe and are causing panic in schools. We're talking about threats made on social media to "shoot up" a school. It is a nationwide problem that is disrupting teaching and learning and causing police to work overtime.

On this episode of Teaching Gwinnett, students share their thoughts on who is making the threats, why we are seeing so many, and what can be done to stop them. We also hear from GCPS Police Chief Tony Lockhart, who explains what authorities are doing to stop the threats and what happens to those who are caught. And as always, we end the show with another edition of Pop Quiz.

They may not be firefighters or police officers, but they are often the first responders in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS). We are talking about school social workers. School social workers are like Swiss army knives when it comes to helping students. They have just about every tool you need to advise, guide,

On this episode of Teaching Gwinnett, GCPS School Superintendent Dr. Calvin J. Watts joins the show and talks to the finalists for the 2023 GCPS School Social Worker of the Year award. We also hear from Crystal Baskerville, GCPS' Director of Health and Social Services, who talks about what school social workers do, why they are needed and how they impact learning and student lives. And we end the show with another addition of Pop Quiz.