Teaching Today

Depending on your perspective, the postponement of standardized tests can be seen as a blessing or a curse. For many educators, this reality presents a chance to unpack the connection between testing and teaching, and examine how we might ensure excellence, equity, and accountability in the absence of standardized testing.

Dr. Frank Barnes, Chief of Equity and Accountability at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, joins us as we consider the meaning and effectiveness of testing in the wake of a global pandemic.

Teachers don't just teach subjects, they teach students. From tiny to tall, students are actual human beings with independent identities, personal autonomy, and a will of their own.

Experienced educator Joshua Laub joins us for an in-depth conversation on how to support our students through the current crisis by creating a compassionate classroom culture and understanding behavior as a form of communication.

This week, we're joined by educational leaders — including AFT President Randi Weingarten and faculty from Teachers College, Columbia University — to discuss the causes of and solutions to the biggest challenges facing education today.

Traditional ways of teaching and learning have been disrupted around the globe — for the moment, and perhaps forever. What does this mean for the future of education — the way we teach, the manner in which we teach, and the way we train and support teachers?

In this episode, we're joined by the Provost and Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs from Teachers College, Columbia University, who share insightful reflections and projections on the current state of teaching and learning, and the implications for higher education.

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Special guests:

-- Stephanie Rowley; Provost, Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Teachers College, Columbia University

-- Janice Robinson; Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs at Teachers College, Columbia University

It has been said that teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together. As we kick off 2021, we are joined by teachers with 1 to 15+ years of experience as they talk about their love of teaching today. In the midst of the pandemic, these teachers provide powerful insights on social-emotional learning and strategies for themselves and their students.

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Special guests: Christopher Carron, Ayoluwa Parham-Hunter, and Deborah Spencer

As 2020 comes to a close, we're looking back on this challenging year and reflecting on what we've learned, what questions still remain for educators, and what new opportunities for growth await us in 2021.

Our panel of school principals joins us again to reflect on what they've learned since our last conversation, when they were preparing to reopen their schools for the 2020-21 school year. Amidst shifting regulations and rising COVID-19 numbers, principals have not just been tasked with maintaining safe, socially distant environments, but have entered into a cycle of reopening and closing their schools, all while being responsive to their communities. What lessons have they learned during this unique time? 

SPECIAL GUESTS: Ryan Goble — Benton Harbor, Michigan; Candace Hugee — Brooklyn, New York; Tamala Boyd Shaw — Greenwood, Mississippi

Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of speaking with district leaders from around the country as they were developing and implementing plans for returning to school. Now, we're revisiting the conversation to see what has transpired over the past few months — how these leaders are continuing to navigate uncharted territory, what new challenges they're facing, and how they're responding to the social-emotional needs of their communities.

Special guests:

-- Darius Adamson; Orlando, FL

-- Michelle Aquino; North Plainfield, NJ

-- Miska Clay Bibbs; Memphis, Tennessee

-- Mark Madson; Nazareth Pennsylvania

Politics, protests, and the pandemic have dominated headlines and contributed to what has been an extraordinary final stretch of 2020. Communities across the country are continuing to wrestle with COVID-19, which has reached frightening rates of infection; the aftermath of a historic presidential election with an unprecedented response from the current administration; and continued social/political unrest in the wake of the election and additional reports of police brutality.

In this episode, we’re continuing the conversation from our Racism & Education episode, and exploring the impact that current events have on education. How are schools addressing inequities during the pandemic? What lessons have we learned? Both new and familiar voices from New York, Tennessee, and Florida share their perspectives in this critical conversation. 

Special guests:

-- Darius Adamson, Orange County Public Schools

-- Cheryl Green, Coplexity

-- Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Teachers College, Columbia University

Creating a positive classroom culture at the beginning of the school year is an essential component of our work as educators. But this year, returning to school has been anything but typical, and the notion of building culture has become more complicated. How can we help students feel safe, accepted, and included? 

Special guest:

-- Matthew Mazzaroppi, Principal at the Morris Academy of Collaborative Studies