The Grounded Learners Guild

Real talk: there are times when the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 feels like it might have just been yesterday, especially since many school systems are still dealing with its after effects. In other moments, those days of lockdowns, remote teaching, and having to PIVOT constantly feel like a fever dream. But some things have endured that trying time - including a silly little game we invented (or reinvented): Milk, Margarita, Malort. Five years ago, we used that game to consider and discuss instructional practices, procedures, and ideas in education that we hoped and didn’t want to stick around. Secondly, that game allowed us to forge a friendship with the incredibly talented Kim Darche. Join us as we invite her back to reflect on this episode and catch up. Stay tuned!

In this next set of episodes, we are revisiting and reflecting on another one of our favorite topics: leadership and belonging. 

In this episode we return back to our freshmen season. The episode, Love in the Time of Corona, originally aired on April 15, 2021. We welcomed our first guest, and we played a game in ”three parts”  with our own original, “beverage themed” twist. 

So grab yourself a glass of your favorite, and enjoy!

The Kumbaya-love-fest the GLG had on this past rerun of the Make it Work Mindset displays how the powers of a guild provide support and recognition during times of stress when performing at max capacity is a must– a common reality for all those in this education space. As we work our way towards our own “Auf wiedersehen” for our favorite education episodes, it’s a chance to revisit and reflect upon this episode that reminds us all that even if the situations that had us “making it work” during the pandemic have changed immensely, we are STILL designers -  and we are fierce.

Photo from Unsplash

The episode you’re about to listen to is one that I, Jenni, remember so fondly yet listen back to and lovingly cringe. It originally aired on February 4, 2021, in the heart of the pandemic, when all teachers were unvaccinated, masked up and hybrid teaching to sets of eyeballs and ceiling fans. If we hadn’t yet learned how to make it work, then, we’ve surely earned our designer stripes by now. Hope you enjoy this re-listen as much as we did and agree how the Make it Work Mindset still applies, maybe even more so, today.

Photo from Unsplash

Early literacy development can seem alien to us secondary teachers, but we can’t “leave students’ literacy fates up to chance.” That's where explicit vocabulary instruction comes in. Before this episode aired, we heard from an early literacy expert and writer Dr. Amy Stewart on what the “Science of Reading” movement was, and the responsibilities it brings to all teachers, but especially secondary teachers in helping students acquire the vocabulary they need before they can comprehend text. 
In this upcoming episode, we’ll reminisce about our favorite moments and behind the scenes memories. If you haven’t listened back yet, we replayed it in our previous episode…So if you’re caught up, stay tuned!

Hey everyone - Casey here!

Since watching and falling in love with the original Star Wars trilogy as a child, I knew we’d eventually “jedi-mind trick” a way to discuss the Star Wars Universe as GLG.  At the time of our recording, the teaching world had been rocked by the release of another podcast series on how that brain actually learns to read, and how schools and curriculum publishers for years may have got it wrong - and many children lacked the skills they need to operate in a highly literate world.

The episode you are able to hear was released on November 24, around Thanksgiving of 2023, and was part of our three part series on The Science of Reading. Happy listening!

As we heard in our re-run of our episode, Data: A Twisted Love Story, data and numbers have a story to tell - but as with most stories, the devil’s in the details. 

In this upcoming episode, we’ll reminisce about our favorite moments from “Data A Twisted Love Story” and see what (if anything) has changed. If you haven’t listened back yet, we replayed it in our previous episode for your recollection & hopefully your enjoyment. So if you’re caught up, stay tuned, because it’s time to review & reminisce.

Photo by Desola Lanre-Ologun on Unsplash

The episode you’re going to listen to in a few short moments is one that I, Emily, truly treasure. It was released on April Fools’ Day of 2021.
Listening back, we were lovers of a solid metaphor from day one,  but “data” really let it fly. In this episode, Casey gets us running with not one, not two, but THREE metaphors for the ways data can be used: as a Greek Tragedy, a Hero’s Journey, and a Love Story.

Photo by Karsten Füllhaas on Unsplash

As educators, we are all very used to the fact that the work we pour our hearts into most is ultimately fleeting. After all, our elementary school students are only with us for 6-7 years; our middle school students top out at 3, and our high school students, of course, are typically out the door and on the way to their futures in a mere four years.

Looking at this podcast through that lens, going into season 5 makes us pretty proud of how long the Grounded Learners Guild has stuck around! As a guild, we thought long and hard about how we wanted our 5th and final season to play out and we landed on this: like the coaches we are, we want to walk the walk when it comes to creating a collective experience of reflection and growth. 

So even though we are dealing with the bittersweet reality that “all good things must come to an end” also applies to our beloved podcast, we’re truly excited to spend some time this season looking back on the episodes we’ve recorded, topics we’ve covered, and of course, the games we’ve played. And we hope you, listeners, will have some laughs, find some new learning, and enjoy reflecting right along with us.

Photo by Sarah Dao on Unsplash

Bonjour, GLG listeners! It might seem “rather odd” to compare math to Disney’s iconic take on “Beauty and the Beast” but bear with us here - A bookish protagonist finds herself torn between two worlds - between the love she has grown into and those who have yet to see the value and beauty under what seems dark, confusing, and  . . . requires attention to precision?
Now you can see where we’re going with this…and we’ve found a qualified expert to “be our guest” on this enchanted mathematical adventure. Join us!