The Instructional Spark Podcast

Horace Mann Middle School in Kanawha County is bringing energy, connection, and school pride to its students through a House Point System inspired by the nationally recognized Ron Clark Academy. The school’s work reflects learning supported through Huntington Bank’s Ignite the Classroom initiative, a partnership that provides West Virginia educators with immersive professional learning experiences at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.  In summer 2026, Horace Mann’s administrative team, including Principal Shandon Tweedy and Assistant Principal Brittany Harris, traveled to Atlanta to see firsthand how the house system builds belonging, leadership, relationships, and school pride.

With the house system, students in grades 6–8 are randomly assigned to one of four houses: Reveur, Amistad, Isibindi, or Altruismo. They earn points by demonstrating kindness, leadership, positive behavior, strong attendance, academic effort, and school pride. More than a friendly competition, the system strengthens relationships across grade levels and helps every student feel valued and connected to the school community.

Hosts:

Dr. Kelly Massinople, Office of Academic Support, Coordinator

Matt Kelly, Office of Academic Support, Coordinator

Today’s Guests:

Shandon Tweedy, Principal, Horace Mann Middle School (Kanawha)

Brittany Harris, Assistant Principal, Horace Mann Middle School (Kanawha)

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, Specially Designed Instruction means adapting, as appropriate, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction for a child with an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, to meet the unique needs of that learner resulting from the student's disability. The Office of Special Education has partnered with Dr. Jennifer Dale for more than a year to develop research-based professional learning that equips West Virginia educators with the tools, strategies, and practices needed to ensure students with disabilities have access to high-quality, grade-level instruction that meets their individual needs. 

Hosts:  

Today’s Guest:  

The Instructional Spark Podcast is produced by the Office of Academic Support at the West Virginia Department of Education. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, and follow the for more stories and strategies from West Virginia educators. Thank you for joining us as we explore ideas, strategies, and stories that spark meaningful learning for all students. We hope today's conversation leaves you inspired and equipped to bring new energy to your classroom, school, or district. For questions, feedback, topic suggestions, or to learn more about the podcast, please contact us at [email protected]. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and keep sparking success. 

In this episode, we asked four Nationally Board Certified middle school teachers to join us in a conversation about teaching and learning. National Board Certification requires teachers to engage in deep reflection, analyze student learning, and provide detailed evidence of their instructional decisions and classroom practices. Through this rigorous process of reflecting on and describing practice, teachers develop a stronger understanding of the connection between their instructional choices and student outcomes, leading to more intentional and responsive teaching. We discussed with this group how those practices affect how they pace instruction, use multiple data sources to make instructional decisions, and adjust lessons to meet the diverse needs of their students. Through real classroom examples, they discussed how ongoing analysis of student learning helps them maximize student success.

Hosts:

Today’s Guests:

The Instructional Spark Podcast is produced by the Office of Academic Support at the West Virginia Department of Education. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, and follow the for more stories and strategies from West Virginia educators. Thank you for joining us as we explore ideas, strategies, and stories that spark meaningful learning for all students. We hope today's conversation leaves you inspired and equipped to bring new energy to your classroom, school, or district. For questions, feedback, topic suggestions, or to learn more about the podcast, please contact us at [email protected]. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and keep sparking success.

In 2023, the West Virginia Legislature passed House Bill 3035, better known as the Third-Grade Success Act, to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for students statewide. Since then, schools have been implementing evidence-based practices, including those rooted in the Science of Reading, to support students in kindergarten through third grade.

A key part of this effort has been the work of West Virginia’s regional literacy and numeracy specialists. These specialists spend time in districts and, more recently, in schools, working alongside educators to provide coaching, support, and professional learning.

One of those literacy specialists, Vanessa Hayes, began noticing a common trend in the schools she served. Teachers felt confident teaching reading and content, and they were deeply committed to their students. But many said they needed more support teaching writing effectively.

Rather than seeing that need as a challenge, Vanessa saw it as an opportunity. She launched a Writing pilot to help educators strengthen writing instruction through practical strategies, supportive structures, and collaborative learning. The impact was significant.

One of the educators who participated in the pilot, Dylan Persinger, joins us today to share his experience firsthand. When the school year began, none of Dylan's students were proficient in writing. By the end of the year, that number had climbed to 42 percent, a remarkable level of growth that Dylan attributes largely to the support, learning, and collaboration he experienced through the Writing pilot. The success of the pilot was so evident that the decision was made to expand the initiative into middle schools this year.

Today, we'll hear from both Vanessa and Dylan about what they learned through this work, what made the pilot successful, and what advice they have for educators looking to strengthen writing instruction in their own classrooms.

Hosts:

Today’s Guests:

The Instructional Spark Podcast is produced by the Office of Academic Support at the West Virginia Department of Education. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, and follow the for more stories and strategies from West Virginia educators. Thank you for joining us as we explore ideas, strategies, and stories that spark meaningful learning for all students. We hope today's conversation leaves you inspired and equipped to bring new energy to your classroom, school, or district. For questions, feedback, topic suggestions, or to learn more about the podcast, please contact us at [email protected]. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and keep sparking success.

At Warm Springs Middle School in Morgan County, career exploration begins long before students choose a career path. Several years ago, Principal Jamie Harris and his colleagues reimagined the school's traditional club program, replacing interest-based clubs with opportunities aligned to West Virginia's 14 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Clusters. Guided by staff members from across the school, these student-led clubs meet twice each month, allowing students to connect their interests, talents, and curiosities to future career possibilities.

This innovative approach has transformed club time into a meaningful experience in which students explore careers, develop leadership skills, and begin to build a sense of purpose as learners. By creating authentic opportunities for students to discover potential pathways and envision their futures, Warm Springs Middle School is helping students become more engaged, future-ready learners while strengthening connections between school, careers, and lifelong goals.

Hosts:

Dr. Kelly Massinople, Office of Academic Support, Coordinator

Matt Kelly, Office of Academic Support, Coordinator

Today’s Guest:

Principal Jamie Harris, Warm Springs Middle School (Morgan County)

The Instructional Spark Podcast is produced by the Office of Academic Support at the West Virginia Department of Education. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, and follow the for more stories and strategies from West Virginia educators. Thank you for joining us as we explore ideas, strategies, and stories that spark meaningful learning for all students. We hope today's conversation leaves you inspired and equipped to bring new energy to your classroom, school, or district. For questions, feedback, topic suggestions, or to learn more about the podcast, please contact us at [email protected]. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and keep sparking success.

George Washington Middle School was recently recognized as a 2026 West Virginia Department of Education Exemplary Practice school for prioritizing the connection between academics, attendance, and subgroup performance as key drivers of the school’s success. The school’s improvement journey began in 2022, when performance data across multiple areas fell below expectations, sparking a renewed commitment to make changes. Two teachers came together and began a collaboration that has scaled school-wide with an emphasis on teacher-led collaboration and data-focused inquiry to improve student outcomes. In 2024, the formation of a Guiding Coalition further accelerated progress, strengthening a cohesive, schoolwide approach to writing and literacy across all content areas. A collaboratively designed instructional framework has been central to these efforts. As a result, the school achieved a 20% increase in English Language Arts proficiency, a 16% gain among students with disabilities, and nearly a 6% reduction in chronic absenteeism between 2022 and 2026.

Guest(s):

George Washington Middle School (Putnam County)

The Instructional Spark Podcast is produced by the Office of Academic Support at the West Virginia Department of Education. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, and follow the for more stories and strategies from West Virginia educators. Thank you for joining us as we explore ideas, strategies, and stories that spark meaningful learning for all students. We hope today's conversation leaves you inspired and equipped to bring new energy to your classroom, school, or district. For questions, feedback, topic suggestions, or to learn more about the podcast, please contact us at [email protected]. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and keep sparking success.