Top of the Class

Today we have a really interesting topic that is new to us on Top of the Class. We are so lucky to know experts in the field who bring a wide variety of experiences to Top of the Class. We are so excited to learn something new today. We all can attest that we do a lot of talking as teachers, so today we are talking all about vocal health with our amazing guest, Dr. Rachel Velarde. Let’s jump right in and learn how we can take care of our most important tool as a teacher, our voices!

Today we come to you all with a very timely discussion. We are here to chat about ethics and our professional practice as educators. Many of us likely have an understanding of the Model Code of Ethics for Educators and for our GCU students and grads, you may remember our Professional Dispositions. This is something that is not a one-and-done conversation. As educators, we must constantly work in this area to grow and refine our professional practice in the area of ethics in the classroom, especially as lines become blurred and more challenging when we’re teaching in a variety of modalities like online, hybrid, and the traditional face to face classroom. We are so lucky to have one of the most knowledgeable experts in this area to speak on our topic today, Dr. Troy Hutchings. We are so excited to share all of his expertise with you today!

Today we are going to chat a bit about some of the challenges that we are faced with today in the field of education. As many of us know, there is a need to help get more certified teachers in the classroom. So, we wanted to talk a little bit about what that might look like. How can we help support the field of education through a variety of alternative pathway opportunities? Here to chat with us is Assistant Dean, Lindy Gaudiano, to share all of her wisdom and expertise as well as some innovative programs that can help our future educators certify while teaching in the classroom.

Today’s episode comes to us after discussions with many of you on what parts of being an educator challenge and mystify you the most. For many of you, this is how to appropriately, kindly, and ethically set boundaries with all the different stakeholders we encounter from parents to students to colleagues. In addition, this happens to be a topic about which Meredith and Emily are particularly passionate. So, let’s chat about setting those boundaries!

Many of us are hosting and running virtual meetings these days, so we thought we’d bring in an amazing expert, Tiffany Newell, who can teach us all the tricks to make the meetings run smoothly and make sure they are as informative and engaging as possible. This short and sweet extra credit episode is for all of you — teachers, admin, faculty, staff, and parents — anyone out there using virtual meetings to communicate information in these really unique times. Let’s hop in and learn some helpful tips and tricks!

The world and the field of education are going through some transformation right now. We cover lots of serious topics on this show, but we wanted to dabble in something a bit lighter. So, we have added Part 2 to our Creating the Ultimate Teacher Wardrobe mini-series. I don’t know about you, but how I dress can definitely affect how I feel. How we dress in the classroom can help us maintain that teacher confidence, help with setting professional boundaries with students, colleagues, and parents/guardians, etc. So, if you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, focused on female or feminine fashion, please check out that episode. 

We know that there are so many changes that we are seeing in the field of education right now…some from needs found from the pandemic. In this episode, Emily and Meredith chat about this timely topic including discussion on what our “new normal” might look like and some lessons we have learned in the field of education during 2020-2021. Let’s hop right in and reflect!

This is a fun little episode with Meredith and Emily as they share some updates in the College of Education and with Grand Canyon University. They will chat about new roles, exciting vision, social media, and more! Hop on and learn about what’s new with this dynamic duo.

Today we come to you all with a very important discussion and topic. We are here to chat about culturally responsive teaching. Now, as teachers, we know just how important this is. It is important to talk about, but it is also essential that we continue to reflect and grow in our practice as teachers. We are honored to welcome our expert and guest today, Mr. Justin Campbell. Let’s dive right into this episode and learn from one of the best!

This is Part 2 of our episode on supporting our students’ mental health during trying times, so if you haven’t had the chance, be sure to check out Part 1 of this fabulous episode. We have had many requests from you all on how to support our students’ mental health during crisis points. We need this topic now more than ever, but not all of us are experts in this area! So, we have brought in the experts to help! Let’s take a listen to Dr. Stephanie Nilsen and Dr. Crystal McCabe as they continue to share their wisdom!

Also, let us know if you have requests for podcast topics or want to chat about anything we’ve talked about today, tweet us at @gcu_totc that GCU TOTC or Top of the Class. Go Lopes!