We talk about why Cole loves teaching, the importance of fun, making math accessible to all students, and we dig a bit into the culture at our school. Also grief metaphors and Finn sneezes.

Music credit: "Thrum Room" by Podington Bear

*** Content Warning: child loss ***

I talk about my son, Finn, and how losing him has shaped life and work and every little thing.

Music credits:

"Thrum Room" and "Corridor" by Podington Bear

We talk about how to reach and teach students who have historically had difficulty with reading and decoding English. We also talk about the baby. We always talk about the baby.

In this episode, we talk to Katie Clark about starting at her third school in three years and building relationships with new co-workers. We also hear about James's wacky summer and his Colorado culture shock. Oh, and there's new theme music.

The end of year reflections just won’t stop coming. James talks about the end of the school year, leaving Marshall, and what’s next. Some of his students talk about becoming aware of their own growth. And Dean Wood joins in once again to talk about what he’s proud of this school year.

Editing note: James sounds sad, or at least slightly ambivalent about the impending birth of his child. He is not. He’s excited -- just worn out at the moment. Cut him some slack.

The Round House: https://www.amazon.com/Round-House-Novel-Louise-Erdrich/dp/0062065254

Jim Burke’s English Teacher’s Companion: https://www.amazon.com/English-Teachers-Companion-Fourth-Completely/dp/0325028400

180 Days: https://www.amazon.com/180-DAYS-Teachers-Empower-Adolescents/dp/0325081131

In this special, student-centered episode, we talk about the things that have helped Emma build good relationships with her teachers, her favorite kinds of classrooms, and what she thinks teachers sometimes forget. We also get her take on the biggest problems facing public schools right now, making friends in high school, and heaps of existential dread.

We talk about teacher burnout, how Dean’s perspective on school has changed since becoming department chair, problematic legacy practices within education, and just being open to new ideas.

Notes and links!

The Pedagogy of the Oppressed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy_of_the_Oppressed

The "Guide on the Side" vs the "Sage on Stage" tropes: https://www.jstor.org/stable/27558571?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Hawkeye Pierce (in case you live under a rock): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_M*A*S*H_characters#Hawkeye_Pierce

We talk about the work of Carol Dweck, Alfie Kohn, and other researchers who have studied the effects of praise/encouragement and rewards/punishments on human development. Using the articles linked below as a framework, we explore ways to have better conversations with our students and avoid toxic praise.

Praise vs. Encouragement: http://www.pbs.org/parents/expert-tips-advice/2015/05/difference-praise-encouragement-matters/

Carol Dweck’s study: http://maryschmidt.pbworks.com/f/Perils+of+Praise-Dweck.pdf

Helping Students Motivate Themselves: https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/guest-post-helping-students-motivate-themselves/

Parent Effectiveness: https://www.amazon.com/Parent-Effectiveness-Training-Responsible-Children/dp/0609806939

The Risks of Rewards: http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/risks-rewards/

We talk about Teach for America, Kara’s move from high school English to K-8 art, the necessity of fine arts in public schools, and why we really just want to be teacher coaches.

We talk about teaching writing, being present in the classroom, authentic tasks, sentences, landscapes, and so much more.

Links to things we reference:

The Bard institute: http://writingandthinking.org/

Idlewild Arts: https://idlewildarts.com

So…Poetry: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-poetry/id1034664577?mt=2

How to Write a Sentence: https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Sentence-Read-One/dp/006184053X