Wisdom and Productivity: The Podcast of An Imperfect Educator

Who is Cassandra Washington (@TeachTT4U)? |Wisdom & Productivity| #TeachBetter #TBPodcaster   -Who is Cassandra Washington? -Like in Back to the Future -On Books -On Racism -Biggest Influences -On Impostor Syndrome -On Productivity & Taking Care of Self -Blood Pressure Incident & Importance of Mental Health

Interviewing Nick Polyak (@npolyak) |Wisdom & Productivity| #TeachBetter #TBPodcaster

-Who is Nick Polyak -Why a Superintendent?  -Like in Back to the Future -What Aspiring Superintendents Don’t Know Yet -Importance of Relationships with the Board of Ed  -Why An Educator? -On Books -Biggest Influence -Importance of Having a Mentor -On Addressing Impostor Syndrome -On the Productivity of Maintaining Your Own Health -On Organizing Communities -Calendar and Lists -On Writing Books & Articles -On Protecting the Relationship with Spouse and Becoming an Empty Nester

Interviewing Katie Miglin |Wisdom & Productivity| #tbpodcaster #teachbetter   Katie Miglin is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for #TeachBetter Notes  Who Are you? Mother, married, Christian; in education for 13 years; importance of faith  Professional Trajectory Illinois State U; blessed; middle school math; now at Teach Better full time // middle school students are like mini adults // reflect on what is that you want (what fills your cup)  Like in Back to the Future On vulnerability, thinking that I needed to know it all // ask for help, it is okay not to know everything  Books Historical fiction // non fiction: “Educated”  Influences A teacher that care for families  Impostor Syndrome Something I battle with constantly // thinking perhaps I am not smart enough // I have room to grow // change of mindset // stop sweating the timeliness   Productivity Focus on what helps me focus // lists that are intentional with time // checking calendar the night before // goals on white board

Interviewing Ken Wallace | Wisdom & Productivity | #TeachBetter #TBPodcaster | Full episode: https://youtu.be/ukazcWDBO1M

Ken Wallace is the superintendent at Maine Township High School District 207  *W&P: Notes  Intro Ken Wallace is 61 years old; grandfather was in WWII; high school coach was influential in how to create #learning; how to create situations where human get to be better. // collective efficacy // was an English teacher in search of how to support others be their very best// we tend to focus on students learning but often neglect adult learning (pathway to grow adults)  Teacher as a coach Teacher as a coach; get kids addicted to learning // what inhibits learning is usually punishment for being wrong; students are to know that failure is useful// every teacher has a coach in Maine Township for their entire career // coaching for adults has been transformational // in search of finding the best of themselves // not leaving anyone behind  Superintendent advice on coaching The purest form of evaluation should not be evaluative; apply the science of learning// cooperative learning; scientific Aspect// apply multiple strategies // partnerships with Northwestern and NLU // design principles: teacher-learners // practice at the metacognitive level   Professional Trajectory Farmer, construction experience, HS English teacher, Wrestling Coach, AP, Principal, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction // in 2009 hired by Maine Township (longest tenure) // importance of growing other people; one as a gardener // distribute ownership; grow your own// how to you arm yourself to meet the needs of thins world // take your ego out // about charismatic leaders // you are never done   What Principals Don’t Know Yet? Politics / involvement // try to look at the work as a coach // make people be their best // reporting to 7 board members // 24/7 job // you are the subject matter expert and you also need to educate board members  Like in Back to the Future, what would you tell the Ken Wallace of the Past? Be patient  Books Upstream  Influences 2 teachers // more about the question than the answer  Impostor Syndrome Be about the work, not about your brand // have a foundation   Productivity Mountain bike; be healthy, take care of yourself // organizations are seen from above and at the granular level // science of exercise

Following up on the previous episode (Parenting Cain & Abel: https://youtu.be/viUgyBc6wi0), I reflect on the concept of consciousness in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.

Interviewing Livia Chan | Wisdom & Productivity | #TBPodcaster #TeachBetter Livia Chan is a Head Teacher in the Greater Vancouver area in British Columbia, Canada; in addition to many other roles, she is the Digital Content Coordinator at Teach Better   Who Are You? “Love is power; one interaction at once; atomic interactions; mother, wife; love of learning; relationships are gifts; matter, atoms, basic building blocks, every atomic interaction, like a lego  Professional trajectory? Teaching fills heart with joy; what I was meant to do; learn to love yourself, be kind, start believing in yourself; take time to discover who you are as a teacher; learn how to cultivate joy when you know your purpose; people as gifts;  Like in Back to the Future, what would you tell yourself? Spend time knowing yourself; learn to breath, calm your emotions; feelings are not to worry, but what we do with them; check your own heart; dive into gratitude  Books?  Biggest influences?  Impostor Syndrom? “I am a collection of all my memories”  Productivity? When you love what you do is easy; understand priorities; make lists

Parenting Cain & Abel?  

-Picture this: a parent is on a cliff-hanging from two children. One of the children is her own son and the other, I believe, is a cousin or nephew  

-This marked me forever and made me wonder what would have been my choice if I had to select between two  

-Cain and Abel story: extracting all religious connotations and focusing on the lesson of the story Concept of maximum vs minimum effort  

-Example of siblings  

-Example of students in the classroom  

-Example of a principal and two teachers (one with consistent effort and one with poor practices)  

-Example of a superintendent deciding to compensate different principals for their performances  

-Transparency improves the organizations brand and ability to recruit even better talent  

-Complicated situation with transparency and privacy when superintendents have to share with their BOE

David Frangiosa is a high school teacher in Maywood, New Jersey. He’s the co-author of Going Gradeless and host of the podcast “From Earning to Learning”

Dr Andalib Khelghati is the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources at Evanston/Skokie School District 65

A needed conversation on how one can forgive an abusive parent.