The ClasStars Podcast

Social media platforms, like YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, pay creators for creating engaging content. Imagine if teachers were evaluated, or paid, based on how they engage their students. Would that change the way you engaged your class? Learn more at www. ClasStars.com 

Here is part two of my conversation with Derrick Conley, Excutive Principal at Birch and Pine Tree Elementary Schools in Longview, TX. Derrick has been in education for close to 30 years, and has helped transform the culture of both Title 1 elementary campuses to academic success through relationships and growth. In his experience, a special culture of achievement with TEA distinction recognition,...

Here is part one of my conversation with Derrick Conley, Excutive Principal at Birch and Pine Tree Elementary Schools in Longview, TX. Derrick has been in education for close to 30 years, and has helped transform the culture of both Title 1 elementary campuses to academic success through relationships and growth. In his experience, a special culture of achievement with TEA distinction recognition,...

Confidence is a powerful tool that we can use to do a better job. More importantly, if we can inspire confidence in our students, they will remember us for the rest of their lives. Learn more how ClasStars helps teachers connect with their students land build confidence at www. ClasStars.com

We are living in exciting times, and if you're still a classroom teacher, there are amazing opportunities. Kids need more support than ever, and knowing how to navigate that effectively can make you the teacher that your students will remember for the rest of their lives! Learn more about how ClasStars helps teachers understand and connect with students at www. ClasStars.com 

It's amazing to reach the milestone of 150 episodes! I went back and listened to the very first episode, and realized a few things that this journey has taught me. Learn more about how ClasStars can help teachers notice every child and develop strong teacher-student relationships with each and every student at www. ClasStars.com 

We all remember the one teacher who was able to connect with us in the most meaningful way. Imagine we had a way to connect that way with each and every student. ClasStars aims to provide teachers and support staff with the framework and tools to do just that. Learn more at www. ClasStars.com and download the app for free for your iPad, Android or Windows tablet!

Teachers are more stressed out than ever. Why is that? Of course, there are many answers and many of them are very localized to teachers specific conditions. However, there are some universal concepts that apply to teachers everywhere. Let’s explore how the lack of clarity in the classroom can contribute to burnout and what can be done to increase clarity. Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasSt...

This episode is the audio of a presentation that I recently gave at a conference called Super Summit. It’s for superintendents and school leaders. You can learn more about it at www.supersummit.net. To watch the full presentation, click here. https://youtu.be/M6Osw8wrTDE Also, there are a few videos that I showed at the event, here are the links. https://youtu.be/IGQmdoK_ZfY https://youtu.be/XgRlr...

As teachers, it’s easy to spot inequity in the school system. Many of these inequities are out of our control. Ironically, the one area where inequities might in our control, inside our classroom, and making sure that every student is getting the right kind of attention every day, is the place where it’s most difficult to spot. Learn more on this episode and at https://classtars.com

We live in a world where we measure everything! If you can’t measure it, what is it worth? However, everyone knows that some things just can’t be measured. Like how positive a classroom environment is, or just how positive was your favorite teacher? ClasStars is proud to introduce the “Positivity Quotient”! A way to measure positivity! By being mindful and keeping track of positive engagement, pos...

There’s an inherent conflict of interest in every classroom! Every student is vying for your attention, and you need to figure out how to distribute it fairly and equitably, while also taking care of the rest of your responsibilities! By understanding how to establish minimal meaningful engagement, we can provide the attention and care to each student and still have enough “gas in the tank” to man...

Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying.. What does that mean for classroom teachers? Listen to this episode to explore ways of cultivating an environment that is truly inclusive and conducive to learning. Learn more about ClasStars at https://classtars.com

The last couple of years have been rough. Teachers are burnt out and are leaving in droves. Imagine if we can bring the joy back to teaching! One way to do that is to focus on writing positive stories about every child. ClasStars is designed to capture those stories for every child in your class. Learn more about how ClasStars helps you capture positive stories about every child at https://classta...

Everyone knows that in baseball you get 3 strikes. That means 3 chances to hit the ball. What if players had 20 strikes? Probably, players would get more hits. How many “strikes” or chances do teachers get to help their students? Imagine if we could give teachers more chances to help their students? Probably, more students would succeed. How can we do that? Let’s explore this in this episode! Plea...

As we gear up for another school year, let’s be mindful that we are practicing sustainable teaching practices. This will not only reduce our workload and minimize burnout, it will also help us enjoy our work more every day! Learn more about ClasStars and how ClasStars supports Sustainable Teaching Practices at https://classtars.com/

The beginning of a new school year allows us to be more intentional and mindful about the way we develop our relationships with our students. Recognize and take advantage of this opportunity and the year will be more productive and enjoyable for you and your students. Learn more about how ClasStars helps you connect better with all of your students at https://classtars.com

Everyone knows that a good teacher is invaluable! The problem is that often our own perception of our worth is underwhelming. By recognizing how we perceive our value, we can increase the value of our environment in a few simple steps. Learn more about ClasStars at https://classtars.com/

It has been quite a journey since the start of the pandemic. At the start of the school year, many of us were hopeful of a return to normal following a chaotic pandemic shutdown of our schools. Unfortunately, for most that was not the case. Nevertheless, many teachers stepped up with great dedication and effort and gave everything they could do that their students would have a productive year. Now...

I’ve recently come across a discussion about classroom engagement. While many teachers understand the need to engage every student, others argue that the focus on engagement takes away from actual learning and productivity. The obvious, but often elusive answer is that we need to find the proper balance between engagement and productivity. Perhaps a system that funnels engagement into productivity...

Everyone knows that clear communication is key in maintaining a positive classroom environment. The tricky part is the unintentional mixed messages that we often give our students. A “non-reaction” can easily be misunderstood to be an approval. Telling a student one thing and then reacting a certain way when they do it, leaves kids confused and frustrated, and most importantly, leaves them feeling...

It’s been a difficult year for teachers and students. Let’s set positive and reasonable goals for the last few weeks so we can send our kids off to the summer feeling inspired. Who knows, maybe that will ignite their spark in way that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives! Learn more about ClasStars at https://classtars.com/

A common question that people ask is how ClasStars is different from other behavior apps. The simple difference is that ClasStars isn’t a token reward system. ClasStars helps teachers monitor engagement, simplify student prioritization, identify students at-risk, and much more! Learn more at https://classtars.com/

While the research clearly shows that having high expectations helps students actually achieve at a higher level, the sustainability of this concept is challenging. Listen to this episode to hear how ClasStars can help you achieve a Sustainable Pygmalion Effect and help each of your students perform better! Learn more about ClasStars at https://classtars.com/

There are so many things that we want to measure in student performance. How do we decide what’s important and how do we gather that data? I recently had the opportunity to discuss this with a talented group of educators and here are some of the ideas that came up. Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.com