Teaching with Valor Podcast: A Veteran Teachers Perspective

Send a text "Hello, and welcome to what will be the final episode of Teaching with Valor. I’m your host, Don Fessenden. Today’s episode is a bittersweet one. We’re here to reflect, to express gratitude, and to bid farewell to a project that has meant so much to me, and I hope, to those of you who have joined me on this journey. From the very beginning, Teaching with Valor was a labor of love....

Send a text "Welcome to the Teaching with Valor Podcast, where we focus on strategies that empower educators, inspire parents, and create impactful classrooms. I’m your host, Don J. Fessenden, and today we’re going to explore one of the simplest yet most powerful habits you can develop to transform your teaching day: starting each morning with a prioritized to-do list. This isn’t just about j...

Send a text "Welcome to the Teaching with Valor Podcast, where we explore the strategies and insights every educator needs to thrive in the classroom and beyond. I’m your host, Don J. Fessenden, a lifelong educator and proud veteran. Today, we’re diving into a powerful framework that can change how you approach your ever-growing to-do list. It’s called the Eisenhower Matrix, and by the end of...

Send a text "Welcome to the Teaching with Valor Podcast, where we explore actionable strategies to empower educators, inspire parents, and create impactful learning experiences. I’m your host, Don Fessenden. Today, we’re diving deep into a game-changing tool for teachers: the digital planner. If you’ve ever felt like you’re racing against the clock, drowning in deadlines, or juggling lesson p...

Send a text "Welcome back to Teaching with Valor, the podcast where we tackle the real-life questions that teachers face daily with practical advice and actionable strategies. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re exploring one of the most powerful tools for communication in education: email. Email has become the cornerstone of how we communicate with parents. It’s fast, efficient, a...

Send a text "Hello, and welcome back to Teaching with Valor, where we dive deep into the questions and challenges that teachers face every day in their classrooms. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re going to talk about an issue that every teacher faces sooner or later: How do I handle a parent who disagrees with my teaching methods? As teachers, we each bring our unique approach t...

Send a text Hello, and welcome to Teaching with Valor , where we dive into the real-life challenges teachers face in the classroom. I’m Don Fessenden, your host, and today’s episode is all about one of the most crucial touchpoints between teachers and parents: the parent-teacher conference. We’ve all been there. The clock is ticking, you have just 15 or 20 minutes with each parent, and you need to...

Send a text "Welcome back to Teaching with Valor, the podcast where we dive into real-world questions that teachers everywhere encounter daily. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re tackling an interesting one: How do I handle a parent who is over-involved? In the world of teaching, we know that parental involvement can be incredibly beneficial. Parents who are engaged in their child...

Send a text  "Welcome back to the Teaching with Valor Podcast, where we tackle the challenging issues shaping our classrooms, our communities, and sometimes, even our country. Today, we’re diving into an unusual yet critical conversation that might seem a bit outside our usual classroom focus, but in reality, it has a profound impact on the educational landscape we operate within. We’re break...

Send a text "Hello, and welcome back to Teaching with Valor, where we dive deep into the questions and challenges that teachers face every day in their classrooms. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re going to talk about an issue that every teacher faces sooner or later: How do I handle a parent who disagrees with my teaching methods? As teachers, we each bring our unique approach t...

Send a text "Hello, and welcome back to Teaching with Valor, where we tackle the real questions that teachers face in their classrooms every day. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today we’re diving into a challenging topic: What should I do if a parent is unresponsive? In education, we talk a lot about the importance of communication between teachers and parents. We know that when parents ar...

Send a text "Welcome back to Teaching with Valor, the podcast dedicated to guiding educators on their journey to becoming the best they can be, one lesson, one day at a time. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re tackling a topic that every teacher encounters: How do I respond to parent complaints or concerns? Whether you’re a brand-new teacher or a seasoned veteran, there’s always a...

Send a text "Welcome back to Teaching with Valor, the podcast that dives deep into the challenges, rewards, and strategies of being an educator. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today we’re discussing a topic that’s essential for every teacher, no matter their experience level: How do I handle difficult conversations with parents? As teachers, we know that communication is key to fostering a...

Send a text "Welcome back to Teaching with Valor , the podcast where we dive deep into the heart of teaching, exploring strategies and insights to support educators at every stage of their journey. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re talking about one of the most important first steps of the school year: introducing yourself to parents. The beginning of the school year is all about...

Send a text "Hello and welcome back to Teaching with Valor , the podcast that supports educators in becoming the very best they can be by building skills and insights one day, one lesson at a time. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today we’re diving into an issue that just about every teacher, from the newbie to the veteran, faces: How do I balance the demands of teaching with ongoing learni...

Send a text "Hello, and welcome back to Teaching with Valor , the podcast where we explore the essential questions and practices that help us grow into the best teachers we can be. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today we’re tackling a topic that can truly transform your teaching experience, especially in those early years. We’re asking: How do I find a mentor teacher? Finding a mentor isn’...

Send a text "Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Teaching with Valor , where we’re here to support every teacher’s journey to becoming the best they can be—lesson by lesson, day by day. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today’s episode is one I’m particularly excited about. We’re going to be talking about that transformative, challenging, and, let’s face it, sometimes overwhelming first year...

Send a text "Hello and welcome back to Teaching with Valor , the podcast dedicated to helping teachers become the best educators they can be, one lesson, one day at a time. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re diving into a question that every teacher, no matter the subject or grade level, has probably asked: How do I design rubrics for grading? Now, grading can be a challenging pro...

Send a text "Hello, and welcome back to Teaching with Valor , the podcast where we tackle the essential questions that help us become the best teachers we can be. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re diving into a hot-button issue: Why teachers should keep their political affiliations out of the classroom. Now, I know this topic can stir some strong feelings. As educators, we live i...

Send a text "Welcome back to Teaching with Valor , the podcast where we dive deep into the essential questions that drive us to be better educators. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re exploring a question that every teacher grapples with at some point: How do I create fair and unbiased tests? Creating fair and unbiased tests isn’t just about writing questions and scoring answers....

Send a text "Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Teaching with Valor , where we take deep dives into the everyday questions that teachers face in their classrooms. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today we’re exploring a question that goes right to the heart of teaching: How often should I assess my students? Assessment is one of the most crucial aspects of teaching because it gives you ins...

Send a text Welcome to another episode of Teaching with Valor , where we explore the questions that challenge us as educators and help one another become the best teachers we can be—one lesson, one day, one student at a time. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today, we’re tackling a fundamental issue: How do I ensure all students are participating in class activities? This is a question that every...

Send a text Welcome back to Teaching with Valor , the podcast where we explore the everyday questions, challenges, and victories of teaching. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today we’re diving into one of the most fundamental aspects of teaching: What resources are available for instructional planning? When it comes to planning lessons, having the right resources can make all the difference. But...

Send a text Welcome to Teaching with Valor , where we take a deep dive into the practical aspects of teaching that help you improve from lesson to lesson and day to day. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today we’re tackling a big question: How do I plan for long-term projects? Whether you’re teaching elementary students just getting used to managing time or high schoolers preparing for more indep...

Send a text Welcome back to Teaching with Valor , where we explore the practical, everyday strategies that help teachers become better educators, one lesson and one challenge at a time. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today’s episode is all about a crucial but often overlooked aspect of teaching: How should I plan for substitute teachers? We’ve all been there. Whether it’s due to illness, a fami...