Always A Lesson's Empowering Educators Podcast

Leanne Stone is a former third grade teacher in Charlotte, NC who taught through Teach for America. Like most new teachers, Leanne found herself overwhelmed by the responsibilities and costs of creating new classroom materials and began to explore online materials to help her prepare for class. Leanne now coaches hundreds of teachers and school administrators through  Teachers Pay Teachers , an on...

As teacher leaders, we have many pencils in our lives that need our attention to be sharpened so that their talents come to fruition. But if we do not provide the paper so that these pencils can develop and create their masterpieces, then it’s all for not. Tune in to hear an inspiring analogy from an elite educator plus my quick tips to put things into action! Quotables Pencils, however, become du...

As leaders, we sometimes think we have to know and be able to do everything. The truth is, were only need to know of people and things to help us along the way. Tune in to hear 3 ways you can leverage your surroundings so that you can maximize your influence in helping teachers. Quotables “If you are on social media, and you are not learning, not laughing, not being inspired or not networking, the...

As educators we have a daily duty to help our students develop into their potential, both in life and academia. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., this episode focuses on how his prolific words ring true in our classroom practices to ensure our students can be kind and do good each and every day. Quotables (in honor of MLK, Jr.) Be Kind “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘what are y...

Having high expectations isn’t a bad thing, until they no longer are achievable and as a result, debilitate you. Tune in to hear my story of how I dealt with the reality of not being able to live the life I once had and adjusted my mindset and action steps to reach new heights in a more manageable way under those new circumstances. Quotables I am going to treat myself better and give myself space...

Amber Harper is a Google Certified Educator, Trainer, and Innovator, as well as a Seesaw Ambassador. She is also the founder of www.burnedinteacher.com and creator of Burned-In EdTech Consulting and Teacher Coaching where she has joint her two loves in her career: her love of edtech and innovation in the classroom with her obsession for helping educators who are struggling to find their own passio...

Facing obstacles is a daily occurrence in the life of a teacher. Oftentimes, we educators rely on our support systems to help us overcome struggles, but it turns out when we allow ourselves to be independent and work through our trials alone, we see just what we are made up of…and we make it out on top every time. A superhero lives within each of us if we would just follow the simple 5 step proces...

A mentor is a great thing to have as a learner; until you sit waiting for them to tell you what to do and when to do it. You will never become all that you are meant to be by waiting on someone else to tell you how to do it. Tune in to hear a 5 step process to help you take charge of your own evolution as an educator, all while being the mentee yourself! Quotables Mentorship means you are learning...

‘Work Life Balance’ seems to be the new craze, but it’s unrealistic to think that work and life can be equally balanced on a scale. Inevitably, one takes over more time and energy than the other. But if we can learn to keep work and life living in harmony with each other, then we might just have found the secret to success. Tune in to hear more about the term ‘Work Life Harmony’ from the great min...

Burn out can happen to anyone and teachers are no exception. But, burn out is taking too many great teachers out of the classroom and into other professions. Our nations’ students deserve the best to be in front of them everyday. Tune in to hear 8 ways to acknowledge and prepare for burned out moments so that they do not become catapults relocating teachers to other professions. Quotables Elite ed...

Daniel  Jones  is a middle school social studies and reading/ language arts teacher. He is a Master Flip Educator and has been teaching in the classroom for the past 13 years. Project Based Learning (PBL) has been at the forefront of  Dan ‘s instruction for the past seven years. When  Dan  began flipping his class five years ago, he took PBL and combined it with Flipped Learning to create a dynami...

Every career choice has a daily grind. Unfortunately, some daily grinds are a lot more difficult than others and the daily grind of a teacher falls into that category. Teacher leaders can partner with teachers to unveil the value in the daily grind so that these tasks not only get completed but the passion for teaching doesn’t get lost in the day-to-day job requirements. Tune in to hear how to hel...

Students have the insight into how they learn best. It’s up to the educator to tap into this insight when designing lessons so that potential isn’t wasted in a child. There is always a reason behind a student behavior and when educators know their kids in and out, they can uncover these motivations and preferences prior to a learning experience so that the time is used productively and successfull...

Teaching can be a challenge when balance is lacking in the classroom, whether academic or behavior related. By evening out the ingredients of the classroom composition, teachers can sustain balance, sanity and happiness for all. Tune in to hear multiple strategies for problem solving the lack of balance in your classroom. Quotables I grew through pain and built up my game When our life is crazy an...

Change is inevitable. It happens to the best of us. But, when change happens to us, it can be challenging to make the most of the opportunity because our emotions get in the way. Tune in to hear 4 tips for how to control the change happening to you so that you can still become your very best. Quotables It’s a blip on the screen; it’s not a forever thing It’s a temporary setback that will lead to a...

Cole graduated from the University of Houston – Downtown with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Education. She spent the last 7 years teaching Pre-K and Kindergarten in Title 1 schools in Houston, Texas and the last two years teaching in the STEAM lab in an Early Childhood Center. Cole is passionate about giving students hands-on learning experiences and differentiating instruction. When she is not tea...

Effective leaders lead people from a place of grace not from an agenda. Everyone faces stressors on the job and being able to acknowledge the timing and size of such stressors in order to lead others towards effective change requires intention and grace. Tune in to hear how to meet your job requirements while leading others towards beneficial change during the Back-to-School mayhem. Quotables Grac...

The hardest thing to do is become better on your own when no one is watching. Staying motivated and clear on your purpose without the pressure of a deadline or request from a member of influence is harder than imaginable. Tune in to hear how you can make a significant upgrade to your edu-self so that you maximize your potential and student achievement for the upcoming school year. Quotables When I...

The technological myth in classrooms today is a trifecta: 1) if students aren’t learning on a technological device, then they aren’t learning at all 2) if teachers aren’t incorporating technology into a lesson, then they aren’t effective 3) if schools aren’t outfitted with the latest technology devices then they are behind, broke or operating on an old-school mentality. These assumptions couldn’t...

There are moments throughout the day where kids reach out to an adult hoping to make a connection. Oftentimes, these attempts are not recognized by busy adults and in the end opportunities go unnoticed for a child to fulfill their potential. Tune in to hear a powerful story about Les Brown who defied all odds to become his best self all because of a special teacher in his life. Quotables We as edu...

  Dr. James Davis has been an educator for the past 17 years, serving as a Professor, Principal, Assistant Principal of Instruction, and classroom teacher. He has his Ph. D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Urban Education. His areas of expertise include school turn-around, elementary education, middle grades education, increasing student achievement, and teacher effectiv...

No one arrives at greatness haphazardly. It takes time, dedication, patience and FEEDBACK. But, feedback can be hard to swallow, especially if it points out a weakness. It’s important to remember that even the best of the best receive feedback on a daily basis and because of that they are effective. Without the perspective and honesty of feedback, it is hard to perfect our craft. Tune in to hear 4...

There comes a time in your career when you need a respite in order to keep going, as if you are running a marathon and need a quick water or walk break. Too often the education profession loses great teachers because they do not get the respite they require to continue on in this career. Tune in to hear 4 tips to recharge your batteries so that you can continue using your talent to impact students...

Engagement and empowerment not only have different meaning, but they hold different values in the classroom as students become leaders of their own learning. Fine tune your definition of engagement and empowerment by listening to this episode as well as gain tips and tricks to upgrade your teaching efficacy in the classroom. Quotables The more I passed the baton to my kids, the better they did in...

It is easy to categorize student’s potential based on their misbehaviors, but we miss opportunities to help students develop critical skills in order to reflect, adjust and become their best selves. Burgess and Houf state, “separate the deed from the doer and work to change the deed.” Tune in for tips on how to do just this! Quotables Kids make mistakes and they shouldn’t be defined by them We hav...