Always A Lesson's Empowering Educators Podcast

The spring season in a school building can cause a lot of anxiety as testing begins and talk about changes for the upcoming school year surface. In order for a teacher to close out the current school year successfully (and with all of their sanity intact), they must avoid the rumor mill. Tune in to this episode to hear 5 tips for how to do just that! Quotables It’s a juggling act that ends up bein...

Leading others can be difficult, but with some guidance, teacher leaders can not only hone their own craft but build capacity in those that they lead. By using a cyclical process of asking questions and listening to the answers, teacher leaders can uncover potential obstacles those they lead are facing before helping a teacher implement a new skill. Tune in for tips and strategies to ask, listen a...

Carmin Adams is an 11 year veteran and currently a third teacher at Belmont Central Elementary in Gaston County Schools right here in North Carolina. She is a graduate of Gaston County Schools and Belmont Abbey College! She is a proud mother of a beautiful sixteen year old and loves traveling! The main factor that influenced Carmin to become a teacher was the opportunity to interact with...

Students learn in a variety of ways which means their behavior while learning is very different too. Often times, we teachers make assumptions based on face value of who is paying attention, who is working hard, who is confused, etc. It’s important that we push past these facades and dig in to what is really going on behind the learning behaviors of our students. Tune in for tips on how to get acc...

The first few years as a teacher in a classroom can be overwhelming trying to learn all of the ropes. But, how a teacher spends this time period is critical to the longevity of their career. Tune in to hear tips and tricks (as well as fabulous resources) for how to be a sponge as a new teacher so that you can be more effective faster! Quotables You can take bits and pieces of their strategy to sew...

Acknowledging the talents and contributions of others shouldn’t be limited to something only done in our professional lives. We have to pour into each other in all aspects of our lives. Tune in to hear how I incorporate building relationships through empowering others in my everyday life and how you can do it too! Quotables What a waste for that thought to remain just a thought. It does nothing fo...

Teaching is overwhelming and teachers often put themselves last in self-care. This leads to burn out and a short career. Advocating for your needs can be hard and well, awkward. But by reflecting on what you need, requesting what you need, and requiring what you need you’ll be able to lead your own march! Tune in to hear 4 actionable steps to ensure you advocate for your needs just as successfully...

Kayse Morris is a teacher by day and a curriculum designer by night. She develops quality resources for teachers grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. She has a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education, a Masters in Instructional Technology and a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership. She has a passion for life and thinks that beauty lies within the simple things. Her philosophy is that ‘Simplicity is whe...

Sometimes there’s no other option but to rely on ourselves, dig in our heels, and do the hard work. Developing your teacher craft is no different in that your determination to become greater must outweigh your need to be told what to do. Tune in to hear how to be your own lifeline in becoming your best. Quotables “I need to get better at teaching. I want to be better for my students, parents, scho...

There is always something “new” being asked of teachers. It can be quite overwhelming to implement every change while still maintaining your own style in the classroom. Tune in to hear how teacher leaders can help bridge the gap between requirements and teacher freedom. Quotables What matters is that teachers feel like they can meet the requirements AND still do their own thing. I haven’t figured...

Engagement can be a tricky aspect of any instructor’s lesson plan delivery. Ensuring students have high engagement with the content being taught requires a dance between student and teacher. Empowering students with ownership and accountability in the classroom is one way to ensure quality engagement in every lesson. Tune in to hear how to get started! Quotables Now is the time to ramp up the stud...

Information is at our fingertips these days, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing. It becomes too easy to over-consume information, leading to anxiety, depression, and overwhelm. Avoid the edu-consumption overload by following three simple steps outlined in this podcast episode. Quotables The moment you go a mile wide and an inch deep in any facet of your life, you lose your effectiveness and s...

Suzanne Cresswell is an occupational and physical therapist who has worked with unique learners for over three decades. Suzanne works to educate and provide proven solutions and strategies to those that parent, instruct and work with unique learners. By creating an understanding of unique learners and their learning behavior, she helps parents, teachers and the students themselves find the ability...

To truly become GREAT at something, it requires intention, practice, reflection, and time. Effective educators are no different. Tune in to hear 8 tips for how new teachers can transform their novice abilities into accomplished, effective talent. Quotables Your hard work doesn’t always produce favorable results “You have to go slow to go fast” Effective teachers blossom in the most unusual of plac...

Don’t wait to step up to the plate and lead those around you just because you don’t have a title. The best leaders don’t have leadership titles because leadership is something you are, not something you do. Tune in to hear strategies for how to overcome obstacles that those who lead without a title face so that you can be your best while helping those around you become their best. Quotables “Bring...

Using a countdown in the classroom can be extremely effective. However, teachers innocently misuse countdowns during instruction. Tune in to hear tips on WHEN and WHEN NOT to use a countdown in the classroom so that student learning is maximized. Quotables Countdowns create urgency and keep the focus on behavior management so that we can get down to learning The best teachers empower kiddos to tak...

Differentiation is the latest buzz in education, but the reality of what it looks like in the classroom has yet to be solidified. Many new teachers struggle with providing personalized learning experiences to their students not because they do not understand what differentiation is, rather it’s the logistical, organizational part of differentiation that leaves them stuck. Tune in to hear what you...

  Corey Knight has extensive experience in the classroom with technology. After graduating from Indiana University with a degree in secondary education, he became a classroom teacher at an urban middle school in Indiana. After two years, he began working on my post graduate degree which he earned from Ball State University in Educational Technology and Curriculum. He was immediately offered a...

When life gets tough, we need the right people by our side to help us get through it. But in order for those right people to be there we have to do our part and invest in those relationships, regardless of how bad or busy our lives are. Tune in to hear 4 steps to keeping healthy relationships in motion. Quotables Sometimes those friendships are just as necessary in our life as food and water Choos...

Teachers face some tough obstacles on their journey in the classroom. But those circumstances don’t define who they are as a person or a professional. Tune in to hear 4 steps for how you can write your story so that it has the impact and ending that you dream of. Quotables “Circumstances don’t make your life interesting. You make your life interesting. Write your story.” AMB Do not let your circum...

Classroom management can be tricky when we react to student behavior instead of setting up procedures. Oftentimes, we let the heat of the moment control our brain and we end up making decisions that hinder student learning. Tune in to hear two scenarios of classroom management struggles where tips are shared so that the problem and solution go together like a delicious peanut butter and jelly sand...

The work-life balance struggle is never more real than when you realize there’s more parts than just work and life that you need to balance. Life itself consists of numerous titles (mom, wife, daughter, friend, etc) that are getting put on the back burner. Tune in to hear 3 tips you can implement today to make time for all these different parts of you. Quotables Sometimes I feel like my identity i...

Bill Cecil is a recently retired, 31-year veteran teacher for the Waverly Community Schools in Lansing, MI. Bill believes every teacher is a leader with a team to lead, and he has created a program called “Best Year Ever!” that provides teachers with a clear vision, blueprint, and proven strategies to create a positive, safe, and productive learning environment where individuals strive for pe...

The teaching profession is not all rainbows. There are trying times and when teachers do not receive support from their leaders in how to navigate these rougher waters, the rainbows not only disappear but so do the teachers. We cannot risk losing more great teachers to other professions. Tune in to learn 4 steps in how to support teachers in efforts to retain this passionate talent. Quotables We a...

Educators are not islands; we work with numerous people all day. There are times where relationships aren’t harmonious and it’s up to us educators to repair these connections so that the partnership can flourish and so can students. Tune in to hear how to repair a broken relationship with colleagues. Quotables You NEVER know what people are going through as they sit before you or even work alongsi...