Authentic Educators

Victoria Short a retired English teacher and veteran of the U.S. Army. In her 28 years as a teacher she was named Teacher of the Year, taught thousands of students, and inspired many with her storytelling and life lessons. She is the author of the book, Find Your Mini Pumpkin, a collection of the life lessons that she would share with her students on Fridays.  In this episode, Victoria reflects ab...

Purposeful displays like printouts of current events, character maps drawn on whiteboard, or daily stock market updates posted on the wall can create engagement and authentic conversations. In this episode, Cody and Dave talk about simple ways to create engagement, foster rapport, and connect to the curriculum through engaging classroom displays. Reach out at authenticedpod@gmail.com if you have a...

Autonomy provides students the necessary opportunities to see what they are capable of and learn from their mistakes.  Cody and Dave’s conversation with PA teacher of the year nominee, Ken Ehrmann, explores the ways in which teachers can foster powerful learning experiences in their classrooms with students at the center of the decision-making tree. Learn more about Ken at his website, https://www...

Providing effective feedback is an essential but time-consuming part of being a teacher.  Cody and Dave discuss a model of ensuring that students hear their teacher’s advice and are able to act upon it for future essays, projects, or activities.   Reach out at authenticedpod@gmail.com if you have any questions or ideas to share and click the link below to use the resource Cody discusses in this ep...

Classrooms thrive when every voice is heard and every mind is engaged, but how do we move beyond the handful of hands that always go up? Cody and Dave dive into Total Participation Techniques, practical strategies to get all students actively involved in learning, sharing 3 total participation techniques–Table top reviews, pass it forward, and debate carousels–that they love to use in their classr...

Imagine if the games you played as a child were an active part of your educational experience.  In this episode, Owen and Nick, who have teaching and administrative experience in various educational settings, share a collaborative activity they used in their middle school math classes.   Their creative minds were on full display as each class assumed the role of pirate or sailor to try and outsmar...

Karen Miller, a middle school English teacher in Pennsylvania, shares a transformative classroom moment that underscores the importance of teaching students they are capable of doing hard things—and why it’s crucial they do. In a world where phones and computers have made instant gratification more accessible than ever, every teacher faces the challenges of managing technology’s impact on students...

Patrick Breshears, a high school history teacher in North Carolina, talks about classroom management and a concept he calls “reintroductions.” You’ve probably heard of redirections, which sometimes involves pausing a lesson to address or correct student behavior. Patrick talks about something he calls reintroduction, where rather than pausing an entire lesson, he finds a way to include a distracti...

Cody and Dave talk about the importance of routines in the classroom and specific reading routines that Dave implements. Dave talks about writer’s notebooks, establishing time each week for reading, read alouds, and an activity called reading minutes that he used to use as an English teacher and now implements in business courses. Enjoy listening and find ways to incorporate in your own classroom!...

Cody and Dave interview Meghan MacConnell, a Spanish teacher in suburban Philadelphia with twenty years of teaching experience. She is the department chair and gifts students the experience of learning Spanish culture by participating in Dia de Muertos through creating original ofrendas, honoring loved ones in their lives who have passed away. Our conversation details how Meghan implements this pr...

This is part two of Cody and Dave’s conversation with Thom Stecher. Thom is a nationally recognized motivational speaker and educational consultant who specializes in self-esteem, wellness, and student assistance programs. In this episode, we talk about specific strategies that embed social and emotional learning within our curriculum. Thom talks about sending letters home to parents, introducing...

Cody and Dave are joined by their first guest, Thom Stecher. Thom is a nationally recognized motivational speaker and educational consultant who specializes in self-esteem, wellness, and student assistance programs. In this episode, we discuss how critical the first weeks of school are, how to build a classroom climate, and the importance of embedding social and emotional learning throughout your...

Cody and Dave talk about Cody’s favorite lesson ever, a lesson that he has done in the past to hook his students before reading Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. Cody has his classes play a game, Mafia, to hook his students. Cody and Dave talk about this game and hooking students with unique experiences. Listen and learn more and reach out at authenticedpod@gmail.com if you have any questions or...

Cody and Dave talk about Cody’s daily conferencing practice. He checks in with a handful of students every day about their lives, their schoolwork, their questions, and more, and it’s a practice that pays dividends for his classroom climate. Listen and learn more and reach out at authenticedpod@gmail.com if you have any questions for Cody!

Cody and Dave talk about letter writing during the first week of school.

Authentic Educators A podcast for teachers, by teachers, about best lessons, favorite classroom moments, and strategies you can implement today. Reach out at authenticedpod@gmail.com!