Chops

First grade teacher Heidi Snyder joins the show this week to share her thoughts on best practices as well as her genuine love of teaching kids.

Dynamic leaders and influential teachers are the topic this week. Steve and Jack highlight the qualities of these people and discuss how they can emulate them and model charisma and tenacity for their students.

Inspired by a New York Times Newsletter article titled "When Someone You Love is Upset, Ask This One Question," Jack and Steve explore whether students want to be helped, heard, or hugged. Additionally, they seek to assist students in helping themselves.

As the title suggests, there is much more to marching band than notes, feet, and flags. The season is over for the Marching Minutemen and the final weeks are recapped in this episode.

Master teacher Bryan Golden joins the show and shares his thoughts on teaching and how every choice he makes in the classroom is "pro-kid."

Students' success levels vary far and wide when it comes to completing homework. Jack and Steve work through the puzzle as they explore their experiences assigning work outside of the classroom.

Student attendance is not within a teacher's circle of control, but it can be influenced. Jack and Steve share their insights on how to get students to school.

Kids aren't worse; they're just different. The duo discusses how students calling teachers "bruh" is just an example of how these changes affect the learning environment.

Social studies teacher Matt Furfaro joins the podcast this week to discuss best practices in getting the most out of the kids.

Smiling (and being aware of it) is important for both students and teachers. Jack and Steve discuss how this simple act plays an integral role in their profession.

"Classic" has become a word of diffusion in the classroom for Jack and Steve when the lesson plan takes a detour.

The best teachers have the best kids. Jack and Steve explore how teachers can best unlock potential in all of their students.

Jack and Steve discuss the difference between running a class like a cruise ship and running it like a speedboat.

Former band director (and Steve's mentor) Ken Snoeck joins the podcast this week to discuss how his tenacity led him to excellence in his craft.

Servant leadership takes the spotlight in this week's episode. Jack and Steve engage in topics like college move-in and shopping carts as they dissect the concept of "I'll Do It."

Students feed off of the energy and excitement coming from their teacher. Steve and Jack discuss the importance of geeking out in front of their kids and displaying a true love of their content.

Summer is in full blast and lawns are frequently groomed. Jack and Steve relate their yard care process to the classroom and discuss how they cultivate the flowers, mow the grass, and minimize the weeds.

Scott Spradling, Director of Music at Concord Community Schools, joins Chops this week for a conversation on how he instills effort in his students through humor and authenticity.

The educational buzzword “scaffolding” means to break down a difficult task into smaller, more manageable pieces. Jack and Steve take the listeners through their thoughts on scaffolding, why it is necessary in the classroom, and how they use it in their lessons.

Your podcast hosts are back at school for the summer working with the marching band. They discuss implementing “inside-out teaching” where students are driven by intrinsic motivators rather than instructions and demands from the adult in the room.

After sharing their experiences from their time off in June, Steve and Jack discuss their goals for their classes as they near the beginning of the marching band season.

Jack and Steve wrap up their years at the school. Hot topics like programming, classroom culture, and student relationships are on the table as they discuss three things: what to keep from this year, what to change for next year, and the importance of stillness.

Steve Peterson and Jack Hinkle introduce themselves and the show "Chops," a podcast about teaching kids. While they both teach band, they find that their topics relate to all types of educators. In this episode, they explore the concept of the Teaching Trifecta - knowing (and loving) teaching, your content, and your students.