Classroom Conversations

Tune in for an update from Teach in the Peach, the State's teacher recruitment engine. With the support of a $3.9 million U.S. Department of Labor grant, an exciting new pathway to the teaching profession is gaining speed. The Georgia Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program provides a unique approach to certification, wherein teachers-to-be who are enrolled in college classes can work...

Preventing chronic absenteeism requires that we understand the inner workings of habitual student absence. In this episode, we go straight to the source with Osborne High School senior Oscar Segoviano. Oscar details his attendance journey in his own words, vis-à-vis his teacher advocate, Osborne High's Work-Based Learning Coordinator Katy Hunt. Katy's refusal to accept excuses and her commitment t...

Part 2 of Georgia DOE’s December 2025 Attendance Summit “Georgia Goes to School” continues with state leaders on a mission to help cut Georgia's chronic absenteeism by 50% in 5 years. Attendance Works, a national partner in reducing poor attendance, joins GaDOE’s Deputy Superintendent Justin Hill, and the Director of Children in Need of Services (CHINS) for Georgia’s juvenile court judges to explo...

Chronic absenteeism: what is it, how do we fix it, and who can help? In a two-part special field recording from the 2nd annual Georgia DOE Attendance Summit "Georgia Goes to School," we examine contributing factors to the attendance struggle from various agencies' vantage points. Representatives from UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, DBHDD, and GaDOE School Nutrition illuminate their orga...

Scanning the horizon for a way to help educators work hard, and work well? Look no further than College Park Elementary, where care, connection among colleagues, and coordinated initiatives uplift educator wellness. Principal Maisha Otway and Wellness Ambassador Jetanne Dugger share the positive impacts of Georgia DOE and local RESA "Wellness in Action" sessions, noting that prioritized educator w...

What can educators and districts do to improve their absentee data? Hear Forsyth County Schools' successful vertical model for getting students into the school building, "safe, connected, and thriving." Forsyth's Director of Student Support Sarah Von Esh and Little Mill Middle School Principal Molly Lavin reveal the beautiful choreography between schools and the district that's making big strides...

In the Season 8 premiere, meet Georgia's Teacher of the Year from Morgan County. Rachel Kinsaul grew up on a beef cattle farm as a rodeo kid. Today, she lassoes that lived experience into teaching agricultural science with an added mission of community service. Learn about Rachel's innovative CTAE courses, her push for an upcoming Georgia public schools "Day of Service," and her take on getting st...

Our season-long examination of personalized learning, the student-centered practices for heightened student engagement, draws to an uplifting close in the finale episode. Early Childhood Special Education Teacher Sarah Bazzy from Camp Creek Elementary School in Gwinnett County Public Schools joins the podcast with an alliterative set of priorities inspired by her “littles” that propels PL instruct...

The best reviews for student choice and flexible learning environments come from educators embracing personalized learning in the field. In this conversation, lean on the wisdom of PL implementation experts, Georgia's regional educational service agencies (RESAs). RESA representative Uvonda Mitchell from Chattahoochee-Flint RESA reports in with feedback on a fascinating question: do academic coach...

How do teachers assess content mastery in personalized learning, when students choose their own learning trajectory? Georgia's runner-up for 2025 Teacher of the Year and 3rd-5th grade STEM teacher from City Schools of Decatur Alicia Reno visits the podcast with her sensational STEM strategies. By connecting the standards to real life, application person Alicia first hooks students on the process o...

Hear the impactful story of Cherokee County students who operate a personalized learning-driven food pantry to fulfill a need in their home community. Cherokee High School's World Languages Teacher and Bilingual Student Support Specialist Jennifer Rasmussen dishes on the self-made Workplace Spanish curriculum that enabled students to explore individualized career paths through the vehicle of colla...

Teaching that focuses on student strengths rather than weaknesses often leads to a resurgence of creativity in the classroom. Richmond Hill Middle School's new science teacher, PLC Lead, and Gifted Lead Charvez Holmes clues us in on asset-based personalized learning initiatives that she is bringing to Bryan County Schools to bring out the best in students.

Student goal-setting, a personalized learning core competency, works motivational wonders for student growth. In discussion with Early Intervention Program Teacher Megan Mull from Cherokee County's Oak Grove Elementary School STEAM Academy, this episode explores how to co-plan with young learners to set short and long-term goals. Megan presents a digestible bite-sized approach to br...

Our personalized learning reconnaissance continues with practical, tactical insights from the GRE4T Initiative's PL bootcamp. Borrow takeaways from a Peach County Schools insider whose faculty attended bootcamp to absorb key strategies. With a salute to structured chaos and her motivating mantra of "model and practice," Assistant Principal Teletta Marable brings the basic training teachers ne...

Teachers trying out personalized learning may wonder, "Will prioritizing learner agency spell chaos for my classroom?" Shifting instruction to a high level of student ownership can be a challenge for educators. From Clayton County Public Schools, Director of Instructional Coaching and Teacher Support Monique Drewry explains what's driving this challenge, and provides rock-solid intel on...

This conversation with Media Specialist Dr. Amanda White from Fayette County Public Schools promises a perspective shift about media centers that will enhance students' personalized learning. Learn how to lay out and leverage your school's largest classroom, the library, in a friendly format that invites learner agency.

Personalized learning—that is, student-centered practices for heightened engagement—is gaining a foothold in Georgia schools. In a  Classroom Conversations  first, join us for a ten-episode, season-long exploration of all things personalized learning. Twiggs County's Personalized Learning Director Dr. Shiona Drummer drums up enthusiasm in our first episode with the basics and benefits of...

In our “Back to School with Tech” finale from the Georgia Educational Technology Conference, the word is connection. Align strategy with technology in GaConnects and broaden your professional learning network at GaETC. Chattahoochee-Flint RESA’s Heidi Goodin and Tonya Barrett talk Georgia Movie Academy, and math teacher Andrea Powell shares a slam dunk with anchor charts and assessment item banks....

In part two of our Classroom Conversations mini-series "Back to School with Tech," learn how to put the fire back in teaching with technology. From the Georgia Educational Technology Conference, two educators share ideas to enhance your instructional prowess. Schley County STEAM teacher Shelee McCorkle falls in love with a special software at GaETC, and Fulton County Instructional Coach Amy Long p...

In part one of a three-part LIVE and in the wild mini-series called “Back to School with Tech,” we take you behind the scenes of the Georgia Educational Technology Conference, GaETC. Hear from educators who are harnessing the disruptive force of assistive technologies to help students create in a digital learning landscape. Fulton County School District’s Director of Instructional Technology Heath...

More than 12% of Georgia’s school-age children are affected by asthma. In the continuation of our Health Barriers to Learning series, we explore this often overlooked problem in our schools and learn how the creation of asthma-friendly spaces can improve student learning. Join us in conversation with Dr. Maisha Otway, principal at College Park Elementary, and Daija Norwood, fifth-grade teacher at...

As Georgia kicks off its new “Teach in the Peach” campaign, we’re celebrating the passion and purpose behind the profession with stories from the classroom, campus, and beyond. Join us in conversation with 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year, Christy Todd, along with Jay Lovett and Jonathan Feicht. Whether you’re a veteran, a newbie, or just curious—this episode is for you. Let’s talk recruitment, re...

Be present and accounted for in learning the strategies that address chronic absenteeism. Hear Dr. Duke Bradley III (superintendent, Newton County Schools) and Dr. Dana Rickman (president and CEO, GPEE) as they discuss how to improve student attendance.

Put STEM theory into practice with the modern day science fair! Join us in conversation with Shelley Kozowski, Science Fair Coordinator at Whitewater High School and Laura Brewer, the program director of the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair.

To celebrate Arts in Education month, we're rerunning one of our favorite arts episodes! Join us in conversation with music teachers, Melissa Delman and Michael Kobito to learn how music can develop a greater sense of community and collaboration in our classrooms.