How We Teach This

Dr. Dustin Springer, Principal of Gray Hawk Elementary in USD 458 Basehor-Linwood in Kansas, inspires teachers to change their mindset from one of punishment to understanding children with behavior issues. He gives examples of amygdala reset stations and how creating connections with students creates a climate that improves behavior. He describes holding a student accountable for actions but not a...

Who is your teacher foremother or forefather? Your “grandteacher”? Teacher lineage was a topic introduced by the NTHF 2020 inductees as they discussed who was their inspiration and who they have inspired and hope to continue inspiring. Guests included: Andrew Beiter, a Springville (NY) Middle School eighth grade social studies teacher; Melissa Collins, a second grade teacher at John P. Freeman Opt...

Dr. Bret Church, assistant professor at Emporia State University and co-researcher of the Kansas Teacher Retention Initiative, shares the results from a survey of 50% of the educators in Kansas.  They were questioned on three key areas: satisfaction, engagement in the profession, and future intentions.  Districts can analyze their own data and overall stakeholders can lear...

Part 2 of the interview between student, Hailey Kisner, and Michael McKnight, author and special education expert, delves even deeper into the importance of creating connections with students. He shares about how having solid, positive relationships is powerful for teachers. Creating quality relationships is critical to having a successful outcome, especially for students exposed to trauma. He off...

Travis True, Curriculum & Technology Coordinator for Topeka Public Schools and Google Educator Certified Trainer, gives an overview of recent changes in technology in education and advice for teachers who want to become more efficient at using technology without spending a lot of time trying to learn new software or hardware.

Dr. Lori Desautels, author and education expert, explains how early trauma impacts a student's ability to regulate and learn. She has written several books about her experience working with students with challenging behaviors. She shares how addiction is a form of a learning disorder as a reaction to pain. Teachers and parents can look at the acronym "A SECRET" to identify the causes of behaviors...

Jordan Billings, Instructor for Olathe Public Schools, shares strategies and steps on how to get started for educators who are interested in adding elements of gamification into their classrooms. Gamification can improve engagement and add some fun back into the classroom.

Michael McKnight, author and special education expert, describes how education has moved from a time without brain science to current times with more understanding of how trauma affects students that are often labeled difficult. McKnight shares how humans are resilient and the importance of teaching everyone how trauma impacts the brain, then affects behavior and learning. He believes that startin...

Whittne Ballinger, as a third-year teacher, has already experienced a lot of variety in her teaching career. She currently teaches 2nd-grade students to understand their own brains plus how to improve regulation and be better prepared for learning. She creates a welcoming classroom with Amigdala reset stations and Polyvagal charts. She says that if 2nd-grade students can understand these concepts...

Dr. Dustin Springer, Principal of Gray Hawk Elementary in USD 458 Basehor-Linwood in Kansas, shares his background and how he came to realize the need for understanding neuroscience in education. He gives insight by sharing his journey as a teacher then principal of how he worked to changed the environment in his elementary school so that students would have a nurturing school experience with rela...

Dr. Lori Desautels, author and education expert, explains how early trauma impacts a students' ability to regulate and learn. She has written several books from her experience working with students with challenging behaviors. She shares how addiction is a form of a learning disorder as a reaction to pain. Teachers and parents can look at the acronym "A SECRET" to identify the causes of behaviors t...

Jordan Billings, Instructor for Olathe Public Schools, shares strategies and steps on how to get started for educators who are interested in adding elements of gamification into their classrooms. Gamification can improve engagement and add some fun back into the classroom. It might be just what you need to inspire you after a few rough years dealing with the ups and downs during the pandemic.

The 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team travels across the state giving presentations to inspire and challenge those in education to improve teaching & learning by getting to know their students and building valuable relationships that change lives. In this podcast, the team answers questions on a variety of topics to inspire our listening audience to renew the teaching spirit and make connec...

Dr. Jenny Moss shares strategies and examples of how creating a more autonomy-supportive classroom compared to a controlling environment can improve the overall environment of teaching and learning. She shares why behavior management strategies like public charts or activities that shame students create a less than desirable effect. She offers the suggestion of incorporating more choice and value...

How We Teach This is looking forward to Season 3 starting January 19, 2022 with new episodes every two weeks on Wednesdays.

Christopher Albrecht, 2019 Inductee in the National Teachers Hall of Fame, discusses his latest book. Albrecht is an educator and author who inspires teachers to remember their purpose for becoming an educator. In order to write his recent book, The Rediscovery of Hope and Purpose , he interviewed several people with different stories of their life - from a well-known football coach, the firs...

On December 8, 2021 we will drop a special extended interview with 2019 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductee, author, teacher, and park ranger  Christopher Albrecht. After that, we are going on break but will return with our first episode of Season 3 on January 19, 2022!

From adapting school to be delivered online at the beginning of the COVID pandemic through the continuing process of addressing the social-emotional needs of staff and students, administrators from USD 265 Goddard Jess Herbig, Executive Director of Instructional Supports, and Ryan Jilka, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources & Student Services, review their work and experiences. You can...

Join school administrators from USD 265 Goddard, Jess Herbig, Executive Director of Instructional Supports, and Ryan Jilka, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources & Student Services, as they discuss their work and experiences through the pandemic.

"A lot of my implementation (of OER) comes from using the mathematical community to find some good, open source or free text options. For the classes I'm using it in, I'm making videos to go on top of it. I will look at the material, and I'll (short) create lectures (with captioning)," said Thomas Mahoney, associate professor in ESU's Mathematics and Economics Department. Thomas shares his experie...

Dr. Ruby K. Payne, educator and author best known for A Framework for Understanding Poverty, visited Emporia State University and was interviewed by a current and past member of the Social Emotional Learning Student Group. Dr. Payne is an expert on the culture of poverty and its relation to education. You can find more information about How We Teach This on our website, www.emporia.edu/HWTT plus w...

Join us as member of Emporia State University's Social Emotional Learning student group interview expert on education and emotional poverty Dr. Ruby Payne on the next episode of How We Teach This.

Adapting a course from face-to-face to online is not an easy task. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Moss from Emporia State University's Department of Psychology discusses how she implemented OER into her course while transitioning her courses online due to the COVID pandemic. You can find more information about How We Teach This on our website, www.emporia.edu/HWTT plus watch videos of the presenter...

"This idea of kids need to comply with us because we're the adults and they're the child and they make a poor choice and there has to have a punishment.... quite frankly, those days are over." "I had that mindset early on in my career. Looking back on it, when we know better we do better. When I started learning more about the impact of trauma...that's when my life took more of a swing towards to...

Dr. Kevin Rabas and Dr. Amy Sage Webb-Baza from Emporia State University's Department of English, Modern Languages, and Journalism discuss ballroom dancing, their reasons for adding Open Educational Resources (OER) into their creative writing courses, and express gratitude for the many resources available to help them with the transition. You can find more information about How We Teach This on ou...