Phenomenal Teaching with PEBC

Educators and students have been weathering the storm for quite some time now, and while the waves of uncertainty, stress and trauma are diminishing for many, the after effects of the storm are still present.  Dr. Andra Brill joins PEBC's Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to talk about strategies teachers can implement to support students as they learn how to do school all over again. As many educa...

Brooke O”Drobinak and Beth Kelley join PEBC’s Phenomenal Teaching Podcast with Michelle Morris Jones to share perspectives and practices to help educators 'make it to Monday” during this incredibly challenging time.  First and foremost, it is important to recognize that we are in the midst of a “mental health tsunami” and all of our feelings, reactions, and actions are NORMAL as we are all pr...

School leadership takes on many forms from those who serve in formal leadership roles to those who stand before students each and every day.  In order to step boldly into true service and leadership we must first know ourselves, our values, our why, and the habits and ways of thinking that hold us back.  Maggie Riley, a certified Integrative Holistic Wellness Coach and Assistant Principa...

Jailyn Jenkins believes that each and every learner deserves life-worthy conversations that promote community and deepen content understanding. Jailyn joined Michelle Morris Jones on the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to unpack the PEBC Teaching Framework and specific ways in which teachers can promote student discourse that is meaningful, culturally responsive and sustaining, and inclusive of all vo...

As we strive to create schools that are more phenomenal than ever before Michelle Morris Jones sits down with Sam Bennett to discuss Humanizing Leadership.  Sam clearly spells out some of the ways in which schools systematically dehumanize teachers and students, and she suggests actions leaders can take to create schools that support the humanity of each and every teacher and student.  S...

As we head into summer vacation, students Estella and Killian and their Virtual Advisor Karen Goodman share their reflections on their experiences as learners in their virtually connected classroom with Michelle Morris Jones on the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast. It is informative and joyful to listen in on all the successes, challenges, and favorite memories as Estella and Killian share how they gre...

By centering humanity we can plan for cultural sustainability and implement equitable practices that are not bandaid solutions or simply performative activities. Nawal Q. Casiano of NQC Literacy joins Michelle Morris Jones on the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast and shares her beliefs and practical ideas for teaching literacy for agency, equity and understanding.  Nawal and Michelle dive into the...

Teaching first grade for the first time is tricky!  And teaching first grade virtually for the first time is even trickier!!  Listen in as PEBC Lab Host Kirsten Myers Blake shares how she got “unstuck” when times got tough by leaning into her beliefs, determining importance, and loving hard.  As a fierce believer in the workshop model Kirsten knew she had to provide opportunities fo...

In this episode Katherine Bomer and Michelle Morris Jones discuss the importance of asset based assessment practices and the ways in which adopting an appreciative mindset leads to student growth, efficacy and joy as Katherine's work aligns closely with the Assessment strand of the PEBC Teaching Framework as illustrated in Phenomenal Teaching by Wendy Ward Hoffer.  In Hidden Gems Katherine wr...

In this episode Kelly Boswell joins Michelle Morris Jones on the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to discuss how to plan and implement lifeworthy writer’s workshops.  In the PEBC Teaching Framework , "lifeworthy learning"  means engaging with classroom content in a way that has meaning beyond the classroom. Lifeworthy learning sees and supports students as scholars, citizens and humans and he...

In this episode, PEBC Lab Hosts Jenn Brauner and Jennifer Engbretsen join Michelle Morris Jones on the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to discuss the ways in which hybrid learning is playing out for them and their students.  We dive into how the various strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework support student community and learning. Intentional planning and formative assessment strategies have been...

In this episode of the PEBC Phenomenal Teaching Podcast Michelle Morris Jones dives into the art of argument writing and the craft of teaching argumentation with PEBC Staff Developers Annie Patterson & Stevi Quate, along with PEBC Lab Host Alisa Wills-Keely.  This trio brings a wealth of experience to their work with students and adults.  Their conversation highlights the importance...

In this episode  PEBC Lab Host Jana Durbin and Michelle Morris Jones unpack the fear of “learning loss” and how joy, inquiry, and community come together to create opportunities for supporting student wellness and academic achievement.  In the fall when Jana’s students returned to the classroom she quickly realized the importance of helping her students feel safe and the need for persona...

Listen in as Lorena Germán, co-founder of #DistruptTexts , joins Michelle Morris Jones on the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to unpack the Heart, Head, and Hands of Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist (ABAR) Teaching.  At the heart of ABAR teaching lies Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2017) and the importance of exploring one's own identity, implicit biases, and instructional practices....

Learners must be the “doers” of what they are learning!  Being a doer is supported by engagement, immersion, demonstration, employment, expectation, approximation, responsibility and response ~ these conditions are commonly known as the “Conditions of Learning” or “Cambourne’s Conditions” and are an essential component of “Cambourne’s Model of Learning” theory.   This theory wa...

How can educators build practical self care practices that go beyond chocolate, walks, and bubble baths?  Beth Kelley is a wellness consultant who works with educators, entrepreneurs, and organizations to build resiliency and to promote wellness practices that are achievable. She recently joined Michelle Morris Jones on PEBC's Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to get to the bottom of "self care" mo...

What if reading aloud was the front porch or the threshold that welcomed students into learning? As students, teachers and families prepare to return to their classrooms, Lester Laminack joins Michelle Morris Jones to unpack how reading aloud to students has the power to bring communities of learners back together with purpose and meaning.  For all of us, young and old, listening to others re...

How can we be proactive in supporting positive student behavior?  Student behavior is a form of communication that students use to tell us what they are feeling, experiencing, and need.  Listen in as Brad Riley, Behavior Technician for Denver Public Schools, shares suggestions for teachers and school leaders to support positive student behavior as we all navigate learning under extreme s...

Every teacher dreads the question, "Why do I have to read this?"  Listen in as Cris Tovani shares her CYA ~ Curriculum You Anticipate ~ planning structure. When planning for student engagement we must consider how Topic, Tasks, Time, Targets, Texts, and Tending all come together to create  authentic learning experiences for students and teachers.  Cris shares her insights into the i...

In this episode PEBC Staff Developers Sathya Wandzek and Dr. Sarah Littmann-Berger join Michelle Morris Jones to talk about talk!   The PEBC Teaching Framework highlights Discourse as an instructional strategy that supports student agency, equity, and understanding.  John Hattie’s meta analyses indicate that student discourse has an effect size of .82 on student achievement. Distanc...

Typically, Patrick Allen's classroom brims with over 3,000 children's books and his students pour over them tucked into nooks and crannies all around the room.  This year Patrick is teaching remotely and most of his collection is in storage;  yet he is still bringing the gift of high quality literature to his students each and every day by reading aloud.  Patrick and Michelle discus...

Why is math important?  Why do so many people hate math?  How can we promote positive STEM identity for all learners?  Wendy Ward Hoffer and Michelle Morris Jones dive into these questions and more as they discuss ways to "turn over the mathematical gymnastics to the students" by developing Math Workshops that value community, problem solving, and student discourse.  As many sc...

As school leaders grapple with the many challenges related to leading schools during this time, the need for staff meetings, PLC's, and professional learning remains constant.  PEBC's Director of Leadership, Scott Murphy,  joins us to talk about the importance of facilitation and crafting high quality virtual engagements that are rooted in purpose while promoting human connection.  ...

Educators are heart centered individuals who can be caught up in the “more is more” culture, however, at this time it is crucial to embrace a “less is more”  attitude so that we can support students and colleagues who have experienced trauma.  Trauma is like a wound and takes time and attention to heal; however, many individuals are currently experiencing prolonged and complex trauma which is caus...

When it comes to education policy, practicing educators need a voice at the table! Listen in as Evan Kennedy, PEBC Director of Strategic Initiatives and Policy, joins the Phenomenal Teaching podcast to share how PEBC works with local, state, and national leaders to inform the development of sound education policy.  Policy work is all about people and gathering multiple perspectives so that educati...