Teach Me, Teacher

Do we care about our teachers? Do we make sure to take their wellbeing into account, or do we keep asking more of them, never bothering to fill their tanks back up? Amy Fast, an Assistant Principal and passionate voice on Twitter, has a lot to say on this subject. With an honesty that's refreshing and inspiring, Amy holds nothing back as she discusses the state of teachers, how many places aren't...

Hello everyone! As more and more news outlets decide to condemn schools, more and more politicians find it to their liking to tell their version of what public education is (and is not,) it's becoming extremely important for teachers and administrators to step outside of their bubbles and share their stories. I'd argue that educators don't control their narrative right now. Everyone outside of us,...

Hello everyone! Teach Me, Teacher has been around for about a year and half, and I'm amazed at how many great educators I have had the pleasure to speak with. Local gems, like the fantastic Alan Small and Andrew Simmons, to names such as Donalyn Miller and Mary Howard (by the way, limiting that list to just a few names was extremely difficult.) In any case, today, I get to add to the list of AWESO...

Hello everyone! I've been wanting to record an episode on classroom transformations for a while now, so I'm super pumped to get this one out to you guys. I was lucky enough to discuss transformations with Ashleigh Estes, a 4th grade Science teacher in Aledo ISD, and we discussed everything from our most recent transformations, to The Ron Clark Academy and Hope King,to why teachers should be inspir...

Hello everyone! In connection to our last episode about standardized tests (and should teachers hate it,) we have another episode about testing, but this time we dive into the money behind standardized tests, and why you should pay attention to your federal and local politics. You might have seen the figure of 13.4 billion dollars floating around the internet, when talking about the cost of standa...

Hello everyone! We hear about it everywhere...The test. Whatever state you're in might change what test you're talking about, but it follows us. It infects our teaching, our conversations, and even how we view our jobs. But is standardized testing as bad as so many make it out to be? Let's find out. Jeff Farely, a Texas principal, has a lot to say on the matter. He tackles why standardized testing...

"I don't want our conversations to be about strategies, I want them to be about practices." And this is probably that best summary of my discussion with Dr. Mary Howard. Every word Dr. Howard says is fueled with passion and insight. I can't tell you how much fun I had bringing this two-part episode to you all. In this episode, we continue our discussion about Fearless Learning, and how she is help...

Hello everyone! I can't believe this show gets to release content like this... Dr. Mary Howard is a professional who is astounding in her insight, her dedication, and her effectiveness in communicating with educators. If you haven't run into her on Twitter, you've probably run into the hashtag she co-created, #G2Great. If not, you're in for a real treat for this two part epic. This episode is the...

Hello everyone! Teach Me, Teacher is all about elevating the voices of teachers IN the classroom. But what happens when that classroom isn't traditional? What happens when great educators are forced out of the classroom, or have to choose not to be? Today, we bring you an episode that deals with those questions and more. Joanne Kaminski is a veteran in reading education, and has a wealth of knowle...

Hello everyone! I'm pleased to bring back Alan Small, author of The Science Club Handbook, to discuss how to WOW students into engagement. In this episode, we talk about what discrepant events are, how and why to use them, and practical advice for implementation into your already made lesson plans. I had a lot of fun on this one. Alan is one of the smartest educators I know, and he's always willin...

Hello everyone! It has been a complete joy to release this two-part episode with Donalyn Miller. Donalyn is one of my biggest inspirations as a teacher. She changed the way I teach my students, and she is one of the "real deals" in education. I hope you have enjoyed this opener of season 2 as much as I have making it. In this episode, we dive even deeper in the weeds of an independent reading clas...

Hello everyone! It's finally here, episode 29, the first episode of season 2 of Teach Me, Teacher, and it is my biggest privilege to bring you Donalyn Miller for the two-part opener of the season. I mention Donalyn Miller more times than I can count on the show, and it was just amazing to sit down and talk with her for an hour and half about creating readers, the research behind independent readin...

Hello everyone! Welcome to season 2 of Teach Me, Teacher! I have an amazing season for you coming up, and it is going to be BIGGER, BETTER, and MORE INSPIRING than ever before. In this episode, I talk about the changes being made to the show (the new theme song, to name one,) and some of the future guests coming on this year. I also spend some quality time thanking you (the listeners) of the show,...

Hello everyone! It's been an amazing first year of podcasting. I wasn't sure where this show was going to go, but with all the love being shown for it, I know it will continue on well into the future. But enough about that (until the season 2 intro episode), and let's get to more Ron Clark! In this episode, Chris Cruz, Malyn Bannister, Lindsey Stewart, and I spend more time reflecting on what we g...

Hello everyone! If you've ever been curious about The Ron Clark Academy, or wondered if the hype is all that it's cracked up to be, then here's your chance to hear all about what a two day trip to it consists of, and what 4 teachers got out of the experience. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end season 1 of Teach Me, Teacher than to have 4 educators energized and pumped to talk about our...

Hello everyone! It's the end of the school year (for most), and that means reflection is in full swing. Our minds are swimming in questions like, Did I have a good year? A bad one? What awesome new things can I do next year? Do I even want to teach in August? Where's the nearest beach? ...You get the idea. In any case, this week's episode is all about answering the age old question: So you STILL w...

Hello everyone! This week's episode deals with a few major myths about reading education that teachers and admin let thrive, when really we should be moving on to greener pastures. My discussion with Kate Nelson begins with our personal experiences with "The Myths," and then we expound on why they exist, why we should leave them behind, and how the basic cure for a system based on these myths is a...

I'm going to share my own story with you today. It's the story of how I was saved from a family of drugs and violence over and over again. It's the story of how I was inexorably changed by the many amazing educators in my life who took the time to care. It's the story of WHY WE TEACH. This is my testimony, and my most honest self, in honor of teacher appreciation week. Enjoy. PS: Thank you all for...

Hello everyone! Exciting times are among us as we are reaching the end of the year! Can you believe it? As the year comes to a close, I like to look back and look forward, each to help myself grow as a teacher and learn from mistakes and successes. In this episode, Andrew Simmons and I do plenty of both as we discuss the growth mindset and how to get students to take ownership of their actions. In...

Hello everyone! Today we are talking with Lindsey Stewart of Richland Middle School, taking it back from the topical shows of late, and just having a good ol' conversation. In this episode, we talk about being teacher of the year (Stewart--YAY!), the need for coaching cycles (discussing ours), and how to use "Exitgrams" to formatively assess your students. We also detour and work through several o...

Hello everyone! For this week's episode, WE NEED YOUR HELP! Kecia Dennis, of Richland Middle School, is building something great. She is celebrating literacy the only way she knows how, by creating a completely INSANE event for her students to show off all of their hard work, and to be rewarded for it. To do this the way she wants (and the way the kids need) she needs all hands on deck. I know the...

Hello everyone! Here is part 2 of our biggest episode ever, my conversation with Kathy Edwards of The Novus Academy. In this episode, we tackle several big questions, such as: Are private schools in competition with public schools? What happens when private education aims to help public education? Where did the "what if" go in education? Are vouchers nothing but the "boogieman," or do they pose a...

Hello everyone! You didn't think Teach Me, Teacher would shy away from topics like this, did you? Doing an episode like this is tricky. I didn't want it to be one sided. I didn't want it to have a political agenda. Instead, I wanted it to be an episode for ALL educators, whether you're public or private, or something in between. To do that, I invited Kathy Edwards of The Novus Academy on the show...

Hello everyone! Today it is my pleasure to bring you an episode that is sure to hit home for a lot of you. I sat down and talked with Siobhan Mulligan, an educator at Richland Middle School, about poverty and trauma, and how it affects schools and student achievement.  Mulligan brought a keen insight into our discussion since she has worked in several schools where poverty was the norm, and has fo...

Hello everyone! For today's episode, it is my pleasure to introduce you to one of Teach Me, Teacher's biggest advocates, and a fantastic educator, Alan Small. You will hear us talk about everything from the importance of science education, to creating experiences in the class that will keep students engaged long after they leave the classroom (or science club). We also dive into Alan's expertise w...