Teach Me, Teacher

Hello everyone! We know that change is happening in our society. For many, this change has been difficult and has put strain on the very systems we support and are a part of.  In education, counselors are often a key piece to supporting students, staff, teachers, and families, yet what they do is often misunderstood. Like teachers, many believe they know what counselors do every day because everyo...

Hello everyone! We know education is a difficult place to be right now for many of us. The mounting pressure made worse by problems that never seem to go away. Unsustainable work/life balance. Toxic work places… the list can go on. Not everyone is enjoying teaching the way they once did, and passionate educators are walking away. Halee Sikorski , a previous elementary teacher and friend of the sho...

Hello everyone! We know education is a difficult place to be right now for many of us. The mounting pressure made worse by problems that never seem to go away. Unsustainable work/life balance. Toxic work places... the list can go on.  Not everyone is enjoying teaching the way they once did, and passionate educators are walking away.  Halee Sikorski , a previous elementary teacher and friend of the...

Hello everyone! It has become quite the tradition around here to have a New Years episode where I lay out what I think are solid resolutions for teachers. Not the be-all, end-all, of course...but maybe a little something to set you on a path for success in your work.  Resolutions for 2020 , 2021 , and 2022 can be found by clicking on the dates in this sentence!  For this year, I am laying out the...

Hello everyone! We all know that teachers are leaving the classroom in droves. There is a teacher shortage (or more accurately, a shortage of people who want to work in an underpaid and under-appreciated profession). But, not everyone leaving the classroom is doing so because they are unhappy. Many—including myself—have stepped out because of the LOVE we feel for the class, and the passion we have...

Hello everyone! We all know that teachers are leaving the classroom in droves. There is a teacher shortage (or more accurately, a shortage of people who want to work in an underpaid and under-appreciated profession).  But, not everyone leaving the classroom is doing so because they are unhappy. Many—including myself—have stepped out because of the LOVE we feel for the class, and the passion we hav...

Hello everyone! Welcome to a special episode of Teach Me, Teacher focused completely on the new Texas STAAR short constructed response item type.  Here at Teach Me, Teacher, we know testing isn't the be all end all, but it is a reality, and one we must prepare students for. To tackle this task and hopefully support you, I have collaborated with Pam Ochoa, my co-host of Craft & Draft.  In this epis...

Hello everyone! It is no secret that teachers are facing new levels of elevated behaviors from students. Many seem to struggle with self regulation, attention, and compliance. So much of this can be attributed to schools being closed and Covid changing the amount of tech kids learn with.  But the reality is, this is currently reality...which means we have to address it and learn to move forward. ...

Hello everyone! It is no secret that times are changing...and have changed. Kids seem different. Behavior is all over the place (regardless of the level you work at). There are pressures from seemingly every angle...  And yet, there is still joy to be found. Don't believe me? Well, no need. I brought back Ms. Chyna to the podcast to talk about all the things she is grateful for in this work, while...

Hello everyone! It has never been the goal of this podcast to push one side of the current issues education is facing. I value the complexities of what we do in schools, and as a consequence, value wide ranging opinions from people who care about education's future. Last week, I brought  Daniel Buck  to the show, who brings his expertise, willingness to dialogue, and unafraid opinions to discuss w...

Hello everyone! It has never been the goal of this podcast to push one side of the current issues education is facing. I value the complexities of what we do in schools, and as a consequence, value wide ranging opinions from people who care about education's future.  Today is a day where I get to model what it's like to speak with someone who I do not fully agree with, but value and respect their...

Hello everyone! After hosting this podcast for 7 years, running my second podcast Craft & Draft , and talking about the importance of authentic writing instruction, I have come to learn an unsettling fact… writing is so often overlooked in professional development and curriculum documents. Too often, writing is pushed to the side or given a steady diet of drills, programs, or rules for kids to fol...

Hello everyone! After hosting this podcast for 7 years, running my second podcast Craft & Draft , and talking about the importance of authentic writing instruction, I have come to learn an unsettling fact… writing is so often overlooked in professional development and curriculum documents. Too often, writing is pushed to the side or given a steady diet of drills, programs, or rules for kids to fol...

Hello everyone! After hosting this podcast for 7 years, running my second podcast Craft & Draft, and talking about the importance of authentic writing instruction, I have come to learn an unsettling fact... writing is so often overlooked in professional development and curriculum documents.  Too often, writing is pushed to the side or given a steady diet of drills, programs, or rules for kids to f...

Hello everyone! Educators are some of the hardest working people on this earth. Few people outside of education understand what it truly takes to move kids, support families, and build schools to be powerful tools for all who enter them. At times the demands of this job can take their toll, however, and when they do, consequences can be dire. To discuss what it takes to build powerful educational...

Hello everyone! Educators are some of the hardest working people on this earth. Few people outside of education understand what it truly takes to move kids, support families, and build schools to be powerful tools for all who enter them. At times the demands of this job can take their toll, however, and when they do, consequences can be dire.  To discuss what it takes to build powerful educational...

Hello everyone! The job of being an educator can be difficult. For a profession that has so many highs, like seeing the growth of young people, it can also have many lows. In such times, it can be hard to be alone or feel like you are. Having educators in your corner, whether that's digitally on social media or in your building, can be career saving. Last week , we talked about the value of findin...

Hello everyone! The job of being an educator can be difficult. For a profession that has so many highs, like seeing the growth of young people, it can also have many lows. In such times, it can be hard to be alone or feel like you are. Having educators in your corner, whether that's digitally on social media or in your building, can be career saving. To talk about this and how to build up your tri...

Hello everyone! Teachers and administrators live busy lives. We make hundreds of decisions every single day and dedicate the majority of our time serving and supporting others. This often leads us making little time for ourselves, especially with health and fitness.  I am guilty of this just like many of you probably are. My health often sits on the back burner while I work to do my job to the bes...

Hello everyone! Teach Me, Teacher has been very fortunate to feature so many amazing educators—especially in the literacy space. Our Top 10 Literacy Podcasts  list gets tens of thousands of hits every month and spans educators all over the United States and grade levels. It's truly an honor to bring so many great talks to educators for free. Today, we get to continue adding to this list of amazing...

Hello everyone! Teach Me, Teacher has been very fortunate to feature so many amazing educators—especially in the literacy space. Our Top 10 Literacy Podcasts  list gets tens of thousands of hits every month and spans educators all over the United States and grade levels. It's truly an honor to bring so many great talks to educators for free. Today, we get to add to this list of amazing people and...

Hello everyone! Many dedicated professionals ignore their mental health. They put it off, hide their struggles, and often suffer in silence. Todd Nesloney not only understands this, but has lived through it and came out on the other side. In this episode, we touch on: His new book, In This Season The importance of mental health The value of community ...and much more! Todd Nesloney is the Director...

Hello everyone! As we head into another school year, many educators and administrators are asking themselves if we are on the right track. School boards, parents, and students are increasingly asking this as well. We all deeply believe in the power of a quality education, and yet many of us are concerned about the future in this regard. To discuss this, and much more, is friend of the show Todd Ne...

Hello everyone! Patrick Harris II, an educator and the author of The First Five: A Love Letter to Teachers, came on to the show last week to discuss the importance of teacher autonomy. This week, we are diving into the importance of the first five years of teaching and finding a school that fill your cup. Patrick's journey to his dream school is a wild one, but if anything, it should inspire you i...

Hello everyone! Many teachers work within districts and schools that value and understand the importance of teacher autonomy, yet this is not the case everywhere. With the pressure of accountability and an ever increasing eye on education in the political sphere, some districts and schools are opting for LESS teacher autonomy—often limiting teachers to just being program pushers or curriculum guid...