Teachers on Fire

Bryon Carpenter is a high school teacher at the Abbotsford Virtual School in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. As a trained scientist, passionate creator, and lifelong learner, Bryon serves in the spaces of library, math, science, and ADST (Applied Design and Skills Technologies). Bryon’s passion? Seeing teachers utilize new technologies to advance student learning and help them represent their learning in...

Jeff Bradbury has been recognized as an ASCD Emerging Leader, Google Certified Teacher and Trainer, and digital innovator. The founder of TeacherCast.net, Jeff has spoken at TEDx and other conferences, provides training and consulting for educators across the United States, and currently produces ten regular educational podcasts. Simply put, there aren’t many people in the world producing more res...

Jeff Gargas is the COO/Co-founder of Progressive Mastery Learning and The Teach Better Team. Jeff works with teachers across the United States to help them improve their practice and “reach the unreachable student.” An entrepreneur at heart, Jeff shares about the challenges of hitting walls in the music industry and the educational training space. He shares how he redefined his mission, finding st...

Nicholas Amaral is the district staff development coordinator at the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District in Bergen County, NJ. Nick’s passion is education technology: helping teachers help students create and innovate in their classrooms. In our conversation, Nick shares about a point early in his teaching career when he faced deep discouragement and a lack of motivation. Rather than...

Soney Day is a 2nd grade teacher at Coy Miller Elementary School in Frisco, TX. As a teacher, mom, tech integrator, proud Texan, and Seesaw ambassador, Soney enjoys advocating for young learners and strives to have an innovator’s mindset. In our conversation, Soney shares about an emotionally draining challenge she faced in just her second year of teaching. Although it was nightmarish at the time,...

Jordan Potrzeba is a 4th grade teacher at Walter Caldwell Elementary School in Auburndale, FL. Imagine being told by your principal in your first year of teaching that you were different and didn’t belong. After experiencing just that, Jordan moved from Nebraska to Florida, where he found a school community that welcomes his energy, ideas, and unique personality. In our conversation, Jordan shares...

Tonya Gilchrist is a language teacher and literacy coach at Tokyo International School in Tokyo, Japan. An experienced speaker and presenter, Tonya advocates for learner agency, the inquiry mindset, and joyful leaders. Tonya knew she wanted to become a teacher since she was in third grade, but the daunting pressure and prescriptive directions to teach to standardized tests threatened to make her q...

Bobby McCutcheon is the principal of Randall Elementary School in Independence, MO. He’s a husband, father, #GeniusHour advocate, travel junkie, Royals fan, and occasional political expert. After teaching for several years at the middle and high school levels, Bobby was offered the position of elementary principal and has never looked back. He points to a decision to transform his diet and fitness...

Dan Ryder is the co-author of Intention: Critical Creativity in the Classroom and is currently the Education Director of the Success & Innovation Center at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington, ME. In our conversation, Dan shares about what ignites his passion for education today: seeing the philosophical focus shift from the acquisition of information to problem-solving, creativity, and design thin...

Christopher J. Nesi teaches 9th grade history at New Brunswick High School in New Jersey and is a Professor of Communications at Rutgers University. He also hosts the House of EdTech and Podcast PD podcasts and operates the Education Podcast Network. In our conversation, Chris shares his passion to see educators and learners of all ages take up the endeavour of creative work: “You don't have to sh...

Danielle Peters is an elementary teacher at Westerman Elementary School in Surrey, BC, Canada. Recently completing her Master’s in Ed. Tech., Danielle is passionate about helping kids learn, create, and innovate using technology. In our conversation, Danielle talks about how team teaching allows her to better meet the social-emotional needs of her learners and learn from her colleague’s perspectiv...

Diana Williams is an elementary teacher at Bayridge Elementary School in Surrey, BC, Canada. She is also a speaker, a consultant for her district, a student of PBL, award winner, and constant innovator. In our conversation, Diana speaks candidly about the challenges teachers face during labor disruptions and shares some frank advice for up and coming teachers. She talks about some of the initiativ...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast, we speak with Brooke Moore. Brooke is the District Principal of Inquiry and Innovation in Delta, BC, Canada. She is also an instructor at Vancouver Island University and the editor-in-chief of UBC’s Transformative Educational Leadership Journal, located at http://teljournal.educ.ubc.ca/. In our conversation, Brooke describes the experience of workin...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast we speak with Lindsey Danhoff. Lindsey is a first grade teacher (soon to be third grade) at Evening Street Elementary School in Worthington, Ohio. Lindsey shares about the challenges and rewards of working to change school practices, and speaks to what really ignites her passion for education: a growing emphasis on creativity and innovation. She also...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast we speak with Gallit Zvi. Gallit is currently a principal intern in Surrey, BC, Canada, and a co-author of The Genius Hour Guidebook. Gallit describes how she overcame the challenges of transitioning into a new grade level earlier in her teaching career. She talks about the things that really ignite her passion in education today, including the magic...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast we speak with Lynn Thomas. Lynn is the department head of English and Library and Digital Lead Learner at Dunnville Secondary School in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada. In this conversation, Lynn shares candidly about a year of serious family health challenges, crediting the support of administrators that helped her work through this difficult time. She s...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast we speak with Caterina Rylance. Caterina is a middle school languages teacher and ESL coordinator at St. Theresa Catholic Middle School in Sherwood Park, AB, Canada. Still in her second year of teaching, Caterina talks about how her writing at survivingteaching.org became a healthy outlet for her to reflect on the mix of frustrations and victories th...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast we speak with Maria Thompson. Maria is a middle school teacher at Snow Hill Middle School in Snow Hill, Maryland. Maria is an expert in Summit Learning, a program that personalizes learning and supports students while they direct the focus of their own studies. She has great insights to share that fit nicely within the models of project-based and inq...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast we speak with Adam Miller. Adam is a middle school physical education teacher in Dhahran, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. In this conversation Adam tells a hilarious story of having to manage a swim class for a group of kindergarteners within 20 minutes of their first day of school. He shares about why he’s so passionate about physical education, the...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast we speak with Antonio Vendramin. Antonio is the District Principal of Communicating Student Learning in the Surrey School District of BC, Canada. In this conversation, Antonio discusses the exciting opportunities made possible by the recent shift toward a competency-based curriculum in British Columbia. He describes the power of good digital storytel...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast, we chat with Adam Moler. Adam is a middle school history teacher at New Richmond Middle School in New Richmond, OH, USA. In this conversation, Adam speaks openly about what it was like to address some authentic doubts he was having about his own practice. He credits a solid PLN on Twitter and some inspirational reading as the key resources he looked...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast, we chat with Roy Smith. Roy is an English teacher and department chair at Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas, USA. In this interview, Roy describes what it was like to fight thyroid cancer while remaining in education, and credits his students with supplying the energy needed to get through his most difficult days. He also tells us what cur...

In this episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast, we chat with Terry Jones, vice principal at JL Crowe Secondary School in Trail, BC, Canada. In this interview, Terry describes the incredible influence that positive and supportive leadership can make within the culture of a school. He talks about another one of his life passions, coaching hockey, and affirms the value of healthy relationships and c...

In our tenth episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast, we chat with Adi Aharon, technology integration specialist at the top-rated Crofton House School in Vancouver, BC, Canada. In this interview, Adi discusses the challenge of working with everybody but nobody at the same time and affirms the value of building a strong professional learning network. She fills us in on the mission and vision behind...

In our ninth episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast, we chat with Jade Ingels, middle school classroom and PE teacher at St. Theresa School in Wabasca, Alberta, Canada. In this interview, Jade talks about a significant behaviour challenge she faced in the classroom as a first-year teacher and shares the keys to building a positive classroom culture. She also tells us why she’s passionate about pr...