The ClasStars Podcast

In this episode I talk about the how and why of documenting misbehavior. Disclaimer: No one goes into education because they live behavior problems! Nevertheless, a good teacher knows how to handle those kids, and it’s usually only one or two, who have the potential to wreck the rest of the class. The first part of the episode discusses best practices for how to document misbehavior. The second pa...

As we come to the end of the school year, this has been historically difficult! We are all counting the days to vacation! Some kids are really struggling and it’s so easy for them to go unnoticed! Take a moment out to review your roster and make sure that every kid gets personalized recognition! It can be an acknowledgement in class, a call or text after class, whatever makes sense for you! You ca...

It has been a wild ride to do a podcast for a year, and I’m hoping that the second year is even more wild! The app is out and some teachers are apprehensive because they already feel overwhelmed with the transition to remote learning! Can another app make things simpler? The answer is.... it depends! Apps are tools that help you get jobs done. If you understand the job that you need to get done, t...

It has been great fun doing this podcast for an entire year! Special thanks to all of the guests who joined me this year! Jack Spatola, Angie Eilers, Kimberlee Ballenger, Martin Richards, Callie Williams, Keith Sharkey, Karl Ubelhoer, Sol Fried, Jason Hayes, Jody Peltz, Mugisho Ndabuli, Kathleen Hallgarten, David Somogyi, Megan Underwood, Karen Sorensen, Meg Sharland, and Bryony Moore. All great g...

What does Moneyball, The Wizard of Oz, and Dr. Anthony Fauci have to do with education? How do they help us maximize the potential of every student? Listen to this podcast to find out! Also, the New ClasStars app is out on all 3 app stores! Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.com Here are the links for ClasStars! Link for iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/classtars/id1343614499 Link for...

One of my favorite TED Talks was delivered by Nancy Duarte in November 2011. She spoke about the Secret Structure of Great Talks. How to make a powerful call to action. Check out her full talk at www.ted.com. That talk inspired me to think about the structure of a great class, and this podcast episode! Then, check out the brand new ClasStars app! This will help you structure your class so that eve...

The Coronavirus has upended our lives as we know it and forced us to re-examine every aspect of our lives. Particularly in education, we are forced to rethink about everything we do to engage and teach our kids. One positive outcome of this should be a better appreciation of the role of the partnership between parents and teachers. On that note, let me officially introduce the ClasStars app, now a...

Healthcare professionals are risking their lives in the war against the Coronavirus. Many people are working tirelessly to help keep the world economy running despite the disruption and the lockdown. Let’s not forget our teachers who are also on the front lines of supporting and providing a safe place for children in a word of fear and chaos. With everything going on, your dedication to these chil...

Due to the Coronavirus, many of us are transitioning to remote learning environments. While the technology is amazing, for many of us it is daunting! In this episode I share with you from hundreds of teachers who share their concerns and challenges. Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.com

Although I like to discuss topics relevant to education, so many of us are learning to live a new lifestyle of quarantine. It’s important for us to take steps to ensure our emotional health during this pandemic. Please share with family and friends who need support! Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.com

Certainly among the most uncertain time in our lifetime, it is easy to get stressed out about the Coronavirus. In this podcast, you’ll hear some of the reasons I’m stressed out and how I deal with them. Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.com

Point systems are one of the time tested methods of behavior management and motivation. However, it leaves many teachers and students frustrated as well. What is the problem with point systems, and what can we do to make them more effective? We’ll explore that on this episode! Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.com

Meg is the founder of InvestED Wellbeing, and quickly brought Bryony into the company. Together they coach, mentor, and support all educators with an abundance of passion, commitment, focus, and inspiration! You can learn more at https://www.investedwellbeing.co.uk. Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.com

While most of us know this, it’s easy to forget that we’re much bigger and stronger than our children. Classrooms are designed to empower children, but a little awareness and a lesson from Walt Disney can help us cultivate a safe environment for our little learners. Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.com

Parents and teachers often blame each other for children’s struggle at school. Aside from this being quite unproductive, it isn’t even true in most cases! At least not in my experience! So who is at fault? Listen to this episode to find out! Learn more at www.classtars.com.

If our goals and ambitions in the classroom are clear, all of our actions will follow. Sometimes we forget that we want to help these kids because we become so overburdened with “stuff”. Sometimes we’re lucky to have a student remind us of the profound impact that we have on their lives, but the truth is that most students won’t tell us. We need to remind ourselves that the impact we have is great...

As a little girl, Karen was fascinated with machines. Her favorite toy was a Hot Wheels car. She often thought about integrating machines and technology into the world. She is the founder of 21st Century Education, where she develops technology that allows teachers and students to access high quality content for learning. She also spends time in the classroom as a substitute teacher to better unde...

The first question that I ask when a child comes to me, is “How are you doing?” Often when it comes to school performance, parents don’t have a clear understanding of how well the child is learning or not. What is even more troubling is when teachers and other school personnel misread student performance. It basically boils down to two principles that can help avoid such misunderstandings! Learn m...

Reflection is the secret sauce to learning. -Megan Underwood. Megan is a passionate educator and learning designer who is changing the face of learning by designing programs that promote experiential learning. She is one of Learning 2019’s 30 Under 30 Learning Leaders! She brings the same passion to this conversation! Learn more at www.classtars.com.

A new year deserves new excitement, and at The ClasStars Podcast, we’re excited to introduce the ClasStars app that will soon be available on the App Store, Google Play, and the Microsoft App Store! Listen to hear about the incredible features! Many teachers have told us that it changed the way they interacted with their students! Learn more at www.classtars.com.

David Somogyi has been teaching for several years in Hungary. He currently works in an underprivileged community and finds this population the most rewarding to work with. In this podcast he talks about the cultural differences in education between Hungary and other places. Learn more at www.classtars.com.

In this episode I reflect on how fortunate I’ve been to be in the field of education and working with so many great people. It’s important to take a step back from time to time to appreciate a field that is so rewarding. Looking forward to even more excitement next year! Learn more at www.classtars.com.

Kathleen Hallgarten currently lives in Hopetoun, Victoria, in the Australian Outback. Before moving to Australia, she lived and taught in New Jersey, Florida, Texas, and Alaska. Her mother raised her with a “can do” attitude, and she loves giving that message over to her students with care and respect! She also teaches online through PalFish Teacher. Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.co...

Test scores are the standard for measuring academic success. They are also used to measure teacher success. However, since all students are at different points of standard academic achievement, and since student progress is a process, is there a better way to know if a teacher is doing a good job with a student who doesn’t have great test scores? Learn more about ClasStars at www. ClasStars.com

Mugisho Ndabuli grew up as the fourth of nine children in his family in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His father encouraged him to get a good education. After receiving his diploma in General Education he enrolled in the Teachers Training College ISP Bukavu. He then taught in Rwanda and pursued a master’s degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution from the prestigious South African univer...