The Extraordinary Educators Podcast

Danielle and Sari are back to bring you the second half of the second season of the Extraordinary Educators podcast! Megan Tegerdine, 5th and 6th grade Special Education Teacher at the Ackerman School in MO joins the show to talk about all types of teaching during this school year. From going fully remote to hybrid, to fully remote, back to in-person, Megan discusses the ins and outs of adjusting...

This shorter episode is the final episode before the new year! Danielle and Sari discuss what they are thankful for, and share a gratitude activity you can do (with or without your students!). As always, thank you for all you do. We'll see you in 2021! Links: Example gratitude exercises: https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-exercises/  Instagram: Instagram.com/MyiReady Twitter: Twitter.co...

During this episode Danielle and Sari dive into what it means to be a leader, especially during this time. They discuss relevant research from Brene Brown and others, and the 5 C's of leadership. Links: Dare to Lead: https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/ Brene Brown podcast: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/introducing-unlocking-us/ 5 C's of Brave Leadership: Courageous, compassionate, care,...

Mark Ophaug, PD Specialist at Curriculum Associates, joins Danielle and Sari to discuss teaching math remotely. Mark talks about strategies to facilitate discourse remotely, and obstacles teachers are facing and how to overcome them during this time. He dives into using the 4's R, Turn & Talks, and other ways to encourage students to keep talking during math class. Mark also talks about T...

Lorraine Pascarella, teacher in New York state, joins Danielle and Sari to discuss remote and hybrid learning, and using data to drive instruction. She dives into planning small group instruction, and figure out how to balance filling gaps with grade-level content. Lorraine also provides some silver linings of this time such as smaller group sizes. She offers advice to teachers for navigating this...

Meghan Mayer, teacher in Florida, joins Danielle and Sari to discuss remote learning and engaging her middle school students. She dives into new strategies for keeping her students excited about learning, and finding moments of authentic teaching. Meghan also offers advice to teachers during this time, and how to step out of her comfort zone. Links: Meghan's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@th...

Ty Holmes, National Director at Curriculum Associates, joins again for a discussion about staying connected. Ty talks about how to approach interactions that cause us to come apart, and how to bring ourselves closer together. He explains how "omission causes pain," and how we can be inclusive, especially during this time. Links: Staying Connected Webinar: https://share.vidyard.com/watch/...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Ty Holmes, National Director at Curriculum Associates. Ty discusses equity in education, and how educators can work to address and close gaps. He dives into best practices during math class, and normative vs. criterion data, too. Links: Isabel Wilkerson - American's Caste System: https://www.npr.org/2020/08/04/898574852/its-more-than-racism-isabel-wilkerson-exp...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Megan Robinson, National Director at Curriculum Associates, for part II of her interview. Megan shares research related to race and teacher bias, and discipline. She digs in to many studies related to race, and how their outcomes can greatly effect the students in your classroom.  Links: Preschool Study Overview: https://news.yale.edu/2016/09/27/implicit-bias-may-ex...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Megan Robinson, National Director at Curriculum Associates. Megan shares research related to race and the opportunity myth, and goal setting with students. She emphasizes the importance of grade-level goals, and how to ensure you're creating ambitious yet attainable goals for students. Links: The Opportunity Myth via TNTP: https://tntp.org/assets/documents/TNTP...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Frank Salinas, an incredible educator in Texas. Frank explains how he motivated his students to try their best on their assessments at home, while also supporting and working with their families. Frank shares best practices on communicating with families, getting their buy-in, and closing the loop by sharing data with them.  Links: Tips & Tricks for Remote Learn...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Mara Rodriguez, Senior Director of Educator Success at Curriculum Associates. Being a parent and former teacher herself, Mara shares how remote learning is going for her and her family, and how we're working to support educators and their students and their families during this time. Mara explains the importance of turnkey resources and how these are created at...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Christi Moore, i‑Ready Reading Skills Plus Interventionist. Christi shares her experiences with distance learning, and how she’s adjusted to increase student engagement and do what's best for her students. Christi also explains how to keep mindfulness when scrolling through social media, and why it is important to celebrate yourself! Balancing love and rigor, C...

Danielle and Sari are back for Season 2! Thank you to all of the educators out there, who continue to inspire us with the work you do every single day. This episode provides an overview of the season, and what Danielle and Sari will discuss in future episodes. Please see below for learning at home resources.  Leader Assessing at Home Resources: Assessing at Home Kit for Leaders Checklist for Admin...

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Danielle and Sari are joined by Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. Rob, Danielle, and Sari explain what Teacher Appreciation means to them, and why it’s more important now than ever to show our sincerest gratitude for the amazing work educators do every single day. They each share a story about an educator who inspired them, and why. They end the episode sh...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Nelida (Nellie) Pagan, teacher at P.S. 160—The Walt Disney Magnet STEAM School, in New York City. Nellie shares her experiences with distance learning, and how she’s adjusted each week. With schools now closed for the remainder of the year, Nellie explains best practices such as creating teams to problem-solve issues such as attendance, and how to create a schedule...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Kyle Cantrell, Grade 5 Math and Science Teacher at John Pittard Elementary School in Tennessee. Kyle discusses how he’s continuing teaching via virtual learning and communicating with families. From checking in with his students and class, to establishing some sort of structure to share and connect with one another, Kyle shares best practices and tips for remote lea...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Kimberly Robinson, Grade 2 Teacher at Literacy Leadership Technology Academy, in Florida. Kimberly discusses transitioning to remote learning, and how a support community is crucial for this work. As an extrovert, she thrives by reaching out and staying connected, and most importantly, being mindful. Kimberly is taking it one day at a time and sets bite-sized goals...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Mark Ophaug, Professional Development Specialist at Curriculum Associates. Mark discusses how he’s supporting educators virtually during this time, and best practices for remote learning for adults. From getting a platform, to learning how to get comfortable with technology, Mark talks about best practices for learning during this time. Now, more than ever, there is...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Anna Redding, Grade 4 Teacher at George Welch Elementary School, in Louisiana. Anna dives right into how she’s supporting her students remotely. As a mother, she explains the struggles between knowing how to teach but teaching her own children at home while balancing instruction and communication with all of her students. Anna explains some tips such as sticking to...

Danielle and Sari are joined by Larry Edward Duncan, Teacher at Hawkins Elementary School in Mississippi. Larry explains how his classroom is a safe-haven, and how he encourages students to make mistakes. He also dives into “Friday Facetime,” his version of weekly data chats with students. Although these conversations typically happen in the classroom, Larry shares how they could happen virtually....

This week Danielle and Sari take a break from teacher interviews, and dive into more about high expectations. Based on feedback from listeners, they discuss how to establish a high bar with students. Danielle models a roll-out of how she would set high expectations in her classroom, followed by a discussion about exactly what Danielle said and why, and how she delivered her message. Here is an out...

This week Danielle and Sari interview Meghan Mayer, English Language Arts Teacher at Woodland Middle School in Florida. Meghan’s students know she’s going to discuss data with them, but how does she build that strong data culture and expectation? Meghan discusses how she uses previous year’s data at the start of the school year, and how she finds the time to have data chats during the school day,...

In this episode, Danielle and Sari interview Olivia Ruggirello, kindergarten teacher in Woodstock, Georgia. They discuss all things small group instruction! From routines and procedures, to planning for each group, Olivia explains how she effectively teaches in small groups in her classroom. Modeling, both with a teacher and with students, is critical for success. Olivia also shares the logistics...

Get ready for the first teacher interview! Blakley Fore, teacher at Popp's Ferry Elementary in Mississippi, joins Danielle and Sari to discuss student buy-in. From planning unique celebrations based on students’ interests, to creating friendly competition, Blakley dives into how she engages her students. She explains how she keeps students motivated throughout the school year, and why it’s so...