The Grounded Learners Guild

Photo from Unsplash From the very first episode of Abbott Elementary, you can immediately pick out Barbara Howard as a veteran teacher who makes a massive impact on her school. Her classroom routines are on point, her students feel safe and loved, and her colleagues view her with a range from hero worship to trusted collaborator.  With all that seasoned veteran teachers like this give back to...

Quinta Brunson’s show “Abbott Elementary'' has struck a chord with folks everywhere.  No other show about education has managed to encapsulate the real struggles faced by urban educators like this one has. Even more impressive is how perfectly balanced the portrayal of real-world educational issues is …juxtaposed with laugh out loud hilarious lines and deftly witty characterization. As educat...

ey there smelly cats, how-YOU-doin? You’ll want to grab yourself a HUGE cup of coffee - because we are visiting the pop culture winter wonderland one more time, And this time we’re tuning into 90s classic “Friends”. Get ready for some education-adjacent connections to six highly-caffeinated friends and the hilarious ins and outs of their lives shared with us over 10 seasons. Let’s just hope this d...

I’m sure when you hear the name “Britney Spears”, your thoughts might revolve around any number of danceable tracks or eras where she dominated the headlines, but I bet education and learning are far from the top of your mind. And yet, while we discussed Britney Spears in our Season 1 episode “The Apathy Zone”, we felt we hadn’t fully given this queen of pop her due. Britney's music isn't just abo...

We may be outnumbered, under-resourced, and emotionally drained at times, but we teachers, like Kevin McCallister in the holiday classic Home Alone are resourceful, resilient, and ultimately, victorious. Because even in the face of endless homework revisions and standardized test anxieties, educators are still working their hardest to make learning more fun for kids than, say, sledding down the st...

Not to give too big of a spoiler, but the film “Rogue One, A Star Wars Story” ends with a very important word: “Hope”. When we look at literacy instruction and learning, we find “hope” when our striving readers begin to master reading comprehension. This incredibly sought after skill unlocks so many others - reaching far beyond mere recall into analysis, creation, and synthesis. It doesn’t matter...

In a world where innovative, immersive, and authentic learning reign supreme, anything that could be described as “robotic” can be a little off-putting to say the least. It brings to mind the mentality of Disney’s “The Mandalorian” who, in early seasons, has good reason to mistrust droids - avoiding and even eliminating them at every turn! Yet, just like Din Djarin has to do some personal “reprogr...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a classic battle waged - led by a group of rebels who dared to think differently - engaging in disciplined practice that would ultimately yield them the power to transcend time, space, and physical limitations. As Yoda might say: “Talking about the Jedi we are?” But as is the GLG way, we have one foot firmly planted in the world of education which means,...

Coaches and middle instructional leaders often find themselves in uncharted territory - they are in their role because they are high skilled, and while many have the tools to inspire and lead others, many feel adrift trying to find their place. Well, according to Josh Gates, host of the Travel Channel’s show Expedition Unknown, “Seeing the world is a prerequisite to understanding one’s place in it...

When Willy Wonka sang the line: ““A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest of men,” we doubt he had seen the same type of “nonsense”as, say, an 8th grade math teacher might encounter on the last day of school before winter break.  And yet, educators everywhere are perpetually working to understand and interpret student behavior. While it might be challenging to acknowledge in the m...

Whether it’s a report from a sub or a comment from a passing observer, the way people talk about educator’s students often boils down to one thing: student behavior. It runs the gamut from “That class is completely out of control,” to “what a polite and respectful group of young people!” Educators everywhere are trying to amend the former and replicate the latter, but it starts with a firm underst...

Season 4 premiers this Thursday!

We at GLG love a “fish out of water story.” Some of our favorite connections on the Pop Culture Playground have been about characters who leave their lives of comfort and familiarity who embark on a journey of self discovery. Today, we will once again revisit this classic trope, this time with a movie (and spinoff tv show) about a group of vampire roommates trying to make it in our modern world -...

Education, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Grounded Learners Guild. It's mission: to explore strange new ideas, to seek out new connections in new and old stories To boldly go where no leader or educator has gone before. Live long and prosper friends, but definitely stick around for our last Pop Culture Playground episode for the summer of 2023. Hit it, GLG, and remember to set ph...

Love her or hate her, it can’t be argued that Taylor Swift is an artist who leaves an impression on listeners and pop culture alike. As far as the GLG is concerned, the fun of connecting pedagogy to pop culture and listening to some good tunes in the process never will “go out of style” - so put on your favorite “cardigan”, (even if you have to crank up the AC first) and join us for a game we know...

We’re going from quoting the Beastie Boys in our last episode to quoting George Bernard Shaw: “Youth is wasted on the young.” Well clearly good old George didn’t meet any members of Gen Z! Gen Z with all its shifting priorities, is capable of stunning us all with a real sense of advocacy for themselves and their future. FAR from a waste, if our last episode is any indication. If you’re like us and...

Teachers don’t choose to become teachers because of the glory, sizable paycheck, and the countless hours educators spent planning, delivering and assessing learning. We become teachers because we love working with and inspiring the next generation and because we had an exceptional teacher ourselves that instilled a love of life-long learning. As we mentioned in our parent university episode on tec...

As very grateful chicagoans we leave the chill of winter behind us, we embrace the fact that we are moving into spring that will inevitably be rainy….or even foggy. But what if the fog surrounding us isn’t in the atmosphere at all…but is more of a metaphorical fog? Few educational topics are “foggier” than assessment for even experienced educators. But hold onto your foghorns, folks, because the G...

Kid books! Oh, kids books! I loathe you! You suck out my brain. I wish I could flush you just right down the drain. If only you found your way to the trash. Kids books! Oh Kids books . .  Wait! Let’s not be so rash…” While yes, some children’ books can be absolute garbage, especially if we are asked to read them ad nauseam, but who can’t resist the call of “Dad, will you read to me?” “Mommy, let’s...

One of the kids wants to be a YouTuber when she grows up and is begging for her own channel.  Another one would play Minecraft all day long if you let him.  Your teenager barely looks up from his phone. Your preschooler has a complete meltdown when you’re waiting to get your food at a restaurant unless you let her watch a few videos. And through it all, they dutifully pack up their Chromebooks eve...

What would you guess is the ratio is for time we spend dreading or outright avoiding difficult conversations to actually having them? 10 to 1? 20 to 1? 100 to1?!? But how might that ratio change if, prior to initiating such a conversation, you felt as prepared as you possibly could? You’re probably never going to be a person who enjoys having conversations like this - and trust us, we aren’t eithe...

You grab your device, fire up your favorite, and jump right in - the familiar logo welcomes you and you eagerly kick off your adventure, clearing obstacles, facing challenges, and working hard to finally accomplish your hard-won goal! Of course, because this is the GLG, we’re talking about using ed.tech tools to learn, right? Naturally…but we could just as easily be talking about video games! We a...

Photo by C Perret on Unsplash This is an episode about…oh what was it again…it was right on the tip of my tongue!? We’ve all been there before haven’t we? That’s why we’re here to talk about retrieval practices.  If you’ve ever asked students to pick back up on where they left off and been met with blank stares…? Or wondered a few weeks into a new unit if students REALLY even remember the pre...

It’s February, and that means a return to conference season! Some of our favorite conferences (DITCHED Con, IDEA Con) happen during this month, and as a guild, we thought it would be a great opportunity to provide some just in time content to help you make the most of these inspiring and reinvigorating professional learning events. This episode, entitled “Field Guide to Educational Conferences” is...

All normies and outcasts, welcome for this week's episode on the Grounded Learners Guild. We conjured up some great content on our last venture through the creative mind of Tim Burton, so in this episode, we are going to shine some moonlight on the most recent Burton project: Netflix’s “Wednesday”, her kooky spooky family and our most red…er black spoil alert to date. So, Woe!!!...this episode is...