The Parent/Teacher Conference

Online grades books sound great in theory, but can lead to anxiety in students as their parents are checking 24/7 for grades. Growth and learning are replaced by the necessity of the A and figuring out "the game" to get the A. In this episode, Coach talks from his experience as a teacher who uses online grading apps, how they assist teachers, but also can create more headaches, even decl...

"Give 'em the positives!" Politicians of both major parties love to tell their citizens that a law will provide relief but never share or address the consequences. Coach discusses 2 decisions in New Jersey, one new and the effects of one old one. Recently, NJ's Governor Murphy signed a law ending the Basic Skills test as a requirement for NJ teachers and how it will not address t...

On this episode, a parent, teacher, and tax payer looks at a school referendum. What need does a referendum address? Why should I be inspired to sacrifice money from my household budget and vote "yes"? Coach looks at the problem with the 2% cap imposed on NJ school boards and towns (with an explanation of what that means), the importance of school architects in speaking to teachers in th...

On this episode, Coach shares the important information that he provides for his daughters every day in order to be successful in school. Information he shares in a prayer and a blessing. Information that will help your child start and build friendships, show kindness in a small way that may help another child in need, be safe from harm, doing their best, and most importantly, knowing Mom and Dad...

A recent educational meme asks educators to share unpopular educational positions. Coach uses the episode to share some of the ones he believes would have a room full of teacher to pull out their knives (figuratively of course) if he stated them. Find out how Coach uses a comedian (Bill Maher) and journalist (Bari Weiss) to prove his points and explains why we as teachers shouldn't be surprise...

Should Thanksgiving be used as a time to criticize the many ways European colonists & the U.S. have mistreated Native Americans throughout the centuries (and they did) or as an inner look of the many blessings of good we have in her lives. Coach discusses how our the current trend of Critical Theory can influence us to practice "Critical Life Theory" where we only look on the bad and...

Teachers want to quit, parents are struggling, and children need help. Coach brings up times where a small act of kindness has gone a long way, even recently as he needed "a win" to remind him people do care. And if you need that win, so do others. Most of the episode he tells his favorite story heard from a pulpit, the Teddy Stoddard story. He first heard it in 1988, and still has a pow...

As teachers, we shouldn't assume that students who are struggling, those refusing to do work or behave, come from parents who refuse to parent. Sometimes, those parents are struggling in silence, they see their friends post the successes of their children, they watch the school honor every kid, but see little in the way of help when their fight with their child isn't for A's but just t...

Why are teachers quitting in record numbers? Considering discussions with peers, his own frustrations with education, and a whole bunch of Youtube videos, Coach offers his views on why teachers are quitting. The discussion will go from the philosophical to the practical. Listen until the end where he offers what may be a controversial reason for the burden many teachers are feeling and causing an...

Coach shares his experience with his championship boys soccer team. What he looks for in making a team, the need for camaraderie along with skills, and the key ingredient, perseverance. He shares antidotes of the season, from the goalie who earned his team's respect to the 8th graders who taught the underclassmen how to be a team. The episode ends with the championship game; one of the most ex...

The South Orange Maplewood School District (NJ) has made news by removing Halloween from the school, using arguments such as cultural/religious values of the community, cost for those less fortunate, and equity as reasons. Coach discusses why the administration's argument are weak & continue to create a divide between home and school. Also mentioned are solutions to some of the arguments p...

What happens when a teacher podcaster asks ChatGPT to create the transcript for a podcast episode? Listen to this brief episode where AI tells us how we can use it in the social studies, history, English Language Arts, Art, Foreign Language, Science, and Math classroom as well as the challenges that AI creates with cheating in the classroom. Let me know how AI at ptcpodcast411@gmail.com.

Collaboration is an important skill for kids to develop but group work can be the bane of a student's experience (as well as parents). Coach shares the value of group work, the approach he has in grading group work (and a way to have groups maintain a high level of production without grades) and also the age old question for teachers, should you choose groups or allow your students to choose g...

Time to elect members of your local school Board of Education. Coach interviews Mark Werner who served for 18 years on the Mount Olive School Board (NJ). Mark shares insight on running for your local board of education, misconceptions of the power of the board, relations with the superintendent, principals, & teachers, creative funding for school programs especially the arts and humanities, to...

Starting with the reasons he offers students for a history education, Coach uses it to discuss his views on Columbus Day vs Indigenous People Day, the argument that arose on TED talks when they at first were not going to post Coleman Hughes TED Talk on Colorblindness b/c TED staffers were upset that it went against anti-racist dogmas, and the issue of teachers providing Howard Zinn materials in th...

It's election season and other than local town elections, in many areas, the vote for your school district's Board of Education will be both the most impactful to your everyday life and least researched. Coach shares his thoughts on where one can turn for information in the candidates running for your Board of Education, what he believes is the most important power delegated to the board,...

Coach completes his discussion of 5 questions that will define classrooms as posed from an article in the NJ's Star Ledger newspaper. He shares his thoughts about school safety, the impact COVID lockdowns had academically & in regards to students' mental health, the importance of recess, and ends with words about the cultural wars (there are two sides to a battle). He ends the episode...

Picked up my state's newspaper of record the other day due to an article on the front page that asked 5 questions facing teachers as the school year begins. The episode begins with the importance of local newspapers to give us information when deciding who to vote for in town elections such as mayor, council, and board of education, and the rising importance of checking out candidate's pag...

The Link to The Parent Teacher Conference Survey! Thanks in advance for completing it https://forms.gle/SWYq1HpQgwGfQsi68 On this episode, Coach shares insights of the value of Back to School Night for a teacher in reaching their students, what he thinks makes a great presentation, and to give his students' parents a "taste"of what he does in the classroom. For parents, he offers som...

From civics to classroom management . Coach shares his 1st days of school, how he uses a discussion of rights & laws to discuss classroom rules, the emphasis he places on stressing we need to be individuals within a community & the responsibilities it entails. Along the way, he shares the 2 parts to consequences for misbehavior (to better the student & value the class), a discussion of...

With the writers & actors strike continuing, Coach offers YouTube as a smorgasbord of short videos to help keep you occupied. YouTube channels from rock music to sports, history, and even some kid friendly faire.

Most teachers complain about the opening day professional development that their school districts. And its amazing how quickly administrators, superintendents, principals, etc. quickly turn to the same tired practices as if they have amnesia of how much they dreaded the structure. In this episode Coach uses baseball analogies about warming up and the Mendoza line to share what he thinks is wrong a...

Your child did not make the team or didn't make the cast of the school play. Getting cut isn't the best feeling in the world, but in this episode Coach shares how his perspective of tryouts and formulating a team through the mind of a coach, but also how he talks with his own daughters when they are cut or do not make a team; the reality that this will not be the last time they will meet w...

An addition to Coach's last episode, he shares how playing HR Derby on the 1st day of school isn't just fun for your students, but hopefully demonstrates his classroom is safe to share thoughts & ideas, encourages students to go home & share what is happening in class, and builds anticipation for future lessons.

The 1st day of school after summer break is here! For parents some words of advice to share with your child of the new beginning they have to help them grow to be the best and do their best without regrets of wishing they did more. And the question for teachers, does your 1st day lesson resemble a party or a wake?