The Teacher's Pep Rally

What an exciting opportunity to speak to the TEACHER and COACH who inspired Apple tv's TED LASSO . He was the head basketball coach for actor Jason Sudeikis when he was a teen. It was such a pleasure to be motivated by Donnie Campbell in this conversation about having fun at our job and exuding authenticity in the classroom and on the field or gym. He reminds us that we make think that our student...

Join us for a quick check in with Fred, Leticia, Pete, and Erin. We take time to hear what each TPR crew is up to and share our thoughts about the half time show of the BIG GAME. Like most educators, we are a little tired as we make the long stretch to Spring Break. You will hear us giggling and being silly, but as always, we share what we are up to and talk about some books we recommend and lesso...

Our guests have over 65 years combined of experience in education. Both Jen and Gina have a passion for helping first-generation college students get into and graduate from college. Our conversation reminded us that we need to help students tell their stories and find confidence to apply for college. If not them, than who? We talk about tips for students to apply for college and ways to be success...

Our guests have over 25 years of experience in education. Bill Tynan and Sarah Emerson have a passion for supporting students in high levels of achievement, preparation for the 21st century workplace, and imagination. We talk about story telling, animatronics, and makerspaces. Listen to ways the Garner Holt's Education through Imagination is helping engage students to use their heads, hands, and h...

Our guest, Candace Cheung, is the Director of Partnerships & Programs at the STEAD school in Colorado. We talk about the meaning of a true community partnership and building a culture to helps students learn using their head, heart, and hands. The STEAD school uses project-based learning to empower students to design and lead their own learning using science, technology, agriculture, and design th...

We are all ready for winter break. This special holiday episode was time for the TPR crew to talk about the challenges we have faced this semester and then find time to laugh and celebrate. We are so thankful for the opportunity to continue the conversation around education. Don't miss out on some of our funny or awkward gifts we have received from students in the past, plus the sweet ones. Hang y...

Our guest, Latarsha Jones from The Reading Bench, tells us to keep pushing ourselves and ask what is next. We all have a big heart when it comes to education, but we need the guts and courage to get deeper and tap into what is great about us. As an educational leader and coach, Latarsha shares with us valuable guidance to building a strong building culture. Let's talk about life and learning! Visi...

Our very own happiness guru came back to visit us to talk about attitude and gratitude. Crystal Steers from Chasing Happiness reminds us that life is a journey. Many of us are seeking change or dealing with lots of it, so she gave us great advice on how to handle it: Make all the plans you want to prepare but know the risks Have a back-up plan Know YOU can handle anything Trust in YOU Let's talk a...

Our guest John Moran is an experienced IT guy who is also skilled in Curriculum Design, Instructional Techniques, Secondary Education, and Lesson Planning. His passion for Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering found its way in his classroom. We learned the ways that using gamification can increase student engagement and build confidence in students.  Let's talk about life and learning! Vis...

The TPR crew got very silly, spooky, and slaphappy. This is our annual Halloween episode where we share tricks and treats of being an educator. Join us at the pep rally as we tell stories, laugh at some jokes, and answer trivia questions. Times are still crazy and stressful, so don't forget to stop and laugh. Grab your costume and a bleacher.  Let's talk about life and learning! Visit us at www.te...

Technology is not going anywhere. We often talk about the plethora of platforms available as learning tools, but how often have we discussed or made sure we are protecting your devices and privacy? How about our students? Marc Gonzalez visits TPR again for Cyber Security Awareness Month. Tune in for 3 things that threaten our cyber security and then hear ways we can be better about our protecting...

Our guest has a long list of experience in both the K-12 Art and ELA classroom. Dr. Michelle Zoss is currently a professor at Georgia State University and teaches teachers. She talks to us about loving the whole student and how to embrace and look forward to the parts of education that bring surprises. We discuss helping our students use art as a form of expression so they can make real world and...

We continue our series about teaching entrepreneurship with our guest, Frank Sorokach. Frank addresses the theoretical academic aspects of business and the actual implementation aspects as a practitioner. We discuss the importance of having both depth and breadth of knowledge. Don't miss out on this rich conversation about interpersonal communication styles, unusual professional development for ed...

Our guest Mello Foster might need to be our mascot to represent the spirit of The Teacher's Pep Rally podcast. His spirit and intention is real. He teaches entrepreneurship to K - 5, but we quickly learn it is all about making the connections with students and teaching them how to maintain for a life. Join the conversation about ways to spark innovation and an entrepreneurship mindset with student...

Our guest Robert Whitman has a wide variety of experience in leadership for K-12. Currently, he is a middle school principal who believes in service leadership. We discuss being data inspired vs. data driven, understanding our passion not our purpose, and identifying as a united community. Don't miss out on this motivational and refreshing conversation around being our best selves and being of ser...

This is a conversation that we should be having more often because it reminds us that we all need to find time to get grounded throughout our day. Our guest, former middle school teacher and current yoga teacher, Amy Haysman tells us it important for students/kids to find time to discover self. Yoga is a great way for kids to ask "Who am I? Who am I in my community?". Grab your yoga mat and spirit...

We are so excited to be back after a long summer break. Our guest, Dr. Jeannine Jannot, is a college instructor teaching psychology courses and freshman seminars. She is a student and parent coach and author of The Disintegrating Student . In this episode, we talk about the importance of showing up as warm, supportive adults in a child's life. We need to prioritize relationships and listen more. T...

Happy Summer! This will be our last episode for THIS season, but don't worry we will be back after summer break. The movie we are discussing is Freedom Writers . We talk all about the challenges and beauty of teaching while highlighting the portrayal of Erin Gruwell's teaching style. So, Grab a bleacher and your favorite snack Let's talk about life, learning, and the movies.

We continue to sit down with each of the TPR crew to not only discuss their love of education but also entrepreneurship. Leticia talks about her passion for self-care and changing the narrative of teacher burnout. She empowers teachers through Project ReignitED . Pete continues to support the performing arts through PSB Creative . He believes that a creative life is a happy life and his kids burst...

Finally, we have the opportunity to sit down with each of the TPR crew to not only discuss their love of education but also entrepreneurship. Fred talks about his passion for coding and how he uses Get Me Coding to make the skill accessible to anyone and everyone that wants to learn. Erin has built a platform and programs to build positive communities for educators with inspiration for teacher sup...

Our very one Pete Bush brought some of his kids from PSBcreative to discuss their upcoming performance of The Little Mermaid . These young performers share what it has been like to work with an ensemble and perform through a pandemic. We even had some really good tips about how they handle stage fright. Grab your fins and smiles. These kids will make you happy that the arts are still alive and thr...

We are doing a mini-series to support the performing arts. Our guest Jarius Cliett is a singer, actor, and teacher in the Atlanta area who inspires his community with his passion for the arts and music. We talk about how the college path does not need to be for everyone. He encourages us to do what feeds our souls. We enjoyed talking with Jarius about the ways that we are called towards being teac...

I promise that you will walk away from this episode with big hearts and a smile on your face. Our guests Karen Cushman and Katie Hanniger are superstar, high school teachers who work with exceptional students in both CBI and Adaptive Health & PE. They are passionate about their job and have an amazing ability to adapt to  challenges in order to meet accommodations for their classroom. Grab your sp...

Our passionate and energized guest, Debbie Gonzalez, gives us her best practices as a coach for leaders. She reminds us that we should be mindful of our work-life balance and that there is power in very small gestures. We asked Debbie to share her journey as a self-published author for children's books. She has written two about her fur baby, Cooper: A Walk with Cooper and A Game with Cooper . Gra...

Our good friend and happiness guru, Crystal Steers, comes back. This is the time of year that educators are running on fumes as they finish standardized testing, grading, and finishing up the school year. Spring cleaning both literally and figuratively is an important part for your mental health and a way to organize during the chaos. Grab you feather duster, journal, and spirit wear. Let's talk a...