Top of the Class

This is Part II in our Autism Awareness series. Please be sure to check out Part I from earlier this month! Our episode today is all about serving our students with autism. As diagnoses of autism continue to rise, we want to make sure that we, as teachers, are on the cutting-edge with the best practices and methods for supporting these students. So, we have brought in another amazing educator and...

Today’s episode is one that we know weighs on many educators’ hearts and is a topic you all, our listeners, have asked us to explore. How do help students who’ve faced trauma in their lives? We are really looking forward to chatting with our two guests today. We know that trauma can be a very triggering subject for some of us, so we are going to do our best to handle this conversation with all the...

Today’s episode is a special one. Today we are going to chat about autism awareness and we feel really honored to have our guest in the studio, Dr. Christopher J. Smith, who has decades of experience researching, evaluating, and supporting students with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. This is such an informative and powerful episode, so we hope this conversation helps to spread the word on such...

This is Part II of our STEM series! Be sure to check out Part I, Dissecting STEM. In this episode, we are getting the scoop on trends in the field of STEM, Science-Technology-Engineering-and Math. As STEM continues to become a major player in our schools, we want to make sure we’re on the cutting edge of all the latest developments in the field. And, bonus...We’ve chatted about with our special gu...

In this episode, we are taking a deeper dive into STEM education. We want to break down S, T, E, and M to get a closer look into what it looks like in the classroom and how we can make it work for us. This is a topic that we both find super interesting because it’s not in our wheelhouse. We have plenty of expertise in education, but STEM is definitely not in our comfort zone, but we’re super intri...

In this Extra Credit episode, we share six teacher websites that we just can’t do without. We rely on these websites every day to help find ways to better reach certain students or just to generally grow in our knowledge of the field. If you’re not growing, you’re dying. There’s no neutral for educators, as Dean of the College of Ed Dr. LaPrade likes to say. We just feel like there’s so much to kn...

In this Extra Credit episode, we share what it takes to build a classroom based on love. We both really feel that the world needs a lot more love and empathy right now and a lot less combativeness and discord. Love isn’t always the easy route either. Kumbaya doesn’t come easy. It takes time, a lot of energy, and a stick-tuitiveness that other approaches don’t require. But, a classroom founded on l...

Today’s episode is one we have been waiting for! It is our big cross-over event! When we began this crazy podcasting journey, we were not 100% sure as to where we needed to start. Meredith and I did endless research...and Google searching. However, our biggest help was to actually talk things out with fellow podcasters. That is when we were able to connect with today’s guests.  Today’s guests come...

Today’s episode is a FUN one. Not only because Meredith and I like to have a good time on this show, and in life in general, but also because our topic today is all about fun. There’s something really special when a teacher knows the content but has also figured out how to deliver the content in a way that makes students want to be there and eager to learn. Meredith and I both know there is so muc...

In this episode, we are going to chat about gifted learners. Gifted learners are a special population in our schools representing about 10% of our brightest students. Giftedness can show up for children in a few different ways. It can be like intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership oriented, or in a specific academic areas like the language arts, mathematics, or science. So, we just really wa...

We were chatting a few weeks ago, here at Top of the Class, and the conversation came up about how classroom teaching is not the only destination for educators. There are so many ways teachers can expand their reach and grow in this field. So, we wanted to know more about this to gain a better idea of what alternative jobs and career paths are out there for those driven to be in the field of educa...

In this episode, we are going to chat about growth mindsets and what that looks like in the classroom from the teacher perspective. Meredith and I are really into this topic because it’s something we try to do everyday in our work lives and in our personal lives. This is such an inspirational topic, so we had to bring in an equally as inspiring guest, Heather Bowman! Who knows, maybe our chat may...

In this Extra Credit episode, we share five of our very favorite teacher books. Boy, was this a tough one! There are so many great books on teaching, but we selected five books that any educator can appreciate regardless of their age group or content area. So, with our wide range of listeners in mind, we tried to choose books that are inspiration and practical, compelling and also give us some rea...

Boy, do we have a special episode and guest for you today! In this episode, we will be talking ALL about teaching reading...something I would say both Meredith and I quite enjoy! But, whether you’re a preschool teacher or high school math teacher, we’re ALL involved in improving the literacy and communication skills of our students.  So, buckle up, pop in those ear buds, and get ready for the Art...

Time is of the essence when you're a teacher! Am I right? In this episode, we outline 5 ways to help make you a more efficient educator. We all want to use our time more wisely, so we can spend more time doing what we enjoy as an educator, which is to inspire children, and less time on those pesky, but necessary, managerial tasks. Happy listening! Also, we LOVE your feedback, so please feel free t...

Wow, we are really excited about this session with Dr. Robyn and Robin, two experts in the field who also happen to share the same name! We also know that this topic is a popularly requested concept in many teaching circles. So, in this episode, we’re chatting about project-based learning. Project-based learning, or PBL, as it’s often called, is a method where students get to engage in sustained i...

Today’s episode we’re talking about why we all should choose education. This episode is for pre-service teachers and veteran teachers alike. We want to dive into why education is such an important arena now more than ever. In this episode, we will be chatting with two wonderful guests  and pre-service teachers, Makenna Ray and Ivonne Carmona.  This topic matters to everyone in the field of educati...

Top of the Class is so excited about this episode because we know just how powerful this topic is! Today, Meredith and Emily will be chatting about how to build momentum in our schools and classrooms through STEAM or Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. So, climb aboard this podcast "STEAM" boat as we dive a bit deeper with today’s special guests, Cori Araza & Marni Landry....

Our Extra Credit episodes are shorter than normal episodes. Our goal is to share helpful tips to make your life as an educator a bit easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable! In this Extra Credit episode, Meredith and Emily outline 5 ways to help make your classroom more engaging. We all know that an engaging classroom leads to better learning! Also, as always, we love your feedback, so please f...

It is a new year and there is no better way than to kick it off with a new episode of Top of the Class! Take a listen as hosts Emily Pottinger and Dr. Meredith Critchfield chat with assistant professor and former K-12 educator, Katy Long. In this episode we’re talking about our language learners: what’s it mean to be a language learner, how we can support their language development, and how to mak...

In this month's Top of the Class podcast episode, "From the Parent Point of View," hosts Emily Pottinger and Dr. Meredith Critchfield chat with associate professors, former K-12 educators, husband-wife duo, and parents of two Tom Dyer and Dr. Rebekah Dyer about what parents really think of teachers. We chat about ways teachers can improve relationships with parents, as well as the big "dos" and "d...

As teachers, we wear a lot of hats and help dozens of students every day, but we also want to make sure we pay attention to ourselves. We can't pour from an empty cup! In our latest Top of the Class episode, “Practicing Mindfulness as an Educator,’’ your hosts Emily Pottinger and Dr. Meredith Critchfield discuss ways for us, as teachers, to be mindful and take care of ourselves -- all so we can be...

This month we’re chatting about how to help our students who have very specific learning and behavioral needs that we may, or may not, have the expertise to help. We’re talking to two experts, Katie Sprute and Crystal McCabe, who can help us understand how best to help exceptional students. We’re also going to dive into what we can do to reach all students and support everyone’s learning and socia...

In episode 2, we discussed how we can build positive relationships within our schools and with our colleagues. If you haven’t listened to that episode, dip back in and check it out! This month, we’re diving into how to network outside our classroom walls. This is a hot topic because most educators, like us, WANT to network outside the school, but we just don’t know HOW or WHERE to get started or w...

This month we’re chatting about rising up and becoming a school leader with special guest, Dr. Debbie Rickey. We all know leadership comes in many forms in the field of education and the world of teaching. So, we are here to chat about some tips on how to become a “teacher leader” or school leader, and maybe even some trials and errors that might occur when being a leader. We look forward to you j...