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Latest Episodes:

Episode 128: The Ideal Teacher Persona: Part 1 Jan 21, 2025

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Chad Crane, an instructional coach, reflects on his new role and the challenges he faces, particularly when a teacher, Melanie Jones, expresses the desire for a new personality to become more engaging in the classroom. The episode explores the tension between the cultural expectations of an ideal teacher persona, often favoring extroverted traits, and the reality that effective teaching can take many forms, including those aligned with quieter, introverted personalities.

Episode 127: AI: Your Teaching Sidekick Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

Chad Crane and CTE teacher Kelsey Bernards discuss how AI has become an invaluable partner for educators, transforming their work practices and providing support in tasks like creating rubrics, generating teaching ideas, and refining assignments. They highlight how AI can act as a thought partner, offering suggestions, prompting higher-order thinking, and reducing teacher exhaustion, making it a powerful tool to enhance both teaching and personal productivity.

Episode 126: Genki Balls and Sweet Potatoes - Hope and Humanity in Teaching Jan 07, 2025

Show notes

Juliana Urtubey, 2021 National Teacher of the Year shares powerful stories highlighting the transformative role of relationships and dignity in education. Through examples like a student's sweet potato gift and Hawaiian teachers' canal restoration project, the discussion underscores the importance of joy, justice, and collaboration in fostering meaningful change and sustaining educators' purpose.

Episode 125: Educational and Fun Gifts Dec 17, 2024

Show notes

In this holiday-themed episode, the hosts share educational and fun gift ideas, from creating inclusive classroom spaces to using mindfulness tools and innovative accessories like Bluetooth eye masks. They also explore the value of unconventional approaches to pedagogy, recommend resources for student-centered learning, and encourage kindness through gestures like Secret Santa traditions and taking restful naps during the break.

Episode 124: Creative Classrooms Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

Second grade teacher, Melissa Norman explores effective teaching practices, emphasizing creating an engaging and emotionally supportive classroom environment by tailoring lessons to students' unique needs and activating prior knowledge. Daily personal interactions, reflective tools, and fostering creativity to build relationships, all support student success while maintaining a flexible, student-centered approach to learning.

Episode 123: Bridging Gaps and Building Futures through the Davis Education Foundation Dec 03, 2024

Show notes

Davis Education Foundation director Jodi Lunt discusses fostering community support for the Davis School District through programs like Cash for Classrooms, Kids Closet, and innovative projects that remove barriers to learning and empower students and educators. Jodi shares inspiring stories of generosity and collaboration, emphasizing the foundation's commitment to enhancing education, meeting students' basic needs, and encouraging listeners to contribute time, talents, and resources to create lasting positive change.

Episode 122: Empowering Classrooms Through Tech Nov 19, 2024

Show notes

Technology Integration Specialist Katie Scholer discusses how technology can transform classroom experiences, making learning more immersive and accessible. Tools like Google Earth, iPads, and AI-driven tutoring help students engage more deeply with content, while ongoing professional development supports teachers in integrating these technologies effectively to enhance student learning.

Episode 121: Mastery, Self-Pacing, and Lifelong Learning Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

Chandee Chidester, a thrid grade teacher and distinguished educator for the the Modern Classroom Project, describes teacher sustainability and student-centered, mastery-based learning. Chandee explains how she implemented self-paced lessons in her classroom to cater to different student abilities and challenges, fostering engagement and growth for each student, and shares her excitement about further enhancing her methods to create an even more student-led environment.

Episode 120: Clay, Connection and Closure Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

Retired high school ceramics teacher Shalise Bailey reflects on her teaching journey, the strong bonds she formed with students and colleagues, and the challenges of retirement. She shares advice for both new and experienced teachers to focus on meaningful student connections and to find joy in the small "glimmer moments" that make teaching rewarding.

Episode 119: Performance Based Assessments Oct 30, 2024

Show notes

Theater and film teacher Liz Christensen discusses the power of performance-based assessments to engage students in authentic learning. She shares how these assessments allow students to demonstrate skills in practical contexts, fostering critical thinking, self-expression, and metacognition across various subjects.

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