Teach Better Talk

Latest Episodes:

145: Be big. Be bold. Be brave. - Emily David chats with us about reforming the way we teach civics education, embracing failure, and changing the way we access news. Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

Educator and entrepreneur, Emily David, chats with us about reforming the way we teach civics education, embracing failure, and changing the way we access news.

More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/emilydavid

Episode Highlights

0:41 - Shoutout to Ryan Caswell! Check out www.caswellvisuals.com
2:25 - Talking about our Valentine's Day Blog Series.
5:52 - Previewing the episode with Emily David.
9:05 - Emily introduces herself.
9:50 - Talking about Bites Media.
12:50 - Emily's failure: Spelling and grammatical errors in company email.
17:03 - Emily's success: Learning to read and reading to learn.
19:42 - What's keeping Emily excited about education right now: Civics education reform.
21:17 - Emily's advice for teachers: Embrace fail. Collaborate with your colleagues.
23:03 - 6 questions answered in 15 seconds or less.
25:37 - How to connect with Emily

Emily's Recommendations

EdTech Tool: Bites Media
Book: "Talking to Strangers" by Malcom Gladwell
Who to Follow on Social Media:
1. PBS News Hour Extra (@NewsHourExtra)
2. CivXNow Coalition (@CivXNow) or iCivics (@icivcs)
3. Bites Media (@bitesmedia)
YouTube/Podcast/Website/Blog: TedEd
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Routine: Monthly Gratitude.
Best piece of advice you've ever received: Be big, be bold, be brave.

Links to Connect With Emily

Website: bitesmedia.com
Twitter: @bitesmedia
Facebook Page: @bitesnews
Instagram: @bites_media
Email: emily@bitesmedia.com

AUDIO BLOG - Using TikTok to Build Relationships with Teachers Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio version of the blog post, "Using TikTok to Build Relationships with Teachers" Written by Jeremy Rinkel (@RinkelJeremy). Read by Rae Hughart (@raehughart). Read the post at www.teachbetter.com/blog/using-tiktok-to-build-relationships-with-teachers.

In This Post:

An update on TikTok from Jeremy Rinkel: The TikTok Teacher!
Four ways to use the TikTok app to build relationships and connect with other teachers.
Hashtags to follow on TikTok to find content and creators.

As I continue to dive into the TikTok app, I've discovered that other teachers who use the app. While TikTok is still used by mostly teens, statistics show that adult use of the app doubled from September 2018-September 2019 with 14 million daily active users (Mohsin, 2019). This tells me it's an untapped source for building relationships and connections with teachers!

Read the full post at www.teachbetter.com/blog/using-tiktok-to-build-relationships-with-teachers.

144: Walking Your Talk. - Charles Williams chats with us about being authentic, sharing our passion, and revolutionizing twitter. Feb 06, 2020

Show notes

15 year veteran teacher, principal, and consultant, Charles Williams, chats with us about being authentic, sharing our passion, and revolutionizing twitter.

Charles talks about walking your talk, raising our voices, and the power of connecting with others.

More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/charleswilliams

Episode Highlights

1:33 - Chatting about our friends with @PunkRockClassrooms
6:47 - Previewing the episode with Charles Williams.
10:17 - Charles introduces himself.
12:52 - Charles's failure: Jumping to a conclusion without all the context.
16:00 - Charles's success: Launching CW Consulting.
17:29 - What's keeping Charles excited about education right now:
20:00 - Charles's advice for teachers: Be authentic.
25:44 - 6 questions answered in 15 seconds or less.
28:28 - How to connect with Charles.

Charles's Recommendations

EdTech Tool: Remind and Voxer
Book: "Relentless" by Hamish Brewer
Who to Follow on Social Media: Mike Earnshaw, Jennifer Gonzalez, Matt Miller
YouTube/Podcast/Website/Blog: www.getepic.com
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Routine: Pause to reflect. Find your balance.
Best piece of advice you've ever received: Poem, "The Man In The Glass"

Links to Connect With Charles

Website: www.cwconsultingservice.com
Twitter: @_cwconsulting
Facebook Page: cwconsultingservice
Instagram: @_cwconsulting

143: Recalibrating education. - Barbara Hanna chats with us about inspiring learning and creativity, reframing success and how we work, and the recalibration of what education is. Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

Founder of Cyant, Barbara Hanna, chats with us about inspiring learning and creativity, reframing success and how we work, and the recalibration of what education is.

More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/barbarahanna

Episode Highlights

2:10 - Chatting about some of fun going on with Teach Better this month.
8:34 - Previewing the episode with Barbara Hanna.
11:46 - Barbara introduces herself.
13:06 - Barbara tells us about her company, Cyant.
19:31 - Barbara's failure: Running a race and allowing the situation change her viewpoint of the goal.
25:07 - What's keeping Barbara excited about education right now: The conversations going on amongst teachers. The technology, and the opportunities it creates. The connection of disciplines.
29:42 - 6 questions answered in 15 seconds or less.
33:34 - How to connect with Barbara.

Barbara's Recommendations

EdTech Tool: Dropbox / Calculator apps
Book: Neil Shusterman - Arc Of A Scythe Series
Who to Follow on Twitter: Corinne Okada Takara - @CorinneTakara and Julia Dweck - @GiftedTawk
YouTube/Podcast/Website/Blog: A diverse / eclectic range from Dezeen, to Colossal to 3DPrintingIndustry.
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Routine: Breathing routine.
Best piece of advice you've ever received: Be mindful to set the best conditions / means to meet the objectives you have set up for yourself.

Links to Connect With Barbara

Website: www.cyant.co
Twitter: @imacyantist
Facebook Page: imacyantist
Instagram: @imacyantist
YouTube: bit.ly/2tshiyL
Pinterest: @imacyantist

AUDIO BLOG - Using Conferences for Grading Students Jan 31, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio version of the blog post, "Using Conferences for Grading Students" Written by Katelynn Giordano (@kngiordano). Read by Rae Hughart (@raehughart). Read the post at www.teachbetter.com/blog/using-conferences-for-grading-students/.

In This Post

The struggle of quantifying mastery with a letter or percent.
Grading conferences as a solution to this struggle!
Steps to set up grading conferences in your classroom & communicate about them to stakeholders.
Feedback from students on grading conferences.

142: Just one teacher - Stephanie Edmonds chats with us about taking the power back as teachers, disrupting the way we think about education, and what it takes to make real change. Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

Global History Teacher, Stephanie Edmonds, chats with us about taking the power back as teachers, disrupting the way we think about education, and what it takes to make real change.

More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/stephanieedmonds

Episode Highlights

0:45 - Chatting about social media.
10:47 - Previewing the episode with Stephanie Edmonds.
13:17 - Stephanie introduces herself
14:38 - Stephanie chats about her YouTube Channel: Class Disruption
18:15 - Stephanie's failure: Lack of planning for her student club showcase.
20:35 - Stephanie's success: Starting the school's first student government.
22:30 - What's keeping Stephanie excited about education right now: Connecting with my earlier experiences and making sure kids get what they need to get out of education.
24:10 - Stephanie's advice for teachers: Figure out what it takes to take care of you.
26:00 - 6 questions answered in 15 seconds or less.
29:16 - Stephanie shares how to get yourself started on YouTube.
31:24 - How to connect with Stephanie.

Stephanie's Recommendations

EdTech Tool: Google Drive and Google Classroom
Book: "Tell Me So I Can Hear You" by Eleanor Drago-Severson and Jessica Blum-DeStefano. "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi. "Talking to Strangers" by Malcom Gladwell.
Who to Follow on Instagram:
- Jimmy casas @casas_jimmy
- Kareem Farah (founder of modern Classroom) @kareemfarah23
- Elizabeth Merce @emercedlearning
YouTube/Podcast/Website/Blog: Kwame Sarfo-Mensa IDTALK4ED. Gary Vaynerchuck
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Routine: Meditate, workout, and eat well - everyday.
Best piece of advice you've ever received: "Give everyone the benefit of the doubt that they are operating at the best of their ability." Stephanie's high school teacher Mr. Jaffee.

Links to Connect With Stephanie

Twitter: @classdisrupti0n

141: Be Yourself - Mark Heller chats with us about changing the attitude in your school, building strong relationships, and the power of just being yourself. Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

Middle School Principal, Mark Heller, chats with us about changing the attitude in your school, building strong relationships, and the power of just being yourself.
More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/markheller

Episode Highlights

2:17 - Talking about Rae's new "Retakes" course over at www.teachbetteracademy.com.
5:27 - Previewing the episode with Mark Heller.
8:31 - Mark introduces himself.
10:12 - Mark's failure: Sitting in an expulsion hearing with kids on the last day of school last year.
12:27 - Mark's success: Changing the attitude at his school.
15:11 - What's keeping Mark excited about education right now: The value and importance of building strong relationships.
16:50 - Mark's advice for teachers: Every day is not going to be perfect. Every class isn't going to be perfect.
18:50 - Mark tells us about all the roles he's had in his building.
20:15 - What Mark wants teachers to know about administrators: We all care about everyone. We're all in this together.
26:00 - Rae can't handle the idea of drinking so much water.
22:52 - 6 questions answered in 15 seconds or less.
31:27 - How to connect with Mark.

Mark's Recommendations

EdTech Tool: Google Calendar. The Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt.
Book: "Hacking Assessment" by Starr Sackstein and "Alone On The Wall" by Alex Honnold.
Who to Follow on Instagram: IG: @monicagentaed, IG: @teachcreatemotivate, Twitter: @TeacherFit19
YouTube/Podcast/Website/Blog: www.CommonSenseMedia.org
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Routine:
- Daily: Drink half your body weight in ounces of water.
- Weekly: Reflect and plan.
- Take care of yourself.
Best piece of advice you've ever received: "Don't have any expectations of others, that you have not communicated to them."

Links to Connect With Mark

Website: www.aimsnetwork.org
Twitter: @mheller2115 @AIMSnetwork

AUDIO BLOG - 4 Ways to Engage Students With Your Community Jan 24, 2020

Show notes

This is an audio version of the blog post, "4 Ways to Engage Students With Your Community" Written by Rae Hughart (@RaeHughart). Read by Rae Hughart (@raehughart). Read the post at www.teachbetter.com/blog/4-ways-to-engage-students-with-your-community.

140: The Secret is in the Clichés - Aaron Else chats with us about being an optimist, focusing on giving students what they need to grow, and why the secret to life is in the clichés. Jan 23, 2020

Show notes

Elementary School Principal, Aaron Else, chats with us about being an optimist, focusing on giving students what they need to grow, and why the secret to life is in the clichés.

Aaron shares how their school is focused on a culture of taking risks and doing what's right for kids, the power of asking questions, and why you should love Mondays.

More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/aaronelse

Episode Highlights

1:22 - Chatting about some of the great conferences we're headed to soon.
6:34 - Previewing the episode with Aaron Else.
10:13 - Aaron introduces himself.
11:46 - Aaron's failure: Thinking he knew it all.
14:36 - Aaron's success: Building a culture of taking risk.
16:32 - Talking more about the House System in Aaron's school.
19:30 - What's keeping Aaron excited about education right now: Where education is heading.
22:00 - Aaron's advice for teachers: Don't be "23 year old me." Ask questions.
25:40 - 6 questions answered in 15 seconds or less.
28:19 - How to connect with Aaron

Guest's Recommendations

EdTech Tool: Twitter
Book: "Call Sign Chaos" by General Mattis.
Who to Follow on Instagram:

Trevor Ragan (@learner_lab)
Martina Wagner (@martinawagnerEL)
Jon-Eric Ziaer (@zlearnmore)

YouTube/Podcast/Website/Blog: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Routine: Journaling. Reflection is key to learning. Stop. Reflect. Journal. Reflect some more.
Best piece of advice you've ever received: “The secret to life is in the cliches.” - Aaron's Mom.

Links to Connect With Our Guest

Twitter: @PrincipalElse

139: Scan For The Good. - Suzanne Dailey chats with us about patience, perspective, and finding that one small thing you can do today to be better, happier, and more positive. Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

Instructional coach, Suzanne Dailey, chats with us about patience, perspective, and finding that one small thing you can do today to be better, happier, and more positive.

Suzanne shares her vision for "Teach Happier," how we need to scan for the good, and why she has the best job in the world.

More at www.teachbetter.com/podcast/suzannedailey

Episode Highlights

1:47 - Chatting about Suzanne Dailey's new "Teach Happier" series.
3:05 - Celebrating some of our awesome guest bloggers.
7:24 - Previewing the episode with Suzanne Dailey.
10:27 - Suzanne introduces herself.
12:28 - Suzanne's failure: Moving to a standards-based reporting. Part of leadership team. Rollout not as thoughtfully planned out. Did not anticipate push back and logistical problems.
15:04 - Suzanne's success: Developing "QUEST."
- For more information on Suzanne's school's QUEST Program, visit: CBSD.org/quest
17:33 - What's keeping Suzanne excited about education right now: The shift to emotional wellness of students, and of teachers.
18:52 - Talking about teacher emotional wellness, and Suzanne's vision for her "Teach Happier" series at www.teachbetter.com.
20:38 - Suzanne's advice for teachers: Quiet the noise.
25:27 - 6 questions answered in 15 seconds or less.
28:30 - How to connect with Suzanne.

Suzanne's Recommendations

EdTech Tool: Digital Inking
Book: "UnSelfie" by Dr. Michele Borba
Who to Follow on Instagram: @Teacher2Teacher and @BehaviorFlip
YouTube/Podcast/Website/Blog: Brene Brown's "Daring Classrooms."
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Routine: Daily gratitude. Compliment someone every day. Every month, use your gift outside your comfort zone.
Best piece of advice you've ever received: "The secret to life is surround yourself with good people." - Suzanne's parents.