Teach Me, Teacher

Latest Episodes:

#235 The Hidden Agenda of Privatization with Jessica Piper (pt.1) Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! It seems like every single day there is another controversy about public schools. Whether it's about banning books or the curriculum being taught, the media and pundits alike cannot get enough of the discussion. But why? Is it really a fear of what is happening in schools, or is there a different reason? Jessica Piper, a previous middle and high school English teacher and now candidate for Missouri state representative, believes there's a far bigger agenda behind the outrage we are currently hearing about. In this episode, we talk about her experience as an educator, how this has formed her beliefs around politics, and why she believes the cries around Critical Race Theory are much more about profit than the theory itself. We also touch on how privatization is a potential devastation for rural communities—a topic that is increasingly marginalized among more controversial issues. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Four Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher. Four Essential Studies is based on the belief that secondary students can only be prepared for life after high school when we purposefully shift the decision-making in our classrooms over to them. By reimagining how we teach essay, poetry, digital composition, and sustain talk in book clubs, we can ignite student curiosity, independence, and decision-making skills. Penny and Kelly share the strategies and activities they use in their own classrooms over the course of each unit, and show us what is possible when we expect more than compliance from our students. Learn more about how to transform students' relationship with literacy. Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Four Essential Studies.

#234 Well-Being Workshops (Monika Kuligowska pt.2) Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! Saying this year is difficult is an understatement. Administrators, teachers, students and parents are all trying to figure out how to balance their lives within constant disruption and uncertainty. For many, this problem is causing mental health concerns and quality of life struggles. Returning for part two of our discussion, Monika, otherwise known as @thecheerteacher on Instagram, is here to talk about the nuts and bolts of her well-being workshops! In this episode we touch on: How to set up a well-being workshop When to have them Involving parents and getting feedback Tips to start You do not want to miss this one! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new classroom resource, Math by the Book by Sue O'Connell and colleagues. Math is everywhere—even in great children's books! Teachers and students love a good story. But those stories can also help elementary students make sense of important mathematical concepts. Math by the Book shows teachers how to use high-quality children's books to teach grade-specific math skills and content. You'll find activities, investigations, and teaching strategies…all paired with lists of carefully chosen K-5 literature. So, if you're looking for a fresh way to bring math teaching to life in your classroom, visit MathByTheBook.com to download a free sample or order a copy. That's MathByTheBook.com.

#233 Putting Mental Health First with Monika Kuligowska (pt.1) Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! Saying this year is difficult is an understatement. Administrators, teachers, students and parents are all trying to figure out how to balance their lives within constant disruption and uncertainty. For many, this problem is causing mental health concerns and quality of life struggles. In hopes that we can shed some light—and the importance of—managing mental health, I have brought on Monika, otherwise known as @thecheerteacher on Instagram, to discuss her path through mental health struggles, how she got out of her dark time, and how she is helping her students manage their own mental health for the better. In this episode we touch on: Teaching in a variety of grades The beginning of her work with a mental health focus in the classroom Monika's descent into hating her job because of putting on a "happy face" and her way out of this dark place Managing time to support student mental needs Modeling how to handle difficult emotions You do not want to miss this one! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new classroom resource, Math by the Book by Sue O'Connell and colleagues. Math is everywhere—even in great children's books! Teachers and students love a good story. But those stories can also help elementary students make sense of important mathematical concepts. Math by the Book shows teachers how to use high-quality children's books to teach grade-specific math skills and content. You'll find activities, investigations, and teaching strategies…all paired with lists of carefully chosen K-5 literature. So, if you're looking for a fresh way to bring math teaching to life in your classroom, visit MathByTheBook.com to download a free sample or order a copy. That's MathByTheBook.com.

#232 Doing What It Takes (Alfred Shivy Brooks pt.2) Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! Today, educators are under more scrutiny than they have been in many years. Not only are people rallying together to fight what they feel like is Critical Race Theory, but they are also signing laws that prevent certain texts from being taught in schools. Yet, teachers are constantly being told that teaching isn't political. In part one of our talk, Alfred Shivy Brooks asks, if what is taught is dictated by politicians, how could teaching NOT be political? If school boards are elected, how is teaching not political? In part two we look at what legislation is being passed today to silence educators, and which policies Shivy believes SHOULD be being passed. Shivy is a high school teacher in Atlanta Georgia, Instagram phenomenon, and is currently running for city council. We dive into these questions and more on this in depth, big idea episode of Teach Me, Teacher. Enjoy. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new classroom resource, Math by the Book by Sue O'Connell and colleagues. Math is everywhere—even in great children's books! Teachers and students love a good story. But those stories can also help elementary students make sense of important mathematical concepts. Math by the Book shows teachers how to use high-quality children's books to teach grade-specific math skills and content. You'll find activities, investigations, and teaching strategies…all paired with lists of carefully chosen K-5 literature. So, if you're looking for a fresh way to bring math teaching to life in your classroom, visit MathByTheBook.com to download a free sample or order a copy. That's MathByTheBook.com.

#231 Just Shut Up and Teach? with Alfred Shivy Brooks (pt.1) Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! Today, educators are under more scrutiny than they have been in many years. Not only are people rallying together to fight what they feel like is Critical Race Theory, but they are also signing laws that prevent certain texts from being taught in schools. Yet, teachers are constantly being told that teaching isn't political. Alfred Shivy Brooks asks, if what is taught is dictated by politicians, how could teaching NOT be political? If school boards are elected, how is teaching not political? Shivy is a high school teacher in Atlanta Georgia, Instagram phenomenon, and is currently running for city council. We dive into these questions and more on this in depth, big idea episode of Teach Me, Teacher. Enjoy. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new classroom resource, Math by the Book by Sue O'Connell and colleagues. Math is everywhere—even in great children's books! Teachers and students love a good story. But those stories can also help elementary students make sense of important mathematical concepts. Math by the Book shows teachers how to use high-quality children's books to teach grade-specific math skills and content. You'll find activities, investigations, and teaching strategies…all paired with lists of carefully chosen K-5 literature. So, if you're looking for a fresh way to bring math teaching to life in your classroom, visit MathByTheBook.com to download a free sample or order a copy. That's MathByTheBook.com.

#230 ABAR in Practice (Liz Kleinrock pt.2) Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! The terms antibias and antiracist bring up a lot of opinions and feelings in people. Depending on who you are talking to, this work might be the most important work happening in schools, or the bane on public education as a whole. Never being shy of a large topic, I wanted to discuss this work with one of the leading (and humble) voices in the space and see what it was all about. Luckily, Liz Kleinrock agreed! In part one of our talk, we covered the WHY behind antiracist and antibias work. In this episode, we take a look at what this looks like in context, and how to sustain this work over time. Liz Kleinrock is an anti-bias anti-racist educator and consultant based in Washington, DC. A transracial adoptee, Liz was born in South Korea and grew up in DC before attending Washington University in St. Louis, MO. After spending a year student teaching a 5th grade class in Watts, Liz joined the founding faculty of a startup school in East Hollywood where she spent seven years teaching 1st through 4th grades. In addition to classroom teaching, Liz also works as an anti-bias anti-racist facilitator for schools, organizations, and companies across the country. Her work has gained national recognition through a documentary short produced by Fluid Film, and media outlets such as CNN, The Washington Post, NPR, and BBC. In 2018, Liz received Teaching Tolerance's 2018 Award for Excellence in Teaching, and currently serves on the Teaching Tolerance Advisory Board. Liz is proud to share her 2019 TED Talk from "Education Everywhere" on building foundations of equity with young learners, and is working on her first book with Heinemann Publishing. Whether you are a supporter of antiracist and antibias work, or are wary of it, this talk is sure to add to your thinking on the matter. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices by Lorena Escoto Germán. With Culturally Sustaining Practice as its foundation, Textured Teaching helps secondary teachers stop wondering and guessing how to implement teaching and learning that leads to social justice. Lorena Germán shares her framework for creating a classroom environment that is highly rigorous and engaging, and that reflects the core traits of Textured Teaching: student-driven and community-centered, interdisciplinary, experiential, and flexible. The actionable strategies Lorena uses to bring Textured Teaching values to life illuminate what is possible when we welcome all types of texts, all types of voices, and all forms of expression into the classroom. Learn more about how to become a culturally sustaining educator. Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Textured Teaching.

#229 Discussing Antibias and Antiracist Work with Liz Kleinrock (Pt.1) Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! The terms antibias and antiracist bring up a lot of opinions and feelings in people. Depending on who you are talking to, this work might be the most important work happening in schools, or the bane on public education as a whole. Never being shy of a large topic, I wanted to discuss this work with one of the leading (and humble) voices in the space and see what it was all about. Luckily, Liz Kleinrock agreed! Liz Kleinrock is an anti-bias anti-racist educator and consultant based in Washington, DC. A transracial adoptee, Liz was born in South Korea and grew up in DC before attending Washington University in St. Louis, MO. After spending a year student teaching a 5th grade class in Watts, Liz joined the founding faculty of a startup school in East Hollywood where she spent seven years teaching 1st through 4th grades. In addition to classroom teaching, Liz also works as an anti-bias anti-racist facilitator for schools, organizations, and companies across the country. Her work has gained national recognition through a documentary short produced by Fluid Film, and media outlets such as CNN, The Washington Post, NPR, and BBC. In 2018, Liz received Teaching Tolerance's 2018 Award for Excellence in Teaching, and currently serves on the Teaching Tolerance Advisory Board. Liz is proud to share her 2019 TED Talk from "Education Everywhere" on building foundations of equity with young learners, and is working on her first book with Heinemann Publishing. In part one of our talk, we cover the WHY behind antiracist and antibias work. We discuss common misconceptions, as well as address the concerns many have about having this work in schools. Liz details her perspective, and supports her take on why people shouldn't fear this work in the classroom. Whether you are a supporter of antiracist and antibias work, or are wary of it, this talk is sure to add to your thinking on the matter. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices by Lorena Escoto Germán. With Culturally Sustaining Practice as its foundation, Textured Teaching helps secondary teachers stop wondering and guessing how to implement teaching and learning that leads to social justice. Lorena Germán shares her framework for creating a classroom environment that is highly rigorous and engaging, and that reflects the core traits of Textured Teaching: student-driven and community-centered, interdisciplinary, experiential, and flexible. The actionable strategies Lorena uses to bring Textured Teaching values to life illuminate what is possible when we welcome all types of texts, all types of voices, and all forms of expression into the classroom. Learn more about how to become a culturally sustaining educator. Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Textured Teaching.

#228 From Normal to Next (Selena Carrion pt.2) Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! In part 1 with Selena, we discussed how the war about what schools should look like in a world driven by Covid is still waging, and many have called for "a return to normal." While this might seem wise on first glance, many educators are asking if returning to normal is what we should be striving for. They ask if normal was good enough. They wonder if we should be pushing for something greater, using the knowledge Covid has brought to us to change schools for the better—forever. In part 2, we dive even deeper into what normal really means, and how we can start to evolve into something better for the communities we serve. In this episode we discuss common core, traditional teaching, and how communities, when under-served for too long, have no choice but to pave their own way. Selena Carrion, a New York based educator, is a passionate supporter of educators everywhere. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices by Lorena Escoto Germán. With Culturally Sustaining Practice as its foundation, Textured Teaching helps secondary teachers stop wondering and guessing how to implement teaching and learning that leads to social justice. Lorena Germán shares her framework for creating a classroom environment that is highly rigorous and engaging, and that reflects the core traits of Textured Teaching: student-driven and community-centered, interdisciplinary, experiential, and flexible. The actionable strategies Lorena uses to bring Textured Teaching values to life illuminate what is possible when we welcome all types of texts, all types of voices, and all forms of expression into the classroom. Learn more about how to become a culturally sustaining educator. Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Textured Teaching.

#227 What Does Return to Normal Really Mean? with Selena Carrion (pt.1) Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! The war about what schools should look like in a world driven by Covid is still waging, and many have called for "a return to normal." While this might seem wise on first glance, many educators are asking if returning to normal is what we should be striving for. They ask if normal was good enough. They wonder if we should be pushing for something greater, using the knowledge Covid has brought to us to change schools for the better—forever. Selena Carrion, a New York based educator, has a lot to say on the subject. In this episode, we discuss how Covid has changed schools, how the education system has failed to serve many students, and what returning to normal really means in public education. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices by Lorena Escoto Germán. With Culturally Sustaining Practice as its foundation, Textured Teaching helps secondary teachers stop wondering and guessing how to implement teaching and learning that leads to social justice. Lorena Germán shares her framework for creating a classroom environment that is highly rigorous and engaging, and that reflects the core traits of Textured Teaching: student-driven and community-centered, interdisciplinary, experiential, and flexible. The actionable strategies Lorena uses to bring Textured Teaching values to life illuminate what is possible when we welcome all types of texts, all types of voices, and all forms of expression into the classroom. Learn more about how to become a culturally sustaining educator. Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Textured Teaching.

#226 Teaching High School Spanish with Laura Truebenbach Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

Hello everyone! One of my any promises for season 6 of the podcast was to bring on teachers who teach subjects outside of the core bunch. Today, we are doing just that! Laura Truebenbach is a high school Spanish teacher in Texas, and has a lot of insights about how Covid changed how she taught, how she overcame those obstacles, and the importance of supporting students as they learn a new language. Regardless of if you are a second language teacher or not, there are so many nuggets of advice and insight into the world of teaching high school. I learned a lot, and I know you will too! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and by their new book Teaching Writing in Small Groups by Jennifer Serravallo. Everyone's turning to groups in this unique school year so they can teach more efficiently and spread the learning further. Jen shows you how to make the most of small groups. She gives you seven different options that help meet any students' needs. Like strategy groups, guided writing, writing clubs, and more. She provides writing progressions to help you decide which students to group and why. There's even video that demonstrates Jen's teaching in a variety of classrooms. If you don't have Teaching Writing in Small Groups, head on over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter. Find out what you're missing and order yourself a copy today. Planbook has been the established leader in online lesson planning since 2010, offering collaborative lesson sharing, flexible administrator access, and even student view tools for just $15 a year. Using Planbook, educators can build customized school years, classes, and lessons 100% online, directly inputting class materials and up-to-date standards from all over the world. Enter code "TeachMe" (one word, no space) at sign up to join over 800,000 Planbook teachers today and get your first year for only $5!

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