Teach Me, Teacher

Latest Episodes:

#176 Where's the Change for Black Lives in Education? with Dr. Manuel Rustin (pt.1) Sep 28, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! Today, we are tackling some big and important topics. We are discussing the lives of our students, the importance of having a curriculum that shows that black lives matter, and asking, what happened to the change so often touted by educators in the summer months? To have this discussion, I have brought on an educator who is relatively new in my world, but is quickly becoming one of my top voices I listen to. Dr. Manuel Rustin is a veteran educator currently in his sixteenth year of teaching high school social science in California. A proud believer in the promise of public education, Dr. Rustin has spent all sixteen years of his career teaching marginalized populations in underserved public high schools. He currently teaches United States History, American Government, Economics, and a Hip Hop Studies course that he developed in 2012. Teach Me, Teacher has never shied away from big topics, because I believe they are important to have and to listen to. If we want to improve our world, we must listen, discuss, and most importantly, act on the change we say we want. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships by Jaleel Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, and Tyrone Howard. Getting to know our students during the year has always been important. But this year is definitely going to throw us all some curveballs. We'll also get some new opportunities for building connections with our classes. No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships looks at the importance of knowing all our students, being culturally responsive, and protecting kids' self-esteem. And you also get useful strategies for teaching through those positive relationships as you develop them. So, if you're looking for support for making your student relationships even stronger, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships or order your copy.

#175 Education Needs to Work for Our Kids (Susan Barnes pt.2) Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! Today, I am bringing you part 2 of one of the most powerful episodes in the history of Teach Me, Teacher, and it is with Ron Clark Academy's very own, Susan Barnes! If you missed part 1, check it out here. Ms. Susan Barnes has taught language arts, creative writing, and literacy in Brooklyn and Harlem since 1996. She is a gifted staff development trainer, artist, singer and performance poet. Driven by the philosophy that 'language is art,' she uses her love of the arts to create language experiences that illustrate how skilled expression conveys, explores and documents the human condition. In this episode, we continue talking about teaching outside the curriculum, but then we dive into how education needs to work for our kids. This means, sometimes, that we have to close our doors and do what's right. This means, sometimes, that we have to be change agents for the sake of the lives of the kids we serve. Her story is inspiring, to say the least, and one that will immediately make you want to rise to the occasion and fight for what is right for our students. Susan has been doing this work for nearly thirty years, and we are all better for listening to her experience and expertise. I can't express how much I love this talk, and I know you will get so much from it. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships by Jaleel Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, and Tyrone Howard. Getting to know our students during the year has always been important. But this year is definitely going to throw us all some curveballs. We'll also get some new opportunities for building connections with our classes. No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships looks at the importance of knowing all our students, being culturally responsive, and protecting kids' self-esteem. And you also get useful strategies for teaching through those positive relationships as you develop them. So, if you're looking for support for making your student relationships even stronger, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships or order your copy.

#174 Teaching Outside the Curriculum with Susan Barnes (pt.1) Sep 14, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! Today, I am bringing you one of the most powerful episodes in the history of Teach Me, Teacher, and it is with Ron Clark Academy's very own, Susan Barnes! Ms. Susan Barnes has taught language arts, creative writing, and literacy in Brooklyn and Harlem since 1996. She is a gifted staff development trainer, artist, singer and performance poet. Driven by the philosophy that 'language is art,' she uses her love of the arts to create language experiences that illustrate how skilled expression conveys, explores and documents the human condition. In this episode, we dive into Susan's past, her culture, her heritage, and her teaching career, to discuss why we can't just teach the curriculum. If we want to teach our students and empower their current and future lives, we cannot let outdated and problematic curriculum dictate what students hear about their own race, culture, and history. Her story is inspiring, to say the least, and one that will immediately make you want to rise to the occasion and fight for what is right for our students. Susan has been doing this work for nearly thirty years, and we are all better for listening to her experience and expertise. I can't express how much I love this talk, and I know you will get so much from it. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships by Jaleel Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, and Tyrone Howard. Getting to know our students during the year has always been important. But this year is definitely going to throw us all some curveballs. We'll also get some new opportunities for building connections with our classes. No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships looks at the importance of knowing all our students, being culturally responsive, and protecting kids' self-esteem. And you also get useful strategies for teaching through those positive relationships as you develop them. So, if you're looking for support for making your student relationships even stronger, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships or order your copy.

#173 Powerful Literacy Practices During Covid Era Teaching with Jennifer Serravallo (pt.2) Sep 07, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! Welcome to season 5 and part 2 of my talk with Jennifer Serravallo! If you missed part one, check it out here. I love starting every season off with a massive literacy focused episode. Season 2 began with my talk with Donalyn Miller. Season 3 started with my talk with Penny Kittle. Season 4 started with my talk with Kelly Gallagher. And for season 5, I have brought on yet another one of my teaching idols, Jennifer Serravallo, to discuss powerful literacy practices to focus on during covid era teaching! Jennifer Serravallo is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Reading Strategies Book as well as other popular Heinemann professional books: The Writing Strategies Book, Teaching Reading in Small Groups, and The Literacy Teacher's Playbook, Grades K–2 & Grades 3–6. Her new book, Connecting with Students Online: Strategies for Remote Teaching & Learning is due out very soon! In this talk, we cover: Why the testing obsession in schools needs to end now Why programs that tout "predictability" in student performance needs to be questioned Why poetry writing is a skill we should foster in out classes Why we need to be focused on the kids are their individual needs All of that and MORE part one of this powerful conversation with Jennifer Serravallo. Enjoy! Want more workshop talk? I started a new podcast! It's called Craft & Draft, and I'd love for you to check it out! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships by Jaleel Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, and Tyrone Howard. Getting to know our students during the year has always been important. But this year is definitely going to throw us all some curveballs. We'll also get some new opportunities for building connections with our classes. No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships looks at the importance of knowing all our students, being culturally responsive, and protecting kids' self-esteem. And you also get useful strategies for teaching through those positive relationships as you develop them. So, if you're looking for support for making your student relationships even stronger, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships or order your copy.

#172 Powerful Literacy Practices During Covid Era Teaching with Jennifer Serravallo (pt.1) Aug 31, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! Welcome to season 5! I love starting every season off with a massive literacy focused episode. Season 2 began with my talk with Donalyn Miller. Season 3 started with my talk with Penny Kittle. Season 4 started with my talk with Kelly Gallagher. And for season 5, I have brought on yet another one of my teaching idols, Jennifer Serravallo, to discuss powerful literacy practices to focus on during covid era teaching! Jennifer Serravallo is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Reading Strategies Book as well as other popular Heinemann professional books: The Writing Strategies Book, Teaching Reading in Small Groups, and The Literacy Teacher's Playbook, Grades K–2 & Grades 3–6. Her new book, Connecting with Students Online: Strategies for Remote Teaching & Learning is due out very soon! In this talk, we cover: Why Jennifer believes workshop teaching is the best format for a literacy classroom Why digital teaching is tiring Why we should reexamine where our focus is when creating digital lessons Why one on one conferring is THE KEY to a successful and empowering class All of that and MORE part one of this powerful conversation with Jennifer Serravallo. Enjoy! Want more from Teach Me, Teacher? Consider supporting the show on Patreon to get bonus content and other great perks. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships by Jaleel Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, and Tyrone Howard. Getting to know our students during the year has always been important. But this year is definitely going to throw us all some curveballs. We'll also get some new opportunities for building connections with our classes. No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships looks at the importance of knowing all our students, being culturally responsive, and protecting kids' self-esteem. And you also get useful strategies for teaching through those positive relationships as you develop them. So, if you're looking for support for making your student relationships even stronger, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships or order your copy.

Breathe — Season 5 Intro! Aug 24, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! It is here! Hard to believe this podcast has been going since 2016, and it's even harder to believe just how many teachers keep finding and supporting the show. So first off, thank you! Without you, this show would not exist the way it does today. Second, welcome to the season 5 intro! If you're new here, I always like to set the tone of a season by offering an intro where I briefly talk about things to come, and offer a pep talk for the coming year. In this episode, I reveal the new theme song for the show (created by me), and talk about my perspective as I head into digital learning and what is sure to be a BONKERS years—good and bad. Come along with me, and enjoy the ride!

SUMMER BLAST FINALE – Out of the Comfort Zone with Kelli Sanders Aug 17, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone and welcome to Teach Me, Teacher's SUMMER BLAST of inspiration! I cannot express how excited, pumped, and inspired I am right now for next year, and I want you to join me and my AMAZING guests in our quest to bring some positivity into the teaching world. And today is the finale of this experiment! I wasn't sure how everyone would react to a two episode a week BLAST, but you all have been listening in record numbers! So first... THANK YOU! And second... Here is my talk with the one and only Kelli Sanders! Kelli was on episode #98 of the podcast where she was helping me learn guided reading, and today she is talking about how she is pushing out of her comfort zone and reaching for new heights in her teaching and professional life! Such a timely episode. So much inspiration to get from this talk! But if you are in need of MORE inspiration, I want to invite you to the Teach Me, Teacher Facebook LIVESTREAM where we celebrate the 1,00,000th download of the podcast, and record the season 5 intro! The livestream will be on 8/22/20 at 9pm CST, so mark your calendar! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann and their book, Classroom management. After decades of teaching, Nancy Steineke passionately believes this much to be true: a collaborative classroom environment is essential for student learning, and for teachers' well -being. In this guide for every teacher, Nancy makes a powerful argument that we can dramatically reduce the stress of classroom management and improve student achievement when we cultivate classroom communities built on student-centered collaboration. Laying out a plan for collaborative classroom management across a semester or a whole school year, Nancy offers teaching moves and student activities that: build strong relationships between students and teachers, and between each other help students develop, invest in, and uphold positive classroom norms show students the importance and real-life value of soft skills, including what those skills look and sound like in action. Nancy's strategies can easily be integrated into your classes as you teach required content. "By threading community-building work through your schedule," Nancy explains, "you show your students that they matter as individuals, and that social skills are intertwined with academic success." If you're wasting precious class time addressing classroom management issues and want to foster a more meaningful, productive place to learn, give Nancy's time-tested moves and activities a try. There's never been a more important time to create collaborative classroom communities where every student is seen, heard, and believed in. Get it now.

SUMMER BLAST #10 – Small Town Teaching with Haley Curfman Aug 13, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone and welcome to Teach Me, Teacher's SUMMER BLAST of inspiration! I cannot express how excited, pumped, and inspired I am right now for next year, and I want you to join me and my AMAZING guests in our quest to bring some positivity into the teaching world. Today, I am talking with my good friend Haley Curfman, more commonly known as The Weary Teacher, and we hit on a lot in this thirty minutes! We discuss her experience with covid at her school, how small towns are reacting differently to the pandemic than big cities, and how we seem to never get answers to questions when it comes to going back in the fall! If you want to listen to my previous talk with Haley, you can do so here. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann and their book, Classroom management. After decades of teaching, Nancy Steineke passionately believes this much to be true: a collaborative classroom environment is essential for student learning, and for teachers' well -being. In this guide for every teacher, Nancy makes a powerful argument that we can dramatically reduce the stress of classroom management and improve student achievement when we cultivate classroom communities built on student-centered collaboration. Laying out a plan for collaborative classroom management across a semester or a whole school year, Nancy offers teaching moves and student activities that: build strong relationships between students and teachers, and between each other help students develop, invest in, and uphold positive classroom norms show students the importance and real-life value of soft skills, including what those skills look and sound like in action. Nancy's strategies can easily be integrated into your classes as you teach required content. "By threading community-building work through your schedule," Nancy explains, "you show your students that they matter as individuals, and that social skills are intertwined with academic success." If you're wasting precious class time addressing classroom management issues and want to foster a more meaningful, productive place to learn, give Nancy's time-tested moves and activities a try. There's never been a more important time to create collaborative classroom communities where every student is seen, heard, and believed in. Get it now.

SUMMER BLAST #9 – Change, Passion, and Self-Care with Halee Sikorski Aug 10, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone and welcome to Teach Me, Teacher's SUMMER BLAST of inspiration! I cannot express how excited, pumped, and inspired I am right now for next year, and I want you to join me and my AMAZING guests in our quest to bring some positivity into the teaching world. Today I am talking with my good friend and teacher extraordinaire, Halee Sikorski! In this episode, we discuss: how she is handling changes in her life with moving states, changing schools, and changing grade-levels how she is keeping her passion for teaching alive how she is focusing on self-care ...and much much more! Halee has the most appearances on this podcast for a reason, and this episode is no different! It is filled with honesty, insight, and a few laughs along the way. You can catch Halee on MORE episodes of Teach Me, Teacher too! Halee discusses going from year one to two here and here. We discuss Get Your Teach On here and here. If you love this episode, consider becoming a Patron of the show and get MORE episodes, exclusive to Patreon. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann and their book, Classroom management. After decades of teaching, Nancy Steineke passionately believes this much to be true: a collaborative classroom environment is essential for student learning, and for teachers' well -being. In this guide for every teacher, Nancy makes a powerful argument that we can dramatically reduce the stress of classroom management and improve student achievement when we cultivate classroom communities built on student-centered collaboration. Laying out a plan for collaborative classroom management across a semester or a whole school year, Nancy offers teaching moves and student activities that: build strong relationships between students and teachers, and between each other help students develop, invest in, and uphold positive classroom norms show students the importance and real-life value of soft skills, including what those skills look and sound like in action. Nancy's strategies can easily be integrated into your classes as you teach required content. "By threading community-building work through your schedule," Nancy explains, "you show your students that they matter as individuals, and that social skills are intertwined with academic success." If you're wasting precious class time addressing classroom management issues and want to foster a more meaningful, productive place to learn, give Nancy's time-tested moves and activities a try. There's never been a more important time to create collaborative classroom communities where every student is seen, heard, and believed in. Get it now.

SUMMER BLAST #8 – Part Two of the Reading Workshop Q&A with Jacob Chastain Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone and welcome to Teach Me, Teacher's SUMMER BLAST of inspiration! I cannot express how excited, pumped, and inspired I am right now for next year, and I want you to join me and my AMAZING guests in our quest to bring some positivity into the teaching world. …but like last week, today is a little different. Today, I AM THE GUEST OF THE SHOW! Yes, you read that correctly! A few weeks ago, I received an email from a listener of the podcast who asked me tons of questions about reading and writing workshop. I usually answer these in email, but I had the idea to record a Q&A with her instead, where I let her ask me questions for about TWO HOURS. Luckily, she agreed! In this part of the discussion, we cover: Procedures Conferring My journal system Reading logs Authentic reading practice …plus MUCH MUCH MORE! The full two hour workshop Q&A is LIVE for Patrons of the podcast. If you want the full talk now, it is available on the Patreon page at the $5 tier and up. This includes the two parts you will get on the free podcast feed, and an extra hour of content. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann and their book, Classroom management. After decades of teaching, Nancy Steineke passionately believes this much to be true: a collaborative classroom environment is essential for student learning, and for teachers' well -being. In this guide for every teacher, Nancy makes a powerful argument that we can dramatically reduce the stress of classroom management and improve student achievement when we cultivate classroom communities built on student-centered collaboration. Laying out a plan for collaborative classroom management across a semester or a whole school year, Nancy offers teaching moves and student activities that: build strong relationships between students and teachers, and between each other help students develop, invest in, and uphold positive classroom norms show students the importance and real-life value of soft skills, including what those skills look and sound like in action. Nancy's strategies can easily be integrated into your classes as you teach required content. "By threading community-building work through your schedule," Nancy explains, "you show your students that they matter as individuals, and that social skills are intertwined with academic success." If you're wasting precious class time addressing classroom management issues and want to foster a more meaningful, productive place to learn, give Nancy's time-tested moves and activities a try. There's never been a more important time to create collaborative classroom communities where every student is seen, heard, and believed in. Get it now.

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