Teach Me, Teacher

Latest Episodes:

#148 End the Teacher Bashing (Chris Pombonyo pt.2) Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! Today, I am continuing my talk with Chris Pombonyo, and it is FILLED with ideas, inspiration, and perspective on why we should all stop bashing teachers for doing their jobs their way, when their way is working for them and their students. Other topics we discuss: Why watching other teachers teach is a practice we should all incorporate. Why counting down the days for break in front of students and the general public might be doing more harm than good. Why we should support each other. Apparently, Chris and I are related... ...wait what? Well, you'll have to listen to find out what's up! If you missed part one: Chris is a teacher, coach, the creative director of Get Your Teach On, and all around ball of inspiration. His dedication to his craft, and his drive to help teachers embrace their passions is phenomenal. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. 180 Days was inspired by a teacher's question: "How do you fit it all in?" To answer that question, Kelly and Penny spent an entire school year planning, teaching, and reflecting together. Through their collaboration, they identified the most essential everyday practices for helping middle and high school students become more engaged readers and writers. 180 Days maps out a year of the most powerful, engaging literacy practices. It provides insights about time management, teaching strategies, and how to effectively use both whole class and independent work. You'll also find a library of accompanying videos that support each chapter. So, if you want to make every moment matter in your classroom, and empower your students to live more literate lives, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from 180 Days or order your copy.

#147 Let's Be Awesome Together with Chris Pombonyo (pt.1) Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! I hope you're ready for an energy filled inspirational episode, because today Chris Pombonyo is on the podcast! Chris is a teacher, coach, the creative director of Get Your Teach On, and all around ball of inspiration. His dedication to his craft, and his drive to help teachers embrace their passions is phenomenal. In this episode, we discuss: Why doing so many different things inspires Chris How embracing what makes us happy as teachers will make students happy No teacher needs to look the same The power of working together to create something great and MUCH MORE! (including our opinions on coffee and fitness...) Enjoy! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. 180 Days was inspired by a teacher's question: "How do you fit it all in?" To answer that question, Kelly and Penny spent an entire school year planning, teaching, and reflecting together. Through their collaboration, they identified the most essential everyday practices for helping middle and high school students become more engaged readers and writers. 180 Days maps out a year of the most powerful, engaging literacy practices. It provides insights about time management, teaching strategies, and how to effectively use both whole class and independent work. You'll also find a library of accompanying videos that support each chapter. So, if you want to make every moment matter in your classroom, and empower your students to live more literate lives, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from 180 Days or order your copy.

#146 Reading Workshop, Ron Clark Academy Style, with Korey Collins (pt.2) Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! Last week, I sat down with the amazing Korey Collins and talked all about graphic novels, test prep, and the limits of BASAL reading programs. This week, I continue my talk with him and dive even deeper into what reading workshop looks like at the Ron Clark Academy! Korey Collins is a certified reading specialist and reading teacher at the Ron Clark Academy, and he brings the inspiration and heat for our discussion today. In this episode, we cover: Korey's typical class and his view on engagement in a reading classroom The power of conferencing with readers The power of choice in reading Why teachers should want to be master's of their craft …and MUCH MUCH MORE! You do NOT want to miss this episode! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. 180 Days was inspired by a teacher's question: "How do you fit it all in?" To answer that question, Kelly and Penny spent an entire school year planning, teaching, and reflecting together. Through their collaboration, they identified the most essential everyday practices for helping middle and high school students become more engaged readers and writers. 180 Days maps out a year of the most powerful, engaging literacy practices. It provides insights about time management, teaching strategies, and how to effectively use both whole class and independent work. You'll also find a library of accompanying videos that support each chapter. So, if you want to make every moment matter in your classroom, and empower your students to live more literate lives, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from 180 Days or order your copy.

#145 Reading Workshop, Ron Clark Academy Style, with Korey Collins (pt.1) Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

Hello everyone! You all know that I love talking reading workshop and Ron Clark Academy, and for this episode I got to do both! Korey Collins is a certified reading specialist and reading teacher at the Ron Clark Academy, and he brings the inspiration and heat for our discussion today. In this episode, we cover: Korey's evolution as a teacher How test prep is NOT backed by research Why BASAL reading programs were never meant to be the core reading in classes The power of graphic novels ...and MUCH MUCH MORE! You do NOT want to miss this episode! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. 180 Days was inspired by a teacher's question: "How do you fit it all in?" To answer that question, Kelly and Penny spent an entire school year planning, teaching, and reflecting together. Through their collaboration, they identified the most essential everyday practices for helping middle and high school students become more engaged readers and writers. 180 Days maps out a year of the most powerful, engaging literacy practices. It provides insights about time management, teaching strategies, and how to effectively use both whole class and independent work. You'll also find a library of accompanying videos that support each chapter. So, if you want to make every moment matter in your classroom, and empower your students to live more literate lives, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from 180 Days or order your copy.

#144 New Year's Resolutions for Teachers Dec 30, 2019

Show notes

Hello everyone! We did it... we made it to the last Monday of 2019, and it is kind of unreal. It's time to look ahead, plan for what we want to achieve, and begin the new decade with energy and positivity. Now, I don't know about you, but I love new beginnings. I love Sunday, because of what Monday has in store, and I love the end of the year because of what the new year has in store. There is just TOO MUCH possibility to NOT get excited. So with that, I set out to detail what I believe the most important resolutions for teachers will be in 2020. They are as follows: Find your own way. Think critically and question everything. Do not just accept what you hear. Try it, apply it, research it. Test it. Help others in a way that matters. Just giving others materials or strategies isn't enough. Help by being a thinker, questioner, and encourager. Have the tough conversations. Teaching is hard and detailed work. None of us get better by catering to one another's biases or sensitivities. We have to be able to have critical discussions that lead with resect and end with results. Do not blame others—especially students or yourself—for the problems in your class. You are in charge of your room when that door closes, but that does not always mean you are 100% ready for your challenges. If you are struggling, either reach out for help, or keep analyzing your practice and classroom until you fix it. It is ON YOU. Blame wastes time, and it justifies having a class that isn't amazing. Read professional books and research. You are a practitioner. If you want to be treated like a professional, you have to have the knowledge of one. Put in the work for the results you want. Do not feel guilty for taking breaks and having no work brought home, or no work weekends, or no work holidays…. IF you are getting the results you want in your classes. If you are comfortable, then enjoy. But if you are trying to push to the next level, if you are wanting more for your career, more for your students, and more for yourself, PUSH. Work-life balance isn't about doing what EVERYONE is telling you to do. Work-life balance is about doing what balances YOU. Ignore the haters. As you push to get better, people will try to hold you back. They will tell you to stop. They will encourage you to take the easy way or the way everyone has always taken. The people that try to pull you down are the people who will not use themselves. People that cannot push themselves to get to the next level hate seeing others do it, and they will hold you down. Many times, this will be friends and family. Ignore them, and keep pushing. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE WORLD wants you to be average, because most people are. But I'm here to tell you to push, hold yourself to a higher standard, respect those who've done it before you and use them as mentors. Leave behind those who don't want to see you succeed and find those who will push you to be better. The job of teaching is impossibly challenging, but you will get from it what you put in. If you're fine with seeing teaching as just your job, and that make you happy, then I'm happy for you. But if you feel called to do more, to BE more for yourself, your students, and your community, then I hope you face 2020 with a drive to push. It will be difficult, and too many will try to stop you, but you can do it. You can be more for yourself and those around you. You can reach new heights. Let's reach them together. Enjoy! A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

#143 These Kids: Inside the Mind of an 8th Grader Dec 23, 2019

Show notes

Hello everyone! Coming off the major release of my spoken word poem THESE KIDS, where I say the line, "I'm tired of hearing ABOUT these kids, I want to hear from them..." I decided to do just that on this episode of the Teach Me, Teacher podcast. I sat down with one of my school's top students and discussed with her what it was really like to be an 8th grader. Along with this, we covered: Do phones really cause that many problems? Should adults be worried about student stress/depression/sadness levels? What do teachers do to make you want to be in class? What do teachers do to make you not want to be in class? What was it like transitioning from elementary to middle school? And even how she has grown over her 2 and half years as a middle schooler. This was such a fun talk, and something I'd love to do again if you all enjoy it! Give it a listen and let me know what you think. Enjoy! A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

#142 Joy in Learning is a Necessity (Equity with Regie Routman pt.3) Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

Hello everyone! Literacy Essentials by Regie Routman (Stenhouse 2018) is by far one of the most influential books I've read in my teaching career. It's a book I turn to weekly for advice, insight, and encouragement in my work to bring authentic literacy to my students. So when I was given a chance to talk to Regie herself, I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity. In part 1 of the podcast, we dove deep into the increasingly alarming practice of talking about students as if they are data points and not children. We discussed why we need to humanize our classrooms, and how to think about our school culture in a way that fosters equitable practices. In part 2, we took a look at some practices we are letting happen in our classes and schools that are hurting students, and what to do about them. And now in part 3, we are wrapping it all together in a discussion about why learning should be joyful—for teachers and students—and should drive us into the beauty and gift that is TEACHING. Do not miss it! Enjoy! To listen to my talks with other literacy giants, such as Kelly Gallagher, Donalyn Miller, Penny Kittle, Mary Howard and Laura Robb, click here. About Regie: REGIE ROUTMAN has more than forty-five years of experience working in diverse, under-performing schools across the U.S. and Canada as an educational leader, mentor teacher, literacy coach, classroom teacher, and teacher of students with learning differences. Her current work involves on-site demonstrations of highly effective literacy and leadership practices and side-by-side mentoring and coaching of principals, administrators, and lead teachers in order to improve reading and writing engagement, achievement, and enjoyment—across the curriculum–for all learners. Her many research-based books and resources have supported hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, and educators at all levels to create and sustain trusting, intellectual school cultures where hearing all the voices and ongoing, professional learning are priorities. Regie's most recent book is Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence, and Equity for All Learners. (Stenhouse, 2018) To listen to "Literacy Essentials: The Stories"–personal and professional Stories integrated into the book—go to https://voiced.ca/project/literacy-essentials-the-stories-2/ or wherever you get your podcasts. For full information on Regie's publications including her Transforming Our Teaching video-based, online literacy series, her PD offerings, and blogs, see www. regieroutman.org A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

#141 What's Wrong and How to Fix It (Equity with Regie Routman pt.2) Dec 09, 2019

Show notes

Hello everyone! Literacy Essentials by Regie Routman (Stenhouse 2018) is by far one of the most influential books I've read in my teaching career. It's a book I turn to weekly for advice, insight, and encouragement in my work to bring authentic literacy to my students. So when I was given a chance to talk to Regie herself, I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity. In part 1 of the podcast, we dove deep into the increasingly alarming practice of talking about students as if they are data points and not children. We discussed why we need to humanize our classrooms, and how to think about our school culture in a way that fosters equitable practices. Today, we take a look at some practices we are letting happen in our classes and schools that are hurting students, and what to do about them. Among other topics, we hit on: Why breaking everything into parts makes learning harder for students Why "training" is not professional learning How modeling can elevate your lessons What it takes to begin innovating as a teacher, and as a student Do not miss it! Enjoy! To listen to my talks with other literacy giants, such as Kelly Gallagher, Donalyn Miller, Penny Kittle, Mary Howard and Laura Robb, click here. About Regie: REGIE ROUTMAN has more than forty-five years of experience working in diverse, under-performing schools across the U.S. and Canada as an educational leader, mentor teacher, literacy coach, classroom teacher, and teacher of students with learning differences. Her current work involves on-site demonstrations of highly effective literacy and leadership practices and side-by-side mentoring and coaching of principals, administrators, and lead teachers in order to improve reading and writing engagement, achievement, and enjoyment—across the curriculum–for all learners. Her many research-based books and resources have supported hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, and educators at all levels to create and sustain trusting, intellectual school cultures where hearing all the voices and ongoing, professional learning are priorities. Regie's most recent book is Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence, and Equity for All Learners. (Stenhouse, 2018) To listen to "Literacy Essentials: The Stories"--personal and professional Stories integrated into the book—go to https://voiced.ca/project/literacy-essentials-the-stories-2/ or wherever you get your podcasts. For full information on Regie's publications including her Transforming Our Teaching video-based, online literacy series, her PD offerings, and blogs, see www. regieroutman.org A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

#140 We Teach KIDS, Not Data Points! Talking Equity with Regie Routman (pt.1) Dec 02, 2019

Show notes

Hello everyone! Literacy Essentials by Regie Routman is by far one of the most influential books I've read in my teaching career. It's a book I turn to weekly for advice, insight, and encouragement in my work to bring authentic literacy to my students. So when I was given a chance to talk to Regie herself, I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity. To my delight, Regie is just as honest and passionate in person as she is in her many books. She doesn't waste time in our talk getting to the heart of the matter, which is that if we want to make an impact on kids in a positive way, we can't see them as numbers, or data points, or problems. If we want true equity in our schools and classrooms, we have to see them as PEOPLE first. We have to be energetic if we want them to care about the class. We have to get them to feel loved and comfortable in our spaces. We have to allow them to be themselves, in their writing, and in their reading. We have to humanize school, and use research supported practices to move them in meaningful ways. Together, we address these topics and many more in this 3 part discussion, so do not miss a minute of it! Enjoy! To listen to my talks with other literacy giants, such as Kelly Gallagher, Donalyn Miller, Penny Kittle, Mary Howard and Laura Robb, click here. About Regie: REGIE ROUTMAN has more than forty-five years of experience working in diverse, under-performing schools across the U.S. and Canada as an educational leader, mentor teacher, literacy coach, classroom teacher, and teacher of students with learning differences. Her current work involves on-site demonstrations of highly effective literacy and leadership practices and side-by-side mentoring and coaching of principals, administrators, and lead teachers in order to improve reading and writing engagement, achievement, and enjoyment—across the curriculum--for all learners. Her many research-based books and resources have supported hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, and educators at all levels to create and sustain trusting, intellectual school cultures where hearing all the voices and ongoing, professional learning are priorities. Regie's most recent book is Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence, and Equity for All Learners. (Stenhouse, 2018) For full information on Regie's publications including her Transforming Our Teaching video-based, online literacy series, her PD offerings, and blogs, see www. regieroutman.org A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

#139 Moving Teaching Forward (@TeachingSavesLives pt.2) Nov 25, 2019

Show notes

Hello everyone! It's time to talk about where we go now as educators. We live in a world of gun violence, quick fixes, and with communities that would rather see education fail than succeed. So, what do we do? We addressed some of this in part 1 of this series, but now we are going to talk about the rest. This is an honest conversation between Emily from @teachingsaveslives on Instagram, and myself, about how teachers can pave the way forward with a focus on mastery teaching, beginning to take back the conversation about educators FOR educators, and how remembering our why can keep us going when things get tough. I'm so thankful that this teaching community exists, and we have a platform to host such honest discussions. Enjoy! But before you go off and listen, consider supporting the podcast by grabbing a copy of Teach Me, Teacher, Life Lessons that Taught Me How to be a Better Teacher. Written in celebration of teachers and the power of education, Teach Me, Teacher affirms that you have the power to save a life. If you need to remember your why, or gain insight into the mind of a child who endured trauma at home, and how school saved him (me), this is the book for you. Check out the book here. — A special thank you to Viewsonic for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Please check out their amazing resources for teachers here.

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