Teach Me, Teacher

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#30 Donalyn Miller: The Power of Independent Reading (pt.2) Aug 14, 2017

Show notes

Hello everyone! It has been a complete joy to release this two-part episode with Donalyn Miller. Donalyn is one of my biggest inspirations as a teacher. She changed the way I teach my students, and she is one of the "real deals" in education. I hope you have enjoyed this opener of season 2 as much as I have making it. In this episode, we dive even deeper in the weeds of an independent reading classroom, touching on conferencing, limiting reading selections, research supporting independent reading...and much...MUCH MORE (including one of the best rants I have ever heard in support of letting children read.) I can't stress enough how much you need to hear, and share, this episode. Donalyn Miller has taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grade language arts and social studies in the Fort Worth, TX area and was a finalist for 2010 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. In her popular book, The Book Whisperer , Donalyn reflects on her journey to become a reading teacher and describes how she inspires and motivates her middle school students to read 40 or more books a year. In her latest book, Reading in the Wild , Donalyn collects responses from 900 adult readers and uses this information to teach lifelong reading habits to her students. Donalyn is the founder of the annual #bookaday event and co-host the monthly Twitter chat, #titletalk. Her articles about teaching and reading have appeared in publications such as Education Week Teacher, The Reading Teacher, Educational Leadershipand The Washington Post. Enjoy. I have. Thank you for listening and supporting this podcast!

#29 Donalyn Miller: The Power of Independent Reading (pt.1) Jul 31, 2017

Show notes

Hello everyone! It's finally here, episode 29, the first episode of season 2 of Teach Me, Teacher, and it is my biggest privilege to bring you Donalyn Miller for the two-part opener of the season. I mention Donalyn Miller more times than I can count on the show, and it was just amazing to sit down and talk with her for an hour and half about creating readers, the research behind independent reading, and everything in-between. If you are an ELAR teacher, you need this episode in your life. If you're not, you need to hear what she has to say about literacy and its role in the classroom. It's that simple. Donalyn Miller has taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grade language arts and social studies in the Fort Worth, TX area and was a finalist for 2010 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. In her popular book, The Book Whisperer , Donalyn reflects on her journey to become a reading teacher and describes how she inspires and motivates her middle school students to read 40 or more books a year. In her latest book, Reading in the Wild , Donalyn collects responses from 900 adult readers and uses this information to teach lifelong reading habits to her students. Donalyn is the founder of the annual #bookaday event and co-host the monthly Twitter chat, #titletalk. Her articles about teaching and reading have appeared in publications such as Education Week Teacher, The Reading Teacher, Educational Leadershipand The Washington Post. Enjoy!

Intro to Season 2 Jul 24, 2017

Show notes

Hello everyone! Welcome to season 2 of Teach Me, Teacher! I have an amazing season for you coming up, and it is going to be BIGGER, BETTER, and MORE INSPIRING than ever before. In this episode, I talk about the changes being made to the show (the new theme song, to name one,) and some of the future guests coming on this year. I also spend some quality time thanking you (the listeners) of the show, so if you're in need of some positive words your way, make sure to tune in. Please enjoy the episode. Time to get HYPED!

#28 The Ron Clark Academy (S1 Finale pt.2) Jun 26, 2017

Show notes

Hello everyone! It's been an amazing first year of podcasting. I wasn't sure where this show was going to go, but with all the love being shown for it, I know it will continue on well into the future. But enough about that (until the season 2 intro episode), and let's get to more Ron Clark! In this episode, Chris Cruz, Malyn Bannister, Lindsey Stewart, and I spend more time reflecting on what we got out of our experience at The Ron Clark Academy (if you missed that, click here), as well as dive into what changes we are planning to make in our own classrooms because of it. This episode is such a great way to close out the season. Most teachers are rocking their summer breaks right now, and for many of us, that means we are planning--or are about to start--the planning process for the next year. Hopefully, our reflections and goals can help you in some way! Let us know! And as always, Enjoy! PS: If you want to stay up to date with all announcements, scroll up and click the Twitter and Facebook links to stay in touch! I would love to talk with you all.

#27 The Ron Clark Academy (S1 Finale pt.1) Jun 13, 2017

Show notes

Hello everyone! If you've ever been curious about The Ron Clark Academy, or wondered if the hype is all that it's cracked up to be, then here's your chance to hear all about what a two day trip to it consists of, and what 4 teachers got out of the experience. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end season 1 of Teach Me, Teacher than to have 4 educators energized and pumped to talk about our experiences at The Ron Clark Academy, and how it has changed our lives forever. Creating this podcast has been a blast, and the spirit of the show can all be summed up in the discussion I had with Malyn Bannister, Lindsey Stewart, and Chris Cruz, about our trip. It's the spirit that ignites the joy of education. It's the spirit of learning from each other. It's the spirit of pushing towards the next great thing. It's the spirit of why we do what we do... You can literally hear how excited we all were about the trip through this entire episode. And believe me, the excitement is still there! Enjoy part 1 of the season finale!

#26 So you STILL want to be a Teacher? Jun 05, 2017

Show notes

Hello everyone! It's the end of the school year (for most), and that means reflection is in full swing. Our minds are swimming in questions like, Did I have a good year? A bad one? What awesome new things can I do next year? Do I even want to teach in August? Where's the nearest beach? ...You get the idea. In any case, this week's episode is all about answering the age old question: So you STILL want to be a teacher? #crazy Katie Warren and I sat down a year ago to talk about her first year as a public school teacher. This year, we took it a step further and talked about why we have stuck with it, and discuss why thousands of others are signing up to quit (the poison of negativity might just have an influence.) So if you're feeling down, doubting your career choice, or just want to boost your inspiration even more, this episode is for you. Let's start a #TeacherRevolution! Enjoy!

#25 Reading Myths Debunked May 23, 2017

Show notes

Hello everyone! This week's episode deals with a few major myths about reading education that teachers and admin let thrive, when really we should be moving on to greener pastures. My discussion with Kate Nelson begins with our personal experiences with "The Myths," and then we expound on why they exist, why we should leave them behind, and how the basic cure for a system based on these myths is as easy as...wait for it...READING. Kate Nelson is the Literacy Specialist at Richland Middle School. She inspired our ELAR department to embrace Independent Reading as a foundation for great instruction, and I think it's safe to say that we are all better for it. I know my class was/is. Enjoy!

#24 Teachers Saved Me from a Family of Drugs and Violence May 09, 2017

Show notes

I'm going to share my own story with you today. It's the story of how I was saved from a family of drugs and violence over and over again. It's the story of how I was inexorably changed by the many amazing educators in my life who took the time to care. It's the story of WHY WE TEACH. This is my testimony, and my most honest self, in honor of teacher appreciation week. Enjoy. PS: Thank you all for doing the work you do.

#23 The Growth Mindset Apr 25, 2017

Show notes

Hello everyone! Exciting times are among us as we are reaching the end of the year! Can you believe it? As the year comes to a close, I like to look back and look forward, each to help myself grow as a teacher and learn from mistakes and successes. In this episode, Andrew Simmons and I do plenty of both as we discuss the growth mindset and how to get students to take ownership of their actions. In doing so, we also talk about Teaching With Love and Logic, learning to let kids fail, and reteaching students what "failing" really means in a class where growth is the ultimate goal. Andrew Simmons is a fantastic math teacher, and an even better person. You're sure to love this episode. Enjoy!

#22 Talking Shop and Problem Solving Apr 11, 2017

Show notes

Hello everyone! Today we are talking with Lindsey Stewart of Richland Middle School, taking it back from the topical shows of late, and just having a good ol' conversation. In this episode, we talk about being teacher of the year (Stewart--YAY!), the need for coaching cycles (discussing ours), and how to use "Exitgrams" to formatively assess your students. We also detour and work through several of our own issues occurring in our classes, as well as look to next year and what we will each be doing in our classes, specifically Project Based Learning for our Pre-Ap classes. Stewart brings her energy and passion directly to this week's episode. You will not be disappointed. She's a blast! Enjoy!

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