The Out of the Trenches Podcast: Recent Episodes
outofthetrenches
Are you in the trenches as an educator? You're not alone. Hear from those who have been in the trenches and managed to come out intact. Hear their stories!
Mitch Weisburgh helps people understand why conversations blow up and what actually works to stop that from happening. After decades of work in education, leadership development, and conflict resolution, he noticed a pattern, smart, well-intentioned people keep using approaches that make disagreement worse. His work focuses on the brain science behind conflict and the practical skills that help people stay calm, ask better questions, and move conversations forward without damaging relationships. Mitch is the creator of the MindShifting framework and the author of Conflict and Collaboration. He brings clear explanations, real-world stories, and tools listeners can use immediately at work, at home, and in everyday life. Hosts book him when they want a guest who can explain complex behavior simply and leave audiences with takeaways that actually change how they communicate. His mission is to have a critical mass of ppl on this plan be resourceful, resilient and collaborative. He teaches courses that are on the state website that are free to teachers.
Find Mitch online:https://www.mindshiftingwithmitch.com/ There is a free newsletter on mindshifting. If you're in NY state, you can go to frontline portal and sign up for the course for free.
Find him on LinkedIn, FB, substack, IG @mitchweisburg
Rich Czyz is an author, educator, and speaker. He started his career as a fifth grade teacher, has served as a Basic Skills teacher, instructional coach, elementary supervisor and Director of Curriculum & Instruction. Rich is currently the Proud Principal of the Yardville Elementary School in NJ and Co-Founder of FourOClockFaculty.com, as well as author of several books including The Four O’Clock Faculty, The Secret Sauce, and his newest book, Autopilot, came out in Oct. Rich is passionate about engaging all stakeholders in meaningful and relevant learning opportunities.
Find Rich online: https://fouroclockfaculty.com/
on X & LinkedIn @RCzyz
Dr. Niki Elliott is a clinical professor and director of the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity at the University of San Diego. Dr. Elliott is a leading voice in neurodiversity and trauma-informed education, and she has trained thousands of educators and parents worldwide to better support children with learning differences, mental health diagnoses, trauma histories, and behavioral challenges. Her trainings consistently lead to measurable improvements in school climate, reductions in suspensions for students of color, and increased well-being among children, parents, and educators. Her book Heart-Centered Connection: 7 Essential Skills for Helping Neurodiverse and Marginalized Children Thrive is based on decades of research with over 1,000 child-serving professionals and brings clear guidance and a hopeful message: when compassion and trust come first, real learning can begin.
Find Dr. Elliott online: Niki Elliott https://www.sandiego.edu/soles/faculty-and-staff/biography.php?profile_id=14702
www.nikielliott.com & mindfullleadershipproject
Repeat guest Kurtis Hewson is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, author and professional learning facilitator. In addition to being an award-winning teacher, vice-principal, and principal, he has also served as faculty at the post-secondary level. He is the co-founder of Jigsaw Learning, a co-author of the text Collaborative Response: Three Foundational Components That Transform How We Respond to the Needs of Learners (Corwin, 2022), and currently works with districts and schools nationally and internationally establishing Collaborative Response frameworks and interacting with thousands of educators annually.
Find Kurtis & Jigsaw Learning online: Twitter/X: @hewsonk27
FB: https://www.facebook.com/JigsawLearningAB/
Website: http://www.jigsawlearning.ca/
Dr. Lindsay Whorton is proud to be a founding member of The Holdsworth Center. She helped design the Center’s programming and has served as president since 2019. She is the author of “A New School Leadership Architecture,” which calls for a fundamental redesign of how leadership roles are structured and practiced in schools, offering a bold new blueprint to make jobs sustainable and give teachers the coaching and support they need so that students thrive. Under Lindsay’s leadership, Holdsworth has grown from serving seven public school districts through its initial offering – the Holdsworth Partnership – to serving more than 1,900 leaders in 89 public school districts across several programs, all designed to build a bench of stronger superintendents and principals for Texas public schools. Lindsay’s story with Holdsworth began in 2015, when Charles Butt, Chairman of H-E-B, tapped her to work with an organizing board designing the center’s first programs. At the time, Lindsay was working as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Washington D.C. She officially joined The Holdsworth Center team shortly after its launch in January 2017.In her role as managing director of district support, Lindsay helped create and evolve Holdsworth’s model for supporting partner districts to develop aspiring leaders, place them in leadership roles and support them as they progress along their leadership journey. Lindsay’s dive into education research began in 2009, when she was named a Rhodes Scholar and went on to earn a master’s degree in comparative social policy and a doctorate in social policy from Oxford University. During her time at Oxford, Lindsay spent a year at the University of Helsinki, where she was a Fulbright Scholar. She visited schools and classrooms to understand Finland’s world-renowned teacher education system. In 2016, Routledge published her book “Teachers Unions and Education Reform in Comparative Contexts,” which examined the impact of teachers’ unions on performance-related pay reform in Finland, Switzerland, Texas and Florida. A native of Independence, Missouri, Lindsay earned bachelor’s degree in secondary education and English from Drake University in Iowa. Find Dr. Whorton online: Book Website: https://holdsworthcenter.org/a-new-school-leadership-architecture/ Holdsworth Website: https://holdsworthcenter.org/ Lindsay’s personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-whorton-9685aa26/ Holdsworth Center on X: https://x.com/HoldsworthCentr/ Holdsworth Center on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoldsworthCenter/ Holdsworth Center on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holdsworthcenter/
Jeanette Mihalchik is a National Board Certified Elementary General Music Specialist with over 2 decades of experience teaching general music, choir, and music ensembles from PreK to 8th grade. She is a certified music educator and has a Master of Science in Elementary Education with a Specialization in Literacy and has her Orff Certification.
Jeanette has spent her career studying and growing as a music teacher. She studied Arts Integration at The Kennedy Center through their CETA program and at workshops through the Florida Alliance for the Arts. She is constantly trying new methods to help create her happy classroom. She has presented at the county and state level at general music, literacy, and arts integration workshops and has also presented at Artie and Denise Symposiums. Jeanette is the author of Stories That Sing and Stories That Sing Too!
Find her online: website: https://thehappymusicteacher.com
@thehappymusicteacher on all Socials & on YouTube. @mrsmsclassroom (has lots of songs there for any teacher). She has word family songs, etc. on her website
Paris Woods is an award-winning education leader and bestselling author of The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom. Her recently published book, The Student’s Guide to Financial Freedom, speaks directly to a growing concern across K–12 and higher education: how students’ financial instability undermines retention and long-term success. Dr. Woods has held senior leadership roles across multiple education nonprofits, including College Beyond, where, as Co-Founder and Executive Director, she addressed the critical need for college success among low-income youth. Most recently, she was the Chief Program Officer at Strive Together. She is an adjunct faculty member of educational leadership at Tulane University. A first-generation college student who grew up working class, Dr. Woods earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Harvard University and her doctorate in education from The University of Texas at Austin. Her work has been featured in Essence, CNN, and Insider, among others. Find her online: https://pariswoods.com/media/ Paris Woods, Ed.D. | LinkedIn Paris Woods | Author & Educator (@authorpariswoods) Instagram TikTok & FB @authorpariswoods Author Paris Woods - YouTubeTranscription
Repeat guest Craig Randall is the developer and author of Trust-Based Observations, an Amazon number one best seller in five countries. Craig has spent the last 30 plus years in education working as a counselor, coach, teacher, and principal. Craig spends the majority of his time training school leaders in Trust-Based Observations (TBO), building mastery, and transforming the world of teacher observations to a model of trust and support that fosters growth mindsets, cultures of trust, and creates collective teacher efficacy in action. In addition, Craig speaks at conferences, is working on a new book, and hosts the 20 Minutes of Teaching Brilliance (On the Road with Trust-Based Observations) podcast, where he and some of the amazing teachers he observes engage in meaningful dialog about what makes for good teaching and learning.
Find him online: @trustbasedcraig on all socials
FB: https://www.facebook.com/craig.randall.7311
Website: www.trustbased.com
Dr. Robb Kelly provides mentorship and guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs. He invests & encourages others to invest in startup ventures. He devotes countless hours sharing his expertise through conferences and workshops, utilizing others who've also overcome the challenges associated with lifestyle changes, habit formation, childhood traumas, startup obstacles, etc. He has created educational programs on business fundamentals. He also fosters a culture of innovation and responsible risk-taking.
Dr. Kelly participated in the Entrepreneur Conference with Ken Joslin in Atlanta, Georgia as a speaker alongside Gary Brecka, John Maxwell, Ed Mylett and other amazing people. Dr. Kelly is a renowned Addiction Expert. Born and raised in Manchester, UK, who is eccentric, no holds bar, successful, and places his patients first kind of man.
Robb is Meadows Trained in Trauma and holds a double Ph.D. It is necessary for the family to work along with the patient- we uncover the family chaos and dynamics to better resolve addiction.
Find him online: https://www.therobbkellyfoundation.org/ https://www.robbkelly.com Dr Robb Kelly Official: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter | on Linktree
Tim Shanahan is distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served as the director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, is the former president of the International Literacy Association, and served on the advisory board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In 2007, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame & is a former first-grade teacher. He is the author of the recently published book Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students’ Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It.
Find him online: https://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/ -has literacy blogs w/ teachers’ comments.
FB, X, Linkedin, Bluesky @shanahanonliteracy
Patty McGee is a nationally recognized literacy consultant, speaker, and educator with a passion for transforming classrooms into spaces where language and learning come alive. With decades of experience as a teacher, coach, and advocate for delightful literacy practices, Patty has worked alongside educators across the country, partnering to unlock the full potential of their students through innovative and practical teaching strategies. "Not Your Granny’s Grammar" is her third book.
Connect with Patty at www.pattymcgee.org or on LinkedIn & IG: @pmgmcgee
Brig Leane is an education consultant and former principal of Fruita Middle School in Colorado, which under his leadership became a national Model Professional Learning Community. A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, he began his 2nd career as an educator in 2000, and has served as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher at the middle and high school levels in inner-city, suburban, and rural schools. He has also been an adjunct professor at Colorado Christian University.
Brig's work has been published in Phi Delta Kappan, Principal Leadership, and elsewhere, and he's the author of Singletons in a PLC At Work as well as the new book The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work.
Visit Brig's website, www.BrigLeane.com Follow Brig on X, IG @BrigLeane
Return guest Andrea Bitner is an English Language Learner (ELL) educator, author, and speaker based in Philadelphia, PA. With 25 years in public education, she has taught K–12 students from around the world. Her debut book, Take Me Home (2021), shares the powerful true stories of 11 former EL students navigating bilingualism in America, while her second book, When Niagara Falls, inspires resilience, belonging, and growth for students and educators alike.
Andrea also co-authored The Impact of Influence – Volume 3: 100 No-Nonsense Things ALL School Leaders Should STOP Doing, and contributed to Culture First Classrooms and other works by Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld. Recognized by the state of Pennsylvania for her innovative teaching, she was featured in PSEA’s The Voice for her work with EL learners.
Currently, Andrea teaches EL students daily while traveling nationally to train educators on confidently supporting EL learners, connecting with families, and creating inclusive school communities.
Find her online: Connect with Andrea at www.andreabitnerbooks.com or on LinkedIn, IG and Twitter @andreabitnerbooks
Jen Otte is an innovative educational leader with over 20 years of experience as both a teacher and an administrator. After teaching high school social studies for 17 years, Jen stepped into her current role as a high school associate principal. In both positions, and as a stepmom of two teenagers for over a decade, Jen began to realize there was a lot that she - and her fellow educators - needed to learn and understand about the teenage brain. She is the founder of The Teenage Brain Thing, a resource and professional development framework and action plan to help educators tap into the potential of the teenage brain. Jen believes that if teachers understand and embrace the unique needs of the teenagers sitting before them, then they will increase their job satisfaction, fall in love with teaching again, and see more academic success from their students.
Find Jen online: www.theteenagebrainthing.com @the_teenage_brain_thing on IG
Decoteau J. Irby, PhD's life work focuses on creating and sustaining organizations that contribute to Black people’s self-determined well-being, development, and positive life outcomes. He is Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago in the Department of Educational Policy Studies. He is the author of Stuck Improving: Racial Equity and School Leadership.
Dr. Ann M. Ishimaru is an award-winning scholar, writer, educator and the Killinger Endowed Chair and Professor of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy at the University of Washington College of Education. Through her work, she cultivates the leadership and solidarities of educators, organizational leaders and racially minoritized youth, families and communities to realize more transformative futures. In addition to many peer-reviewed articles in top-tier educational research journals, she is also the author of Just Schools: Building Equitable Collaborations with Families and Communities. They are the editors of the new volume Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change.
Find them online: Visit Dr. Decoteau Irby's website, www.DecoteauIrby.com IG, LinkedIn, Fb @decoteauirby IG @decoteaublack
Visit Dr. Ann Ishimaru's website, www.AnnIshimaru.com LinkedIn, IG, Bluesky @prof_ishimaru for IG/bluesky
Josh Tovar is the Principal at Memorial Pathway Academy (6-12) in Garland Independent School District NE of Dallas since 2016 & the Host of the #PGPPODCAST Sundays 5 pm CST.
Find Josh online: Twitter/X: @MPA_GOJAGUARS @JTSOTLIGHTS IG: @jtspotlightd
FB: @Mpa Jaguars LinkedIn YOUTUBE @ JOSH TOVAR
Brenna Muldoon is in her 23rd year in education. She is currently the K-12 Director for World Languages and ENL in the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District in upstate New York and serves as the co-director of the NYCAL Exam Consortium and Chair of the Capital Area Language Leaders. She started her career as a German teacher in the North Colonie School District. She is the recipient of the 2025 NYSAFLT Remunda Cadoux Award for Leadership in World Language Supervision. She has co-presented with her colleague Christine Connor on the Seal of Biliteracy at the Day of European Languages at the Goethe Institute New York. She and Christine also presented at the 2024 and 2025 ACTFL National Conferences and the 2024 NYSAFLT Regional Conference in New York.
Christine Connor spent her childhood and most of her young adult life in Germany. That is also where she completed her college education and teacher training. She received her Master’s degree in German, English and American Literature and Linguistics and Education from the Saarland University. After her student teaching she relocated to Upstate New York in 2008. For 18 years, she has been teaching German at the Middle, High School Level in the NYS public school system. As a Goethe Institute GEM, she has had the opportunity for the past 5 years to support fellow German teachers with their professional growth and expertise. In her capacity as a GEM, she offers workshops online or at conferences. She presented at the 2023, 2024 and 2025 ACTFL conferences along with other GEMs Brenna Muldoon. Brenna and Christine also co-presented on the Seal of Biliteracy at the Day of European Languages at the Goethe Institute New York and at the 2024 NYSAFLT Regional Conference in New York.
Find them online: https://www.goethe.de/ins/us/en/spr/unt/ffd/opd/gem/oge.html
Instragram: @connorfrau https://www.instagram.com/connorfrau/
Barbara Oakley, PhD is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan; Michigan’s Distinguished Professor of the Year; and Coursera’s inaugural “Innovation Instructor.” Her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. Dr. Oakley’s research has been described as “revolutionary” in the Wall Street Journal. She is a New York Times best-selling author who has published in outlets as varied as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Her book A Mind for Numbers, on effective learning in STEM disciplines, has sold over a million copies worldwide; Uncommon Sense Teaching is a critically praised guide to teaching based on insights from neuroscience. Dr. Oakley has won numerous teaching awards, including the American Society of Engineering Education’s Chester F. Carlson Award for technical innovation in engineering education and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers William E. Sayle II Award for Achievement in Education. Together with Terrence Sejnowski, the Francis Crick Professor at the Salk Institute, she co-teaches Coursera’s “Learning How to Learn,” one of the world’s most popular massive open online courses with some four million registered students, along with a number of other leading MOOCs.
Dr. Oakley has adventured widely through her lifetime. She rose from the ranks of Private to Captain in the U.S. Army, during which time she was recognized as a Distinguished Military Scholar. She also worked as a communications expert at the South Pole Station in Antarctica, and has served as a Russian translator on board Soviet trawlers on the Bering Sea. Dr. Oakley is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Find her online: www.barbaraoakley.com
Michelle has taught elementary/middle school students for 27 years, four of those years, she was an administrator. She holds certifications in Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia. She's taught in private, public, charter, and magnet school arenas across the country. Although she has retired, her life’s mission is dedicated to Generation Alpha. She wrote "52 Insights for Gen Alpha: A Conscious Curriculum to place in schools" which talks about the tools of Social and Emotional Intelligence needed to navigate THEIR world. This is a program created by a teacher for leaders to empower middle and high school students to become conscious thinkers and creators.
Follow Queen D Michelle online: https://www.fulaamerican.org/ - houses her history & genealogy society info, click on 52 insights tab, tab w/ her books/writing, “my soul’s journey home”- it's a 16-chapter blog about her trips to Egypt & Guinea, Africa. https://www.facebook.com/qdmichele/ @fulaamerican on all socials https://x.com/1Light1Luv https://www.youtube.com/@MovingInwardOnward https://www.instagram.com/considerations2020/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cots/
During the live stream of the 400th episode, yours truly was having some connectivity issues so my guests took over and had a great conversation! They were:
Dr. Robert A. Martinez, most recently Superintendent/Chief of Human Resources - has retired from the Antioch Unified School District after 38 years in public education. Dr. Martinez has continually focused on improving and expanding educational opportunities for students. He strives to advance understanding of resiliency research for all his employees, students, and their families. He frequently says, “Let the lives we help others live be the measure of our success”.
Dr. Tim Cusack is the Dean of Education at Concordia University of Edmonton and the Commanding Officer of HMCS Nonsuch in the Canadian Naval Reserve. With extensive experience in educational leadership, teacher development, and mentorship, Tim has dedicated his career to supporting educators and leaders at every stage of their professional journey.
Josh Tovar is the Memorial Pathway Academy Principal in Garland Independent School District NE of Dallas since 2016 & Host of the #PGPPODCAST Sundays 5 pm.
Find them online: Rob: @ResiliencyGuy on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn
Tim: @CusackTim or find me on Linked IN
Josh: X @MPA_GOJAGUARS or X @JTSPOTLIGHTS YouTube @ Josh Tovar IG @jtspotlights
Lulu Buck is a children’s Book author who is currently serving as a coordinator for a local school district in Northern CO. Previously, Lulu held the position of English Language Development and World Language Senior Consultant at the Colorado Department of Education, where she also contributed her expertise to the Standards and Instructional Support Office. Notably, she served as a state trainer for cultural responsiveness, impacting thirty-eight Colorado school districts. Lulu's teaching journey spans a decade, during which she passionately taught English and Spanish in public secondary schools.
"Sue's Sky," Lulu's debut book, recently translated into Spanish as "El Cielo de Susana," delves into the important themes of acceptance and friendship.
Find Lulu online: Twitter/X: @c_lu_lu FB: @Bucks Books Consulting
Insta: @lulubuckster Website: https://lulubuck.org/
Dr. James Lane is a dynamic leader in education whose journey—from classroom teacher and band director to state superintendent and senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Education—is as inspiring as it is impactful. Now serving as Managing Director of K–16 at ETS, Dr. Lane is at the forefront of transforming how we connect high school, college, and career readiness. His insights span leadership, policy, equity, and innovation—making him an ideal guest for podcasts focused on education, leadership, public service, or personal growth. A former principal, band director, and lifelong trumpet player, Dr. Lane is also a Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame inductee with The Castaways.
Find James online:https://www.instagram.com/drjameslane/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflane
His book is called Leading with Laser Focus- avail on Amazon now. www.laserfocus.education
Dave Nagel and Bruce Potter are co-founders of The Center for Collaborative Expertise. Dave’s work focuses on helping schools and districts implement Visible Learning research, assessment and feedback, and effective grading reform at both school and classroom levels. He has supported schools in building impactful PLCs and is a thought leader in the PLC+ framework. Dave has authored seven books, 4 of which are best sellers–aligned to the PLC+ Suite of publications, and contributed to publications such as Principal Leadership, Educational Leadership, and The Learning Professional. He regularly presents at national conferences. Bruce Potter is a school administrator with over 30 years experience. Bruce began his career as a classroom teacher and has held leadership roles at the building level as a principal and at the district level as a superintendent for 11 years. Bruce brings a wealth of experience in implementing Visible Learning research, guiding districts, schools, and teachers in transforming their practices. His schools have earned national recognition for innovative approaches that redefine success for traditionally underserved students.
Find them online: www.centerforcollaborativeexpertise.com
& on LinkedIn
Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh is a National Board Certified Teacher, CEO of LCT-E Learning Solutions®, and founder of Restful Teacher® and Empty2Empowered™. A globally recognized education leader, Michelle champions equity, innovation, and well-being in education. Her EQUAL Methodology™ equips educators and leaders with research-based strategies and emerging technologies to create inclusive and engaging learning environments.
Find Michelle online: www.connectwithmichelle.com it will email you all the resources. www.Restfulteacher.com
Russell Van Brocklen- aka the Dyslexia Professor, shifts daily reading frustrations into confident academic wins for students facing dyslexia.Dyslexia touches as many as 15–20 % of all learners, yet most families still hear “wait and see.” He flips that script. As the Dyslexia Professor, he translates structured-literacy methods proven most effective for struggling readers into bite-size actions parents can use right away.
Find Russell online: website: www.dyslexiaclasses.com
https://www.facebook.com/dyslexiaclasses/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_cqwfxn9FqFx1Idl0YbeHg
https://www.instagram.com/dyslexiaclassesus/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-van-brocklen-2007ab87
Dr. Anthony Muhammad is a highly sought-after educational speaker and presenter. With nearly 20 years of experience as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, he has transformed school cultures and student proficiency globally. He was named the Michigan Middle School Principal of the Year in 2005.
Dr. Muhammad has also been honored by the Global Gurus organization as one of the 30 Most Influential Educators in the world in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. His most recent books include The Way Forward: PLC at Work and the Bright Future of Education (2024), Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 4th Edition (2024).
Find him online: www.newfrontier21.com there you will find links to upcoming events, books, videos, etc. He is on FB & LinkedIn.
Jackie Pelegrin is an Instructional Designer and Adjunct Instructor. Jackie leverages decades of experience as an instructional designer within both higher education and the corporate world. She holds an MBA and a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology, both acquired through online learning. In addition to her full-time role as a curriculum writer, Jackie serves as an adjunct instructor, teaching online courses at Grand Canyon University.
Find Jackie online: https://designingwithlove.buzzsprout.com/
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/instructorpelegrin/home
Dr. Janet Patti wrote Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders a former school leader, is CEO of Star Factor Coaching, a founding member of CASEL, and professor emeritus at Hunter College School of Education at City University of New York, where her teaching and research concentrated on educational leadership.
Dr. Robin Stern is the cofounder and senior advisor to the director at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, a licensed psychoanalyst with 30 years of experience, and the author of The Gaslight Effect.
They are cocreators of the STAR Factor Coaching model, which helps educational leaders enhance their emotional intelligence skills.
Find them online: www.starfactorcoaching.com they have online courses Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI). https://medicine.yale.edu/childstudy/services/community-and-schools-programs/center-for-emotional-intelligence/
Shira Wolff Cohen brings 25 years of experience in youth workforce development and education. Over a decade of her career was spent in school leadership at a Philadelphia charter school. As a Teacher, Program Director, Dean, Vice Principal, and Principal, she championed student engagement, innovative instruction, and strong community partnerships to create impactful learning experiences.
Shira is the co-founder of Innovageous, where she focuses on building partnerships, designing programs, and improving instruction in both school-based and out-of-school settings. She wrote Leading Future-Focused Schools- came out July 2025.
Find her online: www.innovageous.com to set up a meeting Linked in, IG, FB both her & @innovageous
Josh See is a former teacher, academic advisor, and principal of 13 years. With the average cost of college more than six figures, he has set out to show families how to save tens of thousands of dollars in future college costs by starting college early, in high school. He has helped over 3,000 families create their own college-in-high-school strategy using resources readily available to them, such as earning college credit and graduating with a college degree before graduating from high school.
He works 1:1 with families and also has a step-by-step course: The College Fast-Track Start Kit that walks a family through the exact process to start their college journey in high school.
Find Josh online: https://stan.store/joshsee (this is more of a site to buy his products or book a consultation). He has a free Klepp guide. On Thursdays 12 EST, he has a power hour reimaging HS. It’s on Tik Tok. Refer to his LinkedIn also for links.
https://www.facebook.com/collegeinhighschool1/
https://www.instagram.com/collegeinhighschool/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-see/
Tik Tok: @collegeinhighschool1
Glenn Forbes is a school principal and school improvement coach in Queensland, Australia. Forbes has been an educator since 2000 moving from classroom teaching to principalship over the span of his career. His principal experience ranges from small, one-teacher rural schools through to leading large, diverse and complex metropolitan schools.
Glenn’s strong belief in cultivating collective teacher efficacy and establishing a culture of high expectations has resulted in marked improvement in various schools. Glenn is a member of the Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP). He chairs the curriculum subcommittee and serves as president of the Ipswich Branch. He has been the recipient of the QASSP Travelling Scholars grant which he used to further his knowledge of collective teacher efficacy construct.
His schools have been recognized at the Showcase Awards for Excellence in schools for Excellence in Parent and Community Engagement and Excellence in Early & Primary Years Education. Glenn has presented at the World Education Summit with Jenni Donohoo and has been a keynote speaker at several conferences. Several of Glenn’s articles have been published in The Queensland Principal journal. Glenn has been a member of the Menzies School Leadership Incubator Advisory Board which has been tasked with building a pipeline of school leaders equipped to lead and grow collective efficacy.
Jenni Donohoo, PhD, is a professional learning facilitator, author, and researcher. Jenni has been an educator for more than twenty-five years, with experience in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary settings. She has multiyear partnerships with numerous organizations and government agencies where she works alongside system and school leaders supporting high-quality professional learning designed to improve outcomes for all students. Her areas of focus include collective teacher efficacy, collaborative inquiry, and metacognition. Jenni is a five-time best-selling author and her books have been translated into several languages.
As the director of the Jenni Donohoo Center for Collective Efficacy, she has been recognized internationally as an educational thought leader. Jenni has been a keynote speaker at conferences including WorldEduLead, Raising Student Achievement, Annual Visible Learning, Corwin’s Women in Education, and the LEAP Conference in Australia.
Find them online Glenn: https://glennforbes.com.au/
Jenni: https://www.jennidonohoo.com
Return guest Dr. Chad M.V. Dumas is a Solution Tree PLC at Work®, RTI at Work®, Assessment, and Priority Schools associate and international consultant, presenter and award-winning researcher whose primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. Having been a successful teacher, principal, central office administrator, professional developer and consultant in a variety of school districts, he brings his passion, expertise, and skills to his writing and speaking as he engages participants in meaningful and practical learning. In his Amazon best-selling books, Let’s Put the C in PLC, An Action Guide to Put the C in PLC, and The Teacher Team Leader Handbook, Chad offers readers and audiences educational research, engaging stories, hands-on tools, and useful knowledge and skills they can implement immediately. The results of Chad’s work speak for themselves. One district was identified as “Persistently Lowest Achieving” upon his arrival, and within a few years multiple schools were recognized as National PLC Models for improving student learning. Chad has served on and led accreditation visits for Cognia around the United States and world, presented nationally and internationally, and collaborated with school boards, intermediate service agencies, state departments of education, and professional associations. Find
Chad on his website: https://www.nextlearningsolutions.com/
X, FB, LinkedIn @chaddumas His books have free reproducibles
Jeff Linden brings energy, real-world experience, and actionable strategies that can inspire educational leaders at all levels. Whether discussing school improvement, leadership development, or the challenges facing modern educators, his insights are engaging and impactful. From experiences working in a variety of school settings such as small rural schools, urban districts, and suburban schools, he's found one universal truth: everyone in education is working toward the same goal to help students learn and grow. And while the challenges may differ depending on the setting, the single most important thing you can do as an educational leader, no matter where you are, is to build a culture of collaboration.
Find Jeff online: Facebook: @PrincipalJL
X: @ThePrincipal_JL
Instagram: @principal_jl
Tik Tok: @principal_jl
Threads: @principal_jl
BlueSky: @principal_jl
Michelle Seijas, Ed.D. is a Latina leader on a mission to honor the generations before her and to liberate the generations to come. Her passions and values led her to begin her career as a bilingual education teacher. Over her 15 years in K-12 schools, she was an instructional coach, elementary school vice principal, district coordinator, and high school principal. Eventually, she moved into the non-profit world as the Founding Executive Director of the Surge Institute in Oakland. There, she established and led a team focused on developing Black and Latinx education leaders to create transformative change for the youth and communities they served. As a trauma-informed certified coach, experienced consultant, education leader, and former nonprofit executive, she has learned to be her authentic self in various contexts. She partners with leaders to grow their confidence, value their strengths, create a clear vision for their life and career, and learn practices to make leadership sustainable. Michelle has a special gift of facilitating engaging experiences for people to step into their power and identify how they will live and lead with purpose.
Find Michelle online: https://www.michelleseijas.com/
IG: @thrivingchingona LinkedIn @michelleseijasedd
She has a weekly newsletter w/ coaching tips- sign up on her website
Dr. Clay Cook is the Chief Development Officer at CharacterStrong and is an implementation scientist, psychologist, and former paraprofessional and middle school math teacher. He has spent the past 15 years working in partnership with school systems across the country to support the implementation of effective practices that promote better and more equitable outcomes for students. He has been a professor and researcher at three universities (Louisiana State University, University of Washington and University of Minnesota) studying topics such as implementation of evidence-based practices, educator well-being and resilience, social-emotional learning, and youth mental health.
He has obtained over 20 million dollars in grant funding for his research and published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles. For his work, he has been invited to the White House and served on expert panels with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Education.
Find Clay online: www.characterstrong.com
Mr. Todd Bloomer, with 29 years in public education and 18 in administration, recently retired from a high school principal leading a campus of over 2,500 students. His extensive experience across middle and high school levels, talent for building positive campus cultures, and exceptional hiring practices set him apart. As an author and coach, he offers valuable insights on educational leadership and effective communication. Mr. Bloomer's commitment to creating a supportive, family-like atmosphere ensures a dynamic and transformative coaching experience. Contact him using the form below for more information on his coaching services.
Find Todd online: #theblueprint, Todd Bloomer IG @todd_bloomer_ author Has been creating IG reels. X @bloomer LinkedIn @toddbloomer www.toddmbloomer.com
Dr. Nancy Parkes is an educational consultant and lecturer. Much of her work is focused on helping Jewish educators and directors integrate social, emotional, and spiritual learning in their settings. Several of her articles on the topic have appeared in Jewishphilanthropy and she is currently working on an SESL book and toolkit for Jewish educators. Nancy is a lecturer at the Jewish Theological Seminar and is currently teaching an online certificate program in Social, Emotional, and Spiritual Learning for Jewish educators. She is also a founding member of SESL4Jewished, which is a collaborative for promoting holistic growth for learners and educators in all Jewish settings. Nancy served as the Director of Congregational Learning at Temple Israel Center in White Plains for ten years, and is an outspoken advocate for the partnership between Rabbis and educators in bringing about innovation and change in the congregational (edit out flub) school setting. Nancy earned her doctorate in Education and her M.A. degree in Jewish Studies and Education in the William Davidson School of Education at JTS.
Find Nancy online: https://www.nancyparkesconsulting.com
Richard Bernato, Ed.D. enters his fifty-third year in schooling, that spans higher education, research, in doctoral and graduate levels like Stony Brook, St. John’s University, Molloy University, and CUNY Queens College, many K-12 leadership roles, and consulting with and presenting to many school districts. His interests include catalyzing interactive and research-based effective curricula that are a result of futuring systems, planning, decision making, and high engagement of all stakeholders to ensure systemically healthy schooling and organizational practices. His latest book, Co-Creating the Future, a Simulation to Catalyze School Change (2024) Solution Tree, is a unique offering to those interested in innovative professional development principles and planning. His books, Futures-Based Change Leadership (2017), Planning as Futuring, Futuring as Planning, (2020) also capture those ideas. He is also co-author of The Collective Mindset (2022), blogs, podcasting and articles that are devoted to that vision. An expert on the uses of and how to design simulations for learning and organizational improvement Dr. Bernato, supports all efforts to reform schools for futures they have yet to consider and supports these through his efforts as Editor in Chief of the SCOPE Journal for Leadership and Instruction. Find Rich online:https://www.facebook.com/richard.bernato.3
@richDis48 X, Bluesky/LinkedIn
rbernato_simulation_educator (Instagram)Rbernato@gmail.com Richard.bernato@scopeonline.us
www.linkedin.com/in/richard-bernato-1658854
https://www.solutiontree.com/richard-bernato.html
Matthew Rhoads, EdD, is an expert and innovator in educational technology and instructional strategy integration within online, blended, and traditional in-person classroom settings. With a special education background, Dr. Rhoads co-taught for many years at the high school level in the areas of English, mathematics, and social sciences. He continues to co-teach regularly while coaching teachers and presenting professional development.
As a practicing technology and instructional leader, trainer, integrationist, and coach in adult education, K–12, and higher education, he develops instructional integrations of edtech tools with research-based strategies to drive instruction. He is a coach and professional learning
specialist for new and experienced teachers within the consortium and at a local university. Dr. Rhoads is also a doctoral dissertation chair who coaches doctoral students to conduct their research, write, and defend their dissertations. Dr. Rhoads eight books focus on integrating instructional strategies with edtech and AI tools to amplify student learning within in-person, online, and blended learning classrooms. His latest books include Crush It From the Start: 50 Tips for New Teachers, Instruction Without Boundaries: Enhance Your Teaching Strategies With Technology Tools in Any Setting, Amplify Learning: A Global Collaborative series, and Navigating the Toggled Term: A Guide for K–12 Classroom and School Leaders. His blog on his website has 75+ posts on all things related to education, instruction, Special Education, and more. He also has his podcast, Navigating Education, which discusses all topics related to education and instruction.
Belinda Dunnick Karge (j) PhD, is a professor in the doctoral studies program at Concordia University Irvine and a professor emeritus at California State University, Fullerton. She taught both general education and special education and served in administrative roles in elementary and high school prior to teaching in higher education. Her interest in co-teaching began when she was originally in the classroom; she has co taught at several levels.
Belinda’s professional record demonstrates a consistent pattern of research publications; she has produced five textbooks, five curriculum texts, four book chapters, several educational tools, and more than 150 articles. Her latest book is Watch, Listen, Ask, Learn: How School Leaders Can Create an Inclusive Environment for Students With Disabilities. She has made numerous presentations to international, state, and local groups of school
district employees and has keynoted several conferences. She serves as a consultant for the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Overseas Schools and travels extensively around the world. Research-based instructional strategies, schoolwide change, co-teaching, and inclusive practices are a few areas she consults on.
Belinda received the Council for Exceptional Children’s Susan Phillips Gorin Award. She was also honored with the Council for Learning Disabilities’ Floyd G. Hudson Outstanding Service Award and the Association for Childhood Education International service award. Belinda’s PhD is in quantitative methods, special education, and educational psychology and her
master’s degree is in special education and reading. She received both from the University of California, Riverside.
Find them online:
X, LinkedIn, IG, Bluesky, FB Contact Solution Tree for consulting opportunities
www.matthewrhoads.com, www.coteachingevolved.com
Social Media
X - @mattrhoads1990
Instagram/Threads - @DrRhoadsEdu
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-rhoads-ed-d-95772120/
Bluesky - matthewrhoads.com
Belinda: Linkedin @BelindaKarge
Walter Cullin Jr. is a dedicated educator, higher education administrator, consultant, and podcast host with a diverse background spanning healthcare administration, teaching, coaching, and leadership roles such as dean and associate principal. He holds a B.S. in Healthcare Administration, an M.A. in Urban Education, and an M.S. in Educational Leadership. Walter champions intrinsic motivation, accountability, and student empowerment through his motto: "Intrinsically motivated with no excuses." Passionate about building authentic educator-student relationships, Walter fosters inclusive learning environments and equips educators with strategies to connect meaningfully with students, particularly in urban education. His book, Intrinsically Motivated With No Excuses, inspires minority youth to develop self-confidence, self-awareness, and resilience.
Find Walter online: FB @instrinsticallymotivated @IG YouTube @whatsyourmotive
Dr. Cecelia Gillam is a native of New Orleans who has earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University of Hammond. Dr. Gillam has been a Science teacher for nineteen years. She has helped write science district curriculum and assessments for Environmental Science. She is an advocate for the National Equity Project by being selected as a board member for the Black Teacher Project. She is an ambassador for Pear Deck and Edpuzzle.Dr. Gillam has earned the distinction of being an ISTE Certified Educator. She is a member of the inaugural group of Trendsetters for Vernier. She also serves as a coach for Screencastify. Her involvement in the EdTech world does not stop with her role as an ambassador and coach; she is also a Distinguished Modern Classroom Educator and Expert Mentor for Modern Classroom. Cecelia is a Teacher Leader Advisor in EdTech content for the Louisiana Department of Education. She serves as an ambassador for EcoRise. She has attended and presented at multiple national conferences including ISTE and NSTA to train teachers on how to incorporate EdTech tools in their classrooms. Cecelia created a step team to engage at-risk youth in a positive community service-based organization. She has published a motivational children’s book that can be found on Amazon. The book is Black Girl, Black Girl you are AMAZING!. She is a National Grand Prize Winner for the Shell Lab Grant and a recent recipient of the Shell Urban Educator Development award. Dr. Gillam comes with a wealth of knowledge that can benefit all science teachers across the nation. She has served as an Affinity Group Leader for the State of Louisiana with the goal of helping to retain and preserve new science teachers. Her knowledge and skill sets will be very beneficial for the science community.
Find Cecelia online on X,IG: @Cecelia21082 FB: @Ceceliagillam TikTok: @Cece210
As president of Kelly® Education, Nicola Soares believes that education is the bedrock of a thriving society and that the talented people who work in our schools, colleges, and universities are crucial to powering the future of learning and unlocking student potential. Nicola has successfully led the expansion of Kelly Education from providing substitute teachers in K-12 schools across the U.S., to providing specialized talent solutions––including adjuncts, paraprofessionals, tutors, therapists, and nurses––in academic settings from early childhood through higher education, making Kelly Education the nation’s largest and most trusted education talent solutions provider.She recently led the acquisition of the premier executive search agency, Greenwood/Asher & Associates. The firm’s reputation for inclusion and diversity in academic leadership placements in higher education is unrivaled.
A champion of women in the workforce, Nicola serves as the executive sponsor for the Kelly Leadership in Action program—which began with a focus on women, and is now dedicated to developing successful leaders of all genders in the global marketplace. She’s also the executive sponsor of the Kelly LatinX Affinity Group, an employee-led community focused on building a more inclusive workplace.
Find Nicola online:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasoares/
https://twitter.com/NSoares_KellyEd
Repeat guest Dr. Brandi Kelly brings over 20 years of heart, hustle, and hands-on experience to the world of education. A licensed clinical social worker and Maxwell Certified Coach, she’s worn many hats — from school social worker to principal to superintendent. Along the way, she’s been honored with the NAESP Distinguished Elementary School Principal Award (2014) and Middle School Principal of the Year (2021). Dr. Kelly is proud to be part of inspiring networks like the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), Teach Better Network, Illinois Principals Association (IPA), and the Educational League of Illinois (ELI). She loves sparking change through speaking, writing, and hosting the Lead with HOPE podcast — where she shares real conversations about leadership, resilience, and growth. When she's not leading with hope, you’ll find Brandi spending time with her family, getting lost in a good book, or exploring new places. Follow her journey at www.sparkhopeedu.com and on your favorite social media platforms @brandinashkelly or @leadwithhope
Dr. Teresa Hill is a speaker, author, and leader whose work focuses on underserved communities and making the system work for every child. She is devoted to eliminating achievement gaps and ending what she terms “failure as a default”. Her motto is “All children can learn . . . Period.” Dr. Hill began her career teaching thirty-one kindergarten students in Peoria, IL, has served as a principal and assistant superintendent, and has served as Superintendent in South Holland, IL since 2012.
Find Dr. Hill online: @tdhilledd LinkedIn X, IG website: www.TDhilledd.com
Peter Marshall has more than thirty-five years of experience as an educator. He has served as a teacher, school administrator, and system leader in Ontario, working in leadership and staff development as well as opening a new school. He currently serves as a Solution Tree Assessment Center Associate. Wrote Today’s Teachers, Tomorrow’s Leaders: A Guide to Identifying and Developing Future Administrators.
Find Peter online: www.petermarschallconsulting.com @petermarshall on Solution Tree
Eugene Williams, Jr. received a B.A. in English from Emory University in 1991, and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from The University of Mary Washington in 2007. He is a writer, speaker, educator, and former child actor who has appeared on stage, screen, and television with such celebrities as Ray Charles, Pearl Bailey, and Stephanie Mills. In 1978, he became the first black child in a major, recurring role on the highly acclaimed CBS soap opera, "Search For Tomorrow". Eugene has authored six books including IT'S A READING THING... HELP YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND, THE RAISIN-IN MILK SYNDROME, REFLECTIONS OF A CONFUSED MIDDLE CLASS BLACK YOUTH, and GROUNDED IN THE WORD. a SAT verbal prep guide based on the vocabulary found in the King James Version of the Bible. Eugene's books and opinions have been featured in JET, BLACK EXCELLENCE, The Washington Post and various national publications. He has also been a guest and contributor on NBC, CBS, CNN, and BET. Eugene spent 27 years as a public school educator. He has served as a teacher in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. He has been an assistant principal at both the middle and high school levels and, most recently, spent five years as a high school principal. Eugene lives in Virginia with his wife Jewel, a former elementary school principal. Their daughter, Paige is a professional artist and entrepreneur with a Master's Degree in Journalism from Georgetown University.
Find Eugene online: https://www.instagram.com/eugwilljr?igsh=NGVhN2U2NjQ0Yg==
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugene-williams-jr-m-ed-34bb2375
https://www.tiktok.com/@ewill521?t=8kRVvKTzUEg&_r=1
https://www.eugenewilliamsjr.com/
Christine is an experienced educator with a wide range of experience in both private and public school settings with a focus in special education. She is passionate about equipping educators with knowledge & confidence to create engaging & welcoming classrooms. She brings her conscientious & ambitious mindset to the Making The Grade team.
Find Christine online: Website: www.makingthegradeproject.com
Instagram/TikTok: @makingthegradeproject and IG: @executivefunctionfix LinkedIn @christinezuppa
Executive Function Info: www.Makingthegradeproject.com/executive-function-for-educators-start with the quiz to learn your learning style.
Dr. Valcine Brown is a veteran teacher of high school English Language Arts serving in public education. Dr Brown holds a BA in English Literature, an MFA in Humanities: Creative Writing, an MFA in English Literature, and a PhD in Education: Curriculum and Instruction. Understanding the connection between literacy and economic prosperity, her passion is increasing literacy in adolescents, an often neglected topic. Dr. Brown was born and raised in So. California where she still resides.
Find her online: FB @valcinebrown website:
https://drvalcinebrown.live-website.com/
John is a Professor of Education in the College of Education at James Madison University. In 2015, John was awarded the inaugural Sarah Miller Luck Endowed Professorship. In 2021, John was honored with an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia. Most recently, he was named a Madison Scholar in the College of Education and awarded the Madison Vision Teaching Award.
At James Madison University, he continues to work with pre service teachers and graduate students, as well as actively pursues his research interests including the science of learning and the design and measurement of classroom environments that promote the greatest gains in student learning. John works closely with John Hattie’s Visible Learning research, The Visible Learning® research base represents more than 2,103 meta-analyses comprising more than 132,000 studies involving more than 300 million students around the world. The Visible Learning research has identified more than 350 factors that influence student achievement.
Find John online: X, FB, website www.johnalmarode.com you can send him an email there. Look him up at JMU website.
Jill Handley & Lara Donnelly are the authors of "What Can I Take Off Your Plate? A Structural—and Sustainable—Approach to Countering Teacher Burnout"
Lara Donnelly, EdD, is a veteran teacher and school counselor in Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky). She is an education consultant, speaker, and author supporting schools and administrators with burnout, family engagement, and multilingual learners with trauma and mental health concerns. Donnelly has been featured in podcasts, news articles, and televised interviews for her expertise in supporting mental health. In addition, she has presented at numerous national conferences, including ASCD, ESEA, and the Whole School REACH conference.
Jill Handley, EdD, is the assistant superintendent of multilingual learners in Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky). Prior to this role, she was the award-winning principal of Kenwood Elementary. During her 16-year tenure as principal, she led her school to be recognized for several achievements, including National School of Character, National Distinguished ESEA School, and the first Family Friendly Certified school in the state of Kentucky.
Casey Watts is the founder of Casey Watts Coaching & Consulting, LLC, and a Team Leadership Expert. She has over 20 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, adjunct professor, academic coordinator, and district instructional specialist. She is passionate about empowering teams to move beyond silos and transform into cohesive, vision- driven powerhouses. Through strategic guidance and practical tools, Casey helps leaders cultivate clarity, collaboration, and a collective purpose that drives meaningful results.
Find Casey online: get from her website www.catchingupwithcasey.com @catchupwithcasey on LinkedIn
Dr. John Chanaca is the founder of MJChanacapublishing LLC, a family-owned publishing company dedicated to creating heartwarming, educational stories that emphasize positive family values and parenting. He is the author of several children's books, including The Keymaker, Annie's Flutterflies, Color Your Own Story Books, and the Humor & Heart collection, which earned a Silver Medal in the Global Book Awards 2024. Dr. Chanaca has devoted his career to inspiring and educating both young readers and parents through literature. A Licensed Professional Family Counselor since 1985, Dr. Chanaca has supported countless families and individuals in navigating life’s challenges. This experience led him to author the three-part series A Survival Guide for Parents: Nurturing Super Students in a Modern World, with a follow-up book, Power Parenting: Nurturing Successful Students in the Modern World, soon to be released.
find you online: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089699787125
https://twitter.com/mjchanacapubish
https://www.youtube.com/@mjchanacapublishing/videos
https://www.instagram.com/mjchanacapublishing/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-chanaca-04b7a7175/
www.mjchanacapublishing.com
Free e-book In Canva style: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFo1cW4Qno/uwNG2Rx_PUjzDOexhQx6kw/edit?utm_content=DAFo1cW4Qno&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
Survival Guide Part 1
https://mjchanacapublishingllc.aiinteractivebooks.com/book-view/1794
Jessica Haxhi has been the Supervisor of World Languages for New Haven Public Schools in Connecticut since 2013, overseeing 85 teachers of Arabic, ASL, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Pashto, and Spanish. She also teaches one Japanese class at James Hillhouse High School.
Jessica was President of ACTFL in 2021 and is a past President of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese. She served on the Northeast Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Board from 2006-2010, the ACTFL-NCSSFL Can-Do Statements Committee, and the original National Standards Committee for Japanese.
Previously, Jessica taught Japanese for 20 years in a PreK-5 program and has taught world language methods as an adjunct instructor at local universities in CT. She has received the Milken Family Foundation National Teacher Award (2002), the U.S.-Japan Foundation Elgin Heinz Outstanding Japanese Teacher Award (2008), and the International Women’s Day New Haven Award for Outstanding Public Service (2019).
Find Jessica online: @jhaxhi on Bluesky, X, LinkedIn and via her district website: https://sites.google.com/a/nhps.net/nhpswl/home
As Lead Leader and Co-Founder of Jigsaw Learning, Kurtis has championed the call for collaborative structures in schools to ensure success for all students and enhance the collective efficacy of those dedicated educators working in classrooms. Kurtis works to establish responsive relationships with districts and system level leaders to design collaborative frameworks for educators and develop leadership capacity at all levels. He has over 25 years of experience in the classroom, including over a decade as an award-winning school administrator. An engaging speaker and facilitator, Kurtis interacts with thousands of educators and educational stakeholders annually to ensure Collaborative Response is foundational to how schools work together to ensure success for all students. Find Kurtis online: http://jigsawlearning.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/JigsawLearningAB/
https://www.twitter.com/Jigsaw_Learning
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3U_RKp7yxQhckpKaQur7ow
https://www.linkedin.com/company/jigsaw-learning-inc/?viewAsMember=true
https://www.instagram.com/jigsawlearningab/
Starr Sackstein is a recovering perfectionist who is an assessment reforming enthusiast. Starr just started her role as Massachusetts State Coordinator for Educators Rising and is the COO of Mastery Portfolio, an Edtech Startup committed to helping schools move to Standard-Based communication. Additionally, she works with teacher teams to engage students in the learning process, advocate for personal growth, and effectively use student data to drive instruction. She was a high school English and journalism teacher for 16 years, a lead Humanities learner for 2 years, a publisher and developmental editor, and social media manager. Starr is an author, blogger, and speaker committed to changing the way we do assessment nationally and globally. You can learn more about her work on her website MsSackstein.com. When Starr isn’t advocating for students and educators, she is a mom and partner looking for the next adventure.
Find Starr online: @Starrsackstein LinkedIn, Bluesky
website: www.mrssackstein.com
Jennifer Ozgur is an Organizational Development & Change Management Consultant, Professional Development Designer & Facilitator, Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner, Certified Trauma-Informed & Brain-Based Coach, Parenting Programming Creator, Columnist and Author. Jennifer has combined her years of classroom experience with evidence-based practices to create informational and transformational experiences that uplift and inspire any workplace culture. From crafting a collective vision, celebrating core values and strengths, to co-creating a dynamic inclusive plan everyone can embrace, your team will be energized around a shared purpose that achieves sustainable results.
In 2000, After completing her BSED, Jennifer began her career as a middle and high school English teacher for the Pennsylvania public school system. While in the classroom, she built positive relationships with her students so that they might be challenged and feel supported.
In 2022, Due to heavy interest in her strengths-based design and facilitation skills, Jennifer stepped away from the classroom for 2 years to pursue consulting with corporations and larger educational organizations like the Southern Oregon Education Service District, the Arizona Bureau of Indian Education. She teaches senior English.
Find Jennifer online: jennfer@jenformation.com She's not much on social media but you can DM her on FB. She's re-launching Trail of Conversations private group on FB.
Dr. Jen Mott is a school administrator at one of the largest middle schools in Ohio and a professor at Xavier University in the Educational Administration Graduate program. Outside of serving the students and staff there, she is a professional juggler, stilt-walker, balloon artist and fire performer who merges her passions for entertainment + education through keynote speaking for schools and organizations. Her TEDx Talk on “Juggling Career & Passion” gives more context about this journey. Dr. Mott is also the author of two books. One is a nonfiction book based on her dissertation research on teacher perseverance called "Teacherverance" which encourages teachers and school leaders by capturing reasons for why teachers stay in such a challenging profession. The other book is a picture book companion called "Why Teaching?" created to inspire students who might still want to be teachers and teachers at any point in their career.
Find Jen online: www.drjenmott.com IG/FB: @jenmott
Special Episode: Finding Your Balance for School Leaders Joshua Ray, EdD, is an educational speaker and author who has led the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® process at the elementary, secondary, and district level. He is passionate about building healthy school cultures, the work of collaborative teams, systems of support, and educator well-being.
Find Joshua online: IG @joshray_consulting, X @joshray711, LinkedIn @joshuaray Reach him via Solution Tree website: https://www.solutiontree.com/our-solutions/plc-at-work
Dr. Craig Hane, also known as Dr. Del, is a math educator and innovator dedicated to transforming how math is taught and learned. With a Ph.D. in Algebraic Number Theory and decades of teaching and business experience, Dr. Del empowers students and professionals alike by demystifying math using modern tools like scientific calculators and Wolfram Alpha. His mission is to break down math barriers and inspire listeners to "invest in yourself" for a brighter future.
Find Craig online:
https://craighane.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TriadMath https://x.com/TriadMath https://www.youtube.com/@triadmath1 https://www.instagram.com/triadmathinc/ https://triadmathinc.com/tmt/ This link invites listeners to explore the Triad Math Tribe (TMT), a community dedicated to empowering individuals with practical math skills, wisdom, and tools for leading optimal lives. Membership is just $30/month, but the first month is entirely free, allowing listeners to experience the benefits risk-free. Members gain access to innovative math education resources, personal growth tools, and a supportive network focused on collaboration and lifelong learning.
Priscila Prestes is a Brazilian teacher with 15 years of experience at all levels and grades. She graduated in Pedagogy at the Federal University of Paraná and moved to the United States in 2015 to teach DLI Portuguese. She taught first grade for 5 years. She is starting her fifth year this fall as a Middle School DLI teacher and she loves it. She has presented at several Education and Language Conferences because she loves sharing what she has learned. She is currently trying to find a balance between full-time work, family, and finishing her MA in Portuguese Pedagogy at BYU.
Find Priscila online via her website: http://sites.google.com/alpinedistrict.org/pprestes/about-me
Dr. Cynthia Rapaido, a highly accomplished educator, holds an Ed.D. in International and Multicultural Education and an M.A. in Educational Administration from the University of San Francisco. She earned her B.S. in Applied Arts and Sciences Biology from San Diego State University. With over 30 years of experience in K–12 education, she has served as a high school principal, assistant principal, and teacher, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the educational landscape across various schools and districts in California. Find Cynthia online: https://www.amazon.com/Step-Your-School-Leadership-Game/dp/B0D6HLQZ2B
(her book) LinkedIn @CynthiaRapaido reach out to her if you’d want coaching virtually. See her @NAASP- Seattle mid July.
Sarah Wysocki is a longtime educator, child advocate, author, and mom, living in Annandale, Virginia. She is a lifelong learner who has a Bachelor of Science in health psychology, a master's in teaching, and a post-graduate certificate in TESOL. Sarah is driven to support the growth and development of the whole child, with a special interest in social and emotional well-being. When she's not busy sparking the love of learning in her students, she can be found volunteering in her neighborhood or out on the pickleball courts building friendship and community.
Find Sarah online: X: sarahwysocki10 , LinkedIn @sarahwysicki
Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/profile/sarah-wysocki
Christopher J. Jochum, Ph.D. currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Teacher Education at Fort Hays State University (FHSU) where he leads a large teacher preparation program, serving on-campus and virtual students across the country. Jochum’s previous professional appointments include the University of Nebraska at Kearney as an Associate Professor of Foreign Language Education and Spanish, the University of Central Missouri as an Assistant Professor of Secondary Education, Salina High School South (Kansas) as a secondary Spanish teacher and Chair of the World Languages Department and Kearney Public Schools (Nebraska) as a K-12 English as a Second Language teacher.
Dr. Jochum is the author of “The Department Chair: A Practical Guide to Effective Leadership” (Rowman & Littlefield) and serves as the Co-Chair of the Advisory Board for the Academic Chairpersons Conference, where he is also one of the facilitators for the New Chair Alliance. Chris was recently elected as a Commissioner for the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) and was one of the founding Directors of The National Center for Clinical Practice in Educator Preparation.
Find Chris online: https://cjleadership.com/ links from there to podcast, LinkedIn, Tik Tok
Alyssa Gallagher is the Head of BTS Spark, America (West & Central), Speaker & Facilitator in Leadership Development, Multipliers, Design Thinking and co-author of MESSY Leadership. She is a passionate and experienced education leader, author, speaker, and consultant. She has over 20 years of leadership experience in various educational settings, from district administration to non-profit management. She is currently the Head of BTS Spark, America (West/Central), a global education non-profit that empowers educators to transform their schools and communities. Alyssa's mission is to unleash the intelligence and potential of everyone on her team and in her network.
She is a certified Multiplier practitioner and collaborator, as well as a co-author of two books on design thinking for school leaders and educators and a book on embracing the messiness of leadership. She designs and delivers engaging and impactful learning experiences that help leaders and educators foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and well-being. She is also a sought-after speaker and facilitator who shares her insights and best practices on leadership, learning, and change.
Find Alyssa online: BTS Spark & @LinkedIn www.btsspark.org
They share a lot of free resources via website
Roni Habib author of Happy & Resilient: The Complete Guide to Joyful Teaching, Learning & Living. He is an expert in helping leaders, educators, and parents become happier, more resilient, more connected to their purpose, and more playful. The founder of EQ Schools, he leads workshops and speaks in organizations nationally and abroad.
Follow Roni on FB, X, IG, Bluesky @roninhabib
Matt Sherrill is a Regional Educational Technology Coordinator for the Learning Technology Center, serving Illinois’ East Central region. Always an early adopter, Matt is passionate about utilizing technology to drive impactful learning and supporting fellow educators as they grow fluent in new tech. An educator with 15 years of classroom experience, Matt previously worked as an ELA teacher and department chair in McLean County Unit 5 schools. Matt also holds a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning and a Technology Specialist endorsement on his Illinois Professional Educator License. In addition to his classroom work, Matt has served on his district’s AI Advisory Team where he developed and delivered AI-focused professional development to the district’s staff. He has also shared his insights as a guest speaker on AI literacy for Illinois State University’s pre-service teachers.
Find Matt online: on LinkedIn or use the website www.LTCIllinios.org & email him.
Brenda Yoho is the author of Lead with Two Rules: Feeling Good and Feeling Safe. Her career in public education spanned more than 25 years, as a teacher, elementary principal, middle school principal, and director. She provides encouragement and leadership advice. As an educational consultant with over two decades of experience in the education sector, she partners with the Illinois Principals Association to support K-12 principals, educational leaders, and staff members in rural and urban settings. She helps them develop their skills and competencies in areas such as school improvement, curriculum, staff development, crisis planning, school culture, family involvement, grants, bullying, and goal setting. She also provides mentoring and coaching to aspiring, new, and seasoned administrators, building trusting relationships and facilitating professional growth. Contact her viawww.BrendaYoho.com she publishes blogs every Wednesday Socials: @BrendaYoho X, IG, FB, but she isn’t super active. On LinkedIn she's most active.
Tom Pesce is an international speaker, educator, emcee, and motivational entertainer. His long client list includes companies such NASA, Amazon, Google, NBC, Nasdaq, Formula 1, and more. He’s been a 4th & 6th teacher for 20 yrs. Tom has toured as a headliner for Princess Cruises and regularly works with professional sports teams and Fortune 500 companies around the world. Recently named “Entertainer of the Year” and honored by the Site Crystal Awards as “Standalone Celebratory Event of the Year”, Tom’s mission is clear: to make a lasting, positive impact wherever he goes. In addition to his award-winning stage work, Tom is also a distinguished educator with over twenty years' experience. He has earned multiple graduate degrees in the fields of elementary education, school district administration, and advanced leadership studies.
Today, Tom shares his passion worldwide, helping individuals and organizations discover their own magic in both their personal and professional lives. Tom possesses an intimate understanding of the daily trials and triumphs educators face. His captivating and personalized presentations aren't merely designed to prevent teacher burnout; they ultimately leave participants equipped and inspired to take action.
Tom lives in Ridgefield, CT with his wife, Becky, and their three children.
Find Tom on most socials but Tik Tok, IG, X @tompesceoffical or via his website: www.tompesce.com
Zach Groshell, PhD is a highly distinguished teacher, instructional coach, and education consultant. Zach is based in Seattle, WA and works with schools nationwide and internationally to develop high quality instruction based on the science of how kids learn. Zach hosts the podcast, Progressively Incorrect.
Find Zach online: Twitter, Threads, BlueSky (@mrzachg) @scienceofmath He has a FB group. Visit his blog, www.educationrickshaw.com
Dr. Jim Marshall author of Right from the Start: The Essential Guide to Implementing School Initiatives Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University, where he serves as the Senior Director for the Ed.D. program in PK-12 School Leadership. Dr. James Marshall’s life-long work lies at the intersection of people and the organizations in which they work—and optimizing the synergy that fertile convergence holds. His scholarship, teaching, and consulting combine our understanding of human performance and organization development to assess strengths, devise strategy, and improve even the most vexing of challenges. Engagements have found him evaluating virtual reality-delivered training for active shooter containment, to devising strategy that improved the community-focused impacts realized by the national network of over 150 public television stations. His book, Right from the Start: The Essential Guide to Implementing School Initiatives, summarizes lessons learned through evaluation of hundreds of programs in both the public and private sectors. It was released in 2023. His book, Fixing Education Initiatives in Crisis: 24 go-to strategies, came out in 2024.
Find Jim online on LinkedIn & via his website: www.jamesmmarshall.com
Dr. Christopher Culver is a proud product of Oklahoma education and has served educational communities since 2013 as a classroom teacher, secondary principal, and most recently as a cabinet-level administrator. Dr. Culver is a product of a divorced family and split time between Tulsa & Wyandotte, OK and Fayetteville, NC during his childhood. Currently, Dr. Culver serves as a consultant with expertise in kindness, culture and understanding Gen Z/Gen A, and as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University, teaching future teachers and leaders. He is well known for his high-energy, passionate, engaging, and motivational professional development. Participants call him “engaging, charismatic, dynamic, and enthusiastic.” He has his pulse on today’s generation. He is focused on spreading kindness, improving mindset, cultivating culture, and educating about Gen Z/A.
Find Chris online: www.orangesparrow.org • christopher@orangepsparrow.org Follow Chris on social media | @DrChrisCulver X, FB, IG, Tik Tok
Special episode: Spotlight on Master Scheduling
Dr. Laurie Barron is the superintendent of the Evergreen School District in Kalispell, Montana, and was named 2021 Montana Superintendent of the Year. She has been a high school English teacher and coach, a middle school assistant principal, a middle school principal, and a part-time assistant professor. A National Board–certified teacher, she was 2012 Georgia Principal of the Year and 2013 MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. Barron is a coauthor of the books What Parents Need to Know About Common Core and Other College-and Career-Ready Standards and Middle School: A Place to Belong and Become and has authored numerous articles. She is also a speaker who provides motivation and professional learning to teachers and administrators throughout the United States.
Find Laurie online: https://www.evergreensd50.com/page/superintendents-office
Dr. Debbie Zacarian is known for her expertise in strengths-based leadership, policy analysis, instructional practices, and partnerships with culturally and linguistically diverse student and family populations. With over three decades of combined experience as a district administrator, university faculty member, and educational service agency leader, she founded Zacarian & Associates and has been providing consulting and professional development throughout the United States.
She has written many books (including top- and best-selling) and more than 100 journal articles as well as district and state policies focused on leadership, strategic planning and analysis, and instructional practices with diverse learners- including multilingual learners and students living with adversity.
Find Debbie online: www.zacarianconsulting.com
Joe Davis is the author of The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone’s Gain. Joe is a Managing Director and Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group. He is a former Head of BCG in North America and member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He oversaw BCG’s operations in the US, Canada and Mexico and was recognized as one of the Top 25 Consultants of the year in 2011. He has 4 children and 8 grandchildren. Board chair of the Center for Inclusion and Equity.
Find Joe online? www.JoeDavis.com LinkedIn, FB @JoeDavis
Debra Armstrong is an Educator, Trainer, and Coach (ETC) dedicated to guiding professionals and small business owners on their journeys to achieve professional growth and business success. With years of experience, she has honed the art of personalized coaching, offering tailored solutions that fit her clients' unique needs, goals, and personalities.
Find Debra online: www.nexxtlevelcareers.com LinkedIn: @debraarmstrong
Rick Hess is a scholar, author, and educator. Pens “Rick Hess Straight Up” for Education Week and “Old School with Rick Hess” for Education Next. Senior contributor to Forbes, executive editor of Education Next, contributing editor to National Review, and author of books including A Search for Common Ground and The Great School Rethink. Dr. Hess started his career as a high school social studies teacher. He has taught at the University of Virginia, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Rice University, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University. He is also the senior founding fellow of the Public Education Foundation’s Leadership Institute of Nevada.
Find Rick online: Twitter/X: @rickhess99
Website: https://www.aei.org/profile/frederick-m-hess/
Read Rick's weekly policy brief via his profile page.
For over 20 years as a school principal, educator, author, and coach, Rob Owen has seen the deep impact that stress and burnout have on teachers. After a life-changing car accident at 17, Rob found healing through Tai Chi and Qigong, practices that became central to both his personal and professional life. Now, he shares these mindful practices through Move 2 Focus, helping educators and students—especially those with ADHD and anxiety—find calm, focus, and emotional balance in the classroom and beyond.
Find Rob online: https://www.instagram.com/move_2_focus/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertowen2019/
https://move2focus.com/
https://teacherstress.coach/
This link will direct listeners to a teacher stress test (10 questions) and 3-day mini course that will offer free lessons in Tai Chi and Qigong for the classroom - for both teacher and students.
Dr. Shelby Kretz is the creator of Little Justice Leaders, an organization that provides social justice education resources for educators and families. Shelby earned her Ph.D. in Education from UCLA, and her research explores social justice education at the elementary school level. Over the past decade, Shelby has worked with thousands of parents, teachers, and school leaders to bring social justice education to elementary aged kids.
Find Shelby online:
Get her free guide for talking to kids about difficult current events! https://view.flodesk.com/pages/621d377d78ab99224ea6dddc
https://littlejusticeleaders.com/
https://www.facebook.com/littlejusticeleaders
https://twitter.com/justiceleaders
https://www.pinterest.com/littlejusticeleaders/
https://youtube.com/@littlejusticeleaders
https://www.instagram.com/littlejusticeleaders/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/34228617/admin/feed/posts/
https://tiktok.com/@littlejusticeleaders
Scotty Aemis is passionate about helping parents navigate childhood trauma. After he and his wife adopted two children, they found themselves learning everything they could about helping their children thrive. Everything that felt instinctively “right” was actually not helpful for children trying to heal from trauma. That set him on a journey to develop his PSR (Positive Safe Relationships) Approach toparenting. It’s helpful for all children and parents, but especially those navigating childhood trauma. Find Scotty online:
He has a number of free resources on his website, a free Facebook Group, and a bestselling book available. Lakeside collaborative he works for offers training.
Find Scotty online:
https://www.childtraumasherpa.com/
https://www.instagram.com/childtraumasherpa/
https://www.facebook.com/childtraumasherpa
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1002238933611804
He has a number of free resources on his website, a free Facebook Group, and a bestselling book available. Lakeside collaborative he works for offers training.
Renes Lophanor is a multilingual (speaks English, Haitian Creole, French, German, Spanish and Slovak) author and certified teacher (Spanish/French at secondary ages 11-18) with over two decades of experience in education. Has also taught music, drama, art. He is a musician and performs every weekend. He is the author of I Still Love Teaching Despite Having All The Reasons In The World To Quit: Observations Of The Education System. Find Renes online: https://reneslophanor.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bbwi.renes/ also on FB/IG https://www.youtube.com/@renesbbwi - his music life
https://www.linkedin.com/in/renes-l-468a94/
Mike Anderson has been an educator for many years. A classroom teacher for 15 years, he has also coached swim teams, worked in preschools, and taught university graduate-level classes. In 2004, Anderson was awarded a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005, he was a finalist for New Hampshire Teacher of the Year. Now an independent education consultant, Anderson works with schools in rural, urban, and suburban settings across the United States and beyond. A bestselling author, he has written nine books about great teaching and learning. In 2020, Anderson was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. Find Mike online: Linkedin at / mike-anderson-37953512
X/Twitter at @balancedteacher www.leadinggreatlearning.com you can connect with the courses he’s developed Here's a link to his newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/leadinggreatlearning/back-to-school-reminders?e=5503dc48f7
Kass Minor is the co-founder of The Minor Collective, which fosters sustainable equity in schools. Author of Teaching Fiercely: Spreading Joy & Justice in Our Schools (ASCD). Bio: Kass Minor is an inclusive educator and author who is deeply involved in local, inquiry-based teacher research and school community development.
She is the author of Teaching Fiercely: Spreading Joy and Justice in Our Schools and the co-founder and Chief Strategist of The Minor Collective, a community-based organization designed to foster sustainable equity and literacy in schools. While she has worked in numerous capacities in partnerships with universities and school districts, classroom teacher has been her most coveted role. Her pedagogy is centered in joy from the communities that surround her and motivated by the idea that every adult can teach, and every student can learn. Teacherhood, paired with motherhood, has driven her love of information sharing, redefining who gets to be a knower in the fiery world we live in today. Find Kass online: Purchase Teaching Fiercely: Spreading Joy and Justice in Our Schools on Amazon.
Follow her on X, IG @mskass1 @theminorcollectove Website: www.kassandcorn.com She has a quarterly newsletter.
Mark Windschitl is a professor of Science Teaching and Learning at the University of Washington. His research interests deal with the early career development of science teachers—in particular, their trajectories toward ambitious and equitable pedagogy. He is the lead author of Ambitious Science Teaching (Harvard Ed Press), along with Jessica Thompson and Melissa Braaten. His research has appeared in The American Educational Research Journal, Teachers College Record, Cognition and Instruction, Phi Delta Kappan, Science Education, and in white papers commissioned by the National Research Council and the National Academy of Science. He's been PI on multiple Noyce Teaching Scholars and Research grants and have supported teachers in that program in their transitions to urban schools. He has also administrated the Annenberg Fellowship program, known as the Rhodes Scholarships of Teaching— for teacher candidates at the UW. He's a recipient of the AERA Presidential Award for Best Review of Research, the co-author of the chapter on Science Teaching in the new AERA Handbook of Research on Teaching, and a member of the National Research Council Committee on Strengthening and Sustaining Teachers.
Find Mark online: companion website to book: www.climate-change-educator.org if you don’t have the book, resources are still there. It's an incredible source of information & data teachers can use to focus on. Also go to Mark Windschitl | UW College of Education
Steve Bollar, a.k.a. Stand Tall Steve, is an educational thought leader, former Superintendent of Schools, principal, author and a school culture and motivation expert. He is known for his quick wit, creative thought, and humorous personality.
Find Steve online: LinkedIN, FB, Tiktok, YouTube @standtallsteve IG @stevenbollar
Dr. Almira Berry is a nationally recognized motivational speaker, author, podcast host, and consultant on the topic of culturally and linguistically diverse learners in America’s K12 education system. Her works and research focus on equity and academic achievement for marginalized learners – particularly in majority-of-color, low-wealth, large, urban school districts.
Dr. Berry is host of the podcast, Educational Equity Emancipation and author of the books Effecting Change for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners and Equitable Instructional Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners as well as numerous other articles addressing educational equity.
Find Almitra online: @almitraberry everywhere it’s easy to find her. FB, LinkedIn, Treads, TikTok. You will find links to her books, website, podcast from there.
Andrea Terrero Gabbadon, PhD is an urban education and leadership scholar, speaker, consultant, and qualitative researcher. Dr. Gabbadon's work and research explore the intersection of culturally affirming leadership, school working conditions and racial climate, and educator diversity. Previously, Dr. Gabbadon served as a high school teacher, teacher leader, and assistant principal/director of curriculum and instruction in traditional public and charter schools. Dr. Gabbadon has also served as a visiting professor and instructor of undergraduate and graduate education at numerous institutions of higher education, including Temple University and Swarthmore College.
Dr. Gabbadon's scholarship has been published in leading academic journals such as Urban Education and The Urban Review. She is also the author of "Support and Retain Educators of Color: 6 Principles for Culturally Affirming Leadership" in publication with the Association for Supervision, and Curriculum Development (ASCD). More importantly, she is an activist, committed partner, and devoted parent.
Find Dr. Gabbadon online: LinkedIn, X @atgabbadon IG, website: https://www.atgabbadon.com/
Loren Brody is an elementary school principal on the East Coast. He is also a husband, father of two teenagers, amateur violinist, dedicated swimmer, vegetarian cook, mindfulness devotee, and new triathlete.
Find Loren online LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loren-brody-622241141
Dana's personal trench story that took place over the period of the 23/24 school year and until mid-Sept.
Dr. Dana Goodier has 25 years of experience in education. She has taught World Languages and English and has worked at the middle and elementary school level as an administrator. She completed her doctorate degree (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership in 2020. She often speaks at conferences, providing educators with techniques to minimize off-task behavior and to increase time on task. Currently, she serves as the president of CCFLT (Colorado Congress for Language Teachers). She often writes blogs for the Teach Better Team and is the author of Out of the Trenches: Stories of Resilient Educators, published in 2022. She is the host of the “Out of the Trenches” podcast, which features educators who share their stories of resiliency.
Follow her on X, FB, Bluesky & LinkedIn @danagoodier & IG @outoftrenchespc and visit her website at: www.danagoodier.com
Dr. David Franklin: author of “Advice from the Principal’s Desk: 5 Pillars of School Leadership” Bio from website: Dr. David Franklin is an award winning school administrator, education professor, curriculum designer, and presenter. He earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from California State University, East Bay, a Master’s Degree in Education Technology from National University, and holds a B.A. in Music from the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Franklin is an Education Consultant and an Adjunct Professor of Education for Colorado State University. He is also a Marzano Research fellow trained in High Reliability Schools, Instructional Rounds, Collaborative Teams, and PLCs.
Find David online: https://principalsdesk.org/author/dfranklin77/
The Principal’s desk podcast: https://principalsdesk.org/the-principals-desk-podcast/
Advice from the Principal’s Desk book: Publications – The Principal's Desk https://principalsdesk.org/tpd-publications/
\Principal’s Desk blog: https://principalsdesk.org/the-principals-desk-blog/
David K. Richards is the podcast host of Changemaker ED"U" who has spent his career working in various roles as a teacher, principal, superintendent, board member, consultant and school founder. Started 10 award winning schools. David’s life mission is to help changemakers usher in new paradigms for learning and leadership. He is the Founder & CEO of Changemaker Microschools, a network of innovative love-based microschools. He also coaches leaders through his Wise Warrior program and podcast, Changemaker ED“U”.
He has worked in education reform for over 25 years as a teacher, principal, and founder of several innovative schools with nationally recognized Summit Public Schools and Growth Public Schools. David has dedicated his life to helping people of all ages connect with the powerful leader within themselves. David lives in Sacramento, CA with his wife and two children. He holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MA from Stanford University.
Find David online: https://www.davidkrichards.com/
LinkedIn & IG: @davidkrichards
Leroy Slanzi is an experienced educator with a remarkable 25-year career in education. As an author, he penned the influential book "Emotional Schools," delving into the importance of emotional intelligence and mental health in the education system. Leroy also excels as a facilitator of professional development sessions, has been on numerous podcasts and is a sought-after keynote speaker, helps parents, teachers and schools through the chaos life brings. Is principal at an Elementary school, has been a principal at all levels.
Find Leroy online:
https://leroyslanzi.com/ https://www.facebook.com/leroy.slanzi.9
https://twitter.com/http://@playistheway https://www.pinterest.ca/leroyslanzi https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9OH1J2G2mG6ZSWgRLZSHLQ https://www.instagram.com/authorleroyslanzi?igsh=M2gxcnBlODVpdG1r https://www.linkedin.com/in/leroy-slanzi-3632b2233
leroyslanzi@gmail.com
He does leadership, teacher & parent coaching. Will have a free consultation.
Dr. Lisa Lande has dedicated her professional endeavors to advocating for teachers and students around the globe. It is her aspiration that every classroom in every school is one that she would want her own three children to learn in.
Dr. Lande is a former teacher, college professor, and director of several large-scale school reform projects. She currently serves as the Director of International Programs for the Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations. Dr. Lande is a co-author of Teacher Voice: Amplifying Success; Engagement by Design: Creating Learning Environments Where Students Thrive; and The Power of Voice in Schools: Listening, Learning, & Leading Together.
Find Lisa online: www.quagliainstitute.org
X: @Lisa_Lande
Matt McGee is the founder of MRM Education, an elite tutoring and college admissions consultancy that emphasizes academic curiosity and confidence in students with the ultimate goal of admission into a top university. His 15-year career included private tutoring, special education and admissions consulting before founding MRM Education in 2020. His student-first approach and intensive peer-adjacent mentorship method has helped hundreds of students raise their grades and gain admission to Ivy-Plus schools. In 2024, he founded MRM Academy, a fully virtual 1:1 school for families desiring customizable and flexible education options for their child. Find Matt online: https://www.mrmeducation.com/
https://www.instagram.com/MrmEducation/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrm-education/
@mrmeducation (company) @mattmcgee_edconsulting (personal) @themrmacademy (school)
Tim Cusack, EdD has more than 30 years of experience as an educator and naval warfare officer with the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve) and currently serves as Dean of Education at Concordia University of Edmonton.
Vince Bustamante is an instructional coach, curriculum content developer, and author who resides in Calgary, Canada who has co-authored two bestselling books with Corwin, Great Teaching by Design and The Assessment Playbook for Distance and Blended Learning.
Find Vince & Tim online: Visit Tim's Website, www.TimothyCusack.com
Follow Tim on LinkedIn, X @CusackTim Visit Vince's Website, www.VinceBustamante.com
Follow Vince on X @VinceBusta
Kim Strobel is a renowned motivational speaker and author of Teach Happy: Small Steps to Big Joy, sought after by schools, businesses, and organizations worldwide. With her powerful message about the impact of happiness on well-being and the pursuit of fulfillment, she traverses the globe, sharing her insights. Kim specializes in empowering educators and professionals, equipping them with the necessary tools and strategies to shift their mindsets, reclaim their happiness, reignite their passion, and lead with purpose. Drawing from her extensive background as a teacher and curriculum director, Kim’s ultimate aim is to inspire her audience. Through her engaging talks, she presents captivating research, heartwarming anecdotes, and practical steps for achieving life-altering results.
Find Kim online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.sabelhausstrobel
Teach Happy Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1798779396858380
Teach Happy Book: https://a.co/d/72rcsQ0 go to her website for bulk orders, download study guide to use w/ your staff: Here’s the link for study guide. https://strobeleducation.com/teach-happy/
Teach Happy Book Website Link: https://strobeleducation.com/teach-happy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimstrobeljoy/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-strobel/
Twitter: @strobeled
Adam Stolzer is the principal of Burwell Junior/Senior High School in Burwell, NE. Currently in his 2nd year as principal, he has been extraordinarily intentional about his approach to instructional leadership. In this episode, he talks about Instructional Leader Visibility & Presence.
Find Adam online: X: #cornhuskerchats X: @adamstolzer28 FB: @adamstolzer
As a classroom teacher, Jay Schroder’s pursuit of excellence led the Oregon Council of Teachers of English to award him with the High School English Teacher of Excellence Award in 2021, and in 2022 he received the High School Teacher of Excellence Award from the National Council of Teachers of English.
Jay is the founder of the Teach from Your Best Self professional learning program and author of Teach from Your Best Self: A Teacher’s Guide to Thriving in the Classroom.
Find Jay online: www.teachfromyourbestself.org contact him via his website LinkedIn, X @jayschroder
“Dr. Matt”PsyD is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist and professional speaker who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodivergent clients. He is proud to serve the Gifted community as a consultant, a professor, an author, and a researcher. He has spoken over 400 times all over the world about supporting neurodivergent people. He is also a frequent podcast guest and can be found on many different platforms.
Dr. Zakreski graduated from Widener University’s Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology (IGCP) in 2016. He is the co-founder of The Neurodiversity Collective which provides therapy, IQ testing, coaching, and consulting.
Find "Dr. Matt" online:
https://www.theneurodiversitycollective.com/ speaking/training www.drmattzakreski.com
https://vimeo.com/drmattzakreski
https://www.facebook.com/drmattzakreski/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-zakreski-0a32358
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/the-neurodiversity-collective-succasunna-nj/1254692
https://www.theneurodiversitycollective.com/ (For Therapy)
Https://www.drmattzakreski.com
Danielle Lindner started her own preschool in New Jersey and has taken what she's learned in her years as an educator (and as a mother) and poured that knowledge into a parenting pocket guide. She thrives on helping parents through the difficult preschool years, all the while using her wit, humor and caring demeanor.
An esteemed educational consultant in early childhood education and a renowned parenting coach, Danielle Lindner is also an accomplished entrepreneur and author. She holds an MA in teaching and elementary education (Hons.) from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is the founder of The London Day School, a prestigious institution that provides a nurturing and enriching environment for young learners.
Danielle was recognized as a Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs by Leading Women Entrepreneurs & Business Owners (LWE), a networking home to an impressive roster of talented female entrepreneurs. Visit www.daniellelindner.com to learn more about Danielle, her new book “Parent’s Pocket Guide to Surviving the Preschool Years: One Challenge at a Time,” or to request a parent coaching consultation. Danielle has published numerous children's books, designed to raise caring kids. Recently, she published “Parent’s Pocket Guide to Surviving the Preschool Years: One Challenge at a Time,” to help parents handle their two to five year-olds.
Danielle would be happy to discuss the transition from preschool to KG as well as the challenges teachers may encounter at the KG-2nd grade level with separation anxiety.
Find Danielle online: https://daniellelindner.com/
IG: @danielle.lindner
Noemí has been a dedicated and passionate force in the world of language education since 2005. A proud graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned her B.A. in Spanish and two Ed.M. degrees, she has built a remarkable career supporting teachers across the globe. From founding the WL Tech Institute and edcampWL to leading Lo Logramos Consulting, her contributions to the field are vast and invaluable.
Over the past 15 years, Noemí has presented at state, regional, national, and international conferences, always bringing her unique insights and enthusiasm for language learning. Today, I’m interviewing her at the CCFLT conference to present her keynote, “The Future is NOW: Redefining Language Learning through Generative AI.”
Find Noemí online: X, IG, FB (@team_lologramos); LinkedIn: Noemí Rodríguez website: www.lologramosconsulting.com
Pablo Muñoz wrote “The Leader’s Algorithm: How a Personal Theory of Action Transforms your Life, Work & Relationships” Managing Director of Muñoz & Company. As a first-generation high school and college graduate, Pablo’s personal experience fuels his passion for creating high quality school systems. After his retirement from Passaic Public Schools in 2021, Pablo became a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Pablo uses the leadership techniques garnered as a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team coach, teacher, trainer, and speaker to complement and enhance the profound experiences he has acquired throughout his career in academia. This allows him to create a unique mix of workshops, seminars, keynote speaking, and coaching for his clients, aiding their personal and professional growth.
In addition, Pablo is an Adjunct Professor at Lehigh University; the author of The Leader’s Algorithm; and the host and producer of Latino Leaders podcast. Pablo is gratified by his professional accomplishments, but he is most proud of his family. He is the son of Luz and Pablo Muñoz, both originally from Aguada, Puerto Rico. He is the proud dad of two daughters, Cecilia and Sadie. Pablo is passionate about leadership development, and the crucial role it plays in fostering academic success.
Find Pablo online: @PabloMunoz on LinkedIn
Website: www.themunozcompany.com lots of free content.
Downloadable documents, free chapter of book.
Dr. Don Parker wrote “Be the Driving Force: Leading Your School on the Road to Equity” provides PD on how to build relationships with students of trauma, SEL and DEI. Don is a highly sought-after speaker and professional development provider. He specializes in supporting teachers to build trusting relationships with students and improving the culture and climate of schools to optimize staff and students experience.
Dr. Parker is a former principal and served at Posen School in Posen, IL where he improved the school climate, staff collaboration, parent engagement, and student achievement. Previous to that he was the principal of Lincoln Avenue School, a K-8 school in Dolton, IL, where he improved the culture, implemented a resilience program, managed the implementation of restorative justice, and increased attendance and student achievement. Dr. Parker has been an educator since 1997 with a background as a teacher, Dean of Students, Assistant Principal of Student Life, Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction, and Assistant Principal for Activities and Athletics.
Find Don online: www.drdonparker.com
X @drdonparker1 FB @drdonparker
Jean Eddy is the President and CEO of American Student Assistance (ASA), where she develops and drives the overall strategic direction of the organization. Working with the ASA Board and senior management team, she is responsible for developing and driving the overall strategic direction of the organization in fulfillment of ASA’s mission. Jean provides leadership and oversight for ASA as it evaluates and implements new initiatives to help kids discover their education and career opportunities.
Find Jean online: www.asa.org you can access programs- there are 50 million kids on their platform. @ASA LinkedIn, FB
Jimmy Lee Day II, has been a band director for 15 years and has taught in the Aurora Public School District for 7 of those 15 years. In his 15 years as a music educator, Day has rebuilt three band programs under his baton in urban areas. He transformed them into award-winning programs, earning superior ratings scores from district music festivals. As a result of his effective teaching, Day was chosen to participate in the Public Education & Business Coalition and the Aurora Public School Mentoring Community of Practice as a mentor. He was also asked to serve on the Music Advisory Committee for the Aurora Public School District. Day is passionate about meeting students where they are and teaching them life skills and music skills to help them grow as a person and musician. This approach allows him to set high, but attainable expectations that students can feel proud about accomplishing.
Find Jimmy online: Twitter: @jimmylday (The Maestro)
IG: @jimmydayii FB: @The Maestro
Website: www.msha.ke/jimmyldayii dedicated to when he was a Teacher of the Year. His YouTube channel is linked there. Has whole career as an educator music recordings on YouTube.
Larry Dake is a superintendent out of NY state, Adjunct professor and author of Identifying Small Habits: Left Unchecked by School Leaders Small Faults Can Become Major Cracks (2022), Dads, Leaders, & Father Figures: Creating Influence & Legacy for a Lifetime (2023)-co-author, Crisis Management: Effective School Leadership to Avoid Early Burnout (2021) and a co-author on 100 No-Nonsense Things That ALL School Leaders Should STOP Doing.
Find Larry online: X, FB, LinkedIn @larrydake
Glenn Robbins is the proud Superintendent of the Brigantine Public School District in Brigantine, New Jersey. He has served as a public-school superintendent in New Jersey since 2016. Prior to becoming a superintendent, he was a middle school principal, a high school assistant principal, a high school social studies teacher, and a high school varsity coach. He is also a best-selling author of “Calm In The Chaos: Ancient Stoic Wisdom for Successful School Leadership” and sought after speaker.
Glenn has been awarded numerous administrative international, national and state recognitions including the National Exemplar of Education Award, Northeast Innovative Superintendent Award, NJ Visionary Superintendent Award, Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools Member, NASSP Digital Principal of the Year, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Winner, and SETDA Student Voice Award Winner. He has been invited to the White House, and to the US Department of Education several times.
Find Glenn online: Twitter/X: @GlennGRobbins IG: @GlennGRobbins FB: Glennr1809 and/or Glenn Robbins
Website: GlennRobbins.com
Joël began his career in education in 1997. He has worked as a science and chemistry teacher at the intermediate and secondary level and has been a school principal since 2006. From 2014 to 2018, Joël was on detachment from his school board as a Pedagogical Leader at CFORP, serving the 12 French school boards of the province of Ontario in Canada, as well as various educational partners. As a leadership coach, he worked with school principals to help develop their leadership skills and board-level pedagogical teams regarding leading, teaching and learning in the digital age. Joël was the principal and the School Efficacy Leader at Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario until recently.
He is the founder of Inspire Leadership Coaching and hosts 2 podcasts: Inspire Leadership Podcast and This Is Leadership Podcast.
Find Joël on on FB, X, IG http://inspireleadership.ca
Inspire coaching de leadership FB group: www.facebook.com/inspirelifeleadershipcoaching
Priten Shah's projects aim to drive change and innovation in education. Priten has an M.ED. in Education Policy and Management from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Philosophy from Harvard College. Priten has had the privilege of educating a wide array of students, ranging from language schools in South Korea to special education classes in New York. These diverse classroom experiences have been instrumental in his understanding of students' unique needs, fostering his ability to deliver tailored educational solutions. A believer in the transformative power of technology, Priten has spearheaded numerous groundbreaking projects, including designing custom Learning Management Systems, developing gamified learning applications, and creating mastery-learning-based online courses. He currently runs two education ventures: United 4 Social Change (U4SC) and PedagogyCloud. At U4SC, his focus is on fostering healthier democracies through interdisciplinary education, making civics education accessible to all. U4SC helps teachers integrate civics into their curricula through animated videos, lesson plans, and innovative classroom activities. PedagogyCloud, on the other hand, blends his passion for education with the latest technology. He and his team are helping educators keep pace with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. Their projects include a customizable chatbot for teachers to use in their classrooms (SocratAI) and professional development resources and curriculum development tools for teachers (PedagogAI).
Find Priten online via his website: https://pritenshah.com/ pedagog.ai socrat.ai | Instagram Socrat.ai They can host PD in schools: PD Flyer (pcdn.co) They post webinars, news, lesson plans & prompt libraries
Dr. Lindsay Prendergast has served schools and districts across the globe for nearly two decades as a leadership coach, consultant, principal, counselor, and teacher. She holds a master’s degree in education administration from Colorado Western State University and a Doctor of Education in education leadership from Wilkes University. Dr. Prendergast currently serves as Assistant Director of Learning Experiences for The Danielson Group (Framework for Teaching). While spending several post pandemic years directly supporting nearly 30 principals as a leadership coach alongside Piper Lee, Lindsay spent hundreds of hours in classrooms observing teachers. These experiences, coupled with her expertise in instructional leadership and coaching, greatly informed the purpose of and need for this book. Lindsay enjoys advocating for educators by writing and speaking around the world for organizations such as ASCD, Learning Forward, Edutopia, AMLE, and others around instructional leadership grounded in student-centered schools teachers thrive.
Connect with Lindsay via Twitter: @lindspren LinkedIn or her website www.edhabits.com
Jen Manly is a current college instructor and a former high school and middle school computer science teacher and curriculum developer. She is a skilled facilitator and has presented to thousands of educators at the local, state, and national levels. She is a certified Agile Leader K–12 Trainer and coauthor of the Agile Educator Guide. Nationally, she has been recognized as an ITEEA Teacher Excellence awardee and a CS Teaching Excellence Honorable Mention.
Find Jen online: Twitter: @jennifer_manly Instagram: @strategicclassroom LinkedIn: Jennifer Manly TikTok: @strategicclassroom
Content IG:www.instagram.com/jenmanlycreates
Phil Januszewski is a tattoo covered, Netflix baking-show flopping, high-energy chemistry/physics teaching keynote speaker and coach that is on a mission to create and spread happiness through education, motivation, and entertainment. He empowers his audiences to completely flourish in their personal lives first, in order to ignite passion and purpose in their professional lives as well. Phil is a nationally known dynamic speaker of 10+ years and a public school educator since 2005 with a bachelors in chemistry, a masters in teaching leadership, and a certification in positive education. When not teaching, speaking, or supporting the givers in the world. Phil enjoys everyday adventures with his wife and two children and pursuing his personal passions of fitness, baking, networking, and personal development. If you ever meet Phil, be prepared for a great deal of positive energy, love, and passion. Find Phil online: Website: https://philjanuszewski.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/philjanuszewskispeaks
Instagram: www.instagram.com/philjanuszewski
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/philjanuszewski
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/philjanuszewski
Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/philjanuszewski
Twitter/X: www.x.com/philjanuszewski
Link to Subscribe to Positive Growth Lounge Emails: https://forms.gle/jeGC1EKPeuNAzst
As a professional speaker, trainer, and author, Mr. Johnson, AKA “Coach Carlos,” is locally bred, but his work and research on culture and engagement have taken him nationally and internationally. “Coach Carlos” and his team of consultants have utilized his experience and research to successfully turn around three failing public schools and one private Christian academy. In addition, his training and strategies have helped to change school culture and increase parental engagement, student enrollment, and staff and student retention. His driving belief is: “After 20 years of research, all evidence confirms that a highly engaged school culture is the mother of High-performance!”
His transformational philosophy and practice have recently been published by Solution Tree entitled Power Engage-Seven Power Moves For Building Strong Relationships To Increase Engagement With Students And Parents System And Philosophy. His online/on-site system trains thousands of parents, students, and instructional teams each year on the psychology and practice of engagement.
Additionally, in response to young men’s worldwide academic and behavioral failure, he created the online tutoring, life skills, and coaching program for boys called Future Man Prep. “Coach Carlos’s” purpose of transforming institutions and individuals is obvious, and his passion is infectious when he speaks or trains.
Find Coach Carlos online: www.imageofsucess.com www.carlosjohnson.org FB: @coachcarlos
Ken Burrows is currently an English learner coordinator and owner of the business Rap Opera for Kids that uses Hip Hop and rap music to teach language arts skills using song lyrics. He taught as an English learner teacher in Virginia for 12 years, and through his experiences in the classroom, he developed several strategies and methods based on English language instruction research and best practices combined with rap music to develop the lessons and activities he shares with teachers through Rap Opera for Kids, helping them achieve high student engagement with cultural relevance.
Find Ken online: www.rapoperaforkids.com or @rapoperacentral on YouTube
Michael Beyer was an award-winning, National Board Certified K-12 teacher and principal. He transformed a school on the south side of Chicago, then led the merger of two schools, one being the wealthiest in Chicago and the other in the Cabrini Green housing development.
Since leaving education he has worked as real estate broker, Chief of Staff of an environmental nonprofit, and currently a change management consultant. Mike served overseas in the US Air Force and has received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, two master’s degrees in Art History and Education, and a doctorate in Education Leadership.
Mike is married to his wife of more than twenty years, with whom they have two children. Taught middle school self-contained 8 years, was an administrator PK-12 for close to 10 years. He still engages with educators through consulting. They reside in Oak Park, Illinois.
Mike be reached via LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/mmccbeyer Mike is available for consulting, coaching, and speaking engagements.
Matthew Ebert is a human-centered leader with 20+ years of experience in education, primarily focused on school leadership in urban settings. Matthew’s consulting is grounded in his experiences as a teacher, director of academic innovation, academy leader, and a decade of successful leadership as a public charter school principal. Throughout his leadership tenure, Matthew has developed teams that exceed expectations, consistently achieving strong results. He is committed to cultivating healthy work and learning environments in which individuals feel seen, heard, and valued. In addition to helping team members consistently attain their personal and professional goals, Matthew has facilitated dramatic and consistent growth in student achievement in both Baltimore and Boston, in metrics focused on academic achievement and school climate. Matthew’s leadership is based on the idea that we are all here to take care of one another.
Find Matthew online: Website: www.eberteducationalconsulting.com
Twitter (X): @eberteducation
Instagram: @eberteducationalconsulting
Facebook: @matthew ebert
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/matthewebert1982/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ebert-educational-consulting
Katie Kinder, author of Untold Teaching Truths and Hallway Leadership, is a highly sought after professional learning facilitator; she has been an educator since 2006. She brings her message of hope, fun, and real strategies to educators all over the nation. She believes that life is fun, and learning should most definitely be fun. A teacher of the year, top five district finalist, Speaker, Author, Professional Development Leader, a Mom, a Wife, a Fierce Advocate for Education, Katie has learned a trick or two in the classroom, so come on in, and have some fun, and hook your students from day one!
Find Katie online: Katie Kinder – Education Consultant Sharing Untold Teaching Truths www.katie-kinder.com, @KatieKinder1 on X
Mark Alsip is a computer scientist and former fundamentalist Young Earth Creationist. Indoctrinated at the age of 6, conflicts soon arose over his love of science. Mark is alarmed at the intrusion of fundamentalism into all aspects of our society (especially government), believing it has led to book bans, science denial, anti-LGBTQ legislation, and denial of women's reproductive rights. His new book, "Journey to Reason" describes how he broke free from fundamentalism and offers a stark warning of its dangers to society. Mark also writes the long-running Bad Science Debunked blog (https://www.BadScienceDebunked.com), where he does lighthearted takedowns of urban legends, science denial, and the abundance of misinformation available on social media.
Find Mark online: www.alsip.net @MarkAlsup on FB
Ari Gerzon-Kessler leads the Family Partnerships department for the Boulder Valley School District (Colorado) and is an educational consultant working with schools and districts committed to forging stronger school-family partnerships. He has been an educator since 2000, having served as a principal, bilingual teacher, and SEL trainer. Ari is the author of the book, On The Same Team: Bringing Educators and Underrepresented Families Together (Solution Tree, 2024).
Find Ari online: LinkedIn @arigerzonkelzler, also on FB email: arigerzonatgmail.com
He can do coaching support, presentations, to help other districts.
Johnathan has seven years of experience as a special education teacher at a therapeutic campus for students with severe emotional disturbance and five more years as an in-school suspension teacher at two middle schools. After discovering how in-school suspension programs are failing to meet the needs of our most at-risk students, Johnathan created a trauma informed in-school suspension program to address the current disciplinary, academic, and SEL requirements of our student populations. After successfully establishing ISS programs on multiple campuses, he created a roadmap for others to follow in his latest book The Art of In-School Suspension.
Find Johnathan online: Trauma Informed In-School Suspension Training System: https://www.amazon.com/Art-School-Suspension-Discipline-Benefits/dp/B0B7QHWZ73/
The Art of In-School Suspension Book: http://www.theartofiss.com
www.theartofiss.com
Twitter @mrcranfordiss
AJ Bianco is a husband and proud father of three, who has dedicated his professional life to the field of education. Currently serving as the Assistant Principal at East Brook Middle School in New Jersey, AJ brings experience and a passion for innovative teaching practices to his role. One of AJ's primary areas of focus is on empowering and supporting educators. He takes great pride in coaching teachers, guiding them towards strategies that not only elevate their teaching skills but also maximize the potential of their students. AJ is a firm believer in the transformative power of technology in the classroom and consistently advocates for its integration to enhance the learning experience. Known for his commitment to progressive educational approaches, AJ champions Blended Learning practices, Personalized Learning, Project-Based Learning, and the Flipped Classroom model. He believes in tailoring teaching methods to the unique needs of each student, fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.
AJ's influence extends beyond the school walls through his engagement with the education community. An avid podcast listener himself, AJ is not only the host of the ReflectEd Podcast but also the co-host of PodcastPD. Through these platforms, he shares his insights, interviews thought leaders, and explores the latest trends in education, all with the goal of inspiring and informing educators worldwide. AJ maintains an active online presence through his website and podcast at www.ajbianco.me. Here, he shares resources, reflections, and valuable content related to education and leadership.
You can connect with AJ and join the conversation on all social media platforms by following X, FB, LinkedIn, IG @AJBianco or Podcast PD,
Holly Stuart is the Education Specialist at Foldscope Instruments. She has over 10 years of science education experience in both indoor and outdoor classrooms ranging from 3K through 12th grade. She is currently a Teach Better Team Ambassador and Mentor Ambassador.
Find Holly on X & Instagram: @hollyastuart Foldscope Website: https://foldscope.com/
Dr. Robert A. Martinez is currently the Chief of Human Resources for the Antioch Unified School District. HIs new book, "Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators" was recently released and is available on @Amazon. He shares messages from his life and lessons learned. His life's work has focused on helping others live courageous, resilient lives.
Find Rob online: @ResiliencyGuy on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and Linkedn.
Tom Hoerr led schools for 37 years and is now a Scholar In Residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he teaches prospective principals. Tom began as a teacher and then moved into a leadership role as a principal in the School District of University City. He worked with the Pershing School faculty to achieve significant improvements in student performance at the same time that the school population became more impoverished. In 1981, Tom became the head of the New City School in St. Louis, a school founded on a commitment to progressive learning and respect for human diversity. During Tom’s 34 years at New City, the school raised funds to renovate the building, expand the campus, refurbish the theater, build the MI library, and establish an endowment for need-based financial aid. He was given Emeritus status when he retired in 2015.
Find Tom online: www.thomashoerr.com email: trhoerr@aol.com
Danny Bauer is a Principal Development & Retention Expert, Best Selling Author and Host of Two of the World’s Most Downloaded Podcasts. As the Chief Ruckus Maker, he founded Better Leaders Better Schools in 2015. In this episode, we discuss "Build Leadership Momentum: How to Create the Perfect Principal Entry Plan".
Find Danny online: www.betterleadersbetterschools.com
FB @dannybauer and X/IG: @heydannybauer
Alex Kajitani is the 2009 California Teacher of the Year, and a Top-4 Finalist for National Teacher of the Year. He is the author of several books, including Owning It, which was named “Recommended Reading” by the U.S. Department of Education, and his newest book (for new teachers!), You’re a Teacher Now! What’s Next? is receiving rave reviews! A highly sought after education speaker, Alex is known around the world as “The Rappin’ Mathematician. He has a popular TED Talk, and was honored at The White House.
Find Alex online: / alexkajitani / @alexkajitani / alex.kajitani IG @alexkajitani Multiplication Nation- sign up on his website
Website: https://alexkajitani.com
Josh Korb is the author of “Be the Cause: Educator’s Guide to EFFECTive Instruction”-recently published by Road to Awesome. He's a dynamic and multifaceted educator, passionately strives to revolutionize the world of education. Beginning his career as a math teacher, Josh's innate drive to innovate led him to become a Director of Technology and Innovation. This role allowed him to merge his love for teaching with his profound experience in instructional technology, in hopes of transforming the educational landscape. As an accomplished author, educational consultant, and captivating speaker, Josh shares his insights on the intersection of technology and education, inspiring audiences and unboxing potential. His ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and conviction has cemented his reputation as a thought leader in his educational community.
Find Josh online: www.youcanbethecause.com is on social @mrjkorb on X IG: @MrJoshKorb he can keynote/lead PD. website: www.joshkorb.org
Bradley James Davies is a school leadership consultant and coach with two decades of experience teaching, coaching, and leading independent schools across all grade levels as a dean, division head, and head of school. He invests in leaders dedicated to becoming their best selves and living their best lives. His clients span all sectors, from technology and entertainment to government and education, and all levels of leadership, from rising stars to c-suite veterans. Specializing in life-transitions, work-life balance, team dynamics, leadership wellness, and adult development, he blends a light-hearted style with a keen ability to get to the heart of the matter. He brings to the table a unique capacity to simplify and summarize the complex and the confidence to compassionately challenge when needed. As a result, he successfully helps clients expand their self awareness, leverage their strengths, and implement best practices designed to optimize life both at work and at home. In addition to coaching leaders, she also speaks and facilitates workshops on “Next Level Listening” and “Leadership Wellness 101.”
Find Bradley online: IG @bradley.james.davies, LinkedIn, @Bradley James Davies, or TikTok @bradleyjamesdavies.
Tamara Fyke is a creative entrepreneur with a passion for kids, families, and urban communities. She is the creator and founder of BlueWonder Creative which focuses on children’s mental health and wellness in education through Love In A Big World and healthcare through Brav3Up. She is a leader for community programs as well as in-school support services, program development, and research.
Tamara received her master’s degree in education from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development and worked at Vanderbilt’s Center for Safe & Supportive Schools. She is editor of Building People: SEL for Kids, Families, Schools and Communities which will be re-released in June 2023 and author of Family Matters: Thriving as One which will be released in July. She is the proud mother of three grown children and resides in Nashville, TN.
Find Tamara online: www.loveinabigworld.com Email: Info@loveinabigworld.com
Dr. Chris Hartley serves as a Deputy Executive Director at the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE). His primary role is leading and supporting the CCEE Center of Transformative Systems for Equitable Educational Outcomes and efforts to build capacity and improve accessibility within the CA Statewide System of Support.
With 32 years in education, Chris originally began as a teacher in high school level alternative education programs, and ultimately transitioned to high school principal, founder and principal of a charter school, and Superintendent for the Northern Humboldt Union High School District. Every student must have accessibility to a rich and meaningful learning experience. Serving and advocating for the needs of students in rural communities with a focus on building relationships among diverse community members and educators has proven instrumental in successful program design and implementation during his career.
Find Chris online: https://ccee-ca.org/member/chris-hartley/
Bradlee W. Skinner is an educational thought leader, entertainer, former administrator, author, playwright, perspective giving speaker, and an expert in school culture and climate. He is known for his quick wit, creative thought, and humorous personality. Bradlee was recognized as the 2018 Wyoming Theatre Director of the Year; the current District Teacher of the Year, and in summer of 2019 Bradlee was honored by the Jostens company as their National Educator of the Year. Bradlee is the host of “The Stark Realization” Podcast, and co-host of the web series, “The Empower Half Hour” both focusing on current trends and best practices in the world of education.
Bradlee recently added movie producer to his resume with his first film hitting theaters later this summer. Bradlee openly shares his knowledge, experiences and creativity with others. He currently speaks to students, staff and communities throughout the country about how to think differently about schools, education, and life. Focusing on positive school culture and climate, determination, grit, and social-emotional learning.
Bradlee currently lives in Southwest Wyoming with his wife, Melissa and their three daughters.
Find Bradlee online: https://bradleeskinner1.wixsite.com/website IG, X, FB, TikTok @bradleewskinner
Dr. Kathleen Corley has served as an elementary school principal and Academic Improvement Officer who has received an Elementary School Principal of the Year, Beaufort County Schools in 2021. She has been a teacher, assistant principal, and district office administrator, but the best job on earth and the one she has held for over 30 years, is elementary school principal. Dr. Corley is an authority on school culture, and the charismatic principal at Red Cedar Elementary School in Bluffton, South Carolina. She was previously the inaugural principal at "The Salts," AKA Saltonstall School, in Salem, Massachusetts.
Find Kathleen online: IG & Theads @corleykathy, FB/LinkedIn @kathycorley
Jeffrey Benson has over forty years of experience as a teacher, mentor, and school administrator. His passion is supporting schools to be more successful with more students. He is an internationally known author, including the books “Hanging In-- Strategies for Working with the Students Who Challenge Us Most;” “Ten Steps for Managing Change in Schools;” “Teaching the Whole Teen: Everyday Practices that Promote Success and Resilience in School and Life;” “Improve Every Lesson Plan with SEL;” and his newest book, “Hacking School Discipline Together.” Jeffrey leads school change initiatives, facilitating interdisciplinary teams that convert long-standing dilemmas into cutting edge growth and community building, and creating more inclusive school and classroom cultures. He is a member of the ASCD faculty, is frequently published in education journals, and speaks at conference on such topics as working with challenging students, integrating SEL into everyday practices, restorative practices, decision-making skills for leaders, and the science of learning and teaching.
Find Jeffrey online: www.Jeffreybenson.org LinkedIn info@jeffreybenson.org
Andrea Haas has over two decades of experience in education and a desire to keep good teachers in the profession, Andrea founded Elm Tree Education. Elm Tree is dedicated to providing accessible, ongoing, online professional development customized to meet the diverse needs of students. Andrea, a Nationally Board Certified teacher in Literacy, has an extensive background in designing professional development programs for teachers and mentoring educators. Her unwavering passion lies in literacy instruction, particularly in cultivating practices that embrace the whole child and prioritize cultural responsiveness and inclusivity.
Find Andrea online:
https://www.elmtreeed.com/joinus
If listeners join her mailing list, they will receive weekly updates on free teaching tips (she calls these Lit Bits), new resources, courses, & coaching offers. Those on the mailing list will get discounted pricing on any course or coaching offerings.
https://www.facebook.com/andrea.w.haas
https://www.instagram.com/elmtreeed/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-nw-haas/
https://www.youtube.com/@elmtreeeducation
Dr. Kristina V. Mattis advises statewide educational technology efforts as the Digital Equity Broadband Coordinator for the California Department of Education addressing Superintendent Thurmond’s Closing the Digital Divide Initiative. Kristina’s experience in education spans roles from classroom teaching to executive director to leading change and project management across public and private schools. She is an ESL multilingual speaker and published author. Kristina’s expansive expertise fosters her collaborative and holistic approach to propel instructional opportunities so that “we prepare students to live, work, and thrive in a multicultural, multilingual, and highly connected world” as per the CA DOE mission.
Find Kristina online: @ConsultED Development (google.com)
LinkedIn @KristinaMattis
Dr. Terrance Ruth received his PhD in Public Affairs from the University of Central Florida. He received his Master's in education from Nova Southeastern University and his BA from Oglethorpe University. He completed a national fellowship through Boston College with a certification in nonprofit leadership. Dr. Ruth is an advocate for public education, once serving as a teacher, principal and the parent of a son who attends public schools in Wake County. As a former Administrator for Wake County Public Schools who now serves as an Education Consultant to numerous nonprofits, he sits on several statewide boards.
Terrance is a Raleigh, NC-based educator, community activist, podcast host, and dad. Son of two veterans, he has an amazing family story to share as well as how he balances being a dad with his busy career. Additional topics he loves to speak about are elementary education, social work, social justice, affordable housing, and how to make a big impact at a local level in your community. In 2022, Terrance ran for Mayor of Raleigh and sadly lost to the incumbent mayor. He’s happy to chat about that experience as well. Since ending the race, he has doubled down on his commitment to the Raleigh area and the causes he is passionate about.
Find him online: @truthforraleigh on FB, X, IG. His podcast is Illogical by Truth.
Smith Minard teaches Spanish at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, where she also coaches tennis and helps lead outdoor and international trips. She earned her B.A. in Spanish and Sociology at Furman University, where she spent a semester abroad in Spain, completed undergraduate research on second language acquisition, and did an internship at the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in D.C.
Her most recent accolade is becoming a bestselling author of her debut book “Embrace Your Story: A Young Woman’s Guide to Discover Who You Are, Where to Go, And Why You Matter.” A mentor for almost a decade and honorary big sister, Smith has logged thousands of hours spent with young women, hearing their stories, and helping guide them through life with tips and practical wisdom. She wants readers to know that they have what it takes to embrace their own story, no matter how messy it may seem. Smith is a Georgia native, loving life currently in the Pacific Northwest.
When she’s not teaching or writing, she is finding joy in her journey by reveling in the little moments, like enjoying a great sunset, a good book in the sunshine, or a hike through the Cascades with her fiancé or closest friends.
Find Smith online: https://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Your-Story
Website: https://www.smithminard.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smith_childs/
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@smithminard
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/44511884.Smith_Minard
Sign up for Smith's "Friday Recap" weekly email to your inbox: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/627adf9746c9ddac8218a266
Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket is a wife, mother, principal, public speaker, and author. With decades as a teacher and leader in public education, she has earned the reputation as a strong instructional leader, passionate educational advocate, and dedicated mentor. As the Principal of a top ranked school in Maryland, she is a life-long learner who strives for excellence not only for herself, but also for everyone she serves.
Dr. Edoho-Eket’s belief in fostering meaningful relationships serves as the foundation for everything she does, and her highly effective teaching and leadership style continues to inspire up and coming aspiring teacher leaders. During her educational career, she has proudly served as a classroom teacher, instructional team leader, mentor teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Her book, “The Principal’s Journey: Navigating the Path to School Leadership” provides a helpful and practical blueprint for educators to follow as they transition into new leadership roles.
Dr. Edoho-Eket holds a B.S. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Temple University, a M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from McDaniel College, and a Doctorate in Leadership and Professional Practice from Trevecca Nazarene University.
Find Rachel on Twitter/X @racheledohoechet
IG: @the_principals_journey
Becky first joined the teaching world in 2006 as a fifth grade inclusion classroom teacher. She has always believed that authentic experiences yield the best and most effective learning opportunities. She is passionate about experiential learning, especially in the style of expeditions, hence why she teaches the way she teaches, wrote the book Expedition Science: Empowering learners through exploration and completes field expeditions annually.
Find Becky online: www.expeditionschneckser.com
@schnekser IG in reels, stories, X.
Kathy Magnusson is the owner of Wildewood Learning As a trainer, coach, and speaker, Kathy has worked with educators and youth service professionals worldwide. She is a licensed public school teacher, social and emotional learning specialist, and certified Sources of Strength trainer. She has supported young people and the professionals serving them for over 25 years. Kathy has a master’s degree in education from the University of Minnesota and advanced training in adverse childhood experiences, creating trauma-sensitive practices, non-violent communication, and strengths-based education and leadership. She supports educators and youth service professionals in cultivating trauma-sensitive strength-based environments for all learners. Still works in schools 1/day a week.
Find Kathy on her website www.wildewoodlearning.com
YouTube/FB @wildewoodlearning LinkedIn@kathrynmagnusson
Marcy is a veteran educator who has spent most of her career as a coach of teachers and school leaders. Her experiences at the classroom, school, district, and state levels provide a unique perspective for educators looking to transform schools and drive student achievement. Dr. Roan is an accomplished school leader with proven results at the elementary and middle school levels in both Title 1 and non-Title 1 schools. Author of “Learning Rounds with Teachers”.
Find Marcy online: FB @LeadLearners.net IG @lead.learners
Website: bit.ly/leadlearnersroan
Caylee has been featured on Fox News for her positive behavior strategies. She’s the host of The Pre-K Teacher Family Podcast and her course, The Calm Classroom has helped teachers around the world reduce misbehavior by strengthening relationships.
Find Caylee online: 💌 Join Caylee’s Email List (Tips, Freebies, & Behavior Support - straight to your inbox): https://skilled-crafter-5644.ck.page/a7be5dceda
🌿THE CALM CLASSROOM COURSE: https://www.triedandtrueteacher.com/the-calm-classroom-course
PROMO code: DANA 💚 Caylee’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prekteachertips/
🎤 Caylee’s Podcast: ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pre-k-teacher-family/id1497064603
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5P0XpLfvef0K7uSNz7HCY8?si=iE7H2SKRQBqarCJLlnUDDw
💙 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/triedandtrueteachertips
Kyle H. David is the CEO of KDG, a professional technology services and business advisory firm. He has also been a Part-Time Lecturer at Muhlenberg College for nearly a decade. Kyle considers his day job to be "Chief Education Officer" and believes passionately about removing boundaries between academic and professional education. With credentials from Muhlenberg College, Cornell University, Harvard Business School, Kyle seamlessly blends the worlds of technology, business, entrepreneurship, and education.
Find Kyle online: www.kyledavidgroup.com
Mark has been a professional percussionist for 25 years and has had the opportunity of performing with some the UK’s finest orchestras and theatre companies. Finding his passion and ‘voice’ through music gave Mark the desire to share this understanding through his drum and percussion teaching which he provides in schools and in his private practice. Mark wanted to share the creative and inspiring learning he was witnessing in schools from his experience of delivering whole-class music workshops around the country. This was the start of the Education on Fire podcast in December 2016. The podcast has now released over 350 episodes and been downloaded in 147 countries. Simply put Mark interviews educators from around the world so that he can enable you to support your children to live, learn and grow to their full potential.
Find Mark online: https://www.educationonfire.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@educationonfire5530/streams
X: @taylormapps
https://www.facebook.com/EducationOnFire
Kevo is a tattoo artist, university instructor Kevo is from Houston, Texas and holds an MFA degree. His art ranges from painting to theater production, highlighting racial dynamics and human experiences. He is the director of a non profit for arts, Kevo Arts Studios, and teaches at a college, with over 10 years of experience as the owner of a successful tattoo studio. Additionally, he has a background in Stage plays and film-making and has written and published several books. His story was even featured on Fox 26 News in a segment called "From Inmate to Entrepreneurship," highlighting the journey from incarceration to business artistry. Kevo was proclaimed his own day from the Mayor of Houston, Kevo Day, April 6th, where he is honored for his value to the Houston community. Kevo represents change, inspiration, and art. As a black man from an inner-city neighborhood that was raised without his real parents, to become a renowned fine artist is a big deal. From his youth, kevo was shot, sent to jail, and had a history of drug dealing and violence. Kevo changed his life and became one of the most accomplished artists his city has ever seen.
Find Kevo online:
FB & IG @Kevoarts
X: @kevotheartist
https://linktr.ee/Kevoarts
Efraín Martínez is a father, husband, a K-5 principal, and podcaster. As a wisdom seeker, he has found productivity to be a great tool for success in life. On his podcast Wisdom & Productivity, he reflects on life and interviews luminary figures on what makes them be who they are. His one word is improvement, and he tries every day to make the world better.
Find Efraín online: website: https://about.me/efrainmartinez
X: www.x.com/emartinezedd
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/martinezefra
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/EfrainMartinez1
Nadia Bennett is a school turnaround strategist and former educational leader that made huge strides in the New Jersey education system during her 15+ years of service. During her time as a school leader, she was able to double the success rate of English Language Arts (ELA) test scores in her students, increase student attendance and boost teacher retention. In 2017, as principal of the Simon Gratz Mastery Charter School, the school topped the Philadelphia Charter School Performance Profile. Even the New Jersey Department of Education said she was responsible for “restoring faith in a district that had taken a turn for the worse.” Find Nadia online: she has resources at www.nadiabennet.com/podcast -sign up for free resource on anti-racism. IG @whenbrowngirlslead
Dr. Katie Ritter is the Chief Learning Officer at Forward Edge in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to becoming the CLO she served as the Director for Curriculum & Technology Integration at Forward Edge, working closely with district leaders to help them identify needs of their staff, plan PD and implement the PD. Katie oversees the team of 15+ instructional technology coaches, is responsible for growth and development of the department, and also is the creator and oversees Edge•U Badges. She served on the leadership team for the EdTech Coaches Network of ISTE from 2015-2020, was a Future Ready Schools Instructional Coaches Thought Leader from 2017-2020, is a cohost of the Restart Recharge Podcast for instructional coaches, and is a Google Certified Innovator, Coach, and Trainer.
Find Katie online: Curriculum & Integration Services - Forward Edge (forward-edge.net) @KatieMRitter on X. Go to her blog for other handles.
Maria Barrera, is a Stanford-educated engineer and founder & CEO of Clayful. She is committed to addressing the youth mental health crisis. Born in Colombia and understanding the pressures of adversity, she leverages her experience from her pioneering role on Nearpod's founding team to create impactful solutions in education. Through her tireless research and collaboration with a diverse team of experts, Maria developed Clayful, offering accessible, preventative mental health resources to families of all socio-economic statuses. Her dedication to training a diverse mental health workforce and establishing partnerships with schools has already impacted thousands of students across the country.
Find Maria online on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/clayfulhealth
IG: www.instagram.com/clayfulhealth/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/clayfulhealth
Website: https://www.clayfulhealth.com/
Donna Y. Ford, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor of Education and Human Ecology in the College of Education and Human Ecology at the Ohio State University. She is also a Faculty Affiliate with the Kirwan Institute and the Center for Latin American Studies. Professor Ford is in the Department of Educational Studies and the Special Education Program. Professor Ford has written over 300 articles and book chapters; she has made over 2,000 presentations at professional conferences and organizations, and in school districts. She is the author/co-author/co-editor of 14 books, including Gumbo for the Soul: Liberating Memoirs and Stories to Inspire Females of Color (2017); Telling Our Stories: Culturally Different Adults Reflect on Growing Up in Single-Parent Families (2017); R.A.C.E. Mentoring Through Social Media:Black and Hispanic Scholars Share Their Journey in the Academy (2017); Recruiting and Retaining Culturally Different Students in Gifted Education (2013), Reversing Underachievement Among Gifted Black Students (1996, 2010), Multicultural Gifted Education (1999, 2011), Gifted and Advanced Black Students in School: An Anthology of Critical Works (2011). Dr. Ford is creator of The Ford Female Achievement Model of Excellence (FAME). Donna is a two-time board member of the National Association for Gifted Children, and has served on numerous editorial boards, such as Gifted Child Quarterly, Exceptional Children, Roeper Review, Journal of Negro Education, Gifted Child Today, and Journal of Educational Psychology.
Find Dr. Ford online: FB @DonnaYFord, IG, Twitter @donnayford
Website: Www.donnayford.com
Maxwell is a children’s book author and the Founder of JonAyves Learning Club, a personalized learning organization that teaches children concepts such as long division as early as the age of 3. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHRi). As a former musician, sharing stages with Beyoncé and the Rolling Stones, leading a child care organization as CEO, and working as a consultant for ecommerce tech companies globally, Maxwell values the need to "fill the industry gaps" by way of disruption and modern solutions.
Find Max and JonAyves Learning club online:
JonAyves Virtual 15 (Institution 15-Minute Mathematics Program for Students)
https://www.jonayves.com/jamvirtual15
JonAyves Learning Club Books: JonAyves Learning Club Books
JonAyves Learning Club Complete Book Listing - https://www.jonayves.com/shop
Maxwell Roach & JonAyves Learning ClubTwitter - @JonAyvesTVLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellroachFacebook - JonAyves Learning ClubWebsite - https://www.jonayves.comPodcasts and Workshops - https://www.jonayves.com/podcastFun Academic Kids VideosYouTube Shorts - https://www.youtube.com/@JonAyvesTV TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@JonAyvesTVInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/AJsHouseKidsCount By Numbers and Nursery Rhymes VideosYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AJsHouseKids
AJ Crabill serves as Governance Director at Director of Governance, Council of the Great City Schools (national membership organization of the largest urban school districts) Conservator, DeSoto ISD (small school district on the south side of Dallas). aj works nationwide to focus school boards on student outcomes governance. His book, Great On Their Behalf, published in March, discusses this. He also provides support to schools implementing Student Led Restorative Practices. He supports districts when a school is having challenging w/ its governance.
Find AJ online at www.Greatontheirbehalf.com Twitter, FB, IG: @ajcrabill https://www.ajc7.com/2017/07/bio.html- site with school board related links
Chicago-based Beth Napleton is an executive leadership coach, consultant and the owner and founder of Beth Napleton Consulting. She offers senior leaders in education and at mission-driven organizations a clear path to excellence through individual, executive and group coaching experiences. Additionally, she offers busy leaders a container and her expertise so they can expand their capacity in all areas. Beth leverages her extensive experience in education to work with senior leaders in education and mission-driven organizations to help them clear out the “adult problems” that get in the way of student success. Beth is a national award-winning teacher and has been in the education field for over 20 years. She served as Founder and CEO of a small charter school network on the South Side of Chicago that opened in 2013. She is a solo parent who lives in Chicago with her three amazing kids.
Find Beth online:
Website: www.bethnapleton.com www.leadership.quiz.com also directs to her website.
Social media links: Instagram- @beth.napleton
Facebook- @bethnapletonconsulting
LinkedIn @bethnapleton
A former corporate girl, Grace quit VP life to pursue her dream job as a public school teacher. After 20 years in the classroom, she now focuses full-time on helping educators have a more positive teaching experience. Grace combines her signature mantra, "Your energy teaches more than your lesson plans," with two decades of study in behavioral therapy, positive psychology, and NLP to create science-based habits for overwhelmed educators. She has authored three books on teaching including the best-selling Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers and also the One New Habit book series. In addition to being an elementary school teacher for 20 years, she is the author of the popular book Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers.
You can learn more about her on-line courses and coaching at www.GraceStevens.com
Katie Trowbridge has over two decades of experience as a teacher and mentor. She is President and CEO of Curiosity 2 CREATE, a nonprofit organization focused on helping educators incorporate creative and critical thinking strategies into their existing curricula and build creative classroom environments. Katie is also co-founder of the Creative Thinking Network, an online network to assist teachers in adding creative thinking into their curriculum. Katie has won several Teacher of Excellence and Outstanding Educator awards, has a Master’s in Teaching and a Master’s in Education Administration, and is pursuing her ED.D at Northeastern University in Boston. She currently travels around the nation, speaking at conferences and training educators.
Find Katie online: @thecreativethinking network (has info from experts, lesson plans, etc) Curiosity2create hosts workshops. https://curiosity2create.org and www.creativethinkingnet.com/
Nicole S. Brown is the author of School Days, Holidays, and All Days That Lie Between, More School Days, Holidays,and All Days That Lie Between, Many More School Days, Holidays,and All Days That Lie Between, Who Do You Love? Love Story in Poetry, Who Do You Love? Love Story in Poetry (clean cut), God's Calling You to Live a Life That's True, All About Slime, All About Slime (clean cut), Trials of a Northeast Louisiana Child, The School of Hard Knocks, Life Support, and The Refusal to Return to Slime, Are You Still in Love With Who?, The Diminishing of Slime, and Wet Dreams.
Nicole is a native of Monroe, LA. Nicole is a Louisiana, Tennessee, Missouri, and Mississippi-certified, K-12 teacher who holds certifications in the following subject areas: Chemistry, Physics, General Science, Music, and Reading. She holds a B.S., in Chemistry Education from the University of Louisiana-Monroe, a MEd in Reading Education from Alcorn State University, and an EdS in Educational Leadership from Delta State University.
Find Nicole online: https://www.facebook.com/outstandingauthornicolesbrown
Facebook Fanpage https://www.facebook.com/authornicole.brown
Personal Facebook https://www.tiktok.com/@authornicolesbrown
TikTok https://www.instagram.com/authornicolesbrown
Instagram https://www.tumblr.com/authornicolesbrown
Tumblr https://twitter.com/NikkisSecret
Twitter https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4066097.Nicole_S_Brown
Good Reads https://www.youtube.com/@NikkisSecret/Videos YouTube authornicolesbrown.yolasite.com etsy.com/shop/PoetryatBest w/ all her books and swag https://www.amazon.com/Nicole-S-Brown/e/B005Z51AK4%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Kyle Hill is a District Special Education Resource Lead/Founder of RechargED Family. He is an award winning educator who has worked in special education for 25 years in the state of Delaware. His first 20 years teaching was as a special education teacher in an elementary school, but since, he has been working as a district-wide Resource Lead, in an attempt to help teachers and paraeducators support all the students within their diverse classrooms. His role involves academic and behavioral support, overseeing first year teacher mentor programs, and leading all special education intervention curriculum programs for the entire school district.
Find Kyle online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/rechargedfamily
IG: https://www.instagram.com/rechargedfamily
FB: https://www.facebook.com/kylehillcr/
Website: https://www.rechargedfamily.com/
Natalie is an Education Consultant, Speaker, Podcast Host who has served as a high school and middle school teacher, instructional coach, and assessment lead in a K-12 context where she lead her community through assessment and grading transformation. Her mission is to reimagine education through a liberating praxis and she is currently doing that as a full-time consultant, host of the #EduCrush podcast and by founding a program called the Empowerment Ecosystem that helps the “middle children” of education to step into their power as visionary catalysts.
Find Natalie online on Twitter: @natabasso IG: @natabasso
Website: www.solutiontree.com
Bobby Pollicino is the Head of Upper School at Bullis School in Potomac, MD. He has served as a school administrator for over 15 years, also in dean of students and assistant principal roles. He has taught high school courses in science, leadership, and public speaking while also serving as a varsity assistant soccer coach and varsity head lacrosse coach. Bobby’s academic leadership career is grounded in a healthy interest in leadership which has led to conferences with Stanley King Institute, Garnder, Carney Leadership Institute, and a fellowship with Leadership+Design. Bobby has presented for local and national organizations on topics including meeting culture, digital wellness and hiring practices. A native of Upstate New York, Bobby attributes many of his life lessons to observing the work ethic and commitment of his parents and older brother. He played high school and college lacrosse, winning a National Championship at the collegiate level. He has used many leadership lessons passed on from his high school and college coaches. When not working or studying leadership, he spends time with his wife and three children. He has coached all three in various youth sports over the years. Bobby also enjoys running and cycling as well as training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He strives to be a better husband, father, leader, and person every day. A graduate of Washington College and William and Mary. Bobby lives with his family in Poolesville, MD.
Find Bobby online: https://bobbypollicino.com/
Twitter, LinkedIn: @bobbypollicino
Jason Reagin is the host of Design Cast, MYP Coordinator and MS Curriculum Coach who has been in education for 25 years; 19 years of which have been in IB schools. The majority of my career has been overseas in international schools. It is this international experience that has sparked his excitement in curriculum implementation & leadership. With a passion for curriculum it is no surprise that his ultimate goal is to further his experience in curriculum and instructional development within international schools.
Find Jason online: https://twitter.com/diskon4no Twitter @designcast
IG: @discon4no FB: https://www.facebook.com/WJasonReagin
Website: https://zaap.bio/diskon4no
Elijah Carbajal is a teacher who followed in the footsteps of teachers in his family. He has served as an educator in the state of New Mexico since 2014 and is currently a Title I Reading Interventionist. He is the author of the book A Place They Love and the host of The Shut Up and Teach Podcast. Elijah works hard to make school and his classroom a place that students love! He loves to spend time with his wife, Tracey (an educator, artist and entrepreneur) and his cat, Nala.
Find Elijah online: www.shutupandteachedu.com for links to his podcast, to book him for speaking- he has merch connected to both podcasts. Twitter, IG, TicTok @carbaeli @elijahcarbal on Fb
Dr. Matthew Woods has served for more than 12 years assisting students, educators, and schools in a variety of roles. His professional experience includes being a high school social studies teacher, a middle and high school assistant principal, a middle school principal, a director of student support services, an adjunct professor, and a field instructor for student-teachers. Additionally, Dr. Woods hosts an education podcast, Leading Out The Woods, and is the author of Digital PD for Educators, and the children's book series, I Wanna Be…
Find Dr. Woods online on Twitter: @woodfromawoods
FB: Leading Out The Woods Website: www.leadingoutthewoods.com
Rhonda J. Roos, PhD is an educational consultant coaching principals, district leaders, and administrative teams in the complex and ever-challenging work of leading schools. She is a former assistant superintendent in New Albany, Indiana where she led curricular improvement, aligning those efforts with the district’s progress in becoming a professional learning community. Rhonda has been an educator since 1983 serving as a guidance counselor, English teacher, middle school principal, and district administrator. She has taught graduate courses on leadership at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Indiana and Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. Rhonda served on the leadership team of the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute and is a regular keynote speaker. Honors include the 2010 Indiana Middle School Principal of the Year, 2011 Solution Tree “Redefining Excellence District Award” and the 2015 Indiana University Southeast Educator of the Year. Rhonda’s book, published by Solution Tree, is titled The Deliberate & Courageous Principal. Rhonda’s dissertation, "An Examination of Principals in Effective High-Poverty Middle Schools with High Achievement,” was completed in 2014 and she co-authored an article in the NASSP The Bulletin entitled “Brain Compatible Secondary Schools: The Visionary Principal’s Role.” Find Rhonda online: www.rhondaroos.com @SolutionTree -search "The Deliberate and Courageous Principal". Twitter @drrhondaroos
Dr. Jerod Philipps, Sr.. is a Principal at the elementary level in Delaware. He stepped into this role halfway through June 2021 after being the Assistant Principal at the same school since July 2018. In early February ‘23, he accepted the role of principal at his current school, David E. Robinson Elementary, Magnolia, DE. Jerod is passionate about developing positive public relations between the district, school, students, parents and the overall community.
Find Jerod online: @japhilipps0722 IG @drjaphillps0722 LinkedIn or
FB: Jerod Philipps Sr.
Listen to Squad Builder podcast: http://tun.in/tvVBjr
Rachel Carrillo-Fairchild Rachel is a partner consultant with The Core Collaborative. Rachel brings with her 30 years of education experience. She has been a classroom teacher, mathematics coach, and resource teacher as well as a school leader. Rachel has designed and implemented district-wide staff learning in the areas of English Language Development, working with struggling learners, standards-based education, and Assessment IS learning. She has presented at national conferences such as ASCD, is the author of How to Reach and Teach English Language Learners, and a contributing author to Amplify Learner Voice through Culturally Responsive Assessment. Rachel’s 30 years in education and ability to engage and lead education professionals makes her a perfect fit as a partner consultant with The Core Collaborative.
Find Rachel online: https://twitter.com/RachelELAuthor https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-carrillo-fairchild-4284b618/ Twitter/IG @RachelELauthor
FB: @RachelELauthor
Dr. Robert A Martinez, is well known as "Resiliency Guy" and "Dr. Rob." He is a 35-year educator, focuses on issues of #resilience and strives to build environments where children and adults can grow and work in peace. Dr. Martinez has continually focused on improving and expanding educational opportunities for students. He strives to advance understanding of resiliency research for all his employees, students, and their families. He seeks to support all District personnel with advancing their personal and professional skills, knowledge, and expertise in working with children as unique individuals with unlimited capacitiesHe has written a blog for years, published the children’s book "The Story of Sparkle and Shine, Never Forgot," is a contributing author for "100 No-Nonsense Things that ALL Teachers Should Stop Doing," He new book, "Lead With Resilience" was published in March 2023. In it, he shares lessons from his life and his "Recipe For Resilience". . Dr. Martinez holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Education, both from the University of California, Davis. He is extremely proud to have earned his Educational Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership and Management with a concentration in Human Resources, from Drexel University.
Find Rob online: https://resiliencyguy.wordpress.com/ Twitter, IG, LinkedIn, FB @resiliencyguy
Jeff Bradbury is a Director of Digital Learning and the creator of the TeacherCast Educational Network. With a background in Music Education, Jeff began performing in front of live audiences at a very early age. He grew to love the opportunities he had working with others. During the 2019-20 school year, Jeff began work in Norwalk Public Schools where he was recruited to create and teach a Broadcast Journalism and Technology curriculum that introduced marketing, app development, podcasting, and live broadcasting components into the West Rocks Middle School Community. From 2020-2023 he served the district as its first Lead Instructional Coach for Digital Learning. In spring 2023, Jeff began a new job as the Director of Digital Learning for Region 9 School District, serving the communities of Easton and Redding, Connecticut. Find Jeff online: via his website: https://www.teachercast.net/
LinkedIn https://www.teachercast.net/linkedin
FB: https://www.teachercast.net/facebook
YouTube: https://www.teachercast.net/youtube
asktheteachcoach.com
Adrian Gordon is an active performer, composer, and music educator living in Charlotte, NC. His colorful compositions are captivating for musicians of all ages from very easy to advanced levels. Over the years Gordon has written several acclaimed works for string orchestra such as "Apocalypse" and "Song of the Ocean Winds" to name a few. Adrian takes pride in creating music that is fun and pedagogically sound at all levels. Mr. Gordon currently serves as the orchestra director at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. He received his B.A. in music from the University of Miami, and his Master's degree in Music Education at Florida International University. In addition to teaching, Mr. Gordon is a composer with Alfred Music Publishing and the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing which publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. Mr. Gordon's compositions appear on the California, Florida, Texas, Maryland, and Georgia Orchestra Association Music Performance Assessment Lists. His compositions are distributed through JW Pepper and have been performed throughout the world. Adrian resides in Charlotte with his wife Kelly and their two sons.
Find Adrian online: www.adriangordonmusic.com book. compositions, social media FB, IG, twitter and videos @AdrianGordonmusic
Crystal Frommert, M.Ed, has over 20 years’ experience as an educator in middle and high school. Crystal has taught math, computer science, and social justice in public, parochial, and international schools. Beyond teaching, she has served as an instructional coach, school board member, adjunct college instructor, technology coordinator, and assistant head of middle school. She has presented at local, national, and international educational conferences on topics ranging from social and emotional learning to technology integration. She currently teaches middle school math in Houston, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and fluffy dog.
She is the author of “When Calling Parents isn’t Your Calling” published by Road to Awesome, LLC, in March 2023.
Find Crystal online: www.crystalfrommert.com or on Twitter @mrsfrommert
Ryan Donlan, EdD, professor in the Department of Educational Leadership in the Bayh College of Education at Indiana State University, served for 20 years in traditional and charter schools in K–12 education—in teaching as well as school and district leadership. Ryan has taught for years at the college and university level in the areas of leadership, communication, and education. Ryan is a member of various professional organizations and enjoys robust teaching, scholarship, and service, and has been awarded the Holmstedt Distinguished Professorship and the Faculty Distinguished Service Award. He’s on Twitter @ryandonlan or website: www.ryanndonlan.com & Indiana State University.
Hans Eric Hageman is a graduate of Princeton and Columbia University Law School, He has started and led organizations for underserved children in Harlem, NY, Kenya, and Lucknow, India. He is a recipient of the Robin Hood Foundation Heroes Award and the Essence Magazine Award. He is currently the executive director of the Tutwiler Community Education Center - a community and youth development organization located in the Mississippi Delta. His middle school and high school students learned the educational and healing power of nature on service trips to places like Nicaragua and Senegal, where they helped build a vegetable garden for AIDS patients. His goal is to be “An Ancestor Worth Remembering.”
Find Hans online: www.tutwilercommunityeducationcenter.org
Check out his guide to finding your innate resilience after a setback: https://coachhans.ck.page
https://facebook.com/hanshageman https://linkedin.com/in/hanshageman https://instagram.com/roninforlife
https://twitter.com/hanshageman
Angela Jerabek is the founder and executive director of BARR Center. Jerabek developed the BARR model 20 years ago and has expanded it from one school in the Midwest to more than 200 schools. Jerabek has published five books, several op-eds and articles in various publications, including being featured in USA Today, National Public Radio, and CNBC. She has also presented at the White House at the “Evidence in Education Roundtable” in 2016. Her Education: M.S. Counseling Psychology, B.A. Music Outside of work. Enjoys time with family and friends, music, golfing, reading, and the outdoors. Find the Barr Center online: www.barrcenter.org
https://twitter.com/BarrCenter,
https://www.facebook.com/BARRCenter/, https://www.instagram.com/barrcenter/, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCop1v_JGzQjIc5XPXVaVhdw, https://www.linkedin.com/company/barr-building-assets-reducing-risks-/
Ryan Steuer inspires educators across the country as the founder of Magnify Learning, a PBL professional development organization that equips educators to engage learners, tackle boredom, and transform classrooms. Prior to founding Magnify Learning, Ryan was an engineer for a Fortune 50 company, 8th grade English teacher, and missionary. He shares his education and leadership insights through PBL Simplified the book, which released in January, YouTube, and podcast.
Find Ryan online at: www.magnifylearningin.org or on Twitter @ryansteuer
Dr. Christopher Slaton practices Education and Science to help you inform your brain and to discipline your body through the process of how you focus to live, learn, think, and respond to tension, stress, or pressure. He is the author of 'Education and Science' literature and the founder of the Human Systems Science: the study of brain, body, and sense events to improve the sense and receive path functions of people that have been hurt by major life events in the home, school, neighborhood, and workplace networks. Find Dr. Slaton online: https://www.drchristopherkslaton.com/ https://www.facebook.com/christopher.slaton.71 he has a blog. Also has begun to podcast. BuzzSprout, YouTube: Brain’s Body Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christospher-K.-Slaton/author/B0BGCGGW1W?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Terri Eichholz 29 years of classroom experience from K-12. M.A. in Teaching. She specializes in Gifted and Talented Education, Maker Education, Ed Tech Integration, and STEAM. She's worked for SAISD and NEISD in San Antonio, Texas, and currently consults, conducts professional development, and writes articles about education. She enjoys engaging all students, including adults, with hands-on, student-centered learning.
Find Terri online on Twitter @terrieichholz www.engagetheirminds.com tons of resources, free downloads, Wakelet activities for all times of the year. A lot of resources are aimed at anyone. All levels.
Bryson Tarbet is a preK-6th grade general music teacher just outside of Columbus, Ohio. He received his Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education from Ohio Wesleyan University his Master of Music in Music Education with a Kodály emphasis from Capital University.
Bryson spent his first year out of college as part of an elementary school intervention team and he fell in love with working with students with disabilities. Due to this experience, as well as his personal experience as a neurodiverse individual, Bryson feels very strongly about advocating for sensory and emotionally-inclusive classrooms.
Bryson started That Music Teacher, LLC with the goal of sharing different perspectives on issues pertaining to the lives of music educators across the country. He also hosts That Music Podcast, a podcast for elementary music teachers and is the educator behind the Elementary Music Summit.
More information about Bryson and That Music Teacher can be found at www.ThatMusicTeacher.com. Bryson can also be found on Instagram and Facebook @ThatMusicTeacher
Dawn Harris is a passionate and energetic educator who lives by the motto, “Relationships First.” Her enthusiasm for creating connections is infectious and she thrives on the opportunity to learn about the things that motivate and inspire teachers and students alike. In her roles as a secondary English Language Arts Educator, Gifted and Talented Teacher, and Associate Professor of Teacher Education, Dawn continually strives to bring authentic and engaging learning experiences to students of all ages. Throughout her career as an educator, Dawn has taught in urban, rural, and suburban districts meeting the needs of children from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. In addition to general ELA coursework, Dawn’s classroom teaching experience also includes teaching English as a second language, creative writing, film studies, and response to intervention instruction. Dawn’s professional teaching experiences have been showcased in scholarly journals and at local, regional, national, and international conferences.
Find Dawn online: on Twitter @dharriseds Instagram: @dharrieds Facebook: dawnmharris Lead Like a Pirate Twitter chat (#LeadLAP) Sat. mornings @ 10:30. Website: www.educationundone.com she has lots of resource libraries
Destiny Wagner is an educator with over 20 years' experience as both a classroom teacher (physics) and an instructional technology coach. With a proven record of creating and delivering professional development, her goal is to leverage my expertise to help educators succeed in achieving their objectives while maintaining an effective work-life balance and to overcome the struggle with burnout that has become all too common in recent years. She is also developing a workshop series around addressing educator burnout with school administrations towards her 500-hr. yoga teacher training.
Kristofer Thurston is the Chief Technology Nerd Technology Director. After 22 years in Education Technology, he's learned that CHANGE is the soul of the game. Starting with computer labs, moving through 1:1, into BYOD and beyond, change is the only thing that remains constant. he believes that change is now taking us back to the concept of 1:1, but this time, it means something completely different. Through the purposeful use of the right technologies, teachers can focus on building relationships, meeting each and every student where they’re at, driving engagement and empowering life-long learners, with a goal of every student feeling like they have a 1:1 student to teacher ratio in every class. He recently completed a 3-year term as the Technology Chair on the Prince of Peace Catholic School Advisory Committee. Currently serving as the Director of Technology at John Paul II High School. Find them both online at http://www.edtechnerds.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/edtechdestiny
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/edtechdestiny/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/destiny-wagner
Fb groups: Calm teachers us tech @kristhurston
Kip is an educator and coach who is driven to lead and love staff and students to believe and discover that they are the greatest miracle in the world. Having almost thirty years’ experience in education, Kip is sharing that secret sauce as an educator, coach, author, speaker, and as a podcast host of The Secret Sauce with Kip Shubert. Kip recently moved from Oklahoma to the mountains of Colorado where he now teaches and coaches for the Woodland Park School District. Kip has climbed mountains that once seemed impossible to him. He uses his experiences of being homeless, an alcoholic, losing custody of his daughter, and his wife’s diagnosis with an incurable blood cancer to share how he used adversity to find his advantage, his secret sauce. His WHY is to use those powerful stories, combined with building real, authentic relationships to reach back over the mountains he has climbed so that he can be that sherpa to guide and empower others. He is the author of the just released Struggle to Strength: Finding the Ingredients to Your Secret Sauce”, published by Road to Awesome, LLC.
Find Kip online: Twitter: The Secret Sauce with Kip Shubert (@SecretSauceEDU) / Twitter On FB the most-podcast on podbean.
https://www.facebook.com/secretsaucewithkip/ https://www.instagram.com/secretsauceedu/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kip-shubert-8215a7174/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiSiHiVSKcquwS4MlXBp2fg
Darcy Bakkegard is an English/theatre teacher and professional development coach who got tired of traditional sit-n-get PD and now creates the type of PD she always wanted with the Educators’ Lab. With 10 years of experience teaching English and theatre, Bakkegard specializes in interactive strategies for the classroom, meaningful tech integration, and building relationships with students. Bakkegard is an ISTE Certified Educator, an experienced international presenter, and empowerer of teachers. She co-wrote The Startup Teacher Playbook to help teachers rekindle their spark for teaching and make PD meaningful.
Find Darcy online: www.theeducatorslab.com or Twitter @dbakkegard
Grayson McKinney & Zach Rondot are co-authors of "The Expert Effect: A Three-Part System to Break down the Walls of Your Class".
Grayson McKinney is an elementary educator from East Grand Rapids, Michigan who is known for his innovative approaches to teaching and learning and is a true agent for change. Co-author of The Expert Effect: A Three-Part System to Break Down the Walls of Your Classroom and Connect Your Students to the World and the picture book companion, The Expert Expedition, his mission is to empower students to connect their learning to the world in order to improve their own lives, the lives of others, and the environment around them.
Zach Rondot is also a 4th grade teacher from Michigan. His main mission as educator is to empower my students to be strong, confident kids for more success, happiness, and fulfillment in their lives. He has a Master's Degree in Educational technology and loves using technology to deepen learning, enhance creativity, and create opportunities that would otherwise would not be possible.
Find Zach on Twitter: @MrRondot, Instagram: @ZachRondot, Blog: zachrondot.com
Find Grayson on Twitter: @Gmckinney2, Instagram: @ExpertEffectEDU Website: www.experteffectedu.com
As a 25+ year veteran teacher, Brian has served many roles from Middle School Science teacher to Department Chair, Instructional Technology Specialist, STEM Coach, and PBL Coach. In 2012, he was one of ten teachers honored as National Teacher Innovators by PBS and The Henry Ford Foundation. He became a two-time author in April 2022 with his new book, "Recalculating!" and his other book, "Nothing More" (a 40- day devotional). He's always considered himself a lead learner. Half comedian, half philosopher, he tries to make his events fun and impacting. The best trojan horse for reflection is comedy. He lives by the thought, "Until you have engagement, you have nothing!" He loves helping people, but teachers hold a special place in his heart. He’s here for you! Was/still is in youth ministry for 20+ yrs.
Find Brian online: @ClassKicker and www.Kicksandclass.com
He also does PD on TikTok.
On April 16, 2009, Kim Hamer watched her 44-yr-old husband take his last breath. During his illness and after his death, she was amazed by the helpful ways their coworkers, bosses, friends, and family supported them. Kim started calling their kind actions "acts of love". After the death of her husband, Kim, an HR leader, noticed how little guidance leaders received when navigating cancer, health crises, or the death of a team member. She knew their lack of knowledge negatively affected morale, employee engagement, and productivity. She set out to change that. Combining her personal experience with her professional knowledge and leadership skills, Kim launched her business to support leaders and coworkers when cancer (or any health crisis) affects a team member.
Find Kim online: Website: https://www.100actsoflove.com/whatnot...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/100actsoflove/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimthamer Live Chats: Thurs 12 PST Book: https://www.100actsoflove.com/shop
Vicki Wilson is an educator, serving children and the field for over 28 years as a teacher and principal. She is passionate about education and strive to make it better every day. She is particularly interested in educator learning, leadership, organizational change, progressive and innovative practices in education, and leveraging best practices at school to make an improvement so that all students get the best possible education. She recently retired from the principalship of Monroe Elementary School in Wyandotte, Michigan.
In 2020, she Published Lead With Instructional Rounds: Creating a Culture of Professional Learning, a Lead Like a Pirate Guidebook, with Dave Burgess Consulting. In 2021, she was part of a 100-author collaboration to write 100 No-Nonsense Things That All Teachers Should Stop Doing and the newly released 100 No-Nonsense Things That All Administrators Should Stop Doing, both published by Pushing Boundaries Consulting. She enjoys connecting with a professional learning network (PLN) through Twitter, Twitter chats, blogs, and events.
Find Vicki online: www.vickiwilson.org Twitter @vickilwilson5
Dr. Dan Kreiness is an instructional leader, podcast host, author, and speaker. Dr. Kreiness has worked in education for over 17 years as a school administrator, instructional coach, intervention specialist, and classroom teacher while working in districts in the New York City metro area in New York and Connecticut. Dr. Kreiness holds a doctorate degree in leadership and master’s degrees in adolescent education and educational leadership. His original research and dissertation is called “Transformational Leadership to Inspire Growth Mindset in Classroom Teachers.” Dr. Kreiness hosts the popular Leader of Learning podcast which can be found on all podcast apps and music streaming services and was ranked #7 on Feedspot’s list of the Best 35 Educational Leadership Podcasts. Dr. Kreiness is also a published author, having contributed chapters to 100 No-Nonsense Things that ALL School Leaders Should STOP Doing, 100 No-Nonsense Things that ALL Teachers Should STOP Doing, Edumatch Snapshot in Education (2017) Volume 2: Professional Practice and The EduMatch Teacher’s Recipe Guide: Survive and Thrive in the Kitchen and Beyond. He is currently under contract with Edumatch Publishing to publish a solo book.
Find Dan online: www.dankreiness.com www.leaderoflearning.com
IG, Linkedin, Twitter, TicToc @dr_kreiness
Suzanne Dailey is an instructional coach in the Central Bucks School District, where she has the honor and joy of working with over 600 elementary teachers and 9,000 students. She teaches model lessons, facilitates professional development sessions, and mentors teachers to be the best for the students in front of them. Suzanne is Nationally Board Certified, a fellow of the National Writing Project, and has a Masters Degree in Reading. She is dedicated to nurturing and developing the whole child and teacher and presents these topics at a local, state and national level. Suzanne is the author of Teach Happier this School Year: 40 Weeks of Inspiration & Reflection and the host of the popular weekly podcast, Teach Happier.
Find Suzanne find online: www.suzannedailey.com Twitter: @daileysuzanne
Dr. Matthew Downing is an experienced educator currently working as a K-12 Supervisor of Online Learning in a large public school district. Dr. Downing is passionate about fostering innovative educational opportunities for teachers and students. He does that through thoughtful hands-on learning experiences. On top of that, Dr. Downing is considering ways to move education forward.
Check him out at https://divingdeepedu.libsyn.com/ or @divingdeepedu, his main social network used is LinkedIn where he has links & resources.
Erin Healey is a dedicated and passionate advocate for education. After teaching in the secondary classroom for five years, Erin’s constant determination to seek out best practices and lead with vision led her to a Masters in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Education Technology, and a leadership role as an Instructional Systems Coach at Portsmouth High School. Erin currently continues her work in large-scale education innovations as the Speakers Network Manager for the Teach Better Team; a national network that strives to make the entire education system “better today than it was yesterday, and better tomorrow than it is today”. Find Erin online: @mrserinhealy on all social media, Twitter/FB/IG TB speakers network- link @yesirorg
Hedreich Nicols an author and educational consultant helping teachers and districts amplify the voices of all students. With her Solution Tree title, Finding Your Blind Spots: 8 Guiding Principles to Overcome Implicit Bias in Teaching, Hedreich combines her experience as a “One Black Friend” and educator with academic research and pedagogical strategies to ensure that educators have the skills and knowledge they need to create more equitable classrooms and campuses. Her 5 social justice titles with Cherry Lake Publishing further support these goals in the classroom. Her workshops and courses are highly sought after because she sees it as her mission to promote unity, even when teaching on topics considered divisive.
Find Hedreich online: https://facebook.com/hedreich.nichols
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Hedreich (to find links to SMALLBITES BY HEDREICH NICHOLS, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok)
Jeff Utecht is an educator, consultant, podcaster and author. In his heart he will always be a 4th grade teacher. Jeff has been a keynote speaker and presenter for the past 13 years having presented in 20 different countries and has helped to upskill more than 50,000 educators. Jeff's passion and purpose to prepare students for their future, not our past drives his love for learning and education.
Find Jeff online: http://www.jeffutecht.com/
Social: @jutecht on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok Listen to his podcast Shifting Schools: https://pod.link/185888113
Gregg Goodhart is a pioneer in translating research science to learning superior achievement in the classroom, boardroom, and anything else. A recovering high school music teacher, he found within teaching music the fundamental principles that allow for accelerated improvement commonly referred to as talent. This was a result of serious interest in, and study of, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience and psychology that teachers are not taught in teacher training programs. Using his teaching as a lab to experiment with these ideas he developed unique expertise in explaining to anyone the elements needed to reach any level of success with any skill that is desired. He occupies a singular place as a translator between the research and practical use in our lives. You won’t hear about these things the way he presents them anywhere else. What is actually possible in our own achievement is mind-blowing - no 'talent' necessary.
Find Gregg online: https://www.crackingthetalentcode.us or www.gregggodhart.com @TheLEarningCoach on FB, @ArtandScienceof Practicing Solutions private FB group as well. On IG too.
Alfonzo Mendoza is an Instructional Technologist & Google Innovator from South Texas, U.S.A. with 15 years of experience in education. I am a K-12 Instructional Technologist. He also has a Masters in Educational Technology along with a graduate certificate in E-Learning and a graduate certificate in Technology Leadership in Education. He's a servant leader and is always looking for ways to help my learning community use the power of technology.
You can find Alfonzo on all social media sites @myedTechLife Visit www.myedtech.life to find his podcast episodes.
Holly Stuart is the Education Specialist for Foldscope Instruments and former 8th grade science and design teacher in South Carolina. Her passions include finding new and innovative ways to provide access to scientific tools to students everywhere because she knows that when students have access to the wonders of science, they can discover new scientific concepts through inquiry, and learn science by doing science. In addition to her out-of-the-box approach to teaching science, Holly successfully implemented The Grid Method into her teaching practice and is currently a Teach Better Team Mentor Ambassador.
Holly is married to her high school sweetheart and is a mother to three children. When not working, she enjoys traveling and being outside with her family. Some of their favorite outdoor activities include hiking, running, biking, and gardening. (Holly often brings her telescope, binoculars, and microscopes with her on hikes!) Her indoor hobbies include reading, writing, and learning more about sketch noting and drawing.
Find Holly online: on Twitter @hollyastuart
Charles Williams has served in urban education for 15 years as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal while working with students in grades PK - 12. He has developed innovative programs and structures that have resulted in successful schools in both Indiana and Illinois. He has also presented and spoken at numerous events.
Charles is the founder of CW Consulting, an Educational Consulting Group, the host of the Counter Narrative Podcast, and the host of Real Educators Talk, a monthly discussion designed to engage educators in authentic conversations around education.
Find Charles online: https://t.co/XIJLE8aUE0 (linktree) website: http://www.cwconsultingservice.com/ best place to find him is on Twitter
Demetrius Matthews is the founder of Legacy Media, LLC. He had the vision to create something much bigger than himself. With one goal in mind, he developed Legacy Media, LLC. A platform that would allow him to create his own narrative and leave something behind that would withstand the test of time. Demetrius is a living example of how humble beginnings and rough adolescent years can transform into success and prosperity by being dedicated and working hard. His desire was to leave his mark on the world, and by creating award winning documentaries that touch the minds and hearts of many, he is accomplishing just that. On the West Side of Chicago in the mid-80s, 33-year-old Thomas Kling vowed to transform the lives of dozens of students lost in the pressure cooker of drugs and racism. His profound and lasting impact now shines in a documentary created by the very lives he saved. In the documentary, we also feel his pain as a white teacher ashamed of how the affluent have mentally, financially, and emotionally suppressed people of color in order to make themselves feel entitled.
Find Demetruis online at: https://legacymediallc.com/
Twitter/IG: @legacymedia
You can stream the film "Kling: A Teacher Who Defied the System" on Amazon Prime & Tubi.
Valentina White-Rideaux is a former veteran special education teacher and current owner of IDEA Reimagined, a firm that provides training and professional development services exclusively to special education teachers and leaders. Her company’s mission is to increase student achievement for struggling students and those with disabilities. She is also a doctoral student and college instructor, researching special education teacher preparation.
Find Valentina online at: Twitter: @SPEDteacherslay
IG: @special_ed_teachers_slay
FB: Valentina White-Rideaux
Website: www.specialedteacherslay.com
Todd Stanley is a NBCT and the author of many teacher-education books including Project-Based Learning for Gifted Students (2nd edition), Promoting Rigor Through Higher-Level Questioning, and A Teacher's Toolbox for Gifted Education. He served as classroom teacher for 18 years before becoming the gifted services coordinator for Pickerington Schools. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati.
Find Todd online: www.thegiftedguy.com- has a lot of free resources. Todd talks- 20 m videos. Twitter @the_gifted_guy
Dr. Rick Chromey uses historical insight and cultural inspiration to empower audiences to rethink and reimagine how they lead, teach, pastor and parent. With over 30 years of training experience, Dr. Chromey is a sought after speaker both nationally and internationally, He has also penned over a dozen books on leadership, culture, history, classroom management and creative communication, including his most recent book "GenTech: An American Story of Technology, Change and Who We Really Are." Chromey enjoys collecting antique technology, pop culture, watching baseball, riding his motorcycle, traveling and writing. He lives with his wife Linda, and adorable dog and an ornery cat in a small town outside of Boise, ID.
Find Rick online at: www.rickchromey.com He can come to your school to do a workshop. You can also order autographed books from his website. Find him on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickchromeyspeaker
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drrickchromey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_Rick_Chromey
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoXjDFeB-2ZcQmsOeISJq-A
Michael Jennings has spent over a decade teaching & coaching at nearly every level. He has been a physical education teacher, strengtathlos.org healthy-body & conditioning coach, football coach, youth athletic development trainer, and now program director for PE & character. He is passionate about the powerful role that movement, physical activity, & sport play in the holistic development of young people. He is dedicated to showing that PE, physical activity & sport build strong foundations in our youth!
Find Michael online: www.amac.athlos.org to access the Athlos program, a free program for teachers, coaches, etc. @Athlosmac @theschmike on Twitter
Betsy Springer works as an instructional coach and ELA teacher for the Gull Lake Virtual Partnership, a division of innovative programs in the Gull Lake Community School District in SW Michigan. Betsy holds a BS in secondary ed, an MEd in Instructional Tech, and is a doctoral candidate in Ed Policy. Her favorite things are her family, coffee, and doing what others say can't be done.
Find Betsy online: https://unboxingeducation.blogspot.com/ Twitter, LinkedIn @betsyspringer
Dwight Carter is a nationally recognized and award-winning education leader from Central OH and the Director of Student Support Systems for the Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical School District. He is the co-author of What’s In Your Space? Five Steps to Better School and Classroom Design (Corwin, 2016), Leading Schools in Disruptive Times: How to Survive Hyper-change (Corwin 2017/2021); and a contributing author to Because of a Teacher: Stories of the Past to Inspire the Future of Education written and curated by George Couros. His first solo book, Be GREAT: Five Principles to Improve School Culture from the Inside Out, was published recently (IMPress, 2022).
You can connect with him on Twitter at @Dwight_Carter, IG: @dwightcarter & LinkedIn @dwightlcarter. email: mrdwightcarter@gmail.com or on his blog at Mr. Carter’s Office (https://dwightcarter.edublogs.org/.
For over two decades Dr. Michele Schmidt Moore, host of the Design Lessons podcast, has worked as a district and school level administrator, instructional designer, coach, and teacher. Through individual coaching sessions and workshops, Michele uses design thinking and project-based learning principles to support educators with actionable steps to become leaders and change-makers in their lives and the lives of their students.
Find Michele online at: www.micheleschmidtmoore.com and @mschidtmoore IG, Twitter, FB.
Dan Tricarico has been a high school English teacher for over thirty years. He's also the author of The Zen Teacher: Creating Focus, Simplicity, and Tranquility in the Classroom (DBC, Inc. 2015) and Sanctuaries: Self-Care Secrets for Stressed Out Teachers (DBC, Inc. 2018). In his spare time, he enjoys writing fiction, listening to music (especially Roots Rock and The Blues), reading mystery novels, staring out of windows, and watching movies. One of his first loves is writing poetry, and he's published many poems both in print and on-line.
Find Dan online: www.thezenteacher.com
Twitter @thezenteacher IG @zenteacher TicToc @thezenprofessional Email: teachingzen@gmail.com
Keith K. L. Belvin is a certified Crisis Specialist, Personal & Marriage Counselor, Award-Winning Author, and Educational Consultant who listens to and helps address emotional problems through Person-Centered Counseling. Keith works with men, women, children, and couples by addressing their current issues and works to help them become experts in their lives and feelings. In addition, Keith helps mentor many to become more self-aware of how powerful they indeed are and were created to be. Keith’s friendly and transparent style makes him the perfect person to open up to and communicate your problem.
Find Keith online: Counseling and Consultant Info: www.BravinConsultants.com Counseling Email: info@BravinConsultants.com Books, Publishing, & Literary Services: www.BravinPublishing.com Publishing Email: MainOffice@BravinPublishing.com
Keith is on FB, TikTok, IG, LinkedIn. Find books on his website for 55% off the top. Reach out & let him know what you enjoyed about this podcast.
Bryan Zwemke is an Assistant Superintendent of Learning and Innovation in Illinois with 23 years of experience teaching and leading in rural, suburban, and urban settings focused on student achievement and student engagement. His priorities focus on the core strategies of a guaranteed and viable curriculum, mental health, equity and access for all students, supporting quality teams, and personalized learning for students. Bryan completed his doctoral program for Educational Leadership at Aurora University defending his dissertation Building Social Capital Through Social Media and is serving as an adjunct professor at Aurora University. As a veteran administrator, Bryan has developed a passion for the necessary change toward future ready education - an ecosystem dedicated to student growth, collaborative spaces and practices, and research supported techniques to long term success. Further, Bryan is a co-facilitator for the Mastermind and sometimes blog contributor for Teach Better Team.
Find Bryan online on Twitter @bryanzwenke, Linkedin
Carly Spina has 15 years of experience in Multilingual Education, including her service as an EL teacher, a third-grade bilingual classroom teacher, and a district-wide Multilingual Instructional Coach. She is currently a multilingual education specialist at the Illinois Resource Center, providing professional learning opportunities and technical assistance support to educators and leaders across the state and beyond. Spina enjoys connecting with other educators and leaders across the country and beyond and is an active member of the multilingual education professional learning community. Her first book, Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners, was published in November 2021 by EduMatch Publishing and is available on Amazon.
Find Carly online at: https://movingbeyondformls.blogspot.com which has links & different tools people can use/templates. Twitter @MrsSpinasClass
Cathy Jean-François, an educator with the NYC Department of Education, has a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from Hofstra University and a Master’s Degree in Education from St. John’s University. When she is not working on lesson plans and grading assignments for her 7th grade and high school students, she is either writing a new post for her blog, Cathy’s Cross: A Depressive’s Positive Perspective or sending out query letters for her completed novel, The Box, for which she used her own personal experience with depression and anxiety to develop the inner conflict for her main character.
Find Cathy online: Facebook: Cathy Jean-Francois | Facebook (mostly on) Instagram: Cathy Marie (@cathy_marie1) Marie-Catheline Jean-Francois | LinkedIn http://cathyscross.wordpress.com
Aaron Else has been a principal since 2014, AP since 2008. Also, he works as an Adjunct Prof at U of N Texas. He is an enthusiastic optimist entering his 23rd year in education. During his time in education, he has taught 1st, 2nd, and 5th grades. He is principal at Hosp Elementary in Frisco ISD. Aaron is married to Heather, and they have five kids combined and two dogs. He loves to read, work out, and watch sports. Twitter @principalelse & LinkedIn.
As a highly regarded urban educator in New Jersey for over twenty years, Principal Baruti Kafele distinguished himself as a master teacher and a transformational school leader. As an elementary school teacher he was a New Jersey State Teacher of the Year finalist, and a recipient of the New Jersey Education Association Award of Excellence. As a middle and high school principal, Principal Kafele led the turnaround of four different New Jersey urban schools.
One of the most sought-after school leadership and classroom equity presenters in America, Principal Kafele is impacting America’s schools! He has delivered over two thousand conference and program keynotes and professional development workshops. Principal Kafele is the leading authority for providing effective classroom and school leadership strategies toward closing what he coined, the "Attitude Gap.” He has authored twelve books, including his seven ASCD best sellers - Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life, Closing the Attitude Gap, Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It?, The Teacher 50, The Principal 50, The Assistant Principal 50 and his newest release, The Equity & Social Justice Education 50.
Principal Kafele is also the creator and host of the popular Virtual Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, streamed live every Saturday morning on his Virtual AP Leadership Academy YouTube channel and his other social media platforms at 10:55 EST.
Find Principal Kafele online: www.principalkafele.com @principlalkafele on FB & LinkedIn &Twitter. IG: @millionmileman
Vernon Wright (@TheWrightLeader, TheWrightLeader.com, ZeroApologyZone.com Founder) is a speaker, author, consultant, and leader. He has over 18 years of experience in education working in large, urban school districts and has previously served in the roles of teacher, teacher leader, campus leadership team member, and district-level support. Vernon has shared his experiences as a speaker numerous times over the years at the campus, district, regional, state levels, and beyond garnering acclaim and accolades from recognized industry leaders and colleagues. Vernon has brought his unique style and combination of insight, storytelling, experience, humor, authenticity, and epiphanies to audiences for years. Vernon has an established presence on social media (@TheWrightLeader across all platforms), and he unabashedly stands as a voice for the people with zero apologies (ZeroApologyZone.com).
You can connect with Vernon’s previous speaking and podcast appearances at TheWrightLeader.com. He is committed to a life of inspiring and elevating others.
Brian Faulkner is the principal of Kaneland Harter Middle School in Kaneland C.U.S.D. 302. He says "My focus has been simple from the very start of my career; give students what they need in order to be successful. I fully embrace teacher leadership and a shared leadership philosophy and look for creative ways our staff can collaborate, share, observe one-another, and continuously improve their craft. Saying I love what I do is an understatement. I'm on a mission to make a difference in the lives of each member of our learning community.”
Find Brian online: #kanelandpride & @brianfaulkner44 on Twitter
Ashley Hubner is an Instructional Coach and Curriculum Specialist who has served in many roles in education from elementary school teacher to Curriculum Lead. Her degrees include a Bachelor's in Elementary Education, a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction, and Principal Certification. She served 13 years in the public school system, then transitioned into an educational consultant role where she has worked with curriculum companies to build quality educational experiences for students and with school districts to build instructional capacity among staff.
Find Ashley online by visiting her website: https://coachingaccess.net/
Social Media: FB Business Page https://www.facebook.com/coaching.access FB Private Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/confe... Insta https://www.instagram.com/coaching_ac... Twitter https://twitter.com/coaching_access Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/accesscoach/
Mrs. Brandi Kelly has been in the field of education for over 20 years. She has recently assumed the role of Superintendent at Mt. Olive CUSD #5 in Mt. Olive, IL. Mrs. Kelly has served as a Principal previously, over a 10 year period, in three districts: Ramsey School District (Pre-K-8), Mt. Zion School District (Pre-K-1), and Sangamon Valley Middle School (6-8). Prior to going into administration, Mrs. Kelly was a school social worker/counselor for Effingham Unit #40 in Effingham, IL.
Mrs. Kelly's goal is to build teacher and student capacity by providing tools and strategies that empower and inspire others toward greatness! As a life long learner, Mrs. Kelly believes that everyone can learn and has the potential for greatness. Relationships are incredibly important to the learning process. It is necessary for educators to invest time in students to build relationships in an effort to maximize their influence and impact. Education is a powerful tool for empowering others to realize their full potential!
Find Mrs. Kelly online: @jbmrkelly Twitter, LinkedIn, FB for Mt. Olive School District
Robert Dunlop is a middle school teacher and technology & assessment consultant. His experiences in the classroom and throughout his district have given him a deep insight into the importance of teacher happiness. He credits working with thousands of educators as paramount to his research for this book. Robert's teaching journey has been one of peaks and valleys. His work in schools and his role in creating the Terry Fox Lesson Plans for educators around the world, led to him being honored with the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence. Although Robert has enjoyed many peaks throughout his career, he credits his valleys for his greatest learning. The message he shares in this book, online and through his speaking comes from his passion to reconnect to his love of teaching. Robert looks forward to inspiring many more educators to find Happiness in Education. Lives in St. Catherines, ON.
Follow Rob on Twitter @robdunlopedu & on LinkedIn Visit his website: www.motivatedu.com He has a staff wellness section with media staff can use for meetings.
Tre Gammage is the host of the Dash Podcast, does adult SEL & relationships workshops. Tre helps educators build social-emotional competence through in-person, virtual, and self-paced professional development. Because to impact students, you have to support teachers. His greatest strength is helping make it easier for educators to do what they love. Educators who practice SEL report higher levels of well-being, less stress, and improved student social-emotional and academic outcomes. Tre was a dean of students for 2 years until summer 2022. He now serves as a full-time consultant with Gammage Consulting Group.
Find Tre online on Twitter, LinkedIn & IG: @tregammage Visit his website https://www.seleducators.com/ for more details on his services.
Megan Balduf is a middle school English teacher with nineteen years’ experience. Being a teacher has always been Megan's dream, and her dedication to students and their learning opened opportunities to become a teacher-leader. Megan continues to grow and learn to be a better teacher today than she was yesterday. Since entering the classroom, Megan has earned an MA in Gifted Education, an MA in English for Language Arts Teachers, and became a National Board Certified Teacher.
Find Megan online on Twitter @mbalduf
Dr. Christopher Scott Wyatt is an autistic self-advocate and father of two neurodiverse daughters. He earned a doctorate while researching online education for students with autism spectrum disorders. His experiences living with physical and neurological differences shape his parenting. Wyatt consults with schools, businesses, and non-profit organizations on issues of autism, Neurodiversity, and active inclusion.
Find Chris online @theausticicme, on FB @autisticme and listen to Perspectives on Neurodiversity podcast here: Perspectives on Neurodiversity on Apple Podcasts
Jay McTighe is a veteran education and accomplished author, having co-written 18 books, including the award-winning and best-selling Understanding by Design® series with Grant Wiggins. His books have been translated into fourteen languages. Jay has also written more than 50 book chapters, articles and blogs, and been published in leading journals, including Educational Leadership (ASCD), Edutopia and Education Week. Jay has an extensive background in professional development and is a regular speaker at state, national and international conferences. He has made presentations in 47 states within the United States, in 7 Canadian provinces, and internationally in 38 countries on six continents.
Find Jay online by visiting his website: www.jaymctighe.com which has a lot of links to articles, and podcasts. Twitter @jaymctighe
Dr. Anissa Reilly is a success story. She received her doctorate in spite of suffering from Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from issues like those she discusses on the show. She has embraced the “Wounded Healer” archetype as described by psychologist Carl Jung. As a result, her soon-to-be-released book, “The Wounded Healer: Turning Life’s Messes into Messages of Hope-From Violence to Victory” is bound to be a best seller.
Find Dr. Reilly online at www.askdrreilly.com info@giantstep6llc.com for educational inquiries and for leadership development with schools.
For ministry info@askdrreilly.com Social media handle: @askdrreilly on FB, IG, Twitter
Portia Y. Clare has been privileged to serve in developing the minds and character of children for over thirty years. A graduate of Duke University and Regent University, she maintains her love of learning and earnestly desires to empower the children who have been entrusted to her care. Simply put, Portia teaches because she values children. Her love of children and family compel her to write stories that will help them to recognize their importance, appreciate their value, and navigate through difficult life experiences. Creative writing has always brought her joy and writing children’s books has been her passion since childhood. Her most recent publication is Best Friends Forever: A Puppy’s Tale. Portia is the only child of the late Randolph George Clare, Jr. and Jane Easterling Clare. She was born in Bennettsville, South Carolina, and raised in Nassau, Bahamas. Her family relocated to Bennettsville, South Carolina in 2015, where she and her mother currently reside.
For more information about her books, school visits, presentations, and activities, please visit Portia’s website at www. portiayclare.com.
FB author pg @portiayclare IG: @portiay.clare
Every day, Mark mentors students who must overcome serious challenges. But he knows they can persevere, because he did. Growing up with Tourette’s syndrome, Mark had poor grades and demonstrated significant behaviors, but thanks to positive relationships with his educators, he was able to defy expectations and succeed in school. As an adult, he sustained a brain injury and developed a significant stutter that made life exasperating. Despite these challenges, he went on to earn two master's degrees and make an impact as a special education teacher. He is a walking success story. Despite challenging disabilities, he built a prosperous career in education. Now, he wants to see others triumph over their individual obstacles. By sharing his journey through motivational speaking and his poetry, he educates others about diversity, advocates for individuals with disabilities, and motivates people to overcome serious challenges. He lives in Pueblo, Co.
Find Mark online: www.markchartier.com
www.teacherwithtourettes.com https://www.facebook.com/TeacherWithTourettes/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-chartier-69821962/
Join me for a live (recording) of the 200th episode of Out of the Trenches with Darrin Peppard, Dan Wolfe, Ashley Hubner & Melissa Wright. My guests were all previous guests on Out of the Trenches and are all Road to Awesome authors.
Ashley Hubner: Ed Consultant who builds instructional effectiveness with districts. Author of "Foundations of Instructional Coaching: Impact People, Improve Instruction, Increase Success", published September 2022.
Dr. Darrin Peppard: author of "Road to Awesome", published in July 2020. Former principal & superintendent, now leadership speaker and consultant who coaches leaders in improving their school culture & climate as well as growing dynamic leaders.
Melissa Wright: High school Math and dance teacher in New Brunswick, Canada. Inducted into Jostens Renaissance Hall of Fame this past summer. Author of "Inspired: Moments that Matter", published in July 2022.
Dan Wolfe: an Assistant Principal at Sunray Elementary in Pasco County, FL. Author of "Becoming the Change: 5 Essential Elements To Being Your Best Self”, published in June 2022. His principles are to Serve, Lead, Inspire. For more information on Dan, his book, blog, podcast and other podcasts he has been on please go to becoming-the-change.com/8258-2/
For more information on all these guests, check out the show notes on https://danagoodier.com/episodes-198-204/
My next guest is Dr. Kristen C. Eccleston (aka The NeuroDiverse Teacher). Her areas of passion, expertise and research focus on examining adolescent mental health impairments in the education environment, and she is well versed in the needs of the neurodiverse brain. Additionally, her professional experiences include in-class teaching at the secondary levels and designing and directing a specialized program for secondary students with mental health needs (check out her YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Pzb6iduvgfQ).
She has a Doctor of Education in Mind, Brain, & Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Science in Special Education from Johns Hopkins University, and a Certificate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Hood College. Currently, she’s an Adjunct Professor at Towson University in their Secondary and Special Education Graduate Programs and work as an Education Consultant to families and education technology companies. She’s a National Board-Certified Teacher, Exceptional Needs Specialist, and holds an Advanced Professional Educator Certificate.
Find Kristen online: www.theneurodiverseteacher.com
TikTok & Instagram: @The.NeuroDiverse.Teacher
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-eccleston-ed-d-nbct-34367150/
Dennis is an elementary school speech pathologist, singer-songwriter and author. For over 20 years Dennis has had the joy and honor of working with children in public schools and through non profit work. In 2018, he launched his authorship, bringing children’s stories integrating social emotional wholeness, language enrichment, critical thinking, conflict resolution and character development to life. His published works so far are “Bello the Cello”, “My Wild First Day of School”, and “How Grizzly Found Gratitude”. He is also a singer-songwriter with a published music album for schools called, “The Let’s Roar Experience”.
Through his books and music Dennis has reached tens of thousands of students worldwide since 2018.
Find Dennis online at: www.booksbydennis.com @storiesbydennis Twitter @booksbydennis IG FB: DennisMatthew
He eagerly looks forward to hearing from you, to work with your school community to spread joy through story and song!
Chicago native Michael Fosberg has spoken at nearly a thousand high schools, colleges, government agencies, corporations, law firms and not-for-profits since 2005, utilizing his award-winning autobiographical story, told in the form of a one-man play, as an entry point for meaningful dialogues on race and identity. He has collaborated with a number of professional diversity practitioners on programs to foster deeper dialogue in corporate settings and at educational institutions. His work with groups such as The Boeing Company, United Way Worldwide, PNC Financial Services, Proctor & Gamble, The U.S. Dept. of the Treasury, and The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency is reshaping the way organizations talk about race, identity and diversity. Michael has been a frequent guest in the media speaking on these issues, and his latest book, Nobody Wants to Talk About It; Race, Identity and the Difficulties in Forging Meaningful Conversations offers readers seven important tools to engage in authentic dialogue. In 2011 he published his memoir; Incognito: An American Odyssey of Race and Self-Discovery and he has just launched a series of unique virtual e-learning programs utilizing his award-winning play as the entry point for delving into uncomfortable conversations.
Find Michael online: https://incognitotheplay.com/ LinkedIn @MichaelFosberg & IG: @incognitotheplay
Brad Dude was born in Joliet, Illinois in 1948 and grew up in Buena Park, California. In 1970 he joined the Peace Corps in Micronesia as a Volunteer English teacher and then served as a staff member in both Samoa and Micronesia. Since then, Brad has spent the past 40 years in the field of international development, training and consulting. Brad has co-authored two books and published three others on the value of personal temperament and its influence on self-awareness, professional relationships, leadership and productivity. He holds a journalism degree from Northern Illinois University. He currently conducts seminars on temperament and leadership while continuing his writing efforts. As the owner of Brad Dude & Associates, Inc., Brad continues to work and partner with colleagues at Next Level Consulting, the Ascend Development Group and other organizations to provide consulting and training services for his clients. Brad recently served as a co-coordinator of an executive leadership training program for government employees from Micronesia and Polynesia. He is also a principal in Devbizexperts, a new company that provides services to non-profits, government, and private sector organizations. Brad lives in New Orleans with his wife, Sue. He has one son and three grandsons.
Find Brad online at: www.braddude.com all other social on his website 40 Ways of Figuring out Your Boss- which is a good resource for teachers.
LinkedIn: Brad Dude LinkedIn Group: Temperament and Leadership Network Twitter: @bdude1 YouTube Channel: Leadership and Temperament Channel Facebook Group: Temperament and Leadership Amazon Author Page: Brad Dude Amazon
Jen Schwanke has been an educator for 24 years, teaching or leading at all levels. She is the author of three ASCD books, including the just-released, "The Teacher's Principal: How School Leaders Can Support and Motivate Their Teachers." She has written and presented for multiple state and local education organizations, and has provided professional development to various districts in the areas of school climate, personnel, and instructional leadership. She is an instructor in educational administration at Miami University and is a doctoral candidate at The Ohio State University. She currently serves as a Deputy Superintendent in Ohio.
More information can be found on her website: www.jenschwanke.com and on Twitter @jenschwanke
Dr. Sheka Houston and Principal Tammy Taylor are best-selling contributing authors of "Women Who Lead in Education Featuring School Principals", Volume 3, 2nd edition. They are also co-founders of Create and Educate, LLC an education and literary firm that offers resources to schools to include, professional development and a catalog of culturally relevant book titles for school-age children from independent authors. The school leaders have 40 years of experience in education between the two of them with experience in charter school start-ups, as well as, instituting AVID and Leader in Me as school initiatives. In addition, the duo, were the recipients of the South Carolina Palmetto Silver Award for academic growth, moved two and three report card levels in one year, won the Palmetto State Arts Education Steam School of Excellence Award, and Teacher of the year.
After experiencing tremendous academic growth, NWEA conducted a case study that is featured on their website. Most recently Dr. Houston and Principal Taylor have a new book they are promoting, "It Doesn’t have to be Lonely at the Top: The Power of Collaboration in Leadership", that outlines their story of resiliency in their leadership journey. Their weekly Facebook Live Series, The R.E.A.L.L Academy outlines training from their framework.
They also host The Collaborative, the first Tuesday of each month bringing educators, parents, community members and authors together to solve problems in education.
Find Sheka & Tammy at https://www.createandeducate.solutions/ can connect on FB, YouTube @shekahoustin & LinkedIn; Tammy can be found on LinkedIn & Twitter
Vicky Weber is a musician and an elementary educator with a love for children’s literature. As a Puerto Rican author of Taíno descent, she strives to create picture books that are fun, engaging, and educational. All her current titles are based on her background in music education or her heritage. Though she's no longer in the classroom, she's one of the coaches at At Home Author where she teaches others how to become successfully published too.
Find Vicki online: https://www.athomeauthor.com/www.trunckupbooks.com
https://www.facebook.com/TrunkUpBooks
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJf4v7TsaDU01SCYvSHfiDg
https://www.instagram.com/vickyweberbooks/
Jen Schwester, aka Jennyzenyoga, has been providing yoga services and trainings to many underserved populations for over four years, including special needs adults, senior citizens, first responders, and her high school French classes. Jennifer brings her 24 years experience as a French teacher to the mat. She has been practicing yoga for the past 8 years and expanded her practice by becoming a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200).
Jennifer is currently completing the next 300 hours of Yoga Teacher Training with My Vinyasa Practice in Austin, Texas to become a RYT-500. She is also an Instructor for Yoga For First Responders and a Teacher for the Veterans Yoga Project. She has presented Mindfulness, Meditation, Chair Yoga, and SEL workshops for various school districts as well as many state, regional, and national language teacher associations as well as half and full-day workshops for school districts and CEU classes for NJ EMT providers. When Jennifer is not at high school or on her mat and offering Yoga Classes, she is walking her dogs in the fresh air and at the beach!
Follow Jen online on Twitter: @JenniferSchwes2 IG: @jennyplage
FB: jennyzenyoga Website: www.jennyzenyoga.com
Jeannie Morivtz Smith is the founder of Dynamism Leadership, formerly HR-Rx, a Leadership Mindset and Organization Development Consulting firm established in 2005. Prior to becoming CEO, she held Executive Leadership roles at a variety of organizations. Now with over three decades of personal and professional experience, Jeannie has helped thousands of leaders learn how to take charge of the catabolic thoughts and feelings that control their mindset and replace them with anabolic energy. Jeannie holds certifications in Leadership Coaching, Energy Leadership, & Human Management, as well as a Master of Science degree in Human Resources. Jeannie's clients state that she has helped them enhance their relationships, both personally and professionally, with themselves and others to enhance connection, attract & retain top talent, and make massive profits.
Find Jeannie online: https://sociatap.com/JeannieSmithHRRx - all her social links and visit her website: www.dynamismleadership.com
Peter Docker is a keynote speaker and facilitator who presents around the world to inspire people to lead from the jumpseat. He worked alongside Simon Sinek for more than 7 years, co-authoring the book Find Your Why, and now draws on his 25 years of experience in the Royal Air Force to help organizations around the world build capacity for leadership. Peter teaches people how to navigate the challenge of leadership. His latest book, Leading from the Jumpseat, delivers the message that leadership is about lifting people up and giving them the space they need so that, when the time is right, they can take the lead. Formerly a founding Igniter at Simon Sinek Inc., Peter draws on his career in the Royal Air Force, and over 14 years spent partnering with businesses around the world, to inspire others to Lead from the Jumpseat.
Visit his website, www.LeadingFromTheJumpseat.com and Follow Peter on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter @PeterDocker
Dan Edwards is an Education and Business speaker, UNConferencer, Consultant and Writer. He has worked in education for many years and have held leadership roles in both the secondary and primary sectors. Most recently, holding the role of Principal for five years at a large inner-city primary school until finally moving into Executive leadership. Throughout his journey of leading change, he has amplified the need for staff development, care, and well-being for all to achieve and sustain positive organizational culture. Coupled with the need to ensure consultation runs through the heart of any organization - giving everyone a voice. With extensive senior leadership experience in business, education and industry, he works with organizations that want to do things differently. In addition to his work as an independent consultant, he is a regular columnist for a number of publications sharing my views and guidance on leadership, organizational culture and creativity and he's currently writing his first book to be published internationally in November 2022.
Find Dan on Twitter: @danedwards_77 IG: @im_danedwards LinkedIn also Visit his website: www.imdanedwards.com
Dr. Levels has served many professional and civic organizations, including Delegate to the Texas Democratic Convention representing Senate District 23, DeSoto Chamber of Commerce Board, Leadership Southwest Board, Big Brothers Big Sisters Southern Region Board, University of North Texas Exes Board, and the University of North Texas Advisory Council. She is active with the Texas Association of School Administrators, National Council of Negro Women, Parent Teacher Association, UNT Trailblazers, Texas Counseling Association, Texas Association of Black School Educators, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, and the Zeta Eta Alumnae Association. Dr. Levels earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University-Commerce. She earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Education with a focus on Education Administration from the University of North Texas and completed the Superintendent Certification program with the University of Houston-Victoria. She is most proud of her two children Leah and Lofton and granddaughter London.
Find Dr. Levels online: Higher Levels Educational Group https://thehigherlevels.com/
Facebook @Higher Levels Educational WebChat
Twitter @3lllevels
Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. He is in his 15th year as a building administrator. He is a teacher centered Principal and passionate about continuous improvement and the idea that success is not a destination, but a process. Chris is active on Twitter, vlogs about continuous improvement on a weekly basis, and hosts his own podcast called SEEing to Lead as a way to amplify teacher’s voices in an effort to improve education as a whole promoting his “just cause”: improving the educational experience for as many people as possible by being purposeful, acting with integrity, and building character. He is currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts.
Follow Chris on Twitter & IG @drcsjones and listen to his podcast SEEing to Lead: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ggQyKZrXSOoiQ3TH6WCBq
Mother Gopi Gita guides parents in leadership to empower their child’s social environments. Her clients’ grown children lead teams across the US. As vice principal of a private school, and educational consultant for an international society, she mentors thousands of parents, educators and children using classic bhakti principles from the east. Her new book "Leadership Parenting: Empower your Child’s Social Success" launched June 30.
Find Gopi online by visiting her website: https://www.gopigita.com/parent
FB: https://www.facebook.com/gopigita7/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/mothergopigita/
She has a YouTube channel with dramas: https://gopigita.com/drama
Andrea Bitner is an educator, author, and speaker. She lives on the East Coast among some of the fastest-speaking people in the country! She has worked with students in grades K-12 through her twenty-two years in public education from all around the world. Her work as an English Language Teacher, Reading Specialist, Literacy Coach, Presenter, and High School English Teacher inspired her to continue to share the great news: Learning a Second Language is an asset, not a handicap!
Her first book, “Take Me Home,” was published by Austin Macauley in July of 2021. "Take Me Home" is the true story of 11 of her former EL students who give a first-hand account of what it's really like to become bilingual in America. She is also a co-author of Chip Baker’s “The Impact of Influence-Volume 3,” and “100 No-Nonsense Things ALL School Leaders Should Stop Doing.” She travels the country speaking and teaching educators how to establish relationships and effectively communicate with EL families!
You can find Andrea at www.andreabitnerbooks.com, or on social media Twitter, Instagram @andreabitnerbooks & on LinkedIn.
Dr. Michael Nagler is the Superintendent of the Mineola School District, a suburb of NYC. Mike began his career as a social studies teacher in NYC. While teaching he earned his doctorate from Columbia University and accepted an administrative position with Mineola in 1999. He believes strongly in the district’s mission to inspire students to become lifelong learners that exhibit strength of character and contribute positively to a global society.
During his eighteen years with the district, he has been a big proponent of using technology to engage students in rigorous content. Mike has also been instrumental in creating a platform to assess student learning using electronic portfolios and digital badges. He even coded his own digital portfolio, view it on his website (below). All five schools in Mineola have been recognized as Apple distinguished schools. Mineola is also a member of the League of Innovative Schools.
Find Mike by visiting his website: http://michaelnagler.oyosite.com/ or following him on Twitter: @NaglersNotions
Erin Lebacqz has been teaching writing for over 25 years. Her clients include business and non-profit organizations in the United States and around the world. Her new book High-Value Writing: Real Strategies for Real-World Writing helps business writers boost their confidence by writing clearly, concisely, and with intention. Empowering others to use their voice with confidence drives me to teach. Since 1998, she has worked with all levels of writers in both business and academic settings, helping learners take charge of their writing. In today's remote work environment, we use our writing to both inform and connect. She finds joy in helping others build relationships and convey both information and empathy through clear, relational writing. Her classes and presentations are active, engaging, full of practical examples, and often humorous.
Find Erin online: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinlebacqz/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDdx6ZE7SgVCTG1t1KMDjeQ https://www.instagram.com/highvaluewriting/
On her website, there is a self-paced class: www.highvaluewriting.com
Matthew Moyer is a Nationally Distinguished Principal, and Pennsylvania Principal of the Year. He is an elementary school principal with over 20 years of experience in administration, and over 25 years of experience in education. In addition to his job as principal, he is an Author, National Speaker, Adjunct Professor, and staff developer with Thom Stecher and Associates. Matt started his career as a 5th-grade teacher in the Spring-Ford Area School District. He earned a Master's degree and Principal's certificate. He then spent 3 years as an assistant principal at Schuylkill Valley Elementary School in Leesport, Pennsylvania. From there he moved to his current position as principal of Rupert Elementary School in the Pottstown School District. He is in his 16th year as principal of Rupert, and absolutely loves it. He completed his course work for his letter of eligibility to be a superintendent.
For over last ten years he has been the district's safety coordinator and certified CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention trainer. He has served numerous roles and on a variety of committees during his time in administration.
Find Matt online on Twitter @moyermatthewd FB: @fromtheprincipal’soffice IG:@Moyersfromtheprincipalsoffice
Visit his website: https://sites.google.com/view/from-the-principals-office-mat/home?authuser=2
Lorena Seidel M.Ed. is a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Consultant, a certified Montessori teacher, a trained Positive Discipline Educator, a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher, and a mother of three. She helps adults create a more positive relationship with young children and a more peaceful home and classroom environments. Lorena has helped thousands of parents and teachers stay strong, calm, and remain effective even under the most stressful moments. She has guided them to develop their children’s social, emotional, and life skills.
Lorena has transformed the home-life and the parent-child relationships of hundreds of families- for life! A sought-after speaker who has delivered keynote addresses and lectures at local, national and international conferences such as the American Montessori Association and British Columbia Montessori Association. Lorena speaks at libraries, organizations, and mom groups such as MOPS and Holistic Moms Network. Lorena gives talks at a variety of Montessori and independent schools, including Sacred Heart University. She has been interviewed for several online summits, including being featured alongside Simon Sinek for the Early Childhood Leadership Conference.
Lorena’s articles have been featured at NYMetroParents, Motherly, Welcome Parenthood, and more. Lorena is also the author of The Purposeful Child: A Quick and Practical Parenting Guide to Creating the Optimal Home Environment for Young Children. Lorena lives in Connecticut with her husband and three daughters.
Find Lorena online by visiting: http://www.lorenaseidel.com/ LinkedIn, IG @lorenaseidel
Recently named one of the Global Forum on Education and Learning (GFEL) “Top 100 Visionaries in Education” for the year 2020, Will McDonough is an educator, author, diversity practitioner, speaker and thought leader who was raised in a one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of northern New Hampshire. As the child of a street performing juggler/storyteller and a teacher of the deaf and blind, Will combines stories and joy with the educational experiences of those around him. Educated at Middlebury College, Will focused his history and education studies on Black revolution, as well as the role of Puritan ministers in their racist vilification of native peoples.
Will earned his M.Ed from University of Illinois in Global Studies in Educational Policy, Organization and Leadership. His Master’s Thesis examined the post-Apartheid Citizenship-based education movement in South Africa. A longtime Program and Leadership Director at YMCA Camp Belknap (Wolfeboro, NH), Will founded and directed Standing Rock Camp, which provided a faith-based model of manhood for young men in need of mentorship. Focusing on the model of a “tender warrior,” Standing Rock Camp centered the importance of accepting responsibility, rejecting passivity, and leading courageously. Will is the author of four books, including "The Things We Shared in the Time We Had: A Letter to my Students", and "Pause Together: a Handbook for Humans". Currently, Will works at The Country School (Madison, CT) where he is Director of Community Engagement, as well as a 7th and 8th grade history teacher, advisor, and Cross-Country Coach. Will loves maps, running, and spending time outside with his family. He and his partner Nicole have three children and live in Guilford, CT.
Find Will on Twitter @mrmcdonough & IG @wsmcdonough and visit his website: www.will-mcdonough.com
Matthew Taylor leads the Noble Story Group, a consulting firm that brings an emotional intelligence-based approach to leadership development in education and non-profit organizations. Matthew recently published The Noble School Leader, a practical guide for school leaders and managers seeking concrete strategies for professional improvement. He has extensive experience teaching in and leading schools, having worked in urban neighborhood, urban charter, international, private, and magnet schools.
Find Matthew online via his website: www.noblestorygroup.com
Email: info@noblestorygroup.com
LinkedIn @noble-story-group
Facebook: @noblestorygroup
Twitter: @noblestorygroup
Dr. Stephanie Ryan, Ph.D. is a chemist, a boy mom, and a social media influencer who enjoys using her background to create superior educational products and content. Although an academic at heart, Dr. Stephanie is passionate about learning through play. She can be found helping young kids explore the fascinating world around them.
Over the years, Dr. Stephanie has taught science to all age groups, both in and out of the classroom, helping toddlers learn about their world and college students define theirs. She is an active member of the chemistry education community and is currently a committee member of the International Activities Committee for the Division of Chemical Education.
Dr. Stephanie earned her Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences and her M.S. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from Saint Mary’s College.
For great learning activities in the sciences, book recommendations, and more, follow Dr. Stephanie on FB, TikTok, Instagram at @letslearnaboutscience
Tom Hierck has been an educator since 1983 in a career that has spanned all grade levels and roles in public education. His experiences as a teacher, administrator, district leader, department of education project leader, and executive director have provided a unique context for his education philosophy. Tom Hierck is one of our profession's leading authors and consultants, with 39 years of experience in education. He's author of more than 20 books.
As a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, Chris Weber, Ed.D. flew C-141s during his military career. A former high school, middle school, and elementary school teacher and administrator, Chris has had a great deal of success helping students who historically underachieve learn at extraordinarily high levels. As a principal and assistant superintendent in California and Chicago, Chris and his colleagues have developed systems of Response to Intervention that have led to heretofore unrealized levels of learning at schools across the country. Chris presents internationally to audiences on important topics in education such as math and RTI.
Visit Tom's Website, www.TomHierck.com
Visit Chris's Website, www.ChrisWeberEducation.com
Follow Tom on Twitter @THierck Follow Chris on Twitter @webereducation
Jamie Brown is a champion of Social-Emotional care and Character Education. His passion for promoting student-driven leadership led to the development of the 1st District-Wide PEER Leadership program in NJ Public School education. Jamie earned a National Promising Practice from Character.org for ACCEPT University, a three-tiered SEL assembly series promoting inclusion, acceptance, empathy and citizenship in schools. Jamie’s career includes working at a State and National School and District of Character and a top 100 US News & World Report District. Jamie is a former Teacher of the Year, ASCD Emerging Leader Finalist and author for The Road to Awesome Publishing LLC. He is an author, speaker and coach.
To book Jamie, connect on social- Twitter @leadership_JB and by visiting www.JamieBrownLeadership.com is on YouTube, IG.
Dan Wolfe has served in Pasco County, Florida for more than 20 years. During this time, he has held roles as a teacher, instructional coach and administrator. He is currently an Assistant Principal at Sunray Elementary. He was selected as Pasco County’s District Teacher of the Year in 2011-2012 school year. He is a part of the district’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Committee that recently established Pre-K through Grade 12 SEL standards. For the past two years Dan has written a blog called Becoming The Change (formerly Our Moral Compass) which focuses on a different quote each day and how we can best apply it towards becoming the change through our own moral compass and the five areas in SEL. During his spare time Dan enjoys spending his time reading, listening to podcasts, and going to Disney with his wife and daughter.
Find Dan online on Twitter @servleadinspire
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-wolfe-45390a43/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/serveleadinspirealways/
Becoming the Change blog: https://becoming-the-change.com/
Becoming the Change podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ddkp5r5R3XwHjVlN2hcBT
Nina Parrish has over 18 years of experience in the field of education where she has worked as a special education teacher, education center director, speaker, and educational consultant. Nina is the co-founder and chief academic officer of Parrish Learning Zone in Virginia and the author of The Independent Learner: Metacognitive Exercises to Help K-12 Students Focus, Self-Regulate, and Persevere. Nina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Mary Washington, a teaching certification in Special Education from North Carolina A &T, and a Master’s Degree in Education for School Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Find Nina on her website: https://ninaparrish.com/ Blog- The Learning Zone - Parrish Learning Zone blogs and Edutopia articles can be found on her website.
Follow Nina and Parrish Learning on Twitter @parrishlearning, she is on LinkedIn & Instagram @ninaparrish
Erin E.H. Austin is a National Board Certified French teacher in Colorado. She began her teaching career in Minnesota in 2002, and she holds a B.A. in both French and Art Education, a M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction, and graduate certificates in French Studies and Gifted, Creative, & Talented Education. She was a NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow in 2018 and now presents nationally on global education-related topics. In addition to doing contract writing and curriculum consulting work, Ms. Austin is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Original World Language Resources: How to Open, Fill, and Grow a Successful Online Curriculum Store (Routledge, 2021). The book is based on her experience with her own TeachersPayTeachers curriculum store, and she leads workshops to show other educators how to make money from their original resources.
In addition to the Out of the Trenches podcast, she has been a featured guest on the Leading Equity, Side Hustle School, Dr. Will Show, and Punk Rock Classrooms podcasts. Ms. Austin is currently the chair of the associate board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, an organization she has been involved in since 2005, and she sits on the board of the Abundant Yoga Community, a young non-profit in western Wisconsin whose mission is to bring yoga to those with financial or geographic barriers.
Follow Erin on Twitter: @Erin-EH-Austin LinkedIn: Erin (Hoffman) Austin (www.linkedin.com/in/erin-eh-austin)
Buy her book: The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Original World Language Resources (on Amazon)
Visit her website: https://onygomadame.com/
Brannon Beliso is a teacher, entrepreneur and influencer. His purpose is help companies, teams, and people live their best life. Brannon is the author of “Live, Learn, Grow” and a contributor to the internationally best seller, “Black Belt Power.” He is a Tedx Talk speaker and has traveled the world presenting workshops and speaking at Facebook, Stanford Heath Care, Lululemon, Microsoft, Barclays Global, UCSF, SF County Correctional Department, Raphael House, Century’s Martial Arts Super Show, TopKick Insights, Korean Martial Arts Association, the President’s Summit, and Kovar’s Satori Martial Arts to name a few. Brannon, also known as “Professor,” is an 8th degree black belt and the owner of One Martial Arts in San Francisco and Millbrae.
His reputation spans fifty years as a student, instructor, competitor, and innovator of award-winning life skills, kickboxing, and martial arts programs. Brannon practices Kenpo Karate and has also trained in Kung Fu, Jujitsu, Arnis, Boxing, and Kickboxing. He has competed in and won over 100 major competitions. Brannon was a recording artist in the Philippines with three top ten hits. He has been featured on Evening Magazine, CBS Morning News, KRON 4 Health, Dojo Nation Times and Martial Arts Success Magazine. Brannon is committed to being a student for life, and is a dedicated father, husband, and servant to the community.
Find Branon online at:
https://brannonbeliso.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Brannon.Beliso
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brannon-beliso-2864657/
https://www.instagram.com/brannon.beliso/
https://www.youtube.com/c/BrannonBeliso333
https://www.pinterest.com/bbeliso/_created/
Barbara Bray is a creative learning strategist, teacher, podcast host, author, coach, speaker, and difference-maker. She has been on a mission for over 30 years to transform teaching so learning is more authentic and meaningful. Barbara is the owner/founder of Computer Strategies, LLC doing business as Rethinking Learning and My eCoach, a coaching platform, past co-founder of Personalize Learning, LLC, and the co-author of Make Learning Personal and How to Personalize Learning. Barbara believed that it was the stories that connected all of us. In 2017, she started her Rethinking Learning podcast and the #rethink_learning Twitter chat to take stories and connections deeper.
Barbara always believed the stories were all about defining who we are and why we are here. Barbara developed activities and presentations for participants to discover or rediscover their WHY. Barbara collected the activities and stories from 25 inspirational educators and entrepreneurs for her book, Define Your Why: Own Your Story So You can Live and Learn on Purpose. She tells about her journey of why it's important to own your story and not rent someone else's story for your life. Since the pandemic, she has been coaching and doing presentations, keynotes, workshops, and speaking on redefining and growing your WHY during uncertain times, creating courses on empowering learner agency, and disrupting the status quo.
You can reach Barbara at her website https://barbarabray.net, follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @bbray27, join the #rethink_learning chat, 7pm EST every other Mon. Connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarabray/ FB @RethinkingLearning
Carla Meyrink is the director and co-founder of The Community for Learning, an international school in the Dominican Republic. For the past thirty-two years, she has worked as a secondary language arts teacher, an academic coach, and school director. She presents workshops on new initiatives in education, including restorative practices, student-led learning, coaching, and leadership skills. Her work on inquiry-based professional development has been highlighted in Edutopia. She has presented at AMLE 2020, the Virginia ASCD 2020 annual conference, the Equity and Anti-Bias Conference 2021, and others. Carla shares teaching strategies and innovations on her blog, The Teaching Experiment.
Find Carla online: at www.teachingexperiment.com on Twitter @carlameryd @TheTeachingExperiment on FB. Her school website is www.tcfl.edu.do
Karine Veldhoen the founder of Learn Forward™ and a creative force in education. As Chief Learning Officer at Willowstone Academy she created the first model Learn Forward™ school while simultaneously Founding and serving as Executive Director of Niteo Africa. She’s taught Teacher Candidates at both UBC-O and UNBC and served as an education consultant for Fresh Grade. In all of her roles, she considers herself a modern-day pilgrim who stands for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Learn Forward™ represents a lifetime of professional study, leadership practice, action research, and meaning-making within the context of education.
Learn Forward is a culmination of her work with dozens of EdLeaders, hundreds of teachers and teacher candidates, and thousands of children and their families in two states, two provinces, and around the globe.
Now, she dedicates her professional practice to championing EdLeaders to design thriving schools. When Karine is not carving new paths for education, you’ll find her at the lake with a good book. Her husband and three children are her heart-song. She lives in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia.
For more information about booking her for coaching, speaking, or media interviews, please contact her at hello@learnforward.ca. www.learnforward.ca www.niteo.org and on social @Learn_forward Twitter, @Learnforwardvillage IG & FB.
Melissa Wright is a passionate educator driven to help schools create a place where students belong and everyone feels like they matter. By sharing ideas that work in her school, she helps educators and students see they can improve their culture and climate. She is known for her desire to see students succeed, and to help them find their inner leader. Melissa is the current president of the New Brunswick Student Leadership association and a co-chair of the 2022 Canadian Student Leadership conference. She is also a mathematics teacher at Kennebecasis Valley High School, in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada and is the Jostens Renaissance co-advisor at her school. Melissa shares her knowledge and experiences with students and educators alike. She currently speaks to educators and students about proven ideas that help improve school culture and climate and how to implement Jostens Renaissance schools. Find Melissa online on Instagram: @wrightmelissa_ Twitter: @wrightmelissa_ LinkedIn: Melissa Wright Facebook: Melissa Sue Wright
Mark Kronenberg is a passionate math educator, small business owner and tutor. He has had a life-long love of learning and teaching math. Mark founded MATH 1-2-3®, which specializes in private and group home math tutoring and test preparation, over twenty-five years ago. In his career, Mark has taught math in public, private school and faith-based schools. He has taught and tutored hundreds of students, seen math education trends come and go and has always enjoyed helping students gain confidence and competence in math. Mark holds a dual degree in Math & Economics from Vanderbilt University and a Master's Degree in Applied Statistics & Decision-Making from Fordham University's 's Graduate School of Business.
Follow Mark online on: LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kronenberg-mhk15/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXyqIrXLHvXZxIspWb4AriQ
https://www.facebook.com/math123inc
https://twitter.com/MarkFromMath123
Latrese D. Younger has over fourteen years of education experience across several different school districts. She began her journey as an English Language Arts teacher in Dinwiddie County, VA, which she credits with firming her foundation in education excellence. Throughout her career, she has taught ELA for grades 6-12. She is currently an AP at the high school level. Mrs. Younger currently serves the students of Patrick Henry High School. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Virginia State University and a Master of Educational Leadership with a concentration in Technology Education from Strayer University Henrico Campus. Currently, she is pursuing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership & Policy from Virginia Tech University (2024). She is a writer, Virginia Teachers of English (VATE) board member, and Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit, Black Women Education Leaders, Inc (BWEL).
Find Latrese online at https://www.blackwomeneducationleader... https://latreseyounger.wixsite.com/website-1
Follow her on Twitter & LinkedIn @latreseyouger
Iggy Perillo cultivates leaders who are building the habit of emotionally intelligent leadership so they can shift culture and make the world a better place. She facilitates masterminds for professionals who want to lead with wisdom as they excel in their work, sport and life. She created WSL Leadership to embolden leaders who value connection, communication and trust. Iggy works with individuals and teams around the world to overcome challenges and function like champions.
Find Iggy online: Website: www.WSLLeadership.com
LinkedIn: IggyPerillo
Instagram: @WSLLeadership
Facebook: @WSLLeadership
Pinterest: WSLLeadership
Newsletter: subscribepage.com/wsl
Rae Hughart is the Executive Director of the Association of Middle-Grade Schools, CXO for the Teach Better Team, TEDx Speaker, Educator, and author of “Teachers Deserve It” and “Teach Better” books. Growing up with IEP support after being diagnosed SLD in Reading, Writing, and Math, Rae has worked with other educators and districts on designing mastery learning classrooms nationwide to reach all learners. Rae continues to facilitate rich discussions with educators around mastering personalized learning, providing targeted student-focused feedback, and the impact of incorporating purpose into student daily learning. Through building partnerships with local businesses, Rae continues to support educators in designing dynamic, impactful, effective, and connected content - showing the impact of teaching beyond the four walls of a classroom and altering a community into an authentic resource for developing leaders.
After being inducted into The Illinois State University Hall of Fame in 2017, Rae was awarded the 2018 First Place Henry Ford Teacher Innovator Award for her innovative educational impact through the Teach Further Model. In 2021, Rae Hughart presented on the TEDx stage challenging educators, students, and community members to consider progressive, data supported practices to further 21st century learners.
Connect with Rae and the Teach Better Team on social media on:
Twitter: @RaeHughart Instagram: @RaeHughart LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rae-hughart/ Team Twitter: @teachbetterteam Team Instagram: @teachbetterteam
Barbara Ann Mojica is a historian and retired educator. Barbara provides tools to inspire, entertain and educate youth. History is the key to solving today’s problems. Tired of being bombarded by social media noise? Accept the challenge. Be a truth-teller. She lives in Upstate NY. Her education career spans more than forty years serving as a teacher, special educator, principal, and school district administrator. Using the whimsical Little Miss History character to narrate her book series, she makes learning history a fun-filled adventure. Barbara firmly believes, "If you don't know your history, you don't know what you're talking about."
Find Barbara online at www.LittleMissHISTORY.com -all her social links are on her website.
Todd is a lifelong educator with over twenty years of experience in education, and presently a consultant for Navigating Challenging Dialogue for Schools. He’s a 2002 graduate of Ohio State University where he earned a B.A. in History, and a Masters degree in Education/ Curriculum Design and Development. Over the course of his career Todd’s worked across the entire K-12 spectrum as both an administrator and teacher, and has experience working in suburban, urban, and vocational settings. His ten years as a school administrator include leadership positions in the roles of Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator, HS/MS Assistant Principal, and for the past seven years as an Elementary Principal.
Todd’s a certified NCD trainer with coaching and professional development delivery experience in both education and business settings, and has served as a mentor and coach for numerous aspiring and sitting school administrators. Find Todd online: https://ncdforschools.com/
He is on LinkedIn & Twitter @Todd Simendinger
Dr. Chad Lang is the Dir. of School Improvement and HR in Glenwood CSD, Glenwood, IA. He is a current author and researcher of grading and assessment; extracurricular participation in schools; school leadership; school improvement.
He graduated from University of Northern Iowa with a BA, Social Science Education. He was a High School Government and American History teacher 2005-2013 and at William Woods University-MA, He also served as a Secondary School Administrator and District Activities Director and Assistant Middle School Principal-Lawson, Missouri 2013-2019. He received the State of Missouri AD of the Year-2018 He completed his doctorate at the University of Missouri- Ed.D. 2018-Dissertation research: impact of multisport participation and academic achievement in rural settings. Chad is currently co-authoring book for 2023 publication, A Parents’ Guide to Grading and Reporting: Being Clear about What Matters with Dr. Matt Townsley. He is the host of the Learning with Interesting People Podcast, seasons 1 and 2.
Find Chad online on Twitter @Chad_mLang, @Learning_w_ppl FB: https://www.facebook.com/chad.lang.58/
Dr. Canute White is a Jamaican scholar who has his own philosophical perspective of life and social settings. He had coined the concept of Self-Aweirdness to describe individuals who are comfortable with their weird behaviors and own those behaviors. Among other books, he had written weird people started to explain this concept.
Dr. White has a background in psychology but hold a doctorate in education with concentration in organizational leadership. He has a BSc. in counseling, MSc in psychology with educational psychology emphasis, and a MSc in organizational studies. Dr. White believes in education as a means for upward mobility and often question academic concepts in the realm of his philosophical mindset. He is a very critical thinker. He is a podcaster and host of the Canyouth's Exploration podcast. He used his knowledge and skills gained through a diploma in radio and television broadcasting to channel his educational, social, and cultural philosophies.
Dr. White had served in the Jamaican military for over 25 years and as a lay magistrate/Justice of the Peace in Jamaica before becoming a Notary Public in Florida. He is considering running for political office in the USA; hence, his pursuance of another master's degree in Public Administration.
Go to Canute's website www.canyouthsexploration.com and follow Canute on IG @canyouthexploration & Twitter @canyouthsn
Joshua Stamper initially used his artistic talent, creativity and original ideas as a professional graphic designer. He then transitioned to inspiring students to utilize their imagination and creative expression in public education. Being unsuccessful as a student growing up, Joshua never expected to be back in the classroom as a teacher, athletic coach or administrator. His struggles as a student spawned a passion to change the education model, push the boundaries of traditional learning, and explore new innovative ideas.
Joshua has been a middle school Assistant Principal in North Texas for the past eight years, where he's served at four campuses in two school districts. In addition to his current administrative position, Joshua is the host of Aspire: The Leadership Development Podcast, an author, leadership coach, education presenter, and Podcast Network Manager for the Teach Better Team.
You can stay connected by following @Joshua__Stamper (double underscore) on Twitter and Instagram, or by visiting his website www.joshstamper.com
Dr. Jill Siler served as the Superintendent of Gunter ISD for nearly ten years and now serves as the Deputy Executive Director for Professional Learning for the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). Jill has been serving as an educator for 25 years, beginning her career as a high school social studies teacher and coach before she became a campus and district leader. Jill has a passion for impacting others and has been a frequent speaker to teachers and leaders alike. Jill’s first book, Thrive Through the Five, was released in 2020, and focuses on how to thrive through the most challenging seasons.
Follow Jill on IG & Twitter @jillmsiler and visit her website: www.jillmsiler.com
oAnn Nocera is an Educational Leader, Creativity Enthusiast, and Author with over two decades of experience helping children reach their highest learning potential and teaching parents strategies to assist in the process. In short, JoAnn helps students be SEEN, HEARD, and UNDERSTOOD.
JoAnn has changed the culture of school and home life to help those find success academically and emotionally. She has spent years researching and developing techniques that have been successful in helping students in all facets of education. She has worked with The Geraldine Dodge Foundation, MindPop, Mind-Aligned, and the Grunin Foundation as well as in corporate partnerships with Toys R Us, Ocean First, and Home Depot. She is also a sought after speaker and workshop leader. JoAnn holds multiple certifications in Elementary and Middle School Teaching, Principal and Supervisor administration licenses, and has been featured in WeAreTeachers.com, WebTalkRadio, and other national outlets within the industry. Her book Give Me Back My Crayons, companion planner Give Me Back My Creativity, and companion children’s book series Katherine Grace are available wherever books are sold.
Find JoAnn online at www.joannnocera.com IG: @joann_nocera FB: Joann Nocera7
Bill Renner is principal and chief storyteller of The Amazing Spencer Elementary in Brighton, Michigan. He serves his elementary school with a daily focus on relationships by laughing together, focusing on success, and learning from failure. Whether serving lunch, helping his staff reach their goals, or offering to assist a student with a task, it's daily servanthood for Bill.
In addition to leading, he's the creator of a weekly parenting podcast, A Dash of Salt, where he shares his insights as a principal and his other favorite title, Dad. Bill's no stranger to the rigors of the classroom as he's taught as a kindergarten, first grade, fourth grade, and fifth-grade teacher. He holds a BS in science and early childhood education and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University.
Follow Bill on Twitter: @rennerbill Insta: @theamazingspencerelem and listen to his parenting podcast: A Dash of Salt www.buzzsprout.com/1131905
Tar'kesa Colvin is an Award-Winning Publishing Coach & Consultant, wife, mother of 4 (including 2 fur babies), and a Bestselling Author who can be seen in The Huffington Posts, Thrive Global Medium, and the SBA’s SCORE – Birmingham Chapter.
She worked in Healthcare Management for 10 years completing a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management, then a Master of Business Administration in operations management, but she knew she was designed and purposed to do more. During this time in corporate, she also nurtured her passion and natural talent for writing and storytelling by writing and publishing fiction and nonfiction works both traditionally and independently. Then using her formal business education and the experience she gained from publishing 19 books in 6 years, she began to help people write and publish transformational books. To date, she has helped over 80 authors achieve their goals of writing and publishing their books, and these well-positioned books have been instrumental in increasing their visibility, credibility, authority, global reach AND profitability.
Working with her clients in 1:1 and group settings, their book projects have help them to become featured authors at the NAACP National Convention, secure TEDx Talks, create multiple income streams, gain access to larger stages and multi-national platforms, garner the attention of daytime television producers, get them featured in well-known magazines like Cosmo, and expanded their businesses by leveraging their finished books. Her goal for the work she does is to help people write books that "say something", books that are not only positioned for bestseller status, but that also change mindsets, lives, businesses and more by delivering powerful transformational messages to the masses!
Find Tar'kesa online: https://inowpublishing.com/ On social media, she can be found on https://www.facebook.com/tesacolvin/https://twitter.com/jusreadit https://www.linkedin.com/in/tcolvinmba/ https://www.instagram.com/inowpublishing/
Alicia Ray is a veteran educator of 14 years from North Carolina. She has taught PreK-8th grade students and currently serves as a digital learning coach and media coordinator in a STEM magnet middle school in a rural district. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University, a Master of Arts in Education in Instructional Technology and a Master Alicia Ray is a veteran educator of 14 years from North Carolina. She has taught PreK-8th grade students and currently serves as a digital learning coach and media coordinator in a STEM magnet middle school. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University, a Master of Arts in Education in Instructional Technology and a Master of Library Science from East Carolina University.
Alicia is passionate about being a catalyst for change, lifelong learning, and inspiring others to be better than they were yesterday. She believes every event in life contains a lesson, and seeks to discover those lessons (sometimes learning them the hard way). Alicia enjoys infusing technology into the classroom seamlessly and effectively. She is a firm believer that relationships with students and stakeholders are everything. Alicia uses virtual reality, blended learning environments, gamification, and game-based learning to engage & empower students while coaching teachers through co-planning and co-teaching. She encourages teachers to take risks by giving them a safe place to fail during these co-teaching experiences.
She began a journey of true introspection and implementation through blogging about the first 50 books published under the Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc label during the summer of 2018, which she called #DBC50Summer. Never wanting to become stagnant again, she continues sharing her reflections and implementations at using the hashtag #DBCBookBlogs. She blogs frequently about #DBCBookBlogs and education at aliciaray.com and is active on Twitter as @iluveducating. She and her husband, Chris, have two intelligent, spunky, beautiful daughters, Bailey and Sophie.
Find Alicia online on Twitter @iluveducating Twitter/IG @edueyeexam website: www.aliciaray.com
Dr. Vernita Mayfield began her career teaching elementary school which is when she discovered her love serving and supporting students who have been historically marginalized. Since then, she has continued to do so as an author and through numerous positions of service, including secondary school principal, researcher and lecturer, and educational consultant at state and national levels. In 2012, Mayfield founded Leadervation Learning to support organizations seeking to build leadership capacity, particularly in marginalized communities. The company evolved into a vehicle supporting leaders at all levels to understand and dismantle inequitable systems and organizations by building the cultural competency of staff. Her focus as an author and speaker is course development and training and facilitating conversations on leadership, race and equity.
Find Vernita online on her website: Cultural Competence - Leadervation Learning LLC https://leadervationlearning.com/ & Twitter @drvmayfield
Paul Emerich France is a keynoter, educational consultant and author of "Reclaiming Personalized Learning" and "Humanizing Distance Learning". Paul is a National Board Certified Teacher and Literacy Specialist. In all of his writing and speaking, he aims to convey one central message: we must teach and learn in the pursuit of a deeper sense of collective humanity—and for no other reason. He pours his heart and soul into his writing, and you can find his work in a number of education publications, such as Edutopia, EdSurge, ASCD's "Educational Leadership", the International Literacy Association's "Literacy Today," and Learning Forward’s “The Learning Professional.” He has been featured at SXSW EDU, as well as in The New Yorker, WIRED, and The Atlantic.
He currently consults with teachers, schools, and school districts, and offers educational support to families in pods and one-on-one settings. Most importantly, he is a very proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, husband to David, and dad to two dogs, Maya and Barley.
Find Paul online at www.paulemerich.com on Twitter & Ig @paul_emerich
Over the past 22 years, Myron Dueck has worked as an educator and administrator in both Canada and New Zealand. Through his current district position, as well as working with educators around the world, Myron continues to develop grading, assessment and reporting systems which gave students a greater opportunity to show what they understand and play a significant role in the reporting of their learning. Myron visits schools, districts and organizations both in person and virtually to share his ongoing journey, ready-to-use tools and first-hand experiences. Recently Myron’s presentations have diverged to include global education trends and broader socio-economic realities that impact learning.
Myron has been published in EL Magazine, EdCan and other publications. His best-selling book, Grading Smarter, Not Harder– Assessment Strategies that Motivate Kids and Help Them Learn was released by ASCD in July 2014 and in 2015 ASCD released a video project based in his own school district entitled ‘Smarter Assessment in the Secondary Classroom’. ‘Ask Them’, is a three-part streaming series focused on student voice and empowerment and is available at www.ascd.org. ASCD has published his most recent book in January 2021, entitled, ‘Giving Students a Say‘!
Myron and his family currently live in British Columbia where he is SD67 District Vice-Principal for Communicating Student Learning.
Follow Myron on Twitter @myrondueck and visit his website: https://myrondueck.wordpress.com
Drs. Vicki Bautista & Gretchen Oltman are the authors of "What’s your Leadership Story? A School Leader’s Guide to Aligning How You Lead with Who You Are".
Gretchen Oltman is an author, attorney, and educator. She works as an associate professor of interdisciplinary studies at Creighton University, where she leads a program for graduate students pursuing degrees in leadership. She holds a law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law, a PhD in educational studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an MA in teaching from the University of Louisville, and a BA in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is the author or coauthor of Violence in Student Writing, Law Meets Literature, The Supreme 15, The Themes That Bind Us, and Prepare to Chair. She regularly presents for ASCD, the Education Law Association, and the National Council for Teachers of English.
Vicki Bautista is an assistant professor at Creighton University in the department of interdisciplinary studies. She serves as the assistant director for the MS program in integrative health and wellness. She received a BA from the University of Texas–El Paso in health science with a minor in community health and her MA from the University of Nebraska Omaha in health education. She earned her EdD in interdisciplinary leadership at Creighton University, focusing on department chairs and well-being. Prior to working at Creighton, she was employed in a variety of health promotion settings including nonprofit, government, and research in the high school setting. She presents regularly on the topics of leadership and well-being, self-care, and personal leadership philosophies.
They can both be found online on Twitter & LinkedIn- look up their names. They would love to chat with listeners about revising leadership story. Share with them what you’ve done.
Dr. Toby Travis is the founder of TrustED, a framework for business, organization, and school improvement focused on the development of trusted leaders. He is an Executive Consultant with the Global School Consulting Group, an Adjunct Professor for the International Graduate Program of Educators for the State University of New York College at Buffalo, and an experienced teacher and school administrator.
He is currently superintendent Village Christian Academy in Fayetteville, NC. Has been head of international schools as well. His work as a guest speaker, trainer, and consultant has taken him throughout the United States, as well as Europe, South Asia, Central and South America. Dr. Travis is the author of the award-winning book "TrustED: The Bridge to School Improvement" - available at Amazon, featured in Forbes, and named "Book of The Month" (November), and nominated for "Book of The Year" (2021) by The Magic Pen.
Find Toby online: www.trustedconsulting.org He is also on LinkedIn, twitter, FB & IG: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtobytravis/
https://www.facebook.com/trustedleaderconsulting
https://twitter.com/TobyATravis
https://www.instagram.com/toby.a.travis/
Dr. Amy Moore is a cognitive psychologist at LearningRx in Colorado Springs, CO at the headquarters of the largest network of cognitive training centers in the world. She specializes in cognitive rehabilitation training and cognition assessment for neurodevelopmental disorders, brain injury, learning disabilities, and age-related cognitive decline. As a cognitive psychologist, counselor, and former teacher of teachers, Amy has spent nearly 3 decades helping parents and educators meet the needs of the children in their lives while also caring for themselves. She’s also survived her own challenges. From raising neurodiverse children to being a military spouse with chronic illnesses and ADHD, she's learned amazing ways to cope and thrive. She taught in 1994 as pre-K teacher then was curriculum coordinator. She has around 20 years as educator before she became a psychologist. She also serves as VP of Research at Gibson Institute of Cognitive Research. Her ground-breaking brain training and assessment research has been published in peer reviewed medical and psychology journals and presented at conferences around the country. She is also a board-certified Christian counselor, the Editor-in-Chief of Modern Brain Journal, and co-host of Brainy Moms, the podcast for smart moms.
Find Amy online @AmyLawsonMoore on FB/LinkedIn @dr_amymoore IG & Twitter: @amylawsonmoore
She also co-hosts the podcast Brainy Moms: http://www.brainymoms.co/
Her website is: http://www.amymoorephd.com
As an international expert on the millennial and Z generations, Mark has devoted his career to empowering educators and employers to unleash the tremendous potential of today’s young people, both in the classroom and on the job. After successfully parenting two millennials as a single father, Mark has become a passionate advocate for bridging the generational divides that are contributing to America’s profound skills gap. Parents, schools, districts, businesses, and state organizations across North America have successfully used Mark’s insights and strategies to connect more effectively with the younger generations. In his work with educational and business organizations, Mark has pioneered many best practices for achieving more with today’s young people, including the Education with Purpose® philosophy and highly popular Career Tree® strategy, among others.
Find Mark online on his website www.markcperna.com and visit www.ewpaction.com to sign up for the upcoming livestream 3/9.
Follow him on Twitter @markperna FB @markcpernaleadership & LinkedIn.
A teacher for the past 18 years, Roman has taught varying subjects from grades 7 to grade 12. A passionate ELA teacher, department chair, and leader for several years, Roman has transitioned to various roles from the classroom to student success coach and leader, to a specialist in the integration of technology in the classroom and a coach to develop 21st-century skills. He has also completed a 3-year secondment with the Ministry of Education of Ontario to lead and champion the Student Success and Learning Until 18 Strategy. A father of two, he is passionate about pedagogy and researches strategies to increase student engagement and motivation. In the last few years, he has done meaningful work, research, and led movements to include more diversity and center teaching around equity and social justice.
Presenter and speaker at various conferences in Canada and the United States, guest on various podcasts, Roman loves to collaborate with educators across the globe on various projects. An active member on Twitter and founder of the #BuildHOPEedu chat, his objective is to participate in the active changes in the education system through equity, HOPE, and student engagement. His first book, Build H.O.P.E.: the Courage to Change, to Teach, and to Lead is due out later this year.
Find Roman online on Twitter: @NowakRo
Instagram: @roman.nowak
Facebook: @roman.nowak.73 and check out his fireside chat
Return guest Steven "Étienne" Langlois is an award-winning teacher-rockstar and author of the #1 best-selling book ROCK YOUR CLASS. When he's not performing for millions of fans in packed theaters and arenas worldwide or teaching in packed classrooms back home, he's busy helping K-12 teachers rock their classes with expert engagement strategies. "Étienne" has spent the better part of three decades teaching K-12 and is the winner of multiple educational lifetime achievement awards and was awarded "Canada's Artist of the Year". He has worked as an author and consultant for leading educational publishing companies in Canada, the USA and Europe, developing effective curriculum content.
This recording was a live session at the CCFLT (Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers) Conference, recorded on February 19, 2022.
We discussed:
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What will be the biggest gap we starting next school year after 2 years of COVID?
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What gave you the idea to make these Interactive Comprehensive Readers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWykW...
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What exactly is an IC Reader? What makes them different than a regular book? 4. What kinds of things do IC Readers springboard students into?
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This is not your first time speaking in Colorado? What is that you like about working with Colorado teachers?
Steven was my guest on episode #77, published in May 2021, if you'd like to hear his trench story.
Follow Steven on Twitter & IG: @rockyourclass
Visit his website: www.rockyourclasss.com
Merlyna Mathieu Valentine is an international speaker, author, and consultant. She retired after thirty years having served as a teacher, principal, and executive director in an extraordinarily successful school district in Louisiana. Her transformational leadership as a school principal resulted in her school’s recognition as a “Top Gains” school. Ms. Valentine has received numerous state, national, and international awards and commendations such as teacher of the year, principal of the year, and the University of New Orleans College of Education and Human Development Alumna of the Year. Ms. Valentine was featured in several news segments and articles including a spotlight in Ebony Magazine. Audiences were captivated by her inspirational story of survival, courage, and hope when she was a featured segment on the Today Show. She was recently chosen as the 2020 Inspirational Speaker of the Year in an international competition hosted by Speaker Slam of Canada. In the face of tragedy and daunting obstacles, Ms. Valentine unleashed a remarkable inner strength that enabled her to lead by example. As a quadruple amputee navigating life’s tumultuous terrain, Merlyna demonstrates that no matter what challenges surface in your path, you have the power within yourself to overcome it and cross the bridge from impossible to possible. Through her current endeavors as an international speaker and consultant, Merlyna empowers audiences to embrace their personal power and prove what’s possible. Merlyna is the author of Daisy, the Extra Special Flower / Living without Limb-its.
Find Merlyna on every social media, FB, also her business page, IG @merlynavalentime Twitter @merlynainspires, LinkedIn and YouTube channel (with snippets from keynotes). Visit her website at: www.sherovalentine.net
Teresa Brown is the Dean of Student Support, Teacher Coach and Induction Coordinator at Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning in Colorado Springs. She is President-Elect for PPAGT, STAR Grant Chair for CCIRA, and Vice-President for PPIRA. Her area of expertise is Gifted and Talented. Her school’s model is designed to meet the needs of Gifted and Talented students. It is a K-8 school. Find Teresa online at www.AcademyACL.org under staff. She blogs at www.tallpoppyteaching.com PPAGT has its own FB page.
Allison Rodman is a professional learning consultant and founder of The Learning Loop. Allison integrates her experience as a teacher, coach, school leader, and board member to design professional learning that is personalized, purposeful, and paradigm-shifting. She is an ASCD faculty member and author of Personalized Professional Learning: A Job-Embedded Pathway for Elevating Teacher Voice (2019). She has also written for Educational Leadership, EdWeek’s Classroom Q&A, and Edutopia.
Find Allson online on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelearningloop
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelearning...
FB: https://www.facebook.com/thelearningloop
Website: www.thelearningloop.com
Eric Guise, Ed.D. is a media specialist and technology coach with more than a decade of experience as a teacher. As co-creator of Got TechEd the Podcast, Eric (Known as Guise) has teamed up with long-time friend and officemate, Nick Johnson, to share his educational technology expertise with teachers around the world. Eric is a recognized professional development and educational technology expert, who has presented at countless events, including ISTE, NJECC, and the NJ Science Teachers Convention. Eric was named the 2016 Biology Teacher of Year by the New Jersey Biology Teachers Association and recently completed his EdD in Leadership in Digital Transformation in Educational Technology. Find Eric online on Twitter @guisegottech @wegottech and ask him any tech questions or tech need questions you may have. For FREE resources, go to www.myedtechbundle.com and use promo code "trenches" for 5 tools you'd like to try out before 2/28/22!
Kathleen McClaskey is CEO and Chief Learning Officer of Empower the Learner, LLC, founder of Make Learning Personal and co-author of bestsellers Make Learning Personal and How to Personalize Learning. She is also a contributing author to the bestseller, 100 No-Nonsense Things that ALL Teachers Should STOP Doing. She is an innovative thought leader, international speaker, professional developer, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) consultant with over 35 years' experience in creating learner-centered environments as a teacher, K-12 technology administrator and consultant. Kathleen is passionate in empowering ALL learners to thrive with tools, skills and practices so they become self-directed learners, learners with agency, who are future ready for college, career and life. Find Kathleen online on Twitter: @khmmc, @LearnerEmpower IG: https://www.instagram.com/empowerthel... FB: https://www.facebook.com/EmpowerTheLe... Website: www.empowerthelearner.com, www.kathleenmcclaskey.com and www.learnerempower.com
Dr. Douglas Reeves has worked with education, business, nonprofit, and government organizations throughout the world. The author of more than 30 books and more than 100 articles on leadership and organizational effectiveness, he has twice been named to the Harvard University Distinguished Authors Series and was named the Brock International Laureate for his contributions to education. Dr. Reeves received both the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the Parent's Choice Award for his writing for children and parents.
His career of work in professional learning led to the Contribution to the Field Award from the National Staff Development Council. For his international work, Dr. Reeves was named the William Walker Scholar by the Australian Council of Educational Leaders. His volunteer activities include FinishTheDissertation.org, providing free and non-commercial support for doctoral students, and The SNAFU Review, publishing the essays, poetry, stories, and artwork of disabled veterans. Doug lives with his family in downtown Boston.
Find Doug online- He Tweets @DouglasReeves, blogs at www.CreativeLeadership.net where there are lots of free recourses, he has done lots of work around world. Volunteer group- www.finishthedissertation.org if you have a colleague or loved one who is trying to finish dissertation. He does www.marshwriters.org- free writer support group that meets once monthly.
Laura Steinbrink, a teacher for 25 years, presents technology and instructional practices at workshops locally, around her state, and nationally. She is also an educational consultant. Laura teaches sophomore and senior English for the Waynesville R-VI School District. For the Plato R-V School District, Laura serves as the Communications Director and Webmaster.
Laura is the author of www.rockntheboat.com, a Feedspot Top 200 blog in Education.
Find Laura online: @SteinbrinkLaura (Twitter) @SteinbrinkLaura (Instagram)-mix of family, friends, edu, also on FB @lauraingallssteinbrink
@SteinbrinkLaura (Voxer) @SteinbrinkLaura (Wakelet Profile) @SteinbrinkLaura LinkedIn
Sherianna Boyle is an international Emotional Detox Coach® and author of many books. Sherianna has been featured in over eighty-five articles and has been a featured presenter for renowned organizations such as PESI® Behavioral and Mental Health Education, Kripalu Health &Yoga Center, 1440 Multiversity University, and more. Her book, The Four Gifts of Anxiety, was endorsed by the National Association of Mental Health. She is an adjunct Psychology Professor and founder of Emotional Detox Coaching®, servicing clients (of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities) virtually worldwide. She is the co-founder of Emotionaldetoxnow.com a place where people can go to move through the steps of an Emotional Detox on a weekly basis.
Follow Sherianna on Twitter: @Sherianna Boyle IG: @Sherianna.boyle
Visit her website: www.sheriannaboyle.com or www.cleanselife.com -where her yoga videos are housed.
In this episode, host Dana shares which episodes were the most downloaded (audio) and watched (video) during the year 2021. She also shares some episodes with "heavy hitters" in education that you may want to check out if you haven't yet.
Finally, Dana shares her #OneWord2022: present and the reasoning behind why she chose this for this new year.
Enjoy and please check out some of the past episodes mentioned in this highlight rundown!
Follow us on Twitter/IG @outoftrenchespc or visit Dana's website: www.danagoodier.com
Having taught in Canada, Kuwait, and South Korea, Terence Tong is an aspiring leader with extensive teacher leadership experience seeking the next learning community to serve. As an ardent believer and advocate of “Life in the Middle”, Terence aims to serve the learning community, provide diverse opportunities for students and engage parents as learning partners. This is his 22nd year in education- he taught in Toronto, Ontario first.
Find Terence online: https://twitter.com/mrtongsis https://www.instagram.com/mrtongsis/
https://tongt5.wixsite.com/terencetong and connect through the hashtag #100StopSeries
Allyson Apsey has been an educator for more 23 years; a school leader for nineteen of those years. Despite the fact that she never wanted to set foot in a school again after high school graduation, there is nowhere else she'd rather spend her days than in classrooms. The challenges and delights of being a principal fill her days with joy. She enjoys nothing more than helping others be the very best they can be.
Allyson is the principal of Quincy Elementary in Zeeland, MI. Recognizing the significant impact trauma has had on many of our students, staff and families, Allyson is a Certified Trauma Practitioner in Education. The supports that students affected by trauma need are beneficial to all students because they are grounded in a foundational core of strong, positive relationships based on trust.
She is honored to serve on the Board of Directors for MEMSPA (Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association). Additionally, she is on the Steering Committee for MACUL (Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning) SIG-ADMIN.
Allyson is the author of a blog and 4 books called Serendipity in Education (allysonapsey.com) has written four books: a middle grades chapter book called The Serendipity Journal, a picture book called The Princes of Serendip, and two professional learning books for educators called The Path to Serendipity and Through the Lens of Serendipity. She loves speaking to passionate groups as they work to be happy and effective people for the benefit of themselves and everyone around them.
Follow Allyson on Twitter @allsonapsey and visit her website: https://allysonapsey.com/
Larina Warnock holds a doctorate in educational leadership with an emphasis on ethics from Creighton University and teaches high school business in rural Oregon. Her TEDx Talk, “The Other Statistic,” 2017 is viewable on YouTube and explores her philosophy of helping which emphasizes equity, inclusion, and meeting people where they are. She emphasized how to help other people who are experiencing trauma or poverty and what others did to encourage her to see herself as a college-going individual person.
Find Larina online: www.larinawarnock.net and @docnock IG & Twitter
Matthew J. Bowerman has always sought to serve others. His career in education has spanned over 23 years, teaching in middle and high school as a Theatre, Special Education, English, and Reading teacher. He is the recipient of an EMMY Award, as well as a CINE Golden Eagle Film Award for Writing/Directing the educational short, “BusSTOP,” addressing the bullying crisis in the United States; he is also a Maryland Gifted and Talented Leadership Awardee, and PTSA Lifetime Award recipient. In addition, Matthew is also the Family Liaison Chair, as well as a writer for the Say Their Names Memorial. Matthew is deeply invested in the work of love-leading students and their families in his current role as a School Administrator in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. He is currently working on his upcoming book, "Heartleader".
Follow Matthew on Twitter @MJBowerman & IG @mrmjbowerman
Visit his website: www.matthewjbowerman.com
Dan Fouts is a practicing high school social studies teacher from the Chicagoland area with 30 years of experience. In this role he has led curriculum teams, served as departmental instructional coach and spearheaded the creation of a philosophy elective which he has taught for 10 years. Critical thinking, love of questioning and conversation are what Dan values most in education. His passion is to teach how to use this conversation protocol in conjunction with essential questions to give young people and adults alike the courage to speak, listen and understand. As part of his work with Teach Different, Dan has presented extensively at a state and national level on inquiry-based instruction techniques including a recent webinar series offered by the National Council for the Social Studies.
Follow Dan on Twitter @dmfouts follow Teach Different: @iteachdifferent and visit their website: www.teachdifferent.com
Stephanie Rothstein is an Educational Leader focused on making education more collaborative and less competitive. She advocates for modeling the risks we expect of our students and shared about this in her TedX Talk “My Year of Yes to Me” published on Ted.com. In her 18 plus years in education, Stephanie has taught grades 9-12 English, Yearbook, AVID and chaired the LEAD Design Thinking Pathway at Los Gatos High School for 10 years. Stephanie is a certified Administrator and is currently serving as the EdTech TOSA for Santa Clara Unified School District, a K-12 school district supporting 15,500 students and over 1,000 teachers at 31 schools. Stephanie's continuous love of learning led her to become a Google Innovator, Trainer, and Coach. She is a founder of GlobalGEG, the creator of CanWeTalkEDU, and the author of numerous articles published on Edutopia and her own blog. Her chapter in Because of A Teacher was published in August 2021 and her chapter in the #100Things ALL Leaders Should STOP Doing will be published in early 2022. You can connect with Stephanie on Twitter and Instagram @StephRothEDU, or through her website www.StephRothEDU.com.
Debbie Godfrey has helped parents around the world for 30 years. She helps parents go from despair to hope with practical, hands-on ideas. Parents that take Debbie's workshops leave ready to try new ideas with their children: Debbie Godfrey, a certified Parent Educator, brings over 30 years of expertise in the parenting education field. Lives in Louisville, KY. Through her business, POSITIVE PARENTING in schools and community centers around the world. Debbie is recognized for her humor and compassion while teaching behavior and discipline tools that work at home and in the classroom.
Find Debbie online: www.positiveparenting.com
IG: @positiveparentingdebbie and listen to her podcast: Positive Parenting Peptalks with 3-5 m peptalks
Katie Powell is the director for middle level programs for the Association for Middle Level Education. She began teaching in 2005 and has served as a special education teacher, Title I teacher, instructional coach, and classroom teacher. Katie’s first book, Boredom Busters, grew out of this focus on providing interventions for struggling students by leveraging curiosity and fun to increase engagement while driving learning deeper. Katie’s newest book, Frustration Busters, was released in early November. Katie believes in respecting the expertise of teachers and shares her creative process so they can address instruction and classroom management within their own teaching styles.
Follow Katie online on Twitter @beyond_the_desk & IG: @teach_beyond_the_desk
Visit her website: www.teachbeyondthedesk.com
Find our more about the Association for Middle Level Education at www.amle.org.
Lisa Caprelli is a speaker, songwriter and an award-winning author of the unicorn book series, Unicorn Jazz. ™ She is an author of 17 books, and has produced music videos for kids. Lisa is the producer and director of Unicorn Jazz Presents The Thing I Do - Seasons 2, a family show on Amazon TV. Lisa was inspired by Sesame Street and with her kids multi-media brand of Unicorn Jazz - kids can send in their own video content, music and talent to be part of the show! The Thing I Do show was created at the onset of the pandemic to share happiness for children and educators. Her 26+ years in marketing and branding over 150 CEO’s led to her changing her life in 2018 to create a children’s brand, Unicorn Jazz. Unicorn Jazz in the first book, is a shy unicorn who moves to a new land in search of new friends. She feels like she does not belong, or that no one understands her, until she meets a new friend, Woof the Crow. The book series offers social emotional learning components (empathy, kindness, love, belonging, believing in others, feelings and more. She lives in Huntington Beach, CA.
Find Lisa online at www.UnicornJazz.com Follow her on Instagram @UnicornJazz.com/Media https://lisacaprelli.com/media-outreach/
Chuck Moss is the Director of Innovation & Development at Dinwiddie County Public Schools - Dinwiddie, VA; Presenter; Speaker; Chuck has 25 years of experience in education. He has been a teacher, a coach, an assistant principal, a principal, and now a director. His most important role is that of husband and father.
Follow Chuck on Twitter: @dcpsmoss IG: @dcpsmoss FB: Chuck Moss Website: https://chuckmoss72.wixsite.com/momentsofawesome where he wants to hear other’s stories about awesome moments.
Suzanne DeMallie was an ordinary CPA and mother of three prior to 2005. That’s when she was told that her son had an auditory processing disorder, and she began researching information to learn more about his diagnosis and how she could help him. But what she uncovered was a much greater problem that impacted every student in the typical classroom. She learned that all students could miss as much as third of what their teacher said due to poor classroom acoustics and immature neurological hearing abilities; and yet, there was a simple cost-effective solution - give a teacher a wireless microphone and put speakers in the classroom. As the author of a best-selling book, Can You Hear Me Now? Suzanne honestly addresses the problems in education that leave so many children behind. She vividly describes the difference between the intent of education policies and reality of putting them into practice in a classroom. She encourages parents and educators to ‘join the conversation’ to generate improvements in our public education system, and she guides them through the process using her own successful experience. Suzanne believes that if we don’t improve public education, eventually the only children left in the system will be those who had no other choice. She wants public education to be a ‘better choice’ for ALL students.
Visit Suzanne's website at SuzanneDeMallie.com and follow her on Twitter @SuzanneDeMallie
Jesse Lubinsky is currently the Chief Learning Officer for Ready Learner One LLC. He is an education technologist, teacher, certified school administrator, and doctoral student based out of Westchester County in New York. Prior to entering the learning space, he was a technology consultant for Fortune 500 companies specializing in network engineering and software development projects. Jesse is co-author of "Reality Bytes: Innovative Learning Using Augmented and Virtual Reality" and "The Esports Education Playbook: Empowering Every Learner Through Inclusive Gaming". He has also been published in the books The Chromebook Infused Classroom, 100 No-Nonsense Things that ALL Teachers Should STOP Doing, High-Tech Teaching Success! A Step by Step Guide to Using Innovative Technology in Your Classroom and Fueled by Coffee and Love: A Brew Perspective.
Find Jesse online via his website: https://www.jesselubinsky.com/ and follow him on Twitter & IG: @jlubinsky or @ReadyLearner_1
Marshal has been working in education for 20 years. He started out as a teacher, coach, club sponsor, and bus driver at a small rural school. This school was the same one that Marshal attended growing up. After nine years, he decided that he needed a change and to grow as a teacher. He only had the experience of what it was like to learn and teach at the same school. Marshal spent the next five years under a grant program funded by the Arkansas Department of Education. He started out at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith working in a program that served as a bridge between the college and local schools. He then went to work for the Arkansas Department of Education in their office of Professional Development where he coordinated the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and the Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC). Both programs were developed by the Gates Foundation and he had the opportunity to present and participate in state panels throughout the nation. Marshal is currently in his 6th year of teaching math at Northside High School in Fort Smith, AR. Northside is the most diverse school in the state and completed its first year of being a Model Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work that is recognized by Solution Tree. He is involved with Josten’s Renaissance to be sure every student is recognized within the school. Find Marshal online on Twitter @marshalhurst or www.marshalhurst.com
Shellee Howard is the Founder and CEO of College Ready and CR Tutoring and Test Strategies. She is a college graduate and is a Certified Independent College Strategist. She is a best-selling author, a member of HECA (ethics organization), and a member of SOFA (Society of Financial Awareness). Shellee has traveled around the world helping students create their “Stand out Strategy". She knows what it takes to compete in the Top tier schools as well as finding the best-fit college for all students. Shellee believes that no two students are the same and each student must have their own strategy and plan to be successful. Each student has a gift/talent and a passion that will set him or her apart from their competition.
Visit Shellee's website: www.collegereadyplan.com
Facebook group: CollegeReadyDebtFree Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeReadyPlan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegereadyplan Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coll... Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_WodPHDfSWEbiPdsRDbyQ?view_as=subscriber Twitter: https://twitter.com/gocollegeready/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linktree&utm_campaign=college+ready+twitter
Jorge Valenzuela is an education coach, author, and advocate. He has years of experience as a classroom and online teacher, a curriculum specialist, and a consultant. His work focuses on improving teacher preparation in project-based learning, computational thinking and computer science integration, STEM education, and equity and SEL integration. Jorge is an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University and the lead coach at Lifelong Learning Defined. His book Rev Up Robotics and jump start guides Ready, Set, Robotics and SEL in Action are available from ISTE, and his next book, which takes a deep dive into the Equity and SEL Integration Framework, is forthcoming from Solution Tree. Follow Jorge on Twitter, IG, snapchat @jorgedoespbl and visit his website https://www.lifelonglearningdefined.com/
Rebecca Potts Aguirre is a teaching artist currently living in Los Angeles. Her work is inspired by the intersection between ecological concern and the female experience, especially that of motherhood and trauma, often using unconventional materials that connect to childhood and “women’s work.” She is represented by Stay Home Gallery for 2021. She is also a member of Spilt Milk Gallery and is listed in the curated directories All She Makes and Visionary Art Collective. Rebecca earned her MFA in Visual Arts from Washington University in St. Louis and her BA in Studio Art & Geography from Middlebury College. Her work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and in Europe and Australia at spaces including The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Zhou B. Art Center, New York Studio Gallery, Art Share L.A., and SoLA Contemporary.
Follow Rebecca on IG, Twitter, Pininterest: @pottsart YouTube: Rebecca Potts FB: @rpottsart LinkedIn: Rebecca Potts Aguirre and visit her website: Rebecca Potts Aguirre – Artist based in Los Angeles
Subscribe to the Teaching Artist Podcast on IG, Twitter, FB. Visit her podcast website: https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/
Tim has been a high school teacher for over 25 years and for most of that time, he's been the only astronomy teacher in the Langley School District in BC, Canada. Space is his passion, his hobby and his pastime. And for years, he’s had parents of students and other adult friends say that they would love to come to a mini course on astronomy. Finally he is going ahead with their suggestions and has developed Beyond the Sky. This is an interactive presentation where he will lead a discussion but always be open to questions about those things that you wonder about the most when you look at the stars. Follow Tim on Twitter @astrostephenson and visit his website www.astrostephenson.ca
Lois Letchford’s dyslexia came to light at the age of 39, when she faced teaching her seven-year-old non-reading son, Nicholas. Examining her reading failure caused her to adapted and change lessons for her son. The results were dramatic. Lois qualified as a reading specialist to use her non-traditional background, multi-continental experience and passion to assist other failing students. Her teaching and learning have equipped her with a unique skill set and perspective. As a teacher, she considers herself a “literacy problem-solver.” Reversed: A Memoir is her first book. In this story, she details her dyslexia and the journey of her son’s dramatic failure in first grade. She tells of the twist and turns that promoted her passion and her son’s dramatic academic turn-a-round.
Find Lois online at www.loisletchford.com and on Twitter, LinkedIn, FB @LetchfordLois
Dr. Steven Weber serves as the Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in Fayetteville Public Schools. Prior to his arrival in Fayetteville, Dr. Weber had more than 20 years of experience in public education. He served as the Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction with Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (NC). And during his career in public education, he has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of secondary instruction, and executive director of curriculum and instruction. Dr. Weber serves on the Executive Cabinet for Fayetteville Public Schools and provides leadership by working with teachers, administrators, and staff. Dr. Weber joined Fayetteville Public Schools in 2016.
Follow Steven on Voxer @sweber and on Twitter @curriculumblog
Dr. Frank Buck helps busy professionals achieve their goals through organization and time management. He is a veteran school administrator, speaker, author of three books, blogger, and life-long learner. Most of all, he has shown countless professionals an easier way to work. Through his workshops, books, and coaching, Dr. Buck shares these secrets with leaders all across the United States and internationally. Attendees love the blend of content and humor. They especially love how practical and easy it can be to get organized. Dr. Buck's latest book, the 2nd edition of Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders presents a total system which is applicable to leaders from all walks of life. "Global Gurus Top 30" named Dr. Buck #1 in the time management for 2019, 2020, and 2021. To learn more, visit FrankBuck.org. Follow Frank on Twitter, IG, Pintrest @drfrankbuck LinkedIn: @drfrankbuck FB:@drfrankbuck
Jillian DuBois serves as an elementary educator in Clearwater, FL. She has been in the field of education for two decades. She is the recently published author and illustrator of “Liv’s Seashells” and “Road to Awesome: A Journey for Kids”, “Look at YOU, Piper Lou!”, and is the Optimistic Originator of Imparted Joy LLC. Jillian’s journey continues to bring much fulfillment as she thrives on building authentic relationships with her students and guiding their curiosity and wonder. She uses her voice to foster hope for student equity and empathy. Her passion is to initiate and infuse joy to those in education by focusing efforts on listening, serving, and growing alongside colleagues and friends. Each day is a FRESH opportunity to listen, be slow to criticize, and quick to empathize. Keep dancing and dreaming with JOY.
Follow Jillian on Twitter: @JillDuBois22 Instagram: @jilliande FB: @jilliandee Web: www.impartedjoy.com www.jilliandubois.com
Orly is the founder of the global non-profit, Life Vest Inside, a kindness expert, educator, best selling author, entrepreneur and keynote speaker who inspires audiences to take action. Her talks and workshops provide the groundwork for lasting change and motivate people to become the best version of themselves so that they can influence the world for good. Drawing from her personal journey, groundbreaking science, and her signature wit, Orly inspires people to tap into the power of kindness—the most underutilized skill in today’s world. Through her talk, Orly demonstrates how kindness and a simple shift in perspective can alter the way a person connects with themselves and the world around them. Life Vest Inside gained international acclaim when Orly’s award-winning film “Kindness Boomerang” went viral, receiving over 100 million people, landing her a spot at TED2013 and launched what has come to be known as the “Kindness Revolution”.
Find Orly and Lifevest Inside online: on her website: www.lifevestinside.com www.danceforkindness.com
Check out the LifeVestInside's Youtube channel @lifevestinside
Facebook: @lifevestinside
Twitter: @lifevestinside
Instagram: @lifevestinside
Marita Diffenbaugh has twenty-two years of service in Idaho’s education system, from the classroom, school district, and university to the State Department of Education. Marita believes that hope is a prerequisite for learning and looks for ways to help others see their value.
In her newly published book, L.E.A.R.N.E.R. Finding the True, Good, and Beautiful in Education, she shares about how to connect learning to community resources and needs, along with strategies that restore hope and can support learners of all ages to develop their full potential.
As a partner with the Elevate Academy Network, Marita is currently connecting education, industry, and community by launching Elevate Academy North, a new Career Technical School, opening August 2022. She is looking forward to serving as principal at this community driven school of choice for students in 6th-12th grades who are not finding success in their current education.
Find Marita online on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MDiffenbaugh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marita-diffenbaugh
Joy Kelly has more than 25 years of educational experience in public and parochial schools as a teacher, coach, mentor, associate principal, and principal. In 2015, Joy was named Iowa associate principal of the year. She also provides coaching and training for new administrators in Iowa. Joy serves as a leadership coach for administrators across the country on behalf of J Casas and associates. Joy earned a bachelor's degree in history from The University of Iowa, a masters degree in education leadership from University of Northern Iowa and she’s a licensed PK through 12 superintendent with a specialist degree from The University of Iowa. In March, Joy and Jimmy Casas released their book titled, “Handle with Care: Managing Difficult Situations in Schools with Dignity and Respect". Follow her on Twitter @joykelly05 or contact her via email joymkelly5@gmail.com
Lindsay Titus is a passionate and energetic educator! She uses her expertise as a board certified behavior analyst and a former classroom teacher, to ignite the passion of any educator. She is eager to transform the mindset educators hold about behavior, and use this dynamic shift to increase connections with all students! Lindsay is the host of the DEFINE YOUniversity Podcast, Founder of DEFINE YOUniversity and the author of the 30 and 90 Day Journals. She is a coach, speaker, mentor, and leader passionate about igniting the transformation from within to live a life you love inside and outside of the classroom setting.
Find Lindsay online at: www.defineyouniversity.com, on Twitter @ltitus828, FB @lindsaytitus, IG @lindsaytitusedu.
This is a special episode with clips from previous episodes, including guest Amber Harper @burnedinteacher, Alexis Shepard @theafroeducator, Danna Thomas @happyteacherrev, Hans Appel @hansnappel, Jen Molitor @teachrenegade and Sarah Johnson @sarahsajohnson
Find out more about each guest and read a transcript of their clips in the extended show notes on www.danagoodier.com -Episodes 109-114 – Dana Goodier
Eric is an Associate Partner with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). Prior to this, he was the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his leadership, his school became a globally recognized model for innovative practices. Eric oversaw the successful implementation of several sustainable change initiatives that radically transformed the learning culture at his school while increasing achievement. His work focuses on leading and learning in the digital age as a model for moving schools and districts forward.
He has authored and co-authored the following: Learning Transformed: 8 Keys for Designing Tomorrow's Schools, Today, BrandED: Tell Your Story, Build Relationships, and Empower Learning, Uncommon Learning: Creating Schools That Work for Kids, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times, Communicating and Connecting With Social Media: Essentials for Principals, What Principals Need to Know About Teaching and Learning Science.
Follow Eric on Twitter: @E_Sheniger Visit his Blog: https://esheninger.blogspot.com Visit his Website: http://www.ericsheninger.com/
Christine Ravesi-Weinstein currently serves as a high school Assistant Principal in Massachusetts and previously worked as a high school science department chair for four years and classroom teacher for 15. Diagnosed with anxiety and depression at 23, Christine began her journey towards mental wellness. She began a non-profit organization in June of 2017 aimed at removing the stigma of mental illness and promoting physical activity as a means to cope with anxiety. As an avid writer and educator, Christine became passionate about bridging the two with her advocacy for mental health. Since March of 2019, she has had numerous nationally published articles including the number one most read article of 2019 on eSchool News (she also had the number six and eight most read articles in that year). She has also published articles with District Administration, the Teach Better Team, Tech & Learning and SmartBrief and author of the book Anxious, published in March 2020. Follow her work on Twitter, FB @RavesiWeinstein and on YouTube at http://bit.ly/TheRunnersHigh. For more information about Christine, please visit her website at www.ravesiweinstein.com
Martin Silverman is a father, grandfather, husband, and long-time educator in beautiful San Antonio, Texas. He is committed to providing the best educational experience for the students and families at Salinas Elementary school where he is principal. Martin has worked in urban, suburban, and rural districts as a teacher and administrator. His interests are in creating and nurturing school culture, providing enriching experiences for students and families, and developing future teachers and administrators. As a former bilingual teacher and administrator, Martin is committed to providing all students with quality programs to develop their unique skills. He hosts a podcast called The Second Question, which highlights educators and provides them a forum to discuss ideas, and to honor the teachers that have influenced their lives. He is also part of the Texan Connection podcast team that shares perspective from a trio of Texas educators. Find Martin on Twitter: @MrSilverman116 IG: @the5silvermans FB: Martin Silverman and @Salinas Elementary
Erik M. Francis is an international author, presenter, and speaker with over 25 years of experience in education. He is the author of Now THAT'S a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning published by ASCD. His book Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning will be published by Solution Tree International in October. Erik is the owner of Maverik Education, providing academic professional development, guidance, and support on how to develop and deliver teaching and learning experiences that are academically rigorous, socially and emotionally supportive, and student responsive. He is also ranked consistently as one of the World's Top 30 Education Professionals by the international research organization Global Gurus.
Find Erik online on Twitter: @maverikedu12 and visit his website: www.maverikeducation.com
Dan Butler serves as the principal of Epworth Elementary School in the Western Dubuque Community School District. Previously, he was the principal of Epworth and Farley Elementary Schools simultaneously for four years focusing on positive relationships with all members of the learning community, high impact instructional techniques, building leadership capacity in others, and establishing successful school cultures. Prior to serving as an administrator, Dan taught third and fifth grades in the Western Dubuque District, as well as serving as a baseball and football coach. In addition to his responsibilities as a building principal, Dan works as an adjunct professor in the Educational Leadership department at the University of Northern Iowa where he earned his doctoral degree. Dan has received numerous awards and most recently was recognized as a finalist for the School Administrators of Iowa Elementary Principal of the Year in 2019 and 2020. Follow Dan on Twitter: @danpbutler and visit his website: www.danpbutler.com
Jefferson County, Colo. Community Superintendent David Weiss has worked in public education for 19 years. Prior to joining the School Leadership Team, he served as the principal of Westgate Elementary school for five years, and as a high school assistant principal for 4 years before that. David also taught middle school math and science for 8 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Youngstown State University and also holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Specialist License in School Leadership from the University of Denver. David is a learner who is passionate about innovation, equity and opportunity for all students who walk our hallways. David oversees the schools in the Alameda and Jefferson articulation areas. Follow David on Twitter @teacherdave
Noah Geisel serves as Micro-credentials Program Manager at the University of Colorado Boulder. He founded and coordinates the annual Badge Summit Conference and is a lecturer at the University of Colorado Denver. His background is as a World Languages, EdTech and Digital Badges consultant and teacher passionate about helping educators and students make awesome happen. He has 19 years of experience teaching Spanish, English and Technology and was recognized as the 2013 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year. He is a constant collaborator on Twitter and frequent blogger on Medium.com. As a community organizer and champion of Digital Badge Credentials, he co-founded #BadgeChat and seeks to amplify others’ efforts to change the world. He is a learner, sharer, traveler, and giver of high fives. Noah makes his own buttons, collects ViewMasters, and takes his dog dad duties to Pepper very seriously.
Melissa Lowry is a sought after education and parenting coach with over 20 years of experience as a teacher, curriculum director, and school principal. She is the founder of Melissa Lowry Education Coaching, a consulting firm that provides distance/virtual learning coaching services for students in grades K-12, organizes and manages home learning plans, works with students to develop strong executive function skills, and helps parents and educators build and maintain strong home-school relationships. Melissa is also the co-author of "Answer Keys: Teacher Lesson Plans for Successful Parenting". Her work has been featured in print, on the web, and on the airwaves.
Follow Melissa on Instagram @melissalowryedu and visit her website: www.melissa-lowry-education-coaching.com
Lindsay Lyons (she/her) is an educational justice coach who works with teachers and school leaders to inspire educational innovation for racial and gender justice, designs curricula grounded in student voice, and build capacity for shared leadership. Lindsay taught in NYC public schools, holds a PhD in Leadership and Change, and is the founder of the educational blog and podcast, Time for Teachership.
Find Lindsay online on Twitter: @lindsayblyons IG: @lindsaybethlyons FB: Lindsay Beth Lyons Website: www.lindsaybethlyons.com
Lindsay Deacon: Co-author of The EduCoach Survival Guide (2020), Coaching & Visible Learning Consultant @ Corwin Press. She lives in Portland, OR. Works in Portland Public Schools. Follow her on Twitter @thereallindsay2
Joe Pizzo: a teacher, professor, writer, poet, PD moderator, AMLE Educator of the year along with NJCTE Teacher of the Year in NJ, 7th grade Language Arts teacher. Follow him on Twitter @ProfJPizzo
Casey Jakubowski: Education researcher in rural schools and former social studies teacher. Interested in Leadership and improvement. Author of Thinking About Teaching & A Cog in the machine. Follow him on Twitter @CaseyJ_edu
Alex T Valencic: Professional learning coordinator, drug prevention specialist, leadership trainer, bibliophile. Works in the Freeport SD in NW IL. Follow him on Twitter @alextvalencic
Listen in as my special guests share their thoughts on the following questions:
1) Some wins from the last year and what you are looking forward to in your work as we approach the start of the 21-22 school year
2) Something you've learned to use in your role during the pandemic that you will continue to use as we enter this "post-pandemic" phase.
3) A book or journal article you've recently read that has stood out to you and that you would recommend to others.
Laura Reber is a school psychologist and founder of Progress Parade. At Progress Parade, they know what makes you different makes you strong. They provide 1:1 online tutoring with hand-picked specialists to students with academic needs, ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, and social-emotional challenges. Laura works with a team of school psychologists and specialized teachers to create personalized approaches for homework support, academic intervention, homeschooling, unschooling, and more.
Laura holds a BS in Psychology from Truman State University and a Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) from Illinois State University.
Find Progress Parade online at: www.progressparade.com https://www.facebook.com/progressparade Twitter: @ProgressParade
Jessica Lahey is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, "The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed" and "The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence". Over twenty years, Jess has taught every grade from sixth to twelfth in both public and private schools, and spent five years teaching in a drug and alcohol rehab for adolescents in Vermont. She writes about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Washington Post, New York Times, and The Atlantic, is a book critic for Air Mail, and wrote the educational curriculum for Amazon Kids’ award-winning The Stinky and Dirty Show. She co-hosts the #AmWriting podcast with bestselling authors K.J. Dell’Antonia and Sarina Bowen from her house in Vermont, where she lives with her husband, two sons and a lot of dogs. Visit Jessica's website: https://www.jessicalahey.com and follow her on FB: https://www.facebook.com/jplahey Twitter: https://twitter.com/jesslahey YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFJ5... and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-l... Listen to the #AmWriting podcast: The #AmWriting Podcast (substack.com)
Jethro Jones, the 2017 NASSP Digital Principal of the Year, is a former principal and host of the Transformative Principal podcast. He is also the founder of The Center for Cyberethics, independent, non-partisan educational institute dedicated to the study and promotion of cyberethics, and author of the book, SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves!
Jethro currently consults schools and districts on redesign efforts that don't seem like another program. Jethro has worked as a principal at all K-12 levels, including a prison school, a district coach, distance learning team lead, and English teacher.
Visit Jethro's website at: https://www.jethrojones.com/ and follow him on most social channels @jethrojones
Bobbie has been an educator for over 24 years. She has been an elementary guidance counselor, elementary classroom teacher, special education coordinator, Title I Director, Preschool Director and Administrator. Her passion for making sure teachers have the professional learning community, appreciation, coaching and resources they need to be their BEST for kids EVERY day Many of these positions overlapped which happens when you work in smaller school districts. Bobbie believes in schools that focus on the whole child and creates an environment where all students feel they belong. Bobbie is also an avid photographer and loves to tell her school’s story.
Follow Bobbie on Twitter & IG @bobbiefrench and follow her FB page “Live, Learn, Lead”. Visit her website at: www.bobbiefrench.com
Megan Sweet is the Co-Host of The Awakening Educator, presenter, and speaker. She is quick on her feet, has an easy and compelling speaking style, and cares deeply about her subject matter. With more than 25 years of experience in education, and 15 years directly leading changes in schools, districts, and statewide in California, she knows that education is the most important lever we have for creating a more equitable society. She knows that the best way to realize true change is by supporting and empowering individuals to lead the changes they envision for their school communities. She is an expert in working with communities to design and lead transformation efforts, and I am deeply knowledgeable about all things education--from the classroom to the boardroom. I am an expert in leading community-driven education transformation in high-need schools and districts. Susan Andrien, LMFT, is the Co-Host of The Awakening Educator, Behavioral Health Program Manager OUSD & Adjunct Faculty Holy Names University. She has 25 years of experience providing mental health services in communities heavily impacted by trauma. In addition to her role as Behavioral Health Program Manager for Oakland Unified School District.*read until here she is the co-Host of a twice a month podcast The Awakening Educator and Adjunct Faculty in the Counseling Psychology department at Holy Names University in Oakland. Follow Megan & Susan online on Twitter: @Your 3 Eyes @your3eyes Facebook: @Your 3 Eyes (group page)
Tyson Gardin is an elementary assistant principal in the Chester County School District in Chester, SC. He is passionate about making a positive impact on equity and excellence in our schools and encourages our students to make their own positive and lasting impact in our world.
Find Tyson online on Twitter: & FB @TysonGardin IG: @tyg1979 and read his Teach Better Team blog posts at www.teachbetterteam.com
Jami has served ten years as a classroom teacher, an Instructional Coach, and a Core Advocate with Achieve the Core . She currently mentors First-time and Renewal candidates for the National Board, and is a charter member of the National Board Network of Minoritized Educators. Jami currently serves as a principal in Shelby County Schools (TN). She is the author/coauthor of several books including, Educator Reflection Tips, Volume #1, The Skin You are In: Colorism in the Black Community, 2nd Edition, Edumatch’s Snapshot in Education 2020: Remote Learning Edition, and Educator Reflection Tips, Volume II: Refining Our Practice. Jami blogs at DigitalPD4You.com , has a bi-monthly leadership blog on Insight Advance , and writes a monthly blog entitled the Better Mindset at Teach Better. Follow Jami on Twitter @jjjj821 and visit her website: www.digitalPD4you.com email her at jwhile.nbcte@gmail.com
Alex Valencic is a professional educator, a former small business owner, avid reader and movies lover. He is also passionate about music and all fine arts. He absolutely loves teaching and seeing the light go on as an individual suddenly understands a new concept. He is also an avid volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, Operation Snowball, Inc., and the Cebrin Goodman Teen Institute. After three years of substitute teaching and seven years of teaching fourth grade full-time, his current role is that of Curriculum Coordinator for 21st Century Learning with Freeport School District #145 in northwestern Illinois. He works with teachers on project-based learning, inquiry strategies, technology integration, and implementing the 4 Cs of 21st century learning: creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. Follow Alex @alextvalencic on all the social platforms and visit his blog & website: www.coordinatingthecentury.wordpress.com
Debbie Tannenbaum works as an Elementary School Technology Specialist in Fairfax County, VA. An educator with over twenty years of experience, Debbie Tannenbaum supports both staff and students to integrate technology tools into instruction through both co teaching sessions and weekly technology classes. Debbie emphasizes working collaboratively with other educators to use technology tools that amplify student learning and empower student voice. She also blogs and shares her thoughts and reflections regularly on her website: https://www.tannenbaumtech.com. In May 2021, her book, TRANSFORM: Techy Notes to Make Learning Sticky was published by Road to Awesome LLC. Follow her on Twitter and IG @Tannenbaumtech and subscribe to FB @Tannenbaumtech
Todd Nesloney is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA). He was previously a Principal/Lead Learner at a PreK-5 school in Texas. He is an award winning author for his books "Kids Deserve It!", "Stories From Webb", "Sparks in the Dark", and his newest book "When Kids Lead" (June 2020). He has also published a children’s book, "Spruce & Lucy". Todd has been recognized by John C. Maxwell as a Top 10 Finalist for the 2018 Transformational Leadership Award, by the White House as a Connected Educator “Champion of Change”, the National School Board Association as one of the “20 to Watch” in Education, the Center for Digital Education as one of their “Top 40 Innovators in Education”, the BAMMYs as the “National Elementary Principal of the Year” and the “National Elementary Teacher of the Year”, and the Texas Computer Education Association as their “Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year”. Visit his website at www.ToddNesloney.com and follow Todd on most socials, he's on everything except Tiktoc @Techninjatodd
Dr. Debbie Silver is a brilliantly funny, beautifully insightful, and boldly authentic speaker, author, and educator based in Melissa, TX. She has dedicated her life to understanding learning and growth behavior and has become a world-renowned and empowering speaker. Debbie seeks to help teachers find the joy in the daily job of teaching so that children can embrace the satisfaction and pride of knowledge, growth, and self-worth. Debbie co-wrote the 2014 bestseller "Deliberate Optimism: Reclaiming the Joy in Education", which offers research-based strategies, practical examples, and thought-provoking scenarios to help recharge educators and schools. In her most recent best-selling book, “Fall down 7 times, get up 8: Teaching Kids to Thrive: Essential Skills for Success", she illustrates how SEL instruction can be woven into all subject areas at levels preK-12. Find Debbie on FB, LinkedIn, Twitter @Drdebbiesilver and visit her website: www.debbiesilver.com
Anna Voth is an Experienced Curriculum and Instruction Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Skilled in Gifted Education, Classroom Management, Lesson Planning, Instructional Design, Professional Development facilitator, Colorado Department of Education Trainer of Trainers, and Differentiated Instruction. Professional with a Master's degree focused in Educational Leadership and Administration from American College of Education. She currently serves as Gifted and Talented-Curriculum and Instruction Specialist, Student Success Department at Jefferson County (Jeffco) Public Schools, Colorado. Find Anna online on IG, FB, LinkedIn @AnnaVoth
Nathalie Valencia was born in Bogota, Colombia. At age 16, she migrated with her mother to the US. She is currently a program Coordinator for the Coach and Mentoring Program at Denver Public Schools. Her journey working in education started when she was just 17 years old, when she started working as a Spanish and Statistics tutor, library clerk and research assistant while attending college full time. Upon graduation, she worked as a Student Affairs Officer at the Center for Women & Men at the University of California in Los Angeles. After moving to Colorado, she was accepted to be a Denver Teaching Fellow for Denver Public Schools and received her teaching licensure in Special Education. She also pursued a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Northern Colorado and a Project Management Certification Program from Cornell University. Her passion for education was ignited through the realization that it was thanks to education that she was able to forge a better quality of life and understood that many others could do the same; they just needed to know how. Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn and view her department's website: https://collegeandcareer.dpsk12.org/coach-mentoring/
Dr. Byron McClure is a National Certified School Psychologist currently redesigning a high school in Southeast, D.C. His work centers around influencing systemic change and ensuring students from high-poverty communities have access to a quality education. Dr. McClure has extensive knowledge and expertise in mental health, social emotional learning, and behavior. Dr. McClure has done considerable work advocating for fair and equitable discipline practices for all students, particularly, for African-American boys. He has designed and implemented school-wide initiatives such as SEL, restorative practices, RTI, and trauma responsive practices. As a result of this work, led by Dr. McClure, his school recently won the 2019-2020 Whole Child Award. Dr. McClure has presented across the country as a panelist, featured, and keynote speaker. He believes in the power of dreaming big to make dreams come true! Visit Byron's website: www.lessonsforsel.com and Follow Lessons For SEL on Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/LessonsForSEL Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/lessonsforsel/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lessonsforsel/
Donna Guerin is the Founder and Executive Director of Global Lighthouse Studios has been a classroom teacher for the past 20 years and recently left the classroom to connect teachers and students across 6 continents with Global Lighthouse Studios. She has been an SDG Global Goals Ambassador, Innovation Lab School curriculum writer and a Global Goals Facilitator. Donna has dedicated her teaching life to empowering students to follow their passions and being a lifelong learner.
Connect with Donna online on Twitter: @dlguerin1 @globallighhlu3 IG: @dlguerin @global_lighthouse_studios FB: Global Lighthouse Studios YouTube: Global Lighthouse Studios and visit her website: www.globallighthousestudios.org
A native of the southern Chicagoland area Taralyn is a National Best Selling Author and Mindset Coach. She is passionate about sharing her message of cleansing the mind, body, and spirit by owning our Divine Design. As a certified Life Coach and Habit Change expert, Taralyn has led individuals and groups in customized training programs designed to create life changing shifts. Her book, entitled The Ultimate Release, is at the core of Taralyn’s mission to guide others through identifying the beginning of core beliefs that skew perceptions and fuel negative decisions and experiences. In addition to sharing her impactful talent to awaken and inspire, Taralyn is proud to lend her support to community organizations and corporations as well as being an active contributor to various platforms created to uplift and educate viewers and listeners. Follow Taralyn on Twitter: @justtaralyn IG: @justtaralyn FB: www.facebook.com/AuthorTaralynMichelle Website: www.taralynmichelle.com
Tom Murray serves as the Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools®, a project of the Alliance for Excellent Education, located in Washington, D.C. He has testified before the United States Congress and has worked alongside that body, the US Senate, the White House, the US Department of Education and state departments of education, corporations, and school districts throughout the country to implement student-centered learning while helping to lead Future Ready Schools® and Digital Learning Day.
Visit Tom's website at: www.thomascmurray.com and follow him in Twitter @thomascmurray FB & IG: @ThomasCMurrayEDU , YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thomascmurray and LinkedIn.
Heather Lyon came to education because she wanted to write but needed a back-up plan because she knew she couldn't become a well-paid, famous author overnight. She was fortunate because her cooperating teacher was inspirational and realized she loved teaching. She became a certified Reading Specialist after completing her Master's degree in education at the University at Buffalo, and prior to that her Bachelor of Arts in English from Alfred University. Finally, she received her Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University at Buffalo in 2010. In terms of her work history, she is an Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology for a suburban school district in Western NY State. Prior to this, she was the Director of Elementary Education in a large suburban school district. Some additional highlights of her career include her work as an English Teacher, Staff Developer, Principal, Director of Instruction, and is currently Assistant Superintendent in Lewiston-Porter Central School District of Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology.
In each position, she was known for her leadership among students, faculty and staff, and her drive toward excellence for the entire school community. Find Heather online by visiting her website www.lyonsletters.com or on Twitter @lyonsletters and on LinkedIn.
Jonathan Alsheimer is the unorthodox, energetic, and entertaining middle school teacher who refuses to live a life of limitations and works with UFC Fighters, Celebrities, and Clothing Brands. Jonathan is an international keynote speaker and the author of "NEXT LEVEL TEACHING" a book all about teachers being the driving force of a positive classroom and school culture. Next Level Teaching is published by Dave Burgess Consulting, which you can order on Amazon today. Follow Jonathan on Twitter & IG: @mr_alsheimer
Dr. Steve Yacovelli has been in the leadership, learning and development, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting space pretty much his whole career (about twenty-five years). In his consulting experience he’s seen some leaders completely excel in their effectiveness, and some completely crash and burn due to their lack of competence in leadership skills. Steve’s desire was to help both types of leaders be more effective, through coaching, formal and informal training, and just generally being there to support their "leadershippiness". It’s Steve’s brand to “come out” and acknowledge the role he wants to take to give back to the LGBTQ+ Community and awesome Allies: to serve as a “lightning rod” of sorts to start a movement to grow LGBTQ+ Leaders and Allies to be even more effective, in a consistent, thoughtful, and mindful manner, especially those up-and-coming Leaders within the broader movement for equality and fairness for all LGBTQ+ people and well beyond. Go to topdoglearning.biz for free courses, find info about his books. http://topdog.click/mopsam
Connie Hamilton has served the field of education as a teacher, instructional coach, elementary and secondary principal, and district curriculum director. She is the author of two books including her latest, the best seller, Hacking Questions. Connie is known for hands-on, practical approaches to solving instructional snafus. Educators love how she offers specific strategies that actually work and can be used immediately. Often referred to as “The Questioning Guru”, Connie has a unique ability to coach administrators and teachers to guide them through reflection and professional discovery for an amazing PD experience. Follow these links to connect with Connie online:
Webpage: www.conniehamilton.net
Twitter: @conniehamilton
Email: conniehamilton12@gmail.com
Hacking Questions FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/67751... FREE downloadable resources: http://hackingquestions.com/resources Link to Hacking Questions Book: https://amzn.to/2NLRmb8
April Clark is a former accountant and high school marketing teacher, now the executive director & co-founder of Reach and Teach, a nonprofit educational program that provides students the opportunity to plan, promote & execute a real concert on their school campus, along with other life-changing programs. Clark is a TEDx speaker, SXSW EDU Mentor, and Shoals Woman of the Year finalist. Find April on LinkeIn, FB, & IG @rntrocks Reach and Teach has a Virtual Interview Series available on their YouTube Channel, also PD for teachers: https://www.youtube.com/reachandteachrocks https://www.facebook.com/reachandteachrocks
Steven "Étienne" Langlois is an award-winning teacher-rockstar and author of the best-selling book "Rock Your Class". When he's not performing for millions of fans in packed theaters or teaching back home in Ontario, Canada, he's busy helping K-12 teachers rock their engagement strategies. Étienne has spent almost 30 years teaching various subject areas and has also taken on leadership roles such as Instructional PD coach, Mentor Teacher and District Program Coordinator. Winner of multiple educator awards and Canada's "Artist of the Year" honors, he has also worked as an author and consultant for leading educational companies in Canada, the US and Europe, developing effective curriculum content. Follow Étienne on TicToc: @rockyourclass Twitter: @rockyourclass IG: @rockyourclass FB: www.facebook.com/etienneonline and visit his website: www.rockyourclasss.com
Jennifer Abrams is an international educational and communications consultant for public and independent schools, hospitals, universities and non-profits. Jennifer trains and coaches teachers, administrators, nurses, hospital personnel, and others on new employee support, supervision, being generationally savvy, having hard conversations and collaboration skills. Jennifer’s publications include "Having Hard Conversations, The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicating", "Collaborating & Creating Community and Hard Conversations Unpacked – the Whos, the Whens and the What Ifs". Her most recent book, "Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives", was published in 2019. Jennifer writes a monthly newsletter, Voice Lessons, available for reading at and subscribing to on her website, www.jenniferabrams.com and is a featured columnist, writing about personal development at www.eschoolnews.com. Jennifer holds a Master’s degree in Education from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree in English from Tufts University. She lives in Palo Alto, California. Follow Jennifer on Twitter @jenniferabrams and IG @jenniferbethabrams
Dr. Teresa Sanders earned a doctorate degree in 2012 Educational Leadership/Adult Education and a masters degree in Education Curriculum and instruction. She has 14 years of teaching experience as a Special Education Behavior Adjustment teacher (sped cert, kids who were placed in the behavior program, mostly kids with ED-she loathes that diagnosis because it doesn’t look at the reason to explain it) and 20 years of intensive mental health and social services experience. She has developed a micro-school Safari Small Schools to meet the needs of students with significant behaviors or who were otherwise left behind in public schools. Follow Teresa on Twitter & FB @drteresasanders There are both FB & IG pages for her school @SafariSmall
Dr. Brad Gustafson is an elementary principal, author, and speaker. He believes schools can be spaces where creativity and innovation thrive, but only when we prioritize relationships and a relevant, connected pedagogy. His latest book is Reclaiming our Calling. His previously published books include Renegade Leadership. His podcast, School Leadership Unearthed, can be found on BAM Radio Network's TweetED Channel. Brad was recognized as a “20 to Watch” by the National School Boards Association and he was named Minnesota’s Principal of the Year in 2016. He presents keynotes and breakout sessions on a variety of topics related to innovative leadership. Follow Brad on Twitter @GustafsonBrad and visit his website: BradGustafson.com
Casey Jakubowski, Ph.D. is Education researcher in rural schools and former social studies teacher. He is interested in Leadership and improvement. Casey is the author of Thinking About Teaching: A Rural Social Studies Teacher’s Path to Strive for Excellence and is currently finishing a new book, A Cog In the Machine. He is also the founder of CTJ Solutions, an education consultancy. Follow Casey on Twitter @caseyj_edu
Dan Edwards is the Principal of a large primary school in Leicester, England. Prior to working in primary education, Dan has had leadership experience in both the middle school and high school system. He is keen on developing positive school culture within his school and wants to ensure that no pupil is left behind in their learning. He believes positive relationships across all sectors of school life are integral to its success. Outside of teaching, Dan maintains a blog and is a regular writer for Teach Primary and Primary Leaders magazine in the UK. Follow Dan's school on Twitter @woodstockacad and his personal handle is @danedwards_77 Visit his blog at: leadinginthenow.org
The AMLE National Middle Level Educator of the Year for 2020, Joe Pizzo teaches Integrated Language Arts and serves as the drama co-director at the Black River Middle School in Chester, NJ. A veteran middle school teacher of 47 years and an adjunct professor formerly with Union County College and the College of Saint Elizabeth, Joe has been with Centenary University since 1992. He has been previously named the NJCTE and NJAMLE Educator of the Year as well. He is a published poet and author who has presented PD workshops across the country. Follow Joe on Twitter @profJPizzo
Trent Clark is the CEO of Leadershipity. Having spent his adult livelihood among top 1% producers in sports and business, Trent is dedicated to empowering people to reach their go, peak performance, and attain their dreams. Having started twelve businesses, his dedication and energy given to his team’s and the entrepreneurs he works with is infectious. But most folks know Trent for his 12+ years in Major League Baseball and coaching in three World Series. Trent is married to his wife of 25 years, they have five children and live in the Midwest. Follow Trent on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrentMClark IG: https://instagram.com/leadershipity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentmclark and visit his website: www.leadershipity.com
Chad Dumas, Ed.D., is an educational consultant with Next Learning Solutions, international presenter and award-winning researcher whose primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. Having been a successful teacher, principal, central office administrator, professional developer and consultant in a variety of school districts, he brings his passion, expertise, and skills to his writing and speaking as he engages participants in meaningful and practical learning. Get the book, "Let's Put the C in PLC: A Practical Guide for School Leaders" on amazon. Visit Chad's website: www.nextlearningsolutions.com and follow him on Twitter @chaddumas and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChadDumasNextLearningSolution
Kyle was named a 2016 ASCD Emerging Leader, he is a member of the Wake Science Core Leadership Team, and a member of the North Carolina Digital Leaders Coaching Network. He enjoys presenting at conferences like ISTE, NCTIES, NSTA, and ASCD. In May 2020, he earned his Masters in School Administration (MSA) degree from East Carolina University. Currently, he serves as a STEM Specialist while aspiring to be an administrator and author. Follow Kyle on Twitter @Kylehamstra and visit his website: www.kylehamstra.com
Dr. Markenya L. Williams is a Chicagoan, with great Southside pride. She has been an educator since 2005 and is an active member of the NAACP, NAN, and a proud Board Member of the Illinois Princip Association (Kishwaukee Region,) Burst Into Books Inc. (Chicago,) & St. James Community Church (Chicago). Dr. Williams has held multiple positions and titles throughout her career: teacher’s assistant, teacher, grade level team leader, private tutor, preschool site director, technology coordinator, Local School Council (LSC) member, PBIS coach, attendance team leader, MTSS co-coordinator, assistant principal, diversity & equity chairperson, CEO, and much more. Follow Dr. Williams on Twitter @markenyaw IG: markenyawilliams, and subscribe to her Youtube channel: Dr. Markenya L. Williams - YouTube
Originally from DeMotte, Indiana, Kyle Hamstra moved to North Carolina in 2002. After teaching fifth grade math/science for over fourteen years at Davis Drive Elementary in Cary, NC, Kyle is now an elementary STEM Specialist, serving 1,000 students weekly. Kyle is very interested in all-things STEM, curriculum design, leadership, and being a connected educator to learn from his professional learning network daily. Follow Kyle on Twitter: @Kylehamstra and visit his website: https://kylehamstra.com
Tune in next week for part two of my conversation with Kyle, in episode #68.
Dave Schmittou, Ed.D., is the author of 4 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬, has 4 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬, ran 5 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐬, has done 2 ultras, 2014 Principal of the Year; 2018 College Educator of the Year #𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 and an active contributor to #TeachBetterTeam. Dave is currently a professor of Educational Leadership at Central Michigan University, a former elementary school principal, former middle school principal, assistant principal, coach, and teacher. His books on Amazon: “Making Assessment Work”, “Bold Humility”-leadership book, “It’s like Riding a Bike" & “Omniscient. ”He hosts a blog and podcast “The Lasting Learning podcast”. Find Dave online on Twitter: @daveschmittou IG: @daveschmittou Visit his website: www.schmittou.net
Steven Gupton is a CTE Teacher at James E. Shepard IB Magnet Middle School in Durham Public Schools. Steven is a son, brother, paramedic, educator, coach, and member of the NCAE Educators of Color Cohort. He has served his community his entire life. In high school, he began volunteering in his local fire department and his love for public service began to grow. 16 years later, he is still going. Four years ago, he walked away from his role as an EMS administrator to join the Black men that made up the 2% of educators in our profession and he’s glad he did. He believes EVERY child can learn, and he will always fight for those that are underserved and underrepresented. Follow Steven on Twitter @guptonteaches
Tara Linney is an award-winning educator who has helped several schools nationally and internationally with launching and sustaining effective 1:1 programs over the course of the last decade. She holds a certification as an Instructional Technology Specialist. In 2016, she received the 21st Century Learning Award for Innovation in Educational Coaching. Since the start of her career in Education, Tara has played an active role in many professional communities. In 2017, she served as the ISTE Global Collaboration PLN President, where she led an organizational pivot to focus on SDGs in Education. In addition to her work in the PLN teams, Tara is an ISTE Certified Educator. In 2018, Tara authored and published the book, "Code Equity: Keying Girls into Coding", as a guide for educators looking to make a more equitable learning environment for their students, particularly in the teaching of computer science topics. Follow Tara online on Twitter & IG, LinkedIn @taralinney and visit her website: www.TLspecialists.com
Mark Brown is an educational leader, leadership and team development facilitator, author, speaker, coach, student, and mental health and wellness advocate. He is known for his passion and dedication for inspiring others to #ChooseToBeYou by living life as their best self! Mark serves as a high school administrator in Newberg, Oregon, where his primary focus and responsibility is centered around school climate and culture. Mark shares openly about his life experience and how the highs and lows throughout his life have molded him into who he is today. His goal is to use his experience to encourage others to face their fears and challenges head on, and to learn to love themselves for who they are! Visit Mark online at: https://www.heymarkbrown.com/ and follow him on Twitter & IG: @heymarkbrown
Jen Cort is a diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice consultant working with schools and organizations in multiple countries. As an educator and clinical social worker, Jen has served as an assistant head of lower school, head of a middle school, and senior administrator as well as a counselor in lower, middle and upper schools and private practice. As the founder of Jen Cort Consulting, Jen works with groups to create sustainable and systemic change and to live out their missions regarding diversity and inclusion. Her goal is to create spaces where students, and all community members, can be seen and heard while learning to be visible and use their voices in productive ways. Find Jen online Twitter: @JenCortEdCon IG: @jencortedcon FB: @JenCortConsulting and visit her website: www.jencort.com
Kenneth C. Williams shares his experience and expertise as a nationally recognized trainer, speaker, coach and consultant in leadership and school culture. A practitioner for nearly two decades, Ken led the improvement efforts at two schools by leveraging the Professional Learning Communities at Work process. Skilled in joining the why of the work to the how of the work, Ken is known for his powerful and engaging combinations of “heart, humor, and hammer.” He is an expert at helping schools build capacity in the collective commitments required of learning for all cultures. He is the author of "Starting A Movement: Building Culture from the Inside Out in Professional Learning Communities", "Creating Physical and Emotional Safety In Schools", and a contributor to "The Collaborative Administrator". To learn more about Ken’s work, visit his website at www.unfoldthesoul.com, and follow @unfoldthesoul on Twitter.
Jim Sporleder retired in 2014 as Principal of Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, WA. Under Jim’s leadership, Lincoln High School became a “Trauma Informed” school, gaining national attention due to a dramatic drop in out of school suspensions, increased graduation rates and the number of students going on to post-secondary education. These dramatic changes at Lincoln caught the attention of Jamie Redford, who spent a year filming the documentary, Paper Tigers, which tells the Lincoln story. The documentary was released at the May 2015. Jim is currently working as a trauma-informed coach/consultant as well as a trainer with the Children’s Resilience Initiative, based in Walla Walla. His travels have taken him all over the United States. Jim is married, has three daughters and six granddaughters.
Find Jim online atJimsporlederconsulting.com , On Twitter @Sporlin and on Facebook.
Craig Randall has worked as an elementary and middle school counselor, including one intense year in the classroom with students with severe behavior issues. Craig has also worked in the job of his passion and calling: assistant principal and principal. Craig has done his work at schools both in the US and overseas. Now, as the author of the book and founder of the business with the same name: "Trust-Based Observations", Craig’s goal is to transform the world of teacher observation and evaluation. He is dedicated to training and consulting school leaders on the use of Trust-Based Observations, empowering them to build supportive relationships with their teachers, relationships which foster risk-taking, which in turn, dramatically improve teaching and learning. Find Craig online at: https://trustbased.com/ and on Twitter @trustbasedcraig
Ann Hlabangana-Clay is an instructional coach in Williamston, Delaware. After 26 years of consulting, teaching, presenting, tutoring and coaching PreK through 12th graders & adults across the U.S. and around the world, Ann still absolutely loves what she does! She has taught and led in Pennsylvania and Delaware, in public and private schools, in high need/high risk areas as well as gifted and talented students. In addition, she has taught in a TAM setting, a SAM setting, and taught a pre-college English course at a local community college. The legacy she leaves as an educational consultant and podcast host, is building capacity and resiliency within, one client and one podcast listener at a time. Find Ann online on Twitter: @ https://twitter.com/AnnHC_Champ4All LinkedIn: @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlaban... IG: @ https://www.instagram.com/annolivia.l... FB: @ https://www.facebook.com/AandCUnlimit... and visit her website: https://www.acunlimited.org/
Christopher Dodge is currently the Principal of The Orange Elementary Schools in Orange, MA, serving 500 students in grades PreK-6. He began his career as a grade 5 and 6 educator in Petersham, MA. Chris' passion as an educator included differentiating mathematics instruction for all students. Chris is an advocate for adult and student’ social-emotional well-being, and the impact it has on student achievement. Chris most recently served on the Commissioner’s Teaching and Learning subcommittee for reopening schools. He is a connected educator who utilizes social media to make family and community connections, and is passionate about educators using social media as a form of ongoing, personalized professional development. Find Chris on Twitter & IG: @PrincipalDodge1 Visit his school Facebook: @everychildeveryday1 and Chris' blog: http://oesleadlearner.blogspot.com/
Dr. Justin Goldston is a Professor of Project and Supply Chain Management at Penn State University. Dr. Goldston is the author of multiple peer-reviewed journal articles focused on supply chain management and innovative technologies, of Critical Success Factors in ERP Implementations, and is a five-time TEDx speaker where he discussed emerging technologies such as blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Goldston has led and assisted in developing Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics programs at Georgetown University, Texas A&M University, North Carolina Wesleyan College, and has evaluated doctoral programs for the Department of Higher Education while serving on the Management Advisory Board at various higher education institutions. Connect with Dr. Goldston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-goldston/
Matt Miller is the superintendent of Lakota Local Schools. He has spent the last 26 years serving Ohio communities as an educator in the roles of Superintendent, Director of Student Services and Instruction, Principal, and Teacher. Matt is actively involved in the prestigious and nationwide League of Innovative Schools through Digital Promise, serving as an elected member of their advisory committee. He was selected as one of 100 superintendents nationwide to attend and present at the #FutureReady National ConnectED Superintendents Summit at the White House, is the Lead Advisor for the Future Ready Schools District Leaders strand, was named to the National School Boards Association #NSBA Top 20 to Watch in the Nation. Matt conducted his 2016 TEDx Talk entitled: "Don't Buy the Book: Cultivate, Curate and Go Open", which we discuss here. Matt is transforming Lakota through the use of open educational resources and balanced learning, along with emphasizing student and teacher voice through innovation.
Follow Matt on Twitter & IG @LakotaSuper FB: Matt Miller - Lakota Local Schools Superintendent (facebook.com/LakotaSuper) and visit his district's website: www.lakotaonline.com
Rachelle Dené Poth is an #edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher. Rachelle teaches Spanish and STEAM: What’s nExT in Emerging Technology at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. She is also a #Buncee Ambassador, #Nearpod #PioNear and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. Rachelle is the author of four books, ‘In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU” (EduMatch) and “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” Rachelle Dene’s latest book is with ISTE “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World." Rachelle is a blogger for Getting Smart, Defined Learning, District Administration, NEO LMS, and the STEM Informer with Newsweek. Follow Rachelle on Twitter & IG: @Rdene915 FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/THRIVEINEDU and visit her website: https://rdene915.com/
Dr. Joseph Jones is the Superintendent of the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District in Delaware. Joe is a former high school social studies teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He received his doctorate from the University of Delaware in educational leadership. Currently, Joe works closely with local and state leaders on student achievement and accountability and has spearheaded an aggressive and successful campaign to ensure student success. Joe is also an adjunct professor, teaching and designing curriculum, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels for various universities. He presents nationally on topics of school leadership and is the co-founder of the leadership development institute, TheSchoolHouse302.
Dr. T.J. Vari is the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools and District Operations in the Appoquinimink School District in Delaware. He is a former middle school assistant principal and principal and former high school English teacher and department chair. His doctorate is in Innovation and Leadership. His efforts span beyond the K-12 arena into higher education where he holds adjunct appointments, teaching courses at the masters and doctoral level. He is a national presenter on topics of school leadership and the cofounder of TheSchoolHouse302, a leadership development institute. Both guests co-authored "Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools". And, with Salome Thomas-EL they co-authored "Passionate Leadership: Creating a Culture of Success in Every School as well as Building a Winning Team: The Power of a Magnetic Reputation" and the "Need to Recruit Top Talent in Every School". Follow them on Twitter @tjvari @TSH302 @josephjonessr FB: @TheSchoolhouse302 and visit their website: www.theschoolhouse302.com
Amy Valentine has been called a social rabble rouser, a turnaround strategist and a fighter of the status quo in K-12 education. She has served as a teacher, trainer, administrator, and executive director overseeing networks of schools. Amy is a staunch supporter of educators, a believer in the promise of new technologies, and remains above all an irrepressible optimist on system-level change. She leads Future of School, a national education organization, dedicated to bringing all kids’ learning opportunities into the 21st century. Amy has appeared onstage at DLAC and iNACOL and in dozens of panels, sharing insights on digital learning, equity and access. Amy's son Kai, joins this episode the last few minutes. Kai is a 7th grade student at Aspen View Academy (AVA), a charter school in Douglas County, CO. He enjoys playing basketball, baseball and swimming.
Follow Amy on Twitter: @amyvalentine555 @futureof_school FB: Future of School Stories-p or visit her website: http://futureof.school
Guests for this 50th episode celebration are: Jen Molitor is a Speaker and Author of The Happy Teacher’s Handbook- From Overwhelmed to Inspired- Helping Teachers Embrace Resiliency. She is a first year principal at a 4th/5th grade campus in Ohio. Find Jen on Twitter @TeacherRenegade
Brad Hughes is an elementary school Principal in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Brad recently launched his own podcast “Good news, Brad news”, on anchor.. Follow him on Twitter @Brad_Hughes
Brandon Beck, Ed.D. is the Author of “Unlocking Unlimited Potential: Understanding the Infinite Power within to Guide any student toward success.” He has been a dual language teacher elementary teacher for 15 years in NY state. Follow him Twitter & IG @BrandonBeckEDU FB: Brandon Beck Visit his website: brandonbeckedu.com
Chris Dodge: is currently the Principal of The Orange Elementary Schools in Orange, MA, serving 500 students in grades PreK-6. He is a connected educator who utilizes social media to make family and community connections, & as a form of ongoing, personalized professional development. Follow him Twitter & IG @PrincipalDodge1
Unlock the Middle are two proud middle school principals co-hosting a videocast to celebrate and unlock all that is special about middle school. They live in Dudley/Charlton, MA. They are Chris Starczewski and Dean Packard. They get excited helping students, educators and parents learn and grow. Their videocast, Unlock The Middle, airs live on Sunday nights at 8pm (EST) on Twitter (@UnlockTheMiddle), Facebook (@UnlockTheMiddle) and their YouTube Channel (Unlock The Middle). Follow them on social at @unlockthemiddle and visit their website: https://sites.google.com/view/unlockthemiddle
Lindsay Deacon is the Co-author of The EduCoach Survival Guide (2020), Coaching & Visible Learning Consultant at Corwin Press, previous School Improvement Coach and current 6th grade teacher at Portland Public Schools. She lives in Portland, OR. Lindsay has worked under Dr. Jim Knight’s leadership on his Instructional Coaching team and on Professor John Hattie’s Visible Learning team at Corwin Press. Outside of her professional work, Lindsay’s greatest passions are exercising and rereading A Game of Thrones. She also impersonates flight attendants from time to time. Follow Lindsay on Twitter & IG @TheRealLindsay2
Robert Breyer is the proud principal of Cameron Elementary School in Cameron, N. Carolina. He also makes time to coach aspiring leaders who are looking to make the transition from teacher to administration. He is the host of The Guiding Principals Podcast, where he encourages visionary school leaders to share the stories of their own leadership journey, and celebrates their successes along the way. Connect with Robert on his website at www.robertbreyer.com or via Twitter & IG @rbreyer51
Alexis Shepard (aka The Afro Educator) is a 9th year educator in Upstate, South Carolina, with both middle level and elementary experience. After multiple encounters with burn-out, a desire to take steps towards self-care led to the creation of her brand, #TheAfroEducator. Originally intended to facilitate connections with like-minded educators, a passion was ignited in Alexis to empower teachers towards wellness. In her work, Alexis seeks to create pervasive perceptions of wellness that will improve teacher outlook and sustainability. She champions teacher self-care through education, reflection, and dialogue. Alexis believes that by sharing stories, she can inspire and empower teachers to take control of their own narratives so that they can teach and live with joy. Follow Alexis on Twitter, Facebook & IG @theafroeducator
Jessica Cabeen was named the 2017 Minnesota Principal of the Year. Jessica is the Principal of Ellis Middle School in Austin, Minnesota. She is the author of "Leading with Grace", "Hacking Early Learning", “Unconvential Leadership” & co-author of "Balance like a Pirate". Follow Jessica on Twitter/IG @jessicacabeen & FB: principalinbalance Visit her website: www.jessicacabeen.com to sign up for her monthly newsletter
William Winfield is a young millennial certified professional speaker, Educational consultant, Minister, Author, and DISC consultant. William is also a father of two wonderful sons, and beautiful daughter, a husband to Jennifer. William has over 5 years of experience in public speaking, mentoring and coaching. He is one of the most sought-after motivational speakers for inspiring and activating students and educators in America. His own life experiences such as being in Foster care, homelessness, losing a football scholarship, raised by a single mother, and being molested have prepared him well and have made him an expert in his field. His transparency, honesty and heart-felt desire to inspire people to achieve greatness is what sets William apart. Follow William on Twitter @willisblessed38 IG: @willisblessed FB: williamwinfield View his YouTube channel @williamwinfield which has episodes from his speaking.