Ayers All Access: Recent Episodes

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The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (Tennessee, USA) offers an innovative "Grow Your Own" pathway for helping residents obtain certification and become classroom teachers within the school district. Hear from Ms. Lisa Baker, Director of Federal Programs in Clarksville-Montgomery, and Dr. Vanessa Garcia, Senior Director of Partnerships at Lipscomb University, about design of these innovations in the area of teacher certification and support. Teaching residents are hired as education assistants while they complete university coursework are are mentored by exemplary teachers to build their competencies. Teaching residents are ensured a teaching positions in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.

SHOW NOTES:

CMCSS Teacher Residency Programs

The Teacher Residency Program at Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) provides a pathway to teaching for those interested in a non-traditional approach to a degree or certification. Teacher Residents are educational assistants who contribute to excellence by providing instructional and non-instructional support to students while learning best practices for a career in education from an outstanding CMCSS educator.

• CMCSS Teacher Residency Program Continues to Grow, over 70 New Educators Signed in September

Lipscomb University Offerings for CMCSS

Lipscomb University’s College of Education, with one of the top teacher preparation programs in Tennessee and in the nation, is launching two new innovative teacher apprenticeship program models to create a pipeline of teachers to fill workforce needs across the state. Lipscomb has established its first degreed teacher candidate apprenticeship program with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS). This partnership includes the first master’s and certification teacher apprenticeship programs in Tennessee and one of the first of its kind in the nation. The program is a collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the U.S. Department of Labor to remove financial barriers for those who have undergraduate degrees but are seeking teacher licensure, which will further the state’s and nation’s efforts to extend the teacher pipeline and address teacher shortages.

• College of Education launches first master’s and certification teacher apprenticeship programs in Tennessee, gives opportunity to become a teacher for free

Quotes:

"We hear often, "There's a teacher shortage." And I don't know that I necessarily buy into that. I don't know that there's really a teacher shortage. I think there are lots of barriers that prohibit people from becoming teachers. And I think this work really, truly does help remove those barriers so that we have great candidates who are ready– day one– to lead a class of children." —Dr. Vanessa Garcia

"Our district had about 150 open positions at the beginning of the year. Nearly 60 of those were filled with residents. So that's exciting because we...

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Each "My Why" episode uncovers the journey of one educator: a teacher or leader who has chosen to devote his or her life to the education profession. Each story is different, yet each is an exploration of motivation, purpose, and hope.

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Candice McQueen from Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Candice McQueen became Lipscomb University’s 18th president in September of 2021. She has more than 20 years’ experience in education spanning classroom teaching, higher education leadership, state government and nonprofit sectors. From 2008 through 2014 she served as Dean of Lipscomb University's College of Education. From January 2015 to January 2019, Dr. McQueen served as Tennessee Commissioner of Education in the Bill Haslam administration. She has also served as the CEO of the National Institute of Excellence in Teaching (NIET) and is a co-founder of the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation.

• "Whatever my title is, I teach."

SHOW NOTES:

Announcement of Dr. Candice McQueen as the 18th President of Lipscomb University.

First-year review and vision for Lipscomb University President Candice McQueen.

Quotes:

"Teaching is ministry. At the end of the day, what a minister does is they determine where you are and what you need. They help you grow and they bring their faith into that. And that's what a teacher does! They find out where you are and where you need to grow. And Christian educators bring their faith into those conversations. I think the other fruit of the spirit, "love and hope and peace and patience" and all the things: we would care that an educator would have those. Those are things that you take on to be a better minister, and I think those are the same characteristics that a teacher has." —Dr. Candice McQueen

"I want students to leave knowing that someone cared about them and woke up every day dreaming about, thinking about, planning for, being very intentional and serious about making sure they have what they need spiritually, academically, and certainly socially and emotionally. We care so much about that here at Lipscomb. There are people, me being one of them, that truly are in their corner every day and that should give them, I think, the confidence to be really successful with whatever career path they choose. " —Dr. Candice McQueen

6-word Memoir:

"Whatever my title is, I teach." —Dr. Candice McQueen

CREDITS:

• Producer: Karen Marklein
• Host: Rachael Milligan
• Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

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Each "My Why" episode uncovers the journey of one educator: a teacher or leader who has chosen to devote his or her life to the education profession. Each story is different, yet each is an exploration of motivation, purpose, and hope.

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Leslie Cowell from Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Cowell serves as the Dean and Professor for the College of Education at Lipscomb University. She has a doctorate in Elementary Education from Auburn University, a master’s degree in Reading K-12 Education from the University of West Florida and a master’s degree in Urban Education from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. Prior to her position at Lipscomb, she served as the Dean and Professor for the College of Education at Faulkner University in Montgomery for 11 years. Dr. Cowell has taught 4th and 5th grade and worked as an elementary principal. Leslie has been married for 18 years to Dan Cowell, an attorney, and they have three children.

• "For the Lord, not for man."

SHOW NOTES:

College of Education Dean selection announcement from Lipscomb University.

Quotes:

"I really try to remember the Lord's faithfulness. I think an 'aha' moment came just trusting that the Lord has put you in the place where he wants you to be and he's building you and grooming you and giving you experiences. In some cases, you're going to mess up so that you can learn. [...] So don't get frustrated when things are hard or things don't go your way or if something arises that you didn't expect. Because you never know, five years down the road, you're going to look back and go, 'Now I know exactly why I had to do that, because I needed to build this skillset or I needed to meet that person.'" —Dr. Leslie Cowell

"Teachers need to be really intentional about making sure that the practices and instructional methodologies that they're using are inclusive to our diverse learners. [...] Every child has value and can do wonderful things in their life. And we shouldn't think that certain children or certain populations can't can achieve because everybody can. That's the awesome work of a teacher, right? That we have that opportunity to say to every child, 'You were created by God, you are wonderful, and let me see what I can do to help build that up in you so that you can make a difference and use your strengths in whatever capacity the Lord has planned for that.'" —Dr. Leslie Cowell

6-word Memoir:

"For the Lord, not for man." —Dr. Leslie Cowell

CREDITS:

• Producer & Host: Karen Marklein
• Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

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So much attention has been devoted to student ownership of learning and we know that that's very important. We would also assert the importance of planning for professional learning with teacher ownership of their own learning in mind. This episode highlights some practical and time-proven techniques for effective planning and facilitation of professional learning within the PreK-12 environment.

SHOW NOTES:

The Ayers Institute offers a full-day or customized training on preparing high-quality professional learning including the use of research findings on effective adult-learning practices. Please contact us to inquire about bringing this training opportunity to your school, district, or organization.

Key Questions for Planning:

• Who is my audience?
• Why are they coming?
• What will they gain from this time spent together?

Key Attributes:

• Honor the learner’s prior learning and knowledge.
• Give something relevant that learners can implement right away.
• Build in margin to allow for discussion and connection between participants.
• Include humor, storytelling, music, and fun.

Information Sources:

• Learning Forward provides both resources and standards for professional learning.
• Education Week ("EdWeek")
• Edutopia
• The Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD) provides resources.
• Author and Educator: Dr. Marcia Tate
• Researcher: Dr. Malcolm Shepherd Knowles (1913–1997)

"In a nutshell, educator ownership of learning means making those meaningful connections, being excited about it, and then translating that into concrete next steps." —Dr. Rachael Milligan

“Truly, when adults are able to get together and talk about important and meaningful things (and also intersperse humor and storytelling) and just loving to hear other people's ideas through that– that really helps the information that you're trying to share to stick with the person long term.” —Dr. Rachael Milligan

"Make it known in a very authentic way that you are honoring people's prior knowledge, prior experience, and the background that all the people in the room are bringing to the table. That is critical in building community early and allowing the professional learning experience to feel more like it's being led by the collective group. That's what you want. You want professional learning be a community of learners, not 'the sage on the stage.'" –Dr. Rachael Milligan

CREDITS:

• Producer & Host: Karen Marklein
• Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

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We’ve all experienced conversations that escalate quickly and fail to produce understanding or solutions. How can teachers, school leaders, and parents do a better job of communicating in both written and verbal conversations? Author and education leader Kim Bearden shares her insights in the book “Talk to Me: Finding the right words to inspire, encourage and get things done.” In this 'favored book' episode, Dr. Andrea Pewitt, Director of Academic Innovation and Strategy at Clarksville Christian School, shares why she chose this book and how it has made a positive impact on her career.

SHOW NOTES:

Featured Book:

• Talk to Me: Finding the right words to inspire, encourage and get things done written by Kim Bearden (2018)

Other books by Kim Bearden:

• Crash Course: The Life Lessons My Students Taught Me (2014)
• Fight Song: Six Steps to Passion, Power, Peace, and Purpose (2021)

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Clarksville Christian School, where Andrea Pewitt works.

Learn more about the Lipscomb IDEAL program - "Igniting the Dream of Education and Access at Lipscomb"

Websites:

• KimBearden.com – Book author's website.
• RonClarkAcademy.com – Book author’s non-profit school located in Southeast Atlanta, GA.

"What drew me to the book was how to communicate with difficult people and how to communicate in general. One thing that I learned from my father is to always listen first and respond second. And she really talks about that. And I really value Kim Bearden’s education philosophy, so I was drawn to reading another one of her books. The title intrigued me immediately about communication and how to do that effectively." —Dr. Andrea Pewitt

“The six principles focused on consideration and motivation behind communication. You have to consider: Why did they send the email? What was the motivation behind it? And I think that if you stop and think about that (before immediately assuming you know why they sent the email and firing back an email in response), it will change the direction and the tone of the conversation.” —Dr. Andrea Pewitt

CREDITS:

• Producer: Karen Marklein
• Host, Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

The content of this episode represents the thoughts and opinions of our guest about the featured book and does not represent an official endorsement by the Ayers Institute or Lipscomb University.

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Hank Staggs, Director of Accelerating Character Education Development at the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), joins us to discuss "Character Education": what it is, why it's important, and how you can start integrating character eduction into what is already happening in your school. With the modern emphasis on increasing academic success, we should also remember the importance of building character, morals, social living, and civics. Those things enable us to reach our full potential as humans in society. Research has shown that emphasizing character actually encourages and strengthens students' academic performance.

SHOW NOTES:

Accelerating Character Education Development (ACED) The National Institute for Excellence (NIET) helps school and district leaders build a supportive school culture through the Accelerating Character Education Development (ACED) initiative. ACED's tools and resources are used to integrate effective character development and related social-emotional learning skills into a school's instruction, culture, and climate − giving all students the opportunity for success in school and life.

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: PRIMED for Character Education: Six Design Principles for School Improvement by Marvin Berkowitz
• The Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri - St. Louis – research, education and advocacy to foster the development of character, democratic citizenship and civil society. The CCC provides resources and tool kits to assist educators, parents and scholars in character and citizenship education.
• The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues
• Character.org – a non-partisan organization that advocates for character development in families, schools, and organizations.​​​​

Quotes:

"Character is not a stand-alone program or initiative. Character education can be embedded into the very ethos and fabric of your school. We really want you to have a culture of character in your school. I haven't met a principal yet that did not want to improve their school culture. That's what the character piece is. The character piece IS your school culture. And if we can get that right, then everything else sort of sits on that plate or falls under that umbrella." —Dr. Hank Staggs

"We have found (and you can read this in the literature)– character actually increases and encourages and strengthens academic performance. A lot of the intellectual virtues, for example, are virtues that your math teacher, your science teacher, your English teacher would want their students to know and do and execute, you know, in their classes. So, we have found that academic success actually improves." —Dr. Hank Staggs

CREDITS:

• Producer: Karen Marklein
• Host: Rachael Milligan
• Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

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Emily Mofield, author of "Vertical Differentiation for Gifted Advanced and High-Potential Students" shares 3 instructional strategies that can be used to "bump up" the rigor and the challenge within educational activities. Dr. Mofield is an Assistant Professor of Education at Lipscomb University where she co-leads the graduate program in Gifted & Advanced Academics and teaches in the doctoral program. Previously in her career, Dr. Mofield has served as a middle-school teacher and a district leader in Gifted Education.

SHOW NOTES:

Dr. Emily Mofield's Book: Vertical Differentiation for Gifted Advanced and High-Potential Students (2022) Available for purchase at Routledge Press and Amazon.com

Resources Mentioned:

• Project Zero’s mission is to understand and nurture human potentials –such as learning, thinking, ethics, intelligence and creativity –in all human beings. Our research examines the nature of such potentials, the contexts and conditions in which they develop, and the practices that support their flourishment.
• “See, Think, Wonder” A routine for exploring works of art and other interesting things.
• “Five Why’s” strategy Getting to the Root of a Problem Quickly
• Essential Questions Questions that any thoughtful, intellectually-alive person ponders and should keep pondering.
• Hattie’s framework of “surface, deep, and transfer learning” Frey, N., Fisher, D., & Hattie, J. (2017). Surface, Deep, and Transfer? Considering the Role of Content Literacy Instructional Strategies. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 60(5), 567–575.
• Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Categorizing tasks according to the complexity of thought they require is one way for teachers to create a rich learning environment.

Quotes:

“Gifted education is about providing rigor and challenge, but also authentic, meaningful, joyful learning experiences so that they stay excited about learning and so that they can reach their potential.” —Dr. Emily Mofield

“I believe there are more gifted children than we are identifying. A gifted child is not just someone with an IQ of 140. There are high-potential students in every school, and perhaps their giftedness isn't pulled out yet. When high-quality curriculum and robust instruction is provided, it reveals talent. Until a student has an opportunity to show creativity, we're not going to see it.” —Dr. Emily Mofield

“Creative thinking is not about buying glitter from the dollar tree and throwing it on the poster. Creativity is where students have to apply insightful connections or improve something or come up with a new idea. These strategies provide a structure that makes sure that whatever the students are producing is truly rigorous.” —Dr. Emily Mofield

CREDITS:

• Producer & Host: Karen Marklein
• ...

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What change would occur in our classrooms, in our schools, and in our lives if we truly shifted our mindset to love everyone, always? Even when it's most difficult. That is the challenge and encouragement set before us by author Bob Goff in the book "Everyone, Always." In this 'favored book' episode, Dr. Andrea Pewitt, Program Director for the IDEAL program at Lipscomb University, shares why she chose this book and how it has made a positive impact on her work with students and parents.

SHOW NOTES:

Featured Book:

• Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People written by Bob Goff (2018)

Other books by Bob Goff:

• Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (2012)
• Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do About It (2020)
• Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. (2022)

Additional Resources:

Learn more about the Lipscomb IDEAL program - "Igniting the Dream of Education and Access at Lipscomb"

Websites:

• BobGoff.com – Book author's website.
• LoveDoes.org – Charitable organization founded by Bob Goff that focuses on improving human rights, caring for the vulnerable, and providing education in conflict zones.

"We are called to love everyone, regardless of who they are, because they were created by God. Created in his image. And we have to look past the exterior and get to know people and love people; even when it's hard. When there are challenging students or there are challenging parents that everyone has to deal with, we have to dig a little deeper and find out what it is that causes the concern or the issues. And then, try to start from there and work the way back up. Kind of the iceberg effect: looking 'below the surface' and going from there." —Dr. Andrea Pewitt

"Bob Goff talks about telling people 'who they are' and not 'what it is you want them to be.' I think with students, especially, we remind students who they are. That they are children of– they're created from– God. Especially the young adults that I work with in this population that may have a disability, but that's not who they are. They are more than that! I think reminding myself and others that we are more than the outside is really a big takeaway" —Dr. Andrea Pewitt

CREDITS:

• Producer: Karen Marklein
• Host, Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

The content of this episode represents the thoughts and opinions of our guest about the featured book and does not represent an official endorsement by the Ayers Institute or Lipscomb University.

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We’ve gathered questions from current teachers and leaders from all across the state of Tennessee for this "Ask Me Anything" episode about coaching. We will be posing your questions to Dr. Karen Marklein, an experienced educator and coach who is currently serving as the Director of Programs for the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation at Lipscomb University’s College of Education.

SHOW NOTES:

Watch an on-demand replay of the Ayers Institute Webinar "Advice I Would Give Myself as a New Coach." (Free eduTOOLBOX user account required.)

Watch the INVEST Video "Building a Culture of Coaching." (Free eduTOOLBOX user account required.)

Quotes:

A coach is a job embedded professional learning facilitator focused on student growth. –Dr. Karen Marklein

All research will point to the fact that coaching needs to be voluntary, teacher driven, based in teacher need, and driven by those teachers’ goals. –Dr. Karen Marklein

References:

Aguilar, E. (2005). The Art of Coaching: Effective strategies for school transformation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Folkman, Joseph (2014, January 30). “In 2014 are you fixing your weakness, or building your strength? Here’s what matters most.” Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2014/01/30/in-2014-are-you-fixing-your-weakness-or-building-your-strength-heres-what-matters-most/?sh=40246f027571

Knight, J. (2009, March). “What can we do about teacher resistance?" Phi Delta Kappan 90(7), 508-513.

Knight, J. (2019, November 1). “Why teacher autonomy is central to coaching success.” ASCD. Retrieved from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/why-teacher-autonomy-is-central-to-coaching-success.

CREDITS:

• Producer & Guest: Karen Marklein
• Host, Engineer, & Editor: Forrest Doddington

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Joy, love, kindness, and empathy are so important in our school buildings and within our school communities. It's also important to remember that teachers need to be upheld as valuable assets within those communities and that each teacher is an individual on a personal and professional journey. This episode features some real-world school stories from Dr. Lance Forman that focus on "the humanity in educators."

SHOW NOTES:

Dr. Lance Forman is the current Director of the Educational Leadership Program at Lipscomb's College of Education. Lance is a former elementary school teacher, assistant principal, and executive principal in Metro Nashville Public Schools.

• Professional profile for Lance Forman
• LinkedIn profile for Lance Forman

Quotes:

It's important to look at the humanity of teachers, of kids, of educators. I think we have forgotten that. We've become so engrossed and focused on other things that obviously are important and we've forgotten that it's okay to have fun, and laugh, and enjoy school! Leaders need to recognize the humanity in teachers (and teachers in leaders) and to understand what they are going through in their own lives. –Lance Forman

Followership is the most important thing to being a school leader. Because if you're leading and no one's following, then you're just taking a walk in the park. You've got to have people who will follow you and listen to you. It's really a delicate balance because you're not pushing them to follow you, you're modeling the behaviors that you hope to see out of them and empowering them to make decisions on their own. That will create a followership. –Lance Forman

Practical Tips:

1. Keep your focus on student success (rather than teacher recognition).
2. Recognize the desires and struggles in the lives of your colleagues (teachers and leaders) and simply support and be happy for them.
3. Change your language to "we" and "our."
4. Share handwritten notes of encouragement and appreciation.
5. Provide the opportunity to "tap in / tap out" so that adults can de-escalate.

CREDITS:

• Producer & Host: Karen Marklein
• Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

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Each "My Why" episode uncovers the journey of one educator: a teacher or leader who has chosen to devote his or her life to the education profession. Each story is different, yet each is an exploration of motivation, purpose, and hope.

In this episode, we hear from Ms. Morgan Rankin from Johnson City, Tennessee. Morgan has 16 years of experience as an educator, has taught in both Canada and the United States, and in August 2021 was named the Tennessee Teacher of the Year for 2021-22. She is also one of the founders of the Blue Ridge Literacy Project that hosts an annual conference and focuses on advancing the level of literacy instruction within the areas of Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina.

• "Teaching is shaping what might be."

SHOW NOTES:

Tennessee Teacher of the Year 2022 announcement from the Tennessee Department of Education.

The Blue Ridge Literacy Project - Empowering Learners Through Literacy

Book recommendations:

• "Bold School: Old School Wisdom + New School Technologies = Blended Learning That Works" by Weston Keischnick
• "Breaking Bold: Dare to Defy the Tyranny of Trends and Live the Relationship Habits of a Master Educator" by Weston & Molly Keischnick

Quotes:

Ultimately I teach because this is my way to make a difference in the world. This is my way to make life better. And I do that because you can look at these little people and think, “I see amazing things in you. You're going to be a wonderful parent, you're going to be a wonderful employee, you're going to be a wonderful contributor to our community and you're going to help change the world.” And that's what teaching is: seeing that bigger picture for your students and encouraging that. --Morgan Rankin

I hope that they remember that I pushed them to learn. But that I cared about them deeply. I knew in that moment, this isn't just teaching second grade. This is helping to form adults; citizens. I hope they remember that I saw something IN them and something FOR them that was great. And that I knew they could do it. —Morgan Rankin

6-word Memoir:

"Teaching is shaping what might be." —Morgan Rankin

CREDITS:

• Producer: Karen Marklein
• Host: Rachael Milligan
• Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

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We have recently visited school districts all across the state of Tennessee and it is so encouraging to see school pride displayed within the schools and around their communities. Expressions of pride range from displaying school colors, to creating inviting environments, to displaying student work. This episode includes stories from our travels. Join us in thinking about the positive impact of having a positive self-identity about our schools and our students, teachers, and leaders.

SHOW NOTES:

Rachael Milligan and Karen Marklein have been "on the road" as part of the work of the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation: supporting teachers and leaders in improving student outcomes through proven professional learning and to incubating innovative instructional ideas and resources. Please reach out with any questions about Ayers Institute resources and partnerships.

What do we mean by "pride" in the context of school pride?

Pride is more than a comparison of myself to others. It's really more about positive self-identity. When a community is really proud of their school, it means "I'm happy to say I go there", "I'll work there," because I have a positive feeling about being connected to that community. The educators, the leaders, the students have locked arms together in in this work. They are all moving forward together. The entire community is having that feeling of camaraderie. And that positive feeling binds us together. It is a family feel when you have pride in your school as a student or as an educator. —Rachael Milligan & Karen Marklein

"Comparison is the thief of joy." —Theodore Roosevelt

CREDITS:

• Producer: Karen Marklein
• Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

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For this "Ask Me Anything" episode, we will be talking with Dr. Karen Marklein, Director of Programs for the Ayers Institute and Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Lipscomb University. edTPA® is a digital portfolio that teaching candidates compile during one semester of their certification journey. edTPA is focused on demonstrating knowledge and skills related to pedagogy. Karen co-developed and participates in facilitating the edTPA seminar for job-embedded candidates that is used at Lipscomb University. We've gathered some questions and Karen has not seen them in advance, so there will be some surprises.

SHOW NOTES:

Topics covered:

• How to support candidates who are preparing for edTPA submission.
• What do school administrators need to know about edTPA?
• What do university advisors need to know about edTPA?
• What do supervising teachers need to know about etTPA?
• Common pitfalls for candidates in the edTPA process.

About edTPA® – edTPA is a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used by teacher preparation programs throughout the United States to emphasize, measure and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need from Day 1 in the classroom.

• Assessment Area listing
• Resource Library – including subject-specific handbooks

“Would you rather have a doctor who performed surgery or a doctor who took a test on how to perform surgery?” –Dr. Karen Marklein

CREDITS:

• Producer: Karen Marklein
• Host: Rachael Milligan
• Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington