Anchored in Education: Recent Episodes
Dr. E. Scott England
There are over 3 million full-time teachers in the United States. Add in part-time teachers, support staff, administrators, and board members, and you have a lot of people who have dedicated their lives to educate the lives of others. We believe in providing a platform where educators can gather to share, learn, and encourage others. Because at the end of the day, we are all Anchored in Education.
Last week’s conversation on Anchored in Education talked about taking on leadership responsibilities in different parts of our world in a moment of crisis. Today, I want to explore what leadership in education looks like in different parts of our world, leaving out the crisis part.
The Dwight School is a private independent for-profit college preparatory school located on Manhattan's Upper West Side in New York City. They offer an International Baccalaureate curriculum and in addition to the New York campus, have global campuses located in London; Seoul, South Korea; Shanghai, China; Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; and, coming in August 2024, Hanoi, Vietnam.
My guest today is Brantley Turner, and she has been tapped to lead the opening of the Dwight School in Hanoi. Brantley Turner serves as the East Asia Education Director for Dwight Schools, brings 25 years of experience in China, including a decade as the founding principal of a unique collaborative high school approved by China’s Ministry of Education. This is the first time Anchored in Education has really expanded beyond the U.S. border to learn more about global education in both teaching and learning.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Brantley.
I have long said that some of the best leadership lessons I have learned have come from outside of education. I frequently mention the leadership of retired Navy Submarine Captain L. David Marquet. His intent-based leadership that he highlighted in his best-selling book Turn the Ship Around is something that I frequently mention when asked about my leadership style. I have been fortunate to come across another book that has provided me with similar perspectives of finding leadership where you don’t always suspect it.
My guest today is Phillip Jett, and he is the author of the recently released book Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of the Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy. I know it’s quite the title, but be honest right now, do you have a clue as to what this book will be about other than what you’ve heard on the title? I didn’t either. I have heard, read, and watched many stories and reflections on what happened on December 7, 1941. But never in this have I heard a story about Pan Am, and furthermore, never had I heard about luxury airliners.
I knew from reading a brief synopsis that on that at that moment when Pearl Harbor came under attack, unsuspecting people were thrust into roles where survival depended on leadership. I’ve learned a lot from this book, and I hope you will learn a lot from our guest today.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Philip.
I am fortunate to be in a position in which I receive many books sent to me a month. One such book I received earlier in the year was Made for Learning: How the Conditions of Learning Guide Teaching Decisions. The authors are Debra Crouch and Brian Cambourne. The way this dynamic author duo came to be is a great story by itself, one that we will actually hear a little about in just a few minutes. But more than that, Debra and Brian have put together a book that will allow us as educators to better leverage the teaching and learning process.
There are eight conditions of learning that our authors have identified. Today, we are joined by Debra Crouch who will go into a more detail, not just on the conditions of learning but how they are intricately connected to one another.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Debra.
There are only a few foods I do not like. I don’t do olives of any sort. I don’t do pickled beets. And I despise Doritos of any flavor. That last one I am super serious about. I don’t even allow Doritos to be eaten in my car. So I am not a picky eater. I know a few picky eaters. Jennifer is one. My former secretary is another. But really, I would use the term picky for anyone who doesn’t eat like I eat.
And now I’ve come to realize that for some, choosing what they do or don’t eat is not always a choice left up to them. And to call them picky, can actually be quite hurtful. I’ve been introduced to Selective Eating Disorder, or the more formal term: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.
People with selective eating disorder often choose foods in which they feel is safe. This could mean in terms of texture, color, taste, and so forth. More important for us to know is that these people often feel a lot of stress and anxiety around eating, especially when eating around others.
It’s a topic that we need to talk about on Anchored in Education because I can think of so many times I’ve commented or heard others comment on lunches students eat at school. Thankfully, Linda B. Davis, author of the fictional book Food Fight, a juvenile novel designed to help educate readers on Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Today, she joins us to talk more about this rare eating disorder.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Linda.
Recently, I have had several guests on Anchored in Education who have written fictional literature. Even though most of the works of fiction have been geared towards children and young adults, I have not hesitated to feature these guests. I have several reasons for this, with one of those reasons being that sometimes we need to escape from our adult literature and be reminded that lessons come in many varieties. The second is that we often don’t realize the various things students are going through because we struggle to connect or understand.
Today’s guest recently published the book Might as Well Be Dead. It is a book that follows a main character who is thirteen and trying to navigate the trials of middle school, best friend problems, and even a budding romance. On top of that? He’s trying to get over his mom’s sudden decision to pick up and leave the family. In the process, he begins having hallucinations of a middle-aged Englishman who ultimately confesses he needs the young protagonist to deliver a message.
This book is filled with so much that can cause one to step back to reconsider what unknown trials a person may face. And we welcome author Mark Goldblatt to discuss it in more detail.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Mark.
Just a few days from today will mark the seventh anniversary of the fatal shooting of Philando Castile in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan area. A couple of months ago marked the three year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, also in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan area. Located just miles from both of these tragic incidents was our guest today, David Mura. David is a third generation Japanese American. Both his grandparents and parents spent time in Japanese internment camps during World War II.
Already an accomplished author, David recently published his newest book The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives. This book explores how white stories about race attempt to erase the brutality of the past and underpin systemic racism in the present. This book takes an indepth look at how historical and fictional narratives have been told to justify and maintain white supremacy. It is a book that can at times feel like a gut check to readers. But it is one that I feel we need to explore more on Anchored in Education.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about David.
I came across a new book, recommended to me by my friends at Books Forward. It’s called Welcome to Monsterville, and it’s illustrations of various monsters with an accompanying poem. If I stopped here, you might be left wondering how I am tying this in to anchored in education. Great question. Now let me tell you the back story.
This book came about when the late illustrator Michael Rothenburg began using art therapy to help him through various challenges. He would then send them to his friend and accomplished poet Laura Shovan who would write a poem to go with the illustration. When these two friends started this, it wasn’t for the purposes of a book. It was to cope with things life was throwing at them. One of those things was the Covid19 pandemic.
It was only later when they realized the message they could get out by publishing these works. Welcome to Monsterville reminds us as educators that sometimes we need to value process over product. It also has huge implications as an SEL teaching tool, which is just one area that I was fortunate enough to speak about with my guest today, Laura Shovan.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Laura.
I sometimes wonder if the 1991 hit song by Genesis “I Can’t Dance” was written for me. I mean, I was only eight, so maybe it would be cruel that they would direct such harsh words to a young and impressionable child. Okay, maybe it was written with me in mind. But it is nearly accurate in all ways. I can neither dance nor sing. And a recent stroll through downtown Chicago on my way from the orange line to Union Station proved I struggle with walking as a lack of awareness led me to step off the curb and fall straightway onto Adams Street. I can talk—most of the time—so there is that.
But the lack of singing or dancing talent has never stopped me from creating parodies to popular songs to get students excited to come back to school. I created them as a first grade teacher, a principal, and a superintendent. I even created one during a summer in which I was uncertain where I would be in the fall. I just knew you couldn’t go wrong with a good back to school jam. That’s the power of telling a story with a video.
Which is pretty perfect since today’s guest specializes in video storytelling. John Azoni is the founder of Unveild which has the explicit intent of helping higher education institutions better tell their stories through video. And from personal experience, regardless of your position or level within education, you’re going to want to learn more with us today.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about John.
If you are a regular listener of Anchored in Education, then you’ve heard my guest today on four previous episodes. And each time Charley Cass joins us he enlightens us with thought-provoking conversations. The other thing you would notice about my previous episodes with Charley is that they cover a wide variety of topics. We’ve tackled such topics like awards and accolades given to students for academics, we’ve talked about the crucial role support personnel play, we’ve talked about family engagement, and we’ve talked about navigating that first year as a superintendent. And since that final conversation, Charley published a book: Leaving Poverty: On Purpose and For Good.
I had no clue when I received my copy what I was going to learn. I knew Charley had led some talks and workshops on poverty. I didn’t realize that he used personal experiences to help educate others on what poverty looks like from that lens. As Charley says, he is a rags to middle class story. A story that I’m sure decades ago would never have pegged a young Mr. Cass to grow up to become an Illinois Principal of the Year among other accolades.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Charley.
One day Jennifer emailed me. She then said told me, hey, I just emailed you. Yes, she emailed me while in the same room. But what she emailed was a link to the book Drama Mama: Lessons Learned in the Imaginary Elsewhere by award-winning theater teacher Kristie Farr. The first lines of the description asked: Are you losing your passion for teaching? Have you forgotten why you even became a teacher?
I saw that this book was a piece of reflection, a glimpse at Kristie’s story and journey through 30 years of teaching. I am always down for a good story. When I received my copy of Drama Mama, I couldn’t put it down. So much of what Kristie was writing about resonated with me as a person, a father, and an educator. I am so grateful that she has agreed to join me on today’s episode so we can talk more about her journey and lessons she has learned. I definitely learned from it. I hope you will, too.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Peg.
I truly cherish and value every guest. So when I have the opportunity to have a guest return, I am beyond thrilled. You might remember Peg from our earlier conversation when we talked about productive struggle and the power of saying not yet. Peg joins Anchored in Education again today to talk about how we can clear the path for developing learners while promoting essential literacy skills. In fact, that’s the name of her new book that was published just this month.
Clearing the Path for Developing Learners: Essential Literacy Skills to Support Achievement in Every Content Area is a book that came about after educators in Peg’s district began breaking down what essential literacy skills made their appears in standards, curriculum, and other areas. While I’ll let her talk more about these seven essential skills, I will say that Peg was recently a guest speaker for my Curriculum and Instructional Leadership course discussing these very skills. I think you will find a lot of applications in what Peg is discussing along with the usefulness her new book can provide districts.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Peg.
One day an email landed in my inbox recommending today’s guest. The email featured the book Moral Code, written by today’s guest Lois Melbourne and her husband Ross. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as it is a sci-fi thriller that features the powerful implications of AI. Which, AI seems to dominating our headlines in such a way that soon we won’t be using the word sci-fi in front of the word thriller.
But as I always do, in my research of Lois, I found out that she stays quite busy with several ventures in the areas of education and students. Today she is going to talk about how we can evolve as lifelong learners, the importance of career education, promoting women in STEM, and of course, Moral Code.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Lois.
I think of a lot of books I enjoyed reading as a child. The Boxcar Children. Fudge. The Goosebump Series. I could get lost in these books because I felt so connected to the characters. Dare I say, I identified with them? Yes, I could definitely say that because I often did. Which is why I never considered that many grow up not getting to say the same thing.
My guest today is one of them. Shetal Shah has been in and around education for many years. One thing she noticed was the lack of books in the classroom featuring Indian or Indian-American women like herself. As a former history teacher at an all girls school, Shetal witnessed how curriculum and literature inclusive of women from diverse backgrounds can have a positive impact on girls’ self-esteem, identity development, and belonging. She knew what she had to do: She decided to write her own book.
She chose the Hindi word Shakti for the title because it means feminine energy and strength, power, and a force to be reckoned with. I am excited to welcome Shetal today to talk more about her book Shakti Girls: Poems of Inspiring Indian Women, and why we need to see a more inclusive curriculum of many cultures.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Shetal.
Last week, Tracy Badua joined us to talk about her book This is Not A Personal Statement. That conversation highlighted the pressures that students often feel in life, especially academic, and the extremes they will sometimes go to. It was a relevant conversation for us to remember not just in support of students, but for us as adults as well. When we finished the conversation, Tracy mentioned she had another book coming out on May 9. It’s called The Takeout.
She sent me a preview copy and while I was reading it I realized just how often what she was writing about happens. I’m in the world of academia, so I live in a world of citing sources. But what happens when someone steals your idea for their gain without ever giving you credit? This is just one of so many different themes Tracy covers in The Takeout. I knew she had to come back to talk about this as well.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Tracy.
Have you ever had a setback in life? I’m sure we all have. How did you handle it? Grin and bear it; trying hard next time? Or forging your way through using lies and deception so no one would know of your shortcomings? As crazy as it may seem, many resort the latter when faced with such a dilemma. Our guest today is Tracy Badua, author of This is Not A Personal Statement, a work of fiction that was inspired by actual events. Tracy’s book actually highlights a common problem when it comes to students facing pressures and stress in academics.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Tracy.
Have you ever wondered how to start a podcast where you know you’re going to say something that some will find offensive? No? Just me. Alright. Let me start by saying I’m a fan of baseball. While I don’t follow the major leagues closely any more, I can often be found at minor league games throughout the United States each summer. But what I really can’t stand is when someone says, “So and So broke an unwritten rule.”
An unwritten rule in baseball is not a rule. It is more of a behavioral constraint that is imposed on players that are not typically voiced or written down. Here’s the thing: Who came up with the unwritten rules and who continues to hand them down to generation after generation of players?
By now you’re probably asking, does this rant have anything to do with today’s topic? Yes, way more than you think. My guest today is Margaret Ghielmetti. Margaret penned Brave(ish): A Memoir of a Recovering Perfectionist. In her book, she talks about the Family Handbook. The family handbook is actually something we most likely all are aware of but don’t physically have. Guess what? It’s the unwritten rules we’ve been taught to abide by.
When Margaret and I first began communicating I told her how there are unwritten rules in teaching. Maybe they are practices and habits we do because that is how we were taught, or what we witnessed growing up. And while many times they aren’t bad “rules,” they can often hinder us. We are going to find out how today.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Margaret.
My guest today spoke to the Illinois Association for School Administrators conference in the Fall of 2022. I wasn’t in attendance, but I knew his keynote was powerful when my Twitter feed began going crazy with overwhelmingly positive feedback. It just so happened that I had an interview scheduled the next day with frequent Anchored in Education guest, Charley Cass. Charley joined the recording from his hotel room where he gave an outstanding review of the talk and said he’d make a good guest.
I started researching, and what I found was incredible. It wasn’t that my guest today was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. It wasn’t the amazing stories he had of his minor league playing days. It was his message that he shares all over the world. He has spoken at some of the largest companies and organizations. He speaks at schools in front of thousands of students. He is an avid writer, publishing three children’s books with other works on the way.
He is also on a quest to end racism. He has a powerful message of love is greater than hate. And it stemmed from the tragic shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17, 2015. Of the nine victims, one of them was the mother of our guest today, Chris Singleton. I find his message to not only be timely, but ever much needed.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Chris.
A few months back I was given a list of potential guests that consisted of about a half dozen names. It was up to me to research each name and determine how they fit in the Anchored in Education platform. One of the names was Melinda Wenner Moyer. I put the name into a search and discovered that she was a journalist with a particular interest in parenting, science, and medicine. The next line I read said she was the author of the book How to Raise Kids who Aren’t Assholes: Science-based Strategies for Better Parenting, from Tots to Teens. My search stopped immediately and instead shifted to how I can purchase this book.
A couple of days later I was engrossed in Melinda’s book and realized I had to get her onto the podcast. Melinda readily agreed, but her first thought was she wasn’t a teacher. But in reading the book I could already see how this book would benefit educators, parents, soon to be parents, or, in short, everyone. I finished reading the book towards the end of 2022 and it has yet to make it to my bookshelf because I keep opening it to re-read sections. Today she joins us to talk more about the book and the implications for how her book can help educators and parents alike, find research proven strategies to better assist children.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Efraín.
Back in the fall of 2022 I received a message from Efraín Martínez asking if I would like to be a guest on his podcast, Wisdom and Productivity. I agreed under the condition that he would one day join me on Anchored in Education. And while today is that day, I wanted to give you a little background on why I was so excited to host Efraín. He has an incredible story. One that is riddled with ups and downs, wins and losses, happiness and tears.
In my research before putting together an episode, I found captivating articles by major news outlets that had Efraín as the focal point sharing candidly the struggles and successes that have helped define who he is as a person and a leader. I think many times we share similar stories but are afraid to share them for the fear of what others will think.
And then there is the podcast he hosts, Wisdom and Productivity. A simple concept that approaches each episode in the same way and yet produces fresh content with each episode. I can learn so much from Wisdom and Productivity and the man behind the microphone, and it is my opinion, that you can too.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Efraín.
I am fortunate to be able to devote time to producing a quality podcast that is informative, engaging, and entertaining. To celebrate the 100th episodes, I've asked former guest, and friend, Chris Briggs-Hale to take over as the host. Listen as we explore what makes Anchored in Education what it is. We dive deep into the why behind this podcast.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about our host, Chris Briggs-Hale, as well as find out how to follow him and the great things he is doing.
Nothing can make or break a good lesson than student behavior. I can think of many times early on in my career where I gave too much attention to one area while neglecting the area of student engagement. This, at times, led to unfavorable consequences for my lessons as I had to navigate between disruptions and other disturbances to the classroom environment.
Classroom management is something that has been discussed for decades. It is a critical component to finding success in the classroom that I find many bring unique approaches for how to find success in the classroom.
This is true for my guest today, Scott Ervin. He can be found all over the country working with educators as well as beginning to work with higher education institutions to help teach pre-service teachers the necessary skills to find success in their classrooms.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Scott.
I can remember back to eighth grade. It was the spring semester. Only two quarters to go before I could say to heck with junior high; I’m a high schooler now. But before all that could happen, I had a new class on my schedule. Not just me, every eighth grader had it. If my memory serves me correctly, my section of the class was right before lunch once a week. The class even taught by a high school teacher. The title of the course. Study skills.
Some might be thinking, what on earth is study skills while others might be nodding their heads thinking of a similar course they took. I have found over the years that study skills was called various names depending on the school, but the fundamental principles never changed. It was a class that centered around note taking. Concepts like how to abbreviate words to write faster and how to pick out the main idea that is worth writing down.
My guest today realizes the value of note taking as a skill and a learning tool. I found Hank Barbour through an article he wrote about how he incorporates note taking into his classes. Today he joins us to discuss more a practice he uses and truly believes in, and it is centered around note taking.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Hank.
Raise your hand if you’ve heard the narrative before on how we are all so fortunate to be called to a profession to make such a tremendous impact on the lives of children. My hand is up. Heck, I’ve probably even mistakenly said similar things myself as an administrator. Here is the deal though, teaching is a profession. Can we be called to it? Yes. Do we have to be? No. Can we come to our classroom or our school each day, not loving what we do while at the same time, being amazing at how we do our job? One hundred percent.
If you’re anything like me, this sort of plays with your mind and maybe preconceived notions. What if instead I was able to share how this rhetoric that has been given to us over the years is actually not reality. We can absolutely not love teaching but still be a highly effective teacher.
To help me out, I’ve invited Elizabeth Dampf onto Anchored in Education today. Elizabeth recently published an article with ASCD in their EL magazine titled "It’s About Skillsets and Support, not Sainthood." After an overwhelmingly positive response, she wrote a follow up article for ASCD’s blog titled "Let’s Stop Expecting Teachers to Love the Job." I read both and realized, we need to extend this conversation.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Elizabeth.
Making connections and fostering positive relationships has always been a cornerstone in education. Sometimes though we become near complacent in this area as we take advantage of routines and practices that have always just been there and worked. The pandemic brought the importance of prioritizing connections to the front and center.
Even after we've entered this sort of psuedo post-pandemic era, prioritizing connections remains more critical than ever. Thankfully, my guest today Dr. Michelle Hope, an assistant principal from Memphis, Tennessee has written and discussed extensively on how we can prioritize properly. Michelle offers important tips and simple strategies, many of which do not take more than a couple of second to accomplish, yet make a world of difference.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Michelle.
We’ve all received bad news at some point in our lives. Or, what about this, have you ever been impacted by a physical ailment? Did you think it was the end of the world? I know it sounds dramatic but I can remember times when things happened to me that had me asking questions like why me.
Now, for a second, I want you to imagine that you’re an accomplished piano player. You’ve taken lessons since you were five or six. It was an integral part of your life growing up, so much so you majored in it when you went to college. After college you took your incredible skill and talent with you into the classroom to impart knowledge. Then one night, an event would absolutely rock your world. You go from perfectly fine at night to waking up finding yourself in the hospital. This is what happened to my guest today, Amy Effler. Amy is currently an elementary music teacher in Easton, MD and a doctoral student at UMES. She was in the first ever class I taught at UMES and she shared this incredible story. I hope you listened to last week’s episode with Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt, because this is a story of grit, growth, hope, and healing. I knew the minute she shared it that I wanted her to join me on the podcast. This story is beyond incredible. And she’s going to share with us today.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Amy.
The title speaks for itself. Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt is back again to talk about her latest book set to release on 2/14/23.
Listen to this can't miss episode of Anchored in Education as Jodie reminds us of what we should be doing when faced with adversity.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Jodie.
To be honest, this is a long overdue episode of Anchored in Education. Inclusion is something that is extremely important to me. My start in education came as a 1:1 special education aide which also included working three summers at a summer Autism camp. As a principal, I transitioned an entire pre-k program in a full inclusion model. Not only did the transition happen, it was a successful one as evidenced by a state monitoring visit in which our program received it's highest marks.
But must of the success of that inclusion transformation can be credited to Dr. Erin Barton. I attended one of Erin's workshops on inclusion prior to transitioning our program. I also stayed in touch with her, getting advice along the way. She nows joins us on the podcast to talk about the importance of inclusion and how to do it the correct way.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Erin.
What do you do when you majored in drama and you have a Spring musical to reveal to your class? Well, you definitely don't just announce the musical, you find a way to go all out, leaving students full of suspense and completely engaged. That is exactly what my guest today did for his class. And then, the unexpected happened.
Myles Finn shared his reveal in three separate videos uploaded to Tik Tok. Shortly after part three was shared, Myles had over 80 million combined views. Today he joins Anchored in Education to discuss what it's like going viral as well as how he approaches education.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Myles.
This profession has always required a certain amount of resilience. For decades, dare I say centuries, educators have been challenged on best practices, content, and more. Educators have had to face criticism despite doing the best they can. And then two things happened: First was social media. All of a sudden anyone with a keyboard could hide behind a veil and lob insults and damaging criticism at schools and educators. Second, the pandemic hit.
Faced with many lose-lose scenarios, educators from classroom teachers to principals to superintendents have had to make decisions that they felt were necessary and right for the majority. But it was impossible to make everyone happy. Recognizing this need, certified pyschologist and frequent Anchored in Education guest Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt began presenting teacher resilience workshops. Today she joins us to share with us many of the things she tells her participants.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Jodie
I have always been a fan of turning the word fail into acronym, First Attempt In Learning. I think many would agree with me that we can learn valuable lessons from failure. Yet, failuring is not often accepted in our professional practice. We often operate under the assumption that we must not, cannot, fail. By having this mindset, we put an inordinate amount of pressure on ourselves.
My guest today, Zak Cohen, wants to help normalize professional failure. In a somewhat humorous, unintentional mishap, I experienced failure on multiple levels when Zak and I first connected for this interview. I've included pieces of those first attempts. And while I say that I like the idea of the acronym of F.A.I.L., when it was happening in the moment, I was not initially thankful for the failing that was happening. But the lesson and experience created authenticity to our topic today.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Zak.
Have you ever been teaching a lesson or a unit and about halfway through you realize that your best laid plans derailed somewhere along the way? Don't worry, we've all been there. At least I know I have been there as a teacher, as a principal, as a superintendent, and as a college professor.
Thankfully, we never set our plans in concrete, opting instead to allow flexibility to make midcourse corrections if and when necessary. My guest today, Meredith Wendel, is going to guide us through how we can effectively make midcourse corrections to help students get a solid grasp on the content being taught. She provides us with strategies and examples so we can begin honing our skills as teaching captains navigating the high seas of effective teaching and learning.
After listening to today's episode, head over to my website www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab to read more about Meredith.
There is a saying that says all good things are worth working for. That is what is supposed to keep us going when we encounter roadblocks and challenges along our way. But what if I told you that struggling is a good thing? As long as the struggle is productive.
Productive struggle is something that we should all encounter, but moreover, productive struggle is something that we should all embrace. Afterall, when we experience productive struggle that means we are making grounds at getting to our goal. My guest today, Peg Grafwallner, would agree. Peg is the author of Not Yet...And That's OK: How Productive Struggle Fosters Student Learning. She joins us today to talk more about the not yet mindset and the productive struggle including strategies in how to boost student engagement and learning.
After listening to today's episode, head over to my website www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab to read more about Peg.
Writing is something we have to do all the time regardless of what we do in life. I mean, writing a grocery list is technically writing. Writing a thoughtful message in a greeting card is writing. Yet, so many of us will be quick to say thatwe are not a writer. Why is that? Maybe something from our school experience has put a bad taste in our mouth? Quite possibly we have never learned the true power of writing, keeping instead our written creativity harnessed.
Writing is a part of my every day, no avoiding it. From writing episodes, to interview questions, to articles for publication, writing is a part of my life. And yet, I can find myself so frustrated so often. Thankfully, writer and educator Julie Bogart developed a program over 20 years ago that allow parents and children in a homeschool setting embrace the creativty that we are teeming with but sometime unsure of how to express it.
Join us today as Julie talks more about the program and how we all, regardless of our school setting, can learn strategies to take our expression to the next level. After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read out more about Julie.
I have always stood by my phrase that everyone and everything are anchored in education at the end of the day. Which is exactly how I get my hands on a book called Getting to Good Riddance: A No-Bullsht Breakup Survival Guide* and immediately see how I can relate what I'm reading to breaking up with a bad boss, a bad organization, or a bad habit. I know, because I've been there.
Author Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt returns to Anhored in Education to talk about her book Getting to Good Riddance and how we can in fact apply this into our professional breakups as well. After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read out more about Jodie.
If you would have told me 10 years ago that two people would come along and completely re-write some longstanding rules of baseball I would have said...nothing. I wouldn't have been able to get words out because I would have been laughing. Which is probably a good thing because I would have had to eat those words. Emily Cole, owner of the Savannah Bananas, along with her husband Jesse, have in just a few short years turned their summer collegiate team into a global, world traveling baseball sensation. And they did it with you and me, the fans, in mind first.
As a longtime fan of our Nation's pasttime, I will be the first to admit that going to a convential baseball game is not typically high on my list. And the reasons for that are the exact reasons Emily and Jesse created key new rules. But I wanted to talk to Emily on how they came about their idea and made it a success. I want to see if we can tap into those same principles to re-imagine education. Join us for a conversation today on what I call, the banana effect.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find out more about Emily.
We've all hear it before: students saying they aren't good at something. We might especially hear them say they're not good at writing or reading. Of course this is a problem, but it becomes more of your problem when you're their teacher. You know you will never move the needle if you don't get them out of the mindset that they can't do something. Of course, identifying the problem is often easier than identifying the solution.
Thankfully, my guest today experienced this problem and then worked with her students to find a solution. Stephanie Farley was a middle school ELA teacher when she first took a look at her own practices and what she could change to help foster growth in her students. In this episode, Stephanie will share how mindset, positive emotions, and better assessment strategies led to tremendous growth of her students.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to get a link to and read more about Stephanie.
If you've never been a part of a school action plan that lacked substance, then this episode is probably not for you. However, if you've been a part of, or better yet, you've created a vague school action plan, then this is YOUR episode. I have no reservations telling you that I've had vagueness in school action plans. Although if you would have asked me at the time, I would have told you it was as good as gold. But if we can be honest and take the blinders off, then we will see that we are more talk than action.
Thankfully, my guest today is Chris Briggs-Hale, and he, too, has created vague school action plans. More importantly, he recognized it and fixed it. Today Chris joins Anchored in Education to discuss his experienes and gives us tips on how to avoid similar mistakes.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to get a link to and read more about Chris.
We talk a lot about STEAM programs in our schools. There are a lot of great resources and programs out there for schools to utilize. But what about the STEAM that is right in front of us every day? I could name a variety of every day experiences that are teeming with Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. But the first thing that stands out to me? NASCAR!
Babette Huitt and Melissa Stirewalt, the program directors of the STEAM program at Charlotte Motor Speedway, join Anchored in Education today to discuss more about their program. Now in their eleventh year of existence, the STEAM program offers year round experiences to students in the many different areas of STEAM and NASCAR. Twice a year the CMS STEAM program hosts a STEAM Expo with 50 different stations, competitions, and other experiences for students.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to get a link to and read more about the CMS STEAM program.
The role of the assistant principal is critical to the success of a school. Which makes the fact that we do not have any formal preparation program to help those who step into the role be the most successful version of themselves as an assistant principal. Too often we are not clear with how the assistant principal can best support the whole school. Now, we are blessed with a resource that will help change this.
Author and educator Ryan Donlan joins Anchored in Education this week to discuss his book All Other Duties as Assigned: The Assistant Principal's Critical Role in Supporting Schools Inside and Out. Ryan uses the highest quality research paired with some of the best practical strategies to create a comprehensive guide for assistant principals. Drawing from his own personal experience as an assistant principal, Ryan discusses best practices in a variety of areas through 10 chapters such as managing time, building a positive school culture and climate, building relationships and capitalizing on teachable moments.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Ryan as well as find a link to All Other Duties as Assigned as well as other links discussed on today's show..
Discipline has always been an integral part of the education process. That is not the same as saying all discipline practices are effective and contributing to improving student behavior. In fact, many times when we think of discipline, we immediately think of exclusionary practices. After all, this is what we're most familiar with.
My guest today is Andy Jacks, author of the book Discipline Win: Strategies to Improve Behavior, Increase Ownership, and Give Every Student a Chance. Andy draws from his own experiences as a classroom teacher, the work he has done as an administrator, and even his own research he conducted as part of his dissertation to demonstrate that exclusionary practices are not only ineffective but actually hinder students. Join us on Anchored in Education today as we learn more about his book and how we can utilize the strategies he gives us to take a different, more positive and effective, approach to discipline.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Andy as well as find a link to Discipline Win.
Have you ever ruminated yourself crazy? Have you ever tried to control every aspect of every single moment? Do you find your place of employment to be less than desireable sometimes? Or maybe you engage in negative self talk. Sometimes we have to tell ourselves to move on.
My guest today is Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt, author of the book Move on, Motherfcker: Live, Laugh, and Let Sht Go. Jodie, a certified pyschologist, has discover through her own personal experiences how to handle one of life's most complicated problems: ourselves. Join us on Anchored in Education today as we learn more about her book and how we can leverage evidence-based practices to improve our mental wellbeing.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Jodie as well as find a link to Move On, Motherfcker*.
This week, authors and educators Dr. Mike Lubelfeld, Dr. Nick Polyak, and Dr. PJ Caposey are back to continue the conversation about their book The Unfinished Leader: A School Leadership Framework for Growth and Development. Last week we discussed Empathy, Equity, and Adapting.
Join us this week for part two as we discuss the last three sections of their book. After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Mike, Nick, and PJ as well as find a link to The Unfinished Leader.
Finishing things in life typically provides a sense of accomplishment. As young children, we felt triumphant when we finished our supper. Runners feel that rush when they finish a run. And nothing beats finishing a good book. But when it comes to building our leadership capacity, finishing might not be what is best of us.
The idea of remaining unfinished was proposed to us by school leaders Dr. Mike Lubelfeld, Dr. Nick Polyak, and Dr. PJ Caposey. Together, these three wrote The Unfinished Leader: A School Leadership Framework for Growth and Development.
Join us for part one as we discuss the first three sections of their book. After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Mike, Nick, and PJ as well as find a link to The Unfinished Leader.
The Anchored in Education conversation today is around reading. Specifically, we are going to look at the structured literacy approach to teaching reading. Our guest today is Kellyn Sirach, a literacy specialist who is passionate about the science behind teaching and learning to read. Frustrated by feeling unprepared to teach reading, Kellyn embarked on a journey to be informed not only by best practices but by the research as well.
Join us as Kellyn explains in more detail why she believes the structured literacy approach to reading is exactly what is needed to reach readers at all levels. After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Kellyn as well as find the resources discussed in today's episode.
Charley Cass returns to Anchored in Education after completing his first year as a superintendent. He shares experiences from that first year that will forever serve as cornerstones in shaping how he approaches the superintendent position. He also discusses what servant leadership means and why it is important to him to practice it. Charley gives great advice for anyone new to the position or who is considering making the change. After listening to this week's Anchored in Education episode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Charley.
Anchored in Education is returning after a long hiatus while a host, E. Scott England, navigated a district through a global pandemic as well as embarked on a professional journey that has landed him in a new role, a new state, and a new studio to record a second run of Anchored in Education.
The guests already lined up for future episodes is exciting. Take a listen to this short update and get ready for all new episodes airing each Monday beginning October 3.
I started this podcast 73 episodes ago with a main goal of providing on high-quality episodes. Due to the circumstances surrounding the global pandemic and trying to navigate the reopening of schools, I feel that pushing on right now with Anchored in Education only jeopardizes the quality for my listeners. Not willing to do that, I am putting this podcast in hiatus until proper time can be given. It is not a goodbye; it is an until next time.
Back in February, I had the Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction on the podcast as the first elected official. Today, we are fortunate enough to have Joy Hofmeister, the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction join us on Anchored in Education.
Joy has been instrumental in helping lead Oklahoma through several positive changes in the education environment. In today's episode, we talk about standards, assessment, how to best support educators, and of course, remote learning.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about Joy.
Speech Language Pathologists are simply rock stars in the world of education. So why is it we have such a struggle in including them in planning for the needs of students? Maybe it is because we don't realize just what it is they do.
Kelly Gosch, CCC-SLP is our guest today on Anchored in Education talking about Speech Language Pathology. She gives us the down low that speech services are much, much more than working on articulation disorders. Their work is truly amazing.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Kelly.
We've all been there. We've either made a snap decision (knee-jerk) or hesitated to make the decision at all (wishy-washy). But why do we do this? Well, of course, there is research behind it. Follow me on an adventure of decision making as I use examples and hypotheticals both in and out of education. Of course, we explore how to make better decisions using a simple model to test out the decisions we've made. Several books are mentioned throughout this podcast, so make sure to head to www.escottengland.com to find the titles in the resource section of today's episode.
Last week on Anchored in Education, we spoke to Dr. Ken Wallace from Maine Township High School District #207 about Getting it "Right" for Every Student. It was an amazing episode that was well received because of the fascinating and forward-thinking approach they are taking to education.
This week, we are visiting briefly with Ken again to talk about the business partners that Maine Township has to better serve their students and provide meaningful experiences.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Ken. You will also find a link to several articles and videos we discussed in the resource section.
How many times have students heard that they need to be preparing for college when they are in high school? Get good grades, study habits, attendance, and so forth. Colleges will look at all of it. But, what if college is not for everyone?
True statement: College is not for everyone. In fact, a good portion of college graduates are in professions in which they are overqualified. And most carry unnecessary debt.
Thankfully we have an amazing leader named Dr. Ken Wallace. Ken leads Maine Township High School District #207. And they are doing amazing things in preparing their high school students. Join us today as Ken talks more about how we need to be getting it right for every student.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Ken. You will also find a link to several articles and videos we discussed in the resource section.
Good decision making is a skill that we all need. Selecting the profession in which we will be the happiest. Our car, our homes, even our diets. Decisions are all around us.
It is no different in education. Decisions are made daily that impact the finances, the curriculum, and every other moving part that make education work. Typically, we see the adults making the decisions.
But who are we here for? That's right—students. Kristen Vogel, an educator from Canada, is also a co-developer of Guts vs. Heads, a decision-making tool designed to help students make better choices. She joins us today to talk about how powerful it is to empower students to make well-informed decisions.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Kristen. You will also find a link to the website we discussed in the resource section.
Bella Trupiano is an 8th grader at St. Joe Catholic School in Olney, Illinois. About a month into the shutdown, Bella penned a powerful post about doing things differently had she known she wouldn't be returning to school.
We have heard many stories during these odd COVID-19 pandemic times, but we're giving the day to hear from a student. Listen to Anchored in Education today to hear more from Bella. Because of students like her, we can all work to make education stronger.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Bella. You will also find a link to her blog in the resource section.
A leader is more than the person who holds the leadership title or has taken a step into administration. A leader is someone who recognizes their role and value and steps up to become a foundation. Teacher leaders do not wait until others solve problems for them; they see a problem and take initiative to to find a solution. Joe Fatheree and Rebecca Mieliwocki co-authored the book Adventures in Teachers Leadership. A book that explores the pathways, strategies, and inspiration for every teacher. Joe joins Anchored in Education for a two part series on teacher leadership.
This week we continue the conversation, including now professional development, advocacy, and getting started in your school district. After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Joe. You will also find a link to his book in the resource section.
A leader is more than the person who holds the leadership title or has taken a step into administration. A leader is someone who recognizes their role and value and steps up to become a foundation. Teacher leaders do not wait until others solve problems for them; they see a problem and take initiative to to find a solution. Joe Fatheree and Rebecca Mieliwocki co-authored the book Adventures in Teachers Leadership. A book that explores the pathways, strategies, and inspiration for every teacher. Joe joins Anchored in Education for a two part series on teacher leadership.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Joe. You will also find a link to his book in the resource section.
Charley Cass is back on Anchored in Education to talk this time about the value of school social workers and counselors. Charley, a three time podcast guest and I agree that too often social workers and counselors are overlooked for everything they do for students and families. This isn't intentional, but we must make sure to get better at recognizing the value they bring to a school environment.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Charley. You will also find a link to his blog in the resource section which is more than worth your time.
What do you do when you see a six foot eight human dressed in a giraffe costume to tell students to hang in there and that they're missed? You invite him onto the podcast.
Nathaniel Lackey is a first-year math teacher who first dressed as a giraffe to say hi to students and give words of encouragement. In the days that followed, Nathaniel dressed up as Spiderman, T-Rex, Bob Ross, and an alien to help engage students in his math lessons.
He does this to help maintain a sense of normalcy for his students as well as showing them it is okay to be yourself and have fun. Since this episode, Nathaniel has also delivered a Star Wars themed math lesson.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Nathaniel.
I recently read a re-print of a popular comic strip. Inspired by the message, I wrote today's episode with that strip in mind. In this episode I talk about the importance of being in the present—not dwelling in the past or living only for the future. In my opinion, this is an all-to-important message for educators. As always, the intent is not to offend, just looking to spark reflection.
This podcast was recorded from the Anchored in Education Live Show hosted on Sunday, April 19. Our topic was seven factors leading to increased anxiety and stress as well as seven science-backed strategies to reduce stress. Our guest was Julie Adams and she takes us through a journey of neuroscience.
Ever notice how some are quick to point out when it's not their fault? Or how quick someone will distance themselves from a failure—refusing to accept that they more than likely are part of the problem? In today's brief episode we're going to explore this a little more.
This podcast was recorded from the Anchored in Education Live Show hosted on Sunday, April 5. Guests this episode were Jodi England, art teacher; Nixie Hnetkovsky, higher education instructor; and Ben Landers, elementary PE teacher.
This podcast was recorded from the Anchored in Education Live Show hosted on Sunday, March 29. This recording has been edited, but all interviews were left in their entirety.
This podcast was recorded from the Anchored in Education Live Show hosted on Sunday, March 22. This recording has been edited, but all interviews and calls were left in their entirety.
On December 4, 2019, Dr. Drew Gitomer and three colleagues published an article in the American Educational Research Journal. It was titled "Assessing the Assessment: Evidence of Reliability and Validity in the edTPA." By December 5, the article had nearly gone viral on Twitter by opponents of edTPA.
Drew joins us today on Anchored in Education to talk more about this article and why we should be concerned with edTPA being used as a tool to decide if teacher candidates should receive a teaching license. Drew and his colleagues make valid arguments for why a moratorium should be issued on the high-stakes use of edTPA.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Drew. You will also find a link to his article in the resource section.
Prior to this episode there has been 52 brand new Anchored in Education episodes every Monday. What began as just solo episodes where I briefly shared thoughts and reflections quickly blossomed into an exciting and fresh look into a different area of education each week. And it would never have been possible without the amazing guests who agreed to join me.
Forty-five out of the 52 episodes in year one featured one or more guests with 10 guests joining me for multiple episodes. To help celebrate a complete year of Anchored in Education, I have decided to put together an anniversary episode featuring a little snippet from every guest who has joined us. Of course this is great for those who are new to the podcast, but I quickly realized as I was going through past shows that there is a lot of good content. I promise this episode will be worth the listen.
Thanks for joining me on this journey. I'm looking forward to what Year 2 will bring. We already have a good line-up of guests and continue to add more every week. Don't forget to visit www.escottengland.com to find all the episodes with resources and links for every show. And don't forget to subscribe to Anchored in Education on whatever platform you get your podcasts.
You don't have to be in education for long to see many ideas and suggestions for improving schools. Most of the ideas promoted a flashy, borderline gimmicky, and come with a hefty price tag. Now, I'm not arguing that all of these ideas don't work, but what if instead of investing in yet one more thing, we could turn a school around with what we have, investing in our already established resources?
That is what Dr. Josh Martin proposes in his book Turning a School Around: Key Considerations for Real Success. Those key considerations are finding good principals, instruction, formative assessment, getting into classrooms, and becoming data storytellers. Josh navigates our way through the book providing insight into each chapter showing just how attainable higher achievement truly is.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Josh. You will also find a link to his book in the resource section.
Educator burnout. It's a real thing. There has been countless studies on burnout. There are a wide variety of books detailing burnout including why we should avoid burnout because we're needed in this profession. Duh.
If avoiding burnout was as easy as saying, Today I will choose not to get burned out, then we don't really have a conversation on our hands. And a good bet would be that an educator already knows how valuable they are to students, so reading another book about being there for students and not letting stress burn us out isn't going to help.
So why are we talking about the book The Burnout Cure today? Because it is not a book of fluff detailing why we need to stay. No, this is a book that author Chase Mielke wrote to help struggling educators understand how to leverage positive psychology to help find their way out of the dark areas we sometimes find ourselves.
Chase joins Anchored in Educationtoday to talk more about his book. He shares with us where he was at during one point in his career and how he used some of the very things he wrote about to help he through the days.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about Chase. You will also find a link to his website, his book, and some of his hit videos he has created for education.
What is your reaction when someone calls you biased? If you are like most people, including myself, you probably immediately go on the defensive exclaiming how you are in no way a biased person. Don't worry, you are not alone.
In fact, that is exactly how I felt when I watched a TEDx of the same title of today's episode. The speaker was Megan Fuciarelli, and she said, "All of us in this room are biased." I thought it was a bold statement, but as I continued listening to Megan's talk, I realized just how important her topic was. Not only did I begin understanding that biases were normal, I also began to understand how letting my implicit bias become explicit could have a negative impact on those I serve.
Megan Fuciarelli has graciously agreed to come onto Anchored in Education to feature an episode on bias. She allowed the use of her TEDx title to be featured on today's episode because it has such a profound message. Megan is leading the way in creating a more united society by promoting understanding, knowledge, and awareness in social justice issues.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about Megan. You will also find a link to her website and her TEDx talk that made this episode possible.
It is no secret that I am often critical of elected officials and the meddling they do in education. They often pitch their work as helpful to all, but it is more often than not just a small group in their region or district they are trying to appease. What happens is punishment for all.
Or let's talk education funding. Of course I'm bias, but I believe education is the most important line item on any state budget. What do we most often see? Cuts. Cuts. And more cuts.
But I was on Twitter when today's guest, Dr. Jennifer McCormick caught my attention. She holds the elected position of State of Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. What got my attention is that she was giving a hard time to legislators from both sides of the aisle as she stood up for what she knows is right for education.
Though I haven't had much luck getting an elected official to join me on Anchored in Education, Jennifer immediately agreed. After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about Jennifer.
Have you ever stopped and considered the language we use everyday? Most of what we say or do becomes such second nature that we never give it a second thought. But maybe we should.
That's what retired submarine Captain L. David Marquet proposes we do in his new book Leadership is Language. He points out that the language we use comes from the Industrial Revolution era. In a time in which work was separated between those who think and those who do.
In his new book, Leadership is Language, Marquet proposes a new playbook and six new plays that completely changes how we approach what we do and how we do it.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about David. I'll also include a link to his book, Leadership is Language.
We've talked about time management in a recent episode. One thing we established is that we have only a finite amount of time. Regardless of how efficient or effective we may be, nothing changes the fact that we are all given the same 24 hours in a day.
Our guest today is Allison Rodman. You may remember her from an earlier episode of Anchored in Education when she was a guest talking about her amazing book Personalized Professional Learning. But Allison can also be found giving keynotes and workshops on how we can bend time and space in order to make room for teachers to be learners.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about Allison. I'll also include a link to her book, Personalized Professional Learning.
I remember my first year of teaching all too well. It was an amazing year, but one that was regularly filled with questions, fear, and second guesses. And, to be completely truthful, there were times when I thought maybe I'd made a career mistake. Times when I doubted my effectiveness as an educator because a lesson didn't go as planned or the overall behavior in my class was less than pleasing.
Turns out, I was an effective educator. Also, I'm not the only one that feels those same first year thoughts. Educators entering the profession now have another resource to through in their toolkit. It is a book titled Your First Year: How to Survive and Thrive as a New Teacher. It was co-authored by Todd Whitaker, Madeline Good, and Katherine Whitaker.
Today on Anchored in Education, Katherine Whitaker has graciously agree to join us to talk more about this amazing book. Don't think that since you are past your first year that this can't help you out. I've read Your First Year multiple times throughout my career and never during my actual first year—it wasn't available then.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about Katherine and find a link to her book, Your First Year.
Julie Adams is back this week on Anchored in Education for part 2 of #FullyCharged. Last week we spent time talking about meeting even the most basic of our students. We also went a step further and talked about meeting the needs of parents and staff as well. In essence, you can say we tended to our Maslow last week in order to prepare to Bloom this week.
Julie is back to talk about how we can Bloom our students, parents, and staff. But we're not just giving you off the cuff ideas, #FullyCharged is full of research-backed strategies. Most importantly, Julie shares with us how we can inspire a culture where everyone understands, applies, analyzes, evaluates, and creates.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about Julie and find a link to her website as well as a link to #FullyCharged.
Have you ever said, "I'm running on empty?" Did you ever stop and think that maybe this was literal when you were using it in a figurative way? Science has shown that we have a finite amount of cognitive capacity each day. In other words, we essentially have a battery that keeps us going.
Thankfully, it's rechargeable. But it is up to us to make sure that we are starting each day with a fully charged battery. And as educators, our role goes beyond making sure our battery is charged. We must make sure that our students and parents are working with a fully charged battery as well.
That's the foundation to the best-selling book #FullyCharged. In the book, co-authors Julie Adams, PJ Caposey, and Rosa Isiah offer over 140 Battery Charging Maslow & Bloom Strategies for Students, Parents, and Staff.
The book is divided into two sections: Maslow and Bloom, so it only makes sense to offer this episode in two parts. Today Julie Adams joins Anchored in Education to talk more about how we can better meet the Maslow needs of students, parents, and staff.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about Julie and find a link to her website as well as a link to #FullyCharged.
I don't think I would be alone in saying that at some point managing time has been a struggle. Too often though we just say that time management is our issue. But have we ever thought about what exactly time management issues truly are? What if time management didn't really exist; and instead it was just the symptom of a larger issue?
That is exactly what Dr. PJ Caposey proposed in his amazing book Manage Your Time or Time Will Manage You. PJ gives us eight potential root causes that could result in what we often refer to as just time management.
The perfect way to say goodbye to 2019 and hello to a brand new year is to have PJ join Anchored in Education to help us better understand how we can fully utilize our time.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about PJ and find a link to his book.
Being comfortable in our position is not a bad thing. I remember how different year two felt teaching first grade compared to year one. By year four though, I was beginning to feel the need for something different.
Changing grades or subject levels can sometimes feel like starting over, but it also gives us the opportunity to hone our craft at multiple levels making us versatile, well-rounded educator. And my guest today is an amazing example of how changing the area or content of your teaching can keep you on top of your game.
Amie Reed has been teaching for 15 years, and in that time, she has made several moves. In fact, this year Amie is teaching a subject she has never taught before and a grade level she has never taught. Amie is going to share with us today why changing is not such a bad thing as well as give us tips to having a successful transition.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show resources and read more about Amie.
What do you truly love to do? That single question put educator Trevor MacKenzie and a struggling student on an unintended and life-changing journey of inquiry, discovery, and meaningful learning. It was a journey that completely reshaped the way Trevor leads his classroom.
With the belief that all students deserve a chance to dig into their passions and curiosities, Trevor has created a scaffolded approach to personalized learning by identifying the Types of Student Inquiry: Structured, Controlled, Guided, and Free Inquiry. Each type requires students take progressively more control over their own learning, this inquiry-based learning model equips students to become lifelong learners.
And we're lucky because Trevor joins us on Anchored in Education today to talk more about inquiry-based learning and his book, Dive Into Inquiry.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes, read more about Trevor, and find links to his books and other resources.
Week after week on Anchored in Education we sit down for a conversation with educators who are doing something unique or have something unique to contribute to the profession. Every now and then though we like to introduce you to a teacher you may not have heard of yet but is making a huge impact in our profession.
This week we introduce you to Brandon Thornton. Brandon is a teacher at Bloomington High School in Bloomington, Illinois. Brandon was featured in a sidebar column in Illinois State University's alumni journal. In this column he stated his views on the profession, what he'd like to see more of in education, and emotionally overloaded children.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Brandon.
Classroom management—probably the single most important aspect to education. Almost every educator had to take a course in college that was on classroom management. I know I did. I felt pretty confident that I could develop a seating chart, engage my class, create procedures that were fair and consistent.
And then the day came. The day when it was no longer a class, no longer was it an assignment I would be graded on; it was a day when actual students came into my classroom. There was no safety net (i.e., another teacher)—it was me and me alone with 25 six and seven-year old students. It's when I realized how important classroom management truly was.
There are many great resources for honing classroom management skills. But one of my favorites is Classroom Management from the Ground Up. This book takes us through the various stages of classroom management using an easy to visualize house metaphor. And I'm thankful today for co-author Madeline Good taking time out of her busy day to sit down with us and talk more about the book she co-authored with her dad and sister.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Madeline.
Much of what we do is either made or ruined by our mindset. Think about it, how often do we convince ourselves that what we're doing is a waste of time? That we aren't making progress. Or that we are only capable of failing. Or quite possibly we are quick to take credit when things go right but point at others when things go wrong. This is what our mentality does to us if we don't have it aligned with positivity.
Thankfully, my guest today recognizes how people are and has been working at getting them to change their mentality. In fact, that is what Kyle Greene calls his book: The Mentality Changer. Kyle wants people to change their mindset so they can begin changing the world. And he is going to share with us today how easy this is to get started.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Kyle.
This profession is demanding. That's just one of the reasons why it irritates when someone outside the profession tells me that teachers have it easy. Ha! We all know that 9 out of 10 people who say that wouldn't last a week in our shoes. But I digress.
A major problem with the high demand in this profession is that it becomes to easy to lose sight of what matters most: our health. I'm not just talking physical health, I'm also talking mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health. We must find what we hear people so often talk about called work-life balance.
Work-life balance is hammered into new administrators, but I fell into a major imbalance when I taught first grade. I learned valuable lessons that I still carry with me today. I also make it a mission of mine to make sure other educators are taking care of themselves as well.
To help spread the message this week, I've invited Dr. Jon Bartelt onto Anchored in Education to talk more about educator self-care. Jon is an amazing example of someone who takes care of himself and makes sure that his work life and personal life remain in harmony. I do believe you will find a lot of insight and information by listening to what Jon has to say today.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Jon.
When you hear the word GRAMMY, you probably think of the giant music awards ceremony that happens every January. The GRAMMYs are presented by The Recording Academy. And you probably figured this out already, but The Recording Academy cares a lot of promoting music education. And I mean a lot!
How much? Enough that The Recording Academy executives realized they needed something more to promote music education. Conversations began and what grew from that idea is now known as the GRAMMY Music Education Coalition.
Today on Anchored in Education, the inaugural executive director, Dr. Lee Whitmore joins us to talk more about the Coalition. Lee's history and background makes him the perfect candidate to lead the Coalition, as well as share more with all of us.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Lee.
The first day of my first year of teaching was exciting. The night before I couldn't sleep as I waited with such high anticipation of what it would be like on that first day. It did not disappoint. And neither did the next day, the next week, the next month. Then came my second year—same thing! I loved the excitement of being an educator.
Fast forward to my time in administration. I still get that same feeling on the first day. And I have never rolled out of bed dreading the day. I truly get excited every chance I get. And I'm not afraid to hide my enthusiasm, but I've never met anyone that I felt shared my same level of excitement. Then I met Bhavna Sharma-Lewis.
I first talked to Bhavna in mid-August as I was finishing up my first day of the new school year, and she was still a few weeks from her start. But she was pumped. And I said, why don't we celebrate the one hundred fifteenth day like we celebrate the first day? She agreed. And then we scheduled a time for her to join me on Anchored in Education to talk about celebrating schools. Every. Single. Day.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Bhavna Sharma-Lewis.
Every school district I have been employed with has had a partnership with the American Heart Association. Every year, typically in the spring, students work to raise money for the AHA with a culminating activity of jumping rope or shooting hoops. Even with a name change in the recent years, the Kids Heart Challenge as it is known now has a stronger than ever partnership with schools districts across America is stronger than ever.
But I've always wondered: what is the Kids Heart Challenge really about? Where does all the money raised really go? What other kind of supports and resources are available for classroom teachers? What is this partnership with OPEN all about? And what kind of magical moments are being created with students? These were all questions I had for this episode of Anchored in Education. My guest this week is Jennifer Chaney, Director of the Youth Market in Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri for the American Heart Association. Jennifer gives us the inside scoop on Kids Heart Challenge.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the to read more about Jennifer Chaney as well as find links to the Kids Heart Challenge and the American Heart Association.
Students are the heart of education. Of course that seems to be stating the obvious. Yet, for decades now we have made changes and improvements to education based upon what we as adults felt was needed. Sure, along the way we have said we are going to do what is in the best interest of students. But has anyone ever asked students what their interests even are?
That is what authors Mike Lubelfeld, Nick Polyak, and PJ Caposey set out to do in their book Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable. The authors explored including student voice in everything from major construction and renovation projects, to curriculum and policy changes, and even seating student representatives on the Board of Education in an advisory, non-voting role.
This week on Anchored in Education, Mike and PJ join us to talk more about their experiences with including student voice in their districts. We examine key thoughts from the book as we work towards seeing just how simple, yet crucial, adding student voice is to the education process.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the to read more about Mike Lubelfeld and PJ Caposey as well as find a link to their book.
Last week David Marquet joined me on Anchored in Education to talk about intent-based leadership. This is the leadership model David used when he took over the USS Santa Fe, which at the time was the worst performing submarine in the entire Navy fleet. David said when he implemented this empowerment among his crew, there was an immediate change in climate. In just a couple of years, the Santa Fe went on to receive the highest inspection grade the Navy has ever given.
I've read David's book Turn the Ship Around, and now I've had the chance to talk to him. I have no doubt that his leader-leader model works much better than a leader-follower model. But I got to thinking, how do we understand more about the positive effects of intent-based leadership? How about taking to some men who served with David on the Santa Fe. That's exactly what we have this week.
Chuck Dunphy and Andy Worshek had the distinct honor of serving on the Santa Fe with David. Andy brings the unique perspective of an officer who served on the Santa Fe before David arrived. He can attest to how bad it really was. Chuck and Andy talk with us this week on how intent-based leadership is for real, it's empowering, and it's refreshing. They talk about how it not only changed their lives aboard a submarine, but how it has continued to impact their personal and professional lives.
After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the to read more about Chuck Dunphy and Andy Worshek as well as find a link to David's book.
L. David Marquet was set to become a captain in the Navy's Pacific submarine fleet. He was assigned to takeover the USS Olympia. He spent nearly a year learning the ins and outs of that submarine. With just weeks before the takeover, he was informed that he would instead take over for the USS Santa Fe—the worst performing submarine in the entire Navy's fleet.
In addition to the Santa Fe being the laughing stock of the fleet, the actual submarine was different than what David had been preparing for. Not even six months into the command he gave an order that was impossible to achieve with the set up the Santa Fe had. But that didn't stop the officer from still ordering the crew member to act. Upon failure to act because it was an impossible command, David realized something: his men had been trained to do whatever he said—even if it was the wrong thing to do. He needed his crew to lead instead of follow.
What came of this was intent-based leadership. And it is for that reason David joins us on Anchored in Education today. If we apply to our schools what David applied to the Santa Fe, we could see magic happen. Sort of like what happened when David created a submarine full of leaders.
Listen to today's episode to find out what happened on the Santa Fe. After listening, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about David Marquet.
A couple of months ago Coach Jim Johnson joined Anchored in Education to talk about that miracle night back in 2006 when J-Mac, a senior basketball manager diagnosed with autism, dressed for action and took the floor for Senior Night, proceeding to put on a four minute tutorial on the court finishing the game with 20 points. After the interview, I had the opportunity to talk to Jim for about 30 minutes about his career in the classroom and on the court. I quickly realized over his 30-plus years in education, he had picked up a lot of useful leadership skills and tools that would benefit educators at all levels.
Jim joins us again today to talk about Leadership Lessons from Half Court. We discuss the many valuable lessons including clarifying vision, building trust, creating the edge, effective communication, leading by example, leaving a profit, and servant leadership. We also discuss what he has found to be the six keys to success—keys that he used to structure his book A Coach and A Miracle.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Coach Jim Johnson.
Several years ago the father of an autistic student approached an area art teacher with a plan. His son, a talented artist, found a way to express himself through art. Now the family wanted to offer the same opportunity to teens and adults with special needs in a special evening arts program.
They call the program Our Voice Through Art. The six-week classes are held three different times throughout the year for an hour in the evenings.
The art teacher is my sister, Jodi England. Jodi has joined us on Anchored in Education before to talk about the importance of art in schools and classrooms. Today she joins us to talk to us about accommodating for students with special needs in the classrooms. She also shares more about the one-of-a-kind organization Our Voice Through Art.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Jodi.
Have you ever heard someone talk about your school and you think, "That's not even close!" I'm guessing you have. But the crucial question is: did you set them straight? My guess is that doesn't often happen. Here is the deal though, it's up to us to change the narrative.
From custodians, to teachers, to admin, to the board of education, we are all a part of a larger picture with a singular focus: educating kids. To do this we need to make sure that everyone, and I mean everyone knows what we are setting out to do each and every day. And I've got the perfect guest to talk more about this.
I'm not quite sure anyone can bring as much energy to everything they do as Joe Sanfelippo. To say Joe is kind of passionate about education is like saying Popeye kind of liked spinach. Joe is PASSIONATE about education, and he wants you to be too. I can't really explain it any better than that. You're just going to have to listen.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Joe.
In the last regular episode of Anchored in Education, Dr. Tony Frontier joined us to discuss his book Five Levers to Improve Learning. Tony's book gives thought-provoking insights into how we often make try to find solutions to problems using the wrong lever of change.
I had the opportunity to talk more to Tony about how the five levers came to be. We also discussed different kinds of change and why some change is so difficult. Give a listen to this BONUS feature of Anchored in Education.
How many times have you heard the word change in education? Okay, too many to count. Let's just go with how many times you've heard change so far this year. Probably still a lot. It is no secret that change is a constant in education. But are we changing the right components to achieve the results we're actually looking for?
That is the question co-author Dr. Tony Frontier poses in his book The Five Levers to Improve Learning. In a tongue-in-cheek type example, we say that you don't improve student achievement by changing the bus routes. Of course we know this, but often times we try to improve learning by pulling levers completely unrelated to the problem.
Tony will take us through the five levers and how they should be properly pulled to bring about change. He also talks about leverage errors, which is the result when we pull one lever expecting change to happen in a different area.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Tony.
The Titanic is still one of the most recognized maritime disasters. Historians often point out that the loss of so many lives could have been avoided had the White Star Line put the proper amount of life boats on the ship. Something that would not have kept the doomed ship afloat would have been rearranging the furniture into a different configuration.
Now let's think about our schools and classrooms. How often are we met with a problem where our solution is simply the problem in a rearranged fashion? I'm guessing more often than we care to admit.
In this episode, I am going to talk more about the differences between rearranging and restructuring. One simply moves pieces without addressing the problem while the other actually looks at change. Take a listen and decide for yourself what you'd rather see happen.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes.
One of the most crucial aspects of education is involvement from families. Research even shows how valuable it is on students. Increased family engagement leads to higher grades, better attendance, and more likely that a student will have a successful post-secondary career.
I honestly believe schools all over are getting a better grasp on this as they look at ways to positively engage families. Good News Call of the Day is one popular way. Many schools lean on social media to connect with their families. The key is knowing where, how, and when to connect so you reach as many as you can.
For today's Anchored in Education, I've invited Charley Cass back to talk more on family engagement. Charley has some creative ways to connect with families at his school. Plus, he shares other ideas that are inexpensive and invaluable at the same time. You might remember the last Charley was on we talked about the stress awards can have on students. Click here to listen to that episode.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Charley.
The United States has been at war on poverty since 1964. However, with the Economic Opportunity Act was signed, it was primarily addressing the lack of financial means. Fast forward to today—we are still talking about how we can best address poverty.
Only poverty today goes well beyond the lack of money. Poverty can be the lack of resources which does include financial, but also includes language, emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems, relationships, and the knowledge of hidden rules.
So to help us out, our guest today is Sherry Slankard. Sherry is a school counselor, currently working in a rural elementary school. Prior to this she was in a middle school setting for 15 years. More importantly, as we hear from Sherry, she grew up in rural, generational poverty. She uses her incredible personal story and her formal training to help educators all over better understand where their students may be coming from and how best to reach them.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Sherry.
Education has evolved in many ways over the last several decades. Almost everything from curriculum, to technology, to how we approach teaching has improved. We often say, education sure doesn't look like it did when I was in school. Which is great because I don't want my children taught the same way I was thirty years ago.
But we might notice one thing that hasn't changed—the majority of administrators are still men. Though countless studies have shown us that women are equally capable and sometimes even more so to lead than men, we still find a disproportionate amount of men in the top roles. And while we've seen great increases in numbers in the principal role, we are still facing 75 percent of the superintendent population being comprised by men.
Women in Leadership is such an important topic. Which is why I've invited Dr. Courtney Orzel on Anchored in Education today to talk more on why it is important to support, encourage, and grow women in leadership roles. Courtney is a nationally recognized superintendent for many of her efforts including using social media to promote your district and encouraging women in leadership.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes and to read more about Courtney.
Think back to the last big decision you made. It could be a decision about anything from big to small. It could be a career change, new vehicle, new shoes, or even what you're having for supper. Now try to remember if you hesitated before making the decision. Did you have the slightest bit of apprehension? Did you question if it was a good decision?
The larger the decision, the more likely we are to put extra time into checking and double checking that this is truly what we want. I cannot tell you the number of times I have had supper only to say afterwards, "It was alright, but I just wasn't in the mood for it." Thankfully, it was just dinner and not something that would be a major part of my life and the lives of others.
Deciding to become an educator is one of the decisions where we want to take time to make sure. This job is 110% worth it, but it is at times difficult, frustrating, and emotionally demanding. Some of us know it is the job for us with no hesitation. But if you are hesitating, I want to ask you a few questions to make this is really what you want. Because if you get into a classroom and you're miserable, then your performance will lack and students will suffer.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes.
A major part of education is staying current in this profession as it constantly evolves. Old challenges are met with new ones with each passing year. There are workshops, webinars, books, and more that teachers can engage with to further develop professionally. And one organization has committed themselves to the cause of creating top-quality professional learning experiences.
That organization is ASCD. ASCD has been around over 75 years, supporting educators in their quest to become even better than they already are. Whether it is through books (they publish over 50 per year) or the monthly Educational Leadership magazine, or any of their other publications, workshops, or conferences, there is something available for everyone.
Joining us on Anchored in Education this week is interim CEO and Executive Director Ronn Nozoe. Aside from a quite extensive career that has been anchored in education, Ronn is clearly passionate for everything ASCD is about. This fun conversation gives educators at all levels an idea of what ASCD can do for them.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes. There you can read more about Ronn as well as find a link to ASCD resources.
Every coach has that one game that stands out in their career. For Coach Jim Johnson, that game was played on Wednesday, February 15, 2006. It was that night that Coach Johnson gave the nod to a young man by the name of Jason McElwain. Nicknamed J-Mac by his coach, Jason had served as team manager for three years. J-Mac had always dreamed of playing. Now, on senior night, coach was giving J-Mac an opportunity of lifetime.
What made this evening so special was that Jason is autistic. Coach had watched Jason over the years, witnessed first hand the young man's dedication to being the best manager possible. He inspired his teammates, always encouraging, always challenging. J-Mac had always celebrated the triumphant wins and big plays—now it was his turn.
On this episode of Anchored in Education, Coach Jim Johnson joins us to talk about that magical night over thirteen years ago. It changed J-Mac's life, it changed Coach's life, and now is your chance to hear the story that can change your life too.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes. There you can read more about Coach Jim Johnson as well as find a link to his website.
A school or community crisis can happen anywhere at anytime. It could be an active shooter or a natural disaster. Most of the time we say, "I don't even want to think about the unthinkable." But after seeing both man-made disasters and natural disasters increase by 750 percent and 223 percent, respectively. Maybe it is time to instead "think about the thinkable."
That's the advice of my guest this week, Dr. David Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, Director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement. Dr. Schonfeld returns to Anchored in Education this week to talk about how we can support students, schools, and communities in crisis situations. We also talk how we can prepare students ahead of a crisis as well as the support needed following an event.
If you haven't had the chance, check out last week's episode where Dr. Schonfeld and I discussed Supporting the Grieving Student.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes. There you can read more about Dr. Schonfeld as well as find websites and resources for supporting students and schools in crisis situations.
If you are like me, you have probably had little to no formal preparation on how to support a grieving student. Yet, how many times have you had a grieving student in your classroom? Did you even know? Depending on their age, students display signs of grieving differently.
I was a student who lost a parent before completing high school. My teachers were not prepared. In my time in education, I have witnessed students lose someone close to them due to illness, suicide, homicide, or some other tragic event. Though I've learned a little more over the years, I would still not say I am prepared. I felt we needed an expert to help us out.
In my opinion, there is no need to look any further than Dr. David Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, Director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement. Dr. Schonfeld has provided consultation and training to schools on supporting students and staff at times of crisis and loss for over 30 years.
After listening to this week's Anchored in Educationepisode, head over to www.escottengland.com to find the show notes. There you can read more about Dr. Schonfeld as well as find websites and resources for supporting grieving students.
How often is it we complain about our weight, exercising, or dieting? Here's what is odd though: We have no qualms about letting everyone around us know. Ate too much? Complain about it. Indulged in a sweet treat? Complain about it! Food and exercise is one of the few things we have no reservations when it comes to talking out loud about it.
But what about the students around you? What message are they hearing? Even if you are sincere about what you're saying, children may not understand this. Trust me, as I talk about in the beginning of this episode, I found out the hard way with my own children.
To help us better understand how powerful our words about food can be, I've invited Tracy Brown onto Anchored in Education. Tracy is a somatic nutrition therapist, a registered dietitian, and an attuned eating coach. Tracy shares her personal story of struggles with food and exercising to help us better understand how we should approach the topic with students.
Tracy also leaves us with a wealth of resources that you can find at www.escottengland.com. You can also learn more about Tracy as well as subscribe to the podcast on the platform of your choice.
The first day on the job anywhere is exciting. But as we continue through that first day and even complete the first year, the thrill becomes less and less until it's just a job. Unless you're in education. Then that first day experience seems to happen day after day after day.
Beginning teachers get to experience many things that first year. First day of school, first teacher in-service, first faculty meeting, first parent/teacher conference, and the list continues all the way to the first last day of school. It is a magical time for sure. And while we do not forget our first year, we often forget what it is like to experience it.
That's why I've invited Aaron DeLay and Andrea Samayoa onto Anchored in Education today. Both have just wrapped up their first year of teaching. They bring unique perspectives from their first year as Aaron is a 6th grade ELA/Literacy teacher from Fort Morgan, CO and Andrea is a 2nd grade Dual teacher from a small suburb outside of Chicago.
Don't forget to head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Aaron and Andrea, as well as find resources from this episode. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or the Google Play store, or on Spotify.
It is difficult to imagine students growing up enduring such pains as losing friends and family through death. It is almost unfathomable to think of students losing those close to them through abandonment. And yet, other students may experience homelessness, depression, failures, and other setbacks. Setbacks that lead to poor grades, absenteeism, or worse.
What about those students who face all of the above? This is exactly what happened to Jonathan Edison. Jonathan's adverse childhood experiences were a recipe for disaster. Yet, Jonathan found light down each dark path and forged ahead to show that focus and perseverance can reshape one's destiny.
So today on Anchored in Education, Jonathan joins us to discuss his experiences as detailed in his best-selling book, Survival Mode: A Memoir of Hope, Love, and Survival. Jonathan also talks about how he has remained anchored in education through his various programs offered to schools to help students succeed.
Don't forget to head over to www.escottengland.com to read more about Jonathan, as well as find resources from this episode. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or the Google Play store, or on Spotify.
Have you ever been involved with a professional development session and thought, "I don't want to be here." But you are there. You're there because your state requires you to earn so many professional development credits in order to retain your license. So you slog through the PD half engaged (at best) with one watchful eye on the clock all the while dreaming of something better—something more fruitful.
What if I told you there is something more fruitful out there? It is professional learning. It's learning tailored to your needs as an educator. Thankfully, Allison Rodman just published her book Personalized Professional Learning: A Job-Embedded Pathway for Elevating Teacher Voice. And let me tell you, this is a book worth owning and reading. It is also one of the few books I recommend getting a highlighter for because you'll be wanting to refer back to this book as you transform traditional PD into engaging PL.
To help us out, Allie joins Anchored in Education this week to talk more about her book. This book is not only jam packed with ideas, it can also serve as a guidebook with the blueprints needed to make this transition.
Don't forget to head over to www.escottengland.com to learn more about Allie, as well as find resources from this episode. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or the Google Play store, or on Spotify.
What do you think of when you hear the word unlearn? Probably what I originally thought in that it is impossible to unlearn something. What if I told you it is not only possible but completely necessary? Maybe you would still be skeptical.
Thankfully, I've invited two special guests onto Anchored in Education this week to talk just about that: Unlearning. Dr. Mike Lubelfeld and Dr. Nick Polyak first joined forces in 2010 after realizing they shared a common goal in educational approaches. Shortly thereafter, they collaborated to write their first book: The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today. They discuss in their book why educators must unlearn outdated practices in order to educate children in the present to prepare them for the future.
The Unlearning Leader is packed with thoughtful discussions and arguments that makes many of us stop and think. In fact, at the beginning of each chapter they have a Stop-Think-Act section. Being an educator today is much more than just teaching. It is about approaching the educational process with a what's best for students attitude instead what's easiest for adults.
Don't forget to subscribe to Anchored in Education on iTunes or the Google Play store, or on Spotify. You can also read more about my guests each week by visiting www.escottengland.com.
Almost every school year has come to a close or is within the last week or so. With that means that another successful year of junior high and high school sports are wrapping up as well. School athletics are an integral part of the educational process, but sometimes we go too far with the emphasis you place on the contests.
My special guest this week is Brian "Weez" Turner, a long time sports reporter and newspaper editor. Brian brings a unique perspective this week in that he has watched athletics for students evolve over his career. We explore the pressures, successes, and defeats students experience in what is almost year-round sports.
Don't forget if you haven't already subscribe to Anchored in Education on iTunes or the Google Play store, or on Spotify. You can also read more about my guest this week by visiting www.escottengland.com
On the evening of April 30, 2019, Jonathan Carroll sat down at his computer and contemplated what his Facebook post would say. He wanted to let the world know that he was stepping away from teaching after 20 years. But it was more than just a post for attention, Jonathan listed clearly why he believes it is time for him to go. In his opinion, teaching has "become a toxic profession."
So my guest this week on Anchored in Education is none other than Jonathan Carroll. Jonathan talks more about why he feels it is time to leave the profession he once was so passionate about. Sadly, too many great educators are stepping away from the profession due to many of the similar reasons Jonathan talks about.
It will conversations such as these that will help educators, policy makers, and other education advocates better frame the problem with sure solutions that will help keep educators Anchored in Education. Don't forget to check out www.escottengland.com for resources from today's show. Also, subscribe to this podcast to receive alerts when new episodes are available.
It's that time of year again where academic honors and awards are handed out for hard work done well. But sometimes our well-intended accolades come with unintended consequences. Students who strive to be the best often become stressed, frustrated, and even burned out with school. The question we should be asking: Is it really worth it?
Research tells us that valedictorians are hard workers. The same research tells us they are not necessarily the most academically gifted though. Moreover, a large study conducted on valedictorians tells us that valedictorians rarely go on to create change in society. They do become quite successful, but only by following a prescribed set of rules and expectations. A similar study tells us that most of our top leaders could have actually been considered underperformers in high school or college.
In today's episode, I'm joined by current middle school principal Charley Cass to talk more on the awards season. We take a look at this from the perspectives of educators, students, and parents. Charley brings us stories from his experiences as a building leader at the middle school and high school levels. Don't forget to visit www.escottengland.com for references from today's show along with reading a little bit more about Charley.
Many mission statements in school districts declare that students will be provided a well-rounded education. But once you walk past the boastful banner and into classrooms, you quickly realize some subjects play second fiddle to the core subjects.
Art is one of these subjects. Art has proven to increase child development in areas such as motor skills, visual learning, inventiveness, language development, and even improving academic performance. Yet, in times of financial duress, art and programs like it are often the first to receive the budgetary scalpel.
In this episode of Anchored in Education, I am joined by Jodi England, a 20 year veteran art teacher, and my sister, to discuss the importance and profound impact art can have in a school environment. And don't forget to check out www.escottengland.com for show notes and links to resources from this episode.
There is a teacher shortage nationwide. And it continues to grow each year. Many solutions have been suggested: pay teachers more, offer incentives to pay off student loans, and so forth. Yet, most states are still adding fewer and fewer teachers into the profession each year.
This week on Anchored in Education I am joined by Dr. Kyle Thompson, the current Assistant Regional Superintendent and the soon to be Regional Superintendent. Kyle and I discuss how legislative policies are creating unnecessary hurdles and obstacles for future teachers. Kyle has testified twice before the Illinois House of Representative Education Committee to advocate for bills designed to address the teacher shortage.
We not only discuss actions that can be taken to directly address the teacher shortage, but we also talk reasons teachers entered the profession and why these unnecessary barriers are preventing new teacher candidates from becoming anchored in education. Checkout www.escottengland.com for more information and resources from this episode.
Many things are out of our control, but one thing that remains is our ability to take our financial future by the horns. In a previous episode, we discussed the Pension Tension many states are facing. What if I told you though that there are ways we can begin building financial wealth that will be there for us when we retire?
In this episode, Dr. Zakry Standerfer joins us to again show why he is the retirement guru. Many educators seek Dr. Standerfer's knowledge and even implement many of his retirement strategies that are both easy and safe investment plans. In Reinvent Your Retirement, Dr. Standerfer will share strategies you can use to accumulate substantial wealth for when you retire. If the unthinkable happens and your pension collapses, you can still maintain a comfortable post-career retirement by taking a few simple steps today.
We talk about a lot of resources in this episode, so check out www.escottengland.com for more information from this episode.
Have you ever heard the phrase "Do as I say, not as a I do?" I have. Only I never really understood why I had to be compliant but others did not. As an educator, I continue to question the double standard practices.
In this episode, I explore how we often hold students to higher expectations than we hold for ourselves. In some cases, we hold unreasonable expectations for how students should feel, act, and comply.
I'll offer my apologies now if this episode makes some uncomfortable. But there is nothing wrong with challenging our thinking and causing us to reflect. Visit www.escottengland.com for more.
You will have a hard time finding an educator say they entered the profession for the money. But for most public educators across the nation, the reward for a long, successful career is a pension. Knowing there was a pension, many educators have not had to give a second thought about finances in life after teaching. What if I told you though that the teacher pension debt nationwide stands at $516 billion dollars as of 2016? Would you begin to grow concerned?
April is Financial Literacy Month, so in today's episode, I'm joined by pension expert Dr. Zakry Standerfer. Together we take a quick pulse on what's happening to pensions throughout the nation and more importantly, what it means for educators. Teaching is still a viable option for a stable career, but we need policy makers to recognize this and properly fund pensions for public workers. Checkout www.escottengland.com for more information and resources from this episode.
Accommodations are something that should be happening in classrooms every day. Yet, a lot of the time we only accommodate for those students with documented disabilities.
In this episode, we explore accommodations and how it can lead to greater student success. More importantly, we explore how accommodations happen every day in the real world.
I've known this since I got my start in education, but was recently reminded how we can make accommodations thanks to Audrey, my recently disabled dachshund.
Addiction is no laughing matter. There are clinics, programs, and rehab centers for alcohol and drug addiction. There are patches, gum, and even hypnotherapy for eating disorders and nicotine addictions.
But what about those addictions to things we don't realize are harmful for us? In this episode, I'm going to talk to you a little about an addiction that is becoming one of the leading addictions in the United States
Failing has such a negative connotation. But should it? Failure is common and should be viewed as an opportunity to learn. Being allowed to fail means you have the ability to take risks with no repercussions.
Take a journey with me in this episode as I explore why failing is okay and why everyone should have the opportunity to fix mistakes. I even get a little scientific in this episode. Below is the reference I quote from.
Saladin, K. S. (2018). Anatomy & physiology: The unity of form and function (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
We see products endorsed all the time by actors and athletes. But why not have our educators endorsing products? Join E. Scott England as he presents a compelling argument for why companies should be getting teachers to endorse their products.