Jabbedu Education Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jon Ruths
Hello teachers. The Jabbedu Education Podcast strives to bridge the gap between Education Research and Classroom Practice for all K-12 educators. You'll hear some energetic conversations with leading researchers and professionals, bringing you the most relevant and current information in the fields of education, psychology, and leadership. We know you'll leave with some great evidence-based strategies and resources for you to use tomorrow. Welcome to Jabbedu.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you feel out of control? Where your don't seem to have a grip on your emotions?
Emotional control can be a challenge for students - throw in the hormonal changes that mess with the limbic system during puberty and you can really see it! That's why teaching the skills of self-regulations can be so crucial for a child's success in the classroom. Enter: The ZONES of Regulation.
In this episode, I chat with the developer and author of the ZONES of Regulation curriculum and resources, Leah Kuypers. We cover topics like
- How the ZONES originated from her work as a Occupational Therapist
- Why there's no hierarchy, and why you can be in multiple ZONES at once.
- The four steps to support regulation: recognize, identify, select a tool, regulate!
As well as the extensive number of books, lessons, apps, and other resources available at www.zonesofregulation.com.
Tune in!
Show notes available at jabbedu.com/show57
Decompression Session: with host, Jon Ruths.
This episode covers the topics of:
- Being vulnerable with both colleagues and students - there's incredible liberation in showing up fully as yourself and not having to 'put on a brave face' every day.
- Paying Yourself First - find ways to fill your cup first, so you can pour into your students.
- Don't give yourself extra work. Find ways to REMOVE stuff from your plate.
Our country needs teachers.
We need good teachers.
We need you.
Anybody know the percentage of kids who play with LEGOs growing up? Well I certainly was one of them.
Meeting students where they are in order to take them where you want them to go, and making the learning applicable to their every day are two of the foundations of best teaching practices. That's why using LEGOs to help students learn mathematical concepts is such a great place to start.
In this conversation with Dr. Shirley Disseler, we chat about
- how she got into the world of mathematics education
- Why the Why is so important for learning math
- How LEGO bricks can be a great tool for learning new concepts
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Check Out Dr. Disseler's Math Series and free math lesson of the month: brickmathseries.com
Explore her website: brickedandmore.com
Episode Show Notes: jabbedu.com/show55
If you have ever played organized sports, you know some of the skills you develop as an athlete... Determination, persistence, and cooperation to name a few.
But what if you could take the strategies taught to develop a winning mindset in sports and apply them to education?
That's exactly what Drs. Kevin and Anala Leichtman chat about on this episode.
Between their research, coaching, and teaching, they have developed an education mindset training course that takes some of those concepts and strategies, and applies them to your teaching situation.
Find out some of their favorite strategies on this episode.
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Kim doesn't have high expectations... all she wants to do is solve world peace and uproot the entire education system... nothing too lofty.
I say that in a sarcastic tone, but isn't this the kind of person we want out in front of us, leading the charge in our education system?
In this episode Dr. Yoak and I chat about how she became a mathematics fanatic, how her guiding principle of "Empower every learner every day through mathematics to create a just and peaceful world where all people flourish"guides her professional development sessions, and how we can make math more meaningful for our students.
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Do you feel like you control your money, or does your money control you?
Financial literacy has become as passion of mine, and while I'm nowhere near an expert, nor am I doing everything perfectly, I have had a lot of personal growth in this area. In this episode I just want to share what I've learned with you in hopes that maybe you can take some of this information and begin to get a better sense of what your financial picture is and what it might look like in the future.
In this episode I chat about
- the importance of simply having a plan (budget)
- the secret power of compound interest
- some investment vehicles you can explore.
If you want to watch the video or get your own copy of my super simple compound interest calculator, check out the show notes at jabbedu.com/show52
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How would you like to have a classroom where every student feels safe, is happy to come to school, understands and enjoys the assignments, has no anxiety over their studies, and is always on task?
Okay, I’m starting to sound like a late night infomercial for teachers. All of that sounds too good to be true… but isn’t that what we’re striving for?
In this episode, Lisa Westman breaks down her new book “Teaching With Empathy: How to Transform Your Practice by Understanding Your Learners”
You’ll learn
- The important distinction between sympathy and empathy
- The three different types of empathy you can use to help your students
- Why embracing empathy does NOT mean you are ‘going soft’
This episode is loaded with nuggets.
Tune in!
Are you a leader?
The short answer is, yes. Leadership is influence, and everyone has influence, so therefore everyone has leadership. But the big question is how do we influence others in a way that is also in service to them?
In this episode with Dr. Felicia Bolden we talk about how teachers can be leaders not just in their own classrooms, but in the larger school community as well. We chat about...
- The importance creating space for failure
- Using a matrix to systematize building relationships
- Creating structures to build leadership in others
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Any of these things ring a bell?
- Marble Jar
- Sticker Chart
- Token Economy
Arguably one of the first major tasks for teachers, especially new teachers, is trying to figure out a classroom management strategy that works for you and your students. If you're like me you've probably tried some one if not all of these... and if your experience was anything like mine, it probably worked for a few weeks, a few months if you're lucky, but then at some point the students stopped "buying in."
In this episode Mike Anderson and I chat about some of the major downfalls of these extrinsic motivators and why they could be doing more long-term damage than we realize.
He walks us through the three main pillars of his new book "Tackling the Motivation Crisis" and how we can leverage the intrinsic motivators students are already coming to school with so we (and they) don't have to rely on external motivation strategies.
Make sure you check out his book, available now through ASCD or Amazon, as well as his Live Binder
Tune in!
This past year has made it very clear how important mental and emotional wellbeing is. We're seeing more and more athletes and celebrities put an emphasis on their mental health, and it's about time we start doing the same for our students.
In this episode, Jodi walks us through
- Her personal stories of how meeting students mental and emotional needs can open up the pathway to a stronger relationship
- The science of stress - what's happening at the molecular and cellular level in our brains
- Why a tool like WellCheq is important for starting to systematize your response to student mental and emotional health so EVERY students feels seen.
This is a great episode to start your school year off on the right foot.
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We're back! Season 3 of the Jabbedu Education Podcast launches now!
Tune in to this season to be introduced to education's biggest leaders and hear some thought-provoking conversations, perspectives, strategies, concepts and more so you can be the catalyst of progress your students need.
Figuring out how to motivate students is one of the hardest skills to develop. Which strategies do I use, how do I balance reward and punishment, how do I develop intrinsic motivation for learning?
Luckily people like Dr. Brett Jones are doing the hard work for you. Over the last decade, Dr. Jones has researched and found the five pillars of motivating your students and has broken each one down for you in this episode.
Tune in!
Remember the iPod shuffle? Does anyone still use one? Probably not. It’s amazing to think about which technology is here today and gone tomorrow. Well that’s what Virtual Reality headset technology is like today. In this episode I sit down with Karl Kosko from Kent State about some of the research he’s doing with VR headsets and 3D classroom videos. He explains that over the next 5-10 years you’re going to see huge improvements in VR interface which will allow teacher candidates to get some practice experiencing the classroom without ever leaving their dorm. It's by no means a replacement for in-person practice, but the possibilities are quite endless, and it’s exciting to think about where we will be in 10 years. Tune in.
Hearing about how the intricacies of the brain, and finding out the “hard” evidence for human behavior might not sound incredibly appealing to most teachers, but it’s actually remarkably important for people in education to understand. Once you can identify underlying evidence for certain behaviors, you can begin to address the root of the cause, and not just the symptoms… i.e. instead of punitively reacting to student behavior, discover why the behavior exists and address that to prevent the behavior in the future.
In this episode we discuss some of the underlying brain functions of student behavior, why cortisol levels are important to be aware of, and why some of the proof of the benefits of social emotional learning in your classroom.
Talking about how your skin color affects your life is not easy. In fact, it is really hard and uncomfortable, because we know that in a just society, skin color shouldn’t matter at all… so as a white male, it can be hard to accept that I’ve benefitted (and likely will continue to benefit) from my skin color in ways I likely will never notice.
But if we don’t start having these conversations now, nothing will change, and we’ll rob future generations of the chance of a truly equitable society.
So thankfully there are people like Samuel Jaye Tanner who are leading the way in discussions around whiteness, white privilege, and anti-racism. In this episode we discuss his experience as a white teacher in a predominantly black school, how it affected his second job as a white teacher in a predominantly white school, the lessons he has learned from improv, and how we can begin to think about how our race interacts with our everyday experiences.
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Do you want your students to be able to self-regulate their emotions? How about learn how to navigate conflict? These are just two of the many positives that can come from implementing Social Emotional Learning into your classroom.
In this episode I chat with Joseph Hamer about his new book “Brain Awakes - Empowering Children through Breath, Balance, and Reflection.” We discuss the lessons he learned from his first year of teaching, how his own mindfulness journey led him to implement some of those strategies with his teaching, and how it all ties in with Social Emotional Learning.
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It can be extremely frustrating to work and work and work and have very little to show for it. Next time you see a student getting frustrated, it might be for this very same reason. In this episode we discuss Successive Relearning, a strategy that can help solidify our memories (and our students too!) We discuss the metacognition of effort and how simply switching our students perspective and belief about effort can change everything!
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In my experience, mathematics is an extremely objective subject. You figure out a certain equation and the answer is either correct, or it’s not… so how on earth does that create any sort of ethical dilemma worth exploring?
Well, luckily in this conversation with Courtney, Naomi, and Eva, we learn that the ethics are not in the problems themselves, but how they are framed. We discuss how multiple choice test might not be as good as you think, how bringing the real world to mathematical problems is a crucial part of getting students to buy into math, and why our choice to include or not include material does in fact mean that teaching can never be neutral.
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The feeling that you are important to someone else, that your being matters to another person, is one of the strongest emotions we can experience. It’s one of the things that makes us human. And if you’ve ever experienced the opposite, like you are unimportant or not wanted, you know that can be one of the most isolating of all human experiences. So it’s extremely important to make sure our students know and understand that their presence in our classroom matters.
In this episode Dr. Gail Boldt speaks about the roots of Affect Theory, how her experience as a psychotherapist informs her teaching and research, and how we as teachers can begin to adjust our response to student questions and behaviors in a way that makes them feel like they matter.
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When it comes down to it, what solves problems?... the answer is people. People solve problems. Yes you typically need a good plan, a working strategy, knowledge, expertise, and resources, and all that, but at the heart of everything is people. That’s why Dr. Tara O’Neill is advocating to include Social Sciences and Sense of Place when discussing STEM Learning. She explains, “Your self is always part of the everything you’re doing, and to pretend as if it’s not is to overlook a bias that could be potentially dangerous to the practice.” Hear more of this important discussion on this episode.
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So often we look for that “one thing” that’s going to fix all our problems, but instead we usually find that it’s never just one thing… but every once in a while you come across something that may not be the “one thing” but it’s as close as you’re ever going to get. In this episode I chat with Dr. Robert Slavin from Johns Hopkins University about the number one thing students who are falling behind need. We also cover everything like his first experience with special needs populations, landing a research job at Johns Hopkins, developing the Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE), creating Evidence for ESSA, and finally all the work he’s doing with his Success For All Foundation. This episode is packed with value. Tune in!
Cyber Bullying is relatively new in the education research world. There are obviously many parallel experiences students have to in-person bullying, but one of the big questions still remains unanswered - how do we counter cyber-bullying, and is it even the responsibility of a school?
In this episode with Dr. Leandra Parris we discuss the psychological elements of bullying and cyber-bullying, how important the students’ perspectives are when researching how teachers respond to bullying, and what we can do in our classroom to prevent these types of behaviors both in class and online.
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Shownotes: jabbedu.com/show37
Systems, systems, systems. If you are anything like me, your memory is about as trustworthy as a... I don't know, what's a good simile for really bad trustworthiness?
Anyway, the point is that when my memory fails me, it's important to have external processes to pick up the slack - aka a system.
CI3T or the "Comprehensive Integrated Three-Tiered Model of Prevention" is exactly what it sounds like. It's a system that can be put in place at a school to support academic, behavioral, and social competencies of all students, promote collaboration and teaming, and support educators’ efficacy and well-being through data-informed decision making. We dive deep on how your school might benefit from a system like this.
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We should all be working towards a more equitable future for all… but what does that look like exactly? It’s hard to know for sure, but the point is that we’re making the effort. On this episode, Dr. Christine Ashby shares with us her experience as a special education teacher in a fully-immersed school and some of the pros and cons of that design. We spend some additional time chatting about how to change the culture of a school, before transitioning to some of the amazing work she’s doing with the brand new Center on Disability and Inclusion. We wrap up with a highlight of her co-authored book, Enacting Change From Within. Great conversation through and through - tune in!
Don’t we all just want students who WANT to learn what you’re teaching? How nice would it be if every student was not only engaged in the learning, but empowered to go above and beyond the expectations. Myron Dueck might not have all the answers, but he’s got a number of strategies to help you get closer. In this episode we dive into Myron’s new book about how we should rethink assessments in order to give our students a voice in the classroom. We cover topics like the importance of feedback, why failure IS an option, what we can learn from the origins of the word assessment, and how everything he’s learned began with a Portland Trailblazers game. Tune in!
It's hard to believe we're coming up on the 1-year mark of COVID-19 shutting down much of the country. You could argue that in the last year, we've all experienced some level of trauma. That acknowledgement takes away some of the stigma that surrounds adverse childhood experiences that result in childhood trauma. Acknowledging that we've all experienced trauma at some point makes it easier for us to connect with students who have and are experiencing some level of trauma.
In this episode Dr. Colleen Lelli talks about what is good stress and what is bad stress, why acute trauma and chronic trauma are different but each have an affect on our nervous system, and how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) affect our students on a daily basis. We wrap up with talking about the importance of Grit, Resilience, and Growth Mindset, and how we can use our personal stories to make connections with students and help them develop these skills.
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In this episode I share my thoughts on why we shouldn't want to return to normal, we should want to return better. COVID-19 has given us a chance to reset some of the things that aren't working in education, and shame on us if we let it slip by without improving. So far the pandemic has forced us to be REACTIVE, but it's about time to starting being PROACTIVE. Today I share why I think we shouldn't start the year with curriculum, why online learning isn't going anywhere, and why our school calendars are archaic and inefficient.
Imagine not identifying a student with hearing loss until they are in 3rd grade? Or what about a student with visual impairment until 5th grade? Imagine the amount of time and energy lost in their education by not providing the appropriate supports for them.
This is why Dr. Kimberly Vannest is such a big proponent of universal screenings for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Often they are not identified until later in their schooling, after so much time is lost. In this episode we talk about the need for universal screenings and how teachers can begin to identify and support students with emotional and behavioral disorders in their classroom. We wrap up with a conversation about single-subject or case research and why teachers are already doing this on a daily basis.
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Seems like an easy "yes," but that depends on what your definition of sound is. If you define sound as simply the vibrations that happen between air molecules, then yes those vibrations are present. But if you define sound as the interpretation of those vibrations in our mind... then in fact, no, it doesn't make a "sound" if nobody hears it. When I first heard someone explain that famous philosophical proposition in this new light, my mind was blown... almost like it was in this episode! Dr. Gershon shares with us this emerging area of study called sound curriculum which really examines how sound is (or is not) used or noticed in educational settings, why that might be, and how we can view it through the lens of equity, fairness, decency and respect for our students and our community.
If you've been around the education world for a while, you've probably heard these acronyms thrown around: RTI, MTSS, and PBIS. But Dr. William Hunter takes us on a deep dive into what each of these terms mean, how they function to help our students, and most importantly how they work together to create a system that prevents students from falling through the cracks. Whether it's behavior or academic, these systems help us serve our students the best we can...
And then we "rap" up with a fun conversation about #HipHopEd and how using poetry, rap, and spoken word can help engage students in a creative learning environment that honors their youth while meeting the demands of the curriculum.
Jon Ruths breaks down what he's recently learned about stress and tiredness and gives some suggestions on how to deal with both.
If you think language is fixed in stone, think again! In this episode Dr. Raúl Alberto Mora shares how he learned to speak English with what was available to him at the time - WWE Wrestling! Believe it or not, this led him down the path of becoming an English teacher in Colombia, and ultimately professor of English Education and Literacy Studies. Through his Literacies in Second Languages Project (LSLP) he’s cultivated a space where some really unique research on language acquisition is being done. We dive into the three pillars of his project, how language is alive, and how to engage your students with purpose.
How do we pull students into a lesson so they are genuinely curious and want to learn? Dr. Khan shares today that one way might be to include some socioscientific issues (SSI). Socioscientific issues are socially-relevant, real-world problems that are potentially controversial, are informed by science, but often have an ethical component. Dr. Kahn explains that using these issues in the classroom can have numerous educational benefits. When students see the learning material is applicable to their lives today, and not just because a teacher says they’ll need it in the future, they engage more and remember more. SSIs really pull information from several disciplines and force students out of the silos of the different school subjects. And finally, students get to practice skills such as listening to someone else’s perspective and respectfully responding. All of this and more in an episode you definitely don’t want to miss!
This conversation is twofold:
If you live in a rural part of the country, you know the struggle of being so far away from help when you need it. That’s why the STAR initiative at the University of Virginia is so special. Gail and her colleagues built a support system modeled after the medical system Project ECHO. Through virtual communities, teachers and other support staff in rural, lower socioeconomic, or just simply underfunded schools have access to specialist who can help train them so they can serve students with autism to the best of their abilities.
Additionally in this conversation we discuss Gail’s true passion, which is highlighting the importance of principals and administrators being knowledgeable about literacy learning. They are, after all, the ones who come in and observe, critique, and mentor us on our teaching. Since instructional leadership is second only to classroom instruction in student achievement, I think it’s fair that we hold these coaches accountable to walking the walk, not just talking the talk.
Listen now!
How often do you reflect on the curriculum you teach? Most teachers (myself included) would probably say not often enough.
In today’s episode Dr. Helfenbien reminds us that curriculum, by nature, is exclusionary. We cannot possibly teach everything, so naturally some material gets left out. So what are we saying when we include or exclude certain information? This is why reflection is so important.
The challenge we must consider is not only analyzing the formal curriculum, but also the enacted curriculum. Not only what’s written in the textbook, but the lessons and content that actually gets taught in your classroom. What are students learning, often subconsciously, through our decisions, words, and actions.
Dr. Helfenbein also shares with us how the physical spaces - the critical geography - of our classrooms, schools, and greater community can play a role in our students learning.
I believe that choosing to pursue a career in education is a choice that is rooted in the ultimate goal of helping others and creating lasting impact and change. 2018 Pennsylvania teacher of the Year, Mike Soskil, acknowledges his original jump into the education world came from a desire to coach soccer, but since then he has gone from a self-proclaimed mediocre teacher to an international speaker, author, leader, and positive change agent. On this episode Mike dives into how he uses community needs to drive learning and engagement in his classroom, how teachers can begin to own their leadership potential, and how his new book “Flip the System U.S.” challenges the structure of the educational system in the United States and how we can begin to change it for the better.
Spatial skills are crucial for many tasks, especially STEM activities. For a while it seemed like spatial awareness was something you either had, it or you didn’t. But aligning with much of the research on growth mindset and neuroscience, it turns out you CAN teach spatial skills. But if they’re so important for so many tasks, why don’t we explicitly teach them in school? Why don’t you see a lesson on spatial skills in science class? In this episode we dive into what types of spatial skills are needed to succeed in STEM, why a student’s spatial awareness is an important factor in predicting their STEM success, and how we can (and why we should) begin to develop spatial skills as soon as students develop language.
We each have our own story. We each have grown up with certain influences. Some influences are obvious to us - like for me when I went and saw a John Williams concert in 7th grade, which pushed me into a career in music. But for most of our life, the influences are subliminal, affecting our subconscious without our awareness. This is what brought Alexs Pate to develop the Innocent Classroom. He says society tells us a story about students of color, and those students (by way of simply existing in our culture) hear that message. Whether it’s a tv show, an advertisement, a song on the radio, students pick up on this message, often with negative side affects on what they believe about themselves. It’s our job as educators to dismantle this belief so EVERY student can succeed to their full potential without negative stereotypes holding them back.
Amid the COVID19 pandemic, teachers have been thrust into trying to teach in a new distance or hybrid learning environment. Allie Goldstein has spent her career working on building community through online education platforms, and while her focus is on higher education and semester courses that were designed from the start to be online, there's plenty of crossover value for k-12 teachers to absorb. Listen as we dive into different strategies, resources, and tools for building your classroom community, no matter what it looks like today.
When did you decide you wanted to be a teacher? For some of us we were rather young, and for others it wasn’t until after college. For James Sturtevant, it was the latter. But his late arrival to the teaching career path has not impeded his ability to become an exemplary educator. In this episode we discuss what he did early in his career that kept him in the field, how being open to new ideas accelerated his career and challenged him to write his first book, and why he continues to serve the world of education as an adjunct lecturer and his continued writing practice with the release of his new book “Teaching In Magenta: 100 paths to joy and well being for you and your students”
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
3:01 - James and his school-age experience
7:45 - Post-college and falling into a teaching career
11:07 - Experience at Ohio State
13:12 - Best thing about that first year of teaching
16:26 - Being open to new suggestions to improve your craft
23:12 - The conception of “You Gotta Connect”
27:21 - Balancing connecting with students and holding them accountable
30:50 - Favorite tips and tools from “Hacking Engagement” - Voxer and PearDeck
40:10 - Where “Teaching in Magenta” came from.
45:32 - Path #1 - Apologize.
49:10 - Final thoughts on how fast your career goes
50:30 - Exit Ticket Questions
55:48 - Nugget and Wrap-up
Teachers are leaders. But how can we begin to develop our leadership skills to become high quality educators and strong leaders within the greater school community and education world? Dr. LeTendre gives us his thoughts on this episode. We discuss his early mentors and his experience teaching in Japan, some of the pros and cons of testing and data collection, and how we can begin to see ourselves and our profession more of a community function of social influence, and less of a mechanistic outcome measurement based sort of process. Tune in now!
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
3:26 - Dr. Gerald LeTendre background and school experience
7:13 - Teacher who left the best impression on him.
9:41 - You usually don’t know when you leave an impact.
11:22 - First mentors - Three Japanese teachers.
13:04 - Importance of community in education, and teacher’s diminished status.
15:29 - Path to researching teacher quality and educational leadership.
18:01 - The purpose of testing, and how data can help (and harm) us.
22:42 - What are our cultural expectations for teacher leadership?
26:23 - Last thoughts - how we develop a system to help teacher achieve.
28:38 - Exit Ticket Questions
35:27 - Wrap up and takeaway.
We probably don’t do this very often, but we should. Just like diet and exercise, we know we should do it to stay healthy and we know we’ll be better for it, but it can be hard to discipline ourselves. I’m talking about developing a culturally and linguistically responsive classroom. In this episode I sit down with Dr. Fernando Naiditch to talk about his experience growing up in Brazil and all the things that influenced his journey to becoming a professor of education in the States. We cover everything from Paulo Freire’s influence, to his international journeys, to his current work on helping teachers develop a classroom environment that meets the needs of all learners. By making sure their culture and language are discussed, and represented in the lessons, teachers can create a community of learners who feel welcomed.
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
3:04 - Fernando Naiditch Background and K-12 Private Education in Brazil
7:05 - Why he’s a proponent of public education
11:13 - Experience in the middle east and traveling the world
16:08 - The digital divide in education and how it’s been amplified by COVID
17:22 - Influence of Paulo Freire and the importance of reading and literacy
22:31 - Experience in England, and english as a 5th language!
26:20 - What is Culturally and Linguistically Responsive teaching?
38:15 - Example: Responding to a student who was mislabeled as having a learning disability
41:57 - Developing Critical Thinking: From Theory to Practice
46:26 - Exit Ticket Answers
55:53 - Wrap up and Takeaways
Teaching is hard. You have responsibilities that go above and beyond the job description. On top of spending years in college becoming experts in your field, you must also must become experts in children’s psychology, neuroscience, and interpersonal relationships… all three of which are some of the least-well-known subjects within the scientific community. So it comes as no shock when Dr. Doug Green wrote his book and titled it “Teaching Isn’t Rocket Science, It’s Way More Complex” In our episode today we dive into all the things Dr. Doug has learned in his career as a teacher and administrator, and all the work he’s doing now to research and surf the web for useful “byte” size tips for teachers. Enjoy!
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
3:37 - Dr. Doug Green school experience, and career highlights
14:00 - Inspiration from high school chemistry teacher
16:46 - Importance of the teacher-student relationship
23:02 - EdD program and influence of the internet in the classroom
26:24 - The beginnings of the Dr Doug Green blog and his executive book summaries
30:53 - “Teaching Isn’t Rocket Science, It’s Much More Complex”
33:24 - Issues with American Gifted and Special Education
36:12 - How does race play into gifted and special education placement?
38:14 - Researching for the book and how we might restructure our school if we had a do-over
44:54 - Exit Ticket Questions and Answers
51:09 - Wrap-up and Nuggets
Summary
We all know that no two students are the same. But sometimes we expect ALL students to adhere to our classroom expectations without conflict. This disconnection is bound to create tension. Dr. Sandee McClowry talks to us today about how we can use her Four Temperaments to better understand our students, and better respond to and even prevent misbehavior or breaches in expectations. We dive into how to help our Hard-Worker, Grumpy, Friendly, and Cautious students use their temperaments to their advantage to create a stronger classroom culture where everyone thrives.
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
3:31 - Sandee McClowry background and school experience
7:45 - Catholic vs Public school and creating community.
9:01 - High school to PhD in Nursing and the transition to education
13:31 - Definition of Temperament and highlight of the Four Temperaments
18:15 - Supporting the Industrious - “Henry or Hillary the Hardworker”
20:18 - Supporting the High Maintenance - “Gregory or Gretchen the Grumpy”
24:24 - Supporting the Social & Eager to Try - “Fredrico or Felicity the Friendly”
25:12 - Supporting the Shy & Cautious - “Carlos or Coretta the Cautious”
26:52 - How to balance giving reinforcements to students
30:58 - Fair is not equal, and how to work that into your classroom structures
33:36 - Using temperament training to help students who otherwise may be identified as ADHD
38:34 - Reframing the behaviors and how to redirect it
40:23 - The Three R’s - Recognize, Reframe, Respond
46:20 - Exit Ticket Answers
51:46 - Wrap-up and Nuggets
Summary
What is it about the human existence that we can easily point out improvements that other people can make, but it’s so hard to find the areas in which we need to improve? It’s called bias, and it can be a big problem when we don’t take the time to check our own, especially when it comes to gender stereotypes. Dr. Kieran Nduagbo walks us through what gender bias looks like in the classroom, how we can begin to recognize our own biases through reflection, and what resources will help us make a more equitable learning environment for EVERY student.
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
3:26 - Dr. Kieran Nduagbo’s experience in Nigeria school, becoming a nun, moving to Germany, and coming to the USA to teach Special Education.
11:04 - Pros and Cons of being a principal
13:07 - Article in ASCD Newsletter, researching gender difference in the classroom
17:37 - Definition of Gender Bias
21:07 - Gender identity conversation becoming less taboo
23:47 - How to NOT promote gender stereotypes
27:17 - Where should teachers start to learn about gender stereotypes
29:59 - Current research - reflection in the teaching profession
32:55 - Exit Ticket Answers
41:43 - Wrap up and Nuggets
Summary
Bullying has been a hot topic for many years now, and it’s pretty well accepted that bullying behaviors happen because of some sort of power differential, such as physical size, social skills, mental abilities, etc. But Dr. Seria Chatters has observed that many times the power differential exists because some students are “othered,” meaning for some reason they are marginalized from that community. These reasons might be race, weight, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other trait that might cause someone to feel excluded from the group. This is what she refers to as “bias-based” bullying. We dive into more of this definition, some strategies for increasing diversity to reduce bias-based bullying, and her new research study.
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
4:11 - Seria Chatters international and rural-America school experience.
16:22 - Unexpected full-ride to college!
20:23 - First job experience (at Einstein’s Bagels!) and returning to school
25:55 - Exploring “Bias-Based” Bullying
33:08 - How oppression can be perpetuated in our education and curriculum.
40:50 - Breaking down the three tiers of support in Seria’s new research.
53:55 - Recognizing and Addressing some bullying trends.
1:01:59 - How to examine your curriculum to find areas of oppression.
1:06:27 - Exit Ticket Questions and Outro
Summary
Walking is something you probably don’t think about often. It’s sort of like breathing, we just do it. Dr. Kimberly Powell shares with us today that there is so much more to walking! She breaks down how she was inspired early in her career by Howard Gardner and his Multiple Intelligences Theory, and later actually got a chance to work with him. Her early interest in psychology has led her down many paths, and more currently she is working with communities that have experienced some sort of social, cultural, or racial marginalization… and she does it all through art. Our conversation takes us down the path of a research project she did with Japanese-Americans in San Jose California and “storywalks” and “placemaking.” She even breaks down how these strategies can be applied to many different age and subject areas. Listen up!
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
3:20 - Dr. Powell school age experience - finding her place in the arts
12:27 - Introduction to Howard Gardner and his Multiple Intelligence Theory (Frames of Mind)
15:22 - Exploring how we create forms of knowledge and expression in our world
18:34 - Working with communities who experience marginalization through art
21:42 - Bringing life to research through art-spaced research methods
25:22 - Research-creation. How is research a type of creation, how is art a type of research?
29:08 - Taiko Drumming and influences of Japnese-American culture after WWII
35:33 - WalkingLab Research: How culture, arts, walking, and community are intertwined.
43:31 - “Storywalks” and “Placemaking” in Japantown, San Jose
47:23 - Examples of applying WalkingLab research to your classroom.
54:14 - Closing the loop: Defining ‘curriculum theorist’ and ‘education anthropologist’
56:14 - Exit Ticket Questions
1:01:18 - Wrap up
Summary
Dr. Jonte' (JT) Taylor is a self-proclaimed Renaissance Man, a man of many talents and interests and you'll see that today as we dive into his story. From backing out of a political career, to earning a bachelors in Special Education, to working in a group home for adults with severe cognitive disabilities, to being a teacher in the juvenile justice system, to obtaining a masters and PhD he takes us through everything he's learned about Special Education, Science and STEAM education, new advances in virtual practice classrooms... and of course, walking tacos! Tune in to this very entertaining conversation.
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
2:52 - Getting out of Mississippi
7:59 - Choosing a major, avoiding politics
11:26 - Working with students in the juvenile justice system
13:44 - Beginning a masters and doctoral program.
16:00 - Circling back to working with kids
18:39 - Behavior coordinator / autism program experience
22:11 - Iowa, a postdoctoral position, and walking tacos!
25:22 - Working on a program in science education
29:37 - Current work and research
32:50 - Using Virtual Classrooms for preservice (and current) teacher training
47:10 - Final Thoughts - teachers as writers and researchers.
49:55 - Exit Ticket Questions and Answers
Summary
Do you ever find it challenging to bond with students who have different experiences as you? I know I try to be very aware of my privileges, and sometimes that makes it hard for me to authentically connect with students who might be part of a marginalized population. That’s what we talk about in today’s episode with Dr. Boni Wozolek. We dive into how to navigate conversations with LGBTQ+ students, how to acknowledge and check our biases to bring equity and access to our classrooms, and how to use our privilege to help marginalized populations.
Timestamps0:01 - Intro
4:30 - Boni Wozolek background
8:06 - Navigating conversations with LGBTQ+ youth
13:20 - Bringing equity and access to our classroom
15:40 - Acknowledging and checking our biases
19:11 - Current research - Assemblages of Violence
26:05 - How to be a “member” of a community when you’re not “part” of the community
30:44 - Learning how to Listen Deeply, especially as an authority figure.
33:48 - Final thoughts on thinking critically about our intersectionality
38:15 - Exit Ticket Questions
50:51 - Nuggets of Wrap-up.
It’s been a few decades since special education became an element of the mainstream education system… but Dr. Mark Alter argues that what it has become today is not what it was meant to be. Instead of creating one unifying education system that works for everyone, we’ve created parallel education systems that bounce children back and forth. We’ve created labels for grouping students together instead of identifying and addressing the needs of individual students. It’s time for a reframing of the special education system.
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
3:51 - Dr. Mark Alter background and school experience
7:01 - First job with kids with severe disabilities
10:05 - Excitement around the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975
12:15 - The creation of parallel systems - “if you build it they will come”
14:40 - NCLB and standardized testing - have schools delivered?
19:25 - Preparing teachers for the system using a new type of support structure.
21:24 - Is being a teacher is harder than being an ER Doctor?
25:46 - COVID-19 is challenging our model - learning can happen OUTSIDE of school
28:04 - Comparing the US education system with other countries
30:40 - Explaining the term “Least Restrictive Environment” as a continuum
34:15 - Visiting schools in Senegal
36:25 - Shifting to project-based learning
39:56 - Categories of special education mask larger challenges
44:54 - Why teachers should be more involved in advocacy and research
48:43 - Final thoughts on special education
51:01 - Exit Ticket Questions
On this episode, Dr. Kirkland shares the stark truth of his childhood, his education, and how the education and judicial system that's currently failing us, is in fact the system this country built, and in order to change the system, we must accept our history and learn from it in order to create a better future for all. You don't want to miss all the quotes and truth bombs in this episode.
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
2:49 - Ode to our history, childhood, and being homeless in Detroit
6:50 - The teacher that showed compassion
9:27 - The power of our stories
11:18 - Marines recruitment leads to college
13:38 - First job as a teacher
15:59 - How the system failed a young student
18:58 - These systems are real, and it’s our responsibility to change them
23:01 - Research projects at NYU and how we respond
32:09 - Classroom study: slow down to speed up.
35:50 - Our schools serve a particular purpose in our society.
41:37 - Exit Ticket Questions
47:55 - Wrap Up
On this episode we explore how Dr. Ashley Patterson and Jackie Saylor are helping high school students engage in difficult conversations of race and social injustices while maintaining an emotionally safe space to do so. Dr. Patterson’s research and work challenges us to shift the paradigm of what “literacy” actually is and how race plays a role in our situational literacy. Her current work gives a platform for her participants to share their personal experiences with traveling abroad and how their perspectives influence their beliefs.
Timestamps:
0:01 - Introduction
3:25 - Dr. Patterson background and growing up
8:59 - Definition of learning
10:31 - Experience at THE Ohio State University
12:59 - Pure data can minoritize groups over time (Moynihan Report and personal story)
17:50 - Penn State - Principles of Social Justice in Education
19:31 - Changing the paradigm of "literacy" and "appropriate educational material"
26:28 - Analyzing the purpose and use of language and literacy
31:28 - {Jackie Saylor - the inception of "Diversity and Social Justice"
35:00 - {Implementation of research in education.
37:53 - {Reflecting on the significance of the class
41:07 - {Goal of the class
42:26 - {What can you do in your opinion?
44:01 - {Resources: Culturaly Responsive Teaching and Learning, The Power of the Adolescent Brain, Waking up White
47:08 - Ashley’s current research - Finding where inequities live in our system by analyzing how people perceive those inequities.
49:04 - Understanding why study abroad programs are largely white women
51:48 - Honoring the voices of the participants
56:49 - Difference between students’ international experience.
1:01:50 - Exit Ticket Questions
1:07:08 - Wrap-up and conclusion
Have you ever found out that the thing you were looking for isn't really the thing you need? That's what happened in today's conversation. Sometimes we think we need a new strategy, or technique, or tool, but Dr. Jill Swavely tells us today those are not the things we should be looking for or turning to when trying to help ESL students in our classrooms. The reality is it's much more basic than that.
Topics Discussed
0:01 - Intro
4:37 - Dr. Jill Swavely - intro, background, school experience, and first job with the Red Cross
10:38 - Going back to grad school, first experience with ESL students, and becoming a college professor.
14:32 - Inuit "snow" myth, what happens in our brain during language acquisition, and disadvantages of living in a dominantly mono-lingual population.
18:22 - History of ESL programs in schools.
21:18 - Primary challenges for ESL students in our classrooms.
27:44 - Aligning our goals with assignments, assessments, and instructions.
30:28 - Transforming School L.I.F.E. research project: Leadership, Instruction, & Family Engagement
35:42 - Data being collected and preliminary findings
39:02 - Resources and strategies for helping ESL students in a digital medium.
44:41 - Exit Ticket Answers
52:50 - Nuggets and Wrap-up
If you are looking for ways to get your students to relax, better control their emotions, and work on tasks with more focus, you might want to consider implementing a minute or two of mindfulness practice into your classroom! Today's guest, Stacey Mandel, spent 17 years as a classroom teacher before transitioning to be a mindfulness instructor. She now travels to different schools, hospitals, and other community settings to help young kids and adults be present and in tune with their minds.
Topics Discussed
0:01 - Intro
3:48 - Stacey's school experience
7:27 - College experience at NYU and pursuing screen writing.
9:48 - Trying to make it in Hollywood.
13:28 - First experience with mindfulness - Zen Buddhist retreats
16:22 - Meditation & Mindfulness coming to the Western World - Jon Kabat Zinn: the father of mindfulness.
21:37 - How unaddressed stress can affect multiple aspects of our bodies and lives.
24:07 - Digging into the research. Neurophysiological changes in our brain.
27:53 - Different between Meditation and Mindfulness
30:51 - Stacey's focus working with school age students
35:18 - Focusing in on self-control and emotional aptitude
38:50 - Implementing meditation in distance learning.
42:16 - Exit Ticket Questions
50:21 - Empowering Lifelong Shine
52:25 - Nuggets and wrap-up
It's been a few decades since segregation and racial discrimination was made illegal, but the ripples of time are still visible in society today, one of the most prevalent examples being the education gap between predominantly white middle class suburban neighborhood schools and predominantly black/hispanic lower class urban neighborhood schools. Today we sit down with Dr. Maia Cucchiara to discuss an initiative that the city of Philadelphia implemented to increase funding to struggling urban schools, and what the implications and lessons are from that project.
Topics Discussed
0:01 - Intro
3:08 - Dr. Maia Cucchiara background: Experience in DC school.
6:28 - Becoming a lawyer or teacher? Which one has a greater chance for change?
9:28 - PhD research - getting upper-middle class families to stay in urban schools
14:15 - Revitalization of Center City will generate revenue that will trickle down to schools, right?
16:29 - Outcomes from the research: more resources, but new patterns of marginalization
20:41 - It's just really complicated! There's a sense that dysfunction in urban schools isn't just a lack of resources.
23:52 - What's the response? How do we fix it?
25:26 - Importance of teachers staying in the professions - only 16% leave due to retirement.
27:49 - Partnering with parents to teach parenting skills - the discourse around the middle class as the 'saviors.'
31:43 - Additional topics we didn't cover? - Thank you to teachers!
32:26 - Exit Ticket Questions
36:51 - Nuggets and Wrap-up
Are you always stressed when your principal comes in to observe you? Do you feel like everything you do is being put under a microscope? Are you worried about the repercussions of those observations? We sit down today with Dr. Helen Patrick to talk about her latest research surrounding teacher observations. You should have some very real concerns if your state or school is using observation ratings as a means of promoting or punishing students, and we find out why on this episode.
Topics Discussed
0:01 - Intro
2:50 - Dr. Helen Patrick background: Being a student, moving to Michigan and New Zealand weather
8:40 - Transition from studying motivation to studying teacher observation
10:52 - Process of completing the research
14:12 - Building relationships with teachers to complete the research
16:36 - Diving into Dr. Patrick's recent study on the correlation of student growth scores and teacher observation ratings
24:57 - The data collected and the outcomes of the research
30:31 - The final conclusion - they don't work! Teacher observation ratings do not correlate with student growth.
35:48 - What should teachers do with this information?
38:52 - How can teachers get involved in conducting future research?
40:52 - Exit Ticket Questions
46:30 - Nuggets and Wrap-up
On this episode we have Dr. Karen Dickinson. She is a professor of counseling at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and has 20+ years of experience as both a school counselor and classroom teacher. We discuss some basic counseling techniques that every teacher should know as well as some of her research on bullying, particularly how to recognize, acknowledge, and mitigate the bullying behaviors in our classrooms and our schools.
Topics Discussed
0:01 - Intro
3:01 - Karen Dickinson background
5:05 - What is School Counseling? What's different from psychologist?
7:15 - Dr. Dickinson professional experience
9:08 - Ethical Practice in the Human Services: Knowing to Being
12:48 - What teachers need to know about being the first line of counseling
15:44 - What makes something bullying?
18:12 - What does the research tell us about bullying?
19:32 - Why do some schools and classrooms struggle with bullying more than others?
22:15 - Using research to change curriculum when it comes to bullying and students with disabilities
25:02 - Final thoughts - take the time to make your classroom a community
26:10 - Exit Ticket Questions
30:52 - Nuggets and Wrap-up.
In this episode we interview one of the few experts in the country on fandom research. Dr. Lynn Zubernis is a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at West Chester University. She became interested in the concept of fandom after she herself became a huge fan of the show Supernatural. After experiencing firsthand the tight-knit communities that form around tv shows, sports, music etc, she dove into researching the psychology behind fandom. In this interview, we look at how we can apply our students' fandom to their educational journey with the hope of fostering more participation, interest, and motivation in the classroom.
Timestamps
0:01 - Intro
2:37 - Lynn's background and info on Supernatural
7:04 - Fandom definition and discussion
10:19 - Leonard Nemoy and Star Trek as the first Fandom
12:37 - Dr. Zubernis' process for collecting research on fandom
14:43 - How does fandom apply to the education world?
19:29 - Can fandom be fostered, or is it strictly organic?
20:57 - When should we start using fandom in the classroom?
22:57 - Exit Ticket Questions
28:19 - Wrap-up and takeaways
Are you curious about what truly motivates us? Do you want students who are engaged and self-regulated? Are you looking for that one thing that will keep your students focused? In this episode we talk with Dr. Avi Kaplan about the psychology of motivation, and why it's not as simple as we hope.
Timestamps: Topics Discussed
0:01 - Intro
2:29 - Dr. Kaplan's life growing up in Israel and how he found his path
9:05 - What is the "Complex Dynamics Systems Approach" to research?
12:05 - How is motivation like the weather?
14:44 - How does the 'environment' influence student motivation?
17:46 - How can external factors influence intrinsic motivation?
18:38 - How reflection and conversation helps create an environment that fosters motivation?
21:14 - Fostering connection and community in our environment around why we come to school.
24:08 - Reflecting on the goal of our assignment and how to include student interests
26:31 - How motivation changes, and how to regulate it.
29:16 - Tips on motivating students, even in a long-distance and online learning platform.
31:23 - Exit Ticket Questions
34:17 - Nuggets and Wrap-up.
Do you want to integrate more technology into your classroom, but don't know where to start? Maybe you're a little hesitant about the steep learning curve that comes with using technology in education. Or maybe do you already use a lot of technology, but just want some more tips? In this episode we interview Dr. Chris Penny from West Chester University to discuss some of the newest research coming out of the education technology field.
Timestamps: Topics Discussed
0:01 - Introduction
2:18 - Dr. Chris Penny intro and background
6:10 - Importance of health and wellness
7:42 - Apple and Google Educator programs
11:20 - Mobile Technology and the Post-PC era
13:30 - Benefits of a 1:1 ratio of students to devices
14:24 - Are tablets becoming the new standard in education technology?
16:56 - But there's a big learning curve to technology... isn't that a detriment?
19:08 - Accessibility of information with technology
20:52 - The future of education technology and where you should start.
24:52 - Exit Ticket Questions
30:19 - Nuggets and wrap-up.
Don't we all just want to find the best tools, best strategies, and best techniques for becoming effective and skillful teachers? Doesn't it make sense to insure those tools, strategies, and techniques are proven and backed by research? Join elementary teacher Jon Ruths as he interviews some of the leading professors and researchers in the fields of education, psychology, and leadership to bring you the most relevant evidence-based information for you to use in your life and in your classroom so that you can become the best teacher you can be.