Teaching Learning Leading K-12

Suzy Pepper Rollins - Boys in the Back: The Downward Spiral of Boys in School. This is episode 728 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Suzy Pepper Rollins is the author of 3 Books: Learning in the Fast Lane, Teaching in the Fast Lane & Teaching Vulnerable Learners. She has produced her first short documentary entitled "Boys in the Back" in which 4 educators provide insights on the downward spiral of boys in school. Suzy notes - We are in the midst of an urgent national boy crisis.  Failing grades, low college admissions, high percent of office referrals. 2/3 of IEP’s are boys, 70% of D’s & F grades are boys…there are no silver linings in the research.  More than ever, boys dislike school and see it as a waste of time.   Our focus is Suzy’s film - Boys in the Back. Great conversation! So much to think about. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmilett

Kathy Cobb: Teaching, Growing Readers, and Beekeeping. This is episode 727 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Kathy Cobb is a Growing Readers Design Team Specialist at North Georgia RESA, hailing from Ellijay, GA. With a rich background in education, Kathy dedicated 22 years to elementary teaching, including 17 years in 1st grade and 5 years in kindergarten. Her passion for education extended beyond the classroom as she served as a teacher leader, grade level lead, and Family Engagement coordinator. Transitioning to a role at RESA, Kathy leveraged her expertise in English/Language Arts before joining the Growing Readers team in 2018. Growing Readers, a statewide initiative since 2015, focuses on professional growth informed by cutting-edge research such as Scarborough’s Rope (2001) and The Active View of Reading (2021). Kathy’s role involves providing professional learning and onsite coaching to empower K-5 teachers in enhancing their reading instruction. Before discovering her true calling

Kathleen Bjork - My Mother is Losing Her Memory, and I am Losing My Mind: Parenting the Aging Parent. This is episode 726 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. My Mother is Losing Her Memory, and I Am Losing My Mind: Parenting the Aging Parent is the true story of a mother's journey through dementia that is told through the eyes of her caregiver daughter, Kathleen Bjork. Related with compassion and humor, it details the mother's fight to keep her independence and the family's decisions to keep her safe.  Loss of control of her finances as well as her car is met with anger, and a fall which results in a broken hip and rehabilitation confirms that she cannot live alone. A concession to let her return to live in her own home with a caregiver ends in disaster.  Our focus is Kathleen’s book My Mother is Losing Her Memory, and I Am Losing My Mind: Parenting the Aging Parent. Powerful talk. So much to learn. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying

Robert "Buddy" Costley - CEO & Co-Founder of SchoolDog Solutions, Inc: Making Schools Safe. This is episode 725 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. A veteran of the US Navy, Robert “Buddy” Costley is a retired Georgia school superintendent after serving for 11 years in that role from 2008-2019. In November of 2023, he was listed by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of Georgia’s 500 Most Influential Leaders. In December of 2023, Buddy retired from public service after completing over four years leading through the pandemic and beyond as the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL), the professional association for Georgia’s school and district public school administrators.  Today, he is the CEO and Co-Founder of SchoolDog Solutions, Inc., a software company built on the mission of making every K-12 school across the nation a safer and healthier place to learn and work. His inspiration and passion for school safety are his wife Kelly, a K-12 educator, and his

Barbara R. Blackburn - Scaffolding for Success: Helping Learners Meet Rigorous Expectations Across the Curriculum. This is episode 724 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Ranked in the Top 10 Global Gurus in Education, Barbara has dedicated her life to raising the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. What differentiates Barbara’s over 30 books are her easily executable concrete examples based on decades of experience as a teacher, professor, and consultant. Barbara’s dedication to education was inspired in her early years by her parents, Bob and Rose. Her father’s doctorate and lifetime career as a professor taught her the importance of professional training. Her mother’s career as school secretary shaped Barbara’s appreciation of the effort all staff play in the education of every child. Barbara has taught early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students and has served as an educational consultant for three publishing companies. She holds

Janine Walker-Caffrey: EPS Learning - Providing Effective Reading Instruction. This is episode 723 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Janine Walker-Caffrey, the chief academic officer at EPS Learning, is a career educator who has been a teacher (special education, English as a second language, physics), school founder, principal and superintendent. She is also the author of two parenting books inspired by her own two children. Our focus today is reading instruction with EPS Learning. So much to learn. Great conversation! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated with producing the show. That would be cool. Thanks for thinking about it.  Hey, I'

Therese Casadesus Rawson talks about her mother Gaby Casadesus and Gaby's book My Musical Notes: A Journey in Classical Piano Between the World Wars and Beyond. This is episode 722 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. About Gaby Casadesus She has taught French, Humanities, French Diction and French vocal repertoire to singers at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia for nearly 30 years.  She was President of the Alliance Française de Philadelphie for nearly 10 years and has been President of the Fontainebleau Associations for 25 years: the stateside support group which helps organize and finance the summer Music and Fine Arts program at the Château de Fontainebleau. The French Government awarded Therese the Palmes Académiques in recognition of her teaching activities, and, in 2001, she was named to the rank of Chevalier des Arts et Lettres on account of her efforts on behalf of Franco-American cultural affairs. Our focus is your mother Gaby Casadesus and her book - My Musical Notes: A

Lt. Col. Tom Williams USMC (Ret.) - Doorsteps of Hell: The Arizona & Tropical Jungles 1969 -1970; The Heart of a Marine Series, Book 1. This is episode 721 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. On 20 December 1944, Tom Williams was born Tom Collins in Savannah, GA. Abandonment by his biological father at the age of six months old, profoundly impacted Tom’s early life causing his mother to farm him out to relatives while she worked to make a living for them both.  At the age of six years old, Tom’s mother met and married U.S. Air Force Major Carl F. Williams Jr. This fortuitous marriage would bring about a radical change in Tom’s life. As a military dependent, he immediately found himself traveling the world, living in foreign lands, learning about Ancient Roman history and archaeology, assimilating a basic conversance in the French, Arabic, and Japanese Languages, as well as being immersed in their respective cultures. After Tom’s dad retired, his family moved to the Williams’ ancestral ho

David Blobaum: College Admissions, Test Scores, and the National Test Prep Association. This is episode 720 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. David Blobaum is a nationally recognized expert on standardized exams and college admissions. Since graduating from the University of Chicago, he has devoted himself to helping students reach their potential on the SAT and ACT and, more broadly, to help them succeed through education. In addition to leading Summit Prep, he is on the Board of Directors for the National Test Prep Association and serves as its Director of Outreach to help advocate for the appropriate use of standardized testing in college admissions.  Lots to learn. Awesome conversation. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address

The Subfolder - Procedures: Sharing How You Do Things in Your Classroom. This is episode 719 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. To better help your substitute teachers in your classroom create a subfolder where you leave specific information like work assignments, bell schedules, class seating chart, and map of school with bathrooms identified as well as parking place for the substitute teacher to park in. Also provide additional information about the school that might be helpful like the names of teachers and front office personnel who can assist. Additionally, share procedures for how you do things in your classroom. A few classroom procedures to include are: 1. Procedures for sending a student to the restroom 2. Procedures for handing out and collecting technology 3. Starting and Ending Class 4. Collecting and distributing classwork/homework 5. Going to lunch Listen to the episode and see the picture above for more procedures to explain in your subfolder. This is not an exhaustive list bu

Christina Hidek - PTO: Getting Parent Participation, Growing Parent Leaders, and Working with School Administration. This is episode 718 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Christina Hidek is a recovering attorney turned Professional Organizer and certified PTO volunteer nerd. She founded PTO Answers 7 years ago to boost family engagement in schools and empower parents to improve their child’s educational experience and school community through PTA/PTO involvement.  She’s been an active PTO leader for the past 14 years and hosts the vibrant 7900 plus member Super Star PTO Leaders Facebook Group. When she’s not volunteering, you can find her in her garden, listening to the latest Katherine Center audiobook or walking the family dogs. Our focus will be getting more parent participation, growing parent leaders, and working with the school administration. Awesome talk! So much to learn and think about. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying m

The Subfolder: What Goes Inside the Subfolder. This is episode 717 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. In this episode I share a few of the items that you should keep in your subfolder. Remember to take care of your substitutes. A subfolder with information about the day and the operation of the class and school goes a long way to making the substitute teacher's day a great one, which in turn means that you will have a great day when you return. Here are a few of the items: 1. Daily Schedule 2. Map of School Restrooms marked on the map. Adult restrooms marked. Where to park. Where the front office is? 3. Bell schedule 4. Seating charts What else could you include? Don't forget the class assignment. Take care of your substitute teachers. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would a

Nathaniel Hansford - The Scientific Principles of Teaching: Bridging the Divide Between Educational Practice and Research. This is episode 716 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Nathaniel Hansford has taught every grade from preK to 12 in many interesting and diverse locations—from South Korea to the subarctic of Quebec. He specializes in using meta-analysis research to help teachers implement proven methodologies. Our focus will be Nate’s book - The Scientific Principles of Teaching: Bridging the Divide Between Educational Practice and Research. So much to learn and understand. Great talk! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated with produci

Taking Care of Your Substitute Teachers: The Subfolder. This is episode 715 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast.  There will come a day that you will have to be out of school. You will have to miss a day whether you have to take a personal day or a sick day. You may have to attend training or stay home so that you can take your child to the orthodontist, or you may not be feeling well. No matter there will be a day that you have to be out of school and a substitute teacher will fill your shoes. Are you ready? When a substitute steps into your class do you have a place where he can find the information to know what you need focused on for the time that you are out? Do you have a place where the sub can find bell schedules and weekly calendars and lunch menus for the day? This place is a subfolder. The subfolder should be placed in a visible location. The subfolder should stand out from the rest of the information that you have on your desk. Take care of the substitute teachers who will come to

Kai and Warren Kushner: Balancing Academics and Athletics through a Personalized Education. This is episode 714 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Kai Kushner is a competitive surfer who lives in Manhattan Beach, California and travels the world to compete and train. He is 17 years old and has been doing this since he was 10. Kai has been surfing in Southern California since he was six. A competitive surfer like his father Warren Kushner, Kai has become one of the top junior male surfers in the nation with the hopes of participating in the Olympics in the future. While Kai spends more time in the ocean than on dry land, his education remains a high priority for both him and his parents. Mother Dana Kushner credits Kai’s success academically and in athletics to a personalized approach to his education. Having been with Fusion Academy since middle school, Kai has been able to succeed in his grades while also finding time to train. Often traveling, Kai’s attendance doesn’t falter with both vir

Writing in a Journal, Part 2 This is episode 713 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. When I was in the National Guard and US Army Reserve we used after action reports to help improve our unit's performance. We talked about what happened, what could have been better, and what we would do to accomplish more. We used those reports and the conversations to help improve the success of the unit. When I was a high school principal A colleague suggested that I start using journaling to help me problem solve. He was right. It was amazing what having a conversation with myself at the end of the workday did for me. It helped work through challenges and create better solutions. I still have conversations with myself through journaling. I focus on asking these three questions: 1. What happened? 2. What went right and what went wrong? 3. What would I do differently next time? My focus today is talking about what to write and determining the frequency that you will write. Try journaling to help you become b

Jennifer A. Lenhardt - Common Denominators: Cultivating Engagement and Belonging in Secondary Mathematics. This is episode 712 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Jennifer Lenhardt (she/her) is all-in for the whole-human experiences of students, teachers, and leaders. Whether at work, in her writing, or a coffee-chat, she seeks to integrate her experiences as a teacher and research interest in equity and culturally responsive teaching.  As a mathematics intervention teacher at a middle school, she worked collaboratively with educators across the district to launch and refine approaches to Tier 3 interventions and to support multilingual mathematics learners. Jennifer's education and passion are focused on the teachers and educational leaders of middle and high school students for whom learning mathematics is yet to be a source of joy, inspiration, or belonging.  Through ongoing analysis of factors that affect the development of students’ and teachers’ multiple and intersecting identities, Le

Writing in a Journal: Having a Conversation with You. This is episode 711 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. When I was in the National Guard and US Army Reserve we used after action reports to help improve our unit's performance. We talked about what happened, what could have been better, and what we would do to accomplish more. We used those reports and the conversations to help improve the success of the unit. When I was a high school principal A colleague suggested that I start using journaling to help me problem solve. He was right. It was amazing what having a conversation with myself at the end of the workday did for me. It helped work through challenges and create better solutions. I still have conversations with myself through journaling. I focus on asking these three questions: 1. What happened? 2. What went right and what went wrong? 3. What would I do differently next time? Try journaling to help you become better at working through challenges. You won't regret it. Before you go

Jenice Pizzuto - Implement with Impact: A Strategic Framework for Leading School and District Initiatives. This is episode 710 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Jenice Pizzuto is a systems, change, and implementation expert. She is the founder and lead specialist of IMPACT Lead Succeed. Jenice is a passionate advocate and ally for educators focused on bringing human and learning-centered design elements to the forefront of all change efforts. Her vast experiences nationally and internationally as a consultant, administrator, Learning Forward Learning School Alliance Facilitator, Oregon Response to Instruction and Intervention Implementation Facilitator, Literacy Coach, Mentor, District-level Support Specialist, and Teacher have contributed to her commitment to a learning and improvement mindset. Jenice uses her experience and expertise as she consults with and serves school districts, superintendents, administrators, and teacher leaders as a facilitator, trainer, coach, and collaborator, i

Christopher Jenson, MD - Triage Your School: A Physician's Guide to Preventing Teacher Burnout. This is episode 709 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Christopher Jenson, MD proudly serves as a senior health advisor with experience as a former emergency medicine physician, CDC science ambassador fellow, and nationally recognized educator. He is passionate about designing solutions for school leaders as they navigate complex health challenges in the educational space. Our focus will be Dr. Jenson’s book - Triage Your School: A Physician’s Guide to Preventing Teacher Burnout. Awesome read! Incredible talk! So much to learn. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to