Episodes

After a fantastic weekend of learning and fun, I had to get one of my Teach Better Teammates on with me to recap this epic event. In this week’s bonus episode, Katie Miglin, provides some insight, behind the scenes stories, and additional information from the Teach Better 22 Conference! In this episode, we discuss: Key takeaways from Teach Better 22 Networking events and how to get connected And the 12 hour live show! About Katie Miglin: Katie Miglin was a former classroom teacher of 13 years ...

What do we do when we are at our breaking point and feel completely overwhelmed? For many, unfortunately, masking and ignoring the problems become the unhealthy solution. This week’s guest, Jeff Kubiak, is incredibly transparent and brave as he shares his battle with alcoholism, his focus on mental health, and how he is transforming his campus to focus on the social and emotional needs of his students and staff. In this episode, we discuss: Focusing on the Trauma of Staff and Students Equity Wa...

This week’s guest, Lindsay Lyons, shares how by including student voice and enhancing the curriculum to include opportunities to discuss important topics, the culture of the classroom increases equity and inclusiveness. In this episode, we discuss: Curriculum Design for Difficult Topics Student Partnership Opportunities And her podcast, Time for Teachership! About Lindsay Lyons: Lindsay Lyons (she/her) is an educational justice coach who works with teachers and school leaders to inspire educat...

This week’s guest, Jorge Valenzuela, shares his journey of how he was introduced to Emotional Intelligence in his personal life and how he used his action research to help districts implement sound SEL practices on their campuses. In this episode, we discuss: “Learning Walks” to Provide Feedback The Importance of Gathering Data for Action Research And his new podcast, SEL in Action Podcast! About Jorge Valenzuela: Jorge Valenzuela is an education coach, author, and advocate. He has years of ex...

This week’s guest, Kevin J. Butler, shares how he lost his passion to teach and how he transformed his teaching style to become more engaging. While teachers don’t train to be entertainers, teaching must capture students’ attention and at times entertain them. This doesn’t mean that every lesson has to be a Broadway musical number, but it does require educators to be intentional when engaging students in active learning. We discuss Kevin’s new book, Lights, Cameras, TEACH!, and how he brings the...

In this 26th Aspire Mailbag episode, Jeff Gargas and I answer questions on different leadership topics provided by the listeners. Please join us for this episode as we answer questions on new initiatives by new leaders, abandoning campus programs, leadership advice, the Teach Better conference, and the latest news with the Teach Better Team! Featuring Jeff Gargas and Joshua Stamper Teach Better Conference: https://teachbetterconference.com/ AspireTB2022 for $50 off Follow Jeff Gargas: Twitter...

This week’s guest, Kyle Hill, shares how his role as a Special Education Lead and parent has uncovered a huge gap in the communication and relationship between the school, parents, and the student. Kyle provides wonderful advice and resources to help all parties succeed in creating an effective plan for our struggling students. In this episode, we discuss: Strategies to help students with their classroom behavior Resources for parents to assist their special education meetings And his podcas...

This week’s guest, Carl Hooker, shares how to tackle the challenge of creating innovation in the classroom and he provides ideas for both teachers and leaders with new ways to motivate learners of all ages and open up their creative pathways. In this episode, we discuss: Enhancing skills beyond technology The future of education and online learning And his book, Ready.Set.FAIL! About Carl Hooker: Carl Hooker is an educational consultant and speaker from Austin, TX. He spent the past 24 years a...

This week’s guest, David Frangiosa, shares how he used multiple grading procedures to discover a process that revolutionized his classroom and shifted the focus to learning, which was going gradeless. We dive into this structure of feedback, student self pacing, and the misconceptions of this system. In this episode, we discuss: Utilizing an Accountability Checklist The differences of going gradeless vs. Standards Based Grading And his book, Going Gradeless: Shifting the Focus to Student Learni...

This week’s guest, Katie Miglin, shares how to create an interdisciplinary learning experience in the classroom, while using the Grid Method to enhance student voice and ownership of the content. In this episode, we discuss: New Teach Better Course on Interdisciplinary Learning New Opportunities to Provide Student Feedback And the Teach Better 22 Conference! About Katie Miglin: Katie Miglin was a former classroom teacher of 13 years in the middle school setting. She taught 7th grade for all th...

This week’s guest, Dr. Marcus Belin, shares how a difficult start to his role as a Principal allowed him to appreciate, learn, and not regret the hard lessons of his leadership experience. In this episode, we discuss: Setting Fire to the “Comfort Box” Showing Vulnerability and Transparency to your Staff And his podcast, Unapologetic Leadership About Dr. Marcus Belin: Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Dr. Belin learned the value of education at a very young age. That belief has carri...

This week’s guest, Elijah Carbajal, shares how to be the best version of ourselves to create an environment that is inviting, caring, and accepting of all students. If you are looking to improve your classroom culture, this is the episode for you! In this episode, we discuss: Leading With Service The Shut Up and Teach Podcast And his soon to be released book, A Place They Love: Creating Healthy School Culture and Positively Impacting Students About Elijah Carbajal: Elijah is a Title I Reading ...

In this bonus episode, Starr Sackstein shares her exciting announcement about Hacking Assessment and we discuss how to shift the “Grades Mindset”, change your grading system, and improve the feedback process. In this episode, we discuss: A No-Grade Classroom Rebranding Assignments as learning experiences Project based learning - Teaching the Reflection Process Ditching the Traditional Gradebook And her new edition, Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School Abou...

This week’s guest, Dwight Carter, shares how the motto “Be GREAT” changed his mindset, school culture assessment, and trajectory of his leadership journey. Join us as we explore Dwight’s new district position and new book, Be Great! In this episode, we discuss: Assessing School and District Culture Gratitude Techniques And his new book, Be Great: Five Principles to Improve School Culture from the Inside Out About Dwight Carter: Dwight Carter is a nationally recognized school leader from Centra...

This week’s guest, PJ Caposey, shares how experiencing a tragedy at a young age shifted his mindset on the value of time and how time management is key in any successful leader’s skill set. In this episode, we discuss: The Reflection Process Valuing Coaching from Others Preparing our Students for their Future. About PJ Caposey: PJ Caposey is a dynamic speaker and a transformational leader and educator. PJ began his career as an award-winning teacher in the inner-city of Chicago and has subsequ...

In this week’s episode, we flip the script! Sarah Johnson is hosting the Aspire to Lead Podcast to celebrate the 200th episode and to learn about the exciting news of Joshua’s new educational role! Thank you to all of the loyal listeners that have supported the show for the past 4 years. In this episode, we also discuss: Influence is not about a Title A look behind the scenes of the Aspire to Lead Podcast And a IN AWE Podcast announcement! About Sarah Johnson: Sarah Johnson is a former teacher...

This week’s guest, Erik Francis, shares how depth of knowledge and questioning is the missing link in education. Join us as we break down the stages of depth of knowledge and how you can incorporate multiple strategies into your classroom. In this episode, we discuss: Inquiry based instruction Changing the way we view education And his Newly Released Book, Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning About Erik Francis: Erik M. Francis, M.Ed., M.S., is...

This week’s guest, Tom Schimmer, dives into the frequent struggles and misperceptions of assessment practices. Tom provides excellent strategies to help provide feedback to your students and how to complete this important strategy in a timely manner. In this episode, we discuss: Frequent Mistakes in the World of Grading, Rubrics, and Assessments Student Investment through Assessment And his Newly Released Book, Concise Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Assessment and Grading About To...

This week’s guest, Dr. Michael Nagler, shares how he uses the motto “Think Differently” to shift his district into a problem solving and innovative group of educators, which prepare the students to be successful in their unknown future careers. In this episode, we discuss: Standards Based badge books for k-4th grade New model of High school called Synergy And his book, The Design Thinking, Entrepreneurial, Visionary Planning Leader About Dr. Michael Nagler: Michael is the Superintendent of the...

This week’s guest, Noah Daniel, shares how in her leadership journey, she needed mentors to provide guidance, wisdom, and inspiration to build beyond her position and explore new opportunities. In this episode, we discuss: TEDx Talk about Personal Narrative Music Project Extending Beyond Her Comfort Zone And her book, Strum and the Wild Turkeys About Noa Daniel: Noa Daniel MEd, is a classroom teacher in the York Region District School Board outside Toronto, Canada. Through her consulting work ...

This week’s guest, BreAnn Fennell, shares how play in the classroom can address the physical and emotional development of our students, while increasing engagement. In this episode, we discuss: The benefit of being an Ambassador for multiple organizations Teach Better Conference And her book, Play? Yay! About BreAnn Fennell: BreAnn Fennell is a 1st and 2nd grade looping teacher at Reagan Elementary in Ashland City School District. She has earned the title of Ohio Teacher of the Year for 2021 f...

Research proves that by intentionally practicing gratitude, we can dramatically improve our disposition, bringing us more joy and better health. Consistently and intentionally practicing gratitude can also lead to better relationships and more successful learning experiences. This week’s guest, Lainie Rowell, shows how educators can use small gratitude practices to make a big difference with kids, peers, and the world. In this episode, we discuss: The importance health aspects of showing gratit...

In this week’s episode, Kyle Krueger and Wilkie Law, share their struggles as a teacher and how providing their authentic self to their students allowed them to gain deeper relationships, model failure, and enhance creativity. In this episode, we discuss: The Lighthouse Project And their relaunched podcast, “We Teach Inspire” About Kyle Krueger Kyle Krueger has been a middle school social studies teacher for 11 years split between Houston and the Twin Cities. Along with teaching he started a n...

Skillful leadership is critical as schools return to a new normalcy. Improving students’ learning and addressing the challenges many learners experienced due to recent learning interruptions are top priorities for all school leaders. This week’s guest, Evan Robb, offers leaders a framework for creating an environment where both effective instruction and a focus on social and emotional needs benefits all students and teachers. Evan Robb maps a route to building a positive, trusting culture of col...