Episodes

Bethany Petty is a passionate, energetic, dedicated educator focused on providing her students with experiences that will best serve them as learners. She was willing to freestyle rap at a moment's notice, and then translated that into rapping on TikTok. She creates an environment where students have to fulfill high expectations and engage in meaningful work. Even still, her actions and demeanor only add to the exciting learning environment. In This Episode We Cover: How to be "the" fun teache...

JoAnn Nocera left her successful career on the foreign stock exchange and went into education. She has never looked back and always had her eyes set on bringing out everyone's creativity. She took the crayons out and let her students shine. An educator's ability to be fleixble in the moment can be the biggest key to a successful lesson. Creativity becomes a keys to a student's success. We need to stop setting restrictive expectations for students that prevent them from taking risks and trying to...

Candace Young is an incredible PE teacher passionate about inspiring movement and health. She spends her entire day teaching five and six-year-olds the key habits for success in life. Her classroom is dynamic, engaging, and organized. Her positive attitude is palpable through the conversation and her passion for making a difference. She has really high expectations for students because she truly believes, they can accomplish anything they put their mind to. In This Episode We Cover Creating a ...

Dr. Monica Burns was a very early adopter of a 1:1 environment utilizing iPads over ten years ago and has not looked back. She is the founder of www.classtechtips.com. She demonstrates the value, purpose, and benefits of integrating technology into the classroom. She helps us understand how to move students from being consumers to authentic creators. In This Episode We Cover Utilizing the camera on an iPad to maximize learning opportunities. Moving beyond the excitement of a new device and cr...

Chris Stuchko is an amazing high school special education teacher supporting students, teachers, and creating diverse experiences. He spends a great majority of his day supporting students. He brings a fantastic approach to co-teaching to help empower all students in the classroom. Chris also received a grant a few years ago to start a podcast. He hosts the "9th Grade Experience" to capture what it means to be a 9th grader and support students starting that new journey. In This Episode We Cover...

Melissa Lowry is a humble, honest, experienced, and amazing administrator. Her beliefs are strong and she feels she needs to serve her teachers. She leads them with radical honesty. Teachers are the ones that make the biggest impact on students, so it's a principal's job to create a culture of success. Leaders set the tone of the building, and they do it through their positive actions. In This Episode We Cover Understanding the role of every person in a school. Open her ears and listen to wha...

The start of an educator's true journey begins during student teaching. This is a time where future educators learn their chops, build their confidence, and confirm this is the career for them. We had the chance to sit down and talk with Matt's brand new student teacher Anthony Wiggins. Anthony has only spent a few weeks in the classroom and has already learned so much about himself. The enthusiasm and rawness in his conversation are palpable. In This Episode We Cover: The power of student tea...

Stephanie Noll shares her amazing journey in education and relocating for specific jobs and growth. After starting in the K-12 system, Stephanie became a full-time college professor, and then went BACK! It was amazing to hear the growth she made in those transitions. In This Episode We Cover: Value of working for Teach for America to launch your career. Putting students and values above the content we teach. Reframing content to fit the goals we hope to accomplish with students and pursue th...

Ken and Matt recorded LIVE and in-person together for the first time at the Pennsylvania Education Technology Expo and Conference. They had a blast together and focused the conversation on attending conferences. These experiences are extremely valuable for teachers to learn, grow, network, and step outside their comfort zone. This podcast focuses on connecting educators and empowering everyone through voice. Conferences provide that experience at the highest level. In This Episode We Cover Des...

Mike Kuczala came back to the powerED Up Podcast to be our first repeat guest. We were thrilled to discuss his new book The Peak Performing Teacher. We are teaching in the most challenging time in the history of public education. The demand for teachers to navigate the pandemic and just the expanding responsibilities of a classroom teacher is putting us on the edge. Mike shares five key habits for success. In This Episode We Cover Why teaching is so challenging right now.​ The realities of st...

Our team sat down and had a great conversation with James Varlack. He brought a really unique perspective coupling his experience and school district culture together. Now working as a technology coach he shared insight into a framework to evaluate the technology. He shared the lessons he learned throughout the years of teaching in the classroom. We go through some heavy topics and how to approach them appropriately in the classroom. In This Episode We Cover Utilizing content expertise and ble...

When a teacher hits stride in the middle of the year, it can be one of the most challenging times of the year. Instruction rises to the top of our radar, but we can't abandon the fundamentals. This is the most important time to re-establish routines, classroom management expectations, and have FUN! Do not let the stress of the looming state tests create an environment that is rooted in pounding through instruction. Be more creative, have fun with students, and keep the positive culture at the fo...

The burden of being an educator is heavy. Whether we are new to the profession or seasoned veterans, there is a demand put on teachers to do so much more outside of the daily responsibilities. As new teachers, we feel the need to do everything so we are noticed and hired. As we continue down the path, it is our job to support the many communities of a school. Students need clubs, sports, and events and schools need committees to grow. Matt and Ken talk about checks and systems to evaluate how te...

Dr. Matt Rhoads is an educator, coach, and leader well-grounded in the ed-tech space. He supports teachers and leaders on a daily basis and has not lost a connection to what is realistic. The conversation covers many topics, but he dives deep into specific topics. When asked tough questions, he provides great answers. No fluff. Tune in and follow along with Matt's journey and learn how to integrate more data and more technology into your classroom. In This Episode We Cover: How to effectively ...

Eric Combs is a middle school band teacher coming off one of the greatest experiences of his career, visiting the White House as the 2020 Illinois Teacher of the Year. He has created an experience in a beginner-level band that is so unique, it has become copied worldwide. He is focused on student growth, student achievement, and student motivation. He worked diligently to create this program to a point where students drive the experience, and he is guiding them to true achievement. In This Epis...

Running a successful school district is a complete operation of multiple departments, some including adults who are not certified, educators. The role of IT is vital for teachers to run a successful classroom. Teachers, students, and parents all depend on reliable and effective technology. There is so much that goes into the infrastructure, applications, and devices we use day in and day out. It is important for teachers to communicate effectively with the IT department and work collaboratively....

Reaching Show 50 was a big milestone for us, and we wanted to take time to reflect on the experience. We spent time saying thank you to our listeners and our guests. We reflected on some of the most impactful moments from the show and our favorite quotes from previous guests. We've had so much inspiration from amazing educators and we want to continue to make sure we bring those moments, stories, and principles to our audience. In This Episode We Cover What show 50 meant to each Matt and Ken. ...

Creating an atmosphere to inspire and foster student passion is a challenge every teacher faces. Claire Clifford leads elementary through high school students in musical performances and class. Claire showcases her diverse expectations as a teacher transitioning from elementary music class, to high school vocal choir, to a community musical production, and preparing all of those students for a winter concert! She works tirelessly to create amazing productions, but the real beauty is in the daily...

Planning creative lessons is a skill every teacher can develop. We dive deep into a conversation specifically on how to plan creative lessons. It starts with knowing your why, what do you hope to accomplish and what are the learning targets? There will be failures, and that is okay! Our students are providing us feedback whether they intend to or not; we just have to look for it. Planning creative lessons can be time-intensive, but it doesn't need to be and we talk about exactly how. In This Ep...

The opportunity to spend an hour with Adam Welcome is a true inspiration! He makes you feel like it is okay to do what students deserve most. As a former classroom teacher, principal, director of innovation, and now education influencer he provides details of the trenches and also a broad stroke view of how to approach instruction. The positive energy is palpable through the microphone to power up the entire audience! In the end, just try something different. The kids don't care if you know what...

Charles Williams is an inspirational, grounded, and motivated leader to creates change for students and teachers. We discuss the challenges teachers face to give it all to students. Charles shares his strategies for supporting teachers to create engaging environments for students and how to take risks from day one. He shares the importance of equity and the value of facing difficult conversations. It's not about what we want, but what our children need to be successful outside of the classroom. ...

Rebecca Richardson is a positive beam of light in the world of education. She shares about her professional career prior to entering public education and how it impacted her teaching philosophies. She shares about her early journey and welcomes others into her room to help her grow as an educator. She has taken that philosophy and built a model of community education in her building for constant collaboration. In This Episode We Cover The impact of a professional career prior to entering publi...

The journey of teaching a child and making a positive impact on their life involves much more than a teacher's effort. It is a team approach and a team mission. Parents/guardians are a key player in that team, and parent-teacher conferences are something we should always value as educators. It can add extra stress, it can feel like one more thing, but it is a chance to align everyone to the goals of a child's growth. Ken and Matt talk about their experiences with conferences and the strategies t...

The use of data in a classroom is a powerful, necessary, and meaningful tool to utilize as a classroom teacher. Samantha has a great deal of experience supporting students with dropout prevention and teachers to create meaningful programs for students. She shares her unique experiences and how that best impacts education today. It is a tough conversation and one that requires a great deal of planning but it can have a big impact on students. In This Episode We Cover: Defining data, where it co...