Episodes

Reflection is pivotal to growth. Taking time to reflect on tough moments can offer valuable insight and lead to a tremendous amount of growth. That being said let's not just be happy that as teachers we were able to get through this school year. Let's use this school year as something to grow from. This episode dives into reflection and how we can use it to become the best educator that we can be.

This school year has been a year to remember. It's been filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, and so many unforgettable moments. This episode is all about looking back at this year and the lens that we view it with. Even though it challenged many educators far more than many years in the past we should look back and celebrate the year that it was.

This weeks episode looks at a study conducted by a UC Berkeley professor that measured the effect of positive physical interactions between players on NBA teams. The study found that the more positive interactions that there are the more successful the team was. This should be a lesson for educators as well. The more positive interactions that we have with our students the more engaged they'll be, the more risks they take, and the more they'll feel invested in learning.

As educators we have mastered the art of the to do list. We have lists for everything and we often consider it a good day if we can cross off everything from the list. What if we crossed off the "to do" list and created a "to be" list. This episode explores a "to be" list and the power that it can have.

This episode is a special reminder for all of us. Working in the field of education can be taxing. There is a lot of energy that is poured out each and every single day for all the students that everyone in the school system serves. This episode is just a reminder of what is important and is a lesson that each and every single one of us should hear!

The power of believing in oneself is invaluable. To achieve anything all of us must believe in our abilities. Self belief can be fostered in the classroom. The words we use and how we treat our students plays a big role in the identity that they create for themselves. This episode dives into one question that we should be asking our students daily. It's a question that was instrumental in helping Super Bowl Champion Russell Wilson pave his way into the NFL. As a young man his father would ask hi...

This school year has been filled with ups and downs. Moments of great joy and moments where we have struggled. This episode is dedicated to all those who helped us get through this school year. The coworkers who made us laugh, who listened to us when we needed to talk, and those who kept us going on those hard days. Recognize those colleagues. Celebrate those colleagues. This episode is for them!

There are lessons that we can learn from in every walk of life. It's important as educators that we look at people who have become ultra successful and look to see what made them that way. Analyze what makes up their mindsets and see if we can pass that on to our students. In this weeks episode the founder of SPANX, is discussed, and a certain mindset that she has that allowed her to take SPANX as a small start up and make it into a global giant! This is an important lesson that everyone can lea...

There are many times when we leave discussions, read an email, or hear about a transgression that took place and we automatically assume the worst. We assume that others had ill intentions. We create negative stories in our head and this can have a tremendous impact on our emotional, physical, and mental well being. These assumptions can also have a negative effect on us and can greatly impact our relationships with our students, the parents of our students, and our coworkers. What if we change ...

The teaching world has been transformed this school year. Every teacher has been impacted in one form or another because of the pandemic. At times this has lead many educators to feel stressed, burned out, and as if their impact in the classroom has greatly decreased. This episode tackles this issue and is a reminder to teachers everywhere that your value goes far beyond having the perfect lesson!

Having an optimistic mindset has been shown to increase longevity, motivation, and perseverance among many other positive things. With so much scientific evidence about the importance of optimism we should be teaching our students about how to be more optimistic. In this episode I discuss three ways that we can teach our students about optimism as discussed by Justin Su'a in his book Pep Talk for Parents. Mr. Su'a is the mental conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and is extremely knowledge...

As the NCAA basketball tournament gets on its way there is no better topic to discuss then the relationship between the coaches and the players. We often think most coaches lead with tough love, but in reality many of todays coaches love tough. Coaches today look to build relationships and invest in their players as people. They earn the right to coach hard and bring the best out in them. As educators we need to adopt a similar mentality. Invest in our students. Create those relationships and ea...

The midyear slump is something that can effect every educator at one point or another. When you have been pouring your heart and soul into the school year it can wear you down and make you feel as if you are running on empty. This episode is about pushing back against the midyear slump and regaining that motivation and drive needed to finish the school year strong.

How we view our students matters! It effects the way we talk to them, how we interact with them, and our relationship with them. In this episode a great teaching point from the book Road to Awesome, by Dr. Darrin Peppard, is discussed. Dr. Peppard talks about two questions that were asked one time at a faculty meeting that greatly effected the way that he approaches students and leadership today. Check this episode out as these two questions may just change the way you approach your students as ...

We have a choice in every situation that we face. We can be a thermometer and let the environment around us determine which version of ourself shows up for the world or we can be a thermostat and control which version of us shows up for the world. This episode discusses the importance of how we handle the different situations that present themselves during our school day and focus on creating a positive classroom environment for our students.

Listening to someone else while they're speaking is one of the most impactful things that we can do. When a teacher takes a moment to listen to their student they are letting that scholar know that he or she is seen, heard, and valued. When you take a moment to listen to your colleagues you are also strengthening a bond and creating a positive school climate. In this episode I talk about the power of listening, how we're not as good as we may think at this, and why it is essential that we become...

The words we speak matter! They can lift students up or bring them down. In this episode I take about a marathon, a student, and the power of the words that we speak.

Who doesn't want to work in a school that is encouraging, supportive, and positive? Everyone would! School culture plays a pivotal role in the education of a child. The adults in the building set the tone for the energy in the building. This podcast talks about a strategy that can be used in every school to make it more positive and encouraging for all those who work there and as the adults in the building thrive the champions in the building will thrive as well!

As educators we take great pride in the lessons that we teach. We put great effort into planning them out, getting all the materials prepared, and making sure we've done all we can to make it beneficial for our students. Unfortunately there are a million small things that can take a great lesson and make it fall apart. This episode talks about what we do "next" after a lesson falls apart. Do we let the frustration of the failed lesson creep into the next lesson that we teach or do we adopt a "ne...

Do you teach a subject or do you teach children? When we stop teaching a subject and start teaching children the impact that we make becomes greatly magnified. Seeing our children for who they are and what they can be truly changes us as educators. In this episode I dive into this topic.

Celebrating the wins that are happening each and every single day inside our classroom is extremely important! When you recognize and celebrate students you are creating an amazing classroom culture. This episode dives in to the importance of celebrating those wins!

Each and every single one of us tell ourselves stories about who we are. These stories can empower us and lead us to great heights or they can make us weaker and hold us back. This episode discusses the power of the stories that our students tell themselves and how this can impact them.

As educators we place so much pressure on ourselves to provide our students with the very best education that we can give them. Sometimes we forget that even though our lessons might not be perfect there is great power in us showing up for our students each and every single day.