Episode 137: Interview with Jonathan Alsheimer

In this episode, I chat with Jonathan Alsheimer, the unorthodox, energetic, and entertaining middle school teacher who refuses to live a life of limitations and works with UFC Fighters, Celebrities, and Clothing Brands and he is the author of "Next Level Teaching”.

Jonathan, taught at the world-renowned Fred Lynn Middle School, which was featured in two documentaries "Relentless" and "Relentless: Chasing Accreditation.” He has been featured as the teacher who forged a partnership with UFC Fighter and light-weight contender Paul Felder to bring a message of never giving up, fighting for their education, and empowering the students to believe in themselves, all principles that Jonathan promotes in his classroom.

As Jonathan always says, "Game-changing is not a cliche motto; it is a way of life... some talk about it while others live by it!

During our conversation, Jonathan pushed back on what it means to be an effective teacher. He points out that so many teachers have been conditioned to teach to the test or focus on test scores that they have forgotten how to make teaching and learning fun. He shared that when he shifted his focus to students being engaged in authentic and relevant learning experiences that his scores not only improved but so did the students in his classroom. Jonathan suggests that teachers not overwhelm themselves by trying to revolutionize everything but by making steady, small shifts to take elements to the next level. That’s how he turned a geography assignment into a zombie apocalypse survival game.

Ready to hear some more about these game-changing ideas so you can start living them? Let’s go.