
1stgenteacherlens
By Mr. C
May we always strive to be better, learn each day, and bring new clarity to this incredible profession.

1stgenteacherlensNov 29, 2022

Episode 51: Talking about Latinx Identity with Students W/ Angel Casarrubias
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk with Angel, a first generation QPOC (Queer Person of Color) Salvadoran-American Pre-k teacher, about the importance of discussing different aspects of identity with students. Also, Angel and I talk about precisely how Latinx teachers' cultural identities impact their students. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode 50: The importance of Latinx Teachers W/ Sergio Jara Arroyos
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk with Sergio, a former Childhood Education teacher, about the importance of Latinx teachers in education. Also, Sergio and I talk about Latinx representation's impact on our communities and how it has slowed in recent years. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode 49: Latinx representation in Education W/ Jon Carlo Dominguez and Isaiah Soriano
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I discuss the importance of Latinx representation within the teaching field. My guests, Jon Carlo Dominguez and Isaiah Soriano are two Latinx teachers in New York City who are very passionate about this issue. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode 48: Self Care Talk W/April Moody-Jennings
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I discuss self-care and its benefits with April Moody-Jennings. Ms. Jennings seeks to be a voice for racial justice for women of color in education. In addition, she is a digital creator who creates mindful and self-care resources to help women navigate daily stresses. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode 47: Book Talk #2 W/ Dr. Frank Buck, author of "Get Organized Digitally!"
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk with a familiar guest, Dr. Buck about his latest book, Get Organized Digitally! The Educators Guide to Time Management, Dr. Buck tells you steps on how to organize yourself in this digital age. Lastly, Dr. Buck discusses some important points in his informative book! You can reach him and look at his other books through his website, FrankBuck.org. I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 46: Sound off on dealing with toxic school culture
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk about toxic school culture. Recently, I have been seeing more and more posts about teachers leaving the profession. I have been there, too; however, I found ways to manage toxic school culture so that it doesn't affect me as much as possible. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode 45: Growth Mindset in the classroom W/ Brian Martin
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk with Brian Martin about building a Growth Mindset within the classroom. Moreover, Brian and I talk about the importance of instilling a Growth Mindset and its impact on our students. I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 44: Building up Student Confidence W/ Erin O’Byrne
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk with Erin O'Byrne about building student confidence within the classroom. Erin has taught English as a Foreign Language for over 15 years. She also hosts and produces the Everything EFL Podcast, which gives teachers tips, advice, and practical ideas! I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 43: Using humor to cope with the challenges of teaching W/ Arturo Aviña
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk with Arturo Aviña about using humor to cope with the challenges of teaching. Arturo is a Theatre teacher and Tik Tok Creator that showcases the realities of teaching in humorous ways! I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 42: Book Talk W/ Dr. Frank Buck, author of "Get Organized Digitally!"
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk with Dr. Buck about digital organization through different digital platforms. Moreover, in his latest book, Get Organized Digitally! The Educators Guide to Time Management, Dr. Buck tells you tips and tricks on organizing yourself in this digital age. Lastly, the book will be available for purchase on December 29th, 2021. You can reach him and look at his other books through his website, FrankBuck.org. I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 41: Sound off on teacher fatigue
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! The start of this particular school year has been rough; however, as teachers, we should rely on each other to get through another hectic year. This episode talks about teacher fatigue and tips that may help you get some energy back into your system. I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 40: Sound off on Social Emotional Health of Students Now
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk about the Social-Emotional Health of my students. I see a lot of them struggling and wanted to have a conversation about it. Moreover, students feel more overwhelmed with being back in school, whether in person or online. Nonetheless, adults' Mental Health is a part of this conversation too! Hopefully, this episode helps spread awareness of the importance of Social-Emotional Health in our classrooms. I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 39: Sound off on being back in school
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, I talk about being in the school building after a year of virtual teaching. The kiddos came in for two days only for testing, and the rest of the days, we were in PDs and finding our rhythm in the building again. It is exciting to be back in the building, and we'll see how the year progresses. I am maintaining positivity all the way! I hope you enjoy the episode.

Episode 38: Anti-bullying within the Latinx Community W/ Dali Rivera
Hey, Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! In this episode, my guest, Dali, talks about Anti-bullying within the Latinx community. Additionally, Dali helps parents concerned about their child's safety and confidence by teaching bullying methods to keep them safe. Moreover, She is the owner of DaliTalks and the creator of the Diversity & Anti-Bullying Academy (#DABA), which offers courses to parents. Lastly, she hosts a YouTube show. I hope that you enjoy this episode!

Episode 37: Sound off on creating spaces for your cultural identity
Hey Y'all, We're back after a bit of another hiatus due to personal life issues. It feels incredible to be back and continuously move forward. This episode came about while on Tik Tok (lol); I saw a video about creating your own cultural space when you feel like there isn't one. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode 36: Sound off on Self Care as a teacher
Hey Y'all, We're are back after a bit of a hiatus due to vacation and personal life stuff. It's great to come back on and to connect with listeners. This episode came about while talking to another educator about it being ok not to finish everything as a teacher. You can worry about the unfinished items another day and take care of yourself because you deserve it! I hope that you enjoy the episode.

Episode 35 :Let's talk about Teacher Representation W/ Ms. Cleverly. Beverly
Hey, Y'all, We are back with a new episode! Our guest, Anjalee Beverly, is a fourth-grade teacher in San Francisco, CA, for the past twelve years. She is also a project-based learning coach. Lastly, she is a promoter of Culturally Responsive teaching. In this episode, we talk about the importance of teacher representation in the neediest communities. I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 34: Sound off on Colorism in Latinx Culture
Hey, Y'all! We're back with another episode; however, I decided to talk about colorism since its recent rise in convos in this episode. I want to sound off why this problem is toxic and how we can be accountable, so issues like in films and other platforms will not appear.

Episode 33: Sound off on Teacher Interview Tips
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! So for this week's episode, I decided to do something new: a short quick tips episode on Teacher Interview Tips! I was nervous during my interviews, and I hope this segment helps you with your future interviews. I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 32: Let's talk about Perfectionism W/ A. Grace Martin
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! Our guest, A. Grace Martin, teaches a high school science teacher, self-help author, fiction novel author, mentor, wife, and mom. As the Wellness Potential Teacher, she helps burned-out educators master overwhelm and perfectionism to become efficient, thriving high performers. She has an online course called Essential Self Care. I hope you enjoy the episode!
Please check out A. Grace Martin on IG @ Wellness Potential Teacher!

Episode 31: Book Talk W/ CJ Reynolds AKA "Real Rap With Reynolds"
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! Our guest, CJ Reynolds, teaches high school Literature and The History of Hip-Hop in West Philadelphia. Cj's uses Hip Hop is to engage and empower his students. Moreover, Cj's bare-bones teaching philosophy is simple: In the classroom, relationships are king, and education is only ever about the students. Lastly, CJ is the author of Teach Your Class Off; a book aimed to give an authentic teacher experience to all teachers! I hope you enjoy the episode!
Check out Teach Your Class Off at this link: https://www.realrapwithreynolds.com/books/

Episode 30: Book Talk W/ Philip Lee
Hi Y'all, we're finally back with a brand new episode! Our guest, Philip Lee, teaches high school English in Queens. He uses poetry to engage and empower his students. Mr. Lee also runs a creative writing group called Writer's Block. Lastly, Philp is the author of Parts of a Man, a collection of poems that discuss his identity as a black man, his faith, and much more! I hope you enjoy the episode!
Check out Philip's collection of poems, Parts of a Man below!
https://www.famleemanpoetry.com/product-page/pre-sale-parts-of-a-man-soft-cover-book

Episode 29: Book Talk W/ Dr. Bradley Conrad
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! Our guest, Dr. Bradley Conrad, is a co-author of the book Lesson Planning with Purpose: Five Approaches to Curriculum Design with Dr. McConnell and Dr. Uhrmache. Dr. Conrad has also published several articles in curriculum, culturally responsive teaching, and the arts in education. He serves as a team lead in Tales from the Classroom Project, an Education blog that shares the voices of those in our schools along with the best research in K–12 education. In this episode, we discuss his book and what it truly means to plan with purpose.

Episode 28: Book Talk W/ Dave Burgess
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! Our guest, Dave Burgess, is an award winning teacher and New York Times bestselling author. In this episode, Dave and I talk about his book Teach Like a Pirate, and what teachers can do to motivate their students. Dave is the co-author of P is for Pirate. He is also the president of Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. which provides powerful professional development and publishes over 140 books from innovative and creative educators from around the world. Lastly, you can find Dave on The Dave Burgess Show podcast. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode 27: Pros/Cons of Standardized Testing W/ Hedreich Nichols
Hi everyone, we’re back with another episode! Our guest, Hedreich Nichols, is an author and equity consultant helping teachers and schools uplift the voices of all students. Hedreich also hosts a YouTube series and podcast, SmallBites, with the same focus. In this episode, we talk about standardized testing during this school year, changes that we would make to them, and much more. I hope that you enjoy this episode.

Episode 26: Book Talk W/ Andre Doeman
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! Our guest, Andre Doeman, teaches Middle School English in Brooklyn. He is the author of Time Transcendence – A Collective Awakening, which focuses largely on the theme of development in life. Andre believes that "curiosity is freedom" and strives to connect that idea in and out of the classroom, in his poetry, and his artistic projects.

Episode: 25: End Of The Year Burnout!
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! Firstly, my motivation at work is going down hill, and I feel the same thing is happening to my students. I think that the "burnout" is real right now. All the pressure of state testing, data collecting, and the daily schedule has caught up to all of us. However, during these burnout moments, it's important to reflect your interests, take care of your physical/emotional health, and do things for yourself! I hope that this episode helps anyone going through end-of-the-year burnout!

Episode 24: NYS Standards in 2020-2021
Hi everyone, we're back with another episode. In this episode, I talk about NYS standards during the chaotic school year. It seems like we're assessing standards just to assess this year. I hope that you enjoy this episode.

Episode: 23: Virtual and In Person Workplace Toxicity W/ JB Makhani
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! Our guest, JB Makhani, teaches 8th grade Social Studies in Houston. He was a part of Teach For America and graduated from Rice University. He's an education podcaster, which hopes to connect fellow teachers with funny stories and moments that helps get us through difficult times. In this episode, we talk about toxicity within the workplace and the issues that come out of it.

Episode: 22: Racism within Latinx Culture W/ Tomara Hall
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! We have a great guest, Tomara Hall, who is an Afro-Latina Educator from California. Tomara works as a Special Education Teacher in her state. She is also the founder of Teachers Empowering Youth Activists, or TEYA for short. TEYA is an organization of BIPOC and ally teachers that help their students and communities through activism. During this episode, we talk about racism within Latinx culture and promoting Afro-Latinx voices within the culture. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode: 21: Being a parent and teacher during Remote/Hybrid Learning W/ Brittany aka Teacher Leader Podcast
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! We have another amazing guest, Brittany, from the Teacher Leader Podcast. Brittany teaches 4th grade, is a Teacher Leader and podcaster. In this episode, I learn the balance of what it means to be a teacher and parent during this chaotic time. Brittany and I also discuss how our learning environments changed our relationship with parents as teachers. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode: 20: Brewing Accountability, Trust, and Empathy In Our Current Environment W/ Classroom Brew
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! We have another fantastic guest, Ryan, from the Classroom Brew Podcast. Ryan teaches high school History, is a Department Chair and Instructional/Athletic Coach. In this episode, we discuss how we build accountability, trust, and empathy for not only our students but ourselves. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode: 19: Student Engagement with Hybrid and Remote Learning W/ Natalie Blackman
Hi Y'all, we're back with a brand new episode! We have another outstanding guest, Natalie Blackman. Natalie teaches 6th grade Math, is a 1st generation Latinx educator, and has a TPT store. In this episode, we discuss how we tailor lessons for our current learning environments, create engaging lessons, and ways to thwart student disconnection within our classes. I hope that you enjoy our third guest episode!

Episode: 18: Reflections on Remote/Hybrid Learning W/David Mercaldo
Hi everyone, we're back with another episode. However, this time again, we have an extraordinary guest, David Mercaldo. David teaches 6th grade English, is a school leadership consultant, and has a TPT store. In this episode, we discuss how vulnerable our students are right now and reflect on how Covid has changed our perspective on teaching. I hope that you enjoy our second guest episode!

Episode: 17: Work Guilt
Hi everyone, we're back with another episode. In this episode, I talk about the work guilt that I and some of my co-workers go through. I constantly feel that I'll never catch up with all my work-related tasks, and sometimes it feels like I can never catch a break. I wonder if any listeners go through this too? I tell myself it's ok to take a break and hope you do too. I hope that you enjoy this episode and are getting some rest after a long week.

Episode: 16: Being a 1st Generation Latinx Educator W/ Brianna Moreno
Hi everyone, we're back with another episode. However, this time we have a very special guest, Brianna Moreno. Brianna is a first-generation teacher that teaches English and Creative Writing. In this episode, we discuss what it means to be a first-generation Latinx teacher and getting to where we are now. I hope that you enjoy this first guest episode!

Episode: 15: Dealing with parental criticism
Hey Y'all, we're back! Any criticism can be challenging; however, parental criticism can be tough to take. Educators need feedback without a doubt, but sometimes parental feedback turns to be negative. How does one deal with that? Check out this episode to find out my tips and tricks on parental criticism.

Episode: 14: Dealing with toxicity
Episode 14 is out!!! Sorry for the wait, everyone; however, the last two weeks have been crazy with grad school and my laptop breaking! I had a positive incident at my school, and that got me thinking about how to create that feeling in the workplace to deal with toxicity and negativity. I hope you guys enjoy the episode! Follow me on Instagram @ 1stgenteacherlens.

Episode 13: Being a Student and Teacher
Episode 13 is here! Sorry for the hiatus; grad school has kinda taken over my life! Thus, the idea for this episode was born, lol. I decided to talk about juggling grad school and teaching. It's not easy, but the knowledge is well worth it!

Episode 12: Showing student investment
We're back with a new episode! Sorry for the wait; this past week was crazy! In this episode, I talk about the importance o showing investment within your students. My students freak out when I tell them that we have similar interests. They also feel invested when you incorporate content that they are into in your lessons. I truly believe that student investment is essential to building your classroom content. Hope that you enjoy the episode! Follow me on IG @ 1sgenteacherlens :)

Episode 11: National Teacher Pay Raise
Hey Y'all, we're back with a new episode! In this episode, I discuss teacher pay raises. I have heard this topic in conversation among fellow teachers, politicians, and organizations. I wonder if this year will change the atmosphere of the teachers' salaries. I hope that you enjoy the episode!

Episode 10: Stuff I wish I knew as a Student Teacher/1st Year Teacher
Hi everyone, we're back with a new episode! I talk about things that I wish I knew as a student-teacher/first-year teacher in this episode. There are so many changes that I went through as I crafted my identity as a teacher. I hope that this episode can guide/reaffirm your transformation as an incredible educator. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Episode 9: Rest and Relaxation
We're back with a new episode!!! In this episode, I decided to talk about rest and relaxation! A little R and R never hurt anyone. However, overworking yourself may create a lot of unwanted negativity. It's great to have a creative outlet, activities, and hobbies that shine a light in your life, which can drastically improve the way you view your workweek.

Episode 8: Dealing with Negative Co-Workers
Hey Y'all, we're back with another episode! A lot of things have been happening at my school regarding Covid, attendance, and Remote Learning. On top of those problems, we had a situation with a teacher that was being negative and giving off toxic vibes. I decided to speak about negative co-workers and how to deal with those situations when they arrive. I hope that this episode helps you out if you find yourself in this scenario.

Episode 7: Building Student Relationships From Home
Hey Y'all, We're back with a new episode! I had a moment in my classroom that really surprised me this week. A student mentioned how they felt that they feel seen in ELA and that they connect with us (teachers). I think that making your kids feel seen and heard is very important, especially now. Connectivity is super important too, which can come from talking about their interests. How are you connecting with your kids in your classroom?

Episode 6: Empathy during Remote Learning
Hey Y'all, we're back with another episode! This episode, I talk about having empathy during Remote Learning. I felt that Remote Learning stresses out many of my students and teachers (myself included)—so many issues from living situations to technology failing, which further creates stress. I really think that it is important now than ever to practice empathy with everyone. I hope you enjoy the episode. :)

Episode 5: Reflection on 1st Remote Learning Day
We're back with another reflection episode!!!! This time I reflect on my first actual day back with my students in my virtual classroom. It wasn't all bad, but there were some issues that I can see becoming larger problems in the future. Let me know what problems you're having in your classroom by messaging me @ 1stgenteacherlens on Instagram!!!! 📸 🧔🏻🏫

Episode 4: Reflection on 1st week back
We're back with another episode!!!!! This episode, I talk about my first week at school/grad school and all the confusion! It is going to be a wild year for sure.🤪 🏫

Episode 3: Restorative Justice in the classroom
This 3rd episode of 1stgenteacherlens is all about Restorative Justice. I talk about Restorative Justice in the ELA classroom; however, I think some ideas and activities apply to all classrooms. I hope you enjoy it!

Episode 2: Segregation in lower NYS Schools
Welcome back to another episode of the 1stgenteacherlens podcast! After reading a few chapters, "The Color of Law" by Richard Rothstein, I decided to discuss segregation in NYS schools. There are some insane statistics about schooling in lower NYS. Tune in for more!

Episode 1: Welcome to the 1stgenteacherlens podcast and Imposter Phenomenon
It's finally here the first episode of 1stgenteacherlens!!!!! In this episode, I talk about the reason that I made this podcast and imposter phenomenon. Imposter phenomenon is when you doubt your talents and feel like you're a fraud. I think that this perfectly ties within my sentiment as a 1st generation student and professional. Hope to see you again! Sorry for the breathing, I was nervous.