The bigEDidea Podcast

Alex T. Valencic is an educator, former small business owner, Boy Scout leader, volunteer drug prevention specialist, and geek of all things. Currently the Professional Learning Coordinator for Freeport SD 145, home of the Pretzels! 🥨 Teach Better Ambassador with The Teach Better.com Crew! Hails from NW Illinois

Ginger Healy MSW, LCSW is a clinical social worker with almost 30 years of experience in the field. Ginger has worked as a child abuse investigator, hospital social worker, and school therapist. She spent 15 years as the social service supervisor at an international adoption agency and was able to travel to provide support for orphanages all over the world. This job continues to inform her work on attachment and trauma needs in children.

She is currently the director of programs for the Attachment & Trauma Network where she co-anchors the podcast “Regulated and Relational” and speaks across the nation on trauma-informed schools, therapeutic parenting, and community engagement.

Ginger is also the author of Regulation and Co-Regulation: Accessible Neuroscience that Brings Calm into the Classroom. Ginger is married and has four children who have been her greatest teachers about developmental trauma and special needs. She loves to travel and read.

Andrea Bitner is an educator, author, and speaker. She lives in Philadelphia, PA. She has worked with students in grades K-12 throughout her twenty-two years in public education from all around the world.

Her first book, “Take Me Home,” was published by Austin Macauley in July of 2021. "Take Me Home" is the true story of 11 of her former EL students who give a first-hand account of what it's really like to become bilingual in America. She is also a co-author of Chip Baker’s “The Impact of Influence-Volume 3 and Dr. Rick Jetter’s 100 No-Nonsense Things ALL School Leaders Shout STOP Doing.”

She currently teaches each day, and travels the country speaking and teaching educators how to teach and reach EL students, and effectively communicate with EL families!

ames is an elementary school principal who has created, implemented, and helped others create and implement trauma-informed practices in their schools. Throughout his career, he has taught various demographic groups, observing the differences and similarities in effective instructional and behavioral strategies. Ultimately, James realized what we all know, meaningful relationships enhance behavior and academic success.
James serves as principal at Faris Elementary in Hutchinson, KS, where he has already put his trauma-informed practices into place to better serve the needs of students. He continues to do trauma-informed consulting as well in order to help others reach all students to the best of their ability. 

You can connect with James on Twitter @JamesMoffettJr or find him on Facebook!

Meagan is a Bal-A-Vis-X practitioner/trainer, and an educator with about 22 years of experience in both general and special education. In her private Bal-A-Vis-X studio, she teaches Bal-A-Vis-X exercises to both children and adults with varying degrees of social and cognitive challenges. She is sanctioned by Bill Hubert, BAVX founder, to provide both on site trainings and virtual coaching. During the school year, she is the facilitator of the Reset and Return room, a space designed to promote regulation for students and staff, in an urban school in Wichita, KS. She is also the Equity Champion for my building, where she leads her building in looking at our practices through a lens of equity, inclusion and belonging. ​Her interest in Bal-A-Vis-X began many years ago as she navigated teaching general education students and parenting a child with a disability. Eventually she decided that her true calling was special education and spent the next 6 years implementing BAVX with her students!

Elijah is a teacher, like his mom, uncle, and grandparents before him. He has been teaching in the state of New Mexico since 2014, currently working in the Albuquerque Public School district. Elijah enjoys podcasting about all things educational and listening to podcasts created by his friends in education, some of which he has been honored to be a guest on. He is the host of The Shut Up and Teach Podcast and the author of the book A Place They Love: Creating a Healthy School Culture and Positively Impacting Students. Elijah strives to make school a place that students love to be at by creating fun, safe, and engaging experiences and environments for all students. By challenging the norms of what education should look, act, and feel like, Elijah has created exciting opportunities for authentic learning to take place. Outside of the classroom, he can be found running, listening to or creating music, reading, or relaxing with his cat, Nala.

You can connect with Elijah on Twitter @carbaeli

Joe Brummer is a trauma-survivor having lived through early exposure to violence, child abuse and neglect, and 2 separate violent anti-LGBTQ hate crimes a decade apart.  Joe has turned his healing journey into a career in peacebuilding, restorative justice, and consulting in trauma-informed education.  He has appeared on dozens of podcasts, webinars, and presented at national conferences. Most recently, Joe offered the closing Keynote at the 2022 Restorative Justice in Education Conference at Eastern Mennonite University. He serves as adjunct faculty at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace teaching the course,: Peacebuilding Skills: Dialogue, Trauma & Restorative Justice.  His book, Building in Trauma-informed Restorative School: Skills and Approaches for Improving Culture and Behavior (December 2020 Jessica Kingsley Publishers) is being used by schools across the globe and is available for purchase in 5 countries.

You might have heard about the program Chatgpt. It is quickly changing the landscape of English classes all around the country!  Join Eric and I as we discuss why AI isn't all bad. He gives us (10) tips for using Chatgpt within your classroom that doesn't involve plagiarism! 

Eric Sinclair is a ten-year teacher and three-year administrator, including two years working in curriculum and one year as a high school principal with Indianapolis Public Schools. He earned his National Board Certification in 2016 and his PhD in Curriculum and Instruction in 2017. He has published several articles and presented at conferences on a variety of topics including instructional best practices, the effects of peer mentoring, research in grit, and standards-based grading. He began recording podcasts episodes for his educational debate show called "Hot Takes in Education" in 2021, which are set to release in the coming months. Eric enjoys combat sports, weightlifting, running, and spending time with his wife, two daughters, and son, preferably out on the lake.

You can find Eric on Twitter @edhottakes. 

Erin Lewis joined the Center for Innovation & Change in June 2015 as a program director, became interim director in 2019, and was appointed executive director in 2021. Prior to joining the Center, she served as former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's Director of Outreach at iCivics, directing its national field networks, communications and partnerships. She also served as a Research Assistant at the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, Indiana's Director of Civic Education for six years, and is a former United States Marine, having completed Officer Candidate School in Quantico. She obtained her Masters of Public Affairs in Policy Analysis with Honors from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI. While there, she helped create the Center for Civic Literacy, and completed IU's rigorous Oxford University comparative climate change summer program in England. In 2013, she was one of only three graduate students to receive the William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion for service to the community. She also serves as advisor to UE's Dance Company and the Alpha Phi Omega co-ed service fraternity, and is a proud UE alumna - having received her B.S. in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Evansville in 2001. In 2018-2019, she was named UE's Administrator of the Year.)

Jeff is currently an educator, author and speaker in Northern California. Having taught for ten years as an elementary school teacher in grades 4, 5, and 6, and am now serving in his 10th year as an administrator as an Elementary School VP, in Elk Grove.   Jeff has always looked at education from a different lens: from someone who hated school and struggled with the typical educational model. Early on, Jeff vowed to always do his best to help increase opportunities for all students to feel heard, noticed, celebrated, challenged and be safe. Serving the whole child is one of his most valued passions, as we often miss out on an important piece of a child’s puzzle.  

Jeff enjoys blogging, and writing. His first book, One Drop of Kindness hit the bookstores in summer, 2019 and his second book, It’s Me, released on 11/15/2020. Jeff's third book, Monsters have Manners will be out in late ‘22. 

Jeff has hit the top, at times: US Olympic Swim Team Alternate, Pan American Games Gold Medalist, Coach of 4 time Olympian, Jason Lezak. Amazing wife, and 2 lovely kids. He's also seen the bottom, almost losing it all, which has brought him to God’s path of sobriety since 1/28/2020.

Becky Schnekser is an elementary teacher, explorer, field scientist and author of Expedition Science: Empowering learners through exploration.

You can follow Becky on Twitter @schnekser.  

Jessica is the author of Leading with a Lens of Inquiry. 

With a professional teaching background in both the private and public international schools, Jessica Vance, brings a unique perspective to her role as author and school leader. Her passion for student centered learning, collaboration, and coaching stems from the students themselves, finding inspiration in their natural curiosity as they authentically engage in learning experiences inside and outside of the classroom. As a former elementary classroom teacher, Jessica thoroughly enjoys providing support to other teachers and schools with innovative professional development opportunities and coaching sessions, collaborating with other educators both to reflect on best practices and, of course, supporting students through a variety of projects and inquiry based learning in the classroom.

You can find Jessica on instagam @jess_vanceedu or at her website, www.leadingwithinquiry.com . 

Dr. Christopher Jochum is the chair of the Department of Teacher Education at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. With an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students, his department offers virtual and on-campus degree programs in PK-12 teacher preparation. Chris began his career as a public school Spanish and ESL teacher and has been preparing future teachers for 15 years. His research focuses on leadership development in education and his recent book is titled, The Department Chair: A Practical Guide to Effective Leadership.

Join us as we discuss being a #girldad, what we are currently reading and his idea that our leaders need supported as much as our teachers! 

Brian LaDuca is the founding Executive Director of the Institute of Applied Creativity for Transformation (IACT) at the University of Dayton. His research is focused on the relationship between necessary 21st Century skills in the workforce and competency-based curriculum in post-secondary education.  

He has been with Dayton for ten years where he leads the ongoing evolution of all micro-credentials and badges for the University of Dayton students, faculty and staff and steers the ongoing city-wide collaboration of The GEM, Dayton’s emerging education incubator with a mission to maximize possibilities for city educators to be innovative change agents for developing new teaching and learning solutions to help Dayton's community and society progress. Since 2015 he has presented his research and work across the world including keynote presentations and workshops in Mexico, Switzerland, Peru, and China. He has degrees from the University of Illinois-Urbana, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Dayton (2023); and is lovingly supported by his wife Susie and his twin boys, Michelangelo and Joaquin and their sister, Giada.

Allyson Apsey is an educational leader focused on creating need-satisfying school environments for students and staff where they feel seen and valued. She has taught grades three through eight and has been a principal for all levels K-12. Recognizing the significant impact trauma has had on many of our students, staff and families, Allyson became a Certified Trauma Practitioner in Education. The support students affected by trauma need are beneficial to all students because they are grounded in a foundational core of strong, positive relationships based on trust.    Allyson writes on a blog called “Serendipity in Education” and is the best-selling author of several books, including her newest book called Leading the Whole Teacher and her first book, The Path to Serendipity. She has been published in Principal Magazine and was featured in a TedX Talk called “Serendipity is Everywhere”.

Nick Mann is a former Marine Captain, creator of the popular Advocate Daily Wellness Program and Student/Teacher Fit app.  He also runs a wilderness therapy program in Northern Georgia! 

He is convinced that schools must find ways to be proactive with the mental health of its students AND staff. 

https://studentfit.fit 

Melissa Wright is a passionate educator that is driven to help schools create a place where students belong and everyone feels like they matter.  By sharing ideas that work in her school, she helps educators and students see they can improve their culture and climate.   She is known for her passion and desire to see students succeed, and to help them find their inner leader. Melissa is the current president of the New Brunswick Student Leadership association and a 2022 Jostens Renaissance Hall of Fame inductee.   She is also a mathematics teacher at Kennebecasis Valley High School, in Quispamsis, NB, Canada and is the Renaissance co-advisor at her school.

Dan Wolfe has served in Pasco County, Florida for more than 20 years. During this time, he has held roles as a teacher, instructional coach and administrator. He is currently an Assistant Principal at Sunray Elementary. He was selected as Pasco County’s District Teacher of the Year in 2011-2012 school year. He is a part of the district’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Committee that recently established Pre-K through Grade 12 SEL standards.  For the past two years Dan has written a blog called Becoming The Change (formerly Our Moral Compass) which focuses on a different quote each day and how we can best apply it towards becoming the change through our own moral compass and the five areas in SEL.

Reach out to Dan on Twitter @ServLeadInspire. 

Dr. Julie Schmidt Hasson is a researcher, author, and speaker who helps educators stay longer, grow stronger, and make a bigger impact. Julie is a professor in Leadership and Educational Studies at Appalachian State University. When she's not teaching graduate students, she is conducting research and working with school districts around the country. Julie is also the founder of the Chalk and Chances project, a vehicle for celebrating and elevating teachers. Her latest book, Safe, Seen, and Stretched in the Classroom: The Remarkable Ways Teachers Shape Students' Lives, chronicles her extensive research on teacher impact.

You SHOULD follow Julie on Twitter @julieshasson! 

Dr. Lindsey Jensen was the 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year, the 2020 NEA Foundation for Teaching Excellence Illinois Awardee, a Teach Plus Policy Alum, and Vice-President of the Illinois Teachers of the Year. She recently made Brightbeam's list of Top 21 Rising Women in Education in 2021. She has delivered over 100 keynotes across the country, and her work has been featured in IL-ASCD, Teach Plus, NEA Today, and Education Post. She was recently published in Flip the System US: How Teachers Can Transform Education and Save Democracy. Her career in education spans 17 years, and she currently serves as the state coordinator for Educators Rising Illinois.

You can reach Lindsey on Twitter @ILTOY2018 or email her @ illinoisteacheroftheyear@gmail.com.  

Jamie is a champion of Social-Emotional care and Character Education. His passion for promoting student-driven leadership led to the development of the 1st District-Wide PEER Leadership program in NJ Public School education. Jamie earned a National Promising Practice from Character.org for ACCEPT University, a three-tiered SEL assembly series promoting inclusion, acceptance, empathy and citizenship in schools. Jamie’s career includes working at a State and National School and District of Character and a top 100 US News & World Report District. Jamie is a former Teacher of the Year, ASCD Emerging Leader Finalist and author for The Road to Awesome Publishing LLC. He is an author, speaker and coach.  As of recent, Jamie is now the proud Assistant Principal at Blufton High School in Bufort County, South Carolina. 

To book Jamie, connect on social by visiting www.JamieBrownLeadership.com

Dr. Toni Hull is currently the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instructional Innovation for Hatch Valley Public Schools in Hatch, New Mexico. She has 30 years of experience as an educator serving in NY and NM as a teacher, instructional coach, trainer, college instructor, district consultant, speaker, principal, state principal mentor, and now as a part of the district leadership team. She believes that when educators are empowered to think of alternative ways to engage and motivate students and staff, there is no limit to what they can accomplish. She and a team of out-of-the-box educators transformed the alternative middle school (a place where students HAD to be) to the Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy (a place where students CHOOSE to be) in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Dr. Hull has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and is a 2012-13 Teacher Ambassador Fellow for the US Department of Education as well as a Woodrow Wilson MBA Fellow. She has served and led in Deming, Las Cruces, and Hatch districts in southern New Mexico for the last 15 years. Her passion is thinking of ways to reimagine school for kids, teachers, staff, and the community through a focus on gratitude, relationships, attitude, scholarship, and purpose.

Follow Dr. Hull on Twitter @enchantedleader and you are welcome to email her at tonihull@gmail.com. 

Darrin Peppard is a leadership expert focused on organizational culture and climate, and coaching growing emerging leaders. Darrin is the author of the book Road to Awesome: Empower, Lead, Change the Game. He is the host of the Leaning into Leadership podcast. As a ‘recovering high school principal’, Darrin shares strategies and lessons learned and effective from over 25 years in public education to help leaders to be more effective and positively impact the world around them.

You can reach Darrin at:

Twenty-three-year special education teacher. Co-founded KYREADS which provides PD on dyslexia, started Kentucky Teachers in The Know, a social-media group on Facebook and Twitter, to keep educators informed on resources, ideologies, and policies. Governor Beshear also appointed Allison the first active teacher to serve on the Kentucky Board of Education.

You can reach Allison:

Jennifer Haston-Maciejewski currently works at Greenfield-Central High School in Indiana as an alternative placement teacher and behavior specialist/coach. She is also a trained yoga, mindfulness, and meditation instructor; and is a contributing author in several books.

You can reach Jennifer on Twitter @mrs_haston or on Instagram @wanderinggypsy6.

Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years.  He has just finished his 14th year as a building administrator.  True to his "why" of improving the educational experience for as many people as possible, he is currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts.   Chris is passionate about continuous improvement and the idea that success is not a destination, but a process.  Chris is a teacher-centered Principal and his beliefs around the importance of a positive work environment, continuous growth, and a healthy family work-life integration can be seen in the presentations/workshops he has given at the State and National level and his participation in the Better Leaders Better Schools Mastermind group.

Connect with Chris on Twitter @drcsjones  or email him @ drchrissj@gmail.com 

Jason Blair believes our future depends on the creative minds of our students. He is a 19 yr. veteran elementary art teacher. Currently, he also serves as the Teacher-Leader-in-Residence at the Columbus Museum of Art, and is a co-assistant director on a research project in collaboration with Harvard Graduate School of Education—Project Zero and the Columbus Museum of Art.

Reach out to Jason or me and let us know what you thought of the episode. 

Jason: @_Jason Blair or email at schoolteachers@mac.com

Ryan: @ryancscott1981 or email at ryanscott1981@gmail.com 

Michele Rispo Hill is a passionate educator who has dedicated a lifetime to the education profession as a teacher, author, and presenter of professional development. During her tenure in the classroom, Michele was honored as the teacher of the Year in 2014. She served on numerous committees, mentored new staff, and was an advisor for the classes of 2009 and 2018 and the Jostens Renaissance program. Today, she serves as the Coordinator of Admissions and Strategic Marketing and Equity Specialist for a career and technical school in New Jersey and is passionate about supporting teachers.

You can catch up with her on Twitter @HillMrispo. 

Cultivating lasting changes requires cultivating effective discourse! My new friend from Louisiana, Rod Naquin, shares his doctoral topic with us.

Rod J. Naquin is a ten-year educator, instructional coach and professional learning consultant based in Bayou Gauche, Louisiana. He is a doctoral student at Southeastern Louisiana University researching teacher collaborative discourse.

You can find Rod on Twitter @rodjnaquin. 

Mrs. Betzy is a High School Innovation Coach and Instructional Leader in Guatemala City, Guatemala.  During the start of the pandemic, she realized the power of social media and became the Google Education Group Leader for all of Guatemala! 

Through her many connections, she has been able to collaborate with and unite people from all over the Southern Hemisphere.  

John Nash is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. He has been a social research scientist, program evaluator, entrepreneur, professor, and department chair during his career.

He teaches courses on design thinking and mixed methods action research and his research agenda focuses on examining and understanding the application of design thinking in education.

He consults with educators on how to apply design thinking to create beneficial outcomes for school communities. He is the author of the recent book, "Design Thinking in Schools: A Leader’s Guide to Collaborating for Improvement" (Harvard Education Press).

You can reach John on Twitter @jnash or email him at The University of Kentucky at john.nash@uky.edu. 

Kristi Hape is an Occupational Therapist with over 20 years experience in the schools and 17 years experience at home, raising 3 girls with her loving husband. She survived 22 years as the wife of a college and high school football coach by working in the schools and over the last 7 years, has supported students with significant behavior challenges in the schools and inpatient mental health settings.

She is passionate about sharing her experiences with teachers and supporting student learning by helping everyone understand how trauma impacts sensory responses to stress and the learning environment.

Andrea Samadi, a former middle-school teacher from Toronto, now in Arizona, has spent the past 20+ years working with social/emotional learning. Andrea knows first-hand about stress in the classroom as her first job at The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Education was a behavioral class. She felt overwhelmed by the lack of resources to help her manage and teach her students, so she set out on a mission to find ways to support students and educators.

In 2014, her program, Level Up (that consists of a book and over 60 online lessons and resources) was chosen by Arizona’s Department of Education and in 2019 she released her podcast “Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning” that bridges the gap between application and theory.

After just two years, her podcast has featured some of the leading experts in neuroscience, education, and the brain has over 111K downloads, and reaches over 153 countries. Andrea is focused on providing tools and resources for educators and the workplace to improve well-being, productivity, and results using the application of practical neuroscience.

Mark Horner is a proud husband and father. He has been married to his college sweetheart, Jennifer for over 20 years. They have two children: Kelsie, who just graduated from Tallmadge High School, and a son, Noah, who is entering his 10th-grade year at THS. Mark received his undergraduate degree from the University of Akron, and his Master’s in K-12 Leadership from Kent State University. He has spent his entire teaching career within Tallmadge City Schools.  At the HS  level where he has been teaching US History and Psychology for a lot of years! When not in the classroom you can either find him on a basketball court coaching basketball, at Crimson Cup drinking coffee and reading a good book or walking his Golden Retriever, Teddy, (yep, named after President #26) around town. 

Mark is an aspiring blogger and podcaster. You can check out his writing at https://horner.school.blog/ and his podcast, #Between2BlueDevils, at https://anchor.fm/mark-horner, or on any other podcasting platform. 

You can find Mark on Twitter @THSMr_Horner. 

Dr. Basil Marin hails from the Central Virginia area. He is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He later earned a Master of Teaching in Special Education from Liberty University. After moving to the Virginia Beach area in 2014, he pursued an Educational Specialist in Administration & Supervision k-12 from Old Dominion University. Dr. Marin recently earned an Executive Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University in 2020.   Dr. Marin is one of the proud assistant principals of Chamblee Charter High School, a diverse high school located in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Marin brings an authentic and refreshing perspective to the field of education. As an administrator, he works hard to foster equitable opportunities and inclusive learning environments where ALL students and teachers are valued and respected.  Dr. Marin works daily to build meaningful relationships with students and desires to be the administrator he needed when he was growing up yet did not have access to. As a former struggling student himself, Dr. Marin is humbled to be able to give back to students who historically have fallen through the cracks of education and have not been given a second chance.  Dr. Marin has been afforded some incredible opportunities through the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) organization such as being selected as a 2017 Emerging Leader and being appointed as a “featured speaker” at the 2019 Empower Conference in Chicago. In addition, he met with U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy Devos and her executive team to speak on behalf of marginalized and underserved students and explained how the lack of funding has impacted their educational experiences. Currently, Dr. Marin is the President for the Emerging Leaders ASCD National Affiliate. Dr. Marin is a contributing author in several books including Personal & Authentic, Unconventional Leadership, Modern Mentor, Forces of Influence, and It’s Me.

Pavan (Pav) Wander is an elementary school teacher with 15 years of experience, born, raised, and teaching in the north end of Toronto, Canada, where she teaches grade 7/8. Along with her former teaching partner Chey Cheney, Pav co-hosts a podcast called “The Staffroom Podcast,” as well as a live, educational music radio show on VoicEd Radio called, “The Drive.”

You can find Pav on Twitter @PavWander and @StaffPodcast!

Georgina’s goal is to offer creative digital transformation support to education communities around the world. She is a visionary education leader, an inspiring writer, podcaster, and keynote speaker, and is keen to impact creative innovation across Europe, Middle East & Africa, where she has been fostering change in education for over a decade. She empowers learners, educators, and school leaders with the 21st-century skills, creative strategies, tools, and the confidence they need to be successful members of a global community, to thrive in tomorrow's competitive job market.

You can find Georgina on Twitter @TechyLeaderEDU 

A man of faith, committed to education for all students, service-oriented, and someone that doesn't have it all figured out but wants to help as many people along the way as he is able to.

Trevor is currently a commissioned officer in the Indiana Army Nat'l Guard and an Assistant Principal at Trinity High School in Louisville, KY. He was previously a classroom teacher and professional/college Lacrosse Player/coach. 

You can connect with Trevor on Twitter @Trevor_Tberg.

Pam is a STEAM teacher from the Dominican Republic. She has a certification in STEM and a Master's in Educational Technology. She teaches Computational Thinking and Project Based Learning to students in English and Spanish. Additionally, she helps teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms with free /low-cost workshops and through her social media accounts.

You can find her on all the socials by using @mrspamalba. 

Mandi Tolen is a high school math teacher, Google Certified Innovator, blogger, & author of Make Math Not Suck, a guide to create fun & memorable math experiences for students. Mandi has a passion for changing how we teach to create thinkers & learners.

You can find Mandi on Twitter @MandiTolenEDU 

Kyla Uribe is a kindergarten teacher, educational consultant, and a self-proclaimed defender of play in early childhood! She is a wife of almost 16 years and a mom to three fantastic kids ages 10, 8, and 4. When she’s not dreaming about education, listening to inspirational and innovative podcasts, Kyla is trying to crush her WODs and maintain balance with her active family!

Kyla feels strongly that Kindergarten should be ALL about our kids and not so much about the curriculum...

You can reach Kyla on Twitter @kylauribe. 

Frederick went to Ohio State University and received his Bachelor Degree in Chemical Engineering and received his Master's at New Mexico State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Though he started out NOT in ED world, he is now a Prince George's County Math Teacher at Drew-Freeman Middle School in the Washington D.C area. Also, he has embarked on a journey to become a mathematician and to show his students, that struggle as he did in youth, that ANYTHING is possible! 

Martin Silverman is a father, grandfather, husband, and long-time educator in beautiful San Antonio, Texas.  He is committed to providing the best educational experience for the students and families at Salinas Elementary school where he is principal.  Martin has worked in urban, suburban, and rural districts as a teacher and administrator.  His interests are in creating and nurturing school culture, providing enriching experiences for students and families, and developing future teachers and administrators.  As a former bilingual teacher and administrator,  Martin is committed to providing ELL students with quality programs to develop their unique skills.  He hosts a podcast called The Second Question, which highlights educators and provides them a forum to discuss ideas, and to honor the teachers that have influenced their lives. He also co-hosts the podcast The Texan Connection alongside Dr. Daryl Porter and Dr. Jeff Springer.

You can reach out to Martin on Twitter @MrSilverman116!

Michael Earnshaw is a father, husband, and elementary school principal. He is the author of The EduCulture Cookbook: Recipes and Dishes to Positively Transform School and Classroom Culture with EduMatch Publishing and co-host of the Punk Rock Classrooms Podcast. Michael strives to empower others to know they can change the world by fostering positive, trusting relationships and modeling risk-taking himself. When he’s not helping others and changing lives you can find him skateboarding.

You can find him on Twitter: @MikeREarnshaw & @PunkClassrooms 

Maren is a 7-year-old first-grader with a lot of great ideas (ideas she likes to share with anyone she can).  She loves to read and listen to stories.  Her love is to be creative, through art or play!

Listen to us as we discuss her ideas for the perfect school! 

Dene Gainey is a twelve-year classroom educator, currently Grades 4-5 English Language Arts, Technology & Gifted. He received his undergraduate degree in Elementary Education K-6 from the University of Central Florida and his Masters of Education degree in Instructional Technology from American Intercontinental University in 2006. Currently he is pursuing a PhD. Never too far from the classroom, Dene believes that you should never stop learning! He thoroughly enjoys learning and growing by means of his professional learning network, interacting with other educators and teacher leaders through Voxer, Twitter, EdCamps, and conferences.

Kaitlin Kilby is a first-year teacher and graduate student from St. Louis, Missouri. She is currently teaching 2nd grade. Kaitlin graduated in 2020 from Missouri State University with her Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education, minor in Literacy, and certificate in Conflict and Dispute Resolution. Her graduate studies are focused on curriculum and instruction. She will be teaching 3rd grade next year.

Kaitlin is a passionate educator, leader, and lifelong learner who believes in student-voice in choice in the classroom for any grade level. She hopes to make a positive difference in the educational experience. When she is not working or in school, Kaitlin enjoys reading, singing and writing music, and spending time with family and friends.

Chad Dumas is an international educational consultant, presenter, and award-winning researcher whose primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. With over two decades of successful leadership experience, Chad has led significant improvements for both students and staff. He shares his research and knowledge in his new books, Let’s Put the C in PLC and An Action Guide to Put the C in PLC, and consulting that includes research, stories, hands-on tools, useful knowledge, and practical skills.

Join Josh and me as we discuss the need for leaders to use multiple methods to connect with their students.

Ray is a husband, a father, a principal of an elementary school in northern Illinois, and a Golden Apple Scholar. He spends his free time traveling with family, cooking with his boys, and co-hosting 2 podcasts. Ray has been in education for 20 years working as a 5th grade teacher, a middle school dean, a 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher, a middle school assistant principal, and now as a principal. He believes in the importance of building relationships and of taking every opportunity to lead and make a difference in the world!

Follow Ray

Dr. Jason E. Glass is commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).

Glass, a native of Brandenburg and a third-generation Kentucky educator, has been commissioner of education since September 2020. Before that, he had been superintendent and chief learner of Jeffco Public Schools in Colorado since 2017.

A 1990 graduate of Meade County High School, Glass received a bachelor’s degree in political science and history in 1994, a master’s in political science in 1996 and a master’s in education in 2007 from the University of Kentucky (UK).

Glass began his teaching career at Hazard Independent Schools, working as a high school social studies teacher from 1996 to 1998. While still a graduate student, he already was serving as an instructor at UK and at Georgetown College.

Glass received his doctorate in educational leadership in 2011 from Seton Hall University. He holds a certificate in advanced education leadership from Harvard University, received in 2019.

From 2001 to 2006 he held progressively senior positions with the Colorado Department of Education, then worked as vice president of quality ratings for Qualistar Early Learning. He served briefly as senior director of human capital strategy for Ohio-based Battelle for Kids before Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad appointed him state Director of Education. Glass served as Iowa’s chief state school officer from 2010 to 2013. From 2013 to 2017 Glass was superintendent of Eagle County Public Schools in Colorado.

In 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Glass to the National Board for Education Sciences.

He and his wife, Sarah, have two elementary-aged children who attend Kentucky public schools.

Twitter:@KYCommishGlass

Email: jason.glass@education.ky.gov

As an educator for 34 years, in 2013 Jeff was selected as the State of Texas TASSP State Principal of the year.

Besides founding Spring Strategies LLC, Jeff currently serves part-time as the Minister of Men at Wildwood UMC and is also the founder of Suit Up Ministries, a nonprofit men’s ministry.

In the spring of 2020, Jeff completed his Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Transformational Leadership from Concordia University.

Jeff is passionate about people and “play.” Developing others and helping them see their value and completeness is what drives Jeff in all his relationships. Jeff loves being a husband, dad, and grandfather. He is always seeking ways to acknowledge men that strive to be the daily active devoted dads they are called to be. Jeff who resides in Montgomery, Texas, has been married for 39 years and has two children, and three grandchildren.

P-Who are your people?

L-How do you love your people?

A-We must acknowledge failure and successes. 

Y- What do you year for? 

Join Jon and I as we discussed the idea that our kids need SEL within our EVERY actions, not solely within the pages of a program! 

Jon Konen is a superintendent, educational consultant at Principal Reads Consulting, and freelance writer in Corvallis, Montana. He has taught almost all grade levels K-6 and has been an elementary, middle, and high school principal. As a 5th grade teacher, in 2010 he won the Presidential Award for Elementary Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST). As a principal, his school won the 2012 Blue Ribbon Award. In 2018, he won the National Distinguished Principal Award (NDP). In 2019 he won the National No Kid Hungry Breakfast Hero Award. He is the author of three guides published on teacher.org: An Educator's Guide to Combat Bullying & Bully Prevention; Teacher Evaluation: A Transition Guide to Exemplary Performance; and You are the Wild Card: Infusing Fun Back into Curriculum. He has authored a children's picture book full of SEL ideas that were released January 2019 titled Benjamin’s Visit to Principal Reads Office…again!

Small, rural districts often don't have the resources available to offer the same number of academic/CTE programs as some of their neighboring districts do. Join Cameron and me as we discuss his idea, that students should be able to enroll in neighboring schools to chase their passions! 

Cameron Brown is currently a senior at Western Kentucky University and a student teacher at Barren County High School. Initially attending WKU to obtain a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism, Brown quickly realized that this was not the career path for him. For four years, Brown—a 2017 graduate of Webster County High School—served as the sportswriter for the Journal-Enterprise in Webster County and also helped cover Trojan sports on the radio for his alma mater. During this time, Brown thoroughly enjoyed working with all of the student-athletes and realized that education was the correct career choice for him. He began working as a substitute teacher in Webster County in February 2019, and this only confirmed his passion for the profession. As Brown graduates from WKU in May of this year, his goal is to bring positive energy into the classroom every single day and push students to be the very best that they can be. His bigEDidea can potentially give students every opportunity to be fully prepared for life after high school—whether they are going to college or directly into the workforce.

Debbie Tannenbaum works as an Elementary School Technology Specialist in Fairfax County, VA. An educator with over twenty years of experience, Debbie Tannenbaum supports both staff and students to integrate technology tools into instruction through both co-teaching sessions and weekly technology classes. Debbie emphasizes working collaboratively with other educators to use technology tools that amplify student learning and empower student voice. She also blogs and shares her thoughts and reflections regularly on her website: https://www.tannenbaumtech.com. In spring 2021, her book, TRANSFORM: Techy Notes to Make Learning Sticky will be published by Road to Awesome LLC.

Dr. Morgan Cable is the Ocean Worlds Program Scientist for the Planetary Mission Formulation Office, and the supervisor of the Astrobiology and Ocean Worlds Group at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. She worked on the Cassini Mission as a Project Science Systems Engineer, and is currently a Co-Investigator on the Dragonfly Mission to Saturn’s moon Titan and a Collaborator on the Europa Clipper Mission.

Cameran has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Stillman College, but has been an SEL interventionist at Fairlawn Elementary in Evansville,Indiana for the past 3 years. He is a husband and father of two boys. He says, “I'm excited to get to know the students, help in anyway I can, and become a part of the Fairlawn family. Ultimately I think my purpose in working with kids is to help them become the best version of themselves, while helping them figure out the correct responses to situations they’re facing.”

Join us as we discuss ways to invest in ALL our kids! 

Dr. Daryl Porter has spent 14 years in education, and has served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, and central office administrator. Currently, he is in charge of implementing a PTECH campus in his district, which will encompass aviation maintenance, distribution and logistics, and UAV/UAS programs of study. He has a passion for leadership and learning, and continues to surround himself with leaders who make him better. He is currently the host of the BridgED podcast which attempts to bridge the gap between K-12 education and industry.

DeAndre Wilson is a Serial Entrepreneur, Culinary Curator, Small Business Owner, and Brand Builder. He strives to share new and exciting content from his brand and businesses that is relatable, engaging, and encouraging for young and future entrepreneurs. DeAndre lives by example to be a change agent by developing more inclusive, and accessible channels for entrepreneurs to get necessary resources, mentoring and support for long term success in his community. Along with Chef Jeff, DeAndre is the co-founder and co-owner of Turn Table, LLC, a culinary experience company in Evansville, Indiana, that is regionally recognized for remixing and remastering recipes to create visually enticing cuisine with distinctive flavor. DeAndre also created a fundraising platform, the Keep Rolling Campaign, to commemorate his father’s life and to help nonprofits and families battling cancer who are indeed of extra financial assistance. Currently DeAndre is working on a documentary to tell his father's story and the story of his own health transformation from rolling the 230-pound tracker tire around the City of Evansville. Since launching the Keep Rolling Campaign, DeAndre has transformed mentally and physically, losing over 50 pounds, setting an example as a pillar of health and as a personal fitness trainer at ChamFit. With Merrick Korach, DeAndre's most recent endeavor and community collaboration is the Bedford Collab Project in the Tepe Park Neighborhood that will work to gather members of the community through culture, cuisine, and conversation.

Maria began her career in NJ public schools in 2009 and started writing for Everyone Deserves to Learn in 2013. She received an M.Ed in Teaching ESL from The College of New Jersey, and obtained her Supervisor and Principal certifications through NJExcel. She currently serves as the Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction for a PreK-8 school district in Camden County, NJ.

Matt came to education through the blue-collar route. For 20 years, Matt was a heavy equipment operator and worked in maintenance. At some point, Matt began to feel the "tug" of teaching. After much prayer and convos with family/friends, Matt decided to jump into the world of CTE. He has been in the classroom for 6 years now, focusing on how he can use his CTE field to pass along life lessons and skills, while also learning from his students!

Taylor has been in either higher education or secondary education for 16 years. He has worked at two universities and three school districts in various roles. His background is in Educational Psychology, Ed Tech, and Leadership. He is currently the Assistant Director of Technology at Vestavia Hills City Schools. Taylor created #bethecompass, which strives to help others lead, show others how to find their direction in life, empower others to achieve, and to create a community of uplifting and helping of each other. Taylor loves kids and being able to connect with them. That’s a big part of the #bethecompass cause. If we can adjust someone's course an inch now, we will see miles of difference in their future!

Benjamin Koenig is currently the music teacher at Delaware Elementary School in Evansville, Indiana where music has made an impact! From performances for and with Grammy Award-nominated and winning artists, celebrities, community and state leaders, and making USA Today after a performance went viral, the students under "Mr. K" have gone over and beyond their talents and passions, fueled by a love for music that knows no limits! Recently, the music department received a $10,000 grant from Mattingly Charities, headed by Don Mattingly, former New York Yankee baseball star, current manager of the Miami Marlins, and a huge supporter of the students in the music program at Delaware. Mr. K hopes to one day take his passion for education into a leadership role and has a BigEdIdea to shake up one of the fundamental tasks required of every school leader: evaluations! 

After spending over 2 decades in the classroom, Hal Bowman has been crisscrossing the United States helping tens of thousands of teachers and school leaders revolutionize classroom and campus culture.  His Teach Like A Rock Star professional development event and his Be The One event for schools have been the buzz in education for the last 12 years. Most recently, schools across the nation are subscribing to his Change A Kid’s LIfe! videos that provide educators with the emotional fuel and support they need, now, more than ever.

Online, Hal reaches tens of thousands of educators each week as the host of the Teach Like A Rock Star Podcast and  Help a Teacher Facebook Live with Hal Bowman.

Hal is also the founder of Men in Education - a private facebook group that empowers men in education with support, personal growth, professional development, and community.

Connect with Hal online at HalBowman.com or on social media @HalBowman on all platforms.

Dr. Bob Barr is nationally and internationally recognized for his research on poverty and education. He has worked with schools, universities, professional organizations and communities in 47 states and in a number of other countries. He has served as Associate Dean or Dean at Indiana University, Oregon State University, and Boise State University. He is the author/co-author of 16 books, three receiving national recognition: Saving Our Students/ Saving Our Schools, Building a Culture of Hope, and Defining the Social Studies with Barth and Shermis. It is Bob's belief that schools have the power to reshape communities and become first responders for our children of poverty!

David Knott is a professional percussionist, educational leadership advocate,

and a professional conductor. He currently serves as a member of the

instrumental music faculty at the sweetest band gig on earth, where he

coordinates and directs all Middle Division Band activities at Milton Hershey

School in Hershey, Pa.

Everything I do I believe will challenge the status quo, I believe in

thinking differently. I put students first, placing them in a safe and

rigorous environment and provide the tools to allow them to reach

their fullest creative self. I just happen to use band instruments to

get there. My mission in one word: #Elevate 

When you get that urge, you just do it!  Will it be perfect? NO WAY! But, no one ever gets to where they want to be without taking the first step!

Join me in my introductory episode where you will listen to a bit about me, my reasoning behind starting this endeavor and be challenged to change the world by DREAMING BIG! 

Help me build a platform where visionaries can be united with those looking to CHANGE the world, 1 person at a time!