The Second Question
By Martin Silverman
The Second QuestionMar 30, 2021
Katie Miglin - Connecting Curriculum and Educators Around the World
Katie Miglin was a former classroom teacher of 13 years in the middle school setting. She taught 7th grade for all thirteen years with a few sections of 6th and 8th grade sprinkled throughout. Her experience includes teaching Writing and Math. During her time in the schools, Katie has held a variety of roles including Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle Leader, Curriculum Chair, Drama Club Director, and PBIS Tier 1 Coach. She has also been a part of the building leadership team, community outreach team, and before school program.
Katie is now working for the Teach Better Team as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. In this role, Katie coordinates several events including the 12 Hour Live and the Teach Better Conference, as well as provides professional development for school districts . Through this position, Katie has had the pleasure of connecting with other educators from all over the world and has loved meeting innovative and hardworking people from all walks of life.
While working has always brought Katie joy, her true love is at home with her husband, 2 daughters and dog. She loves working out, reading, and doing anything that involves the outdoors.
Social Media Handles:
- Twitter: @MrsKMigs https://twitter.com/MrsKMigs
- Instagram: @k_miglin
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/katie-miglin-51182a21b
Hedreich Nichols - Small Bites Create Big Change
Hedreich Nichols is an author, educator, and consultant helping educators and districts amplify the voices of all students. Hedreich’s YouTube series and podcast, SmallBites, further help campuses amplify student voices by focusing on equity in education. Between SmallBites and her work as a writer, Hedreich works to help educators create more culturally responsive classrooms and campuses. Her 5 Cherry Lake trade titles, including ”What is Antiracism?"; and “Excellence in STEM"; provide teachers with materials to help students understand systemic inequities and explore STEM Heroes of color; and her award-winning winning Solution Tree title, "Finding Your Blind Spots" provides educators with guiding principles to help them become more culturally responsible.
As a course designer and consultant for districts and educational organizations, Hedreich provides educators with inspiration to move beyond conversations around race; giving them research-based strategies that can be immediately implemented to pave the way for better student outcomes.
Hedreich received her Master of Education in educational technology at Texas A&M University.
Find out more about Hedreich here:
https://hedreich.com/
Twitter: @hedreich
Instagram: @hedreichnichols
Facebook: Hedreich Nichols
LinkedIn: Hedreich Nichols
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/hedreich
Joshua Stamper - Helping Aspiring Leaders to Find Their Talents
Joshua Stamper initially used his artistic talent, creativity and original ideas as a professional graphic designer. He then transitioned to inspiring students to utilize their imagination and creative expression in public education. Being unsuccessful as a student growing up, Joshua never expected to be back in the classroom as a teacher, athletic coach, or administrator. His struggles as a student spawned a passion to change the education model, push the boundaries of traditional learning, and explore trauma informed strategies. Prior to his current role, Joshua was a middle school administrator in North Texas for nine years and loved building future leaders, implementing restorative practices, and positively impacting the lives of his students.
Joshua Stamper is the Training and Development Specialist for the Teach Better Team, author of Aspire to Lead, podcaster, leadership coach, and education presenter.
Learn more about Josh here:
Company Websites:
- www.teachbetter.com
- www.teachbetteracademy.com
- www.teachbetterconference.com
- www.teachbetterswag.com
- Teach Better Logo
Social Media Handles:
- Twitter: @Joshua__Stamper (@Joshua__Stamper)
- Instagram: @Joshua__Stamper (@Joshua__Stamper)
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-stamper/
- Aspire to Lead: www.bit.ly/aspirelead
- Aspire to Lead Podcast: www.joshstamper.com
- Team Twitter: @teachbetterteam
- Team Instagram: @teachbetterteam
- Team LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teachbetterteam
Dr. Frank Buck - Take Control and Ease Your Mind...Organize!
Most people are overwhelmed by the amount of paper and digital information in their lives. Frank Buck makes organization easy so you can increase productivity, decrease stress, and enjoy life. Global Gurus ranked Frank #1 in the world in the "Time Management" category for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. His career path took him from band director to principal to central office administrator and now to productivity coach, writer, and speaker.
LINKS:
Visit Frank Buck's website (and get on the email list for free gifts)
Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders
Get Organized Digitally!: The Educator's Guide to Time Management
Arnie Ayala - Empowering Families through Developing Leadership
Connect with Arnie on Twitter @AAyala2021
Learn more about FLI here: www.easleadership.com/programs/family-leadership-institute/
Kyle Hill - Get RechargED, Educators!
School was a struggle for Kyle Hill. In fact, as someone with undiagnosed ADHD, school was more of a chore than an opportunity. Due to his own experiences with academic and behavior challenges, Kyle decided to become an elementary, special education teacher to support students with their own unique needs. He served in this role for 19 years in both co-taught classrooms and self contained special education classrooms. Since then, he has become a district-wide resource lead, specializing in intervention programs, mentoring programs, transition services, and instructional or behavioral support coaching, all in an attempt to assist educators from Pre-K to 12th grade.
Kyle’s most important job and passion though, is being a father of 3 children who have their own unique needs. Through learning how to help his own children, both he and his wife have learned the importance of supporting children from the parent's side as well. He packages both of his passions into one organization as the founder of the RechargED Family network. This allows Kyle to provide free content and resources for parents and educators who want to find ways to support kids. Whether it be through his podcasts like the Xhausted Educators show, the Parents RechargED show or the RechargED Family YouTube channel, Kyle aims to provide content for others so that children and teens get the support that they deserve. You can connect with Kyle on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @rechargedfamily or by visiting https://www.rechargedfamily.com/
Todd Nesloney - Strategic Leadership...Because Kids Deserve It!
Todd Nesloney is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership at the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association. He is also the Director of Lead On under the Get Your Teach On umbrella. He has been recognized by the White House, John C Maxwell, The Center for Digital Education, The National School Board Association, and more for his work in education. He's written 5 books including his newest book "In This Season: Words for the Heart". You can learn more about Todd by visiting toddnesloney.com
Listen to Todd talk about strategic leadership, what has changed in education, and who was his best teacher!
P J Cabrera - Communication is the Key!
PJ Cabrera is an award-winning educator and leader in scholastic journalism, with over 10 years of experience in journalism education and education-specific communication. Not only is he involved with state and national journalism boards, but he’s been an adjunct professor of communication for nearly five years and is on a journey to earn his Doctorate in Education.
Jon Konen - It's All About the Culture
Jon Konen is a high school principal and freelance writer in Columbia Falls, Montana. He has been a superintendent and has taught most all grade levels K-6, and has been an instructional coach. In addition, he has been an elementary and middle principal. As a 5th grade teacher, in 2010 Jon 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. Jon 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 that was released January 2019 titled Benjamin’s Visit to Principal Reads Office…again! (available at www.archwaypublishing.com).
Wildcat Principal Podcast: https://anchor.fm/jon-konen
Columbia Falls High School Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cfhighschool.org
PS: The college professor he speaks about is John Graves!
Breana Piles - Supporting ALL Learners in San Antonio
With over a decade in education, all of it working with students at risk and in special education, Breana has seen, heard, and probably smelled it all. Right now she works as a coordinator of MTSS, creating systems and processes to support the academic, behavioral, and emotional well-being of all students. With a focus on realism, humor, and the tremendous power of a teacher, she provides resources and information for educators in person and through her website, www.beep-ed.com
Celebrating the 50th Episode of The Second Question!
So excited to share some updates and clips from past episodes as a celebration of the 50th episode of The Second Question...and on the podcast's 2nd birthday! Join me as we hear some great moments from the past two years including clips from:
Dave McPartlin
Joe Sanfelippo
Trevor Timmerberg
Jillian DuBois
Chris Galloway
Priscilla Alfaro
Daniel Martinez
Tim Stephenson - Science 360 from Beautiful British Columbia
Everybody is born a scientist, Tim Stephenson says. In his work as a teacher, he shapes science teaching to encourage students to engage in science 24 hours a day. At the same time, he is a proponent of information and communications technologies, and was writing about their benefits in the early 1990s. That writing piece evolved into his book Beyond the Classroom, a teaching manifesto written to encourage teachers and amplify the teaching profession
Tim seeks to destroy the idea that science is only for “the smartest of the smart” by bringing science to life through real-life stories that involve science, discussing rather than lecturing, and teaching everyone that they can and should get involved with science, since it touches every aspect of life.
Tim hosts a podcast called Science 360 and publishes videos to help teachers with content when teaching about space and the environment. The YouTube channel is Science 360-Beyond the Sky.
Links:
Twitter: @astrostephenson
YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@science360-beyondthesky6
Book: Beyond the Classroom
Ian Timbrell - For the Love of Grammar and Equity in Wales
Ian has been a teacher for 15 years and a deputy head teacher for 5 years in Wales, in the UK. In January 2023, Ian will be setting up his own education consultancy, and will be launching Timbrell Education in January 2023, where he will share his passion for equality and support schools with Relationship and Sexuality Education, diversity, and developing a literacy curriculum.
You can find Ian at his website http://www.timbrelleducation.com and on Twitter @itimbrell, where he regularly publishes blog posts on diversity, RSE and literacy.
Alfonso "Fonz" Mendoza - Creating An EdTech Life!
Excited to bring you the brilliant Alfonso "Fonz" Mendoza from the beautiful Rio Grande Valley in South Texas!
Alfonso Mendoza Jr. holds a Masters in Educational Technology and is in his third year of doctoral studies where his focus is Educational Technology. He has 11 years of experience as a classroom teacher teaching high school mathematics and elementary mathematics, science, and social studies. He is currently serving his sixth year as the district Instructional Technologist where he equips teachers with tech tools to enhance student learning experiences. For the last six years, he actively participates on many social media platforms where he shares his expertise through podcasts, blogs, and other education-related posts.
Darrin Peppard - Connecting Leaders on the Road to Awesome
I'm excited to bring you this chat with my friend Darrin Peppard.
Darrin 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 also 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.
Miguel Gonzales - Home Grown Leadership
Welcome back to Season 3 of The Second Question!
My guest is Miguel (Mikey) Gonzales, a 2nd year Assistant Principal at Veteran's Memorial HS in San Antonio. Mikey is a homegrown guy...went to school in the neighborhood and is thrilled to be giving back to the community.
Mikey says: I have been at Veterans Memorial High School since the school's inception in the 2016-2017 school year. My campus roles have included US History teacher, TAG Coordinator, Edgenuity Coordinator, Head Freshmen Football Coach, JV Basketball Coach, and Head Boys Cross Country Coach. I began teaching in the 2006-2007 school year with previous stops at Laredo LBJ HS (Health/PE/Head Boys Basketball Coach), Burbank HS (World History/JV Basketball/Head Cross Country), and Japhet ES (K-5 PE).
Mike Earnshaw - Being True to Yourself to be Successful
Mike Earnshaw is a husband, father, educator, writer, blogger, podcaster and presenter from Illinois. He is an elementary principal that strives to provide a positive and enriching culture for his students and staff through authentic experiences.
Mike is the author of the Edu Culture Cookbook, a book about building school culture for leaders. He is also the cohost of the podcast Punk Rock Classrooms available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Connect with Mike on Twitter @MikeREarnshaw
Erik Francis - Finding the True Depth of Knowledge
Erik M. Francis, M.Ed., M.S., is an international author, educator, presenter, and professional development provider. He has over 25 years of experience in education working as a classroom teacher, a site administrator, an education program specialist for a state education agency, and a trainer of teachers and school leaders.
Erik is the author of Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning published by Solution Tree. He is also the author of Now That’s a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning published by ASCD. He is consistently ranked as one of the World’s Top 30 Education Professionals by the international organization Global Gurus.
Erik is the owner of Maverik Education, providing professional development, consultation, and coaching on how to plan and provide teaching and learning experiences that are standards-based, socially and emotionally supportive, and student responsive.
Connect with Erik on Twitter @Maverikedu12
Jillian DuBois - Imparting Joy from Florida
Jillian is an invested elementary educator in Clearwater, Florida. Her passion is to infuse joy to students and those in educational leadership by focusing efforts on listening, serving, and growing. She uses her voice to foster hope to celebrate equity and empathy.
She is a children’s book author and illustrator of Liv’s Seashells, Road to Awesome: A Journey for Kids, and Look at YOU, Piper Lou!, and Destiny’s Amazingly Different Dreams. She is the founder + Chief Optimistic Originator of Imparted Joy, LLC, which provides services to help others ‘spark their stories’ with confidence.
Jillian believes the creative process of illustrating children's books brings JOY to life. The expressions, characters, and simple sketches enhance writings with warm emotion as they visually serenade the viewer into the story. The mission is to provide a meaningful experience on every page that captivates the heart.
Each day is a FRESH opportunity to listen, be slow to criticize, and be quick to empathize. Keep dancing and dreaming with JOY.
You can connect with Jillian on Twitter @JillDuBois22 or on her website www.impartedjoy.com
Carly Spina - Amplifying the Value of Multilingual Student Education
Carly Spina has 15 years of experience in Multilingual Education, including her service as an EL teacher, a third-grade bilingual classroom teacher, and a district-wide Multilingual Instructional Coach. She is currently a multilingual education specialist at the Illinois Resource Center, providing professional learning opportunities and technical assistance support to educators and leaders across the state and beyond. Spina enjoys connecting with other educators and leaders across the country and beyond and is an active member of the multilingual education professional learning community. Her first book, Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners, was published in November 2021 by EduMatch Publishing and is available on Amazon.
You can connect with Carly on Twitter @MrsSpinasClass or via email at: carlymspina@gmail.com
LaKeyseah Brennan - Inspiring and Mentoring in Columbia, SC
LaKeyseah (Kesa) Brennan is a high school English teacher in Columbia, South Carolina. She is passionate about creating positive relationships with students, and as an aspiring administrator, she sees the value of mentorship and connections. Kesa is joyful and enthusiastic! You are definitely going to want to connect with her!
Twitter: @msbrennanEDU
Email: kesa.brennan@gmail.com
Dave McPartlin - Daring to Dream in Fleetwood, England
Dave McPartlin is the Head Teacher at Flakefleet Primary School in Fleetwood, England. He is passionate about providing experiences for his students that allow them to dare to dream of what is possible for them in the world. His willingness to create these experiences led his students to compete for Christmas #1 and to receive a golden buzzer during a successful run on Britain's Got Talent! Dave talks about what helps create the culture where dreaming becomes action, and then becomes reality.
Connect with Dave on Twitter @dave_mcpartlin
Dan Edwards - Building Community as a Priority in Leicester
Dan Edwards is an elementary school principal in Leicester, England. He is an avid runner, writer, and speaker...dedicated to building and preserving community in his school.
About Dan: From working in education, my experience has led me from a world of teaching a timetable of GCSEs and A-Levels to an even more complex career of holding leadership roles in both secondary and primary sectors, notwithstanding a long spell working in various education units in adolescent residential social care, to a brief sojourn teaching post-graduates as a visiting lecturer at universities. To then, finally, a principal of a large primary school.
In addition to my role as principal, I am a regular columnist for a number of publications where I share my views and opinions on leadership, school culture and teaching and learning. Further to this written work, I regularly speak both nationally and internationally about leadership and organisational culture to a wide range of audiences. I also host a regular education forum on Twitter called #SaturdayEdChat.
Connect with Dan on Twitter @DanEdwards_77
Josh Tovar - Finding Pathways to Student Success
Josh Tovar is a devoted family man and educator currently living and working in Garland, Texas, but originally from El Paso. Josh is committed to finding the most effective and innovative paths to success for the students at Memorial Parkway Academy. By developing strong relationships, he is able to help the students and families adjust and thrive in the educational space.
Josh also uses social media to share and connect with educators and families. Follow him on Facebook and find him on Twitter @MPA_GOJAGUARS
Kristi Everhart - Bringing the Heart for Teaching
Kristi Everhart is an educator and podcaster from the great state of Texas! She endeavors to amplify the stories of educators who try to get the the heart of teaching. Follow her podcast Our Heart for Teaching wherever you listen to podcasts, and connect with Kristi on Twitter @aheartforteaching
Joe Sanfelippo - The Importance of Telling Your Story (Go Crickets!)
Joe Sanfelippo is an author, speaker, parent, husband, and expert communicator from Wisconsin. In his role as superintendent in Fall Creek, Joe sets his goal to amplify the mission of his staff and students, while ensuring that the good things that happen at school are shared outside of the educational space. You will definitely enjoy the positive messages here...and his answer to the Second Question!
Connect with Joe on Twitter @joe_sanfelippo or on other social media as well. Also, look out for his new book to be published in 2022!
Brian Miller - Constellation Thinking from beautiful Montana
Brian Miller is an elementary principal, husband, father, writer, and outdoors-lover in beautiful Montana. He publishes a weekly reflection that you really want to read on his website Brian T. Miller Stories Matter (millerbrian.com). Connect with him through that venue!
Mel Aveling - Taking the Leap in International Education and Technology
Mel Aveling is an Australian educator who has made the bold leap of teaching internationally...first in Taiwan, and now in Colombia. Her passion for immersing in cultures, and using technology to move her math teaching forward is impressive and inspiring. Get to know Mel A, and connect with her on Twitter @fungooli
Dave Schmittou - Bringing that Big Dave Energy from Florichigan
Dave Schmittou does as he would say, "all the things". He is a husband, father, writer, teacher, thinker, doer, runner, consultant...the list goes on. Dave is a man who makes you think, and he is one of my favorite people. In this episode we talk about his roles, advice he would give an educator that was trying to find their professional identity, and what he wants to do next...and I'd bet it's going to happen at some point!
Connect with Dave on "all the things" at @daveschmittou
Ryan Scott - The Dewey Ducks and Other BigEd Ideas
Ryan Scott is a husband, girl dad x4, educator, writer, podcaster, bourbon enthusiast, fitness proponent, and outdoorsman. I'm proud to call him my friend!
His podcast The BigEd Idea is a proud new member of the Teach Better Podcast network!
In this episode we talk about the switch between elementary and high school education, the one thing that would make an impact on kids from poverty, and the lessons he wants to impart on his daughters.
You can connect with Ryan on Twitter @ryancscott1981 and The BigEd Idea podcast @didea_e
Listen to The BigEd Idea on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen!
A.J. Bianco - Taking the Time to Reflect
AJ Bianco is not only a husband, father, and middle school AP, he's also a sports enthusiast who hosts or co-hosts several podcasts (ReflectED, The Chase for 28). He is passionate about reflecting on his experiences and encourages others to do the same. He also looks just like Jimmy Garoppolo!
Connect with AJ on all the socials @AJBianco
Hal Bowman - Reconnecting with your "Why?"
Hal Bowman is the MAN! He is a father, husband, inspirer, lover of educators, and overall a brilliant and accomplished guy. Hal is the direct reason this podcast exists...he took the time to teach and inspire not just me, but several other podcasters and writers to pursue our passions. In this interview we discuss reconnecting with our reason to become educators and the importance of making a difference for teachers and students.
You can connect with Hal at halbowman.com and email hal@halbowman.com
He is also on social media...just look him up by name!
Derrick Conley - The Drive to Create the Best School in East Texas
Despite some technical glitches, I know you will enjoy listening to this episode with the dynamic Derrick Conley, an Executive Principal in Pine Tree ISD in Longview, Texas! Derrick knows culture-building, and his enthusiasm for students and teachers is evident.
Connect with Derrick on Twitter @MrDerrickConley or via email at dconley@ptisd.org
Trevor Timmerberg - Faith, Education and Leadership (and a Triathlon for good measure)
Trevor Timmerberg's Twitter bio reads: Faith Driven - Education - Leadership - Service. Trevor is a HS Asst Principal in Louisville, Kentucky, a Commissioned Officer in the Army National Guard, a Doctoral Student, and so much more! Join me as we meet this fascinating and inspiring man who also finds time to do Ironman Triathlons!
Connect with Trevor @Trevor_Tberg on Twitter
Kelle Lofton - The Future of Mentoring Leaders
Kelle Lofton is a heart-filled leader who is looking to give back to the community through mentoring leaders as she works to implement a Leadership Academy for young students. Hear her story here...she's incredible!
You can connect with Kelle at kelle.lofton@gmail.com
Priscilla Alfaro - Vision Inspired by "Granny"
Priscilla Alfaro is the new principal at Wagner HS in San Antonio, TX. She is a mom, a wife, an educator, and a visionary, grounded in the lessons she learned from her favorite teacher...a story you won't want to miss.
Hear Priscilla's leadership journey and reach out to connect with her at palfaro3@yahoo.com
Love and Legacy with Ray Porten
Ray Porten is a phenomenal person...a family man, an educator, a blogger, a podcaster, and an awesome friend to many. Hear his story of love, education, and legacy...I promise you it will be worth the time spent!
You can connect with Ray on all social media @raymondporten
23 and Me - Daniel Martinez...Principal of Two Schools!
Daniel Martinez is a father, and educator, a writer, and all around great guy...one of my best friends, and former APs from here in beautiful San Antonio, Texas. He is currently principal of both Karnes City Primary and Sides Elementary in Karnes City, Texas (about 70 miles SE of San Antonio). We talk about the move from urban to rural education, and Daniel tells about not one...but two people as we discuss the Second Question!
You can reach Daniel at dmartinez@kcisd.net
The Amazing Alex Valencic - Professional Learning Guru
Alex Valencic is a husband, educator, Eagle Scout, and Proud Pretzel working as the Professional Learning Coordinator for the Freeport, Illinois schools. Alex has a wide variety of interests, and is uniquely reflective and collaborative. He also has a unique spin on his answer to the Second Question!
Connect with Alex @alextvalencic on all social media platforms.
Going Gradeless with Dave Frangiosa
Dave Frangiosa is a husband, father, and high school science educator from New Jersey. He is passionate about education and specifically has been exploring the improvement of grading policies. In this episode we talk about his ideas and how education is improved when the effort and work are examined on the way to content mastery.
Dave can be reached on Twitter @DavidFrangiosa
20/20 Vision with Dr. Dana Goodier
Dr. Dana Goodier is a Colorado educator, a parent, a writer/blogger, and host of Out of the Trenches, a podcast that brings you interesting guests that tell their stories of changing mindset as they move out of the trenches where they are, to where they need to be!
You can connect with Dana on Twitter @danagoodier
www.danagoodier.com
Out of the Trenches Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-out-of-the-trenches-podcast/id1514020148
Hey Nineteen - Empowering Educators with Daliene Hendon
Daliene Hendon is a student, educator, and community engager here in San Antonio, Texas. In our interview she talks about the spark that got her interested in participatory governance, and she tells us about her involvement with an organization called Girls on the Run, which seeks to empower young girls as they transition into teenagers.
Connect with Daliene on Twitter @dalienehendon or by email at dalienehendon@txstate.edu
For more information on Girls on the Run, you can visit the national website at www.girlsontherun.org; or the local website here in Bexar County at www.gotrsanantonio.org
18 and an Adult - The Second Question turns 18 with Debbie Tannenbaum
Join me as I talk tech with Debbie Tannenbaum...Tech Coach, blogger, author, and now business owner from Northern Virginia! Debbie tells us how overcoming her own fears propelled her to do things she never thought she would. Great message from a dynamic educator! #transformation
You can connect with Debbie on Twitter @TannenbaumTech
Episode 17.5 - Celebrations and Reflections
I wanted to take this week to share some celebrations and reflections on the first 17 episodes of The Second Question!
Look for the podcasts I mention on your favorite podcast platforms:
* Livin That Online School Life by Ray, Owen, and Leo Porten
* This Ranger Life by the students at Salinas Elementary
* The Texan Connection by Daryl Porter, Jeff Springer, and me! @ConnectionTexan on Twitter
The Edge of Seventeen - Honoring our Administrative Professionals with the Women of the Salinas Office
Happy Administrative Professionals Week!
In this episode I get to interview the women who are the face and the voice of Salinas Elementary School, the administrative support staff that run the office, answer the phones, greet visitors, take temperatures daily, register new families, order supplies, comfort students, love on parents, keep teacher classrooms supplied with any and all materials, and generally maintain the high standards of customer service that our community deserves. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to these women, and to all administrative professionals that are the front line of service to our schools and communities!
I was so glad to be able to interview three of my favorite people...Secretary Linda Bowker, PEIMS Clerk Yvonda Quarles, and Receptionist/ISS Aide Liz Daley. These women tell of their dedication to service to our community...and they each answer the Second Question!
Sweet Sixteen with Dr. Kristin Saunders
Kristin Saunders is a dynamic and successful elementary school principal, and one of my favorite colleagues and friends. In this episode she talks about managing through some chaos and some of the "wonderful side effects" that come from leading through change.
Kristin can be reached at: ksaundersm@judsonisd.org
15 Minutes of Fame with Dan St. Romain
Dan is a national educational consultant who provides staff development and consultative services to educators K-12.
Dan is passionate about helping individuals shift their perspective on behavior, understanding the best ways to provide support given the challenges posed in today’s society. He regularly presents on topics impacting school climate, brain-based instruction, developmentally appropriate educational practices and presentation skills.
Dan’s overwhelming strength is his skill as a presenter. Although his sessions are exceedingly interactive and engaging, his greatest asset lies in his ability to offer participants rich insight into the connectedness between educational practices and student behavior.
After receiving his master’s degree in education, Dan worked in both private residential and public school settings. His work as a self-contained behavior unit teacher, Educational Diagnostician, and Director of a Learning Resource Center afforded him experience at all levels, in both general and special education settings. Dan’s consultative experience comes from his work as an Educational Specialist for the Education Service Center in San Antonio, Texas. While there, he designed a three-year program certifying individuals to serve as behavior specialists throughout the region. He also regularly provided technical assistance in the areas of behavior, special education, dropout prevention, school climate and developmentally appropriate practices.
After working at the Education Service Center, Dan sought out a job returning to the school setting allowing him to work directly with children. For seventeen years, Dan was a behavior consultant for the Alamo Heights Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas. Though he provided support for all schools, his primary responsibilities were at the Howard Early Childhood Center working with the district’s youngest learners. While there, he provided in class lessons, small group and individual support, as well as presentations to staff and parents.
Dan retired from the school system in May of 2020 after thirty years of work in education. Though he is now slowing down, working to have a better balance between his work and home life, he still provides presentation and consultative support as an independent consultant.
Author of two books
Teach Skills and Break Habits: Growth Mindsets for Better Behavior in the Classroom Dan published this book in 2018. It is designed for PK-5 grade teachers to help them move away from a model of rewarding and punishing towards a model of teaching and practicing behaviors. Positive Behavior Principles: Shifting Perspectives and Aligning Practices in Schools This new book, just released, is designed for PK-12 grade educators and features nine principles for positively shaping behaviors in the school setting. The book also has Graphic Summary Sheets that can be purchased to complement the principles.Note: Dan has NOT presented in Halifax, even though I said it at least three times in the interview! :-)
14K Gold from Livia Chan
Livia Chan is an educator passionate about community, teaching, leading, and lifelong learning. She truly believes in the power of connection and thoroughly enjoys building relationships by reaching out with kindness and gratitude. Livia lives by the belief that it is through every interaction that we have the opportunity to appreciate and uplift others to help make their day a brighter one. Her other passions include family, friends, and ringette, which she is heavily involved in as a volunteer coach, Executive member, referee, and player.
For over 20 years, Livia has continued to experience the joy of teaching in the Greater Vancouver area in BC, Canada, and loves her role as a Head Teacher and classroom teacher. She previously served on the District Staff Development Team in Learning Technologies supporting K-12 educators. Currently, Livia is honored to be the Digital Content Editor and Ambassador for the Teach Better Team and loves being a part of this family! Her motto is “Working together to better ourselves, each other, and the world around us.”
Twitter: @LiviaChanL
Email: livia@teachbetter.com
Livia's Blog can be read here: https://www.teachbetter.com/blog/many-gifts-to-discover/
What is Ringette?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qsSys5mkec
Lucky Thirteen with Todd Bloomer
Todd Bloomer is the proud principal of Winston Churchill High School in beautiful San Antonio, Texas. Todd is a passionate educator who wants to create a culture where voices are valued, and staff, students, and families are motivated to be part of the school community. Listen as Todd tells us how he goes about building community, and how he views himself as the leader of the band...a band that cannot be successful without all it's parts. At the end of the interview, Todd gives a lovely tribute to his favorite teacher as he answers The Second Question!
Todd is author of #theBluePrint and is a regular contributor to his school district blog space. You can read his blog posts at blogs.neisd.net/leadershipconversations
Todd is also eager to connect with other educators on Twitter @sachurchill His school Instagram is peopleofwc
The Dozenth Episode - Advocacy with Sophie Torres
Join me as we discuss political advocacy with Raise Your Hand Texas Regional Advocacy Director, Sophie Torres. Sophie is a San Antonio native, and former VP in the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She currently works to support public education through political advocacy here in the State of Texas.
Sophie encourages you to learn more about the organization Raise Your Hand Texas by visiting the website www.raiseyourhandtexas.org
Text alerts for advocacy information can be enabled by texting Raise My Hand to 40649
Sophie can be reached at storres@ryht.org
I hope you especially enjoy Sophie's heartwarming tribute to her favorite educator!