Teachers Talk Live

Welcome everyone to Teachers Talk Live, the podcast for K12 solutions! On episode 18 we want to gear up upcoming teachers for the 2017-2018 school year. As educators, we know full well the challenge that faces a first year teacher for their entire first year. There’s no sugarcoating it! It’ll be tough! But the good news is that it gets easier after that!  On tonight’s show our panelists and online chatters will provide essential resources that all first year teachers should have.  We have on the show Lee Araoz, Carrie Baughcum, Tandy Caraway, Carina Hilbert, Josie Mittleman and Scott Rosenkranz. We want to cover the best books you should read, the staff development you should seek out, the type of supports you should have in schools, in social media and at home. Here's a little more about our education experts: Lee Araoz is a K-12 instructional technology coordinator/coach, staff developer and teacher. He instills a love of learning in his students, while making positive connections and setting high expectations. Using innovative teaching methods, and creating a nurturing classroom environment, Lee has managed to make learning fun for students in his classes and professional development sessions over the last 27 years. Carrie Baughcum - @heckawesome   -   Momma. Wife. Mismatch Sock Wearer. Doodler. Special Education Teacher. Learning Enthusiast. Inspiration Junkie...She thinks life, learning and doodling are HECK AWESOME! Tandy Caraway has been helping students to excel academically and to reach their educational goals, for over 16 years, by using student-centered instructional methodologies. She began her instructional career by coordinating an after-school program at her high school alma mater. Since that time she has tutored and instructed hundreds of students, leaving them with a renewed sense of self-efficacy and self-confidence. Tandy has experienced high rates of success with all types of students, although at-risk students are seemingly her specialty. Tandy’s colleagues describe her as an enthusiastic, motivated and dedicated teacher who demonstrates a sincere interest in her students as individuals. This passion and tenacity has earned her national and local accolades such as ABCTE Teacher of the Year Honorable Mention, FBLA District Adviser of the Year, and the Spot Success Award and Teacher of the Year at her school. Mrs. Caraway’s instructional prowess has been established by the success her students have achieved and the leadership responsibilities she has carried out. She has served as FCAT Motivation Committee chairperson, Math Department Chairperson, District Curriculum Support Specialist, and Service Learning Coordinator. While serving in these capacities, she has developed various programs that have inspired teachers and students to give their personal best, resulting in grant renewal awards and cohesive, collaborative small learning communities. Carina Hilbert is an 8th grade ELA teacher currently on medical leave from her urban district. She has taught every kind of English class from 8th to 12th grade as well as Spanish 1 and 2. An experienced blended learning teacher and instructor for other teachers, Carina earned the nickname of Resource Girl in her MAT TESOL program through University of Southern California. She lives with her family in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Josie Mittleman is the Curriculum and PD Specialist for Edcite, an interactive website that engages students with digital practice. Josie has been developing curriculum for over 20 years for a variety of reputable education publishing houses including Pearson Education, McGraw Hill, and The College Board. Josie is a graduate from Teachers College, Columbia University and continues to be an active member in the alumni association. Scott Rosenkranz is a National Board Certificated Teacher who has 16 years of teaching experience. Scott's passion for formative assessment and equitable student engagement led him to create Oncore, a free app for iPad that increases student engagement and helps teachers do standards based formative assessment daily, in class, while learning is taking place. Hundreds of teachers are using Oncore to increase engagement, feedback and focus in their classrooms.

  On episode 17 we are talking ADHD in the classrooms. We want to help teachers, parents and community members gain a deep understanding of ADHD, how to manage it for the benefit of the students and current policy in 2016.  The four main questions I’d like to address with the panelists are the following: 1) What do ADHD accommodations look like at your school and what should they look like? 2) What should parents know about ADHD, its diagnosis and their child’s rights at school? 3) What are the biggest misconceptions of students suspected of having ADHD or students with the diagnosis? 5) How do students with an ADHD diagnosis qualify for 504 accommodations or special services? And what’s the difference? You may have more so chat us up or leave us a comment at TeachCow.com. We try to answer all questions if not during our live show, then later on at the site. Resources announced on the show are:   Stress Busting a student self-assessment workbook on stress management free when you subscribe to the newsletter at counselorgames.com   KidConnect is an app designed to be used by students who struggle with emotional regulation--so that's every kid!  But in particular we are targeting the tough kiddos whose behavior often removes them from classes and from life-because they just can't keep it together.  These are kids with ADHD, Autism, Emotional and Behavioral disabilities.  It's designed to be used right in the classroom and in the moment so that kids learn the skills where they need to use them.  It has a lot of cool features for kids and teachers. It can be customized for each kid-and tracks and stores data-so it's easy for the teacher to know that it is working! We've seen some amazing results. Find it at the KidConnect site   Guests on the show are Lori Jackson is an educational psychologist with over 17 years of experience working with students,families and teachers in public and private schools. Jackson has extensive experience working with students whose behaviors interfere with their strong cognitive skills and often require their removal from regular classrooms. Teachers, parents & administrators are frustrated and they need tools to support kids! There is hope! Jackson has presented nationally on Emotional Regulation and the importance of ER in schools. Lori believes that if students are directly taught skills to manage their emotions, students with ADHD, Anxiety, Autism and other disabilities will be able to manage their behaviors and succeed in school. Using specially developed and designed technology, Jackson has seen the amazing transformations that occur when kids develop the needed skills to succeed in academics and life! Amy Sellars. Her daughter's diagnosis with ADHD led Amy Sellars' doctor to diagnose her as well five years ago. With behavior and diet modification along with medication, both of their lives became much easier. As a teacher of kindergartners and third graders for the past seven years, Amy understands the need to let her students move as needed, provide flexible seating, and make many other accommodations to help each one reach their full potential. Amy doesn't want a single student to look back and think, there is no limit to what I could have accomplished if my teachers had recognized that I wasn't just a bright, but lazy student. Grace Wilhelm is a National Board Certified Counselor with experience in mental health and school counseling. She enthusiastically presents to counselors, teachers, youth workers, and parents on anger, stress, crises intervention, communication, data, counseling programs, play sessions, and more. Mrs. Wilhelm has been awarded ASCA National School Counselor of the Year Semifinalist, RAMP, and FLDOE Parent Involvement Award. She has written student workbooks on anger control and stress management. She has completed two DVDs on Games and Play to Enhance Counseling and Teaching Strategies: Creative Ways to Engage Students in Small Groups, Classrooms or Individual Counseling Sessions. Speaking engagements have taken Grace as far away as Papua New Guinea. She currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Mark and three children. She enjoys traveling, genealogy and playing the violin.   Zack Clancy      

Hi, this is Oscar Cielos Staton from Teachers Talk Live with our precast on ADHD in K12 Classrooms. Our upcoming show on ADHD will be our 17th episode of Teachers Talk Live and a special one that I hope helps teachers and parents further understand the needs of students with ADHD in our schools.   We want to inform the public more about what it is. How it is diagnosed and how certain behaviors from a child may be misconstrued as ADHD. What are the steps we take as parents?   These are the questions we want to address on the upcoming show. We will ask our panelists and members of our YouTube Live chat the following questions:   What do ADHD accommodations look like at your school and what should they look like?   What should parents know about ADHD, its diagnosis and their child’s rights at school?   What are the biggest misconceptions of students suspected of having ADHD or students with the diagnosis?     How do students with an ADHD diagnosis qualify for 504 accommodations or special services? And what’s the difference?   Join us and help educate parents, teachers, students and the community on ADHD in the K12 classrooms. You can join in through YouTube live by following our link at TeachCow.com this Thursday, May 31 at 7PM Central. Thank you!

On Episode 16, we are talking about African American girls in K12 education and particularly the alarming findings by Kimberly Williams Crenshaw and associates in the study "Black Girls Matter" and what we can do to make their situation better…really so they can thrive in school. We took on this topic at Teachers Talk Live because, frankly, it isn’t something we have heard very much on a national level. We hear efforts being made to assist African American but the focus seems to be on the males. According to the research, black male students are most frequently suspended and likely to receive harsh punishments at school disproportionally. BUT there is a bigger disparity in punishment between black and white girls than the disparity between black and white boys. In fact, black girls are six times more likely to be suspended than white girls. Black boys, on the other hand, are three times more likely to be suspended than white boys. GUESTS:  Vashti Dubois, Camile Earle, Felicia Meadows and Michael Washington Vashti Dubois currently serves as the Executive Director and Founder of a new institution The Colored Girls Museum which focuses on celebrating the achievements and perspectives of the ordinary extraordinary colored girl. She also serves as a literacy coach for Philadelphia's Out of School Time Initiative supporting programs in the after school in Philadelphia. DuBois has over thirty years of experience working in the non profits and much of her work has centered on the educational and socioeconomic needs of black women and girls.Learning to read was her first political act, and that power to navigate through real and imagined worlds informs her creative pursuits. When not lost in a book, she is curating, directing and producing theater events which deal with social and cultural issues. Her recent work often casts the environment as a principle actor, and incorporates multiple artists and art disciplines in that conception to render an enlivening final product.The Colored Girls Museum is committed to empowering women and girls from the inside out. DuBois believes that we can dramatically improve the spiritual, cultural, and socioeconomic conditions of all communities by supporting women and girls at every stage of their development-- education is critical. w She /DuBois is the former Executive Director of Tree House Books A Literary Café in North Philadelphia whose focus was developing a love of reading In urban youth .In this role DuBois was able to address the literacy challenges of women and girls as quite often caregivers (many of whom were single mothers) were struggling with literacy issues themselves.Dubois also served as the Executive Director for Congreso’s Girls Center between 2003 and 2006, The Girls Center was an Extended Day Treatment program for adjudicated and delinquent girls. Under Dubois’ leadership, the Girls Center attracted national attention for its innovative use of the arts as an educational therapeutic and restorative justice practice. The Girls Center prepared young women to return to their communities as leaders and advocates for justice in their communities. DuBois saw first hand how the educational system then the juvenile justice system unfairly penalized black girls.DuBois is a 2007 awardee for the Leeway Foundation’s Transformation Award, which recognizes women who create art for social change and demonstrate a long-term commitment to social change work. In 2012 Vashti received Leeway’s Art and Change Award for the critically acclaimed “Eviction Proof Peepshow Home,” a multi-media installation and performance art project about a house fighting to keep its family, as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Dubois graduated from Wesleyan University with B.A. in Women’s Studies and Theater. Find her @thecoloredgirlsmuseum   Camile Earle. Those who teach and learn possess a power that must be nurtured. It is Camile Earle's philosophy that if an educator is nourished with the necessary food, they may produce bright and brilliant future leaders.”As a South Florida native, Camile has been teaching and consulting for over twenty years. She is a licensed professional that is committed to helping persons and organizations reach high levels of performance. She holds an irrefutable belief in the capacity of all students, educators, and business leaders as outlined in Dr. Yvette Jackson’s The Pedagogy of Confidence™. She currently holds a Master of Arts in Teaching with specializations in Reading and Instructional Leadership and is working toward a Doctorate in Education.As a consultant, she has experience working closely with students, teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, as well as district leaders in K-12. Her expertise is in working with low performing schools, districts, and business leaders to bring them to a point of fearlessness whereby they have the courage and confidence to transform their mindsets toward an irrefutable belief in their own abilities and the abilities of their students and/or employees. In the educational sector, she is most recognized for helping schools increase their test scores through a clear focus on strengths rather than deficiencies and a building of professional relationships that transform and enhance the environment and culture of the organization. She has been recognized by The Milken Family Foundation, New Jersey Board of Education, Newark Public Schools, and state and national school and policy leaders for her accomplishments and commitment to transforming learning experiences in urban education.Camile is also recognized for her written articles, poems, and curriculum that focus on self-esteem and motivation in women and youth. For her efforts, she won the prestigious National Milken Educator Award (NJ) in 2005 and is currently working on a series of motivational books. Find her at www.coyabaconsuotinggroup.com  and https://www.facebook.com/cearledennis Felicia Meadows currently works as a Professional School Counselor. She has worked in the field of education for almost 20 years and has experience at each level from elementary to high school.  In addition to being a counselor, Ms. Meadows is also a youth coach. She uses her skills and experiences efficiently to empower students to create fulfilling educational and life experiences, which embodies her motto “Step Up Your Life”.  As the Founder and CEO of Tomorrow’s Future Coaching and Consulting, Ms. Meadows helps young people discover their passion and purpose so that they can create the life of their dreams. Ms. Meadows earned both her Bachelor of Science Psychology Degree and Master of Education Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Bowie State University and studied with the Institute for Life Coach Training to become a Life Coach.  She has taken coursework in Urban Education from Johns Hopkins University to enhance her skills working with diverse populations. Ms. Meadows has been a member of Congresswoman Donna Edwards’s Education Committee since the 2102-2103 school year and served as a moderator for the Congresswoman’s 2012 and 2015 Annual College Fair. She also serves as both panelist and facilitator at conferences, summits, workshops and symposiums with topics ranging from College and Careers to turning your Dreams to Reality. Ms. Meadows was spotlighted in 2012 on the Careers in Psychology website for her interview on her role as a School Counselor.  In addition to being spotlighted, she has also written numerous articles and been featured through media. One of her biggest accomplishments in 2014 was working as part of a collaboration as a contributing author of the book, “Congratulations You Just Lost Your Job”. She is also the co-author in the anthology “Fabulous New Life” which was released in early 2015. Follow her @FeliciaGMeadows   Michael Washington is a social justice educator specializing in achievement gaps and opportunity gaps as they pertain to marginalized populations in education. His specific area of expertise is Black males in postsecondary education. He has 12 years experience as a classroom teacher in adult, alternative, career technical  and correctional education and is also an adjunct at CSU Sacramento in their Graduate program for Educational Leadership as well as an instructor for the College of continuing Education. He has a few publications and presented at several conferences nation wide. He is an Educational sociologist and a PhD candidate at Claremont Graduate University joint with San Diego State. Prior to becoming an educator, he has accumulated over 25 years of experience in socially related fields such as Social Services, I.T., Telecommunications and the Criminal Justice System. Follow him @mikemixx As always, find more at TeachCow.com and find our episodes directly at Edulisten.com.   If you like what you hear, give us a review as it helps us continue these talks in the future.

Hi This is Oscar Cielos Staton with your precast on Educating African American Girls. Our talk on March 9th will provide more insight and a deeper perspective than this humble male Honduran immigrant can provide. But nonetheless it is my goal today to get you to start thinking more on this topic and preparing your questions for our upcoming talk. I ask what about black girls here because awareness (justifiably so) is growing on the racial disparities facing people of color in U.S. education and efforts are being made in some communities to lift up students of color BUT there is less awareness on girls of color specifically. Before I go on, let me just say that for the sake of brevity, I’m aware I’m throwing around simple terms like white and black, while there is more complexity than that in the definition.  I apologize in advance if it offends anyone as that is definitely NOT the goal here.  In addition, I’m focusing only on the African American plight here even though my Hispanic Americans are also facing similar challenges.  I want to address this on a separate show. I also want to address the challenges all minorities face in public education in future shows. Let’s get back to the African American girls! According to the research, black male students are most frequently suspended and likely to receive harsh punishments at school disproportionally. BUT there is a bigger disparity in punishment between black and white girls than the disparity between black and white boys. In fact, black girls are six times more likely to be suspended than white girls. Black boys, on the other hand, are three times more likely to be suspended than white boys. You hear the outcry for mentoring and programs for African American students across the country. It’s necessary when we know suspensions and expulsion from school are related to long term consequences like involvement in the criminal justice system, and not the good kind of involvement. But intervention formulated so far may help address racial or cultural particularities but is it specific about gender? A very important piece of this topic is the study by Columbia University law professor Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, Prisciall Ocen and Jyoti Nanda. It says: “If the challenges facing girls of color are to be addressed, then research and policy frameworks must move beyond the notion that all of the youth of color who are in crisis are boys, and that the concerns of white girls are indistinguishable from those of girls of color.” They go on to say “…much of the existing research literature excludes girls from the analysis, leading many stakeholders to infer that girls of color are not also at risk.”  The study goes deep into the findings made from looking at New York City and Boston and the achievement gaps and harsher forms of discipline for students of color. They go into the zero tolerance environments where discipline is prioritized over educational attainment. NPR’s Code Switch interview with Ms. Crenshaw and the article “These Are the Barriers Black Girls Face in School” are also helpful reads in preparing for our Wednesday talk. What we need to do moving forward is find creative and tangible ways to promote awareness of the challenges black girls are facing in school, as well as find solutions that promote understanding.   Many are suggested in the readings but I’m also interested in hearing from school leaders on the ground throughout the U.S. as well as the parents and mostly stories from African American girls themselves. What are your specific experiences? What have you witnessed in schools? What are the challenges facing your community? Join us for the talk and leave us your comments here! We want to hear from you!   Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us a nice review! It helps out a lot!

On this talk, we have a topic on today’s show is one that’s near and dear to my heart. It’s a big part of why I decided to create the Teach Cow Network and our weekly panel of educators on Teachers Talk Live.  We are talking Teacher Empowerment!!! Teacher empowerment in my own terms is the right for a teacher to have input and participation in the goals and policies that govern their own classroom and dictate how and what they are going to teach. We have some accomplished educators here to discuss a positive approach to make a path for teacher longevity with professional success and satisfaction. We will discuss what teachers can do for themselves and colleagues, as well as their limitations. We will discuss what administrators can be doing to empower teachers more, as well as their own limitations.  Then I’d like for us to look at the bigger picture: The politics in education and how that impacts the overall discussion.  We all have a different but important story to tell as an educator. That’s why I’m inviting live participants to contribute to the discussion through our chat. You’ll find the link at TeachCow.com/live.   It’s my hope that teachers, administrators, parents and others invested in education can walk away from this talk with some great ideas and tools on how to empower more teachers not only in their local campus but maybe on a larger scale. Let’s do more for education. Without further ado, I know you want to hear from the amazing panelists we have on today’s show. GUESTS: Edsel Clark, A husband, father of three and educational leader for the past 15 years. He has played an active role in nearly all facets of education. Starting his career as a high school math teacher, he has since held positions in school administration, district leadership and as a graduate level faculty member. A first generation college graduate, he holds advanced degrees in Educational Leadership and Administration, having completed his research on Servant Leadership and earned his doctorate in 2011 through Aurora University. He has extensive experience in program evaluation, strategic planning, curriculum development, and leadership training and serves as a consultant for schools and educational technology companies. Follow him @edselclark Meghan Everette @HopeStreetGroup National Teaching Fellow, Alabama Elem Teacher of the Year, @Scholastic Blogger, @ASCDEmerging Leader, #STEAM, mom, sports fan and crafter.  Follow her @bamameghan Bethany Hill is an elementary lead learner at Central Elementary in Cabot Arkansas. She has been in education for 18 years of which 7 she has served as an administrator. She is passionate about relationships, teacher empowerment, and the power of branding in our profession. Follow her @bethhill2829 Don Wettrick is the Innovation Coordinator at Noblesville High School, just outside Indianapolis, IN. He is the author of "Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level." Wettrick has worked as a middle school and high school teacher; educational and innovation consultant; and educational speaker. Don is passionate about helping students find their educational opportunities and providing them with the digital tools they need to give them a competitive edge.  Follow him @DonWettrick As always, find more at TeachCow.com and find our episodes directly at EduListen.com.  If you like what you hear, please give us a review as it helps us continue these talks in the future.

Hi this is Oscar Cielos Staton with the precast for Episode 15 on teacher empowerment. Here I will present some ideas and talking points that will be expanded in the next episode with a roundtable of panelists on this very topic.  Bolin, referenced in the show notes, wrote that “teacher empowerment is defined as investing teachers with the right to participate in the determination of school goals and policies and to exercise professional judgment about what and how to teach” (p. 82) To empower a teacher, all that’s required is some sense of participation in the goals and policies that affect what and how they teach.  For the purpose of this precast I will make a clear distinction between self empowerment and teacher empowerment by others. Let’s talk about teacher empowerment by others first. Under this category, it can come either from the higher up administrators OR it can come from fellow teachers. So, the administration at the site, most would agree, is crucial in settting the climate of a school in respect to how comfortable the teachers feel in maintaning their individuality and professional autonomy while still meeting the overall vision of the school. What does that look like in a climate of support, respect and trust? The teacher feels safe to explore and experiment with innovative ways to meet the needs of his or her students. They meet challenges head on and feel safe in reaching out to fellow colleagues, administration and even the community at large for assistance. Empowered teachers feel very much like an integral part of the school and feel that they are thriving as professionals. They are loyal members of a team that plans to be there long term. How does a principal make that happen? It takes a big leap of faith to let go of a tight grip when it’s ultimately you on the line. But consider for a moment the type of talent and experience that may be untapped among your teachers. These might be the folks that might not want to rock the boat or show you their peacock colors. You might have among you the difference between an average or below average school and a top rated leading school in your district. As Helen Keller once said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” How do you loosen the grip? Come into classrooms and offer to collaborate with the teacher, not just observe and take notes. Look for innovation and tap those teachers to share it with the staff.   Every once in a while, volunteer to go in and cover a class just to give that teacher a mental break. Allow opportunities for teachers to collaborate without a strict mandate. Give them a leading role in finding professional development that is appropriate for them. Grow your leadership from within! Give them a voice on school policy, ask questions on what they need from you, and most certainly let them know the non negotiable district mandates.  Now let’s talk about self or teacher to teacher empowerment…What can you do for yourself?   Seek out your own professional development. Get on social media and tap the resources found on Twitter chats…collaborate on Pinterest boards. Seek out peers doing similar work to yours and collaborate on approaches and resources. Be present and open minded at staff development opportunities. Take notes, ask questions and definitely offer up your experience and expertise. At school site meetings, If you have an innovative approach that you think will help others, you should volunteer to share it with everyone. If you have enough ideas to make a difference, write a book. Don’t limit yourself. Follow the advice you give your students. It’s up to you to bring positive change. Don’t wait around for someone else to make things better. Also as a teacher, you’re there on the ground level seeing what your peers are doing. When you see something impressive and innovative in them that you think will help others, call it out! Tell your colleagues and administration about this specific strategy or talent the teacher has. It’s up to you to lift that teacher up when no one else has. Get them noticed! You too can empower a teacher and make a difference. You can even empower educators that have become part of your professional learning community on social media. You can expand on their ideas. You can bring those to your campus and make others aware of this resource. It’s all about sharing and making education better. When we promote ourselves and others, the goal should always be the greater good. By empowering a teacher, you are tapping into a wealth of knowledge and skill not only bolstered by years of experience in the classroom but also by his or her upbringing and background. When you foster leadership at the teacher level, you have the potential to make your school site grow in ways you might not have thought possible. Let’s continue the conversation with episode 15 of Teachers Talk Live which will bring a roundtable of teachers and administrators speaking on the hows and whys of teacher empowerment. Find us on Twitter @teachcow or email us at teachcow@gmail.com. If you like our programming, please subscribe and give our podcast a nice review by following edulisten.com.   Thanks in advance and thanks for listening to our Teachers Talk Live precast.   Bolin, F. S. (1989). Empowering Leadership. Teachers College Record, 19(1), 81-96.  

On this talk, we are discussing Effective Teacher-Parent communication in our schools and how we can promote it.  On the panel, we have accomplished educators on this very subject.  They highlight specific strategies and tools to foster strong communication between teachers and parents. The panelists are experts in innovation.  Two of them have even published a book on the subject titled Your School Rocks... So Tell People! Passionately Pitch and Promote the Positives Happening on Your Campus  Where does effective teacher-parent communication rank in importance to you? We encourage your questions/comments/feedback and to get in touch with our panelists willing to help with your school's initiatives! GUESTS: Zack Clancy teaches middles school Special Education at the Bruce Randolph School in Denver, Colorado. He has worked in education for 13 years.  In addition to being a doctoral candidate in educational studies at the University of Northern Colorado, Zack also hosts the podcast Teacher Talk with Zack Clancy. Eric Lowe is the principal of Beaver Local Middle School located in East Liverpool, Ohio. He began as an elementary teacher, where he taught for ten years while coaching baseball. He has served as the district athletic director for the past nine years and been involved in administration for the past six years. Eric is a graduate of Kent State University and Youngstown State University.   He is passionate about making school about learning and fun, while promoting the positives that go on in our schools.  He also feels strongly that we must view the world of education with optimistic glasses in order to enable us to push others to reach their maximum potential. Eric lives in East Liverpool, Ohio, with his wife Sarah. He is the Co-Author of Your School Rocks... So Tell People! Passionately Pitch and Promote the Positives Happening on Your Campus.  Chad Malcolm is Assistant Professor of early childhood education.  He has taught in Pre-K (Head Start) through 8th grade for 13 years. Ryan McLane is Principal at Big Walnut Intermediate School and Co-Author of Your School Rocks... So Tell People! Passionately Pitch and Promote the Positives Happening on Your Campus.  It focuses on the positive power of using social media to connect wiht families and community.   As always, find more at TeachCow.com and find our episodes directly at Edulisten.com. If you like what you hear, please give us a review as it helps us continue these talks in the future.

Educator/Podcaster Zack Clancy from Teacher Talk with Zack Clancy takes over the precast to highlights some of the current findings in effective teacher-parent communication research.  The evidence on community diversity vs. diversity in educators is eye opening. This episode is a must in preparing you for the conversation on February 10, 2016 as we go live to have a formal talk with several amazing panelists on this topic.   Tune in at TeachCow.com/live or catch Episode 14 on iTunes or Stitcher! Follow @TeacherTalkWZC to learn more about Teacher Talk with Zack Clancy!

On this talk, we will have expert panelists discussing how to establish and nurture the most productive Coach-Teacher relationships for maximum productivity and growth.  We will examine best practices for coaches and teachers on how best to interact and collaborate. We will discuss the benefits to a teacher teaming up with a teacher coach and the great outcomes we can see in the students.  We will also tackle concerns or hesitations a teacher may have into entering this type of collaboration and then find ways to ease that concern.   We discuss the role of the instructional coach in depth as we have some experienced, on the ground coaches with us that can speak to the challenges and solutions faced by coaches, teachers and districts in implementing instructional coaches within schools. GUESTS: Lee Araoz is an Instructional Technology Coordinator/Coach, staff developer and teacher with 27 years experience in the classroom.  He is a proponent of passion based learning for students and teachers.  Follow him @LeeAraoz Coach Ben (aka Ben Cogswell) is an EdTeach Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) for Alisal Union School District in Salinas, CA, which includes 12 k6 schools.  Previously he was an academic coach at Tiburcio Vasquez Elementary.  He is also one of the founding moderators on team #TOSAchat @TOSAchat  Follow him @Cogswell_ben Amanda Haughs is an Elementary Math and Technology Integration Coach for Campbell Union School District in California.  Haugh's curriculum planning and delivery is supported by the use of technology as a toll to differentiate instruction and to access student engagement and critical thinking skills. As a Google Certified Educator and 2015-1016 PBS Learning Media Lead Digital Innovator, Haughs is passionate about the power of technology for personalizing and enhancing learning experiences for all students.  Follow her @mshaughs Kelly Martin is a lover of all things Google, Twitter and pretty much everything EdTech.  She is a level 2 Google Educator, a Remind Connected Educator and co-creator of the Twitter chat #TOSAChat.  Currently, she supports over 60 teachers by assisting in upgrading their pedagogy with educational technology in a 1:1 Chromebook district.  Before her current role, Kelly taught grades 3, 4 and 5 over 7 years in the classroom.  Follow her @kmartintahoe Karly Moura is a TOSA/Instructional Coach & Educational Technology Support Teacher at Sun Terrace Elementary School, MDUSD.  SHe is a co-creator of #TOSAChat. Follow her @KarlyMoura Joe Young is a Math & STEAM Coach/TOSA in the Palo Alto Unified School District.  He has taught first, second and fifth grade and is excited to be in this new role as an instructional coach for elementary schools.  As always, find more at TeachCow.com and go directly to our episodes by going to Edulisten.com.  If you like what you hear, please give us a review as it helps us continue these talks in the future.

This is the Teachers Talk Live precast for our episode 13: Maximizing Coach – Teacher relationships. I’m Oscar Cielos Staton. @TeachCow What we hope to achieve through our upcoming program is to provide tips and ideas for teachers, coaches and their administrations on how to foster healthy and collaborative relationships as these two roles interface. We asked for online input and we received some wonderful responses from teachers and coaches alike. Building trust seemed to be an important component along with transparency and organization. One of my favorite responses comes from Gretchen Schultek @GSchultek who said “Realize that you both have something to offer to the relationship so it’s a give and take…not a tell and do.”   I really appreciate the insight that a coach may have just as much to learn from a teacher. Karly Moura @KarlyMoura makes the important point that a coach must listen or as she says “Really listen” to the teacher before giving advice, tips or resources because they may be ina completely different place than we assumed them to be. “We” meaning coaches.   I thought this was important to know because just like with our younger students, you never know what might be going on without taking the time to listen and understand. Colin Ward @ColinWard18 said that “building on successes is always more productive than merely Highlighting errors to be corrected.” That also struck a cord with me because it speaks to the tone of all the responses…meaning positivity. It happens at many schools that coaches are suddenly thrust onto a campus with the idea that they will correct the shortcomings, deficiencies in some teachers and totally do a 180 on labeled problem teachers. I think coaches face the difficult delicate task of somehow gaining the trust of teachers enough to come in their classroom, observe, provide input and maybe even take over some of their lessons. They must do this in a way that doesn’t seem invasive and doesn’t affect the pride of that teacher and their craft. They must also be able to navigate a relationship where they don’t project themselves as the subject matter expert to a more seasoned teacher while at the same time exude that expertise with a teacher that needs that support and confidence. Teachers on the other hand, need to be open to assistance. They need to be able to be reflective in their teaching and be able to communicate this to a coach. Teachers shoudl be open to the idea that it isn’t a challenge to their professionalism or expertise to receive help from others, especially those who have been trained to provide this assistance. The help can come in a variety of ways: organization, time management, behavior management, lesson planning, resource gathering, technology, etc. There are many ways a coach may be able to help a teacher, but the teacher has to be open to this type of collaboration. We look forward to our talk on our next episode on this very topic. We hope you’ll listen! This is Oscar Cielos Staton with the Teachers Talk Live Precast.   Find more at TeachCow.com and if you enjoy our program, kindly give us a nice review as it goes a LONG way to supporting future shows.

In this episode we discuss ways to maximize collaboration between teachers and parents. Particularly, we delve into the culture and nuances that all teachers should know to make sure they have a productive relationship with Hispanic parents at school. We will discover they can be quite and asset and ally in making sure students are producing for the classroom.   Our panelists are experienced educators with a unique perspective on how to nurture these particular teacher-parent relationships and as they admit themselves:  there are many variations!  When we discuss Hispanic parents here, we speak from experiences and observations made from our schools in Florida, Texas and California.   Our guests for this episode recorded on January 27, 2016 are: Roberts Christie.  He is an English teacher, Leadership, Site Coordinator Apex Learning, Collaboration works, #GAFE, Google Educator, Husband, Father. He is making hope happen in San Bernadino, California.  Follow him on Twitter @MrCSierra Avelina Damonte.  She was born in New York but grew up in Argentina.  Her last move was to Canada where she met her husband and moved to Florida.  She earned her Masters in Adult Education and Training from the University of Phoenix.  She teaches online for a charter school system in middle and high school.  Follow her on Twitter @MrsDSSClass Vilma Godoy.  She is an English teacher at Shelby County High School in Shelbyville, Kentucky.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from California State University, Northridge and a Masters in Literacy Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands.  She is originally from Guatemala but was raised in California.  She recently set roots in Kentucky.  She is an advocate for Hispanic students and community members.  Follow her on Twitter @v_johana11 Lauren Lintelman.  She is a 5th grade Bilingual Teacher in Dallas, Texas.  She teaches in both English and Spanish and has taught all subject areas.  2015-2016 is her 7th year teaching in a low socioeconomic, high needs school with majority Hispanic and African American students. Oscar Cielos Staton is the moderator. He began his teaching career in 1998 while continuing his passion for film production in Texas. He quickly developed an affinity for working with low socioeconomic Hispanic families. "The lives of my students," he says "very much mirror the life I once had as an immigrant in this country in a public elementary school. Actually, I tell them they are lucky because they have other students similar to them in the same classroom. My experience was that of a true minority in the classroom. Only one other student in my class spoke Spanish!"  He taught in California for two years and now resides in Massachusetts with his family.  He continues affecting the K12 Teaching Community through the Teach Cow Network and Teachers Talk Live (TTL).  Follow on Twitter @TeachCow      "Everything happens for a reason. Creating TTL has been a very organic effort that grew out of my need to spread positivity throughout and expose good teaching everywhere. This story needs to be told! My experience has been that everyone around us makes decisions of what public education should look like but teachers often have no say in these matters. I truly believe there are many experts out there and they are typically in the classroom. Those are the people to which we need to start listening. Only then can positive change begin!" You can participate on future shows by going to TeachCow.com/live or by texting to the number 81010 with the content '@teachcow' Please give us a nice review or rating as it helps us TREMENDOUSLY in getting exposure. We want more teachers to find us and THIS is how you can help us!!

The purpose of this Teachers Talk Live Precast is to highlight some best practices on how to work most effectively with Hispanic families as an educator.   My name is Oscar Cielos Staton, host of Teachers Talk Live and CEO of the TeachCow Network. More at TeachCow.com First and foremost, keep in mind that recommendations made here are generalizations that although based on research and experience, can vary due to individualities such as socioeconomic status, nationality and more. Hispanic parents are very diverse and come from many countries with varied cultures. With that qualifier out of the way, one of the key points to keep in mind is that Hispanic families dislike impersonal and formal. Simply sending out newsletters and notes home is not the most productive route. It’s recommended that you connect one on one with them before you get into the business of their child’s education. You need to establish that personal trust to get the most cooperation. Once you have established that personal connection with them, they will be very valuable allies as the school year progresses in achieving your education goals for their child. One idea I’ve always implemented in my classrooms is hosting a Tostada party at the beginning of the school year. You assign every parent an ingredient to bring to your party: shells, cut tomatoes chunks, cut onions, cooked ground meat, cheese, salsa, sour cream and any other ingredient you may want to add to a delicious tostada. Parents will be happy to attend if you set the date and time when it’s most accommodating to the families. Tostadas are specific to Mexican-American families but any family can appreciate and enjoy them. I suppose you could substitute tostadas with any other dish that’s as simple to make and serve yourself as this one. During the party you want to make sure not to talk shop and just spend time getting to know the families and even answer questions on how the classroom is run. If you don’t speak any Spanish and they don’t speak English, bring in someone from the front office or a friend that will be willing to translate for you. If not, the students may be able to bridge that language gap for you. Tell them as much personal information as you’re willing to share as many may feel it’s intrusive or impolite to ask.Oh! and hopefully you’re hosting the party in your classroom, so the parents can bond and acclimate themselves with the space at which their child spends the day. They’ll appreciate that level of transparency and personal connection. When setting up conferences and other meetings with Hispanic parents, you’ll want to give them plenty of advance notice and offer some flexibility to ensure participation. They may have jobs where there isn’t much flexibility. Extended families are important in many Hispanic cultures so you may see them bring other family and/or friends to your meetings. This makes them feel more comfortable especially when you may have difficult academic issues to discuss. Extend as much warmth to their guests as you would them. Many families place the needs of family over individual concerns so this is important to keep in mind as you navigate how to best help your student achieve. Learn as much as possible about his or her culture and home life. There may be factors in the home that you need to understand to come up with solutions, along with the family. Hopefully this is a good start and it will help set you on your way to connecting with Hispanic families for optimum student productivity. Our next episode is precisely on this topic and brings a roundtable of experienced educators to bring in their own perspectives, experiences and ideas. If you can join us for this live talk on January 27, 2016 and want to listen or participate, reach us at www.TeachCow.com or email us at teachcow@gmail.com. Thanks for listening to the Teachers Talk Live PreCast. If you like what we do, please gives us a rating. Even better would be a nice review as it goes a long way to helping us gain exposure to as many educators as possible. Have a fantastic day!

When a teacher has to be absent, at times it can seem like it will just become a babysitting day in the classroom. This doesn't have to be the case if there is always a strong substitute lesson plan ready to go in the classroom.  Teachers can achieve the inner peace knowing their students will be in good capable hands. With the tips provided in this episode, we are well on our way to establishing a substitute plan that will minimize the typical problems teachers may have in preparing.  

When a teacher has to be absent, at times it can seem like it will just become a babysitting day in the classroom. This doesn't have to be the case if there is always a strong substitute lesson plan ready to go in the classroom.  Teachers can achieve the inner peace knowing their students will be in good capable hands. With the tips provided in this episode, we are well on our way to establishing a substitute plan that will minimize the typical problems teachers may have in preparing.  

How can you make sure your day is productive when you're away as a teacher?  What do you need from a substitute and what do they need from you?  In this episode we show you strategies to maximize effectiveness in the substitute school day and how to best prepare for positive outcomes.

As teachers, how do we manage all our classroom to dos including grading, school data management, campus responsibilities, communications, behavior management, etc while maximizing our teaching without  breaking down or running out of juice?  How do we keep good teachers from burning out and leaving the profession while helping others figure out a way forward when they've truly searched their soul and found teaching may not be their calling?  Join our panelists by chatting with us live at TeachCow.com and let's find solutions! Our panelists this time around are: Chasity Strawder has been an educator for over 10 years. She was formerly an elementary teacher in Michigan, and now she is pursuing a future career as a school administrator. Chasity is also an author and a motivational speaker. Dan Van Der Vieren (@RTBCoaching) is a second-year math teacher who teaches in rural Colorado. He lives in Fort Morgan, CO with his wife and son. He is finishing his Master's degree from University of Colorado Denver. He has taught developmental math at the community college level for two years before acquiring a secondary teacher's license. He also manages a tutoring business called Raising The Bar Academic Coaching, a two-year-old company that serves several communities in Colorado. He plays and composes classical fingerstyle guitar in his free time. His personal aspirations include being a speaker on TEDx or TED and becoming Colorado Teacher of the Year during my teaching career. Bradley Weinstein (@teachergoals) is a 7th and 8th grade science teacher at Zionsville West Middle School. He also serves as the STEM department chair and cross country coach. He is the creator of @teachergoals and often hashtag #teachergoals. Innovation and thinking outside of the box are his goals. Grace Wilhelm (@counselorgrames) is a National Board Certified Counselor with over sixteen years  experience.  She enthusiastically presents to counselors, teachers, youth workers, and parents on anger, stress, crises intervention, communication, data, counseling programs, play sessions, and more. Mrs. Wilhelm has been awarded ASCA National School Counselor of the Year Semifinalist, RAMP, and FLDOE Parent Involvement Award.  She has written student workbooks on anger control and stress management. She has completed two DVDs on Games and Play to Enhance Counseling and Teaching Strategies: Creative Ways to Engage Students in Small Groups, Classrooms or Individual Counseling Sessions.        

Stress management at work and anxiety can build up beyond a point of no return. If you're a teacher out there who is stressed out, we hear you! We're one of you. We hope you find comraderie in our conversation that goes live at TeachCow.com on November 18, 2015.  Hello my name is Oscar Cielos Staton, host of Teachers Talk Live and this is our Teacher Stress PreCast in anticipation of our November 18th live show! I’ve been lucky to be part of the US public education system now since 1998. Since then my travels have exposed me to the ways of Texas teaching, California, some North Carolina and now Massachussetts. I taught in Texas until 2012 and then went on to teach in California until 2014. I can tell you from self experience teacher stress is alive and real! I gotta tell you though: admitting you’re stressed doesn’t mean you’re less effective or less powerful in what you do. It doesn’t mean this at all. If we’re realistic about this…. the job is intense and it’s impacted more by the fact that the people that ultimately control the profession are not required to have a background in education. But I don’t have to tell you this and that’s not what we’re here to talk about. Our topic is teacher stress so let’s get back to that. In teaching there can be deadlines, demands on initiatives not properly rolled out, subpar or little professional development opportunities, massive paperwork, tons of grading, not to mention the increasing loss of professional autonomy… In anticipation of our live show titled Beating Teacher Stress, we hope to seek out ideas, solutions and some basic understanding that teachers out there can hear and know there are others…you are not alone and no matter how difficult your situation may be, there are ways to overcome and still do the right thing for your students. Regardless of the stressors, most teachers keep laser focus on their students because they understand they come first. No teacher is there for the recognition, the money, the prestige… To get a better understanding in preparation for the show, I read a few articles and sought out teacher input by way of a survey on TeachCow.com. I’ve received some interesting results that I want to share here. But first I want to quote one of these articles.  In a report by Lindsey Layton on the Washington Post, Randi Weingarten (American Federation of Teachers president ) was quoted as saying:  ““We ask teachers to be a combination of Albert Einstein, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr. …..We ask them to be Mom and Dad and impart tough love but also be a shoulder to lean on. And when they don’t do these things, we blame them for not being saviors of the world. What is the effect? The effect has been teachers are in­cred­ibly stressed out.”  This has got to reasonate with lots of teachers..because to most teachers this is true, in my humble opinion. But let’s talk about the TeachCow survey. One of the quotes I will pick this time is from Jeannette Washington who said “Stress is the inevitable, but how we deal with it can be the difference between a burn out or a cool down.” I think this is so true and important which is why it’s crucial that if you are a teacher and your stress keeps increasing, then you MUST find a way to manage what works for you. You do NOT want to reach that breaking point where you may end up falling out of love with the profession. Unfortunately, some of the responses I received, I sensed, were from teachers that are currently near that point…and I do hope you listen to this and watch our upcoming show on TeachCow.com to hopefully give you some energy, encouragement and ideas. A lot of the feedback had to do with keeping priorities in mind. I often heard it’s very important to make sure you keep students first…but to also know when to make that home and work separation…A lot of honesty and also very helpful.   I really like what Kory Graham says: “I just try to remind myself that I am the best for my students…” This is beautiful because it not only helps refocus but it’s also the truth in cases of teachers who believe this. We become educational experts on the individual students we teach through much research, trial and error and hard hard work! Lisa Beymer says “this is the most vital piece of staying in the profession. Draw lines between you as a teacher in the classroom, you as a professional in the school, and you as a spouse/parent/etc. at home.” She also says “You've got to force yourself to take time AWAY from teaching at least 1x a day, and do something completely non-teaching-related on your weekend.” Education influencer Don Wettrick also advices teachers keep work and life balance in order. It seems to be a growing mantra from those who have been there and were able to find a way to manage past it.  Kerry York says “Quick getaways with my spouse or my Grandkids keep the stress away.” I hope you have wonderful people to go be with when you’re off campus. This is important. Another interesting and important perspective came from Betty Vazquez who works very closely with her team and attributes stress relief to Teamwork. Apparently she works very closely with her team on writing lesson plans, making activitities and coming up with new ideas. She sums it up with: “Teamwork makes the dreamwork” which is the theme at their school! In conclusion, this conversation is not over. It’s time for you to take out your calendar and pencil us in for November 18, 2015 at 7PM Central/8PM Eastern and give us your input on our live show at TeachCow.com. I will be with 4 panelists on Teacher Stress discussing, taking your questions and your feedback though our online chat feature. Actually if you need a reminder, go ahead and text @teachcow to the number 81010. Thank you for listening and take a moment to connect with me on social media by visiting TeachCow.com. Thank you for being a caring teacher!              

How do we maintain innovation at our schools? How do we get our school teachers to collaborate and raise everyone's game? In episode 9 of Teachers Talk Live, we discuss innovative ways of creating a community of collaboration with every education profession in your campus even when you think your personal differences could get in the way. We explore how to establish a strong collaborative community of learners within the teachers, students and community at large. We explore informal social meetings, empowering teachers and supporting their confidence and creating safe spaces for all to feel free to share. Sharing is caring! Our panelists and chatters at TeachCow.com will contribute the latest and greatest in innovation.  You will hear from Meg Flanagan, Carina Hilbert and Sherbet Miller-Payton.  Below you may learn about them and how to make contact on Twitter!    Meg Flanagan is a teacher and education blogger who thrives on collaborative teaching and learning. She holds an M.Ed in Special Education as well as a BS in Elementary Education. She has taught, and is certified in, CA, VA, and MA in both areas. Meg blogs at MilKids Education Consulting on all topics education, teaching, and military kids. @MilKidsEd Carina Hilbert is an eighth grade ELA teacher in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is in her tenth year of teaching and has taught in urban, suburban, and rural schools and every level from remedial to Advanced Placement. She earned her master's degree in teaching TESOL from the University of Southern California's Rossier Online program last May and is ecstatic about getting to teach English again after a hiatus of teaching only Spanish for two years. She resides in Kalamazoo with her two children and a very loud cat. @CarinaHilbert Sherbet Miller-Payton --  After teaching high school literature for 14 years, Shervette Miller-Payton now serves as an assistant principal where she continues advocating transformative technology and authentic assessments. In addition to being a doctoral student at University of Georgia, she connects with educators on Twitter and Voxer @ATLTeacher.    

How do we empower our students struggling in the higher grades and beyond? How do we minimize harmful cyberbullying? How do we encourage tolerance and teach empathy?  What about actual teacher bullying and the bullying of LGBT students? What role do the schools have in all this? If you'd like to see the video version and all the resources, head over to TeachCow.com and click Teachers Talk Live! Our panelists are: Dan Blanchard, Julie Fantinato has been an Elementary Guidance Teacher/Counsellor for the past 17 years, and a teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School board since 1991. She has been on the Board of the Ontario School Counsellors Association for 7 years and has been an instructor of additional qualifications courses for teachers in Guidance and Career Education, at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education since 2005. She currently services 15 elementary schools and provides classroom programming and individual/group counselling in such areas as Building Healthy Relationships, Bullying Prevention, Social Skills, Self-Esteem, Mental Health and Wellness, Transition to High School and Pathways/Career Exploration.She has had specific training in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills, Roots of Empathy, Restorative Circles, Friends for Life and Violent-Threat Risk Assessment. Barbara Gruener, school counselor and author of What's Under Your Cape? has had the pleasure of working with all grade levels preK-12th during her 32 years in public education. When she's not in school influencing kids, it's likely she's motivating adults through her interactive workshops and inspirational keynotes. Adrienne Katz is a director of Bullying Intervention Group in UK. Her organization runs a national award for excellence in bullying intervention. They do research, training, offer resources to schools etc I also direct The Cybersurvey, collecting data on young people's online lives. She is an author and trainer Her special field is cyberbullying . Gina Vincent has been an Elementary Guidance Teacher/Counsellor for the past 17 years, and a teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School board since 1991. I have been on the Board of the Ontario School Counsellors Association for 7 years and have been an instructor of additional qualifications courses for teachers in Guidance and Career Education, at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education since 2005. I currently service 15 elementary schools and provide classroom programming and individual/group counselling in such areas as Building Healthy Relationships, Bullying Prevention, Social Skills, Self-Esteem, Mental Health and Wellness, Transition to High School and Pathways/Career Exploration. I have had specific training in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills, Roots of Empathy, Restorative Circles, Friends for Life and Violent-Threat Risk Assessment.