Hello everyone! Join us in this episode of Teach Me, Teacher as we delve into the core principles of professional learning communities (PLCs) with insights from the book "Simplifying the Journey: Six Steps to Schoolwide Collaboration, Consistency, and Clarity in a PLC at Work" by authors Bob Sonju, Maren Powers, and Sheline Miller.

Together, we explore the essential roles within PLCs, the transformative power of data-driven decision-making, and the indispensable nature of collaboration in fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Whether you're a seasoned educator or just beginning your journey, this episode offers invaluable guidance for building a collaborative community dedicated to student success. Tune in to discover practical strategies for streamlining your school's journey towards collaboration, consistency, and clarity.

 

The pressure on school leaders to effectively navigate change, implement new programs, and keep teachers motivated can be intense. Solution Tree has the tools you need to rise to any challenge.

Our curated library of resources features new titles like The Emerging Teacher Leader, a guide to equip new leaders, Groups at Work to foster productive teamwork, and Implement with IMPACT to ensure initiatives hit the mark. Titles like Grading Reform That Lasts and Competency-Based Education Ignited offer methods to address critical school issues while Navigating the Unexpected provides essential strategies for facing unforeseen challenges.

Be sure to stream Passion and Persistence, a motivational video designed to inspire a collaborative team environment in your school or district.

Elevate your leadership skills and discover how these powerful resources can help you lead with confidence at SolutionTree.com/LeadershipResources

Hello everyone! Tune in to Teach Me, Teacher for a deep dive into strategies from Triage Your School on preventing teacher burnout.

If you miss part 1, click here. 

Author Christopher Jenson unpacks how traditional self-care approaches fall short and explores practical solutions rooted in healthcare practices. Discover how to effectively manage workload, share responsibilities, and establish emotional boundaries to reignite passion and resilience in teaching. Whether you’re an administrator or educator, this episode equips you with actionable steps to navigate challenges and foster a healthier school environment.

Join the conversation and reclaim joy in education.

Enjoy!

 

Transform learning in your school or district with PLC at Work® from Solution Tree. Our resources are designed to empower educators so all students learn at high levels.

We have an abundant library of resources from bestsellers like Learning by Doing, which has seen over one million copies sold and provides a practical guide to establishing effective PLCs, to The Foundation for Change, Beyond PLCLite, The Way Forward, Training Teacher Leaders in a PLC at Work® and The 15-Day Challenge.

Looking to develop a PD workshop that allows your teams to witness the power of PLC through the eyes of a struggling student? Stream the video Through New Eyes, and experience one student’s journey through four years in a traditional school compared to four years in a PLC.

All these resources and more can be found at SolutionTree.com/PLCAtWorkResources.

Hello everyone! Tune in to Teach Me, Teacher for a deep dive into strategies from Triage Your School on preventing teacher burnout.

Author Christopher Jenson unpacks how traditional self-care approaches fall short and explores practical solutions rooted in healthcare practices. Discover how to effectively manage workload, share responsibilities, and establish emotional boundaries to reignite passion and resilience in teaching. Whether you're an administrator or educator, this episode equips you with actionable steps to navigate challenges and foster a healthier school environment.

Join the conversation and reclaim joy in education.

Enjoy!

 

Transform learning in your school or district with PLC at Work® from Solution Tree. Our resources are designed to empower educators so all students learn at high levels.

We have an abundant library of resources from bestsellers like Learning by Doing, which has seen over one million copies sold and provides a practical guide to establishing effective PLCs, to The Foundation for Change, Beyond PLCLite, The Way Forward, Training Teacher Leaders in a PLC at Work® and The 15-Day Challenge.

Looking to develop a PD workshop that allows your teams to witness the power of PLC through the eyes of a struggling student? Stream the video Through New Eyes, and experience one student’s journey through four years in a traditional school compared to four years in a PLC.

All these resources and more can be found at SolutionTree.com/PLCAtWorkResources.

Hello everyone! Welcome to Teach Me, Teacher. This episode is a version of one of my favorite keynotes I do. It's my favorite because it's filled with real world stories about my life and the teachers that saved me growing up. 

Now, I don't mean "saved" in the religious sense. I mean "saved" as in BEING THE DIFFERENCE. 

What did that look like to me? What did it sound like as I navigated growing up around drugs and violence? All of that and more in this talk.

If you want to see the digital presentation, click here to support the show.  

 

 

Transform learning in your school or district with PLC at Work® from Solution Tree. Our resources are designed to empower educators so all students learn at high levels.

We have an abundant library of resources from bestsellers like Learning by Doing, which has seen over one million copies sold and provides a practical guide to establishing effective PLCs, to The Foundation for Change, Beyond PLCLite, The Way Forward, Training Teacher Leaders in a PLC at Work® and The 15-Day Challenge.

Looking to develop a PD workshop that allows your teams to witness the power of PLC through the eyes of a struggling student? Stream the video Through New Eyes, and experience one student’s journey through four years in a traditional school compared to four years in a PLC.

All these resources and more can be found at SolutionTree.com/PLCAtWorkResources.

 

Hello everyone! Being in the teacher podcast space for over 8 years has shown me a lot about the state of education and how it has changed. Mainly, professional development is dying.

If you missed part 1 of this talk, find it here. 

Conferences are filled with sessions that appeal to ideology instead of quality pedagogy. District PD’s are all about how to log in to the latest tool and assign work to kids. Books are expensive and not worth reading when state laws restrict what resources teachers can use.

So, what’s the deal? Why is teaching PD in such a state of despair?

To think and talk through this (and maybe have some hope at the end of the tunnel), I brought on Pam Ochoa, my co-host on the Craft & Draft podcast. Pam is an Abydos Learning International Diamond level trainer and has trained teachers in the teaching of writing and reading for 26 years. She provides professional development for those who want to become more student centered in their instructional approach. She was an Instructional Coach where she worked with Jacob Chastain and collaborated on the Craft and Draft Notebook system.

 

 

Transform learning in your school or district with PLC at Work® from Solution Tree. Our resources are designed to empower educators so all students learn at high levels.

We have an abundant library of resources from bestsellers like Learning by Doing, which has seen over one million copies sold and provides a practical guide to establishing effective PLCs, to The Foundation for Change, Beyond PLCLite, The Way Forward, Training Teacher Leaders in a PLC at Work® and The 15-Day Challenge.

Looking to develop a PD workshop that allows your teams to witness the power of PLC through the eyes of a struggling student? Stream the video Through New Eyes, and experience one student’s journey through four years in a traditional school compared to four years in a PLC.

All these resources and more can be found at SolutionTree.com/PLCAtWorkResources.

 

Hello everyone! Being in the teacher podcast space for over 8 years has shown me a lot about the state of education and how it has changed. Mainly, professional development is dying. 

Conferences are filled with sessions that appeal to ideology instead of quality pedagogy. District PD's are all about how to log in to the latest tool and assign work to kids. Books are expensive and not worth reading when state laws restrict what resources teachers can use. 

So, what's the deal? Why is teaching PD in such a state of despair? 

To think and talk through this (and maybe have some hope at the end of the tunnel), I brought on Pam Ochoa, my co-host on the Craft & Draft podcast. Pam is an Abydos Learning International Diamond level trainer and has trained teachers in the teaching of writing and reading for 26 years. She provides professional development for those who want to become more student centered in their instructional approach. She was an Instructional Coach where she worked with Jacob Chastain and collaborated on the Craft and Draft Notebook system. 

 

 

Transform learning in your school or district with PLC at Work® from Solution Tree. Our resources are designed to empower educators so all students learn at high levels.

We have an abundant library of resources from bestsellers like Learning by Doing, which has seen over one million copies sold and provides a practical guide to establishing effective PLCs, to The Foundation for Change, Beyond PLCLite, The Way Forward, Training Teacher Leaders in a PLC at Work® and The 15-Day Challenge.

Looking to develop a PD workshop that allows your teams to witness the power of PLC through the eyes of a struggling student? Stream the video Through New Eyes, and experience one student’s journey through four years in a traditional school compared to four years in a PLC.

All these resources and more can be found at SolutionTree.com/PLCAtWorkResources.

Hello everyone! The reading wars carry on, believe it or not. In nearly every corner of the internet—even outside of education—people are concerned about literacy in America. This has resulted in some dynamic, and at times volatile, discussion about how to teach reading to children.

In part 1, we discussed curriculum expectations, the expertise of teachers, and the misuse of computer programs. 

In part 2, we discuss providing authentic reading experiences for students, tasks around reading, and creating an environment kids want to be in. 

Jennifer McCarty Plucker, author of Inspiring Lifelong Readers, has her own thoughts on the matter. Jennifer McCarty Plucker is the director of learning and development and a literacy consultant at Mackin Educational Resources in Burnsville, Minnesota.Dr. Plucker has spent more than twenty years in public education as an English teacher, reading specialist, speech coach, teaching and learning specialist, and district administrator. Her doctoral research focused on student engagement and motivation in literacy. Her current work with educators is grounded in an inquiry approach that puts students in the driver’s seat of their learning.

 

 

 

    This episode is sponsored by Solution Tree:  

As a new teacher, your first year is sure to come with unexpected challenges. Solution Tree’s resources give you the tools and knowledge to lay the groundwork for a lifelong career as an educator. Go to SolutionTree.com/NewTeacherToolkitfor must-read books and free resources. Since 1998, Solution Tree has worked to transform education worldwide by empowering educators to raise student achievement.

Hello everyone! The reading wars carry on, believe it or not. In nearly every corner of the internet—even outside of education—people are concerned about literacy in America. This has resulted in some dynamic, and at times volatile, discussion about how to teach reading to children. 

Jennifer McCarty Plucker, author of Inspiring Lifelong Readers, has her own thoughts on the matter. Jennifer McCarty Plucker is the director of learning and development and a literacy consultant at Mackin Educational Resources in Burnsville, Minnesota.Dr. Plucker has spent more than twenty years in public education as an English teacher, reading specialist, speech coach, teaching and learning specialist, and district administrator. Her doctoral research focused on student engagement and motivation in literacy. Her current work with educators is grounded in an inquiry approach that puts students in the driver’s seat of their learning.

In this discussion, we cover curriculum expectations, the expertise of teachers, and the misuse of computer programs to teach struggling readers. 

 

 

    This episode is sponsored by Solution Tree:  

As a new teacher, your first year is sure to come with unexpected challenges. Solution Tree’s resources give you the tools and knowledge to lay the groundwork for a lifelong career as an educator. Go to SolutionTree.com/NewTeacherToolkitfor must-read books and free resources. Since 1998, Solution Tree has worked to transform education worldwide by empowering educators to raise student achievement.

Hello everyone! Personally, I believe this episode to be the best episode of Teach Me, Teacher in a long time. If you missed part one, check it out here. 

James Nottingham is most known for his work with The Learning Pit, but he has also written several books, and consults regularly around the world. His newest book, Teach Brilliantly, can be found here.

In this episode, we discuss the power of quality feedback, student choice and agency on their work, and how different cultures want different things in public schools. 

Truly, I loved this talk so much. Enjoy!

        This episode is sponsored by Solution Tree:  

As a new teacher, your first year is sure to come with unexpected challenges. Solution Tree’s resources give you the tools and knowledge to lay the groundwork for a lifelong career as an educator. Go to SolutionTree.com/NewTeacherToolkitfor must-read books and free resources. Since 1998, Solution Tree has worked to transform education worldwide by empowering educators to raise student achieve

Hello everyone! Personally, I believe this episode to be the best episode of Teach Me, Teacher in a long time.   James Nottingham is most known for his work with The Learning Pit, but he has also written several books, and consults regularly around the world. His newest book, Teach Brilliantly, can be found here.    In this episode, we discuss the state of education around the world, the embattled nature of teaching, what matters in pedagogy, and what constitutes effective feedback for students.   Truly, I loved this talk so much. Enjoy!       This episode is sponsored by Solution Tree:

As a new teacher, your first year is sure to come with unexpected challenges. Solution Tree’s resources give you the tools and knowledge to lay the groundwork for a lifelong career as an educator. Go to SolutionTree.com/NewTeacherToolkitfor must-read books and free resources. Since 1998, Solution Tree has worked to transform education worldwide by empowering educators to raise student achievement.

Hello everyone! The other day, I came across a post about a viral lesson where a history teacher used the video game Assassin's Creed Odyssey to show a famous ancient battle. After looking at his content online for a bit, I KNEW I had to talk to him. 

Dale Mahathey is a middle school Social Studies teacher who is finding success with using social media to connect with his kids. He is also a passionate historian who wants to help kids find new ways to connect to the stories of the past—and is doing a wonderful job so far. 

Episodes like this remind me of why Teach Me, Teacher exists in the first place. Heartwarming stories about teachers doing what they need to in order to get buy-in from students. 

Enjoy!