Making School a Nicer PlaceA Conversation with Jeff KubiakJeff Kubiak is out to make school a nicer, kinder place. An elementary teacher-turned-principal, Jeff didn't just struggle in school - he hated the place. One teacher turned him around...and he's still thanking her. What a pleasure this podcast guest is! He believes that school (and the worl…

Stations in the Fast Lane! By Suzy Pepper RollinsStations can be one of the most impactful instructional frameworks for student-centered learning. Student autonomy, creative thinking, vocabulary development, student engagement– the potential benefits can be almost awe-inspiring. But stations can also be a bit misleading. Students APPEAR to be diggi…

What it Feels Like to Have ADHDA Conversation with Kevin J. RobertsWhat’s it like to have ADHD? Consider some of the traits: difficulty staying on task, distractibility, trouble sitting still, and poor organizational skills. Now, let’s place these students in a school setting in which success largely depends on being able to: sit in a desk, pay att…

The Teenage Brain & How a “Fist Bump” Might Just HelpA Conversation with Terence HoulihanAs a classroom teacher and school counselor, Terence Houlihan became fascinated with the teenage brain. This unique time in their lives is one of great change – how can we help them survive…better yet, thrive during this time? Terence shares some fascinating re…

Got Stress? The Zen Teacher is On Call…A Conversation with Dan TricaricoA teacher for over 25 years, Dan Tricarico loves his work, even views his classroom as a sanctuary of sorts. Teachers like Dan are passionate people. He, like most of us, chose this career to positively impact the world. Think about it. All the students in our classrooms have t…

What Would Captain Kirk Do? Leadership Lessons from Star TrekA Conversation with Jon WennstromJon Wennstrom is a talented, experienced school leader; in fact, he was the 2018 Michigan PTA Principal of the Year. Wisdom, perspective, and a passion for the work is what he brings to the podcast this week. As a kid, Jon watched Star Trek with his dad. H…

The G Word: A New Film Project About What It’s Like to Be Gifted A Conversation with Marc Smolowitz Marc Smolowitz is an award-winning film maker with over 50 successful films in his portfolio. His new project is called The G Word, which discusses the economic, cultural, and gender diversity of our nation’s gifted and talented population. Marc’s fi…

Lessons Learned From a Turnaround PrincipalA Conversation with Dr. Scott NeilDr. Scott Neil has a passion for struggling learners…because he was one. His career morphed into being a top turnaround principal, and he’s uncovered some truths along the way. A key point of our conversation is this: A high number of students being flagged for interventio…

Social Media and Student Communication: A Compelling Perspective A Conversation with Angela StockmanRather than viewing social media as an inhibitor to our teaching, Angela Stockman makes a compelling case for embracing this medium as a teaching tool. Truly an innovative thought leader, her perspective on opening new “corridors of learning” for stu…

Bringing the Wonder of Math to StudentsA Conversation with Jerry BurkhartMath is so much more than pacing guides and practice sheets. If that’s the world you have found yourself in, totally understandable… but here’s some first aid! Jerry Burkhart is about math adventure, creativity, and wonderment. He is a math treasure who works with districts to…

7 Strategies for Student SuccessBy Suzy Pepper RollinsThis podcast includes right now ways to create success in all students. From closing the rigor gap to moving every student to academic success, these 7 “Go To” strategies are tweaks, not overhauls.Let’s take a breath, step back, and reflect on some things that we can do today, right now, to make…

Now That’s A Good Question! A Conversation with Erik FrancisAre questioning techniques one of the keys to getting students to go further and dig deeper into concepts? According to our guest, Erik Francis, YES! The author of Now That’s a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning (ASCD) shares how his students used t…

Unwrapping the “Gifts” of ADHDA Conversation with Kevin RobertsOur podcast guest is extraordinary in many ways. An author/expert on ADHD, Kevin Roberts also supports those with cyber addictions. In fact, Kevin was featured in a fascinating 20/20 episode on gaming and screen addiction. Kevin is both gifted intellectually, has ADHD, and was a former …

The Future of Education: Are YOU Ready? A Conversation with Dr. Ryan Schaaf According to our podcast guest, the future will belong to students who can learn, unlearn, and relearn, …and adapt quickly. Ryan Schaaf is the co-author of the new book, A Brief History of the Future of Education: Learning in the Age of Disruption. The truth is, the job lan…

Keeping Kids CuriousA Conversation with Gerald AungstAs students get older, they tend to ask less questions and are less likely to take learning risks. Are they inherently less curious…or does curiosity fall victim to learning targets and pacing guides? Guest Gerald Aungst shares fascinating research and insights into amplifying learners’ sense of …

How to Think Big in an Incremental WorldBy Suzy Pepper RollinsQuick! Think of a great idea that came from a small thinker... Still waiting… This is a Go Big, Swing for the Fences podcast. So much of the world of education is incremental: Get 3% more students to pass the math test or reduce referrals by 4%. Big thinkers don’t want to just inch up a …

Starting Over, Starting Fresh…or Getting StartedA Conversation with Dr. Rick JetterEver thought, “Boy, I’d sure like to tell that superintendent a few things about the real world…The world inside the walls of my classroom.” Ever been a district leader and thought, “Hmmm…wonder what teachers are thinking about these policies we’ve cooked up?” Dr. Ri…

Full STEAM Ahead: What Would Leonardo daVinci Do?A Conversation with STEM Author Carolyn DeCristofanoWow – there’s a LOT going on in science education right now. Next Generation Science Standards and new state standards can bring challenges, but also opportunities for wonderment and creativity. The insightful and talented STEM author/consultant Car…

Bringing the Wonder of Math to StudentsA Conversation with Jerry BurkhartMath is so much more than pacing guides and practice sheets. If that’s the world you have found yourself in, totally understandable… but here’s some first aid! Jerry Burkhart is about math adventure, creativity, and wonderment. He is a math treasure who works with districts to…

Unwrapping the “Gifts” of ADHDA Conversation with Kevin RobertsOur podcast guest is extraordinary in many ways. An author/expert on ADHD, Kevin Roberts also supports those with cyber addictions. In fact, Kevin was featured in a fascinating 20/20 episode on gaming and screen addiction. Kevin is both gifted intellectually, has ADHD, and was a former …

5 Truths (And Myths!) About Student-Centered LearningBy Suzy Pepper RollinsEducators have been progressing toward more student-centered learning for a while now. The intent of this podcast is to help with that trajectory. The podcast outlines 5 big ideas to help continue our work in creating learning experiences that inspire deep student engagement…

Gifted Students Underachieving?A Conversation with Todd StanleyIs there such a thing as a “struggling” gifted learner? Yes! A significant number of gifted learners fail to reach their potential. In fact, 1 in 4 of high school dropouts are typically identified as gifted. Some are bored. Others have learned to play the game of school so well that the…

Stations in the Fast Lane! By Suzy Pepper RollinsStations can be one of the most impactful instructional frameworks for student-centered learning. Student autonomy, creative thinking, vocabulary development, student engagement– the potential benefits can be almost awe-inspiring. But stations can also be a bit misleading. Students APPEAR to be diggi…

Now That’s A Good Question! A Conversation with Erik FrancisAre questioning techniques one of the keys to getting students to go further and dig deeper into concepts? According to our guest, Erik Francis, YES! The author of Now That’s a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning (ASCD) shares how his students used t…

How’s This School Thing Working for Our Kids?Let Them Speak: A Conversation with Dr. Rick JetterGet inspired by Dr. Rick Jetter’s approach to seeking out student voices about how school is working out for them. This self-described “Boundary Pusher” talks about going out on their “turf” and asking students about just about everything, from programs …

What’s Wrong (Or Right) with These Kids? New Ways to Teach the “Always On” GenerationA Conversation with Ryan Schaaf Turns out, technology use in the “Always On” generation HAS changed our kids’ brains. Expert Ryan Schaaf shares research on how students today read differently, multi-task more, and handle instant gratification. This fascinating conv…

How are Those Essential Questions Working Out?Suzy Pepper RollinsEvery day, students file off buses after seven hours of schooling to questioning parents, “What’d you learn at school today? Mumbled responses often sound like this: “I couldn’t tell you.” Or worse: “Nothing.” This podcast offers a solution that helps students not just organize this m…

What’s This Got to Do With ME? Good Question!A Conversation with Denis SheeranAll day long, more stuff just keeps coming at kids. Slope in one class, inertia in another, and someone killed a mockingbird in yet another. What in the world does any of this have to do with ANYTHING? Guest Denis Sheeran inspires us to discover those answers. And guess w…

Getting Students to “Fail Forward” & Think Like EngineersA Conversation with STEM Expert Ann KaiserWhat a perspective STEM expert Ann Kaiser has about students thinking like engineers! For younger learners, she uses those famous civil engineers “The Three Pigs” to teach the engineering process. And, rather than have an elaborately complex road map …

From Struggling to Successful: The Power of AccelerationA Tale of Hope from Suzy Pepper RollinsFor years, the dominant method of support for students with gaps has been remediation, the reteaching of skills missed in past years. The idea was “If we could just fix these kids and go back and reteach everything they missed, they’d be just fine.” Of co…

Motivating ALL StudentsWith Suzy Pepper RollinsWhat motivates one student to jump in and do his/her best…while another slumps over, seemingly unwilling to try? This conversation gets under the hood of what makes some students authentically engage and persevere …while others withdraw from tasks. Students want to be successful at school, so what’s wr…

Better Days at School: Can Mindfulness Help?A conversation with Daniel Rechtschaffen School can be a stressful whirlwind of activity. For teachers, rushing to get to meetings, worry about test scores, getting lessons ready and grades entered. And that’s just us…What about students? Trying to pay attention all day, complete tasks, and follow rules. …

Average to Awesome: Transforming Classroom ExperiencesA Conversation with Monica GentaMonica Genta almost left the profession, largely due to the weight of all the “stuff.” Thank goodness she didn’t! A middle school teacher, a motivator, and an author, her passion lies in creating “adventures in learning.” From her “quack attack” to her “pitch pipe…

The Power of the Opening MinutesWith Suzy Pepper RollinsThe opening minutes hold tremendous power for learning. Student motivation, reading comprehension, intellectual curiosity, and the value of a task all hinge on starting with something powerful! Unfortunately, these moments may have been "hijacked" along the way and turned into a "Do Now" class…

Using Improv in the ClassroomA Conversation with Dr. Katie McKnight“It crazy works.” That’s how prolific literacy author Katie McKnight describes using improv in the classroom. This high energy, passionate educator details some of the benefits this kinesthetic approach brings to kids, including a big chunk of what we teach in reading and writing. B…

Tips for 1-1 ClassroomsA Conversation with Dr. Monica BurnsFrom the time she first opened her magical delivery of tablets for her own classroom, Monica Burns has discovered ways to lift students via technology. A believer in “Tasks Before Apps,” her thoughtful, realistic approach has a focus of providing more opportunities for learners. She provide…

Let Them Speak! A Conversation with Rebecca Coda and Dr. Rick JetterHow was your flight? How was the chicken? What can we do differently? It seems like every time we frequent a business, we’re queried…sometimes hounded… for feedback. Why? Businesses have learned that to thrive and improve, they urgently need commentary from their clientele. But how…

Gifted Students Underachieving?A Conversation with Todd StanleyIs there such a thing as a “struggling” gifted learner? Yes! A significant number of gifted learners fail to reach their potential. In fact, 1 in 4 of high school dropouts are typically identified as gifted. Some are bored. Others have learned to play the game of school so well that the…

Encore Presentation: Google Between Their EarsA Conversation with Laurel Schmidt“Let’s be curious together” is the approach this inquiry-based learning expert embraces. Early in her teaching career, she realized that the weight of pacing guides – what she was expected to “cover” - was daunting. This realization led her to the understanding that the…

From Physics Teacher to Best-Selling AuthorA Conversation with Mark ChevertonFormer physics teacher Mark Cheverton’s novels have been published in 31 countries and 19 languages; in fact, he’s a New York Times best-selling author. He shares some of his insights about getting students excited about reading and writing. His books are Minecraft novels,…

Lessons Learned From a Turnaround PrincipalA Conversation with Dr. Scott NeilDr. Scott Neil has a passion for struggling learners…because he was one. His career morphed into being a top turnaround principal, and he’s uncovered some truths along the way. A key point of our conversation is this: A high number of students being flagged for interventio…

Henry Ford’s Not Hiring AnymoreBy Suzy Pepper RollinsIn 1914, Henry Ford had applicants lined up for good paying jobs building the Model T. What traits in potential employees were they seeking? Largely, the ability to perform a repetitive, specialized task all day long. Boy, have things changed! Companies today are seeking entirely different qualit…

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About English Language Learners…But Were Afraid to AskA Conversation with Beth SkeltonImagine what it would be like to take a physics class or math class in something other than your primary language. Imagine going to lunch and not be able to understand all the conversations that surround you. What’s it like to …

Using Stations to Elevate LearningA Conversation with Dr. Katie McKnightWell-crafted learning stations can be a marvelous thing to behold! Our guest, Dr. Katie McKnight, is the perfect expert and author for this conversation! Learner autonomy, collaborative learning, authentic engagement, leadership skills – these are just a few of the possibilitie…

Top 5 Instructional Habits to Kick: Can We Talk?by Suzy Pepper RollinsSlightly irreverent but good natured in intent, here’s the “Top 5” list of instructional habits we might just want to rethink. Sure, the brain needs habits; otherwise, it may get overloaded. But which of these habits are working for our kids…and which should get kicked to the cur…

From Struggling to Successful: The Power of AccelerationA Tale of Hope from Suzy Pepper RollinsFor years, the dominant method of support for students with gaps has been remediation, the reteaching of skills missed in past years. The idea was “If we could just fix these kids and go back and reteach everything they missed, they’d be just fine.” Of co…

Making Learning PersonalA Conversation with Kathleen McClaskeyAll of our students have stories to tell. Learning more about our learners’ stories is the focus of our discussion with personalized learning expert Kathleen McClaskey. What are their challenges? Their interests? Their dreams? Kathleen shares the benefits of personalized learning and val…

Got Game? How Playing Games Can Change School CultureA Conversation with Susan Ragsdale and Ann Saylor It’s all good news in this session with two guests who conduct workshops in building positive connections and leadership skills via games and service. Got Game? You will after this podcast! Guests Ann and Susan call it “Playing with Purpose.” They…

Keeping Kids CuriousA Conversation with Gerald AungstAs students get older, they tend to ask less questions and are less likely to take learning risks. Are they inherently less curious…or does curiosity fall victim to learning targets and pacing guides? Guest Gerald Aungst shares fascinating research and insights into amplifying learners’ sense of …

What’s This Got to Do With ME? Good Question!A Conversation with Denis SheeranAll day long, more stuff just keeps coming at kids. Slope in one class, inertia in another, and someone killed a mockingbird in yet another. What in the world does any of this have to do with ANYTHING? Guest Denis Sheeran inspires us to discover those answers. And guess w…