We're in an education crisis, and many teachers fear they won't make it through this year. Some are begging for help; some are preaching self-care. Others are quitting--just walking out of their classrooms and schools and moving on to something else. In this episode of the Hack Learning Podcast, Mark Barnes is asking you to help solve this crisis. He shares a disheartening Twitter chat, in which educators from across the country share the issues: > teachers being told to "stick it out," no matte...
Oct 21, 2021•12 min
Angry, litigious, anti-mask parents are suing schools in Ohio, and Mark Barnes has Hacks you can share to stop this madness and solve one of education's biggest problems. 1 -- Don't sue schools over mask mandates 2 -- Don't attend school boards in an angered state of mind 3 -- Create conversations with school leaders and with kids about safety 4 -- Get vaccinated Do these hacks look simple here? They are just as simple when you put them into action. For more education hacks and practical solutio...
Oct 07, 2021•9 min
Sometimes teacher burnout is due to shame and blame and avoiding the problems. Mark shares some quick hacks from Hacking Teacher Burnout author Amber Harper. Learn how to seek help and to seek "help seekers." More episodes are available at hacklearningpodcast.com
Sep 18, 2021•10 min
Mark is joined by two national distinguished principals, Tony Sinanis, an administrator in New York and co-author of Hacking Leadership, and Jessica Cabeen, a principal in Minnesota and author of Lead With Grace and Hacking Early Learning. In this excerpt of a Times 10 Roundtable webinar, the three educators discuss the problems teachers and leaders are facing during the global pandemic and how to prepare for the huge changes we're facing in education, in what is sure to be some kind of blended ...
May 14, 2020•9 min
In this brief excerpt from the Times 10 Roundtable, Mark Barnes talks with anxiety experts Christine Ravesi-Weinstein and Connie Hamilton about anxious students' triggers, while providing powerful tips and tools for helping our kids cope with anxiety, in a pandemic society and beyond. To view the entire hour-long, free webinar, visit https://www.10publications.com/webinars For more from the pod, visit http://hacklearningpodcast.com...
Apr 27, 2020•11 min
Mark Barnes shares an excerpt of the Times 10 Roundtable Webinar--Hacking Distance Learning: How to Deliver Impactful Instruction When Teaching from Home. Times 10 teachers, school leaders, and authors unpack the problems educators face with distance learning, in a climate of uncertainty, and they provide sound, practical strategies and tools that will make you successful at any level and in any subject. To see the entire hour-long discussion or other Roundtables, visit 10Publications.com/webina...
Apr 17, 2020•14 min
A school district in Texas is bringing back the paddle, because some parents okayed teachers hitting their children. Mark Barnes compares this to 1950s style discipline and shares the thoughts of Nathan Maynard, co-author of Hacking School Discipline, on the subject. There are better ways to handle behavior issues in class and hitting is never okay, Maynard says. In the end, Barnes says, "Spare the rod, save the child!" What do you say. For more from Times 10 and the Hack Learning Podcast, visit...
Feb 24, 2020•9 min
The focus and goal of mentoring is not to point out weak performance, but rather to shape a career and develop potential. Before you can be a mentor, you have to LEARN what it means to be a Modern Mentor. Mark Barnes shares the LEARN model from Modern Mentor and how you can apply it in your space, no matter what role you play. Find additional notes for this episode at http://10publications.com/learn-how-to-be-a-mentor...
Feb 10, 2020•11 min
James had what appeared to be some major problems. How did his teacher connect with this introverted student? You'll be amazed at how simple it was. For more on connecting with introverted students, look inside Quiet Kids Count: Unleashing the True Potential of Introverts, on Amazon Visit the Hack Learning Podcast archive at http://hacklearningpodcast.com
Oct 14, 2019•8 min
Teacher, author, keynote speaker Chrissy Romano Arrabito was the student who always raised her hand first, always had the answer, was eager to share, was well-behaved, and made good grades. She was, from any teacher's perspective, a well-adjusted child. Little did most, if any, of her teachers realize, Chrissy was a quiet kid--an introvert. She struggled with her emotions constantly. How did her teachers miss this? Are you misunderstanding your own quiet kids? Learn more about introverts and one...
Oct 07, 2019•10 min
Encourage, evolve, empower. Mentor, move, motivate. Create, innovate, elevate. Always be listening. Always be learning. These are the qualities of someone who leads forward. They’re not just my words or those of the educators who write leadership books. The words belong to teachers, principals, parents, superintendents, and other education shareholders. Perhaps they are your words, too. Listen to the rest of this Foreword from the new Lead Forward Series, by Hack Learning Pod host Mark Barnes. R...
Jul 08, 2019•10 min
Why is impactful leadership like riding a backwards bicycle? It's actually quite simple, says award-winning school principal, presenter, and author of Be Excellent on Purpose, Sanée Bell. EduHacker Mark Barnes shares an excerpt from a conversation with Sanée about ownership over buy-in, empowering shareholders to reflect and create plans for success and other strategies for re-learning how to ride your bike and how to Be Excellent on Purpose. For details about the Lead Forward Series and how to ...
Jun 10, 2019•10 min
Want amazing, even mind-blowing, conversation in your classroom? Throw out your ping pong questions, and become a pinball wizard. Mark shares--and SINGS--this powerful strategy from Hacking Questions, by Connie Hamilton. Listen now and learn the wizardry that can turn your students into discussion gurus. For more from Hacking Qs, visit http://times10library.com For more from the Pod, visit http://hacklearningpodcast.com...
May 20, 2019•10 min
Disruptive students are criminals who must be put out of your classroom. So says one educator, who Mark Barnes is taking to task, in this uncut episode that comes with this disclaimer: Beware, Mark is angry, and one misguided teacher is going to hear about it. Of course, if you listen past the rant, you'll learn how to keep your "criminals" in class and teach them empathy and the kind of behavior choices that will make them successful in school and in life. Learn more about the hacks in this epi...
May 08, 2019•10 min
In this excerpt from Hacking Questions, we learn how to set ourselves up to kick the IDK bucket by identifying the root cause for the “I don’t know” response. You see, we cannot assume that IDK means the student really does not know something. Read this Hack from Hack Learning Book 23 at http://hacklearning.org/IDKbucket Browse books at http://times10library.com Listen to more at http://hacklearningpodcast.com...
Apr 22, 2019•11 min
People said they don't have time to teach empathy, compassion, and self-awareness. Mark Barnes responds, and you may be surprised at what he says. At first, you might say, "That's not Hack Learning." But if you listen till the end, you might agree that this attitude is what Hack Learning is founded on.
Apr 18, 2019•8 min
Hack Learning host Mark Barnes lost his temper recently. If only he had taken his own advice, which he shares in this episode, things might have been different. What's this earth-shattering advice? Three words: Take a breath! Sounds easy, right? It's not so simple, and in order to make it work, you have to be intentional about that purposeful pause. Take a few minutes, listen, and learn how to PLAN your breaths, change your own behavior, be a better professional and person, and model empathy for...
Apr 15, 2019•8 min
Are you teaching Generation Alpha with Baby Boomer content? Educators are faced with new challenges from the generation that may live into the 22nd century. How can teachers cope? Mark shares what Michael Fisher and Elizabeth Fisher, authors of Hacking Instructional Design, say about planning for the future, so we can better meet the needs of Gen Alpha. Read this excerpt from the book at http://hacklearning.org/alpha Browse all books at http://hacklearningbooks.com Visit the podcast archive at h...
Apr 08, 2019•8 min
Mark shares a story from Hacking School Discipline, about Amarra, a troublemaker that many teachers might have given up on. Instead of quitting on her, though, her teachers instilled a growth mindset in Amarra, and a once troubled young lady became a school leader and student mentor. Learn more about Amarra and creating a growth mindset in Hack Learning book number 22, Hacking School Discipline. It's on Amazon now. Subscribe to the podcast at http://hacklearningpodcast.com Browse the library at ...
Apr 01, 2019•8 min
Handing out office referrals like candy to students who misbehave is like sending kids away from learning for a brief holiday, and Mark Barnes says, "It's time to throw out your office referral." Mark shares a powerful, simple hack from Hacking School Discipline, that will help teachers and school leaders change behavior, while keeping kids in class as valuable members of the learning community. Read an excerpt and learn one of 9 ways to create a culture of empathy and responsibility using resto...
Mar 26, 2019•9 min
Running a marathon seems crazy to Mark Barnes. Teaching is often crazier. But being both marathon runner and teacher is unfathomable. Still, these unique individuals are littered across race courses and classrooms worldwide. And, what Mark has learned, from teacher and marathon runner Mike Roberts, is that these seemingly crazy people will never stop Chasing Greatness. Listen to an excerpt from Roberts' new book, Chasing Greatness: 26.2 Ways Teaching Is Like Running a Marathon. Look inside the b...
Feb 27, 2019•11 min
Florida is considering bonus pay for the "best and brightest teachers," but who are they? According to one plan, they are the teachers whose students perform well on standardized tests. This is a flawed system, for many reasons. Is there a better way to identify the "best and brightest?" Mark Barnes went to the Hack Learning audience for answers. If you think bonus pay for educators is a good idea, forget test scores, and consider this hacky plan instead. Subscribe and rate the show at http://ha...
Feb 12, 2019•10 min
Mark Barnes is Uncut again, and he's wondering if teachers and parents hurt kids by NOT teaching them about perception, when it comes to social media. He recalls a Washington DC protest video going viral, and the perceptions people had about the kids in the video. Mark shares excerpts from Hacking Digital Learning Strategies, by Shelly Terrell, that explain how to help kids identify and understand fake news and the perceptions it creates. He shares some simple hacks adults can use to teach kids ...
Feb 05, 2019•10 min
When someone asks how your day was, do you say, “It was very satisfying?” Do you exit a roller coaster and exclaim, “That was a very satisfying ride?” When you last dined at a 5-star restaurant, did you tell the server that you just couldn’t wait for a satisfactory meal? Hopefully, you answered no to all of these questions. Hopefully, your day, your roller coaster ride, and your fine dining where much more. Mark explains the danger of "satisfying" experiences, especially when they dominate schoo...
Jan 15, 2019•9 min
Mark Barnes shares a story about a school district that makes students wear color-coded badges that label them as potential failures. We need better leadership in 2019, Barnes says, and we need to hack these policies that harm our students. Mark shares a hack from Hacking Leadership that supplies some what-you-can-do-tomorrow strategies for creating a school culture that embraces the opinions of all shareholders, helping leaders avoid mistakes like this badge fiasco. All episodes can be found at...
Jan 08, 2019•9 min
Mark Barnes shares some tough questions that, he says, all teachers should ask themselves. Are you ready to answer them? Browse the Hack Learning library at http://hacklearningbooks.com Subscribe to the show at http://hacklearningpodcast.com
Dec 04, 2018•10 min
Mark Barnes shares Hack 7 from the new Hacking Instructional Design, in which the authors explain how to use mental velcro--must one of 33 extraordinary ways to create a contemporary curriculum. Grab the authors' 61-page free resource at http://hacklearning.org/design Listen to more Hack Learning episodes at http://HackLearningPodcast.com
Nov 29, 2018•10 min
Teachers and school leaders want compassion in their classrooms and schools. Mark Barnes explains how Experiential Learning inspires compassion in students, with plenty of help from Hacking School Culture: Designing Compassionate Classrooms, by Angela Stockman and Ellen Feig Gray. Find Hacking School Culture and the entire Hack Learning Series at http://hacklearningbooks.com For more podcast episodes, visit http://hacklearningpodcast.com...
Nov 13, 2018•9 min
A concerned educator and parent writes: "My kids tell me that [their classes are] basically -- take notes, do worksheets, take tests. They don't really DO anything with the stuff they're learning. No discussions or projects or anything really hands-on. Just information in, information out." This sparked some remarkable conversation and evidence that many kids across the country are exposed to old-school practices that make them hate school. Mark Barnes shares the conversation and is asking you t...
Oct 26, 2018•12 min
Popular author and speaker James Clear says, "Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement." That is, the effects of your habits multiply, when repeated, much like your money multiplies, as it sits in an interest-bearing account. Clear is the author of the new Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, and he has a simple formula for making your habits Atomic, which he shares with Mark Barnes in this episode. Learn more about Clear and Atomic Habits at h...
Oct 16, 2018•10 min
