In this episode of the PBL Simplified Podcast, host Ryan Steuer interviews Jacob Karnes, founder of Waves Business Coaching and author of Master Your First Job. They discuss the significance of first jobs in shaping students' careers, the importance of feedback, building a personal brand, and strategies to combat apathy in the classroom. Jacob shares insights from his decade-long experience at Chick-fil-A and emphasizes the need for intentionality in students' first job experiences. The conversa...
Jul 29, 2025•39 min
In this episode, host Ryan Steuer chats with Ashley Green, a seasoned educator, turnaround expert, and founder of Green Tree Educational Solutions. Ashley shares wisdom from nearly two decades in education, including her experience as an ELA teacher, principal, curriculum coordinator, and adjunct professor. Ashley brings optimism, practical strategies, and a deep commitment to student-centered learning. She shares how educators can be part of the solution in school turnarounds by embracing cultu...
Jul 15, 2025•28 min
This episode features Ashley Curtin, a district coach from Calvert County, Maryland. Calvert County's PBL movement began in social studies and has expanded across subjects and schools. Ashley will share concrete examples of PBL units, discuss local context, authenticity, and the integration of CTE programs. PBL is bringing hope and joy to classrooms. Ashley's Work and PBL in Calvert County Ashley is a district coach working with PBL teachers. The PBL initiative started in social studies to incre...
Jul 01, 2025•41 min
In this episode of the PBL Simplified Podcast, host Ryan Steuer discusses the critical role of reflection in Project Based Learning (PBL). He emphasizes that reflection is not just a final step but an ongoing process throughout the PBL unit. Ryan shares practical strategies for incorporating reflection into the classroom, ensuring all voices are heard, and managing feedback effectively. He also highlights the importance of teacher reflection for personal growth and creating a reflective culture ...
Jun 17, 2025•17 min
In this episode of the PBL Simplified for Teachers podcast, host Ryan Steuer talks with two passionate educators, Joanna Clark and Angela Stein, who are jumping into Project Based Learning for the first time and absolutely loving it. Joanna, a 7th-grade science teacher with a PhD in chemistry, and Angela, an 8th-grade math and algebra teacher with a background in construction management, bring a wealth of experience and fresh perspective to their new PBL journey. They share how their first and s...
Jun 03, 2025•31 min
In this episode of the PBL Simplified Podcast, Ryan Steuer discusses the critical role of inquiry in Project Based Learning (PBL). He emphasizes the importance of driving questions that spark curiosity and engagement among students. The conversation explores strategies for teaching students to ask better questions, embracing uncertainty in the learning process, and the significance of community partners in enhancing inquiry-based learning. The episode provides practical insights for educators lo...
May 20, 2025•20 min
In this PBL Showcase, we welcome the fifth-grade team from Southside Elementary to share their incredible Project Based Learning (PBL) journey. These rockstar educators are transforming their classrooms by integrating PBL with leadership development and student empowerment—and the results are inspiring! 💡 What You'll Learn in This Episode: How Southside Elementary implemented PBL schoolwide and built an engaging culture of learning. How they foster student leadership by pairing fifth graders wi...
May 06, 2025•33 min
In this episode of PBL Simplified, Ryan Steuer discusses the importance of building a winning classroom culture through project-based learning (PBL). He emphasizes the need for strong core values, authentic learning experiences, accountability, risk-taking, and celebrating both successes and failures. By fostering a supportive environment, educators can enhance student engagement and intrinsic motivation, ultimately leading to a more impactful learning experience. Takeaways Culture is essential ...
Apr 22, 2025•20 min
In this conversation, Ryan Steuer and Marianne Renner discuss the importance of self-talk and its impact on personal and professional growth. Marianne shares her journey of writing a book on self-talk, the challenges she faced, and how she overcame personal struggles with depression and addiction. They explore the SEAR process for changing negative stories, the significance of reframing situations, and strategies for managing emotions. The discussion emphasizes the universal nature of self-doubt...
Apr 08, 2025•34 min
In this episode of the PBL Simplified podcast, Ryan Steuer addresses the intersection of Project Based Learning (PBL) and state testing, a topic of both frustration and opportunity for educators. The conversation busts common myths, provides actionable insights, and highlights examples of how PBL can support state test success without sacrificing engagement or real-world relevance. Myths about PBL and State Testing: PBL doesn't prepare students for state tests. PBL takes away too much time from ...
Mar 25, 2025•22 min
In this PBL Showcase episode, host Ryan Steuer sits down with Kyle Anderson, a passionate educator from Granville Public Schools in Michigan. Kyle shares his experiences as a teacher and coordinator for academically talented learners in the newly launched third and fourth grade IMAGE program. They dive into the challenges and triumphs of introducing project-based learning (PBL) in a new school environment. Kyle discusses the intentionality behind his school’s launch, building a culture of belong...
Mar 11, 2025•47 min
This episode of the PBL Simplified podcast is about how to reignite your passion for teaching. The host acknowledges that teaching is tough and can lead to burnout. He offers several tips to help you love teaching again. Tip 1: Reflect on your "why." Remember why you became a teacher in the first place. What are the moments in teaching that have made you feel most alive? The host shares a personal story about a former student named Skyler, whose life was changed by Project Based Learning. He enc...
Feb 25, 2025•19 min
This episode features Josh Giebel, a former teacher at PBL model school CSA NewTech, and now principal, to discuss evaluations from an administrative perspective. After leaving to start a virtual school in the district, Josh was brought back to be principal after the previous principal retired. The school has a K-12 track within a larger district, with an established PBL focus. As a teacher, Josh's "why" was to make a real difference in the lives of students and help them achieve their goals. As...
Feb 11, 2025•37 min
This episode discusses the benefits of project-based learning (PBL) for K-12 students. Our host, Ryan Steuer, argues that PBL is a highly effective instructional model that benefits students in three key areas: Academic Benefits: PBL can lead to significant academic gains, especially in subjects like social studies, literacy, and STEM. Research from the Lucas Education Foundation shows that students in PBL classrooms outperform their peers in traditional settings. For example, students in AP cou...
Jan 28, 2025•19 min
Richard White, an award-winning high school science teacher, joins the PBL Simplified podcast to share his experience using project-based learning (PBL) in his classroom. Richard has been teaching science for 17 years and has found that PBL is an effective way to engage students, especially those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Richard has seen his students' ACT scores increase since he began using PBL. One notable PBL project involved Richard's engineering students designing and building a ...
Jan 14, 2025•21 min
What is PBL? This episode defines project-based learning (PBL) for five key audiences: Teachers - PBL provides a framework for achieving student outcomes such as empowerment and problem-solving that can be difficult to reach through other teaching methods. Teachers can use PBL to help students develop employability skills. Authentic PBL, in which students solve real-world problems, can lead to real change, such as the installation of vape detectors in school bathrooms, the redesign of a town fla...
Dec 11, 2024•19 min
Guest: Matt Eyler, owner of Trinity Martial Arts Studio in New York Matt's Why: He opened his martial arts studio to create an atmosphere where students could learn social, emotional, and mental skills that would help them be successful in other areas of their lives. In his studio, Matt relates martial arts to academics, sports, and personal relationships. Connecting Martial Arts to PBL: Matt’s approach to teaching martial arts has several connections to project-based learning. Character Develop...
Dec 10, 2024•36 min
What is PBL? This episode defines project-based learning (PBL) and explains why every classroom teacher should use it. Three Reasons to Use PBL: PBL is good for kids. PBL provides students with context for their learning by connecting it to real-world problems. It helps them develop employability skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and agency. PBL is good for adults. PBL allows teachers to teach the way they've always wanted to teach. Teachers report that they are a...
Dec 09, 2024•18 min
