PERNILLE RIPP is a prolific blogger, highly recognized speaker, literacy expert, creator of the Global Read Aloud, and the author of several books, including Passionate Readers: The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child . She’s also a Danish educator living in the US, mother of 4, and soulmate to an incredible man that makes it all possible. Follow Pernille on Twitter https://twitter.com/pernilleripp and visit her blog at https://pernillesripp.com/ . In our conversation, Pernille discusses th...
Jun 09, 2019•58 min•Season 1Ep. 86
*I need your help! As a listener of the Teachers on Fire podcast, please contribute to my MEdL research on educational podcasting and impacts on professional practice by completing this survey: https://forms.gle/kQk6wdLFcyRe6zPEA . It should take no longer than 5-15 minutes and will mean the world to me! I will be glad to share the results of my research once it is completed. Thank you so much! - Tim - - - - - - - - - - ANDY MILNE is a charismatic PE educator who has hopped the pond from London ...
Jun 02, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 85
*I need your help! As a listener of the Teachers on Fire podcast, please contribute to my MEdL research on educational podcasting and impacts on professional practice by completing this survey: https://forms.gle/kQk6wdLFcyRe6zPEA . It should take no longer than 5-15 minutes and will mean the world to me! I will be glad to share the results of my research once it is completed. Thank you so much! - Tim - - - - - - - - - - JENNIFER WOLFE is a mother, writer, English and AVID teacher, Google Certifi...
May 27, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 84
TRAVIS JORDAN is a husband, father of four, superintendent, education commissioner, speaker, aspiring author, conformity breaker, and status quo shaker. How’s that for disruption in education? In our conversation, Travis shares a tragic story from his learning community, explaining how the passing of one student has forever impacted him and put the focus on connections over content. “This is not a job - it’s a calling,” he says. Travis also dismisses the idea of educators faking it until they ma...
May 19, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 83
TARA MARTIN is an educator, administrator, coach, and speaker. She’s also the founder of #BookSnaps, the @DBC_Inc Media & Communications Director, and author of Be REAL: Educate from the Heart . In our conversation, Tara shares about a tragedy that struck her family during her very first year of teaching, and describes the difficult journey and surprising breakthroughs that followed as a result. She explains the mission behind her book, Be REAL, and gives me some practical advice about how t...
May 12, 2019•1 hr 2 min
KELLY CROY is a committed husband, father of four girls, educator, speaker, Apple Distinguished Educator author of Along Came a Leader and the producer of The Wired Educator podcast. Follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyCroy and @WiredEducator, and visit his blog at https://wirededucator.com/. In our conversation, Kelly discusses the keys to effective leadership, explains why iPads make such fantastic creation tools, and argues that “Our best moments in education will be culture moments.” He also tells...
May 05, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 81
KEVIN O’SHEA is a primary teacher currently in Beijing, China who will be moving to a school in Shenzhen, China in the fall. Kevin is a big fan of nature, outdoor education, inquiry, and photography. He’s also the producer of the Just Japan Podcast and the new Making Better Teachers Podcast. In our conversation, Kevin recalls the time he assigned differentiated work to his students - only to experience a nightmare that tempted him to leave education entirely. He discusses the mission and vision ...
Apr 28, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 80
KAREN CASWELL is a 4th grade teacher in Australia. Her favorite themes in education include relationships, reading, kindness, and global connections. She’s also an Apple Certified Teacher, Seesaw Ambassador, and the founder of #TLAPdownunder! Follow Karen on Twitter @kcasw1 and visit her blog at https://www.karencaswell.com/ . In our conversation, Karen recalls a crisis of disillusionment which threatened to pull her away from teaching completely. Thankfully, a leave of absence from the classroo...
Apr 21, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 79
AARON BLACKWELDER is a high school English teacher and golf coach at Woodland Public Schools in Woodland, Washington. He’s the founder of the Teachers Going Gradeless website and Twitter chat @TG2Chat and #TG2Chat. He’s also a father, husband, autism advocate, Google Certified Educator, and he’s loving life! Follow Aaron on Twitter @AaronSBlackwel1 and visit his blogs at mrblackwelder.wordpress.com and https://teachersgoinggradeless.com/ , where he welcomes contributions from anyone with experie...
Apr 15, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 78
ADAM WELCOME is a former teacher, principal, and director of innovation. He’s also a recognized education leader, speaker, and the author of Kids Deserve It and Run Like a Pirate . Follow Adam on Twitter @MrAdamWelcome . In our conversation, Adam recalls the disillusionment he once felt when he realized that colleagues weren’t prepared to sacrifice to put their learners first. He explains how this period led to a career in education leadership and Kids Deserve It , a book he co-authored with Tod...
Apr 07, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 77
KALI SLUSSER is an instructional coach, fitness obsessor, and kombucha fanatic! She is also a wife of a fellow teacher and a mom of three. Connect with Kali on Twitter @KaliSlusser and follow her ongoing reviews of the DBC books with Greg Moffitt at https://readlikeapirate.wordpress.com/ . In our conversation, Kali recalls the moment when her identity as an educator was shaken and she considered changing industries completely. She explains what she loves about her current role as an instructiona...
Mar 31, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 76
ANNICK RAUCH is a Grade 1 French immersion teacher in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She’s a loving mom to 4 boys and wife to the man who allows her to do it all! Her passions in education include growth mindset, global collaboration, and all things innovation. You can follow her on Twitter @AnnickRauch and visit her blog at http://www.annickrauch.ca/ . In our conversation, Annick recalls a challenging situation in her classroom involving a live image search gone wrong, and explains how she, parent...
Mar 24, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 75
SUSAN JACHYMIAK is a 4th grade teacher in Orland Park, IL. She’s a rookie this year, and she’s clearly on fire! Follow her on Twitter @MsJachymiak and visit her blog at http://msjachymiak.weebly.com . In our conversation, Susan recalls a couple of unfamiliar challenges she was forced to figure out at the outset of her very first teaching position. She describes the thinking behind the #NewTeacherJourney chat and explains how she hopes to support other new teachers using the power of social media...
Mar 18, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 74
RAE HUGHART is a middle school Math teacher, educational consultant, Director of Training & Development for the Teach Better Team, and a co-host for the Teach Better Talk Podcast - and if you haven’t given Teach Better Talk a listen, you need to! Connect with Rae on Twitter AND Instagram @RaeHughart , and check out her course offerings and resources at TeachBetter.com . In our conversation, Rae recalls the struggle of school during most of her own years in K-12, thanks largely to a reading d...
Mar 11, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 73
TISHA RICHMOND is a Technology Integration Specialist serving 19 schools in Medford, Oregon. She’s also a speaker and author of Make Learning Magical: Transform Your Teaching and Create Unforgettable Experiences in Your Classroom . In our conversation, Tisha recalls her professional tipping point: just as doubt and discouragement prompted her to think of leaving the profession, she encountered a host of innovative tools and practices that rejuvenated her passion for education. That turnaround no...
Mar 04, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 72
ROSE PILLAY is an education leader and curriculum consultant for the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese. Her One Word for 2019 is SMILE, and Rose keeps educators inspired on her mission to serve, support, and celebrate growth and relationships. Buckle up for this interview! Her colleagues call her a girl on fire, and you’ll understand why when you hear her passion and commitment for learning. Follow Rose on Twitter @RosePillay1 and visit her blog at https://teachafl.wordpr...
Feb 25, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 71
AJ JULIANI is a dad, a sought-after speaker, and prolific author of several education books, including The PBL Playbook , Empower and Launch. He is a recognized authority on design thinking, genius hour, growth mindset, IBL, PBL, and all things innovation in education. Read more from AJ at http://ajjuliani.com/ and follow him on Twitter @AJJuliani. In our conversation, AJ recalls his professional turning point 2011, when he moved from a teacher discouraged by the game of school to an educator se...
Feb 18, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 70
MIKE PAUL is a middle school math teacher, edtech leader, Google Certified Innovator, and the co-founder of Edcamp Kentucky. Follow Mike on Twitter @mikepaul and check out his blog at https://pikemalltech.com/ . In our conversation, Mike recalls the disappointment he felt when he first realized that not every education leader is in education for the right reasons. He gets into the ways that tech tools have changed the ways students learn (and the ways educators teach) about Math. He also discuss...
Feb 11, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 69
DR. BRAD GUSTAFSON is a National Distinguished Principal, best-selling author, and speaker. He is also a Digital Innovation in Learning Award winner and a member of the National School Boards Association "20 to Watch." Brad recently released a new book that is making a stir: Reclaiming Our Calling: Hold on to the Heart, Mind, and Hope of Education. Find out more about his work at www.BradGustafson.com and follow Brad on Twitter @GustafsonBrad. In our conversation, Brad recalls an important lesso...
Feb 03, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 68
DR. ERIK YOUNGMAN has been a first grade teacher, assistant principal, and principal. Today, he’s the director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the Libertyville School District in the Greater Chicago Area. He advocates for continuous learning, feedback, growth mindset, metacognition, innovation, and visible learning. Follow Dr. Erik on Twitter @Erik_Youngman . In our conversation, Dr. Erik discusses the challenges presented by change, and the importance of feedback for continuous r...
Jan 27, 2019•17 min
DR. SARAH THOMAS is a regional technology coordinator in Maryland and serves as affiliate faculty at Loyola University. In 2014, Sarah founded the EduMatch Project, and she has spoken and presented at numerous conferences since. Find out more about Sarah and her work at https://www.sarahjanethomas.com and follow her on Twitter at @sarahdateechur . In our conversation, Sarah recalls the challenges of finding her place in education during the first three years of her career. She describes how EduM...
Jan 20, 2019•26 min
KATE LINDQUIST is the founder of PeaceLoveArt, which is all about “Enriching heARTS thru self expression and soul connection.” With a Master’s degree in Education, Kate is a passionate educator, artist, consultant, speaker, and contributor to @DisruptEDTV. Follow Kate on Twitter and Instagram @heARTISTatWORK. In our conversation, Kate talks about the frustration of teaching in learning environments that don’t seem to value the arts, and explains how finding her own creative voice on Twitter and ...
Jan 13, 2019•30 min
JENNIFER CASA-TODD is a mom, wife, teacher librarian, speaker, a coordinator for Google Educator Groups of Ontario, an ISTE Librarians leader, and an @ONedSschat advisor. She is also the author of Social LEADia: Moving Students from Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership . Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @JCasaTodd . In our conversation, Jennifer recalls the tremendous challenge of battling concussion symptoms for ten months and identifies the keys that helped her emerge from the fog to r...
Jan 06, 2019•28 min
GREG MOFFITT is a dad, husband, and the principal at Winters Elementary School in Winters, California. He’s also a doctoral student at UC Davis and a big education geek. Greg has set the audacious goal of reading through all of the books from Dave Burgess Consulting in 2019, and you can catch his reflections and reviews (along with those from teammate Kali Slusser) at http://readlikeapirate.wordpress.com . In our conversation, Greg recalls the low point at the end of the last school year when a ...
Dec 31, 2018•25 min
BETH HOUF is a mom, middle school principal, passionate leader & learner, and forever teacher. She’s also the co-author of Lead Like a PIRATE: Make School Amazing for Your Students and Staff . Interact with her on Twitter @BethHouf and engage with ideas from her book at #LeadLAP. In our conversation, Beth recalls how pressure-packed early years in a principal position almost turned her off from the profession completely, and she explains how a random conversation about Twitter helped revive ...
Dec 24, 2018•35 min
CHRIS CHAPPOTIN is the principal at Steam Middle School in Burleson, TX. He’s a husband, father, Engage 2 Learn Coach, certified Google educator, and big sports fan. He’s also a bit of a rapper as well! Follow Chris: On Twitter at https://twitter.com/Chris_Chappotin On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/chris_chappotin/ On YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/frankginley Watch his district’s music video parodies (of which Chris has played an instrumental part) and subscribe to the Burleso...
Dec 17, 2018•20 min
AJ BIANCO is a husband, father of two boys, aspiring leader, and middle school teacher at Harrington Park School in Bergen County, NJ. A fan of the flipped classroom and blended learning, AJ is also a co-host of another great education podcast called Podcast PD. Follow AJ online here: TW: https://twitter.com/AJBianco IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbianco/ Podcast PD: https://podcastpd.com/ In our conversation, AJ recalls the challenge of being moved from school to school due to budget cuts. At ...
Dec 10, 2018•19 min
DR. SAMANTHA FECICH is a former special education teacher and now a professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. She’s also a mom, edtech innovator, and most recently, the author of Edumagic: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers (https://amzn.to/2U47UtD). Follow Dr. Sam online here: TW: https://twitter.com/SFecich IG: https://www.instagram.com/sfecich/ Website: https://www.sfecich.com/ In our conversation, Dr. Sam recalls the disappointment of having her application to a PhD program rejected and...
Dec 02, 2018•32 min
MICHAEL DREZEK is a Technology Integration Specialist for the Lake Shore Central School District in upstate New York. Michael is in his 15th year as an educator and is the host of the Quest 4 Edlightenment podcast. He is a former teacher of the year and has earned too many accolades to list here! Find out more about Michael’s innovative work with technology in education at https://michaeldrezek.com/. Follow Michael online here: TW: https://twitter.com/m_drez IG: https://www.instagram.com/mdrez07...
Nov 25, 2018•23 min
ARI FLEWELLING is a staff development specialist at Riverside Unified School District in Riverside, California. A former high school English teacher, Ari holds a Master’s degree in Education Technology and is a Google Certified Trainer and Innovator. She can often be found sharing her knowledge at EdTechTeam events. Ari’s Twitter profile says “Cool on the internet. Even cooler IRL,” which should tell you that Ari is a person who enjoys engagement and is just a fun person to be around! Follow Ari...
Nov 18, 2018•25 min
