Turns out Owen does a lot to keep his students engaged! Learn more from listening to this week’s episode. You can grab a copy of this slidedeck from Owen to learn more about his classroom community builders. Owen Bondono (pronouns: he/they) teaches 9th grade English at Oak Park High School in Oak Park, Michigan. He is the 2021 Michigan Teacher of the Year. His teaching focuses on growing students’ empathy, critical thinking, and communication skills in a space where they are safe and empowered. ...
Dec 29, 2022•30 min•Ep. 23
Owen Bondono joins Donnie and Alisa to share a few classroom ideas that he uses in his high school English class. Owen Bondono (pronouns: he/they) teaches 9th grade English at Oak Park High School in Oak Park, Michigan. He is the 2021 Michigan Teacher of the Year. His teaching focuses on growing students’ empathy, critical thinking, and communication skills in a space where they are safe and empowered. Owen is focused on bringing anti-racist and queer-affirming practices into the classroom and b...
Dec 27, 2022•24 min•Ep. 22
Justin comes back to pass a note about how he encourages his students to discover new composers and how a solid music program can become the backbone of a school building. Justin Johnson is entering his 10th year as director of bands at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois, where he oversees all aspects of the band program. Justin prides himself on creating a classroom culture focused on student growth while creating an atmosphere that cultivates accountability, responsibility, and good wi...
Dec 22, 2022•27 min•Ep. 21
Justin Johnson is entering his 10th year as director of bands at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois, where he oversees all aspects of the band program. Justin prides himself on creating a classroom culture focused on student growth while creating an atmosphere that cultivates accountability, responsibility, and good will. His voice is valuable as a fresh perspective in education, and he continues seeking to teach values and lessons that reach beyond the band room. On this episode, Justin...
Dec 20, 2022•18 min•Ep. 20
The 2021 National Teacher of the Year is back and better than ever! A believer in outdoor education for all, Juliana worked with her elementary special education students for years to have them develop a school and community garden. As 2021 National Teacher of the Year, Juliana advocated for a “joyous and just” education for all students, one that is inclusive and celebratory of all students’ identities, families and communities. Since being announced as National Teacher of the Year in May 2021,...
Dec 15, 2022•24 min•Ep. 19
Juliana Urtubey is the 2021 National Teacher of the Year. On this episode, Juliana chats with Donnie and Alisa about how she used worms to teach her special education students to “celebrate their success and compost their failures.” As a first-generation, bilingual immigrant, she has worked throughout her teaching career to serve as a mirror for her school community, helping students to be proud of their identities and families, and to acknowledge their strengths and contributions to the communi...
Dec 13, 2022•16 min•Ep. 18
Jena Nelson returns for another episode to talk about the joys of public education. As an educator with almost two decades of experience, Jena knows her stuff! You can follow Mrs. Nelson on Twitter at @Jena4OK Like Teachers Passing Notes? Please like, subscribe, and share it with other educators! For more great shows, visit GZMshows.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 08, 2022•18 min•Ep. 17
Mrs. Jena Nelson teaches middle school at Classen SAS Middle School in Oklahoma City. In addition to being the 2020 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, she has a background in theater and dance, and lives on a farm with the happiest chickens you’ll ever meet. 🐔 You can follow Mrs. Nelson on Twitter at @Jena4OK Like Teachers Passing Notes? Please like, subscribe, and share it with other educators! For more great shows, visit GZMshows.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 06, 2022•11 min•Ep. 16
The one and only DC talks with Alisa and Donnie about how he uses his elementary school gym to create a strong, supportive, and positive community within his building. DC is believer in what he calls the five “Learn Languages”: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Reassurance. …and yes, DC did actually record this episode from his elementary school gymnasium. You can follow Mr. DC on Instagram at @darrionc20 Like Teachers Passing Notes? Please like, ...
Dec 01, 2022•25 min•Ep. 15
Jess from GZM Shows is learning how to make a podcast, and she’s taking you along for the ride! Join her as she learns from her friends in the industry aspects of planning, pre-production, production and post-production… from picking a good title and theme music to RSS feeds and everything in between! Tune in weekly with classrooms, kids and adults alike to learn how to make your own show in funny-yet-informative 5-10 minute episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...
Nov 29, 2022•9 min
Darrion Cockrell – or Mr. DC as he likes to be called – teaches physical education at Crestwood Elementary School in St. Louis, Missouri. He has nine years of teaching experience and has been at Crestwood since 2015. Mr. DC started a program for his students called CRESTFIT to get them, and the entire Crestwood community, up and moving. You can check out the CRESTFIT program in action here. He is the 2020 Emerson’s Excellence in Teaching Award winner, Missouri’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, and the...
Nov 24, 2022•19 min•Ep. 14
Nicole is back to talk about the importance of recognizing, celebrating, and learning from the indigenous cultures within our schools. Nicole Butler-Hooton has been an educator for the past 16 years. In 2021 she was named the Oregon Teacher of the Year, becoming the first Indigenous teacher to ever earn this recognition! She’s a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians - Chetco Band (Oregon) and the San Carlos Apache Tribe (Arizona). Fun fact: she might also just be the biggest fan of...
Nov 22, 2022•29 min•Ep. 13
Rochelle is back to talk about some of her favorite picture books that she shares with her students. If you missed the previous conversation we had with Rochelle, don’t be afraid to give it a listen! Oh, and if you’d like it, here’s all of the books mentioned by Rochelle in this episode. If you’d like to connect with Rochelle, give her a follow on Instagram @kidlitlove8 Like Teachers Passing Notes? Please like, subscribe, and share it with other educators! For more great shows, visit GZMshows.co...
Nov 17, 2022•38 min•Ep. 12
Rochelle Brown is the 2021 Connecticut Teacher of the Year and teaches Kindergarten in Windsor, Connecticut. Each Fall, she has the students in her classroom create posters of themselves that she keeps up all year long. These posters are filled with affirming messages from their classmates, and they help build a strong sense of community. She feels that the very act of allowing students to feel seen, heard, loved, and acknowledged is necessary to their success and progress. Presently, Rochelle s...
Nov 15, 2022•18 min•Ep. 11
She’s back and better than ever! In this episode, Sara shares “The Studio Habits of Mind”, a teaching philosophy that brings the mindset of an artist into the classroom. You can view all eight of them here. Everyone can (and is!) an artist – even those of us (like Donnie) that can only draw stick figures. If you’d like to connect with Sara follow her on Instagram @saraabaird Like Teachers Passing Notes? Please like, subscribe, and share it with other educators! For more great shows, visit GZMsho...
Nov 10, 2022•22 min•Ep. 10
Sara Baird has been teaching art since 2006, and she became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2014. She loves helping students explore their creativity and grow as artists. She stops by the podcast to talk with Alisa and Donnie about a teaching strategy, “See, Think, Wonder.” …and in case you haven’t ever seen the painting “Watson and the Shark”, you can find it here. If you’d like to connect with Sara, you can follow her on Instagram @saraabaird Fun fact: Sara knows more about The Big Lebow...
Nov 08, 2022•22 min•Ep. 9
She’s back! Mrs. Reinke is back to share a variety of in-classroom strategies that she’s found success with over the years. There’s a reason she was named the North Dakota Teacher of the Year. She’s incredible! If you’d like to connect with Kristi (or connect your class to hers!) follow her on Twitter @reinkekristi Like Teachers Passing Notes? Please like, subscribe, and share it with other educators! For more great shows, visit GZMshows.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...
Nov 03, 2022•34 min•Ep. 8
Kristi Reinke teaches middle school in Minot (my-not*) North Dakota, and in 2021, she was named the North Dakota Teacher of the Year! Listen as Kristi shares her strategy for connecting her students to other middle schoolers all around the world, all while teaching them geographic awareness and cultural competencies. If you’d like to connect with Kristi (or connect your class to hers!) follow her on Twitter @reinkekristi Like Teachers Passing Notes? Please like, subscribe, and share it with othe...
Nov 01, 2022•19 min•Ep. 7
We interrupt this regularly scheduled week to bring you a special Holiday episode! In honor of Halloween and Día de Muertos happening soon, Donnie and Alisa share some unique ideas that you may want to try. Like Teachers Passing Notes? Please like, subscribe, and share it with other educators! For more great shows, visit GZMshows.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 27, 2022•29 min•Ep. 6
Nicole Butler-Hooton has been an educator for 16 years. In 2021 she was named the Oregon Teacher of the Year, becoming the first Indigenous teacher to ever earn this recognition! She’s a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians - Chetco Band (Oregon) and the San Carlos Apache Tribe (Arizona). Nicole is a believer in the importance of connecting with students and families. Fun fact: she also loves to golf and would definitely beat Donnie if they ever played a round together. ⛳ If you’d...
Oct 25, 2022•23 min•Ep. 5
The 2020 National Teacher of the Year is back and better than ever. Donnie and Alisa chat with Tabatha as she talks about connecting classrooms to the community. She believes in the importance of early childhood education and the need for social-emotional learning for all students. If you’d like to connect with Tabatha and have any follow up questions about her ideas, you can find her on Twitter at @tabatharosproy. Like Teachers Passing Notes? Please like, subscribe, and share it with other educ...
Oct 20, 2022•32 min•Ep. 4
Tabatha Rosproy, the 2020 National Teacher of the Year, is a career early childhood educator and the 2020 National Teacher of the Year. She is the first preschool teacher to ever win this award! Tabatha stops by to chat with Donnie and Alisa about how she helped launch a preschool inside of Cumbernauld Village, a nursing home and retirement community in Winfield, Kansas. The four-year-old students interact every day with community residents, who serve as volunteer “Grandmas” and “Grandpas” to ev...
Oct 18, 2022•16 min•Ep. 3
The 2021 Utah State Teacher of the Year – John Arthur – returns! In this episode, Mr. Arthur talks about the ways his students become advocates for themselves and their community. If you don’t know John, he’s the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year and a 2021 National Teacher of the Year Finalist. He is in his 10th year of teaching at Meadowlark Elementary, a Title I school in Salt Lake City. He’s also a National Board Certified Teacher, a Utah Teacher Fellow with the Hope Street Group, and an adjunct...
Oct 13, 2022•24 min•Ep. 2
Welcome to the first episode of Teachers Passing Notes: Gen-Z Media’s first podcast created for educators! Hosted by teachers Donnie Piercey and Alisa Cooper de Uribe, this is a show where we talk about all things education: from creative teaching strategies to deeper discussions about important topics. John Arthur stops by on this first episode to talk about how a simple checklist helps his students enter the “Chill Zone”. If you don’t know John, he’s the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year and a 202...
Oct 11, 2022•16 min•Ep. 1
