Part 2: Author Chat with Cheryl Olsten

Flow State in the Classroom with Steven Puri (part 1)

What happens in your brain when you're 'in the zone'? In this episode, we explore flow state with Steven Puri, founder of The Sukha Company and a veteran of Hollywood studios and tech startups. We dive into the research behind flow, why the attention economy is designed to keep you out of it, and the tools that actually help—from music and timers to creating the right classroom conditions. Whether you're a teacher looking to reclaim focus or an educator wanting to help students release their greatness, this conversation has actionable takeaways. Learn more about Steven's work at thesukha.co.

Grammar in the Homeschool Classroom with Jaimie Thomas

In this episode we are joined by homeschool educator Jaimie Thomas. She shares how she creates rich literature conversations where her multi-age students naturally engage with grammar, build confidence as writers, and develop a genuine love for language.Find Jaimie online at https://simplylearningtogether.com/

Part 2: Author Chat with Cheryl Olsten

In part two of our interview with children's book author Cheryl Olsten, she shares how she crafts stories in bits and pieces, why she writes by hand, and how living with dyslexia never stopped her from finding her voice as a writer. Find out more about Cheryl at cherylolsten.com [https://cherylolsten.com/].

Bringing Punctuation to Life: Author Chat with Cheryl Olsten, Author of Punctuation to the Rescue

In this episode of PoPCast, Travis and Whitney sit down with children's book author Cheryl Olsten to talk about her picture book Punctuation to the Rescue — a story where the punctuation marks themselves are the characters. Cheryl shares how a pet peeve about exclamation point overuse sparked the idea, what it was like developing the personalities of her four punctuation mark characters, and how her background in magazine publishing shaped her path to children's books. Whether you're looking for a fresh mentor text or just love a good origin story, this one's for you. Learn more about Cheryl and her books at https://cherylolsten.com/ [https://cherylolsten.com/]Follow Cheryl on Instagram: @cherylolsten

Part 2: Contemporary Grammarian Chat with Patty McGee

Patty McGee joins us to share hands-on grammar strategies from Not Your Granny's Grammar that turn students into active explorers of language through play, conversation, and manipulatives. Plus, we talk next steps for teachers ready to embrace a contemporary grammarian mindset — starting with grace, curiosity, and a learning buddy. Check out Patty's book, Not Your Granny's Grammar [https://www.corwin.com/books/not-your-grannys-grammar-288198?srsltid=AfmBOooJEqF_jYrMkAAZtGbu-EBmbLQDuar-dFfDjv46IMPiawkJnjQ-]