The Summer Every Educator Needs: 7 Things to Do Before You Walk Back Into Your Classroom

The Summer Every Educator Needs: 7 Things to Do Before You Walk Back Into Your Classroom

Before educators walk back into classrooms, they need more than school supplies, lesson plans, and bulletin board ideas. They need rest. They need reflection. They need renewal. They need oil. In this episode of The Educators With Oil Podcast, Ronnette T. Branham, M.Ed. shares “The Summer Every Educator Needs” and walks educators through seven practical things to do before returning to the classroom. This episode is rooted in the Identity Before Instruction™ framework and reminds educators that who they are matters before what they teach. You cannot pour into a new school year from an empty vessel. In this episode, educators will be encouraged to rest well, reflect without dwelling, reconnect with identity, invest in professional growth, restore important relationships, create a vision for the year, and return with spiritual, emotional, and professional oil. This is for the educator who wants to return to school clear, steady, prepared, and full.

Inspired! Influential Lesson From Teachers Who Shape Lives w/ Willie Spears

What makes a teacher unforgettable? In this episode of The Educators With Oil Podcast, Ronnette T. Branham, M.Ed. welcomes back Willie Spears, author of INSPIRED: Influential Lessons From Teachers Who Shaped Me. Together, they discuss the lasting impact teachers have beyond the lesson plan, the educators who helped shape Willie’s life, and the powerful lessons that continue to influence his work today. This conversation reminds educators that teaching is more than delivering instruction. It is influence, stewardship, encouragement, correction, wisdom, and legacy. Through the lens of the Identity Before Instruction™ framework, this episode encourages teachers to reflect on who they are, what they carry, and how their words, presence, and example can shape students for years to come. If you are an educator who needs encouragement, practical wisdom, and a reminder that your work matters, this episode is for you. The Educators With Oil Podcast Where purpose meets the classroom and the oil flows.

Sustainable Calling: Serving Without Burning Out or Losing Yourself

Education is a calling, but the calling was never meant to cost you yourself. In this episode of The Educators With Oil Podcast, Ronnette Branham welcomes Anita Gethers for a powerful conversation on Sustainable Calling: Serving Without Burning Out or Losing Yourself. We’ll talk about dedication vs. depletion, boundaries, identity, rest, emotional wellness, and how educators can continue serving with wisdom without losing their peace, voice, health, or purpose. You can serve the calling without abandoning yourself.

Instructional Clarity: What Every Teacher Should Know. Say. Do. With Yasha Chapman

In this episode of The Educators With Oil Podcast, Ronnette Branham welcomes back Yasha Chapman, M.Ed., for a powerful conversation on instructional clarity and what teachers need to know, say, and do to strengthen student learning. Building from a previous conversation on closing achievement gaps for Black and Brown students, this episode moves deeper into the daily practice of teaching. What does clarity look like before the lesson begins? How should teachers communicate expectations? What should students hear, see, and understand during instruction? How can educators maintain rigor while still supporting students well? Through the lens of Ronnette’s flagship framework, Identity Before Instruction™, this conversation reminds educators that before there is instruction, there is the educator. The way we prepare, communicate, reflect, and respond directly impacts what students experience in the classroom. This episode is for teachers, instructional coaches, school leaders, and educators who want to teach with greater clarity, purpose, and impact. In this episode, we discuss: * What instructional clarity really means * What teachers need to know before they teach * What teachers need to say during instruction * What teachers need to do consistently in the classroom * How clarity supports rigor and student success * How coaching can help strengthen teacher practice * Why teacher reflection matters before, during, and after instruction If you are an educator who wants to become clearer, stronger, and more intentional in your teaching practice, this conversation is for you.

You Can't Pour From and Empty Nervous System. Pause. Breathe. Check In. with Dr. Akeia Keith

This week on Educators With Oil Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Akeia Keith for a powerful conversation connected to the Identity Before Instruction™ framework. Our topic is: “You Can’t Pour From an Empty Nervous System: Why Educators Must Pause, Breathe, and Check-In Before They Can Lead Others.” Before educators can pour into students, classrooms, families, and school communities, they must first be connected to themselves. In this conversation, we will discuss how identity, emotional wellness, self-awareness, capacity, and nervous system regulation directly impact instruction, classroom culture, educator longevity, and the way we show up as leaders. Dr. Akeia will also share practical tools from her Pause, Breathe, Check-In framework that educators can apply both inside and outside the classroom. This episode is for the educator who has been carrying a lot, leading while stretched, teaching while tired, and trying to remain present while managing the demands of the school year. Before instruction, there is the educator. Before we lead others, we must check in with ourselves. Join us for this needed conversation.