Teach Me, Teacher

Hello everyone! Last week, I recorded the first ever LIVE episode of Teach Me, Teacher! I gave away books, interacted with the audience, and talked about teaching while under quarantine. The live audience seemed to really enjoy coming together and being a part of the show, so I hope you enjoy this as a podcast. In this episode, you'll hear a lot about my perspective on how to approach certain aspects of teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic, and advice on how to think about our challenges we are facing as teachers and parents. If you missed this episode live, make sure to follow Teach Me, Teacher on Facebook. Twitter, and Instagram to get the announcement on the NEXT live episode (coming soon)!   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students’ writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty’s laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher’s journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what’s possible as a writing teacher.  To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Hello everyone! I am SO EXCITED about this week. Why? Because even in the face of great adversity, there are so many districts pushing to keep learning going, and so many teachers working to create a temporary "new normal" for their students. Hopefully, this episode keeps you inspired and keeps you pushing to be your best—and it should, because we are talking about what the best teacher professional development is! Wait, you don't know? And you think I'm going to spoil it in this post? NOPE! I want you to dive in and enjoy the talk. Let us know if you agree on Twitter, Instagram, or even in down below in the comments! If you missed last week's episode and the first part of my talk with Kevin Butler, go check it out!   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students’ writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty’s laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher’s journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what’s possible as a writing teacher.  To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Hello everyone! Today we are asking the question, Why Can't Public Schools Look Like That? with none other than the great Kevin Butler! If you don't know who Kevin is, you are missing out, because he is a wealth of inspiration for what schools CAN BE. In his work at an independent school, he continuously models ideas, lessons, and teaching practices, that are next level and completely inspiring. If you believe teaching is boring or feel like you are being limited by "the system," then this episode is for you! In this talk we touch on: His many roles as a teacher and director of curriculum What inspires us to push the boundaries of what teaching can be Why scripted curriculums are the bane of teaching How to overcome limitations put on you as a teacher And much more!   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students’ writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty’s laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher’s journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what’s possible as a writing teacher.  To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Hello everyone! I teased the "morning meeting" discussion last week, and it is here this week! If you want to spice yours up, learn what they are, or just listen to a great talk, this episode is for you! You might know Megan as @sparkles_and_pompoms on Instagram, where she is always smiling, dressing up as characters, or transforming her room into something amazing. In this episode, we talk about: What are morning meetings What book you should get to learn about them How to spice them up How to use content in your morning meetings And much more! I love this talk so much, and I know you’ll get so much out of listening to Megan’s advice.   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students’ writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty’s laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher’s journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what’s possible as a writing teacher.  To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Hello everyone! It is that time of year when everything can start feeling...dull. I mean, with testing, meetings, and everything else that pops up in February and March, our classes can start to feel a little less than exciting. But does it have to be that way? Not if Megan Siclare has anything to say about it! You might know Megan as @sparkles_and_pompoms on Instagram, where she is always smiling, dressing up as characters, or transforming her room into something amazing. (You might also know her as the "morning meetings queen," though you'll have to wait for part 2 of our talk for that genius advice!) Regardless! Today we are talking about trying something new in the classroom. Where do the ideas come from? What does it take? What does it cost? How do you overcome the fear of failure? And much more! I love this talk so much, and I know you'll get so much out of listening to Megan's advice.   This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students’ writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty’s laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher’s journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what’s possible as a writing teacher.  To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.