The ABC's High School Teachers Really Need to Know
This podcast was developed to help high school teachers better reach students, as well as gain more self-fulfillment by doing just that. We will discuss essential strategies and stories to help new, experienced, burned-out, and/or growth-focused teachers find their way in a world of confusing, endless, and oftentimes overwhelming resources for educators. Hopefully, you will find these both tangible and applicable in your own professional journey. This podcast is definitely not about “polish” and “pretty”. Instead, it’s about REAL strategies that have proven results in REAL classrooms. Thank you for taking the time to get better for your students. Most of all, thank you for being a teacher.
Episodes
130 episodes
Episode #26: Zapped and Zits: Navigating the 4th Nine-Weeks
In our final episode of the season, we look at how to turn the challenges of the 4th nine-weeks into incredible learning opportunities that improve outcomes. Simply put, effective teachers are at their best in May. We don't "mail it...
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Season 5
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Episode 26
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40:55
Episode #25: Your Life Sentence
If you had to sum up your impact in the classroom in one sentence, what would it say? How similar would it be to the sentence your kids would write? Effective teachers strive to make a positive difference. They also realize th...
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Season 5
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Episode 25
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25:11
Episode #24; X-Teachers and X-Parents and X-Students, Oh My!
Living in the past, no matter how great it may be, can lead to emotional drag for you and unfair comparisons and contrasts for your students. Effective teachers realize the importance of being fully present for their students and coworker...
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Season 5
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Episode 24
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18:31
Episode #23: Who You Gonna Call?
As a regular part of your process, utilize content experts/professionals, interventionists, and strong continuing education resources. Make relationships with people outside of your classroom and leverage them to generate better outcomes ...
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Season 5
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Episode 23
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28:21
Episode #22: Venture Into the Unknown
As an educator, if you aren't venturing into the unknown, you are reducing your effectiveness as a classroom manager, content leader, and professional colleague. Don't grow or change for the sake of growing and changing. Instead, ve...
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Season 5
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Episode 22
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23:18
Episode #21: Unclutter Your Mind and Your Path
Educators have to balance a seemingly endless number of tasks and responsibilities. This can lead to stress, anxiety, fatigue, burnout, and a lack of focus. However, effective teachers know the importance of eliminating clutter and ...
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Season 5
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Episode 21
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37:17
Episode #20: Top Ten Trademarks of an Anti-Misery Teacher
In this episode, we will talk about ten things that can help reduce or eliminate misery in your classroom. From mindless structure and obsessive bathroom policies to overreactions to gum chewing and more, we will discuss it. It's am...
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Season 5
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Episode 20
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32:13
Episode #19: Substitutes Shouldn't Be Your Burden
Let's keep it simple. Both philosophically and practically, the substitute shortage shouldn't be your burden. Educators can advocate for their kids and themselves at the same time. Stop going to work sick. Stop missing f...
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Season 5
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Episode 19
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22:28
Episode #18: Review Day Revisited
Teachers often use "Review Days" as a regular part of their process, especially before summative assessments. However, if not approached correctly, these days can actually hurt students and even prevent learning. Playing games of ra...
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Season 5
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Episode 18
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34:53
Episode #17: Quibbling with Parents is Usually a Waste of Time
Quibbling with parents in emails, parent conferences, or anywhere else is usually a waste of time. Effective teachers know that empathy, clear expectations, and emotional intelligence are key. This week's episode will give you plent...
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Season 5
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Episode 17
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35:12
Episode #16: Personal, Political, and Professional Lenses
It goes without saying that all of us have different life experiences, political beliefs, and professional practices. These serve as our "lenses" through which we inevitably design and facilitate lessons. Effective teachers are awar...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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28:12
Episode #15: Operation Dumbo
The gap between who we are and how we actually come across to our students needs to be as narrow as possible. In addition to being relationship-focused, effective teachers must possess high levels of self-awareness. They need to ref...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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18:50
Episode #14: Not Just One Piece of Pie
Effective teachers know they have to offer different pieces of the "pie" to truly connect with the diversity of students in the classroom. In addition to offering countless ways to learn and show skills and progress, allowing them to "nib...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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27:01
Episode #13: Maximizing Effort
This episode discusses crucial strategies that will help your students find success in the classroom and beyond. Effective teachers know that effort is really about motivation. When we don't empathize or emphasize what really drives...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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43:27
Episode #12: Leverage Group Work Correctly
Group work is often an obsession for teachers and other stakeholders. The truth is, like any other instructional strategy, if it is not used with appropriate learning objectives in mind, the lesson will be more likely to miss the mark. &n...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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16:56
Episode #5: Keep the Emphasis on Daily Classroom Value
Effective teachers know that the daily classroom experience has to be the most impactful part of the learning process, particularly in today's world. We have to make each day relevant and valuable. We need to design a daily experien...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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34:07
Episode #10: Join the Living
Living at your job is not living at all. We have to strive for balance. Effective teachers know that you serve your students best when you are also at your best. Find happiness and longevity in your job by also finding it in y...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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24:27
Episode #5: Imagine the Ideal Classroom
Spend time thinking about the ideal classroom, knowing that every classroom will look different. What does the physical space look like? How are lessons taught in that classroom? What does assessment and classroom management l...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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15:28
Episode #8: Hitting Your Stride
Will it get easier? Will you figure it out? Whether you're beginning your career, changing schools or roles, or approaching decades of experience, we are all looking to hit our stride. How do we know we're there, and how do we...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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22:31
Episode #7: Game Changers
This week's episode is all about "game changers" that have helped me find success in the classroom and in education. From instructional and assessment strategies to time-management, classroom strategies, and more, these are things that ca...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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39:03
Episode #6: Furries and Other Fires
It is absolutely impossible for a teacher to adequately meet all of the mental health and socioemotional health needs of our students - nor should we try. In a world and society that's "all about me" and relative ethics, we have to ...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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17:11
Episode $5: Enrichment > Edutainment
Enrichment is far more effective than edutainment. As students reach high school, they search for more "meaning" in lessons than "fun" alone. Enrichment is the key to both engaging students and establishing that meaning. For e...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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31:14
Episode #5: Don't Forget to Document
Effective and professional teachers document early and often. They document the good and the bad. They document how effective lessons are in meeting their goals. They document patterns in student performance and behavior. &nbs...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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21:22
Episode #3: Chatterbox
It's the age-old question, "How do I keep my students from talking so much in class?" This episode will help you answer that question by looking at why students talk in the first place, as well as why your classroom management techniques ...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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30:43
Episode #2: Ban Bad Discipline Practices
This episode presents a powerful list that educators can use to improve their classroom management, particularly when discipline problems occur. Whether you are new to the classroom or a long-time veteran, we need to realize that effectiv...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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54:37