Teachers on Fire

🔥 How can today’s teachers eat well and care for their bodies? 🔥 How can we fit movement and fitness into our hours at school? 🔥 What are some simple strategies we can follow to improve our nutrition? Join me for this conversation with Florida PE teacher Eric Nelson as he responds. About This Guest: Eric is a K-5 physical education teacher and the Director of Member Success at TeacherFit. TeacherFit provides proactive wellness solutions that focus on physical and mental health for teachers and students. You can connect with Eric on LinkedIn, on X @teacherfit_, on Instagram @teacherfit__, and through the TeacherFit newsletter https://teacherfitnewsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:31 - Who is Eric Nelson? 1:30 - How Eric learned to say no to requests for his time 3:00 - Challenges teachers face in 2024 4:47 - Ways to fit in quick workouts during the school day 7:31 - Advice for the teacher who feels like exercise is torture 9:58 - How to cook nutritious meals with little time 13:11 - Dig it or ditch it? Eric's take on popular fitness practices 16:31 - The TeacherFit newsletter 18:39 - Eric's mental health hacks: detaching from email 20:38 - An edtech tool pick: Canva 22:10 - A book recommendation: Are My Kids on Track? 23:01 - Someone to follow online: Dr. Don Parker 23:58 - Where to connect with Eric's work online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support

🔥 Can you describe the vision of your school? 🔥 How can teacher-leaders raise up the people around them? 🔥 How can schools and districts better communicate with their communities? Join me for this conversation with national superintendent of the year, Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, as he shares his insights on these and other critical questions.  About This Guest: Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is a celebrated educational leader and author. During his tenure as superintendent, his Wisconsin school district was twice recognized for innovation by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Joe was named one of the 100 Most Influential Educators by District Administration Magazine, and in 2019, Education Dive (now K-12 Dive) awarded him National Superintendent of the Year.  You can connect with Joe on LinkedIn, on X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @joe_sanfelippo, and at his website, www.jsanfelippo.com. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:27 - Who is Dr. Joe Sanfelippo? 2:35 - Story time: When the work eclipsed his family relationships 5:07 - How to acknowledge the great work of teachers in your building 8:52 - Narrowing the focus of a community on a collective goal 13:09 - How can teachers lift up the teachers around them? 18:44 - "I don't have time to prioritize my school's brand." 22:03 - How can we protect teacher fire in 2024? 25:23 - How can schools communicate better with their communities? 29:25 - A daily habit: starting and ending the day with encouraging text messages 30:08 - A favorite edtech tool: CapCut 30:38 - A book recommendation: Power of Moments by Dan Heath 31:15 - Educators to follow online: Jimmy Casas, Tom Murray 31:39 - Where to connect with Dr. Joe Sanfelippo online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support

🔥 How can media creation activities support student learning? 🔥 How should we think about student phones in today’s classrooms? 🔥 How can we captivate, engage, and empower our students in a world of digital distractions? Join me for this conversation with New York assistant principal, author, and podcaster Dr. MARC ISSEKS as he shares his insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: Marc is a third-generation educator with 30 years of experience. He has served as a teacher, curriculum coordinator, and building administrator in Brooklyn and Long Island.  Marc is passionate about sharing strategies to increase student engagement and ensuring that schools cultivate the nurturing and invigorating learning environment that every student deserves. A self-proclaimed educational pyromaniac, he is dedicated to lighting fires under people who work and setting fire to systemic conventions that do not.  Dr. Isseks is the author of Forward Fast: Making Sense of Education in an Era of Rapid Change (2019) and the recently published Captivate: Engaging and Empowering Students in a World of Digital Distractions. You can connect with Dr. Marc Isseks on LinkedIn, on X @marcisseks, on Instagram and TikTok @edupyro, and on his website at marcisseks.com. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:30 - Who is Dr. Marc Isseks? 2:09 - "What the F was that?" 5:06 - The challenge that teachers face in 2024 6:17 - Hope for the struggling teacher 10:13 - "But this is how we've always done it!" 14:07 - How assessment can play a role in student engagement 17:56 - How media creation can support student learning 21:35 - Can student phones possibly be a win in the classroom? 24:37 - One thing to realize about student motivation 28:55 - The State of Ed Podcast 30:40 - A powerful personal habit: daily walking 32:03 - App recommendations: Canva and TextToImage.AI 33:01 - A book suggestion: Unconscious Bias in Schools 33:48 - Someone worth following: Libo Valencia 34:36 - How to connect with Dr. Marc Isseks online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support

🔥 How can we promote values like courage, commitment, and sacrifice in our learning communities? 🔥 What is the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and how can it impact your school? Join me for this conversation with California middle school teacher and trainer MARILYNN ALFORD-WALSH as she shares her insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: Marilynn has been in education for over 30 years, teaching all grade levels from preschool through middle school. Today, she teaches middle school science, college and career, technology, and education courses.  She’s also been a national curriculum trainer for the Medal of Honor Character Development Program for the past 13 years, and uses the program regularly with her middle school students.  You can find out more about the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Character Development Program at cmohs.org/lessons and the Path to Honor at pathtohonor.cmohs.org/introduction. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:28 - Who is Marilynn Alford-Walsh? 1:28 - Marilynn's story: Building connections with middle schoolers 4:31 - Six Core Values: Courage, Commitment, Integrity, Sacrifice, Citizenship, Patriotism 5:21 - What is courage? 6:09 - What is integrity? 6:51 - What is citizenship? 7:31 - What is sacrifice? 10:11 - How the Character Development Program has impacted Marilynn's students 12:43 - How the CDP supports writing and thinking skills 14:35 - How Marilynn plans to use the CMOHS Path to Honor this year 16:02 - How schools can connect with Medal of Honor recipients 18:55 - A tour of FREE teacher resources at cmohs.org 32:54 - A recommended teaching resource: EduProtocols 34:33 - WeWillWrite.com 35:34 - A book recommendation: The Shark and the Goldfish by Jon Gordon 38:14 - How teachers can connect with the FREE Character Development Program Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support

🔥 How has the teaching profession changed over the last five years? 🔥 What would you say to a rookie teacher struggling with imposter syndrome? 🔥 As federal elections approach, what is the role of the Social Studies teacher? Join me for this conversation with New Brunswick resource teacher and podcaster LUCAS CLARKE as he shares his insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: Lucas is an academic support teacher in Saint John, New Brunswick, and the host of the Mr. Clarke After Dark podcast. Connect with Lucas on Linkedin, on Instagram and TikTok @mrclarke.afterdark,  on his podcast Mr. Clarke After Dark, and on his YouTube channel @MrClarkeAfterDark. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:30 - Who is Lucas Clarke? 1:33 - Two stories of adversity 11:55 - Why Lucas moved from Alberta to Saint John, New Brunswick 16:59 - Lucas's current position as Academic Support Teacher (Resource Teacher) 20:06 - Resource teacher strategy: Pull students out or push in? 24:39 - Advice for new teachers struggling with Imposter Syndrome 28:54 - How has education changed over the last five years? 32:40 - What is the role of the Social Studies teacher as federal elections loom? 38:14 - The Mr. Clarke After Dark Podcast 43:25 - A productivity hack: grade fewer assignments 45:41 - An edtech app pick: Epic 47:18 - A book recommendation: The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog 48:56 - An educator to follow online: George Couros 50:17 - Where to connect with Lucas online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support

🔥 What does a coaching mindset look like in professional observations? 🔥 How important is mentorship when it comes to the growth of school leaders? 🔥 How can we better support the learning of our youngest readers and writers? Join me for this conversation with author and Director of Literacy LAUREN KAUFMAN as she shares her insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest Lauren is passionate about empowering teachers to lead and develop lifelong literacy practices in all learners. She serves as a Director of Literacy K-12 in Long Island and is the author of The Leader Inside: Stories of Mentorship to Inspire the Leader Within. You’ll find Lauren’s work on her blog, podcasts, The Teach Better Team, Future Ready Schools, and in various publications including Edutopia, Education Week, George Couros's Because of a Teacher, and Lainie Rowell’s Evolving With Gratitude. Connect with Lauren on Linkedin, on X @LaurenMKaufman, on Instagram @LaurenMKaufman, and at her website, www.LaurenMKaufman.com. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation 0:23 - Who is Lauren Kaufman? 1:47 - Overcoming the disappointment of unmet expectations 5:56 - How can mentorship impact the growth of school leaders? 12:58 - Can formal mentorship structures make a difference? 18:00 - What does the ideal mentorship arrangement look like? 23:11 - What does a coaching mindset look like during teacher observations? 30:07 - What does 30-second feedback look like? 33:40 - The power of job-embedded learning as a model for Pro D 36:23 - A personal productivity hack: slow reading and note-taking 38:22 - Lauren's edtech tool picks: Canva and Notebook LM 39:16 - A book recommendation: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara 40:13 - Inspiring educators to follow: Darrin Peppard, Sean Gaillard, Meghan Lawson, Adam Welcome 41:14 - Where to connect with Lauren Kaufman Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support

🔥 What does your school’s dream makerspace look like? 🔥 Will AR and VR tools ever impact K-12 education in a significant way? 🔥 How are students using 3D printing, laser cutting, and sublimation to create? Join me for this conversation with education technology coach JESUS HUERTA as he shares his insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: Jesus is an education technology coach based in southern California who believes that access to technology should not be determined by demographics. He believes that improved technology in the classroom can lead to higher engagement and spark student interest in STEAM careers from a young age. Connect with Jesus on Linkedin, on X @jesush1979,  on TikTok @jesush1979,  on Instagram @Mrhuertasclass. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:29⁠ - Who is Jesus Huerta? ⁠1:50⁠ - Story time: rekindling his fire for teaching after the pandemic ⁠5:17⁠ - The state of 3D printing opportunities in K-12 schools today ⁠11:36⁠ - What are K-12 students creating with laser cutting and sublimation? ⁠16:12⁠ - Project-based learning that solves real-world problems for others ⁠21:48⁠ - What would be in your dream school makerspace? ⁠27:37⁠ - Game design as a teaching tool in the classroom ⁠34:23⁠ - Will AR and VR tools ever make a big impact in K-12 classrooms? ⁠45:32⁠ - Jesus's productivity hack: making lists ⁠46:02⁠ - An edtech tool pick: Canva ⁠47:03⁠ - An inspiring educator to follow online: Martin Ricardo Cisneros  @TheTechProfe   ⁠48:20⁠ - How to connect with Jesus Huerta online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support

🔥 What does it mean to grow beyond grades? 🔥 What works about standards-based grading, and where does it fall short? 🔥 How can we deemphasize grades and shift the focus to growth in our practice? Join me for this conversation with assessment leader ARTHUR CHIARAVALLI as he shares his insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: In his teaching career, Arthur has taught mathematics, language arts, media arts, and technology. He has a passion for helping teachers move toward more humane, effective approaches to assessment, feedback, and reporting that help students develop positive beliefs in their abilities. He is also the founder of Grow Beyond Grades, a global group of educators convinced that teaching and learning is better when we grade less. Connect with Arthur on Linkedin, on X @iamchiaravalli, and on growbeyondgrades.org. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:29 - Who is Arthur Chiaravalli? 2:01 - Arthur's story: hitting an assessment rock bottom in Atlanta 5:49 - The wins and losses of SBG, or Standards-Based Grading 10:56 - Defining gradeless and the practice of grading less 13:40 - Arthur describes his first steps on the journey of grading less 19:55 - Benefits from de-emphasizing grades and focusing on growth 24:30 - Increasing student engagement and engagement 29:56 - Arthur's laments regarding traditional grading practices 36:47 - Why Teachers Going Gradeless became Grow Beyond Grades 39:15 - An update on Arthur's upcoming book 41:01 - What's next for the Grow Beyond Grades team 43:48 - Arthur's passion for family, exploring Vermont 44:34 - A productivity hack: Google apps and Calendar 45:24 - A book recommendation: The Dialogic Imagination by Mikhail Bakhtin 46:33 - Someone to follow online: Human Restoration Project 47:54 - What Arthur's streaming: Martin Short videos on YouTube 49:04 - How to connect with Arthur online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support

🔥 How can I take my students and their learning outdoors? 🔥 How do students win when learning occurs outside the school building? 🔥 How do curriculum, feedback, and assessment appear in outdoor environments? Join me for this conversation with LAUREN MACLEAN as she shares her insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: Lauren is an elementary school teacher and the author of Me and My Sit Spot, Finding Common Ground, and Sitting with Nature: An Educator's Guide to Sit Spots. She is the host of the Teach Outdoors podcast where she shares her passion for outdoor learning and promoting environmental education. She is also an outdoor learning consultant for school districts in Canada and the USA. Connect with Lauren on Linkedin, on X @lkmaclean, on YouTube @TeachOutdoors on Instagram @teachoutdoors.ca, on TikTok @teachoutdoorsca, and at her website, teachoutdoors.ca. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:15 - Who is Lauren MacLean? 1:25 - Story Time: Lauren recalls responding to an upset parent 4:10 - Lauren describes the themes in her latest book, Finding Common Ground 6:19 - Why teaching and learning outdoors sets Lauren on fire 8:44 - The natural environment around Lauren's elementary school 10:26 - How to respond to the practical challenges of teaching outdoors 13:09 - How to address feedback and assessment in the outdoor classroom 16:24 - Lauren discusses her first children's book, Me and My Sit Spot 19:29 - Nature's Path: 12 months of professional support for schools and educators 21:50 - Lauren previews her next book project: Sitting with Nature 24:06 - Passions outside of teaching and nature: field hockey and gardening 25:31 - Daily productivity hacks: waking up early, mud water, quiet 26:50 - A favorite edtech tool: ‪@SeesawEdu‬  27:38 - A book recommendation: Unschooled by Kerry McDonald 28:39 - People to follow online: Janice Novakowski, Megan Zeni (Room to Play), and Outdoor Learning Store 29:13 - What Lauren's streaming in her down time: Alone 29:49 - How and where to follow Lauren online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support

🔥 What does it mean to create a classroom of abundance? 🔥 How can we make multiple iterations of work an integral part of our learning culture? 🔥 How can we build strong relationships with our students at the start of the school year? Join me for this conversation with ADRIAN NEIBAUER as he shares his insights on these and other critical leadership questions. About This Guest: Adrian is a public school educator in Colorado with 20+ years of experience in helping students find their voices. His elementary classes rely on design thinking as a process for creativity and innovation. Forever a student of teaching, Adrian runs learning experiments in his classroom to collect feedback on what’s working and tweak things that are not. Connect with Adrian on Linkedin, on X @MrNeibauer,  at his website, adrian-neibauer.com, and  on Substack at adrianneibauer.substack.com. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:27 - Who is Adrian Neibauer? 1:48 - Adrian's story of teaching through some low years 3:58 - How to build relationships with students in the first week of school 9:28 - Designing learning experiences and classrooms of abundance 13:32 - Design thinking in the English Language Arts classroom 18:20 - Why Adrian blogs about teaching and learning on Substack 23:21 - Adrian talks about his YouTube video titled 'Why I Teach' 27:15 - A message for veteran teachers who feel off their game 30:31 - Adrian loves reading and writing poetry 31:09 - A productivity habit: a little bit every day 32:19 - An edtech tool pick: Microsoft Flip 32:59 - Book recommendations: Don Quixote and Redesigning Tomorrow 33:49 - Inspiring educators to follow: Mike Kleba (author of Otherful) and Marcus Luther 35:35 - What Adrian's streaming right now: K-Dramas 36:16 - How to follow Adrian online  Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support