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Connections are where learning starts. Students are able to learn when they feel comfortable, valued, and that their needs are met. Do you ask your students, “Who is your in the school?” Who can they go to when they're having a bad day? This episode features a real-life story from Mandi Hill, a middle-school English Teacher from Memphis, Tennessee. SHOW NOTES: Ms. Mandi Hill is an 8th-grade English Teacher at St. George's Independent School in Memphis, Tennessee. Quotes: One of the cornerstones of this school is the emphasis on the connections that we have with each other. Connections that make kids feel comfortable going to adults. “Who is your person? Who is your person in the school?” That's one of the things that we talk about frequently. When you're having a bad day, who is it that you can go to? So it's important, everywhere, that kids have a person in their school that they can go to. So, connections. Absolutely. That's where learning starts. You're going to be able to learn when you feel comfortable and valued and all of your needs are met. And that's where that's where the real learning is. –Mandi Hill CREDITS: Producer & Host: Karen Marklein Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (Tennessee, USA) offers an innovative "Grow Your Own" pathway for helping residents obtain certification and become classroom teachers within the school district. Hear from Mr. Chris Dial, Teacher Residency Liaison, and Mr. Jermaine Purdie, an 8th Grade ELA Teacher Resident. Explore the keys to opening doors to the teaching profession and providing the support needed as new teachers enter the classroom. SHOW NOTES: CMCSS Teacher Residency Programs The Teacher Residency Program at Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) provides a pathway to teaching for those interested in a non-traditional approach to a degree or certification. Teacher Residents are educational assistants who contribute to excellence by providing instructional and non-instructional support to students while learning best practices for a career in education from an outstanding CMCSS educator. CMCSS Teacher Residency Program Continues to Grow, over 70 New Educators Signed in September Lipscomb University Offerings for CMCSS Lipscomb University’s College of Education, with one of the top teacher preparation programs in Tennessee and in the nation, is launching two new innovative teacher apprenticeship program models to create a pipeline of teachers to fill workforce needs across the state. Lipscomb has established its first degreed teacher candidate apprenticeship program with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS). This partnership includes the first master’s and certification teacher apprenticeship programs in Tennessee and one of the first of its kind in the nation. The program is a collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the U.S. Department of Labor to remove financial barriers for those who have undergraduate degrees but are seeking teacher licensure, which will further the state’s and nation’s efforts to extend the teacher pipeline and address teacher shortages. College of Education launches first master’s and certification teacher apprenticeship programs in Tennessee, gives opportunity to become a teacher for free Quotes: "The very obvious need that's being filled by the design of the 'Grow Your Own' program is to staff our classrooms with highly qualified people. We're experiencing the same shortage in Clarksville-Montgomery County schools that schools are likewise facing throughout the nation. Beyond that, though, the design of the program is inclusive of diversifying our teaching workforce. Students are not only being taught by people who look like them and might have backgrounds that are relative to the student background, they're also being served by people who have incredibly diverse perspectives and work histories. I think I could sum up the need in two words. The phrase would be ‘diverse staffing.’” —Mr. Chris Dial "I've got a great school and a great mentor teacher. The only challenge is just getting over my nervousness...

We’ve gathered questions from current teachers and leaders from all across the state of Tennessee for this "Ask Me Anything" episode about coaching. We will be posing your questions to Annette Little and Pam Scretchen, experienced practitioners and instructors from the ABA program offered by Lipscomb University’s College of Education. SHOW NOTES: Learn about Lipscomb University's Applied Behavior Analysis program on our website. Quotes: Best practices for me is really tapping into what will make a child successful, particularly in the classroom and in the school setting. That also entails the adults or the teachers taking a step back and looking at, 'Is this a won't do behavior or can't do behavior?' As educators, our job is to teach. We need to see if this behavior deficit or interfering behavior is a skill deficit? Is there a need to teach that? Many times, the best practice for me is to have people step back and look through a lens of, 'How can I teach the skill? What skill does this student need right now that they're not showing that they have? –Pam Scretchen, BCBA Most of us have grown up with the language, 'good behavior and bad behavior.' But as behavior analyst, we don't believe in good behavior and bad behavior because the behavior is functional for that individual. So how can it be good or bad? It's working for that individual or they wouldn't be doing it. So we look at the reasons for the behavior; separate the behavior from the child. The every child is a good child. But look at that behavior and ask yourself, 'What is this behavior telling me?' It's a form of communication. –Dr. Annette Little, BCBA References: Learning Module: Functional Behavior al Assessment from the IRIS center. Videos: A Summary of Functional Behavioral Analysis and Conducting an ABC Analysis from the IRIS center. Circle of Security – article and video. CREDITS: Producer & Host: Karen Marklein Engineer, & Editor: Forrest Doddington

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (Tennessee, USA) offers an innovative "Grow Your Own" pathway for helping residents obtain certification and become classroom teachers within the school district. Hear from Ms. Lisa Baker, Director of Federal Programs in Clarksville-Montgomery, and Dr. Vanessa Garcia, Senior Director of Partnerships at Lipscomb University, about design of these innovations in the area of teacher certification and support. Teaching residents are hired as education assistants while they complete university coursework are are mentored by exemplary teachers to build their competencies. Teaching residents are ensured a teaching positions in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. SHOW NOTES: CMCSS Teacher Residency Programs The Teacher Residency Program at Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) provides a pathway to teaching for those interested in a non-traditional approach to a degree or certification. Teacher Residents are educational assistants who contribute to excellence by providing instructional and non-instructional support to students while learning best practices for a career in education from an outstanding CMCSS educator. CMCSS Teacher Residency Program Continues to Grow, over 70 New Educators Signed in September Lipscomb University Offerings for CMCSS Lipscomb University’s College of Education, with one of the top teacher preparation programs in Tennessee and in the nation, is launching two new innovative teacher apprenticeship program models to create a pipeline of teachers to fill workforce needs across the state. Lipscomb has established its first degreed teacher candidate apprenticeship program with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS). This partnership includes the first master’s and certification teacher apprenticeship programs in Tennessee and one of the first of its kind in the nation. The program is a collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the U.S. Department of Labor to remove financial barriers for those who have undergraduate degrees but are seeking teacher licensure, which will further the state’s and nation’s efforts to extend the teacher pipeline and address teacher shortages. College of Education launches first master’s and certification teacher apprenticeship programs in Tennessee, gives opportunity to become a teacher for free Quotes: "We hear often, "There's a teacher shortage." And I don't know that I necessarily buy into that. I don't know that there's really a teacher shortage. I think there are lots of barriers that prohibit people from becoming teachers. And I think this work really, truly does help remove those barriers so that we have great candidates who are ready– day one– to lead a class of children." —Dr. Vanessa Garcia "Our district had about 150 open positions at the beginning of the year. Nearly 60 of those were filled with residents. So that's exciting because we...

Each "My Why" episode uncovers the journey of one educator: a teacher or leader who has chosen to devote his or her life to the education profession. Each story is different, yet each is an exploration of motivation, purpose, and hope. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Candice McQueen from Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Candice McQueen became Lipscomb University’s 18th president in September of 2021. She has more than 20 years’ experience in education spanning classroom teaching, higher education leadership, state government and nonprofit sectors. From 2008 through 2014 she served as Dean of Lipscomb University's College of Education. From January 2015 to January 2019, Dr. McQueen served as Tennessee Commissioner of Education in the Bill Haslam administration. She has also served as the CEO of the National Institute of Excellence in Teaching (NIET) and is a co-founder of the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation. "Whatever my title is, I teach." SHOW NOTES: Announcement of Dr. Candice McQueen as the 18th President of Lipscomb University. First-year review and vision for Lipscomb University President Candice McQueen. Quotes: "Teaching is ministry. At the end of the day, what a minister does is they determine where you are and what you need. They help you grow and they bring their faith into that. And that's what a teacher does! They find out where you are and where you need to grow. And Christian educators bring their faith into those conversations. I think the other fruit of the spirit, "love and hope and peace and patience" and all the things: we would care that an educator would have those. Those are things that you take on to be a better minister, and I think those are the same characteristics that a teacher has." —Dr. Candice McQueen "I want students to leave knowing that someone cared about them and woke up every day dreaming about, thinking about, planning for, being very intentional and serious about making sure they have what they need spiritually, academically, and certainly socially and emotionally. We care so much about that here at Lipscomb. There are people, me being one of them, that truly are in their corner every day and that should give them, I think, the confidence to be really successful with whatever career path they choose. " —Dr. Candice McQueen 6-word Memoir: "Whatever my title is, I teach." —Dr. Candice McQueen CREDITS: Producer: Karen Marklein Host: Rachael Milligan Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

Each "My Why" episode uncovers the journey of one educator: a teacher or leader who has chosen to devote his or her life to the education profession. Each story is different, yet each is an exploration of motivation, purpose, and hope. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Leslie Cowell from Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Cowell serves as the Dean and Professor for the College of Education at Lipscomb University. She has a doctorate in Elementary Education from Auburn University, a master’s degree in Reading K-12 Education from the University of West Florida and a master’s degree in Urban Education from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. Prior to her position at Lipscomb, she served as the Dean and Professor for the College of Education at Faulkner University in Montgomery for 11 years. Dr. Cowell has taught 4th and 5th grade and worked as an elementary principal. Leslie has been married for 18 years to Dan Cowell, an attorney, and they have three children. "For the Lord, not for man." SHOW NOTES: College of Education Dean selection announcement from Lipscomb University. Quotes: "I really try to remember the Lord's faithfulness. I think an 'aha' moment came just trusting that the Lord has put you in the place where he wants you to be and he's building you and grooming you and giving you experiences. In some cases, you're going to mess up so that you can learn. [...] So don't get frustrated when things are hard or things don't go your way or if something arises that you didn't expect. Because you never know, five years down the road, you're going to look back and go, 'Now I know exactly why I had to do that, because I needed to build this skillset or I needed to meet that person.'" —Dr. Leslie Cowell "Teachers need to be really intentional about making sure that the practices and instructional methodologies that they're using are inclusive to our diverse learners. [...] Every child has value and can do wonderful things in their life. And we shouldn't think that certain children or certain populations can't can achieve because everybody can. That's the awesome work of a teacher, right? That we have that opportunity to say to every child, 'You were created by God, you are wonderful, and let me see what I can do to help build that up in you so that you can make a difference and use your strengths in whatever capacity the Lord has planned for that.'" —Dr. Leslie Cowell 6-word Memoir: "For the Lord, not for man." —Dr. Leslie Cowell CREDITS: Producer & Host: Karen Marklein Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

So much attention has been devoted to student ownership of learning and we know that that's very important. We would also assert the importance of planning for professional learning with teacher ownership of their own learning in mind. This episode highlights some practical and time-proven techniques for effective planning and facilitation of professional learning within the PreK-12 environment. SHOW NOTES: The Ayers Institute offers a full-day or customized training on preparing high-quality professional learning including the use of research findings on effective adult-learning practices. Please contact us to inquire about bringing this training opportunity to your school, district, or organization. Key Questions for Planning: Who is my audience? Why are they coming? What will they gain from this time spent together? Key Attributes: Honor the learner’s prior learning and knowledge. Give something relevant that learners can implement right away. Build in margin to allow for discussion and connection between participants. Include humor, storytelling, music, and fun. Information Sources: Learning Forward provides both resources and standards for professional learning. Education Week ("EdWeek") Edutopia The Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD) provides resources. Author and Educator: Dr. Marcia Tate Researcher: Dr. Malcolm Shepherd Knowles (1913–1997) "In a nutshell, educator ownership of learning means making those meaningful connections, being excited about it, and then translating that into concrete next steps." —Dr. Rachael Milligan “Truly, when adults are able to get together and talk about important and meaningful things (and also intersperse humor and storytelling) and just loving to hear other people's ideas through that– that really helps the information that you're trying to share to stick with the person long term.” —Dr. Rachael Milligan "Make it known in a very authentic way that you are honoring people's prior knowledge, prior experience, and the background that all the people in the room are bringing to the table. That is critical in building community early and allowing the professional learning experience to feel more like it's being led by the collective group. That's what you want. You want professional learning be a community of learners, not 'the sage on the stage.'" –Dr. Rachael Milligan CREDITS: Producer & Host: Karen Marklein Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

We’ve all experienced conversations that escalate quickly and fail to produce understanding or solutions. How can teachers, school leaders, and parents do a better job of communicating in both written and verbal conversations? Author and education leader Kim Bearden shares her insights in the book “Talk to Me: Finding the right words to inspire, encourage and get things done.” In this 'favored book' episode, Dr. Andrea Pewitt, Director of Academic Innovation and Strategy at Clarksville Christian School, shares why she chose this book and how it has made a positive impact on her career. SHOW NOTES: Featured Book: Talk to Me: Finding the right words to inspire, encourage and get things done written by Kim Bearden (2018) Other books by Kim Bearden: Crash Course: The Life Lessons My Students Taught Me (2014) Fight Song: Six Steps to Passion, Power, Peace, and Purpose (2021) Additional Resources: Learn more about Clarksville Christian School, where Andrea Pewitt works. Learn more about the Lipscomb IDEAL program - "Igniting the Dream of Education and Access at Lipscomb" Websites: KimBearden.com – Book author's website. RonClarkAcademy.com – Book author’s non-profit school located in Southeast Atlanta, GA. "What drew me to the book was how to communicate with difficult people and how to communicate in general. One thing that I learned from my father is to always listen first and respond second. And she really talks about that. And I really value Kim Bearden’s education philosophy, so I was drawn to reading another one of her books. The title intrigued me immediately about communication and how to do that effectively." —Dr. Andrea Pewitt “The six principles focused on consideration and motivation behind communication. You have to consider: Why did they send the email? What was the motivation behind it? And I think that if you stop and think about that (before immediately assuming you know why they sent the email and firing back an email in response), it will change the direction and the tone of the conversation.” —Dr. Andrea Pewitt CREDITS: Producer: Karen Marklein Host, Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington The content of this episode represents the thoughts and opinions of our guest about the featured book and does not represent an official endorsement by the Ayers Institute or Lipscomb University.

Hank Staggs, Director of Accelerating Character Education Development at the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), joins us to discuss "Character Education": what it is, why it's important, and how you can start integrating character eduction into what is already happening in your school. With the modern emphasis on increasing academic success, we should also remember the importance of building character, morals, social living, and civics. Those things enable us to reach our full potential as humans in society. Research has shown that emphasizing character actually encourages and strengthens students' academic performance. SHOW NOTES: Accelerating Character Education Development (ACED) The National Institute for Excellence (NIET) helps school and district leaders build a supportive school culture through the Accelerating Character Education Development (ACED) initiative. ACED's tools and resources are used to integrate effective character development and related social-emotional learning skills into a school's instruction, culture, and climate − giving all students the opportunity for success in school and life. Resources Mentioned: Book: PRIMED for Character Education: Six Design Principles for School Improvement by Marvin Berkowitz The Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri - St. Louis – research, education and advocacy to foster the development of character, democratic citizenship and civil society. The CCC provides resources and tool kits to assist educators, parents and scholars in character and citizenship education. The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues Character.org – a non-partisan organization that advocates for character development in families, schools, and organizations.​​​​ Quotes: "Character is not a stand-alone program or initiative. Character education can be embedded into the very ethos and fabric of your school. We really want you to have a culture of character in your school. I haven't met a principal yet that did not want to improve their school culture. That's what the character piece is. The character piece IS your school culture. And if we can get that right, then everything else sort of sits on that plate or falls under that umbrella." —Dr. Hank Staggs "We have found (and you can read this in the literature)– character actually increases and encourages and strengthens academic performance. A lot of the intellectual virtues, for example, are virtues that your math teacher, your science teacher, your English teacher would want their students to know and do and execute, you know, in their classes. So, we have found that academic success actually improves." —Dr. Hank Staggs CREDITS: Producer: Karen Marklein Host: Rachael Milligan Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

Emily Mofield, author of "Vertical Differentiation for Gifted Advanced and High-Potential Students" shares 3 instructional strategies that can be used to "bump up" the rigor and the challenge within educational activities. Dr. Mofield is an Assistant Professor of Education at Lipscomb University where she co-leads the graduate program in Gifted & Advanced Academics and teaches in the doctoral program. Previously in her career, Dr. Mofield has served as a middle-school teacher and a district leader in Gifted Education. SHOW NOTES: Dr. Emily Mofield's Book: Vertical Differentiation for Gifted Advanced and High-Potential Students (2022) Available for purchase at Routledge Press and Amazon.com Resources Mentioned: Project Zero’s mission is to understand and nurture human potentials –such as learning, thinking, ethics, intelligence and creativity –in all human beings. Our research examines the nature of such potentials, the contexts and conditions in which they develop, and the practices that support their flourishment. “See, Think, Wonder” A routine for exploring works of art and other interesting things. “Five Why’s” strategy Getting to the Root of a Problem Quickly Essential Questions Questions that any thoughtful, intellectually-alive person ponders and should keep pondering. Hattie’s framework of “surface, deep, and transfer learning” Frey, N., Fisher, D., & Hattie, J. (2017). Surface, Deep, and Transfer? Considering the Role of Content Literacy Instructional Strategies. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 60(5), 567–575. Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Categorizing tasks according to the complexity of thought they require is one way for teachers to create a rich learning environment. Quotes: “Gifted education is about providing rigor and challenge, but also authentic, meaningful, joyful learning experiences so that they stay excited about learning and so that they can reach their potential.” —Dr. Emily Mofield “I believe there are more gifted children than we are identifying. A gifted child is not just someone with an IQ of 140. There are high-potential students in every school, and perhaps their giftedness isn't pulled out yet. When high-quality curriculum and robust instruction is provided, it reveals talent. Until a student has an opportunity to show creativity, we're not going to see it.” —Dr. Emily Mofield “Creative thinking is not about buying glitter from the dollar tree and throwing it on the poster. Creativity is where students have to apply insightful connections or improve something or come up with a new idea. These strategies provide a structure that makes sure that whatever the students are producing is truly rigorous.” —Dr. Emily Mofield CREDITS: Producer & Host: Karen Marklein ...