Teaching Learning Leading K-12

Naphtali Hoff, PsyD - President of Impactful Coaching & Consulting: Becoming the Delegating School Boss: A Principal's Guide to Reducing Stress and Multiplying Leadership. This is episode 811 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Naphtali Hoff is an executive and performance coach and trainer. He is the author of Becoming the New Boss, a leadership book that helps new leaders hit the ground running and enjoy sustained success, Becoming the Productive Boss, which helps leaders and their teams get more of the right work done, and Becoming the Delegating School Boss, which helps school leaders clear their plates and empower their teams. More about his work can be found on his website, ImpactfulCoaching.com.  Our focus is Naphtali’s latest book - Becoming the Delegating School Boss: A Principal's Guide to Reducing Stress and Multiplying Leadership. Awesome conversation! So much to learn and put to use! Practical! Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help sup

Timothy and Karinna Karsten - Founders of Global Galactics: Inspiring Awe, Wonder, and Curiosity while Making Learning Fun. This is episode 810 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Timothy Karsten is the CEO and co- founder of Global Galactics, a branded ecosystem of content designed to educate, entertain, and inspire young children with original stories about the world around them.  A longtime advisor to leaders, families, and mission-driven organizations, he brings decades of experience in strategic guidance, business building, philanthropy and ecosystem design to the vision and growth of the company. Karinna Karsten is the co-founder of Global Galactics and a serial entrepreneur known for transforming research and insight into human-centered innovation. A recognized voice in emotional wellness and relationship intelligence, her work spans global executives, celebrities, and major media platforms. Karinna is inspired by a deep passion for people, planet, and purpose.  The Karsten’s inspir

Dr. Darla Bishop - Piggy Bank Pathways: Helping You Raise Money Smart Kids. This is episode 809 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast.  A mother, a former high school educator/bilingual elementary school reading coach, children’s book author, and passionate entrepreneur, Dr Darla Bishop was motivated by her own challenging childhood in Detroit to help children learn. From motivating parents to transcend limiting beliefs about wealth to helping children to cultivate a positive financial mindset early in their lives, she believes that empowering families with financial knowledge is pivotal in creating prosperous and resilient communities for the future. Dr. Darla is known as the ”FinanSis” founder of Finansis, LLC. She founded the company in order to use her innate gifts (humor, intelligence, and tough love) to help families and communities improve their relationship with money and set their children up to be financially responsible for life. Dr. Darla is all too aware of the correlation between

  Shellee Howard - College Ready: Helping High-Achieving Families Unlock the Path to College Without Debt. This is episode 808 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Shellee Howard helps high-achieving families unlock the path to college without debt. As the founder of College Ready and a Certified Educational Consultant, she blends insider admissions knowledge with financial strategy to guide teens toward top-tier schools—including her own children, who all graduated college completely debt-free. What sets Shellee apart is not just her expertise, but her lived experience. A single mother of four, she navigated the admissions process herself—juggling academics, scholarships, and ambition across blended family dynamics and diverse child personalities. From Ivy League dreams to international study paths, Shellee has done it all. She now works with families worldwide to develop a “Stand Out Strategy” that aligns academic goals with emotional readiness and return on investment. She’s a two-time bes

Sue Ann Highland - Reimagining Learning Spaces: Designing Educational Environments for a New Generation. This is episode 807 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Sue Ann Highland is the National Education Strategist at School Specialty and author of Reimagining Learning Spaces: Designing Educational Environments for a New Generation. With over 30 years of experience in schools and districts across the country, she has served as a teacher, consultant, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Principal, Federal Programs Director, and CTE Director.  A specialist in school improvement and turnaround efforts, she is also an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, passionate about aligning people, processes and learning environments for student success. Our focus today is her book - Reimagining Learning Spaces: Designing Educational Environments for a New Generation. Excellent topic! Wonderful conversation! So much to learn and think about! Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go

Dennis A. Feece - The Phantom Grasp: A T.B. Stone Mystery. This is episode 806 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dennis A. Feece may not sound like your typical novelist who crafted a murder mystery, but he calls upon a variety of experiences, hobbies, and schooling to create the realism in his books - his latest one is The Phantom Grasp: a T.B. Stone Mystery. For three decades, he engaged in a career of book manufacturing, serving from frontline supervisor to vice president of operations. He worked for several companies, including Bertelsmann, Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing, and RR Donnelley. He then became a Pastoral Associate at a local church, serving for several years. Feece earned a B.S. majoring in Psychology and minoring in Religious Studies from College Misericordia in PA. He earned an MA in Theology from University of Scranton in PA. Born and raised in Plymouth, Indiana, he has also lived in CT, NH and now resides in Montrose, PA. He enjoys weightlifting, writing, and exploring hi

Sandra T. Elliott, PhD - Sum Thing Is Up: A Practical Guide to Dyscalculia - Tips, Tools, and Resources for Parents, Educators, and Anyone Affected by Dyscalculia. This is episode 805 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Sandra T. Elliott, Ph.D., is a career educator who has spent over four decades working to enhance education for all students and improve schools and their systems around the globe.  She has served as a Special Education teacher, a five-time principal in Florida and Colorado, a district-level administrator and state level consultant.  She has held executive-level positions at for-profit education providers and foundations and was part of the EngageNY – Eureka Math team and led the TouchMath team that developed DySc- the free dyscalculia screener for ages 3-adult.  Dr. Elliott is also a member of the UNESCO-sponsored international EDUsummIT that meets biennially to write education policy recommendations to be adopted by the United Nations.  Dr Elliott has presented at national

Will & Josh - The HiTech Podcast: A.I. & Jobs: Not Doom & Gloom but Definitely Silly. This is episode 804 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Will & Josh of the HiTech podcast invited me to talk with them about A.I. & Jobs that might look different or could be replaced by A.I. Doing a Christmas podcast has become a tradition now between us. If you go to their YouTube channel or their webpage you will see my great T-Rex Christmas Sweater! Will notes, "This year's festive episode takes an unexpected turn as we dive deep into the big question everyone's asking: What would it look like if AI actually replaced different jobs? We explore everything from AI substitute teachers with dystopian "shock rooms" to robot baseball players and AI sound engineers. Steven brings his educator perspective while we speculate on scenarios ranging from hilariously absurd to surprisingly plausible. Plus, we test our theories against what Claude AI actually thinks about job replacement!" Additi

Annamarie Omanga - The Magnolia School: An Independent K-8 School for Girls. This is episode 803 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Originally from Chicago, Annamarie Omanga has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. She began her career in the middle school classroom and then spent six years directing a supplemental education program for inner city youth in Chicago. Annamarie then took her teaching skills to the business arena where she started in training and development and then enjoyed a career in Human Resources with Cap Gemini America and AIG. Throughout her career, Annamarie has presented a variety of seminars and given talks on a wide range of topics, including education, the formation of virtues, and marriage enrichment. Annamarie is thrilled and humbled to be the first Head of School at Magnolia School. The Magnolia School is an independent K-8 school for girls located in Houston, Texas. The school has reimagined the core curriculum. The students are introduced to Latin and f

Peter B. Cotton: When Fred the Snake and Friends Learn the Chinese Zodiac and the Great Race! This is episode 802 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Peter B. Cotton is the author and creator of an award-winning children’s book series, Fred the Snake, which now consists of 10 books. He grew up in England, where the first tale was conceived long ago as a bedtime story for his then young children about how (not) to cross the road. When they had their kids, they asked what happened to “Fred-Fred”. Peter teamed up with a special illustrator (Canadian Bonnie Lemaire) and published the first book, When Fred the Snake got Squished and Mended.  Before becoming a great grandfather and celebrated children’s book author, he saved lives as a leading gastroenterologist. His illustrious, international, five-decade career in medicine included treating royalty and celebrity patients, teaching, writing nearly 1,000 published medical papers, penning 10 medical books, and lecturing in over 50 nations and a

    John Schembari, Johanna Tramantano, Crystal Frommert, and Steve Miletto: The Art and Purpose of Podcasting in Education. This is episode 801 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. John Schembari, Have a Life Teaching, leads a discussion with education podcasters to reflect on the art and purpose of podcasting in education. John uses AI to determine what questions he will ask. This was a fun discussion about why we podcast and what we have discovered while podcasting. John notes, "From the challenges of balancing storytelling with scholarship to the power of teacher voice in shaping public dialogue, the panel explores what happens when educators turn the mic on themselves." It was great talking with John, Johanna, and Crystal! So much to think about, especially if you are thinking about starting your own podcast. See links to their podcasts below in the connect section. Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not rea

Formative Assessment, Part 3 - 3 Reasons Why You Need to Include Formative Assessment in Your Lesson Plans. This is episode 800 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Steve shares three stories from when he was in 8th and 7th grade. The three stories -The Accident, The Beach, and The Jacket - will hopefully help you think about what distracts your students during your classroom instruction. Steve was focused on everything but the lessons by situations, the sights, sounds, and aromas from the school, as well as interactions with other students. These stories are focused on showing why you want to take time to discover whether the students are following you or not. You have to check for understanding. It is important to use formative assessment. Formative Assessment is for determining what your students know and don't know. It is purposefully placed in your lesson plans. The type of formative assessment chosen is also determined ahead of time and placed in your lessons. The data gathered is used t

  Mike Kenny - MathFactLab: Helping to Make Math Easier to Learn. This is episode 799 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Mike Kenny taught 5th grade for 19 years: 4 in England and 15 in VT.   Mike is the designer of MathFactLab. MathFactLab is based on the idea that pattern recognition makes math easier to learn. Each year, Mike found that many of his students came to fifth grade lacking basic math fact fluency. Frustrated that the math fact materials commercially available did not match what research recommended, he gradually came to the conclusion that he ought to try creating his own math fact program. MathFactLab is the result of several years of effort, much research, a great heap of advice, many drafts, and lots of trial and error in Mike’s classroom and beyond. Mike has degrees from the University of Notre Dame, the College of William and Mary, and the Vermont Mathematics Initiative (at UVM). Our focus today is Mike’s MathFactLab: Helping to Make Math Easier to Learn. So much to lear

Steve talks with Will and Josh from the HiTech Podcast about Artificial Intelligence. This is episode 798 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast.  Will and Josh talked with me on their show The HiTech Podcast. Our focus was artificial intelligence. This was a blast! What an awesome conversation! We talk about uses for it in our podcasting world and what our experiences have been. We share stories, thoughts, and ideas.  And we definitely had a great time.  Check it out! Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! See the links below for connecting with Will and Josh. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated with producing the show. That would be cool

Andrew Marotta - Educator, Author, Speaker, Leader, and Former NCAA Basketball Official - The Surviving & Thriving Movement. This is episode 797 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Andrew Marotta is the Director of Academic Services & communications in Port Jervis, NY.  He was Principal & AP for the last 20 years in the great small city of Port Jervis. He took on a new challenge in the 23-24 school year moving to this director position giving him some more flexibility to travel and present nationally as an inspirational speaker.  He is a husband, father, adjunct professor of school leadership, former Division 1 men’s college basketball official, speaker, & author.   Andrew is also the leader of the Surviving & Thriving movement.  Andrew is an energizing & impactful speaker, author, and school leader.  He lives the words on his logo & strives to positively #IMPACT all he meets.  A master storyteller, Andrew engages his audiences and fellow leaders with authentic an

Formative Assessment, Part 2: Mini-Whiteboards and Stickies as Formative Assessment Tools. This is episode 796 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Mini-Whiteboards and stickies make awesome formative assessment tools for helping you understand what the students get about your content and what they don't.  Formative Assessment is for determining what your students know and don't know. It is purposefully placed in your lesson plans. The type of formative assessment chosen is also determined ahead of time and placed in your lessons. The data gathered is used to make adjustments to your instruction. Additionally, the assessments are not graded.  Help your students be successful. Use formative assessment to make a difference.  Time to get some mini-whiteboards (you can even make your own) and some stickies. So much to learn. Have fun! Check out my Pinterest board on Formative Assessment for ideas and instructions on how to use different formative assessment tools. (See below for the link.) Great

Formative Assessment, Part 1: What, Why, and Resources. This is episode 795 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Formative Assessment is for determining what your students know and don't know. It is purposefully placed in your lesson plans. The type of formative assessment chosen is also determined ahead of time and placed in your lessons. The data gathered is used to make adjustments to your instruction. Additionally, the assessments are not graded.  Help your students be successful. Use formative assessment to make a difference.  So much to learn. Check out my Pinterest board on Formative Assessment for ideas and instructions on how to use different formative assessment tools. (See below for the link.) Great tools for you to use. Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to thi

  Barbara R. Blackburn - Rigor and Assessment in the Classroom: Strategies and Tools. Second Edition. This is episode 794 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Ranked in the Top 20 Global Gurus in Education, Barbara has dedicated her life to raising the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. What differentiates Barbara’s over 30 books are her easily executable concrete examples based on decades of experience as a teacher, professor, and consultant. Barbara’s dedication to education was inspired in her early years by her parents, Bob and Rose. Her father’s doctorate and lifetime career as a professor taught her the importance of professional training. Her mother’s career as school secretary shaped Barbara’s appreciation of the effort all staff play in the education of every child. Barbara has taught early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students and has served as an educational consultant for three publishing companies. She holds a master’s d

Amy M. Pollack - The Still Further Adventures of Jelly Bean. This is episode 793 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Amy Meislin Pollack was a teacher for over four decades, raised three children, and loves to play with her seven grandchildren. From her own childhood to the classroom and as a parent and grandparent, she is perfectly positioned to pen her coming-of-age book series.  The Adventures of Jelly Bean, followed by The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean, first came into being when the author's fourth-grade teacher used to ask her to get up in front of the class and tell the stories about this character she would make up as she went along.   Several years later she started writing these stories down, and would work on them periodically in any free time she had during her teaching career and raising her three children.  Now retired from a 40-year career in teaching - spanning a wide range of subjects and grade levels - she has embarked on a lively writing career.  The silver lining of th

Lindsay Whorton - A New School Leadership Architecture: A Four-Level Framework for Reimagining Roles. This is episode 792 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Lindsay Whorton is proud to be a founding member of The Holdsworth Center. She helped design the Center’s programming and has served as president since 2019. Under Lindsay’s leadership, Holdsworth has grown from serving seven public school districts through its initial offering – the Holdsworth Partnership – to serving more than 1,900 leaders in 89 public school districts across several programs, all designed to build a bench of stronger superintendents and principals for Texas public schools. Lindsay’s story with Holdsworth began in 2015, when Charles Butt, Chairman of H-E-B, tapped her to work with an organizing board designing the center’s first programs. At the time, Lindsay was working as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Washington D.C. She officially joined The Holdsworth Center team shortly after its lau