Teaching Learning Leading K-12

Kai and Warren Kushner: Balancing Academics and Athletics through a Personalized Education. This is episode 714 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Kai Kushner is a competitive surfer who lives in Manhattan Beach, California and travels the world to compete and train. He is 17 years old and has been doing this since he was 10. Kai has been surfing in Southern California since he was six. A competitive surfer like his father Warren Kushner, Kai has become one of the top junior male surfers in the nation with the hopes of participating in the Olympics in the future. While Kai spends more time in the ocean than on dry land, his education remains a high priority for both him and his parents. Mother Dana Kushner credits Kai’s success academically and in athletics to a personalized approach to his education. Having been with Fusion Academy since middle school, Kai has been able to succeed in his grades while also finding time to train. Often traveling, Kai’s attendance doesn’t falter with both vir

Writing in a Journal, Part 2 This is episode 713 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. When I was in the National Guard and US Army Reserve we used after action reports to help improve our unit's performance. We talked about what happened, what could have been better, and what we would do to accomplish more. We used those reports and the conversations to help improve the success of the unit. When I was a high school principal A colleague suggested that I start using journaling to help me problem solve. He was right. It was amazing what having a conversation with myself at the end of the workday did for me. It helped work through challenges and create better solutions. I still have conversations with myself through journaling. I focus on asking these three questions: 1. What happened? 2. What went right and what went wrong? 3. What would I do differently next time? My focus today is talking about what to write and determining the frequency that you will write. Try journaling to help you become b

Jennifer A. Lenhardt - Common Denominators: Cultivating Engagement and Belonging in Secondary Mathematics. This is episode 712 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Jennifer Lenhardt (she/her) is all-in for the whole-human experiences of students, teachers, and leaders. Whether at work, in her writing, or a coffee-chat, she seeks to integrate her experiences as a teacher and research interest in equity and culturally responsive teaching.  As a mathematics intervention teacher at a middle school, she worked collaboratively with educators across the district to launch and refine approaches to Tier 3 interventions and to support multilingual mathematics learners. Jennifer's education and passion are focused on the teachers and educational leaders of middle and high school students for whom learning mathematics is yet to be a source of joy, inspiration, or belonging.  Through ongoing analysis of factors that affect the development of students’ and teachers’ multiple and intersecting identities, Le

Writing in a Journal: Having a Conversation with You. This is episode 711 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. When I was in the National Guard and US Army Reserve we used after action reports to help improve our unit's performance. We talked about what happened, what could have been better, and what we would do to accomplish more. We used those reports and the conversations to help improve the success of the unit. When I was a high school principal A colleague suggested that I start using journaling to help me problem solve. He was right. It was amazing what having a conversation with myself at the end of the workday did for me. It helped work through challenges and create better solutions. I still have conversations with myself through journaling. I focus on asking these three questions: 1. What happened? 2. What went right and what went wrong? 3. What would I do differently next time? Try journaling to help you become better at working through challenges. You won't regret it. Before you go

Jenice Pizzuto - Implement with Impact: A Strategic Framework for Leading School and District Initiatives. This is episode 710 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Jenice Pizzuto is a systems, change, and implementation expert. She is the founder and lead specialist of IMPACT Lead Succeed. Jenice is a passionate advocate and ally for educators focused on bringing human and learning-centered design elements to the forefront of all change efforts. Her vast experiences nationally and internationally as a consultant, administrator, Learning Forward Learning School Alliance Facilitator, Oregon Response to Instruction and Intervention Implementation Facilitator, Literacy Coach, Mentor, District-level Support Specialist, and Teacher have contributed to her commitment to a learning and improvement mindset. Jenice uses her experience and expertise as she consults with and serves school districts, superintendents, administrators, and teacher leaders as a facilitator, trainer, coach, and collaborator, i

Christopher Jenson, MD - Triage Your School: A Physician's Guide to Preventing Teacher Burnout. This is episode 709 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Christopher Jenson, MD proudly serves as a senior health advisor with experience as a former emergency medicine physician, CDC science ambassador fellow, and nationally recognized educator. He is passionate about designing solutions for school leaders as they navigate complex health challenges in the educational space. Our focus will be Dr. Jenson’s book - Triage Your School: A Physician’s Guide to Preventing Teacher Burnout. Awesome read! Incredible talk! So much to learn. 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

  Dennis A. Feece - Of Towers & Shadows (A T.B. Stone Mystery). This is episode 708 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 newest book, “Of Towers & Shadows: 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

Jerry Kolber: Making Learning Fun on the Podcast - Who Smarted? This is episode 707 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Jerry Kolber is an Emmy-nominated producer who harnesses the power of storytelling and podcasting to educate and inspire. With over 20 million downloads across his shows, Jerry has a proven track record of creating engaging, educational content for all ages. His hit series "Brain Games" on National Geographic and "Who Smarted?" and "Mysteries about True Histories" podcasts demonstrate his unique ability to make learning fun and accessible. Jerry also shares his expertise with people looking to start their own podcasts, teaching them how to use podcasting as a powerful tool for education and engagement. Jerry is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible to shape the future of learning in the digital age. I love this podcast! Fun and funny! Making learning science and history a blast! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not rea

Greg Hudnall - Hope Squad: Working to Spread Hope and Prevent Suicide. This is episode 706 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Greg Hudnall is the current Chief Executive Officer of Hope Squad, Inc. He has a dual Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from BYU. He received his MBA from Indiana University and now currently resides in Cincinnati, OH. He spent a decade in corporate America at The Kroger Co. and Johnson & Johnson in process improvement, marketing, and sales roles. Greg firmly believes that good personal mental health habits, active listening, and reaching out to trusted peers have the ability to save lives. His personality type is ISTJ or logistician. His 5 StrengthsFinder results are Deliberative, Input, Restorative, Learner, and Discipline. When he’s not at work he enjoys hiking, exercise, and reading. Fun facts: he’s climbed 14 of Colorado’s 58 fourteeners. He’s been to 5 continents and lived in 4 different countries. His next bucket l

Rolanda Baldwin - UnboundEd: Helping Students Learn Math. This is episode 705 of Teaching Learning Leading K12. Rolanda Baldwin has worked in mathematics education for nearly 2 decades as a middle and high school math teacher, a math instructional coach, and a math curriculum coordinator at Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. She began her career at UnboundEd as a math specialist before transitioning to the math director role. As Vice President of Mathematics, Rolanda coordinates development across all UnboundEd math programs. Rolanda also contributes to organizational strategy, cross-functional workstreams, and external partnerships. She is passionate about everyone being a “math person” and is committed to influencing the systems and structures to support educators in providing grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful math instruction. Our focus is UnboundEd and working with students and mathematics. Great conversation! So much to learn! Before you go... You could help support this podcast

Dr. Michael Grayson: Helping People with Financial Literacy and Navigating the Credit System. This is episode 704 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Michael Grayson is a credit expert and advocate with extensive experience in credit repair and financial literacy. He has dedicated his career to helping people and businesses navigate complexities of the credit system. Dr. Grayson is known for his tireless advocacy for consumer rights and his efforts to expose and rectify injustices within the credit reporting industry. So much to learn. So much to think about. Great conversation! Connect and Learn More: https://www.cdmicredit.org/about-us https://x.com/CdmiCredit https://www.instagram.com/cdmicredit/ https://www.facebook.com/CreditDebtManagementInstitute?_rdc=2&_rdr https://www.linkedin.com/company/cdmicredit-org/about/ Length - 41:40

Alison Smith - Resilience Coach & CEO and Founder of The Thrive Designer. This is episode 703 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Alison Smith (she/her) is an author, speaker, and coach. As an expert on burnout and how cultivating our resilience impacts our personal and professional lives, she speaks nationally to help audiences harness the power of small acts of resilience so they can design thriving lives.  Alison is the CEO and Founder of The Thrive Designer. She is a certified ICF Professional Certified Coach. She has coached hundreds of highly motivated yet highly burnt-out clients from CEOs, leaders, teachers, entrepreneurs, and mothers, to name a few. Her work has been featured in a variety of publications, and her book, Drawing Your Line: Setting Boundaries Step by Step has been a companion to many as they live life on healthier terms. Our focus will be The Thrive Designer. Be prepared to be wowed! Awesome conversation! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buyi

Michael Lopez. PhD - ClassWallet: Managing Purchasing and Reimbursement Processes. This is episode 702 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Michael López, Ph.D. is ClassWallet’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives in Early Child Care. With an impressive track record spanning over 30 years, Mike brings a wealth of experience in applied policy-relevant research, particularly in the areas of early care and education and equity at the national, state, and local levels. His expertise and dedication make him a national early childhood expert and a passionate advocate for low-income, culturally, and linguistically diverse populations. Our focus today is ClassWallet and managing purchasing and reimbursement processes. So much cool information to learn! Awesome conversation! 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

Karen J. Brock - Coaching for Multilingual Student Success: Intentional Practices to Accelerate Learning and Close Achievement Gaps. This is episode 701 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Karen Johannesen Brock has accumulated more than thirty years of expertise in instructional coaching, school improvement, and organizational change. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Research Methods from Oxford University. Dr. Brock has provided consultation services to over 100 schools, specializing in professional learning and instructional coaching aimed at enhancing student achievement. She has worked at the school, district, and state levels.  Currently, she holds the position of Principal at Provo City School District, where she previously served as the Director of Professional Development. Her professional endeavors encompass research, writing, and consulting focused on organizational change, leadership development, instructional coaching, professional learning plans, and strategic planning.

Erik M. Francis - Inquiring Minds Want to Learn: Posing Good Questions to Promote Student Inquiry. This is episode 700 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Erik M. Francis is an international author, educator, and presenter with more than 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, site administrator, education program specialist at a state education agency, and staff development trainer. He is consistently ranked as one of the World Top 30 Education Professionals by the international research organization Global Gurus. Erik provides professional development on establishing rigorous learning environments and delivering educational experiences that challenge students to demonstrate different levels of thinking and use their depth of knowledge (DOK) in different contexts. His areas of expertise include good questioning and inquiry, teaching and learning for depth of knowledge (Webb’s DOK), tiered instruction, authentic learning, differentiated instruction, personalized learning,

Anthony R. Reibel - Beyond PLC Lite: Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning in a Professional Learning Community at Work. This is episode 699 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Anthony R. Reibel, EdD, is the director of research and evaluation at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. In 2006, he became a Spanish teacher at Stevenson, where he served as a curricular team leader, core team leader, coach, and club sponsor. In 2010, Anthony received recognition from the state of Illinois, and in 2011, Illinois Computing Educators named him Technology Educator of the Year. He currently sponsors two clubs: (1) KIVA, which gives microloans to entrepreneurs living in areas lacking financial institutions, and (2) FIRE, which promotes equality and respect among Stevenson students and staff through conversation and advocacy in school and throughout the community. Anthony is the author and coauthor of seven books on education. Some titles include Embracing Relational Teaching: How Str

Sheila Robitaille - How Gamified Learning is Changing the Reading Landscape in K-12 Education. This is episode 698 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Sheila Robitaille is a veteran educator. In her nearly 30 years in the education sector, she has served as a classroom teacher, Magnet School Coordinator, Technology Integration Specialist, Professional Development Specialist, Director of Innovation and Learning and School Principal.  Currently, she is a Professional Development Manager with 3P Learning where she develops and delivers professional learning sessions to teachers and administrators who are new to or are honing their skills with Reading Eggs and the other solutions provided by 3P Learning.  Sheila’s vision for professional development for 3P Learning is that teachers leave their sessions having been trained in the solution, but even more importantly, having grown pedagogically.   She is passionate about helping teachers innovate and build their professional repertoire of tools tha

Kevin Benson & Danny Kofke - Southern Education Retirement Consortium: Financial Planning for Retirement. This is episode 697 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Kevin Benson serves as Executive Director for Cooperative Purchasing Agency (CPA) and the Southern Education Retirement Consortium (SERC). In his CPA role, Kevin oversees a warehouse that provides office supplies, janitorial supplies, furniture, and USDA commodities, directly to 35 school systems in North Georgia.  Kevin also provides all school systems in Georgia access to national contracts through the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA).  Most recently, Kevin created the Southern Education Retirement Consortium (SERC).  In this role, Kevin strives to provide school systems and their employees, regardless of size, with unprecedented pricing, oversite, and control in the 403b and 457 markets. Kevin has been an educator for over 25 years as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and safety director. Kevin

R.J. Stewart - Crazy Hawk: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller. This is episode 696 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. R.J. Stewart, the author of the post-apocalyptic thriller, Crazy Hawk, is best known for developing, writing and producing Xena: Warrior Princess (starring Lucy Lawless), once the highest-rated television show in syndication.   He started out as a teamster for nine years and a fledgling stage actor, until he got his first break, writing for the NBC romance detective drama starring Pierce Brosnan, Remington Steele. It would parlay into a 22-year Hollywood career that includes writing credits for movies The Rundown, starring Duane “The Rock” Johnson, Major League 2, starring Charlie Sheen, and television’s Cleopatra 2525. He also worked on projects with Kevin Costner, Rebecca De Mornay and James Garner.  Stewart was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived most of his life in the American West. His youth as the son of an Air Force sergeant was spent across six states and Greece, Ita

Dr. Kathleen Corley - The Magical Place We Call School: Creating a Safe Space for Learning and Happiness in a Challenging World. This is episode 695 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Kathleen Corley is an award-winning educator, an authority on school culture and the charismatic principal at Red Cedar Elementary School in Bluffton, S.C. Renowned for her unique communication and leadership skills, Dr. Corley has a bachelor’s in music education from the University of Illinois; a master’s in music administration from Chicago Musical College, Roosevelt University; and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Illinois. An educator for more than 40 years, she is the founding principal of three elementary schools, including Bluffton Elementary, and later Red Cedar Elementary, serving as its only principal. She has been an assistant professor at Salem State University and continues to mentor principals. For her musical training and her leadership, Dr. Corley is known as