Classroom Q And A

The differences between equality and equity in education are significant, and they matter on many levels. Equal treatment is insufficient. This discussion points out the common confusion between equality and equity among teachers and the importance of providing the necessary resources for each student to succeed. The group advocates high standards in curriculum, critical peer evaluation among teachers, and the provision of tools and resources to genuinely achieve equity over mere equality. Follow on Twitter: @mriceboothe @jehan_hakim @j_b_cardenas @DrNelms @larryferlazzo @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Dr. Shaun Nelms is an author and prominent figure in the field of education and school transformation. He is the Vice President for Community Partnerships at the University of Rochester. One of his notable achievements was creating and implementing a school transformation model for the lowest-performing school in the lowest-performing district in New York State. Shaun C. Nelms, EdD Vice President of Communit

Four teachers share their personal experiences and challenges as teachers of color in predominantly white educational settings. They cite specific examples of bias, micro-aggressions, and the feeling of being both invisible and hyper-visible in the educational system. They confess to not feeling truly valued or acknowledged for their contributions. Turning to solutions, the group pointed to the need for districts to take more proactive steps to support teachers of color. This includes more robust recruiting and retention processes, increased leadership diversity, training on implicit biases, and the significance of fostering a genuine culture of inclusion and appreciation. The conversation wrapped with reflections on questions white administrators can ask themselves to support educators of color better. Follow on Twitter: @janicewyattross @RachelEdohoEket @Laleh114000 @klrembert @larryferlazzo@jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Read related article on Edweek Dr. Janice Wyatt-Ross has a Bachelor’s in Special E

Differentiating instruction can be a loaded term for many teachers. Some think it means creating a separate lesson plan for each student. Join us as we provide specific examples of differentiated instruction done well and what we need from each student to make differentiated instruction work Follow on Twitter: @larryferlazzo@jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork @IsabelitaBec @teachbk Isabel Becerra is the Multilingual Consultant for Region 10 in Richardson, Texas. She was born in Bolivia and has been an educator since 1992. She is a passionate advocate for Bilingual Education and is actively supporting equity for all learners. Andrea Castellano serves as an elementary teacher in New York City’s public school system. She also supports teachers as an Instructional Coach and PBL curriculum writer and staff developer.

Restorative practices are promising ways to manage disruptive student behaviors and recover broken relationships. The principles and strategies are sound. The challenge is implementing them well. Here’s what works. Follow on Twitter: @Upeguijara @DrMarieMoreno @2WardEquity @CShawR10 Read related article on Edweek David Upegui, EdD, serves as a science teacher at his alma mater, Central Falls High School (RI) and as an adjunct professor of Education at Brown University. He completed his doctoral degree in education at the University of RI, focusing on science education and social justice. His latest book, Integrating Racial Justice Into Your High-School Biology Classroom: Using Evolution to Understand Diversity, is scheduled to be released this September. Angela M. Ward, PhD is an Antiracist educator with over 25 years of experience in education. She is a professional learning connoisseur focused on creating identity-safe schools and workplaces. Follow her @2WardEquity on Instagram & Twitter and visit

Research confirms that students learn better in environments where their teachers and classmates recognize and validate their identities. In this discussion, we exchange proven ways to encourage students to constructively express their uniqueness and create a classroom climate that supports learning. Follow on Twitter: @larryferlazzo @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork @CrystalMWatson @doctorasilva @drcourtneyrose @identityshaper Courtney Rose, Ed.D. is a professor, educational consultant, culturally-relevant/responsive educator, founder of Ivy Rose Consulting and author of the upcoming book, Woven Together: How Unpacking Your Teacher Identity Creates a Stronger Learning Community. She currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor in the Educational Policy Studies department at Florida International University. Crystal M. Watson, Ed.M is an innovative, passionate, and authentic mathematics educator and life long learner who you can count on to always ask “What do the students think?” Her work is

In this discussion, we acknowledge that some efforts at self-care hit the mark and are well received.  Other efforts at self-care miss the mark and create more stress and angst.  Join us as we aim to adjust our approach to self-care around what we've learned actually works. Follow our PLN: @MorganeMichael @8amber8 @larryferlazzo @JennyGRankin @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Dr. Jenny Grant Rankin has two doctorates (including a PhD in Education) and is a Fulbright Specialist for the US Department of State. She worked many years in public education as a teacher, assistant principal, district administrator, and chief education and research officer. Most recently she taught a class at Columbia University and has also lectured at the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, federal agencies, and TED, and is a frequent keynote speaker. She has written 14 books for educators and writes for Psychology Today. The White House once flew the American flag over its Capitol Building in honor of Dr. Rankin's d

Despite all of the energy and intellectual horsepower we've applied to solve the big challenges of educating our students, we still have many unresolved issues. What are some of the big remaining questions? Follow on Twitter:  @fromrooma212 @ReadByExample @larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork, @Jonharper70bd Dr. July Hill-Wilkinson is a veteran classroom teacher, former administrator, and Adjunct Professor whose work centers around the issues of gifted, kinesthetic, and male students. She presents at various conferences around California to promote research and practices that focus on the needs of 21st century students in the areas of curriculum planning, and best practices that impact academic success. Ann Stiltner is a high school special education teacher. She received a master’s degree in special education from the University of Hartford and a certificate of advanced studies in literacy from Sacred Heart University. She writes the blog from Room A212 (annstiltner.com/blog). Matt Renwick has served in public

Even constructive, positive feedback can be difficult to offer and receive. How can we make giving and accepting feedback more palpable and effective? Follow on Twitter: @AnnHC_Champ4All @AshleyCKearney@larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork, @Jonharper70bd Ashley Kearney is an education organizer and award winning secondary mathematics educator with experience as a teacher leader and effectiveness development coach in school-based and alternative teacher development programs. Ashley received her Masters from Johns Hopkins University and currently serves as a 2021-2022 Albert Einstein Distinguished Fellow. Ann Hlabangana-Clay has been an instructional leader, coach, and presenter serving students and adult learners in Delaware and Pennsylvania for 28 years. She is the host of the Coaching You Through All Things Education Podcast and is passionate about providing equitable opportunities for every learner by dismantling barriers, building relationships, increasing capacity, and restoring resilience – one educator a

Getting comfortable speaking a foreign language in public is a hurdle most ELL students must overcome to participate in class. In this discussion, ELL teachers share strategies to help students break through any hesitance or concerns. Follow on Twitter: @Laleh114000 @drivannia @Tools4Teacherss @JodyNolf @larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork, @Jonharper70bd Laleh Ghotbi started her teaching career in 1992 in Iran, where she taught in middle and high school for 7 years and worked as an academic coach at the school district for the next two year. In August 2000, she came to the United States with her husband and their 8-year-old son. Since then, she has worked as an Academic Enhancement Coordinator at Indian Hills Elementary for two years and earned two masters’ degrees; Master of Science and Technology-Biotechnology from the University of Utah, and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Westminster College where she graduated with honors and was chosen as the student speaker for the 2017 commencement. Dr. Ivannia Soto

Tapping into our students’ intrinsic motivation is more important than ever in our post-pandemic classrooms. Join us as we share the insights and engagement strategies that are working and identify the ones that aren’t. Follow on Twitter: @CShawR10@riordan_meg @irina_mcgrath @AndrewSharosAP@larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork, @Jonharper70bd Chandra Shaw has more than 24 years of experience in education, as a teacher, reading specialist, instructional coach, and now a Literacy Consultant at Region10 Education Service Center providing professional development, planning assistance, and instructional coaching services to more than 120 districts in the DFW area. Whether as a TEDx speaker and amateur YouTuber Chandra loves to find creative ways to share her passion and love for teaching and learning with educators everywhere. Meg Riordan, Ph.D. is the Chief Learning Officer for The Possible Project, entrepreneurship and work-based learning program that works to advance economic equity by supporting young people t

We invited a panel of educators to discuss specific strategies they use to improve their mastery of the teaching craft. Follow on Twitter: @latreseyounger @leaders_black @booked_wellread @mrstowner9 @larryferlazzo @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Latrese D. Younger has over fifteen years of education experience across several different school districts. She began her journey as an English Language Arts teacher in Dinwiddie County, VA, which she credits with firming her foundation in education excellence. Throughout her career, she has taught ELA for grades 6-12. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Virginia State University and a Master of Educational Leadership with a concentration in Technology Education from Strayer University Henrico Campus. Currently, she is pursuing her doctoral degree from Virginia Tech University. She is the content curator for and founder of the non-profit, Black Women Education Leaders, Inc (BWEL). Kayla Towner is a senior technology trainer at the Utah Educa

We’re now a couple of months into a post-pandemic school year which for many teachers is their first. This week, what would you like to share with all new teachers, especially those starting this school term? Follow on Twitter: @CindyGarciaTX @wilson1sheila @moreruckus2 @ixy_pixy @larryferlazzo @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Cindy Garcia serves as the district-wide instructional specialist for Bilingual/ESL Mathematics PK-6 in Pasadena ISD. Cindy previously served as a campus mathematics coach and bilingual third-grade teacher in PISD. Cindy writes a monthly blog about ways to support English Learners at www.teachingelementaryels.weebly.com. Sheila Wilson Ed.D. is an educator with over three decades in private and public education working as a classroom teacher and administrator. In addition, she works as a researcher, writer, dissertation coach, conference presenter, and content/curriculum designer. Ruth Okoye, Ed. D., is a 30-year veteran educator. She has taught in private and public school settings an

Culturally responsive teaching tells students that their life experiences matter and helps students connect to the curriculum. The practice is well suited to teaching English classes, but many communities are rejecting culturally responsive teaching. In this episode, we talk about teaching a culturally responsive English class and responding to those who are critical of the practice. Follow on Twitter: @drbudhai @mrodz308 @JacFab21 @JYooBrannon @larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd Stephanie Smith Budhai, PhD, is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Department at Drexel University and co-author of “Culturally Responsive Teaching Online and In-Person: An Action Planner for Dynamic Equitable Learning Environments“. Stephanie is a certified K-12 teacher and has spent over a decade helping pre-service and in-service teachers develop their capacity to use culturally sustaining, decolonized, and anti-racist pedagogies in their teaching. Stephanie is the co-chair of t

Join us as we define and clarify what culturally responsive teaching means in a social studies context. Our guests explain why culturally responsive teaching is uniquely well-suited to teaching social studies and address the myths and misconceptions that make the practice more challenging. Follow on Twitter: @klrembert @dmurff5 @Edufacey @sarahjcooper01 @larryferlazzo @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Keisha Rembert is a passionate learner and fierce equity advocate. She is an award-winning educator who taught middle school ELA and United States History teacher for many years and now instructs future educators. She hopes to change our world one student at a time. Denise Fawcett Facey was an award-winning classroom teacher for more than two decades and now writes on education issues. The Social Studies Helper is one of three books by this author. Dr. Dennisha Murff is an administrator, author, adjunct professor, consultant, and relentless advocate for equitable education. Throughout her career, she has work

The ranks of English language learners continue to expand rapidly. Some have no proficiency with the language, but many are intermediate English skills. In this episode, we explore strategies that are well suited for ELLs who have more developed English fluency. Follow our PLN on Twitter: @tchrlgonzalez @maestra_Gonzalez @bhuertas80 @cahnmann @larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd Luisana González, serving Dual Language Students in Illinois in a fifth-grade classroom, started her teaching career with multilingual learners in 2005. She has previously taught K-5 MLs in a resource position, 2nd grade sheltered and 2nd grade DL before embarking on her teaching and learning journey with 5th graders in their DL program. Blanca Huertas has taught for 14 years between Puerto Rico and in Texas. She is married and has two beautiful daughters. She proudly served newcomer ELs for 6 years recently working with the general education population as an ELA teacher, but service long-term ELs through this format and

The middle school classroom is so unpredictable. In this episode, our guests share what they’ve learned works when teaching middle school students and what doesn’t. Join us for a discussion about what middle schoolers need and what qualities make middle school teachers effective. Follow on Twitter: @larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd @SerenaPariser @jeremybballer Serena Pariser has twelve years of experience teaching in public schools, including charter schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade. She was named Gompers Preparatory Academy Teacher of the Year. She served as Assistant Director of Field Experiences at the University of San Diego and also served as adjunct faculty. Serena is the bestselling author of Real Talk About Classroom Management: 50 Best Practices That Work And Show You Believe In Your Students and Real Talk About Time Management: 35 Best Practices for Educators. Jeremy Hyler was a middle school English teacher for almost 22 years. Currently, he works as a Manager of Ed

We all know that arts and crafts can just be enjoyable busy work or a tremendous way to activate student learning. In this episode, we explore practical ways to use arts and crafts more effectively. Follow on Twitter:  @larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork @Jonharper70bd @mikekaechele Jerilou J. Moore, Ph.D., Professor Emerita at the University of Mississippi School of Education, has taught art classes for teachers.  She enjoys showing preservice and in-service teachers how to integrate the arts to aid physical and social emotional development of children and enhance learning through creative thinking and problem-solving. Moore developed ideas for children’s art over the years during the time she was an elementary principal, administrator, teacher, art judge, and university professor. She has shared her ideas at numerous early childhood conferences. She was twice awarded Teacher of the Year by students and faculty at the University of Mississippi School of Education. Kerry P. Holmes, Ed.D., is a Professor Emeri

New and veteran teachers generally agree that performance observations are just slightly more appealing than a root canal. In this episode, we invite a panel of teachers and administrators to explore ways to make the practice more productive and less distressing? Follow on Twitter: @elvisepps @huels_ryan @Jenschwanke @HarrisLeads @DrYemiS @jonHarper70bd@larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork Dr. Elvis Epps serves as the Principal at Lake Worth Community High School in the School District of Palm Beach. He has been a teacher, assistant principal, and principal for more than 28 years. He is a veteran of the US Navy. Ryan Huels is an Assistant Principal at Oregon Elementary School in Oregon, Illinois in Northwest Illinois. Prior to venturing into administration, Ryan was a First-grade teacher and high school basketball coach. He has a passion for creating a student-centered learning environment in his building fostered on creating positive relationships with students, staff, and stakeholders. Jennifer Schwanke has

We are still struggling to come to grips with American slavery and now the heightened dissonance around the topic has spilled into our classrooms. In this episode, we talk about the challenges of teaching about slavery and how to navigate them with integrity, transparency, and efficacy. Follow on Twitter: @larryferlazzo @sarahsoonling @kproctor1517 @alicemercer @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd Keturah Proctor has over 20 years of experience in education advocating for students through an Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist lens. Ms. Proctor is the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and District Curriculum Coordinator in her district, Regional Equity Professional Development Facilitator, Education Ambassador for the National Public Education Support Fund and Community Activist. Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn is an educator, speaker and professional learning facilitator. She is currently the Professional Development Manager at Learning for Justice. Alice Mercer teaches fourth grade at an elementary school in Sacra

Art has the ability to be a powerful tool for engaging, differentiating, and humanizing virtually any subject. Join us as we cover several practical strategies for using art effectively in any classroom. Follow on Twitter: @klrembert @wendi322 @demacruz @larryferlazzo @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Keisha Rembert is a passionate learner and fierce equity advocate. She is an award-winning educator who taught middle school ELA and United States History teacher for many years and now instructs future educators. She hopes to change our world one student at a time. Delia M. Cruz-Fernández, EdD has been in education for over 20 years as a Mathematics and Spanish teacher, High School Assistant Principal and is currently working in the Multilingual Education Team as a Secondary ESL Specialist in a School District in Central Texas. She is an advocate for Multilingual Learners Education. She published in the English Leadership Quarterly the article When Live Gives You Lemons… Learning to Learn during a Pandemic. We