Before You Head Out: Spring Strategies For a Great Summer and Smooth Fall

In this episode of InspirED: A PLTW Podcast, Marcus Painter, Director of Social Media and Community Engagement chats with Tory Spanier and Seth Ponder about teachers can best Sail into the summer! All teachers will have actionable takeaways from this episode!  Sail into summer with a little help from a couple of the best teachers we know!Host:Marcus Painter, Director of Social Media & Community Engagement at Project Lead The WayGuests:Tory Spanier, PLTW Master Teacher from Delano High School, in Delano Minnesota.Seth Ponder, Computer Science and Engineering teacher at Riley High School, in South Bend, Indiana.Recording Date:May 7, 2026Resources:Middle school teachers bring high-impact, meaningful explorations of biomedical engineering through the Design and Modeling unit from PLTW Gateway: https://www.pltw.org/blog/middle-school-stem-prostheticsRiley High School students and educators share the “why” behind their passion for project-based learning and PLTW: https://wsbt.com/news/local/stem-education-hands-on-project-problem-based-high-school-south-bend-riley-national-recognition-innovation-careerHow Tory Spanier took risks and build a network of support, exemplifying perseverance and curiosity to his students: https://youtu.be/svO1gDuBN6k?t=237 Explore an educator’s journey from PLTW student to Master Teacher: https://www.pltw.org/blog/from-pltw-student-to-master-teacherWhat’s different about instructor-led, collaborative professional learning? Hear about it from teachers who’ve attended: https://www.pltw.org/blog/pltw-teachers-find-real-world-lessons-and-year-long-advice-during-pltw-core-trainingWhen students don’t see the difference between learning for the future and learning to pass the test, here’s what happens: https://www.pltw.org/blog/connecting-the-classroom-to-your-communityConnect on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RileyEngineeringMagnetInstagram: @rileyhighpltw