Drivetime Diaries

Are we "aging" slower now than we did in the past? What's the reason that 40 year olds in the 1990s (Think Steve Martin and Diane Keaton in Father of the Bride) looked older than we do now?I think some of it has to do with the way technology and streaming of media has made the past and present come together.What do you think?

I've had several videos on my social media this year that start out making you think they are describing Donald Trump (womanizer, adulterer, etc) that then turn at the end to describe King David of ancient Israel. My wife says she's seen NONE of these, so this illustrates the echo chamber I mentioned earlier this season, but the overwhelming point of the video is to remind you that God uses imperfect people to accomplish his purposes, I think. But is it a good analogy? Let's look further with a critical eye at the potential similarities between Trump and Kind David.

My thoughts on Valentine's Day have changed a lot over the years - for this bonus episode, here's a story of a time I really put my foot in my mouth about Valentine's Day

When you think of how we tell stories in our culture, or builds community, what is more important - the characteristics and experiences we have in common, or those that make us unique and different?Adam Conover from "Adam Ruins Everything" gave what I think is a great argumentagainst intersectionality in a recent YouTube video about the way we've shifted our cultural vernacular around time. (WHAT HAPPENED TO DECADES? -https://youtu.be/qo_EHY5jEX4?si=I4aMlR6FRKmX7kqn)TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - The Importance of Commonality vs Uniqueness6:07 - Intersectionality: Benefits and Drawbacks

There's a lot to think about innovative problem solving this week as Deepseek AI shakes up the market and Elon Musk and DOGE get to work on "inefficiency" in the federal government. Is this JUST what American needs, or is this going to be a disaster? And what can we learn about innovative problem solving from all of this? Timestamps: 00:43 - Innovative Problem Solving and Disruption 7:01 - DOGE and government efficiency 12:13 - Lessons from Deepseek

What's the *right* amount of time on social media? How do we avoid echo chambers as we build community online? How and why is it important to make sure we have differing perspectives as we navigate social media and consume news and entertainment? There's something here to make everyone mad, so I'd love to hear what you think!

While trying out a new Google AI tool today, Notebook LM, I put in my lesson plans for my GRC Podcasting class and besides summarizing my lessons into a clear unit summary, it also offered me an AI conversation discussing my notes - what a tool! Listening to other "people" discuss my lesson plans was really edifying and "their" feedback reinforced my conviction that this is going to be a great class! (Go subscribe now to hear my students' work! - https://open.spotify.com/show/5HaMDWgvVSL11e8IgEEnKh One professional development strategy deployed often in schools is a "lesson study," where a teacher presents an upcoming lesson with learning objectives, activities, assessment, etc., and then sits in the room as their colleagues discuss it and give feedback. Listening to this conversation felt exactly like that! What would you do with the ability to turn any text into an AI conversational recording? Is my hobby as a podcaster dead? Let me know what you think! IG: ⁠@mrcbakerislearning⁠ | ⁠@drivetimediary⁠ X: ⁠@chuckcbaker⁠

Its a commonly held assumption that public school teachers and administrators typically lean left politically, but why? Does the culture of "indoctrination" and professional development breed liberalism, or are left-leaning individuals simply more likely to go into education? What do you think of this nature vs. nurture scenario? Let me know what you think! IG: ⁠@mrcbakerislearning⁠ | ⁠@drivetimediary⁠ X: ⁠@chuckbaker⁠

I'm teaching a podcasting class the next 6 weeks on Saturday's with The Lou's very own Gifted Resource Council. Subscribe now so you don't miss any of my students' work - they're gonna be great! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theloucast Let me know what you think! IG: @mrcbakerislearning X: @chuckcbaker

I'm back in middle school this year! teaching middle school, particularly gifted classes is special to me because my gifted class in 7th and 8th grade was a safe haven for me from the jungle of the rest of my schedule. We didn't always do things I liked, but it was always a space I knew I could fit in better - and everyone needs that! What about you? How was middle school? Let me know what you think! IG: @mrcbakerislearning X: @chuckcbaker

It's been said that teaching math in our schools is really just about problem solving - if that's true, why are we torturing kids with completing the square and geometric theorems? Isn't there SOME OTHER WAY we could find to teach problem solving? Let me know what you think? IG: @mrcbaker4math | @drivetimediary X: @chuckcbaker

It feels like lots of people I know were VERY into the eclipse this week (myself included) - are you eclipse crazy now, are is this "craze" we're observing more about having a shared cultural moment in time? Eclipses might have more in common with "where were you when the towers fell?" than only with science class. Let me know your story!

Did you know you can use AI to generate quizzes and self-assessments? I asked Chat GPT to create an ADHD self-assessment for me and then we chatted through my responses like talking to a therapist or an old friend! Obviously my results were to be taken with a huge AI sized grain of salt, but it was a helpful conversation! Let me know what you think! X: ⁠⁠@chuckcbaker⁠⁠ IG: ⁠⁠@drivetimediary⁠⁠, ⁠⁠@mrcbaker4math

In a kitchen conversation with my wife and one of my kids yesterday, I guess we figured out that I have neurotic tendencies! How would being neurotic affect me in the classroom? These episodes don't always feel like therapy, but I know this drive did! Let me know what you think! X: ⁠@chuckcbaker⁠ IG: ⁠@drivetimediary⁠, ⁠@mrcbaker4math

I have a NEW new job next year... transitioning to the "gifted teacher" classroom at our middle school. It's the same building, same front door, and same parking lot, but it's going to feel very different! Being a math teacher is a specific identity that comes with assumptions and co-identities and people make about you (and you also place upon yourself) - who am I as a teacher without all of that baggage? It's going to be another year of reflection and change!

In one of daily newsletters from NYT this week, I heard about the new "God Bless the USA Bible" being endorsed by former president Trump in a video he posted to his social media platform. The Bible is a leather bound King James Version translation of the Christian Bible and also includes the full texts of the US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge is Allegiance. It mostly had me wondering - who is this really for, and what's it say about that person's view of religious expression in society?

I had a moment of less than ideal action recently and it led to someone's car being stolen - and what if the stakes had been even higher and the perpetrator and been looking for more than just a joyride??

Do we reallyvalue free speech for EVERYONE, or just until your free speech makes me feel uncomfortable or is in tension with my free speech? It's a topic in schools and it's on my mind on today's drivetime.

I got an email from a student on the yearbook today asking me some questions for the spread they're doing on the new teachers for the yearbook, and I was not surprised by the questions about what did I think about the year what did I think about teaching at my school, but my interest was piqued by the last question. She asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I had a really good time thinking about it! The answer might surprise you!

What kind of tool/blade are you? Are you finely crafted to precision, made for professionals to craft masterpieces, or are you more of a versatile tool - slightly less refined to a specific job, but highly useful in a variety of situations? Let me tell you my story so you can share yours!

The worst best thing happened to me last week on a quiz I had to take in grad school. It was a pretty straightforward quiz that I should have gotten a hundred on because really I just had to read a document to answer the questions but I got one question wrong out of 20 which meant I no longer have 100% in that class. What that should mean for me is that I put less pressure on myself to be perfect and I enjoy my life more in the next two weeks. But how's that going? Listen to find out

We were introducing the idea of polynomials today and I had students think of words they knew that started with "poly" so we could think about what polynomial meant. Besides polygon and polytheistic (school-ish words), polyamorous and Polynesian came up. How did I respond with my freshman when "polyamorous" came up? Listen to find out!

I started grad school again in January working toward an EdS degree and administrator certification - am I a good fit??

STEM or STEAM or STREAM - whatever you call the integration of tech, engineering, science and math subjects together in the curriculum - if that's just an optional, elective class at your school, you or your student are missing out!

My students were taking the Myers-Briggs Personality test this week for their Intro to Internship class and then discussing it during academic lab and my curiosity was stirred to get my own results. To say I've been obsessed this week would be accurate. Seeking more info on my personality type, (ENFJ-A), I decided it was a good opportunity to try out the new voice chat option in the Chat GPT app. What does ChatGPT have to say about my personality type??? What's your Myers-Briggs type? You can find out at www.16personalities.com Let me know what you find out by sending me a voice message on Spotify, or DM on the socials! X: @chuckcbaker IG: @mrcbaker4math | @drivetimediary

A routine around the world - parents sitting with their childen at the kitchen table trying to finish math assignments. I got an SOS text from my wife one day this week while I was still at school asking for help on a word problem from our kid's Algebra assignment. Seriously, this problem was devilishly hard for no reason. She was feeling frustrated, so was our kid, and they both needed validation. Was I able to solve the problem?! Listen to find out!

Do you share your goals with the people closest to you or do you keep them to yourself to keep from letting others down? Recently I had someone close to me who just completed a year of totally changing their morning and evening routine and I was a little disappointed they hadn't shared with me that they were working toward that goal because I wanted to encourage them! They said they didn't share because they didn't want to let others down, so they had me thinking am I missing part of the goal setting equation when I asked students to set goals for algebra class? Should these be shared or private? Is it just a personal preference?

I was able to kick into high gear planning for next semester and I am incredibly excited! A lot of that has to do with the planning partners I've opened myself up to this semester. How well do you collaborate in your practice?

Meta (Facebook) just launched a new chatbot inside of FB messages, so I asked it for a podcast episode and it suggested ASMR.

I made pancakes as a class incentive - what happens when Mr. Baker bakes? A year ago I started doing "class points" as whole-group incentives for students' collective positive behaviors and following directions as a part of the district-wide emphasis on the 4-step "no-nonsense nurturer" model. I had not decided at the beginning of this school year if I was going to continue since there is not a similar push at my new school, but a teacher competition at the Homecoming Pep Assembly was the inspiration I needed. Listen for more... What do you think about class-wide incentives? Let me know! X: @chuckcbaker IG: @drivetimediary | @mrcbaker4math

I started messing around in German recently in Duolingo and have really been enjoying it, but what am I really learning so far I basically know please thank you bread water and wine plus a couple others... Are we actually learning from Duolingo or is this just another thing we occupy ourselves with on our phones? My wife has a story that affirms the power of Duo - listen for her testimony using it to connect with a 5 year old that showed up in her class with no English. Let me know what you think!

Do we still each other this question? "What kind of music do you like?" What does your answer to that question say about you? Let me know what you think!

I was surprised recently by one of my kids skills and it almost felt like it was a secret talent but I should have known better after thinking about it and observing things that he does really well so that had me also thinking about my students what secret talents do my students have that I just don't know about yet but I haven't created an environment to discover those but I do know that any organization or one environment that can allow people to share their talents obvious or hidden it's going to be best for everybody it's going to be a place where everyone can be like asking him and grow so we definitely need to be making those environments let me know what you think!

What level of diversity, equity, and/or inclusion (DEI) is necessary for it be authentic or meaningful, rather than paying lipservice to the idea or virtue signaling to others? Does it even matter? Is SOME effort better than NONE? Viewing a teacher's recent IG reel of them putting up Christmas decorations in their classroom had me wondering if they missed the point. Let me know what you think! X: @chuckcbaker IG: @drivetimediary, @mrcbaker4math

One of the most asked personal questions in my classroom this year - what is a "kingdom worker"? I was introduced to the term for the first time at a student conference this summer from an organization called, CIY, and have since adopted the moniker. In this episode, we'll talk about the definition as it comes from the CIY website, and also on the comments ChatGPT came up with when I queried the AI chat model. Let me know what you think!IG: ⁠⁠@drivetimediary⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mrcbaker4math⁠⁠X: ⁠⁠chuckcbaker⁠

Should Mondays be so bad?? Here me out!

Merriam-Webster has published their 2023 "word of the year" - AUTHENTIC. That's a big word for this podcast, too!

I had an astute student tell me after school that my class must have been stressful that day because my hair was sticking up like I'd run my hand through it lots of times. It was an interesting observation and had me thinking about how various levels of stress (or lack thereof) manifest in me physically. What about you? Let me know what you think! IG: ⁠⁠@drivetimediary⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mrcbaker4math⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠chuckcbaker⁠

I don't think I intend to always challenge "the way we do things," but as a tell my kids at home, the way things happen is the reality, whether we intend it. So... what do I do with that? How do I keep myself lead-able and collaborating on the team while using my gifts to look forward? Let me know what you think! IG: ⁠⁠@drivetimediary⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mrcbaker4math⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠chuckcbaker⁠

We've been going through the model prayer that Jesus teaches his disciples in the gospel account of Matthew, and so I've just been thinking about that a lot more the past week and wanted to do some bonus episodes sharing how I reflect on that model prayer and how I think about my mission teaching being a kingdom worker and how I get ready for the school day

If you identify in a public space as a Christian, it's pretty inevitable that when you make a mistake or have a bad day, someone will be thinking (or say outloud), "You shouldn't act like, that. I thought you were a Christian!" What do you do then? Today's episode reflects on my most recent encounter with that situation. It's easy following Jesus at church , but things can get sticky out in the "real world"! Let me know what you think! IG: ⁠@drivetimediary⁠ ⁠@mrcbaker4math⁠ X: ⁠chuckcbaker⁠

On this episode, I interviewed fellow educator and life-long co-sympathizer, my sister, Jennifer Bearden. Jen is a 23 year veteran elementary teacher - ALL in the same school! After much persuasion that I would be nice, I was able to coerce her to allow me to interview her for the podcast! Jen shares her story of being influenced to become a teacher, what she geeks over to stay interested in the job, how she's been able to find a work-life balance that works for her and her family, and who the favorite child in the family is. I also wanted to give her an opportunity to promote her sugar cookie business, JennySue Bakeshop - she's a real LLC and everything! You can contact Jen on IG @jennysuebakeshop or via email at [email protected] to place an order!

Listening to the news on the way to school recently, it was reported that teaching hirings are up 16% over the last four years in Illinois! That seems like great news, but how did they do it? Without being able to research it while driving, my assumption is that they have strong avenues to alternative certification in Illinois. What's more important, that someone went through a traditional 4 year teacher-development program as an undergrad at a university, or that they have the desire and will to join our ranks?

Thinking this morning about times I've had friends leave organizations or I've felt lonely myself because there was no one "like me". Some of us are gifted in building bridges and making space for others, some are less gifted, but it's the work were called to nonetheless. if you're an only today...hold on. #2 needs you there to be a friend for the next one.

Happy Veteran's Day in the U.S.! I have mini-US, Navy, and Marine Corps flags in my classroom, so kids often ask if I was in the military, and I always have to sort of dodge the question because its a bit complicated in my opinion. Here's the story why. Along with that, my parents' stories as veterans helps informs my own, so I would have been remiss to not get them on the episode talking about their own experiences as Vietnam-era veterans of the US Air Force! This episode is half family story time, half a discussion on vets in America, and chock full of love for 'Merica I mention in the episode that I would post a link to 2023 Veteran's Day perks at restaurants/stores - here you go! https://www.military.com/veterans-day/veterans-day-military-discounts.html

Are you intentional about where and how you consume your media and news? I had a conversation on Friday night with a friend (and fan of the pod) about an app he had just started using to make sure that he wasn't just consuming liberal or conservative news perspectives. It's important how and why we consume our media - what's your favorite news or media app? Does it matter to you if it is biased? Apps/podcasts mentioned in this episode: The Pour Over Newsletter - ⁠⁠https://ref.thepourover.org/a8ad545e/⁠⁠ The Culture Translator from AXIS - ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4mV3kwxLcTOvAIpVJPqQT9?si=684a045455dc4bbd⁠ The Holy Post - ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0uuW6iCQVmwGCpHN4BzC8K?si=f6468ce451b247da⁠ Ground News App - ⁠https://ground.news/app⁠ UpFirst from NPR - ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2mTUnDkuKUkhiueKcVWoP0?si=36cfc4b9dc1b4acf⁠ 1440 Newsletter - ⁠https://join1440.com/

I was asked recently if I am a "hardcore" Christian... the way most people would think about it, yes, probably! I am deeply devoted to following Jesus and putting Christ first in all aspects of my life. But do I think that's "hardcore"? No, I don't. I think that's what Jesus tells us to do if we are going to follow him. In this episode: What makes me a "hardcore" Christian? My problems with the "hardcore" label What DOES define me Let me know what you think! IG: ⁠@drivetimediary⁠ ⁠@mrcbaker4math⁠ X: ⁠chuckcbaker⁠

I was a proud member of the roll-out-the-door crew for a LONG time, but part of my parenting journey has been finding the joy of time in the morning before kids get up/the day begins. What about you?

Some people might say...it doesn't matter what I have to say about diversity, equity, and inclusion because I do not share much intersectionality with basically any "marginalized" groups. So, if that's you, this episode might not be for you. However, I am of the opinion that everyone should be knowledgeable about diversity, equity and inclusion if we are ever going to meet the goals we set for our organizations. I may need to listen more than I speak, but its definitely important that I know where my understandings and convictions lie with respect to this topic Here's my first thoughts on diversity. #dei #diversity #equity #inclusion

Parent-Teacher Conferences 2023 are done! I used it to make a connection, but are there many things more ridiculous than bragging to native Spanish speaker that you have a 150 day streak on Duolingo?! 🤡 PT conferences are a key component to the public schools social contract I talk about a lot on here, so how your school welcomes families in, facilitates your visit and gives you valuable information is incredibly important! Great event tonight. Super glad to meet so many families. 🥹