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PODCAST · education

Educator Forever

by Lily Jones, Teacher Advocate

There’s a lot that needs to change in education. But there are inspiring movements going on too! At Educator Forever, we believe teachers need to be at the forefront of education reform and be empowered to create career pathways that work for them. Do you ever think about leaving the classroom but have absolutely no idea what else you could do? You may not realize it yet, but you have acquired highly valuable skills throughout your teaching journey, and there is unlimited potential for you to use them. Tune in each week to hear about career opportunities that will help you achieve the income, impact, and freedom you’ve always dreamed of. The best part? You can do all of this without having to leave the world of education entirely. In addition to showing you the many ways you can expand your impact beyond the classroom, we’ll introduce you to inspiring leaders in education. Want to learn about new research? Looking to get familiar with innovative approaches to teaching and learning?

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Episodes

  1. 201. Creating Resources for Teachers with Paul McKee of FreeWorksheets.com

    Paul McKee is a former K-12 teacher turned education entrepreneur who has spent more than 20 years building and growing online education businesses. He is the founder of FreeWorksheets.com, a free resource platform created to help teachers, parents, and homeschoolers access classroom materials...

  2. 200. What 200 Conversations Taught Me About Learning

    Hi everyone, welcome back to Educator Forever. Episode 200. Wow! 200 episodes. It’s been such a pleasure hosting this show over the past four years. Today I'm doing something different — no guests . Instead, I want to talk about a framework I've been developing for a long time, one I built out of...

  3. 199. What Actually Makes Teachers Successful Beyond the Classroom?

    If I asked you to name the skills that make teachers successful outside of the classroom, you might say something like communication, or curriculum design, or organization, and those are real. We learn so many transferable skills as classroom teachers, but after working with tens of thousands of...

  4. 198. Building a Business Around How People Learn with Alex Mozes of Gravity Learning

    Alex Mozes is the CEO of Gravity Learning, a workforce development company using cognitive science to help managers actually change how they lead. Before Gravity, Alex founded Sheprd.io, a fractional operations consultancy helping companies solve scaling challenges from early‑stage through IPO....

  5. 197. From Teacher to Web Designer with Jenelle Rawlins

    Jenelle Rawlins is the founder of Janelle Marie Web Design and Branding. She helps service businesses who have outgrown their current website and want to work with more premium clients. She specializes in custom logo design and website makeovers so that her clients have the confidence, authority...

  6. 196. Career Change Tips for Teachers

    There comes a moment for many teachers in their careers when the classroom no longer feels like the right fit. It can show up as burnout or exhaustion. Or it might be a curiosity or feeling that there’s something else out there for you. If you’re a teacher considering a career change, you’re…

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  7. 195. Nervous System Literacy with Monica Rollins of Rooted: A Wellness Collective

    Monica Rollins is the founder and CEO of Rooted, a wellness collective. She partners with preschool programs to give teachers what traditional SEL training misses: practical nervous system literacy, trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness practices, and the co-regulation skills needed to lead calm,...

  8. 194. Scaling a Business and Building a Personal Brand with Luba Patlakh of Kidology

    Luba Patlakh is a speech and language pathologist, myofunctional therapist, and founder of Kidology. She's also an entrepreneur, podcast host, and children's book author. Luba has expanded her mission beyond one-on-one services through education, content creation, and community building. She is…

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  9. 193. Empowering Kids Through Art with Chinon Maria of Art World Explorer Kids

    Chinon Maria is an artist, educator, and founder of Art World Explorer Kids. For the past 15 years, she has dedicated her work to empowering and teaching children across the globe about the power of art. In this episode, Chinon tells Lily how became such a major part of her life and educator...

  10. 192. Teaching Success Skills with Rob Heller of the Boost Program

    Rob Heller is a successful entrepreneur, youth development innovator, and founder of the Boost Program, a comprehensive personal development curriculum designed to equip teens and young adults with the essential life, social, and mental health skills that traditional education overlooks. Drawing...

  11. 191. What Educators Need to Know About Childhood Trauma with Julianna Burmesch

    Julianna Burmesch is a former principal, speech pathologist, brain development trainer, and parent educator. She is also the author of Life with Less of Me, a memoir about the connection between trauma and long-term physical and mental health. Julianna and I discuss her education journey and her...

  12. 190. Building Collaborative Schools with Kurtis Hewson of Jigsaw Learning

    Kurtis Hewson is an author and the co-founder of Jigsaw Learning, a consultancy that teaches educators its Collaborative Response frameworks. With over a decade of experience as an administrator, Kurtis has championed the call for collaborative structures in schools to ensure success for all...

  13. 189. From Antiracism to Abolition with Abby Emerson

    Dr. Abby Emerson is a former fifth-grade teacher and now an assistant professor of childhood education at Hunter College at the City University of New York. She is the author of the book, From Anti-Racism to Abolition: Professional Learning for Liberating Schools, which is a book coming out this...

  14. 188. Implementing Science Research in K-12 Classrooms with Matt Wilkins of Galactic Polymath

    Matt Wilkins is a former middle school teacher, scientist, and founder of Galactic Polymath Education Studio. He has spent the last 10 years trying to translate cutting-edge research into engaging videos, and fun, standards-aligned lessons that a non-specialist can teach. In our discussion…

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  15. 187. From Regulation to Liberation with Dr. Niki Elliott

    Dr. Niki Elliott is a clinical professor and director of the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity at the University of San Diego. A leading voice in neurodiversity and trauma-informed education, she has trained thousands of teachers, school counselors, and helping professionals worldwide...

  16. 186. Fostering Creativity with Josh Davidson of Night Zookeeper

    Josh Davidson is the creator and co-founder of Night Zookeeper, an award-winning online learning program that helps children fall in love with reading, writing, and creativity through games and storytelling. Josh is passionate about giving kids the confidence to see themselves as writers and...

  17. 185. The Three Things That Change How You Learn Anything

    I have spent decades — decades — studying how people learn. I've read the research, I've built the frameworks, I'm literally getting a graduate degree in learning design from Johns Hopkins right now. And I still catch myself thinking: I need to know more before I'm ready to start. Ironic, right?...

  18. 184. The 5 Stages of Starting an Education Business

    If you've been thinking about starting an education business, it can feel really overwhelming knowing how to start, and most people really only see businesses when they're polished and successful. And it can feel intimidating, because we see these really well put together businesses that feel...

  19. 183. Centering Educator Wellbeing with Monika Robinson of Reparations Ed

    Monika Robinson is an Educator Wellbeing Coach with 17 years of experience across school systems. Her career includes roles as an elementary teacher, instructional coach, nonprofit director, and consultant giving her a deep understanding of the challenges educators face and what it takes to…

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  20. 182. From Classroom to Congress with Will Staton

    Will Staton began his career as a high school history teacher, and has worked as a teacher, Dean and administrator in Memphis, New York City and Washington, DC. Most recently, Will worked as an independent nonprofit consultant. Now he is now running for Congress as an independent in central New...

  21. 181. Teaching Kids to be EcoHeroes with Brett “Mr. Eco” Edwards

    Brett "Mr. Eco" Edwards is the founder and Chief Eco Officer of the Eco Hero show. He created Mr. Eco in college and has brought the brand to life since 2014. He is an environmentalist, an educator, an entrepreneur, a Grammy-voting member, a YouTuber and a philanthropist. Brett and I talk about…

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  22. 180. Growing an Online School with Brittanie Bates of Crimson Global Academy

    Brittanie Bates is a curriculum developer, educator, principal and parent, who's redefining what's possible in global online education. As founding academic head and principal of the global online school, Crimson Global Academy's U.S. diploma pathway, she has built an online learning model that...

  23. 179. Bringing Dignity & Hope to Youth in Foster Care with Rob Scheer of Comfort Cases

    Rob Scheer is the founder and CEO of Comfort Cases, an international nonprofit dedicated to bringing dignity and hope to youth in foster care. His and the organization’s mission is clear: to eliminate the heartbreaking and dehumanizing practice of children being handed a trash bag to carry their...

  24. 178. Supporting Students with Visual Dyslexia with Hillary Summerbell

    Hillary Summerbell is the founder and CEO of Summerbell, a literacy technology company redefining how visual dyslexics engage with text. A fourth-generation Washingtonian and lifelong creative, Hillary brings a designer’s eye and an inventor’s persistence to the world of EdTech. After a career in...

  25. 177. Running for Congress with Pia Dandiya

    Pia Dandiya is a first-generation American educator running for Congress in the district where she was born and raised to fight for kids and expand opportunity for every Floridian. She began her career as a teacher in low-income schools and went on to become one of the youngest high school...

  26. 176. Essential Curriculum Development Skills for Educators

    Today I’m doing a solo episode! I haven't done a solo podcast episode in a while, but I thought I'd come in and talk to you all about what I'm seeing in the world of curriculum development. I've been working in this field for almost 20 years, which is wild. But I've really seen some shifts and…

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  27. 175. Designing High-Quality Learning Experiences with Mickey Fitch-Collins

    Mickey Fitch-Collins is a leadership development facilitator, coach and podcast host who turns research into real world impact. With a doctorate in leadership in higher education and a background spanning academia, Ed Tech and corporate learning, she helps organizations unlock the potential of...

  28. 174. Early Literacy Coaching with Leah Ruesink

    Leah Ruesink is an early literacy coach and adjunct professor based in Michigan. She supports K–3 teachers in implementing research-aligned reading instruction and provides science-backed literacy guidance to educators, coaches, and families. Through her work in schools, writing, and online, Leah...

  29. 173. Confronting Teacher Burnout with Erin Sponaugle

    Dr Erin Sponaugle has been teaching for 23 years. She’s a national board certified teacher and a former West Virginia Teacher of the Year. She’s also the author of two children's books and recently published Teachaholic, a book about overcoming teacher burnout based on her own experience. Erin is...

  30. 172. Working in EdTech Marketing with Kendell Hunter of Otus

    Kendell Hunter is a former special education teacher and reading specialist with a master’s degree in education and more than a decade of experience across K–12 schools and edtech. She is the Director of Marketing at Otus, where she has spent nearly seven years helping districts turn assessment…

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  31. 171. Supporting Students with Dyslexia with Dr. Coral Hoh of Dysolve AI

    Dr. Coral P.S. Hoh is a clinical linguist and the founder of Dysolve AI, a technology platform designed to support students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. With a PhD in linguistics, her work focuses on applying research and artificial intelligence to improve how...

  32. 170. The Regulated Classroom with Emily Read Daniels

    Emily Read Daniels is a former school counselor, a proud soccer mom, and the author and creator of The Regulated Classroom©. Through her work as a trauma specialist, she’s become internationally recognized in her field and as a trainer in the trauma-informed schools movement. Emily and I spend…

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  33. 169. Aligning Neuroscience with Learning with Lisa Riegel

    Lisa Riegel is the creator of the NeuroWell Framework and the 8C Commitment Framework, which are brain-based approaches to engagement and change. She holds a PhD from Ohio State in policy and leadership and is a former educator and school reform specialist turned leadership strategist. She is…

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  34. 168. Restorative Justice in Schools with Nicholas Bradford of the National Center for Restorative Justice

    A lifelong educator with extensive experience in challenging students inside and outside the classroom, Nicholas Bradford started his restorative justice education in 2009 working in therapeutic settings. Having worked with hundreds of schools and districts, he has built a robust program that...

  35. 167. Working as a Literacy Consultant with Patty McGee

    Patty McGee, the author of “Not Your Granny’s Grammar,” is a nationally recognized literacy consultant, speaker and educator with a passion for transforming classrooms into spaces where language and literacy come alive. With years of teaching experience under her belt, she’s become a strong...

  36. 166. Building Better Support for Teachers with Jessica Werner

    Jessica Werner, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of Northshore Learning. She has worked with schools worldwide as an instructor, a professor of education and classroom management, and a consultant. She is passionate about helping to equip educators to work with students with varying academic and...

  37. 165. Navigating Special Education Systems with Karen Meyer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss

    Karen Meyer Cunningham is a nationally recognized special education advocate, speaker, and mediator with over two decades of experience guiding families, educators, and professionals through the complexities of special education systems. Known as The Special Education Boss®, she brings deep...

  38. 164. STEM for All with Jim Hollis of Calculus Roundtable

    Jim Hollis is the founder and executive director of the Calculus Roundtable, a nationally recognized nonprofit that improves math and science achievement for underserved students. Under his leadership, the organization has worked with over 65 schools across California, Washington, and New York,...

  39. 163. Teaching Early Literacy Skills Through Music & Storytelling with Emily Cadiz of Prelude Early Learning

    Emily Cadiz is a teacher, musician, mom of three, and founder of Prelude Early Learning, home of Finnegan the Dragon. After a traumatic brain injury left her needing to relearn how to talk and walk, she rebuilt her skills through music and singing—an experience that inspired Prelude’s music-based...

  40. 162. Teaching Entrepreneurship with Leah Ellis of The Society of Child Entrepreneurs

    Leah Ellis is a mom of four, writer, wedding officiant, Girl Scout leader, and founder of The Society of Child Entrepreneurs. Through SoCE, Nerdy Nuptials ICT, and Girl Scouts, she creates spaces where kids, couples, and communities are empowered to lead with authenticity. Leah believes in making...

  41. 161. Building Literacy Through Storytelling with S. Hughie Lassiter

    Stephen Hughie Lasseter is the author of Kingston To The Rescue. He is also a special education teacher in Philadelphia, where he teaches reading and math to elementary school students. He designed an educational program called Educate to Skate. Educate to Skate combines the metrics of learning,...

  42. 160. Cultivating Connection with Marcus Deveso of C3 Community

    Dr. Marcus Deveso is the co-founder and Chief Program Officer at C3 Community. He is a lifelong educator with nearly 30 years of experience in fostering inclusive, equitable educational environments. Throughout his career, Marcus has held a variety of roles, from classroom teacher to Chief…

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  43. 159. Teaching Homeschoolers with Jean Lee of the Academy of Chaos

    Jean Lee is a neuroscientist and homeschooling parent of three who founded the Academy of Chaos, which provides classes for homeschoolers. She’s also the director of the Midwest Homeschool Expo, one of the largest secular homeschool conferences in the United States. Jean’s career is defined by...

  44. 158. Teaching Novel Writing with Tavia Stewart & Laura Bradley of NaNo 2.0

    National Novel Writing Month might be gone, but its founder Chris Baty and a collection of former employees and volunteers are making sure the writing tradition continues. Next month their new organization, NaNo 2.0, will be encouraging writers all over to start and complete a novel, while also...

  45. 157. Food Education with Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn of Pilot Light

    Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn is the executive director of Pilot Light, a nonprofit that helps educators incorporate food education into their lessons. She joined the organization in 2014, hired personally by its founders as its first staff member, and since then, she has proudly worked in partnership...

  46. 156. Impact Mentoring with Dr. Scott Pickle

    Dr. Scott Pickle is superintendent of the Sequoia Union Elementary School District in Woodlake, California. He is also a public speaker and best-selling author who uses his platform to champion the belief that all students can achieve at high levels. Scott used his 30 years of experience to write...

  47. 155. Teaching Handwriting with Holly Britton of Squiggle Squad

    Holly Britton is a handwriting instruction specialist with teaching experience in grades K through eight. She educated her own four now-adult children, has taught in private and public school classrooms, served as a curriculum director and founded Squiggle Squad, a unique approach to handwriting...

  48. 154. Raising Readers with Maya Smart

    For this episode, I speak to Maya Smart, an early literacy advocate, parent educator and author of Reading for Our Lives: The Urgency of Early Literacy and the Action Plan to Help Your Child. She's affiliated faculty at Marquette University and holds degrees from Harvard and Northwestern. Her...

  49. 153. Hope Theory with Donita Grissom

    In this episode, I talk to Donita Grissom, a senior lecturer at at the University of Central Florida and co-author of the book, High Five to Thrive. She is also the CEO of Best Questers, which provides teachers with practical, effective teaching strategies that they can immediately implement in...

  50. 152. Creating Community for Homeschoolers with Ben Somers of Recess

    This week on the show we have Ben Somers, the founder of Recess.gg an education platform built for homeschoolers who learn differently. Recess is a kid centered product, and has helped kids publish books on Amazon, win awards at Oxford writing conferences and start amazing businesses. In this...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

There’s a lot that needs to change in education. But there are inspiring movements going on too! At Educator Forever, we believe teachers need to be at the forefront of education reform and be empowered to create career pathways that work for them. Do you ever think about leaving the classroom but have absolutely no idea what else you could do? You may not realize it yet, but you have acquired highly valuable skills throughout your teaching journey, and there is unlimited potential for you to use them. Tune in each week to hear about career opportunities that will help you achieve the income, impact, and freedom you’ve always dreamed of. The best part? You can do all of this without having to leave the world of education entirely. In addition to showing you the many ways you can expand your impact beyond the classroom, we’ll introduce you to inspiring leaders in education. Want to learn about new research? Looking to get familiar with innovative approaches to teaching and learning?

HOSTED BY

Lily Jones, Teacher Advocate

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Educator Forever have?

Educator Forever currently has 201 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Educator Forever about?

There’s a lot that needs to change in education. But there are inspiring movements going on too! At Educator Forever, we believe teachers need to be at the forefront of education reform and be empowered to create career pathways that work for them. Do you ever think about leaving the classroom but...

How often does Educator Forever release new episodes?

Educator Forever publishes regularly with 201 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Educator Forever?

You can listen to Educator Forever on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Educator Forever?

Educator Forever is created and hosted by Lily Jones, Teacher Advocate.
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