NACCTEP Now

This episode brings listeners to New Jersey where Raritan Valley Community College Professor of Education and Education Program Coordinator Dr. Kathy Suk and Mr. Edward Gordon II, CEO of the Gordon Leadership Academy and founder of the Gordon Leadership Foundation, discuss guiding teacher candidates through RVCC's Associate of Arts in Education K-12 program. During a sabbatical a few years ago, Dr. Suk discovered that 60% of the schools in New Jersey were using the Danielson Framework rather than the New Jersey standards and changed the program to match that. By creating an environment where teacher candidates can feel seen, heard, and valued, Dr. Suk and Mr. Gordon positively influence these students to feel self-confident and to act as leaders among their colleagues and classmates.

In this episode we hear from Gracy Obuchowicz whose background in self-care and wellness extends to teachers and school leaders through her work at Empower Ed. She discusses how burnout can be a demoralization or moral injury and suggests making small changes, or kaizens, to help counteract that feeling. Simple things like getting enough sleep, giving yourself five extra minutes in the morning, enjoying a cup of tea, or listening to your favorite music are ways you can focus on yourself. In the workplace, finding a mentor or other form of peer support that you can talk with provides a sense of not being alone in whatever challenges you're facing. While her book, Selfcarefully is currently out of print, you can still purchase a PDF version through her publisher thickpress.com.Gracy also recommends the book Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski.

In this episode of NACCTEP Now, Julie Ferin sits down with the incredible Dr. Tina Boogren for a conversation that every educator and leader needs right now. Drawing from her work as an award-winning educator, bestselling author, and national speaker, Dr. Boogren brings both research and real-life experience to the forefront. She shares powerful insights on educator burnout, the difference between stress and burnout, and why sustainable teaching starts with taking care of the adult in the room. What makes this conversation stand out is how practical it is. From “micro choices” to redefining wellness as something achievable, not overwhelming, listeners will walk away with simple, actionable steps they can apply immediately in their own lives and programs.Dr. Boogren’s voice is both honest and hopeful. She reminds us that this work is hard, but it can also be joyful and sustainable with the right approach. Her perspective on supporting educators across different career phases, along with her emphasis on leadership responsibility in shaping a culture of wellness, makes this episode especially impactful for those in educator preparation and leadership roles. To learn more about Dr. Boogren’s work, including her books such as 180 Days of Self-Care for Busy Educators and 180 Days of Physical Wellness for Busy Educators, and her workshops and coaching, visit www.tinaboogren.com and connect with her on social media. This conversation will leave you thinking differently about wellness, leadership, and what it truly takes to support educators for the long haul.

Dr. Mary Olvera is the State Director of Teacher Education, Public Services, and Perkins Special Populations for the North Carolina Community College System. In this episode she shares the unique structure of community colleges in NC, that there are 58 that all use a singular curriculum and none are more than 30 miles from their students across 100 counties. They operate in service areas, and if the community college in a student's service area isn't one of the 29 with an EPP program, the student can attend the next nearest college that does.Through various programs such as College Promise, students can begin their journeys to becoming teachers as early as high school and continue on through the community college before transferring to a university that may charge as little as $500 a semester on their way to a degree. Programs may include a one-year apprenticeship or a three-year residency for teacher candidates that hold different licensure levels.

In this episode we hear from Dr. Jennifer Gresko of Rio Salado College and Heather Merrill of Glendale Community College discuss the joint bachelor of elementary education and special education program they share with Paradise Valley Community College in the Maricopa County Community College District, MCCCD. When state legislation passed to allow community colleges to offer bachelor degrees in 2021, Jennifer and Heather joined forces to create a dual certification bachelor degree. Born from existing associates and post-baccalaureate programs, the knowledge that all teachers need special education training, and requests from students and districts, the BAEE/SpEd program set out to lessen the teacher shortage in Arizona. Their collaboration doesn't stop with the accredited program, it continues as the students, the teacher candidates, who may face unique needs are able to take courses at any of the three colleges because of their shared curriculum and the flexibility of the in-person and online modalities. At a price under $13,000, and the opportunity for state backed scholarships specifically for future teachers, the degree is among the most affordable paths to becoming a teacher. For more information, please visit https://www.maricopa.edu/degrees-certificates/bachelors-degrees/elementary-education-special-education-baee-sped

As we continue the conversation with Kim Eckert, Craft Education's head of Instructional Innovation and Apprenticeship Design and former Louisiana Teacher of the Year in this second half of our two-part series, we learn about how to start small while aiming for larger scale implementation. By gathering all the constituents a program will need, such as higher education faculty, district leadership, as well as legislative and funding personnel, building a sustainable teacher apprenticeship program becomes a realistic possibility. Ms. Eckert can be reached at [email protected]

In this first half of our two-part series with Craft Education's  head of Instructional Innovation and Apprenticeship Design, Kim Eckert, we learn why teacher apprenticeships are vitally important to the future of teacher education. As part of that importance, we also hear how community colleges are ideally positioned to lead this work that endeavors to break down the financial barriers that traditional student teaching often brings to teacher candidates who may already have families. Additionally, teacher apprenticeships keep paraprofessionals who are already community members within the schools and communities they already serve.

In this episode we here from Dr. Kevin Spooner, Associate Dean of Education at Warner Pacific University, Tanya Mead, Chair of the Education Department at Portland Community College, Uma Joshi-Garcia from the Multnomah Service District Grow Your Own Program, and Andreina Velasco a Grow Your Own Pathway Navigator from the David Douglas School District. Listen as this collaborative team discusses the value of Grow Your Own programs for teacher candidates and how the college and university work to ensure teacher candidates can be successful. They discuss how being navigators is so much more than simply mentoring students on financial, admissions, and course decisions, but also incorporates seeing to their emotional well-being so that the teacher candidates can feel safe and confident. In particular, they highlight that the retention rate in GYO programs is between 85-90%.In addition to being able to positively affect the diversity of the teaching profession, they are advocating for diversifying the teacher preparation workforce by incorporating more teachers of color, more teachers who've recently been in the classroom, and more teachers who've gone through alternative or non-traditional teacher preparation programs.

Ken Spero is the founder and President of SchoolSims. In this episode he discusses how the choose-your-own-adventure style of the scenarios that make up the simulations, or sims, can help to deisolate, improve self-confidence, and allow for self-reflection for teachers and school leaders across the spectrum from pre-pre-service to long established teachers and leaders. His favorite quote from Viktor Frankl is "Between stimulus and response there is a space, and in that space is our power to choose." SchoolSims focuses on that space, drawing from individuals personal experiences and what they've been taught about teaching or leading, to help them explore how they might react in different situations. Further discussion and a demonstration of SchoolSims will happen during a NACCTEP hosted webinar in April, so please keep an eye out for communication on that.In the meantime, you can check out SchoolSims.com or reach out to Ken at [email protected].

As we prepare to meet in New Orleans next week NACCTEP is checking in with Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, AACTE. During this discussion we hear how her first year in the position has advocated for the reinstatement of grant funding for educator preparation, how she has traveled to 32 states to learn more about their policies and regulations as part of her state strategy, and how community colleges and universities are addressing the affordability of entering the teaching profession. Additionally, Dr. Holcomb-McCoy gives a preview of one of two new initiatives that will be introduced at the 2026 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, a call to action around a new federal policy roadmap. She also talked about how innovation and technology is leading AACTE to create a new professional development platform for both members working in higher education teacher preparation programs, but also for graduates of those programs as they enter the teaching field. These are just some of the ways that she, and AACTE are reclaiming the narrative around the strength of educators and the importance of education. The NACCTEP Pre-conference will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2026 alongside AACTE's other pre-conferences at the Sheraton New Orleans. The 2026 AACTE Annual Meeting will follow from February 20th - 22nd at the New Orleans Marriott on Canal Street. There is still time to register!#StrongerTogether

Listen in as assistant professors Theresa Robinson and Melissa Lebowitz from the Community College of Baltimore County share the latest updates on their programs. From receiving a Feds2Eds grant to develop programming for displaced government workers to enter the teaching workforce to the Degrees to Succeed partnerships with nine institutions, CCBC is making great strides throughout educator preparation. They also have mock classrooms being set up on both the Essex and Catonsville campuses with all the latest technology that they expect to be ready for use this spring.Also discussed is how AI can be responsibly and ethically used in the classroom. This includes incorporating assignments that require the use of AI to create rubrics or to create letters that can be compared to one's own version. The conversation also turns to how the Baltimore County Public School System has created two programs to introduce middle school/junior high students to community college instructors, administrators, and athletes who look like them in order to show that their futures are wide open.

In this first episode of 2026 NACCTEP chats with Rebecca Saiz - Executive Director of Lone Star College Educator Preparation Program, Dr. Christina Puente - Department Chair, and Dr. JeQuila Broussard - Lead Field Supervisor from Lone Star College about how they've transitioned from a checklist driven evaluation system for teacher candidates to a reflective system. This new method allows the college supervisor to become a coach guiding and encouraging the teacher candidates on their journey to becoming an effective teacher. As part of the transition, a common vocabulary comes into play so that both the supervisors and the teachers can communicate successes, expectations, and room for improvement, or "Glow, Grow, and Go" as they've termed it.A further discussion of this system will be held at an interactive roundtable during the NACCTEP Pre-Conference in New Orleans on the afternoon of February 19, 2026. For further information on the 2026 NACCTEP Pre-Conference, please visit https://www.nacctep.org/professional-development-events/2026-pre-conference

In this episode we hear from Starr Sackstein of Educators Rising. Ms. Sackstein is a National Board Certified teacher with over 20 years experience in education. In addition to numerous books which you can find in the NACCTEP Book List, Ms. Sackstein also writes a column for the Kappan Magazine called Career Confidential.Ms. Sackstein shares the extensive ways that Educators Rising introduces potential teachers to the field beginning in middle school and high school and supporting their continued studies in college as well. From curriculum, to micro-credentials, to scholarships and competitions at the state and national levels, Educators Rising helps students explore the teaching field.mssackstein.comKappanonline.orgKappanonline.org/category/career-confidential/NACCTEP Book List

Dr. Scott Bailey, Assistant Provost of Education Programs at the American College of Education (ACE) joins us to discuss the partnership between ACE and Rio Salado College, specifically in regards to educator preparation students. Dr. Bailey praises the enthusiasm that Rio Salado has for their partnership and how that is reinforced by the collaborative and seamless nature of what ACE offers students completing Rio Salado's teacher preparation post-bacc programs. Through this partnership, students moving on to ACE for a masters degree in education are able to complete the degree in as little as one year and for well under $10k. The other benefits of ACE's education programs, both at the masters and doctoral levels, is that they are designed and taught by educators for educators. This allows students to have confidence not only in the applicable nature of what they are learning, but also in knowing that their instructors understand the day-to-day challenges of being a teacher. To learn more about ACE and their many degree offerings, please visit ACE.edu.

In this episode we hear from Dr. Melodie Baker of Impact Stats on how community colleges can use data to adapt and continuously improve educator preparation programs. Of particular interest is the teaching of math. With many candidates unable to pass the math portion of licensing exams, even if they've taken developmental math courses, there is clear evidence that focusing on a co-requisite model is more effective in boosting the math skills of teacher candidates and of all students. Data can also be used to identify equity gaps in academics as well as funding areas and allowing colleges to address these issues. This is critical at the community college level which can have such a positive impact on diversifying and localizing the teacher workforce. You can learn more about Impact Stats and their work at impactstats.org.

Stacy Wilson and Dr. Alex Arreguin, both of whom are English faculty at Mesa Community College in Arizona, created the Literacy Partners Project out of a sense of curiosity for what their English 101 and 102 students were learning in other courses. Specifically, if their students were able to use the concepts they were teaching to complete coursework in history, science, math, and other courses. As they met with instructors from other disciplines they adapted a concept that Dr. Elizabeth Wardle from Miami University of Ohio had implemented.By developing a series of writing across disciplines frameworks that included utilizing threshold concepts, knowledge transfer, and decoding the disciplines, they were able to not only develop student success initiatives, but also apply these frameworks to program and college departments. On the faculty development side, they used the decoding the disciplines approach to bring together colleagues from different disciplines and departments to work together to help solve the challenges each faced by offering new perspectives.

We welcome the perspectives of Dezi Lynn, Educator Initiative Manager for the National Indian Education Association - NIEA, Dr. Donna Brown, Vice President of Sponsored Programs for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium - AIHEC, and Dr. Danny Luecke, Secondary Math Education Faculty at Turtle Mountain College, on the nuances of Indigenous Teacher Preparation. Each of our guests share their journeys to becoming teachers and to their current positions.Listen in as we learn how native cultures and languages are honored in teacher preparation programs. Numerous books and resources are mentioned throughout this episode and can be found on the NACCTEP Book List. Additionally, the NIEA offered a series of webinars over the late spring to early summer of 2025 that can be found on their website at https://www.niea.org/webinars

For the Borough of Manhattan Community College episode in NACCTEP Now's CUNY series we talk with President Dr. Anthony E. Munroe. As the largest undergraduate school in the CUNY system as well as one of the largest Hispanic Serving Institutions in the Northeast, BMCC is situated in lower Manhattan near Wall Street, the United Nations, and where the World Trade Center once stood. The location is "a prime position to develop educators with a global perspective."Partnerships with local performing arts centers help future educators to learn how to incorporate art into the classrooms and lessons, the A in STEAM. On the STEM side, BMCC started a Women in STEM program to encourage and mentor women entering the field, as well as being a part of the New York HSI STEM Hub and the Pipeline Opportunity for Intercollegiate STEM Education with NYU. In BMCC's teacher education programs, integrated technology is emphasized so that future teachers can seamlessly incorporate new and future technologies into their classrooms. Some practicum and student teaching placements include co-teaching and designing lessons for both hybrid and fully online settings.Additionally, Dr. Munroe shares that BMCC is "an environment where every student feels seen, valued, and supported, regardless of [their] background." Part of this includes programs specifically for first generation students as well as programs such as the New York State Opportunity Promise Program which provides free tuition for students over the age of 25 attempting their first college degree and the CUNY Reconnect Program which waives tuition and fees for students over 25 who are returning to complete a degree they had previously started and stepped away from.

This special CUNY series episode features Dr. Cocco De Filippis, President of Hostos Community College in the South Bronx sharing how Hostos' Associate of Arts, AA, and Associate of Applied Science, AAS, degrees help local students enter and advance in the teaching field. While AAS degrees allow students to directly enter the workforce or advance in their field, AA degrees lead to transferring to a bachelors program and 85% of the students from Hostos who transfer do so to another CUNY school.One particular highlight of Hostos' education programs is a Bilingual AAS degree that is beneficial for their local community where over 50 languages are spoken. From their first courses, students in the education programs complete field experience hours. Some of these hours are completed by reading to children in the on-campus Child Care Center, others may include attending a local PTA meeting.Dr. Cocco De Filippis is particularly proud of how Hostos' programs respect and honor the cultural differences of their students, especially with non-traditional students who may be parents or grandparents entering the teaching profession. Her passion for the profession and encouragement of those pursuing teaching is evident throughout this episode.

Dr. Christine Mangino, President of Queensborough Community College, and Dr. Anita Ferdenzi, leader of Queensborough's Education Academy, talk about the seamless pathway between Queensborough and Queens College for students in the education pathway. A grant from the Heckscher Foundation ensures that courses are transferred as courses rather than as a blanket transfer of credit hours. Curriculum and transfer meetings between the schools include the presidents of each school, showing the importance of developing seamless pathways for students pursuing transfer between the two schools. Queens College also has a new dual birth through 2nd grade and 1st through 6th grade degree which will allow even more courses to transfer.Dr. Mangino also mentions the new child care center they hope to begin work on in the summer of 2026 that will include observation rooms that can be used by education students, psychology students, and nursing students. Ideally, the center will be available to both students and employees with small children.The Drs. also discuss how the diverse student body at Queensborough reflects the diversity within the Queens community. Students from 120 countries who speak more than 80 different languages and dialects may one day have a positive effect on their own community.

In this episode, LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams discusses the many successes at LaGuardia with rebounding enrollment in their teacher preparation programs. Chief among these successes is the linguistic and cultural diversity of the students in the programs that is reflective of the borough of Queens, New York. With roughly 125 different countries and 50 heritage languages in the community, LaGuardia's enrollment spans them all and includes an education associate bilingual child degree program.President Adams also discusses the many critical resources that LaGuardia Community College has to assist students in overcoming any health care, food needs, and financial barriers to being both enrolled in and successful in their degree programs. Among these resources is the TEACH NY program that is a statewide collection of resources as well as a newly introduced program from New York Governor Hochul that allows for free tuition to any student aged 25-55 pursuing a degree in a high needs program, including the education field called the New York State Opportunity Program.President Adams also shared how AI could help broaden the reach and engagement with students and families as they navigate the admissions process in higher education. He mentioned in their advisement area, LaGuardia is exploring the use of AI devices that can translate English into ten other languages to make students and their families more comfortable without needing to wait for a human translator to assist.

Kicking off this special series featuring the community colleges of CUNY is Dr. Larry Johnson, President of Bronx Community College. Dr. Johnson is also the Presidential Representative on the NACCTEP Executive Board. Listen in as he describes his passion for community colleges and the vital role they play in shaping the future of teacher education. Dr. Johnson's first exposure to the value of community colleges stems from watching his own mother attend a community college while working to provide for her family. Becoming an educator himself was born from his experience in high school, one of not seeing teachers that looked like himself, and of finding a teacher who acted as a father figure and showed encouragement. Dr. Johnson turned these experiences into a desire to become a professor, to be able to encourage and change the course of others' young lives.

As the fall semester begins, we look forward to our annual chat with the IRIS Center.  This year we talk with Darcie Peterson from the IRIS Center Technical Assistance team.  Ms. Peterson relates her background in using the IRIS Center resources before joining their staff and training others to use those resources. In addition to discussing the new functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavioral intervention plan (BIP) modules, she shares several other IRIS Resources, including the For Faculty section, which offers tools to help integrate IRIS Center resources into coursework and programs.  Additionally, Darcie introduces our listeners to the IRIS Center’s website navigation videos as well as where to sign up for their newsletter.  Links to resources and features mentioned in the podcast are below.IRIS Center OverviewFor Faculty Section  IRIS Top Tips for FacultyCoursework Planning FormsPD Certificates for EducatorsWebsite Navigation VideosNewsletter Sign Up

In this episode we hear from Sabrina Baptiste of the Pathways Alliance. She and Julie Ferin discuss the collaborative and supportive nature of the monthly Pathways Alliance video meetings where different partner organizations can share innovative ideas. On their website, thepathwaysalliance.org , there are numerous resources as well as the opportunity to sign up for email updates and their newsletter. The Pathways Alliance has also created national guidelines for K-12 registered apprenticeships and teacher residencies and has developed a compendium of the registered apprenticeships and teacher residencies across 48 states.Next month, the Pathways Alliance will be hosting a webinar on funding for residencies and apprenticeships. How to get funding, what to do with it once you have it, and more. Register hereFor more information or to discuss becoming a partner organization, you can reach out to Ms. Baptiste at [email protected].

Season 4 of NACCTEP Now kicks off with a discussion between NACCTEP Executive Director Julie Ferin and NACCTEP President Dr. R. Lennon Audrain. In this episode NACCTEP's plans for the 2025-26 academic year are shared. These plans include a special week of NACCTEP Now episodes with the presidents of the CUNY community colleges set for a September 8th launch. Also, NACCTEP's annual Fall Institute will be in November featuring partnerships between high schools, community colleges, universities, and local school districts. In February, NACCTEP will again host a pre-conference ahead of the AACTE Annual Meeting being held in New Orleans. For this pre-conference, NACCTEP is accepting presentation submissions through 11:59 on October 12th.Spring 2026 will also include NACCTEP's 2nd Annual Spring Leadership Institute.

This episode finds NACCTEP Executive Director Julie Ferin in conversation with Dr. Heidi Kasevich, a leading expert on introverts. Dr. Kasevich shares insights on how to work with introverts in the classroom. Tips for teachers include pausing after questions and providing a quiet corner or quiet time to build in silence and solitude. In moving one's thinking from participation to engagement, introverts can be guided with a "long runway" approach to boost their confidence in public speaking.Dr. Kasevich's second book, Silent Talk: Setting the Stage for Introverts to Thrive in the Classroom and Beyond is now available.To learn more about Dr. Kasevich and to find additional resources, please visit her website ⁠Kase Leadership⁠.

In this episode we chat with Dr. Kevin Wong, Associate Professor of Education at Pepperdine University and Managing Editor of The Teacher Advocate by KDP, a Kappa Delta Pi publication, as well as Michelle Melani, Director of Knowledge Integration for KDP, on the many values related to The Teacher Advocate and KDP's The Educational Forum. The conversation includes ideas on how articles can be integrated into teacher preparation courses, how to submit an article to The Teacher Advocate by KDP, and how to get a complimentary subscription. Additionally, they share how teacher preparation instructors can use articles from the peer-reviewed scholarly journal The Educational Forum to further their own research as well as how to submit manuscripts for publication.For a complimentary subscription to The Teacher Advocate - ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4uz9vccf⁠ or call 1-800-284-3167Submission guidelines and how to submit for The Teacher Advocate - ⁠https://www.kdp.org/teacher-resources/teacher-advocate⁠Information on The Educational Forum - ⁠https://www.kdp.org/teacher-resources/the-educational-forum-journal⁠⁠5 Tips for Engaging Students in Multi-sensory Learning⁠⁠5 Strategies to Boost English Learners' Joy in Learning⁠⁠Assessing and Evaluating with a Purpose⁠⁠One Size Does Not Fit All: Differentiating Instruction for Success

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Melanie Abts, Counseling and Career Services Department Co-Chair at Rio Salado College as well as a licensed associate counselor and licensed school counselor. Dr. Abts shares the importance of taking time for oneself, whether it is to attend medical appointments or just to carve out time for fun. She also discusses having a support system of family, or friends, or mentor teachers, to reach out to when you need help. That can be for anything from watching your kids so that you have time to study, providing guidance or advice on work or personal issues, or simply to be a listening ear. One critical question that she always asks is "Do you love yourself?" Adding that we can't be of value to others if we don't first value ourselves.

In honor of Mental Health Month, we're speaking with Dr. Alison Jones of the University of Evansville. Dr. Jones shares her expertise in recognizing and coping with teacher burnout. Born out of her own early career teaching experience, Dr. Jones shares the causes and symptoms of teacher burnout and that it can be contagious. She recommends developing a strong support network and finding simple things outside the classroom that bring one joy and a sense of calmness.

Joyce Milling of Educator Registered Apprenticeship, ERA, Intermediary joins us to share her journey to working with apprentice teachers and how ERA assists states, colleges, and school districts in coming together under the apprenticeship umbrella. With National Apprenticeship Day on April 30th, this timely discussion includes highlights from apprentice teachers as well as advice on how to get involved in an apprenticeship program. During the episode, Milling mentions several resources which are listed below, including a free webinar on April 30th as well as an email address to reach out to with any questions.Light Bulb Effect VideoWCPS Apprentice Program Podcast EpisodeERA | Events website link already cued up to the webinar registration [email protected] – email to reach out for technical assistance

In this episode, Dr. Mark LaCelle-Peterson of AAQEP provides an overview of the process and unique characteristics of obtaining accreditation through the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation. He is joined by Drs. Jeff Judd and Christina Keaulana of Leeward Community College at the University of Hawai'i who discuss their journey through the accreditation process. Together they share how the accreditation process with AAQEP is designed in a supportive cohort style and how the annual report process provides them the opportunities to improve different aspects of their programs each year. Some examples include a mentor teacher training program and expanding the early childhood program to include special education, both funded through grants.

The Association of Teacher Educators has been around since 1920 advocating for and supporting those in the teaching profession. Dr. Judy Beck was President in 2020-2021 and Dr. Rachelle Rogers was President in 2022-2023. Drs. Beck and Rogers share recent initiatives such as the recently created Clinical Practice Standards and the revised Teacher Educator Standards. They also share a new book on Advocacy that should be coming out before their 2025 Summer Conference in St. Louis.With ATE's upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting in New Orleans just a couple of weeks away, there's still time to register! Beginning with workshops on March 8th and sessions spanning the 9th through 11th, the meeting is sure to have on topic information for teachers and teacher leaders in all levels of the profession.Also discussed is ATE's Leadership Academy which meets immediately prior to the spring annual meeting and members are nominated. With four areas of focus: Education; Leadership; Culture; and Partnerships, the academy is made up of active involvement experiences rather than a series of presentations.Dr. Rogers also mentions a resource funded by a National Science Foundation, NSF, grant that four associations have created a website for surrounding repairing the reputation of the teaching profession called Get the Facts Out.

NACCTEP is thrilled to have a chance to talk with the newAACTE President and CEO Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy as she shares her background and her vision for AACTE ahead of the 2025 AACTE Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California February 21-23, 2025. From her early career as a kindergarten teacher through her teaching and leadership roles at Johns Hopkins and American Universities, Dr. Holcomb-McCoy has and continues to lead the charge to improve and diversify the teaching field.

Join us as Dr. Katie Sam Monnin shares her journey from earning degrees in English literature to teaching middle school students on September 11, 2001 and how that experience influenced her to using graphic novels as modern literature in the classroom. Dr. Monnin has published eight books on the topic, including her first book Teaching Graphic Novels: Practical Strategies for the Secondary ELA Classroom. Listen as she discusses the need to teach to where students are at in time rather than to where educators were in time when they learned about literature.

Join us as Heather DiFede, co-founder of High Quality IEPs shares the importance of including and supporting all parties involved in creating successful Individualized Education Plans, IEPs, for special needs students. Based out of California and funded through a grant, available resources and guidance are based on current legislation surrounding special education and IEPs including both the recent Rowley and Endrew F. decisions. Through theHighQualityIEPs.net website there are resources for educators, education leaders, and parents that are reviewed and updated regularly based on user feedback. Additional resources for administrators and parents are planned for the next two years.

In this episode we hear from Floyd Rumohr about his newly released book, Stage It! Making Shakespeare Come Alive in Schools, which is born out of his decades of experience working with students in New York City. The book focuses on four of Shakespeare's plays with extensive lesson plans for teachers to stage parts or up to a forty-minute, abridged adaptation with their students. The beauty of this is in allowing both the teachers and the students to be creative and vulnerable as they learn the vocabulary specific to the theater and to Shakespeare's plays. The lessons encourage students to express themselves and their emotions through a similar process that actors engage in. You can find more information on Floyd and his book at ⁠www.stageitplays.com⁠.

Dawn Brown of the Early Childhood Education Program at Arapahoe Community College shares with NACCTEP Now how her early career as a civil engineer led her to working in early childhood education. Through a home-based child care she started as a way to stay home with her own children she discovered her love of working with youngsters. Ms. Brown continues her work with that population by taking shifts at the Arapahoe Community College Child Development Center when she's not teaching the next generation of Early Childhood educators. One of the advantageous things about having the Child Development Center on campus is that other departments, such as the physics and math departments, take the opportunity to create and teach lessons to the children. Another is that the students in the Early Childhood Education program can use the center for their observation hours.

NACCTEP Now welcomes Ms. Rene' Manning from Rio Salado College's undergraduate Early Childhood Program and Dr. Allison Landy from Northland Pioneer College's Early Childhood Program to jointly discuss the seamless pathway they've developed for students to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education. Through this partnership, students who complete an Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education at Rio Salado College can apply to and seamlessly transfer 100% of their credits into Northland Pioneer College's Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education program to complete their studies. With no loss of credits and no need to retake courses, the first cohort of students has been able to complete the BAS in just four semesters. Not only is this an effective way to address the continuing shortage of teachers in early childhood, it is also a leading example of how transfers between community colleges and other institutions can painlessly benefit students.

From May 3, 2024 In this episode we kick-off Mental Health month with founder and CEO of Educators Thriving, Dr. Tyler Hester. He shares what he describes as the five pitfalls leading to educator burnout: Overwhelm, personal neglect, conflict, unexpected challenges, and isolation. Moreover, he shares how his team is supporting schools, districts, and labor unions around the country to buck burnout through a two-pronged approach: First, they facilitate professional learning experiences in which educators can learn about, practice with, and apply strategies empirically proven to increase well-being. Second, they work alongside school and system leaders to measure the well-being of educators, analyze the results, and take strategic action on the basis of what they find. Educators Thriving envisions a world in which every educator reaches the heights of their potential – and works in a system that makes that possible. Come hear more about how they’re pursuing that important vision. Catalog of sessions - educatorsthriving.org/_files/ugd/106140_6637dc79ec0741e299a1c2ec371f4725.pdf

Dr. Fay Lee shares her 30 year journey from being a middle school paraprofessional with a bachelor's degree through earning a masters in education with certification to teaching at the preschool and high school levels and on into being a community college instructor, first of English and then of teacher education. From there Dr. Lee added being a faculty advisor for education and on into administration with her current role as Dean of Instruction for the Lone Star College system. As such, she endeavors to help reduce the teacher shortage and associated learning loss resulting from uncertified teachers in the classroom. Based on feedback from local districts as well as universities across the state, Dr. Lee assists in making practical adjustments to Lone Star College's education programs. With Texas recently approving the offering of bachelors degrees from community colleges, Dr. Lee is hopeful that they may be able to add bachelors degrees in elementary to their new offering of early childhood bachelors degrees.

Listen in as NACCTEP Executive Director Julie Ferin chats with Dr. Ashleigh Thompson, University Dean of Education for CUNY about how the colleges within the CUNY system are positively affecting the teacher landscape in New York City. Dr. Thompson shares how the colleges interact and collaborate with each other and with the high schools to provide warm transfers on students' journeys to becoming teachers. The CUNY structure is positively affecting not only the diversity of the teaching field in New York City, but also the teacher retention rates. To find more information on the CUNY education programs, please visit www.cuny.edu/teachered Dr. Thompson also reflects on her experience in France and Germany as a Fulbright scholar and how it opened her eyes to new experiences and new ways to look at the education field. She shares these experiences in an article titled Claiming a Pedagogy of Interruption through International Experiences

Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, AAQEP, President and CEO Dr. Mark LaCelle-Peterson joins us in this episode to discuss how AAQEP's success to date plays a role in updating their accreditation standards for the next seven years. Dr. LaCelle-Peterson shares with NACCTEP Executive Director Julie Ferin how feedback from programs that have been accredited has helped to shape the standards for 2025. The updated standards include language that more fully defines all the types of programs that can qualify for AAQEP accreditation. He also includes why he feels that the non-traditional students in many community college programs have as much value as those students in a traditional, direct from high school to college, program. For more information, please visit aaqep.org.

In this episode, Calvalyn Day discusses the origins of Kappa Delta Pi's The Rooted Teacher podcast with NACCTEP executive director Julie Ferin. Mrs. Day shares how the podcast was born out of a need for self-care that many teachers, both new and seasoned, were looking for during and after the pandemic. Filled with tips and advice to help new teachers feel rooted in the profession and to re-root seasoned teachers. The Rooted Teacher is your go-to guide for thriving both in and out of the classroom!  Packed with practical tips, The Rooted Teacher Podcast empowers teachers at every stage. Enjoy microlearning videos, live Q&As with Calvalyn, and free monthly screensavers and phone lock screens. Tune in, share, and join a vibrant community of educators committed to growth and inspiration! https://www.kdp.org/teacher-resources/the-rooted-teacher-by-kdp This new 2024 research report on teacher well-being is very insightful and gives current data on teacher well-being. It is titled The Teachers are Not All Right: Improving the Mental Well-being of Teachers and Their Students. A larger share of teachers now say mental health has a negative impact on teaching, according to the third Merrimack College Teacher Survey. https://www.edweek.org/research-center/reports/the-teachers-are-not-all-right-improving-the-mental-well-being-of-teachers-and-their-students/2024/08 The Rooted Teacher is available via the KDP website and through your preferred podcast provider.

NACCTEP Educational Partner, the IRIS Center, is back to share its latest online offerings. Listen as Sarah Semon discusses the recent release of six updated modules related to behavior, executive functioning, progress monitoring, and Bookshare, an organization that providesaccessible educational materials to students with print disabilities. Sarah also shares information about the interactive High Leverage Practice Tool and new Coursework Planning Forms for Faculty. Check out the new modules here:  Bookshare: Providing Accessible Materials for Students with Print Disabilities  Behavior Principles: The Basics of Understanding Student Behavior  Executive Functioning (Part 1): Understanding Why Some Students Struggle  Executive Functioning (Part 2): Strategies to Improve Students’ Academic Performance  Progress Monitoring: Reading  Progress Monitoring: Math  Sign up for the IRIS e-Newsletter to receive updates and announcements about new releases. For questions about these or other resources, please contact: [email protected]

Welcome back for NACCTEP's first podcast of the 2024-25 academic year as we listen to Dr. Lennon Audrain, our board President who is returning for a second two-year term, discuss the exciting events NACCTEP has planned for the coming year. The 2024 NACCTEP Fall Institute will culminate a week of discussion board interaction with a expert panel on Community College Apprenticeships. This hallmark event is free to all who wish to attend and offers professional development hours for a fee. In conjunction with the AACTE Annual Meeting, February 21st - 23rd, 2025 in Long Beach, California, NACCTEP will again host a pre-conference on the afternoon of February 20th featuring discussions on the latest topics in teacher education such as bachelor programs, apprenticeships, articulation agreements, etc. Additionally, NACCTEP will host its inaugural Community College Teacher Education Leadership Institute across multiple Fridays in the spring of 2025. This institute is designed for both those in current leadership roles as well as faculty, adjunct faculty, and those interested in moving into leadership roles. Keep an eye out on our website, nacctep.org, as well as in our bi-weekly NACCTEP News emails for more information on all of these events.

Dr. Steve Bautista, Coordinator and Counselor for the Center for Teacher Education at Santa Ana College as well as Vice President of ACCCTEP, the Association of California Community College Teacher Education Programs, discusses his journey to working with teacher candidates. During his conversation with NACCTEP Executive Director Julie Ferin, he talks about how ACCCTEP was formed on the model of NACCTEP in 2003. Steve also shares the inspiring, full-circle story of 2022 California Teacher of the Year Alondra Diaz, an alumna of Santa Ana College's program and partnership with Chapman University to produce bilingual teachers. When meeting with new students, Steve asks what their dreams are, a question inspired by Jeff Duncan-Andrade who speculated, "How can you educate children without knowing what their dreams are?"

Sarah Moore, former President of Middlesex College's Alpha Theta Zeta chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, KDP, talks with NACCTEP Executive Director Julie Ferin about re-careering from nursing to teaching and how KDP brought her the sense of community she needed as a community college student. From one of her first days on campus, Ms. Moore sought out the camaraderie of other student members of KDP whom she calls her chosen family. Describing the chapter as a unique gift that fulfilled her need for mentorship and community, she goes on to describe her journey not only to becoming a teacher, but to becoming the best teacher she can be through her experiences as a member and office holder in her KDP chapter. Noting the numerous scholarship, grant, and guidance opportunities, Ms. Moore also shares the beneficial activities like hosting a TB testing clinic on campus through the Department of Health and the Teacher Shower this July to provide recent graduates with supplies for their new classrooms. Mr. Whited emphasizes the value that having a sense of community that KDP can provide at the community college level is only the beginning of the benefits of having a KDP chapter at a community college. New Chapter Interest Form (https://wkf.ms/3TYaOj7) KDP Member Benefits (https://www.kdp.org/membership/your-kdp-membership-benefits_) Join KDP (https://www.kdp.org/membership/join-kdp) KDP Mission and Vision (https://www.kdp.org/about/who-we-are)

The Phoenix Union High School district recognized that during the pandemic educator stress levels rose exponentially and created the Health and Wellness Specialist position. Dr. Erika Collins-Frazier is the first to take on that role in 2021 and has seen the interest and success of health and wellness efforts grow each school year. Employing strategies such as micro-learning, monthly webinars with expert presenters, and Thursday morning meditation sessions are helping teachers and staff to "Slay the Day". Assessing the needs of the teachers through regular surveys allows Dr. Collins-Frazier to measure the success of different strategies. She talks about how reminding teachers that recognizing emotional intelligence applies to more than just the students in the classrooms. The use of intentional conversations and validating each others' feelings aids in feeling valued which can lead to greater retention of teachers. Calling stress a raw coping power, she encourages staff to embrace it and work through stress with different breathing techniques and self-reminders to loosen the tension in one's shoulders and jaw. Dr. Collins-Frazier recommends the book Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen because it encourages people to end their negative thinking in order to live a better life. Her favorite quote from the book is "We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change."

Valerie Sakimura, Executive Director, and Jim Heal, Senior Program Director, from Deans for Impact join NACCTEP Now to discuss their work to equip future teachers with the tools to create rigorous, equitable, and inclusive classrooms so that all children thrive. For nearly 10 years, their organization has supported close to 200 teacher preparation programs and school districts in preparing aspiring and novice teachers to enact instruction grounded in a scientific understanding of how students learn. Through their Impact Academy fellowship, they offer deans and program leaders a community of practice to discuss and work through the challenges that different educator preparation programs face. Additionally, they offer one-to-one coaching as a part of this academy that kicks off and concludes with in-person meetings in June of each year. Applications for the coming cohort are open through the end of March 2024. Information and a link to the application can be found on their website at: https://www.deansforimpact.org/programming/for-educator-preparation-leaders/impact-academy

Robert Parker, Manager of Strategic Partnerships for 240 Tutoring shares what inspired founder and CEO Scott Rozell to create 240 Tutoring in October 2010. He also discusses the individualized nature of their test preparation courses from benchmark assessments at the beginning of a course to providing guidance on incorrect answers in order to learn the concepts necessary to successfully pass the tests. Each course also has an alignment tool to help candidates see where each of the standards for the test are included in the course. In addition to their current offerings, Mr. Parker shares that they will be nationwide by the end of 2024 as they include New York state. They will also be updating courses to be more dynamic and expanding to include more disciplines such as art, music, business, and Spanish. Additionally, they are piloting a job matching concept in Texas that will help districts and candidates connect. He also shares other exciting additions to help with retention and for program administrators to improve their programs.