Educator Forever

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 streamlined, and we don't see the messiness that goes into creating them. And so today I want to normalize the messiness that's how we learn.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode184.

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 thrive in demanding environments.In our conversation, Monika and I talk about educator wellness and how she started her consultancy Reparations Ed in 2020, which initially focused on educational equity for black students but later shifting to educator wellness. We get into so many important issues teachers face, including teacher retention and the need for teachers to prioritize their well-being.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode183.

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 York, where he lives in Syracuse with his wife and two daughters. In our talk, Will and I discuss his journey from education to politics, and how he wants to improve the public school system. If you care about our education system, you’ll want to tune in.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode182.

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 how he created the Eco Hero show and his climate change activism. He talks about the shows’s growing success and also gives some fantastic tips on how to build a show’s momentum.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode181.

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 proves digital education is a powerful catalyst for breaking down barriers and unleashing student potential worldwide.Brittanie and I talk about her teaching journey, and how she fell into online teaching. She gets into how the Crimson Global Academy started and what led to its success, and provides some great advice for teachers wanting to transition into online teaching.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode180.

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 belongings when entering the foster care system. Since founding Comfort Cases in 2013, Rob and his team have distributed more than 300,000 backpacks and duffle bags filled with essential and comforting items to youth in every U.S. state, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom.In this episode, Rob and I discuss Rob’s journey and how he came around to start Comfort Cases. We also get into the importance of education in the lives of foster children and how a teacher’s kindness helped him in a difficult time.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode179.

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 interior design and entrepreneurship, Hillary built on the academic research of positional arc reading and elevated it through technology, creating Summerbell. Her work has delivered measurable gains in reading fluency and comprehension, transforming an academic idea into a tool used by students, parents, and educators nationwide.Hillary and I talk about her visual dyslexia and how it influenced the creation of Summerbell, which reformats text into an arc for easier comprehension. She gets into the challenges of developing Ed Tech and how teachers can best use Summerbell with AI.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode178.

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 principals in the country, founding a school where every graduate earned college admission despite most students living below the poverty line. She later served as a White House Fellow working on education and domestic policy and worked at the intersection of technology and education at Apple.Now that she’s running for congress, Pia and I talk about why she ran in the first place and how her experience in education motivates her to work on a national level. We also get into how she wants to fix our education system.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode177.

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 some things that have stayed the same. And so as you think about maybe considering curriculum development as a next career path for you, I want to talk about some of the top skills you need.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode176.

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 their people, especially their middle managers.In this episode, Mickey told me about how she went from professional bass fisherman to working in higher education to learning and development. She gets deep into her learning and leadership philosophies, and she provides some great advice for those wanting to transition from education to learning and development.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode175.

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 helps bridge the gap between literacy research and everyday classroom practice.In this episode, Leah and I talk about the importance of early literacy intervention to ensure students stick at the pace they need. We also get into the need for systematic, explicit phonics programs and business owners building their brand. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode174.

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 also the host of the Next Chapter for Teachers podcast.In this episode, we talk to Erin about her educator journey, writing books, most importantly, how teachers can avoid burnout.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode173.

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 and student data into meaningful, actionable insights.Kendell and I discuss how and she moved from teaching to ed tech, and how that’s lead to her having an impact nationally. She also gets into her transition into marketing and what it takes to find a new job in ed tech today.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode172.

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 dyslexia is identified and supported at scale.In this episode, Coral and I discuss how she began studying dyslexia and how that lead to her creating Dysolve. She goes deep into how successful AI has been in helping language-processing issues and why she thinks AI should be integrated into education.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode171.

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 the episode talking about the the overemphasis on data in education. We discuss the need for schools to focus on outcomes and teachers to align their lessons to their values. It’s an enlightening conversation that you don’t want to miss.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode170.

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 known for turning neuroscience into practical tools that help people gain happiness, health, and more success.In this episode, Lisa and I talk about her journey from tech sales to education and the PhD work that drove her evolution. She also told me about how she integrates brain science into educational practices and the importance of of emotional and intellectual safety in schools.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode169.

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 delivers a comprehensive Restorative Justice frameworkNicholas and I talk about how he began teaching restorative justice and the successes he’s seen in the classroom after providing it, especially in discipline rates. He also gives some good tips on starting a consultancy!For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode168.

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 advocate for delightful literacy practices.In this episode, Patty describes how she went from teaching to starting her own literacy consultancy. She also gets into why there needs to be a shift in how grammar is taught, and why budding consultants and small business owners should write a book.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode167.

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 behavioral needs.In this episode Jessica details how her education journey started with a trip to Chile. She also details how Northshore Learning helps teachers and how they need support through wraparound services and professional development. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode166.

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 expertise in IDEA, Section 504, and disability advocacy, with a clear commitment to ensuring equitable access and meaningful outcomes for students with disabilities.Karen details how a difficult introduction to special education set her down her path to helping others. She also gets into her book, The Epic IEP, and how she runs her Special Education Academy. Make sure to tune in to hear how special education programs can improve.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode165.

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, earning accolades such as the New Profit Foundation’s recognition of Hollis as one of America’s top 24 social entrepreneurs of equitable education.Jim and I talk about the experiences that led him to start Calculus Roundtable as well as how it makes a difference in the classroom. We also get into the importance of providing engaging content in the classroom and the future of his organization.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode164.

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 approach to teaching language and pre-reading. With 20+ years in education and master’s degrees in education, special education, and music, Emily has created an NIH-supported program that’s shown up to 250% growth in early literacy skills. In our talk, Emily dives deep into her accident and her history as an educator. She emphasizes why she advocates for inclusive music in classrooms, rather than traditional speech therapy. She also has some great advice for those transitioning from education to entrepreneurship.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode163.

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 room for both the mess and the magic of becoming.Leah, a “serial entrepreneur,” shares with me how her daughter's interest in selling paintings led to hosting children's business fairs. She also explains why she hopes more parents help their children start their own businesses. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode162.

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, physical exercise and independence with skateboarding to teach math, geometry and science to elementary and middle school students.In our talk, Hughie and discuss how his son’s skateboarding career influenced his work in special education. He also details how he intended his book to also teach reading and how storytelling can be a wonderful teaching tool. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode161.

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 Program Officer in the nonprofit sector.Marcus and I discuss his teacher journey, which he sees as “accidental” despite his mother and grandmother having been teachers. He dives into the C3 framework — care, capability, and connection — which he applies to education and corporate spaces. Also, we discuss the importance of inclusive, joyful learning spaces, which is such an important topic to me.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode160.

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 scaling operations, leading diverse teams, and building high-impact partnerships. Today, she brings that expertise to reimagine education, bridging the gap between homeschool, higher education, and the business world.In our conversation, Jean and I discuss why she homeschooled her children, how she started the Academy of Chaos and how it lead to starting the Midwest Homeschool Expo. She also drops some great advice for budding entrepreneurs working in the field of education.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode159.

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 providing support through resources and camaraderie.In this episode, Lily talks to Tavia Stewart and Laura Bradley from NaNo 2.0. Both of whom played integral roles in the original NaNoWriMo, with Tavia being its first employee. Laura was an eighth grade teacher who incorporated NaNoWriMo into her writing lessons and saw her students fall in love with the hardest writing assignment she had ever given in her 20 years of teaching. She’s now one of the tradition’s biggest advocates.Tune in to hear why Tavia and Laura believe in NaNo 2.0 and how it helps foster a love for writing. You might want to write a novel this year after listening!For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode158.

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 with many educators, chefs and community members to grow the reach of their food education programs from one school to 79 impacting over 20,000 students nationwide.Alexandra and I get into her work history, starting with her days at a stroke center where she used hip hop to teach stroke prevention. We also dive deep into Pilot Light and the group’s involvement in developing food education’s seven standards. Alexandra’s story is a testament to the need for vision in the worlds of education and social work.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode157.

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 two published books, Upright and Impact Mentoring: 200 Ways to Make an Impact, and his third book, Impact Artificial Intelligence, will be published soon.Scott and I start off with his long history in public education and working his way up to superintendent. We then dive deep into his beliefs about mentoring, which we agree is lacking for teachers. We also discuss AI’s potential impact on teaching and why it needs to be regulated, as well as utilized.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode156.

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 instruction for children, pre K to second grade.In this episode we go in depth into strategies for teaching writing, with emphasis on early transcription skills and letter formation. If you’re helping kids teach writing, you’ll want to take notes. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode155.

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 website MayaSmart.com features weekly book picks some playful learning ideas and free tools to help parents grow as their children's first teachers. We get into how she became in reading and why she wanted to research early literacy. We dive into her research, which found disparity in reading achievement between black and white kids. We also spend time discussing her book and how she wrote it. Take notes, it’s a good one!For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode154.

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 their classrooms to help create resilient, thriving school communities.In this episode, Donita and I talk about her start in education as a K–12 ESOL teacher and how that led to her training other ESOL teachers. She also explains her Hope Theory and her belief in the importance of goal-setting. This interview is full of great tips to reignite your passion for teaching!For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode153.

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 episode, Ben and I get into how Ben’s own frustrating experiences with school lead him to pursue education alternatives. He then goes into his goals with his online schooling platform, Recess, which allows students to pick their own classes. He also provides some notable reasons for getting into the homeschooling market.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode152.

This week we speak to Lori Woodley-Langendorff, the co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer of All It Takes, a nonprofit that equips youth and mentors with vital emotional intelligence skills. Lori has 30 years experience in education, having worked the majority of it as a middle school counselor before starting All It Takes in 2010 with her daughter, actress Shaylene Woodley. Lori and I have a good time talking about working in education and how it becomes your identity. Then we get into the creation of All It Takes before diving deep into the importance of Social Emotional Learning. We also get into the process of writing her new book, “SEL Muscle Mastery: 6 Tools for Building Resiliency and Connection in Schools and Communities.” Tune in!For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode151.

This week’s guests are Dakota Irby and Anne Ishimaru, authors of "Doing the Work of Equity Leadership." Irby, a Professor at the University of Illinois, focuses on improving Black students' experiences through equity-focused leadership. Ishimaru, a Professor at the University of Washington, cultivates leadership among educators and racially minoritized youth.In this episode, they tell Lily how they entered the world of education and what brought them to working to increase equity there. They also discuss writing the book, what they hope it achieves, and what it actually takes to increase equity in learning spaces.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode150.

Alexandra Walsh is the Chief Product Officer at Amplify. She develops leads and implements a strategic vision that delivers product coherence and common platform excellence across Amplify's math, literacy and science product suites. Previously, she was senior vice president and general manager of ELA curriculum, overseeing product development on the company's curriculum platform.In this episode, we discuss how she started teaching in New Orleans after Katrina and leaving the classroom for policy work. We also dive into how policy affects teachers and students, and the need for curriculum that is both research-backed and adaptable to diverse classroom contexts. Lots of big topics are brought up and Alexandra shares important insight.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode149.

Jean Ryoo is the Director of Research of the computer science equity project at UCLA. She is also the lead author of the graphic novel “Power On,” published by MIT Press, which was recently translated into Spanish under the title “Conectados.”We have a fantastic conversation about Jean’s journey, and we get into her mission to create more equitable and humanizing educational experiences. We also get into the challenges of traditional learning methods and how she came to write a graphic novel. It’s a good one (but sorry for some of the noises in the background).For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode148.

Kimberly Gawne is the founder of Star Students, a personalized education service dedicated to empowering K-12 learners through tailored tutoring and homeschooling programs. Kimberly has always been passionate about people and learning, enjoying the challenge of exploring new methods to unlock potential in others. This passion evolved into a deep desire to impart her skills and enthusiasm, blending the art of learning with the essence of guiding others to achieve incredible success.In this episode, Kimberly and I talk about her love of teaching and education, and why she started Star Students. She also gets into the importance of mindset shifts and drops some great tips for those starting their own business after teaching.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode147.

Christina "Pip" Pipkin is the founder of FAYE Learning Center, a microschool in Texas. Pip is a Texas native and dedicated DEI expert in K-12 education, passionately advocating for equitable and inclusive learning environments. With over 15 years of experience as a teacher and implementation specialist, Pip combines deep knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion with educational technology to craft culturally responsive classrooms.Pip and I talked about the pros and cons of running a microschool, and what makes them successful. She also gets into her story, describing the risks she took to start her school. If you are considering opening a microschool, tune in.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode146.

Matt Bowman is the founder and CEO of OpenED, an educational platform which has served over 100,000 students nationwide. After teaching sixth grade and watching his own five children struggle with standardized education, Matt left a successful career as a tech executive to solve a problem close to his heart: “why does school force every unique child into the same mold for over 15 years?” Open ED, formerly my Tech High, has partnered with public and charter schools to offer families unprecedented flexibility in choosing what, when and how their children learn. In our discussion, Matt and I talk about how he came to start OpenED, how it’s grown, and writing his new book, "Open Education: The Process.”For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode145.

Christine Miles is, an award winning author, a keynote speaker and founder of the Listening Path, a pioneering company in the of field listening intelligence. At the center of her company’s success is a revolutionary system used by Fortune 100 companies and in classrooms across three countries.Christine and I have a wonderful talk about how her childhood motivated her to pursue work that helps people. She explains why she took on the mission to change how we communicate and provide the “gift of understanding.” Also, she provides lots of details on how her program works.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode144.

After spending 17 years in education, Meredith Cooley decided to try something new: copywriting. She started Page and Purpose after the pandemic and leveled her experience as a teacher into helping ed tech companies craft their marketing. Finding success quickly in her new business, she wants to help other educators try copywriting with her new an online course “Classroom to Copywriting.”In this episode, Meredith and I discuss why she left teaching and jumped into marketing. She describes how she applied her teaching experience to copywriting, and the process of starting a business, Lots of helpful information in this one!For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode143.

Patrick Mongrain spent ten years teaching middle school history and leadership, and another ten working as as a district-level instructional coach and restorative justice specialist before moving on to professional development. Over the years he’s come to believe that teachers are incredible, but he also created a Moneyball-inspired data collection system to improve their outcomes. It’s worked so well he created the EdChanger Pro app and wrote a book about his findings called “Theory Can Only Take You So Far.”In our discussion, we get into Patrick’s career and how he came to create EdChanger Pro. We also get into the importance of instructional practice and how effective teaching involves focusing on the “how.” If you love teachers as much as Patrick and I do, you’re gonna love this episode.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode142.

Dr. Rick Rodriguez is a first generation Mexican American who has lived through and acknowledges the challenges that individuals and communities of color face across our systems. Guided by these experiences, he co-founded the Rooted Life, a bilingual coaching and consulting business that incorporates research-based frameworks to trigger thinking, strategy, and collaboration. Rick and I had a long conversation about his childhood and the inspiring women in his life — his mother and grandmother. We also get into the systemic barriers in education that were not designed to serve people like him and how that motivated him to work in education. Strap in — it’s a good one!For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode141.

Dana Anderson teaches digital citizenship, language arts, and literature to Middle and High School students at Bridgemont International School. She's also served as a kids' and teens' digital content expert for non-profits, tech companies, teacher training programs and schools. Dana is also a writer, a nature and animal lover, and a mom of three.In this episode we discuss Dana's educator journey and what she feels educators need to do to find success in teaching or other fields. She also opines on AI and the possibilities it can provide for teachers.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode140.

Kirk Spahn is a fourth generation educator with more than two decades in the field. After graduating from Dartmouth College, he worked for schoolmaster.net, an early online learning platform based in London.But it was the events of Sept. 11 that inspired him that inspired him to start the Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL), an award winning youth educational nonprofit organization..In this episode, Kirk tells the entire story of ICL’s founding and the challenges of online learning. He also discusses the importance of mentors in a child’s education, how the COVID 19 lockdown affected online learning, and how he’s developed an academy that attracts top student athletes.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode139.

Dr. Emily Levy is the founder and director of EBL coaching, a specialized tutoring program that offers individualized one on one, home, virtual and on site instruction using research based multi sensory techniques.In this episode, Dr. Levy tells me about how after teaching special education, she went to Wall Street and then back to the so-called “family business.“ She also discusses her multi-sensory approach to tutoring and how she finds new clients. It’s a short but informative episode!For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode138.

Iuri Melo is a therapist, motivational speaker, and—on particularly exciting days—a “professional teenager whisperer.” He has spent over two decades working closely with families, students and schools, and he's become a trusted voice when it comes to promoting psychological awareness, great relationships and student success. His research led to the creation of SchoolPulse, a text/email service to help kids struggling with mental issues.In our discussion, Iuri and I discuss why he started SchoolPulse. He also talks about his use of adventure therapy, mainly rock-climbing, as a therapeutic tool. Hopefully you’ll walk away from this prioritizing your mental wellness!For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode137.

Ronnie Thomas is the founder of Fun Weird Science, an education company built on the belief that STEM lessons can apply all kinds of disciplines. A science teacher with 25 years of experience and two Teacher of the Year awards, Thomas started Weird Fun Science after developing a reputation for engaging and versatile teaching methods.In our discussion, Ronnie and I discuss the efficiency of hands-on learning and why he was inspired by it. We also talk about his mission to expand STEM education in underserved communities and in early education, and his belief in the need for more innovation in schools.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode136.

Craig Randall is the developer and author of “Trust-Based Observations.” He has spent the last 30 plus years in education, working as a counselor, coach, teacher and principal. Now, Craig spends the majority of his time training school leaders all over the globe in the trust-based observation system, transforming the world of teacher observations to a model of trust and support that fosters growth mindsets and teaching innovation.In our discussion, Craig dives into his educator journey, going from teaching to administration. He also criticizes teacher evaluation frameworks like Danielson and Marzano, citing research showing they decrease teacher efficacy. Our conversation will really make you thinking about evaluations.For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode135.