Humble Badass Educators

This episode of Humble Badass Educators features two seventh grade students at Embark Education who work with the bicycle mechanics of Framework Cycles on a daily basis.  Jake Covert and Morgan Matter discuss how they as mechanics also work as educators to bring the components of the bicycle shop operations and bicycle mechanics to life for middle school students in the Denver area through projects and shop shifts.

We are joined by two Embark 7th grade students, Jay and Oliver, who came up with the idea to feature these mechanics.  They share the mic with me today in the interview and also share a bit of their experience at Embark Education.  It can be said that these two young men are humble badasses in their own right.

Hello all and thank you for tuning back in to Humble Badass Educators.  It’s been a minute since I’ve released and episode and can’t be more thrilled than to bring you this episode with Brian Hyosaka.  I’m currently teaching with Brian at Embark Education, a micro middle school in Denver that Brian will explain in detail during our discussion.

I am incredibly grateful for all that I have learned from Brian and am excited to share a small sliver of his amazingness with you all.

Thanks for tuning in.

Today's Humble Badass Educator is High School English / Language Arts teacher and Hamlet 2 enthusiast Lindsey Hewett.

Lindsey is an amazingly thoughtful and introspective teacher who strives to provide her students with experiences that are meaningful and relevant to students in today's world.  She shares some strategies of what she does to integrate controversial social topics in her classroom and shares lots of tips that she has recently learned in making an authentic co-teaching relationship work.

In this episode, Lindsey also shares about her journey in becoming a published author.  She talks about where she is in the process of her potential upcoming Middle Grades and shares about her hopes in seeing her book on the shelves of a Barnes and Noble someday soon.

It was a privilege to talk with Lindsey Hewett and I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Also, note that the book referenced by Lindsey by Angie Thomas is "Concrete Rose" rather than "Rose in Concrete".

Today my guest is Nick Steinmetz, an Assistant Principal at Carmody Middle School in Lakewood, Colorado.  Nick has a wide variety of experiences in math instruction, education technology, Project-Based Learning, personalization, scheduling, social-emotional learning and much more.

In our conversation, Nick digs into a range of topics from deepening relationships to eliciting student discourse to personalization and project-based learning and even to scheduling. Nick discusses the often overlooked but extremely vital social aspect of learning and how that should be infused more in school.  We talk about the value of taking a storytelling approach as an organic way to learn from each other, the power of yes, and how taking a more curiosity-based approach to problem solving can support students in learning math.

As always, thanks for tuning in to this episode of Humble Badass Educators with Nick Steinmetz.

Today’s Humble Badass Educator is PBL and math aficionado Kyle Kirby.  Kyle has recently worked with 5280 High School in Denver, Colorado as their founding Director of Curriculum and Instruction.  Previously, Kyle taught math in a variety of schools, including the renowned High Tech High in San Diego, California.

He shares about his professional learning experiences from High Tech High and how he has brought modeling and experiential learning to other adults in his roles since moving back to Colorado.  He also shares about his approaches and philosophies in student-centered and discussion-based math instruction and what methodologies he finds most effective in both playing the game and changing the game.

Kyle brings tremendous passion and intentionality to his work in progressive education.  Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Humble Badass Educators with Kyle Kirby.

Today’s Humble Badass Educator is the phenomenal Evan Whitehead.  Evan is currently the director of special services for a PK–8 school district outside of Chicago where he  oversees a range of services including social emotional learning, community engagement, special education, ESL, MTSS and much more.  He also works as a professional development consultant and trainer for Dr. Ruby Payne’s Company aha! Process.  Previously, Evan has worked in a variety of roles in education including Special Education Teacher, Dean of Student Discipline, Latino Parent Outreach Coordinator, and District/School Improvement Specialist to name a few.

Evan digs into many of today’s issues in education in our conversation.  He discusses why social emotional learning and self-care is a guiding value that influences his approach to his work and how we are at a pivotal point in making a shift in our education system to truly build this in as a priority at the student, educator and family levels.  He breaks down how his 3 B’s - Balance, Boundaries and Breaks - support making self-care a simple way to build into daily habits.  Evan also discusses strategies for engaging families, how leadership at the school and district level can set the tone for social-emotional learning, and how we as educators can build the tools to have difficult conversations with students that are so necessary in navigating today’s divisive and complex world.

It was an absolute delight to talk with Evan Whitehead, one true Humble Badass in our world of education today.

Today’s guest is Marne Gulley, a Secondary Literacy Specialist for Denver Public Schools.  Previously, Marne served as a Peer Observer in DPS after working as a High School English teacher.

In our conversation, Marne talks about being a constant lead learner and approaching working with school and teacher leaders with a mirrored approach to what we want to see teachers do in  the classroom.  She discusses DPS’s innovative teacher leadership structure where veteran teachers take school-based leadership roles while still remaining in the classroom part-time.  She discusses many of the methodologies that she has employed to be an effective thought partner for the instructional leaders she has worked with in her roles, including learning the powerful Cognitive Coaching approach.  She digs into DPS’s comprehensiveness and wholistic teacher evaluation framework known as LEAP.  She also talks about DPS’s next steps in equity related to the “hows” of culturally responsive teaching, including exposure and practice to grade-level text and cultivating rich connections to personal lives.

Thanks as always for tuning in to today’s episode with humble badass educator Marne Gulley.

Today’s guest is Liz Peters.  Liz is a National Board Certified French teacher at Platteville High School in Platteville, Wisconsin.  She is also the International Club and Key Club advisor and serves as a mentor for other World Language teachers.

In our conversation, Liz shares how her school has kept on the cutting edge of diversity and equity work in a rural community and how she prioritizes engaging students with a range of culturally diverse voices.  She talks about her approach and inspiration in immersing students in French from day one and how and why she has created a French curriculum from scratch.  She also discusses the TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) approach to teaching language that she has recently embedded with her students.

My guest today is Ellie Foust.  Ellie is a middle school science teacher at Merrill Middle School in Denver Public Schools.  She also provides Project-Based Learning (PBL) professional development training for schools across the nation as a National Faculty member for PBL Works.  Additionally, Ellie supports organizations including the George Lucas Educational Foundation and InterED and Global Stage as a consultant in developing projects and rubrics related to STEAM, PBL and deeper learning which she discusses in the podcast.

In our talk, Ellie dissects some of the core components of Project-Based Learning, how she has shifted her thinking in education as a result of diving into PBL and what she prioritizes when supporting schools and other educators who are beginning their journey into the world of PBL.  She also discusses some extraordinary examples of how she has infused the elements of PBL into her science classes and overcome some of the challenges that COVID has brought to deeper learning.

My guest today is Danny Medved.  Danny is the Director of Professional Learning at Mesa County Valley School District 51 in Grand Junction. Previously, Danny was the founding principal at Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design as well as a founding teacher and school leader at High Tech Early College, both in Denver Public Schools.

In our conversation, Danny discusses how he has dared greatly in his decision to enter the world of education after a background in entrepreneurship and compares and contrasts the two worlds.  He talks deeply about being on a founding team of two schools and how he as a generalist intentionally surrounds himself with talented specialists with a common vision in his core belief that a team is everything.  He also discusses his approach to sustainable and passionate learning in his current role and how the traditional approach in professional learning rarely yields the desired change in teaching practices.

Danny is a true innovator and inspirational leader and the real epitome of a Humble Badass Educator.

Michael Soguero is a professional development consultant who has worked with schools across the country to support them in bringing their aspirations to life.  He is a founding faculty member of the Eagle Rock School & Professional Development Center and later returned to the organization for more than a decade as their director of Professional Development.  Prior to that role, he worked and lived in New York city as a school leader at The School for the Physical City, an Expeditionary Learning School, and the Bronx Guild, a Big Picture Learning School.

In our conversation, Michael talks about some of the most important pieces to consider when developing teachers and leaders as they implement innovative practices.  He discusses how he supports schools by taking a deep inventory of their assets rather than approaching learning from a place that focuses on filling gaps.  Michael also shares about some of his excitement for his recent work in uniting innovative ideas.

Michael Soguero has deep knowledge in making change happen.  Thanks for tuning in to today’s episode of Humble Badass Educators with Michael Soguero.

Today’s humble badass educator is Kevin Gant.  Kevin is the Director of Network Innovation for New Tech Network, a nation-wide network of over 200 schools spanning Elementary, Middle and High schools that are working to transform teaching and learning.  Previously, Kevin was a Teams Designer and School Development Coach for New Tech.  Kevin has also worked at New Tech school Nex+Gen Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico as an integrated Math and Science teacher and later as a Teacher Coach.  Kevin was recognized by President Obama as New Mexico’s 2015 recipient of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

In our conversation, Kevin discusses some of the key elements that foster successful student-directed learning in Project-Based Learning (PBL) classrooms.  He names some of the partnerships that he utilized in his own classrooms and how integrating with other subject areas through co-teaching enhanced a connected experience for his students.   He talks about some of the ingredients that led Nex+Gen Academy to high levels of success and larger picture insights of what direction he would like to see our education system take.

It is my opinion that Kevin Gant would make for a fantastic new Secretary of Education, so President Elect Biden, I hope you are listening to today’s episode of Humble Badass Educators.

In this episode, I sit down with Kami Welch, president of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce and the new board chair for the Association of Colorado Chambers of Commerce Executives.  Over the past three years, Kami has led an innovative talent pipeline initiative called ArvadaWorks, a call for employers to play an expanded leadership role as “end-customers” of education and workforce partnerships.

In our conversation, Kami discusses how the businesses who have expressed concerns about the quantity and quality of talented workers in their industries has led to the creation of ArvadaWorks.  She talks about how the program is convening the players of the system to build a wider network of support and working as a champion in supporting the community’s businesses in playing bigger roles in preparing new workers for their industries.  She discusses the past and current challenges in engagement of partners and how perseverance and advocacy for change is leading to increased commitments from business owners as well as strong involvement from local and state policy makers.

Kami and ArvadaWorks are paving the way in learning what really needs to happen to bridge the gaps in talent needed by businesses in our ever-changing world.  It was an honor to discuss this cutting edge program and much more with humble badass Kami Welch.

Today’s guest is Dr. Scott McLeod.  Scott is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Colorado Denver and the founding director of CASTLE, the only university center in the U.S. dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators.  He is the author of the books Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning, Different Schools for a Different World, and What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media.  Scott is the co-creator of the video series Did You Know? and operates the blog Dangerously Irrelevant.

In our conversation, Scott discusses the reasons behind the trending data in reduced engagement in school as students progress from elementary to high school and what we can do to better bring inquiry and joy to learning at all levels.  He talks about each of the four shifts - deeper thinking, authenticity, agency and technology infusion - that he believes educators can make in redesigning lessons, units and projects.  He also offers his thoughts on leadership, policy reform, spreading ideas and much, much more.

My guest today is Brian Lightfoot.  Brian is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado-Boulder and hopes to earn a doctorate in Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice.  He is working on a project involving social capital in hopes of helping students better understand their social connections and to develop skills that will counteract the unequal social networking systems that currently exist.

In this episode, Brian discusses his ideas about taking a community-based research approach that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between communities and researchers.  He advocates for the idea of focusing on student-led programs that can elevate voices and help us really identify which outcomes families and communities really want as we consider how the education system can create better metrics and measurements.   He also argues for taking a larger look at the multiple systems - not just the education system - that are so intertwined in working together to create inequitable barriers for families and communities.

Thank you for tuning in to today’s conversation with Brian Lightfoot.

Today’s guest is Kristin Wiedmaier, the principal at the phenomenal William Smith High School in Aurora, Colorado.  William Smith is an EL Education school that focuses on challenging, adventurous, and meaningful learning experiences.  They embed Project-Based Learning as a primary modality in a model that provides students with voice and choice in which highly engaging cross-curricular courses they take throughout their high school career.

In our interview, Kristin describes the school’s journey over her 18 years at William Smith and what has led them to develop such an innovative model.  She shares some of her thoughts about how both teachers and students have found connection and a sense of family at the school and what conditions have made this so strong.  Kristen also discusses how one of the most important components in success at William Smith lies in the collective mind and placing high priority on trust in others.

If you ever want to see an example of a truly transformative school that is making Project-Based Learning truly work, check out William Smith.  Thanks for tuning into today’s interview with Kristin.