How We Teach This
By The Teachers College @ Emporia State University
How We Teach ThisSep 08, 2021
S9E6 Teachers Inspire and Change Lives: Empowering the Educator Within
Join us for an inspiring episode of How We Teach This, where we're thrilled to host two incredible teachers who are inspiring educators! 🎓✨
Meet Kristi Becker Yulich, a phenomenal 4th-grade teacher and the esteemed 2022 recipient of the prestigious Milken Educator Award. 🏆🍎 Be inspired as Kristi shares her experiences and the remarkable impact she's making in her classroom!
But wait, there's more! 🎉 We're also honored to welcome Hailey Couch, an exceptional Elementary Instructional Coach and the distinguished 2018 recipient of the Milken Educator Award. 🌟📚 Hailey will inspire you to find the light of positivity in your school and beyond.
Together, they're on a mission to challenge fellow educators to step up and be 10% bolder in transforming education within their communities.
Tune in to the How We Teach This podcast and embark on a journey of inspiration and empowerment with Milken Award Educators, Kristi Becker Yulich and Hailey Couch. 🎙️✨ Let's revolutionize education, one classroom at a time! #EducationInspiration #EmpoweringEducators #PodcastEpisode #MilkenEducatorAward 🍏📝
S9E5 Engaging Students By Making Learning FUN!
Jessica Gazzano, art teacher and member of the 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year team, and Cooper Allison, 6th grade ELA teacher and 2023 Kansas Horizon Award recipient, share about how they use enthusiasm and fun to engage students. Both are middle school-level teachers who want to inspire fellow educators to bring fun into the classroom.
S9E4 Strategies and Stories from the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team
Featuring Special Guest Host: Brandy Clarke, Marketing Director of The Teachers College at Emporia State University.
This team of outstanding teachers traveled the state during the 2023 - 24 school year sharing ideas and information with educators. While visiting Emporia State University, the team shared stories and strategies they found successful in the classroom.
2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year
Taylor Bussinger, Kansas Teacher of the Year
8th grade, Social Studies
Olathe USD 233
Prairie Trail Middle School
Regional Finalists
CHERRYL DELACRUZ | GRETCHEN ELLIOTT | JOANNA FARMER | MELISSA HANEY | ERIN PITTENGER | MICHELLE TAPKO | FONDA TELTHORST
S9E3 QUEST: Steps to Teaching Digital Literacy In Any Content Area
Dr. Beth Dobler, Professor at Emporia State University, leads us on a QUEST into the realm of digital literacy, exploring its integration with project-based learning and envisioning its future in education. Join us as we unravel the acronym and delve into each element.
**Q - Question: Empower students to develop strong questioning skills as they embark on inquiry-driven research projects.
**U - Understanding: Having students understand what they read is necessary to move beyond gathering facts.
**E - Evaluate: Become a healthy skeptic in the digital age. Explore strategies for evaluating online information, utilizing resources like Britannica's Curiosity, and empowering students to discern reliable sources from misinformation.
**S - Synthesizing: Delve into the art of synthesizing information. Learn how students can decide what is crucial and compose their learnings into coherent narratives.
**T - Transforming: Uncover the CHOMP method for transforming knowledge into action. Explore how students can share their insights with others, creating a collaborative and dynamic learning environment.
We'll also break down QUEST into its parts, providing practical examples of teaching strategies that align with each component.
S9E2 Part 2 The Dark Side of Motivation: Controlling Teaching
Join the ongoing dialogue with Dr. Jenny Moss, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Emporia State University, as she delves into the nuances of how controlling behaviors from teachers impact students. Gain insights into recognizing genuine learning involvement versus mere compliance. Discover strategies to steer clear of detrimental motivation pitfalls and controlling teaching behaviors. This episode invites you to envision a classroom atmosphere that enhances students' intrinsic motivation, offering a fresh perspective on fostering genuine educational engagement.
S9E1: Controlling Teaching: The Dark Side of Motivation
Dr. Jenny Moss, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Emporia State University, shares examples to improve student engagement by providing more autonomy. Teachers want to avoid the dark side of motivation, and controlling teaching behaviors. In this episode, you can learn things you might be doing in the classroom, without realizing it, that inhibit student autonomy.
Welcome Back to Season 9 of How We Teach This
Preview of the exciting topics coming in season 9 and an announcement of which podcast episode was the most listened to in 2023.
S8E8 Part 2: Improving Our Digital Literacy Skills to Be More Effective in Finding Answers to Our Questions
Dr. Beth Dobler, Professor at Emporia State University, defines digital literacy and explains why it is critically important that everyone in a child's life teaches youth how to effectively locate and learn from information found on the internet. She explains how research has found that even adults are often not effective at creating a plan when looking for information on the Internet. We should not assume that students have effective digital literacy skills just because they spend a lot of time on their digital devices.
S8E7 Teaching Students How We Think About Digital Literacy
Dr. Beth Dobler, Professor at Emporia State University, defines digital literacy and explains why it is critically important that everyone in a child's life teaches youth how to effectively locate and learn from information found on the internet. She describes what it looks like to think aloud for a student so that they can understand our mental process when we use our experience to quickly find information on the internet. Dr. Beth Dobler, a professor in The Teachers College, has been an elementary teacher, school librarian, and now teaches undergraduate and graduate literacy courses and supervises student interns at ESU. Beth serves on the Kansas Book Festival Board and the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library Board. Dr. Beth Dobler was recognized in The Teachers College as the John E. King Endowed Professor for the 22/23 school year and the 2023 Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor at Emporia State University.
S8E6 Generative A.I. in Education
Cecil Short, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of Secondary Education at Emporia State University, shares about A.I. Join us for an exciting journey into the world of Generative AI! Our podcast delves deep into the fascinating realm of AI-powered creativity. Discover how artificial intelligence is transforming education and unleashing innovation.
S8E5 Teacher Talk: Classroom Management Strategies Beyond Connecting With Students
Kendal Norberg, 4th-grade teacher and member of the 2023 KS Teacher of the Year Team gives examples of strategies that work to create an effective classroom environment with procedures, organization, and on-task behavior. She explains why it is important to "Say what you mean; mean what you say" and follow through. She describes the steps necessary to teach a class of students to enter the room quietly and work productively.
S8E4 Teacher Talk: De-escalating Situations: Changing the Negative Cycle
Kendal Norberg, 4th-grade teacher and member of the 2023 KS Teacher of the Year Team shares advice and strategies for creating tension reduction for students experiencing stages of crisis, from anxious, defensive, to exhibiting risk behaviors. Listen for an understanding of how to maintain professional detachment to treat students with respect and increase their learning by calming the agitated states that are easily escalated.
S8E3 Teacher Talk: Special Education: Working With Others in the Classroom
Brian Skinner, 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year and Interrelated Special Education Teacher for Newton Schools, offers suggestions for creating the most successful classroom when working with other educators. Whether in a co-teaching situation or having a paraprofessional join the class, everyone should work together to assist students. Brian shares his hopes for the future of education.
S8E2 Demystifying Special Education with 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year
Brian Skinner, 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year and Interrelated Special Education Teacher for Newton Schools, explains terms and describes important concepts all teachers need to know about meeting a child's needs with an Individual Education Plan (IEP). He offers advice to give yourself and your students a little grace, plus more.
S8E1 Tangible Things Teachers Can Do Tomorrow to Improve Students' Mental Health After a Crisis
Dr. Jim Persinger, Professor Emeritus, and Assistant Director of the East Central Kansas Cooperative in Education, explains how simple nudges from classroom teachers can make a big impact in helping a child, dealing with a crisis, heal. Listen to hear four things teachers can do tomorrow in their classroom: validate their feelings, give facts and squash rumors, return to normalcy, and conduct a class meeting. Our website, www.emporia.edu/hwtt includes links to the resources mentioned.
S7E6 Impacting Education with Authentic, Inquiry, and Cooperative Learning Strategies
Caryn Long, Director of Educational Technology and Innovation at Montverde Academy and Class of 2023 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductee, shares her experience incorporating real-world experiences learned from NASA's educational program into the science classroom. She encourages educators to invest in the future of education and explains her hopes for the future of this profession.
S7E5 Strategies Teachers Can Implement to Create a Safer School
Scott Poland PhD, a Professor of Psychology, and a nationally recognized expert in suicide and violence prevention, shares realistic strategies that teachers and principals can implement in their classrooms without spending a lot of money. He offers ideas that embrace getting students involved in creating a safe environment. He is a recipient of the "Helping Heal Parkland Award."
S7E4 Teacher Talk: Student-Centered Strategies in an English Language Arts Class
Lisa Jarvis, a high school English Language Arts teacher at Council Grove Junior Senior High, shares effective strategies she uses in her student-centered classroom. You can learn more about the Guided Release strategy and gain ideas on how you can improve teaching and learning with choice. Jarvis was chosen for the Kansas Master Teacher, class of 2019, and recipient of the NEA Teaching Excellence Award.
S7E3 Teacher Talk: Improving Engagement While Teaching Fluency Strategies
Joshua Stock, a 6th Grade Literacy teacher in Olathe at Santa Fe Trail Middle School, focuses on fluency strategies that engage students and provide authentic learning opportunities. Stock is the author of "Awesome Sauce", a book about the effective use of videos in the classroom, and host of the podcast, "Awesome Sauce Edu". Stock describes his favorite lesson for authentic fluency practice by taking his students to read to elementary students. He explains why he creates videos to give him more time to connect with students. Listen to find ways to make your classroom a more "awesome space".
S7E2 Strategies and Stories from the 2023 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team
This team of outstanding teachers traveled the state during the 2022-23 school year sharing ideas and information with educators. While visiting Emporia State University, the team shared stories and strategies that they find successful in the classroom.
Brian Skinner, Kansas Teacher of the Year
Regional Finalists:
JESSICA GAZZANO | ERICA HUGGARD | MALLORY KEEFE | PAMELA MUNOZ | KENDAL NORBERG | JAIMIE SWINDLER | CARLY TORRES
S7E1 Authentic Learning and Getting the Community Involved Improves Education
Kristi Becker Yulich, a 4th-grade teacher in Topeka, KS was surprised and received the Milken Educator Award, known as the "Oscars of Teaching". In this episode, Yulich shares strategies for using fun and creative experiences in the classroom that have authentic learning, get the local community involved with the school and build strong connections with families. Yulich is also a National Geographic Certified Educator.
S6E10 Kansas Master Teachers Share Experiences from Their Classrooms
Emporia State University annually recognizes some exceptional teachers for the Kansas Masters Teachers Award. These teachers share inspiring stories about students who have impacted their careers as well as strategies and ideas they have found helpful and effective through their journey as educators.
Kristen Anderson - Fifth Grade TeacherNorth Fairview ElementaryUSD 345 Seaman Kirstin Bangerter - ELA Teacher/InterventionistUSD 443 Dodge City Jerald “Jerry” Braun - Sixth-12th Grade Gifted Teacher Hays Middle and Hays High School, USD 489 Hays
Matthew “Matt” Christensen - Social Studies TeacherBlue Valley Southwest High SchoolUSD 229 Blue Valley Schools
Melissa Hall - Sixth-Eighth Grade STEM TeacherFort Riley Middle SchoolUSD 475 Geary County Martha MacKay - Physical Science TeacherEmporia High SchoolUSD 253 Emporia Maggie Wolken - Kindergarten TeacherUSD 413 Chanute
S6E9 Teaching and Assessing with Standards-Based Grading Changes Student Mindset
This panel of experienced teachers from East Bridgewater Jr/Sr High School describes how using a Standards-Based Grading method has changed their classroom. Jamil Siddiqui, Math Teacher & National Teachers Hall of Fame Inductee, Class of 2020, Kelly DeMolles, Science Teacher, Rebecca Duggan, Social Sciences Teacher, Jamie Hulke Language Arts Teacher.
S6E8 Teacher Talk: Part 2 Implementing Student-Centered Learning Effectively
Robert Fenster, a high school history teacher, describes how he evaluates student learning during Social Studies labs, when students work independently and in groups, collaboratively. The students have even asked other teachers in the building to implement this strategy because they feel it is fair. Bob is recognized in The National Teachers Hall of Fame, class of 2022.
S6E7 Teacher Talk: Making a Difference That Impacts Generations
Jamil Siddiqui, an inductee in the Class of 2020 to the National Teachers Hall of Fame shares stories about those that have made a significant difference in his life and inspires other teachers to show passion in their work to make a difference for the next generation. Siddiqui explains how his students came to know his previous math teacher as their Grand Teacher.
S6E6 Part 2, Recruiting and Retaining Quality Teachers Based on Data: Panel Discussion
Part 2 Panel Discussion about the KS Teacher Retention Initiative
Listen as guests with different roles in education share how they have learned from the recent Kansas Teachers Retention Initiative Survey. These education professionals looked at the data and made decisions based on what they learned from their own district data. The panel also discusses the bigger picture of keeping quality teachers in the classroom.
S6E5 Teacher Talk: Effective Teaching Strategies for a Student-Centered Classroom
Robert Fenster, a high school history teacher, explains strategies that he has found effective for increasing critical thinking with discussion and choice. Bob is recognized in The National Teachers Hall of Fame, class of 2022.
S6E4: Panel Discussion: Recruiting and Retaining Quality Teachers Based on Data
Listen as guests with different roles in education share how they have learned from the recent Kansas Teachers Retention Initiative Survey. These education professionals looked at the data and made decisions based on what they learned from their own district data. The panel also discusses the bigger picture of keeping quality teachers in the classroom.
The following guests participated in the panel discussion:
Dr. Bret Church, Associate Professor at Emporia State University
Dr. Luke Simmering, Industrial/Organizational Psychologist at Sand Creek Advisors
Jessica Dain, Superintendent of Piper School District
Shannon Kimball, President of USD 497 Lawrence Public Schools Board of Education
Kevin Riemann, Executive Director of Kansas NEA
Be sure to watch for part 2 of this conversation for more great information.
S6E3 Teacher Talk: Every Subject is a Language. How do we help our students become fluent?
Jamil Siddiqui, inductee in the Class of 2020 to the National Teachers Hall of Fame shares strategies that he has learned to be effective for his advanced math classes. These strategies could easily be implemented in any subject matter. He teaches his students more than math; he teaches them to effectively communicate.
S6E2 Post Pandemic: Students Needs Have Changed
Melissa Gerleman, an instructor at Emporia State University, and Susan Severin, a School Psychologist, talk about their experience with Social Emotional Learning in an interview with a guest host, Clara Eldridge, a student in The Teachers College at Emporia State University. They discuss the benefits of training teachers with The Jason Foundation in suicide prevention and other challenges they've experienced helping students navigate the changed world post-pandemic.
S6E1 Ensuring Representation of Marginalized Groups in the Classroom
Robert Fenster, a high school History teacher, shares his experiences in learning how to effectively teach and connect with students, especially those that are in underrepresented minority groups. Bob is recognized in The National Teachers Hall of Fame, class of 2022. He explains how teaching in New Jersey, which is supportive of Culturally Responsive Teachers, has impacted his ability to teach history from more than black-and-white viewpoints.
S5E8 Biography-Driven Instruction - Strategies to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom
Diana Mendoza, Director of ESOL and Diversity, and Susanne Stevenson, ESOL Instructional Coach, both at Dodge City Public Schools, give examples of Biography Driven Instruction and explain why it is important to have a Culturally Relevant Classroom. Susanne Stevenson is also recognized as the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Listen to this episode to better understand how educators can help families and students be more successful when they come to our schools from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, and languages.
S5E7 True Vulnerabilities in School Safety
Dr. Jim Persinger, Professor of Psychology at Emporia State University, gives data to show that schools are actually safer now than they were in the 1980s. Instead of focusing on mass shootings, schools need to be implementing suicide prevention programs. Dr. Persinger gives hope in understanding that there are specific strategies that can be implemented with research showing they can make a difference and save students' lives.
S5E6 Eliminating Barriers for Students with Diverse Backgrounds
Diana Mendoza, Director of ESOL and Diversity, and Susanne Stevenson, ESOL Instructional Coach. both at Dodge City Public Schools, share how they help students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds overcome the natural barriers that exist to getting a quality education. Susanne Stevenson is also recognized as the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Listen to this episode to better understand how educators can help families and students be more successful when they come to our schools from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, and languages.
S5E5 Dispelling the Myths of the School Shooter
Dr. Jim Persinger, Professor of Psychology at Emporia State University, explains how ideas that are commonly thought about school violence are often incorrect. One misconception is that school shootings come without warning. Dr. Persinger explains the data collected by the Secret Service regarding school violence and provides hope for educators that there are things we can control that make a difference in preventing future episodes of violence.
S5E4 Kansas Future Teacher Academy Inspires Young Educators
Todd Roberts, Director of Kansas Future Teacher Academy (KFTA) shares the experience of 60+ high school students who participated in the summer of 2022. The participants toured a one-room school house and learned about many teaching strategies including best practices in project-based learning.
S5E3 No Cost Strategies for Teachers to Create a Safer School
Dr. Stephen Sroka, Class of 1996 Inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, shares strategies that guide teachers in ways they can have a positive impact on their school culture for no cost. Instead of investing in metal detectors and expensive systems, Dr. Sroka talks about the Four Things to Create a Safer Classroom, plus many more thoughts and ideas.
S5E2 Teacher Talk: National Teachers Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Inductees
The National Teachers Hall of Fame's mission is "to recognize and honor exceptional career teachers, encourage excellence in teaching, and preserve the rich heritage of the teaching profession in the United States."
The class of 2022 inductees were on campus at Emporia State University in June 2022 for induction into NTHF, housed at Emporia State.
In this podcast episode, these experienced teachers delve into classroom management strategies and what they do for self-care. Listen to shared stories of students who changed their teaching careers.
S5E1: School Safety: National Memorial to Fallen Educators
Dr. Ken Weaver and Carol Strickland, leaders in education and professionals associated with the National Teachers Hall of Fame, the Fallen Educators Memorial, and The Teacher College at Emporia State University, share what they have learned from the stories behind the names of those listed on the National Memorial to Fallen Educators.
Teaser for Season 5 includes a mini series about School Safety and preventing violence
Be sure to subscribe to How We Teach This on your favorite podcast platform as our Season 5 explores the difficult topic of promoting school safety and preventing violence. The first episode in the mini-series will drop on August 31st, Wednesday.
S4E6: Improving Pedagogy with OER, part 1
Empowering students as creators through Open Educational Resources (OER) is discussed by Lee Miller and Josh Bolick, experts in OER, in OER in the latest episode of How We Teach This from The Teachers College at Emporia State University. They share how not only can professors in higher education but also teachers in K-12 can improve teaching and learning by utilizing the concept of open educational resources.
S4E5: Nuts & Bolts of OER - Open Educational Resources
Lee Miller and Josh Bolick, experts in OER, spend a lot of time helping others navigate the emerging strategy of OER for their classrooms. In this episode, they discuss the value students find in OER and the advantages instructors may discover using OER. Listen to learn about what the copyright symbols mean and get many resources to start your search.
S4E4: Part 2 - The Need for Neuroscience in Education
Dr. Dustin Springer, Principal of Gray Hawk Elementary in USD 458 Basehor-Linwood in Kansas, inspires teachers to change their mindset from one of punishment to understanding children with behavior issues. He gives examples of amygdala reset stations and how creating connections with students creates a climate that improves behavior. He describes holding a student accountable for actions but not at the moment when the brain is dysregulated.
S4E3: Teacher Talk featuring the 2020 National Teachers Hall of Fame Class
Who is your teacher foremother or forefather? Your “grandteacher”?
Teacher lineage was a topic introduced by the NTHF 2020 inductees as they discussed who was their inspiration and who they have inspired and hope to continue inspiring. Guests included:
- Andrew Beiter, a Springville (NY) Middle School eighth grade social studies teacher;
- Melissa Collins, a second grade teacher at John P. Freeman Optional School in Memphis, TN;
- Donna Gradel, a retired high school environmental science teacher from Broken Arrow High School, and current Dean of Academics and Innovation at Summit Christian Academy;
- Thomas Knab, a K-4 visual arts educator at Dodge Elementary School in East Amherst, NY; and
- Jamil Siddiqui, a mathematics teacher at East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School in East Bridgewater, MA.
S4E2: Using Data to Understand the Teacher Shortage
Dr. Bret Church, assistant professor at Emporia State University and co-researcher of the Kansas Teacher Retention Initiative, shares the results from a survey of 50% of the educators in Kansas.
They were questioned on three key areas: satisfaction, engagement in the profession, and future intentions.
Districts can analyze their own data and overall stakeholders can learn from these results and build an action plan to improve the situation in Kansas regarding the teacher shortage.
S4E1: Impacting Students Who Are Struggling, Part 2
Part 2 of the interview between student, Hailey Kisner, and Michael McKnight, author and special education expert, delves even deeper into the importance of creating connections with students. He shares about how having solid, positive relationships is powerful for teachers. Creating quality relationships is critical to having a successful outcome, especially for students exposed to trauma. He offers specific examples of how teachers can integrate building a relationship into their daily classroom experience.
S3E10: Talking With a Google Certified Educator About Technology Integration
Travis True, Curriculum & Technology Coordinator for Topeka Public Schools and Google Educator Certified Trainer, gives an overview of recent changes in technology in education and advice for teachers who want to become more efficient at using technology without spending a lot of time trying to learn new software or hardware.
S3E9: Brain Impacts Emotion and Learning Part 2
Dr. Lori Desautels, author and education expert, explains how early trauma impacts a student's ability to regulate and learn. She has written several books about her experience working with students with challenging behaviors. She shares how addiction is a form of a learning disorder as a reaction to pain. Teachers and parents can look at the acronym "A SECRET" to identify the causes of behaviors to improve a student's success in the classroom.
Dr. Desautels gives more examples of how a philosophy of trauma-informed education changes the classroom environment and culture. She explains that this mindset is more than a program you can buy and implement for 30 minutes a day.
Listen to part 1 by searching How We Teach This for Season 3, Episode 4, How the Brain Impacts Emotion & Learning Part 1.
S3E8: Deeper Dive into Gamification, Part 2
Jordan Billings, Instructor for Olathe Public Schools, shares strategies and steps on how to get started for educators who are interested in adding elements of gamification into their classrooms. Gamification can improve engagement and add some fun back into the classroom.
S3E7: Impacting Students Who Are Struggling
Michael McKnight, author and special education expert, describes how education has moved from a time without brain science to current times with more understanding of how trauma affects students that are often labeled difficult. McKnight shares how humans are resilient and the importance of teaching everyone how trauma impacts the brain, then affects behavior and learning. He believes that starting with a teacher who is calm and regulated must happen in order for an educator to respond instead of reacting to negative situations.