What Do We Know? A Podcast for Teachers

The second in a series, this episode is exactly what it sounds like: a highly critical examination of what it was like to teach in 2020. I talked to admin, teachers, students, and even my school's psychologist about the visible and invisible impacts of the pandemic on instruction, student life, and the future of teaching.
Also featured in this episode is some food for thought from the new book A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door, by Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider, which you should all go find and read immediately.
Special thanks, again, to Cole Harding, Jessica Post, Trip Sargent, and Willow Mason.

The first in a series, this episode is exactly what it sounds like: a highly critical examination of what it was like to teach in 2020. I talked to admin, teachers, students, and even my school's psychologist about the visible and invisible impacts of the pandemic on instruction, student life, and the future of teaching.
Special thanks to Cole Harding, Jessica Post, Trip Sargent, and Willow Mason.

Dan and I talk about our districts’ respective remote learning plans and explore the logistical, instructional, and personal obstacles we’ve had to navigate as we try to do our jobs.

In this episode, I talk with Jonathan Wolfer -- a Regis University professor and the principal of Douglass Elementary School in Boulder Valley -- about educational policy, leadership philosophy, and some of the more unique aspects of Colorado's education scene.
Links to important things:
TABOR
The negative factor (there's a great breakdown about halfway through the article)
SB-191

In the first episode of season three, I talk to Ying Ong -- an English language acquisition teacher from Cherry Creek Schools -- about how her racial consciousness has impacted her work in education and the many ways that dominant cultures influence public education, often for the worse. Also -- there's new theme music.
Links to things we talk about:
Courageous Conversations
Crucial Accountability
The Wallace Foundation

On June 12, 2019, I had the tremendous honor of delivering the commencement address at George C. Marshall High School's graduation ceremony. It feels a little self-aggrandizing to put that speech on this platform, but it's a love letter to my former students and to my son. I worked hard on it, and I wanted to share it.
I am thankful for so many things. Marshall's administrators helped arrange my flights and in general made it possible for me to be there. My friends picked me up and dropped me off at Metro stops and airports and everywhere in between. And of course, the students of Marshall High School -- you are ever so gracious, and I already miss you.
This was the best day.

I talk about my five key experiences and takeaways from the 2018-19 school year: school culture, grief, technology, curriculum, and writing.
There's no interview this time, and while it's May and it very much feels like the end of a sequence, there will probably be a couple of bonus pods over the summer featuring some grad school action, so stay tuned.
Music credit: "Thrum Room" by Podington Bear

We talk about why Cole loves teaching, the importance of fun, making math accessible to all students, and we dig a bit into the culture at our school. Also grief metaphors and Finn sneezes.

Music credit: "Thrum Room" by Podington Bear

*** Content Warning: child loss ***

I talk about my son, Finn, and how losing him has shaped life and work and every little thing.

Music credits:
"Thrum Room" and "Corridor" by Podington Bear

We talk about how to reach and teach students who have historically had difficulty with reading and decoding English. We also talk about the baby. We always talk about the baby.

In this episode, we talk to Katie Clark about starting at her third school in three years and building relationships with new co-workers. We also hear about James's wacky summer and his Colorado culture shock. Oh, and there's new theme music.

In this special, student-centered episode, we talk about the things that have helped Emma build good relationships with her teachers, her favorite kinds of classrooms, and what she thinks teachers sometimes forget. We also get her take on the biggest problems facing public schools right now, making friends in high school, and heaps of existential dread.

We talk about Teach for America, Kara’s move from high school English to K-8 art, the necessity of fine arts in public schools, and why we really just want to be teacher coaches.

We talk about how Sam organizes all of his teaching and life tasks, the perks of managing publications, and as always, we dispense some first year teacher advice.

We talk about teaching while introverted, Dan's strengths and weaknesses, and explore why he sometimes sits in his classroom with all the lights off.

We talk about what Brenna learned as a first year teacher, why she doesn’t think she’s an expert in anything, and her goals for this year as a teacher and a person.

We talk about how Lindsay has become a more mindful teacher, the need for more emotional intelligence in the classroom, and being OK with the work never being done.

We talk about why Paul has changed his mind about inclusion classes, team teaching, professional learning communities, and what it means to meet students where they are.

In the first episode, we talk about getting ready for the school year, making our students better listeners, being emotionally intelligent, and the art of useful goal setting.

Full description: the repetitive nature of teaching lends itself to living life on autopilot. That makes it all the more important to step back and refresh. What we do know works? How do we know that? What can we do better? How many of the answers are within reach? What more do we need to know?

This podcast aims to name and explore the most important issues that teachers face every day inside and outside the classroom. Through organic conversations, we will unpack the challenges facing modern educators, discuss student-centered solutions to these problems, and reflect on our strengths and weaknesses.