The Thoughtful Teacher Podcast
R. Scott Lee, Ph.D.
The Thoughtful Teacher podcast shares the stories of educators who have implemented innovative or creative solutions within their space. These stories and commentaries empower educators by sharing a world of ideas that can enhance pedagogical choices and decrease the isolation many teachers experience. We introduce listeners to school-based educators, thinkers, and researchers who have powerful ideas and innovations that makes teaching and learning more meaningful for your students. We also occasionally offer commentary on practice and policy to help navigate the complexity of our profession.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 22, 2024 • 42min
The Epidemic of Financial Illiteracy with Vince Shorb
Send us Fan MailThis episode features a conversation with Vince Shorb, CEO of the National Financial Educators Council. In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss the problems many K-12 educators face in developing a quality personal finance program at all grade levels and Vince shares his ideas for improving outcomes and implementing serious reform initiatives.
Oct 1, 2024 • 41min
So Is It a Science? with Nancy E. Bailey
Send us Fan MailEducation researcher and advocate Dr. Nancy E. Bailey shares why educators should be concerned about literacy programs that claim to be based on the "Science of Reading". While there is no consensus on what the term "Science of Reading" means, many reading programs may only meet the literacy needs of some students. In this conversation we discuss what to look for and what issues to be wary of in selecting and using literacy programs in schools.
Sep 10, 2024 • 36min
A Different Global Perspective with James Dittes
Send us Fan MailOur friend James Dittes returns to share his latest experiences with teaching internationally. When we first met James in 2020 he had started an exchange program with his class and a school in Germany. Since our last conversation, James has taken on a new adventure and now teaches English in an international school in Turkey. In this conversation he shares how he approaches teaching in a new country and shares some stories about his classroom.
Jun 12, 2024 • 44min
It's Not Just Music-It's Sound! with Hayes Greenfield
Send us Fan MailHayes Greenfield is a jazz musician, composer, and teaching artist. In this episode he shares the importance of not just music-but sound and how teaching students about sound can enhance social emotional learning and student attention.
May 21, 2024 • 31min
Communication in the Classroom with Donna Van Natten
Send us Fan MailDonna Van Natten-the Body Language Dr.- shares her expertise on non-verbal communication and behavioral intentions. A former teacher herself, the conversation focuses on communication skills with students in the classroom.
May 7, 2024 • 50min
We Get a Chance to Work with the Best Students with Lynne Roland, Brian Hopkins & Raymond Appleberry
Send us Fan MailLynne Roland, Brain Hopkins, and Raymond Appleberry are educators in the Grand Prairie Independent School District in Texas and Rising Phoenix Consulting. In this episode they share their stories of creating a culture where students develop resilience because of their work implementing restorative practices and cultivate positive relationships based on The Circle of Courage Model.
Apr 16, 2024 • 42min
The Next Generation of Sloyd with Luke Johanson
Send us Fan MailSloyd is a 19th century teaching methodology that fell out of favor in the early 20th century in America. Luke Johanson shares how The Sloyd Experience is bringing this highly useful teaching approach back to relevance for students in the 21st century.
Apr 2, 2024 • 27min
Science in the Schoolyard with Janneke Petersen
Send us Fan MailListen to this conversation with science curriculum developer Janneke Petersen shares how she empowers students with Symbiotic Schoolyard. This curriculum helps teachers plant and grow native plants in their schoolyard. This place-based learning initiative is aligned to Next-Gen Science Standards and helps students understand how ecology is local and meaningful in students' everyday lives.
Mar 19, 2024 • 51min
Inclusive Support for Transgender and Non-binary Students with Vanessa Ford and Rebecca Kling
Send us Fan MailTransgender and non-binary students often do not find inclusive experiences in schools and many teachers do not know where to turn in finding resources and supports. Scott Lee shares a conversation with Vanessa Ford and Rebecca Kling who discuss their book The Advocate Educator’s Handbook: Creating Schools Where Transgender and Non-Binary Students Thrive who discuss issues surrounding supporting students who are struggling with gender inclusion.
Mar 5, 2024 • 47min
You Can Teach Writing in the Age of Generative AI with Jen Roberts
Send us Fan MailHave you ever worried that your students are using an artificial intelligence (AI) program to cheat? To do homework? To do something else dishonest? Join me for this conversation with Jen Roberts as we talk about not only how to prevent academic dishonesty using AI, but actually how to use it in the classroom to actually enhance student writing!
