Teachers on Fire

 AJ JULIANI is a dad, a sought-after speaker, and prolific author of several education books, including The PBL Playbook, Empower and Launch. He is a recognized authority on design thinking, genius hour, growth mindset, IBL, PBL, and all things innovation in education. Read more from AJ at http://ajjuliani.com/ and follow him on Twitter @AJJuliani. In our conversation, AJ recalls his professional turning point 2011, when he moved from a teacher discouraged by the game of school to an educator set on fire by the possibilities in education. He goes on to share essential advice from the PBL Playbook, the power and purpose of blogging as an educator, and the ideas behind “be more chef.” He also discusses his current professional work, a learning obsession, and some of the voices that shape his thinking and inspire his practice today. Follow AJ: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajjuliani On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajjuliani/ On YouTube: https://bit.ly/2EfmXui On his website: http://ajjuliani.com/ At the PBL Playbook: https://amzn.to/2X9iYXR Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On Medium: https://medium.com/@teachersonfire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Stand Up (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

MIKE PAUL is a middle school math teacher, edtech leader, Google Certified Innovator, and the co-founder of Edcamp Kentucky. Follow Mike on Twitter @mikepaul and check out his blog at https://pikemalltech.com/. In our conversation, Mike recalls the disappointment he felt when he first realized that not every education leader is in education for the right reasons. He gets into the ways that tech tools have changed the ways students learn (and the ways educators teach) about Math. He also discusses what energizes him in education today, his One Word for 2019, a productivity hack he applies to his mornings, and the voices and influences that most inspire his work. Follow Mike: Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikepaul Instagram: http://instagram.com/iammikepaul Website: https://pikemalltech.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On Medium: https://medium.com/@teachersonfire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Stand Up (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

DR. BRAD GUSTAFSON is a National Distinguished Principal, best-selling author, and speaker. He is also a Digital Innovation in Learning Award winner and a member of the National School Boards Association "20 to Watch." Brad recently released a new book that is making a stir: Reclaiming Our Calling: Hold on to the Heart, Mind, and Hope of Education. Find out more about his work at www.BradGustafson.com and follow Brad on Twitter @GustafsonBrad. In our conversation, Brad recalls an important lesson he once learned about the value of investing in the most challenging students. He talks about the heart and main message of his book, Reclaiming Our Calling, and talks about why connection must be the focal point of everything we do around technology in education. Brad also discusses a professional goal, his personal passions outside of education, a productivity hack, and the voices that inspire him today. Follow Brad: Twitter: @GustafsonBrad Instagram: @GustafsonBrad Website: https://www.bradgustafson.com/ Reclaiming Our Calling: https://amzn.to/2t2hgtp Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On Medium: https://medium.com/@teachersonfire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Stand Up (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org) 

DR. ERIK YOUNGMAN has been a first grade teacher, assistant principal, and principal. Today, he’s the director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the Libertyville School District in the Greater Chicago Area. He advocates for continuous learning, feedback, growth mindset, metacognition, innovation, and visible learning. Follow Dr. Erik on Twitter @Erik_Youngman. In our conversation, Dr. Erik discusses the challenges presented by change, and the importance of feedback for continuous reflection and growth. He talks about the incredible opportunities in education today, and shares some of his professional goals for the coming year. Erik also opens up about his personal passions outside of education, a productivity hack, and points to some of the voices that shape his learning and inspire his practice today. Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On Medium: https://medium.com/@teachersonfire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Stand Up (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

DR. SARAH THOMAS is a regional technology coordinator in Maryland and serves as affiliate faculty at Loyola University. In 2014, Sarah founded the EduMatch Project, and she has spoken and presented at numerous conferences since. Find out more about Sarah and her work at https://www.sarahjanethomas.com and follow her on Twitter at @sarahdateechur. In our conversation, Sarah recalls the challenges of finding her place in education during the first three years of her career. She describes how EduMatch was created as a solution to help like-minded educators connect around the globe, and explains how that early vision continues to shape its activities and contributions today. She also tells us what makes her so passionate about education, one of her professional goals for 2019, the thing that energizes her as a human being when she’s away from education, and so much more. Follow Sarah ... On Twitter at https://twitter.com/sarahdateechur & https://twitter.com/edu_match On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sarahdateechur/ On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/edumatchers/ On her website at https://www.sarahjanethomas.com/ On EduMatch at http://www.edumatch.org/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On Medium: https://medium.com/@teachersonfire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Stand Up (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org) 

 KATE LINDQUIST is the founder of PeaceLoveArt, which is all about “Enriching heARTS thru self expression and soul connection.” With a Master’s degree in Education, Kate is a passionate educator, artist, consultant, speaker, and contributor to @DisruptEDTV. Follow Kate on Twitter and Instagram @heARTISTatWORK. In our conversation, Kate talks about the frustration of teaching in learning environments that don’t seem to value the arts, and explains how finding her own creative voice on Twitter and other platforms helped restore her hope for the future of “creative academics.” Describing artistic activities as a gateway to curiosity and learning, she strives to help learners of all ages find their voice and express themselves in creative ways. Kate shares her professional goal for this school year, the things that bring her alive outside of the classroom, a productivity hack, and the voices and influences that inspire her practice today.  Follow Kate ... On Twitter @heARTISTatWORK On Instagram @heARTISTatWORK On Facebook at Peace Love Art Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On Medium: https://medium.com/@teachersonfire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Stand Up (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

 JENNIFER CASA-TODD is a mom, wife, teacher librarian, speaker, a coordinator for Google Educator Groups of Ontario, an ISTE Librarians leader, and an @ONedSschat advisor. She is also the author of Social LEADia: Moving Students from Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @JCasaTodd. In our conversation, Jennifer recalls the tremendous challenge of battling concussion symptoms for ten months and identifies the keys that helped her emerge from the fog to regain her health. She talks about the context, mission, and vision of her book, Social Leadia, and discusses the mindset shift that educators must make around social media tools. She also shares why she’s excited about education today, what her professional goal looks like for 2019, why you should stay connected with book clubs even when you fall behind on the book, and much more! Follow Jennifer ... On Twitter at @JCasaTodd On Instagram at @JCasaTodd On her blog at https://jcasatodd.com/ On her podcast at The Social Leadia Podcast Check out Social Leadia on Amazon Explore free Social Leadia resources at https://www.socialleadia.org/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: @TeachersOnFire On Instagram: @TeachersOnFire On Facebook: Teachers on Fire On LinkedIn: Tim Cavey On Medium: Teachers on Fire On YouTube: Teachers on Fire Song Track Credits Intro: Stand Up (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org) 

GREG MOFFITT is a dad, husband, and the principal at Winters Elementary School in Winters, California. He’s also a doctoral student at UC Davis and a big education geek. Greg has set the audacious goal of reading through all of the books from Dave Burgess Consulting in 2019, and you can catch his reflections and reviews (along with those from teammate Kali Slusser) at http://readlikeapirate.wordpress.com.  In our conversation, Greg recalls the low point at the end of the last school year when a staff member told him “You’re not smiling anymore.” He describes how an amazing instructional coach, Lead Like a Pirate, and the positive power of his PLN helped him rediscover his passion and joy for the principalship. Greg explains why SEL gets him excited about education today, shares his bold professional goal for 2019, describes how he stays productive each day, and points to the voices and resources that he’s tuned into. Follow Greg: On Twitter at @Greg_Moffitt On Instagram at @Greg_Moffitt On his blog, Read Like a Pirate: http://readlikeapirate.wordpress.com Visit the Teachers on Fire blog for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: @TeachersOnFire On Instagram: @TeachersOnFire On Facebook: Teachers on Fire On LinkedIn: Tim Cavey On Medium: Teachers on Fire On YouTube: Teachers on Fire Song Track Credits Intro: Lax (by Fascinating Earthbound Objects, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

BETH HOUF is a mom, middle school principal, passionate leader & learner, and forever teacher. She’s also the co-author of Lead Like a PIRATE: Make School Amazing for Your Students and Staff. Interact with her on Twitter @BethHouf and engage with ideas from her book at #LeadLAP. In our conversation, Beth recalls how pressure-packed early years in a principal position almost turned her off from the profession completely, and she explains how a random conversation about Twitter helped revive her passion and calling for school leadership. She describes how Teach Like a Pirate led to Lead Like a Pirate, and discusses the mission and main message of the book. She also shares why she’s excited about education, a couple of productivity hacks she lives by, her passions outside of school, and the voices and resources that inspire growth in her practice today. Follow Beth: On Twitter @BethHouf On Instagram @BHouf Lead Like a Pirate Visit TeachersOnFire.net for all the show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: @TeachersOnFire On Instagram: @TeachersOnFire On Facebook: Teachers on Fire On LinkedIn: Tim Cavey (host) On Medium: Teachers on Fire On YouTube: Teachers on Fire Song Track Credits Intro: Lax (by Fascinating Earthbound Objects, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

CHRIS CHAPPOTIN is the principal at Steam Middle School in Burleson, TX. He’s a husband, father, Engage 2 Learn Coach, certified Google educator, and big sports fan. He’s also a bit of a rapper as well! Follow Chris: On Twitter at https://twitter.com/Chris_Chappotin On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/chris_chappotin/ On YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/frankginley Watch his district’s music video parodies (of which Chris has played an instrumental part) and subscribe to the Burleson Independent School District YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/BurlesonISDTV. In our conversation, Chris describes the mission and vision of STEAM Middle School. The school's mantra, Chris says, is all about creating engaging learning through an instructional design process called Engage 2 Learn. He also describes his most challenging experiences as an education leader, shares his professional goal this year, offers some great recommendations in books and on Twitter, and much much more. Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)