Teachers on Fire

AJ BIANCO is a husband, father of two boys, aspiring leader, and middle school teacher at Harrington Park School in Bergen County, NJ. A fan of the flipped classroom and blended learning, AJ is also a co-host of another great education podcast called Podcast PD. Follow AJ online here: TW: https://twitter.com/AJBianco IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbianco/ Podcast PD: https://podcastpd.com/ In our conversation, AJ recalls the challenge of being moved from school to school due to budget cuts. At his lowest, he had lost his passion to teach and was simply doing a job for a paycheque. After finding and connecting with a vibrant PLN on Twitter, he slowly regained his passion and vision for a career in education. AJ also describes how #PodcastPD came to be a thing, identifies his professional goal for this school year, points to some of the voices and resources that are shaping his practice, and much more. Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)

DR. SAMANTHA FECICH is a former special education teacher and now a professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. She’s also a mom, edtech innovator, and most recently, the author of Edumagic: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers (https://amzn.to/2U47UtD). Follow Dr. Sam online here: TW: https://twitter.com/SFecich IG: https://www.instagram.com/sfecich/ Website: https://www.sfecich.com/ In our conversation, Dr. Sam recalls the disappointment of having her application to a PhD program rejected and explains how she moved past it. She describes how her new book, Edumagic, challenges the thought that your teaching career starts when you receive your teaching diploma. Sam also shares her professional goal for this year, makes the case that every educator should be active on Twitter, and offers some great picks on Twitter, in books, edtech tools, and more. Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)

MICHAEL DREZEK is a Technology Integration Specialist for the Lake Shore Central School District in upstate New York. Michael is in his 15th year as an educator and is the host of the Quest 4 Edlightenment podcast. He is a former teacher of the year and has earned too many accolades to list here! Find out more about Michael’s innovative work with technology in education at https://michaeldrezek.com/. Follow Michael online here: TW: https://twitter.com/m_drez IG: https://www.instagram.com/mdrez07/ Blog: https://michaeldrezek.com/ Podcast: https://twitter.com/Quest4EdPodcast In our conversation, Michael recalls the mistake he once made of putting content above relationships with students, and he talks about how he would do things differently today. He defines his professional goal for this school year, explains why he is so passionate about the state of education today, and shares what makes him productive in so many different domains of service. Michael gives us some great recommendations on Twitter, books, edtech, and more! Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)

ARI FLEWELLING is a staff development specialist at Riverside Unified School District in Riverside, California. A former high school English teacher, Ari holds a Master’s degree in Education Technology and is a Google Certified Trainer and Innovator. She can often be found sharing her knowledge at EdTechTeam events. Ari’s Twitter profile says “Cool on the internet. Even cooler IRL,” which should tell you that Ari is a person who enjoys engagement and is just a fun person to be around! Follow Ari online here: TW: https://twitter.com/EdTechAri IG: https://www.instagram.com/edtechari/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/EdTechAri/ Blog: https://www.edtechari.net/ In our conversation, Ari describes the time in her career when she found herself in a work environment that was "less than collaborative." It was during this time that she really started to build her professional learning network on Twitter and elsewhere, using these platforms to reconnect with former colleagues and building relationships with new ones. To educators looking to integrate more technology in their classrooms, Ari offers this sage word of caution: always consider context and content. How does this piece of technology help move my students toward the learning objective? Ari also shares her professional goal for this year, explains what ignites her passion about education today, lets us in on some of her passions outside of education, and offers some great picks on Twitter, YouTube, and more. Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)

JON HARPER is an Assistant Principal at Sandy Hill Elementary School in Cambridge, Maryland. He’s the smooth-sounding voice of the My Bad Podcast & Co-Host of the Teachers Aid podcast. Follow Jon online here: TW: https://twitter.com/Jonharper70bd IG: https://www.instagram.com/jonharper70/ Blog: https://jonharper.blog/ The My Bad Podcast: https://www.bamradionetwork.com/my-bad/ The Teachers Aid Podcast: https://www.bamradionetwork.com/teachers-aid/ In our conversation, Jon describes a time in his career when the stresses of work and life overtook him and he was unable to get out of bed for two days. Since then, he’s seen the power of being vulnerable and reaching out for support, and it’s become a mission that drives his creative work. Jon also explains why he’s excited about education today, talks about a professional goal, and gives us some great picks on Twitter, books, podcasts, and more. Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)

DR. TODD SCHMIDT is the principal of Harbor View Elementary School in Corona del Mar, CA. Follow Todd on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/tsschmidty and catch his thoughts on education at http://tsschmidty.blogspot.com/. In our conversation, Todd recalls the challenges he faced around entering administration and describes his ongoing journey with Shiny Object Syndrome. He discusses his commitment to fatherhood, the inspiration he takes from #LeadUpChat, and the reasons he’s so passionate about caring for the whole child in today’s education system. He also shares a great productivity tool, a personal habit that contributes to his success, a book worth reading, and much more. Follow Todd online here: TW: https://twitter.com/tsschmidty IG: https://www.instagram.com/tsschmidty/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/hv.principal Blog: http://tsschmidty.blogspot.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)

JEFF KUBIAK is the principal of Nelda Mundy Elementary School in Fairfield, CA. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffreykubiak and catch his blog posts at http://principalkubiak.blogspot.com/. In our conversation, Jeff recalls feeling so broken and unsupported as a rookie teacher that he left education entirely. He describes the strategies he is following to build school culture, and explains why he is so passionate about the state of education today. He tells us about the personal passions and routines that give him energy and contribute to his success. He also gives his picks in Twitter, books, edtech tools, and much more. Follow Jeff online here: TW: https://twitter.com/jeffreykubiak IG: https://www.instagram.com/aquakube/ Blog: http://principalkubiak.blogspot.com/ Subscribe to the Teachers on Fire podcast on your mobile device: On iTunes: https://apple.co/2ozOTRb On Google Podcasts: https://goo.gl/iA6swC On Anchor: https://anchor.fm/teachersonfire On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2QkF2KW Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)

CURTIS WIEBE is an elementary school teacher in Surrey, BC, Canada. He’s interested in the ways that technology augments learning, boosts creativity, and creates new opportunities for learners. Follow Curtis on Twitter https://twitter.com/DivisionW and see his work at https://mrwiebesclass.weebly.com/. In our conversation, Curtis identifies the key to bringing about positive changes in schools and structures in education. He describes why he’s passionate about preparing students to find creative solutions that address real-world problems, and he explains what his learners are doing with makerspaces and robotics. He tells us where he gets his best ideas, and offers us top picks on Twitter, in books, and much more. Follow Curtis online here: TW: https://twitter.com/DivisionW Tech Blog: https://mrwiebesclass.weebly.com/texploration.html Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)

You might know Paul Stevens-Fulbrook better on Instagram as @TeacherofSci. Paul is a father of five and head of Year 7 and 8 Science at his school in the UK. He writes at teacherofsci.com with the mission of “supporting teachers’ lives through strategy, wellbeing and extra income.” In our conversation here, Paul explains why it’s critical for teachers to remain true to who they really are, even - or especially - when they’re in the classroom. He tells us the most exciting opportunity that edtech tools offer: improved student engagement. He shares about some of his other loves outside of the classroom: running, cooking, and spending quality time with his family. He also offers us his picks on Twitter, in books, on YouTube, and more. Follow Paul online here: TW: https://twitter.com/TeacherOfSci1 IG: https://www.instagram.com/teacherofsci/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/243218023094483/ Blog: https://teacherofsci.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ Song Track Credits Intro: Relax (by Simon More) Outtro: Starley – Call on Me Remix (by DJ Zhorik)

MANDY FROEHLICH is the Director of Innovation & Technology for the Ripon Area School District in Ripon, WI. She is a blogger, speaker, and co-host on the @bamradionetwork’s Teacher's Aid podcast. She is also the author of The Fire Within: Lessons from Defeat That Have Inspired a Passion for Learning (https://amzn.to/2EdqBH4) and the soon-to-be-released Divergent EDU. In our conversation, Mandy recalls an experience of discouragement and burnout early in her career, and describes the formula that helped her recover and recapture her passion: avoiding negativity, reading uplifting and accessible education books, engaging on Twitter, and starting a blog. She explains the heart and message of The Fire Within: the journey to view past trauma not as a source of shame or stigma but as a potential source of strength in order to serve students better. She talks about the joys of raising teenagers, the benefits of working outdoors, and her top picks on Twitter, books, edtech tools, and more. Follow Mandy online here: TW: https://twitter.com/froehlichm IG: https://www.instagram.com/froehlichmandy/ Blog: https://mandyfroehlich.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for show notes and links from this episode. Follow the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media! TW: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire. IG: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/