Teachers on Fire

🔥 Are we about tasks or learning? 🔥 How do our beliefs about assessment shape absolutely everything we do? 🔥 How has it become acceptable to do nothing in a classroom, and what can we do about it? Join me for this conversation with MELISSA DEAN as she shares her insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Melissa is a high school math, science and ELA teacher who is passionate about reforming assessment and reimagining mathematics education. She is a developing inquiry and design thinking teacher who is constantly in reflection about her teaching practice and the state of education. She’s also the author of Unravel School: Reimagine Classrooms, Reinvent Assessment and Revive Learning.  You can follow Melissa on X and Instagram @dean_of_math and on her website at  deanofmath.wordpress.com. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 1:12 - A pivotal STORY of futility in the Math classroom 4:20 - Assessment is EVERYTHING in education reform 10:37 - What's the difference between GRADING and ASSESSMENT? 13:44 - What's the PURPOSE of SCHOOL? 20:03 - Small assessment changes to make in MATH and SCIENCE classrooms 24:16 - What does INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING look like in upper level Math? 30:31 - Why is it okay for students to do NOTHING in a classroom? 36:53 - Areas of learning for Melissa OUTSIDE of the classroom 39:55 - Productivity hacks: waking early, walking 41:22 - Someone to follow: Natalie Vardabasso, Jessica Vance 42:31 - An edtech tool that Melissa favours right now 43:07 - A book pick: The Pi of Life by Sunil Singh 43:50 - A future guest recommendation: Monte Syrie 45:15 - Melissa talks about the mission of her book, Unravel School 47:06 - Where to connect with Melissa online Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥Is our influence making an impact? 🔥How can we live, work, and serve others in alignment with our assignment?  🔥How can we clear away the clutter of our lives and move our personal mission toward success?  Join me for this conversation with CHIP BAKER as he shares his insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Chip is a fourth generation educator who has now served as a teacher and coach for over twenty-four years. He is a multiple time best-selling author, Youtuber, podcaster, transformational speaker and life coach. Find more from him at The Success Chronicles. You can follow Chip on X @ChipBaker19. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 1:04 - How adversity has shaped Chip's journey and mission 2:14 - What Chip's legacy as a fourth generation educator means to him 4:04 - What are The Success Chronicles all about? 5:59 - Who and what are The Impact of Influence books about? 8:56 - How to set priorities as an education leader 11:18 - The power of consistency 12:31 - Chip's advice to the grads of 2024: the SHG Principle 15:55 - Another area of learning that sets Chip on fire: communication technology 19:44 - A productivity hack: prioritizing time 23:22 - Leaders that are inspiring Chip right now 24:03 - An edtech tool pick: the Google suite 24:18 - A book recommendation 24:56 - Chip's suggestions for future guests on the podcast 26:17 - What Chip's streaming these days 26:54 - How to follow Chip Baker on social media Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥 How can we reach bored students in the classroom? 🔥 How can our gradebooks better support individual student growth? 🔥 How should teachers be thinking about AI and evidence of learning? Join me for this conversation with TYLER RABLIN as he shares his insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Tyler is an award-winning instructional coach and former ELA teacher for Sunnyside School District in Sunnyside, WA. He is also the owner of Tyler Rablin Consulting, a contributing writer for publications such as Edutopia, EdSurge, and EdWeek, and has been a featured speaker at conferences around the U.S. for his work with assessment and instructional technology. His book, Hacking Student Motivation, looks at the intersection between our assessment practices and what we know about motivation to provide learning experiences that build student self-efficacy, confidence, and hope. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:00:00 - How can our assessment practices better support student growth and learning? 0:26 - Who is Tyler Rablin? 1:34 - A story of student failure that changed Tyler's view of assessment 4:08 - How can traditional assessment practices negatively impact student motivation? 8:24 - How to redesign grade books to focus on student learning, growth, and interests 11:59 - How can we provide feedback that supports student growth and improvement 16:46 - If you couldn't average scores in your grade book, what would you do? 20:43 - Creating professional learning experiences that value teacher expertise and professionalism 24:56 - Are students more bored today than they've been in the past? 29:06 - How should teachers think about AI today? 34:14 - Tyler is passionate about nature photography 36:29 - A productivity hack: time blocking in his calendar 37:44 - Someone we should follow on X: Marcus Luther 38:05 - An edtech tool pick: School AI 38:33 - A book pick: The Willpower Instinct 39:03 - A guest recommendation: TG2 and Vanessa Ellis 39:54 - What Tyler is streaming: X-Men 40:12 - Where to connect with Tyler online Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥 How can I control the chaos of my classroom? 🔥 What is Kami, and how can it support student learning? 🔥 What does it take to build an education YouTube channel? Join me for this conversation with STEPHANIE HOWELL as she shares her insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: In education since 2014, Stephanie has been widely recognized as an education technology leader and has spoken at conferences around the globe. With a masters in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership, she is one of the founding members of Global Google Educators Groups (GEGs) and Gold EDU.  Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:24 - Who is Stephanie Howell? 1:28 - Stephanie's journey with a learning disability 6:58 - Building executive functioning skills for students 13:45 - How can technology support inclusion? 16:43 - What is Kami and how can it support student learning? 22:17 - New features coming to Kami 26:46 - Her motivation for creating and sharing content 29:30 - How to build an education YouTube channel 34:42 - Learning outside of school: parenting 35:19 - A productivity hack: monotasking 36:03 - Who to follow on X: Bobbie Grenier and the EduGuardians 36:40 - An edtech tool pick: Google Slides 37:12 - A future podcast guest suggestion: Ryan Collins 37:47 - What Stephanie's streaming: The Coach's Notebook 38:32 - Where to connect with Stephanie Howell Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥 How can we assess our own social-emotional health, and what are some easy steps that we can take to strengthen it? Join me for this conversation with former Teacher of the Year WENDY TURNER as we dig into these and other critical questions. Wendy is a gifted communicator and brings incredible value that you won't want to miss. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Wendy Turner is an experienced elementary educator in Wilmington, DE with tremendous passion for and expertise in social emotional learning (SEL). She was named the 2017 Delaware Teacher of the Year after six years in the classroom and has received numerous awards and recognition for her work - this after changing careers to become a teacher at age 40. In 2023, Wendy published Embracing Adult SEL: An Educator's Guide to Personal Social Emotional Learning Success.  Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: Timestamps and highlights to be added soon. Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥 What’s your take on AI’s impact on K-12 education?  🔥 How can student voice and choice change the homework conversation?  🔥 What's your best advice for new teachers?  Join me in LIVE conversation with ALEX VALENCIC as we dig into these and other critical questions. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Alex is an educator, former small business owner, Boy Scout leader, volunteer drug prevention specialist, and geek of all things. Since July 2021, he’s served as the Professional Learning Coordinator in Freeport, Illinois, organizing summer institutes, new teacher academies, and ongoing professional learning opportunities for all staff.  Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: Timestamps and highlights to be added soon. Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥 When is it time to leave the classroom? 🔥 Do teachers have any options outside of education? 🔥 What are the questions we must ask ourselves in order to determine whether or not we're where we should be Join me in conversation with Ashley Philipps as we discuss her journey, lessons learned, and the hopeful message that she shares with educators who are seeking a change. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00 Pacific and 11:00 Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 1:43 - Why Ashley quit teaching and changed careers 3:02 - The role of administrators 5:19 - Is teaching still sustainable for some educators? 9:45 - What are the worst teacher killers? 12:43 - Upgrade your salary 15:00 - What else can I do? Transferable skills 18:01 - Differences in stress and sleep 21:06 - What Ashley has learned about herself 22:44 - Stigma related to leaving the classroom 24:28 - The Teacher's Guide to Changing Careers 26:23 - Another area of learning for Ashley 29:22 - A productivity hack 30:30 - Someone to follow on LinkedIn 32:40 - Book recommendations 35:20 - What Ashley is streaming right now 36:39 - How to connect with Ashley Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥 How do you recharge your fire over spring break? 🔥 What advice would you share with new teachers? Join me and Lauren MacLean, Tim Stephenson, and Bryon Carpenter for this unique episode of the Teachers on Fire podcast. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00 Pacific and 11:00 Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:22 - Who is Bryon Carpenter? 1:09 - Who is Tim Stephenson? 2:24 - Who is Lauren MacLean? 2:45 - Spring break highlights 4:13 - Activities that restore our fire 6:30 - Advice for new teachers 10:46 - Creative projects we look forward to  Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥 How can student-led conferences and portfolios transform learning and instruction? 🔥 What does meaningful feedback look like? 🔥 How can assessment practices empower our students? Join me in conversation with assessment author and speaker STARR SACKSTEIN as we dig into these and other important questions. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Starr Sackstein is a recovering perfectionist and now an assessment reforming enthusiast. Currently, she is the COO of Mastery Portfolio, LLC, an edtech start-up committed to helping schools move to standard-based communication. She also works with teacher teams to engage students in the learning process, advocate for personal growth, and effectively use student data to drive instruction. With over 16 years of experience in the classroom, Starr is an author, blogger, and speaker committed to changing the way we do assessment nationally and globally. You can connect with her work at MsSackstein.com and follow her on X @MsSackstein. Welcome to Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00 Pacific and 11:00 Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: Summary to come shortly. Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥 How can you build better relationships with your students WITHOUT spending money or buying candy? 🔥 What are some quick and easy practices that will pay the biggest dividends in the life of your classroom?  Join me in conversation with middle school teacher and technology advocate LAURA BOYD. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Laura is a middle school teacher who is passionate about edtech and SEL. She has presented at the district, local, and state levels, helping classrooms produce superior learning and rich student development. Welcome to Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00 Pacific and 11:00 Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: Summary to come shortly. Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.