Teachers on Fire

Dear New Teacher, Thank you for joining the teaching community. Thank you for your commitment to the learning and growth of our little people. Thank you for bringing your optimism, your ideas, your passions into our world. We love you. We need you. We’re glad you’re here. And it’s because we appreciate you that we want to help you make it. We want to see you grow, not go. We want this work to give you life, not take it from you. So with that in mind, here are some tips and strategies that will help you survive and thrive in your toughest years of teaching. Short monologue episodes like this one are based on my written reflections, which you can read any time at teachersonfire.net. Read the blog post featured in this episode at https://teachersonfire.net/2023/07/24/the-magic-and-misery-of-student-video-submissions/ My name is Tim Cavey, and I’m proud to contribute to the education conversation through the Teachers on Fire podcast. If you’d like to engage further in education conversations, please connect with me @TeachersOnFire on any social media app. CONNECT with ME On Twitter @TeachersOnFire (https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire) On Instagram @TeachersOnFire (https://www.instagram.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 Distant Love by Causmic Flight to Tunisia by Causmic Memory Rain by Yung Logos Mirror Mirror by Audio Hertz Road Tripzzz by Ofshane How’s It Supposed to Feel (Instrumental) by NEFFEX *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

Here's the bitter truth about student video submissions. They take forever to fully review. FOREVER. Some of my dear students sincerely expect me to watch every second of everything they post. Bless their hearts, but I can’t meet that demand and stay sane at the same time. What are we to do? Should we just give up and avoid video submissions altogether? Welcome to SPARKS: mini-segments intended to spark your thinking and ignite your practice. These short episodes are based on my written reflections, which you can read any time at teachersonfire.net. Read the blog post featured in this episode at https://teachersonfire.net/2023/07/24/the-magic-and-misery-of-student-video-submissions/ My name is Tim Cavey, and I’m proud to contribute to the education conversation through the Teachers on Fire podcast. If you’d like to engage further in education conversations, please connect with me @TeachersOnFire on any social media app. CONNECT with ME On Twitter @TeachersOnFire (https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire) On Instagram @TeachersOnFire (https://www.instagram.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 Chef Brian by Latasha Dude by Patrick Patrikios Tropic Fuse by French Fuse Tangled by Emmit Fenn Coupe by The Grand Affair *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

The next morning, my principal was his usual encouraging self. At first. “Great email, Tim. Your communication was professional as always. There’s just one small issue.” Uh oh. Welcome to SPARKS: mini-segments intended to spark your thinking and ignite your practice. These short episodes are based on my written reflections, which you can read any time at teachersonfire.net. Read the blog post featured in this episode at https://teachersonfire.net/2023/07/17/how-i-learned-a-lesson-about-student-privacy/. My name is Tim Cavey, and I’m proud to contribute to the education conversation through the Teachers on Fire podcast. If you’d like to engage further in education conversations, please connect with me @TeachersOnFire on any social media app. CONNECT with ME On Twitter @TeachersOnFire (https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire) On Instagram @TeachersOnFire (https://www.instagram.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 Chef Brian by Latasha Dude by Patrick Patrikios Tropic Fuse by French Fuse How’s It Supposed to Feel (Instrumental) by NEFFEX *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

My creative silence is both a symptom and a cause, so finding the time and bandwidth to create again is bringing my fire back this summer. How are YOU recharging, colleague?

What does the world’s most successful YouTuber have to say about creativity, learning, and education? [TIMESTAMPS BELOW] 0:00:00 - Meet Mr. Beast! He's the world's most successful YouTuber. 0:27 - What does Jimmy think about education, learning, and creativity? 0:52 - Lesson 1 from Mr. Beast: Extreme learning guarantees extreme results. 2:09 - Lesson 2 from Mr. Beast: It's still possible to start at zero and become a master artist. 3:36 - Lesson 3 from Mr. Beast: Accelerate your growth by learning with others. 5:17 - Lesson 4 from Mr. Beast: For significant results, action is everything. 6:31 - Lesson 5 from Mr. Beast: Proficiency requires resilience through adversity. 7:36 - Lesson 6 from Mr. Beast: Failure is an essential part of the learning process. 9:33 - Lesson 7 from Mr. Beast: Traditional schooling isn't always a path to success. 11:55 - Lesson 8 from Mr. Beast: Creative work can thrive where friendships fail. 13:43 - Lesson 9 from Mr. Beast: A creative life is a fulfilled life. 15:31 - Reflecting on the creative journey and learning legacy of Mr. Beast. ⭐️ CONNECT with TEACHERS on FIRE ⭐️ On FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire On LINKEDIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ On MEDIUM - https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire​​ On TWITTER @TeachersOnFire - https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire​​ On the WEBSITE - https://teachersonfire.net/​ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TeachersOnFire ⭐️ SUBSCRIBE to the Teachers on Fire PODCAST on YOUR MOBILE DEVICE ⭐️ On Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2ozOTRb​​ On Google Podcasts - https://goo.gl/iA6swC​​ On Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2QkF2KW

Are you ever bothered by school emails or communications stealing your personal time?  Here are two radical suggestions that have been game-changers for me. Let me know what you think. TIMESTAMPS  0:00:00 - The problems of phone-related stress for teachers  1:43 - Scheduled emails problem no. 1: they waste too much time  2:09 - Scheduled emails problem no. 2: they create unnecessary confusion  2:31 - Scheduled emails problem no. 3: email avalanches are stressful  3:02 - What do teachers think of scheduled emails?  4:09 - Radical phone habit no. 1: Keep your phone out of your bedroom at night  5:26 - Radical phone habit no. 2: Keep your phone permanently on Do Not Disturb  7:11 - Should teachers take all work communication off their phone? My thoughts.  8:37 - You're not a victim, teachers! You control your phone. ⭐️ CONNECT with TEACHERS on FIRE ⭐️ On YOUTUBE -   https://www.youtube.com/@TeachersOnFire On LINKEDIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ On MEDIUM - https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire​​ On TWITTER @TeachersOnFire - https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire​​ On the WEBSITE - https://teachersonfire.net/​ *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

I’m writing this post from a delightful cafe in a quaint little touristy town near my home. The sunshine is pouring in through three walls of windows. Steam from my freshly brewed coffee wafts lazily upward. A creamy slice of carrot cake sits waiting to be consumed. Welcome to SPARKS: mini-segments intended to spark your thinking and ignite your practice. These short episodes are based on my written reflections, which you can find on the Teachers on Fire Magazine at Medium.com. Read the blog post featured in this episode at https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire/you-can-love-teaching-love-your-students-and-love-time-away-12f2c3750c28. My name is Tim Cavey, and I’m proud to contribute to the education conversation through the Teachers on Fire podcast. Make sure to connect with me @TeachersOnFire on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to catch more from me and hear from amazing educators who are bringing growth and transformation to K-12 education today. CONNECT with ME On Twitter @TeachersOnFire (https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire) On Instagram @TeachersOnFire (https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/c/teachersonfire) On Voxer @TeachersOnFire (https://web.voxer.com/u/teachersonfire)  On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Chef Brian by Latasha Dude by Patrick Patrikios Tropic Fuse by French Fuse How’s It Supposed to Feel (Instrumental) by NEFFEX *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

Love or hate the policy decision — speaking, teaching, and breathing just became physically easier for exhausted educators across North America. Welcome to SPARKS: mini-segments intended to spark your thinking and ignite your practice. These short episodes are based on my written reflections, which you can find on the Teachers on Fire Magazine at Medium.com. Read the blog post featured in this episode at https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire/two-years-later-a-breath-of-fresh-air-for-a-pounded-profession-f75ac74964b2. My name is Tim Cavey, and I’m proud to contribute to the education conversation through the Teachers on Fire podcast. Make sure to connect with me @TeachersOnFire on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to catch more from me and hear from amazing educators who are bringing growth and transformation to K-12 education today. CONNECT with ME On Twitter @TeachersOnFire (https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire) On Instagram @TeachersOnFire (https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/c/teachersonfire) On Voxer @TeachersOnFire (https://web.voxer.com/u/teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Dude by Patrick Patrikios New Year by Bad Snacks Turtle Time by Verified Picasso Steps by Anno Domini Beats Fast and Run by Nico Staf *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

The reality: not every student has submitted the required products for a particular learning activity by the due date or deadline. What should the responsible teacher do? Here’s how some teachers respond: They update checklists of unsubmitted assignments on a weekly or daily basis. They regularly post names of students whose work is overdue on the classroom whiteboard or digital equivalents. Missing essays: Brian, Jackie, Solomon, Jenny, Stefan. They meet 1:1 with the students whose work is missing. They email students or send direct reminders via the LMS. They set up special study hall sessions (at recess breaks, lunch breaks, or after school) that offending students must attend in order to complete and submit all required assignments. They email parents to inform them of the specific assignments that their children have not submitted. These teachers mean well. And some of these measures have their place, at least in spirit. But it’s also true that this pattern of teacher behavior can become a bottomless pit. All of the tracking and communication I’ve listed here can take huge amounts of time on top of everything else a teacher must do week in and week out. Welcome to SPARKS: mini-segments intended to spark your thinking and ignite your practice. These short episodes are based on my written reflections, which you can find on the Teachers on Fire Magazine at Medium.com. Read the blog post featured in this episode at https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire/heres-your-permission-to-stop-chasing-missing-student-assignments-c5685c526441. My name is Tim Cavey, and I’m proud to contribute to the education conversation through the Teachers on Fire podcast. Make sure to connect with me @TeachersOnFire on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to catch more from me and hear from amazing educators who are bringing growth and transformation to K-12 education today. CONNECT with ME On Twitter @TeachersOnFire (https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire) On Instagram @TeachersOnFire (https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/c/teachersonfire) On Voxer @TeachersOnFire (https://web.voxer.com/u/teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Flight to Tunisia by Causmic Tangled by Emmit Fenn Road Tripzzz by Ofshane Sunrise Drive by South London Hifi Business as Usual by Causmic Anthem by The Grand Affair Fast and Run by Nico Staf *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

I knew that if we were to improve this student-teacher relationship and get learning back on track, this student would need to feel fully heard by the teacher. And the teacher would need to feel heard by the student. A meeting seemed like a logical next step. But I wanted to approach this very carefully. I wanted to think about ways to allow the student to feel heard without creating a slam session against the teacher. And I wanted to allow the teacher to feel heard by the student without them feeling collectively dumped on. So I worked with my principal to craft a professional first: a mediation agenda. Welcome to SPARKS: mini-segments intended to spark your thinking and ignite your practice. These short episodes are based on my written reflections, which you can find on the Teachers on Fire Magazine at Medium.com. Read the blog post featured in this episode at https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire/when-a-middle-school-student-goes-on-strike-mapping-next-steps-e13c327fe569. My name is Tim Cavey, and I’m proud to contribute to the education conversation through the Teachers on Fire podcast. Make sure to connect with me @TeachersOnFire on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to catch more from me and hear from amazing educators who are bringing growth and transformation to K-12 education today. CONNECT with ME On Twitter @TeachersOnFire (https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire) On Instagram @TeachersOnFire (https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/c/teachersonfire) On Voxer @TeachersOnFire (https://web.voxer.com/u/teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. SONG TRACK CREDIT Flight to Tunisia by Causmic Tangled by Emmit Fenn Anthem by The Grand Affair Road Tripzzz by Ofshane Fast and Run by Nico Staf *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.