Episode #395: Russell Van Brocklin
https://outofthetrenches.podbean.com/e/episode-395-russell-van-broklin/
Russell Van Brocklin– aka the Dyslexia Professor, shifts daily reading frustrations into confident academic wins for students facing dyslexia. Dyslexia touches as many as 15–20 % of all learners, yet most families still hear “wait and see.” He flips that script. As the Dyslexia Professor, he translates structured-literacy methods proven most effective for struggling readers into bite-size actions parents can use right away.
Trench story: in the late 90’s, he entered to NY State assembly program and then found out he had a reading/writing ability of a 1st grader. He had 3 admin assistant. For oral presentation, he didn’t write a paper but gave a presentation, at the end, he got an A-. The admin said they didn’t like the accommodations, and got an F. He had to force self to read & write. He went to audit law school, was called on during Socratic method & everything slowed down. Eventually, he solved his reading/writing issues. Per his own request, he had no accommodations. Was first one done w/ highest grade on quizzes. Asked NY Senate to fund his research. They did a few yrs later. St’s were highly motivated, read & write at 7th grade level (dyslexic). He gave them the GRE pre-test, they scored low.
In NY State, they implemented a dyslexia taskforce to go into schools w/ high amounts of kids w/ dyslexia, 1 district said no, so he’s writing a book (it’s not coming out for 2 months, but can mention it). He uses Overcoming Dyslexia book (he shows images of the brain). He went in a district near Albany. Decided to give juniors/seniors GRE writing assessment, 1 period a day he taught kids, reading,writing, spelling & grammar fixed itself. St’s graduated w/o accommodations. Cost taxpayers little (less than $900). GRE is analytical writing. He presented this in 2006 NYC Dyslexia Assn. What about normal dyslexics, they wanted “The Craft of Research” (1995).
Can you share a success story of a student who overcame dyslexia using your approach? What changes did you see in that student’s skills and confidence over time? He advises using context, problem, solution. Instead of word analysis, followed by articulation, he switched it up. There’s a multi-structed language approach. The older the child is the quicker they pick it up. It takes a few wks-a few months. Take care of the grammar, then take care of the spelling. Anything after “because” is articulation. The older the child is, the quicker they’ll pick it up. “If they can write it, they can read it?”.
You often say that dyslexic learners are “specialists, not generalists.” What do you mean by that, and how can a child’s deep passion or interest be used to help them learn better? It’s what they have extreme interest in. He does specialities first. Prof teach from specific to general. He gives a Walt Disney book to 10-17 year olds. Magic is 2 universal things- 1 student took 2 years to read the book. He asks the question: “What personally compelled MLK to give his famous speech?” Force the brain to organize itself to use writing as an output.
For a parent watching their dyslexic child shut down and dread reading, what’s one step they can take right now to rekindle their child’s interest and confidence in learning. Stop fighting us, work w/ us during our intervention period to bring reading/writing up to or above grade level. Get them an audiobook in their specialty.
Your program talks about moving students “from frustration to forever confidence.” What does lasting confidence look like for a dyslexic child, and how do your methods help build that kind of self-assurance? If you haven’t brought the reading/writing to grade level for the student, it will be a struggle. He shows a book on Postwar Japanese History- he thinks it was so easy to read, he used this process: st’s start using slow gains, it takes so long.
Use of ChatGPT- We need somebody to be the final ruler maker- t’s need to decide whether it’s ethical or not. St’s graduate from college w/o being able to effectively use AI. He mentions The Craft of Research. He doesn’t say AI will write it, it gets you to the first draft. Pick out definitions that best match in your head. W/o a quote they can’t do a body paragraph. Begin in 9th grade to get to the problem statement. He goes into word analysis based on theme- who, what, when, where, how & why. Ask them to show you their work. They show them an evolved way of turning. It’s important b/c there are some kids who hate using AI and they have to use it for work. He had shown the student how to prompt engineer his brain.He’s showing kids how to operate at a grad school level.
Out of everything: Focus on 1 book until kid can read it. In intervention phrase: Use word analysis followed by articulation until st’s can read/write at grade level. Then you can go to the curriculum.
Where can ppl find you: website: dyslexiaclasses.com download free report.
Fill out short form it will set up 30 m. zoom mtg w/ parent. He asks kids if they’d like to overcome dyslexia.
Send listeners here to access the free guide I reference on air; it describes the 3 reasons your child’s dyslexic education isn’t working and what to do about it. His book (no title yet, will be short) will be out in Oct, it will take ppl through writing body paragraphs.
he’ll reach out again when book comes out and promote the book
https://www.facebook.com/dyslexiaclasses/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_cqwfxn9FqFx1Idl0YbeHg
https://www.instagram.com/dyslexiaclassesus/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-van-brocklen-2007ab87
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Cx9DQhjgvCk
Episode # 396: Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh
https://outofthetrenches.podbean.com/e/episode-396-dr-michelle-sig/
Michelle’s expertise is unparalleled, boasting multiple certifications, including the esteemed National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. With nearly five years as a district leader and 15 years of dedicated service in the fourth largest school district in the USA, Michelle has made an indelible impact on the world of education. Her versatile roles, from nurturing gifted students to leading departments and training teachers in technology integration, have bestowed her with a profound comprehension of the needs of students, parents, teachers, administrators, and district leaders.
Throughout her career, Michelle encountered the challenge of meeting assessment benchmarks amidst limited resources. Her ability to transcend these obstacles, catering to the needs of all students and propelling their achievements beyond district and state assessment scores, distinguishes her as a true educational pioneer. This drive and passion led to the creation of LCT-E Learning Solutions™ and the groundbreaking EQUAL Methodology™. By placing diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront, Michelle transforms classrooms into innovative spaces that cultivate a profound appreciation for learning.
Michelle’s expertise is sought after by notable clients and organizations, including Microsoft, Renaissance Learning, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and Miami Dade College, among many other prominent corporations and educational institutions. Her insights have also enriched the minds of international educators across the Caribbean and the Middle East.
A best-selling author, Michelle’s book Educational Continuity During Uncertainty: Online Learning Considerations for Educators has proven invaluable, especially during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and teachers alike have found solace in her guidance for achieving continuity in virtual learning environments.
Adding to her impressive repertoire, Michelle’s latest book, the Equity & Excellence in Teaching Reflective Journal, is a go-to resource for creating inclusive spaces and addressing educational disparities. Passionate educators striving to empower all students will find this journal a key to unlocking their full potential and fostering a brighter future.
Trench story: being a new t’s, getting there early, leaving late. The biggest piece that had the greatest impact was her leaving teaching after 20 yrs. She considers herself a forever ELA teacher, has led training in ed tech. Has been a learning consultant in corporate world. Biggest story in trenches is 2019 when she left teaching. Transitioned to make a greater impact b/c she was connecting, teaching, leading more than in the classroom. She found there was so much red tape, esp. for a woman of color. Didn’t feel like her voice, ideas, being as a human was valued. It became hard, spiritually, emotionally, health was at risk. Prayed about it. She still leads, coaches teachers in the district she worked in. It became a “different kind of hard”.
ASCD article https://www.ascd.org/people/michelle-singh – such as “Why I left teaching”: It’s not a call for teachers to leave. She created better conditions for herself. She provided concrete strategies to retain educators of color. It’s not just for the leaders, start w/ reflection rather than reaction. Systemic barriers, institutional practices that aren’t up to date. Our system wasn’t built w/ our wellness in mind. It was built to perform & produce. We have to identify gaps w/in a system that doesn’t honor the person.
Talk about your latest book, Breathe Between the Lines (insert link): is a prof w/in teacher ed program at 2 different institutions. Spends a lot of time w/ future educators. It ties into the Restful Teacher program. Book came from a lot of challenges, questions, coaching, advice she offers new teachers/teacher candidates. book is a way for them to honor themselves first. We have the idea of servant leadership wrong. She says it’s OK to be selfish and take care of self first. It identifies 7 areas of rest. It identifies the challenges that are in areas of self care. Connects to culturally responsive teaching. We can model better for those who are leading. Involves reflection questions as well. One of the reflective pieces, it’s a tool we need. We’re not taught how to do. She talks about the power of breathing.
Restful Teacher program: has been around 3 yrs. It started from Michelle making the decision to go to a retreat alone. Did some inward healing. She became an empty nester, grandpa passed. At retreat, was introduced that rest can be 7 different things. Asked, “How can I make this doable for me”? They’ve interviewed/ talk to folks from diff. fields. From the Restful Teacher challenge came workshops, webinars, has done w/ ASCD/ISTE, Nearpod. Have self-assessments, digital resources, affirmation cards. Teachers can keep those on their desks. Has just lauded Restful Girl Experience. Lots of components. FB group, other Live Events in 2026 (lives in Miami). Vision & goal is to help educators/leaders be OK w/ putting themselves first. Rewriting narratives.
Talk about your work in schools and transition to consulting: Last week talked about disrupting disengagement. Her dissertation was focused on st. disengagement. It’s about strategies teachers have told her that are needed to see st disengagement as data, not defiance. Use human data to make decisions about what to do next to reengage st’s. She has a framework-equal methodology- 5 human-centered teaching practices that address belonging, collaboration, how to use evidence for st, growth, progress. As workshops/institutes that address equity, belonging, innovation. Does lots of conversations/presentations on AI- not how to use tools, she addresses using it in an equitable, ethical way. She believes in it. It’s much more than using a tool. Address the human-first, AI next aspect.
Upcoming Conferences: Has spoken at NCTE, Learning Forward, has been accepted to present @ a few. She’s collaborating w/ a fellow educator “Dreaming in the Margins: Building Inclusive English Classrooms” she’ll be there virtually. (word)- she lists what she uses acronym for. Her Ted Talk was about that (insert link). She done for NATC, Microsoft, ISTE/ASCD.
Out of everything: in order for us to do anything well on the outside, we have to be well on the inside. We have to be aligned w/ our identity. We have to be confident enough to share our voice/story. Acknowledge systems are broken, thrive in spite of them. Authenticity is important for educators, it’s needed for connection w/ st’s. St’s don’t want us perfect. We need to show up the way we are. Model growth.
Where can ppl find you? www.connectwithmichelle.com it will email you all the resources. Can schedule time to chat w/ her. http://www.Restfulteacher.com
Here are the resources Michelle spoke about specifically in the episode:
- ASCD EL Magazine: https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/why-i-left-teaching
- Breathe Between the Lines: https://a.co/d/atfrgL9
- Restful Teacher: https://restfulteacher.com/
- EQUAL Methodology: https://michelle-singh.mykajabi.com/EQUALMethodology
Here are some additional resources to support listeners in continuing our conversation:
Community Invitation + Access to Resources: https://connectwithmichelle.com
Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lctelearning
Subscribe to Michelle’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lctelearning
Explore Michelle’s Thought Leadership: https://michelle-singh.mykajabi.com/thoughtleadership
Wath Michelle’s TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b9WJvn3T0c
Learn More About Michelle’s Work: https://lctelearning.com
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8VMEJHOOcaU
Episode #397: Bruce Potter & Dave Nagler
https://outofthetrenches.podbean.com/e/episode-397-bruce-potter-dave-nagel/
Dave Nagel and Bruce Potter are co-founders of The Center for Collaborative Expertise.
Dave’s work focuses on helping schools and districts implement Visible Learning research, assessment and feedback, and effective grading reform at both school and classroom levels. He has supported schools in building impactful PLCs and is a thought leader in the PLC+ framework. Dave has authored seven books, 4 of which are best sellers–aligned to the PLC+ Suite of publications, and contributed to publications such as Principal Leadership, Educational Leadership, and The Learning Professional. He regularly presents at national conferences.
Bruce Potter is a school administrator with over 30 years experience. Bruce began his career as a classroom teacher and has held leadership roles at the building level as a principal and at the district level as a superintendent for 11 years. Bruce brings a wealth of experience in implementing Visible Learning research, guiding districts, schools, and teachers in transforming their practices. His schools have earned national recognition for innovative approaches that redefine success for traditionally underserved students.
Trench story: Bruce-couple districts ago, first superintendency. They served other ppl’s schools. Struggled to make gains. needed a win. They needed to operate as a business, as kids weren’t attending. In middle of academic drought. Had some good strategic planning. They had to do some restructuring w/ services they were offering. Pulled it off in a couple months. Adult actions- what were few things working best for those on front lines? They went deeper w/ what worked. PLCs got stronger. Made a few key action investments w/ everyone’s buy-in:.
Dave: was MS admin. 1 yr superintendent needed to make strategic moves. Sent him to HS. Went to Davis HS, 3400 kids, not incl. freshmen. He was in charge of extended day. For st’s who’d made a poor choice & didn’t fit into large HS. Had lots of st’s who were falling just short of earning 1 credit at end of semester. Found kids who were w/in certain % point. Went to dept chairs & asked about main priority standards. Assm, tasks, w/ high level of rigor, mastery. Increased graduation rate 14% in 2 yrs. Monitored kids who recovered credit in 2 areas. Healthy, responsible type to instill in kids. Got him involved in looking @ how we look @ grades.
Book you co-wrote, Grading Visible Learners John Hattie brought Visible Learning to US & they were some of the first. How do we develop a good learner? 3 elements, how we look at grading and feedback, looking at evidence and how we apply it to grading. If we want st’s to learn from mistakes, we can’t count every mistake in gradebook. What do we mean about grades being feedback? Each chapt. addresses 1 of 6 traits. Last part of book looking at surface deep & transfer. Has morphed into generative learning experiences. When you know better, you do better. It’s not about what you’re doing is wrong. What works best in schools and how it should be applied to grading. Practical strategies, tying in actionable strategies. When considering this, what can you do to apply it. Generative learning experiences piece- t’s grade the way they were graded. To be effective think about grading through planning. How are we designing our tasks. Book is an instructional planning process. Dave created assignment task grading matrix. T’s need clarity of scoring. Use success criteria as a catalyst. Weighted scoring. Msg-this is about the evidence, when we know better we do better. SBG systems- they speak to sometimes there are trainwreck examples. Success criteria mapping, what do st’s need to be able to do? How do we know that? They don’t encourage or discourage one or the other. Let success criteria drive the decisions you make. Look not only @ tasks aligned to grading. Think about what clarity piece means. They talk about actions that will be available for learners- frustration, receiver apprehensions, perfection. Success in life can be attributed to how early learners feel about their learning. Don’t over celebrate 100%. It means the task was too easy.
Services from https://www.centerforcollaborativeexpertise.com/ – they just submitted a manuscript Developing Collaborative Expertise (releasing May 5). They can spend a few min. on how to scale up expertise. Their work compliments each other, all involves clarity. Clarity of scoring- it’s a lot what the 1st book is about. 2nd book- co-construction of meaning. You’re able to move initiatives fwd b/c everyone’s on the same page- they’ve applied that w/ schools w/ success. We need to eradicate the average. The clearer we can be about what we’re trying to accomplish the easier it is to implement, the schools on the same page. PLC- anytime a group has interconnection around a task & trying to solve a problem. 3 piece model w/ legs to it. We sometimes promote a culture of completion, but the success rate is low. Leaders need to think about what messaging their sending. It sits on top of visible learning research. Actions we should put in place, etc. They hear ppl ask what that is still. All of their work is rooted in the visible learning evidence. It eliminates the argument like what grading should be. It’s really about the feedback. Avoid early grading. Errors are an opportunity to learn. What promotes getting kids to be drivers of their own learning? Site model- having an equitable mindset and supporting kids who are behind. Dave doesn’t agree w/ minimum grade.Fordham foundation is seeing kids w/ higher attendance, lower scores, etc. Breaking it down by demographics, looking at what is off. It’s about the feedback/actions that are taken to drive learning. The way we’ve traditionally graded don’t work. Belonging thru empowerment. Being tied to a mission. Consistency thru action. They tied research thru visible learning practices. It’s for everyone to get better. It’s about creating systems that support their learning. Faculty doesn’t just create. They have a model of how to develop collaborative expertise. They have 9 frames for it. It’s Tier 1 PD concepts like t clarity. Cognitive diversity- folks who work together to solve problems. There has to be psychological safety. There are preparation norms, learning norms, directions for behavior. They speak to 7-8 things. (Insert image from file). When we support every educator, we want to arm them w/ framework to move learning fwd.
Out of everything: when we know better, we do better (Bruce); John Hattie- “Too much, too fast, it won’t last” (Dave)
Where can ppl find you: https://www.centerforcollaborativeexpertise.com/ LinkedIn
Preorder new book here: Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams: Transforming Schools Through Coherence, Belonging, and Consistency: Nagel, Dave, Potter, Bruce: 9798348832780: Amazon.com: Books
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tsj9Ab_oPkk
Episode #398: Dr. James Lane
Episode # 398: Dr. James Lane | The Out of the Trenches Podcast
Dr. James Lane is a dynamic leader in education whose journey—from classroom teacher and band director to state superintendent and senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Education—is as inspiring as it is impactful.
Now serving as Managing Director of K–16 at ETS, Dr. Lane is at the forefront of transforming how we connect high school, college, and career readiness. His insights span leadership, policy, equity, and innovation—making him an ideal guest for podcasts focused on education, leadership, public service, or personal growth. A former principal, band director, and lifelong trumpet player, Dr. Lane is also a Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame inductee with The Castaways.
Trench story: He’s seen many facets in edu. He was state supt in VA during COVID. Put rules in place to reopen. It was an amazing opportunity to lead at state level. Then he was at the US Dept. of Ed. He ran Title I. It was @ the time they started the American rescue plan. Made sure $ was spent on time & wisely. It was about how to make an essential investment with kids. Watched how the federal & state govt worked.
You led schools to great outcomes, can you talk about how you did that? He can talk about principal exp. He was also principal in a school w/ pass rates in the 58% that went up to 96%. They didn’t drill & kill. He doesn’t think about school improvement the traditional way. 6 yrs later it was the top program in the district. He talks about 7 steps to school success in his book. IT’s not just about what t’s need to do, it’s about organizing school/district & aligning curriculum. WE get to choose who we put in front of st’s, make sure we have common assessments, tools to analyze the data & tools for st’s to be successful, leveraging tech. How did you do it so quickly? HE did a talent review, asked t’s what they thought they should improve on. The school has sustained the success. They’ve focused on data analysis.
Bridging the Gap: K–16 Innovation for a Future-Ready Workforce-his role, he runs all K-16 for ETS (one of the largest assessment companies in the world, they run Praxis, TOEFL, GRE, support ACT for College Board). NAPE, PISA internationally, backbone in assessments. They’re spending $10 million a year to build out skills assessments. Creative thinking, civic skills, matching to careers & jobs, typically launched during college yrs. They’re also deep on innovating assessment. Went from bubbling in on multiple choice to tech-enhanced items. Innovating assessments. Piloting work in 5 states. Shift towards competency-based learning. They may start doing simulations instead.
Reimagining Readiness: What Comes After High School-when they talk to employers around the nation they believe future-ready skills are more important than what we’ve previously focused on. They want kids to have more critical thinking skills. Policy makers, f.ex. in IN are just starting to think about this. Ai is shifting this in a massive way st readiness.
Raising the Next Generation: Empowering Educators to Lead: 1 chapt. is called “A culture of yes” and another is about “be maniacal about ppl”. Schools get criticized for not moving fast enough. Barrier to innovation is over-reliance to the way things have always been done. Make sure you have the best ppl possible in every role, so you can be conscious about who you build up. Then you’re more likely to have outcomes come faster. Also paying ppl more. Always start w/ a highly motivated person who cares about doing what they want to do. Policies aren’t barriers, they’re often used as an excuse.
Leading with Purpose: A Superintendent’s Path to National Influence-can share about his big story how he went from poverty in Kentucky to sitting in the White House. House he grew up in is now est. worth $29K in today’s $. When he had mtg in the Roosevelt room, thought about how is this possible? Opportunity is at the intersection of love. There were moments in time when he was at the right time. It’s also about creating your own opportunity. When he was an AP, he applied for a principalship and was a finalist. Was asked where he wanted to be in 5 yrs, he stated he wanted to be superintendent. Was told he would have to leave & come back. James took his advise and evt returned to the district as supt. Work @ national level led from there.
Speaking engagements: He does engagement w/ book-check websites, social media.
Out of everything: regardless of his roles, he kept focus on what was best for st’s and their outcomes.
Where can ppl find you: https://www.instagram.com/drjameslane/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflane Book is called Leading with Laser Focus- avail on Amazon now. Best seller as of release wk of Aug. 25 www.laserfocus.education View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/E-iN43OUET0
Episode #399: Lulu Buck
https://outofthetrenches.podbean.com/e/episode-399-lulu-buck/
Lulu Buck is a children’s Book author. Currently serving as a coordinator for a local school district, here in CO.
Previously, Lulu held the position of English Language Development and World Language Senior Consultant at the Colorado Department of Education, where she also contributed her expertise to the Standards and Instructional Support Office. Notably, she served as a state trainer for cultural responsiveness, impacting thirty-eight Colorado school districts. Lulu’s teaching journey spans a decade, during which she passionately taught English and Spanish in public secondary schools.
“Sue’s Sky,” Lulu’s debut book, recently translated into Spanish as “El Cielo de Susana,” delves into the important themes of acceptance and friendship.
Lulu has done numerous presentations of these books at many conferences, workshops, schools, districts, parent nights, community events, and libraries. Her international debut was teaching “Sue’s Sky” in partnership with the Mwebaza Foundation in 4 schools in Uganda in the summer of 2023.
Trench story: right before pandemic, late husband passed away. Just started her new job, became CCFLT president. Unknown putting on a virtual CCFLT conference. The board dug in and pulled off a virtual conference. She’s thankful she had the opportunity to lead during that time.
| What inspired you to write Sue’s Sky? she feels like she’s working 24/7. The level of acceptance inspired her. She wanted to allow ppl’s differences, views, and openness.
Can you give us a taste of the book and the lessons that go with it? initially wrote for pre K-5 level. It starts out w/ Sue seeing her sky as blue. Her sky is blue & yellow. They think Sue is weird. Colors are added. Original painting in video. Color adds value to our lives. Lessons- emotions or pre K-2, they draw 2 circles, give them color. They open w/ creating a safe space. They create a flyer for t’s. She aks qu’s about what make ppl understand you better.Have vulnerable convo in the classroom “I wish you’d accept this about me”. They take words & ask what it would look like in a sky. It becomes art through explanation. Watercolor is easy & neat way to manipulate it. She has a bias lesson. She only has skies in the book, not characters. We make assumptions based on someone’s sky. Get to know ppl before you start assuming. Messages w/ older kids & how we’re taught to think a certain way. Also assumptions about other countries. I hear there is a second edition that is being worked on. Can you give us a sneak peek that makes it different from the original? she learned the hard way the curriculum is separate from book. There will be addt. characters. It’s more for MS. Lulu went to illustrator to paint a stormy sky about kid who likes to hurt other kids, Are we equipped to handle those kids? She’s piloted it in MS/HS CR. There’s also a kid who is translanguaging w/ Spanish. GT kid, Queer student, austic character. Should come out by New Year’s. Do you have any other books? Has released Magical Golden Whistle about teaching kids to be creative. A boy who blows a whistle, flies around the forest on a pegasus. Activities about the forest, where would you go if you found the magic whistle? Aurora Symphony called & said they’d like to highlight her book for the concert in Mar ‘27. Consulting: she does some other states on culture & climate. Getting school to level where they build community. Author visits. Powerful experience for them to see an author of color. She also does keynotes. Does adult & student training. Self publishing: Journey Bound publishing- they work w/ authors who want to publish a book through your LLC. She takes care of all the editing, etc. Where can ppl find you online? Twitter/X: @c_lu_lu FB: @Bucks Books Consulting Insta: @lulubuckster Website: https://lulubuck.org/ Out of everything: She has 4-5 projects in the works. Kids inspire her to write more. View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GXSKniooLQ8
Episode #400: Panel on Recruitment, Retention & Resilience https://outofthetrenches.podbean.com/e/episode-400-panel-on-recruitment-retention-resilience/
Dr. Robert A. Martinez, most recently Superintendent/Chief of Human Resources – has retired from the Antioch Unified School District after 38 years in public education. Dr. Martinez has continually focused on improving and expanding educational opportunities for students. He strives to advance understanding of resiliency research for all his employees, students, and their families. He frequently says, “Let the lives we help others live be the measure of our success”. Dr. Tim Cusack is the Dean of Education at Concordia University of Edmonton and the Commanding Officer of HMCS Nonsuch in the Canadian Naval Reserve. With extensive experience in educational leadership, teacher development, and mentorship, Tim has dedicated his career to supporting educators and leaders at every stage of their professional journey. Josh Tovar is the Memorial Pathway Academy Principal in Garland Independent School District NE of Dallas since 2016 & Host of the #PGPPODCAST Sundays 5 pm CST. Topics of interest for each guest: Rob: Talk to me about your work around the importance of building and sustaining #resilience across the classroom, school, district and community. How can the power of collective resilience development can change the world? Tim: Tell me about the importance of early career teacher mentorship. What keeps great new teachers in the profession? Mentorship. Drawing on insights from The Mentor’s Guidebook, we which talks about what effective mentors actually do, why relationships matter more than checklists, and how schools can build cultures where new teachers truly thrive. The set of books go hand in hand about how to teach people how to have effective mentorship programs. We need 20 million teachers globally by 2030. They’re promoting mentorship up to first 5 yrs in the profession. He talks about early childhood teacher career prep programs. They have brainstormed how to help these teachers. The average age of 1st yr teacher is 30. It’s folks from different professions/trades coming into the profession. Follow up question: how can schools/districts implement effective mentorship programs that help train their new teachers? Rob: How did you create pathways to get ppl into the classroom at your previous district in CA? They worked on diff. types of credentials. They started a “pre-induction” program in several of his districts. Superintendents & admin must have a path to the role programs. Probationary periods- 18 mos w/ a lot of support to find out if this is the right place. It’s a learning opportunity for everyone. Stories Dana is able to bring forward are important. Rob was a psychologist first. Learned how to work w/ the education system, parents, students, not just to qualify for Sped. The best teachers are all over their school. Was tapped on the shoulder to be an AP. It took 18 years. Connected w/ community as a principal. Project “high hopes”. Best fit for services kids need. Broke down barriers of regular ed & sped. Superintendent of 35K district, then found himself in HR role. Resilience has always been a focus of his. Recipes for Resilience book. It’s about the emotional connection, helping a child feel safe. Add to kids’/teachers’ resilience backpack. As a leader, it’s about how you connect w/ teachers. There are a lot of t’s in CA on the picket line. New book: Story of Sparkle & Shine, children’s book, about kindness. Both are on Amazon. Josh: Principal- you have to mentor the new teacher. You have to make sure you have the right fit for the mentee. Out of everything, what’s one thing from this conversation you’d like listeners to remember? Tim: thanks for dana’s leadership in these episodes & we’re all here to help kids learn Rob: Thanks to Dana. For everyone in the trenches, keep going, it’s worth it. Josh: thanks for all the guests on the 400 shows. Ppl don’t know it’s a sub part-time job to get guests & run a podcast Where can people find you online: Rob: @ResiliencyGuy on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn Tim: @CusackTim or find me on Linked IN Josh: X @MPA_GOJAGUARS or X @JTSPOTLIGHTS YouTube @ Josh Tovar IG @jtspotlights View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jVxwDgXW8Vk?si=iIlZgAeLiU1h0GLB
Episode # 401: Queen D. Michelle The Out of the Trenches Podcast – Episode # 401: Queen D Michelle | Free Listening on Podbean App
Queen D. Michele ~ Author, Blogger, Creator She has taught elementary/middle school students for 27 years, four of those years, she was an administrator. She holds certifications in Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia. She taught in private, public, charter, and magnet school arenas across the country. Although she has retired, her life’s mission is dedicated to Generation Alpha. Fortunately, the oldest of Generation Alpha turned 13 in 2024. Herein lies the opportunity with 52 Insights for Gen Alpha: A Conscious Curriculum to place in their hands the tools of Social and Emotional Intelligence needed to navigate THEIR world. This is a program created by a teacher for leaders to empower middle and high school students to become conscious thinkers and creators.She created a mindfulness curriculum for 7th-9th grade students of Generation Alpha, called 52 Insights for Gen Alpha: A Conscious Curriculum. The curriculum focuses on Self-Awareness through activities that foster mindfulness, self-management, relationship skills, social awareness and conscious decision-making. Trench story: In 2015 when she retired, it was her crawling out. After 27 yrs, relocating to MX. Why did you move to Mexico? (part of trench story) She looked at her pension and did different side jobs to supplement her pension. She was regulated by bells for all the years she was in schools. After retirement, some odd jobs supplementing pension- did Uber/Lyft driving, online teaching. She didn’t want to be 70 y.o. driving Uber. She was working only to pay bills. Epiphany- researching top 10 places to retire 10 yrs. ago. Lives in a large expat community in Jalisco. Checked boxes for location, climate, against all the odds of her friends, family, naysayers, she went ahead & moved. Many Americans, Canadians there. Had a soft landing. Wrote a book about a guide for moving abroad. Based it on her experience doing it. Check for cut off (logged back into zoom) During her 4 yrs living lakeside she had a spiritual awakeness. She’s disconnected from the noise/distractions. Tunes into self.She started a brand “Consideration of the Soul” “52 Insights for Living New Earth Now”. Got ready for 8 month workshop, based on her books. It was set up for 8 months. Got a call her parents needed help- they’d both left the house via ambulance. Became their FT caregiver. Parents passed in 2022 w/in 10 months of each other. Was in Detroit 3.5 yrs. She looked at her 52 insights book- gave it to her niece. She’s a HS Basketball coach-said it would be great for HS curriculum. Others said it would be perfect for MS. Her thoughts were “who is MS”, did a deep dive. Who is Gen Alpha? Born b/w 2010-2024. First Gen born fully in the 21st century. Will be largest generation in history of the world. They are responsible for the conscious evolution of humanity. All the work she did in MX was for this Gen Alpha audience. Having the understanding, connection her skillset, 52 Insights for New Earth Now became 52 Insights for Gen Alpha. During 2021, she posted an original quote. Every Thursday for 52 wks she brought quotes together in 1 presentation. Took followers into a deeper dive. Included practices/exercises to create an internal understanding. How did writing the curriculum come to be 52 Insights for Gen Alpha: A Conscious Curriculum? she never intended it for the audience she thought it was going to be for. Coming to that relaxation & how it came to be was inspiring. It’s a year-long curriculum. Why is Generation Alpha so important? Curriculum was piloted in 2 MS last year. She went back into CR, worked w/ t’s as it relates to curriculum. Focuses on self-awareness. Social/relationship skills- developed for 7,8,9th graders. SEL intelligence aspect that’s missing from the standards. There are no standards in their growth. It’s needed esp. w/ these students. She came under SEL curriculum umbrella. Those who incorporated it well were the music, art teachers who have awakened state. Discuss how teachers could weave this curriculum into their schools? She learned a lot during the pilot, she’s taking a course through San Diego Univ. to make the curriculum consumable and integrate AI into it. Unconsciousness can’t teach conscious. She wants to infuse it w/ the adaptive learning aspect of AI. She put it in the hands of content teacher who are putting out fires all day. She has the content, will integrate it all by end of the calendar year. She may have ed tech companies place it on their platforms (she wants to bid for it). The course is guiding her to platforms in order to navigate AI & integrate it into her curriculum seamlessly. Uses an adaptive learning software. She says it could be modified to take place K-12. It would be an elective class. In 27 years she’s taught in public, charter, private. Has been an admin, teacher. She’s learned that unconscious can’t teach consciousness, when t’s are putting out fires all day. Curriculum helps change adults perception of who Gen Alpha is. They are a different breed. There should be a class where students are able to balance these needs. We’re responsible to putting tools in their hands to have conscious decision-making. social awareness, etc. When curriculum is done, it will have personalized lessons so individual can take their own SEL journey. All the cooperating components are coming together. Content is rich, impactful, needed. Way forward regarding the curriculum: Is looking at it being fully integrated to market w/in 1st quarter 2026, She may have ed tech companies place it on their platforms (she wants to bid for it). The content can be modified down to K-5. It’s also geared for adults who need to take the internal journey. Self-awareness, relationship skills. Her purpose wouldn’t have happened if she’s stayed in the trenches, only worked to pay bills. She knows it will get into the hands it’s supposed to get into. It will lead, guide & carry Gen A. Out of everything: read 1st quote out of the 52 Insights book: “The matrix cares not of the quality (get off recording) Where can ppl find you? https://www.fulaamerican.org/ – houses her history & genealogy society info, click on 52 insights tab, tab w/ her books/writing, “my soul’s journey home”- it 16 chapter blog about her trips to Egypt & Guinea, Africa. https://www.facebook.com/qdmichele/ @fulaamerican on all socials https://www.youtube.com/@MovingInwardOnward https://www.instagram.com/considerations2020/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cots/
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8HKPWQhDjFI |
