It's a brand-new year, and to celebrate the launch of the 10th edition of our Teacher's Guide to Tech, we're exploring 8 tech tools that are worth a look in 2024. I'm joined by my team of ed tech geniuses — Brandie Wright, Lucia Hassell, Kim Darche, and Marnie Diem — to talk about a collection of tools that can make your teaching richer, more efficient, and more satisfying. Enjoy! Thanks to WeVideo and The Modern Classrooms Project for sponsoring this episode. Check out the 2024 Teacher's Guide to Tech at https://teachersguidetotech.com.

Learn about the dangers of adopting a savior mentality as a teacher and strategies to avoid it. Explore the impact on trauma-informed teaching and the importance of understanding individual student needs. Understand the significance of confidentiality and mandated reporting for supporting students and the need for systemic change. Protect your time and energy and prioritize the needs of all students.

Our classrooms have the potential to be spaces where we learn how to have conversations about challenging topics with respect, curiosity, and kindness. Contrary to the voices that say race is not an appropriate topic for school, in this episode we're saying just the opposite. My guests are Matthew Kay, author of the book, Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, and Jennifer Orr, Kay's co-author of the follow-up book, We're Gonna Keep On Talking: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom. I talked with Matt and Jen about the value of discussion as a teaching tool, the elements that are necessary for creating a healthy ecosystem for race conversations, some strategies for having these conversations in organic and authentic ways, and a message for teachers working in states that are hostile to conversations about race. Thanks to NoRedInk and The Modern Classrooms Project for sponsoring this episode. You can find links to both books and a full transcript of our conversation at cultofpedagogy.com/classroom-conversations-about-race/.

This podcast emphasizes the need for administrators to provide teachers with specific positive feedback. It discusses the pressures teachers face and the power of compliments in supporting their professional growth. The importance of recognizing teachers' strengths and the impact of genuine praise is highlighted.

Connie Hamilton shares 17 strategies to improve effectiveness of group work in the classroom including structuring groups, assigning partners, and utilizing the Jigsaw method. They discuss the importance of students reading directions themselves, asking follow-up questions, and breaking down tasks. The value of collaboration as a 21st-century skill in education is explored, along with the benefits of group discussions in deepening understanding and developing soft skills. Effective scenarios for group work and the importance of giving feedback on soft skills are also discussed.

Alex Shevrin Venet, an expert in unconditional positive regard, discusses how this philosophy can transform difficult student-teacher relationships. She explores the application of unconditional positive regard in trauma-informed teaching, the importance of recognizing student worth, the challenges of maintaining unconditional positive regard, and the need to prioritize care and relationships in education.

In this podcast, Marcus Luther shares a simple and free system called 'Learning Story' for student reflection. It helps students develop an identity as learners and take ownership of their learning. The podcast also discusses the importance of having a centralized document for student work and the need to set up a system for student reflection.

Explore the controversy surrounding reading instruction and effective approaches with literacy experts. Understand the complexity of reading instruction, emphasizing the integration of word reading and language comprehension. Delve into the ongoing debate between skills and strategies in reading instruction, highlighting the importance of knowledge building. Connect online and access additional resources from the podcast.

Students who have learned enough English to do well socially may still need scaffolding to thrive academically. In this episode, I talk with Tan Huynh and Beth Skelton, authors of the book Long-Term Success for Experienced Multilinguals, about the specific strategies teachers can use to help these learners reach their full potential across the curriculum.  Thanks to Grammar Gap Fillers and Giant Steps for sponsoring this episode. You can read a full transcript of this podcast at cultofpedagogy.com/experienced-multilinguals.

Positive, accurate representations of Arab voices and contributions are largely missing from our classrooms. In this episode, four educators — Sawsan Jaber, Reem Fakhry, Fatma Elsamra, and Abeer Ramadan-Shinnawi — teach us how we can change that. This episode is sponsored by JumpStart. Read a full transcript of this episode and find a robust list of excellent resources for integrating Arab narratives into your curriculum at cultofpedagogy.com/arab-narratives.