Teachers on Fire

🔥 What can we do as teachers to uplift the students in our classrooms?🔥 What happens when our students see themselves in a story of learning?🔥 What should concern us most about AI tools in education?Welcome back to another episode of the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.Today’s Teacher on Fire is Marcus Luther. Marcus is a high school English teacher with over a decade in the classroom. He cohosts a teacher-centered podcast and Substack called The Broken Copier, which focus on conversations and strategies to better support teachers.Connect with Marcuson LinkedIn,on X @marcusluther6, on Instagram @thebrokencopier, on BlueSky @marcusluther.bsky.social, and on Substack at thebrokencopier.substack.comIn This Conversation0:00:00 - Marcus Luther is a high school English teacher and host of The Broken Copier2:15 - The heaviness that can settle in a classroom4:31 - Uplifting Move 1: “Everyone write down what ___ said!"7:11 - Uplifting Move 2: Kneeling down and giving quiet praise9:37 - Uplifting Move 3: Ask if you can take a picture and use it as an example11:59 - Uplifting Move 4: Who can I brag to about how well you're doing?16:12 - Helping students reflect on their own writing journeys20:23 - What's the real problem with AI in K-12 education right now?28:27 - How and where to connect with Marcus Luther's reflections onlineVisit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.Song Track CreditTropic Fuse by French FuseGO! by Neffex*All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

🔥 How should teachers start every day?🔥 What are the best ways to organize our workspaces?🔥 When is the right time to leave the school building? About This GuestToday’s Teacher on Fire is Liz Prather. A 30-year high school classroom teacher, Liz is the Co-Director of Programming for the Kentucky Writing Project. She holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of Texas-Austin and is the author of three books about teaching writing from Heinemann Press: Project Based Writing; Story Matters; and The Confidence to Write.Connect with Liz Pratheron LinkedIn and on Substack at https://writingteacher.substack.com/In This Conversation0:00:00 - LIZ PRATHER is a a 30-year high school writing teacher1:43 - Daily Ritual 1: Arrive to school early4:59 - Daily Ritual 2: Take 5 minutes for yourself7:50 - Daily Ritual 3: Organize your room for efficiency11:16 - Daily Ritual 4: Look out for your future self14:41 - Daily Ritual 5: Leave school within an hour of the last bell17:25 - A BIG IDEA about writing instruction in 202520:22 - Encouraging teachers to write and publish their own work23:27 - Three books on writing and instruction by Liz Prather25:31 - Where to connect with Liz Prather onlineConnect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: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 CreditTropic Fuse by French FuseGO! by Neffex*All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

When students have committed offenses against other students, staff members, or property, should an apology be optional? Here are my thoughts. Read the blog post here: https://teachersonfire.net/2025/01/26/im-sorry-why-im-in-favor-of-forced-apologies/

🔥 What’s the state of cyberbullying in our schools today? 🔥 What are the silent impacts on our children, and what can we do to protect them? 🔥 When used effectively, can devices actually increase collaboration and communication in the classroom? Join me in conversation with Eva Harvell as we dig into these and other critical questions. About This Guest Eva Harvell serves as the Director of Technology for the Pascagoula-Gautier School District. She was recognized as the 2021 Mississippi Educational Computing Association's Administrator of the Year. As a national speaker, published author, doctoral candidate, and an Education and Research Partner for the Mississippi AI Collaborative, she drives innovation in K-12 educational technology. Connect with Eva Harvell on LinkedIn and on X @techie_teach. This episode is sponsored by Linewize.com. Linewize helps schools, districts and the communities they serve to keep children safe and thriving in their digital lives - in school, at home and everywhere in between. Visit Linewize.com to learn more about their best-in-class filtering, threat detection, and student empowerment solutions. In This Conversation: 0:31 - Who is Eva Harvell? 1:54 - Story time: moving from the classroom to a new position 4:58 - What is the state of cyberbullying in our schools today? 12:22 - What is Linewize and how does Linewize support schools and districts? 23:46 - Are student phone bans the right path forward for schools? 29:06 - Australia's attempt to ban social media for minors 31:37 - Can devices in the classroom actually promote the 4 Cs? 34:21 - Eva's thoughts on AI tools in schools right now 38:19 - Google for Education is squeezing schools and districts into paid tiers 41:09 - A productivity hack: lists 41:42 - An edtech tool pick: Claude.ai 42:05 - A book recommendation: Atomic Habits by James Clear and Essentialism by Greg McKeown 42:38 - Educators to follow: Amanda Bickerstaff on Linkedin and Susan Bearden on X Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: 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 can teachers do to protect their fire for teaching? 🔥 What can we do to attract and keep great people in our profession? 🔥 What happens in a school community when the principal is not okay? Join me in conversation with MICHELLE PAPA and ERIN TASHIAN as we dig into these critical questions. About These Guests Michelle Papa is the principal of a nationally recognized Middle School to Watch in Northern New Jersey. She is passionate about supporting a healthy and inspiring school climate and culture, understanding this starts with the principal. Michelle is dedicated to continuing her personal and professional growth around the social and emotional learning competencies and is hoping to inspire other educational leaders to do the same. She’s had the privilege to partner with Erin Tashian to promote this mission within her school and district and has seen tremendous impact on her students, staff, and community as a result. Erin Tashian is a distinguished educator, coach, and professional developer, renowned for her efforts in supporting the educator wellness through emotional resilience and self-awareness practices. Erin believes that it is our responsibility as educators to develop a deep understanding of our emotional world so we can create safe, connected school communities that support students and staff academically and emotionally. You can connect with Michelle on LinkedIn and  on X @MPapaEdu. You can connect with Erin on Linkedin, on X @themindfuleds, on Instagram @Erin_Tashian, and  at her website at https://erintashian.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: 0:32 - Who is Michelle Papa? 1:09 - Who is Erin Tashian? 2:30 - Why Erin Tashian left 31 years of teaching elementary to support teachers 5:08 - Is it okay when the principal is not okay? 8:42 - Challenges that teachers face today 11:37 - Michelle on her takeaways from Erin's work 14:08 - Erin Tashian's Educator Wellness Institute 19:09 - Sustainability strategies for new teachers 24:03 - Are we pressuring teachers right out of the profession? 32:16 - The mission of The Mindful Educators Podcast 34:37 - A personal habit or daily productivity hack 36:02 - A favorite edtech tool or app 37:49 - Book recommendations 39:55 - Inspiring educators worth following 41:45 - Where to connect with Erin Tashian and Michelle Papa online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: 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/.

In this conversation, Eric Nelson, a K-5 physical education teacher and Director of Member Success at TeacherFit, shares insights on prioritizing wellness for educators. He discusses practical ways to integrate quick workouts into a busy school day and offers tips for nutritious meal prep despite a hectic schedule. Eric also tackles teacher burnout, sharing mental health hacks like detaching from email. With a fun segment on current fitness trends, he emphasizes flexibility in maintaining a healthy lifestyle for teachers.

🔥 Can you describe the vision of your school? 🔥 How can teacher-leaders raise up the people around them? 🔥 How can schools and districts better communicate with their communities? Join me for this conversation with national superintendent of the year, Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, as he shares his insights on these and other critical questions.  About This Guest: Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is a celebrated educational leader and author. During his tenure as superintendent, his Wisconsin school district was twice recognized for innovation by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Joe was named one of the 100 Most Influential Educators by District Administration Magazine, and in 2019, Education Dive (now K-12 Dive) awarded him National Superintendent of the Year.  You can connect with Joe on LinkedIn, on X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @joe_sanfelippo, and at his website, www.jsanfelippo.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: 0:27 - Who is Dr. Joe Sanfelippo? 2:35 - Story time: When the work eclipsed his family relationships 5:07 - How to acknowledge the great work of teachers in your building 8:52 - Narrowing the focus of a community on a collective goal 13:09 - How can teachers lift up the teachers around them? 18:44 - "I don't have time to prioritize my school's brand." 22:03 - How can we protect teacher fire in 2024? 25:23 - How can schools communicate better with their communities? 29:25 - A daily habit: starting and ending the day with encouraging text messages 30:08 - A favorite edtech tool: CapCut 30:38 - A book recommendation: Power of Moments by Dan Heath 31:15 - Educators to follow online: Jimmy Casas, Tom Murray 31:39 - Where to connect with Dr. Joe Sanfelippo online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: 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 media creation activities support student learning? 🔥 How should we think about student phones in today’s classrooms? 🔥 How can we captivate, engage, and empower our students in a world of digital distractions? Join me for this conversation with New York assistant principal, author, and podcaster Dr. MARC ISSEKS as he shares his insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: Marc is a third-generation educator with 30 years of experience. He has served as a teacher, curriculum coordinator, and building administrator in Brooklyn and Long Island.  Marc is passionate about sharing strategies to increase student engagement and ensuring that schools cultivate the nurturing and invigorating learning environment that every student deserves. A self-proclaimed educational pyromaniac, he is dedicated to lighting fires under people who work and setting fire to systemic conventions that do not.  Dr. Isseks is the author of Forward Fast: Making Sense of Education in an Era of Rapid Change (2019) and the recently published Captivate: Engaging and Empowering Students in a World of Digital Distractions. You can connect with Dr. Marc Isseks on LinkedIn, on X @marcisseks, on Instagram and TikTok @edupyro, and on his website at marcisseks.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: 0:30 - Who is Dr. Marc Isseks? 2:09 - "What the F was that?" 5:06 - The challenge that teachers face in 2024 6:17 - Hope for the struggling teacher 10:13 - "But this is how we've always done it!" 14:07 - How assessment can play a role in student engagement 17:56 - How media creation can support student learning 21:35 - Can student phones possibly be a win in the classroom? 24:37 - One thing to realize about student motivation 28:55 - The State of Ed Podcast 30:40 - A powerful personal habit: daily walking 32:03 - App recommendations: Canva and TextToImage.AI 33:01 - A book suggestion: Unconscious Bias in Schools 33:48 - Someone worth following: Libo Valencia 34:36 - How to connect with Dr. Marc Isseks online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: 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 promote values like courage, commitment, and sacrifice in our learning communities? 🔥 What is the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and how can it impact your school? Join me for this conversation with California middle school teacher and trainer MARILYNN ALFORD-WALSH as she shares her insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: Marilynn has been in education for over 30 years, teaching all grade levels from preschool through middle school. Today, she teaches middle school science, college and career, technology, and education courses.  She’s also been a national curriculum trainer for the Medal of Honor Character Development Program for the past 13 years, and uses the program regularly with her middle school students.  You can find out more about the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Character Development Program at cmohs.org/lessons and the Path to Honor at pathtohonor.cmohs.org/introduction. 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: 0:28 - Who is Marilynn Alford-Walsh? 1:28 - Marilynn's story: Building connections with middle schoolers 4:31 - Six Core Values: Courage, Commitment, Integrity, Sacrifice, Citizenship, Patriotism 5:21 - What is courage? 6:09 - What is integrity? 6:51 - What is citizenship? 7:31 - What is sacrifice? 10:11 - How the Character Development Program has impacted Marilynn's students 12:43 - How the CDP supports writing and thinking skills 14:35 - How Marilynn plans to use the CMOHS Path to Honor this year 16:02 - How schools can connect with Medal of Honor recipients 18:55 - A tour of FREE teacher resources at cmohs.org 32:54 - A recommended teaching resource: EduProtocols 34:33 - WeWillWrite.com 35:34 - A book recommendation: The Shark and the Goldfish by Jon Gordon 38:14 - How teachers can connect with the FREE Character Development Program Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: 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 has the teaching profession changed over the last five years? 🔥 What would you say to a rookie teacher struggling with imposter syndrome? 🔥 As federal elections approach, what is the role of the Social Studies teacher? Join me for this conversation with New Brunswick resource teacher and podcaster LUCAS CLARKE as he shares his insights on these and other critical questions. About This Guest: Lucas is an academic support teacher in Saint John, New Brunswick, and the host of the Mr. Clarke After Dark podcast. Connect with Lucas on Linkedin, on Instagram and TikTok @mrclarke.afterdark,  on his podcast Mr. Clarke After Dark, and on his YouTube channel @MrClarkeAfterDark. 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: 0:30 - Who is Lucas Clarke? 1:33 - Two stories of adversity 11:55 - Why Lucas moved from Alberta to Saint John, New Brunswick 16:59 - Lucas's current position as Academic Support Teacher (Resource Teacher) 20:06 - Resource teacher strategy: Pull students out or push in? 24:39 - Advice for new teachers struggling with Imposter Syndrome 28:54 - How has education changed over the last five years? 32:40 - What is the role of the Social Studies teacher as federal elections loom? 38:14 - The Mr. Clarke After Dark Podcast 43:25 - A productivity hack: grade fewer assignments 45:41 - An edtech app pick: Epic 47:18 - A book recommendation: The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog 48:56 - An educator to follow online: George Couros 50:17 - Where to connect with Lucas online Connect with Teachers on Fire and Host Tim Cavey: 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/.