Teachers on Fire

ANDREW AREVALO is an educator, speaker, innovator, and game designer with passions for blended learning, design thinking, and gamification. Andrew has his Master’s degree in education and has been recognized as a CUE Emerging Teacher. In our conversation, Andrew recalls the dilemma he faced when he realized that an exciting speaking opportunity would cost him a day’s pay. Looking back now on that fateful decision, he says that making the sacrifice was easily worth it. Andrew talks about what a tremendous influence his dad’s career as an educator has been in his own life, and describes the life-changing experience that followed a lost pitch event in the summer. He tells us how his fourth graders are preparing for the future, updates us on his first book project, lets us in on one of his favorite mobile games, and explains why he wants to make reflection a bigger part of his professional life. As we close, he also shouts out some of the voices and resources that inspire his thinking and shape his professional practice today. You can connect with Andrew ... On Twitter @GameBoyDrew At his website: http://www.gameboydrew.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

TIFFANY OTT is a high school Math teacher, a Director of Curriculum Development with the Teach Better Team, and the founder of #MasteryChat. She’s also a co-author of the recently published book Teach Better, and she’ll be playing a big role to play in the upcoming Teach Better Conference! In our conversation, Tiffany recounts a time when she launched a teaching unit on mental health, only to find that parents felt insufficiently informed and suspicious of her intentions. The drama that followed cost her a permanent teaching position, putting stress on her young family and teaching her the critical importance of obtaining parent buy-in. Tiffany shares about the joys and benefits of her weekly #MasteryChat on Twitter, describes why she’s so certain her new book will impact educators, and explains why this is such an incredible time to be in education. She also speaks to a professional growth goal for this year, personal passions outside of education, the secret to her productivity, and the voices and resources that inspire her thinking and shape her professional practice today. You can connect with Tiffany ... On Twitter @TechieTeachOtt On Instagram @TiffanyOtt1 On Facebook @Teach Better Team At the Teach Better Team website: https://www.teachbetter.com/ At her book: https://amzn.to/2P7HSW7 Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

DR. WILL DEYAMPORT III is an edtech specialist, documentary producer, and the producer and host of the Dr. Will Show, a podcast for educators looking to improve their impact and increase their quality of life. In our conversation, Dr. Will describes a time when district budget cuts led him to believe that he would likely lose his job. He describes the mission of The Dr. Will Show, explains why educators need to move from free-free-free to a little more fee-fee-fee, and makes the case that every educator should be about the business of building their brand and defining what they are all about. Dr. Will also speaks about what is setting him on fire in education today and shares the voices and resources that shape his thinking and inspire his professional practice and entrepreneurial work. You can connect with Dr. Will ... On Twitter @iamDrWill: https://twitter.com/iamDrWill On Instagram @iamDrWill: https://www.instagram.com/iamdrwill/ On his website at https://thedrwillshowpodcast.simplecast.com/ At his documentary on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/edupreneur/323268793 Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

LISA JOHNSON is an educator by day, blogger by night, and the author of Creatively Productive: Essential Skills for Tackling Time Wasters, Clearing the Clutter, and Succeeding in School—and Life! In our conversation, Lisa recalls the time she was challenged for curating education and technology resources on a personal blog. She unpacks the mission and vision of Creatively Productive, and she explains why and how learners can organize their work more efficiently. She also describes her writer’s notebooks and passion planner before sharing the voices and resources that shape her thinking and inspire her practice today. You can connect with Lisa ... On Twitter @TechChef4U: https://twitter.com/TechChef4u On Instagram @NoteChef4U: https://www.instagram.com/notechef4u/ On her website at https://techchef4u.com/ At her latest book, Creatively Productive: https://amzn.to/2LQYOOK Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

DR. JACIE MASLYK is an educator, speaker, and author at ISTE, SolutionTree, and Steam-makers.com. She’s an Assistant Superintendent for the Hopewell Area School District in Aliquippa, PA, with a passion for #STEM education, makerspaces, literacy, leadership, and creativity in education. Dr. Jacie Maslyk is the author of several books, including ... STEAM Makers: Fostering Creativity and Innovation in the Elementary Classroom (2016) Connect to Lead: Power Up Your Learning Network to Move Your School Forward Remaking Literacy: Innovative Instructional Strategies for Maker Learning, Grades K-5 (Classroom Maker Projects for Elementary Literacy Education). Unlock Creativity: Opening a World of Imagination With Your Students She is also the co-author of Makers in Schools: Entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution In our conversation, Dr. Jacie recalls being stonewalled by a veteran teacher during her earliest days in administration. She talks about the heart and mission of Unlock Creativity: Opening a World of Imagination With Your Students, and urges educators to lead the charge by modeling learning and creativity in front of our learners. Jacie also shares her personal passions, a productivity hack, and some of the voices and resources that are shaping her thinking and inspiring her practice today. You can connect with Dr. Jacie ... On Twitter @DrJacieMaslyk: https://twitter.com/DrJacieMaslyk On her website at http://jaciemaslyk.blogspot.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

NANCY FREY is a Professor of Educational Leadership and Literacy at San Diego State University and an instructor at Health Sciences High and Middle College. She has also authored or co-authored a number of books, including PLC+: Better Decisions and Greater Impact by Design. Nancy’s areas of expertise include common core implementation, the role of coaching in instructional improvement, text-dependent questions, close reading, writing from sources, and discipline-specific literacies. In our conversation, Nancy described how a massive Florida hurricane shaped her first year of teaching. She describes the mission and vision of her latest book, PLC+: Better Decisions and Greater Impact by Design, and explains how a careful consideration of impact must examine the issue of equity for all learners. She shares some of her most recent thoughts on literacy, and explores the roles of technology in the learning process. Finally, Nancy shares some of the voices and resources that are shaping her thinking and inspiring her practice today. You can connect with Nancy ... On Twitter @NancyFrey: https://twitter.com/NancyFrey On her website at https://www.fisherandfrey.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

In this special episode of the pod, long-time supporter of the podcast Bryon Carpenter takes over the microphone and interviews me, Tim Cavey, using the same questions I’ve used to interview my 99 previous guests. I share about the challenges of performing in front of students while my personal life was in turmoil, describe what is setting me on fire about education right now, and celebrate the end of my MEdL degree program and thesis. And of course, I share the voices and resources that are shaping my thinking and inspiring my own professional practice today. It was a fun conversation that I hope you’ll enjoy. Again, special thanks go Bryon Carpenter for hosting this episode. You can follow Bryon on Twitter @BryonCar. Huge thanks go to you and all the other faithful listeners of the podcast! Your support has meant so much, and I could not have gotten to this milestone without you. Here’s to more learning and growth on the way to 200! Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode. Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

DAN KREINESS is an Instructional Coach at Norwalk Public Schools and a doctoral candidate at the American College of Education. He was also recognized as an ACSD Emerging Leader 2017 and is the host of the Leader of Learning podcast. In our conversation, Dan shares candidly about the friction he experienced in his last administrative position. He describes the mission and vision of the Leader of Learning podcast and explains how growth mindset and transformational leadership fuel his work as an instructional coach. As we close our conversation, Dan also shares the voices and resources that are shaping his thinking and inspiring his practice today. You can connect with Dan ... On Twitter @DKreiness: https://twitter.com/dkreiness On Instagram @DKreiness: https://www.instagram.com/dkreiness/ On YouTube @Dan Kreiness: https://bit.ly/2m2a2oY On his blog at https://leaderoflearning.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

CHRIS WOODS is a high school math teacher, STEM presenter, and host of the STEM Everyday podcast. Chris likes to remind his students and followers that STEM is everywhere around us … we just have to learn to recognize it. In our conversation, Chris shares transparently about the challenges of reaching every student in 9th grade. He explains why it’s so critical to cultivate curiosity and demonstrate relevance for our learners through STEM education, and offers his take on the suggestion that STEM sometimes overshadows the creative arts. As we wrap up, Chris also shares the voices and resources that are shaping his thinking and inspiring his practice today. You can connect with Chris ... On Twitter @DailyStem: https://twitter.com/dailystem On Instagram @DailyStem: https://www.instagram.com/dailystem/ On YouTube @Chris Woods: https://bit.ly/2Lll8yy On his blog at http://dailystem.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)

NINA PAK LUI has taught at the middle and high school levels and today she instructs pre-service teachers at the School of Education at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC, Canada. Nina views teaching as a sacred calling, and she’s dedicated to inspiring and equipping future teachers to be caring, competent, inclusive and reflective. She designs and facilitates meaningful learning experiences that intentionally connect theory to practice. In our conversation, Nina candidly shares about a time when the tensions between her vision and realization became too much for her mental health, leading her to take extended leave from a high school. She offers insights about how schools can better recognize and include cultural minorities in their learning communities, and describes how assessment comes down to honoring the humanity of the students in our care. She also shares personal passions, a productivity hack, and the voices and resources that shape her thinking and inspire her practice today. Connect with Nina: On Twitter at https://twitter.com/npaklui On her blog at http://ninapaklui.com/ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with the Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On The Teachers on Fire Magazine: https://medium.com/teachers-on-fire On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Easy (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Clip: Bobby Drake (by Benjamin Banger, (@BenJaminBanger on Instagram, website at http://smarturl.it/hjfi20) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org)