Teachers on Fire

🔥 What does it mean to lead from the middle? 🔥 How can we empower students and build student agency in 2024? 🔥 How can we build systems of continuous improvement in our schools? Join me for this conversation with education leader DANELLE ALMARAZ as she shares her insights on these and other questions. About This Guest: With a focus on continuous improvement, Danelle equips leaders with the tools and mindset needed to enact lasting change by leading from the middle. Leadership development programs at InnovateED are designed to instill a culture of collaboration, innovation, and growth, empowering educators at all levels to lead with purpose and vision. Connect with Danelle  on LinkedIn, on X @AlmarazDanelle,  on Instagram @dalmaraz007,   and at https://innovateed.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: 0:28 - Who is Danelle Almaraz? 1:40 - A story of a reprimand from school administrators 5:07 - Danelle describes the vision for schools at InnovateEd 6:21 - Why is it important to lead from the middle in our schools? 10:03 - How students can empower students and build student agency 11:53 - Danelle's work with schools in Africa  13:31 - Spirals of inquiry in professional development 14:58 - A school that is getting it right: Park City, Utah 16:23 - A passion outside of professional learning: Math 17:15 - A productivity hack: collecting MVPs - Most Valuable Points 20:24 - An edtech tool that Danelle is loving: Perplexity.AI 21:38 - Book recommendations: Schools on the Move, Leading the Whole Teacher 22:40 - Inspiring Danelle on social media: Catlin Tucker, Katie Novak 23:41 - Guest suggestions: Hakeem Subair, Kyle Wagner 24:10 - What Danelle's watching for fun: the Dodgers! 24:51 - How to connect with Danelle and InnovateEd online Mentioned in this episode: Allen Westover, Christopher Steinhauser, Allyson Apsey, Catlin Tucker, Katie Novak, Kyle Wagner, Hakeem Subair  Connect with Me: 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 does a school culture of leadership look like? 🔥 What are the five pillars of effective school leadership? 🔥 What do teachers want more from their principals: presents or their presence? Join me for this conversation with education leader ALLYSON APSEY as she shares insights on these and other questions. About This Guest: Allyson has been an award-winning school leader for nearly 20 years, leading all levels from elementary to high school. She is the author of several books—including What Makes a Great Principal,  Lead with Collaboration and Leading the Whole Teacher. She currently serves districts, schools and organizations throughout the country as a keynote speaker, professional learning provider, and an Instruction and Leadership Coach with Creative Leadership Solutions. Connect with Allyson on LinkedIn, on X and Instagram @AllysonApsey, and at her website, https://allysonapsey.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: 0:28 - Who is Allyson Apsey? 1:33 - Allyson's experience with Imposter Syndrome 3:43 - How did 'What Makes a Great Principal' happen and who is it for? 7:33 - What are the Five Pillars of great principal work? 8:23 - How administrators can tap into the wisdom of teachers in their buildings 11:54 - What does a school culture of leadership look like and how do we build it? 12:58 - Encouragement for tired administrators who find it hard to be present 16:34 - How to begin building staff culture at a new-to-you school 19:20 - Other personal passions: history, documentaries, and people 19:57 - A productivity hack: writing when she's feeling it 20:53 - An app pick: Canva 22:14 - A book recommendation: Lead Like a Pirate 23:20 - Someone to follow: Jessica Cabeen 24:06 - A future guest suggestion: Jessica Gomez 24:45 - What Allyson is streaming during her down time 25:11 - Where to connect with Allyson online Mentioned in this episode: George Couros, Livia Chan, Dr. Ryan Daniel, Mentimeter, Beth Houf, Shelley Burgess, Jessica Cabeen, Jessica Gomez Connect with Me: 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 was one takeaway from ISTE 2024? 🔥 What does it take to write and publish a book for the first time? 🔥 What role does food play in the context of education and learning? Join me for this conversation with Texas educator GABRIEL CARRILLO as he shares insights on these and other questions. About This Guest: Gabriel Carrillo is an educational technology specialist in San Antonio, Texas and the author of Cooking Up Experiences In The Classroom: Focus On Experiences, Not Just Lessons. He is also the host of The EdTech Bites Podcast and YouTube channel where he combines his two passions: educational technology and food. Connect with Gabriel on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok @edtechbites. You’ll also find him on LinkedIn and at his website, edtechbites.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: 0:00:00 - Welcome to a conversation for teachers about creativity, food, and learning! 0:27 - Who is Gabriel Carrillo from EdTech Bites? 1:22 - The story of the book: Cooking Up Experiences in the Classroom 9:29 - The mission of EdTech Bites 11:42 - Gabriel's creative journey: his why, a lesson learned, and a win from the work 14:48 - One thing Gabriel would do differently with his podcast launch 17:03 - Gabriel's takeaway from ISTE 2024 in Denver 19:57 - The EdTech Bites recording kit for the road 26:22 - Highlights from the ISTE 2024 food walking tour in Denver 30:58 - What is the significance of breaking bread together? 36:18 - A productivity app recommendation: Notion 37:00 - A book title pick: Beyond the Bulletin Board by Jed Stefanowicz  37:28 - An educator to follow: Carl Hooker 38:18 - What Gabriel and his wife are streaming these days 38:55 - Where to follow Gabriel Carrillo and EdTech Bites online Mentions: Dr. Matthew Joseph, Alice Keeler, ISTE, Notion, Jed Stefanowicz, Carl Hooker Connect with Me: 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 does it take to become an education content creator? 🔥 What do education leaders need to know about privacy issues in AI? 🔥 What roles will AR and VR technologies play in the future of learning? Join me for this conversation with Texas educator FONZ MENDOZA as he shares his insights. About This Guest: Fonz is a Professional Learning Specialist with expertise in educational technology and AI in education. He hosts the My EdTech Life podcast, where he interviews edtech startup founders, practitioners, and thought leaders. His current focus is on an AI in education initiative aimed at making technology more accessible and supportive for educators and students. You can connect with Fonz @MyEdTechLife on X, Instagram, and YouTube. You can also visit his website and connect with more of his work at https://www.myedtech.life/. 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: 0:00:00 - Welcome to Teachers on Fire! 0:28 - Who is Alfonso Mendoza? 1:53 - A story of adversity: the new demands of the pandemic 5:28 - An update on the doctoral writing process 11:55 - What is the mission of My EdTech Life? 18:55 - The origin story of My EdTech Life: beginning, lessons, and wins 28:00 - Should education content creators use separate social media accounts? 29:53 - What are the privacy and security issues related to students and generative AI? 36:48 - What are the worst case scenarios as generative AI tools relate to students? 48:20 - A universal message to educators regarding AI tools in 2024 54:26 - What is the future of AR and VR tools in K-12 education? 59:46 - Other passions for Fonz: streaming, podcasting, and content creation 1:00:50 - A daily personal habit that keeps Fonz on fire: prayer 1:02:01 - An edtech tool pick: Kapwing 1:03:30 - Book shoutouts: Beyond the Bulletin Board, The Promises and Perils of AI in Education 1:05:21 - People to follow on X: Jorge Valenzuela and Zac Bauermaster 1:06:50 - Future guest recommendations from Fonz: Ken Shelton, Dee Lanier 1:08:27 - What Fonz is streaming: the Great British Bake-Off 1:09:27 - Where to connect with Fonz and My EdTech Life Connect with Me: 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 are the biggest wins for teachers that generative AI can provide? 🔥 How can we help students avoid plagiarism while supporting the creative process? 🔥 Is it possible for ChatGPT to know too much about us? Join me for this conversation with New Jersey educator TIM BELMONT as he shares his insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Tim Belmont is a high school technology specialist and Language Arts teacher who has presented at many of the largest education technology conferences. In the classroom, he elevates student voices through technology-integrated English activities and implements podcasting as a modern public speaking medium. You can follow Tim on LinkedIn, on X @tbelmontedu, and at his website, https://www.timbelmont.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: 0:00:00 - Who is TIM BELMONT? 1:44 - How the challenges of COVID pushed Tim into new professional growth 4:16 - What are the concerns around BIAS and MISINFORMATION in generative AI? 7:26 - How students can VERIFY information received from generative AI tools 13:00 - ChatGPT-checkers are NOT reliable 15:53 - What are the PRIVACY and SECURITY issues related to generative AI? 22:04 - What are the biggest WINS for teachers that AI tools offer? 25:03 - Our SWOT Analysis for generative AI tools in schools 36:55 - Tim's learning outside of education: BAKING bread 38:00 - A PRODUCTIVITY HACK: simple stretching routine in the mornings 38:50 - Someone to follow on Education X: Katie Fielding 39:34 - An EDTECH tool pick: Kami 40:25 - A BOOK recommendation: Make Time for Creativity 41:15 - A future GUEST suggestion: Dee Lanier 42:09 - What Tim's streaming: GAME CHANGER 43:14 - How to CONNECT with Tim Belmont Connect with Me: 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’s the purpose of assessment? 🔥 How can we rehumanize assessment through story? 🔥 What does it take to lead an assessment revolution in our schools? Join me for this conversation with NATALIE VARDABASSO as she shares her insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Natalie has served as a high school and middle school teacher, instructional coach, and an assessment lead. Today, she’s an assessment speaker, consultant, author, and podcaster. She’s also the founder of The Empowerment Ecosystem, an online community that amplifies the impact of change agents in the K-12 education system. You can follow Natalie on Linkedin, on X and Instagram @Natabasso, on her website at empowermentecosystem.com/summit, and on her podcast, #EduCrush. 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: 1:06 - The MOMENT that prompted Natalie's obsession with assessment change 3:57 - What is the MISSION of the Empowerment Ecosystem Summit? 6:18 - What is the PURPOSE of assessment? 7:34 - How can STORY be used to rehumanize assessment? 10:14 - Is this a CAN'T do or DIDN'T do situation? 13:50 - Natalie on BONUS WORK and bonus marks for students 15:48 - What is the EduCrush PODCAST all about? 17:48 - How can competent teachers PIVOT PROFESSIONALLY out of the classroom? 21:17 - Natalie's ultimate FAIL STORY 25:00 - OTHER PASSIONS that light Natalie's fire: dance, music, and entrepreneurship 26:03 - Natalie's productivity hack: MORNING PAGES 27:28 - Someone to FOLLOW on social media: Danelle Almaraz 28:19 - An EDTECH APP pick: @curipod163  29:53 - A BOOK recommendation: 21 Lessons for the 21st Century 31:29 - What Natalie's STREAMING: Baby Reindeer 32:53 - How to CONNECT and FOLLOW Natalie online Connect with Me: 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 do we need to know about Depth of Knowledge? 🔥 How can schools build inclusive cultures and improve student behavior? 🔥 What are learning progressions, and how can they support student learning? Join me for this conversation with JENNIFER MOROZ as she shares her insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Jen is a BC educator who is proud to teach, collaborate with educators across BC, and offer professional development in assessment frameworks. She is a proud member of the new EVOXE Global Consulting as an Indigenous educator (Métis-Cree).  You can follow Jennifer on X @jenniferlmoroz, on her website at https://www.jenmo.org, and on her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@assessmentsyndicate. 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: 0:26 - Who is Jennifer Moroz? 1:26 - The sheer horror and untenable nature of report cards 3:41 - What Jen's Cree-Metis ancestry means to her 5:39 - What are learning progressions and how can they add clarity? 12:03 - What learning progressions are NOT (proficiency levels) 15:46 - What teachers sometimes miss about Depth of Knowledge 21:27 - BC educators want evidence-based tools to teach the curriculum 24:02 - What is the Assessment Syndicate? 28:05 - How can our schools strengthen their cultures and improve student behavior? 35:32 - A passion outside of education: physical fitness, daily walking 38:44 - A productivity hack: reading on her Kindle 40:03 - A source of inspiration: Thomas Guskey 40:47 - An edtech tool pick: Canva 42:12 - A book recommendation: Implementing Mastery Learning by Thomas Guskey 44:22 - A suggestion for a future guest: Kelsey McDonald 45:22 - What Jen's streaming on her TV these days 46:58 - How to connect with Jennifer Moroz and her resources Connect with Me: 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/.

🔥 Are we about tasks or learning? 🔥 How do our beliefs about assessment shape absolutely everything we do? 🔥 How has it become acceptable to do nothing in a classroom, and what can we do about it? Join me for this conversation with MELISSA DEAN as she shares her insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Melissa is a high school math, science and ELA teacher who is passionate about reforming assessment and reimagining mathematics education. She is a developing inquiry and design thinking teacher who is constantly in reflection about her teaching practice and the state of education. She’s also the author of Unravel School: Reimagine Classrooms, Reinvent Assessment and Revive Learning.  You can follow Melissa on X and Instagram @dean_of_math and on her website at  deanofmath.wordpress.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: 1:12 - A pivotal STORY of futility in the Math classroom 4:20 - Assessment is EVERYTHING in education reform 10:37 - What's the difference between GRADING and ASSESSMENT? 13:44 - What's the PURPOSE of SCHOOL? 20:03 - Small assessment changes to make in MATH and SCIENCE classrooms 24:16 - What does INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING look like in upper level Math? 30:31 - Why is it okay for students to do NOTHING in a classroom? 36:53 - Areas of learning for Melissa OUTSIDE of the classroom 39:55 - Productivity hacks: waking early, walking 41:22 - Someone to follow: Natalie Vardabasso, Jessica Vance 42:31 - An edtech tool that Melissa favours right now 43:07 - A book pick: The Pi of Life by Sunil Singh 43:50 - A future guest recommendation: Monte Syrie 45:15 - Melissa talks about the mission of her book, Unravel School 47:06 - Where to connect with Melissa online Connect with Me: 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/.

🔥Is our influence making an impact? 🔥How can we live, work, and serve others in alignment with our assignment?  🔥How can we clear away the clutter of our lives and move our personal mission toward success?  Join me for this conversation with CHIP BAKER as he shares his insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Chip is a fourth generation educator who has now served as a teacher and coach for over twenty-four years. He is a multiple time best-selling author, Youtuber, podcaster, transformational speaker and life coach. Find more from him at The Success Chronicles. You can follow Chip on X @ChipBaker19. 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: 1:04 - How adversity has shaped Chip's journey and mission 2:14 - What Chip's legacy as a fourth generation educator means to him 4:04 - What are The Success Chronicles all about? 5:59 - Who and what are The Impact of Influence books about? 8:56 - How to set priorities as an education leader 11:18 - The power of consistency 12:31 - Chip's advice to the grads of 2024: the SHG Principle 15:55 - Another area of learning that sets Chip on fire: communication technology 19:44 - A productivity hack: prioritizing time 23:22 - Leaders that are inspiring Chip right now 24:03 - An edtech tool pick: the Google suite 24:18 - A book recommendation 24:56 - Chip's suggestions for future guests on the podcast 26:17 - What Chip's streaming these days 26:54 - How to follow Chip Baker on social media Connect with Me: 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 reach bored students in the classroom? 🔥 How can our gradebooks better support individual student growth? 🔥 How should teachers be thinking about AI and evidence of learning? Join me for this conversation with TYLER RABLIN as he shares his insights. ABOUT THIS GUEST: Tyler is an award-winning instructional coach and former ELA teacher for Sunnyside School District in Sunnyside, WA. He is also the owner of Tyler Rablin Consulting, a contributing writer for publications such as Edutopia, EdSurge, and EdWeek, and has been a featured speaker at conferences around the U.S. for his work with assessment and instructional technology. His book, Hacking Student Motivation, looks at the intersection between our assessment practices and what we know about motivation to provide learning experiences that build student self-efficacy, confidence, and hope. 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: 0:00:00 - How can our assessment practices better support student growth and learning? 0:26 - Who is Tyler Rablin? 1:34 - A story of student failure that changed Tyler's view of assessment 4:08 - How can traditional assessment practices negatively impact student motivation? 8:24 - How to redesign grade books to focus on student learning, growth, and interests 11:59 - How can we provide feedback that supports student growth and improvement 16:46 - If you couldn't average scores in your grade book, what would you do? 20:43 - Creating professional learning experiences that value teacher expertise and professionalism 24:56 - Are students more bored today than they've been in the past? 29:06 - How should teachers think about AI today? 34:14 - Tyler is passionate about nature photography 36:29 - A productivity hack: time blocking in his calendar 37:44 - Someone we should follow on X: Marcus Luther 38:05 - An edtech tool pick: School AI 38:33 - A book pick: The Willpower Instinct 39:03 - A guest recommendation: TG2 and Vanessa Ellis 39:54 - What Tyler is streaming: X-Men 40:12 - Where to connect with Tyler online Connect with Me: 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/.