Join the Conversation with Denise Clark

We've all heard how bleak the future of education looks, but this episode will restore your hope in our young teachers! Danae Roles will graduate from The Pennsylvania State University in May 2022 with a degree in Elementary Education, and despite the myriad challenges of the field, she remains excited to join the ranks of the teachers she's admired.
Click here to read "As Pandemic Upends Teaching, Fewer Students Want to Pursue It," the article that Denise cites in the beginning of this episode. And be sure to watch Danae's "You Gotta" resource "Every Kid Needs a Champion." You are sure to love this TED Talk from Rita Pierson, lifelong educator and inspirational speaker. As Rita says, "Kids don't learn from people they don't like," and it's clear that Danae's students will never have that problem!
Thank you for supporting Join the Conversation with Denise Clark. If you find these conversations valuable, please follow/subscribe to the show and share it with a friend or two! For more of Denise's work, check out her blog, The Stories that We Weave.
Music Credit: Ikson
Sound Engineer: E Connor
Special thanks to Jordan Miller

In this episode, Denise talks with AJ Bennett, a self-proclaimed “college dropout” who speaks openly about his experience as a student. AJ recounts how belittled a former teacher made him feel, and everyone in education needs to listen closely to what he has to say about that negative experience and how it colored his academic journey.

While AJ may have decided to put off a formalized college education for now, he will never give up learning and following his curiosity. Now training as a US Postal Worker, AJ plans to continue learning about history and adding to his private collection of historical memorabilia.
AJ’s “You Gotta” resource, A Higher Call by Adam Makos, can be found here on Amazon, or anywhere books are sold.
AJ's sister's Western store can be found here. We'll be watching for AJ's modeling debut!

Please be sure to subscribe to Join the Conversation with Denise Clark so that you don't miss a moment of this exciting season! Check out Denise's blogs for more of her musings: The Stories that We Weave.
Find us on Instagram @jtc_with_denise_clark
NEW: Email show comments and ideas directly to Denise: [email protected]!
Music Credit: Ikson

Have you ever heard the saying, "Those who can't, teach"? It means that if someone can't make it professionally in a career field, then they "just" teach. In this conversation with middle school music educator Marisa Sorrentino Hickey, that saying is blown completely out of the water. Marisa is an accomplished performer who intentionally chose the education path over the performance path in college. After graduating from the Pennsylvania State University, Marisa began teaching in Williamsport Area School District in PA. In addition to teaching, she feeds her creative spirit through performing and directing at Williamsport's Community Theatre League.
In this conversation, Denise and Marisa tackle the awkwardness of middle school, the social emotional needs of kids during a global pandemic, the challenge of motivating unmotivated students, coping with ADHD, advising students in potential career paths, talking in cursive, and pretty much everything in between. You'll lose track of whose laugh is whose and wish you were in the room for this recording.
For close listeners, you can find Glennon Doyle's amazing podcast We Can Do Hard Things here, and you can find Dr. Brene Brown's work here. You can also get a copy of Elizabeth Gilbert's book on creativity Big Magic here.
Marisa's "You Gotta" teaching resource, Little Kids Rock can be found here. Teachers -- remember to be careful to check out the songs your students want to learn prior to playing them in class.
You can also view the performance of "How Could I Ever Know" from the musical Secret Garden that you hear at the end of the episode here.
Music Credit: Ikson
Sound Engineers: Aidan & E Connor

In today's episode, Denise interviews Elisabeth Lava. Elisabeth is a former deadly disease investigator, community health leader, and veterinarian, who helped prepare for and respond to the pandemic. Elisabeth went through many dark nights of the soul that pushed her into a spiritual transformation that led her to powerful healers, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, Ayurveda and spiritual practices of deep wisdom.
Now Elisabeth bridges the world as a transformational health, life, and spiritual emergence coach. Healthcare providers, veterinarians, and conscious leaders hire her to support them in returning to wholeness through deep self care or transition to a different career to find inner joy and peace. You can learn more about her work at https://www.elisabethlava.com/retreats.
Please be sure to follow Join the Conversation with Denise Clark so that you don't miss a moment of this exciting season! Check out Denise's blogs for more of her musings: The Stories that We Weave.

This episode was made possible by PodMatch.

Find us on Instagram @jtc_with_denise_clark

Email show comments and ideas directly to Denise: [email protected]!

Music Credit: Ikson

Daniel is the co-founder of Spacemakers®, a productivity consulting group for busy leaders. As a trainer, coach and keynote speaker, Daniel has worked with CEO’s, executives, and other senior professionals throughout Australia and beyond. His professional history includes leadership roles in physiotherapy, health management, project management and Christian ministry.
In this episode, Denise & Daniel talk about how to balance productivity and connection in our demanding, modern society.

Daniel's book "Spacemaker - how to unplug, unwind and think clearly in the digital age," won the Australian Business Book Awards in 2021 (best personal development book).

Please be sure to subscribe to Join the Conversation with Denise Clark so that you don't miss a moment of this exciting season! Check out Denise's blogs for more of her musings: The Stories that We Weave.This episode was made possible by PodMatch.

Find us on Instagram @jtc_with_denise_clark

Email show comments and ideas directly to Denise: [email protected]!

Music Credit: Ikson