#153 Try Something New with Megan Siclare (pt.1)

03/02/20 • 34 min

Hello everyone! It is that time of year when everything can start feeling...dull. I mean, with testing, meetings, and everything else that pops up in February and March, our classes can start to feel a little less than exciting. But does it have to be that way? Not if Megan Siclare has anything to say about it! You might know Megan as @sparkles_and_pompoms on Instagram, where she is always smiling, dressing up as characters, or transforming her room into something amazing. (You might also know her as the "morning meetings queen," though you'll have to wait for part 2 of our talk for that genius advice!) Regardless! Today we are talking about trying something new in the classroom. Where do the ideas come from? What does it take? What does it cost? How do you overcome the fear of failure? And much more! I love this talk so much, and I know you'll get so much out of listening to Megan's advice. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students’ writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty’s laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher’s journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what’s possible as a writing teacher. To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.

Previous Episode

#152 Next Level Teaching (Jonathan Alsheimer pt.2)

Hello everyone! Today, I am continuing my talk with Jonathan Alsheimer, and his view on what NEXT LEVEL TEACHING is all about. This episode is filled with ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and stories that are guaranteed to get you fired up to do the work you do, and to reach to new levels in your classroom. Jonathan is hands down one of the educators to pay attention to in 2020 (and beyond). He is the unorthodox, energetic, and entertaining middle school teacher who refuses to live a life of limitations and works with UFC Fighters, Celebrities, and Clothing Brands. Jonathan is the author of “NEXT LEVEL TEACHING” soon to be released. You might also know Jonathan through his work and connection with the fantastic Hamish Brewer, and Fred Lynn Middle School. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension by Sara K. Ahmed. Topics such as race, gender, politics, religion, and sexuality are part of students’ lives, but sometimes it’s hard to know how to respond as teachers when these subjects come up at school. You probably have stories of your own about situations or conversations that caught you off guard or made you feel uncomfortable. Being the Change is based on the idea that people can develop skills and habits to help them in the comprehension of social issues. Sara provides clear lessons to help teach about important social comprehension concepts. You can create a socially minded classroom where you explore identity and diversity, build listening skills, understand and address bias, become better informed, and more... first with yourself and your peers, and then with students. Being the Change is available as a book, ebook, and audiobook. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.

Next Episode

#154 Morning Meeting Crash Course (Megan Siclare pt.2)

Hello everyone! I teased the "morning meeting" discussion last week, and it is here this week! If you want to spice yours up, learn what they are, or just listen to a great talk, this episode is for you! You might know Megan as @sparkles_and_pompoms on Instagram, where she is always smiling, dressing up as characters, or transforming her room into something amazing. In this episode, we talk about: What are morning meetings What book you should get to learn about them How to spice them up How to use content in your morning meetings And much more! I love this talk so much, and I know you’ll get so much out of listening to Megan’s advice. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Between the Commas: Sentence Instruction That Builds Confident Writers (and Writing Teachers) by Martin Brandt. A veteran English teacher at San Jose Independence high school, Marty Brandt was flat-out frustrated with the quality of his students’ writing, and doubting himself as a writing teacher. Realizing that part of the problem was the traditional, painful methods of grammar and sentence instruction he was using, Marty set out to reinvent writing in his classroom. Between the Commas shares the novel approach to grammar and sentence instruction he created for the students in front of him. Marty’s laugh-out-loud sense of humor and live-from-the trenches stories will engross you in one teacher’s journey out of the duldrums of old school grammar instruction and into the light of what’s possible as a writing teacher. To learn more, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample chapter.