3ps In A Pod

Brianna Winiesdorffer returns to 3Ps in a Pod to talk with hosts Danielle and Kathleen about her first year of teaching as she nears the end of the school year. 3Ps in a Pod first featured Winiesdorffer in March 2020 as she neared her graduation from Northern Arizona University. Danielle and Kathleen then caught up with “Ms. Winnie” a few months into her teaching career last December. We’ve also been sharing about Winiesdorffer’s journey through her first year as a teacher in a collection of blog posts. Now just weeks from the end of her first year as a teacher, Winiesdorffer shares with Danielle and Kathleen about the highlights, the challenges, and what she’s learned through the past year. She reflects on what she had expected and what she actually experienced as a new teacher. Winiesdorffer also talks about how she plans to use her summer break to both relax and plan for her next year when she’ll be teaching geometry instead of algebra, which she taught this year. Winiesdorffer is a part of the Arizona

Sophie Allen-Etchart’s passion for literacy led her to create an Arizona organization to help develop a love of reading and learning in Arizona students. In today’s episode of 3Ps in a Pod, hosts Danielle and Kathleen welcome Allen-Etchardt to the podcast to talk about the impact of literacy comprehension and the work of the organization she leads, Read Better Be Better. Allen-Etchart shares about Read Better Be Better’s work, how it has advanced since its start in 2014, and the meaningful change growing out of this work. She also talks about how the organization pivoted from providing an in-person after-school program to an at-home program because of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can also find Read Better Be Better on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Join 3Ps hosts Kathleen and Donnie for a conversation with the 2020 National Teacher of the Year, Tabatha Rosproy. Rosproy is a preschool teacher in Kansas and the first early childhood teacher to be named National Teacher of the Year. She shares with Kathleen and Donnie the experience of earning that title and about what first brought her into teaching. She also reflects on teacher leadership and shares the philosophy she learned with the Kansas Leadership Center that “leadership is an activity, not a position.” Rosproy also talks about the power of the ‘family model’ in the classroom and what she is looking forward to in the coming year. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

The National Board Certified Teacher journey doesn’t end with certification. In today’s episode, we cover one area that follows after certification: the maintenance of your National Board Certification. NBCTs Hannah Jones and Alexis LaDuca join 3Ps in a Pod hosts and NBCTs Donnie Dicus and Kathleen Paulsen to talk about what the original National Board Certification process meant to them, what NCBTs must do to maintain their certification, and why they decided to pursue that process. If you are an NBCT, you can learn more about the Maintenance of Certification process on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards website. The Arizona K12 Center will also directly contact all eligible Maintenance of Certification candidates about upcoming support opportunities. If you are a teacher interested in learning more about the process of becoming a National Board Certified Teacher, consider joining our upcoming National Board Pre-Candidacy Class where you will build a system of support, learn about the pro

In what ways are we serving all students in all schools? What does social justice look like in pedagogy?  Mary and Danielle are digging into those questions with Dr. Gholnecsar “Gholdy” Muhammad on this episode of 3Ps in a Pod. Dr. Muhammad breaks down the four-layered framework as goals for time spent in teaching and learning. She calls us to think about how we can unearth truth and knowledge and not just accept what we think we know. She also calls us to think about how we can leverage criticality and consciousness to provide meaningful and artistically crafted units of study for our students.   You can hear more from Dr. Muhammad at the 16th Annual Teacher Leadership Institute: Where Curiosity and Leadership Unite online this summer where she will be leading general sessions along with Trevor MacKenzie and Jaime Casap. You can also learn more about Dr. Muhammad’s work in her book Cultivating Genius and at http://hillpedagogies.com/. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Today, 3Ps in a Pod hosts Danielle and Angelia welcome global educator Dr. Jennifer Williams to the podcast. Join them as they explore Dr. Williams’ work of using EdTech for global social good and what to expect at Camp Plug and Play 16.0 happening June 14-18, 2021.  Dr. Williams has taught in both traditional and Montessori K-12 educational settings. She is the Executive Director of Take Action Global, a non-profit organization, and is also a professor who loves working with future teachers in the college of education at Saint Leo University.   You can hear more from Dr. Williams at the upcoming Arizona K12 Center Camp Plug and Play 16.0. Learn more about that event and register at this link. Our Camp Plug and Play 16.0 is a five-day online learning experience featuring several educators and EdTech leaders. Learn more about the work of Dr. Williams at http://www.takeactionglobal.org/about.html and https://www.jenwilliamsedu.com. Learn more about all the Arizona K12 Center has to offer at azk12.org.

In today’s policy-focused episode of 3Ps in a Pod, we explore the history and future of Arizona’s Proposition 208. Hosts Danielle and Donnie welcome Beth Lewis, executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona, and Joe Thomas, president of Arizona Education Association, to 3Ps in a Pod. Lewis reflects on her roles as both a teacher and an advocate before reviewing the journey of Prop 208 through the past years, leading up to collecting signatures and having the ballot initiative pass in the midst of COVID-19. Thomas shares his insights on what Prop 208 means for education in Arizona as a whole and its impact specifically in Arizona classrooms. Thomas also talks with Danielle and Donnie about the implications for induction and mentoring programs because of Prop 208. Lewis and Thomas also share their perspectives on how everyone can help prioritize education at the state legislature. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Explore the new Arizona Science Standards in this PD in 30 segment of 3Ps in a Pod with Rebecca Garelli, science and STEM specialist at the Arizona Department of Education, and Robyn Yewell, fifth-grade educator at Harelson Elementary School in the Amphitheater Unified District. PD in 30 is exactly what it sounds like: a professional development session in 30 minutes or less. Garelli and Yewell will be using the document linked here to talk through what has changed in the standards and what educators can do to help support students in moving into inquiry and phenomena-based learning. This segment is most beneficial if you’re able to listen with a pencil and paper in hand and can easily hit the pause and play buttons on your listening device. Feel free to listen with a group of other teachers or by yourself. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Today, 3Ps in a Pod hosts Donnie and Kathleen welcome math specialist John SanGiovanni to the podcast. While their conversation centers on math instruction, many of the strategies they discuss apply to all teachers. SanGiovanni is a mathematics supervisor in Howard County, Maryland, and the author of several books including Productive Math Struggle and Mine the Gap for Mathematical Understanding. In this episode, he talks about the importance of planning for instruction and getting to know your students and their conceptions of math. He also reflects with Donnie and Kathleen about the role of struggle in education, differentiating between productive struggle and when struggle becomes destructive. You can hear more from SanGiovanni at two upcoming Arizona K12 Center learning events. Day four of our GEAR UP Math Institute will be led by SanGiovanni and is open to all Arizona educators, even if you did not attend earlier sessions in the series. Learn more about that event and register at this link. Our GEAR UP:

Are you familiar with identity safety and what that looks like in your classroom? Dr. Becki Cohn-Vargas joins 3Ps in a Pod hosts Angelia and Kathleen to talk about identity safe teaching and identity safe classrooms. Dr. Cohn-Vargas and Dr. Dorothy Steele authored the book Identity Safe Classrooms: Places to Belong and Learn. Dr. Cohn-Vargas also authored Identity Safe Classrooms: Pathways to Belonging and Learning with Alexandrea Creer Kahn and Amy Epstein in 2021. She speaks to both of these publications in this podcast episode.  In this episode, Dr. Cohn-Vargas shares about how she first learned and began exploring identity safety before describing the role and importance of the four domains of identity safe classrooms: student-centered teaching, cultivating diversity as a resource, classroom relationships, and caring classroom environments. She then outlines some ways teachers can intentionally and mindfully work toward more identity safe classrooms. Learn more about identity safe classrooms at identitysa

We hear time and time again how important relationships are and how social-emotional learning needs to be a constant part of teaching. While we know their importance, it can be challenging to actually put into practice how we envision, especially as we navigate virtual and hybrid teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. 3Ps in a Pod hosts Angelia and Kathleen talk with Dr. John Hannigan and Jessica Hannigan about their understanding and approach to social-emotional learning. As the authors of “SEL From a Distance: Tools and Processes for Anytime, Anywhere,” the Hannigans have explored why social-emotional learning is so important and how it can be integrated into teaching across the country, no matter the teaching situation. The Hannigans share with Angelia and Kathleen about that broader view of social-emotional learning and how to humanize virtual or hybrid teaching along with specific tips and strategies. The Hannigans base their work on the social-emotional learning core competence areas from the Collaborat

Last week, 3Ps in a Pod featured Dr. Dana Suskind and the research she has done at the TMW Center for Early Learning and Public Health about early language and literacy development. This week, 3Ps hosts Danielle and Mary continue that conversation by talking about local efforts toward supporting some of Arizona’s youngest learners.  This episode will help build your own understanding of early language and literacy development, as well as provide you with information and resources that are available to the parents and families in your community. Danielle and Mary reflect on last week’s episode before welcoming Meghan Storms of Southwest Human Development to 3Ps in a Pod. Storms specifically talks about the Let’s Talk Dads! program that Southwest Human Development offers based on Dr. Suskind’s work. She then joins Danielle and Mary in welcoming two fathers who have participated in the program to share their experiences. They describe the Let’s Talk Dads! Program from their own perspectives, how it equipped the

While classroom teachers are significant in every student’s learning journey, that journey begins before children ever enter a school. Today, 3Ps hosts Danielle and Mary welcome on Dr. Dana Suskind, Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago, Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, and Founder and Director of Thirty Million Words. Dr. Suskind shares about how her career as a cochlear implant surgeon led her to recognize the range of language development in her patients. Her curiosity about what led to such differences in language acquisition set her on a path of research and awareness about early childhood brain and language development. Dr. Suskind created the Thirty Million Words initiative, which became the TMW Center for Early Learning and Public Health. She also published the book Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain. She shares about the Center’s research and its work to have a “population level impact on what parents do and believe” in the early childhood space. Danielle, M

In today’s episode, we’re exploring culturally responsive teaching with Kristen and Justin Campbell, the founders of The Urban Connection Project. Hosts Kathleen and Angelia welcome the Campbells to 3Ps in a Pod to share about their work with the organization they lead and its focus on culturally responsive teaching. The Campbells share how their experiences growing up and then as classroom teachers led to their creation of The Urban Connection Project. They then detail how they understand culturally responsive teaching and the impact that can have for all Arizona students. This discussion includes talking about the importance of upholding students’ identities and the need for self-awareness to lead to cultural awareness. Kathleen also shares about her personal experience as a teacher connected with The Urban Connection Project. Learn more about The Urban Connection Project at theurbanconnectionproject.org. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center azk12.org.

What is teacher-led inquiry? What is student-led inquiry? How do they interact? We’re digging into those questions with educators and inquirers Kass Minor and Trevor MacKenzie on this episode of 3Ps in a Pod. Minor and MacKenzie break down the broad concept of inquiry into what it means for educators, leaders, and students day to day and how it intersects with conversations about equity and social justice. Minor and MacKenzie talk both about the ideas involved in approaching life and teaching with an inquiry stance and specific examples of that mindset in action. 3Ps hosts Angelia and Mary also share how they integrate inquiry into their work in the classroom and otherwise. You can hear more from Trevor MacKenzie at the 16th Annual Teacher Leadership Institute: Where Curiosity and Leadership Unite online this summer where he will be leading general sessions along with Dr. Gholdy Muhammad and Jaime Casap. You can also find past episodes of 3Ps in a Pod featuring MacKenzie at this link and featuring Minor at

In this episode, we’re continuing our conversation from last week about inclusion in Tempe Union High School District. Hosts Kathleen, Mary, and Angelia reflect on last week’s episode when they spoke with Tempe Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Kevin Mendivil and several Tempe Union students, pointing out connections to the conversation you’ll hear with Tempe Union teachers. They then turn the discussion over to teachers Cheryl Jannuzzi, Chanda McDonald, Raquel Salas, and Shauna Demers. This panel of Tempe Union teachers talk about their understanding of diversity and inclusion and the efforts they take toward equity in their work. They share about the challenges they face and strategies they use to talk about race with students and colleagues and reflect on the importance of affirming students’ identities to help them be their best selves. You can use the reflection guide linked here to help process the discussions you hear in both parts of this Inclusion in Schools series. Learn more about the A

We’re starting off our ninth season of 3Ps in a Pod with two episodes focused on discussions of race and inclusion in schools. We’ve partnered with Tempe Union High School District’s superintendent, teachers, and students to highlight the conversations happening in their community. In this episode, hosts Angelia, Kathleen, and Mary talk with Tempe Union Superintendent Dr. Kevin Mendivil about the breadth and diversity of the district and his excitement for the work Tempe Union has done and continues to do. The hosts then welcome four Tempe Union high school students to the podcast. The student panel discusses their involvement in race and inclusion discussions at their schools, why talking about race can feel so uncomfortable, and ways they think teachers and other school staff can help provide the best space for all students to realize academic achievement and social-emotional well-being. You can use the reflection guide linked here to help process the discussions in this week’s episode.  Be sure to subscrib

No one predicted just how challenging this year would be, especially for teachers. In this holiday season and as we prepare for the close of 2020, we wanted to reflect on our gratitude for you and all Arizona educators. In this episode, all five 3Ps in a Pod hosts share about the meaningful moments of gratitude they felt as teachers from students and families. Then, a variety of educators and leaders from Arizona and across the country express their gratitude for you! You’ll recognize many of these voices from earlier podcast episodes or from Arizona K12 Center events. This week’s episode includes messages of gratitude from tech expert and teacher Tony Vincent, educator and facilitator Kass Minor, author and inquiry practitioner Trevor MacKenzie, Arizona Education Association Vice President Marisol Garcia, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, speaker and public education advocate Kim Covington, 2021 Arizona Teacher of the Year Sara Wyffels, University of Arizona Dean of the College of E

You may know Andy Hargreaves for his educational research, but in his newest book, he pairs his personal educational insights with his own story. In this week’s episode of 3Ps in a Pod, hosts Angelia and Donnie talk with Hargreaves about his new memoir, Moving, and the idea of social mobility that he highlights through the book. Social mobility refers to the chance and opportunity to move up in economic or social standing, Hargreaves explains. In this episode, he reflects on education’s role in creating social mobility. Hargreaves also shares how, no matter how different our struggles may be from others, recognizing our own struggles can help us empathize and better support our students facing their own challenges. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

You may remember hearing from Brianna Winiesdorffer in a 3Ps in a Pod episode last March. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in the spring, Winiesdorffer is now a math resource teacher at Coconino High School in Flagstaff Unified School District. In this episode, Winiesdorffer catches up with hosts Danielle and Kathleen about her transition from pre-service to first-year teaching and what resources and support she’s received through the Arizona Teachers Academy. She also shares her words of encouragement for all Arizona educators. The Arizona Teachers Academy provides funding to support teachers throughout their career. This program’s initiatives include helping cover expenses at the pre-service level, providing mentoring and professional development for beginning teachers, and supporting teachers in pursuing National Board Certification. You can hear more about the multifaceted Arizona Teachers Academy in this 3Ps episode from earlier this fall. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk