3ps In A Pod

Hang out with tech experts Tony Vincent and Paul West in this PD in 30 segment of 3Ps in a Pod. PD in 30 is exactly what it sounds like: a professional development session in 30 minutes or less. 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. In this episode, Tony Vincent of Learning in Hand and Paul West of Pdubya Tech and Tempe Elementary School District share best practices for engaging slideshow presentations and a load of resources for creating your own attractive slides. How do you find the balance of sharing information without being overwhelming? How do I make attractive slides if I’m not a “design person”? Tony and Paul have the answers. Here are resources mentioned in this episode: Get slide themes from SlidesCarnival, SlidesGo, and SlidesMania. Get colors from MaterialUI and Canva Color Tools. Get copyright friendly imag

It’s the week of Veterans Day, and 3Ps in a Pod hosts Angelia and Danielle are talking with Dr. Nancy Pratt about her military experience and how that has carried into her education career. Pratt is currently the Director of Instruction and Innovation at Cave Creek Unified School District. But before realizing her interest in teaching, Pratt was a young woman in a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) military briefing class at Arizona State University, realizing she had something special to offer. Pratt became a transportation officer stationed at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington. She shares in this episode about the direction she received from her experiences in the military, how her military experience has shaped her education career, and the direct connections between training military officers and working in education with both students and adult learners.  In this episode, 3Ps host Danielle also shares a bit about her experience being the child of a career service member and then teaching in an acco

Hear from Arizona Educational Foundation’s recently named 2021 Arizona Teacher of the Year Sara Wyffels in today’s episode of 3Ps in a Pod! Hosts Mary and Donnie talk with Wyffels about her journey into education, the experience of being named Arizona Teacher of the Year, and her vision for taking on this role. She defines how she sees teacher leadership and what it means for teachers to step into their voice and expertise. Wyffels also shares about how she approaches balancing her many roles and commitments and her encouragement for all Arizona educators during this especially challenging and unpredictable time.  Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

If you’ve only heard the name of the Rodel Foundation of Arizona in passing, today’s episode will help you understand the vision and work of this education organization. Don Budinger, Board Chairman and Founding Director of the Rodel Foundation, was a successful business owner when he realized the incredible importance of education. When he and his brother sold their business, they vowed to take a leading role in the U.S. public education system. They created the Rodel Foundation with the understanding that education changes everything. In this episode, 3Ps hosts Angelia and Mary talk with Budinger and Jackie Norton, President and CEO of the Rodel Foundation of Arizona, about their work and the need for quality data and decision-making grounded in facts. An example of Rodel’s commitment to data-based decisions is their document Arizona Public Education at a Glance 2019-2020, which lays out the basic facts and figures “essential to begin an informed discussion about education in Arizona.”  Learn more about th

It’s time for another PD in 30! This time, Suzi Mast, owner of Dynamic Teaching Partners and previously of the Arizona Department of Education, dives into helping you understand how to use the state’s standards to advance your teaching. PD in 30 is exactly what it sounds like: a professional development session in 30 minutes or less. Grab a pencil and the resources listed below. Make sure you can easily hit the pause and play buttons on your listening device to be able to take time to work on some of the tasks that are a part of this episode. This PD in 30 is also especially effective for you to experience with a team! Here are the resources Mast references through this session: Arizona Academic Standards Understanding the Standards Learning Goals & Success Criteria Template Understanding the Standards Blank Guidance Template Understanding the Standards Guidance Template Learning Goals/Learning Targets & Success Criteria For further assistance, contact Suzi directly at suzimast@gmail.com. Learn

Today’s podcast will have you breathing deeper and maybe moving on with your day a little bit more grounded. 3Ps hosts Donnie and Danielle welcome Dr. Ilana Nankin, founder and CEO of Breathe for Change, to share her insights on how to care for self, which allows us to better care for others. Nankin has started a movement of bringing yoga, mindfulness, and social-emotional learning to educators and families across the country. She began this work when she saw how yoga and mindfulness were transforming the wellness of the teachers she worked with. Nankin shares about the significant ways teachers’ wellbeing translates to their students and classroom and how being aware of students’ social and emotional learning only elevates their ability to learn. She also takes Donnie, Danielle, and listeners through some short breathing and reflection activities and gives tips about how to use those with students.  Learn more about Nankin and Breathe for Change at breatheforchange.com. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Cente

As you’ll hear in this episode, great mentoring is based on relationships. Today, you’ll join 3Ps hosts Danielle and Kathleen in hearing about the relationship and the learning shared between Ginny Sautner, a new teacher mentor, and Allie Oskolkoff, a first-year teacher, both from Lake Havasu Unified School District. The two discuss the mindset that makes mentoring most effective, the importance of mentoring in the first years of teaching, and the gratitude they have for each other.  You’ll also hear host Kathleen share about her experiences as a new teacher mentor and the power of personalization in that work. Both Kathleen and Ginny are featured in the Center’s publication Building a Culture of Induction: Case Studies in Mentoring. You can find additional Arizona K12 Center resources for beginning teachers and mentors at this link. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Learn about how Arizona’s Language Development Approach can help you better support all students, especially your English Learner students, in today’s episode.  Hosts Angelia and Donnie talk with Arizona Department of Education’s Kate Wright, Associate Superintendent of High Academic Standards for Students, and Dr. Melissa Castillo, Deputy Superintendent of the Office of English Language Acquisition Services (OELAS). Wright and Castillo share about the development of Arizona’s Language Development Approach and review the principles of this approach. Wright points out that at the core of this approach is the importance of all teachers and staff, across disciplines, building a culture of support for EL students. They also talk about the role of student agency in supporting EL students. After listening to this episode and reviewing Arizona’s Language Development Approach, use the reflection guide linked here to plan how to integrate what you heard and read into your practice. You can also find trainings relat

Today’s episode features several outstanding educators, including Dr. Doug Fisher and the five finalists for 2021 Arizona Teacher of the Year. You likely know Dr. Doug Fisher from the dozens of books and resources he’s helped create or from attending events like those through the Arizona K12 Center. Today, you’ll hear Dr. Fisher talk with 3Ps hosts Mary and Angelia about the creation of The Distance Learning Playbook, which he wrote with Nancy Frey and John Hattie. He also shares some of what they learned about best practices in distance learning, especially ways to create relationships with students across the distance. You can receive a copy of The Distance Learning Playbook and spend time learning more from Dr. Doug Fisher by registering for the November 14 Distance Learning PlaybookVirtual Workshop with Doug Fisher through this link. If you have already attended a Distance Learning Playbook training with the Arizona K12 Center or Corwin or plan to attend that upcoming workshop, you are welcome to regis

3Ps hosts Angelia and Donnie are back with another civics-focused episode, this time focused especially on secondary grades. Prior to the start of this school year, they spoke with Nate Rios, who was then a government and history teacher at Flowing Wells High School in Tucson, and Elizabeth Schley Evans, who was then a government and politics teacher at Basha High School  in Chandler.  Together, the four talk about navigating critical conversations, media literacy, engaging with parents, and the importance of getting to know your students and creating a respectful and empathetic place for learning and discussion. Rios and Schley Evans also share strategies to stay unbiased in the classroom and how teachers, especially those in social studies, can best take care of themselves during election season. Here are links to the resources mentioned during this episode: iCivics  National Constitution Center, specifically the Center’s podcast The New York Times’ The Daily podcast Newseum, specifically the Decoding Ele

It’s an election year and the U.S. is experiencing a seemingly more contentious political climate than usual. In this episode of 3Ps in a Pod, hosts Donnie and Angelia discuss how they handled election seasons and politics in their classrooms before welcoming Beth Maloney, 2014 Arizona Teacher of the Year, to talk more about civics and respectful discourse. Together, they discuss media literacy, differentiating opinion from fact, strategies for generating discussion, bias in the classroom, and communicating with parents. Maloney sites Common Sense Media for Educators as a helpful resource for elementary school teachers. She also introduces Donnie and Angelia to the Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus campaign. Be sure to find more information about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus here. Click here to open up a reflection guide for this episode to help you plan your civics instruction. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

If you’re currently preparing to become a teacher or are in your first several years of teaching in Arizona, you don’t want to miss all of the information in today’s episode! Hosts Donnie and Kathleen welcome several guests to today’s episode of 3Ps in a Pod to give a full rundown of the several parts of the Arizona Teachers Academy. Governor Doug Ducey initiated this program a few years ago that aims to recruit, support, and retain Arizona teachers. The Arizona Teachers Academy includes several pieces: tuition and fee waivers for education students, mentoring and induction support, Beginning Teacher Series professional learning opportunities, and National Board Certification. 3Ps hosts Donnie and Kathleen talk with Arizona K12 Center Teachers Academy Project Director Kendall Waite about the goals and vision of the Arizona Teachers Academy. Kathleen then shares about how the Arizona Teachers Academy specifically supports new teachers through helping lessen student debt education graduates and through instruct

Now that the 2020-2021 school year is back in session, 3Ps in a Pod hosts Angelia, Mary, and Kathleen talk with two school superintendents, a principal, and a teacher about their hopes, fears, and opportunities related to schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. This week’s guests are Dr. Melissa Sadorf, superintendent of Stanfield Elementary School District; Dr. Andi Fourlis, superintendent of Mesa Public Schools; Jennifer Waldron, principal of Anasazi Elementary School in Scottsdale Unified School District; and Ben Collinsworth, first-grade teacher at Flowing Wells School District. Dr. Sadorf, Dr. Fourlis, Waldron, and Collinsworth share about their personal experiences teaching and leading during a pandemic, their perspectives on what positive changes might come from this time, and encouragement for other educators. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Hang out with tech experts Tony Vincent and Sara Mora in this PD in 30 segment of 3Ps in a Pod. PD in 30 is exactly what it sounds like: a professional development session in 30 minutes or less. 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. Tony Vincent of Learning in Hand and Sara Mora of Sahuarita Unified School District talk about the advantages and disadvantages of live and recorded videos, tips to make them both effective for student learning, and ideas for creative interaction over video.  Here are links to many of the videos, websites, and resources mentioned in this episode: Quarantined with Mrs. Speed How Brené Brown Runs Emotionally Intelligent Zoom Meetings Flipgrid at Flipgrid.com Alice Keeler Webcam Record extension for Chrome Flipgrid Discovery Library: Conversation Starters Video Tutorial Library (select “Make

We are continuing our conversations and reflections about the return to the school in this episode. 3Ps hosts Angelia and Donnie welcome Arizona Education Association Vice President Marisol Garcia and Arizona Department of Education Associate Superintendent Kate Wright to share about their hopes, fears, and curiosities about this school year. Garcia and Wright also share about their visions for what schools might look like moving forward from 2020 and their encouragement and appreciation for the work teachers are doing. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Teachers and students alike are returning to the classroom carrying a variety of emotions. In this first episode of the eighth season of 3Ps in a Pod, the 3Ps hosts talk with themselves and this week’s two guests about what they have learned and what they continue to struggle with after the events of the past six months. The 3Ps hosts you’ve come to know, Angelia, Danielle, Donnie, and Mary, will introduce you to the newest addition to the 3Ps team and also to this week’s two guests: Elma Dzanic, Support Services Manager for Phoenix Union High School District, and Dr. Cliff Moon, Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion for Tempe Union High School District. As Support Services Manager for Phoenix Union, Dzanic works to integrate a restorative justice and practices framework as she oversees social workers, intervention staff, and others in her department. She shares about how she is living and working during the “two pandemics” the country is experiencing and how she is helping support Phoenix Union students and

This season’s finale episode is packed with information about the Arizona K12 Center’s two biggest summer events. You may have already heard about Camp Plug and Play 15.0 and the 15th Annual Teacher Leader Institute going virtual. In this episode, 3Ps in a Pod hosts Mary and Danielle share a few more details about what these events will be like online. Mary also talks about this year’s theme for the Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI) of elevating student voice through teacher leadership. You will also hear directly from  this year’s five TLI Spotlights, previously introduced through this Centered blog post, and from several Arizona TeacherSolutions® Team members who will be leading breakout sessions at TLI. Learn more the events mentioned in this episode at azk12.org/events and about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., an educator, speaker, and founder of The Privilege Institute, joins hosts Angelia and Danielle in this episode of 3Ps in a Pod. Angelia and Danielle kick off their conversation with Dr. Moore asking about how teachers can best maintain relationships and build community amidst social distancing due to COVID-19. They also discuss how teachers might navigate what life will look like after students return to the classroom and approach the inequities they are seeing now in distance learning. Learn more about Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., his work, and the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge he mentioned at his website eddiemoorejr.com. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Today’s episode is about you and how you’re doing these days. Dawn Baumgartner, a licensed clinical social worker, certified yoga teacher, and trauma specialist, joins 3Ps hosts Angelia and Danielle to talk about how to best care for yourself, your family, and your students during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dawn currently works for Phoenix Elementary School District #1, Arizona State University's School of Social Work, and KOI-Education. In this episode, you’ll hear advice on recognizing and living with your emotions and also likely feel some camaraderie with how Dawn, Angelia, and Danielle have been feeling.  Find details about the Flipgrid community Danielle mentioned in this episode, along with some other resources, through this link. You can learn more about Yale University’s “Science of Well-Being” course that Dawn mentioned taking at this link. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

How can teachers support students who have experienced immigration-related trauma? In today’s episode, Reyna Montoya shares with 3Ps in a Pod hosts Mary and Angelia about her journey through Arizona schools as an undocumented English language learner and then as a classroom teacher, which led to her creating the organization Aliento. This Phoenix-based organization works to transform immigration-related trauma into hope and action. Montoya also talks specifically about how the current COVID-19 situation is impacting mixed status families and how teachers and leaders can address those students now and as schools prepare for a new school year in the fall. Learn more about Aliento at alientoaz.org. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.