3ps In A Pod

Just as there are often signals that a person may need physical first aid, students’ behavior can indicate that a student may need mental health first aid. In this episode, Arizona Department of Education School Safety & Social Wellness Program Grant Specialist Lindsay Walker and first-grade teacher Hannah Williams join hosts Danielle and Angelia. The four discuss how to look at student behavior as communication rather than something to manage and, specifically, trainings and resources the Arizona Department of Education offers to do with behavioral health and suicide prevention, known as Project A.W.A.R.E. (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education).  Learn more about Project A.W.A.R.E. at tinyurl.com/adeprojectaware. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Teachers are dealing with incredible amounts of stress and uncertainty as they navigate work and life during the COVID-19 pandemic. To share how she cultivates mindfulness during her usual, everyday life and this extraordinary time, Principal Allison Carmichael joins 3Ps in a Pod hosts Danielle and Angelia. Along with being principal of Silver Valley Elementary in Queen Creek, Carmichael runs Second Arrow, which provides mindfulness tools for educators. Carmichael shares in this episode how and why she started Second Arrow and what tools she has found especially helpful in her mental health journey. You’ll also hear strategies Danielle and Angelia have found helpful in centering themselves. Here are a list of links to resources mentioned in this episode: Second Arrow’s Instagram page Second Arrow’s Twitter page Alternate nostril breathing, also known as “nadi shodhanah pranayama” Ten Percent Happier Yoga Nidra Simple Habit  Calm App 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg TeacherFi

Inspired by Jamie Festa-Daigle’s blog post last September on Stories from Schools AZ, this episode of 3Ps in a Pod features four Arizona teachers reading aloud letters to their first-year teacher selves. What do you wish then? 3Ps hosts Donnie and Danielle share what they wish they knew as they were just starting their education careers. Then, these four teachers share their letters: Jamie Festa-Daigle, NBCT, Lake Havasu City Unified School District Maria Fallon, NBCT, Marana Unified District Sandy Merz, NBCT, Catalina Foothills School District James King, Glendale Union High School District Interested in writing your own letter? We’ve got the letterhead here to help you get started! Three of the teachers you hear on today’s episode are bloggers for Stories from Schools AZ. Apply to join them through the application here. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

How do you build classroom community, even while teaching remotely? In this PD in 30 segment, Hannah Jones, NBCT, assistant technology specialist in Madison School District, and Leah Clark, English language arts teacher in Glendale Union High School District, dive into how to create an inclusive classroom community and what that can look like right now as schools are closed because of COVID-19. PD in 30 segments are exactly what they sound like: professional development sessions in 30 minutes or less. PD in 30 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. Here are also links to several resources mentioned in this episode: Ideas for back-to-back drawing pictures www.kaganonline.com www.polleverywhere.com Flipgrid.com www.peardeck.com Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

We’re celebrating Arizona’s aspiring teachers this week on 3Ps in a Pod! Hosts Danielle and Angelia talk with Brianna Winiesdorffer and Katee Hurst, two future teachers and current leaders in Northern Arizona University’s chapter of Educators Rising.  Brianna and Katee share how they came to pursue careers in education and what their pre-service experiences have been like so far. They also talk about how they revitalized their university’s club for future teachers and the support it offers. Hosts Danielle and Angelia also reflect on some of their pre-service memories. By the way, as she promised Brianna did follow up with us about the story she shared in this episode, and she is sporting a new pair of bright purple Chucks these days. Learn more about Northern Arizona University’s Educators Rising chapter through its Instagram page or Facebook group. Learn more about Educators Rising Arizona on its website edrisingaz.org, and find a list of active Educators Rising chapters in Arizona high schools and higher ed

You may know Dr. Dominique Smith as one of the authors of Better than Sticks or Carrots: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management or heard him in one of our season one episodes. Dr. Smith is the Chief of Educational Services and Teacher Relations at Health Sciences High & Middle College in San Diego, California, and a leader in social emotional learning and restorative practice. In this episode, 3Ps in a Pod hosts Danielle and Mary talk with Dr. Smith about how schools and districts can move social emotional learning beyond a program just for students into an integrated practice for everyone in a school’s community. Dr. Smith also talks about how teacher identities model for their students and his “fail resume.” You’ll also learn some fun facts about Dr. Smith as hosts Mary and Danielle end their interview with a fun sentence stem activity. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

The Arizona Legislature again has several education-related bills on the docket this session, and Chris Kotterman is in the 3Ps in a Pod studio to talk about what these bills mean and where they are in the legislative process. Chris is the Director of Governmental Relations for the Arizona School Boards Association. He talks with hosts Angelia and Donnie about several school-related bills, including some to do with employee discipline, curriculum viewing policies, suicide prevention, and English-only education requirements. Chris also shares about several possible changes to school funding. In this episode, you’ll also hear an update about the Arizona Teachers Academy and funding available for educators interested in becoming National Board Certified Teachers. Chris and Donnie also talk about the steps involved in running for a school board seat in Arizona. Chris mentions that more information is available at azsba.org. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Meet one of our three keynotes who will be speaking at the Fifteenth Annual Teacher Leadership Institute: Elevating Student Voice through Teacher Leadership. Kass Minor shares about her unexpected journey into education and how her early experiences working in education led her to exploring the concept of inquiry. Today, Minor partners with schools and uses inquiry to develop school communities and address problems of practice.  A crucial part of her work is helping school communities understand teachers as researchers and curriculum builders. She and her husband and life partner, Cornelius Minor, also run The Minor Collective, which specializes “in helping schools reach their most complex learners by changing the practices that marginalize them.”  Minor talks about how she expects teachers will leave this summer’s Teacher Leadership Institute feeling “charged and not alone” in this work. Near the end of the episode, you’ll hear Minor talk a bit about sand cats with Angelia and Mary. Find photos of this ador

Do you know about sketchnoting? In this episode of 3Ps in a Pod, hosts Danielle and Donnie discuss how they typically take notes and what they know about sketchnoting. Danielle describes sketchnoting, also known as “visual notetaking,” as tracking your thinking and highlighting big ideas in your notes. These can include a mix of words, doodles, and drawings. Then, Danielle and Donnie welcome Sylvia Duckworth, who taught for more than 30 years in Canada, before retiring two years ago and focusing her work on talking to teachers about sketchnoting. Duckworth talks more about what sketchnoting is and the way it can affect learning. Duckworth will also be the keynote speaker at this summer’s Camp Plug and Play 15.0: The Creative Technology Camp for Teachers. Learn more about sketchnoting and resources to learn more and start implementing sketchnoting in your classroom at sylviaduckworth.com. Learn more and register for Camp Plug and Play 15.0 at bit.ly/PlugandPlay15. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk

Get a window into what you will experience at the Fifteenth Annual Teacher Leadership Institute: Elevating Student Voice through Teacher Leadership. 3Ps hosts Mary and Angelia introduce two of this summer’s keynotes, Cornelius Minor, who also spoke at last year’s institute, and Cinnamon Kills First. Both talk about their individual work and what they are looking forward to talking about at this summer’s Teacher Leadership Institute. Mary also introduces this year’s theme of elevating student voice and how that work doesn’t mean “simply raising their voice louder,” she explains. “We’re talking about identity and culture and being understanding of who is showing up in our seats every day, who is showing up in our learning environments…” Learn more and register for the Fifteenth Annual Teacher Leadership Institute at azk12.org or bit.ly/20TLI.

This week’s episode of 3Ps in a Pod puts conversations about classroom engagement into action with “PD in 30.” This special segment is exactly what it sounds like: a professional development session in 30 minutes or less. PD in 30 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, you’ll join Beth Maloney, NBCT, of Dysart Unified School District, and James King, of Glendale Union High School District, in discussion about the importance of engagement and activities you can apply immediately in your classroom. Learn more about the Kagan Strategies Beth and James reference here. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Did you know that this school year is the 20th year of the Arizona K12 Center? In this episode, 3Ps in a Pod hosts Danielle and Mary share how they came to know the work of the Center and how it affected their work as teachers and as eventual partners and employees of the Center. Then, Executive Director Kathy Wiebke shares more about the history and accomplishments of the Arizona K12 Center and her vision for advancing the Center’s support of teachers and students across the state. Learn more about the history of the Arizona K12 Center and find the “Building a Profession” document, featuring the research related to the Center’s work, at azk12.org.

Get a preview of Camp Plug and Play 15.0 with tech-in-education extraordinare Tony Vincent! Hosts Danielle and Mary talk to Tony about how they first got to know his work before hearing Tony outline what to expect at this summer’s annual tech camp. Tony also announces this year’s keynote speaker, Sylvia Duckworth, the “Sketchnoting queen.” Tony, Danielle, and Mary also talk about the place of emojis in school and in life and multiple strategies Tony has developed for bringing fun technology into the classroom. You can follow Tony Vincent on Twitter here and learn more about his multiple projects at the links below: Electrify any Lesson:  LearninginHand.com/electrify Shapegrams.com Learn more and register for Camp Plug and Play 15.0 at azk12.org.

Hosts Mary and Angelia start off this new season of 3Ps in a Pod by catching up with Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman. Superintendent Hoffman shares about her first year in office, her highlights and challenges, and what keeps her smiling and optimistic about education in Arizona. Hoffman also talks about what’s coming up this year. Beyond 2020, Hoffman discusses how her team is overseeing the development of a new state assessment to replace what’s been known as “AzMERIT” in the 2021-2022 school year and a new science assessment aligned to Arizona’s new science standards. The Arizona Department of Education will be gathering feedback about the new assessments this year. Hosts Mary and Angelia also mention that Superintendent Hoffman will be speaking and congratulating Arizona’s newest and newly renewed National Board Certified Teachers at the Eleventh Annual Celebration of Accomplished Teaching on February 8. You can RSVP to attend the Celebration at bit.ly/11thAnnualCoAT.

In this final episode of the season, all four hosts are in the studio to discuss their favorite episodes through the past six seasons. Hosts Angelia, Mary, Danielle, and Donnie share clips of their favorite past episodes and what struck them about each guest’s remarks on that episode. They touch on student achievement, restorative practice, school safety, self-care, and Visible Learning. Check out the full episodes mentioned in this episode at the links below or wherever you listen to your podcasts. We’ll be back with new episodes starting January 16! S6 Episode 11: Making the Most of Your Standards with Dr. Donyall Dickey S1 Episode 3: Restorative Practice S5 Episode 2: Where School Safety Policy and Practice Collide  S1 Episode 7: Power of Educator Self-Care S4 Episode 3: John Hattie and 10 Mindframes for Learning Find out more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Wade Antonio Colwell is an advocate for equity, inclusion, and excellence and often uses his love of hip hop and poetry to bring that work to schools. In this episode, Colwell shares about his journey into education, his work helping begin the Youth Equity Stewardship program, and about the upcoming Equity by Design institute. Colwell also shares some of his original work near the end of this episode. Learn more about the Equity by Design Institute mentioned in this episode at bit.ly/EquityInst. Register using promo code ARIZONAK12 for $25 off your registration. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Dr. Douglas Reeves is an expert in leadership and teaching, with a particular interest and expertise in grading. In this episode, Dr. Reeves shares a bit of history of grading systems, three things he would like to see change about how many teachers grade, and what he considers the “academic death penalty.” He also talks through creative ways he has seen teachers evaluate students’ performance rather than practice. Here are a few of the resources mentioned in this episode:Creative Leadership Solutions DouglasReeves.com ChangeLeaders.com FinishTheDissertation.org Article host Angelia mentioned about busting grading myths Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Lynette Stant is the Arizona Education Foundation’s 2020 Teacher of the Year! In this episode, she shares about what her past month as the new title-holder has been like and what she is looking forward to in the next year. Stant also talks about what keeps her excited about teaching and how she’ll know when she is ready to leave the classroom. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Intentional support for beginning teachers impacts students, other teachers, and the entire school. In this episode, Dr. Emily Davis, founder of Teacher Development Network, shares about what quality mentoring for beginning teachers looks like and the ways that it can affect multiple parts of a school. She also talks about “praxis shock,” the jolt new teachers often feel when moving from studying education to becoming a classroom teacher. You may connect with hosts Danielle and Mary as they recount some of their own memories of starting their teaching careers. Find other resources related to this episode, including a discussion guide, at this link or through azk12.org

Do you get nervous when integrating new technology into your classroom? Award-winning principal and digital leadership pioneer Eric Sheninger shares how he went from outlawing devices in classrooms to embracing social media and technology in his school to improve teaching, learning, and leadership. As teachers work to prepare students for a future no one can predict, how can they integrate technology to help students stretch their thinking for however the world will be? Find other resources mentioned in and related to this episode at this link or through azk12.org.