3ps In A Pod

As a mentor to first and second-year teachers in Balsz School District, Kathleen Paulsen’s work includes helping new teachers learn how to support refugee students and their families. One school typically has between 14 and 17 different languages represented at one time. Knowing students are refugees changes what teacher support looks like. In this episode, Paulsen shares what she has learned over the years since she was a first-year teacher with many refugee students and what advice she has for others. Find other resources mentioned in and related to this episode at this link or through azk12.org.

Dr. Donyall Dickey will inspire you to help your students “climb the ladder of cognitive demand.” With 17 years as an educational leader, Dr. Dickey focuses his work on curriculum, instruction, organizational development, and school administration. In this episode, he and hosts Danielle and Angelia plunge into conversations about student achievement, instructional leadership, opportunity gaps, and far more.  Find additional resources related to today’s episode, including a guide for individual or group discussion, at this link or by visiting the Arizona K12 Center’s website at azk12.org.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can negatively impact a young person’s brain development, cognitive abilities, behavior, and social and emotional wellbeing; and more than half of students may have had at least one ACE. In this episode, you will learn more about ACEs and how they impact students and teachers. We will explore ways to help build more resilient students and teachers through relationships, intentionality, and thoughtfulness. We are so excited to share the work of Ricky Robertson, Victoria Romero, and Amber Warner with all of our listeners this week as we work to be our best professional selves and build system-wide processes to support both students and educators.   Learn more about the resources and topics mentioned in this episode by visiting this link or azk12.org.

Teachers are talking about what Arizona’s new dyslexia law means for them. In this episode, Sean Ross, Arizona Department of Education’s Director of English Language Arts and Humanities, explains how the passing and signing of SB 1318 affects how schools and teachers approach dyslexia screenings and what resources are available. He also shares about his other literacy work and how he can support Arizona’s teacher. Learn more about the resources and topics mentioned in this episode by visiting this link or azk12.org.

With the signing of SB 1014 earlier this year, this school year brings some major changes for English learners in Arizona schools. Kate Wright is the Deputy Superintendent of the Office of English Language Acquisition Services in the Arizona Department of Education and will share in this episode how this new policy opens up the possibilities for Arizona’s EL students and advice for teachers implementing these changes.   Learn more about the resources and topics mentioned in this episode by visiting this link or azk12.org.

How is Arizona approaching the teacher shortage? Hear from Northern Arizona University President Dr. Rita Cheng about Governor Doug Ducey’s Arizona Teachers Academy and how NAU is implementing the program and supporting tomorrow’s teachers. You’ll also learn more about why education is so important to Dr. Cheng, how she spends her time away from work, and what books she’s currently reading. Learn more about the resources and topics mentioned in this episode by clicking here or by visiting azk12.org.

Today we explore instructional leadership with Dr. Peter DeWitt. DeWitt focuses heavily on the idea of servant leadership and his belief that the best coaching is not based on having all of the answers. He believes the most effective instructional leaders are open and honest with those they support. DeWitt also highlights the overwhelming importance of credibility and its relational impact on an instructional ability to move practice forward. We close the episode discussing his early work around supporting LGBT students in schools and his current use of meditation as a means to a happy and healthier life. Learn more about Dr. DeWitt by clicking here or visiting azk12.org/homeroom

We are so excited to share one of our first mobile podcasts with our listeners this week! We invite you to come with us and meet Dr. Olivia Amador at the Annual Visible Learning Conference this past summer. This week, we will learn more about the practicality of the Teacher Clarity Playbook and how it can enhance the structures that exist in your space. Find upcoming teacher clarity events here. For more resources related to this episode, visit this link or azk12.org. 

After several years as an elementary classroom teacher, Connie Hamilton wanted to expand her influence on how children learn in schools. In this episode, you’ll hear about her journey from a young child “playing school” with her stuffed animals to an author and presenter helping other teachers to be their best in the classroom and what she’s learned about equity, relationships, and teaching along the way. Connie will also share about why she thinks John Hattie’s Visible Learning is such a powerful concept and what participants will experience at the upcoming event Visible Learning in Mathematics: Foundations and Beyond. Learn more and register here. Find out more about Connie Hamilton and the Arizona K12 Center here.

This week we have a chance to learn more about Geoff Esposito. We discuss his advocacy work in the area of education, his early interest in politics, and why bow ties have become his staple. Listen in to learn ways that you can connect with policymakers in your area. We hope that Esposito’s podcast will serve as a resource as you think about getting involved in things that you care about and also as a point of reflection as your professional journey evolves. What do you want your career in education to look like over the next five years?

Dr. Jenny Pieratt joins us to chat about Project Based Learning (PBL). Angelia and Danielle bring up the importance of involving families in the work and Dr. Pieratt offers some helpful strategies and hints. Dr. Pieratt also shares her experiences and belief in the learning structure expressing the power she has seen when PBL becomes a school and systemwide structure leading to changes in the disposition of learners. Students involved in ongoing successful PBL experiences often have the outlook that challenges and creative problem solving are part of the learning process.  We look forward to hosting with Dr. Jenny Pieratt on September 26 and March 26. The two-day learning series is, “not your typical professional development experience”. You will leave with a project in your hands that can be implemented right away. To learn more information and to register to attend, please visit: http://azk12.org/event/31145/details

We are back and ready to rock! Join us for a new semester of voices, perspectives, learning, and laughs. We kick off our new season with a top 10 list of tips from teachers around Arizona. Listen in to hear teachers expand on the tips with helpful examples and hints to kickoff the school year. In fact, we want to hear YOUR tips too. After listening, share your tips on Twitter adding hashtags #3PsinaPod and #firstday.

Join the fabulous and fearless 3Ps in a Pod hosts as they reflect on their past two years at the Arizona K12 Center. Listen in to learn more about these Arizona teacher leaders as they share memories, personal updates, and the events they are most excited about. Although this is our Spring 2019 Semester finale episode, we will be back this August with a full new calendar of guests and timely information that is sure to keep you up-to-date on topics that are meaningful to you. On a last note, if you have an idea or topic for the podcast that you want us to explore, don’t hesitate to give us a shout out on Twitter using the hashtag #3PsinaPod!

On this week’s podcast, we have the privilege to speak to Ted Dintersmith and learn how our schools and educators can change the narrative around education in the United States. Ted urges us all to look for opportunities to unleash the greatness that is in our educators, to look for innovation occurring in our schools, to expose students to creative opportunities to solve problems, and to think about how the innovation change model can help us share and take successful ideas to scale. Ted also shares with us that he is working on a new compilation, The Innovation Playlist,  that showcases the awesomeness happening in our schools. This week’s podcast also features a supplementary guide to help continue conversations about innovation and successes impacting students in your context.

On this week’s podcast we are thrilled to host Stephen Chang from The National Equity Project and take a deep dive into equity, race, and personal identity and how these impact the ways in which we show up as humans and educators. Stephen shares insightful ways in which we can start to create change within ourselves and within the systems we are a part of in order to disrupt patterns of inequity while building relationships with others. If you are interested in attending the fall Coaching for Equity event please visit azk12.org to learn more and register. This week’s podcast also features a supplementary guide to help continue conversations about equity in your space.

Are you curious about the new Arizona Science Standards, how they came to be, and how they will impact your classroom? On this week’s podcast you will have a chance to better understand the rationale behind the new standards, the idea of 3-Dimensional Learning, and how to create scientifically literate students from three experts, Sarah Sleaseman, Rebecca Garelli, and Tiffany Smith. For more information about the new standards and learning around them visit the Arizona Department of Education website and the Arizona Science Teachers Association. Don’t forget to check azk12.org as we will offer Project-Based Learning and Assessment with Jenny Pierratt and Visible Learning in Math with Connie Hamilton and Joseph Assof during the 2019-2020 school year. Can’t wait to see you there!

On this week’s podcast, Danielle and Angelia explore the work of Glenn Singleton and how Courageous Conversations about race can help bring about systemic change. During this conversation with Glenn, we explore the Four Agreements and the Six Conditions of Courageous Conversations as well as how these impact us in our lives and daily conversations. As you listen this week, you will hear why Glenn “feels compelled to leave the world a far better place than he found it” and how he is living out that mission. To learn more about Courageous Conversations, Glenn Singleton, or Pacific Educational Group visit https://courageousconversation.com/about/. Don't miss the week's supplemental resource, which you can download to help encourage and continue Courageous Conversations in your space.   

Join us this week as we talk to Chris Kotterman and Dr. Beth Maloney about what has been happening at the Arizona State Capitol. Chris is here to update us on new laws that will impact practice next school year and what is still happening on the policy front that educators will want to pay close attention to. If you would like to learn more about the Arizona Schools Boards Association visit: azsba.org. Dr. Maloney spends some time talking to us about the Arizona NBCT Network’s Two Weeks of Action where NBCTs took time to meet with legislators and share information about National Board Certification and its impact on students and their profession. If you are an NBCT who wants to get involved in the Network, we urge you to register for this year’s Arizona NBCT Network Convening on May 4, 2019. To learn more about the 2019 convening and register visit azk12.org/event/30727/details.

If you were asked to think of an instructional leader who has had a positive impact on your career and your practice, who would come to your mind? On this week's podcast, Danielle and Donnie discuss the impact that instructional leadership has on students, staff, classrooms, and schools. We meet Jennifer Truitt-Lewis, a talented principal and instructional leader, from the Fort Huachuca Accommodation School District. Jennifer shares with us how collaboration, open mindedness, and an assets based approach to leadership creates a strong teaching and learning environment.

This week we have the opportunity to hear from a 2019 Camp Plug and Play 14.0 keynote speaker, Trevor Mackenzie. In this week’s podcast, we explore ways to build a classroom practice that not only embraces curiosity, but also scaffolds learning through inquiry so that we can help alleviate the anxiety our learners might feel in a more open-ended environment. As you listen this week, we hope you gain some inside tips from Trevor on how to create space to mold our curriculum into work that builds upon students interests. To learn more about Trevor Mackenzie’s book Inquiry Mindset, visit https://www.trevormackenzie.com/inquiry-mindset. We also hope to see you at Camp Plug and Play 14.0 June 10-14, 2019 where you will have a chance to learn more from Trevor and other amazing educators. You can learn more about this event by visiting http://azk12.org/event/30957/details. Don’t miss this week’s supplemental resource, which you can download to use within your educational community.