Episode 60: Vicki Davis-The Cool Cat Teacher

July 1, 2015

Vicki is a teacher and an IT Director in a small school system in Camilla, Georgia, but she is connected through her writing, speaking, podcast, and social media content throughout the world!

This is her 13th year teaching.

She writes regularly for the website Edutopia and Vicki can frequently be found as a national keynote speaker presenting on a multitude of topics.

She is a published author and has her own podcast on the BAM Radio Network called Every Classroom Matters

I subscribe to her podcast on iTunes and look forward to every episode.

Her books are Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step At A Time and Reinventing Writing: The 9 Tools that are Changing Writing, Teaching, and Learning Forever

She has an amazing blog, http://www.coolcatteacher.com/, where she expresses her thoughts about many different areas associated with teaching from technology to classroom management and many topics in between. She also connects the readers to many resources for helping with better teaching and school leading.

She also is very active on social media, especially Twitter, where her handle is @coolcatteacher

https://www.pinterest.com/coolcatteacher/

https://www.facebook.com/coolcatteacher

https://www.youtube.com/coolcatteacher

Vicki is engaging and overflowing with incredible ideas for making the classroom experience unforgettable.

After talking with Vicki, I couldn't stop talking to my team members about her inspiring words!

I think that you will get just as energized.

Enjoy!

Length:

40:45

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Episode 59: Amanda Miliner, 2015 Georgia Teacher of the Year

June 17, 2015

Amanda is an elementary teacher in Houston County, Georgia who was recognized as the 2015 Georgia Teacher of the Year. In 2006 she was Miss Georgia and competed for the title of Miss America.

This last year she spent time in schools model teaching, presenting, co-teaching and talking with various organizations across the state. She also traveled to Washington, DC where she met the President, twice.

She sees herself as a self-made person. She knows how important education is. She likes to explain to kids that she came from a single parent home but that she has not let that interfere with her life journey. She is a first generation college graduate in her family and now she is working on her doctorate. She emphasizes to kids that she wanted something better for herself.

Amanda has a no excuses mentality in the classroom. She expects the kids to work hard and not ask for handouts.

She comments that she didn’t start out wanting to be a teacher, but explains how the desire to teach rose to the top.

Listen closely as she talks about the teacher who hooked her into wanting to be a teacher because she had a classroom that was like an educational theme park!

We talk about what her ideal classroom would look like as well as what her favorite resources are.

She describes herself as being orange not blue and how that impacts her teaching and her interactions with the kids.

She will challenge you to think about how you see and work with the kids.

Catch up with Amanda on Twitter @gatoty2015

Amanda mentioned these resources:

Kidblog

iMovie

Length: 30:36

00:0000:00

Episode 55: Capturing a Child’s Heart with Flip Flippen

May 15, 2015

Flip is focused on helping kids and teachers be successful by changing behaviors and attitudes.

He is the founder and chairman of the Flippen Group, “an educator training, corporate talent, and team development company.” He is also the author of The Flip Side: Break Free of the Behaviors That Hold You Back.

“Flip developed the theory of Overcoming Personal Constraints (OPC) to accelerate personal effectiveness by identifying and breaking debilitating behavior patterns that limit performance and hinder growth.”

“The theory and practice of Overcoming Personal Constraints are being used in board rooms, locker rooms, and briefing rooms to improve individual and team performance around the world.”

On today’s show, Flip connects his thoughts to creating better relationships in the school. He and his team work with the staff and students to understand how to identify those behaviors in the school house that keep the adults and students at odds with each other. He talks about the factors that need to be addressed to create a better school climate that will help adults and students be successful.

I think that you will really enjoy this conversation.

Flip is an amazing individual who has developed a way to reach out to many and help them overcome bad behaviors. After listening I encourage you to check out more about Flip and The Flippen Group.

Go to these links for more info:

The Flippen Group

The Flippen Group Education Blog

The Flippen Group YouTube Channel

Call 1-800-316-4311

Length: 48:40

00:0000:00

Episode 54: The 50 States Album and Engaging Kids with Dr. Lodge McCammon

May 7, 2015

Dr. Lodge McCammon is focused on improving teacher quality and helping teachers create learning environments that are highly collaborative, differentiated, and engaging.

Lodge is a professional musician who plays numerous instruments and creates educational songs for each of the academic core areas. Recently, he has been working on his 50 States Album as well as teaching teachers and kids how to use paper slide videos. He is an expert at flipping the classroom, a concept that he sees as making the teacher more efficient at using time. Lodge shows teachers how to flip so that more classroom time can be spent on learning instead of listening. (Check out Lodge’s original talk with me on Episode 10 and Episode 11)

If anyone has ever visited with Lodge they would probably talk about his creativity, his sense of humor, and his ability to make learning fun and engaging! You will hear all of this loud and clear throughout the interview…

lodge_mcammon_illinois_paperslide_music2

By the way…my favorite state songs are Illinois and Colorado… Find out which ones you like the best…

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He is a former public high school teacher (Civics and AP Economics) who earned his PhD at NC State and has worked with that same university to emphasize efficiency and engagement in the classroom with new and veteran teachers.

Lodge is an amazing keynote speaker, consultant, musician, and educator. In today’s interview I get him to talk about everything from what music he likes to his latest on using time more efficiently…Flip the Phone Meetings… and Walk and Talks.

You can find out more information about Dr. McCammon at

http://lodgemccammon.com

https://twitter.com/pocketlodge

http://www.youtube.com/pocketlodge

http://www.youtube.com/flippedtraining

https://www.facebook.com/fizz.education

Length – 01:30:42

00:0000:00

Episode 51: Rigor Made Easy with Dr. Barbara Blackburn

April 17, 2015

My guest today is Dr. Barbara Blackburn. She is an educational consultant who has made Rigor in the classroom one of her signature topics. She is the author of 15 books and numerous articles on educational topics to name just a few there is Rigor in the Classroom, Rigor is Not a Four-Letter Word, Rigor for Special Needs Students, and, our focus today, Rigor Made Easy.

She has taught early childhood, elementary, middle, high school and college students. She is a national speaker who can often be found presenting to workshops for school personnel.

Rigor is a word that sends shivers through many typically because it has been misinterpreted or introduced in a manner which connects it to thoughts of more of everything. In Rigor Made Easy, Barbara addresses Myths about rigor…such as Myth#1… Lots of Homework Is a Sign of Rigor and Myth#2…Rigor Means Doing More.

During our talk we discuss a few of the myths as well as several key elements of Rigor Made Easy. The book is divided into seven chapters, the first one is called Understanding Rigor and the other six are:

2. Raise the level of Content

3. Increase Complexity

4. Give appropriate Support and Guidance

5. Open Your Focus

6. Raise Expectations

7. Challenges and Adventures

Barbara’s writing style is easy to read and understand. You will find yourself ready to reassess your lesson plans so that you can address her thoughts about Rigor in your classroom and school, tomorrow.

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