Episodes
Wednesday Jul 01, 2015
Episode 60: Vicki Davis-The Cool Cat Teacher
Wednesday Jul 01, 2015
Wednesday Jul 01, 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
Thursday Jan 08, 2015
Episode 42: First Year Teaching with Mrs. Melanie Knight
Thursday Jan 08, 2015
Thursday Jan 08, 2015
Mrs. Melanie Knight is a first year middle school teacher at Wheeler County Middle School, in Alamo, Georgia. She is a graduate of Brewton Parker College’s education program and teaching is in her family tree. She is the daughter of teachers; her father was also a superintendent of Wheeler County Schools as well as her grandfather.
As of the interview, Mrs. Knight is in the middle of her first year of teaching. She uses many instructional strategies, small groups, individual practice, integrated technology, word walls, and other techniques to help the kids get the content. When I asked her where she learned to use these she credited other staff in her school as important mentors.
I had the great fortune of watching her teach. Not only does she have good command of many strong instructional strategies but she also emphasizes a need to develop the students’ understanding of content and academic vocabulary. She uses TIPS (Terms Information Pictures and Sentences)…this is an adaption of something she learned from Learning in the Fast Lane by Suzy Pepper Rollins and what she has been taught by other staff members to develop the students’ understanding of vocabulary.
Mrs. Knight emphasizes the need to create engagement. It is quite noticeable as the kids are up and working and part of the class. They are not passive, but active.
She also has developed an excellent rapport with the kids. She commented, “I’m strict but friendly.” When you walk in her class you are automatically aware that it is a bright and cheerful place to be. She noted, “I use bright colors to help me create a welcoming classroom.”
When I asked her what has been most helpful for her during her first year in teaching she responded, “Help and support from the school staff and family members.” She continued, “It is helpful to have someone to talk to…to talk things out.”
She is a big fan of Pinterest and finds that the social media tool is a great help for getting ideas and support for working with the kids.
I asked her what advice she would give to someone who is getting ready to find their first teaching position and she replied, “Be open to new ideas…Be open to learning…learn from everyone around you.”
Mrs. Knight’s energy and focus on the kids is wonderful!
Enjoy!
Length 29:28