In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I have the privilege of interviewing one of my all-time educational heroes, Rick Wormeli. He’s the Mick Jagger of Education. He tackles the big questions in education and explores every strategy and method and puts it to the test. He will make you laugh. He will make you think. He will challenge the way teach. He’ll inspire you in so many ways! Rick isn’t just a legend, he’s one of the most authentic voices in education. We dive in so many areas including assessments, grading, rubrics, literacy, preparing for the new year, starting new initiatives and more.  I think think this may be the greatest interview with Rick ever recorded but I am biased. Buckle up.

Click here to listen to this interview with Rick Wormeli on The Wired Educator Podcast. 

One of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America, Rick brings innovation, energy, validity and high standards to both his presentations and his instructional practice, which include 39 years teaching math, science, English, physical education, health, and history, as well as coaching teachers and principals. Rick’s work has been reported in numerous media, including ABC’s Good Morning America, Hardball with Chris Matthews, National Geographic and Good Housekeeping magazines, What Matters Most: Teaching for the 21st Century, and the Washington Post. He is a columnist for AMLE Magazine and a frequent contributor to ASCD’s Education Leadership magazine. He is the author of the award-winning book Meet Me in the Middle as well as the best-selling books Day One and Beyond, Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom (Second Edition), Differentiation: From Planning to Practice and Metaphors & Analogies: Power Tools for Teaching any Subject, all five from Stenhouse Publishers, as well as Summarization in any Subject: 60 Innovative and Tech-Infused Strategies for Deeper Student Learning (releasing in fall 2018) published by ASCD.  His book, The Collected Writings (So Far) of Rick Wormeli: Crazy Good Stuff I Learned about Teaching Along the Way, is collection of his published articles, guest blogs and more through 2013. His classroom practice is a showcase for ASCD’s best-selling series, At Work in the Differentiated Classroom.

With his substantive presentations, sense of humor and unconventional approaches, he has been asked to present to teachers and administrators in all 50 states, Canada, China, Europe, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Australia the Middle East, and at the White House. He is a seasoned veteran of many international webcasts, and he is Disney’s American Teacher Awards 1996 Outstanding English Teacher of the Nation. He won the 2008 James P. Garvin award from the New England League of Middle Schools for Teaching Excellence, Service and Leadership, and he has been a consultant for National Public Radio, USA Today, Court TV and the Smithsonian Institution’s Natural Partners Program and their search for the giant squid. Rick lives in Herndon, Virginia, with his wife, Kelly, and both are proud of recently launching the last of their children into adulthood. With the kids’ college years now behind them, Rick and Kelly are now eagerly spending their childrens’ inheritance while Rick works on his first young adult fiction novel and a new book on changing the culture of a school for ethical grading practices.

Mentioned in this episode:

Please support our sponsor: www.PlanBook.com

Rick’s website: www.rockwormeli.com

Some of my favorite Rick Wormeli book:

Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom

The Collected Writings (so far): Crazy Good Stuff I’ve Learned About Teaching Along the Way of Rick Wormeli

A Big Thank-You to our sponsor www.Planbook.com – Enter code “Wired” at sign-up

Planbook has been the established leader in online lesson planning since 2010, offering collaborative lesson sharing, flexible administrator access, and even student view tools for just $15 a year. Using Planbook, educators can build customized school years, classes, and lessons 100% online, directly inputting class materials and up-to-date standards from all over the world. Enter code “Wired” at sign-up to join over 800,000 Planbook teachers today and get your first year for only $5!