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WEP 122: Everyone Can Create with Ben Mountz

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, I interview Apple Distinguished Educator, Ben Mountz about his work using apple’s Everyone Can Create Curriculum, his journey of relocating from Pennsylvania to Hawaii, what it means to be an Apple Distinguished Educator and more! I know you will enjoy this interview with Ben. He is one of the most creative educators I’ve ever met. His kindness and care for others has no limitations.

Ben is a Physics, Robotics, and Digital Storytelling instructor at Hanalani Schools in Mililani, HI.After teaching for 13 years in southeastern Pennsylvania, in 2016 he and his wife Jess realized their dream of relocating to Hawaii and continuing their teaching careers there. The rich environment allows Ben to pursue his love of creating images and media, as well as exploring the natural wonders of Hawaii through hiking, swimming, and surfing.

As an Apple Distinguished Educator, his most recent passion has been in using the various facets of Apple’s Everyone Can Create curriculum in his Digital Storytelling courses to help students find their creative voice.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Everyone Can Create Curriculum: A collection of project guides that that bring creative expression to every subject. Ben and I talk about this at length. What a fantastic resource! It is awesome and free.

• The Apple Distinguished Educator Program: Apple created the Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) program to recognize K–12 and higher-education pioneers who are using Apple technology to transform teaching and learning. These are the educators who are looking to change the world. They are active leaders from around the world helping other educators rethink what’s possible with iPad and Mac to make learning deeply personal for every student.

• The most influential books Ben chose to share are the Bible and Resonate by Nancy Durante. If you are a creator, a speaker, and educator, or really anyone trying to “create” better, you need to read and apply Resonate.

• Ben’s favorite apps are Keynote and Procreate. Both are amazing tools for creation, design, art, and more.

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly, or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast, The Future Focused Podcast and subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly’s website at www.KellyCroy.com. • Looking for a dynamic speaker for your school’s opening day? • Consider Kelly Croy at www.KellyCroy.com • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 
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7 Tips from a Convenience Store to Improve Your Classroom!

What can your class learn from Seven Eleven? Below I outline seven ways you can improve your class by examining what works at a typical convenience store. Well, I’m not talking about adding a slushy machine and rotating hot dogs on a grill to your room’s decor, however, I do believe convenience stores can challenge our thinking about learning environments, and help students learn even on days of cancellations. Maybe you think students deserve an experience better than a Seven Eleven? Awesome! I see that too, but hear me out.

Seven Eleven stores were originally called Tote’m stores because customers carried away or ‘toted’ their purchases. Then they re-branded themselves as “Seven Eleven” to emphasize their new extended hours of operation, from 7 AM to 11 PM, seven days a week. Now the stores are known for being open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Here are some ways Convenience-Store-Concepts can improve our classrooms:

  1. Re-brand Your Classroom to Reflect the Message You Want to Tell: The store was able to successfully rebrand itself several times, adapting to customer’s needs. They changed their model. Our classrooms tell a message and have a reputation, we can enhance it or change it at anytime. We do not need to do things the same way because we always have, we need to re-evaluate, improve and rebrand. What message does your class tell? What are your goals?
  2. Make Your Classroom Open 24 Hours a Day, Seven Days a Week: We are able to educate students seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year using Learning Management systems like Google Classroom, Edmodo, YouTube, Schoology, and other tools. Sure, it is not as great as being in your classroom, but it helps. Snow Days, Cancellations, illness, and vacations can interrupt a student’s learning experience, but technology and virtual classrooms can offer tutorials, refreshers, resources and more to anyone at anytime. And… they help students, like me, who need to see the material a couple more times.
  3. Convenience: Seven Eleven as well as all ‘convenient stores’ aims to make shopping convenient for their customers. Too often in education we make learning “hard to reach.” Sometimes we create obstacles and challenges for our students. Let’s make learning convenient.
  4. Customer Service: These stores work hard, albeit sometimes unsuccessfully, to train their employees to treat the customer with great respect and to be helpful. Employees are trained to greet everyone as they enter, help them, thank them, inquire if they found everything. Shouldn’t these ideals be even more present in our classrooms? I believe so.
  5. Something for Everyone & Differentiation: You can buy a donut or a protein bar at a Seven Eleven. There are bags of almonds or candy bars. Water or an 80 ounce Big Gulp. The stores provide each customer with what they want and what they need. If you’re ill, they have cold medicine. If you your car is giving you trouble, they have a quart of oil. Our classrooms need to identify the needs of each learner and work to try and meet their individual needs through a variety of ways. Technology can assist this, but not replace teacher interaction. Discover ways to provide alternatives and choices.
  6. Speed: For the most part, you can get in and out of a Seven Eleven relatively quickly. I am not suggesting all learning needs to be fast, but we do live in high-paced world. We need to change activities in the classroom to keep the attention of the modern day learner. We need to get them “on the road” to relevance quickly. Put them in the driver’s seat as quickly as we can. This means less lecture. I am a great lecturer, but that does not mean that is the best way for students to learn, but it also doesn’t mean I need to give it up completely either. Check Challenge Based, or Project Based Learning. Look into Inquiry.
  7. Customer as Worker: Who makes the slushy, builds the hot dog, and pumps the gas at a Seven Eleven? You do! Have your students do some of the work in the classroom. You don’t have to do it all, and you shouldn’t. It’s their classroom. The pride they will take in helping out will translate into ownership of the learning. They can help build lessons, set-up Breakout EDU activities, build resources for your Google Classroom, capture video for YouTube tutorials and more. Have the students help you teach so everyone can learn more. Also, students want to make things. Everyone can create, and every student should. Get your students making. Make your classroom a place of action and wonder.
Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly, or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Sign-up for The Wired Educator Newsletter. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast, The Future Focused Podcast and subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly’s website at www.KellyCroy.com. • Looking for a dynamic speaker for your school’s opening day? • Consider Kelly Croy at www.KellyCroy.com • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 
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WEP 121: Reclaiming Our Calling, an Interview with Brad Gustafson

Hold on to the Heart, Mind, and Hope of Education

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews Dr. Brad Gustafson about is hot new book, Reclaiming Our Calling: Hold on to the Heart, Mind, and Hope of Education. This is a great interview that will inspire you and help you in so many ways. Be sure to leave a podcast review, a comment, and share with your tribe and PLN. Thank you for listening.

Dr. Brad Gustafson’s life is defined by his faith, family, and desire to help others succeed. He is a practicing principal, speaker, best-selling author, National School Boards Association “20 to Watch,” Digital Innovation in Learning Award winner, and Minnesota Principal of the Year. He serves on Scholastic’s Principal Advisory Board and is a national advisor with Future Ready Schools. He also co-hosts the UnearthED podcast. You can connect with him at BradGustafson.com or by checking out his newest book, “Reclaiming Our Calling.”

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly, or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast, The Future Focused Podcast and subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly’s website at www.KellyCroy.com. • Looking for a dynamic speaker for your school’s opening day? • Consider Kelly Croy at www.KellyCroy.com • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 
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WEP 120: Coaching and Leading, an Interview with Phil Cristofaro

An Interview with Australian, Apple Distinguished Educator, Phil Cristofaro on Coaching & Leading

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly talks with Phil Cristofaro, a distinguished educator and coach from Victoria, Australia about coaching, leadership and an amazing #EveryoneCanCreate project his students published. You will love everything about this episode including Phil’s incredible insight into education from 30+ years of service, and his Austrailian perspective and accent. What a great interview.

Phill Cristofaro has thirty years experience as a classroom teacher, Leader and Instructional Coach.  He is an Apple Distinguished Educator and is an accredited Apple Professional Learning Specialist. In 2007, Phill was a finalist in the Herald Sun Teacher of the Year Awards and in 2005 was a finalist in the Outstanding Primary Teacher category of the Education Excellence Awards (Victoria, Australia).

Phill works part-time as a Digital Learning Coach at Mackellar Primary School in Melbourne, Australia. Phill supports schools and education across all levels of the system as a part-time consultant. He has published more than twenty iTunes U courses which showcase his expertise in high-level instructional practice and creativity. Phill recently published a student project in the form of an interactive Apple Book titled, “Convergence: April 13th, 1945”.

Phil and Kelly discuss: The importance of teaching to the child, not the level, how the interactive book was produced and published, what the project represents in terms of learning, creation and differentiation as well as collaboration, creativity and a strong female role in learning, student agency, and more!

I love hearing Phil say, “Mate” and he explains why his nickname for me is ‘Bear.’

Mentioned in this podcast:

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly, or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast, The Future Focused Podcast and subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly’s website at www.KellyCroy.com. • Looking for a dynamic speaker for your school’s opening day? • Consider Kelly Croy at www.KellyCroy.com • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 
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The Very Best Student Learning Experience, and Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is one of my favorite actors. He may not be your’s and that’s okay, but to me he really seems to go out of his way to make a great experience for everyone that sees his movies. He said as much in a recent public service announcement about viewing movies on a smart TV and the problem of video interpolation, which is when the TV smoothing out the picture, which actually degrades high definition action movies. You can watch him talk about it here in this PSA if you are interested, but the focus is on his closing words, though, “…on behalf of everyone who works so hard to bring you the very best motion picture experience.”

Boom! That’s really it, isn’t it? That is what we should be focused on doing in education. Our goal is to create the very best student learning experience possible for everyone. We are a team working together on a common goal, from our janitorial staff preparing the school for the day, to the bus driver picking the students up, to the administration greeting students at the doors, to the teachers welcoming them to class, to the cafeteria workers making sure they get a great meal, and every experience in their day, including the work we send home for them to complete. All of it… every single piece should be about creating the best learning experience possible.

What would the result be? I imagine students just couldn’t wait to get to school. They would love their classes, build self esteem, learn, make lasting friendships, and become life-long learners that love to read and give back to their community.

Making a movie takes a lot of work. There is a lot of editing. When you see the credits roll for literally minutes you may be surprised on just how many people there are to thank for making that movie possible. The same is true in education.

The PSA linked above shows Tom apologizing for how smart televisions have a feature that needs turned off in order to enjoy his latest movie. The feature gets in the way of the magic of the movie. As educators, let’s focus on that “best experience” and turn off some of the features that get in the way.

Thanks for all you do in education. You are awesome!

~Kelly
Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly, or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast, The Future Focused Podcast and subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly’s website at www.KellyCroy.com. • Looking for a dynamic speaker for your school’s opening day? • Consider Kelly Croy at www.KellyCroy.com • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 
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Resolutions I Want Every Educator to Make in 2019

Educators are my favorite species. They not only work incredibly hard all hours of the day to make an impact in the lives of those they teach, they are also constantly working to improve themselves as well.

Each year I taught, I wanted to make my classroom, lessons, and engagement better. I was always trying to level-up. I still am. I made resolutions each school year and again at the start of the new year. I love those imaginary reset buttons! I shared my resolutions each year with my students and hung them on the classroom wall. Why? Because I knew my students would hold me accountable. And boy did they! I didn’t hit them all, but I hit more than I would have if I didn’t share them.

Which of the following resolutions are you nailing? Scared of? Challenged by?

Here are 19 resolutions I believe every educator should make:

  1. Help to Build a Positive School Culture: Your words and actions contribute to the culture of your building and school district. You are a leader and influencer even if you don’t think you are. You are. Are your words and actions improving the culture of your school district? Are you waiting for someone else to fix the problems? Are you better at pointing out the problems or leading solutions?
  2. Make Your Class Open 24 Hours a Day from Anywhere in the World: Turn your class in to a 7-Eleven. Use Google Classroom or other Learning Management Systems to help students who are absent, traveling, or need to see things for a second or third time. Kids can learn anytime from anywhere. They can even do work on snow days.
  3. Build a New Community in Your School: Look at the students in your school. Which groups of students don’t have a place to share their talents and feel like a contributor? Find them and build that community. You don’t need to be the expert. Just identify what is missing, talk to your administrator, throw a poster on the wall, make an announcement and get going. Maybe it is a group of video gamers, lego builders, robot drivers, or a book or food club. Ask your students and help them feel a contributor to their school.
  4. Add a Portion of Challenge Based Learning to Your Year: Call it what you want, Project Based Learning, SOLE, Problem Based Learning or CBL, but add a little to your school year. Students need to be making and thinking and collaborating and solving. Check out startSOLE or Apple’s Challenge Based Learning: A Classroom Guide. You don’t need to change everything, just add a little. It goes a long way. You will love it, and it is the future.
  5. Collaborate with Your Colleagues to Build Dynamic Lessons and Units: Work with the other teachers in your building to collaborate on lesson plans to increase engagement and design interdisciplinary thematic units. It’s fun for you and the students. The most memorable lessons I ever experienced were working with my colleagues. You can even plan remotely using PlanBook.com, Apple Numbers or Google Sheets.
  6. Take Less Home: Living in constant overwhelm and frustration is not normal nor admirable. Everyone is busy. Teaching is fun and noble. It’s time to get efficient, take less home, and have more pride and joy being a teacher. Design a curriculum plan for your class and change just a small percentage each year rather than constantly trying to redo everything. Take less work home. Really. What are you taking home anyway? What are you trying to assess and measure?Try to do more in class with the students in the form of labs, workshops, presentations and SOLE projects and less 19th century grading of tests and quizzes.
  7. Rethink Homework: “But students need the practice!” Really? I’m not telling you not to give homework, but I am asking you to rethink what you are sending home. Check out the book Ditch That Homework by Alice Keeler and Matt Miller for ideas. Talk with fellow teachers and admins. Rethink homework. Please.
  8. Transform the Use of Technology in Your Classroom: Technology does not need to be used the majority of the time. What a misconception, but when it is used, it should be sued to create content, and only briefly to consume. Examine how you are using tech in your classroom. Offer your students amazing ways to create and publish what they know. Create digital textbooks, videos, presentations, animations, and more! Get going. If your students are mostly on websites clicking answers, well… you’re using it poorly. Try the book 50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom.
  9. Share Your Story: Take all of the great things you and your students are doing and share them with the world on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, a blog, YouTube or write a book. Everyone benefits. Start this, this year!
  10. Attend a Conference: It is always awesome to get out of your classroom and learn something new, get inspired, and apply it. I recommend returning and giving a presentation to your building and maybe even your board. If you don’t return and apply it, then maybe you should let someone else go in your place. Apply.
  11. Apply to Speak at a Conference: Share what you know! Don’t have anything special enough to share? Then it’s time to level-up and get after it. I’m serious.
  12. Nominate a Colleague: Yes, find someone in your district you admire and nominate them for some recognition. Why? Because they deserve it, and when one educator is looked upon positively, all educators are looked upon positively.
  13. Collaborate with a Colleague: Open the door to your classroom both figuratively and literally and find ways to collaborate with other teachers. I suggest creating an interdisciplinary thematic unit with a culminating activity with other teachers at your grade level. It’s fun, memorable, and good for students.
  14. Lead: Rather than complain about something you don’t like, create a solution and begin implementing it. That’s called leading. We are all educational leaders. Need help? Read my book Along Came a Leader, or one of my favorites, Start. Right. Now.
  15. Start a YouTube Channel for Your Classroom: Hey, it’s all about video. I found myself watching someone cook a fish dinner the other day on Facebook. I watched the whole thing. I don’t like to cook, and I hate fish. My point is… video done well can be engaging, and your class could be open to students 24/7. Do this now.
  16. Get Connected with Other Educators: Build Your Personal Learning Network (PLN) either online by using Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or reach out to educators in your building, district, or state. Share what you know. Learn from them. Show other educators how to do this.
  17. Publish Student Work: Find unique and powerful ways to share and publish the work your students do in your classroom. Give them authentic audiences and genuine purposes to create. Build a website, start a podcast, host a “fair”, publish them on a blog, YouTube, or SeeSaw. Have them create digital books as published authors using Book Creator or Apple’s Pages. Publish their work.
  18. Contact Every Family You Teach: Seriously, forget the email. Pick up the phone or send a postcard home to every family you teach. Find something positive to say about every student and offer them a personal challenge in your class. Let them know you care about them. When you do have to contact home for something less than positive it will be easier because you have already talked with them about something positive.
  19. Read an Educational Book: There are so many great educational books out there that will change your career. Grab one and see what a difference it makes. Looking for suggestions? Try Teach Like a Pirate, Lead Like a Pirate, or Empower. Also check out my podcast for links to fantastic educational books. How about my book, Along Came a Leader? It will challenge you in many ways.

Bonus: Subscribe and listen to an educational podcast. Here is a great list from Monica Burns the creator of Class Tech Tips. >>> Click here for Monica’s list. <<<

What did I miss? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly, or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast, The Future Focused Podcast and subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly’s website at www.KellyCroy.com. • Looking for a dynamic speaker for your school’s opening day? • Consider Kelly Croy at www.KellyCroy.com • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

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WEP 119: The Importance of Video Games as Esports Games in Your School, An Interview with James O’Hagan

An Interview with James O'Hagan

“It is not cutting edge to have an esports team. It is cutting edge what you do with it to connect kids into something more than the games.”

In this episode, Kelly interviews James O’Hagan, an expert in esports games in education, a veteran teacher and administrator, and host of the Academy of Esports Podcast. James will challenge your thinking about the importance of video games in school and offer you amazing resources and direction to help you start up your school district’s esports team. I love this interview with James, and I know you will too. He is brilliant! I love his thoughts on how his school’s athletic director is more like an activities director, and how he lists the benefits of esports games in education including improvements in: attendance, engagement, grades, health, becoming coachable, social media appropriateness.

An educator for 20 years, James O’Hagan has long believed that video games can promote a positive culture for students that engages creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills. He has served as an elementary, middle and high school teacher and administrator, and has worked with rural, urban and suburban students. In addition, James founded esports teams in two school districts that have blossomed into city-wide conferences.

James is a national speaker on a variety of topics involving the intersection of technology and education, and is currently completing his dissertation in the field of instructional technology at Northern Illinois University.

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Planbook.com: The best way to create, organize, and share your lesson plans, sponsored this podcast.

Unthink Before Bed Launch Team: Kelly’s closed, private, and limited Facebook Page: Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s book to encourage mindfulness and erase anxiety. This is the launch team to help bring this book to life and promote it. Please join us!

The Future Focused Team Facebook Page: This is a closed, limited, and private Facebook Group that will post one 30 day challenge and one task per month, and the community will hold you accountable to post your results. It will be fun and help you become your best self. Please join the Future Focused Team Facebook Page.

James O’Hagan’s favorite book: The Three Body Problem by Cixin Li

The Academy of Esports Links
The Academy of Esports Homepage – http://www.taoesports.com
Apple Podcast Link – https://esports.irish/ApplePodcast

YouTube – https://esports.irish/YouTube

Twitch Channel – https://esports.irish/Twitch
SXSW EDU 2019 Session – https://esports.irish/SXSWEDU
 
James Links
James LinkedIn Profile – https://esports.irish/James
James Twitter Profile – https://esports.irish/JamesTwitter
Educational Resources
North American Scholastic Esports Federation – https://www.esportsfed.org/
NASEF Integrated English Curriculum – https://www.esportsfed.org/learning/curriculum/
Popular Esports Games

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Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly, or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast, The Future Focused Podcast and subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly’s website at www.KellyCroy.com. • Looking for a dynamic speaker for your school’s opening day? • Consider Kelly Croy at www.KellyCroy.com • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

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Have Your Question and Voice Featured on The Wired Educator Podcast

Have Your Question and Voice Featured on The Wired Educator Podcast!

I want to feature your question and your voice on my podcast.

The Wired Educator Podcast will still interview amazing educators from around the world, promoting their work, writings, and inspiration, but now, with your help, it will feature a question or two each month that you submit. I will listen to the submitted questions and choose one that I believe I can offer some insight, advice, and opinion to help.

So… what question do you have about education, school, teaching, students, etc.?

Simply hit the record button below and record your voice and question.

Be sure to include at least your first name. (I’d really love to feature your first and last name and your school if I can. Add a little bit about yourself too.)

Ask a question that you’d like some advice. What is your biggest obstacle? What do you need help with?

I hope you feature YOU on The Wired Educator Podcast!

Thank you for considering.


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25+ Podcast Interviews of Dave Burgess Consulting Authors and Speakers

Listen to 25 individual interviews with Dave Burgess Consulting Educational Authors

Dave and Shelley Burgess are the co-owners of Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc., which specializes in transforming education through dynamic professional development programs and the publishing of books that have sparked an educational revolution all over the world.

Here it is! Twenty-Five podcast interviews with DBC authors on one page! Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. has disrupted the educational publishing market and redefined what it means to be an educational author. Dave has assembled a collection of passionate, innovative and caring educators on a variety of cutting-edge pedagogies that truly distill what I believe being a wired educator is all about: leveling-up as an educator and making a difference in the lives of students.

I am proud to have interviewed twenty-five educational authors from Dave Burgess Consulting, including the legend himself, Dave Burgess. My hope, plan, and goal is to interview them all.

These are amazing interviews. Each interview is typically around 45 minutes in length, and we go into fun but deep discussions on every educational topic imaginable.

I hope you will listen to them all. These were fun to record. This is close to 25 hours of recored audio below. If you like what you hear, I encourage you to check out the show notes, or purchase their book and go even deeper.

You can Learn more about Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. by listening to Dave’s podcast interview and Shelley’s podcast interview below, or by visiting their website DaveBurgessConsulting.com.

Enjoy!

Kelly

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In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews: Jeffrey Zoul

Click here to order your copy of the educational book: Stop Right Now by Jeffrey Zoul and Jimmy Casas

Here’s the interview with: Jeffery Zoul

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In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews: Julie Hasson

Click here to order your copy of the educational book: Unmapped Potential: An Educator’s Guide to Lasting Change by Julie Hasson & Missy Lennard

Here’s the interview with: Julie Hasson

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In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews: Paul Solarz

Click here to order your copy of the educational book: Learn Like a Pirate: Empower Your Students to Collaborate, Learn and Succeed by Paul Solarz.

Here’s the interview with: Paul Solarz

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In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, Kelly interviews: Rich Czyz

Click here to order your copy of the educational book: The Four O’Clock Faculty: A Rogue Guide to Revolutionize Professional Development by Rich Czyz

Here’s the interview with: Rich Czyz

Here is the link to my blog post and show notes with Rich.

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The Worst Teaching Advice I Ever Received, and The Best Advice I Can Give a New Teacher

My first year of teaching was 1991. I was fresh out of college and excited to make a difference in the lives of students.

I may have not known a lot about teaching that first year, but I did have a couple of things going for me: I was extremely passionate about being a teacher, and I knew bad advice when I heard it.

I remember being told by a veteran teacher, “Don’t let them see you smile until after Christmas.”

I know the intention was meant well and to be helpful. Apparently this was to help me with my classroom management. The teacher cautioned me about “having fun” in class with the students. Whoa!

I looked really young and there really wasn’t much of an age difference with the students, and the teacher thought if I was tough in the class the students would behave.

Luckily, I knew this wasn’t going to work for me. I liked to have fun and wanted the students to like my class. Through conversations, journal entries, writing assignments, and even surveys, I learned the interests of my students and created a good rapport with the kids. They liked coming to my class, and I believe because they liked the class, they worked hard, had some fun, and learned a lot.

I had a lot to learn as a teacher, but ‘not smiling’ to Christmas was really bad advice for me that I’m glad I did not follow.

More often than not, I found that my students mirrored my attitude in my class. How I acted in the classroom really set the tone for most of the class. My smiles were most often mirrored by smiles. If I was excited with a lesson, so seemingly was the majority of my class. My attitude was seemingly contagious.

Not only was ‘not smiling until Christmas’ bad advice, I believe smiling is probably one of the best things a teacher can do:

  • Smiling can improve attendance. Smiling welcomes student to the building, your classroom, and to the day.
  • Smiling can increase participation. “I can trust this teacher. This teacher is kind and nonjudgmental.
  • Smiling can improve performance. I like this class; I want to work hard in here.
  • Smiling makes you a better teacher. Smiling is the first step to being a kind teacher, and if you can be nothing else as a teacher, be kind. Being kind is the most important quality a teacher can possess.
  • Smiling can reduce discipline problems. Smiling is contagious and sets the tone for a positive learning environment. Smiling in times of discipline says, “this is not personal; these are simply the rules we must follow.”
  • Smiling can increase rapport and engagement.
  • Smiling has many health benefits including reducing stress and anxiety.
  • Smiling builds self esteem. 

I have received a lot of recognition for my work as a teacher, and I am thankful for that, but the most meaningful measure of my work is when I reconnect with a former student and they thank me for my kindness in how I worked with them. That is what I am most proud.

The best advice I can offer any educator is: be kind. Be kind to your students, your colleagues, your administrators, and to yourself. Your smile, attitude and kindness is contagious and a gift to all. And… they’re free.

Wishing all listeners of the Wired Educator Podcast and readers of the Wired Educator Blog, Happy Holidays.

Kelly

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Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. If you’d like to learn more about Kelly, or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast, The Future Focused Podcast and subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly’s website at www.KellyCroy.com. • Looking for a dynamic speaker for your school’s opening day? • Consider Kelly Croy at www.KellyCroy.com • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram