Phenomenal Teaching with PEBC

What happens when we focus on assets rather than deficits? Listen in as Julie Wright shares strategies for “growing the good” with Michelle Morris Jones on PEBC's Phenomenal Teaching Podcast.  Identifying and leveraging student and teacher assets allows us to, "Size up what students CAN do and use that to lift their learning."  This episode of the Phenomenal Teaching podcast connects to both the community and assessment strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework as well as the culture strand of the PEBC Leadership Framework.  

Julie Wright believes that autonomy and agency thrive for children and adults when responses are efficient, effective and equitable. Julie is a traveling teacher, instructional coach, educational consultant, author, and a short texts-of-all- types enthusiast.  You may know Julie through some of her writing, she is the co-author of What Are You Grouping For?, Grades 3-8: How to Guide Small Groups Based on Readers -- Not the Book and author of What’s Our Response? Creating Systems and Structures to Support ALL Learners and Side-by-Side Instructional Coaching: 10 Asset-Based Habits that Spark Collaboration, Risk-Taking, and Growth.  In her free time, Julie enjoys hiking with her family, tinkering in her garden, and is a wanna-be beekeeper. Click here for more resources. 

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching.  Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are creating scaffolds for each and every student to ensure that classrooms and schools are places where agency, equity, and understanding can flourish.

Nicole Tucker-Smith joins Michelle Morris Jones on PEBC’s  Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to share ways teachers and school leaders can cultivate spaces that promote agency, equity and connection for all learners.  Nicole encourages us to confront how and why school spaces encourage assimilation, compliance, and conformity and to envision how we might transform our classroom and school environments to promote agency, equity and connection.

Auditing our materials and use of time provide helpful insights into which values our spaces are reflecting. Sometimes one's space may not be reflecting the values that we believe in, and then it is time to examine why or why-not our values and beliefs are not evident. In order to promote agency, equity, and connection we must value choice, ownership, and relationships when designing spaces for learners. Then we must choose actions that illustrate those values. Nicole asks us to promote equity over assimilation, agency over compliance, and connection over conformity.  We can take any moment in the school day, space or system and ask ourselves: Are we valuing assimilation over equity?  Compliance over agency? Or conformity over connection?

Think about something as simple as the way we greet students at the door or read aloud time.  Do our actions, words, and classroom arrangement encourage assimilation over equity? Compliance over agency? Or conformity over connection?  Nicole shares a variety of strategies, examples, and steps that educators can take to transform their learning environments. This episode connects to the Community strand of the PEBC Teaching Framework. 

Nicole Tucker-Smith, founder and CEO of Lessoncast, helps schools implement professional learning initiatives focused on inclusive teaching and equity best practice. Nicole co-authored Supercharge Your Professional Learning: 40 Concrete Strategies to Improve Adult Learning and wrote Remote PD Zen, available on Amazon, Apple Books, and Google Play. She also leads the Jumpstart PD Network, a community of educators to share ideas, spread resources, post tips, and dialogue on key areas of interest related to designing and delivering effective PD focused on inclusion and equity. Nicole’s article, “The Illusion of Equity PD,” is featured in the March 2021 issue of Educational Leadership. Learn more about Nicole here.

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching. Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. 

Lily Howard Scott joins Michelle Morris Jones on PEBC's  Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to discuss how a focus on social and emotional learning (SEL) isn’t simply a nice-to-have, a perk, but a need-to-have, a prerequisite for meaningful learning. How children feel in the classroom is inextricably linked to how they do in the classroom. Emotionally literate children who know how to navigate their inner lives can persevere through challenging tasks with resilience, and students who feel deeply connected to their peers and teachers can take the risks that inspire the greatest cognitive growth. Best of all, prioritizing SEL doesn’t mean adopting a new curriculum or adding one more thing to teachers’ plates—Lily introduces simple ideas and techniques that can be easily woven into every portion of the school day. These often-subtle shifts in practice can have a tremendous impact, tilting classroom cultures away from shame and competition towards love, creativity, and personal growth.  This episode connects to the Community strand of the PEBC Teaching Framework. 

Lily brings nearly 10 years of classroom teaching experience to our discussion. Currently an SEL coach, she teaches in the Continuing Professional Studies department at Bank Street College of Education and provides professional development to teachers and school leaders around the country. Her work is centered around helping children navigate their inner lives, connect with each other, and explore and empathize with varied perspectives. Lily presents regularly at national conferences and her writing about the importance of a child-centered, holistic approach to learning has been published in Edutopia and The Washington Post. Learn more about Lily at https://www.lilyhowardscott.com/.

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching.  Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are creating scaffolds for each and every student to ensure that classrooms and schools are places where agency, equity, and understanding can flourish.

Gita Varadarajan joins Michelle Morris Jones on the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to talk about the ways in which diverse texts allow students to develop empathy for others, explore challenging topics, find joy and deepen their comprehension skills. Gita brings years of classroom experience to spark conversation and  scaffold opportunities that guide students toward a variety of texts to create a balanced diet of rich literature. As illustrated in the PEBC Teaching Framework, providing students with life worthy materials that mirror the real world, time to read and explore, and lively discourse create classroom communities that support agency, equity and understanding.

In addition, Gita shares her journey as an author, educator, and newcomer to the United States. Gita Varadarajan was born and raised in India. She is the co-author of the award-winning Save Me a Seat with Sarah Weeks and the newly released My Bindi (illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan). She has worked with children all over the world and currently teaches 4th grade at Riverside Elementary School in Princeton, New Jersey. As a children's author, Gita strives to incorporate her understanding of power and privilege along with the importance of hope and joy as her characters navigate the world of school and home. She hopes her stories provide new perspectives for her readers, opportunities to connect with diverse literature, and to create a place for laughter and joy.  Learn more about Gita by visiting her website or following her on twitter at @gitavarad1.

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching.  Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are creating scaffolds for each and every student to ensure that classrooms and schools are places where agency, equity, and understanding can flourish.

Listen in as Crystal Hughes shares how she developed scaffolds to support her 8th graders shift from passive online learners to engaged historians and writers on PEBC's Phenomenal Teaching Podcast with Michelle Morris Jones. When school began last year, Crystal’s students were quite reluctant to engage in writing, yet Crystal knew that her students were capable of being successful with argumentation. Tapping into the workshop model and formative assessment allowed Crystal to create a Writer’s Workshop within her social studies class.  Specifically, throwing away writing fears, setting high expectations, planning for engagement with intriguing topics, leveraging formative assessments, meeting in small groups, conferring, chunking the process, providing time to write, differentiating tools, using consistent rubrics, and developing a community of writers were some of the ways that Crystal moved students from producing a few lines on the page to crafting an argumentative essay with each unit.  Crystal believes in the importance of courageous curiosity and radical empathy and uses these beliefs as energy sources to support each and every student to be successful. This episode connects to the workshop and assessment strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework.

Crystal spent 10 years in the beauty industry before coming to teaching full-time. Throughout those years she worked with students in many different types of settings. Tutoring on weekends, volunteering with youth in her community and at local schools. During those years Crystal earned a Bachelor's degree at the University of Kentucky and her Master’s Degree from Georgetown College. Crystal is a first-generation college student who knows first-hand the challenges of generational poverty. With the love and support of her family, Crystal has been sowing roots at the Mighty Elkhorn Middle School for the past five years where she served as an 8th grade social studies teacher, team lead for seven teachers and a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports team member. She most recently completed her Principal Program at the University of Cumberlands and is now an Academic Dean. Follow her on Twitter @007CHughes.

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching.  Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are creating scaffolds for each and every student to ensure that classrooms and schools are places where agency, equity, and understanding can flourish.

Marlee Bunch and Brittany Collins join the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to discuss the intersection of Grief-Responsive Teaching and Anti-Bias/Anti-Racist (ABAR) Teaching with Michelle Morris Jones. Developing our collective understanding of how to support students who have experienced trauma and loss increases our ability to develop classroom and school communities that support agency, equity and understanding as described in the PEBC Teaching Framework. Listen in as Marlee and Brittany share startling statistics, incredible resources, and practical strategies to support students in their healing journeys. Grief-Responsive Teaching and ABAR Teaching are distinctly different, yet have strong mutually supportive similarities. Marlee and Brittany share how paying attention to environment, connection and curriculum provide students with a safe place to land and thrive.

When supporting students who are experiencing grief or healing from trauma, Brittany encourages educators to:

• Cultivate environments that are consistent and safe;
• Create opportunities for students to connect with one another in authentic ways; and
• Develop a curriculum that is steeped in choice so that students can process loss through shared literary experiences, writing, and personal narratives.

When developing ABAR school communities, Marlee encourages educators to:

• Attract and retain BIPOC teachers so that the school environment honors all cultures and races;
• Make connections with colleagues who don’t look like you to learn about other’s experiences; and
• Develop a curriculum that is steeped in creativity, art, poetry, and allows for text pairing to explore a variety of perspectives.

Access the mentioned resources here.

Marlee is an educator with over 15 years of teaching experience. She holds two graduate degrees, and is currently working on her doctoral degree from the University of Illinois. Her study illustrates the impact the long history of segregation, Brown v. Board of Education, and desegregation efforts had on the teaching experiences of Black female educators. Check out Marlee's zine, "Unlearning the Hush: The Empowering Narratives of Black Educators and Mentors." 

Brittany’s work explores the impacts of grief, loss, and trauma in the school system, as well as how innovative pedagogies-- from inquiry-based learning to identity development curricula-- can create conditions supportive of all learners. Brittany is the author of Learning from Loss: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Supporting Grieving Students, which was published in 2021.

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching.  Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are creating scaffolds for each and every student to ensure that classrooms and schools are places where agency, equity, and understanding can flourish.

How might we support vibrant, diverse, passionate individuals to become teachers? Listen in as John Kearney, Director of Recruitment and Alumni Engagement for the PEBC Teacher Residency Program, shares the ways in which a career teaching is more accessible than ever before, and recent graduates, Nicole Herrera & Char Brock share their stories of their experiences of becoming educators.

John Kearney illustrates how the PEBC Teacher Residency is structured to meet a variety of incoming teachers’ needs, learning styles, and hopes.  In addition, he shares ways in which the program supports all residents via coaching, mentoring, cohort collegiality, lab classroom visits, and authentic coursework.  Finally, John highlights the ways in which the state of Colorado is elevating the importance of high quality teacher preparation by providing stipends that make teaching a reality for more people than ever before.

Nicole Herrera had never considered a career in education. She did not have teachers who looked like her nor had anyone ever suggested she enter the field of education.  Her love for learning, advocacy, and community piqued her interest and the PEBC Teacher Residency program supported her desire to learn alongside other teachers from day one.  As a resident Nicole was able to learn the craft of teaching, deepen her content knowledge, coach wrestling, serve on school based committees, and form the Journey of Our Heritage Club while earning her teacher license. This year Nicole will be teaching Social Studies.

Char Brock has worked in the field of education for nine years and served students through the Study Center at Arapahoe High School and Next Littleton GED Plus Program, yet she did not hold a teaching license. PEBC’s Teacher of Record pathway allowed Char to earn her license while concurrently teaching Intervention and Math at Englewood High School (with full pay and benefits). She was able to tap into her Masters of Educational Psychology degree and, with support from her cohort, co-teacher, clinical coach, and school mentor, she shifted from supporting students one-on-one to planning and teaching units and daily lessons. Char strives to elevate students’ assets so that they can see themselves as agents of their own learning.

If you or someone you know would make a Phenomenal Teacher, contact John Kearney at [email protected]

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching.  Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are creating scaffolds for each and every student to ensure that classrooms and schools are places where agency, equity, and understanding can flourish.

We can’t give what we don’t have! Educators more often than not play the role of advocate on behalf of their students, and this work can be equally rewarding and exhausting. Listen in as Dr. Kimberly Muñoz and Michelle Morris Jones dive into the realities of equitable education advocacy and suggestions for sustainable advocacy. Dr. Muñoz shares her perspectives on the importance of healing, and how in order to continue to move forward as individuals and as a group we must continue to heal. In addition, Dr. Muñoz offers the following invitations as ways for advocates to “fill their cups” as they engage in this meaningful journey.

• Reframe our identities as advocates, as opposed to martyrs
• Find joy and creativity in our work and life outside of school
• Do what is in front of you, as opposed to taking on the world
• Demonstrate empathy for yourself and others
• Find your tribe and be a bit of a Chingona!

This episode connects to PEBC’s belief that each and every student deserves a great educator and by building one’s internal capacities we can create phenomenal learning experiences that promote agency, equity, and understanding.

Dr. Kimberly Muñoz is an advocate for equitable educational opportunities for bilingual students in her roles as an educator and researcher.  She has served students as a bilingual educator for the past twenty years across the state of Texas. Dr. Muñoz earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading Education from Texas A&M-Commerce. She is currently an adjunct professor of preservice and in-service teachers at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas and participates in several local and international research teams which explore the development of teacher educator programs. Follow her on instagram/twitter @drkimberlymunoz or reach out at [email protected].

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching.  Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are creating scaffolds for each and every student to ensure that classrooms and schools are places where agency, equity, and understanding can flourish.

Our students are the problem solvers of the future! Unfortunately, by 3rd grade 50% of kids have already decided if they are confident STEM learners or not. Let's disrupt this trend by creating learning experiences that shift mindsets from, "I don't like..." or "I've never been very good at..." to productive and positive STEM identities that foster joy, curiosity, and understanding of STEM related content.  Listen in as Wendy Ward Hoffer shares the what, why and how of cultivating productive teacher and student STEM identities on the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast.  Wendy and Michelle Morris Jones discuss the connections between STEM education and equity, health, and authentic problem solving.  Wendy shares specific ways for teachers to increase their own efficacy so they may feel more confident and excited to support creative problem solving in their science and math classrooms. In addition, Wendy offers examples of life-worthy science and math experiences rooted in problem solving, reflection, academic language, and authenticity. This episode connects to the Planning and Community strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework.

Wendy is the author of the new Phenomenal Teaching, as well as Cultivating STEM Identities, Minds on Mathematics and Science as Thinking, all published by Heinemann. She is also the author of NCTM’s Developing Literate Mathematicians. Wendy serves as Senior Director of Content Development and Publications for the Denver-based Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC) and travels nationally to provide professional learning to teachers at all levels. Wendy is passionate about promoting rich thinking in all content areas, especially math and science.  She is the co-facilitator of our upcoming Science Institute.

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are making schools and classrooms more phenomenal than ever before by implementing community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment strategies that promote agency, equity, and understanding.

Kids helping other kids get unstuck! After recognizing that the “old ways” weren’t working for kids or teachers, the leadership team at Cherokee Trail High School embarked on developing an MTSS structure that was more about meeting the needs of kids and less about being convenient for adults.  When asked, students reported that they wanted a place to go where they could get help from other students, and so the Cougar Resource Center was born. The Cougar Resource Center is a student-led tutoring center that supports all students, including those who are identified as in need of Tier 2 academic support. Students crafted the mission, “Create a sense of belonging where students feel comfortable asking for and receiving support,” provide tutoring for students who drop in during their off blocks, recruit new tutors, and strive to make CTHS a better place.  The CRC is wildly popular with students (with 3000 visits last semester) and has made a significant impact on student academic performance, culture, and community at CTHS.  Listen in as the Director of the CRC, Molly Robbins, shares the story of how one large high school developed an MTSS structure that is making a big difference.  Molly shares the philosophy and the day to day details that make the CRC such a success. This episode connects to the ways in which the PEBC Teaching Framework highlights the importance of creating schools and systems that value community and the use of data to foster student agency, equity and understanding.Click here to learn more about the PEBC Teaching Framework.

Molly has served students and teachers in many ways over the years as an English and English as a Second Language Teacher, an Instructional Coach, a Staff Developer and currently as the MTSS Coordinator at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, Colorado. When Molly isn’t working on finding ways to empower kids she enjoys traveling the world. 

The "Phenomenal Teaching Podcast" is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework which is illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer's book, Phenomenal Teaching. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are making schools and classrooms more phenomenal than ever before by implementing community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment strategies that promote agency, equity, and understanding.