Rockstar Teachers Podcast

Let me guess - you've had more referrals to the office centered around 'Social Media' than anything else?

Am I Right?

Well today we get to interview Kim Karr - she started #ICANHELP in 2011 after seeing the destructive power of online negativity firsthand. An anonymous user created a simple, yet destructive Facebook page targeting a teacher at her school. Over the next two weeks, one thousand students followed the page, with many commenting and fueling the fire. One student finally stepped up and reported the page, ending the school-wide drama. 

Kim took action to ensure nothing like that would ever happen at her school again. She developed an online safety and positivity program and trained students to become Digital First Responders. A year later, a similar page popped up and targeted the same teacher, only this time, the students were ready. 

Not only did no one follow the page, but over thirty students took action and left positive comments supporting the teacher. The page was taken down within 24 hours, a positive ending made possible through student education and empowerment.

Since Kim and her Co-Founder Matt Soeth officially launched the nonprofit in 2013, #ICANHELP has trained thousands of students to be Digital First Responders. We’re on a mission to empower students from around the world to use digital for good.

CONNECT WITH KIM:
Website
Instagram
Facebook

CONNECT WITH THINK KINDNESS
Website
Instagram
Facebook

With the new year - comes new opportunities. . . and Covid has also presented even more new opportunities create amazing, outstanding and long lasting positive student culture. In today's episode we bring on Jimmy Gleich, an award winning leadership advisor, teacher and is also the Vice-President of Think Kindness.

WHAT YOU'LL GET OUT OF TODAY'S EPISODE

1. Actionable Culture Building Ideas for your school
2. Tips and Tricks to get students and staff on board
3. Different approaches to evaluate your school culture. 

CONNECT WITH US:
Website // ThinkKindness.org
Instagram: @ThinkKindness
Twitter: @thinkkindness

Meet Joe.

He is a family man who learned about learning by being curious. Since childhood, he has always been motivated by challenging himself. Heck, he was 1 of 10 kids. . . one could say he was born into a challenge! But he discovered his love of learning in an outside-the-box way. School for him was too impersonal, routine, and disconnected from reality. He would run home after school and spend hours in his backyard canyon creating forts, designing go-karts, and taking thins apart.

He discovered that learning is personal to the learner.

He has been a part of ten different educational spaces - with roles from Instructional Assistant to Campus Principal - he has developed a deep passion for changing the way we "Do School" and ultimately Learning.

States & School Districts can't 'buy' culture. Joe has mastered the art of creating amazing and dynamic school cultures and now, is working at Thrively to take his passions to the next level.

CONNECT WITH JOE:
Twitter
LinkedIN:

CHECK OUT THRIVELY

Many people are nervous about the uncertainty and adversity Covid-19 brings to the classroom. However, after interviewing JC Pohl of Teen Truth, you quickly realize that this pandemic also creates a "once in a life-time opportunity to teach resiliency amongst students" as JC put it. 

JC is has worked with over 1,200 schools across the United States. He is an award winning documentary producer, renown speaker, coach and author. He has worked with students, administrations and entire districts develop strategies to create positive school culture from the inside out. On today's episode we get to peak inside JC's mind for a dose of inspiration, reality check and motivation. 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
FREE E-BOOK | Culture By Design
School culture is the collective manifestation of the attitudes, outlooks, and behaviors of the entire student, administrative, and faculty body. It’s what gives a school its own unique feeling as you walk through the halls. CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

THE SELF-DRIVEN CHILD
A few years ago, Bill Stixrud and Ned Johnson started noticing the same problem from different angles: Even high-performing kids were coming to them acutely stressed and lacking motivation. Many complained they had no control over their lives. Some stumbled in high school or hit college and unraveled. Bill is a clinical neuropsychologist who helps kids gripped by anxiety or struggling to learn. Ned is a motivational coach who runs an elite tutoring service. Together they discovered that the best antidote to stress is to give kids more of a sense of control over their lives. But this doesn't mean giving up your authority as a parent. In this groundbreaking book they reveal how you can actively help your child to sculpt a brain that is resilient, and ready to take on new challenges. CLICK HERE

MADE TO STICK
In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the human scale principle, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating curiosity gaps. Along the way, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds—from the infamous “kidney theft ring” hoax to a coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony—draw their power from the same six traits. CLICK HERE

If you took a polled your staff with the question, "Do you think next year will be easy?" . . . I would be willing to bet the resounding answer would be 'No'. The reasons would vary. From current economic status of the families, virtual learning, kids getting sick to the uncertainty of what the next week or month holds. Then if you asked the question, "Do you think we can still create a world-class teaching environment, regardless of the circumstances?". . . well, those answers may not all be the same. 

The goal of a leader is to prepare, inspire and support your team to weather any storm - even COVID-19. We all realize the uncertain times we are about to embark on, but how do you create a team that is confident, excited and prepared for any adversity that comes their way? That is what we explore in today's podcast.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
#1 Kindness Speech (link)

ABOUT THINK KINDNESS
Think Kindness (link) is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspire measurable acts of kindness in schools and communities around the world. Each year, the organization hosts a national kindness school tour, where schools take on a challenge to change the world, in just 15 Days!

Juan Bendana is a renowned speaker, author, and DJ who speaks on high school & University campuses as well as conferences internationally. He speaks to 50,000+ students, educators, and parents across Canada & the United States every year.

He is the Founder of The 100 Day Playbook, a guided Journal that helps students build better habits, boost productivity, & optimize their life.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
Productivity is something that takes constant practice. There are good days and there are 'not so productive' days. But there are some simple strategies that you can implement to help ensure you have all the right pieces aligned to ensure a successful & productive day!

MINDSET & ACTION
Before productivity begins, you must first start with the right mindset. There are simple things you can do to 'trick' your brain to into a productive mindset.
1) Environmental Cues (setting the stage & be intentional)
2) Real Clothing (get out of your PJ's)
3) Be Present

TAKING ACTION:
1) Work out and be active!
2) Have an accountability partner
3) Drink Water
4) Stay organized

EPISODE SPONSOR: Revolution Lightboards

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Alter Ego | An award-winning performance expert reveals the secret behind many top athletes and executives: creating a heroic alter ego to activate when the chips are down.

King Warrior Lover Magician | Redefining age-old concepts of masculinity, Jungian analysts Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette make the argument that mature masculinity is not abusive or domineering, but generative, creative, and empowering of the self and others. Moore and Gillette clearly define the four mature male archetypes that stand out through myth and literature across history: the king (the energy of just and creative ordering), the warrior (the energy of aggressive but nonviolent action), the magician (the energy of initiation and transformation), and the lover (the energy that connects one to others and the world), as well as the four immature patterns that interfere with masculine potential (divine child, oedipal child, trickster and hero). 

In this episode we'll give you several ideas to add a boost of creativity, excitement and just plan 'ole FUN to your virtual classroom. This will boost engagement and excitement amongst your students and make this new world of virtual teaching fun!

If you have more ideas to share, you share them with us at: www.thinkkindness.org/podcast

Meet Jimmy, a high school leadership advisor & VP implementing creative virtual learning ideas that creates stronger school culture, digitally. During this episode Jimmy will give actionable fun ideas to utilize social media, instagram, tiktok and even creative games to keep students engaged with their teachers and one another.

In addition, Jimmy will touch on the administration side of managing social behavior in this new digital classroom world we have been thrusted into.

Listen to today's episode and we promise you'll walk away with some amazing ideas.

CLICK HERE for today's show notes. 

Sometimes you just need to change it up a little bit. Spark some questions that will spark some fun debates, creative ideas and outside-the-box thinking. After a long-week of testing, drama or just to ease the tension in a room, simple fun questions can help create some fun dialogue between everyone. Plus, this encourages critical thinking and teachers the ability to see someones answers from a different perspective. . . and at the end of the day, it will spark some laughs.

CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES
EPISODE SPONSOR: "I Wish They Knew"
YOUR HOST: Brian Williams - Instagram

This podcast is powered by Think Kindness, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspire measurable acts of kindness in schools and communities around the world. 

Cynthia Milone is teacher that used creative tactics to curb bullying in her school by utilizing technology, the internet and creatively crowd sourcing content from her students. The impact this had on her school and the students far surpassed her expectations and created a massive change within their school culture.

In addition, over 27 8th graders graduated as published authors! You can read their blog and purchase their You Are Not Invisible, directly on Amazon.

For more resources and information visit ThinkKindness.org/podcast