Episodes
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Cynthia Rapaido is a highly accomplished educator with over 30 years of experience in K-12 education. She’s spent time as a high school principal, assistant principal and teacher, and went on to do work many roles in higher education. With so much experience built up over the years, she recently put the lessons she learned into her book, “Step Up Your School Leadership Game.”
In our discussion, Cynthia emphasizes the importance of mentorship and networking in education. She also breaks down the strategies she’s developed, such as the Fruit Leadership Chart to foster better understanding and collaboration among teachers.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode114.
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Dr Jewel White Williams has a doctorate in health sciences and certifications as a health education specialist, certified nursing assistant and EMT with over 22 years of experience as an English teacher and school administrator, Dr Jewel has a passion for both education and wellness. She blends her expertise in health sciences and education to empower communities fostering impactful wellness and self advocacy strategies.
In this episode, Dr. Jewel emphasizes the importance of self-care and wellness for educators, advocating for a three-pronged approach: foundational wellness, community engagement, and luxury care. In our discussion, she highlights the need for educators to prioritize their well-being and encourages them to explore new opportunities within the field.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode113.
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As 2024 comes to a close it's a great time to reflect on what's this year been like for you. Often, as we head into the new year, we can get so forward thinking into the goals we hope to accomplish and the New Year's resolutions and all the things for the new year, but before we do that, let's think about this year. Let's really take a moment to reflect.
In this episode, I go through several thinking routines to help you look back on your year. Get a pen and paper, because you’re going to want to take notes! Also it will help in your reflection. Let’s make the most of this year before looking forward to 2025.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode112.
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Kayla Coburn is a children's book author and the founder of Inclusion Starts Now. She has worked in education since 2010 and is now a parent of two kids figuring out strategies to raise inclusive kids. She works as an inclusion specialist to support families and schools on best inclusive practices.
In this episode, Kayla shared her educational background, her transition to teaching gymnastics and working in the deaf-blind field. Kayla emphasized the importance of leading by example, using inclusive language, and promoting diversity in children's environments.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode111.
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Bobby Donohue is the founder of Planet Bonehead, an innovative educational platform that revolutionizes the way climate change is taught in schools. With over 15 years of experience in educational content development, Bobby is dedicated to providing teachers with the knowledge resources and support they need to effectively educate young learners about environmental issues. His work focuses on empowering educators to inspire the next generation to tackle climate challenges with optimism and empowerment and prepare today's kids for tomorrow's careers in green tech and steam fields.
In this episode, Bobby tells us how he came up with Planet Bonehead, why he’s so focused on climate change, and why you got to keep taking that shot.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode110.
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In this episode, I talk about strategies for overcoming burnout and how to shift from burnout to balance. I get into the importance of recognizing possibilities, setting boundaries, and prioritizing tasks. I want teachers to consider alternative careers or flexible roles within education, weighing constraints like salary and childcare. You need to prioritize self-care rituals and delegating tasks to achieve work-life balance. Hopefully if you’re not stressed out now, you’ll bookmark this episode to listen to when you’re feeling burnout.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode109.
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Bryson Tarbet is a passionate advocate for inclusive music education, as well as a business owner and podcaster. He started his career as a pre-K to sixth grade general music teacher and during his tenure as an educator, Bryson spent a transformative year as part of an elementary school intervention team where he discovered his passion for working with students with disabilities. Drawing from this experience and his personal journey as a neurodiverse individual, Bryson advocates strongly for creating sensory and emotionally inclusive classrooms. Now, as the founder of That Music Teacher, LLC, Bryson channels his dedication to music education into sharing diverse perspectives on issues relevant to educators.
In this episode, Bryson and I discuss his journey, as well as his love for music education. Bryson also highlights the importance of professional development for music educators, shares insights on starting a business, and emphasizes the personal growth that comes from embracing one's unique approach to teaching and coaching.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode108.
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Laura C. Chávez-Moreno is an award-winning researcher, qualitative social scientist, and assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the Departments of Chicana/o and Central American Studies and Education. She is the author of “How Schools Make Race: Teaching Latinx Racialization in America"(Harvard Education Press, 2024).
In this episode Chávez-Moreno discusses her journey from becoming a Spanish teacher in Philadelphia to pursuing a PhD in Los Angeles due to a hiring freeze. She delves into why she wrote her book, "How Schools Make Race," which explores how schools contribute to racialization, focusing on bilingual education and Latinx. Moreno also advocates for incorporating ethnic studies into bilingual programs to combat racist ideas and emphasizes the need for a progression in teaching about race, similar to how math is taught.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode107.
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Setbacks are inevitable, but they don’t have to be as bad as they feel. They don’t have to be negative. They can be so many things, including growth opportunities. When we start new career journeys, we can be so focused on success. But the road to success is not often linear. As we find our way forward, the path can be filled with setbacks. It can be “make it or break it” when you start to experience obstacles. So it’s important to learn how to turn career setbacks into success.
In this episode I give you four tips on turning your stumbles into success. If setbacks are inevitable, it’s good to know how to make the best of them!
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode106.
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For this episode I talk to Matt McGee, founder of MRM Education, a tutoring and college admissions consultancy that promotes academic curiosity, mental health, and confidence in students. With over a decade of experience as an admissions specialist, consultant and tutor, his intensive mentorship method has helped hundreds of students raise their grades and gain admission to Ivy Plus schools.
Matt’s method focuses on managing student expectations, mental health support, and advocating for neurodivergent students. In our talk he shares insights on building a business, the challenges of burnout, and the importance of staying connected to the core mission of supporting students' long-term success.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode105.
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In this episode, I share my journey of going from kindergarten teacher to entrepreneur, detailing five stages of my career. It's a story that starts with the birth of my daughter and ends with me having to hire employees for my growing business. While Educator Forever is still growing, it was fun to look back at the beginning of it all.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode104.
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Georgia O’Keefe and Christine Zuppa are co-founders of Making the Grade Project, an organization with a mission to empower educators starting with the very beginning of their careers. While they specialize in helping teachers in their home state of Massachusetts to pass the MTEL, they support teachers everywhere in setting up their classrooms and careers for success. Christine and Georgia each spent over a decade in the K-12 classroom setting before deciding it was time to make a change and support education in a different way.
In this episode, Christine and Georgia discuss their educator journeys, how to best support new teachers and how their business has evolved over the years.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode103.
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Renes Lophanor, a language teacher with over 23 years of experience, discusses his journey in education, emphasizing the importance of building strong relationships with students and treating them with respect. Renes advocates for a teaching approach that values creativity, flexibility, and genuine care for students. Renes's book, "I Still Love Teaching," aims to share his insights and methods to help other teachers. He advises teachers to prioritize their well-being and encourages those leaving the classroom to leverage their skills in other educational roles.
In this episode, he shares his experiences as a substitute teacher, highlighting the challenges and benefits of this role. He also criticizes the education system while acknowledging its potential benefits.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode102.
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In this episode I talk about how fun curriculum writing can be, and how it's such a creative outlet. One of my favorite things about curriculum development is that you get to think about things that are interesting in the world and bring it into the curriculum that you create.
I want you to think about when developing curriculum, you get to create what you find interesting and what you want to see out there in the world. As teachers, we can feel really boxed in by what we're told we have to teach or how we have to teach it. So working in curriculum design for me has been really an exploration and freedom. It’s why I think more teachers should try it!
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode101.
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We’ve reached 100 episodes, so we’re celebrating. On this episode I've invited the wonderful Educator Forever team to join me in celebrating not just completing 100 episodes but all of the amazing work that they've done beyond the classroom.
Besides discussing our favorite episodes were, the team let’s me know what they love most about working with Educator Forever and how it’s empowered them. It gets a little emotional! But it’s a wonderful time and made me so happy to work with such fantastic people.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode100.
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Rob Owen is the founder of Move2Focus. With over 21 years as a school principal, author, and classroom educator, Rob deeply observed and personally felt the significant stress and burnout that plague the education world. After using both mindfulness and Tai Chi, Rob started to introduce these practices to students. Now he runs Move2Focus, which supports educators to use Tai Chi and Qi Gong in their classrooms.
Rob gets deep into the details of what Tai Chi and Qi Gong are, why he started teaching them to students and why it’s so helpful for teachers.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode99.
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Dr. Maggie Broderick is an associate professor at National University, where she serves as a dissertation chair and as a faculty lead for Social Emotional Learning and Curriculum and Instruction. She is also the director of NU’s Advanced Research Center and the editor of the International Journal of Online Graduate Education.
In this interview, Maggie and I talk about online education, going from teaching in K-12 to college, and how curriculum development is different for higher education.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode98.
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Lisa Vodala is the founder of Preschool Readers, she works with her team of preschool reading specialists to provide children ages three to five with an academic Head Start through their proprietary award winning accelerated reading instruction, which they deliver in person and virtually, enhanced by their exclusive framework, the Clear Approach, a framework for differentiated instruction.
I talk to Lisa about her business, how she was able to develop her framework while still teaching, and how COVID forced her to adapt.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode97.
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Dr. Shelby Kretz is the creator of Little Justice Leaders, an organization that provides social justice education resources for families, educators, and schools. Shelby earned her Ph.D. in Education from UCLA, and her research explores social justice education at the elementary school level. Over the past decade, Shelby has worked with thousands of parents, teachers, and school leaders to bring social justice education to elementary aged kids.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of addressing biases at an early age and some tips for running a small education business.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode96.
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Dr. Meghan Waldron is an educator, advisor, learner, writer, thinker and doer. When she is not advising or teaching in the university setting, Meghan is working with students on their personal writing via Smart Solutions Tutoring. Meghan is passionate about helping students find their voices, and she works tirelessly to provide opportunities for them while building their confidence. She is equally passionate about equal access to education, and she works closely with other educators on current issues in our schools and communities.
In this episode we discuss how and why she started her tutoring business, how she balances it with her teaching job and what she's learned from the two.
For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode95.
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