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Stories from the Classroom (Thom Gibson)

thom@thomgibson.com
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Pub. DateTitleDuration
28 May 2019Leveraging Social Media as Educators [Part 1/2]00:39:49

CJ Reynolds is a high-school teacher in West Philadelphia with an active YouTube and Instagram channel where he documents the meaningful learning experiences in his classroom with the goal to inspire, engage, and motivate new and veteran teachers to be the teacher they always wanted to be. Reynolds uses "real rap" to share teaching tips and strategies and to give an authentic look at what it means to be a teacher in inner city Philadelphia.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • how being on social media led to an opportunity for his students to meet with Gary Vaynerchuk; a massive name in social media marketing, and how it changed the lives of some of his students
  • how he grew his online community of nearly 30k YouTube subscribers and 7k Instagram followers
  • how his content differs from platform to platform
  • the impact creating content has had on his relationship with his students and their parents
  • how he manages to balance time as an educator, content creator, father, and husband
  • what other teachers should think through as they begin to create content for social media

This is part 1 of a 2-part series. In part 2, I will be chatting with a couple educators who are having their students create social media content as part of the class curriculum.

CONNECT WITH CJ REYNOLDS

CONNECT WITH THOM GIBSON
My video "Why I Use Social Media In My Classroom"

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

  • My course on creating & managing a classroom economy - thomgibson.com/classroomeconomy
  • Subscribe to the podcast (new episodes every month)
  • Leave a rating & review
28 Aug 2019Should You Start Your Own Teacher Podcast?00:51:06

Chris Nesi and Jeff Bradbury are two of the biggest names in educational podcasting. Chris is the creator of the House of Ed Tech podcast as well as the Education Podcast Network, which is a community of educational podcasters that includes the likes of The Cult of Pedagogy with Jennifer Gonzalez and The Google Teacher Tribe.

Jeff Bradbury from TeacherCast is the creator and host of NINE different educational podcasts, including Educational Podcasting Today which is a podcasts all about educators getting into podcasting!

In this episode, we discuss:

  • who should start a teacher podcast
  • the skills teachers already have that would make them great podcasters
  • how to decide what to make your podcast about
  • how to develop a brand around your podcast
  • how to find your niche in the educational podcasting space
  • types of podcasts you could do
  • common mistakes when starting a teacher podcast
  • great starter podcasting equipment
  • editing softwares and styles to consider
  • how much it cost to get started in podcasting
  • how lucrative the podcasting space is

CONNECT WITH CHRIS NESI

CONNECT WITH JEFF BRADBURY

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

  • My course on creating & managing a classroom economy - thomgibson.com/classroomeconomy
  • Subscribe to the podcast (new episodes every month)
  • Leave a rating & review

OTHER RESOURCES MENTIONED
Contains affiliate links

07 Sep 2020UPDATE | What I've Been Working on & Pushing Pause on the Podcast00:09:57

I realized that it's pretty difficult to schedule podcast interviews when you have a new baby in the house with a somewhat unpredictable nap schedule, and I decided I wasn't going to cut into family time.

COURSES FOR TEACHERS I'VE BEEN CREATING

During the times the little one napped, I decided to create a new course called Create Successful Videos for Distance Learning.  

It's a 1-hour self-paced course to help teachers who need to create video lessons but aren't sure where to start.

Additionally, I spent time making changes to my classroom economy.  Since our school is completely remote until at least mid-October, I had to come up with

  •  a whole new list of classroom jobs
  • ways that students could spend their classroom money
  • ways they could earn supplemental money.

I've added all of those resources to my course How to Teach Kids About Money.

That two-hour course was originally created with a normal classroom environment in mind, but many of the things still apply to a virtual classroom economy.

PLACES I'M PUTTING OUT THE MOST CONTENT

Once I completed the courses, I decided to focus my efforts on my Instagram and YouTube channels.

On my Instagram channel, I've been posting stories each school day about how I'm approaching that day of distance learning, often sharing tech tips along the way.

On my YouTube channel, I've been creating videos all about distance learning technology and lesson ideas.

PUSHING PAUSE ON THE PODCAST

With all of that going on, something had to give so I decided to pause the podcast until further notice.

CONNECT WITH ME

I'd love to hear how things are going with you and how I could help; what kind of content would be beneficial for you right now?

17 Apr 2020How to Boost Engagement During Remote Learning (Without Using Zoom)00:44:56

I reached out to a handful of people on Twitter who had done distance learning for at least a couple of weeks already.  Student engagement is one of the biggest challenges in distance learning. While I originally just asked for their best tip, I love that thoughts and guidance on how to increase student engagement was a part of each of their answers.

In the episode, my guests are:

Andrew Chiu | Hong Kong
Middle-School Digital Design Teacher
*just finished his 10th week of distance learning*

CJ Reynolds | New Jersey
High-School Literature & History of Hip Hop Teacher

Mark Rogers | Texas
1st Grade Teacher

Sam Kary | California
6th Grade Humanities Teacher

They share the following:

  • the simplify, simplify, simplify approach Andrew takes
  • practical tips in communication, organization, and video conferencing from 10-weeks of trial and error
  • how CJ hooks his students right at the beginning of the lesson
  • how Mark keeps his 1st graders connected to one another without video conferencing
  • how Sam structures engaging at-home projects that are differentiated and support students each step of the way
     

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONNECT WITH THESE EDUCATORS

Andrew Chiu

CJ Reynolds

Mark Rogers

Sam Kary

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

01 Jul 2019Leveraging Social Media as Educators [Part 2/2]00:47:49

Michael Hernandez & Don Wettrick are two educators that are actually assigning students social media homework; tweet at least three times a week, connect with an influencer on LinkedIn, discuss how the new Instagram updates will change your content strategy.

They're not utilizing social media for it's own sake, but to leverage the greater work of students telling stories and directing their own learning.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • how Michael defines digital storytelling
  • opportunities students get to share stories of people who live very differently from them
  • how one student learned more about Cuba from a frustrated comment that someone from Cuba left on the Cuba documentary she created and posted to YouTube
  • how one student used Twitter to become an influential voice in her city
  • how Don has students find mentors on LinkedIn
  • one of Don's students who has taken to documenting his business journey on LinkedIn
  • the reality of social media addiction
  • how language learning educators are utilizing Instagram in homework assignments
  • how educators can begin to start using social media in their curriculum

This is part 2 of a 2-part series. Listen to Part 1 with YouTuber/Instagrammer teacher CJ Reynolds - Leveraging Social Media As Educators [Part 1]

CONNECT WITH MICHAEL HERNANDEZ

CONNECT WITH DON WETTRICK

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

  • My course on creating & managing a classroom economy - thomgibson.com/classroomeconomy
  • Subscribe to the podcast (new episodes every month)
  • Leave a rating & review
26 Apr 2019Esports in the Classroom00:55:33

I spoke with several people that are on the front lines of where esports and education intersect. We discuss:

  • What exactly are esports
  • What types of esports scholarships and programs are available at the college level
  • How an esports program is so much more than just playing video games
  • Why educators need to consider starting an esports program at their school
  • Where to go for gaming PCs when your school doesn't have the funds for them
  • Resources for getting an esports club started at your school
  • Resources for implementing esports into English curriculum

You'll also hear a little audio from an esports project I tried out with my some of my students.

Links

Connect With Thom

15 May 2020How COVID-19 Will Change Education00:53:13

I wanted to chat with someone about everything I had been reading online and seeing from schools around the world, some of which are beginning to open up after 3 months of remote learning.  Carl Hooker was the first person to come to mind.

Carl Hooker has been in education for 20+ years and is an Apple Distinguished educator, has served as a classroom teacher, instructional technologist, virtualization coordinator, director of innovation & digital learning, and founder of iPadpalooza, an educational technology conference in central Texas.

In today's episode, Carl and I chat about what the future of education may look like not only in this upcoming school year but what it may look like beyond Covid19.

  • the transition from 'emergency remote learning' to 'how to do remote learning well'
  • two best practices that have emerged so far in remote learning
  • what some school schedules around the world are already doing
  • what type of schools will thrive in this environment
  • impacts of the current extended 'summer slide'
  • psychological impacts on student of prolonged social distancing
  • how schools in China are currently following santization & social distancing protocols
  • what blended part in-class, part virtual-class could look like
  • approaches of independent / private schools vs public schools
  • what a 'delayed start' could look like
  • schools that are already planning for a fully remote Fall 2020
  • emerging possibilities for teachers & students who prefer remote learning
  • changes to testing and assessment
  • opportunities to differentiate in virtual learning
  • optimal ratio of synchronous vs asynchronous time
  • how to build community in the virtual classroom
  • what a post COVID-19 classroom may look like
  • equity and access; leveling the playing field for all students
  • words of hope for educators who are worried, scared, and anxious about the future of education

RESOURCES:

CONNECT WITH CARL HOOKER

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

  1. Enroll in the How to Teach Kids About Money course for educators
  2. Sign up for the TeamEdu newsletter
  3. Leave a podcast rating & review
21 Feb 2020No Planning Time, Low Test Scores, & Correcting Students | Q&A Show00:28:30

In this Q&A show, we discuss:

  • How do you support students & help them master content after they've scored low on a test?
  • How do you find time to prep, grade, plan without using all of your free time outside of school if you don't have a prep period?
  • How do you correct students & stimulate competition in a robotics classroom?
  • Any suggestions for a successful long-term subbing experience in 6th grade math?

RESOURCES MENTIONED

QUESTIONS FOR NEXT TIME

Email me at thom@thomgibson.com with your questions for the next Q&A show.  Put 'For QA Show' in the subject line.

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

28 Jan 2019Mindfulness in the Classroom00:42:24

In this episode:

  • I speak with mindfulness specialist James Butler to discuss best
    practices surrounding how to get started     with mindfulness in the
    classroom.
  • I interview psychologist Dr. Tori Olds about the deeper
    happenings in the mind     when mindfulness is being practiced.
  • I chat with educator Jaclyn Mann about her experience in leading
    mindfulness     activities in her classroom.
  • You'll hear a couple in-class sessions of both Jaclyn Mann and myself
    leading mindfulness practices in our classes

Resources James Butler spoke about:

Connect:

17 Jan 202010 Grading Time Hacks00:33:36

It's good to be doing the podcast again after some time off over the holidays!  When I got back to school, I led a PD session for my colleagues on how to save time grading and thought it'd make for a valuable podcast.

TIMESTAMPS

  • 0:00 - Intro
  • 3:47 - Update on the podcast
  • 6:17 - Why grading takes so long
  • 7:28 - Hack 1 | Grade fewer things
  • 10:23 - Hack 2 | Have shorter assessments
  • 11:52 - Hack 3 | Skip written feedback
  • 14:55 - Hack 4 | Batch your grading
  • 16:58 - Hack 6 | Take assessment yourself (by hand)
  • 19:05 - Hack 7 | Use copy & paste efficiently
  • 21:55 - Hack 8 | Offer alternative assessments
  • 24:28 - Hack 9 | Grade in class as they turn it in
  • 27:40 - Hack 10 | Let tech do the grading for you
  • 31:47 - TeamEdu newsletter

RESOURCES MENTIONED

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

CONNECT WITH THOM

28 Nov 2018Collusion, Communism, and Catan...The Best Gamification of a Gov & Econ Class00:47:11

I got the chance to go into Mike Franz's high school gov & econ class when they were playing YOLO, a year-long game where one week of school represents one year of life. The first week of the game the students are 18 years old, the last week of the game they are near retirement age. What will they make of their society, of their economy, of their investments, of their world?

We explore the following:

  • what the game looks like from beginning to middle to end
  • how Mike utilizes class jobs to stay organized and to have the game virtually run itself
  • salient teaching opportunities that come up when using gamification in the classroom
  • how teachers can begin to incorporate gamification into their classes
  • how The World Peace game inspired YOLO
  • instances where the game took a turn for the worst
  • an invitation for other teachers to try YOLO in their government and economics class

If you'd like to reach out to Mike about YOLO or gamification, he can be reached at:
m.franz@headwaters.org

If you'd like to take a look at the YOLO rule book, here it is (it's a living document always being revised):
[coming soon!]

Music by:
Big Bird's Date Night (Full) by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/

07 Feb 2020How to Keep Your Sub Days From Being a Total Wash00:26:43

During my semester as a sub before becoming a full-time teacher, I had many a days of little to no sub plans. I also had a good handful of days of detailed and thorough sub plans. Days with the full set of sub plans were far better both for me and for the students and I've sought to provide subs in my own classroom with the same direction.

In today's episode I discuss:

  • exactly the level of detail I put into my plans (I read out a section of my own plans)
  • how I format my plans so they're more readable and easier to reference
  • how I communicate with my students ahead of time in a way that the class could run even if a sub didn't show up (which has never happened but that's the ideal)
  • my emergency sub plans for days I am unexpectedly out

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

28 Mar 2019How to Use Storytelling in the Classroom00:54:43

A few months ago I didn't know that storytelling competitions were a thing. Then I heard Matthew Dicks on a podcast and he shared what makes for good storytelling. I thought it was interesting but it wasn't until he told a short 5-minute story that I was convinced of his mastery of the craft and I wanted to learn more.

I found out Matthew Dicks was not only a champion storyteller but also a classroom teacher and that he had a podcast with his wife Elysha where they listened to stories told from the stage and critiqued them; sharing what made them such powerful stories and what they could have done to improve the story.

I initially was drawn to the storytelling podcast because I thought I could get tips on how to tell better stories in social contexts but I walked away wondering how I could implement this into my classroom.

In today's episode, Matthew and I explore the following:

  • what are a couple things you can do to make your storytelling better than 90% of the stories most people tell
  • what storytelling looks like in Matthew's 5th grade classroom (both when he's telling stories and when he has his students telling stories)
  • we listen to a novice storyteller (myself) tell a story to my class of a time I felt I really had no idea what I was doing but I didn't want anyone to know and I get Matthew's feedback on it.
  • we listen to experienced storyteller/teacher Jennifer Bonaldo tell a story to a group of freshmen of a time she tried a little too hard to be with the 'in-crowd' and get Matthew's feedback.
  • Matthew provides resources and insights for teachers wanting to
    implement more storytelling in their classrooms.

LINKS AND RESOURCES

Connect with Matthew at www.matthewdicks.com

Matthew's storytelling podcast 'Speak Up Storytelling'

'Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling' by Matthew Dicks[affiliate link]

The Art of Manliness Podcast episode with Matthew Dicks

Connect with me, Thom Gibson

24 Jan 2020Have Students Make Your Coffee...And Other Class Job Ideas00:27:25

Class jobs in and of themselves have tremendous value in creating a positive classroom culture, building responsibility in students, and saving YOU time as the teacher.

My classroom jobs are part of a larger classroom economy system. If you want to dive into how I do that, check out the course I created for teachers linked below:

'How to Teach Kids About Money' course - www.thomgibson.com/classroomeconomy

20% off coupon code - MONEY

The full list of jobs can be found in Module 1, and all of Module is FREE so check it out.

CONNECT WITH THOM

28 Oct 2019Screaming at Kids, Comparing Students, and Creating a Self-Sustaining Classroom | Q&A Show00:32:10

In this Q&A show, we discuss:

  • What are the top three books that guide you in building a self-sustaining classroom culture?
  • As a first year robotics teacher, do you compare one class with another as a way to motivate students?  In Brazil, if one class is falling behind another, it's common to say 'the other class is already on the next topic.'  Does this motivate students?
  • If you're in a noisy classroom, how do you make sure you are heard without screaming?
  • How do you deal with students that refuse to study for tests?
  • Working at a private school, how much freedom do you have to experiment with different teaching practices compared to public school?  And how can public school teachers begin to try new and innovative ways of teaching?

Let me know how you like this format.  It was a lot of fun for me to answer and much less editing!

RESOURCES MENTIONED

QUESTIONS FOR NEXT TIME

Email me at thom@thomgibson.com with your questions for the next Q&A show

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

 

12 Jun 20206 Teacher Wellness Tips for a Quarantined Summer00:28:41

I walk through six tips on how to ensure your summer is a time to recharge, including:

  • strategies to wean yourself off of social media a bit
  • what to think through when developing your evening routine to get more sleep
  • how to start small when it comes to exercising each week
  • where to start when it comes to preparing for the fall semester
  • practical advice on how to structure your own professional development this summer
  • ideas on creating connection with others, from those in your household, to your family and friends, to your extended network

Also, this will be my last podcast for the summer! I'll be back in August with more episodes to help you middle-school STEM teachers create meaningful and memorable experiences for your students!

RESOURCES

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

  1. Enroll in the How to Teach Kids About Money course for educators
  2. Sign up for the TeamEdu newsletter
  3. Leave a podcast rating & review

 

29 May 20203 Remote Teaching STEM Projects; TikTok, Minecraft, & eBay00:45:05

I got all these ideas from other educators on social media.  In this episode, I take time to reflect on these three projects.  I talk specifically about:

  • how I had students create a TikTok as their final math summative grade
  • my rubric for the TikTok project
  • reflections on what I would do differently with the TikTok project if I did it again
  • how I introduced the Rube Goldberg project for my robotics class
  • how I incorporated Minecraft in the planning process for their Rube Goldberg project
  • how we utilized our Zoom class time during the week they were working on the Rube Goldberg machine
  • how I structured the financial literacy project where students sold items on eBay
  • how one student made over $300 when he did the eBay project
  • a bonus 'virtual yearbook' project I did with my advisory students

RESOURCES:

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

  1. Enroll in the How to Teach Kids About Money course for educators
  2. Sign up for the TeamEdu newsletter
  3. Leave a podcast rating & review
01 May 2020Create Immersive Learning Experiences with Augmented Reality (without fancy equipment)00:54:56

My guest today is a teacher-of-the-year recipient and educator of 20 years.  Carolina Carner has been utilizing augmented reality in her classroom for several years in her middle school classroom.  Additionally she's worked with Google for Edu as a product expert in Google Expeditions, AR, VR, and Tour Creator.  She's THE AR/VR person to talk to when it comes to implementation in the classroom.

It was a fun conversation as she walked me through a litany of augmented reality apps, showing me their classroom application.  You hear me experiencing them in real time.

We explore:

  • using AR for math manipulatives like fraction strips
  • how to fill your classroom up with a solar system
  • using AR to study wild animals up close
  • how AR can build community and give students voice
  • exploration of cells up close
  • using AR to HOLD A BEATING HEART IN YOUR HAND!
  • common mistakes teachers make when starting to use AR
  • how to use AR with one device or many
  • strategies for getting more devices in your classroom

RESOURCES:

CONNECT WITH CAROLINA CARNER

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

  1. Enroll in the How to Teach Kids About Money course for educators
  2. Sign up for the TeamEdu newsletter
  3. Leave a podcast rating & review
27 Feb 2019'The Thom Gibson Podcast' Is Now 'Stories from the Classroom'00:04:10

In this short episode, I share a little bit of why I started this podcast, why I changed the name, and the vision going forward. Hope you like the new podcast art!

Connect with me:
Thom Gibson

14 Feb 2020Skype | Classroom Uses You Haven't Thought Of00:34:55

Today I chat with two educators who are all about Skype in the classroom. Jeni Long & Salleé Clark (who go by the dynamic duo name of Jenallee) are two Microsoft Innovation Educators with over 36 years in education collectively.

In our conversation, we discuss:

  • how teachers are using Skype to supplement the work they're doing in their classes by Skyping in experts to speak with their classes or having their classes Skype with another classroom around the world.
  • how to interact with schools around the world when the time zones don't match.
  • how your students can be video pen pals with other students (great language learning application)
  • how your English language learners can use video to share their home culture with the classroom
  • the technical aspects of running a Skype chat
  • where to find vetted educators / safe contacts to chat with your class
  • Class jobs so everyone has a role during the chat

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONNECT WITH JENI LONG & SALEÉ CLARK

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

28 Jul 2019Giving Students Voice Through Socratic Seminars00:51:58

Join me as I sit in on Chalimar Chieza's 9th grade World Geography class as they dive into a socratic seminar. Hear students form hypotheses around the question**"why do people around the world have different skin tones?"** as well as my discussion with Chalimar on how she structures the socratic seminar so all students have a voice.

We discuss the following:

  • her role as facilitator
  • how the socratic method shapes the socratic seminar
  • the roles of the 'inner circle' and 'outter circle' during the seminar
  • data she collects during every seminar
  • how she assesses the students
  • the most challenging aspects of setting up a successful seminar
  • how she debriefs the seminar with the students
  • how she ensures that all students have a voice

CONNECT WITH CHALIMAR CHIEZA

  • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chalimar-chieza-0751812/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

  • My course on creating & managing a classroom economy - thomgibson.com/classroomeconomy
  • Subscribe to the podcast (new episodes every month)
  • Leave a rating & review
28 Oct 2018How To Love Out-of-Control Students00:07:32

Currently working on a couple Thom Gibson Podcast episodes that aren't quite done yet but I did want to get an episode out this month.

In this, I pulled a review that I did for my #bookstagram Instagram account. It was a review of Carla Shalaby's 'Troublemakers' which is a book on what we can learn from kids who we generally deem as 'troublemakers' and how can we love and honor them as members or our learning community.

I agree with the general premise of the book (work harder to love kids that are hard to love) but really had a hard time with the tone and arguments of the author on this one.

Follow me on Instagram for more book & jerky reviews:
www.instagram.com/booksandbeefjerky

See the video version of this podcast on my YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/gibsonedu

03 Apr 2020A Better Way To Teach Math00:56:21

My guest today is a passionate math educator who has sought to teach learners in this exploratory manner and in a way that the students feel they are capable of understanding mathematical concepts deeply.

In my conversation with Kevin Moore, we explore:

  • how one teacher helped him begin to view himself as a mathematician
  • his journey from traditional education to the micro-school model
  • how the physical space can foster the learning he hopes to see
  • how it's MORE than just the physical space that helps foster the learning he hopes to see
  • what our roles is and is not as math educators
  • how to redirect incorrect work without just giving away the answer
  • Kevin's favorite questions to ask students
  • and much more.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONNECT WITH KEVIN MOORE & LONG-VIEW MICRO-SCHOOL

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

19 Mar 2020UPDATE: New Baby, COVID-19, and Life at Home00:25:06

Watch the video of this podcast - https://youtu.be/BpSlAy2nPd0

TIMESTAMPS

  • 0:00 - Life with a newborn
  • 6:11 - Daily schedule during quarantine
  • 10:03 - Future podcasts
  • 12:28 - Distance learning in the country
  • 15:38 - New content for teachers (livestreams, courses)
  • 18:42 - My distance learning plan so far
  • 20:24 - Tips for making the most of self-quarantine time

CONNECT W/ ME ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING

 

 

31 Jan 2020How to Celebrate Multiculturalism in Your Class...Even If All of Your Students Are White01:07:08

My guest today is Roberto Germán, director of middle school and creator of the educational consulting group 'The Multicultural Classroom.'

In today's episode we explore:

  • the differences between multiculturalism vs. a multicultural classroom vs. social justice
  • Roberto's journey from an extremely poor and under-performing school in Lawrence, MA to one of the wealthiest private boarding schools in the nation and how that experience inspired the work he does now
  • what a multicultural classroom experience looks like for the white teacher with a variety of ethnicities and races in their classroom
  • what a multicultural classroom experiences looks like for the white teacher in a predominately white school
  • how to celebrate and honor the different cultures of your classroom without patronizing or stereotyping those cultures
  • resources for educators wanting do dive further into teaching in a multicultural classroom

RESOURCES

CONNECT WITH ROBERTO GERMÁN

CONNECT WITH THOM

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

26 Dec 2018Epic Rap Battles in the Classroom00:15:11

Epic Rap Battles of History is one of my favorite YouTube channels. I knew that giving students opportunities to write songs about content was a good assessment, but I never thought of utilizing raps / slam poetry specifically. So much opportunity for students to show what they know in this creative assessment.

Chalimar Chieza has been doing rap battles in her history classes for years. In this episode we talk about:

  • Why she started utilizing raps / slam poems
  • What the 'battle' element could look like
  • How she sets students up for success
  • How she assesses their work and knowledge of the content

Connect with Chalimar Chieza on LinkedIn!

Rap Battle / Slam Poetry Rubric

28 Sep 2019How Do You Teach Creativity?00:50:53

A conversation on Facebook with my friend Jake led me to ponder the nature of teaching kids how to do creative work. Jake Ritter is a broadcast journalism teacher and John Mulvany is an artist and art teacher of 26 years.

In this episode we chat about:

  • what the schools of thought when it comes to teaching creativity are
  • what the most challenging aspects of teaching creativity are
  • how to help kids who just don't know where to start
  • how to structure creative assignments
  • the balance between teaching skills and opening up opportunities to be creative
  • how to balance giving students creative freedom and wanting to give them guidance
  • how to structure collaborative creative projects
  • meeting deadlines vs. feeling creatively satisfied
  • how to structure self and peer assessments
  • how to assess a creative project as teachers

Plus you'll hear audio from both Jake's and John's classroom in how they support their students.

The original video I posted on Facebook that sparked this conversation was titled '5 Biggest Mistakes I've Made As A Teacher' and you can watch that HERE.

Just for fun, here is the final product for 'The Bachelor' piece the students did

____

CONNECT WITH JOHN MULVANY

CONNECT WITH JAKE RITTER

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

30 Sep 2018What Makes A Great 1st Day of School?00:36:25

With the start of the school year upon us, I've been thinking a lot about the first day of school.

Is it the most important day?
How do you balance the need for rules & procedures with getting kids stoked about being in your class?
How do you ensure students have a voice and feel seen & heard on the first day?
How do you not only begin to develop a positive relationship with students but also help them begin to develop positive relationships with each other and with the content you're teaching?
What do students think makes a great first day?

Special thanks to CJ Reynolds for his video that sparked this podcast. See the video and his YouTube channel HERE.

Thanks to Terra Lynch for offering her 20 years of classroom insight to the discussion. You can find here on Twitter HERE and her new book, Protocols In The Classroom can be found HERE.

Music by Hippo Campus

08 Dec 2017Auctions, Marketing, & Loyalty Programs in Pre-Algebra00:13:13

I wanted to start a podcast so I did. Think of it as being a fly on the wall in my (and others) classroom.

In this episode we go into the classroom economy auction that we have every month. Students bid on items, start their own businesses, create loyalty programs, and more. You hear the sounds of students arguing about prices, the excitement build up over a 'mystery item' in the auction, and the groans of buyers remorse.

You can find more of how I run my classroom economy at www.thomgibson.com/classroomeconomy

Hope you dig it :)

Music by Podington Bear

23 Jan 2018Running A Project-Based Middle School Robotics Class00:11:10

In episode 2, I recorded the sounds of my robotics classroom for a couple of days while they worked on and presented their final projects.

I reflect on some of the observations of going back and listening to the audio. You also hear students working to troubleshoot their creations which included an electric guitar, a whack a mole, an etch-a-sketch, and robotic arm controlled via sensors on a glove connected bluetooth.

Music by Podington Bear

01 Mar 20185 Class Greetings To Improve School Culture00:12:35

Can High-5's really make that much of a difference in school culture?

In this episode, I explore the various ways I've begun to greet students at the door right at the beginning of class and how they've helped build a positive culture in my classroom and school. I also have another teacher, Justin Aion sound off of why he started High-5 Fridays at his school and the effects it had on his own school culture.

Music by Podington Bear
Connect with Justin Aion

30 Mar 2018My Search For Meaning00:15:41

A bonus track to the podcast:

Our first book club review - Man's Search For Meaning. I share the things that made me thing, that I connected to, and the mindsets I hope to also maintain.

17 Apr 2018What Jiu Jitsu Has Taught Me About Education00:34:52

After a rough go as a kid in some of the schools I went to, I vowed to learn martial arts some day.

A month after I turned 30, I joined a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school. I've been going strong now for a little over 5 months and I've begun to see a little bit of overlap between the mats and the classroom.

  • How did becoming a learner at level 0 again impact me in the
    classroom?
  • What insights did my coaches give me into teaching that I hadn't paid
    as much attention to?
  • What can educators learn from the world of martial arts?

Music by Jel
Music by Timber Timbre
The Headwaters School
Mikal Abdullah on Twitter
Aces Jiu Jitsu Club

24 May 2018Keeping Kids Curious In The Classroom00:18:18

In Kindergarten, students are bursting with curiosity; why are doorknobs round, what is carpet made out of, why are my fingers little? Unfortunately, as students progress through their education, they tend to become less curious about the world around them and settle for just asking the questions that will get them the answers to pass the tests that determine their future.

In todays episode, I chat with two-time Teacher-of-the-Year science teacher Kelley Janes who takes time out of every class to allow students to ask questions about the world around them; fostering, encouraging and nurturing that innate curiosity.

We talk about the following:

  • how she structures question time
  • what she does when she doesn't know an answer
  • what makes a good question
  • what makes a bad question
  • what this could look like in classes outside of science.

Music by [DigitalDisciple][1]

27 Jun 2018Having The Same Teacher For 13 Years00:35:22

Think of your Kindergarten teacher. How do you think your educational experience would have been different if that teacher continued to be your teacher for every year until you graduated high school?

In today's podcast I chat with Mark Rogers, who will be starting a 13-year experiment this year. The practice is called 'looping' where a teacher sticks with a group of students for more than one year.

We discuss the following:
•how he got into looping with students
•why he's embarking on this 13-year experiment
•what the challenges of looping are
•what teachers can do if they'd like to try their own 2-3 year looping experiment.

Learn more about Mark Rogers 13-year looping project at loop13.org Follow Mark Rogers on Twitter at @rogersmarkd

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