Kailey chats with actor, comedian, and NWEA professional learning lead consultant Nicholas Joe about how, why, and when teachers get laughs in their classroom. Along the way they discuss strategies like how to pivot in the classroom with a “Yes, and…” mindset and how to utilize comedy in your lesson planning. And yes, Nick gets Kailey to do improv!

What a great crowd for our first live show! After discussing their Georgia roots, Jacob and Kailey chat with their guests about choosing the best summer professional learning opportunities and what gets them motivated at a conference. Next, they turn to the new school year and discuss the biggest challenges ahead, including how to scale success across schools and districts.  Kailey also asks a few of her signature lightning-round, light-hearted questions.  Finally, stay tuned for the audience Q&A at the end of the show for your daily dose of teacher inspiration. There may have been some tears of joy in the room…

This was a fun one… because we got to talk to you, our listeners! In this episode: We see how Mr. Potato head can motivate students, one additional limb at a time. We open a big box of costumes in the middle of class. We learn about a teacher who calls students’ parents to share good news, and how one student wanted to return the favor. And finally, we get to hear some incredibly touching stories of students and families letting their teachers know how awesome they are. (Jacob and Kailey get a little misty-eyed.)

Melissa Lim is a Technology Integration Specialist at Portland Public Schools, but she sees herself first and foremost as a teacher, not an IT professional. In this episode, Melissa chats with Kailey and Jacob about showing kids and teachers what’s possible with technology ,and how she makes them more comfortable using it. They cover ChatGPT and its uses in the classroom (like writing better quizzes!) as well as Melissa’s work to bridge the digital divide and give all kids at PPS equal access to tech. She shares her rule for deciding when you shouldn’t use technology, along with her number one tip for teachers: Don’t be afraid to push a new button! You won’t break anything (probably).v

Education leaders from Dallas ISD joined professional learning experts Corbin Edginton and Lindsey Prendergast to discuss the positive relationship between robust professional learning and teacher retention. Our Dallas partners shared how they developed professional learning plans that empower school teams while addressing district goals and challenges.

The science of reading is both a body of research and movement in literacy education. How do we keep those two things connected when they’re not always aligned? What are most common myths about literacy instruction, how do we fight them? A roundtable of educators and specialists from NWEA join Jacob & Kailey to talk about how the science of reading works best in classrooms and where both the movement and the research are going.

Instructional coaching can have a major impact on instructional practices, student learning, and teacher retention, but it has to be planned and implemented thoughtfully. Here are six best practices.