Value Adds Value!

We're just going to put this out there... we love Tracy Costa!! We got to know her during the Teach Your Heart Out Conference in Vegas and we're so glad she could come on the podcast to talk about the growth mindset. Tracy is just as excited about education as we are and it came through during our time together. Tracy tells the story of how she went from a bus driver to nearing the completion of her doctorate in education and how she strives to change the trajectory of her students lives. Tracy talked about the impact her fixed mindset teachers had on her and how into adulthood she felt that she just wasn't smart. But after finding Carol Dweck's book she transformed her teaching and learning by understanding the our brains can grow through our entire lives and our intelligence is not fixed. We also had the chance to discuss with Tracy how to maintain high expectations while allowing kids the opportunity to fail at tasks. Tracy advises all teachers to above anything else always view yourself as a learner and

This is part to of our conversation with Jose Cortez! In this episode Jose explains the importance for teacher to plan, prepare, and write things down. We admire Jose for what a thoughtful and quality product his planner is and how its having an impact on both teachers and students. If you'd like to learn more about Jose and his products you can find him online at www.berteauandco.com. We hope you enjoy the second half of our conversation with Jose Cortez! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

This is part one of our interview with Jose Cortez of Berteau and Co!! In this part of the episode Jose opens up about the challenges he faced during his time in school moving between Mexico and Texas as well as what it was like to grow up a gay man in his schools. He also tells the story of how he went from a career in graphic design to the classroom after a medical emergency with his husband and how that propelled him into the success he has had with his planners. We're honored at the candor that Jose showed during this interview and we can't wait for you to hear it! Here's how you can connect with Jose: Instagram: @berteauandco and @classroomtopia www.berteauandco.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

What exactly does it mean to teach on tables?! Lucky for you Katie (@teachingontables) joined us on the podcast to describe her unique brand of art, theater, and taking that has become her calling card! During this conversation Katie tells the story of how a theater major at Notre Dame turned into her engaging style of teaching with help from the folks over at The Ron Clark Academy. Katie shares our belief that as teachers we are the #1 determinants of our students success and future opportunities and although her presentation may be over the top her practice is rooted in a simple principle--listen. Katie has developed her own voice as a teacher and gives you the advice that she used to do so during this episode. Although her dancing and singing may seem like a novelty they are far from it. The central tenant of her teaching lies in the idea that students expect the unexpected in her class. Not only does this allow for her to take risks in her teaching, but it provides the space kids need to develop their

For this episode we caught up with Yannick Florest (@soapboxvizzy)for a conversation about education and his amazing mixtape TEACHERS COLLEGE OR BUST (educatorlife.bandcamp.com). During on conversation we talked about the importance of reenforcing that every student has value and that we must provide them multiple avenues upon which to learn. Yannick discussed his on education in Brooklyn and the impact that teachers of color, especially male teachers of color, had on his education. He explained that the cultural sensitivity of these teachers to what he was going through allow him to shine in ways that he hadn't for other teachers. This lead us to a long talk about how we can get more men and men of color into the teaching profession and this is when he emphasized the humanness of the field. The more as teachers we validate who are students are as people the more options we help them to see in their future and our hope is that more young men will see teaching as a viable option. We're so grateful to Yannic

On this episode we were joined by teacher and Chicago native Dwayne Reed! We were blown away by the fact that Dwayne just completed his first year in the classroom. We chose to call this episode 'significance of our words' because Dwayne is one of the most articulate and thoughtful people we've ever met. Dwayne took a nontraditional path to the classroom and he continues that path as and educator. He creates and uses original songs and chants with his class to get them into routines and refuses to accept the status quo. Prior to his first year of teaching he reached out to the parents of his students and was able to meet with many of them before the year began. He says this was a foundational piece to his classroom culture as the students and parents both knew he was on their side. Among many other pieces of advice Dwayne stressed the need for teachers to have a strong sense of purpose and use that purpose to provide validation and affirmation to their students as both learners and people. We hope you enjoy

On this episode we're joined by Razan Abdin Adnani for a conversation on the Montessori approach to teaching and learning, how we define discipline, and what we can do as educators to affirm the identities of all our students. Razan is an Arab-American and she discusses how it feels to often be labeled as an 'other' in our country and what impact she feels that has on students who are also labeled as 'others'. Razan talked about the isolation and pain that students feel when they don't have teachers who look like them or understand their culture and why it's so important for teachers to their students and communities to bridge the cultural gaps. She also describes the holistic nature of the Montessori classroom and how discipline in these classrooms represents our actions rather than punishment through authority. Montessori strives to be an environment that is more reflective of our society in its structure. We were honored to have Razan on the podcast and here's how you can connect with her: Instagram:

Hey Mrs. Raz!! We're so lucky to have Bonnie Razler on the podcast to talk about how to integrate technology into the classroom. Technology is not a gimmick according to Bonnie and she says it frees her up to create meaningful connections with her students. We had a really good conversation about the importance of technology in giving students access to all of the learning that is out there and show them all the options available for them in the future. I asked what collaboration looks like in her classroom as she teaches in a 1:1 school and she explained that there are very few days where it is quiet in her room. That might stress some of you out, but her 4th graders adapt to her culture of finding solutions themselves. She said that it puts them in a position in which everyone has something offer the group and everyone gets to use their skills. If you don't follow @hey_mrs_raz on Instagram and @bonnieraz on Twitter you best go do that!! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On this episode we catch up with our friend Danielle Knight before the start of her online Teach With Tech Conference (http://teachwithtechconference.com/). Danielle and her colleagues are bringing together 25 speakers from across the world to teach 25 sessions over four days on a variety of topics in the educational tech space. Best of all it is totally FREE!!! We're signed up and are looking forward to checking out the presenters and finding the technologies that are most applicable to us. We also got to talk with Danielle about her experiences teaching English in a SPED setting and how she uses technology not just to deliver content, but also to assess learning. She talked a length on how we as teachers can use technology to give students choices in their learning and their products. If you don't follow Danielle you can find her across all social media channels as STUDY ALL KNIGHT and to check out her resources go to studyallknight.com. And please if you're not signed up for teach with tech there is still

We were so fortunate to have met Erin at Teach Your Heart Out Las Vegas and she was kind enough to join us on the podcast! During our conversation Erin talks about growing up in school with a learning disability and how that impacts the way she connects with her students. Erin didn't know until college that she has Auditory Processing Disorder, so growing up she just thought she wasn't that smart, and unfortunately teachers told her so. That's what makes her story and the work she is doing now that much more powerful! Erin talks about how we can't drop our expectations for special education students because many of them are capable learners in their own ways. She works with mild to moderate SPED students and she works hard to help them realize their potential and get out of feeling helpless in their learning. We also got the chance to talk about her Peer Counseling class that trains students counselors to provide support to their fellow students, but only after they have spent a year working on themselves are

On this episode we are joined by Greg Smedley-Warren of The Kindergarten Smorgasboard! Greg is an incredible kinder teacher in Nashville and has created The Elevate Conference and The TKS Bootcamp, a math and literacy program for elementary school. During our conversation Greg discusses the immense diversity of Nashville and how he creates relationships with students in a class that has students who speak six different languages. He talks about how he overcomes the language barrier by being deliberate and explicit when building relationships with kids. His tip--eat lunch with your kids. Greg does every single day!! Greg also speaks on the need to take risks as teachers and invite the failure that can often times result from those risks. To round out the conversation he talks about his Elevate events and how teachers are using the TKS Bootcamp. We're so grateful to Greg for coming on the podcast and for the contributions he makes to education everyday! Here's how you can learn more about Greg and The Kinderga

On this episode we had the distinct honor of talking with former Special Forces Soldier turned middle school history teacher Zach Lois. During this conversation Zach talks about how his time in the military and the lessons he learned has impacted him as a teacher. After growing up in Southeastern Wisconsin Zach as traveled the world during his military service and that experience has shaped how he approaches education. This episode is filled with practical wisdom for teachers, but what stood out most to us was his belief that every teacher should be called a leader. We 100% believe this to be the case and hope after this episode we all take a more active role as leaders for our schools and students. Thank you again to Zach for his service and for sharing his story on the podcast! You can follow Zach on Instagram @classroomcommando Thank you so much for your support of the podcast! Please feel free to reach out with any questions: Email: podcast@theledproject.com Instagram: @valueaddsvalue and @its.wil.law.i

On this episode of the podcast we're joined by Allegra Levine who is an English Teacher in NYC and the founder of Teach To Teach. Allegra's slogan for Teach To Teach "Let Education Mend Our Nation" and she does so by donating one book to a school in need for every item bought from her store. Not only does Allegra have an incredible mission, but she also is a dedicated educator. During our conversation she talks about the need to give students freedom when it comes to writing and how through writing she can help them advocate for themselves. Allegra also stresses the need to surround yourself with great people as an educator because as she put it, "Your reputation is who people think you are, your character is who you really are." This was such an enlightening conversation and if you haven't checked out the work that Allegra is doing you owe it to yourself to do so! Here's how you can connect with Allegra: https://teachtoteachshop.com/ Instagram: @teach_to_teach Know any great educators that deserve to tell

On this episode Kyle is joined by Kaitlyn Edington! We're sorry Wilkie was busy during the recording, but making his wife's anniversary present to precedence over the podcast this time. We wish we could have gotten this episode out to you before we went to Teach Your Heart Out, but we can assure you that Kaitlyn is even more wonderful in person than she is on the podcast. During our conversation we talked about her experience leaving home to teach in another state and how that shaped who she is as an educator. Kaitlyn speaks beautifully during the podcast on how kids lose their desire for the arts as they start to become more self conscious of their work and others opinions of it. And we finish up the conversation with how adults can benefit from pursuing the arts. It was such a fun conversation and we were so lucky to get to meet Kaitlyn in person last week! To connect with Kaitlyn follow her on Instagram @artwithmrs.e!! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On this episode we're joined by The Sprinkle Topped Teacher herself Nicki Dingraueto! This was such a fun conversation for us as she shares our love of fitness and sweets! During our conversation Nicki talks about how she incorporates movement and flexible seating to keep kids engaged in learning and how those things have increased her students success. She has also been a vocal advocate for teachers in Arizona's Red For Ed Movement and encourages all teachers to get the mental health support that they need. When it comes to teachers who are protesting Nicki emphasizes that in every state where there have been protests it has been about much more than teacher salaries. Nicki talks about the lack of resources students are facing across the country and why it a necessity that students get the resources they need. Our favorite pieces of advice from Nicki-- surround yourself with good people and eat more donuts!! We're so grateful for Nicki coming on the show and we're excited to let you listen to her story! F

Here is our reflection on Day 1 of Teach Your Heart Out Las Vegas. To put it mildly it was one of the most powerful experiences we've ever had. We'll be back next week with more reflections, but we can not stress enough that every teacher needs to be a part of this community. Follow them on social media or go to their website https://www.teachyourheartoutcon.com/ To get this shirt go to https://thewrightstuffchics.com/collections/t-shirts --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

Noelle Pickering is a former middle school math teacher who now blogs and creates online resources and training at https://www.maneuveringthemiddle.com/. During our conversation Noelle talked about how math skills are still critical even though we have tools that can solve "math problems" for us. She tells a funny story of needing a moving truck and the customer service representative not understanding how the basic dimensions determine whether things like beds and couches would fit. After talking about some of her favorite math resources we asked Noelle about how she creates classroom organization. Her answer, "find your pain point when it comes to organization and fix that first." We think this is such good advice because it is hard to solve any problem if you haven't first identified the pain point. We are so grateful that Noelle spent time with us and if you want to connect with her she can be found as Maneuvering The Middle on social media. Let us know how we're doing and who you'd like to have us inter

Rebekah Ozuna is a Pre-K teacher in San Antonio, Texas, who has an incredible passion for social and emotional learning. During our conversation with Rebekah she discussed how some students are not sheltered at home and they come to us in a very raw state. Rebekah beautifully lays out how we must first provide for the social and emotional needs of our students before we can address their academic needs. Rebekah says that even in the Pre-K setting how we model appropriate social and emotional skills goes a long way in teaching our students how to handle those situations. Rebekah is the head of the Aspen Institute's Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development where they are working to understand the needs of our students on all levels and she brings that experience to this powerful conversation. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Here's how you can learn more about and connect with Rebekah: IG: @missozuna https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/national-commission-on-social-emotional-and-aca

Erica Bristor is a Pre-K teacher in our beloved HTX and fellow lover of all the food Houston has to offer! During our conversation with Erica (IG: @missbristorsbusybees, TW: @ericabristor)she describes what the world of Pre-K is like to two guys who have very little knowledge of it. She emphasized for us that its not just coloring and recess, but that she strives to create habits with her kids the most important of which are developing their reading skills and social courtesies. Erica and Kyle share the experience of moving to Houston without knowing a soul and how proud they are of that choice. Erica also stated that although we have a long way to go in making our educational system what it should be we all must remember that we are making a difference. And she points out that no matter what goes on outside of our rooms we are always in control of what we do within our four walls and how we serve our students. Finish it up with her three favorite Houston restaurants and you have a recipe for a great podcast!

We were so lucky to have the opportunity to talk with Eric Crouch who we're so excited to meet this week at Teach Your Heart Out Las Vegas! As Eric said it was so fun to get to talk shop with one of the most dynamic educators we've met. During our conversation Eric talks about the pillars of his teaching-- collaborate, communicate, critically think. He uses these as the basis for most everything he does in the classroom and finds that they increase the student buy in. If you don't follow Eric on social media you should because not only is it funny and insightful, but much of what he puts out is made by students in his film editing club. Eric talks about "the vulnerability of video" and how he believes video is an asset that, "allow bulletin boards to come down and be replaced by windows." Eric strives with his students to give the choice and stake in the success of the classroom and it is something we can all benefit from learning more about. We hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast and thank you so much