3Ps in a Pod: An Education Podcast

On this final episode in this series on More Than Mentoring, we welcome Arizona K12 Center Executive Director Daniela Robles and Assistant Director of Induction and Mentoring Kathleen Paulsen back to the podcast. They reflect on themes through this season and discuss the role of mentors and what formal mentorship means for the enhanced practice and sustainability of educators across Arizona.  Daniela recognizes how there is both an art, that includes the relationship component of mentoring, and a science, that leans into data collection and student learning, to mentoring. Balancing these appropriately requires intellectual preparation, she notes. Daniela and Kathleen then unpack what intellectual preparation is and what that looks like for both mentors and the teachers they mentor. Daniela and Kathleen close this episode by sharing their encouragement and thoughts as we close one school year and look ahead to the next. Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore how you might further connect students to community and co-design learning opportunities unique to your location. Find the reflection guide at this link. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

On this episode of 3Ps in a Pod, we continue our conversation with mentor Inez Ramirez, NBCT, from Maricopa Unified School District — this time, with one of her teacher mentees, Anthony Gonzalez.  Through the episode, Inez and Anthony share with host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, and discuss with each other how they worked together through the past year and the ways Inez' instructional mentoring support has had a deep impact on Anthony and his students. Inez and Anthony's conversation centers on some specific ways that they have been working to strengthen Anthony's instructional practices. This dynamic mentor-mentee duo guides us through their year-long learning journey together and touches on specific elements of Anthony's practice that they have focused on to create a more engaging environment for students and strengthen the impact of Anthony's teaching on his students. The podcast closes with Anthony reflecting on the past school year and the ways he has built his “toolbox.” He shares with us how others are helping him to reflect and continue to grow as he learns how to apply new skills in his instructional practice. Anthony reminds us of the importance of reflection as we continue to grow and evolve as professionals and calls us to be open to learning and talking about our practice. Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore how you might further connect students to community and co-design learning opportunities unique to your location. Find the reflection guide at this link. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

On this episode of 3Ps in a Pod, you will meet Inez Ramirez, NBCT, a mentor with the Maricopa Unified School District. Inez walks us through her role as an instructional mentor for beginning teachers and the ways mentoring supports teachers in her district. She shares how she not only differentiates the support she provides but the various ways that she meets the needs of her mentees and maximizes their time spent connecting. Host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, and Inez reinforce that the mentor-mentee support structures are built on trusting relationships.  As a mentor through the Arizona K12 Center's Arizona New Teacher Support Program, Inez worked on a case study about her mentorship of one teacher in particular this past year. She shares a bit about how she worked with that teacher, Anthony Gonzalez. Inez also provides advice on how to avoid stressors that are inevitable for teachers. Anthony's growth demonstrates the ways instructional mentoring can help strengthen the impact of early career educators.  Be sure to tune in to the next episode when we will hear from both Inez and her mentee Anthony about their work together through the past year. Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to further explore and apply the power of mentoring. Find the reflection guide at this link. Learn more about Joellen Killion's work Are You Coaching Heavy or Light? and Coaching heavy, coaching light: How to deepen professional practice.  Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center's professional learning opportunities and mentoring and induction support at azk12.org.

So far in this series on More Than Mentoring, we've been talking about mentoring you receive as a classroom teacher. On today's episode, we step inside Northern Arizona University's College of Education and talk with two faculty about how they mentor student teachers.  Bobby Macias and Ashley Esparza are both teach and support pre-service educators at NAU. They share with host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, about the current realities of supporting pre-service educators and the conversations they are having with those they support. As we explore the mentoring components of pre-service support, Bobby talks about reflective practice and the ways educators strive to meet the needs of every student. Ashley discusses how to model authentic reflection in practice as a way of making this practice more authentic for pre-service students.  Ashley and Bobby also provide a deep dive into how they support pre-service educators and the incredibly rich experience that students in NAU's education programs have an opportunity to experience. They detail the collaborative supports available to pre-service educators in order to help them be fully prepared for a successful entry into their career. Juliana also explores what Ashley and Bobby have had the opportunity to learn as they mentor future educators and the ways in which we are learning to sustain educators and teachers in classrooms. Bobby and Ashley wrap up this episode with how they feel that mentorship supports educators in the field and the impact that this has on students. Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore how you might further connect students to community and co-design learning opportunities unique to your location. Find the reflection guide at this link. Learn more about the NAU education program at nau.edu/college-education. Learn more about mentoring and educator support offered by the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Emmett Burnton and Ryan Donovan are two teachers both working in the social studies department at Boulder Creek High School in Deer Valley Unified School District. Not only colleagues, Emmett and Ryan have become mentors and coaches for each other. In today's episode, 3Ps in a Pod hosts Kathleen Paulsen, NBCT, and Marlys Weaver talk with these outstanding educators about how they mentor each other to be their professional best and continue to evolve their practice. Both teachers were also recognized for their teaching practice by the Arizona Educational Foundation. Emmett is the 2025 AEF Teacher of the Year, while Ryan is a 2025 AEF Ambassador for Excellence. Emmett and Ryan share with Kathleen and Marlys how they connected at Boulder Creek and how their strengths differ and compliment each other. They also reflect on other educators and moments that guided their teacher development. Both teachers explore in depth how they work to develop intentional and thoughtful lessons and assessments. They discuss their reflective practice and how it has positively impacted students.  Emmett calls us to think about mentorship in a way that creates deep relationships. These relationships help us really see our students and our peers in meaningful ways. Ryan shares about the value of protected time for collegial support and mentoring and the professional growth that results. He asks us to think about a mentor relationship as an opportunity for open dialogue and not about spending time focusing on deficits.   Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore how you might further connect students to community and co-design learning opportunities unique to your location. Find the reflection guide at this link. Here are a couple additional resources mentioned in this episode: Dr. Carol Dweck's on growth mindsets About Parker J. Palmer The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life by Parker J. Palmer Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Join Kathleen Paulsen, assistant director of induction and mentoring at the Arizona K12 Center, as she connects with long-time educator and author Joellen Killion. They take a deep look at mentoring and induction and talk about what continues to inspire and drive Joellen's work. Joellen is a renowned leader in education with 30 years of experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of professional learning. Joellen has served as a senior advisor to Learning Forward and is also the author of several books. On the podcast, Kathleen specifically discusses Joellen's article “Coaching Light Coaching Heavy” and how it informed and changed the way in which she views mentoring, induction, and her own professional learning. Joellen starts the podcast by talking about the magic that results from high-quality professional learning and the impact that this has on students. She also talks about her “why” and what pushes her to continue to support the field. Joellen and Kathleen discuss the feedback element in the professional growth process and the impact that this can have both on teachers and students. Joellen calls us to start by asking the person we are in community with what they would like to learn? This can be an entry point that leads to greater results and deeper understanding. Joellen also pushes us to think past not only using teacher retention as a measure of success, but to look at measuring the success of a mentoring program through the student's success. She explains to Kathleen what this could look like in practice and how making students the primary goal of mentoring might play out in school buildings. Kathleen also emphasizes the delicate balance of building mentor-mentee relationships as well as supporting students in the classroom through mentees.  Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore how you might further connect students to community and co-design learning opportunities unique to your location. Find the reflection guide at this link. Learn more about Joellen's work through some of these links: Original Article: Are You Coaching Heavy or Light? by Joellen Killion Updated Article: Coaching heavy, coaching light: How to deepen professional practice by Joellen Killion Assessing Impact: Evaluating Professional Learning by Joellen Killion The Feedback Process: Transforming Feedback for Professional Learning by Joellen Killion Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Dr. Andy Kahn of Understood.org returns to 3Ps in a Pod to talk about what to know about students with learning and thinking differences and also how mentors can help teachers in supporting these students, all on this third episode of our series on More Than Mentoring. Dr. Kahn asks both teachers and mentors to have a working knowledge of our classroom and students in a holistic and meaningful way. Mentoring cannot only help teachers prepare for the content and logistical elements of what needs to be delivered in the classroom but also for the emotional aspect as well. Mentoring is a way to support a growth mindset, set teachers on a path for success, and set students on a successful path of learning and growing as well, he shares. 3Ps Host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, and Dr. Kahn also explore Universal Design of Learning and how this approach can support early career teachers as well. Dr. Kahn provides realistic examples of how UDL can be applied to our practice to support learners and mentees and create environments that help to remove the stigma some students experience and lower demands teachers may experience. Dr. Kahn reinforces the idea of modeling what we expect from our learners. He asks us to stay mindful of modeling how we navigate through moments of need or dysregulation and navigate executive functions; we are establishing the environment that we hope our learners and mentees will feel comfortable demonstrating back. Dr. Kahn asks us to evaluate our practice: if we are asking mentees or learners to do more than we are willing to do ourselves, then we need to reassess and determine what we are asking and why. Dr. Kahn leaves us with thoughts around flexibility that unlock learning opportunities that will serve our students in ways that help them feel safe, engaged and support lifelong learning.  Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use this reflection guide to further explore how you can connect this episode to your work. Learn more about the resources mentioned in this podcast at understood.org. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Join host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, on this episode of 3Ps in a Pod as she connects with Sarah Brown Wessling, NBCT, an Iowa-grown educator who is as passionate as ever about what she does and finding ways to make deep connections. In this second episode of our series “More Than Mentoring,” Sarah explains how she collapses the space between mentor and teacher in order to be in a collaborative relationship with her mentees.  Sarah Brown Wessling is a high school English teacher and the director of the National Teacher of the Year program, which gives her the opportunity to work with the state teachers of the year. She is a fierce advocate for the profession and a mentor who embodies curiosity and kindness. Sarah pushes us to explore our teaching identity and to examine how we mentor teachers to ensure we aren't telling teachers how to establish a teaching identity but supporting them in discovering their own teaching identity through reflection. She also explains why and how she crafts invitations for learning and how that impacts trust, autonomy, respect, and community.  Sarah and Juliana talk deeply about developing relationships and how limiting our idea of mentoring to specifically timed meetings can limit those relationships. Mentors, whether working with students or adults, should consider establishing connection points that allow for rolling and continuous conversations. Sarah coaches us to be the most interested person in the room and ask questions that will support growth. She shares that questions are like “pulleys” and, when we are genuinely curious, questions pull us closer.  Don't forget that Sarah reminds us that listening is leadership and a gift. Often those we are listening to have the answer in themselves and just need the encouraging nudge of hearing their words back to them to know they are seen and that they are moving in the right direction. Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore your approach to mentoring. Find the reflection guide at this link. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org. 

Welcome to this new 3Ps in a Pod series on More Than Mentoring! In this first episode, host Marlys Weaver welcomes Arizona K12 Center Executive Director Daniela Robles and Assistant Director of Induction and Mentoring Kathleen Paulsen to explore instructional mentoring, how it's different than coaching, and what this work can do for teachers, mentors, and school communities. Kathleen and Daniela both share how they came to instructional mentoring before actually having the title of a mentor or coach, either by reaching out to help new teachers in their school or to support National Board Certification candidates. They also share about what they see as the differences between instructional mentoring and coaching and how expanding and enhancing habits of mind through mentoring allows us to better serve all students.   As Kathleen and Daniela unpack what it means to be a successful mentor, they walk through the role of the mentor, the support they provide, and why mentoring training is a critical element in ensuring mentors are prepared to support other adults in their building. Being a successful mentor is not about the mentor's success in the classroom but about helping other teachers realize their classroom rhythm and finding success in their classroom.  Daniela asks listeners to reflect on our life's work as education professionals. She asks us to reflect on who we are, how teacher leadership transfers inside and outside the walls of our classrooms, and to be mindful of staying assets-focused. Kathleen shares about how consistency is mentoring support across a system is what can have exponential impact on teachers and systems and encourages listeners to examine their systems.   Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use this episode-specific reflection guide to explore how you might further connect students to community and co-design learning opportunities unique to your location. Here are links to resources mentioned in this episode and additional resources to expand your learning. Arizona Beginning Teacher Induction Standards Jim Knight Elena Aguilar Article: The Arizona K12 Center's Approach to “Robust Mentoring” in Induction  Podcast: What's All the Hype about Cognitive Coaching? Original Article: Are You Coaching Heavy or Light? by Joellen Killion Updated Article: Coaching heavy, coaching light: How to deepen professional practice by Joellen Killion Arizona K12 Center's Approach to Induction and Mentoring Arizona K12 Center Customized Support for Induction and Mentoring Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

We'll have a full season of 3Ps in a Pod starting soon. In the meantime, here's a special episode of 3Ps in a Pod with Ken Shelton, an expert on artificial intelligence (AI) in education and author of The Promises and Perils of AI in Education: Ethics and Equity Have Entered the Chat. Marlys Weaver of the Arizona K12 Center and Dr. LeeAnn Lindsey of the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy, co-host this episode. Dr. Lindsey also co-hosted the four-part AI in Education podcast series last spring and was part of the team that created the guide Generative Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education: Guidance for Arizona Schools and School Systems. Ken has worked in education for more than 20 years and holds a Master of Arts in education with a specialization in educational technology as well as new media design and production. Generative AI, he explains, does have both benefits and significant challenges. He explores several of the issues with AI. Many of these grow out of AI being built by humans, who bring their own perspectives and biases. This not only can include AI programs being built by teams with a lack of diversity in general but also education AI programs being build by teams that include few or no classroom practitioners. For educators to use generative AI programs responsibly to support students, those programs must be designed for our learners' reality. When people use AI without understanding the biases that can come with a particular program, that AI tool can cause more harm than good, Ken explains. He shares newsworthy examples of chatbots that have shared incorrect and troublesome information with students. This leads into a conversation about how educators select AI tools. Often, educators may select AI tools because students may seem more engaged with technology, but Ken offers several questions educators can use when deciding when and how to use AI. These include asking why you're using a tool or program in a particular way, “What is the learning, experiential or educational goal or purpose of using an AI tool?” and “What problem does this solve that you can't address with other available resources?” Ken and Dr. Lindsey also discuss how “performatively engaging” technology can be for students. Ken recommends that educators do not confuse activity with engagement. AI tools can appear “fun,” as Dr. Lindsey notes, but to be used responsibly and effectively, Ken states that educators must frame AI use around educational goals and the experiences educators want students to have to reach those goals.  Ken closes the episode talking about the things that AI can do better than humans and what humans will always be able to do better than AI. He then shares the positives that can come from AI use in schools.  At an upcoming series on AI in Education, Ken Shelton will work with teachers in going beyond the tips and tricks of AI use and building an ethical approach that serves all students. Learn more and register at azk12.org/AIinEd. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

While we focus on K-12 education at the Arizona K12 Center, today on 3Ps in a Pod, we're talking about a particular pathway for high school graduates. Today, Amanda Schmidt, a senior development director with NAU Advancement, joins us to talk about ways to remove or lower barriers to post-secondary education and how, as a community, we can all participate in helping others achieve success by lowering financial barriers. Amanda shares about why she encourages students to lead with curiosity when considering post-secondary possibilities and the importance of reaching out to find out what support may exist. There are many avenues available to support students as they attempt to navigate funding and potential gaps in their funding. Amanda offers several suggestions for how students can fill these gaps while pursuing opportunities.  As students are investigating what they may want to pursue post-secondary, Amanda suggests starting by being radically honest about what brings you joy and what ignites your passion. She also encourages potential students or program participants to explore the supports that may exist at the place or program you are exploring and ensure they also align with your values.  On this podcast, listeners will learn more about the various arms of support designed to assist students pursuing a college or university path. Amanda explains how completing the FAFSA can be a way of sourcing needs-based funds but should also be a point of asking further questions.  Amanda and 3Ps host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, also explore how we can be a part of the community that helps move future generations of students forward and what large impacts that community generosity can have on students.    Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore how you might support removing barriers to post-secondary opportunities. Find the reflection guide at this link. Here are other related resources to today's episode: NAU Foundation: https://www.foundationnau.org Contact Amanda Schmidt about making a donation Amanda.Schmidt@nau.edu NAU Financial Aid: https://nau.edu/office-scholarships-financial-aid/  Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Have you been wondering about how we can more deeply connect students to their local communities? Have you been curious about exploring how to co-construct learning opportunities with students? On this seventh episode of our 3Ps in a Pod series on "Healthy and Thriving Environments for Strong Connections and Strong Schools," we are investigating ways to strengthen the connection between students and community. Leading the potential for bridging connections between students and the community is Josh Schachter, director and founder of CommunityShare, based in Tucson. Learning from Josh's experience in this work, he shares with us how he and his team set out to build a “human library” and help others make meaningful connections. Josh and 3Ps host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, explore the need that CommunityShare fills through its rich and diverse resources and experiences. Josh shares how his team has developed a “learning ecosystem”, how we can tap into deep funds of knowledge by lifting the assets of families, and the impact that authentic engagement has on students and the community. CommunityShare cares deeply about teachers and invests in them and their leadership skills through the Educator Fellowship Program. Through the support provided, teachers have an opportunity to learn more about redesigning learning experiences while developing their own caring network of peers. The program affords teachers a chance to explore their mindsets, work on a concrete project, and then spend the length of the fellowship co-designing the learning experience with a community partner. Josh encourages us to start where we are and then be open to how projects can scale up and expand. He also calls on us to expand the way that we think about education and how this might impact economic mobility. CommunityShare seeks to bring people together to work on challenges and build networks based on what does unite individuals.  Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore how you might further connect students to community and co-design learning opportunities unique to your location. Find the reflection guide at this link. Learn more about CommunityShare at communityshare.org. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Liberatory Design is an approach to changing what is and creating a whole ecosystem that best supports all students. It is a process and practice to create designs that help interrupt inequity and increase opportunity for those most impacted by oppression. In this episode, host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, talks with Kathleen Osta from National Equity Project about Liberatory Design. Kathleen and Juliana explore the 12 mindsets of Liberatory Design and how they support collaborative work. These mindsets must be applied with intentionality and can support healing, being seen, and humanizing our spaces. The Liberatory Design Mindsets support us in reconnecting with one another as full human beings, which allows us to then bring our best thinking forward and design systems in innovative ways. Kathleen calls on us to think about how we create and tend to the conditions where together we are not only taking actions to learn but to also transform power. She reflects on how we talk about complex issues without blame or shame, come together to define the problem, and create new ways of doing things. Including those closest to a problem to generate a solution helps interest holders to feel seen and understood. This can shift the culture of a space and deepen relationships.     Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore what new strategies you might want to try and how you will intentionally create an environment that explores curiosities you might have about fostering deep relationships with families/caregivers and the community. Find the reflection guide at this link. Here are other related resources to today's episode: Learn more about Liberatory Design at liberatorydesign.com Learn more about National Equity Project More about the Stanford D School and Liberatory Design Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

In this episode, we welcome back Principal Jose Lara from Gilbert High School in Anaheim (California) Union School District and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Teresa Hill of Tucson Values Teachers and a former coach and principal. They build upon the previous episode's conversation, this time exploring the impact of deep relationships with families and caregivers and how these help influence school climate and culture.   Dr. Hill and Principal Lara also explore what community means and how to build community among parents/caregivers. They discuss ways we can build deeper relationships and shift culture by building on assets. Principal Lara also discusses being inclusive in our language and honoring the many family structures that support our students.  3Ps host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, engages both guests in deep conversation about moving from transactional to more relational interactions and engagements with families/caregivers and community members. Dr. Hill and Principal Lara both offer ways that they have been successful in building relationships with families and community members through common happenings. By viewing these engagements as opportunities to engage and build relationships, we can shift the dynamics of interactions and strengthen the connections all interest holders experience. Principal Lara and Dr. Hill also give us ideas of next steps to make our spaces more inclusive of families, parents, caregivers, and community members.  We invite you to join Principal Lara and Dr. Hill as they paint a picture of their vision for healthy and thriving schools and take a few minutes to dream freely and paint a picture of what this vision looks like in your context.  Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore what new strategies you might want to try and how you will intentionally create an environment that explores curiosities you might have about fostering deep relationships with families/caregivers and the community. Find the reflection guide at this link. Here are other related resources to today's episode: Learn more about Gilbert High School at gilbert.auhsd.us. Learn more about Tucson Values Teachers at tucsonvaluesteachers.org. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

The way principals help support deep relationships with staff and students is essential to student learning. In this episode, we explore how the relationships between staff and students can create positive environments for teaching and learning. That's what we're exploring in this fourth episode in our series on Healthy and Thriving Environments for Strong Connections and Strong Schools. Principal Jose Lara from Gilbert High School in Anaheim (California) Union School District and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Teresa Hill of Tucson Values Teachers and a former coach and principal reflect on how to foster these relationships in today's episode. Together, Principal Lara and Dr. Hill explore how they build a sense of belonging for both staff and students. They explore teacher voice, communication with staff, and building trust amongst staff to best support students. Principal Lara also shares about the importance of having fun and joy with staff to get to know each other and create a positive community. They both emphasize the intentionality that building relationships requires and detail their approaches to supporting students to build healthy peer-to-peer relationships through teaching and modeling. They also reflect on how students can rise to high expectations with a supportive environment and structures. This requires cultivating hope and helping students see each other's humanness. In our next episode, we'll continue talking with Principal Jose Lara and Dr. Theresa Hill – this time about relationships between schools and parents/guardians and community.   Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore what new strategies you might want to try and how you will intentionally create an environment that is inclusive of all kids/students. Find the reflection guide at this link. Here are other related resources to today's episode: Principal Lara mentioned the book Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Father Greg Boyle. Find it at shophomeboy.com.  Learn more about Gilbert High School at gilbert.auhsd.us. Learn more about Tucson Values Teachers at tucsonvaluesteachers.org. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Understanding emotional regulation and dysregulation is foundational to well being, no matter our age. On this episode of 3Ps in a Pod, we explore this very important topic with Dr. Andrew Khan from Understood.org. Dr. Khan shares the why behind understood.org and the vast resources that organization has developed to support educators and parents.    Juliana and Dr. Khan explore neurodivergence and how to apply strategies to all learners and make our learning environments more inclusive. By doing so, we can create successful and thriving environments that honor our students bringing their whole self to learning.    Emotional regulation is our ability to modulate and regulate what is happening around us. When people are in dysregulation, they can experience barriers to finding success in both academic and non-academic settings. Dr. Kahn helps us understand how we can support the development of regulation skills and shares practical steps we can take to help us understand how to navigate dysregulated individuals in safe, autonomous, and appropriate ways.    Juliana and Dr. Khan also discuss how to develop empathy in students as we support them through navigating interactions with someone who may be dysregulated. This can lead to more positive relationships and outcomes and a much more positive group setting for all.    Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore what new strategies you might want to try and how you will intentionally create an environment that is inclusive of all kids/students. Find the reflection guide at this link. Here are other related resources to today's episode: Find articles, podcasts, and other resources related to dysregulation, ADHD, and learning and thinking differences at understood.org.  Find specific emotional regulation resources at this understood.org link. Learn more about Dr. Andrew Kahn at this link. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Author and teacher Patrick Harris will remind you to channel the magic of teaching in this episode of 3Ps in a Pod. He reflects on how teaching is human work and why showing up authentically is so important for both the teachers and the students.   This season are exploring healthy and thriving environments for strong connections and strong schools. Host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, connects you with various guests to help us explore this idea from diverse perspectives and help us think critically about how we all work together to create strong schools that center our students. Through this series, you'll find both thought-provoking conversations and complimentary professional learning materials linked in our show notes.   In this episode, we explore reflection, what it means to create space for healing, and connect to humanity. Patrick shares with us what this can look like and the importance of radical empathy. He encourages us to develop a reflective practice rooted in truth, how this all connects to healing, and will help us to deepen relationships with students, staff, peers, families/caregivers, and others.    Juliana and Patrick explore the mentee-mentor relationship and the reciprocal nature of learning, feedback, and reflection. Patrick shares with us that by drawing on our own experiences and connecting with the why behind what we do, we can shape classroom environments that are truly inclusive.     We hope that after you listen to this episode you will engage in deep reflection, either with another person or on your own, in order to further explore the ideas that Patrick offered. Find the reflection guide at this link.   Read about Patrick's book The First Five: A Love Letter to Teachers at this link.   Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Welcome back to a new season of 3Ps in a Pod! This season we will deeply explore a focus on healthy and thriving environments for strong connections and strong schools.    Host Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, will be connecting you with various guests who will help us explore this idea from diverse perspectives and help us think critically about how we all work together to create strong schools that center our students. Through this series, you'll find both thought-provoking conversations and complimentary professional learning materials linked in our show notes.   In this first episode, we connect with Taryl Hansen, NBCT, and Mary Bouley to investigate how understanding Cognitive Coaching moves can help us reach greater levels of success in professional and personal relationships through improved communication and collaboration skills anchored in compassion. Discover how these ideas can help shift mental models and develop patterns and skills for listening and responding, and learn why communication is a way of being with one another, not just a skill.    Taryl and Mary share how we can further build trust and communicate to others that we believe in them. They discuss how we can support others to be more empowered and self-reliant and ask us to think about how we continue to show students and others that we honor their thinking and encourage a sharing of viewpoints. Mary and Taryl also encourage us to think about what we really mean when we talk about building capacity and what that looks like.    Continue your learning After listening to this episode, use the reflection guide to explore this episode in a way that further impacts who you are and how you are showing up in your work and in your relationships. Find the reflection guide at this link. Here are other related resources to today's episode: “What's All the Hype about Cognitive Coaching?”, an earlier episode with Mary Bouley and Taryl Hansen, NBCT, referenced in this episode Registration for the next Cognitive Coaching Foundations series at the Arizona K12 Center Learn about how to bring Cognitive Coaching Foundations, Advanced Cognitive Coaching, or customized Cognitive Coaching training to your school or district at this link.   Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

It's another election year, and we're talking with Gina Roberts of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission about the Civics Classroom Curriculum, a free and available resource to all Arizona teachers.  3Ps host Donnie Dicus welcomes Gina Roberts, the voter education director of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, to the podcast. The Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission is the state's non-partisan voter education agency. The commission helps people learn about the logistics of voting and the candidates and the roles they're running for. It also advocates for participation in the political process. The curriculum includes lesson plans designed for grades 4-6, 7-8, and 9-12 with a variety of hands-on activities that can work in both an in-person or virtual setting. The curriculum is also aligned with Arizona State Standards. Gina speaks to how the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission is a voter-created state government agency that is mandated by state statute to provide non-partisan, non-influencing voter education. The curriculum reviews the election processes, the roles and responsibilities of different elected offices, and media and information literacy skills. She also shares about ways students can become more civically involved aside from voting in elections. Gina also announces that the commission will soon be releasing a comic book to supplement their Civics Classroom Curriculum. The comic book follows the conflict between the hero Captain Activate and the villain Doctor Apathy who aims to create apathetic voters.  Find this free Civics Classroom Curriculum at azcleanelections.gov/civics-curriculum. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Rachel Martinez is in her first year of teaching third-grade in Tolleson Elementary School District. In this episode, 3Ps in a Pod host Kathleen Paulsen talks with Rachel about the support she's received at her school and the learning she did at the recent Welcome to Teaching event with Dr. Doug Fisher.   She shares how struck she was by the six levels of engagement that Dr. Fisher shared and how he showed how even very young students can be aware of their engagement level and know what they need to do to be more ready to learn. She and Kathleen also reflect on the four types of learning: focused instruction, collaboration, guided learning, and independent learning.   Rachel shares about the support she's received in her school and district, including working with a mentor. Rachel's mentor is Michelle Doherty, who Rachel also had as a professor at Northern Arizona University. Rachel talks about how Michelle supports her and builds her confidence as she goes through her first year of teaching.    As Rachel nears the end of her first school year, she says she's excited to reflect and see the growth that both she and her students made during the year. She notes how important it is for her to reflect on her work and growth for herself but also to model the expectation and power of that for her students.   The Arizona K12 Center is also having Dr. Fisher back for another event based on his book Welcome to Teaching this fall! You can learn about and register for that event at azk12.org/24BTS2. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

In the final episode of this podcast series on AI in Education, Dr. Chad Gestson and Dr. LeeAnn Lindsey chat with Lauren Owens and Lindsey McCaleb about where teachers can go from here — where to begin, where they can find guidance, resources, and additional professional development for using AI with confidence. Dr. Gestson and Dr. Lindsey are both a part of the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy, a part of Northern Arizona University, while Lauren Owens is the director of information technology for Agua Fria HS District and Lindsey McCaleb is the principal of an online school in the Balsz School District. Lauren and Lindsey share how they have started to work with AI in their schools and districts and the discussions they've had with school leaders and teachers to move toward using AI. They reflect on the process of planning, implementing, and assessing when integrating any new technology or change initiative.  Today's episode also focuses on how policy creation, at the state or district level, can be much slower than how quickly technology is developing. Dr. Lindsey shares how only nine U.S. states have developed some guidelines for AI use in schools. The Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy has been working to add Arizona to that list of states and will soon be releasing an AI guidance document to help inform state, district, and school policies. That guidance document will be available on May 13 at nau.edu/aiee/azai with a corresponding webinar, "GenAI Guidance for Arizona K-12 Schools," on May 15 from 3 to 4 p.m. To sign up to receive the webinar link, click here. Learn more about the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy at this link and about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Ready to see how AI can improve your work and impact student learning? In this third part of our series on AI in Education, we'll dive into some AI tools you might consider trying in your teaching.   In our last two episodes, we explored a bit of history of artificial intelligence and contemplated if using AI is cheating. Today, we look at what we can actually do with AI.   Guest host Dr. Chad Gestson focuses on the heart of teaching and learning. He and Dr. LeeAnn Lindsey chat with Dr. Michele Wilson and Alec McDaniel about best practices for using AI to impact student learning. Dr. Wilson spent 38 years working within education systems and is now an education consultant. Alec is an educational technology specialist in Florence Unified School District.   They both share about what makes them excited about AI and talk about what “good use” of AI in the classroom looks like before they explore several of the tools they encourage educators to check out and consider how they might support their work. They also discuss the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and Arizona Technology in Education Association (AZTEA) as great resources to learn more about using AI.   Here are links to the tools and resources referenced in this episode: T-PACK Framework SAMR model of technology integration MagicSchool AI: magicschool.ai Diffit for differentiating: diffit.me Forbers article, “The Hot, New High-Paying Career Is an AI Prompt Engineer” ChatGPT Other large language models like Gemini, Google Bard, or Copilot SchoolAI: schoolai.com Curipod: curipod.com Canva's Magic Tools Adobe Express Khanmigo: khanmigo.ai Skipit: skipit.ai Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

In this second part of our four-part series on AI in Education, guest host Dr. Chad Gestson asks the question that is on many educators' minds: “Is AI cheating?” He and Dr. LeeAnn Lindsey talk to Arizona Dr. Punya Mishra about academic and professional integrity, and why AI should be a catalyst to rethink “plagiarism” and “cheating."   Dr. Gestson and Dr. Lindsey are both a part of the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy, a part of Northern Arizona University, while Dr. Mishra is associate dean of scholarship and innovation and professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University.    Dr. Mishra broadens the conversation to talk about what cheating is in general and how we approach assessment. The discussion about AI and cheating is an opportunity to talk deeply about how we evaluate learning, he shares. That connects to a larger conversation about the purpose of the preK-12 education system, he explains.   The three also talk about the role of agency and autonomy in learning. They also discuss the need for a class like the Theory of Knowledge class that is a part of the International Bacalaureate program for students to better understand the creation and sharing of ideas.   Learn more about he Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org. 

As artificial intelligence tools have become far more accessible in the past year, “AI” has become a major conversation for not just schools and education but in all aspects of life. That's why we're diving into discussions about AI in education in this four-part series with guest host Dr. Chad Gestson, executive director of the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy, and Dr. LeeAnn Lindsey, strategic planning director of the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy.   In this episode, Dr. Gestson and Dr. Lindsey set the stage about how they became personally interested in this work, the discussions they've heard across Arizona, and why the new Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy is focusing on AI.   Dr. Gestson also gives an overview of how AI came to be where it is today, where it's going, and what that can mean for Arizona schools and workplace development. Alan Turing published the first significant paper on AI in 1950, launching a focus on this new field before it entered an “AI winter.” Then, an influx of new AI tools and robots launched in the 2000s and has continued momentum. He also references the seven stages of artificial intelligence and talks about four branches of AI that listeners should be aware of:  generative AI tools like ChatGPT Natural language processing like Alexa, Siri, or other smart speakers AI-powered robotics like Roombas Robotics process automation like Timely for creating school master schedules   Vince Yanez, the Helios Education Foundation's senior vice president of community engagement and strategic partnerships, then joins the podcast to discuss the role of AI in workforce development. He and Dr. Gestson discuss how AI will eliminate or alter some jobs while also introducing new jobs. They also discuss what it looks like to prepare students in the midst of this emerging future.   Subscribe to 3Ps in a Pod: An Education Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be ready for the next episodes in this series. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

It's been an exciting last few months for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Today, 3Ps in a Pod host Juliana Urtubey talks with CEO Peggy Brookins about recent National Board news and conversations.   Peggy shares about the vision and work of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the benefits of National Board Certification for educators and their students. She also reflects on how both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate introduced resolutions in January 2024 that recognize “the importance and contributions of National Board Certified Teachers” (NBCTs) and reflects.   More than 3,500 educators certified as NBCTs in December 2023, more than 700 than the previous year. Peggy talks about some of the dynamics that have led to that increase, including expanding the process to newer teachers and incentives at the state and district levels.   Peggy also talks about the need to better retain quality teachers and how National Board Certification can be a part of addressing that need. She speaks to how networks of NBCTs across the country are helping both advance National Board Certification and also lead in addressing the current challenges in education.   In this episode, Peggy references the Learning Policy Institute's research and tool that calculates the cost of teacher turnover in a school or district.   If you're interested in starting your National Board Certification journey, visit azk12.org.

When Dr. Jennifer Robinson first attended the Arizona K12 Center's annual Teacher Leadership Institute, she was the only one from her district but connected with other “lone wolves.” She learned there but has since found even more value in bringing a team to this annual summer conference.  She shares with 3Ps host Paula about how she brings a variety of personnel from her school with her to Teacher Leadership Institute and how they synthesize their learning together and also share with the rest of their school together. Dr. Robinson reflects on the power of stepping away from the usual routine and connecting with other districts and those outside of education to transform your thinking about your work. Learn more about this year's 19th Annual Teacher Leadership Institute at azk12.org/TLI. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Julia King Pool joined us last season to talk about the psychology behind the concept of burning in rather than burning out. In this episode, she continues that conversation by sharing specific strategies for approaching some difficult scenarios you might have encountered. Hosts Juliana and Marlys ask Julia several questions about stressful scenarios educators often find themselves in. These include difficult conversations with a student's parent, balancing creativity and autonomy with a scripted curriculum, and not feeling supported at school. Julia provides research-backed steps for these situations and also talks through strategies to help educators' wellbeing all around. She references Sabine Sonnentag's work around recovering from the workday in talking about how educators can work toward balance. Sonnentag outlines four aspects to help recover from a workday, including psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery experiences, and control. Julia talks with Juliana and Marlys about the variety of ways those might look for an individual. This episode also references this RAND research report and also Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.  Learn more about Julia King Pool's work at BurninMindset.com or by connecting with her on LinkedIn. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education and provides numerous benefits to teachers, students, and schools. Today, 3Ps in a Pod host Donnie talks with four educators from Litchfield Elementary School District about how they have structured and grown their support for National Board Certification candidates to, in turn, better support students. Joining us from Litchfield Elementary School District are New National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) Sarah Beyer; National Board candidate Norma Coria; and Allison Paterno, NBCT, and Miriam Wilson, NBCT, two National Board candidate support providers. Miriam and Allison share about the support they received when they were going through the National Board Certification and how that inspired them to build out more support for others in their district. They reference how both COVID and the Arizona K12 Center's National Board Academy pushed them to be creative in how they provide support. They share the ways support can look, including providing time for candidates to work on their components and stipends for NBCTs in the district. All four share about why they pursued National Board Certification, and they reflect on the impact the process has had on them as individual educators and on students and their district. Learn more about National Board support in Arizona at azk12.org. Attend this summer's Arizona National Board Academy to help expand your district's National Board support. Learn more and register at azk12.org/nbacademy2024. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

If you're a teacher, you're a dendrite grower, according to today's guest Dr. Marcia Tate. Growing dendrites is a piece of brain science Dr. Tate shares in many of her books and workshops to help educators understand the context of brain-based teaching and learning. Dr. Tate talks with 3Ps host Josh about how, after years working as a teacher and an administrator, she learned about the brain science behind teaching and wanted to share that understanding with others. She has now been in education 49 years and has taught about half of million people as an educational consultant. Along with other tips and snippets about brain-based teaching, Dr. Tate shares a few of her favorite strategies, including incorporating movement and music, into the classroom. Josh also invites Dr. Tate to share about her most recent book, Happy Teachers, Happy Classrooms, which she wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic. This book addresses how to avoid burnout and increase teacher health and wellness. Dr. Tate has been facilitating the Arizona K12 Center's events for beginning teachers through this school year and will also be the lead facilitator at this summer's Beginning Teacher Institute. Learn more about the 4th Annual Beginning Teacher Institute: Great Minds Don't Think Alike at azk12.org/BTI24. Learn more about Dr. Marcia Tate's work at developingmindsinc.com. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

You may know the Arizona Educational Foundation or AEF as the home of the Arizona Teacher of the Year program and the Arizona State Spelling Bee. In this episode, you'll hear from Kim Graham, CEO of AEF, about the work of the Foundation and how she approaches her work leading these efforts. Kim shares how she moved from studying theater to teaching high school English to working in arts education to leading the Arizona Educational Foundation. She shares with Daniela about the specific programs AEF hosts but also the intention behind all of that work. Kim explains how AEF's offerings “primarily provide a stepping stone toward excellence for educators, administrators, and students. Or, they shine a spotlight on the great work being done in schools or by educators and administrators.” On a more personal level, Kim shares about what brings her joy through her work with AEF and how she attempts to recharge to be able to continue the work of the Foundation.   Learn more and follow AEF's work with these links: AEF's website 2023 AEF Annual Impact Report AEF Donors AEF's Facebook page, Instagram page, X (formerly known as Twitter) page, and LinkedIn page Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Here at the Arizona K12 Center, we're big proponents of reflecting on your practice. But what does it mean to be a reflective practitioner and how do we use that reflection to not be the end goal but a tool to generate change in ourselves and our learners? Dr. Kevin Roessger, associate professor of adult and lifelong learning at the University of Arkansas, has focused his work in quantitative research methodologies and adult learning theory. In this episode, he talks with host Paula about what led to this interest and the research he has done in critical reflection or reflective practice. Dr. Roessger emphasizes how reflection is often thought of as the end goal when that is truly a tool in the process of continued growth. He shares about what reflection truly is – our “remembering self” retelling and framing the experiences of our “experiencing self.” In this episode, Paula also references her conversations with The Learning Scientists in previous episodes of 3Ps in a Pod. Dr. Roessger also mentions a recently published article in the Adult Learning journal, “Assessment Strategies for Reflective Learning in the Workplace: A Pragmatic Approach.” Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Efrain Casillas, the 2024 Arizona Teacher of the Year, has been teaching at Tolleson Elementary School District for 17 years. His vision isn't to just teach music to his current students but to build a culture of music in Phoenix. 3Ps hosts Josh and Donnie talk with Efrain about the beginning of his interest in music as a child in Puerto Rico and how that led to his music education career.  Efrain shares how he works to engage his students' interests and culture into his teaching. That's led to his creating multiple new music groups, including mariachi, jazz, marching, concert, and Latin jazz bands, at Tolleson Elementary schools. He notes the amount of recognition the mariachi band has gone on to earn as well. Having those bands compete in music contests and play publicly in the community has provided students with skills they wouldn't learn only playing in school and also opened the door for more community engagement. Efrain has been able to fundraise and further expand music programming and engage more Tolleson students. He also mentions how he's interested in beginning a community band for former students and others who would like to continue playing their instruments. Learn more about Efrain Casillas and glimpse into his classroom at azedfoundation.org. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Explore the world of Cognitive Coaching — a transformative approach unlocking minds and elevating problem-solving skills — in this episode of 3Ps in a Pod with educators and facilitators Taryl Hansen, NBCT, and Mary Bouley. Taryl and Mary talk about the history of Cognitive Coaching and give an overview of this approach to coaching that mediates thinking and prioritizes teacher autonomy. They make it clear that Cognitive Coaching is one of multiple coaching tools to be used in particular situations but not all. The pair also address misconceptions or assumptions some people have about Cognitive Coaching. Some of those misconceptions include the ideas that educators don't actually have time to coach in this way or that Cognitive Coaching is only suited for more advanced educators. Together with 3Ps host Kathleen, who has also completed both Cognitive Coaching Foundations and the Advanced Seminar, they reflect on their own experiences with this coaching style.   Find upcoming Cognitive Coaching events at azk12.org/events. Register early, as these events consistently fill up.   Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

If you attended our 2023 Teacher Leadership Institute, you heard a bit from Dawn Quamahongnewa, her family, and her teacher leadership. Today, Dawn is expanding on what she shared in that speech and how knowing our past informs our future.  Dawn begins this episode by sharing how her parents first shared about the history of her family and the Hopi people. She shares the history of her family's clans' complex relationships with the U.S. education system, with some embracing and others wanting to reject the “pahana” way of life. Dawn talks with hosts Kathleen and Paula about how her dad saw the need for their clan to learn English and embrace the good things from the pahana way of life to be able to be the eyes, ears, and voice of their people. She reflects on how her life has continued living into her father's philosophy. Dawn talks about how she originally wanted to become a lawyer focused on Indian law for the preservation of her tribe, but instead, she chose teaching as a way toward preservation by fighting for equitable systems for her students. You can read about Dawn in the 2023 Teacher Leadership Report. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

You know how challenging teaching can be and how many teachers today encounter burnout. That's why Julia King Pool founded the Burn-in Mindset, a coaching program for experienced educators that mitigates burnout and cultivates energy, optimism, and confidence. Julia shares with hosts Juliana and Marlys how she founded Burn-in Mindset and how it is based in the tenets of positive psychology. Positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. She also shares some specific mindset shifts and strategies to help teachers feel more balanced. As educators are more able to “burn in” using positive psychology, the more they are able to support others in burning in as well. Learn more about the Burn-in Mindset at burninmindset.com or by emailing Julia at Julia@burninmindset.com. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Today, we welcome back Chris Kotterman, the Director of Government Relations for the Arizona School Boards Association, to discuss the past Arizona legislative session, significant bills that did and didn't make it into state policy, and what might be coming in the 2024 session. Kotterman notes that fewer bills than usual affecting education will take effect this year due to several vetoes by Governor Katie Hobbs but does share with hosts Donnie and Juliana about HB2460, which relates to the suspension of students in grades K-4. He then talks through several bills that did not pass in the 2023 session but that may arise in future sessions. He specifically clarifies Arizona Revised Statute 15-117, which talks about parental permission for particular surveys for students, and clarifies how districts are approaching those regulations. Kotterman also mentions a finance bill that may arise in the next session and makes some predictions about other bills and discussions that will return to the Arizona Capitol next session, which kicks off in January 2024. Visit apps.azleg.gov to check on bill updates, and visit azsba.org to find the Arizona School Board Association's legislative updates. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

This is a replay of an episode from September 2022. In recognition of National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools on September 30, we are discussing the history of American Indian boarding schools and the continued legacy of this part of our history. Hosts Daniela and Donnie welcome Marcus Monenerkit from the Heard Museum to the podcast to speak about the history of American Indian boarding schools and the Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories exhibit at the Heard Museum.  Monenerkit shares about what students and families experienced, including a bit of his own family's experiences and about the American Indian boarding schools now present on Steele Indian School Park in central Phoenix. He speaks to the trauma and challenges students and their families faced and how that continues to affect American Indian individuals and families today. He also details some of the policy and mindsets that led to the creation of American Indian boarding schools, how they changed over time, and what current-day American Indian boarding schools are like today. Here are a few resources connected to today's discussion: Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories exhibit at the Heard Museum Video about the history of American Indian Boarding Schools from the Heard Museum Statement by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

In January of 2023, Dr. Dani Portillo became the superintendent of Roosevelt School District, the first Latina to hold this position. In today's episode, Dr. Portillo talks with hosts Kathleen and Josh about her journey into education and her vision for Roosevelt School District, an elementary district in south Phoenix.   Roosevelt, an elementary district in south Phoenix, currently serves about 7,400-some students and employs about 1,400 people. Dr. Portillo shares the importance of this mid-size district to south Phoenix, including the teaching of students but also the impact on housing values and community development. She shares about her vision for the district and how integral Roosevelt schools are to advancing the south Phoenix community.   Dr. Portillo shares about both the challenges and what she most enjoys in her new role, especially working with adults for the benefit of all students. She also shares about what she enjoys in her free time, including suspenseful movies and gardening. She also recommends a recent book she's appreciated, Radical Candor by Kim Scott. Dr. Portillo also shares about how her parents have influenced her approach to education and the work ahead of her.   Learn more about Dr. Portillo and Roosevelt School District at rsd66.org.   Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

3Ps in a Pod is taking a break this week, but we'll be back in your podcast feed next Thursday. We hope whether your fall break is this week or later this month, you're able to take time to rest and rejuvenate. And thank you for all you do to support Arizona's learners, from all of us at the Arizona K12 Center.

Janet Wong left a law career and dove into writing poetry and helping others see the power of poetry. In this episode of 3Ps in a Pod, Janet talks with hosts Josh and Juliana about her approach to poetry and shares a variety of ways you can use poetry in your classroom. Janet shares how poems can be used as a way to get to know your students, as a brain break, as a way to teach revision, and to practice being creative. She reads several poems in this episode, including from this past summer's Beginning Teachers Institute, where she was a keynote speaker and had participants write multiple poems. Janet Wong is the 2021 winner of the NCTE Excellence in Poetry for Children award, a lifetime achievement award that is one of the highest honors a children's poet can receive. Wong is the author of more than 40 books for children and teens on a wide variety of subjects, including writing and revision (You Have to Write), diversity and community (Apple Pie 4th of July), peer pressure (Me and Rolly Maloo), chess (Alex and the Wednesday Chess Club), and yoga (Twist: Yoga Poems). She also serves on the Yale Law School Executive Committee. You can find Janet on X, previously Twitter, at @janetwongauthor and through her websites, janet-wong.com and pomelobooks.com. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

In this final episode of our series with The Learning Scientists, Dr. Megan Sumeracki dives into more detail about the three teaching and learning strategies of elaboration, concrete examples, and dual coding. The Learning Scientists, a group of cognitive psychologists, have developed six main strategies to support your teaching and your students' learning. In the previous episode, Dr. Sumeracki and Dr. Althea Need Kaminske talked about the strategies of spaced practice, interleaving, and retrieval practice. Today, Dr. Sumeracki talks in-depth about the remaining three strategies: Elaboration, connecting new learning to previous learning Concrete examples, providing supporting information Dual coding, using visuals  A synopsis of these strategies and resources to help use them is at this link and you can find the full research paper at this link. Learn more about The Learning Scientists at learningscientists.org and learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

In the last three episodes, we've explored some different aspects of the cognitive psychology behind how we learn. Today, we're taking that context and applying it to six strategies to support your teaching and your students' learning. In this episode, Dr. Althea Need Kaminske and Dr. Megan Sumeracki, two of The Learning Scientists, begin talking about these six strategies: Spaced practice, repetition spaced out over time Interleaving, interspersing different topics in a lesson Retrieval practice, working at accessing memory Elaboration, connecting new learning to previous learning Concrete examples, providing supporting information Dual coding, using visuals  A synopsis of these strategies and resources to help use them is at this link and you can find the full research paper at this link. They dive in more deeply with hosts Josh and Paula about spaced practice, interleaving, and retrieval practice and will further explore elaboration, concrete examples, and dual coding in next week's final episode of this series. Learn more about The Learning Scientists at learningscientists.org and learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

We continue our series with The Learning Scientists on this episode of 3Ps in a Pod. Today, hosts Josh and Paula talk with Dr. Althea Need Kaminske and Dr. Megan Sumeracki about working memory and perception. Dr. Sumeracki and Dr. Kaminske give multiple examples demonstrating how background knowledge shapes your perception and what that means for how we communicate or give instructions to students or anyone else in our lives. The Learning Scientists also discuss the processes of moving from learning to applying concepts and what that looks like for both students and for pre-service teachers moving into the day-to-day of teaching. They then discuss what it is to pay attention, how that connects with short-term and long-term memory, and how mind wandering can actually be helpful in learning and creating memory. The group also begins to talk about strategies that truly support how cognition actually works. Dr. Kaminske talks specifically about note-taking and how quality note-taking that supports actual learning requires a slowed down lecture, for example, or taking the time when reading a textbook to not just rewrite statements but to process and structure the information in their own way. They also discuss the idea of active learning. In the next episode, Dr. Sumeracki and Dr. Kaminske build off of this conversation and discuss more strategies and interventions you can apply that support the cognitive processes discussed in this episode. Learn more about the Learning Scientists at learningscientists.org, and learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

We're back with part two of our series with The Learning Scientists! Today, cognitive psychologists Dr. Megan Sumeracki and Dr. Cindy Nebel pick up where we left off in the first part of this series.  They jump into a demonstration with hosts Josh and Paula that illustrates some aspects of how our brains work. That leads into a discussion about why it's cognitively so important to understand your students' contexts in learning. Paula also asks Dr. Sumeracki and Dr. Nebel to discuss what it means to use research-based curriculum and why we need to depend on research rather than our intuition when it comes to teaching. They also discuss the benefits and uses of interleaving versus blocking content. Here are links to the resources mentioned in this episode: The Bransford and Johnson research on “Contextual Prerequisites for Understanding: Some Investigations of Comprehension and Recall” The Rohrer and Taylor research on “The shuffling of mathematics problems improves learning” The Learning Scientists' Downloadable Materials: Ace That Test: A Student's Guide to Learning Better by Drs. Megan Sumeracki, Cynthia Nebel, Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel, and Althea Need Kaminske Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide by Dr. Yana Weinstein (Jude Weinstein-Jones) and Dr. Megan Sumeracki Five Learning, Teaching Myths Debunked by Adam M. Brown and Althea Need Kaminske Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

We're starting off a five-part series with The Learning Scientists, a group of cognitive psychological scientists focused on how we learn. Today, hosts Josh and Paula talk with Dr. Megan Sumeracki and Dr. Cindy Nebel about the science of learning. As cognitive psychological scientists, The Learning Scientists are a group interested in research on education, specifically on the science of learning. They aim to motivate students to study by increasing the use of effective study and teaching strategies backed by research and decreasing negative views of testing. Dr. Sumeracki and Dr. Nebel share more about what that means and the differences between their area of study and that of neuroscientists. They detail why it's so important for educators to know some cognitive psychology to better understand students' needs when learning. Hosts Josh and Paula then share some of the misconceptions that struck them when they read Understanding How We Learn, A Visual Guide and discuss them with The Learning Scientists. The Learning Scientists and hosts Josh and Paula will continue their conversation in next week's episode of 3Ps in a Pod. Learn more about The Learning Scientists at learningscientists.org, and learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

STEM education can look very different across Arizona, which is why the Arizona STEM Acceleration Project came to be to help advance STEM in schools across the state. In this episode, hosts Donnie and Daniela talk with Mike Vargas and Amanda Whitehurst share how the Arizona STEM Acceleration Project (ASAP) works to transform how educators deliver STEM education.   The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project has three components for the program's teacher fellows: overseeing a student- or community-facing project writing four STEM lesson plans taking part in research on teaching STEM in Arizona   ASAP has completed its first year and is embarking on its second. In it's first year, 433 fellows in about 300 different schools completed the program, affecting almost 90,000 students. About 90% of fellows who started ASAP completed and were able to energize STEM education in their classroom. The fellows represented every county, every major city, and most reservations in Arizona.   Those fellows completed almost 15,000 hours of professional development and created 1,771 STEM lesson plans that are now in this online lesson plan archive that is free and open for all Arizona teachers. These lesson plans are all specific to STEM and the Arizona State Standards.   ASAP also provided about $850,000-worth of classroom equipment and paid $2 million in stipends to the teacher fellows.   In this episode, Amanda also shares examples of how ASAP fellows' projects have directly impacted students and their future goals. You can find more of those stories on the ASAP website's fellow highlight section.   ASAP is also partnering with the Arizona K12 Center to introduce a National Board Certification STEM cohort for teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification alongside other STEM educators. Read more about that opportunity here, and contact Donnie Dicus at ddicus@azk12.orgto join. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

The school year is back in session, so 3Ps is back too! Today, hosts Kathleen and Donnie chat with Jason Catanese, a middle school math teacher in the Isaac School District, about how he extended his support of his students far outside his classroom and began a comprehensive college prep program.   Jason, also known as “Mr. Cat,” teaches seventh- and eighth-grade math at Pueblo Del Sol Middle School in the Isaac School District, located in the Maryvale neighborhood of Phoenix. He is also the founder of Camp Catanese to support first-generation college students as they prepare for and transition into college.   A conversation with former students about the ACT led Jason to create Camp Catanese, a summer camp and additional programming to help prepare first-generation college students for their college journey. He shares about how the camp has grown beyond being for former students from his school to 230 students from multiple school districts across the Valley. He also details how this past summer was his first working with a former student who decided to become a teacher.   Along with teaching full-time and leading Camp Catanese, Jason is also on the Arizona K12 Center Board of Directors and the Arizona State Board of Education. He talks with Kathleen and Donnie about how he brings together young adults from across the country to help support the campers of Camp Catanese and share about the variety of career paths students can take.   Learn more about Camp Catanese at campcatanese.com. You can also follow Camp Catanese on Facebook and on Instagram.   Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

On this fourth and final episode of our series on Humanizing Pedagogy, Oscar Corrigan joins us to talk about classroom management. He shares how his own experiences as a teacher and working with other teachers caused him to realize the importance of classroom management and what works best to support students in being successful. Oscar explores routines, procedures, and expectations to help students better learn and engage and recommends educators considering if any rule is there for students or for the teacher. He also touches on the theme that carries throughout this series: creating an environment where students feel safe and ready to learn hinges on the teacher knowing and having strong relationships with those students. Oscar will be one of the breakout session speakers at this summer's Beginning Teacher Institute. Learn more and register for this three-day event at azk12.org/BTI23. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

In this third installment in our series on Humanizing Pedagogy, we welcome Johnathon Walker to 3Ps in a Pod to talk about his approach to character education and how educators can better get to know their students.  Jonathon begins the episode by sharing how working with students in athletics led him to become a classroom teacher before talking about the importance of educators to teach the whole child. He defines social-emotional learning as how we prepare students to navigate social structures and society and how teachers get to know students to best support their learning. Jonathon mentions research that says 46% of high school students don't think their teachers know their names. He talks about strategies for teachers to better know their students and that help students know a teacher is there to support them. He also details the steps for students to recognize “blue thoughts,” those thoughts that are far too negative to be realistic, and how to process the situation to recognize the “true thoughts” a student is having. Jonathon will be one of the breakout session speakers at this summer's Beginning Teacher Institute. Learn more and register for this three-day event at azk12.org/BTI23. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

We are back with part of our series on Humanizing Pedagogy. Today, we'll be talking with Kristin Speck about how to create a classroom environment that fosters deeper engagement and concrete strategies to get us there. Kristin shares about how her degree in nutrition and dietetics and teaching at a San Diego cycling studio led to her career as a high school biology teacher. Noting that teachers need to “build slow to go fast” when it comes to classroom engagement, Kristin lists several concrete strategies to help students feel welcomed and comfortable in a classroom, which helps build an environment for deeper engagement. She shares standards and norms for setting that foundation for a variety of age groups. She also gives her advice for first year teachers and speaks to what more she'll be doing with new teachers at this summer's Beginning Teacher Institute. Learn more and register for this three-day event at azk12.org/BTI23. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

What does it mean to humanize pedagogy? Why is it crucial to our work as educators? And how do beginning teachers do that in the midst of other demands and expectations? That's what we are diving into in our next four episodes of 3Ps in a Pod, starting today by hearing from Dr. Dominique Smith about how the language we use shapes how we view and interact with learners and others. Dr. Smith begins the episode by sharing about his passion for education and how teaching needs to begin at the understanding that each student is a unique, individual human. He then talks with 3Ps host Josh Meibos about how the labels we use to refer to people, whether positive or negative, frames how we view and treat those people. At the beginning of the book Removing Labels, which Dr. Smith wrote with Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey, is a poem by Jiovanni Gutierrez Montano. Dr. Smith shares how Jiovanni, a student at his school, wrote and shared that poem with him out of his experiences of being labeled. (You can see a video of Jiovanni reading that poem at this link.) Dr. Smith goes on to discuss how students also bring labels and expectations to the classroom based on their past experience. Dr. Smith gives some specific suggestions on how to approach and build relationships with those who may be limited by the labels others have assigned. In future episodes, we'll be diving into engagement, social-emotional learning, and restorative practices. In this episode, Josh and Dr. Smith mention this summer's Beginning Teacher Institute, where new teachers from across Arizona will be further exploring humanizing pedagogy. Learn more and register for this three-day event at azk12.org/BTI23. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org. -The poem in the introduction of his “Removing Labels” book is actually written by one of his students. Video of that student reading the poem: https://youtu.be/zo6ODbZVhts PDF of the poem: https://resources.corwin.com/sites/default/files/ffn21158_poem_pdf_for_removing_labels_final_rev.pdf