Relate Then Educate Podcast

Erin and Rick got to sit down and have a wonderful chat with a truly phenomenal educator, Kirby Mackenzie. Kirby is a Library Teacher who is full of passion about what she gets to do everyday. In part 2 of our conversation with Kirby, we discuss the why and how she and some teacher friends started their Book Bus for the kids in their community. Then we talk about what all the Book Bus has lead to… including The Ellen Show!

Erin and Rick got to sit down and have a wonderful chat with a truly phenomenal educator, Kirby Mackenzie. Kirby is a Library Teacher, aka: Boss of the Books. She is full of passion about what she gets to do everyday. In part 1 of our conversation with Kirby, we discuss all things books, reading, and literacy. She shares some wonderful recommendations and tools, so get ready to jot those down!

Erin & Rick had the pleasure of attending ED TALKS at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. We spoke with each of the presenters and this episode is with Kristi Conner. Kristi talks about how “your first reaction is what you get”. Those first 5 minutes in our classrooms have the power to make or break the rest of the day. The way we communicate sets the tone for the response. From visual to verbal communication, a change can be made in the first 5 minutes.

Erin & Rick had the pleasure of attending ED TALKS at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. We spoke with each of the presenters and this episode is with Nick Brown. Nick said that our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb we are bound by others, from past to present. And by each crime and every kindness we birth our future.

Erin & Rick had the pleasure of attending ED TALKS at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. We spoke with each of the presenters and this episode is with Lupe Peña de Martinez. Lupe talks about how asking questions can serve as sparks for deep connection and belonging.

Erin & Rick had the pleasure of attending ED TALKS at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. We spoke with each of the presenters and this episode is with Tracy Rhodes. Tracy shares how failure is the key to success. Small or big, all success is worth celebrating!

Erin & Rick had the pleasure of attending ED TALKS at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. We spoke with each of the presenters and the first interview was: Leron McAdoo. Leron went from “delinquent to distinguished” because of his sixth grade teacher and what he recognized in Leron. What a story Leron has! And don't even get us started on the passion and enthusiasm he has when sharing his story!

Erin & Rick got to sit down and share a chat with a phenomenal educator, Lindsey Barton. This was a long-awaited interview for us and it did not disappoint! Lindsey teaches 8th grade US history and what a teacher she is! She is an avid life-long learner who is a master in the classroom. Lindsey is a wealth of information and resources, teachers!

Erin & Rick had the privilege of chatting with another one of our book contributors and, yet again, it was amazing! Pam Swan is a retired educator who is still working with students a few days a week. Her heart and soul for teaching lies in her belief that each of her students are lovable and capable. She has lived that out each year and with each student. What a beautiful thing!

Erin & Rick got to sit down and talk with Michael Mayo. Michael worked with students who have special needs and after being in the non-traditional classroom for over 2 decades, he is recently retired and performing hypnosis full time. Michael will be at all 3 of our Teachers Night Out events this year! You do not want to miss out on his excellent comedy hypnosis show! Hilarious!!

Erin & Rick got to have a splendid chat with another one of the contributors to the Relate, then Educate book, Arturo Aviña. Arturo is an elementary theater teacher and he loves what he gets to teach! He has an absolutely hilarious presence on social media and you should be following him! Check him out @schooledbyarturo on TikTok and Instagram. His commentary and jokes about teaching are spot on!

Erin & Rick got to chat with Monte Syrie. Monte is one of the teachers featured in the, “Relate, then Educate” book, so we were thrilled to get to talk with him and get to know more! Connection and community are the most important things in Monte's classroom. He has been in the classroom for 28 years and is still revolutionizing! He's willing to change how he does things and what he's doing in order to best serve his students. #Project180 What an educator!

Erin & Rick were THRILLED to get to sit down with Oklahoma's 2023 Teacher of the Year, Traci Manuel! What a gift Traci is to our state! We discuss Traci's non-traditional path to get into education. She shares her love and passion for English and teaching English to all grades of students. And she talks about her mission as Teacher of the Year and what she's doing to reach educators. Traci, you are something special and we are excited to get to share our conversation!

Erin & Rick sat down with Kari Rich to chat about her years in the classroom teaching early childhood. Though she always knew she'd be a teacher, she didn't always know she'd be teaching the little ones. And thank goodness she is! Her heart overflows with love and passion for her kindergarteners and her former preschoolers. Kari shares some amazing tools and strategies she uses to manage her classroom and build trust and community with her students.

Erin & Rick got to meet and have a wonderful chat with Emily Foster from rural Michigan. Emily taught for a few years, stayed home to be with her babies, and now she's headed back to the classroom again! As you can imagine, she has nerves, she's excited, but mostly she's grateful that she gets to go back to being in the classroom. And we couldn't be more thrilled that she's going back! We will be checking in with Emily throughout this school year through Teacher Journal videos. We'll get to follow her journey all year long! So, enjoy getting to know Emily Foster!

Erin & Rick had the pleasure of having a conversation with our friend, Karen Workun. Karen's story is featured in the “Relate, then Educate” book and what a story it is! We discussed the power of reading meaningful literature and how by reading the stories of others, we can step into their shoes and walk around a little bit. We explored some great ways that Karen builds and implements a strong classroom community and culture each year with her students. And this year, Karen is switching things up! She's going to be in the business of teaching teachers… while making sure to visit her first love, the classroom, as much as possible.

Erin got to sit down with the two authors of the “Relate, then Educate” book, Andrea Avey & Rick Holmes! We discussed the book's conception, their writing process, and the purpose of this wonderful book. You'll be inspired and moved by all 16 of the untold stories of teachers, by teachers that fill the pages of the book. Get your copy anywhere you find books! https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=Relate+then+educate

Erin & Rick had a truly wonderful chat with JJ Jedamski. JJ is something special. He is a school culture master! JJ is a former Director of School Culture and worked to completely transform both the student culture and the faculty culture in his district. He now travels around the country inspiring students and teachers.

Erin & Rick got to sit down and have a great chat with freshmen teacher, Jennifer Phenicie. Jennifer teaches freshmen English & Leadership. We talked about what makes this grade so special, classroom management strategies, and some wonderful ways to intentionally connect with our students. We even talked about educational student travel programs and what great opportunities they are for teachers and students to see the world!

Erin & Rick sat down with Molly Holmes the other day and WOW what a story. She grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, went to college to be a teacher, and is now teaching in the Middle East and loving it. This is a SUPER interesting conversation with a teacher who tried something different.

We were in the company of greatness! Erin and Rick got to chat with 2022's Oklahoma Teacher of the Year and 2023's National Teacher of the Year… Rebecka Peterson!! She told about her inspiring passion project she is working on in her role as Teacher of the Year. It's good, y'all! Rebecka is masterful at advocating for and elevating both the students she's taught throughout the years, and now the teachers she's visiting and meeting this year in her new role.

Erin & Rick got to meet and have a wonderful chat with Emily Foster from rural Michigan. Emily taught for a few years, stayed home to be with her babies, and now she's headed back to the classroom again! As you can imagine, she has nerves, she's excited, but mostly she's grateful that she gets to go back to being in the classroom. And we couldn't be more thrilled that she's going back!

This was such a fantastic episode with Dr. Jennifer Beasley that we're releasing it again… What a fun chat! Erin & Rick sat down with Director of Education at the University of Arkansas, Dr. Jennifer Beasley. We got to meet during #loveteaching Week! “Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions”. Jennifer teaches and supports future teachers and loves getting to do it! We discussed the current climate of teacher education and what our incoming teaching are experiencing.

Erin & Rick had a very enlightening conversation with Dr. Marnie Ginsberg. Marnie is the founder of Reading Simplified, whose mission is to support busy, overwhelmed teachers learn a research-based system of effective and efficient instruction that accelerates ALL students' reading achievement.

>>>RTE's 50th EPISODE!! At The Spring Shift 2023, Erin & Rick got to sit down with Dr. Logan Kruck, who teaches and is Head of School for Academics at Odyssey Leadership Academy. At OLA, Logan works to ensure that every student discovers their abilities in order to truly flourish in school and in life.

Erin & Rick got to meet and have a wonderful chat with Dr. Heather Michel. She is a former teacher turned consultant and coach for teachers of color and districts/schools in service of TOC retention. She is focused on teachers incorporating mental health strategies into their careers. You can follow Dr. Michel @teachersofcolor_matter where she posts daily affirmations and more excellent content.

Erin & Rick got to have such a a wonderful chat with Shelly Swisher, of Mesa, AZ. (Come back to Oklahoma, Shelly!!) Shelly's story is featured in the “Relate, then Educate” book and you don't want to miss that! She shares her powerful path to get into education and how she continues to create a classroom culture for her high schoolers that is relationship-centered and promotes authenticity in the classroom.

Erin & Rick got to sit and chat with Adam Welcome. #mradamwelcome is a former elementary teacher and principal, turned author and speaker. He's also an avid marathon runner! Adam brings everything back to the heart of why we do what we do and points to the importance, urgency, and honor it is to teach kids. Our kids deserve the best versions of us as teachers. Website: https://www.mradamwelcome.com/ Social Media: @mradamwelcome

Erin & Rick sat down with Sarah Yost and Dr. Carla Kolodey. Sarah and Carla work at Byck Elementary in Louisville, KY. They are devoted to doing their best by their teachers so that they may stay in the profession. Their school's viewpoint is that all students and all teachers are “imperfect AND capable of greatness”. Fully human. It was a pleasure getting to meet and speak with Sarah and Carla and hear the revolutionary and inventive things they're doing. ♥️

Another IN PERSON episode! Rick and Erin got to meet and chat with Teri Overton, a retired 4th grade teacher of over 30 years! 4th grade is where her heart and passion lie. Teri shares the importance of taking the time to listen to our students so that we may form deep, genuine, trusting bonds. She also shares about the difficult changes that lead her to rethink staying in the classroom. Thank you, Teri, for your openness and vulnerability in this episode! ♥️

At The Spring Shift 2023, Erin & Rick sat down with two teacher buddies, Rickey Myers & Leslie Nelson. Rickey & Leslie teach middle school and clearly love what they do. They tell us about the teachers who inspired them to become teachers themselves and discuss how being relationship-driven in our classrooms is where the magic lies.

At The Spring Shift 2023, Erin & Rick got to sit down with Derrick Sier. Derrick is huge on building connections through relationship-driven approaches, whether it be with students or anyone he encounters. He inspires people to move, act, and share the love.

At OSDE's 2022 Winter Conference, Erin & Rick got to sit down with Dr. Kyle Reynolds. Kyle is a hometown educator! He attended the same school district in which he taught and now is the superintendent. That's devotion!

Erin & Rick got to meet and have a chat with Patrick Cook-Deegan. Patrick is a former teacher and the founder and CEO of Wayfinder, a K-12 SEL program. Patrick's passion is working with students to identify and discover their purpose so they may truly thrive! He's seen huge ripple effects by using SEL to support educators in establishing a healthy and thriving school culture. We take the journey from Wayfinders' conception to what it's become today, we talk purposeful learning to gain durable skills, and we explore the importance of belonging and purpose. FIND PATRICK: Website: https://www.withwayfinder.com/ Insta: @wayfinder_edu

Rick and Erin got to sit down IN PERSON with Molly Gillispie, a phenomenal OK public school teacher. Molly teaches 5th grade and calls it her “sweet spot”. 5th graders are an interesting bunch- they're amusing, full of challenges, grown up (but are still very much kids), able to have deep talks, can share in big and small laughs, and are just a lot of fun. Molly shares some fantastic relationship-building and classroom management strategies. She also has the honor of working with a world-class team of 5th grade teachers and recognizes what a difference that can make.

At the OSDE's 2022 MTSS Winter Conference, we spoke to Amanda Sellers about her role as Director of School Climate at the Oklahoma State Dept. of Education. Amanda and her team offer trauma-informed assistance to schools. Together, they work to identify any existing issues and then decide on a game plan. They really focus on an “it takes all of us” approach.

Erin & Rick got to sit down with Peter Greene to talk all about vouchers and merit-based pay. Hot topics! Peter is a 39-year educator and is now a senior contributor at Forbes, blogs at Curmudgucation, and is Midwest Regional Fellow with The Progressive. We discuss the wonderful thing that is public education and how vouchers are a threatening our public schools. We also talk about what teachers are saying about merit-based pay. Here's how you can find Peter: Twitter: https://twitter.com/palan57?s=21&t=HKZi9FytF-CD5tjSD8jF5Q Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/?sh=6a4894b034c8 The Progressive: https://progressive.org/topics/peter-greene/ Curmudgucation: https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/?m=1

What a fun chat! Erin & Rick sat down with Director of Education at the University of Arkansas, Dr. Jennifer Beasley. We got to meet during #loveteaching Week! “Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions”. Jennifer teaches and supports future teachers and loves getting to do it! We discussed the current climate of teacher education and what our incoming teaching are experiencing.

Erin & Rick got to chat with Dr. Matt Rhoads. It is always so special to connect with educators across the country who share the same heart for teachers and that's exactly what happened when we talked to Matt! Matt does it all- author, podcaster, consultant, EdTech Lecturer & Integrationist, Instructional Leader, Teacher Candidate Supervisor, and Doctoral Dissertation Chair. He lives and breathes education and his body of work is expansive! We discussed new ideas to address education's current climate, ways to retain and recruit teachers, and honoring our profession. DR. MATT RHOADS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-rhoads-ed-d-95772120 Twitter: @MattRhoads1990 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@matthewrhoads2739 Website: https://matthewrhoads.com/ “Crush It from the Start: 50 Tips for New Teachers”: http://50teachertips.com/

At the OSDE's 2022 MTSS Winter Conference, we spoke about Alt. Ed with Missy Corn & Michelle Butler. They shared their hearts and love for working with students in Alternative Education. They helped us identify some of our preconceived notions and beautifully explained the purpose of of what they do in their Alt. Ed. classrooms. What a gift they are - they work to provide a place where their students can succeed.

At the OSDE's 2022 MTSS Winter Conference, we spoke to Nhandi Johnson and Kyndal Wilson. Nhandi & Kyndal are public middle school teachers who are at the beginning of their careers and who are killing it! They teach their middle schoolers through love and respect as they help their students define their futures.

New teachers and future teachers!! You do NOT want to miss this conversation. Erin & Rick sit down with Dr. Casey Jakubowski & Dr. Sam Fecich who wrote, along with 2 other authors, “Crush It from the Start: 50 Tips for New Teachers”. We discuss some awesome tools and tricks from the book that can help teachers as they're starting out their careers. Casey and Sam were a blast to get to have on the show and, truly, this book sounds like a gem! DR. CASEY JAKUBOWSKI LinkedIn & Twitter: @caseyj_edu Fb: @thinkingaboutteaching insta: @ctjsolutions DR. SAM FECICH All the socials: @sfecich Website: https://www.sfecich.com/ “Crush It from the Start: 50 Tips for New Teachers”: http://50teachertips.com/

Erin and Rick got to have a chat with fellow Oklahoma educator, Jordann Hardin. After heartbreak, Jordann connected with Start Healing Together and, together, they worked to get proper language incorporated into her district's bereavement policies for pregnancy loss. And now, teachers in her district who may unfortunately need this bereavement leave are more supported to do so thanks to Jordann's hard work.

At the OSDE's 2022 MTSS Winter Conference, we spoke to Dr. Greg Hudnall from @HopeSquad . Hope Squad is a school-based peer-to-peer suicide prevention program that trains students to perform intentional outreach with fellow students. We so enjoyed meeting Dr. Hudnall and hearing about his vision in creating Hope Squad and how wonderfully it has helped so many students across the country. https://hopesquad.com/ #HopeSquad #suicideprevention

At the OSDE's 2022 MTSS Winter Conference, we spoke to Heather Graham. Heather is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in her district. She tells us how how she works with her schools to identify issues and then walks alongside her schools to solve those identified problems.

We were in the company of greatness! Erin and Rick got to chat with the one, the only 2022 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year… Rebecka Peterson!! She told about her inspiring passion project she is working on this year in her role as Teacher of the Year. It's good, y'all! Rebecka is masterful at advocating for and elevating both the students she's taught throughout the years, and now the teachers she's visiting and meeting this year in her new role.

At the OSDE's 2022 MTSS Winter Conference, we spoke to Sarah Kirk. Sarah is full of school counselor love and she tells you all about it in our wonderful chat with her.

The day after our big Teachers Night Out event, Erin & Rick sat down with 2 of our speakers and the inspirations behind the event, Amy Crawford & Rob Miller. We talk about everything from Amy & Rob's time in the classroom to how our big event went and everything in between! Amy and Rob are both fantastic examples of leaders in our education system. They show their genuine love and respect to each of their students and teachers with whom they work. We are huge fans of them both! SHOW LINKS: “Hugging a Porcupine”- https://www.viewfromtheedge.net/hugging-a-porcupine/ Reach Them to Teach Them - https://www.reachthem2teachthem.org/ Jill Donovan & Rustic Cuff - https://www.rusticcuff.com/ Bixby Public Schools - https://www.bixbyps.org/ RECOMMENDATIONS: Erin- “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” - https://instagram.com/ttfapodcast?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Rob- Brené Brown & being vulnerable https://instagram.com/brenebrown?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Amy- “On Fire” by John O'Leary - https://a.co/d/0UWpQlv Rick- “Moneyball: The Art of a Winning an Unfair Game” by Michael Lewis - https://a.co/d/cjAFz9x

Erin & Rick got to chat with their good friends, Jess & Cheryl. Jess Jernegan and Cheryl Wilkinson are both former teachers who now work administratively for Bixby Public Schools. They are big-time supporters of teachers and work tirelessly to establish and build a strong school culture in their district. We got to hear how they work hard to make sure their teachers are well taken care of, supported, and have what they need for their classrooms in order to ensure the success of their students. These 2 are a phenomenal team!

Such a great chat! Erin and Rick were able to meet and have a wonderful conversation with JENA NELSON. Jena is running for Oklahoma's State Superintendent. She has been an educator for 17 years and shares her experience, priorities, and vision with us. This lady is passionate about teachers, students, communities, and education! She's the real deal and she shows us why Oklahoma educators support her.

The RTE Classroom Management Team sits down together to talk all about managing classrooms! Erin and Rick chat with Katie Kinder and Jo Lein. This team of 4 will be leading our Classroom Management Workshops in Tulsa and OKC later this month! In this episode, they share the importance of building relationships, holding students to high standards, being true to who we are as people in our classrooms, and “living in the ‘and'”. They share some things that have worked well and laugh/cringe at the behavior management blunders they've all made in their teaching careers.