Sub Plans: a teaching podcast

Will and Mike spend the episode talking with CB Health and Phys. Ed Coordinator Angela Hendershot about teacher wellness.  She brings five tips to help us recharge during the summer.  Sub Plans will be taking a hiatus to retool ourselves, and we'll keep you informed on future plans.  Thanks for listening!

Will and Mike enjoy re-watching a classic of teacher cinema - Dead Poets Society.  They take time to reflect on their history with this movie, break down the plot, discuss some fun facts, and give out some awards before rating this one individually.  

In this week's Sub Plans, Mike and Will begin the 2020 Summer Series with a light conversation about college courses we wish we had, especially given what we know now as teachers.  Each of the guys offers up three courses, talk them out, and preview next week's teacher-movie review: Dead Poets Society.  

In today's Sub Plans, the Will and Mike team up with Colleen Coleman, a secondary math teacher from Central Bucks School District in PA and Melissa Pierce, an elementary teacher in Hatboro Horsham School District in PA.  Drawing from experiences in their fields and grade levels, they all talk out successes, struggles, and potential revisions if distance learning continues into the fall.

On today's Sub Plans, Will and Mike break down the Edutopia article "5 Strategies of Award-Winning Online Instructors."  They walk through each strategy, breaking down the pros and the cons of each strategy listed, and they reflect on how these have or have not worked for them.  At the end, they discuss the one they each prioritize most from the list.  Afterwards, Dr. Demetrius Roberts from the Chester County Intermediate Unit in PA joins to talk best technology practices and the future of distance learning if we're all still teaching this way in the fall.

On today's Sub Plans, Mike and Will give in to frustrations a bit and talk about what has really bummed them out about distance learning.  They each bring three "bummers" to the table and talk them through, forcing them to recognize that, though we're all trying to do this well, the format inherently has some limitations that make our job much more complicated than it was.  Guest Nick Emmanuele joins to talk his pros and cons and share some frustrations as well.

Will and Mike take this podcast to address equity in distance learning.  Specifically, they discuss technology access and making lessons accessible.  They delve into some brief Pennsylvania state data in addition to relating personal anecdotes, including that of Karey Killian, a library media specialist in rural PA.  Karey joins the pod as the guest this week to detail her family's experience with limited access during an already difficult time.

Mike and Will discuss the necessity and the value of school districts switching to pass/fail during the pandemic.  The conversation starts with "why now" and turns towards the potential opportunities and takeaways of a system like this that could benefit students beyond distance learning.  They are joined by 2020 PA Teacher of the Year Joe Welch to talk solutions and best practices for engaging students and addressing student motivation under a pass/fail system.

In this special Sub Plans episode, Mike and Will take a step back from leading the discussion and interview individuals working in different roles during distance learning to see what emotional tolls this situation is taking on each of us. The guys are joined by Janelle McLaughlin and Jeff Kubiak to talk out how we can all respond to students struggling with the emotional barriers of DL and how we can overcome those barriers ourselves.

Will and Mike consider how they meet student needs for flexibility as well as approaches to "school" vs. "learning."  They discuss how those ideas mesh with our curriculum to recognize the needs of the moment.  The 2019 PA Teacher of the Year, Marilyn Pryle, joins the pod to talk about utilizing the pandemic for authentic learning.Authentic Learning during DL:  3:27Marilyn Pryle: 27:09

In the inaugural episode, Will and Mike explore the idea that connecting with students is as or more important than charging forward with curriculum in the early stages of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Central Bucks School District staff developer Suzanne Dailey joins the pod to talk the value of humanity and empathy in instruction during the crisis.  Homeroom:  0:00Staying human in DL:  7:03Suzanne Dailey: 32:30

Welcome to Sub Plans, a discussion of the theories and topics most relevant to classroom teaching and how they mesh with the daily struggles and true experiences of real teachers.  In this brief episode, we preview the goals and tone of the show and introduce you to Mike and Will, your hosts.