The Balancing Act

Jamie and Joe revisit the topics connected to parent volunteers in public schools, as well as the weight of judgement between working and non working parents. Such hot topics in the education space overlap into the parenting space and include how much of the “extra” that exists in education is from the wallets and off the backs of unpaid teacher labor.  — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!  Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bianca and Chelsea from the “NJEA Aspiring Ed PodSquad” podcast join us this week in an exciting pod swap experience. As hosts in their own right, these two ladies are navigating the education space and taking New Jersey by storm. TCNJ students and future teachers, Chelsea and Bianca share with Joe and Jamie their hopes and concerns for themselves and other future educators across America.  Check out Joe and Jamie's episode with the NJAEA Aspiring Ed PodSquad Podcast! The crew discusses what brought Joe and Jamie into education, elements of their teaching styles they'd sell tickets to see, and helpful advice for future educators. Check out the Aspiring Ed PodSquad's pages and episodes below! NJAEA Website: https://www.njea.org/njaea/ NJAEA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NJAEA NJAEA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Yiq5fmmP0SvkQL1t3g2xL?si=5dfdf6c066704397 NJAEA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-ed-podsquad-podcast/id1748137419 NJAEA Instagram: @NJAEA_ NJAEA Facebook: @NJEA Preservice — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's society being a parent can be amongst the most difficult of all of life's challenges. Raising children is not for the faint of heart, and Jamie and Joe discuss some of the issues facing parents these days that make them both say, I don't get it!  Being a good parent is everyone's goal, but have we all lost sight of what makes someone good at this extremely unforgiving job?  — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Educator, speaker and author Mitch Weathers joins the pod to discuss his method for maximizing student success with the Organized Binder method. Students, teachers and parents have noticed the cognitive load placed on our kids year after year, but are baffled as to the process in which to build these skills and improve executive functioning and success in school, and Mitch Weathers has come up with a process to fix those issues.  — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether it's grading, studying, or even navigating google classroom, organized systems don't really exist for our students. How can we expect them to succeed when they have to adapt and change every hour of the day? Joe and Jamie discuss their methods for teaching and learning with middle schoolers as well as their frustrations with lack of uniformity in schools.  — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Twitter -  Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Mazzochi joins the pod this week to discuss co teaching connections. Special education teacher and coteaching aficionado Jennifer Mazzochi explains how to make the unique relationship between co teachers thrive in the best interest of the partnership and the students in their charge.  — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learned helplessness and lack of perseverance and grit are plaguing our schools and children across America, but why? Join Jamie and Joe as they explore possible reasons and solutions to the very big questions that keep many educators and parents awake each night. — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Twitter -  Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe and Jamie welcome Insta sensation AnnaK, also known as ReadAwaywithMissK, as they share their love of teaching, reading, and being funny.  Anna shares her experiences in the classroom beginning in the Bronx and continuing all the way down to Louisville.  Anna shares with us her love of teaching, teachers, and the profession she “never wants to leave.” — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Twitter -  Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jamie and Joe are all about balance… and sometimes you need to bark out all your pettiest complaints to a friendly and compassionate ear to find your sense of zen. Listen to their hysterical banter as they swat things that drive each of them nuts both in and out of school. — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Twitter -  Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Edward DeShazer joins us to discuss teacher well being, how to maintain boundaries and his latest book, Closing the Believe'ment Gap. His powerful belief in positive behaviors, teacher support and pouring it back into the teachers of America will inspire even the most critical cynic.  — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Twitter -  Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being a part of the sandwich generation means having to spread your love and care between your children, spouse and your elderly, aging parents. Jamie and Joe know and live these challenges all too well, and want to update listeners on hospice care, estate planning and balancing their daily life challenges as members of this not so super fun club. — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Twitter -  Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Instagram and TikTok teacher/ comedian Courtney Varner as she waxes poetic on all things she loves about teaching middle school. Straight from the snowy streets of Missouri, hi_its_me_mrs._v joins forces with our hosts to share her secret to laughing her way through middle school.  — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen as our hosts discuss their “no tech teaching experience” when their boss challenged them to discard their student chromebooks for weeks. Hear their open and honest reviews of their time without tech in their classrooms. We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi:  hello@thebalancingactpod.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!  www.thebalancingactpod.com Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we delve into child development with Dr. Danielle Dick, professor at Rutgers University and author of "The Child's Code." She discusses the genetic and environmental factors influencing children's behaviors, drawing from her experience as a mother of a high-risk child. We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi:  hello@thebalancingactpod.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!  www.thebalancingactpod.com Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, we humorously discuss our personal food favorites, including nostalgic tomato soup. The conversation shifts to the impact of recent cold weather in New York on societal behavior and local traditions like Groundhog Day. We address NJ Governor Murphy's proposed cell phone restrictions in schools, examining the challenges of technology in education. We also share excitement for Valentine's Day and a class project focused on social-emotional learning. Tune in for a mix of humor, insight, and how we balance it all together on the daily! — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: The Balancing Act Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Joe and Jamie as they gab it up with fellow educator Tyler Tarver, and watch as they fan-girl over every bit of wisdom he has to share about his vast educational experiences. Whether it's YouTube teaching, administration experience or  A.I. in the classroom, keep all eyes and ears focused toward your favorite tech-spert, Dr. Tyler Tarver. Check out the 60 minutes segment that we watched and discussed during this episode.  Meet Khanmigo: The student tutor AI being tested in school districts | 60 Minutes — We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: The Balancing Act Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lack of respect for teachers is an ongoing issue for most of us in our daily classroom experiences. Are there any tips or tricks to help change relationship habits when it comes to mean students? Join Jamie and Joe as they hash out what it means to them when students are just not buying what they are trying to sell. Starting in February, The Balancing Act will be part of Human Content's network of shows! We are super excited to be a part of an amazing team! Check out some of their other shows as well as all things The Balancing Act. https://podcasts.apple.com/si/channel/human-content/id6553957234 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently in New Jersey there has been discussion of the elimination of a step toward your teaching certificate. Where do tests begin and where should they end? Join our hosts as they discuss testing, personal and professional ones, and listen as they share their fears associated with failing them. Big announcement on today's episode!  Can't wait for you all to hear the news!  Exciting things are happing for The Balancing Act Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Year's Resolutions? Are they a thing of the past, or a goal setting achievement? Join co-hosts Jamie and Joe as they recap their winter holiday vacations spent with family and friends, and listen in as they discuss what is coming up in 2025. Big announcments are on tap for 2025!  Stay tuned friends...can't wait to share!

Join co-hosts Jamie and Joe as they discuss their favorite holiday traditions from ornaments to dinners to gift giving galore. In the last episode of 2024, the Balancing Act podcast wishes you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season and a very Happy New Year. We will return in 2025 with regular episodes on January 14th, 2025!  Exciting things are coming from The Balancing Act.  Stay tuned....

Join our hosts as they get some great guidance and advice from their new pal Charley Burley, who comes to the pod all the way from across the pond. Known as the.teachers.health.coach Charley, an educator himself provides advice and methods that are applicable to ensure our listeners make their way through this holiday season with less stress. Give Charley Burley a follow on Instagram at @the.teachers.health.coach

Join our hosts as they speak to a fellow New Jersey teacher and influencer getting to the root of the root and the bud of the bud of this thing called, Money.  Teacher Pay with K talks about all things pension, contracts and what a strong union means to the teaching profession. Check out @teacherpaywithK on Instagram and TikTok for all things pension related and ways that you can get involved in the conversation!  

Can you guess what was the first Thanksgiving food to be grown in space? How much did the largest pumpkin pie weigh? Join our hosts as they review their favorite parts and pieces for the upcoming holiday. Jamie and Joe talk sides, turkey, balloons and their plans for their Thanksgiving holidays with their favorite people.

Listen in as marketing and hiring expert Jodie Edwards sits with our hosts to provide insight into developing employable teens. The best generation? It's quite possible that you might be underestimating the wide open spaces your teen has yet to conquer.  Co-owner of the popular New Jersey ice cream chain of small batch handcrafted ice cream, Jodi Edwards graciously meets with us to talk about all things teens. Check out all things Nicholas Creamery at their website!   https://www.nicholascreamery.com/

We are discussing the town of Kenilworth, New Jersey, who recently implemented a tech free school day. All educators continually discuss the implications of tech on students and wonder if it is causing more harm than help. Listen in as we applaud Kenilworth public schools for trying something different and wonder if it is something we should all be trying out in the not so distant future. Check out the article we referenced in today's show below. Kenilworth - Tech Free Friday

Dawn Wiseman is officially our first international guest. Bonjour to our new amie (that's French for friend) Dawn Wiseman who has been teaching for 17 years, and has morphed into an AI enthusiast. Her tips and tricks for teachers on how to maximize their AI experience with multiple platforms will have you running to the computer to try them all. Check out a full live demo from this episode on The Balancing Act Podcast Youtube Channel! The Balancing Act Podcast Youtube Channel Check out the Stan.store link for Dawn Wiseman that includes resources for all sorts of tools! Dawn Wiseman Stan Store

Jamie and Joe wax poetic about Halloween past, and what it was like to be a Mom in the 80's before the invention of Trunk o Treat. Should schools promote Halloween activities or not? Favorite candy and memories of the holiday make us all nostalgic for the romanticized version of this fall festival. Check out videos of our episodes on our Youtube Channel! The Balancing Act Podcast Youtube Channel

Our hosts discuss coworkers: true friends or trauma bonded? Which is a topic close to their hearts. Are your co-workers really your true friends, or are you just not that close?  Listen as they share their point of view and experiences in different schools with various groups of coworkers who became their lifelong friends.

Join us for an enthralling conversation with relationship and Mean Girl Mom expert Dr. Noelle Santorelli as we unravel the generational issues faced by those in the know, how to navigate being a mom, or a dad in today's culture parenting of exclusivity.  

To homework or not to homework, that is the question. But why is it always the question?  Teachers across America face this ongoing dispute and data of whether homework is good, bad or does little to improve students' understanding of the material covered in class. Our hosts give their input on homework and a few other things along the way too.  

Left coast sensation and inspirational speaker Dee Hankins wows the hosts with his life experiences and optimistic approach to each day. Dee talks about parenting, challenges, and the ever changing students in the United States. Mr. Hankins uses his sass and humor to inspire, enthrall, and educate on how we can all do better for our kids from an emotional, spiritual and ethical way. Please check out his website for socials, information, guest speaking info. https://www.deehankins.com/  

Joe and Jamie talk about the new school year and the ongoing use of technology in their classrooms. Tune in for the continued debate on exactly how to be relevant, how to be fun, and just when exactly gamification in the classroom goes too far.

Part Two: The AI Guy, Jonathan Mast  In Part Two, the AI guy talks classroom usage and real world applications of AI with our hosts, while offering numerous AI suggestions. Join Jamie and Joe as they learn tons of new and applicable techniques and processes for searching and understanding how to use AI with their students in an ethical and practical manner.   

Part One: The AI Guy, Jonathan Mast AI and all of its newness is a hot topic for everyone, whether in education or not. Our hosts agree to start slowly to understand the moral implications of its use along with some of the ideology behind AI from the point of view of the self proclaimed “AI Guy,” Jonathan Mast.  

Drumroll please… we are now a weekly podcast! Joe and Jamie are back with big news… they are now dropping weekly episodes. Summer has come to a close, and the hosts are ready to explore new topics with fantastic guests. Join the Balancing Act hosts for an exciting new season filled with opportunities to live, learn, and of course, balance.  

In our final best of episode of the summer, we look back at the important topics that we discussed during season 1.  These 4 clips speak to our passion, our life, and what drives us as educators.  Get a glimpse of some of the struggles that we deal with as well.   Season 2 drops the first week fo September!  Big things are coming....

On this best of episode from Season 1, let's look back with our hosts as they listen to some of Season One's top guests as they talk about how to parent, how to help parents, and how they strive to guide their own children in this ever changing world that challenges parents and kids alike.

Episode 26 Best of Season One Let's rewind the year and check out bits and pieces of the best of the best with Jessica Hawk, Tyler Tarver and Andrea Forcum.  Our episode will highight some of the great advice they have for first year teachers.  Our best of episodes are great to share with new listeners!  Please feel free to share our message and thanks as always for being a Balancing Act listener!  

Let's talk about how to recharge the batteries, because teachers are solar powered! Listen as Joe and Jamie reflect on the first season of The Balancing Act podcast, and how much the discussions informed and influenced the hosts' lives. Special thanks to all of the wonderful guests who stopped by to share a slice of their lives with the pod. The hosts look forward to Season 2, coming this August. We would like to thank EVERYONE who listened, shared, participated and became a part of our journey!  A special thanks to EVERY SINGLE ONE of our guests from season 1 for taking a leap for two teachers looking to start something to help others.  Big things coming for Season 2!!

Steps away from her final year of teaching we meet to talk to the formidable and beloved bestie-buddy of our co-host Jamie. Call her Reckie, Reckless, MC Reckognize, or Phyllis, the long time “student favorite” language arts teacher sits with us and happily shares wisdom, laughter and much needed perspective on how NOT to become bitter and tainted by this challenging profession.

Let's look back at the good, the bad, and the “skibbidy” of the 23-24 school year. Self reflection, exit surveys, and a giant thumbs up from students means that the summer is heading this way. Join in and hear what worked, what didn't and what the “gyat” might mean.

The pod is back to update listeners about some of the ongoing family struggles that have continued throughout the course of the school year. In this heart to heart listen as our hosts share the ongoing difficulties that led to the development of the podcast. The hosts share how they continue to work on their approach to balancing family, health and teaching. Join is for what has helped, what continues to hurt and even a few laughs along the bumpy end of the school year road.

On this episode of The Balancing Act, we happily welcome influencer Jessica Hawk as she shares her 32 years of wisdom and experience inside and out of her New Jersey classroom. On her self proclaimed victory tour, Jessica is approaching retirement with bittersweet memories of her years as a high school teacher. Listen as the one and only “My Teacher Face” gives us her refreshing perspective on the importance of setting boundaries as a public school employee.

Credited with inspiring the New York Giants towards their winning season, former teacher and current motivational speaker, Gian Paul Gonzalez, sits down with us for an end of the school year pep talk. Hailing from Union City, New Jersey, Gian Paul is here to talk us through the muddled end of the year where finding balance can be extra tough to achieve. Don't miss the tips and special moments brought to the table by this amazing guy.  

We welcome teacher and author Katie Schneider this week to discuss her extremely potent and thought provoking “viral” letter written to parents. Shared by so many across the country over many social media platforms, Katie brings her point of view to the discussion on how to help teachers balance parents' reactions, and what other daily concerns we all share as current educators across the country.  Check out the article referenced during our show! An Open Letter To Parents - Katie Schneider  

Spring Break is heading our way and the hosts are ready to party like it's 1999 in Cancun, Mexico. Or maybe they are just ready for some couch time. Listen for an honest discussion about what is lacking from the real partners in education, the parents. Why is there such a disconnect with students these days, and how can all parties work together to make things better for everyone? Raid the kids candy baskets and join us for an honest look at the parent: classroom connection.  Check out the article referenced during our show! An Open Letter To Parents - Katie Schneider  

Viral Instagram and Tik Tok wonder Educator_Andrea joins this week to discuss how to properly support and retain the “good ones”, the teachers who are meant to be in the game for a long time, and how we as seasoned veterans can show them all how to make the journey “a good time”. Andrea discusses the best ways she has learned to support and develop the new generation of educators, while taking a note from their book on establishing boundaries at any stage of the game.

Can teachers really do their jobs effectively without parental support? Where is the team? Where is the backup system? Where is the empowerment? Join us as we discuss the ever popular and deeply controversial topic that plagues the American education system: Can we do our jobs effectively without the support and efforts by the parents?

Local hero and beloved business owner Eric LeGrand joins us for a trip down memory lane. Listen as we laugh, learn and enjoy a cup of bELieve, as Eric takes us through his morning routine, nightly pleasures and tips for taking each day as it comes. We can't wait for you to indulge in this hilarious and heartfelt chat with #52 himself, Mr. Eric LeGrand.

If Mrs. Brady had Alice, how are we supposed to tackle all of this on our own? Today your hosts tackle the never ending subject of how to flip the switch from teacher to parent and back again. Whether it is helping at homework time with your own kids, driving them all over the place, dealing with their emotions while handling your own, or even drowning out the literal and figurative noise coming at a teacher from every angle, our hosts try to break down some real world solutions that make their lives and abilities to flip the switch slightly more manageable.

Our hosts are back in action and ready to focus on the new year ahead. Listen for their words of the year and how they plan to put these words to good use in 2024. Jamie and Joe discuss the modern learner and how to attempt to adapt their classrooms to what students seem to need in their everyday struggles to learn efficiently and effectively.  How do teachers keep up with the modern learners' need for instant information and their never ending need to fill an enormous metal water bottle?