Podcasts about westwood high school

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Chris Mihealsick, the 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year from Westwood High School in Round Rock ISD. They discuss her passion for expanding access to high-level science education, the importance of mentorship for new teachers, and the challenges facing public education today. Mihealsick shares insights on supporting students new to AP coursework, fostering a collaborative classroom culture, and navigating the demands of teaching while avoiding burnout. The conversation also explores the impact of uncertified teachers and the role of teacher preparation programs.  The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: Armadillos to Ziziphus: A Naturalist in the Texas Hill Country by David Hillis Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave by Ryan Holiday Connect with us: Baylor MA in School Leadership EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn X: @eckertjon Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl     Jon Eckert: All right. This week we have Chris Mihealsick, the 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year from Westwood High School. She is in Round Rock ISD, and so she's representing educators across the state of Texas and we're really excited to have her here today. So Chris, welcome in. Chris Mihealsick: Thank you so much. It's so good to be here. Jon Eckert: And just give us a little background about how you got into teaching in the first place. I always love teacher origin stories, so how did you get to doing what you're doing now? Chris Mihealsick: Well, both of my parents were in education and for a really long time I thought, "Nope, nope, not for me, not for me." When I started college, I was a bio major. I worked in a lab. I thought maybe that would be my path. I kind of thought I was going to switch to environmental engineering, but my freshman year, I tutored some at-risk kids in biology and chemistry and I just loved it. I loved seeing them grow. I loved them going from really struggling in biology to being able to get Bs on their tests and be excited about science. And even as hard as I pushed against the family business, I just couldn't deny that that was where I was meant to be. I really liked working with teenagers and helping them learn and grow. Jon Eckert: The kids are always the draw. That's always the thing. And I feel like other professions that don't get to work with kids and see the way they become more of who they were meant to be, they miss out on that joy. And so that's cool that that's what pulled you in even though you were fighting the family business. So we're glad that you broke through that barrier. So tell us a little bit about... You have a platform this year as the 2025 teacher of the year. What are you most passionate about as an educator? Chris Mihealsick: I am incredibly passionate about students having access and being able to do higher level science. I teach AP Environmental Science, and I really say, "My course is a course for anybody." I work really, really hard to build students up that have never taken an AP class before. I also oftentimes will have some of the top students at our school, and I work very, very hard to make my class engaging for all levels. So I really believe that every kid deserves to have a higher level science experience before they leave high school. And that's kind of my mission as an educator. Jon Eckert: Oh, that's such a gift. As a former middle school science teacher, I always loved being able to pass my kids along to science educators like you because kids are naturally curious about the world. Environmental science, what a great place to try to explore where we fit in the world and how is this made to work and how can we be better stewards of this earth? That's something that a great teacher, I think, can hook any kid into. And so I love this idea that any kid can access those higher level courses because for so long we've been tracked in ways that some kids never get access to that class. Do you have any examples where you've seen a kid who maybe would've not gotten that opportunity in another school or with another teacher where you've seen some incredible growth that gives you belief that this is the right thing for each kid? Chris Mihealsick: Yeah. Every year I get students that this is their first time taking it. For example, I have two students this year. I have a student that has never taken another AP class and she started out getting 30s or 40s on most of the quizzes, and she's worked really hard. She stuck with it. I checked with her a semester, "What support do you need?" She just needed some extra help with some of the writing props because we do essays. Which is sort of a little bit unusual, I guess, in a science class, you don't tend to think of science classes doing essays, but our AP tests, they take a multiple choice part and they have to write three pretty large robust essays. So we do a lot of lab report writing, but we also practice that skill a lot because that's where the kids that have never taken an AP class before really tend to struggle. They can answer the multiple choice questions, okay, they're great in lab, they're fantastic in class, but they really struggle with that writing component. So really working with her this year and helping build her writing up as well as helping build her confidence up. She wasn't quite sure she fit in the class when we started this year, and she absolutely belongs there, I think every kid that comes to my door that's willing to take that chance, and that's a risk for kids, right? They've never taken a higher level of science before. Maybe they had a bad science experience before and they're jumping into this advanced class. So I want to honor that courage that those kids show, that decide, "I'm going to try this, I'm going to take this." So just giving them enough support. And I think also building that culture where the kids really work on helping each other. I try to build up really tight lab groups and then we switch them and they have to build up tight lab groups with a whole new group of kids. So really working with their peers quite a bit is a big cornerstone of my class as well. Jon Eckert: That's one of the things I love about AP is that it forces the writing, because writing is where you really see how kids are thinking, and that's the power in that. It's not rote memorization. You have to be able to think. And as an educator, it's the closest thing we get to getting inside a kid's head. And so I love that that's where you started. And people that listen to this podcast will know I'm always talking about joy through struggle. And it's so true that that student who struggles at the beginning and then gets to the point where she gets a three, four or five on that AP exam in her first attempt at an AP class, she's going to experience so much more joy than the kid who's taking their eighth AP class and they're getting their eighth or ninth four or five. That's great, that's success, but you don't experience the same level of joy if you haven't had that struggle. And so what I also love, the last thing you said really sticks with me, I've been pushing this for a while, that schools obviously have to be safe and psychological safety and physical safety all matter, but what you're celebrating and respecting is that struggle that kids do with others. And so it's not about being safe because those kids don't feel safe when they sign up for that first AP class. That feels like a risk. And so if kids feel like, "Feeling safe is not taking risks," that's a problem. And so what you've created is an environment in your classes where kids know, "Hey, this is a place where I can take risks," and then it's going to be celebrated and respected. And so I love that you're moving kids into that in tangible ways. What have been the benefits to other students in the class? Not the kids who are taking their first AP class, but to other AP students that are seeing a wider range of students in your class than, say, they might in another AP class. Have you seen any benefits to the classroom culture from that? Chris Mihealsick: I think students seeing anybody at our school attempting an AP class and being successful and being part of our group is really important. I think sometimes the highest flying kids at the school tend to think like, "I'm here and everybody else is not as academically robust as me." So really seeing, "Nope. You know what? A lot of people can succeed in a lot of different ways." Sometimes I have some of the kids that are the super high-flyer academic students that struggle with some of our lab work, and then other students are able to step in and be like, "Oh, nope, I got this. I can handle this procedure," or whatnot. And it just shows that there's huge value in everybody working together. There's huge value in everybody having access to these classes. And I think it opens everybody's eyes a little bit in terms of working with all kinds of different kids. Jon Eckert: Well, and again, going back to middle school science. In the lab, I felt like the lab was the grade equalizer because you had some high-flying students that never want to be wrong because that's identity threat to them. And so they don't want to take risks in labs because they don't want to look like they don't know what they're doing. And you can't fake your way through a lab very easily. And so I felt like getting kids partnered up of different abilities was gold because sometimes the kid that you thought would be leading in the lab is not. It's the kid who's like, "Oh, I'm willing to jump in and try this and we don't know what's going to happen and we're going to do this and we're going to track the procedure and we're going to do it safely." But I think that's a great point that I think science has some nice advantages when you have those labs because it's a vulnerable thing, especially for those high-flying kids that never want to be wrong. And that's really problematic for learning if you're not willing to acknowledge, "Hey, I don't know how to do this." That's the whole reason why you're in class. So it's good. So love that you came up with that. I also like... We've talked earlier about how you see building the profession. So we've talked about students, but where are your passions for the profession? Because you don't get to be teacher of the year in a state like Texas if you're only focused on kids. I mean, that's always our primary focus, but what's your hope for other educators in Texas and beyond? Chris Mihealsick: So I really, really care about good teacher leadership. I want every teacher to work in a department or a learning team that has a really competent, caring teacher leader. I want everybody to have a department chair that's a competent, caring department chair. I want people to be able to be mentored. I've been mentored five different times in my career and I'm getting mentored right now by the 2024 Texas Teacher of the Year for my next role. And just that ability for somebody that's there with you in the trenches. We're still in the classroom. I'm still teaching full-time. Teacher leaders are still there. They know the struggle, but they also can help guide you in really great ways that help you grow. I would not be where I am right now without mentorship I got when I first started teaching AP I didn't know what I was doing, Holy cats. And I had two AP teachers that kind of took me under their wing. They weren't even AP environmental science teachers at my school and really helped me learn what it was to help kids learn how to write for AP and how to do the more advanced lab skills. So I think teacher leadership is so important, especially right now when we're talking about, "How do we keep good teachers in the classroom?" Well, it's having people that support them that can help you grow to the next level. Really helping set that culture of your department is so important as well, that support system that... I am very, very fortunate I work for an amazing principal and I'm so grateful to have her support, but at the end of the day, there's one principal, right? But there's 200 of us in our building, and having those teacher leaders in the departments or in the learning communities is just really, really important in smoothing over the day to day, when you have questions about different strategies for working with a kid or how do I teach this in a more engaging way? Those teacher leaders can grow the staff and there's a lot more job satisfaction and working with people that are invested in you staying. Jon Eckert: And I think what you're saying is more important now than ever that the session that I met you in, they had put up a slide... This is from Raise Your Hand Texas, that 56% of new teachers in 2024 were uncertified. So this need for mentoring has never been greater because you have... And there's some great people who have come into the profession without certification, but the only way they're going to succeed is with great coaching and mentoring from people that have done this before because those uncertified people, for the most part, will not have gone through a teacher training program, they won't have done student teaching, they won't have had all those pieces, and now they're in your building. And over half of new teachers in Texas, that's their story. Have you seen an increased need for mentoring, or is this just kind of more of the same? Chris Mihealsick: No, we've seen a huge increase in the need for mentoring. There's a huge difference in getting a pre-service teacher that's gone through student teaching and has had some courses and knows the lingo, right? 504, IEP, all the acronyms. And somebody that has a good heart for kids and knows the content, but knows none of the management skills. So mentoring has been hugely critical. I've noticed a huge uptick in the mentoring that we've done on our campus in the last two to three years, for sure. Jon Eckert: Well, and it feels kind of crazy that we will turn kids over to someone who has no certification to teach when... My favorite statistic on this, I think this is right. In Ohio, to become a barber, you need 1500 hours of supervision. And I'm grateful. I don't want somebody coming in and hacking my hair up. But if you're requiring 1500 hours to cut somebody's hair and then nothing to be responsible, to be the teacher of record for children who are only going to get one shot at environmental science, who are only going to get one shot in third grade to increase their reading or to become a better human in first grade, to be... No certification. In some states it's even worse than in Texas where we're now... In some states, we're not even requiring a bachelor's degree. It's like we're having college students come in and be teacher of record because we're hurting in the profession so much. So my question for you... Obviously, when we have those teachers in our building, we're going to do everything we can to serve those teachers, but I do not want to burn out teachers like you who feel this burden not only for their students, but then for teachers who are coming in who are underprepared and who might be good in two or three years, but in those first couple of years, that's a lot of intensive work for you. What do we do to make sure we don't add more to plates that are already overflowing so that those teacher leaders don't burn out and leave? Chris Mihealsick: That is a really, really important question because I've seen that happen at our school where we've had good teachers leave because they've had two uncertified teachers they've needed to work with. And it's just overwhelming because you have all of your regular day-to-day responsibilities. You're maybe the team lead, so you're also working with your team, plus you also have to support the people that are working on training and getting into teaching. So it's really, really, really challenging. Our school tries to be really judicious about who we assign as mentors. So somebody isn't mentoring... Like for example, we had a biology teacher last year mentoring a brand brand new teacher, and this year we took her off mentoring. She's the team lead for our bio team, but we're like, "Nope, we're not going to have her mentor anybody else this year," because it was a lot last year. It was a lot. And you don't want to burn people that you know are effective and are doing good things for kids and really helping them grow. You don't want them leaving either. Jon Eckert: That's right. Well, I love that rotation idea, and that just means you have to develop a wide, wide range of teacher leaders because you have all different disciplines, especially in a comprehensive high school like you're in. You have all different disciplines. You have department chairs, but you just can't keep putting more on department chairs. Administrators, if they don't have background... If you've never been a science teacher, it's very difficult to give very specific feedback for how to get better if you've never run a lab. You can give general classroom management practices and think about student engagement, but you've got to have people with a lot of different kinds of expertise to give the mentoring just in time for people that are really needing that kind of feedback. So as you look around Texas, are there any real bright spots you see where you're really encouraged by some of the things that you've come across, maybe through the teacher of the year process or just people that you've worked with? I'm sure you're in networks of educators, but is there anything that has been really encouraging to you as you step into this role as teacher of the year? Chris Mihealsick: So I was really fortunate to do two different kind of talks. I did one in late February at Weatherford College with the Jack Harvey Awardee teachers. And first of all, I love, love, love hearing the good work that teachers are doing across the state because it just fills my bucket to hear how much teachers around the state truly care about the kids that they're in charge of. And Weatherford College is a two-year college, but they have some four year degrees and they have a teaching program, and their teaching program is growing. So that was really exciting. They're in North Texas. And I am a University of Texas grad. I will always be proud that I'm a UTeach teaching program graduates. They are doing some really, really... They've done historically since 1998... '99 I think is when they started. And they do some really great work at teacher prep. We consistently try to hire their graduates if we can because we know their graduates have the content knowledge, but also they've had a lot of field experience so they really know how to work with kids. So I think there's some really good stuff still happening all over the state in our teacher prep work. And that's something... Obviously, I want more people to join those programs. Lower enrollment is an issue that both of the schools have talked to me about, but I think that there's some really good work preparing some of our university students. And that's for sure. Besides all the great work from the teachers that I've just kind of talked to anecdotally as I've been kind of tootling about with my work is good. Jon Eckert: And I think why I love talking to educators like you is we have to stop cannibalizing our profession. So we have administrators making administration look so miserable that no teacher wants to step into it. And we have teachers making teaching sound so miserable that students don't want to step into it. And teachers told my own children, I've heard it said multiple times to their children, "Don't go into teaching right now." And what they don't understand is they're looking out for that person. They're saying it in love, but what they're doing is, is they're cannibalizing the profession. And if we don't have a strong teaching profession, we don't have other professions. And so that is really troubling to me. So I really respect what University of Texas does. Good to hear about Weatherford. When I came to Baylor six years ago and saw the program that they run for... I don't get to work in the pre-service teacher program, but they've done six different placements in a full year student teaching internship. Now in many districts, it's a paid internship if they're in high need districts. That is amazing. That is blowing away what we were doing in Illinois with our teacher preparation program where they had a 12-week student teaching placement and they had four practicum placements. That experience is gold when you're in with good teachers like you, and they can see, "Here's how I set this lab up and here's what it looks like at the beginning of the year, and here's what it looks like at the end of the year. That is powerful. And I am not a big fan of bureaucratic requirements that are unnecessary, but I certainly want good preparation for my kids' teachers, which means I want it for every kid in the state of Texas. And so really grateful for the way you're representing education. So let's shift into our lightning round here. I usually have three or four kind of common questions that I go across, and these are just pretty brief answers, if you have them. So best and worst advice you've ever given or received, you can start with either best or worst, but let's start with those two. Chris Mihealsick: Okay. Worst advice for sure was, "Don't smile till Christmas." Who thinks that's a good idea? You don't build relationships with your students by being a jerk. So worst advice for sure. Best advice was from my mentor who helped me when I was first teaching AP, Joy [inaudible 00:20:00]. She said, "You only have so much life energy, so decide what you're really passionate about and what you feel really skilled at, and just work to be really, really great at that." And I thought that was amazing because you get asked to do so many things as an educator, I am not great at facilities. I probably shouldn't sit on the facilities committee. So focus on what you're really good at and use your energy and your passion to get better at that, to make a bigger difference. Jon Eckert: Yeah, that's really, really helpful advice. So follow up on that, what is the most life-giving part of your job and what is the most soul sucking part of your job? Chris Mihealsick: For sure, working with the students. Even with all of amazing things I've gotten to do as Texas Teacher of the Year so far. And I love working with teachers. When I'm back in my classroom, which is most of the time, and just working with the teenagers and seeing them grow. I could teach for another 15, 20 years probably. We'll see how that all works out. But... Because I'm 23 years into my career, but for sure life-giving is just... I love working with the teenagers. Every single day is a little different. They'll say something funny or unique or they'll make a new discovery. Soul sucking, I would say probably paperwork. Not a fan. I'll do it because it's all the laws and all the things and I like my job. I'll do all the paperwork, but not my fave. Jon Eckert: Yeah, there's always some component of the job that is the reason why you need to get paid for the job. And I say paperwork for most of us is there because that's always going to be part of it. But all right. Best book that you've read in the last year. This could be education-related or just a fun read. Anything that jumps out at you as a good book you've read. I'm always looking for recommendations. Chris Mihealsick: So I read a mix of science and historical fiction and kind of leadership books. So my favorite that I've read lately is Armadillo's to Ziziphus by David Hillis. He is a professor at UT in biology. He actually discovered the Barton Springs Salamander. And it's just a whole bunch of short essays about natural history in Central Texas. And I am currently in the middle of reading Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday. I like his work too. He's a stoic, so he kind of talks about when things happen in life, we can't control that, but we can always control how we react to things. And I think his book right now has a whole bunch of little anecdotes about historical figures and their courage in different things. And I think it's just really relevant right now. I think being a teacher takes courage always, but I think especially right now, it's good to hear about other people's struggles and things they've overcome to make the world a better place. Jon Eckert: No, it's beautiful. I love those two. I have not read either of them, so I've got them written down. So thank you for that. Last two questions. What do you think is the greatest obstacle facing teachers right now? And then the second, the follow-up is what gives you the most hope? As you look around the state of Texas, what gives you most hope about what's happening in education? Chris Mihealsick: So challenging... I'm just going to be honest. I think the budget situation is really challenging right now. I'm hoping that changes for us because I'd like to see smaller class sizes for all of my colleagues and me so that we could give students the more individual attention that they deserve. But what gives me hope is two things. First of all, the students that I work with... I just... Every single year, I think, "You guys are going to change the world. You're going to go out, you're going to do something amazing for Texas and it's going to be phenomenal." So just seeing the potential and the energy that... I love working with juniors and seniors, they're my jam. Seeing them kind of grow and change and get ready to go off and then go off into the world and... That energy and that passion. Texas is in good hands with the teenagers that are continuing to graduate from our public schools. Yeah. Also hope the teachers that I've been meeting across the state... As a teacher in Central Texas, I'm a little bit insular and this is my world, but being able to get to travel a little bit and talk to people in other parts of the state has been really phenomenal. And I have a lot of hope for the kids of Texas because of the people I've been meeting. And I hope to meet a whole bunch more. So my hope for the next year is just to get to meet some more folks and to be able to start highlighting some of their good work as part of what I do. Jon Eckert: I love that. Well, Chris, thank you for what you do. And Round Rock, thank you for what you're going to do for the state of Texas. Thanks for your heart, for students and for educators. So grateful to be able to highlight your good work, and hope this year is amazing and we'll have to catch up with you at the end of your year. So thank you for joining us. Chris Mihealsick: Thank you so much for having me. This has been delightful.

In recent years there has been a real push to prepare students for the real world by teaching basic finance such as managing debt and credit cards, saving money, and balancing a budget. While it's not mandated in Massachusetts that students take a financial literacy class, there are a handful of schools offering it, such as Westwood High School, where the class is mandatory to graduate. Westwood High School Principal Amy Davenport and Financial Literacy Teacher Brianne Mehigan joined Dan to discuss the importance of financial literacy and their program at Westwood High School!Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio and listen to NightSide with Dan Rea Weeknights From 8PM-12AM!

TEDx SPEAKER         AUTHOR         YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATEBIO BIO Born in India in 2007,  moved to the United States with her parents in 2017. She experienced peer shaming and exclusion as an immigrant, so she started  in 2022 for stressed and isolated youth. She lives in Austin, TX, USA and is a high school junior at Westwood High School. 2024 is a big year for her. She debuted on the TEDx stage in March, and her very first novel is ready for launch in the summer! https://www.krishnnikhanna.com/

This is your 12 p.m. All Local update on June 22, 2024.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Marie Pizano, President and Founder of MVP3 Foundation, and CEO of MVP3 Records, MVP3 Network, and MVP3 Media Group, who highlights the Memphis, Tennessee-based nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for communities to experience film, theater, artworks, culinary, and music to inspire, educate, challenge, and entertain.During the interview, Marie talks about starting a student tv/film program at Westwood High School, which will be a 36-week program beginning in the fall. She shares how the pilot program began over the summer with a student who is interning and the MVP3 Foundation will be helping with a scholarship towards college and a career path with MVP3 Media Group. Marie talks about partnering with Memphis-Shelby County Schools to support film production, and help build education, skills, and jobs. Marie discusses their partnership with Alpha Omega Veterans Services and a farmers market, along with a music series with the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art featuring Singer Songwriter Nights and Family Concerts.Visit www.mvp3foundation.org to learn more about MVP3 Foundation.Visit www.mvp3mediagroup.com to learn more about MVP3 Media Group.Visit www.mvp3network.com to learn more about MVP3 Network.

North Memphis native Dr. Trenton M. Watson lives and breathes education as the Principal for Westwood High School. He's been in this particular role for the past 6 months and has made true connections with his students. On this episode, you'll learn about Dr. Watson's vast experience teaching within the Memphis Shelby County School system and how he thrives to increase the graduation rate and reduce absenteeism. Dr. Watson believes that learning is never by accident and that the most intelligent people don't have all the answers but instead seek the right information.

North Memphis native Dr. Trenton M. Watson lives and breathes education as the Principal for Westwood High School. He's been in this particular role for the past 6 months and has made true connections with his students. On this episode, you'll learn about Dr. Watson's vast experience teaching within the Memphis Shelby County School system and how he thrives to increase the graduation rate and reduce absenteeism. Dr. Watson believes that learning is never by accident and that the most intelligent people don't have all the answers but instead seek the right information.

Learn some of the common threads that every program can use to grow - no matter the size or ability level. In this episode we get an inside preview from Thomas Turpin of Westwood High School. Westwood HS (Austin, TX) is a 6A school that attended BOA Super Regionals in St Louis, and is now preparing for their feature performance at the Midwest Clinic 2023. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of growingband.com Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years. Connect with us with comments or ideas Visit our merchandise store to purchase exclusive swag from The Growing Band Director Podcast  Follow the show: Podcast website : Growingband.com On Youtube The Growing Band Director  Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast Group Instagram @thegrowingbanddirector Tik Tok @thegrowingbanddirector If you like what you hear please: Leave a Five Star Review and  Share us with another band director! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kyle-smith95/support

The Chino Valley boys soccer team recovered from a rough first half in the state championship game but ultimately fell to the Snowflake Lobos on Saturday night at Westwood High School in Mesa, 4-3. It was the sixth consecutive title game appearance for the Chino Valley Cougars, who came into the game winning the previous two state championships. The Cougars couldn't hoist the trophy for a third consecutive year in large part due to the spectacular performance of Snowflake senior Ben Sundby. The midfielder was responsible for three of the four goals for Snowflake, including the deciding score in the... For the written story, read here >> https://www.signalsaz.com/articles/chino-valley-boys-soccer-falls-to-snowflake-in-state-championship-game/Follow the CAST11 Podcast Network on Facebook at: https://Facebook.com/CAST11AZFollow Cast11 Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/cast11_podcast_network

On Friday, the 2023 Westwood senior class took a trip down memory lane to visit their old elementary schools, and for some, it will be the last. WBZ's Suzanne Sausville reports:

Join host Jim Mayer in this thrilling episode of the Manufacturing Culture Podcast, recorded on-site at Westwood High School, home of the Warriors. We're diving deep into the intersection of education and manufacturing, featuring enlightening discussions with our special guests: Allison Seitz, District Director for Mesa Public Schools at ElevateEdAZ, Chad Jacobs, Instructor at Westwood High School, and three enthusiastic students, Zeno Trent, Jackson Kelley, and Noah Gransee. Tune in to hear firsthand about their experiences, insights, and how they are shaping the future of manufacturing education. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about the innovative strategies in play to prepare the next generation for the dynamic world of manufacturing. If you're passionate about education, manufacturing, or both, this episode is a must-listen!

Heather Johnson teaches Sports Medicine 1 and 2 teacher at Westwood High School in Blythewood, South Carolina. Johnson earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of South Florida where she worked with the women's soccer team, baseball and of course football  Johnson was one of six graduate students in the country chosen to take part in a new program placing Certified Athletic Trainers in the military. She left Tampa for Columbia and the University of South Carolina. After two years at Ft. Jackson, under USC, the program was considered a success and Johnson was hired full time, where she remained for three more years. She moved on to Midlands Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery where she functioned as both an Athletic Trainer and cast technician, working with all walks of life. Since taking over the Sports Medicine program in 2018 at Westwood High School, Johnson has been adding more completers and more certificates to each student's resume. Even through COVID , Westwood Sports Medicine continued to grow, becoming one of the few schools in the state to offer the industry-recognized American College of Sports Medicine Personal Training exam to advanced students. In addition, on April 5, 2022 Westwood Sports Medicine made history, becoming the first and, to date, only school in both Richland 2 and the state to induct members into the National Honor Society of Sports Medicine.  On the podcast, Heather is joined by two juniors, Rachel Brown and Ella Boston.   Intro and Outro music "Vicious Pen" courtesy of Moby Gratis https://mobygratis.com/

On tomorrow's ag business episode I am speaking with an agricultural entrepreneur who has taken "cleaning" to a whole new level.  I thought this interview with Sean Westergaard from 2016 about his gutter cleaning business was the perfect lead in.  

Dr. Rose is a a licensed Sport Psychologist in Jamaica and a Chartered Sports Psychologist in the United Kingdom. She works as a consultant in Jamaica and the English-speaking Caribbean for the past 15 years to numerous athletes and coaches of 13 different sports. She is the expert voice on Sports Psychology related matters for various media houses in Jamaica. She completed both her B.Sc. in Psychology and M.Sc. in Applied Psychology at The University of the West Indies, Mona.  Currently she holds Ph.D. in Sociology of Leisure and Sport from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom.   Across her academic career she has earned several honours including the Prime Minister's Youth Award for Excellence in academics in 2009, a distinction in her masters being the first student to achieve this honour in the history of the programme, is the first person to be appointed Sport Psychologist on all of the campuses of the University of the West Indies and was the youngest awardee of the Hall of Honour – High Achievers Through The Seasons at Westwood High School.   Dr. Rose is a trained teacher and has lectured and served as curriculum developer for Sports Psychology courses for the Jamaica Football Federation, the National Netball Association, and the University of Technology, Jamaica, Excelsior Community College and G. C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport and a board member for two high schools and a college in Jamaica. She is a PetroCaribe Jamaica 50th scholar. In her free time Dr. Rose loves Fashion, going to the movies, hanging out with friends, volunteering reading,traveling and painting. Alicia and Olivia discuss: The importance of Sports Psychology for athletes  How you can look after your mental health as in a competitive profession The way to thrive as a women in sports  The difference between working within UK vs Jamaica  Challenges working as a Sports Psychologist The importance of surrounding yourself with positivity  Connect with Olivia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-rose-ph-d-b5a05a52/ Purchase Olivia's books here Liv Appreciating Others: Guided Appreciation Journal https://a.co/d/84CrXLI Liv Letting Go!: Guided Forgiveness Journal https://a.co/d/c6wlB1o ABCs of Caribbean Sport - Marketing and Psychology https://a.co/d/9IWAuP1

Part 1 of the show, we have Neel Patel on who recently graduated from Westwood High School and is now in his first year at Waterloo. Neel chats about a composting initiative he help come up with after the 2016 wildfire. Part 2 has Gareth Norris coming on the show to talk all about Paddy McSwiggins and why it closed down.

Tim talks about what's on tap for 2022 SEC Media Days in Atlanta hours before it kicked off. Westwood High School basketball coach John Combs joined the show with his perspective on the GG Jackson situation, initial evaluation of the new Gamecock basketball coaching staff, and what it's like to play pickup basketball with Garth Brooks.  Tim Hill UFA streams live Monday-Friday from 8-10 a.m. on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Podbean. Follow us on Instagram. You can also catch the show on every major podcast platform.  For more information go to timhillufa.com

Coach Todd Zahurak joins us via Zoom to discuss how his Division 2 team, Westwood High School, is coping with realignment and the constant changes that come with high school lacrosse. He also shares his thoughts on offense and defense. Hint: he's not a fan of zone defense.

"We want to get to the point where we're not sharing it (Region Championship)" Robert O'Connell, Westwood High School Redhawks' Head Coach - Interview with Movin' the Chains Coach O'Connell talks with the guys about taking over as the new Head Coach of the Redhawks, his coaching career & style, Redhawk playmakers, his goals for the program, & more! #schsfb #hsfb Hosts: Kevin Thomas, @K_Mart10 & Jerel Hendricks, @ Ol_Rel Guest: Robert O'Connell, Westwood High School Redhawks' HC Follow Movin' the Chains here: Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Email: MovingTheChainSC@gmail.com Check Out Our Sponsors! The George Agency Secured Advantage Federal Credit Union Always on Top Audio Version Now Available Wherever You Get Your Podcasts! Anchor Spotify Breaker Amazon Music Google Podcasts Apple Podcasts --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/movinchains/message

Rob Carcich is the new head boys basketball coach at Westwood High School in New Jersey.  In this episode hear Coach Carcich talk about his philosophies around teaching young men the game of basketball and life.  He tells a great story about a player that forgot his jacket and how he handles it in the moment.  He has a fascinating journey that began as a volunteer coach at Westwood and now to the head coach there.   Before going any further, please make a donation here to Coach Tacauma Lettsome's GoFundMe page and help this former basketball coach in his fight against ALS:   https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-tacauma-fight-als/donate   You can learn more about ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) here at ALS.org.  Hear more about Coach Lettsome's story in this link from WLTX TV in Columbia, SC.   Visit TeachHoops.com/816basketball for incredible basketball coaching content and resources from Coach Steve Collins.  Sign up for the two week free trial, learn and grow as a coach and support the show all at the same time.   Share, subscribe and leave us a 5 star review if you enjoy. Follow us on Twitter at @816Basketball.

Tony Bixler is the Director of Strength, Conditioning, and Sports Performance at Newberry College. Bixler directly leads the sports performance training for the Wolves Football, Softball, Women's Soccer, Baseball (Pitchers), and Wrestling teams after being promoted to department director in summer of 2020. Additionally, he oversees 22 teams with a staff of three assistant strength coaches.  Prior to his current position, he was the Head Performance Coach for the National Men's Rifle Team with the Chinese Olympic Committee in Beijing, China. Bixler was also a strength and conditioning coach and owner of Bixler Fitness for 8 years, in addition to simultaneously serving as a football coach and strength coach at multiple different high schools in South Carolina including Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Richland Northeast High School, AC Flora High School, and Westwood High School. He also spent time as an intern coach at the University of South Carolina with Women's Basketball. After undergrad Bixler began his career as a deputy sheriff and criminal investigator before shifting gears and finding himself in the coaching profession. He is an avid lifter himself and is currently competing in Olympic weightlifting in the Master's division as a part of the Palmetto Weightlifting team. Cerberus Strength Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Austin Police seek suspects in two Southeast Austin shootings Sunday night and early Monday morning - APD will also have a new nominee for Interim Chief today. Still better odds of finding a vaccination appointment in nearby, more rural counties than here in Travis, including Fayette and Lee Counties - many Texans who qualify for shots are failing to find them due to the decentralized and Internet-reliant state rollout. New safety guidelines are issued for Austin's gradual restart of live music. Westwood High School seniors lobby for a traditional graduation ceremony. Texas men's basketball's Shaka Smart appears to be on thin ice. Austin FC announces a three-game pre-season tournament run with two home matches. CNN Business features a glowing preview of the coming next Austin tech boom. And Meals On Wheels of Austin looks to ramp things up for our seniors, and they need your help.

On today’s episode of the Coach and Coordinator podcast, host Keith Grabowski is joined by Michael George, assistant coach at Westwood High School in Texas. Prior to his time coaching high school ball, George spent time in the AAF and XFL as well as at Texas State and Ohio University. George talks to Grabowski about his experiences in those different football leagues as well as how he has built different kinds of relationships and how both sides benefit from these relationships. Show Notes: 1:52 Coach’s Journey since he was at Texas State 8:25 What unique changes did he see from his experience in the AAF and XFL that could convert to the mainstream game 20:03 How Coach views networking and used it to his benefit 25:10 How George’s relationships have helped him, but also how he’s helped others 35:18 Power of listening

Westwood High School will be going to a gender neutral homecoming court, GM says they are working on a battery that would give the same type of range as a gas powered vehicle, and Princess Cruises says they are pausing their cruises until March 2021. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's podcast, Ms. Childress, the Westwood High School IB Coordinator, answers questions about the IB Diploma Programme. Happy Listening!

816 Basketball presents The Greatest Games Podcast. Join us for Episode 64 as Coach Jason Powell, Athletic Director at Westwood High School in Blythewood, SC, talks with us about his greatest game.  Coach Powell takes us to an incredible matchup between powerhouses Lower Richland and Richland Northeast with rosters full of high Division I talent and future pros.  Don't miss this highly-entertaining episode with this highly-successful basketball coach turned AD.     Coach Coach Powell on Twitter at @ADJP71.   Share, subscribe and leave us a 5 star review if you enjoy.   Follow us on Twitter at @816Basketball.

SHOW NOTES Introducing Sean Westergaard!  Sean has an awesome and non-traditional supervised agricultural experience.  He is cleaning and maintaining gutters in his town and the four towns around him.  He has identified his target customer, which is the elderly.  As I was thinking about this it dawned on me that by providing this service Sean might actually save a life.  If there was nobody there to provide this service an older person might climb a latter that just should not.  A fall from that height could be devastating.  So, luckily they have Sean there to do it for them! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Gutter Cleaning & Maintenance HIGH SCHOOL: Westwood High School; Sloan, Iowa MASCOT: Rebels FFA ADVISOR: Dan Witten CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SEAN WESTERGAARD: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Westwood High School Website: Sean's FFA Advisor's Email Address:  dwitten@wcsdrebels.com Westwood High School Telephone Number:  712-428-3355 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA  Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000.  In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants.  With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world.  FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation.  The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: “The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America’s youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America’s youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.”. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:   Member Of The National Association Of Farm Broadcasters

John graduated from KHS in 2000 after playing four years of football on the offensive and defensive line. He attended Northern Michigan University and is currently a Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructor at Westwood High School located in West Ishpeming. He is doing some amazing things with his students, and we are lucky to have him on the show. Recorded on 7/20/2020 Follow us on Social Media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flivverfootball/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flivverfootball/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlivverF Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPgGPbc8Kerrk8XFBTUeJOw/featured?view_as=subscriber Blog: https://flivverflash.blogspot.com/ football@kingsford.org

Jalina McClain, Executive Director of Superior Arts Youth Theater, has been working in the theater field since 2008. She received her B.S. in theatre and entertainment arts & media production and new technology from Northern Michigan University in 2013. Jalina enjoys making theatre in the Marquette Community. Prior to her role with SAYT, she was involved in many arts projects throughout the community collaborating with organizations like Lake Superior Theatre, Marquette Senior High School, Westwood High School, Marquette Area Public Schools, Marquette Regional History Center, and the Forest Roberts Theatre. Jalina has worked throughout the Upper Peninsula and in the Chicago area as a designer, manager, and technician. Jalina’s recent directing credits include SAYT’s Legally Blonde Jr. (2019), Disney's Alice in Wonderland Jr. (2018), Peter Pan (2018), Shrek the Musical Jr. (2017). Superior Arts Youth Theater (SAYT) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization located in Marquette, MI serving the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Formerly known as the Marquette Arts and Culture Center Youth Theatre (2001-2011) and Lake Superior Youth Theatre (2011-2015). SAYT camps and productions are open to youth ages 3-18. They produce a series of performances each year ranging from variety shows and community event performances to full productions at the historic Kaufman Auditorium, Northern Michigan University’s Forest Roberts Theater, and the Lake Superior Theater Boathouse. SAYT is working to make sure we are a welcoming space for peoples of all ability, race, ethnicity, economic status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Programming includes need-based financial aid, ADA compliant rehearsal and performance spaces with all-gender restrooms, and a staff happy to work with families to meet participants’ individual physical, learning, and social needs. If there are ways we can be more welcoming to your family, please let us know at saytheater.directors@gmail.com. Links: http://saytheater.org/ https://www.facebook.com/saytheater/ https://www.instagram.com/saytmqt --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mqtmemorybox/message

In this episode we talk with Nermin Zukic, the Chair of Business from Keyano College, Said el Mejdani, Computer Science teacher from Westwood Community High School, and Sarptashi Bhattacherya, one of the student pitch winners from Inventures 2019. We discuss how Nermin, through Keyano College, worked with Said from Westwood Community High School to get, at the time, grade 10 student, Sarptashi Bhattacherya and two of his fellow classmates to Inventures 2019 to pitch their innovations before seasoned judges. In the end, Sarptashi was one of the three winners along with two others from Edmonton.Even though the story revolves primarily around Sarptashi, it goes beyond just him. There's something special going on up in Fort McMurray. Teachers from post-secondary and secondary schools are working together with passion and with students to deliver exceptional results in terms of innovation and achievement.  BiosSaptarshi Bhattacherya is a grade 11 student at Westwood Community High School in Fort McMurray. He loves to learn and is fascinated by the ability of computer science to unite people to solve the problems humanity faces today, and strives to share this fascination with others in his community. Said el Mejdani Is the computer science instructor at Westwood High School. He has a passion for disruptive technology and innovation. He embraces students either interested or uninterested in academics and provides an avenue for them to experience success. He knows every student can thrive when they drive their own learning, so he coaches students to think critically to reach their goals. Nermin Zukić is the Chair of Business at Keyano College in Fort McMurray. He has a diverse business background with professional roles in international economic development, private equity, business process consulting, as well as postsecondary education. Nermin believes in aligning local economic development and post secondary education. 

816 Basketball presents The Greatest Games Podcast. Join us for Episode 23 as Coach John Santulli, Head Coach at Westwood High School in Washington Township, NJ  talks with us about his greatest game.  Hear about his days as a young college assistant coach and working his way up the chain of North Jersey basketball. He tells us about a fascinating state playoff game that had to be played over 2 days.  Share, subscribe and leave us a 5 star review if you enjoy! Follow us on Twitter at @816Basketball! 

Ron Campton is the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Mesa Westwood High School in Mesa, AZ. In his first two seasons as the head coach he has led the team to a 45-12 record. Last season his team won the 6A East Regional championship, reached the Elite 8 for the first time in school history and he was in the running for Arizona Coach of the Year. During our conversation we discuss how he started to change the culture of the program, some of the challenges along the way and how he plans to keep the program going in the right direction. We also talk about some of the technical parts of basketball… From fundamentals of shooting, system of play and different drills to keep your team progressing! Enjoy!https://twitter.com/coachroncamptonhttps://www.instagram.com/wwladywarriorsbball/?hl=en

816 Basketball presents The Greatest Games Podcast. Join us for Episode 4 as Coach John Combs of Westwood High School in Blythewood, SC talks with us about his greatest game.  Learn about his journey as a student manager for the University of South Carolina to being one of the most successful coaches in recent history! Subscribe and leave us a 5 star review if you enjoy! Give us a follow on social media:  @816Basketball on Twitter and Instagram!

Social distancing update for students and families - why this is important. Many thanks to Mr. Sean Bevan, Principal of Westwood High School, for sharing some of the resources and information that has been used in creating this podcast.

Science teacher, Alanna Dipert from Westwood High School shares how she uses the Inquiry Model of Learning in her classroom. From her own experiences and trying something new, Dipert highlights how she introduces, explains and reinforces how students show what they are learning. Check out this podcast for ideas you can use in your classroom. 4 Phases of the Inquiry Model   What is Standards Based Grading?

Moving into freshman year of high school can be a difficult transition. Westwood High School teachers come together with a cohort of students and the results are amazing! Peggy Beesley (Math), Vatricia Harris (English) and Kelsey Meeks (Science) work together to provide a unique learning experience. Listen to how enthralled students are in planning, designing, and presenting projects, from a project they just completed about roller coasters to what they are currently working on. These teachers share what works, how the students have benefited, and what you can do in your classroom to help foster that type of classroom environment. Design Thinking for Educators The Creative Classroom - John Spencer Gamification Collection from Edutopia The 4-C's - The Educators Guide for 21st Century Students

This episode hosted by Director Paul Young; Joyce Cox, OCCE Manager, catches up with Ashley Cash of Memphis 3.0 and discuss the need to preserve Memphis' premier neighborhoods like Melrose.  On the show today we have: Yancy Villa; Local Artist Leslie Smith, Building Memphis Roger Ekstrom, City of Memphis Charles Everett, Westwood High School

JD Bowman, who was recently named 2015 Arizona Teacher of the Year, shares his perspective on assessment policy and practice. Bowman teaches US history at Westwood High School in Mesa, Arizona.