#EduCrush

On her final episode of the #EduCrush podcast, Natalie reflects on her personal growth throughout the past four years of creating the show and shares insights into what's next. Show Notes: The greatest validation comes from within.  Creativity thrives on consistency. Equity without introspection is a trap.  You are the solution until you become the problem.  My voice is powerful.  → Subscribe to Unleash YES, Nat's new podcast with co-host Tom Schimmer.

On this episode Alex interviews passionate and innovative educator Andrew Rigby, on the numerous benefits of TTRPG’s for students in the classroom.    Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram    Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!  

Though Starr is considered a leading voice in innovative assessment and grading practices, it didn’t start out that way. Once upon a time, she was a teacher in her classroom on the precipice of making a terrifying change. In this episode, Nat talks with Starr about how her personal growth journey triggered a change in her practices and eventually a major pivot in her career. Learn how Starr learned to let go of control and empower students so you can do the same. Show Notes: How doing personal, inner work sparks an openness to change and learning, like it did when Starr chose to transform her assessment and grading practices. The biggest misconception about assessment is not believing that kids are capable of being assessors on their own behalf; it’s vulnerable to release control. Cultivating respectful education by seeing people and moving together puts joy back in the job. When being an innovative teacher puts a target on your back. Leveraging our skills as teachers allows us to move beyond typical jobs in education to expand our impact. Surrendering to the energy of the universe to allow our path to unfold and find our people. 💬 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram 💬Continue the conversation with Starr on Twitter or Linkedin.    ✊ Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   ✨Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!

 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram        Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading! On this episode Alex discusses how the court of public opinion influences policy, ethics and our feelings about assessment.    

✊ Check out the website for the Empowerment Ecosystem Summit for the schedule, locations, and details on how to register! Parent communication isn’t the sexiest part of our jobs, but that doesn’t make it any less critical. Natalie is joined by Crystal Frommert, author of “When Calling Parents isn’t your Calling,” to discuss strategies to proactively partner with parents and how to assert ourselves when communication crosses into disrespectful territory. Show Notes: Whenever possible, we should lean towards verbal rather than written, digital communication. Many of us are nervous about talking to parents because of bad past experiences and deep fears of being exposed as a fraud. Parent communication in education is NOT customer service; we are professionals, not “yes” people. Strategies for proactive parent communication are meet-the-teacher nights, information nights about special events, or spontaneous positive phone calls home. A great question to ask when talking to parents about something tough is, “What suggestions do you have for me to support your child through this?” As we build our expertise, we can avoid talking about grades with parents altogether by sharing evidence of learning directly. 💬 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram   💬 Continue the conversation with Crystal on Twitter, Instagram, or her website.     ✊ Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.  

On this episode Alex interviews an expert in the community work that goes on in major cities. He has 20 years of experience working with children and youth, non-profits, schools, and families. He also happens to be my older brother, Rodney Noel.    Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram        Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!

✨Join us at the 2024 Empowerment Ecosystem Summit!   Assessment and identity might not seem like a logical pairing on the surface, but they are a powerhouse combo for learning and professional growth.   Everyone has an assessment story that we carry into the school space and those experiences determine what we believe to be true about ourselves, learners, and learning.   Today Natalie reconnects with her childhood friend, Karley Alleyn, to explore the shared childhood experience that was fundamental to their assessment identities and what Karley learned about the role of authentic mentorship in its continued development during her Masters research.    Show Notes: Natalie and Karley’s shared history of competitive rhythmic gymnastics is the foundation of their assessment identity to “please, perform, and perfect” and a focus on external rewards. Assessment identity is our understanding of assessment through our experiences as a student, educator, and as a human being.  Karley chose narrative inquiry as the method for her assessment identity research as story is the foundation of our identities. This topic is important for all educators as it is an invitation to courageously look inward and share who you truly are. Authentic mentorship opportunities, not coerced or forced partnerships, are a powerful space for educators to develop their assessment identity as they enter the profession. An important first step in exploring assessment identity is to go inward and ask, “What was my first transformative assessment experience and how has it impacted my teaching practice?” 💬 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram   💬 Continue the conversation with Karley on Instagram    ✊ Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   ✨Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!  

Happy new year! What are the things in this world that make your jaw drop? Things that are so awesome that you can’t help but get excited about it, about learning about it and experiencing it? On this episode of #Educrush, Alex explores knowledge for need, for honour and for awe as we take some time to look to the past and to space! Links to SN 1006 because it’s awesome. https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1308b/ https://www.nasa.gov/universe/supernova-remnant-sn-1006/    Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram        Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!

✨Join us at the 2024 Empowerment Ecosystem Summit! Sometimes, our focus on external change is just a reflection of the deeper changes we know we're avoiding in ourselves.  Go read that again. Join Natalie for a solo episode to seize the new year and finally let go of the toxic habits, patterns, and relationships in your life to manifest your deepest desires. And no, manifesting isn’t magic, it’s science. Learn the biological basis for this powerhouse practice and a three-step process to apply it to your own life.  💬 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    ✊ Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   ✨Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!   Show Notes: A game of high/low for the holidays.  Natalie gets personal about the 15-year karmic cycle she’s ready to release.   The science behind manifesting as described by Dr. Bruce Lipton in “Biology of Belief.” A three-step process to tap into creative visualization and clear blocks. 

This week on #Educrush, Alex is looking back on some of the interviews that match with what has turned out to be the focal point of the year…Community.    Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram        Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!

In this crossover episode, Natalie joins fellow podcast host and co-author, Tom Schimmer, to discuss how story is critical to rehumanize assessment, embrace the messiness of change, and to cultivate the mindset necessary for inner peace. 💬 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    💬 Continue the conversation with Tom on Twitter or Instagram    ✊ Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   ✨ Check out the website for the Empowerment Ecosystem Summit for the schedule, locations, and details on how to register!   Show Notes: Rehumanizing assessment through story allows us to tap into deeper learning, build empathy, and demonstrate cultural expansiveness while gathering evidence of the critical competencies. When students are the storytellers, they develop agency. Storytelling in the classroom can range from micro moments to macro projects, and capture evidence of the standards as well as metacognition and reflection. Change requires leaders to become storytellers to model the vulnerability of making mistakes and trying something new. The stories we tell ourselves determine our mindset. If you live to please others you'll lie to yourself, but when you tell yourself the truth, you'll find your inner peace, even if that doesn't make everyone happy.    

As the winter Holiday’s loom, now is the time of the year that I and others start to think about family. The countdown is on and we’re ready for a break. What does it look like to use this time, leading to the holidays, as an opportunity for personal growth and community building? Join Alex for a brief discussion on sharing traditions for the season! **Note from Alex** This episode is shorter than usual because I am sicker than usual but I hope you still enjoy!  Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram        Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!

As soon as we say the word inclusion, there’s an exclusion. Designing an education system that is grounded in the mindset that all students belong and are capable of high levels of learning is the real goal. Dr. Shelley Moore joins Natalie to talk about what inclusion means to her and how we can make change through collaboration, standards-based approaches, and stories. 💬 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram   💬 Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram   💬 Continue the conversation with Shelley on Twitter or Instagram    ✊ Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   ✨Check out the website for the Empowerment Ecosystem Summit for the schedule, locations, and to register! Show Notes: A personal story for Shelley that reveals the transformative power of inclusive education was in grade 8 when she experienced a middle school program that was organized in cohorts, supported by tech and inquiry-based. The vision for ideal inclusion is that we don’t need to talk about it anymore; as long as there’s inclusion, there is also exclusion. Two ways to reduce stress and workload in inclusive education are through collaboration and thinking standards-based.  Stories and humour are critical for making change in a complex system like education.   We don’t need ability groups for all students to receive the support they need to be successful, especially as these groups limit students from grade-level instruction.  Inclusion requires us to build our capacity to teach strategically, and two powerful strategies are designing learning progressions and fluid, goal-oriented groups.

Diversity, equity and inclusion will always be a complicated subject. It’s worthwhile to learn and to grow from it, because that allows us as teachers to create environments where all students can learn. Not just about the subject matter that we’re trying to teach but learn about what it means to be considerate of the communities we’re in and the people we encounter. This week on #Educrush, Alex interviews Professor and Author, Dr. Shirley Steinberg as they start to explore what it means to consider Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accommodation.  Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram      Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!

Fasten your seatbelts as Natalie takes you on a journey through the inception, challenges, and triumphs of Bio-Med Science Academy with its founder, Stephanie Lammlein. They explore how she turned a bold vision into reality, how the students are thriving in this educational ecosystem and the impact it's making on the rural community it serves.  💬 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram   💬 Continue the conversation with Stephanie on Twitter or Linkedin    ✊ Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   📅 Register for Natalie's two-day grading workshop in St. Louis, MI.    ✨Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!   Show Notes: The tipping point for Stephanie to leave the classroom and create a STEM school was mastery of her craft and frustration with being trapped in a box. The hallmark of a thriving STEM classroom is students experimenting with things we don’t already know the answer to.  Creating a school requires legislative backing and many pivots.  The integration that STEM requires challenges both students and teachers to learn to navigate social-emotional hurdles.  Assessment in an integrated STEM school requires a shift to assessing competencies over products. 

Leadership is often cited as one of the most important and contentious parts of school’s life. Many dream of being a leader that is effective and inspiring and many more have opinions on what exactly a leader needs in order to be effective and inspiring. What if we focused on the leadership that lives in all of us? What does it look like to move away from a system where one person is always at the top and shift to looking at having the right leader for the right time. This week on #Educrush, lets explore a little of leadership and what it looks like when it is distributed through democracy.   When Teachers Run the School https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/when-teachers-run-the-school  Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram      Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!

In this solo episode, Natalie honors the Halloween season by describing five ghastly ghouls haunting our schools: phantom policies, zombie meetings, dementor processes, and the control and avoidance poltergeists. Learn what they are and how to defeat them! 💬 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    🎧Listen to the podcast episode that inspired this episode: “Slaying your Organizational Debt Monster.”   🎥Watch Rodney Evans describe organizational debt.     ✊ Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   ✨Get on the list for advance tickets for the Empowerment Ecosystem Summit!   Show Notes:   Organizational debt is the policies, practices and ways of working that are no longer serving their purpose, leading to bureaucracy. Phantom policies are born of a idiosyncratic mistake and scare teachers from more meaningful practice (e.g. teachers must have 5 entries per week in their grade book). Zombie meetings are routine meetings that have lost their soul. (e.g. PLC meetings). Dementor processes suck the life out of creativity and innovation. (e.g. committees as a part of the change process). The control poltergeist haunts leaders lacking connection and leads to a culture of permission. The avoidance poltergeist haunts leaders who feel unsafe and leads to a culture of influence. The fix to all of these issues is the thing we tend to avoid in our workplaces, tough conversations (with ourselves and others).

School or Athletics? That’s the question we often ask students athletes if grades begin to slip. What if we are misunderstanding the role that sports have in the education space? How can teams help students better grasp the concepts in the academic classroom. This week Alex sits down with Teacher, Coach and Athletic Director Nick Waterbury, who has spent time on a local and national and international level, giving opportunities for students and teachers to learn about leadership and participate in the athletics as an extension of education.    Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram      Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!

Is participation the only thing that can be assessed in Phys Ed class? How might health be integrated as a goal alongside physical activity? Nat joins Canadian PHE and assessment expert Josh Ogilvie to explore what’s possible for Phys Ed when we embrace conversation, personal inquiry and belonging. Show Notes: The shift to Physical “Health” Education (PHE) was an intentional one to explore the intersection between movement and mental health. The ideal goal of a PHE program is for each student to arrive at an awareness of the type of “mover” they are and what personal benefit it provides. There is no equity in assessing participation in PHE as it does not consider the competence, confidence, and satisfaction each learner is experiencing in that space. PHE teachers have more to offer than being a glorified recreational facilitators.  Competition is an important concept to explore in PHE, albeit within the context of student voice and choice. PHE teachers cannot assess every student at once, but they can practice sound assessment by embracing more conversation as an artifact of learning. 💬 Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram   💬 Continue the conversation with Josh on Twitter or his website.    ✊ Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   ✨Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!

What is burnout? Why does it have such a tight grasp on discussions of educator’s efficacy and longevity? This week on #Educrush Alex discusses learnings about the insidious natures of and potential strategies for dealing with Burnout.  **For the curious, here are some links to the papers I read that don’t cost money or require membership at a university library.** National Library of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8834764/#:~:text=Although%20definitive%20evidence%20has%20not,cynicism%20or%20depersonalization%20%5B29%5D.   35 Years https://scholar.google.ca/scholar_url?url=https://www.psicopolis.com/burnout/BUpdf/35anni.pdf&hl=en&sa=X&ei=epAZZf_7D66P6rQPvLWsmAQ&scisig=AFWwaebEJ6E5AQf9n1j2BFICaeRk&oi=scholarr    Continue the conversation with Natalie on Twitter or Instagram    Continue the conversation with Alex on Twitter or Instagram      Join our Facebook group for community, connection and allies.   Download Nat's six research-based ways to INSPIRE change in assessment and grading!