GaETC: The Podcast

What happens when we stop treating teacher burnout like an individual flaw and start looking at the systems that cause it?On this episode of GaETC: The Podcast, host Dr. Lee Green sits down with educator, author, and national thought leader Mandy Froehlich, Director of Professional Learning at Teq. Drawing on her career as a fourth and fifth grade teacher, district director of innovation and technology, and author of books including The Fire Within, Reignite the Flames, and Divergent EDU, Mandy operates at the rare intersection of edtech implementation and educator mental health.Mandy unpacks the critical difference between being burned out, demoralized, and emotionally detached, explaining why asking "How do we stop teacher attrition?" comes far too late once educators are already walking out the door. She challenges the superficial buzzword version of "resilience," making the case that educators cannot heal inside a system that actively creates stress, and outlines how genuine administrative support, community connection, and sustainable tools can protect educator well-being.Throughout the conversation, Mandy and Dr. Green explore:Burnout vs. Demoralization: Why teachers disengage, how moral injury and feeling unsupported wear down compassionate educators, and how leaders can spot the signs early.Systemic Support Over Simple Resilience: Moving beyond bath bombs and quick tips to real institutional care, including accessible mental health support and removing unnecessary burdens.Teq’s Fifty-Year Legacy: How Teq supports schools through a "complete thought" approach, pairing classroom hardware like SMART Boards and STEM tools with deep, ongoing professional development.OTIS for Educators: How Teq's on-demand learning platform delivers bite-sized courses on AI, Google, and the science of reading, while serving as a flexible professional learning hub for district content.Hands-On Tech at GaETC 2026: A sneak peek at Teq's conference presence, featuring custom luggage-tag laser engraving with the xTool and demos of the SMART Mini.Connect with Mandy and explore professional learning opportunities at teq.com. Make sure to stop by the Teq booth in the exhibit hall and visit Dr. Lee Green in the Circuit Lounge at GaETC 2026, November 4 through 6 at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta!

What happens when classroom technology moves beyond stationary screens to get students physically moving and building real-world workforce skills?On this episode of GaETC: The Podcast, host Dr. Lee Green sits down with Maggie Phillips, Head of Professional Learning and Teacher Engagement at PowerUpEDU. A former classroom teacher, Maggie breaks down how PowerUpEDU partners with schools across Georgia and the Southeast to ensure expensive hardware never sits on a shelf collecting dust.Dr. Green and Maggie explore:Active Learning & Movement: How tools like Activefloor and the Lü Interactive Playground engage both sides of the brain simultaneously, boosting learning retention, reducing behavior referrals, and turning screen time into purposeful physical activity.Woz ED Workforce Pathways: Why PowerUpEDU brought Steve Wozniak's K–12 STEM pathways to the Southeast, spanning 13 career tracks rooted in Bureau of Labor Statistics data so students can build skills from pre-K through high school graduation.Real-World Student Impact: Inspiring stories of high school students earning their FAA Part 107 drone pilot certifications and conducting storm damage assessments for roofers in South Georgia to earn college tuition.Modernizing Legacy Industries: How STEM in Agriculture pathways take rural students from classroom seed experiments to high school machine learning models, robotics, and precision farming.Vetted Solutions & Ongoing Coaching: Why PowerUpEDU bundles customized professional learning, coaching, and strategic planning with every implementation, and how students are designing custom standards-aligned content for state technology competitions.Plus, Maggie previews what conference attendees can experience live in person at the PowerUpEDU booth at GaETC 2026!Connect with Maggie Phillips & PowerUpEDU:Email: [email protected]: powerupedu.comJoin Us at GaETC 2026:Experience active learning tools and STEM career pathways live November 4 through 6, 2026, at the Georgia International Convention Center! Register and build your schedule at conference.gaetc.org.

What happens when you trade traditional flat-screen research for standalone VR headsets that let students dissect molecules, tour the Louvre, and test-drive real-world careers?On this episode of GaETC: The Podcast, conference chair Kate Crawford fills in for Dr. Lee Green to spotlight 2026 GaETC Innovation Grant winner Suzanne Helms, Media Specialist at Bremen High School in Bremen City Schools. Bringing over 22 years of classroom and library experience across elementary, middle, and high school, Suzanne is redefining what modern media centers can offer rural learners through her winning project: Beyond the Library Walls: Immersive AR/VR Spatial Learning and Virtual Field Trips.Suzanne breaks down how she is putting a brand new lab of Meta Quest 3S headsets directly into the hands of Bremen's high schoolers. She details how spatial computing bridges the geographic divide for small-town students, taking them on virtual field trips across Georgia and the globe, while opening up high-level simulations for healthcare, chemistry, and foreign language classes.Throughout the conversation, Suzanne and Kate discuss:The Grant Project in Action: Unboxing six Meta Quest 3S headsets, building mobile charging stations, and setting up centralized administrative control through Meta for Education.Equalizing Access for Rural Students: Using virtual field trips through Georgia Public Television and global museum portals to eliminate travel costs and scheduling roadblocks.Beyond Flat Screens: Why interactive 3D simulations allow students to manipulate anatomical structures, practice surgical stitches, and build spatial memory far better than passive video.Partnering with Classroom Teachers: Gaining early faculty buy-in by aligning VR software to state standards, handling setup logistics, and running in-class tech stations.Unwinding Off-Screen: Gardening with audiobooks, cozying up with her dogs, and favorite reads like Yesteryear and Theo of Golden.Download the official GaETC 2026 conference mobile app today to plan your sessions, and look for Suzanne in the sessions this November as she prepares to share her grant outcomes!

What does it take to sustain a 25-year teaching career without burning out under the weight of endless new mandates and initiatives?On this episode of GaETC: The Podcast, host Dr. Lee Green sits down with secondary veteran, curriculum designer, and author Leah Cleary (Lee Middle School, Coweta County). As the host of If Teachers Ruled the World and creator of LeahCleary.com, Leah cuts through trendy jargon to deliver candid, classroom-tested truths about secondary ELA, social studies instruction, and educator well-being.Dr. Green and Leah explore:Living in the "Chasm" & Recovering Perfectionism: Why productivity hacks offer a false promise, and how mindset shifts and setting firm boundaries keep great teachers in the profession.The AI-Proofing Instruction Playbook: Flipping traditional grading on its head with a 60% process and 40% final product model, modeling version history, and pairing tech with screen-free, analog writing.Teaching the Skill AI Can't Fake: Moving students beyond surface-level summaries into deep, authentic synthesis and higher-order analysis.The "Differentiation Myth": Why leveling text down can hurt students, how teachers serve as the primary instructional scaffold, and tools like Rewordify for home support.Tactile Learning in a One-to-One World: Why interactive notebooks, physical card sorts, and hands-on organization still matter for cognitive processing and classroom engagement.How Well Does Gemini Know Leah?: A fun round of our signature game covering AP grading workflows, jigsaw puzzles, Marvel movies, and home downtime!Plus, Leah previews her three upcoming presentations coming to GaETC 2026!Connect with Leah Cleary:Website & Blog: LeahCleary.comPodcast: If Teachers Ruled the WorldInstagram: @leah_clearyJoin Us at GaETC 2026:Meet Leah and connect with leading educators live November 4 through 6, 2026, at the Georgia International Convention Center! Register and build your personal schedule at conference.gaetc.org.

What does it look like to ditch the antiquated shushing and transform a high school library into the high-energy heartbeat of an entire campus?On this episode of GaETC: The Podcast, host Dr. Lee Green sits down with one of the conference's featured speakers for GaETC 2026: Lauren Mobley, Media Education and Technology Instructor in Fulton County Schools and the creator behind Mobley in the Mix. From being featured on Cult of Pedagogy to presenting nationally with Future Ready Librarians, Lauren is at the forefront of modern school library advocacy, multimodal literacy, and ethical AI integration.As the incoming President-Elect of the Georgia Library Media Association (GLMA), Lauren is bringing an ambitious slate of presentations to GaETC this November. She previews her lineup, which includes an interactive hands-on maker session with Alyssa Fobion (Farmer Fobbs from Knowt), a community advocacy masterclass with Cobb County librarian Nicholas Moore, a crash course on building school library social media programs, and practical strategies for getting Gen Z and tweens actively engaged in the media center.Throughout the conversation, Lauren and Dr. Green explore:The Modern Media Center: Ditching the quiet book repository stereotype to build an active, collaborative space where foosball and music act as gateways to authentic reading and community.Librarians as AI and Digital Literacy Leaders: Why school library media specialists are uniquely positioned to teach source questioning, algorithmic bias, and ethical AI workflows.Breaking the Silos: How media specialists can build genuine instructional partnerships with classroom teachers by focusing on relationships, kindness, and solving planning friction.Collection Development and Visual Literacy: The importance of graphic novels and manga, balancing diverse representation with age-appropriate selection, and avoiding self-censorship.Pop Culture and Unwinding: A lively tangent on Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl, home coffee bars with barista-style lattes, and stepping away from the screen.Connect with Lauren online at mobleyinthemix.com, follow her across Instagram and TikTok @mobleyinthemix, or email her directly at [email protected]. Be sure to catch her featured sessions live at GaETC 2026, November 4 through 6 at the Georgia International Convention Center!