Episodes

In this week’s episode, Tisha Richmond shares her experience of losing joy as a teacher and how using gamification in her classroom increased her happiness, student motivation, and overall engagement. In this episode, we discuss: How to create the “Extreme Lesson Makeover” The origin story of Tisha’s podcast And her book, Making Learning Magical! About Tisha Richmond: Tisha is a district Student Engagement and Professional Development Specialist, international speaker, and author from Southern...

In this week’s episode, Frederick Buskey shares the trap that all new leaders get caught in and how to shift into an effective and strategic leader. In this episode, we discuss: The black hole that new leaders fall into A timeline of action steps for new leaders to improve their practices And The Assistant Principal Podcast! About Frederick Buskey: Frederick is the founder of Strategic Leadership Consulting, and the host of The Assistant Principal Podcast. He is passionate about improving life...

In this new BONUS episode, we learn from Bryan Zwemke’s story of failure by not including his teachers in an important shift in procedure. Join me as I also share a similar mistake and how I worked through the misstep of not collaborating with my colleagues. About Bryan Zwemke: Bryan Zwemke is an Assistant Superintendent of Learning and Innovation in Illinois with 22 years of experience teaching and leadership in rural, suburban, and urban settings focused on student achievement and student enga...

In this week’s episode, Hunter Flesch shares his journey as a teacher, Masters student, and aspiring leader as he learns how to lead a building. In this episode, we discuss: Asking the correct questions as a new leader Finding ways to bring joy to teachers And his wonderful podcast, The Ed Essentials Podcast! About Hunter Flesch: Hunter Flesch is a current middle school teacher, mentor teacher, and host of “The Ed Essentials Podcast” where he gives teachers and leaders strategies that work! Hu...

In this week’s episode, Kim Gameroz breaks down the misconceptions of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and how to build a systematic approach to have the most impact with SEL. In this episode, we discuss: Creating a common language Making Morning Meetings meaningful And her upcoming book! About Kim Gameroz: Kim Gameroz is a change agent for schools and districts who seek to revolutionize classrooms by taking on a systematic approach to teaching social and emotional skills. For over 15 years, Ki...

I met my amazing guest at Teach Better 22 and we had a wonderful conversation, which I wanted to continue on the Aspire to Lead Podcast. In this week’s episode, Robert Dunlop shares his experiences on the pursuit of happiness and how a dark time in his life changed his perspective completely. In this episode, we discuss: Understanding and Learning from the Peaks and Valleys of our Professional Journey The Research on Happiness And his new book, STRIVE for Happiness in Education! About Robert D...

In this week’s episode, Bryan Zwemke shares how he started a new position this summer to serve his district in a new role. Regardless of your position, we all need support in our leadership journey and Bryan shares some wonderful strategies to connect and grow to gain leadership knowledge. In this episode, we discuss: The support and guidance needed to survive a new leadership position Personalized learning and the changes needed to enhance student soft skills And the Teach Better Administrator...

Today’s leaders face the challenge of leading five generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and brand-new Generation Z teachers, along with Gen Alpha, today’s youngest students. In this week’s episode, Mark White, shares his research and experiences to address expectations implicit with leading each generation. In this episode, we discuss: Tactics for transitioning to 5-Gen Leadership and understanding distinct generations in teaching staff Advice for creating a welcoming environme...

In this week’s episode, Rose Griffen, shares her story of discovering a need with non- verbal autistic children and how she stepped up to create her own product to help support her students. In addition to the products she creates, Rose has become a huge resource in the special education space as she helps consult, speak, and teach about autism and communication skills. In this episode, we discuss: Strategies to enhance our communication Breaking down the misconceptions of Autism And her podcas...

After a fantastic weekend of learning and fun, I had to get one of my Teach Better Teammates on with me to recap this epic event. In this week’s bonus episode, Katie Miglin, provides some insight, behind the scenes stories, and additional information from the Teach Better 22 Conference! In this episode, we discuss: Key takeaways from Teach Better 22 Networking events and how to get connected And the 12 hour live show! About Katie Miglin: Katie Miglin was a former classroom teacher of 13 years ...

What do we do when we are at our breaking point and feel completely overwhelmed? For many, unfortunately, masking and ignoring the problems become the unhealthy solution. This week’s guest, Jeff Kubiak, is incredibly transparent and brave as he shares his battle with alcoholism, his focus on mental health, and how he is transforming his campus to focus on the social and emotional needs of his students and staff. In this episode, we discuss: Focusing on the Trauma of Staff and Students Equity Wa...

This week’s guest, Lindsay Lyons, shares how by including student voice and enhancing the curriculum to include opportunities to discuss important topics, the culture of the classroom increases equity and inclusiveness. In this episode, we discuss: Curriculum Design for Difficult Topics Student Partnership Opportunities And her podcast, Time for Teachership! About Lindsay Lyons: Lindsay Lyons (she/her) is an educational justice coach who works with teachers and school leaders to inspire educat...

This week’s guest, Jorge Valenzuela, shares his journey of how he was introduced to Emotional Intelligence in his personal life and how he used his action research to help districts implement sound SEL practices on their campuses. In this episode, we discuss: “Learning Walks” to Provide Feedback The Importance of Gathering Data for Action Research And his new podcast, SEL in Action Podcast! About Jorge Valenzuela: Jorge Valenzuela is an education coach, author, and advocate. He has years of ex...

This week’s guest, Kevin J. Butler, shares how he lost his passion to teach and how he transformed his teaching style to become more engaging. While teachers don’t train to be entertainers, teaching must capture students’ attention and at times entertain them. This doesn’t mean that every lesson has to be a Broadway musical number, but it does require educators to be intentional when engaging students in active learning. We discuss Kevin’s new book, Lights, Cameras, TEACH!, and how he brings the...

In this 26th Aspire Mailbag episode, Jeff Gargas and I answer questions on different leadership topics provided by the listeners. Please join us for this episode as we answer questions on new initiatives by new leaders, abandoning campus programs, leadership advice, the Teach Better conference, and the latest news with the Teach Better Team! Featuring Jeff Gargas and Joshua Stamper Teach Better Conference: https://teachbetterconference.com/ AspireTB2022 for $50 off Follow Jeff Gargas: Twitter...

This week’s guest, Kyle Hill, shares how his role as a Special Education Lead and parent has uncovered a huge gap in the communication and relationship between the school, parents, and the student. Kyle provides wonderful advice and resources to help all parties succeed in creating an effective plan for our struggling students. In this episode, we discuss: Strategies to help students with their classroom behavior Resources for parents to assist their special education meetings And his podcas...

This week’s guest, Carl Hooker, shares how to tackle the challenge of creating innovation in the classroom and he provides ideas for both teachers and leaders with new ways to motivate learners of all ages and open up their creative pathways. In this episode, we discuss: Enhancing skills beyond technology The future of education and online learning And his book, Ready.Set.FAIL! About Carl Hooker: Carl Hooker is an educational consultant and speaker from Austin, TX. He spent the past 24 years a...

This week’s guest, David Frangiosa, shares how he used multiple grading procedures to discover a process that revolutionized his classroom and shifted the focus to learning, which was going gradeless. We dive into this structure of feedback, student self pacing, and the misconceptions of this system. In this episode, we discuss: Utilizing an Accountability Checklist The differences of going gradeless vs. Standards Based Grading And his book, Going Gradeless: Shifting the Focus to Student Learni...

This week’s guest, Katie Miglin, shares how to create an interdisciplinary learning experience in the classroom, while using the Grid Method to enhance student voice and ownership of the content. In this episode, we discuss: New Teach Better Course on Interdisciplinary Learning New Opportunities to Provide Student Feedback And the Teach Better 22 Conference! About Katie Miglin: Katie Miglin was a former classroom teacher of 13 years in the middle school setting. She taught 7th grade for all th...

This week’s guest, Dr. Marcus Belin, shares how a difficult start to his role as a Principal allowed him to appreciate, learn, and not regret the hard lessons of his leadership experience. In this episode, we discuss: Setting Fire to the “Comfort Box” Showing Vulnerability and Transparency to your Staff And his podcast, Unapologetic Leadership About Dr. Marcus Belin: Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Dr. Belin learned the value of education at a very young age. That belief has carri...

This week’s guest, Elijah Carbajal, shares how to be the best version of ourselves to create an environment that is inviting, caring, and accepting of all students. If you are looking to improve your classroom culture, this is the episode for you! In this episode, we discuss: Leading With Service The Shut Up and Teach Podcast And his soon to be released book, A Place They Love: Creating Healthy School Culture and Positively Impacting Students About Elijah Carbajal: Elijah is a Title I Reading ...

In this bonus episode, Starr Sackstein shares her exciting announcement about Hacking Assessment and we discuss how to shift the “Grades Mindset”, change your grading system, and improve the feedback process. In this episode, we discuss: A No-Grade Classroom Rebranding Assignments as learning experiences Project based learning - Teaching the Reflection Process Ditching the Traditional Gradebook And her new edition, Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School Abou...

This week’s guest, Dwight Carter, shares how the motto “Be GREAT” changed his mindset, school culture assessment, and trajectory of his leadership journey. Join us as we explore Dwight’s new district position and new book, Be Great! In this episode, we discuss: Assessing School and District Culture Gratitude Techniques And his new book, Be Great: Five Principles to Improve School Culture from the Inside Out About Dwight Carter: Dwight Carter is a nationally recognized school leader from Centra...

This week’s guest, PJ Caposey, shares how experiencing a tragedy at a young age shifted his mindset on the value of time and how time management is key in any successful leader’s skill set. In this episode, we discuss: The Reflection Process Valuing Coaching from Others Preparing our Students for their Future. About PJ Caposey: PJ Caposey is a dynamic speaker and a transformational leader and educator. PJ began his career as an award-winning teacher in the inner-city of Chicago and has subsequ...