In this episode, I talk to Donita Grissom, a senior lecturer at at the University of Central Florida and co-author of the book, High Five to Thrive. She is also the CEO of Best Questers, which provides teachers with practical, effective teaching strategies that they can immediately implement in their classrooms to help create resilient, thriving school communities.

In this episode, Donita and I talk about her start in education as a K–12 ESOL teacher and how that led to her training other ESOL teachers. She also explains her Hope Theory and her belief in the importance of goal-setting. This interview is full of great tips to reignite your passion for teaching!

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode153.

This week on the show we have Ben Somers, the founder of Recess.gg an education platform built for homeschoolers who learn differently. Recess is a kid centered product, and has helped kids publish books on Amazon, win awards at Oxford writing conferences and start amazing businesses.

In this episode, Ben and I get into how Ben’s own frustrating experiences with school lead him to pursue education alternatives. He then goes into his goals with his online schooling platform, Recess, which allows students to pick their own classes. He also provides some notable reasons for getting into the homeschooling market.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode152.

This week we speak to Lori Woodley-Langendorff, the co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer of All It Takes, a nonprofit that equips youth and mentors with vital emotional intelligence skills. Lori has 30 years experience in education, having worked the majority of it as a middle school counselor before starting All It Takes in 2010 with her daughter, actress Shaylene Woodley.

Lori and I have a good time talking about working in education and how it becomes your identity. Then we get into the creation of All It Takes before diving deep into the importance of Social Emotional Learning. We also get into the process of writing her new book, “SEL Muscle Mastery: 6 Tools for Building Resiliency and Connection in Schools and Communities.” Tune in!

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode151.

This week’s guests are Dakota Irby and Anne Ishimaru, authors of "Doing the Work of Equity Leadership." Irby, a Professor at the University of Illinois, focuses on improving Black students' experiences through equity-focused leadership. Ishimaru, a Professor at the University of Washington, cultivates leadership among educators and racially minoritized youth.

In this episode, they tell Lily how they entered the world of education and what brought them to working to increase equity there. They also discuss writing the book, what they hope it achieves, and what it actually takes to increase equity in learning spaces.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode150.

Alexandra Walsh is the Chief Product Officer at Amplify. She develops leads and implements a strategic vision that delivers product coherence and common platform excellence across Amplify's math, literacy and science product suites. Previously, she was senior vice president and general manager of ELA curriculum, overseeing product development on the company's curriculum platform.

In this episode, we discuss how she started teaching in New Orleans after Katrina and leaving the classroom for policy work. We also dive into how policy affects teachers and students, and the need for curriculum that is both research-backed and adaptable to diverse classroom contexts. Lots of big topics are brought up and Alexandra shares important insight.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode149.

Jean Ryoo is the Director of Research of the computer science equity project at UCLA. She is also the lead author of the graphic novel “Power On,” published by MIT Press, which was recently translated into Spanish under the title “Conectados.”

We have a fantastic conversation about Jean’s journey, and we get into her mission to create more equitable and humanizing educational experiences. We also get into the challenges of traditional learning methods and how she came to write a graphic novel. It’s a good one (but sorry for some of the noises in the background).

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode148.

Kimberly Gawne is the founder of Star Students, a personalized education service dedicated to empowering K-12 learners through tailored tutoring and homeschooling programs. Kimberly has always been passionate about people and learning, enjoying the challenge of exploring new methods to unlock potential in others. This passion evolved into a deep desire to impart her skills and enthusiasm, blending the art of learning with the essence of guiding others to achieve incredible success.

In this episode, Kimberly and I talk about her love of teaching and education, and why she started Star Students. She also gets into the importance of mindset shifts and drops some great tips for those starting their own business after teaching.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode147.

Christina "Pip" Pipkin is the founder of FAYE Learning Center, a microschool in Texas. Pip is a Texas native and dedicated DEI expert in K-12 education, passionately advocating for equitable and inclusive learning environments. With over 15 years of experience as a teacher and implementation specialist, Pip combines deep knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion with educational technology to craft culturally responsive classrooms.

Pip and I talked about the pros and cons of running a microschool, and what makes them successful. She also gets into her story, describing the risks she took to start her school. If you are considering opening a microschool, tune in.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode146.