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This experiment has been interesting, to say the least. It’s difficult often to look at what you are doing and commit to making changes. We often get comfortable with the habits we create and don’t realize how they are actually not setting us up for success.Make sure to check out the other episodes in this series! Related Post:  https://lizevansnbct.com/2022/05/18/reflections/

Making change is a personal and often difficult thing. It’s scary! However, in the spirit of my experiment, I’m doing it. Make sure to listen to weeks one and two!Related Blog Post

I’m on week two of this experiment that I’ve created for myself, so I am journaling and considering what to change this week. Last week, I appreciated the pause. To be honest, between being sick and getting medical treatment, I was toast. It sounds strange, but permitting myself to pause was good. I felt rested and keenly aware of where I lacked or had too much of.Related post: Considering What to Change

A bonus episode! Today, I talk about the leak and how to discuss it in a student-focused, curriculum-aligned way. Related PostJesus and John Wayne

Check out the blog post here!As we enter the busy season, why is it important to pause? In this episode, I talk about why, even in the busiest of times, we need to pause. 

How do you teach civil discourse? What are some strategies? What happens if it goes off the rails? No fear, Nichelle and Joe are here! Listen to our conversation as these two authors and social studies unicorns discuss how they are helping move civil discourse forward!Preorder the book here! @madisonteacher and @msnikki_p on Twitterjoeschmidtsocialstudies.com Sign up for the newsletter Request PD support

I have spoken at great lengths about not comparing yourself to others, but I have noticed it happening more and more as the pandemic/crisis teaching continues and teachers are burnt out. Teachers are struggling as their plates get fuller and support wains. Although I only taught for a quarter of the pandemic, I taught during the great recession, budget cuts, and a school board takeover that had teachers fleeing the district I was in. I’ve been stretched so thin that I broke. I discuss tips for dealing with overwhelm and what to focus on when you are short on time. There are lots of little tips and tricks to help you through stressful times in all of this. However, we are in different times, so ask yourself one question when it’s all too much.Join me as I discuss this question.Related post

Stories are how we make sense of the world. Stories are how we build empathy. In this episode, I talk to Daniel Lewer, the 2020 Hawaii History Teacher of the Year, about using stories to create an overarching narrative and connect students to history. History For HumansYouTube PageGilder Lehrman Seminars

Sharing my experience changing jobs, both within and outside education. It was inspired by a tweet that Dwayne Reed sent out last April about celebrating people who choose to leave teaching. Share your experiences!Related post: Tips to Consider When You Want To Leave The Classroom

Want to take argumentative writing to the next level with your students without having to spend hours grading? Try teaching argumentative essays throughout the week! In this episode, I talk about how to move through the week. Check out my posts on argumentative essay writing!Argumentative Writing Posts

Season 2 is here! Thank you for the support! New season starts February 10th!

What does it mean to be an expert in your classroom? I am joined by Brit Bingold, Instructional Specialist, as we discuss being an expert by tapping into what you have within you as an educator. Pssst, this is a good review of National Board Core Proposition #1!Short bio: Brit is an instructional specialist who aspires to inspire every day; she loves learning new research-based instructional strategies to share with teachers. She also is a wife, mother of two kids and two dogs, and has two chronic illnesses. As a former high school English teacher, she loves to write when she can on her blog, thebitsofbrit.com. She also enjoys binge-watching with her favorite shows being Call the Midwife, Outlander, and The West Wing. How to Avoid Teacher Burnout and the Comparison Trap- Learning Unlocked with Brit BingoldFlexible Seating Post- The Bits of BritMore from Brit @thebitsofbrit

On this podcast, I talk to Becky Krumm, MSW, about stress and why we should care about it, and what to do when you get stuck in that stress cycle as an educator. It's ok to have stress and to be stressed, but the stress needs to be addressed. Becky Krumm, MSW, M.Ed., has nearly two decades of social work experience, holding various positions in child welfare and mental health treatment.  Through her own experience with burnout and secondary traumatic stress, she developed a passion for talking to other helping professionals about the impact of stress and the importance of self-care.  Becky has provided training in stress, trauma, and self-care to over 5,000 professionals, as well as a workshop presenter at the Child Abuse Prevention Conference. Free self-inventory to examine your professional quality of life: https://www.proqol.org The National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s information and resources for coping with Secondary Traumatic Stress:https://www.nctsn.org/trauma-informed-care/secondary-traumatic-stress Greg McKeown’s Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137382 Mindful.org's Guide to starting a mindfulness practice: https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/ National Institute of Mental Health guide: 5 Things You Should Know About Stress: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/19-mh-8109-5-things-stress_142898.pdf

Oftentimes, students think they don't have political power, or that politics is too national. I am happy to have one of my former students, Trevor as my guest as we discuss how to be politically active, harness your political power, and what you can do to affect change!Trevor Malzewski is a former student of Mrs. Evans and a current Freshman at ASU studying Economics. During the 2020 election cycle, he interned in his state district for the Jennifer Pawlik and AJ Kurdoglu campaigns. Now, he's furthering his political activism as a Precinct Committeeman and board member for the LD17 Dem.

Time always feels like it's too short, especially in the spring. Here are my top three things to focus on when it all gets too overwhelming. Although this is specifically for AP Government teachers, all teachers can find gems to help them in this podcast!Three Things to Focus on When You're Short On Time

It's Galentine's week!Join me today as I talk to Brigette Burge, an English teacher and one of the reasons I could make it through my hardest days.  We discuss how we cultivated a relationship, cultivated a positive circle of colleagues, and made it in a world that sometimes wants to hold us down. Grab your favorite drink and join the conversation! Brigette Burge is a 25-year veteran teacher with experience in both English and physical education. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, a department head, and an all-around amazing person. 

A person doesn't make history themselves, and as we construct the master narrative of one of the most influential time periods in American history, we must ask, what is it that we know and what is missing? Dr. Butler helps break down the Letter from a Birmingham Jail and discusses the Civil Rights Movement's lesser-known parts. Dr. J. Michael Butler is the Kenan Distinguished Professor of History at Flagler College in St. Augustine. Through groups like the Florida Humanities Council, Dr. Butler has worked with teachers to introduce the history of American race relations to students honestly and effectively.References:A Case for Reading the Whole Document- Teaching AP Government Post"I Have a Dream" (https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety)The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (http://okra.stanford.edu/transcription/document_images/undecided/630416-019.pdf), "Beyond Vietnam" (https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/beyond-vietnam) "A Call for Unity" (https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/sites/mlk/files/lesson-activities/clergybirmingham1963.pdf). Post-Civil Rights Era Music: https://www.c-span.org/video/?478352-2/post-civil-rights-era-music

History is my SPORT! Join me today as I speak with teacher and fellow podcaster CherylAnne Amendola! We talk about our love for primary sources and how to utilize them in upper elementary, middle school, and high school! Teaching History Her Way blog Teaching History Her Way podcastBreaking Down Foundational Documents to Make them More ManageableDeclaration of Independence Lesson Primary Sources from Teaching AP Government Blog

Buckle up! Joe and I were very excited to talk about Courageous Conversations about Contentious Topics, especially as we move through a year of contentious topics. Joe talks about how to set up the norms and environment to have these conversations in your classroom. Joe is a great person to follow on Twitter and has a lot of great information in his blog. Resources discussed:Joe's Blog Post: Courageous Conversations about Contentious TopicsJoe on TwitterLunchroom Fight: SHEGTeaching Controversial TopicsWebsite- http://thepoliticalclassroom.com/First Book  – https://www.routledge.com/Controversy-in-the-Classroom-The-Democratic-Power-of-Discussion/Hess/p/book/9780415962292Most recent book - http://thepoliticalclassroom.com/about.phpSorting notecards-https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eOfyV2em7CAirXKKWh4rRGUpyBIyy_Fw?usp=sharing