The Out of the Trenches Podcast

Peter Marshall has more than thirty-five years of experience as an educator. He has served as a teacher, school administrator, and system leader in Ontario, working in leadership and staff development as well as opening a new school. He currently serves as a Solution Tree Assessment Center Associate. Wrote Today’s Teachers, Tomorrow’s Leaders: A Guide to Identifying and Developing Future Administrators.

Fi...

Eugene Williams, Jr. received a B.A. in English from Emory University in 1991, and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from The University of Mary Washington in 2007. He is a writer, speaker, educator, and former child actor who has appeared on stage, screen, and television with such celebrities as Ray Charles, Pearl Bailey, and Stephanie Mills. In 1978, he became the first black child in a major, recurring role on the highly acclaim...

Christine is an experienced educator with a wide range of experience in both private and public school settings with a focus in special education. She is passionate about equipping educators with knowledge & confidence to create engaging & welcoming classrooms. She brings her conscientious & ambitious mindset to the Making The Grade team.

Find Christine online: Website: www.makingthegradeproject.com

Instagram/TikTok: @m...

Dr. Valcine Brown is a veteran teacher of high school English Language Arts serving in public education. Dr Brown holds a BA in English Literature, an MFA in Humanities: Creative Writing, an MFA in English Literature, and a PhD in Education: Curriculum and Instruction. Understanding the connection between literacy and economic prosperity, her passion is increasing literacy in adolescents, an often neglected topic. Dr. Brown was bor...

John is a Professor of Education in the College of Education at James Madison University. In 2015, John was awarded the inaugural Sarah Miller Luck Endowed Professorship. In 2021, John was honored with an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia. Most recently, he was named a Madison Scholar in the College of Education and awarded the Madison Vision Teaching Award.

At James Madison Universit...

Jill Handley & Lara Donnelly are the authors of "What Can I Take Off Your Plate? A Structural—and Sustainable—Approach to Countering Teacher Burnout"

Lara Donnelly, EdD, is a veteran teacher and school counselor in Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky). She is an education consultant, speaker, and author supporting schools and administrators with burnout, family engagement, and multilingual learners with trauma and mental ...

Casey Watts is the founder of Casey Watts Coaching & Consulting, LLC, and a Team Leadership Expert. She has over 20 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, adjunct professor, academic coordinator, and district instructional specialist. She is passionate about empowering teams to move beyond silos and transform into cohesive, vision- driven powerhouses. Through strategic guidance and practical tools, Casey helps...

Dr. John Chanaca is the founder of MJChanacapublishing LLC, a family-owned publishing company dedicated to creating heartwarming, educational stories that emphasize positive family values and parenting. He is the author of several children's books, including The Keymaker, Annie's Flutterflies, Color Your Own Story Books, and the Humor & Heart collection, which earned a Silver Medal in the Global Book Awards 2024. Dr. Chanaca ha...

Jessica Haxhi has been the Supervisor of World Languages for New Haven Public Schools in Connecticut since 2013, overseeing 85 teachers of Arabic, ASL, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Pashto, and Spanish. She also teaches one Japanese class at James Hillhouse High School.

Jessica was President of ACTFL in 2021 and is a past President of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese. She served on the Northeast Council...

As Lead Leader and Co-Founder of Jigsaw Learning, Kurtis has championed the call for collaborative structures in schools to ensure success for all students and enhance the collective efficacy of those dedicated educators working in classrooms. Kurtis works to establish responsive relationships with districts and system level leaders to design collaborative frameworks for educators and develop leadership capacity at all levels. He h...

Starr Sackstein is a recovering perfectionist who is an assessment reforming enthusiast. Starr just started her role as Massachusetts State Coordinator for Educators Rising and is the COO of Mastery Portfolio, an Edtech Startup committed to helping schools move to Standard-Based communication. Additionally, she works with teacher teams to engage students in the learning process, advocate for personal growth, and effectively use stu...

Jennifer Ozgur is an Organizational Development & Change Management Consultant, Professional Development Designer & Facilitator, Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner, Certified Trauma-Informed & Brain-Based Coach, Parenting Programming Creator, Columnist and Author. ​Jennifer has combined her years of classroom experience with evidence-based practices to create informational and transformational experiences that uplift and...

Dr. Jen Mott is a school administrator at one of the largest middle schools in Ohio and a professor at Xavier University in the Educational Administration Graduate program. Outside of serving the students and staff there, she is a professional juggler, stilt-walker, balloon artist and fire performer who merges her passions for entertainment + education through keynote speaking for schools and organizations. Her TEDx Talk on “Juggli...

Special Episode: Finding Your Balance for School Leaders Joshua Ray, EdD, is an educational speaker and author who has led the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® process at the elementary, secondary, and district level. He is passionate about building healthy school cultures, the work of collaborative teams, systems of support, and educator well-being.

Find Joshua online: IG @joshray_consulting, X @joshray711, LinkedI...

Dr. Craig Hane, also known as Dr. Del, is a math educator and innovator dedicated to transforming how math is taught and learned. With a Ph.D. in Algebraic Number Theory and decades of teaching and business experience, Dr. Del empowers students and professionals alike by demystifying math using modern tools like scientific calculators and Wolfram Alpha. His mission is to break down math barriers and inspire listeners to "invest in ...

Priscila Prestes is a Brazilian teacher with 15 years of experience at all levels and grades. She graduated in Pedagogy at the Federal University of Paraná and moved to the United States in 2015 to teach DLI Portuguese. She taught first grade for 5 years. She is starting her fifth year this fall as a Middle School DLI teacher and she loves it. She has presented at several Education and Language Conferences because she loves sharing...

Dr. Cynthia Rapaido, a highly accomplished educator, holds an Ed.D. in International and Multicultural Education and an M.A. in Educational Administration from the University of San Francisco. She earned her B.S. in Applied Arts and Sciences Biology from San Diego State University. With over 30 years of experience in K–12 education, she has served as a high school principal, assistant principal, and teacher, gaining a comprehensive...

Sarah Wysocki is a longtime educator, child advocate, author, and mom, living in Annandale, Virginia. She is a lifelong learner who has a Bachelor of Science in health psychology, a master's in teaching, and a post-graduate certificate in TESOL. Sarah is driven to support the growth and development of the whole child, with a special interest in social and emotional well-being. When she's not busy sparking the love of learning in he...

Christopher J. Jochum, Ph.D. currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Teacher Education at Fort Hays State University (FHSU) where he leads a large teacher preparation program, serving on-campus and virtual students across the country. Jochum’s previous professional appointments include the University of Nebraska at Kearney as an Associate Professor of Foreign Language Education and Spanish, the University of Ce...