The Teacher's Desk

In Episode 8, we discuss some of the ways that parents and others can help to keep students focused, and make the most of the time you have devoted to school during the week. This also includes a bit on Discipline, and how it can be different as a teacher than as a parent or other adult.

This episode features a wonderful interview with Balika, a middle-school science teacher and mother of two. She shares some advice, exper...

In Episode 7, we look at some strategies to help teach several kids at different ages. It can be daunting trying to work with one student, let alone more than one, and of different levels!

The tips here are focused on ways that you can keep your students as focused as they can be during your school day. Please share any ideas or strategies through social media or email The Teacher's Desk at teachersdesk.podcast@gmail...

Episode 6 focuses on something known to teachers as the Gradual Release of Responsibility (known to many parents as "Now watch mommy/daddy do it"). Incorporating this into your home-based classroom could be a game changer, but it needs to be done well to be effective.

This episode features our interview with Brett, a high school Social Studies teacher. He offers some juicy insights on just what studying history d...

Episode 5 continues with our focus of trying to help those that are trying to create a learning environment at home during these times of school closures and social distancing. We discuss creating that environment, setting up a schedule that helps your students, and using student voice to inform your teaching.

My guest for this episode is middle school humanities and English teacher, Caity. She is sharp, dynamic, witty, an...

Episode 4 marks a slight shift in the focus of The Teacher's Desk, at least for the time being. During this global crisis, I have heard from an abundance of people that are suddenly trying to run some sort of classroom from their home. Not only is this incredibly daunting, it can add to the stress of an already intense situation. The Teacher's Desk, from this episode forward, will offer professional advice and tips for pa...

In this episode of The Teacher's Desk, we dig into a common, and sometimes frustrating obstacle in school: the fear of being wrong. Students, and even adults, often see wrong answers as being signs of weakness, and it can be difficult to foster that courage to take risks when the fear of being wrong is looming. What can we do to push through that? 

This episode features an interview with Ian, a high school English tea...

Episode 3 focuses on the contentious and oh-so controversial subject of GRADES! Why do we still use such an antiquated system when we know it is flawed? If we were to replace it, what would that look like? As teachers, we must have some form of assessment to track growth, and to identify obstacles, or gaps in understanding. However, the carrot-and-stick relationship students have with grades is often quite detrimental. So...

Welcome to The Teacher's Desk! This Pilot Episode gives listeners a detailed background on the podcast itself, and what to expect from future episodes. It also works as an introduction to it's host, Ivan, and who he thinks he is, taking on such an endeavor. Lastly, this pilot episode  delves into that burning question, what is it like to be a teacher?

This episode features a montage of interview clips instead of ...