Teaching Learning Leading K-12

Mediocrity: How Does It Appear in Your School or School System? This is episode 785 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. This is a short introduction to what mediocrity is and why it is important to identify it. I share some thoughts from my friend Mark Wilson that he discussed in his workshop - From Getting by to Getting Better. This is an introduction to a series of episodes that is focused on exposing your mediocrity and sharing some ideas to overcome it. So much to think about! Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated with producing the show. That would be cool. Thanks for thinking about it.  Hey, I'v

Annalies Corbin, PhD - The PAST Foundation: Access Through Innovation. This is episode 784 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Annalies Corbin is the Chief Goddess, President & CEO of the PAST Foundation. In 2000, Dr. Corbin founded the PAST Foundation, an organization she envisioned could lead the way to connecting scientific research with classrooms, schools and communities.  From a single school partnership in 2006, Annalies has grown PAST’s supporters across the nation, building a reputation for both transforming teaching and learning by understanding tomorrow’s education needs. In 2015, Annalies’ commitment to transforming schools led to the development of PAST Innovation Lab. Connecting directly with teachers through online professional development courses, MAEd program and on-site workshops, PAST Innovation Lab impacts more classrooms and expands learning opportunities for teachers and students everywhere.  In 25 years, PAST has impacted more than 3.2 million students, over 25

Brandy Samuell - Student Needs for Mental Well-Being, Dangers Associated with AI for Mental Care, and the Role that Technology Can Play in Supporting Student Mental Health When It Supports Human Connection. This is episode 783 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Brandy Samuell, M. Ed., is a seasoned educator with an impressive 32-year career dedicated to public education. Her extensive experience encompasses roles ranging from classroom teacher to assistant superintendent, covering various educational settings, including charter, rural, suburban, urban, and virtual schools.  Brandy’s expertise spans general education, special education, mental health support, and school turnaround. Currently serving as the Director of Mental Health and Related Services at eLuma, Brandy holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration in Marketing from Texas Tech University (1989) and a Master of Education in School Counseling from Texas Christian University (2002). Complementing her educational backgroun

Dr. Nakia Cotton-Smith: Essential Tips for Special Education Leaders. This is episode 782 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. With twenty-nine years of leadership and educational experience, Dr. Cotton-Smith has held various district and school-level leadership positions in the two largest districts in Georgia. She has also served as a Director of Special Programs at Florida State University School, Adjunct Professor at Tallahassee Community College, and an educator in various Florida school districts. In these roles, she has supported school and district leaders, diverse learner populations, and different educational programs. Dr. Cotton-Smith is a wife and a proud mother of two sons, whom she considers her most outstanding achievement. She is also the owner and CEO of Edufaith Educational Services, a self-published author of Essential Tips for Special Education Leaders, Essential Tips for Section 504 Coordinators, Essential Tips for Parents of Students with Disabilities, and Essential Tips

Denise Haynes Talks About Her Novel - Talent Show, Growing Up in a Large Family, and Asks, "Do We Know and Understand Our Parents?" This is episode 781 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Denise Theresa Haynes has had several different careers, ranging from a flight attendant for British West Indian Airways and an advertising clerk for a newspaper, (Trinidad Guardian), to being a tutor, teaching assistant, and college lecturer for a decade, and a Spanish interpreter for Court of Appeals in Bridgetown, Barbados for seven years. Her longest career was as a lawyer in private practice for 16 years in Barbados, from which she mostly retired in 2021. But perhaps her biggest talent is only sprouting now, as a writer and storyteller. Haynes’ debut novel, Talent Show, has been well-received by book reviewers, and so she plans to continue writing. Signs of her writing talents appeared in 1999 when she was a runner-up in the Commonwealth Bureau’s Short Story Competition. She has also had articles publi

Dana Sutton Shares Her Latest Children's Book: Maddie Finds Her Place. This is episode 780 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dana Sutton is a tutor, coach, and parent with decades of experience working with children (biological, adopted, and stepchildren) and young adults. She had also worked in preschool, and as a substitute teacher. She is now inspiring young minds with an empowering series of children’s books that includes You Can Do Hard Things and Maddie Finds Her Place.  A keen athlete while growing up, she enjoyed playing fastball, ringette, volleyball, hockey, martial arts and skiing (both in water and downhill). While raising her children, she spent evenings tutoring students from primary school to first- and second year post-secondary school, as well as coaching and instructing various sports teams and athletes, including hockey, fastball, slow-pitch softball, martial arts, power skating, and ringette.  She has owned her own business for the past decade, providing consulting, pay

Steve Haberlin, PhD - Demystifying Meditation Practice for Educators. This is episode 779 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Steve Haberlin, PhD, is an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida.  Dr. Haberlin’s research focuses on the implementation of mind-body practices, including mindfulness, meditation interventions to address mental health concerns in educational settings and help students unfold their potential.  His research involves studying the impact of brief meditation, including the use of technology-assisted devices, to improve focus and reduce stress and anxiety. A life-long meditator, with more than 25 years’ experience, his work involves facilitating meditation professional development training and workshops for faculty.  Dr. Haberlin is the author of Meditation in the College Classroom: A Pedagogical Tool to Help Students De-Stress, Focus, and Connect, Awakening to Educational L

Katherine Davis-Gibbon Shares Her Latest Children's Book - Words: Growing Children's Vocabulary & the Power of Words. This is episode 778 of Teaching Learning Leading k12, an audio podcast. Katherine Davis-Gibbon is an award-winning children's book author, publisher, certified yoga and Pilates teacher, and mother of two. She founded Riverlet Press in 2021 to publish books that nurture children's inner lives. Her debut book, My Old Friend, then received critical acclaim and multiple literary awards, and her new book, Words, has been lauded by multiple editorial outlets, and received a Gold Book Award from Literary Titan and a Distinguished Favorite recognition from the Independent Press Awards. Before her writing career, Davis-Gibbon was a contemporary dancer and choreographer, performing nationwide and teaching Pilates and yoga to a wide range of clients, including Olympians and celebrities. She holds a B.A. in Dance from Scripps College and numerous certifications in Pilates and yoga.  Our focus today

Rae Hughart - Founder & CEO of Teachers Deserve It: Talking Teacher Burnout & the Need for Great Professional Development. This is episode 777 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Rae Hughart is the CEO & Founder of Teachers Deserve It, a TEDx speaker, and an award-winning educator dedicated to transforming the teaching profession. With a background in middle-level math education, Rae has pioneered innovative models like the Teach Further Model and co-authored influential books such as Teachers Deserve It and Teach Better. Through her work, she empowers educators with sustainable strategies that promote professional success and personal well-being, aiming to create a system where teachers can thrive. Our focus today is Rae's organization Teachers Deserve It, teacher burnout, and the need for great professional learning. Awesome conversation! So much to think about! Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee.

Durga Suresh-Menon, PhD - Head of School: New England Innovation Academy. This is episode 776 of Teaching Learning Leading, K12, an audio podcast. Durga Suresh-Menon, Ph.D., is Head of School at New England Innovation Academy.  An energizing, dynamic and growth-minded educator with a record of inclusive leadership and passionate storytelling, Dr. Suresh-Menon joins NEIA with over two decades of collaborative higher-education experience, academic program development and a unique understanding of what makes students successful. She has a rich background in higher education, leadership, curriculum development, and academic excellence.  Before joining NEIA, she served as Dean of the School of Computing and Data Science and Dean of Graduate Education at Wentworth Institute of Technology, as well as an Associate Professor, where she led efforts to implement progressive learning strategies and interdisciplinary curriculum that promoted innovation and global awareness.  She is recognized for her work fostering a cu

Laura Levine - President & CEO - JumpStart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. This is episode 775 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Laura Levine has devoted her career to helping people of all ages better understand financial services through marketing and outreach, communications, and most recently, through education. In 2004, she became executive director of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, a Washington DC-based nonprofit organization committed to “financial smarts for students,” and was named President and CEO in 2011.   Since taking over at Jump$tart, Laura has continued to raise awareness about the importance of financial literacy and the need for effective financial education. Under her leadership, Jump$tart launched the Jump$tart National Educator Conference, Jump$tart Financial Foundations for Educators and J$FFE Online, Project Groundswell/Check Your School and the Jump$tart Teen Teach-In, as well as the coalition’s social media efforts. Laura g

Jason McKenna - How A.I. and Robotics are Changing STEM Education. This is episode 774 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Jason McKenna is V.P. of Global Educational Strategy for VEX Robotics and author of “What STEM Can Do for Your Classroom: Improving Student Problem Solving, Collaboration, and Engagement, Grade K-6.” His work specializes in curriculum development, global educational strategy, and engaging with educators and policymakers worldwide. Our focus today is "How A.I. and Robotics are Changing STEM Education." So much to think about. So much to learn. Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated

Hosho McCreesh - Psalms from the Badlands: 150 Psalms or Haiku Style Poems about the American Southwest. This is episode 773 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Hosho McCreesh is currently writing & painting in the gypsum & caliche badlands of the  American Southwest. His work has appeared widely in print, audio, & online. Our focus today is his work…. Psalms from the Badlands. Awesome writing! Excellent conversation! So much to learn and think about. Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated with producing the show. That would be cool. Thanks for thinking about it.  Hey, I've got another favo

Annie Kessler - City Year New York and Student Success Coaches. This is episode 772 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Annie Kessler is a dedicated leader committed to advancing educational equity. She started her career in education as a City Year New York AmeriCorps Member, serving in a 5th grade classroom at PS48X in the South Bronx after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. Annie’s experiences as an AmeriCorps Member were transformative in her career journey and led her to become a Program Manager and then Director at City Year New York. A little about … City Year New York: City Year New York AmeriCorps members a.k.a Student Success Coaches (SSCs) serve full-time in 17 New York City public schools, reaching more than 7,000 students each day.  (They are basically an army of 20-somethings who come into community schools and serve as teacher helpers/caring adults.) Our focus today is …. New York City will need to hire almost 4,000 more educators

Lee Matthew Goldberg- Miles in Time - Book 1: Solve the Mystery, Save the Future. This is episode 771 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Lee Matthew Goldberg is the Anthony, Lefty, and Prix du Polar nominated author of fifteen novels including THE ANCESTOR and THE MENTOR, and THE GREAT GIMMELMANS along with his five-book DESIRE CARD series and the RUNAWAY TRAIN trilogy.  MILES IN TIME came out May 2025.  After graduating with an MFA from the New School, he’s been published in multiple languages and his writing has also appeared as a contributor in CrimeReads, Pipeline Artists, LitHub, Chicago Quarterly Review, Electric Literature, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Jewish Book Council, The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Mystery Tribune, The Nerd Daily, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Maudlin House and others.  His pilots and screenplays have been fina

Joshua Ray - Finding Your Balance: Personal and Professional Wellness Strategies for Effective Educational Leadership. This is episode 770 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. 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. As assistant superintendent, Dr. Ray helped schools collaboratively build district common assessments, unite around common expectations, and improve teaching and learning. He worked alongside principals and instructional coaches to make the PLC at Work process practical and meaningful. Previously, Dr. Ray was principal at Greenwood High School and East Pointe Elementary School. Under his leadership, both campuses were selected by the Arkansas Department of Education to participate in the Arkansas PLC at Work proje

Theresa M. Callaghan, PhD - Help! I'm Covered in Adjectives - Cosmetic Claims & the Consumer: Navigating Science, Regulations, and Myths in the Beauty Industry, 2nd Ed. This is episode 769 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Theresa M. Callaghan, Ph.D. is a leading biochemist and skincare scientist with over 35 years of experience in international corporate skincare research. She is the author of Help! I’m Covered in Adjectives: Cosmetic Claims & The Consumer – Navigating Science, Regulations, and myths in the Beauty Industry, 2nd Edition. She has also had more than 150 scientific and technical articles published.  She sits on the scientific editorial review board of the International Journal of Cosmetic Science and is an active member of a number of professional societies including the British Herbal Medical Association, & the Scandinavian Society of Cosmetic Scientists. She is also an advisor to TKS Science Publisher; (HPC Today Journal) is Scientific Editor at EuroCosmetics Ma

Ryan Gottfredson - Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation. This is episode 768 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge leadership development author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. Ryan is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of Success Mindsets, The Elevated Leader, and Becoming Better. He is also a leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton. Our focus today is Ryan’s latest book - Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation So much to learn and understand. Great conversation! Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by

Madelyn Simon - Writer & Artist: Poppy's Sweet Sibling Story. This is episode 767 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Madelyn Simon is a proud native New Yorker who grew up with a love of nature… especially plants and animals. She loved it so much that in 1979 she started Madelyn Simon & Associates Inc. where they designed, installed, and maintained live plants both indoors and out. The company grew (forgive the pun) and serviced 700 corporate clients weekly until she retired in 2006. When her daughter was young, she would ask Madelyn to dream up stories to share each night before bed. Not one, not two, but three stories every night before they could turn off the light. Now, Madelyn wants to share these stories with the world. In 2006, after retirement, watercolor painting and oil painting became her passions, as well as a rekindling of her love of storytelling.  When her daughter was young, she would ask Madelyn to dream up stories to share each night before bed. Not one, not two, b

Clement Townsend - VideoPro Learning: Helping Educators Turn Classwork into Dynamic Multimedia Assignments. This is episode 766 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Clement Townsend lives in Chicago and is the founder of the innovative Video Pro Learning platform.  This platform boosts student engagement, increases motivation, and develops creativity so students can be future ready.  Clement spent the last 7 years teaching more than 800 students digital media in Chicago.  This experience led him to create Video Pro Learning allowing teachers to seamlessly integrate video assignments in core subjects.   Clement is the author of the book How to Become a Broadcasting Star. Before working in education, Clement spent nearly 20 years as a Sports Broadcaster. He worked on local news, cable, and internet platforms in cities like San Angelo, Texas; Mobile, Alabama; Lynchburg, Virginia; and Chicago, Illinois. He covered major events like the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, and several college football N