Teaching Tales w/ Brent Coley

In this episode, Brent shares an effective yet often-overlooked leadership strategy. In education (and life), circumstances are often less than ideal, and acknowledging that fact can have a positive effect on how those around us move forward, despite the challenges.

Veteran educator John Fox shares some great resources and tips on how teachers and administrators can wade into the waters of AI to leverage its time-saving power, freeing themselves up to be more effective with those they serve.

In this episode, Brent shares three short stories illustrating the power contained in even the briefest of our interactions with others, and how those moments can be life-changing for others…and ourselves.

Kevin grew up in poverty, attending school in more than 20 states before becoming the first high school and college graduate in his family. For 13 years, he taught K-12 art, summer art camps, and wrote and directed high school plays. He is currently a technology integrationist and staff developer based in Colorado Springs. In this episode, Kevin shares some incredible stories about how music and the arts can be the spark in students’ lives.

Ever encountered someone who just exudes joy, who brightens your day when you’re in his or her presence? What if we were able to be that kind of person for those around us? In this episode, Brent shares a recent experience and how it can remind us that every one of us, regardless of position, has the opportunity to share contagious joy.

In this episode, Brent shares a personal story to remind us that not only is it important to take care of ourselves so we can better serve others, but that self care can look different for each of us. As silly as it sounds, it might even take the form of a fast food restaurant.

This episode will put a smile on your face as six amazing educators share heartwarming stories that remind us not to focus on the challenges of the job, but rather on the best parts of being a teacher.

At some point in your life, you may have received the following advice – “Never look back!” While we definitely don’t want to live in the past, in this episode, Brent uses a personal story to make the case that looking back isn’t just okay, it’s necessary to remember and appreciate how far we’ve come.

Tisha is an innovative district Student Engagement & Professional Development Specialist, international speaker, Canva Learning Consultant, and Canva Education Creator from Southern Oregon. Previously, she served as a district Tech Integration Specialist and taught Family & Consumer Science for 25 years. Tisha is also a podcast host and author of Make Learning Magical. In this episode, Tisha and Brent talk about the importance of looking for the joy in what we do, as that joy can be contagious.

Being a classroom or school leader is a serious job. A very serious job. Please don’t let the title of this episode lead you to believe otherwise. But in this broadcast, Brent reminds listeners that we should never let the mundane-yet-important tasks keep us from having fun and spending time with students.

Allyson has been an educator for 24 years, an award-winning school leader for 19 of those years. She is passionate about students and staff and leads others through their strengths. Allyson is also the author of multiple books, most recently publishing Leading the Whole Teacher with Dave Burgess Consulting. In this episode, Allyson discusses the importance of knowing more than just content and the need to make those we serve feel safe, seen, and valued.

Ashley has been in the field of education for 17 years. She began her career teaching middle school in Florida and then Long Beach, California, and she is currently an Instructional Technology Specialist in Southern California. She is also the host of the Blending In Podcast where she helps other teachers leverage the power of technology in the classroom. In this episode, Ashley and Brent share stories of how purposefully integrating technology can increase student engagement and transform our classrooms.

Kevin has been an award-winning teacher in Southern California for over 20 years, currently teaching classes in history and economics at the high school level. Having a strong desire to share with other educators, Kevin shares a multitude of lessons and digital resources on his website at mrroughton.com. Another of his passions is Disney, and in 2021 he published Teach With Magic, a book that teaches educators how to use the leadership techniques of Disney Imagineers to create incredible learning experiences for students. In this episode, Kevin shares some of the many ways we can make our classrooms magical and engaging places for students.

Yes, you read the title correctly. This episode references the popular toilet spray that helps eliminate odors in the bathroom. “And, just how does this relate to education?” you ask. Well, in this episode, Brent shares a powerful reminder that while parts of the job may stink, our job as leaders is to do everything we can to make it stink less. Intrigued? Give it a listen!

Lisa is a 5th grade teacher in Southern California who is passionate about providing her students with engaging, outside-of-the-box learning experiences. She loves sharing resources at conferences, on social media, and through her website, and in this episode, Lisa shares how she draws on her own experience with game shows to make her classroom a “winning” environment for students.

Bill is the Director of Technology at Hillbrook School in Northern California. Passionate about helping educators harness the ever-changing face of technology to better individualize teaching and learning, he shares resources at billselak.com and through his Bill Selak Talks podcast. In this episode, Bill shares the incredibly important reminder that it’s not just okay for us to take a break to engage in a creative outlet, it’s essential. It’s not a waste of time. It’s an investment of time.

Erika is a veteran educator, serving in the field for 24 years. She spent 16 years as an elementary and middle school teacher, became a math specialist and instructional coordinator, and is now a second-year elementary principal in St. Louis, Missouri. Erika has a passion for supporting teachers so they can better support their teachers. Becoming an administrator is frequently referred to as “going to the Dark Side,” and in this episode, Erika and Brent discuss how it doesn’t have to be this way.

In this episode, Brent uses a personal story and a scene from the classic movie City Slickers to transparently share the importance of avoiding the trap of comparing ourselves to others.

Carly has 15 years of experience in Multilingual Education, including her service as an EL teacher, a third-grade bilingual classroom teacher, and a district-wide Multilingual Instructional Coach. She is currently a multilingual education specialist at the Illinois Resource Center and the author of Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners. When talking about students and their progress, the words we use matter. A lot. In this episode, Carly and Brent chat about the importance of reflecting on the words we use to describe our students and their progress.

Todd is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA). He was previously a Principal/Lead Learner at a PreK-5 school in Texas. He is also an award-winning author for his books Kids Deserve It!, Stories From Webb, Sparks in the Dark, and When Kids Lead. In this episode, Todd and Brent discuss how to tackle and overcome something plaguing all too many people – Imposter Syndrome.