#EduCrush Natalie Vardabasso

This week a passionate teacher team talks about taking bold steps to innovate in their own classrooms to give students hope through a project they called the Sustainability Summit. Charlotte Nixon, Mark Schuegraf and Neil Frail bring their experience and expertise together to form an audacious team taking on an ambitious project.
Show Notes:
Overview of the sustainability Summit 02:23
Students presenting to students 3:53
What inspired the project 7:12
Organizing the scope of the project to align with outcomes 8:54
Students rising to challenges presented by large projects 12:23
Students working outside of traditional educational silos 16:44
Working with teachers in other disciplines 19:59 
Key learnings from this experience 23:29
The purpose of education 27:52
Charlotte on Instagram: @C.jnixon 
Email the Podcast: hello@educrushpod.com
Podcast on Twitter: @educrushpod
Alex on Twitter: @mralexnoel  
Natalie on Twitter: @natabasso
Podcast on Instagram: @educrushpod
 
 

How might school leaders apply inquiry-based learning in their work? If we know that inquiry can inspire curiosity, connections, and agency for our students, how might it transform the professional learning culture of a school? Jessica Vance is an Enrichment and Environment Coordinator in Austin, Texas, and author of the newly released book, “Leading with a Lens of Inquiry: Cultivating Conditions for Curiosity and Empowering Agency.” On the episode, she connects with Nat to talk about the power of intentions, inquiry-based learning as a framework for designing PD, and practical ways that adult learners can make their learning visible.
Show Notes:
Housekeeping and a reflection on the concept of supervision. (2:00) How our value of connections shows up in our lives and morning routines. (8:00) Balancing the need for management as a school administrator with the call to become a leader of inquiry. (10:45) Drawing from the work of Kath Murdoch to describe the process of inquiry for adults. (17:35) Supporting the continuity of professional learning to build trust in the school community. (25:25) Advice for school leaders to find a sense of balance in the chaos of the day. (30:40) Practical and powerful ways to make adult learning visible. (40:25) Co-designing a year of professional learning around a concept, rather than a topic. (46:00) The purpose of education. (51:10) Book an empathy interview with Nat if you are a change agent who wants to explore the intersection between assessment, grading, and equity -->  click here to book a time!
Jess on Twitter: @Jess_VanceEDU
Email the Podcast: hello@educrushpod.com
Podcast on Twitter: @educrushpod
Natalie on Twitter: @natabasso
Podcast on Instagram: @educrushpod
Podcast Website: www.educrushpod.com 
 

How was school for you? What were you like as a student? How does that impact how you show up as a teacher? For Alex, it was a bit rough at points. That said, he would not trade the experiences he had as a student. They made him who he is and showed him what it feels like when a teacher believes in you. Those experiences give him real insight into the mind of students who struggle. This week, he's coming to you solo to talk about how being a bad student made him a good teacher!  
Show Notes:
Introduction (00:00) Elementary (2:48) Literal Bridge Building (5:24) Junior High (7:08) Compliments (9:50) High School (10:30) Panic Attacks (11:46)  Graduation (13:19)  Post Secondary (15:19) Hitting my stride (19:18) Becoming a teacher (21:01) My thank you note (23:08) Conclusion (23:44) Alex on Twitter: @MrAlexNoel
Email the Podcast: hello@educrushpod.com
Podcast on Twitter: @educrushpod
Natalie on Twitter: @natabasso
Podcast on Instagram: @educrushpod
Podcast Website: www.educrushpod.com 

Have you ever wondered if one of your students is capable of murder? Well, what if you knew that your entire class had committed violent crimes? How would you build a positive classroom culture!? Dawn Matthews-Nichols has been teaching since 1987 in a variety of settings with “emotionally disturbed” youth. She’s seen education from the margins and has some powerful advice for mainstream teachers.
Show Notes:
A call to action for progressive teachers wanting to amplify their impact and challenge the status quo! (1:37) Can revolutionary knowledge be held by those benefiting from the current system? (5:23) What drew Dawn into education and what made her decide to not teach in a school right away. (9:25) Working with “emotionally disturbed” youth at Project Trust and the Calgary Young Offenders Centre. (16:39) The demographic factors of students in the Young Offenders Center. (32:15) Sustaining the work of change through joy, boundaries, and emotional regulation. (35:52) Building relationships and trust through classroom expectations. (41:42) Exploring the over-representation of BIPOC youth in the jail system. (45:02) The advice that Dawn offers to mainstream teachers from her years working in a correctional facility. (49:07) The purpose of education. (56:16) Connect with Natalie if you’re a progressive teacher that wants to break free from the pressure of the status quo and amplify your impact -->Book an empathy interview!
Email the Podcast: hello@educrushpod.com
Podcast on Twitter: @educrushpod
Natalie on Twitter: @natabasso
Podcast on Instagram: @educrushpod
 

I don’t remember learning writing strategies. Not that no one tried to teach it to me, it didn’t sink in. More than that though, I was and am still struggling to find my voice as a writer. Recently, I’ve learned that I’m not alone in this. Karri Johnson is a seasoned teacher who understands the nuances of literacy education. This week, she walks us through ways that we can build confident writers.
Karri On LinkedIn: @Karri Johnson
Email the Podcast: hello@educrushpod.com
Podcast on Twitter: @educrushpod
Alex on Twitter: @mralexnoel
Natalie on Twitter: @natabasso
Podcast on Instagram: @educrushpod
Podcast Website: www.educrushpod.com 
Show Notes:
Typical approaches to writing instruction 01:38
Issues that arrive with common strategies for teaching writing 3:47
How should we teach writing 5:11
Students finding their identities as writers 12:25
Changing who we teach writing 16:16
Modeling writing even if we aren’t confident 19:31
Tips for teaching writing differently 23:00
Potential Pitfalls in writing instruction 26:57
Final thoughts 29:36
Links Mentioned:
https://theconfidentwriter.ca/

Nat is coming to you solo in this bonus episode because she quit her job last week... but it's not for the reasons you might think!
Email the Podcast: hello@educrushpod.com
Podcast on Twitter: @educrushpod
Natalie on Twitter: @natabasso
Podcast on Instagram: @educrushpod
Podcast Website: www.educrushpod.com