Best Practices in Education Odyssey School

Odyssey Elementary Director Robin Skeen takes on a six part series of the science of reading and how it can be applied in the classroom and beyond. Part 1 is an introduction and overview of the program. 
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We close out the third season of Best Practices in Education with special guests from AVL Rise, a peer-to-peer literacy and mentorship program based in Asheville, North Carolina, which is funded through OpenDoors Asheville.

Program Director, David Kennedy, a Jamaican native, is a father, creative, music artist, writer, educator, and scholar. As an educator, he has over 7 years of experience at the primary, secondary and tertiary level as a Special Education and Social Studies teacher, also an Adjunct Lecturer, and was a certified professional teacher in two states, Florida and Colorado. David is joined in the studio by Toni and Kei'Shawn, ages 16 and 8, a student pair who participated in the program for the '21-22 school year.

AVL Rise uses youth culture pedagogy and hip hop elements to build cohesion and growth within its students and reimagine the classroom setting. Listen till the end to enjoy the original song, "Everyday We Rise," written and performed by David "Coppa Stone" Kennedy, Nex Millen, and Open Doors senior, Khalid Jean.
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Guest Host Elijah Allred is back to interview Intermediate teacher, Kylie Hulver. In this episode, Kylie talks about game design and how to create moments of  joy and movement in the classroom, while building gross motor skills and mental acuity for your students. 
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Intermediate Director, Kalyan Volpe, returns to the podcast to talk about his "Spiritual Warrior" intermediate program. Volpe defines spiritual cultivation in his classroom as the individual's attunement to their inner landscape and translating the information and knowledge taken from that attunement out into the physical world. It includes mindfulness practices, meditation, and developing inner attributes, such as focus and courage.

Listen to learn more about how to inspire preteens and teens to engagement and leadership.
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Kindergarten teacher Samantha Sole shares about her journey to integrate sign language into the kindergarten classroom. Supporting students in using movement to communicate opens up new pathways in the brain for communication and understanding, and builds empathy for difference.
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Odyssey High math teacher, Grant Yost, reflects on why he prioritizes getting feedback from his students throughout the semester. He shares the strategies he uses to both elicit honest responses from students, as well as how to set clear boundaries about what feedback can and can't change about the classroom experience.



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