BRIGHT: Stories of Hope & Innovation in Michigan Classrooms Michigan Virtual

For students who struggle in the traditional classroom, alternative education programs can serve as bastions of hope for the future. In this episode of BRIGHT, we chat with Danielle Bell, a teacher for Romulus Virtual Learning Center, who sheds light on some common misconceptions about virtual learning, explores why hope is such a critical part of alternative education, and offers three tips for her fellow educators on bringing hope into the alternative classroom.

More than just an approach to school discipline, restorative practices ask us to rethink the way we as a society treat those who have wronged us. In this episode of BRIGHT, we chat with Eric Graves, the former statewide coordinator for the Michigan Cares program, who has occupied many roles in education, acting as a teacher, principal, and consultant. Eric explores what true community healing requires of all of us and offers three things to consider when implementing restorative practices at your school.  

Digital literacy skills are not a luxury. They’re critical to a flourishing democracy. In this episode of BRIGHT, we chat with James Johnson, a social studies teacher at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo, who was recognized as a 2021-22 regional teacher of the year. James offers examples of how he teaches digital literacy skills in his classroom and shares three tried-and-true tips for his fellow educators.

Today’s classrooms look different than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode of BRIGHT, we chat with Janet Swarthout, a speech, drama, and debate teacher at Caro High School, who was honored as a 2021-22 regional teacher of the year. Janet shares her experience teaching through the pandemic, explores how she’s changed up her instruction to better meet student needs, and offers three strategies for keeping students engaged in the post-pandemic classroom.

When students sit down at their desks, you often can’t see the traumas they carry that may affect their capacity for learning that day. In this episode of BRIGHT, we chat with Beth Vonck, a language and literature teacher for Washtenaw International High School and Middle Academy, who was honored as a 2021-22 regional teacher of the year. Beth explains why trauma-informed instruction is so critical to student success, offers examples of what this looks like in her classroom, and leaves listeners with three guidelines for supporting students experiencing trauma.

Belief and efficacy are central to the teaching of mathematics. In this episode of BRIGHT, we chat with Janine Scott, a master teacher of mathematics for Davis Aerospace Technical High School, who was honored as a 2020-21 regional teacher of the year, representing the city of Detroit. Janine dives into why "stereotype threat" can be so incredibly damaging in this subject area and offers three strategies for making your math instruction more equitable.