The Making Schools Work Podcast

SREB
  • 5.0 (4)
  • 实用知识
  • 一周一更

Join us each week as we talk to different SREB team members and educators across the country to find out the latest in school innovations. From classroom instruction to school leadership, we are going to examine what it is that makes schools work!

  1. Surviving the First Year: The "Productive Struggle" of Mentorship

    13小时前

    Surviving the First Year: The "Productive Struggle" of Mentorship

    Send us a text The "first-year teaching blues" are real, but they don't have to be a career-ender. In this episode, Daniel explores the impact of the GREAT Grant (Georgia Residency for Educating Amazing Teachers), a program designed to turn career-changers into thriving educators through a paid residency model. We sit down with Jillian Degan, a former "problem child" student who swore she’d never teach, and Amelia Ellison, the veteran mentor who guided her. Together, they pull back the curtain on what a successful mentor-mentee relationship actually looks like—moving beyond "signing the paperwork" to building a partnership based on vulnerability, trust, and the freedom to fail. What You'll Learn in This Episode The Non-Traditional Path: How both Jillian (Healthcare) and Amelia (Business) transitioned into education and how their outside perspectives shape their classrooms.The "Productive Struggle": Why Jillian had to learn to stop "hating group work" and allow her students to struggle together to find the right answers.Reverse Mentorship: How a veteran teacher learned to embrace new technology and creative "anchor charts" by watching her mentee take risks.Management vs. Relationships: Why rigid systems (like "the clipboard") often fail new teachers, and why emotional intelligence works better than calling parents every day.The "Vibe" Check: Why it is critical for a new teacher to speak up and request a different mentor if the personality fit isn't right.The Power of Constructive Feedback: How to give feedback that builds a new teacher up rather than just telling them "fix your classroom management" without explaining how. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social: Facebook Instagram X

    44 分钟

  2. 11月18日

    From 74% to 96%: How Tuscaloosa Built a K-12 Career Plan That Actually Works

    Send us a text What really happens to students after they graduate? Does a diploma equal a plan? In this episode, Daniel Rock and Susan Simpson sit down with the innovative College and Career Readiness team from Tuscaloosa City Schools  to find out how they answered their superintendent's single, powerful question: "How do we know they're ready?" The answer was a comprehensive, K-12 plan built on three E's (Exposure, Exploration, and Engagement) and a simple, guiding question for every student: "What's Your E?" (Enroll, Enlist, or Employ). Learn how the TCS team—John Walker, Kelly Norstrom and Andrea Markham—used data, career coaches and powerful community partnerships to drive a 22% increase in students graduating with a college and career readiness indicator and ensure that 85% of their graduates are still on that confirmed path one year later. What You'll Learn in This Episode The "What's Your E?" Framework: How TCS ensures every student graduates with a confirmed post-secondary plan to Enroll, Enlist, or be Employed.Key Structures That Work: Why dedicated Career Coaches are essential and how they serve as "boots on the ground" to guide students.The 3 E's: How to build a K-12 pipeline that starts with Exposure in elementary school (like the "Mini-WOW" program), moves to Exploration in middle school, and culminates in Engagement in high school.Data-Driven Strategies: How the team used transcript audits to discover that students were "hopping in and out" of pathways and how they fixed it.The Power of Partnerships: How TCS gets industry leaders out of their silos and into the schools to build relevant curriculum.The Impressive Results: Hear the hard data, including a jump from 74% to 96.3% of students graduating with a CCR indicator and the metrics they use to track graduates one year after they leave the system.Guests Kelly Norstrom: Director of College and Career Readiness for Tuscaloosa City Schools.John Walker: Coordinator of Testing and former Instructional Specialist for CTE.Andrea Markham: Data Analyst and Counseling Administrator for Tuscaloosa City Schools. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social: Facebook Instagram X

    47 分钟
  3. Teaching with Purpose: How Academics and CTE Work Together at Career Academies of Decatur

    11月4日

    Teaching with Purpose: How Academics and CTE Work Together at Career Academies of Decatur

    Send us a text What happens when English and social studies teachers join a career academy — and every lesson connects to the real world? In this episode of the Making Schools Work podcast, SREB’s Daniel Rock and Debra Cullen talk with Angie Maples and Wes Stephenson, teachers at the Career Academies of Decatur (CAD) in Alabama. They share how academic teachers are helping students build essential workplace and life skills — from writing professional emails to conducting interviews with local employers — all while meeting state standards. You’ll hear how CAD teachers: Bring career and technical education concepts into every lessonUse standard operating procedures (SOPs) to teach structure and responsibilityCreate projects that blend academic content with real-world applicationBuild student confidence and communication through authentic assignments and presentationsDevelop a schoolwide showcase where students present to local business and community leadersThis episode shows how academic teachers can make every class career-relevant — and how CAD is helping students see purpose in every assignment. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social: Facebook Instagram X

    38 分钟
  4. How Career Academies of Decatur Redefined High School: Building a CTE-Focused Model for Every Student

    10月28日

    How Career Academies of Decatur Redefined High School: Building a CTE-Focused Model for Every Student

    Send us a text What happens when a school flips the script — and lets career and technical education lead the way? In this episode of the Making Schools Work podcast, SREB’s Daniel Rock and Debra Cullen talk with Ressa Chittam, director of the new Career Academies of Decatur in Alabama, and assistant director Tyler Stevenson. Together, they share how this innovative school became a full-time high school that blends academic courses with career pathways, giving students more time for hands-on learning, early graduation, and real-world readiness. You’ll hear how the school: Built a full-time high school within a CTE center — so students learn academics and technical skills in one placePartnered with SREB and local industry to align teaching with workforce needsHelped academic and CTE teachers learn to “speak each other’s language” through business visits and collaborationCreated five core career-readiness pillars that guide all instructionDesigned authentic, project-based learning experiences — including a year-end student showcase that impressed local employersCareer Academies of Decatur is showing what’s possible when educators, businesses, and communities work together to make learning relevant — and to help every student find their purpose. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social: Facebook Instagram X

    40 分钟
  5. How Student Talk Doubles Learning: Making Classrooms More Socratic

    10月21日

    How Student Talk Doubles Learning: Making Classrooms More Socratic

    Send us a text What if the key to doubling student learning is simply getting them talking? In this episode, Daniel Rock and Jason Adair unpack research showing how student discussion can double the rate of learning — and why most classrooms still rely on teacher talk 80% of the time. Together with Ashley Shaw, they explore how teachers can create classrooms that sound more like Socratic seminars and less like lectures. You’ll hear: Why teachers often default to “funneling” questions — and how to ask focusing questions that spark real thinkingSimple moves to reduce teacher talk and build student ownershipHow turn-and-talks, sentence stems and discussion structures help every student’s voice be heardTips for supporting English learners and shy students during class discussionThe importance of reflection and metacognition for both teachers and studentsBy the end, you’ll have practical tools to make your classroom a place where students don’t just listen — they learn by speaking, thinking and questioning like Socrates. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social: Facebook Instagram X

    50 分钟
  6. How Westside Teachers Turned PD Into Classroom Impact

    10月14日

    How Westside Teachers Turned PD Into Classroom Impact

    Send us a text At Westside High School in Anderson, South Carolina, teaching looks different now — and students can feel it. Last week, we talked to leadership at Westside to see how this process worked. In this episode of the Making Schools Work podcast, SREB’s Daniel Rock and Donn Kirkwood talk with Claire Armstrong and Chelita Greenley, two classroom teachers at Westside who helped turn professional development into a teacher-led movement that’s changing how students learn, think and even celebrate tests. Hear how Westside’s teachers: Shifted from admin-led PD to teacher-driven learningBuilt a Visible Learning Leadership Team to lead book studies and train peersCreated the Westside Six, a set of shared, research-based strategies used schoolwideUsed core beliefs to align instruction and expectationsHelped students take ownership of their learning — and replaced fear with confidenceFrom “four corners” discussions in history to “one-pagers” in math, teachers at Westside are making visible learning more than a theory — they’re making it a culture. 🏫 Featured Educators Claire Armstrong, Social Studies Teacher, Westside High SchoolChelita Greenlee, Math Teacher, Westside High School The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social: Facebook Instagram X

    47 分钟
  7. How Westside High Empowered Teachers to Lead Professional Learning

    10月7日

    How Westside High Empowered Teachers to Lead Professional Learning

    Send us a text At Westside High School in Anderson, South Carolina, teachers aren’t just attending professional development — they’re designing it. In this episode of the Making Schools Work podcast, SREB’s Daniel Rock and Donn Kirkwood talk with Principal Kory Roberts and MTSS Specialist Taria McIntosh about how the school’s Visible Learning Leadership Team transformed Westside’s approach to growth and instruction. Through book studies, teacher-led PD and a collaborative process to define the school’s core beliefs, Westside created a culture where educators learn from one another, model strategies and build trust across the building. Listen to hear how they: Built a foundation of teacher leadership and confidenceCreated time and space for real collaboration — with admin support and substitute coverageModeled adult learning and professional respectDeveloped a shared set of core beliefs and the “Westside Six” strategies to guide teachingCelebrated growth and built a schoolwide culture of trustWestside’s story shows what happens when teachers lead — and how a school’s belief in continuous learning can transform instruction and culture. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social: Facebook Instagram X

    44 分钟
  8. Building Collective Teacher Efficacy at Indian Valley Elementary

    9月30日

    Building Collective Teacher Efficacy at Indian Valley Elementary

    Send us a text How does a school move from silos to shared success? At Indian Valley Elementary in Sylacauga, Alabama, the leadership team and teachers worked together to create a culture of collective teacher efficacy—and the results are transforming student learning. In this episode of the Making Schools Work podcast, principal Paula Bruno, assistant principal Cindy Cleveland and reading specialist Terra DeLoach join SREB coaches Daniel Rock, Marsha Moseley and Susan Simpson to share how they: Built trust and psychological safety among staffUsed data walls and PLCs to drive honest, student-centered conversationsOvercame obstacles, from tears in the first PLCs to teachers now opening their data proudlyEmbedded professional learning directly into PLCsHelped even the youngest learners begin to take ownership of their progressIndian Valley’s journey shows how leadership, collaboration and persistence can reshape a school’s culture and set every child on a stronger path. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social: Facebook Instagram X

    53 分钟
查看全部 45 集

评分及评论

5
共 5 分
4 个评分

关于

Join us each week as we talk to different SREB team members and educators across the country to find out the latest in school innovations. From classroom instruction to school leadership, we are going to examine what it is that makes schools work!

信息

  • 创作者
    SREB
  • 活跃年份
    2024年 - 2025年
  • 单集
    45
  • 分级
    儿童不宜
  • 版权
    © 2025 The Making Schools Work Podcast
  • 节目网站
    The Making Schools Work Podcast

你可能还喜欢