Teachers Aid BAM Radio Network

This week millions of teachers and school leaders will turn our attention to gratitude. In the spirit of the season, I’ve invited a group of educators to talk with me about what silver linings they see in education today that make them feel grateful.

Follow on Twitter: @LainieRowell @sgthomas1973 @5Silber @ideasforteacher @kylehamstra @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd

Lainie Rowell is an educator, international consultant, writer, podcaster, and TEDx speaker. She is the lead author of Evolving Learner, a contributing author of Because of a Teacher, and her latest book, Evolving with Gratitude, was just released. An experienced teacher and district leader, she is dedicated to building learning communities and her areas of focus include learner-driven design, social-emotional learning, online/blended learning, and professional learning.

Shawn Thomas is in her 20th year of teaching in the largest county in Georgia. She has taught Kindergarten, Second and Third Grade, and ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) K-5.

Sara Silber is an award-winning elementary school teacher and a lead mentor with 30 years of classroom experience. Sara has written two blogposts, for BehaviorFlip’s Blog-“Social Emotional Growth Maps” and “A Teacher’s Journey Through Hacking School Discipline.” More recently, she authored a chapter in the inspiring book Thank You, Teacher. Sara enjoys working with her students and helping them grow and become independent learners. When she is not teaching or planning she is finding ways to support her colleagues. She loves to share her expertise, funny stories and other things that happen in the life of a teacher.

Dan Jones earned a BS in Middle Grades Education from Ashland University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from American College of Education. Dan is an FLGI Master Teacher whose professional interests include e-learning and technology, as well as Project-Based Learning. He is the author of Flipped 3.0 Project Based Learning: An Insanely Simple Guide.

Kyle Hamstra is an Instructional facilitator at Westlake Middle school Apex, North Carolina.

We all agree that in teaching, relationships are everything. So how do we restore relationships with students when they become strained for any reason? Our guests share their experiences, what they’ve discovered works, and what doesn’t.

Follow our PLN on Twitter: @brandihalverson @LisaPas220@bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd.

Brandi Halverson is a mental health professional currently working as a School Counselor. She has 25 years of experience in education ranging from elementary to high school students. Ms. Halverson obtained her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health from San Houston State University. She plans to continue her career by pursuing her LPC and research in mental health studies.

Lisa Leaheey has taught English at North Providence High School for the entirety of her 23-year career. A lifelong voracious reader and movie buff, she spends every day sharing her passion for stories with her students, and she continuously seeks out new ways to elevate her students’ individual strengths and to support their individual needs. Lisa was recently named the 2023 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year,

Some days being fully present with students is more challenging than others. Today, we share our best strategies for consistently giving students our full attention and backup plans for those quirky days when those strategies aren’t working.

Follow on Twitter: @DrKpsychologist, @LisaAImel @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork

Breanna Taylor is licensed to teach K-12 Special Education. She graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello with a Bachelor of Arts P-4 Early Childhood Education, and a Master of Education Degree.

Jelena Kecmanovic, Ph.D., is the founding director of the Arlington/DC Behavior Therapy Institute and an adjunct professor of psychology at Georgetown University. In addition to academic articles, she has written for the Washington Post, The Conversation, Psychology Today Magazine, and others.

Lisa Imel, M.Ed. is the Founder & CEO of EdSolutions Consulting Group and Balanced Powerhouse. Lisa is a former teacher, principal, curriculum coordinator and licensed superintendent.

This panel discussion echoes the findings of recent EducationWeek Research Center surveys.  Supporting teachers requires more vigilance and a more personalized approach this school year. Our panel explores three options gaining support in school districts.

Follow our PLN on Twitter: @hohrein_jean @jon_wennstrom @brandihalverson @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd

Jean Hohrein is entering her 29th year in education and has been in her current district for 27 years, 22 of which had been at the high school level as a special education teacher. This coming school year, Jean will be returning to her roots at the elementary level as a special education teacher.


Jon Wennstrom is the principal of Riley Upper Elementary in Livonia Public Schools, Livonia, Michigan. This is his 28th year in education, mainly in the role of building principal. He is the past president of the Michigan Elementary & Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA) and is currently the Zone 6 Director for the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).


Brandi Halverson is a mental health professional currently working as a School Counselor. She has 25 years of experience in education ranging from elementary to high school students. Ms. Halverson obtained her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health from San Houston State University. She plans to continue her career by pursuing her LPC and research in mental health studies.


Dr. James L. Floman is an Associate Research Scientist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. He received his Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia, where he studied the effects of mindfulness and compassion meditation on teacher emotion regulation and prosocial behavior with Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl. Dr. Floman has three core research streams: 1) The assessment of dynamic social-affective processes (i.e., developing and validating EI and well-being measurement tools); 2) EI, mindfulness, and well-being training (i.e., developing, optimizing, and scaling EI and well-being-enhancement interventions for real-world applications); and 3) Affective neuroscience (studying mental training-induced changes in ‘emotional brain’ function and structure).

Robert C. Schmidt, Ed.D, LCPC, NCC is a national speaker and consultant on building sustainable school mental health and suicide prevention programs centered on data collection, outcomes, quality of services, and student achievement. With interests embedded in research, Dr. Schmidt has published chapters in recognized books, including the award-winning book by Dr. Kathryn Seifert, How Children Become Violent (2006) and Youth Violence (2011). He has led studies on youth suicide and school mental health and was a contributor to Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Dr. Schmidt previously worked at Johns Hopkins Bayview Campus in Baltimore, Maryland, and provided coverage to the Johns Hopkins Psychiatric Children’s Center, Baltimore Adolescent Treatment Program, Outpatient Clinic, and 24-hour Baltimore Child & Adolescent Crisis.

A calm classroom with students on task is what we all want. In this discussion, two teachers, two psychologists, and a school superintendent unanimously agree that current events outside of the classroom are impacting our ability to reach and teach our students. What follows is a refreshingly honest and insightful discussion about what it takes to create a calm climate for learning during exceptionally stressful times. The result is a practical guide for every educator and school leader.

Follow on Twitter: @LDamour @pfagell @JYooBrannon @KFelicello @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork

Dr. Lisa Damour is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association, and writes about teenagers for
the New York Times, appears as a regular contributor to CBS News, and works in collaboration with UNICEF. She is the author of two New York Times best sellers, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood and Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls. Dr. Damour graduated with honors from Yale University and worked for the Yale Child Study Center before earning her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan.
drlisadamour.com. Dr. Damour co-hosts the Ask Lisa podcast,.

Dr. Kris Felicello has been in the field of education for over 25 years as a Teacher, Coach, Athletic Director, Assistant Principal, Principal, and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and he is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the North Rockland Central School District in Rockland County, New York. Kris obtained his Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from St. John’s University in 2011.

Phyllis L. Fagell, LCPC is the school counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C. and a therapist at The Chrysalis Group. Phyllis frequently writes columns on counseling, parenting and education for The Washington Post, and she’s the author of Middle School Matters (Hachette, 2019). Phyllis blogs at phyllisfagell.com.

Jennifer Yoo-Brannon is a teacher and instructional coach in El Monte, California, with over 16 years of experience teaching high school students, mentoring teachers, and designing and facilitating professional learning. Jennifer’s passions include: building collective teacher efficacy, designing meaningful professional learning, and fostering emotional resilience among all educators. She is an Edsurge Voices of Change Writing Fellow and has written for Edsurge and The California Educator.

We’re all gearing up to bring our best selves to school so we can bring out the best in our students. In this episode, we talk about balancing relentless positivity with the need to respond authentically and realistically to those challenging and frustrating moments.

Follow Twitter: @AnnettePonnock @Glennr1809@5Silber@Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork

Annette Ponnock, PhD is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Yale Center Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Ponnock’s research focuses on teacher motivation and well-being, with an emphasis on urban schools. She received her PhD in Educational Psychology from Temple University and her MA in Psychology from the University of Santa Monica.

Breanna Taylor is licensed to teach K-12 Special Education. She graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello with a Bachelor of Arts P-4 Early Childhood Education, a Master of Education Degree.

Sara Silber is an award-winning elementary school teacher and a lead mentor with 30 years of classroom experience. Sara has written two blogposts, for BehaviorFlip’s Blog-“Social Emotional Growth Maps” and “A Teacher’s Journey Through Hacking School Discipline.” More recently, she authored a chapter in the inspiring book Thank You, Teacher. Sara enjoys working with her students and helping them grow and become independent learners. When she is not teaching or planning she is finding ways to support her colleagues. She loves to share her expertise,funny stories and other things that happen in the life of a teacher.

Taren Nance is the high school principal at Urbana School District.

Glenn Robbins is the proud Superintendent of the Brigantine Public School District in Brigantine, New Jersey. His passion is harnessing a school culture that thrives on design thinking, futurism, innovative digital spaces, technology integration, Social Emotional Learning Zen Dens, and Maker cultures. In addition, Glenn encourages all students to have a voice, not only in building a school culture but also in designing student-led entrepreneur opportunities. Glenn is a New Jersey representative for the AASA Aspiring Superintendent Mentor Program, AASA Governing Board, CoSN Empowered Superintendent Panel, NJ Innovative Superintendent Award, NASSP National Digital Principal of the Year, the co-chair for the NJASA Technology Committee in New Jersey, and has received numerous state and national leadership distinctions during his career.