Teaching Learning Leading K-12

Dennis A. Feece - The Phantom Grasp: A T.B. Stone Mystery. This is episode 806 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dennis A. Feece may not sound like your typical novelist who crafted a murder mystery, but he calls upon a variety of experiences, hobbies, and schooling to create the realism in his books - his latest one is The Phantom Grasp: a T.B. Stone Mystery. For three decades, he engaged in a career of book manufacturing, serving from frontline supervisor to vice president of operations. He worked for several companies, including Bertelsmann, Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing, and RR Donnelley. He then became a Pastoral Associate at a local church, serving for several years. Feece earned a B.S. majoring in Psychology and minoring in Religious Studies from College Misericordia in PA. He earned an MA in Theology from University of Scranton in PA. Born and raised in Plymouth, Indiana, he has also lived in CT, NH and now resides in Montrose, PA. He enjoys weightlifting, writing, and exploring hi

Sandra T. Elliott, PhD - Sum Thing Is Up: A Practical Guide to Dyscalculia - Tips, Tools, and Resources for Parents, Educators, and Anyone Affected by Dyscalculia. This is episode 805 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Sandra T. Elliott, Ph.D., is a career educator who has spent over four decades working to enhance education for all students and improve schools and their systems around the globe.  She has served as a Special Education teacher, a five-time principal in Florida and Colorado, a district-level administrator and state level consultant.  She has held executive-level positions at for-profit education providers and foundations and was part of the EngageNY – Eureka Math team and led the TouchMath team that developed DySc- the free dyscalculia screener for ages 3-adult.  Dr. Elliott is also a member of the UNESCO-sponsored international EDUsummIT that meets biennially to write education policy recommendations to be adopted by the United Nations.  Dr Elliott has presented at national

Will & Josh - The HiTech Podcast: A.I. & Jobs: Not Doom & Gloom but Definitely Silly. This is episode 804 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Will & Josh of the HiTech podcast invited me to talk with them about A.I. & Jobs that might look different or could be replaced by A.I. Doing a Christmas podcast has become a tradition now between us. If you go to their YouTube channel or their webpage you will see my great T-Rex Christmas Sweater! Will notes, "This year's festive episode takes an unexpected turn as we dive deep into the big question everyone's asking: What would it look like if AI actually replaced different jobs? We explore everything from AI substitute teachers with dystopian "shock rooms" to robot baseball players and AI sound engineers. Steven brings his educator perspective while we speculate on scenarios ranging from hilariously absurd to surprisingly plausible. Plus, we test our theories against what Claude AI actually thinks about job replacement!" Additi

Annamarie Omanga - The Magnolia School: An Independent K-8 School for Girls. This is episode 803 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Originally from Chicago, Annamarie Omanga has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. She began her career in the middle school classroom and then spent six years directing a supplemental education program for inner city youth in Chicago. Annamarie then took her teaching skills to the business arena where she started in training and development and then enjoyed a career in Human Resources with Cap Gemini America and AIG. Throughout her career, Annamarie has presented a variety of seminars and given talks on a wide range of topics, including education, the formation of virtues, and marriage enrichment. Annamarie is thrilled and humbled to be the first Head of School at Magnolia School. The Magnolia School is an independent K-8 school for girls located in Houston, Texas. The school has reimagined the core curriculum. The students are introduced to Latin and f

Peter B. Cotton: When Fred the Snake and Friends Learn the Chinese Zodiac and the Great Race! This is episode 802 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Peter B. Cotton is the author and creator of an award-winning children’s book series, Fred the Snake, which now consists of 10 books. He grew up in England, where the first tale was conceived long ago as a bedtime story for his then young children about how (not) to cross the road. When they had their kids, they asked what happened to “Fred-Fred”. Peter teamed up with a special illustrator (Canadian Bonnie Lemaire) and published the first book, When Fred the Snake got Squished and Mended.  Before becoming a great grandfather and celebrated children’s book author, he saved lives as a leading gastroenterologist. His illustrious, international, five-decade career in medicine included treating royalty and celebrity patients, teaching, writing nearly 1,000 published medical papers, penning 10 medical books, and lecturing in over 50 nations and a

    John Schembari, Johanna Tramantano, Crystal Frommert, and Steve Miletto: The Art and Purpose of Podcasting in Education. This is episode 801 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. John Schembari, Have a Life Teaching, leads a discussion with education podcasters to reflect on the art and purpose of podcasting in education. John uses AI to determine what questions he will ask. This was a fun discussion about why we podcast and what we have discovered while podcasting. John notes, "From the challenges of balancing storytelling with scholarship to the power of teacher voice in shaping public dialogue, the panel explores what happens when educators turn the mic on themselves." It was great talking with John, Johanna, and Crystal! So much to think about, especially if you are thinking about starting your own podcast. See links to their podcasts below in the connect section. Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not rea

Formative Assessment, Part 3 - 3 Reasons Why You Need to Include Formative Assessment in Your Lesson Plans. This is episode 800 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Steve shares three stories from when he was in 8th and 7th grade. The three stories -The Accident, The Beach, and The Jacket - will hopefully help you think about what distracts your students during your classroom instruction. Steve was focused on everything but the lessons by situations, the sights, sounds, and aromas from the school, as well as interactions with other students. These stories are focused on showing why you want to take time to discover whether the students are following you or not. You have to check for understanding. It is important to use formative assessment. Formative Assessment is for determining what your students know and don't know. It is purposefully placed in your lesson plans. The type of formative assessment chosen is also determined ahead of time and placed in your lessons. The data gathered is used t

  Mike Kenny - MathFactLab: Helping to Make Math Easier to Learn. This is episode 799 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Mike Kenny taught 5th grade for 19 years: 4 in England and 15 in VT.   Mike is the designer of MathFactLab. MathFactLab is based on the idea that pattern recognition makes math easier to learn. Each year, Mike found that many of his students came to fifth grade lacking basic math fact fluency. Frustrated that the math fact materials commercially available did not match what research recommended, he gradually came to the conclusion that he ought to try creating his own math fact program. MathFactLab is the result of several years of effort, much research, a great heap of advice, many drafts, and lots of trial and error in Mike’s classroom and beyond. Mike has degrees from the University of Notre Dame, the College of William and Mary, and the Vermont Mathematics Initiative (at UVM). Our focus today is Mike’s MathFactLab: Helping to Make Math Easier to Learn. So much to lear

Steve talks with Will and Josh from the HiTech Podcast about Artificial Intelligence. This is episode 798 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast.  Will and Josh talked with me on their show The HiTech Podcast. Our focus was artificial intelligence. This was a blast! What an awesome conversation! We talk about uses for it in our podcasting world and what our experiences have been. We share stories, thoughts, and ideas.  And we definitely had a great time.  Check it out! Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! See the links below for connecting with Will and Josh. Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated with producing the show. That would be cool

Andrew Marotta - Educator, Author, Speaker, Leader, and Former NCAA Basketball Official - The Surviving & Thriving Movement. This is episode 797 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Andrew Marotta is the Director of Academic Services & communications in Port Jervis, NY.  He was Principal & AP for the last 20 years in the great small city of Port Jervis. He took on a new challenge in the 23-24 school year moving to this director position giving him some more flexibility to travel and present nationally as an inspirational speaker.  He is a husband, father, adjunct professor of school leadership, former Division 1 men’s college basketball official, speaker, & author.   Andrew is also the leader of the Surviving & Thriving movement.  Andrew is an energizing & impactful speaker, author, and school leader.  He lives the words on his logo & strives to positively #IMPACT all he meets.  A master storyteller, Andrew engages his audiences and fellow leaders with authentic an

Formative Assessment, Part 2: Mini-Whiteboards and Stickies as Formative Assessment Tools. This is episode 796 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Mini-Whiteboards and stickies make awesome formative assessment tools for helping you understand what the students get about your content and what they don't.  Formative Assessment is for determining what your students know and don't know. It is purposefully placed in your lesson plans. The type of formative assessment chosen is also determined ahead of time and placed in your lessons. The data gathered is used to make adjustments to your instruction. Additionally, the assessments are not graded.  Help your students be successful. Use formative assessment to make a difference.  Time to get some mini-whiteboards (you can even make your own) and some stickies. So much to learn. Have fun! Check out my Pinterest board on Formative Assessment for ideas and instructions on how to use different formative assessment tools. (See below for the link.) Great

Formative Assessment, Part 1: What, Why, and Resources. This is episode 795 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Formative Assessment is for determining what your students know and don't know. It is purposefully placed in your lesson plans. The type of formative assessment chosen is also determined ahead of time and placed in your lessons. The data gathered is used to make adjustments to your instruction. Additionally, the assessments are not graded.  Help your students be successful. Use formative assessment to make a difference.  So much to learn. Check out my Pinterest board on Formative Assessment for ideas and instructions on how to use different formative assessment tools. (See below for the link.) Great tools for you to use. Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to thi

  Barbara R. Blackburn - Rigor and Assessment in the Classroom: Strategies and Tools. Second Edition. This is episode 794 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Ranked in the Top 20 Global Gurus in Education, Barbara has dedicated her life to raising the level of rigor and motivation for professional educators and students alike. What differentiates Barbara’s over 30 books are her easily executable concrete examples based on decades of experience as a teacher, professor, and consultant. Barbara’s dedication to education was inspired in her early years by her parents, Bob and Rose. Her father’s doctorate and lifetime career as a professor taught her the importance of professional training. Her mother’s career as school secretary shaped Barbara’s appreciation of the effort all staff play in the education of every child. Barbara has taught early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students and has served as an educational consultant for three publishing companies. She holds a master’s d

Amy M. Pollack - The Still Further Adventures of Jelly Bean. This is episode 793 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Amy Meislin Pollack was a teacher for over four decades, raised three children, and loves to play with her seven grandchildren. From her own childhood to the classroom and as a parent and grandparent, she is perfectly positioned to pen her coming-of-age book series.  The Adventures of Jelly Bean, followed by The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean, first came into being when the author's fourth-grade teacher used to ask her to get up in front of the class and tell the stories about this character she would make up as she went along.   Several years later she started writing these stories down, and would work on them periodically in any free time she had during her teaching career and raising her three children.  Now retired from a 40-year career in teaching - spanning a wide range of subjects and grade levels - she has embarked on a lively writing career.  The silver lining of th

Lindsay Whorton - A New School Leadership Architecture: A Four-Level Framework for Reimagining Roles. This is episode 792 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Dr. Lindsay Whorton is proud to be a founding member of The Holdsworth Center. She helped design the Center’s programming and has served as president since 2019. Under Lindsay’s leadership, Holdsworth has grown from serving seven public school districts through its initial offering – the Holdsworth Partnership – to serving more than 1,900 leaders in 89 public school districts across several programs, all designed to build a bench of stronger superintendents and principals for Texas public schools. Lindsay’s story with Holdsworth began in 2015, when Charles Butt, Chairman of H-E-B, tapped her to work with an organizing board designing the center’s first programs. At the time, Lindsay was working as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Washington D.C. She officially joined The Holdsworth Center team shortly after its lau

Danny Kofke - Where to Spend, Where to Save: A Teacher's Guide to Managing Your Finances. This is episode 791 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. After being a teacher for 18 years, Danny Kofke stepped out of the classroom to join the Southern Education Retirement Consortium and help change the way teachers and classified staff save for retirement. Danny’s love of teaching and personal finance led him to write 6 personal finance books including the recently released Where to Spend, Where to Save: A Teacher’s Guide to Managing Your Finances. Danny’s everyday approach to handling money has led him to be interviewed on numerous shows including Fox & Friends, The CBS Early Show, CNN’s Newsroom, The 700 Club, and The Clark Howard Show. He has also been interviewed on hundreds of podcasts and featured in a number of publications such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Money Magazine, and Yahoo.com. He wants to show others if this former educator can do well financially, they can too! O

Ralph R. "Rick" Steinke - Vital Mission: A Jake Fortina Series Love Story. This is episode 790 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Ralph Richard “Rick” Steinke is the award-winning author of a memoir, Next Mission: US Defense Attaché to France (to be republished in 2026). He is also an award-winning author of the Major Jake Fortina series, which includes Major Jake Fortina and the Tier One Threat (2022), Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy (2023), and Change of Mission: A Jake Fortina Series Novel (2024). All Jake Fortina books have received awards, individually and as a series. Steinke has spent a lifetime in US national security roles, including twenty-eight years in the US Army and fourteen in the Department of Defense. His official duties have taken him from the US Military Academy at West Point to over thirty countries on the Eurasian landmass, including Afghanistan and Ukraine. Steinke holds master’s degrees in West European studies and diplomacy from Indiana and Norwich Universities

Chelsi Brosh, PhD & Melissa Cook - TouchMath - How Combining Multisensory Mathematics Instruction with AI-Powered Progress Monitoring Has Transformed Outcomes for Struggling Learners. This is episode 789 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Chelsi Brosh, PhD, BCBA-D, is Chief Academic Officer at TouchMath, leading efforts to make math accessible for students with learning challenges. Previously, she was VP of Product Innovation. She holds a PhD in Special Education from UNC Charlotte and has experience in behavior analysis and education for students with disabilities.  Melissa Cook is Chief Product Officer at TouchMath. She oversees the company's product strategy and development, leveraging her over 25 years of leadership experience to align innovative multisensory solutions with market needs. Before joining TouchMath, Melissa demonstrated her transformative leadership as President and Chief Operating Officer at Classworks. Our focus today is “How combining multisensory mathematics instr

Mediocrity - Part 4: Not in These Classes. This is episode 788 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Mediocrity creeps into being when something should have been done but wasn't. Ignored or the thought that somehow the issue would fix itself or go away allows mediocrity to cement itself to the school or organization. It becomes accepted as how we do things here. A shrug and a comment, "It's just life in our building. You get used to it." The great thing is that not every teacher or administrator is swayed by the trap of "it's ok." There are educators who probably come to mind that are far from mediocre, matter of fact they are incredible examples of what life in classrooms and schools should be like. I have been in public education for 39 years. Over those years I have had the good fortune of working with some amazing educators. (I have previously shared some of the memories of the ones who weren't good.) Now it is time to share some thoughts about a few of the educators I have had the good for

Mediocrity: Could I Have Done More? This is episode 787 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast.  Mediocrity creeps into being when something should have been done but wasn't. Ignored or the thought that somehow the issue would fix itself or go away allows mediocrity to cement itself to the school or organization. It becomes accepted as how we do things here. A shrug and a comment, "It's just life in our building. You get used to it."  What is going on in your building where mediocrity has been able to foment? In this episode I share some specific examples of mediocrity that was allowed to be the norm, the status quo, the way they did things in a few schools. Was there someone there asking - "Could I have done more?" Could I have done something to set the organization on the correct path and pushed the accepted meh practices out? Could I have replaced the bad practices with something better that focused the school on working together?  Hope that while you listen that you think about what accepted