The Out of the Trenches Podcast

Episode # 403: Brenna Muldoon & Christine Connor

Brenna Muldoon is in her 23rd year in education. She is currently the K-12 Director for World Languages and ENL in the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District in upstate New York and serves as the co-director of the NYCAL Exam Consortium and Chair of the Capital Area Language Leaders. She started her career as a German teacher in the North Colonie School District. She is the recipient of the 2025 NYSAFLT Remunda Cadoux Award for Leadership in World Language Supervision. She has co-presented with her colleague Christine Connor on the Seal of Biliteracy at the Day of European Languages at the Goethe Institute New York. She and Christine also presented at the 2024 and 2025 ACTFL National Conferences and the 2024 NYSAFLT Regional Conference in New York.

Christine Connor spent her childhood and most of her young adult life in Germany. That is also where she completed her college education and teacher training. She received her Master’s degree in German, English and American Literature and Linguistics and Education from the Saarland University. After her student teaching she relocated to Upstate New York in 2008. For 18 years, she has been teaching German at the Middle, High School Level in the NYS public school system. As a Goethe Institute GEM, she has had the opportunity for the past 5 years to support fellow German teachers with their professional growth and expertise. In her capacity as a GEM, she offers workshops online or at conferences. She presented at the 2023, 2024 and 2025 ACTFL conferences along with other GEMs Brenna Muldoon. Brenna and Christine also co-presented on the Seal of Biliteracy at the Day of European Languages at the Goethe Institute New York and at the 2024 NYSAFLT Regional Conference in New York.

Find them online: https://www.goethe.de/ins/us/en/spr/unt/ffd/opd/gem/oge.html

Instragram: @connorfrau  https://www.instagram.com/connorfrau/

Episode # 402: Dr. Barbara Oakley

Barbara Oakley, PhD is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan; Michigan’s Distinguished Professor of the Year; and Coursera’s inaugural “Innovation Instructor.” Her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. Dr. Oakley’s research has been described as “revolutionary” in the Wall Street Journal. She is a New York Times best-selling author who has published in outlets as varied as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Her book A Mind for Numbers, on effective learning in STEM disciplines, has sold over a million copies worldwide; Uncommon Sense Teaching is a critically praised guide to teaching based on insights from neuroscience. Dr. Oakley has won numerous teaching awards, including the American Society of Engineering Education’s Chester F. Carlson Award for technical innovation in engineering education and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers William E. Sayle II Award for Achievement in Education. Together with Terrence Sejnowski, the Francis Crick Professor at the Salk Institute, she co-teaches Coursera’s “Learning How to Learn,” one of the world’s most popular massive open online courses with some four million registered students, along with a number of other leading MOOCs.

Dr. Oakley has adventured widely through her lifetime. She rose from the ranks of Private to Captain in the U.S. Army, during which time she was recognized as a Distinguished Military Scholar. She also worked as a communications expert at the South Pole Station in Antarctica, and has served as a Russian translator on board Soviet trawlers on the Bering Sea. Dr. Oakley is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Find her online: www.barbaraoakley.com

Episode # 401: Queen D Michelle

Michelle has taught elementary/middle school students for 27 years, four of those years, she was an administrator. She holds certifications in Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia. She's taught in private, public, charter, and magnet school arenas across the country. Although she has retired, her life’s mission is dedicated to Generation Alpha. She wrote "52 Insights for Gen Alpha: A Conscious Curriculum to place in schools" which talks about the tools of Social and Emotional Intelligence needed to navigate THEIR world. This is a program created by a teacher for leaders to empower middle and high school students to become conscious thinkers and creators.

Follow Queen D Michelle online: https://www.fulaamerican.org/ - houses her history & genealogy society info, click on 52 insights tab, tab w/ her books/writing, “my soul’s journey home”- it's a 16-chapter blog about her trips to Egypt & Guinea, Africa. https://www.facebook.com/qdmichele/ @fulaamerican on all socials https://x.com/1Light1Luv https://www.youtube.com/@MovingInwardOnward https://www.instagram.com/considerations2020/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cots/

Episode #400: Panel on Recruitment, Retention & Resilience

During the live stream of the 400th episode, yours truly was having some connectivity issues so my guests took over and had a great conversation! They were:

Dr. Robert A. Martinez, most recently Superintendent/Chief of Human Resources - has retired from the Antioch Unified School District after 38 years in public education. Dr. Martinez has continually focused on improving and expanding educational opportunities for students. He strives to advance understanding of resiliency research for all his employees, students, and their families. He frequently says, “Let the lives we help others live be the measure of our success”.

Dr. Tim Cusack is the Dean of Education at Concordia University of Edmonton and the Commanding Officer of HMCS Nonsuch in the Canadian Naval Reserve. With extensive experience in educational leadership, teacher development, and mentorship, Tim has dedicated his career to supporting educators and leaders at every stage of their professional journey.

Josh Tovar is the Memorial Pathway Academy Principal in Garland Independent School District NE of Dallas since 2016 & Host of the #PGPPODCAST Sundays 5 pm.

Find them online: Rob: @ResiliencyGuy on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Tim: @CusackTim or find me on Linked IN

Josh: X @MPA_GOJAGUARS or X @JTSPOTLIGHTS YouTube @ Josh Tovar IG @jtspotlights

Episode # 399: Lulu Buck

Lulu Buck is a children’s Book author who is currently serving as a coordinator for a local school district in Northern CO. Previously, Lulu held the position of English Language Development and World Language Senior Consultant at the Colorado Department of Education, where she also contributed her expertise to the Standards and Instructional Support Office. Notably, she served as a state trainer for cultural responsiveness, impacting thirty-eight Colorado school districts. Lulu's teaching journey spans a decade, during which she passionately taught English and Spanish in public secondary schools.

"Sue's Sky," Lulu's debut book, recently translated into Spanish as "El Cielo de Susana," delves into the important themes of acceptance and friendship.

Find Lulu online: Twitter/X: @c_lu_lu FB: @Bucks Books Consulting

Insta: @lulubuckster Website: https://lulubuck.org/

Episode # 398: Dr. James Lane

Dr. James Lane is a dynamic leader in education whose journey—from classroom teacher and band director to state superintendent and senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Education—is as inspiring as it is impactful. Now serving as Managing Director of K–16 at ETS, Dr. Lane is at the forefront of transforming how we connect high school, college, and career readiness. His insights span leadership, policy, equity, and innovation—making him an ideal guest for podcasts focused on education, leadership, public service, or personal growth. A former principal, band director, and lifelong trumpet player, Dr. Lane is also a Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame inductee with The Castaways.

Find James online: https://www.instagram.com/drjameslane/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflane 

His book is called Leading with Laser Focus- avail on Amazon now. www.laserfocus.education

Episode # 397: Bruce Potter & Dave Nagel

Dave Nagel and Bruce Potter are co-founders of The Center for Collaborative Expertise. Dave’s work focuses on helping schools and districts implement Visible Learning research, assessment and feedback, and effective grading reform at both school and classroom levels. He has supported schools in building impactful PLCs and is a thought leader in the PLC+ framework. Dave has authored seven books, 4 of which are best sellers–aligned to the PLC+ Suite of publications, and contributed to publications such as Principal Leadership, Educational Leadership, and The Learning Professional. He regularly presents at national conferences. Bruce Potter is a school administrator with over 30 years experience. Bruce began his career as a classroom teacher and has held leadership roles at the building level as a principal and at the district level as a superintendent for 11 years. Bruce brings a wealth of experience in implementing Visible Learning research, guiding districts, schools, and teachers in transforming their practices. His schools have earned national recognition for innovative approaches that redefine success for traditionally underserved students.

Find them online: www.centerforcollaborativeexpertise.com

& on LinkedIn

Episode # 396: Dr. Michelle Singh

Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh is a National Board Certified Teacher, CEO of LCT-E Learning Solutions®, and founder of Restful Teacher® and Empty2Empowered™. A globally recognized education leader, Michelle champions equity, innovation, and well-being in education. Her EQUAL Methodology™ equips educators and leaders with research-based strategies and emerging technologies to create inclusive and engaging learning environments.

Find Michelle online: www.connectwithmichelle.com it will email you all the resources. www.Restfulteacher.com

Episode # 395: Russell Van Brocklen

Russell Van Brocklen- aka the Dyslexia Professor, shifts daily reading frustrations into confident academic wins for students facing dyslexia.Dyslexia touches as many as 15–20 % of all learners, yet most families still hear “wait and see.” He flips that script. As the Dyslexia Professor, he translates structured-literacy methods proven most effective for struggling readers into bite-size actions parents can use right away.

Find Russell online: website: www.dyslexiaclasses.com

https://www.facebook.com/dyslexiaclasses/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_cqwfxn9FqFx1Idl0YbeHg

https://www.instagram.com/dyslexiaclassesus/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-van-brocklen-2007ab87

Episode # 394: Dr. Anthony Muhammad

Dr. Anthony Muhammad is a highly sought-after educational speaker and presenter. With nearly 20 years of experience as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, he has transformed school cultures and student proficiency globally. He was named the Michigan Middle School Principal of the Year in 2005.

Dr. Muhammad has also been honored by the Global Gurus organization as one of the 30 Most Influential Educators in the world in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. His most recent books include The Way Forward: PLC at Work and the Bright Future of Education (2024), Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 4th Edition (2024).

Find him online: www.newfrontier21.com there you will find links to upcoming events, books, videos, etc. He is on FB & LinkedIn.