The Out of the Trenches Podcast

Episode #147: Mark C. Perna

As an international expert on the millennial and Z generations, Mark has devoted his career to empowering educators and employers to unleash the tremendous potential of today’s young people, both in the classroom and on the job. After successfully parenting two millennials as a single father, Mark has become a passionate advocate for bridging the generational divides that are contributing to America’s profound skills gap. Parents, schools, districts, businesses, and state organizations across North America have successfully used Mark’s insights and strategies to connect more effectively with the younger generations. In his work with educational and business organizations, Mark has pioneered many best practices for achieving more with today’s young people, including the Education with Purpose® philosophy and highly popular Career Tree® strategy, among others.

Find Mark online on his website www.markcperna.com and visit www.ewpaction.com to sign up for the upcoming livestream 3/9.

Follow him on Twitter @markperna FB @markcpernaleadership & LinkedIn.

Episode #146: Roman Nowak

A teacher for the past 18 years, Roman has taught varying subjects from grades 7 to grade 12. A passionate ELA teacher, department chair, and leader for several years, Roman has transitioned to various roles from the classroom to student success coach and leader, to a specialist in the integration of technology in the classroom and a coach to develop 21st-century skills. He has also completed a 3-year secondment with the Ministry of Education of Ontario to lead and champion the Student Success and Learning Until 18 Strategy. A father of two, he is passionate about pedagogy and researches strategies to increase student engagement and motivation. In the last few years, he has done meaningful work, research, and led movements to include more diversity and center teaching around equity and social justice.

Presenter and speaker at various conferences in Canada and the United States, guest on various podcasts, Roman loves to collaborate with educators across the globe on various projects. An active member on Twitter and founder of the #BuildHOPEedu chat, his objective is to participate in the active changes in the education system through equity, HOPE, and student engagement. His first book, Build H.O.P.E.: the Courage to Change, to Teach, and to Lead is due out later this year.

Find Roman online on Twitter: @NowakRo

Instagram: @roman.nowak

Facebook: @roman.nowak.73 and check out his fireside chat

Episode #145: Steven ”Étienne” Langlois

Return guest Steven "Étienne" Langlois is an award-winning teacher-rockstar and author of the #1 best-selling book ROCK YOUR CLASS. When he's not performing for millions of fans in packed theaters and arenas worldwide or teaching in packed classrooms back home, he's busy helping K-12 teachers rock their classes with expert engagement strategies. ​"Étienne" has spent the better part of three decades teaching K-12 and is the winner of multiple educational lifetime achievement awards and was awarded "Canada's Artist of the Year". He has worked as an author and consultant for leading educational publishing companies in Canada, the USA and Europe, developing effective curriculum content.

This recording was a live session at the CCFLT (Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers) Conference, recorded on February 19, 2022.

We discussed:

1. What will be the biggest gap we starting next school year after 2 years of COVID?

2. What gave you the idea to make these Interactive Comprehensive Readers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWykW...

3. What exactly is an IC Reader? What makes them different than a regular book? 4. What kinds of things do IC Readers springboard students into?

5. This is not your first time speaking in Colorado? What is that you like about working with Colorado teachers?

Steven was my guest on episode #77, published in May 2021, if you'd like to hear his trench story.

Follow Steven on Twitter & IG: @rockyourclass 

Visit his website: www.rockyourclasss.com

Episode #144: Merlyna Valentine

Merlyna Mathieu Valentine is an international speaker, author, and consultant. She retired after thirty years having served as a teacher, principal, and executive director in an extraordinarily successful school district in Louisiana. Her transformational leadership as a school principal resulted in her school’s recognition as a “Top Gains” school. Ms. Valentine has received numerous state, national, and international awards and commendations such as teacher of the year, principal of the year, and the University of New Orleans College of Education and Human Development Alumna of the Year. Ms. Valentine was featured in several news segments and articles including a spotlight in Ebony Magazine. Audiences were captivated by her inspirational story of survival, courage, and hope when she was a featured segment on the Today Show. She was recently chosen as the 2020 Inspirational Speaker of the Year in an international competition hosted by Speaker Slam of Canada. In the face of tragedy and daunting obstacles, Ms. Valentine unleashed a remarkable inner strength that enabled her to lead by example. As a quadruple amputee navigating life’s tumultuous terrain, Merlyna demonstrates that no matter what challenges surface in your path, you have the power within yourself to overcome it and cross the bridge from impossible to possible. Through her current endeavors as an international speaker and consultant, Merlyna empowers audiences to embrace their personal power and prove what’s possible. Merlyna is the author of Daisy, the Extra Special Flower / Living without Limb-its.

Find Merlyna on every social media, FB, also her business page, IG @merlynavalentime Twitter @merlynainspires, LinkedIn and YouTube channel (with snippets from keynotes). Visit her website at: www.sherovalentine.net

Episode #143: Teresa Brown

Teresa Brown is the Dean of Student Support, Teacher Coach and Induction Coordinator at Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning in Colorado Springs. She is President-Elect for PPAGT, STAR Grant Chair for CCIRA, and Vice-President for PPIRA. Her area of expertise is Gifted and Talented. Her school’s model is designed to meet the needs of Gifted and Talented students. It is a K-8 school.

Find Teresa online at www.AcademyACL.org under staff. She blogs at www.tallpoppyteaching.com PPAGT has its own FB page.

Episode #142: Allison Rodman

Allison Rodman is a professional learning consultant and founder of The Learning Loop. Allison integrates her experience as a teacher, coach, school leader, and board member to design professional learning that is personalized, purposeful, and paradigm-shifting. She is an ASCD faculty member and author of Personalized Professional Learning: A Job-Embedded Pathway for Elevating Teacher Voice (2019). She has also written for Educational Leadership, EdWeek’s Classroom Q&A, and Edutopia.

Find Allson online on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelearningloop

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelearning...

FB: https://www.facebook.com/thelearningloop

Website: www.thelearningloop.com

Episode #141: Eric Guise

Eric Guise, Ed.D. is a media specialist and technology coach with more than a decade of experience as a teacher. As co-creator of Got TechEd the Podcast, Eric (Known as Guise) has teamed up with long-time friend and officemate, Nick Johnson, to share his educational technology expertise with teachers around the world. Eric is a recognized professional development and educational technology expert, who has presented at countless events, including ISTE, NJECC, and the NJ Science Teachers Convention. Eric was named the 2016 Biology Teacher of Year by the New Jersey Biology Teachers Association and recently completed his EdD in Leadership in Digital Transformation in Educational Technology.

Find Eric online on Twitter @guisegottech @wegottech and ask him any tech questions or tech need questions you may have.

For FREE resources, go to www.myedtechbundle.com and use promo code "trenches" for 5 tools you'd like to try out before 2/28/22!

Episode #140: Kathleen McClaskey

Kathleen McClaskey is CEO and Chief Learning Officer of Empower the Learner, LLC, founder of Make Learning Personal and co-author of bestsellers Make Learning Personal and How to Personalize Learning. She is also a contributing author to the bestseller, 100 No-Nonsense Things that ALL Teachers Should STOP Doing. She is an innovative thought leader, international speaker, professional developer, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) consultant with over 35 years' experience in creating learner-centered environments as a teacher, K-12 technology administrator and consultant. Kathleen is passionate in empowering ALL learners to thrive with tools, skills and practices so they become self-directed learners, learners with agency, who are future ready for college, career and life.

Find Kathleen online on Twitter: @khmmc, @LearnerEmpower

IG: https://www.instagram.com/empowerthel...

FB: https://www.facebook.com/EmpowerTheLe...

Website: www.empowerthelearner.com, www.kathleenmcclaskey.com and www.learnerempower.com

Episode #139: Douglas Reeves

Dr. Douglas Reeves has worked with education, business, nonprofit, and government organizations throughout the world. The author of more than 30 books and more than 100 articles on leadership and organizational effectiveness, he has twice been named to the Harvard University Distinguished Authors Series and was named the Brock International Laureate for his contributions to education. Dr. Reeves received both the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the Parent's Choice Award for his writing for children and parents.

His career of work in professional learning led to the Contribution to the Field Award from the National Staff Development Council. For his international work, Dr. Reeves was named the William Walker Scholar by the Australian Council of Educational Leaders. His volunteer activities include FinishTheDissertation.org, providing free and non-commercial support for doctoral students, and The SNAFU Review, publishing the essays, poetry, stories, and artwork of disabled veterans. Doug lives with his family in downtown Boston.

Find Doug online- He Tweets @DouglasReeves, blogs at www.CreativeLeadership.net where there are lots of free recourses, he has done lots of work around world. Volunteer group- www.finishthedissertation.org if you have a colleague or loved one who is trying to finish dissertation. He does www.marshwriters.org- free writer support group that meets once monthly.

Episode #138: Laura Steinbrink

Laura Steinbrink, a teacher for 25 years, presents technology and instructional practices at workshops locally, around her state, and nationally. She is also an educational consultant. Laura teaches sophomore and senior English for the Waynesville R-VI School District. For the Plato R-V School District, Laura serves as the Communications Director and Webmaster.

Laura is the author of www.rockntheboat.com, a Feedspot Top 200 blog in Education.

Find Laura online: @SteinbrinkLaura (Twitter) @SteinbrinkLaura (Instagram)-mix of family, friends, edu, also on FB @lauraingallssteinbrink

@SteinbrinkLaura (Voxer) @SteinbrinkLaura (Wakelet Profile) @SteinbrinkLaura LinkedIn