The Out of the Trenches Podcast

Matt Sherrill is a Regional Educational Technology Coordinator for the Learning Technology Center, serving Illinois’ East Central region. Always an early adopter, Matt is passionate about utilizing technology to drive impactful learning and supporting fellow educators as they grow fluent in new tech. An educator with 15 years of classroom experience, Matt previously worked as an ELA teacher and department chair in McLean County Unit 5 schools. Matt also holds a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning and a Technology Specialist endorsement on his Illinois Professional Educator License. In addition to his classroom work, Matt has served on his district’s AI Advisory Team where he developed and delivered AI-focused professional development to the district’s staff. He has also shared his insights as a guest speaker on AI literacy for Illinois State University’s pre-service teachers.

Find Matt online: on LinkedIn or use the website www.LTCIllinios.org & email him.

Brenda Yoho is the author of Lead with Two Rules: Feeling Good and Feeling Safe. Her career in public education spanned more than 25 years, as a teacher, elementary principal, middle school principal, and director. She provides encouragement and leadership advice. As an educational consultant with over two decades of experience in the education sector, she partners with the Illinois Principals Association to support K-12 principals, educational leaders, and staff members in rural and urban settings. She helps them develop their skills and competencies in areas such as school improvement, curriculum, staff development, crisis planning, school culture, family involvement, grants, bullying, and goal setting. She also provides mentoring and coaching to aspiring, new, and seasoned administrators, building trusting relationships and facilitating professional growth. Contact her via www.BrendaYoho.com she publishes blogs every Wednesday Socials: @BrendaYoho X, IG, FB, but she isn’t super active. On LinkedIn she's most active.

Tom Pesce is an international speaker, educator, emcee, and motivational entertainer. His long client list includes companies such NASA, Amazon, Google, NBC, Nasdaq, Formula 1, and more. He’s been a 4th & 6th teacher for 20 yrs. Tom has toured as a headliner for Princess Cruises and regularly works with professional sports teams and Fortune 500 companies around the world. Recently named “Entertainer of the Year” and honored by the Site Crystal Awards as “Standalone Celebratory Event of the Year”, Tom’s mission is clear: to make a lasting, positive impact wherever he goes. In addition to his award-winning stage work, Tom is also a distinguished educator with over twenty years' experience. He has earned multiple graduate degrees in the fields of elementary education, school district administration, and advanced leadership studies.

Today, Tom shares his passion worldwide, helping individuals and organizations discover their own magic in both their personal and professional lives. Tom possesses an intimate understanding of the daily trials and triumphs educators face. His captivating and personalized presentations aren't merely designed to prevent teacher burnout; they ultimately leave participants equipped and inspired to take action.

Tom lives in Ridgefield, CT with his wife, Becky, and their three children.

Find Tom on most socials but Tik Tok, IG, X @tompesceoffical or via his website: www.tompesce.com

Zach Groshell, PhD is a highly distinguished teacher, instructional coach, and education consultant. Zach is based in Seattle, WA and works with schools nationwide and internationally to develop high quality instruction based on the science of how kids learn. Zach hosts the podcast, Progressively Incorrect.

Find Zach online: Twitter, Threads, BlueSky (@mrzachg) @scienceofmath He has a FB group. Visit his blog, www.educationrickshaw.com

Dr. Jim Marshall author of Right from the Start: The Essential Guide to Implementing School Initiatives Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University, where he serves as the Senior Director for the Ed.D. program in PK-12 School Leadership. Dr. James Marshall’s life-long work lies at the intersection of people and the organizations in which they work—and optimizing the synergy that fertile convergence holds. His scholarship, teaching, and consulting combine our understanding of human performance and organization development to assess strengths, devise strategy, and improve even the most vexing of challenges. Engagements have found him evaluating virtual reality-delivered training for active shooter containment, to devising strategy that improved the community-focused impacts realized by the national network of over 150 public television stations. His book, Right from the Start: The Essential Guide to Implementing School Initiatives, summarizes lessons learned through evaluation of hundreds of programs in both the public and private sectors. It was released in 2023. His book, Fixing Education Initiatives in Crisis: 24 go-to strategies, came out in 2024.

Find Jim online on LinkedIn & via his website: www.jamesmmarshall.com

Dr. Christopher Culver is a proud product of Oklahoma education and has served educational communities since 2013 as a classroom teacher, secondary principal, and most recently as a cabinet-level administrator. Dr. Culver is a product of a divorced family and split time between Tulsa & Wyandotte, OK and Fayetteville, NC during his childhood. Currently, Dr. Culver serves as a consultant with expertise in kindness, culture and understanding Gen Z/Gen A, and as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University, teaching future teachers and leaders. He is well known for his high-energy, passionate, engaging, and motivational professional development. Participants call him “engaging, charismatic, dynamic, and enthusiastic.” He has his pulse on today’s generation. He is focused on spreading kindness, improving mindset, cultivating culture, and educating about Gen Z/A.

Find Chris online: www.orangesparrow.org • christopher@orangepsparrow.org Follow Chris on social media | @DrChrisCulver X, FB, IG, Tik Tok

Special episode: Spotlight on Master Scheduling

Dr. Laurie Barron is the superintendent of the Evergreen School District in Kalispell, Montana, and was named 2021 Montana Superintendent of the Year. She has been a high school English teacher and coach, a middle school assistant principal, a middle school principal, and a part-time assistant professor. A National Board–certified teacher, she was 2012 Georgia Principal of the Year and 2013 MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. Barron is a coauthor of the books What Parents Need to Know About Common Core and Other College-and Career-Ready Standards and Middle School: A Place to Belong and Become and has authored numerous articles. She is also a speaker who provides motivation and professional learning to teachers and administrators throughout the United States.

Find Laurie online: https://www.evergreensd50.com/page/superintendents-office

Dr. Debbie Zacarian is known for her expertise in strengths-based leadership, policy analysis, instructional practices, and partnerships with culturally and linguistically diverse student and family populations. With over three decades of combined experience as a district administrator, university faculty member, and educational service agency leader, she founded Zacarian & Associates and has been providing consulting and professional development throughout the United States.

She has written many books (including top- and best-selling) and more than 100 journal articles as well as district and state policies focused on leadership, strategic planning and analysis, and instructional practices with diverse learners- including multilingual learners and students living with adversity.

Find Debbie online: www.zacarianconsulting.com

Joe Davis is the author of The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone’s Gain. Joe is a Managing Director and Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group. He is a former Head of BCG in North America and member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He oversaw BCG’s operations in the US, Canada and Mexico and was recognized as one of the Top 25 Consultants of the year in 2011. He has 4 children and 8 grandchildren. Board chair of the Center for Inclusion and Equity.

Find Joe online? www.JoeDavis.com  LinkedIn, FB @JoeDavis

Debra Armstrong is an Educator, Trainer, and Coach (ETC) dedicated to guiding professionals and small business owners on their journeys to achieve professional growth and business success. With years of experience, she has honed the art of personalized coaching, offering tailored solutions that fit her clients' unique needs, goals, and personalities.

Find Debra online: www.nexxtlevelcareers.com LinkedIn: @debraarmstrong