On today’s podcast, we will here from Barnett Berry.  Barnett Berry is Founder, Partner, and CEO at the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), a national nonprofit organization that focuses on teachers transforming teachingfor the benefit of all students.  Barnett helped launch the nation's first virtual network of teacher leaders--the CTQ Collaboratory which now welcomes teachers (and all who support teachers as leaders) to connect, learn, and collaborate to drive change. Barnett is a former classroom teacher, think tank analyst, and university professor. Collaborating with twelve accomplished teachers, he outlined a bold vision for the profession's future in book titled TEACHING 2030: What We Must Do for Our Students and Our Public Schools... Now and in the Future. His second book, Teacherpreneurs: Innovative Teachers Who Lead but Don't Leave was published in August 2013.  Barnett shares his thoughts on how to encourage teacher leadership through writing.

This podcasts explores what it is like to be an educator who writes for the government.  Our guest is Suzy Meyers--a long time teacher who now works and writes for her state’s Department of Education as a literacy and writing consultant. She helps oversee the training of tens of thousands of teachers when it comes to literacy standards and reading and writing instruction and assessment. Suzy shares tips for communicating through writing with clarity.

In this podcast, we visit with educator, blogger, and podcaster Brian Sztabnik. Brian produces the popular podcast--Talks with Teachers.  Brian shares his insights on the potential for teachers to regularly engage in reflective practice through their own writing.

In this podcast, we explore writing in education and an interesting phenomenon called writer identity crisis.  Our guest is Christopher Goering, an associate professor at the University of Arkansas and is the Director of the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project.  He has authored or co-authored several articles and book chapters and is a National Board Certified Teacher. He co-founded EduSanity, a blog dedicated to promoting civil discourse in education. He also founded www.LitTunes.com…an open access educational outreach initiative designed to develop adolescents' literacies through popular music and music lyrics.

Just what is the most difficult writing that we engage in as teachers?No…it isn’t a masters thesis or doctoral dissertation.  It isn’t getting a someone to publish an article or book you have written.  The most challenging writing in education might just well be the National Board certification process.

It takes many months to demonstrate to the National Board and its reviewers of teacher portfolios that you are committed to student learning, that you know you subjects and how to teach those subjects to students, that you can manage and monitor student learning, that you think systematically about your practice, and that you engage as a professional in learning and in learning communities. 

Just look at a state like California.  According to the data available, over 2,000 teachers have attended information sessions to learn what it takes to become nationally board certified.  After hearing about the process, more than half of them 'jump ship' either immediately or throughout the process. In fact, only 900 have actually completed their portfolios. Of those, only 773 made it through the process….many of them only after multiple attempts.  So, in this podcast, we hear about reflective, analytical writing from the National Board itself.  

This podcast explores writing in education with our guest--Justin Minkel.  Justin is an elementary school teacher and was recently named the Arkansas Teacher of the Year.  He was also given the Milken Educator award.  He teaches in a high-achieving public elementary school where 97% of the students live in poverty and 85% are English Learners. Minkel previously taught 4^th grade in Harlem, New York City.  His writing and commentary have been featured in the Washington Post, Education Week, and a bunch of other places.   I recently had the opportunity to have lunch with Justin at restaurant downtown and fortunate to be able to ask him a few questions.  The food was excellent…and so was insight.

In this podcast, we visit with Glenn Weibe.  He is an educator, social studies guru, and blogger on the widely populary website History Tech.  Glenn shares his thoughts on the need for teachers to regularly write alongside their students.  

In this podcast, we visit with educator, author, podcaster, and blogger Jennifer Gonzalez.  She hosts the widely popular website Cult of Pedagogy that provides teachers with teaching resources, tricks, and tips.  In many ways, her writing helps elevate the discussion of pedagogy to somewhat of an art form.  Jennifer shares her suggestions and insights on writing for a diverse group of educators.

Just what is the link between our writing ability and our ability to think critically? Writing itself a process in which we have to go slow…in order to go fast.  We have consider a prompt or topic, and audience, and angle.  We have to brainstorm, make claims, and back it up with evidence..…all before we are able to put pencil to paper…or fingers to a keyboard…whatever the case may be.  Then as we write, we work constantly and conscientiously to revise our thoughts so they are clear, concise, cogent.  Does that sound a lot like critical thinking?  In this podcast, we examine the research and possible link between writing and critical thinking.  Our guest is Dr. Kay Ann Taylor.  She is an associate professor of at Kansas State University and has studied the historical and modern aspects of poverty, including its relationship with education. Her research is known for its in-depth understanding; her writing and thinking can be summarized with a single statement…

"There are no simple answers.”

This podcasts provides new teachers with a few tips and tricks in research and academic writing writing.  Our guest is Dr. Janet Stramel.  She was born and raised in Oklahoma, and has taught middle school mathematics in Oklahoma and Kansas.  She has authored a number of academic articles and is now the Department of Teacher Education Chair and Director of Assessment and Accreditation for the University where she now works. 

It is one thing to help teachers to find the time to write.  It is quite another to give them the tools they need to be able to write better.  In this podcast Sarah Brown Wessling--the National Teacher of the year--shares tips for doing both.  

One the most challenging aspects of being an educator is getting those outside of the profession to take you seriously.  Unless, of course you are Lori Rice. Not only did her opinion catch the attention of her legislature, it also ended up in the Washhington Post. In this podcast, we hear from Lori about her experiences in the media and in the classroom.