What change would occur in our classrooms, in our schools, and in our lives if we truly shifted our mindset to love everyone, always? Even when it's most difficult. That is the challenge and encouragement set before us by author Bob Goff in the book "Everyone, Always." In this 'favored book' episode, Dr. Andrea Pewitt, Program Director for the IDEAL program at Lipscomb University, shares why chose this book and how it has made a positive impact on her work with students and parents. SHOW NOTES: Featured Book: Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People written by Bob Goff (2018) Other books by Bob Goff: Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World (2012) Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do About It (2020) Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. (2022) Additional Resources: Learn more about the Lipscomb IDEAL program - "Igniting the Dream of Education and Access at Lipscomb" Websites: BobGoff.com – Book author's website. LoveDoes.org – Charitable organization founded by Bob Goff that focuses on improving human rights, caring for the vulnerable, and providing education in conflict zones. "We are called to love everyone, regardless of who they are, because they were created by God. Created in his image. And we have to look past the exterior and get to know people and love people; even when it's hard. When there are challenging students or there are challenging parents that everyone has to deal with, we have to dig a little deeper and find out what it is that causes the concern or the issues. And then, try to start from there and work the way back up. Kind of the iceberg effect: looking 'below the surface' and going from there." —Dr. Andrea Pewitt "Bob Goff talks about telling people 'who they are' and not 'what it is you want them to be.' I think with students, especially, we remind students who they are. That they are children of– they're created from– God. Especially the young adults that I work with in this population that may have a disability, but that's not who they are. They are more than that! I think reminding myself and others that we are more than the outside is really a big takeaway" —Dr. Andrea Pewitt CREDITS: Producer: Karen Marklein Host, Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington The content of this episode represents the thoughts and opinions of our guest about the featured book and does not represent an official endorsement by the Ayers Institute or Lipscomb University.

We’ve gathered questions from current teachers and leaders from all across the state of Tennessee for this "Ask Me Anything" episode about coaching. We will be posing your questions to Dr. Karen Marklein, an experienced educator and coach who is currently serving as the Director of Programs for the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation at Lipscomb University’s College of Education. SHOW NOTES: Watch an on-demand replay of the Ayers Institute Webinar "Advice I Would Give Myself as a New Coach." (Free eduTOOLBOX user account required.) Watch the INVEST Video "Building a Culture of Coaching." (Free eduTOOLBOX user account required.) Quotes: A coach is a job embedded professional learning facilitator focused on student growth. –Dr. Karen Marklein All research will point to the fact that coaching needs to be voluntary, teacher driven, based in teacher need, and driven by those teachers’ goals. –Dr. Karen Marklein References: Aguilar, E. (2005). The Art of Coaching: Effective strategies for school transformation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Folkman, Joseph (2014, January 30). “In 2014 are you fixing your weakness, or building your strength? Here’s what matters most.” Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2014/01/30/in-2014-are-you-fixing-your-weakness-or-building-your-strength-heres-what-matters-most/?sh=40246f027571 Knight, J. (2009, March). “What can we do about teacher resistance?" Phi Delta Kappan 90(7), 508-513. Knight, J. (2019, November 1). “Why teacher autonomy is central to coaching success.” ASCD. Retrieved from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/why-teacher-autonomy-is-central-to-coaching-success. CREDITS: Producer & Guest: Karen Marklein Host, Engineer, & Editor: Forrest Doddington

Joy, love, kindness, and empathy are so important in our school buildings and within our school communities. It's also important to remember that teachers need to be upheld as valuable assets within those communities and that each teacher is an individual on a personal and professional journey. This episode features some real-world school stories from Dr. Lance Forman that focus on "the humanity in educators." SHOW NOTES: Dr. Lance Forman is the current Director of the Educational Leadership Program at Lipscomb's College of Education. Lance is a former elementary school teacher, assistant principal, and executive principal in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Professional profile for Lance Forman LinkedIn profile for Lance Forman Quotes: It's important to look at the humanity of teachers, of kids, of educators. I think we have forgotten that. We've become so engrossed and focused on other things that obviously are important and we've forgotten that it's okay to have fun, and laugh, and enjoy school! Leaders need to recognize the humanity in teachers (and teachers in leaders) and to understand what they are going through in their own lives. –Lance Forman Followership is the most important thing to being a school leader. Because if you're leading and no one's following, then you're just taking a walk in the park. You've got to have people who will follow you and listen to you. It's really a delicate balance because you're not pushing them to follow you, you're modeling the behaviors that you hope to see out of them and empowering them to make decisions on their own. That will create a followership. –Lance Forman Practical Tips: Keep your focus on student success (rather than teacher recognition). Recognize the desires and struggles in the lives of your colleagues (teachers and leaders) and simply support and be happy for them. Change your language to "we" and "our." Share handwritten notes of encouragement and appreciation. Provide the opportunity to "tap in / tap out" so that adults can de-escalate. CREDITS: Producer & Host: Karen Marklein Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

Each "My Why" episode uncovers the journey of one educator: a teacher or leader who has chosen to devote his or her life to the education profession. Each story is different, yet each is an exploration of motivation, purpose, and hope. In this episode, we hear from Ms. Morgan Rankin from Johnson City, Tennessee. Morgan has 16 years of experience as an educator, has taught in both Canada and the United States, and in August 2021 was named the Tennessee Teacher of the Year for 2021-22. She is also one of the founders of the Blue Ridge Literacy Project that hosts an annual conference and focuses on advancing the level of literacy instruction within the areas of Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina. "Teaching is shaping what might be." SHOW NOTES: Tennessee Teacher of the Year 2022 announcement from the Tennessee Department of Education. The Blue Ridge Literacy Project - Empowering Learners Through Literacy Book recommendations: "Bold School: Old School Wisdom + New School Technologies = Blended Learning That Works" by Weston Keischnick "Breaking Bold: Dare to Defy the Tyranny of Trends and Live the Relationship Habits of a Master Educator" by Weston & Molly Keischnick Quotes: Ultimately I teach because this is my way to make a difference in the world. This is my way to make life better. And I do that because you can look at these little people and think, “I see amazing things in you. You're going to be a wonderful parent, you're going to be a wonderful employee, you're going to be a wonderful contributor to our community and you're going to help change the world.” And that's what teaching is: seeing that bigger picture for your students and encouraging that. --Morgan Rankin I hope that they remember that I pushed them to learn. But that I cared about them deeply. I knew in that moment, this isn't just teaching second grade. This is helping to form adults; citizens. I hope they remember that I saw something IN them and something FOR them that was great. And that I knew they could do it. —Morgan Rankin 6-word Memoir: "Teaching is shaping what might be." —Morgan Rankin CREDITS: Producer: Karen Marklein Host: Rachael Milligan Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

We have recently visited school districts all across the state of Tennessee and it is so encouraging to see school pride displayed within the schools and around their communities. Expressions of pride range from displaying school colors, to creating inviting environments, to displaying student work. This episode includes stories from our travels. Join us in thinking about the positive impact of having a positive self-identity about our schools and our students, teachers, and leaders. SHOW NOTES: Rachael Milligan and Karen Marklein have been "on the road" as part of the work of the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation: supporting teachers and leaders in improving student outcomes through proven professional learning and to incubating innovative instructional ideas and resources. Please reach out with any questions about Ayers Institute resources and partnerships. What do we mean by "pride" in the context of school pride? Pride is more than a comparison of myself to others. It's really more about positive self-identity. When a community is really proud of their school, it means "I'm happy to say I go there", "I'll work there," because I have a positive feeling about being connected to that community. The educators, the leaders, the students have locked arms together in in this work. They are all moving forward together. The entire community is having that feeling of camaraderie. And that positive feeling binds us together. It is a family feel when you have pride in your school as a student or as an educator. —Rachael Milligan & Karen Marklein "Comparison is the thief of joy." —Theodore Roosevelt CREDITS: Producer: Karen Marklein Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

For this "Ask Me Anything" episode, we will be talking with Dr. Karen Marklein, Director of Programs for the Ayers Institute and Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Lipscomb University. edTPA® is a digital portfolio that teaching candidates compile during one semester of their certification journey. edTPA is focused on demonstrating knowledge and skills related to pedagogy. Karen co-developed and participates in facilitating the edTPA seminar for job-embedded candidates that is used at Lipscomb University. We've gathered some questions and Karen has not seen them in advance, so there will be some surprises. SHOW NOTES: Topics covered: How to support candidates who are preparing for edTPA submission. What do school administrators need to know about edTPA? What do university advisors need to know about edTPA? What do supervising teachers need to know about etTPA? Common pitfalls for candidates in the edTPA process. About edTPA® – edTPA is a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used by teacher preparation programs throughout the United States to emphasize, measure and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need from Day 1 in the classroom. Assessment Area listing Resource Library – including subject-specific handbooks “Would you rather have a doctor who performed surgery or a doctor who took a test on how to perform surgery?” –Dr. Karen Marklein CREDITS: Producer: Karen Marklein Host: Rachael Milligan Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

This “Always Learning” episode of the Ayers All Access podcast focuses on using technology to make us more efficient and effective educators. Dr. Ronda Blevins, an Assistant Professor of Education at Carson-Newman University shares practical tips for redirecting your time toward instruction and students: automating processes, prepared learning supports, and communicating using technology. SHOW NOTES: Three ways to find 30 extra minutes in your school day: Automation of processes (QR codes, online forms, etc.) Preparation of learning/student supports (documents, videos, etc.) Communicating through technology (newsletter, blog, text messaging, etc.) The Lipscomb College of Education and Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation host the annual IGNITE Conference each Fall. Ronda's IGNITE Conference session information and supporting materials are available on the eduTOOLBOX® academic resource-sharing portal. This includes a "Tech Tool Database" spreadsheet with links to helpful educational technology tools. Flowcode is a QR Code generator that includes 5 free or monthly/annual subscription pricing. "My favorite thing to ask is: 'Is this Googleable'?" —Ronda Blevins The Perfect Chaos podcast features David and Ronda Blevens addressing education-related questions and topics. You can read their blog entries and subscribe to receive the podcast episodes. CREDITS: Producer & Host: Karen Marklein Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

In the last few weeks, we have visited school districts from the furthest East Tennessee to the furthest West Tennessee. From open doors, to travel accommodations, to a very "special guest" boxed lunch: there have been so many examples of the kindness and hospitality of educators! It's part of who we are as teachers, leaders, and community members. And if we're seeing it in our interactions, we have confidence that hospitality is also happening inside classrooms– welcoming students into safe and brave spaces for learning and growth! SHOW NOTES: Rachael Milligan and Karen Marklein have been "on the road" as part of the work of the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation: supporting teachers and leaders in improving student outcomes through proven professional learning and to incubating innovative instructional ideas and resources. Please reach out with any questions about Ayers Institute resources and partnerships. HOSPITALITY (from Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) “Hospitality is about people welcoming other people into their homes or other places where they work or spend their time. People who welcome visitors are called hosts. The people they welcome are called guests. Hospitality is all about the art of entertaining or receiving guests.” Culinary Arts Program — Carroll County School System - College and Career Academy The Culinary Arts pathway curriculum prepares students for positions as chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers. “When we think about being hospitable in our classrooms, that means creating that safe and brave space for students to be able to share what they're thinking.” – Rachael Milligan “You know how simple it is just to be kind? 'See a need, meet a need.' Treat other people like you want to be treated.” – Karen Marklein CREDITS: Producer: Karen Marklein Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

For this "Ask Me Anything" episode, we will be talking with Dr. Rachael Milligan, Assistant Dean for Program Innovation for the Lipscomb College of Education and the Director of the Ayers Institute. Rachael currently teaches the Social Studies methods course at Lipscomb University and she is a former middle-school social studies teacher who is passionate about the importance of the content area. We've gathered some questions and Rachael has not seen them in advance, so there will be some surprises. SHOW NOTES: Social studies standards: Tennessee state standards for social studies courses National Council for the Social Studies - including suggested standards Textbook definition of social studies: "The study of the Earth and everything in it." "I really think what we have to remember is that 'social studies is life.'" –Dr. Rachael Milligan CREDITS: Producer & Host: Karen Marklein Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington

Welcome to this inaugural episode of the Ayers All Access podcast. Great things are coming in the days and weeks ahead. With this new program, we're going to share really practical information and we're going to have a lot of fun. Today, we want to take a few minutes to let you know what you can expect on "All Access" and to introduce you to the team and the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation. If you're involved or interested in education, this is the place and your podcast. I know you'll want to follow or subscribe to the Ayers All Access program in your favorite podcasting app so that you'll automatically receive each new episode. SHOW NOTES: Learn about the work of the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation on our website at http://www.ayersinstitute.org. We would love to partner with you for effective professional learning and innovative education projects. Digital resources from the Ayers Institute: e3 Courses - online courses eduTOOLBOX® - Resource-sharing portal Podcasts - programs, episodes, and show notes Webinars - live and on-demand replay CREDITS: Producer: Karen Marklein Host: Rachael Milligan Engineer & Editor: Forrest Doddington