Coach Jordan Wilhelm is a Bismarck Demon through and through. After playing basketball for the Demons all through his high school years, and eventually on to the University of Mary, Coach Wilhelm returned to BHS to build on his coaching career. After being assistant for legendary head coach, Steve Miller, he took over the program eight years ago. Willy and I sit down to talk coaching, team culture, experiences in life learned through sports, and much more! You can also check out Coach Wilhelm's podcast, "The Jordan Wilhelm Podcast", over on Spotify.

My aunt and uncle, Lori and Shawn Dekeyser, recently took a trip of a lifetime to Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately, their timeline of events were cut short due to the Israel-Hamas War. I sit down with them to discuss and reflect on these events, experiences, and how they coped with the chaos they endured during their time in the middle east.

Sara is a Reading and Math Interventionist at Sunnyside Elementary, located in Minot, ND. She was the 2020 ND Teacher of the Year. Among the many incredible things she is involved with in her community, she started "Books & Braids" in her school. Her team at Sunnyside also operate Hello Sunshine Ice Cream & Books, which raises money for a variety of different causes.Sara and I also chat about the Get Your Teach On! conference that I've always had on my wishlist. 

After recently attending a conference for school, I reflected on what exactly I needed to bring back to integrate into my classroom this coming school year. I was reminded that I need to get back to the "How am I going to teach this" rather than "What am I teaching?". Background knowledge can bring so much empowerment, learning, and purpose in your classroom. Remember this as we begin to hit the home stretch of summer and start getting back into the school building. 

Wachter Middle School P.E. Teacher, Sheila Peterson, joins the podcast! Sheila has become well-known in her position for all of the amazing things she's done as a teacher, much of that revolving around her main theme of INCLUSION. Not only does she teach Physical Education, but she also loves coaching middle school volleyball and enjoys watching her players grow as athletes as well as people. She also facilitates the Peer 2 Peer group at Wachter, which provides students with special needs so many great experiences both in school as well as events outside of the school setting.All of these amazing things Sheila does on a daily basis has landed her as a finalist for the North Dakota Teacher of the Year Award.

Author and educator Kelly Boswell joins the show. Kelly is the author of numerous books that focus on writing instruction, "Every Kid a Writer" being her latest one. She also wrote "Write this Way", which has several publications that all serve a purpose to help teachers make writing  instruction meaningful in their classroom.I personally had the opportunity to participate in a Professional Development with Kelly that truly changed the way I viewed writing, taught writing, and enjoyed writing. She is truly amazing at showing educators how simple and easy writing instruction can be! It truly was the best PD I've ever been part of!

Episode 10! I needed to take the time to not only introduce myself a bit, but also some details of what I'm all about outside of school. Other passions, interests, hobbies, everything!I also discuss 3 things that I pride myself in most as a teacher every day in my classroom.

I'm joined by the very talented and passionate Ms. Lucia Shelley. She was once a professor in the education department at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND where she taught Art Methods and Social Studies Methods, just to name a few. She eventually was pulled away from her position at University of Mary to where there was a strong need for her in the Mandan Public Schools. She then pushed to grow and improve the English as a Second Language (ESL) program there. She applied for and received many grants in order to enhance the ESL program in Mandan, which gave so many more opportunities and experiences to her students. She now teaches at a community college in Albuquerque, NM, where she is doing very similar work in education.

Do positive behavior rewards have an impact on student behavior? This is a question that I researched for my capstone project as I finished my Master's degree and I've always been intrigued by any results, thoughts, opinions, or data related to it. EDUCATORS: Please respond to this question with your thoughts and opinions on any social media platform this podcast is posted. Instagram @enthusiasm_isourjam, Facebook @Kyler Olson, Facebook Messenger @KylerOlson, Twitter @KyOlson12, or on YouTube under the Enthusiasm is Our Jam channel. I want to hear from educators at any level.... Do YOU think positive behavior rewards are effective?

He is an author, keynote speaker, and an educator. He also holds the titles of father and husband. Mr. Alsheimer joins the show! He is the author of "Next Level Teaching: Empowering Students & Transforming School Culture". His book is all about doing things DIFFERENT in the classroom, which has a direct impact on his classroom culture and his students' love for learning. You can check out all of the fun and engaging things Mr. Alsheimer does in his classroom on both his Twitter and Instagram pages @mr_alsheimer.