As the pandemic lingers, schools are increasingly facing shortages of teachers and substitute teachers. Our guest is a superintendent of a school district who deployed an innovative solution that has been well-received by teachers, students, and parents. Follow on Twitter: JorgeDoesPBL @bamradionetwork @@serbrenia @jonharper70bd Serbrenia J. Sims, Ed.D., came to Surry County Public Schools in 2007 as the principal of Luther Porter Jackson Middle School. In 2009, she began working as the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. She was promoted to Division Superintendent on July 1, 2020. Dr. Sims began her educational career in Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools as a teacher, then later moved up to become the Director of Accountability, Grants and Program Evaluation. She later served as an Assistant Principal and Summer School Principal in York County Public Schools prior to coming to Surry County Public Schools. Dr. Sims received her Doctorate of Education in 1989, from the College of William and Mary, a Masters of Public Administration from Auburn University, a Bachelors of Science in Biology from Auburn University and a teaching endorsement from Christopher Newport University. She holds a Division Superintendent License and a Postgraduate Professional License from the Virginia Board of Education. She received a Virginia ASCD Impact Award in 2013.

Many of us agree and have accepted that social-emotional learning is a priority in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic. But what about those who are either conflicted about balancing teaching content and meeting the expanded non-academic needs of students and teachers. Follow on Twitter: @SCSTom and @SpotsySchools @JoelLavin @JorgeDoesPBL @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd @shellthief Tom Mitchell: A lifelong learner and student advocate, Tom Mitchell has worked with children and young adults in a variety of settings for over 30 years. From a day care program for pre-K children to summer camps and outdoor education centers, Tom has facilitated hiking, caving, canoeing, and other adventure-based learning activities with youth of all ages. Tom worked with college students through the Community Living and Learning Center at George Washington University while earning his master’s degree in education and served as a school counselor in both rural and suburban Virginia school divisions for 12 years. He was honored as the middle school counselor of the year in Spotsylvania County Public Schools before entering educational administration. He currently serves as the Director of Mental Health and Wellness. He is presently researching school counselor leadership while pursuing a doctorate in counselor education and supervision through Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Joel Lavin currently serves as a student services administrator in Eugene, Oregon. Joel is an experienced educator who served as assistant principal at South Eugene High School and previously as principal of River Road/El Camino del Río and Awbrey Park Elementary School, and assistant principal of Roosevelt Middle School. He was also a teacher of Spanish and middle school science for 9 years. Driven by a passion for restorative justice, inclusion, equity, and school wellness, he takes pride in providing the best support possible to the students he serves. He brings a strong equity lens and a passion to ensure all students, families and staff are supported for success. He also serves in the Oregon Center for Educational Equity. Joel has been recognized by ISTE, Leading Equity, and The Transformative Principal for his extraordinary commitment to student success.

In this episode, we identify the two types of student trauma we need to be able to spot and respond to appropriately. Listen in as our guests share the practices they effectively use in one of the largest school systems in the nation. Follow on Twitter: @JorgeDoesPBL @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd @LailaOgunyomi @sbroadway3 Laila Ogunyomi is currently the Campus-Based Mentor Teacher for new teachers and a 5th grade ELA teacher at Hutchinson Elementary school in Atlanta. She holds a Master of Curriculum and Instruction, and she has the following endorsements: Teacher Support Specialist, Math, STEM and ESL She not only has experience in elementary education, but she also has experience teaching collegiate students in traditional and distant learning modes. In addition, I experienced teaching in Mexico as a foreign exchange student. Mrs. Ogunyomi has been a teacher since 2008. Her social media presence advocates for parent and teacher unity in urban school settings. Here Facebook group, Parents and Teachers Unite, and Instagram @parent_and_educatuors focus on bridging the gap between school and communities. Dr. Shuanta Broadway-McDaniel has spent 23 years in the education profession. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Dr. Broadway-McDaniel turned her career focus to education earning a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Memphis. Her educational leadership degrees were earned at the University of West Georgia. There she earned an educational specialist degree and doctorate in school improvement. Dr. Broadway-McDaniel has been principal of Hutchinson Elementary School in Atlanta Public Schools since 2012. Since her tenure, the school has achieved academic growth in all content areas and has been deemed a Georgia Title 1 Reward School and received Cognia STEM certification.

What does it take to rapidly respond to the moment-by-moment social-emotional needs of students as we navigate another disrupted school year? In this episode, we talk with a high school’s quick response team about the proven model they use to provide support to students and teachers when needed. Follow on Twitter: @JorgeDoesPBL @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd @KCPS_East Sheila Dannar has completed an Educational Specialist degree at UMKC and is beginning her 23rd year as an educator in KCPS. She initially attended the University of Missouri – Columbia and obtained an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish. She began teaching Spanish at Bingham Middle School in KCPS and later taught 4th grade at East Elementary School. After completing a Masters in Urban Leadership and Policy Studies at UMKC, Ms. Dannar began as an administrator in KCPS and has served in both elementary and middle schools prior to coming to East High School for the 2018-19 school year. Courtney Simpson is the Restorative Justice Coordinator at East High School. Mackenzie Even is the Trauma-Sensitive Schools Clinician at East High School and assists learners at East HS experiencing any sort of emotional trauma Kayla Celello is the lead SEL teacher at East High School and is a secondary English Language Arts teacher whose passion is to provide an equitable education to all her students.

As the country prepares for a new influx of immigrants, we pause to consider the impact on schools and teachers around the nation. Join us for a practical discussion about teaching new immigrant students and what we’ll need to know (and do) to successfully manage their transition into our classrooms. Follow on Twitter: @JorgeDoesPBL @Larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd Larry Ferlazzo teaches English, Social Studies and International Baccalaureate classes to English Language Learners and mainstream students at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California. This is his 18th year at Burbank! He has written 12 books: The ELL Teacher’s Toolbox (with co-author Katie Hull Sypnieski) Navigating The Common Core With English Language Learners (with co-author Katie Hull Sypnieski); Building A Community Of Self-Motivated Learners: Strategies To Help Students Thrive In School and Beyond; Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching; Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies For Student Motivation; The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide (with co-author Katie Hull Sypnieski); Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Challenges; English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies That Work; and Building Parent Engagement In Schools (with co-author Lorie Hammond). Morsal Sayar is an elementary school teacher at Chesterfield County Public Schools in Virginia. She attended VCU, where she completed her undergraduate degree in Early and Elementary Education and a Master’s of Teaching. Part of her goal as an educator is to ignite a passion for learning in young minds so that they can grow to be lifelong learners both inside and outside of the classroom.

In this episode, we look at how to effectively work with school counselors to support the social-emotional needs of our students as they return to another extraordinary school year. Follow on Twitter:  @JorgeDoesPBL  @HollyGuelig @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd Holly Guelig is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Counselor Education. Additionally, she holds a license in School Counseling, is an HCPS Social and Emotional Learning Content Developer, and has served in various leadership roles within her field. She has 12 years of experience working in counseling, behavioral, and mental health services. Since 2011, she has volunteered with Comfort Zone Camp, a camp for children who have lost a caregiver. Ms. Guelig loves helping her Gators grow into strong, healthy, and thoughtful learners, and strives to be a game-changer for her students. Her vision for Greenwood is to provide a comprehensive, developmental, data-driven school counseling program that enhances student potential and academic achievement. Her plan for this year is to work in strategic partnerships with educators, families, and with the community to facilitate a support-system that ensures all Greenwood students are prepared with the skills and knowledge to be lifeready.

In this episode, we discuss why developing our social-emotional skills is ideally a team effort. Join us as we look at how PLCs can best be used to support our social-emotional growth. Follow on Twitter: @JorgeDoesPBL @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd Jen Perry joined Edmentum as the Learning Designer for Social-Emotional Learning after 30+ years of work with youth in educational and community settings. As a teacher, administrator, and trainer, her passion has been to help educators develop an understanding of the importance of social and emotional learning and build trauma-informed responses and systems. This work has included supporting youth, administrators, and schools in understanding behavior and implementing transformational change through strength-based approaches. Myla Lee with nearly 30 years in education, Myla Lee serves as a consultant for literacy, technology integration, and project-based learning. Much of the learning she shares with others at state and national conferences focus on various topics first field-tested in her classroom and explores inquiry in authentic classroom culture. Currently, Myla is an instructional coach for Novi Community School District (Michigan), where she facilitates professional learning districtwide and provides job-embedded professional learning to individuals and teams of teachers. Previously, Myla was the Project-based Learning Specialist with Technology Integration for her district. With her 23 years of classroom experience, she worked with administrators, teachers, and students to implement integrated PBL units grounded in technology and current best practice. As a teacher/researcher, and in collaboration with university educators, Myla has researched, presented, and co-published on multicultural reading and literacy practices.

In this episode, we discuss why we have to deal with our own social-emotional issues before we step into the classroom this school year. Join us for strategies, tools, and resources to help us get on the right track for the year ahead. Follow on Twitter:  @sarahdateechur @JorgeDoesPBL @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd Sarah Thomas, Ph.D. is a Regional Technology Coordinator in a large district in Maryland, and the founder of EduMatch, a project that empowers educators to make global connections across common areas of interest.  She has spoken and presented internationally, participated in the Technical Working Group to refresh the 2017 ISTE Standards for Educators, and is a recipient of the 2017 ISTE Making IT Happen award.  She is also an Affiliate Professor at Loyola University in Maryland. Sarah is a co-author of the ISTE Digital equity series, Closing the Gap.

In this episode, we go searching for simple, but effective, ways to restore our emotional well-being before we start preparing for the next school year. Join us as our guests share their best strategies and resources. Follow on Twitter: @Hedreich @mikekaechele @JorgeDoesPBL @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd Hedreich Nichols is a curriculum designer and Middle Years Program district tech lead in North Arlington at a school that does innovative work with minority students. She is an advocate for student voice, and her students have designed solar chargers and water dispensers from Nike shoe boxes and other recyclable objects. They've also created podcasts and social media campaigns for the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals. Check out their work under #MsNicholsTech. In addition to guiding amazing students, she is also an adult educator and equity consultant, helping pre-service and in-service teachers create more inclusive campuses. Her courses include the 5Es of Equity, Student Engagement for Online Learning, and Social Justice for the Classroom.  Michael Kaechele is a Project Based Learning and Social and Emotional Learning Teacher Consultant and a former member of the National Faculty for PBLWorks, leading PBL workshops across the country. His passion is inspiring educators to create SEL infused PBL curriculum for all content areas and grade levels. Over the course of 15 years, he has also taught social studies, math, personal finance, STEM, and STEAM classes. He also has international experience teaching English in China.  Dr. Dana Goodier is a school leader with 21 years of experience in education. She spent most of her career teaching World Languages and English. She completed her doctorate degree (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership in early 2020. Building off of her own growth as a teacher, she dedicates much of her time to providing educators with professional development sessions on techniques to minimize off-task behavior and to increase time on task. She blogs about her experiences for Teach Better Team. She is also the host of the podcast for educators "Out of the Trenches", which features those who have been in the trenches and have managed to crawl out.