Jordan opens the episode with the great success of the Spooklemire Haunted House. Many attended (including Helen) and fun was had by all. Helen and Jordan then dive into their earliest childhood memories with reading and some of their favorite books. Helen discusses a literacy narrative assignment she often gives to students to reflect on their journeys with reading, and she notes how they often identify a moment in early elementary school their early love of reading changed into resentment . Helen shares six strategies to foster a love of literacy, and we talk about what strategies we do already and what ones we would like to do. And it seems Jordan has taken the sixth strategy of “filling your home with books” to the extreme because books are quite literally all over the house. We also talk about the impact that reading can have on imaginative play. And Helen is very excited to introduce the 25 books of Christmas tradition. More books, less screens.

Essay referenced: A Guide to Surviving the Age of Post-Literacy

In an effort to understand how we got here (here being our careers in education), we reflect back on all of the various job and volunteer experiences we have had along our journeys towards education. First, Jordan and Helen share about their latest Halloween activities as well as an accidental soup-in-the-pantry incident. Jordan then dives into listing off the many jobs she has had since high school, which involved working with animals, kids, teen moms, and retail; she was even a tattoo artist (don’t worry, they weren’t permanent!). Helen also shares her work history that included umpiring softball, selling tickets in multiple box offices, leading activities at a nursing home, facilitating events at a state park, and leading tastings and tours at a winery. Jordan and Helen ultimately consider how the little choices led to big changes in their personal and professional lives.

Millennial Mom disclaimer: Jordan used AI to come up with this episode’s title. And coincidentally enough, we are talking about AI in our jobs for this episode! Jordan and Helen start off sharing their recent Halloween activities, and Helen finally reveals her fun, coordinated family costume. Helen shares her thoughts after viewing the Can’t Look Away documentary as Jordan prepares to do her second community screening. Helen then dives into a conversation on how AI is being utilized in education and how she connects with students through language, arts, and culture. She reflects on her teaching philosophy and shares thoughts on the book We Got This by Cornelius Minor, which discusses the trope of teachers being heroes. Jordan then shares her deep concerns after reading an article about a school counselor in Topeka, Kansas, who is creating AI chatbots for elementary school students dealing with “minor” social/emotional problems.