In this episode, we will meet Hayes, a fascinating man of many talents…and sounds! As a jazz musician and film composer, Hayes understands the power that sound has on humans…and we are not talking music, but sound. Having worked as a teacher with young people in all kinds of capacities since the early 90s, Hayes is now using his love of the art of sound to help teachers in the classroom. He is about to release a new book, Creative Sound Play for Young Learners: A Teacher’s Guide to Enhancing Transition Times, Classroom Communities, SEL, and Executive Function Skills (Routledge, Eye on Education Series, June 6, 2024). Hayes shares with us the 3 primary elements of sound and how they can help you as a teacher during transition times to focus and engage student learning. He also explains how using his techniques help develop student executive function skills, addresses student social emotional learning and is especially powerful when used with students with a language delay, students with special needs and those students on the spectrum. Additional info can be found at https://www.creativesoundplay.com/ and https://www.hayesgreenfield.com/

In this episode, we will gain great insight on education from an international perspective. My guest, Brantley, is the East Asia Education Director of Dwight Schools, and she shares with us the great need for students to be exposed to an international curriculum, to develop intercultural skills and to strive for global citizenship through their education. More importantly, she talks about how we are operating within an educational framework that contains “restraints” and that we need to “disrupt the reality of our context” in order to bring about innovation, ideation and change. Brantley explains that we need to get “out of the box” in our thinking and doing in order to bring to light what is really needed for teachers and their students. She also shares some ideas on how to avoid teacher burnout, how to value teachers more and how to treasure and celebrate what is truly wonderful about the American education system. We can all use that pep talk and inspiration, so please share! You can also check out more about Brantley and the Dwight School here.

In this episode, we meet JoAnne, a district supervisor in New Jersey who wears many hats. Originally, JoAnne set out to become a lawyer. However, after working in a refugee center in college, JoAnne became impassioned to become a teacher and champion for ESL bilingual students. She became a mentor, leader and instrument for change. JoAnne realized that she was (just) a piece of a bigger “machine” at work and that she needed to show up and do her part to keep the machine running. She couldn’t control the whole machine, just the piece or part that she was in that machine. JoAnne tells us that this creates real power and a sphere of influence that can make a difference. Also, in a moment of vulnerability, JoAnne shares how an accident left her with a traumatic brain injury and how she had to learn to talk, walk, read and write again. Nonetheless, she doesn’t linger there, but instead shares how this has changed her perspective on learning, how the brain works, communication, accommodations and the power of listening. She also has some great advice about how to best deal with parents, something all teachers could use right now, correct? Enjoy and be sure to tuck those pearls of wisdom away in a safe place where you can find them again when you most need them. Thank you, JoAnne! You are a true inspiration to us all!