Beste Working Class Spark podcaster (2024)

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340: 💬 Grading Discussion in a way that won’t ruin your (Teaching) Life 5:54

2d ago5:54

5:54

Grading discussion can feel like juggling cats. How can you be present in a class discussion while also trying to grade thirty people’s comments? But over the years, I’ve tried three methods that that have worked for me without causing too much strain. I call them the bump, the challenge, and the chart. In today’s mini-episode, I’ll walk you throug…

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339: 💬 When Discussion goes off the Rails 18:20

4d ago18:20

18:20

We’ve all been in a discussion hurtling off the track and into the canyon, far, far below. Chances are, you’ve been in this type of discussion as a student AND as a teacher, and it’s no fun in either scenario. So how do we prevent it? And what do we do if it’s already happening and glaze is washing over our students’ eyes? In today’s episode, the f…

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338: 💬 Discussion Dominators and Silent Students 23:18

9d ago23:18

23:18

Remember in elementary school, how some kids were so excited to answer a question that they would wave their hand back and forth in the air, lifting ever so slightly from their seat? The Hermione Grangers of 2nd grade. Yeah, that was me. So I have real sympathy for students who become discussion dominators. Though on the outside, this appears to ma…

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Get Productive with Me: Batch your social media! 47:11

10d ago47:11

47:11

Welcome to a super productive session where we dive into the art of batching your social media content! I know how overwhelming it can be to batch content, but this guided audio session is designed to help you produce multiple posts in just 45 minutes. You'll braindump, craft captions, and design visuals, all while keeping the process efficient. Wh…

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337: 💬 Student-Led Discussion: Setting up Success + What Does an Observer Do? 28:56

11d ago28:56

28:56

Welcome back to our ongoing discussion series. If you missed the first two episodes, covering five types of discussion worth trying and introducing the Harkness method for student-led discussion, you might want to pause and go back to the last two episodes before continuing with this one. Today we’re diving deep into student-led discussion, specifi…

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336: 💬 How Harkness Won Me Over (Completely) 8:40

16d ago8:40

8:40

Today we’re talking about a model that influenced every discussion I ran in my classroom from my first year to my last, across grade levels, years, and countries. I’ve run hundreds of Harkness discussions - terrible ones, experimental ones, pretty ok ones, good ones, and absolutely incredible ones. Today I want to tell you how Harkness discussion c…

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Is your period the secret to better productivity? The magic of menstrual syncing 34:40

17d ago34:40

34:40

Ready to unlock the secrets of cyclical productivity with me? In this episode, I’m diving into how understanding your menstrual cycle can totally level up your productivity by syncing your tasks with your body’s natural flow. We’ll go from the chill, introspective vibes of the menstrual phase to the high-energy boost of ovulation, breaking down eac…

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335: 💬 5 Discussion Types that Can Work for You, Even if You've Almost Given Up (The Discussion Series Begins) 17:41

18d ago17:41

17:41

Discussion. Theoretically it’s the bread and butter of the English classroom, but sometimes it feels like all crusts and crumbs. How can you get students excited to talk about voice and theme, metaphor and symbolism, when they have a million other things going on? How do you inspire them to dive in together to the ways that literature illuminates l…

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334: The Writing Tip Every Kid Needs (that I Learned in Bulgaria) 4:08

23d ago4:08

4:08

The late afternoon sun filtered through the windows of our tiny department office as I ran in to grab the papers I’d just printed. As I waited for them to finish, I examined the old books stacked on the shelf above the printer, brought to our school in Bulgaria by another ex-pat teacher many years ago, judging by the dust. One caught my eye - Willi…

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Dreams don’t expire, so what if you went for it? 14:24

24d ago14:24

14:24

In this episode, I’m diving deep into what it’s really like to chase a new direction in life—especially for us women who might feel stuck in our current career paths. I’m sharing my personal journey, from dreaming about healthcare early on to the reality of running a business that no longer fills me up like it used to. Spoiler alert: I’m going back…

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333: How to Teach a Multigenre Essay Project 15:43

25d ago15:43

15:43

Want to teach a multigenre essay project? Good! Our students see story splashed across so many platforms these days. Video, audio, visuals, and words all mixed up together in a daily swirl. Understanding how to tell a story across mediums is a highly relevant skill for students, and one they can quickly see the relevance of every time they switch o…

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332: The Rec Letter Tweak that gave me my Octobers Back 4:18

1M ago4:18

4:18

Welcome to the Thursday edition of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, a podcast for English teachers in search of creative teaching strategies. Tell me if this sounds familiar. You sit down to write a rec letter after a long fall day of teaching, meetings, coaching, and everything else on your plate. Maybe it’s 9 pm and you’re trying to remember…

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331: Does Essay Writing Feel like Torture to your Students? Try this. 15:34

1M ago15:34

15:34

It's no fun announcing an argument paper and being met by groans. If your students have arrived at your class afraid of essays, you're not the only one. And we all know, buy-in matters. When students are confronted with a task they're horrified by, it's hard for them to access their skills and motivation to do their best work. So what are you suppo…

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330: Routines that aren’t Boring for Whole Class Novels 4:30

1M ago4:30

4:30

If you’ve ever felt like you were stuck in a rut doing the same thing day after day, I’ve got a quick mindset shift to help. I do NOT want you to give up on whole class novels, so let’s talk about how to make them work. In theory, whole class novels are the bread and butter of the English classroom. But if you struggle to get students to read at ho…

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Your brain is tired of making choices 11:20

1M ago11:20

11:20

Imagine having a mental battery that drains with every decision you make. How would you feel if you were constantly running on empty? Today, we're diving into the phenomenon of decision fatigue and exploring how it's silently sapping your energy. We explore what decision fatigue is, how it impacts your daily life and decision-making abilities, and …

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329: Turn Dusty Old Books into a Stunning Display 3:24

1M ago3:24

3:24

Do you have old books lying around taking up space in your classroom? Books no one is ever going to read again? Recently in our Facebook group, Creative High School English, a fun visual thread erupted all about bookish page displays. So in today’s one minute idea-isode, I want to suggest you try one. You’ll clear space on your shelves, help the ea…

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328: The Short Unit that Never Fails 4:15

1M ago4:15

4:15

On this week’s mini-episode, I want to tell you about a one week unit that has never failed to produce incredible results from my students. I’ve done it with 10th graders and 11th graders, honors students and their counterparts, American students and Bulgarian students speaking English as their second language. And I’ve loved it every. Single. Time…

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Feel the flow, own the day: the energy equation 10:04

2M ago10:04

10:04

Episode Summary: In this episode, we dive deep into the importance of energy management for productivity. We discuss how to track your energy levels, optimize your morning routine, and align your tasks with your energy and menstrual cycle. We also provide tips on harnessing your monthly rhythm and using productivity tools to support your energy man…

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New productivity plan … unlocked 12:11

2M ago12:11

12:11

In the very first episode of Holistic Productivity I take you on a nostalgic journey back to the simplicity of the 80s and 90s, drawing parallels between the way we lived then and the need for a holistic approach to productivity now. As a Gen-Xer, I understand the unique challenges faced by our generation and introduce the Productivity Pathway—a sy…

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327: Dystopia Book Clubs: A How-To Guide 24:29

2M ago24:29

24:29

Let's talk about dystopia book clubs, a compelling unit option for ELA. I taught my first dystopian fiction, 1984, to tenth graders in Bulgaria. They had very strong reactions to the way Orwell portrayed communism, since Communist rule had existed in their family's living memories. For some, Orwell nailed it. Others, outraged, clearly thought he wa…

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326: The Literary Travel Poster Project 2:59

2M ago2:59

2:59

On this week’s mini-episode, I’d like to challenge you to get your students set up on Canva and help them get comfortable on the platform with a simple assignment that will give you a great fall display, literary travel posters. Have you seen PBS’ The Great Read posters, which are available for free download on the PBS site? I’ll link them in the s…

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325: 6 Creative Video Project Ideas for ELA 20:58

2M ago20:58

20:58

Video is everywhere in communication these days, including on Reels, TikTok, and Youtube, where our students are. Building creative video projects into ELA can help leverage students' interests in these platforms toward building skills in research, storytelling, speaking, and building an argument. Not to mention skills within the genre itself, whic…

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324: Try Tiny Audio this Fall 4:46

2M ago4:46

4:46

On this week’s mini-episode, let’s talk about how to build an audio assignment in early in the year without feeling intimidated. Maybe you joined me for Camp Creative last summer and you’ve got alllll the student podcasting background, or maybe you’re new to the topic and feeling a bit wary. Either way, this episode is for you! Let’s walk through h…

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323: This I Believe (As My Life Changes) 7:52

2M ago7:52

7:52

We moved this month, and it wasn’t one of your quick moves. We did one of those once, from one cabin to the one next door, carrying our furniture and baskets of stuff across a soon well-worn path through the woods. But no, this one was an international move across four flights and nine time zones, with some of our stuff going by shipping container …

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322: A Super Simple Way to Learn Names 5:25

2M ago5:25

5:25

On this week’s mini-episode, I want to talk about learning names, and my easy trick for mastery. It took me many years, but finally, after a year in which I had a Kalina, Karina, Ekaterina, and Katrina, I figured out a plan that really worked. I hate not knowing students’ names. It stresses me out, big time. Maybe you’re the same? The worst is when…

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Introducing Holistic Productivity 1:54

2M ago1:54

1:54

Welcome to Holistic Productivity! A podcast for Gen-X women who are juggling businesses, family, and everything in between. If you can remember a time when mixed tapes and boy bands were all the rage, then you’re in the right place. We are powerful Gen Xers with so much on our plate, from children to aging parents, to thoughts of retirement, and we…

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321: Jason Reynolds doesn't write Boring Books 19:38

2M ago19:38

19:38

Jason Reynolds' website headline reads "Here's What I Do: Not Write Boring books." How great is that? As with everything he does, he seems to be speaking directly to the young people he's always trying to reach. There's a reason The Library of Congress chose him as the national ambassador for young adult literature. Last year I created an Instagram…

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320: A Simple Go-To for Better Discussions 3:40

2M ago3:40

3:40

On this week’s mini-episode, I’m sharing the coolest discussion warm-up I’ve ever learned, which I picked up at the Exeter Humanities Institute one week after my first year of teaching and the same week that I met my husband. You’re going to love it! As you know if you listen to the podcast much, my favorite discussion method is called Harkness, an…

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319: Got Phone Problems? Help for a Distracted Generation, with Angela Watson 38:24

2M ago38:24

38:24

The first time I really understood what flow meant I was barefoot in salty sand, building a beach sculpture in Mexico alone in the sunshine. Two hours seemed to disappear in moments as I gathered water-smoothed scraps of painted tile and bright shells and arranged them into swirls and towers underneath the cliffs. Take a second here and ask yoursel…

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318: Try This with your Teacher Budget 6:12

3M ago6:12

6:12

On this week’s mini-episode, I want to give my answer to a question I see all the time in our Facebook community, Creative High School English, and it’s this: What’s the best way to spend a teacher budget? So let’s dive into five great options. . Classroom Poster Printing Over the years I’ve seen a lot of wonderful classroom poster creation from fe…

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317: Classroom Design with Real Impact (from the Archives) 19:03

3M ago19:03

19:03

Today I’d like to share one of my favorite episodes from the Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast archives. In this special episode, I invited five creative guests to give their take on impactful classroom design. This back-to-school season felt like the perfect time to share it again. I’ll be back with a full episode on Thursday, but at the moment I’m…

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316: Easy Ways to Connect with your Department 4:10

3M ago4:10

4:10

On this week’s mini-episode, I just have a very quick idea for you and it’s this. As back-to-school hits, it’s easy to immediately become isolated in your classroom. You’ve got a million to-dos for your space and your students. But the school year is going to feel better if you feel connected to the teacher across the hall, the teacher next door, a…

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315: The Back-to-School Independent Reading Kickstart 19:18

3M ago19:18

19:18

Back-to-School season is the perfect time to set up your reading program for success throughout the year. Heading into the school year with a well-organized library, a plan for routines like First Chapter Friday and Book Trailer Tuesday, a kickoff book tasting, an appealing book display, and a regular time to read will help so much in inspiring you…

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314: How to Plan toward an Assessment 6:51

3M ago6:51

6:51

On this week’s mini-episode, I want to answer a question from our community about lesson planning. Here it is: “How do you plan? I’m struggling to put together a series of lessons that culminate into a bigger assignment. For example, if I want my students to end up writing a persuasive essay, what would I plan to prepare them to write it? Do you go…

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313: Don't Make My First Day of School Mistakes 13:19

3M ago13:19

13:19

Maybe you've heard the story of how I almost quit teaching on my first first day of school. Despite the fact that I had spent three months preparing moment-by-moment lessons for fall. Despite the fact that I was wearing my super cool white embroidered top from Bass and carrying my first ever leather shoulder bag. Despite the fact that I had asked a…

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312: Your Stress-Free Back-to-School Night 6:09

3M ago6:09

6:09

On this week’s mini-episode, I want to share my top strategy for taking the pressure off you while delivering a great experience for parents on back-to-school night, stations. Back-to-school night, like the first day of school, can be a stressful time. You’re trying to get a lot of information across quickly, and it can feel like the only way to ge…

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311: Teaching Life Skills 16:39

3M ago16:39

16:39

If I told you the elective we’re about to dive into has an “awkward party” unit, would you believe me? Well, it does, and I can’t wait for you to learn about it and start planning an awkward party lesson of your own. Today on the show, we’re continuing our creative electives series with veteran teacher Lisa Blake, who's been teaching for 33 years i…

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310: Rock the Reading Block 6:11

4M ago6:11

6:11

On this week’s mini-episode, I want to answer a question from our community about reading in class. Here it is “ Hi all. Next year my middle school will be implementing a 45-minute every-other-day reading block for all students. All teachers (ELA or not) will be required to cover the class. I am wondering…what you do with it…” In today’s episode, I…

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309: Exploring Modern ELA Mediums (The Elective Series) 10:43

4M ago10:43

10:43

What would you do if you had nine weeks to help ELA students imagine the real-world use of ELA skills? Inside the unique elective wheel program at Lisa Jones' school, students explore each discipline for nine weeks before moving onto the next. To show them literacy in action, Lisa has crafted an elective with three real-world projects to help them …

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308: Build an Easy Careers Unit 6:57

4M ago6:57

6:57

This week let’s talk about careers. I don’t know if you can relate, but I graduated from high school with a general awareness of maybe six careers - law, medicine, teaching, ministry, science, and business. Let’s talk about how we can show our students a broader view of what’s out there - and build in some ELA skills to the process. A fun way to st…

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307: Teaching African American Literature (The Elective Series) 20:17

4M ago20:17

20:17

Today on the show, we’ll find out what happened when an administrator attended a student’s genius hour project presentation about a new elective she wanted to see proposed Teaching African American Literature. Spoiler alert, magic. We’re continuing our elective series today, and I’m delighted to tell you we're hearing from passionate veteran teache…

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306: Help! My Readers have such Different Skill Levels 5:57

4M ago5:57

5:57

On this week’s mini-episode, I want to answer a question sent in by a member of our community. Here’s what she writes: Hi Betsy, I have classes of 10th graders who are SO divergent in skill levels. Some are reading Murakami for fun, and some are reading at a 5th grade level. I am struggling to differentiate for them and provide challenge for the st…

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305: Teaching Dramatic Writing (The Elective Series Continues) 11:27

4M ago11:27

11:27

Today on the show we’re hearing from Valerie Boehm, who teaches a Dramatic Writing elective in Georgia as part of the state’s initiative to help more students find their way to good jobs in the film industry. So cool, right? This episode is part of our continuing series on electives, which has been SO MUCH fun to record. I hope you’re as excited to…

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Trailer: The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast 1:45

4M ago1:45

1:45

Join me each week for innovative teaching strategies you can use immediately in your ELA classroom, from choice reading help to book clubs, project-based-learning to AI, student podcasting to genius hour, we cover the good stuff. Whether you're trying to figure out how to engage your eighth graders, trying to help your 11th graders through the coll…

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304: The Day my Students Questioned our Bleak Book Choices 4:48

5M ago4:48

4:48

On this week’s mini-episode, I’m remembering the moment my 11th graders asked me to please, please, please add a book to our curriculum that wasn’t so depressing. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience? Let’s talk about what to do when the curriculum is full of death and despair. We were moving towards spring the year my juniors asked me why all of …

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303: The End-of-Year Checklist for a Better August 10:26

5M ago10:26

10:26

Last night I dreamed I was teaching in a new classroom, except it had layers of stuff on the walls from three other teachers across twenty years of teaching. I couldn't find anything, and I couldn't change the set-up because I didn't know what was important to my colleagues. It was awful. Am I the only one to ever have a classroom set-up nightmare?…

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302: Is this your Canva Summer?! 4:16

5M ago4:16

4:16

On this week’s mini-episode, let’s talk about my favorite online teacher tool, Canva. If you haven’t signed up for their free educator program yet, this summer is the perfect time! You can explore all the design tools this wonderful website has to offer, and be ready in the fall to start using it in class. Plus, I’ve got a free mini course ready to…

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301: The Easiest Last Day in ELA 8:33

5M ago8:33

8:33

You want the last day of ELA to be special, but what does that mean exactly? And who has the energy to think up this special plan when you're juggling allll the end-of-year things? If you'd like a fast, easy solution to the last day of your ELA classes, today I'm proposing (ha ha, I just accidentally typed PROMposing) stations. Stations are an easy…

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300: Teaching Summer School? 2 Paths to a Happier July 4:51

5M ago4:51

4:51

On this week’s mini-episode, let’s talk summer school. Because I know that if you ARE teaching summer school, you’d like it to be engaging. Memorable. Creative. Superfantasticaliciousexpialadocious. But of course there’s the issue of you’re tired. And so are the students. And maybe they’re not that excited to be there. So let’s run through two quic…

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299: 3 Years Overseas: The Highs & Lows (as we prepare to say goodbye) 17:49

6M ago17:49

17:49

As the sun rises a little earlier each day and the cherry trees in our neighborhood fill with fruit, our three years in Europe are coming to a close. With only a few weeks left of this European family adventure, I find myself thinking back over all that we've seen and done and learned. Highs like winter paddleboarding in Barcelona, nighttime tobaga…

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