What is the relationship between writing, teaching, and hosting a podcast? Today on the show I sit down with the Teaching Writers Speak podcast host, Ty Walkland. 

One of the gifts of starting this PhD has been helping to produce another podcast, Teaching Writers Speak. On this podcast, Ty Walkland expertly interviews teachers, scholars, and community educators about the practice and craft of teaching writing. Teaching Writers Speak has put out a first season of episodes and, while I know I’m biased, it’s a really excellent show that explores the complexities of what it means to be a teacher of writing.

In this episode Ty Walkland and I chat about being a teacher of writing, how he has recovered from the tyranny of writing assessments as a young person, and what has surprised him about hosting a podcast. He also explains why he initially said an emphatic NO to hosting a podcast when first approached…if you have ever thought about hosting your own podcast, hearing his take on this might just convince you to just give it a try.

I think you will be able to tell right away when listening to this episode that Ty is a wonderful human that I thoroughly enjoy getting to talk with. So let’s get right into it: click the Soundcloud link to take you to this interview. 

Things Mentioned in this Show:

• The Teaching Writers Speak podcast
• Teaching Tomorrow episode 51: Curriculum as a vehicle for change with Dr. Rob Simon
• The Table Manners Podcast
• Ty’s most recently published article: Swirling a Million Feelings into One

What does it mean to be called to the teaching profession and how can we sustain that passion when things get hard? Today on the show I am in conversation with Margaret from My Call to Teach.

I really loved this conversation with Margaret. I initially wanted to have her to talk about a news article writing unit she did with her students, but as I started to research her, I came to realize that Margaret has a powerful story that I think all of us in this profession can learn something from.

She started out in the corporate world, realized that teaching was her calling, so went back to school to become an elementary teacher. Pretty soon, she noticed a gap in the resources available to teachers in Ontario and so started to sell her resources to other teachers. We get into more of her story in the interview, but this conversation serves as fantastic insight into how teachers can find their passion in the profession, lead from the middle, and how serving other people can be a restorative form of self-care. 

This conversation is coming out in June and so all teachers listening are likely needing some easy things to do for the final days with their students. Stick around for the end of the conversation when Margaret shares one idea that you just have to say YES to.

I’m so glad you are here. Let’s jump right in.

Links to Things Mentioned in this Show:

• Margaret’s site, My Call to Teach
• Margaret (My Call to Teach) on Instagram
• Margaret (My Call to Teach) on Facebook
• Margaret (My Call to Teach) on TikTok
• Newslea

How can Gay-Straight alliances support students and make schools more inclusive spaces for all? Today on the show I speak with GSA advisor and coach James Potteiger

There is a lot happening in schools right now that put our LGBTQ students at risk. So I’m thrilled to get to share this conversation I had with James about his work with GSAs. James has been running a GSA at his school in Pennsylvania for the past two years and he shares the ways the alliance has improved his school for all students, the role that the GSA plays for young people in his school, and James’ journey towards running the GSA––which is especially powerful to hear since he identifies as a straight, white, cis-gender man with an Evangelical background.

I left this conversation feeling inspired, hopeful, and so deeply grateful for how people like James are making all of our schools better places. Click on the Soundcloud link to hear the full episode!

Things Referenced In This Episode:

• Allied Training and Consulting
  • Use code ‘teachingtomorrow’ for 25% off coaching sessions!
• James on IG

Why should we fully embrace the joys of being a B-minus teacher? Today on the show I speak with the awesome Patti Firth, founder, CEO, and owner of Madly Learning. 

I found my new friend Patti Firth like I meet pretty much any new human in my life: through the wonderful world of teachergram. Patti started out as a leading Canadian voice in the world of of inquiry education blogging, but has expanded to hosting a podcast, creating both beautiful and effective curriculum resources for teachers, sharing strategies through her YouTube channel, and she does this all while teaching a ⅘ split class here in Southern Ontario.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of ground. We talk how Patti turned her passion supporting teachers into what Madly Learning is today, how she embraces not even being a B-minus teacher, but often a C+ teacher, and we also get into some real talk about what teachers should consider before putting themselves “out there” in the world of teachergram. Stick around until the end to hear Patti’s take on why we should stop teaching writing in discrete units! 

Patti is a deeply relatable, relevant, and important voice in the world of Canadian education, so let’s get right into it. Click on the Soundcloud link to listen to my conversation with Patti Firth.

Things Mentioned in this Show:

Madly Learning website 

Teaching with Madly Learning podcast

Madly Learning YouTube channel

Madly Learning on Instagram

What happens when educators are given the time and support to address complex dilemmas in their practice? 

Today on the show we have a panel discussion celebrating 10 years of Cohort 21.

A huge thank you to Garth Nichols, Justin Medved, Ashley Domina, Ashley Bailey Davis. Laura Mustard, Melissa Jolicoeur, and Derek Doucet for being part of this conversation today.

If you want to continue the conversation, come find me on Instagram or find Cohort 21 by either going to cohort21.com or find them on their Instagram page–I love it when folks who are listening to the show tag me and who I’m talking to on the socials and share their takeaways, feedback, and insights. It’s how we build community, how we learn socially, and how we make each other better! 

That’s all the time we have for today folks, keep trying to answer those big, complex questions and remember we are teaching tomorrow.

How might we improve the teaching of writing by identifying as writers ourselves? Today on the show I speak with Jen Laffin, founder of Teach Write. 

If there is one thing that I know to be true, it is that identifying as a writer has profoundly shaped how I teach writing. I love writing, I embrace the struggle, and I have always shared that process with my classes. But stepping out of the classroom this year and looking more broadly at writing instruction through this PhD research is showing me that this “teacher as writer” stance is not commonly held. 

It is no great wonder that the Instagram algorithm led me to find Jen Laffin and Teach Write. Jen was a classroom teacher for 9 years and transitioned into mentoring teachers and designing workshops to help teachers create powerful writing practices for young people. 

This conversation is essentially two writing nerds geeking out together about something they both love. I didn’t know Jen before this interview, but as we chatted and laughed and shared stories, I felt like Jen was a long time friend, teacher buddy, and someone that I just wanted to hang out with and write with. I’m pretty confident that after listening along, you will feel the same way. And don’t worry, at the end of the convo, Jen share some ways that you can indeed just hang out and write more with her. 

Enough from me, let’s get into it with Jen Laffin. Click on the SoundCloud link to listen to the full episode:

Things Mentioned in This Show:

Jen’s Upcoming Workshop

Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide by Ralph Fletcher

Feedback That Moves Writers Forward: How to Escape Correcting Mode to Transform Student Writing by Patti McGee

How might teachers rethink science learning for all? Today on the show I pass the mic over to my friend May Lu who interviewed her friend Dashiell McGorman. So…I’m not your host, but I am Celeste Kirsh, and we are Teaching Tomorrow. 

Click on the Soundcloud link to get the full show and conversation!

This episode is coming out on Feb 1st 2022 and when I told this to May, she asked me to send a special message that wishes everyone a happy Chinese New Year and that she is beyond excited to be kicking off the year of the Tiger! 

How has the first term of my PhD been? Today on the show it’s just me sharing insights, reflections, and project ideas from this past semester of my doctoral degree. 

Hi folks! I recorded this on the 17th of January under a mountain of snow: I’ve been out shovelling three times, school and daycare are closed, and in the midst of this special brand of chaos I snuck away to record an update on my learning. In this conversation with myself, I talk about my challenges with asking for help, some of the beautiful surprises, and my current thinking around my project. Let’s go! Click on the Soundcloud link to listen to the full episode!