Teachers Aid

Humor well used can be an amazing tool for engaging students and bringing joy into your classroom. Tune in for some tips on how to get students laughing and thinking more. @mzteachuh @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Ed Dunkelblau, Ph.D. is Director of the Institute for Emotionally Intelligent Learning and Past president of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. Diana Loomans is founder of The Quantum Life Institute and author of The Laughing Classroom. Melanie Link Taylor teaches both general ed. and Special Ed. She blogs on education topics.

Students who don't develop the ability to manage conflict can fall prey to a panoply of problems in later life. In this segment our guests share strategies for empowering children with critical conflict resolution skills. Follow: @Teach_Preschool @KarenNemethEdM @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Karen Stephens served as Director of Illinois State University Child Care Center. Today she writes and delivers staff development training. Sandy Heidemann is the Numbers Work! classroom coordinator and has been in the field of early childhood education for over 35 years. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed.,over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education. Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. is an dvocate for high quality early learning for dual language learners. She is co-host of the weekly #ELLChat on Twitter.

The end of a long school day can be tough for students as well as teachers. In this segment, our guests offer their best ideas for closing out the last few minutes of the day. Follow: @vincent_kristen, @Angela_Watson @TeacherJenCarey @mzteachuh @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Angela Watson was a classroom teacher for 11 years and is currently an educational consultant. Kristen Vincent, Responsive Classroom Program Developer & Consulting Teacher, & co-author of article, "A Simple, Joyful Way to End the Day". Melanie Link Taylor teaches both general ed. and Special Ed. Jennifer Carey is Director of Educational Technology at the Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Florida.

Evolution, global warming, same-sex marriage, civil rights. All of these topics can be tough to teach. In this segment our guest provide some guidelines. Follow: @danbrownteacher @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Diana Hess, Senior Vice-President of the Spencer Foundation and author of Controversy in the Classroom: The Democratic Power of Discussion. Bill Bigelow the co-author of Rethinking Columbus and A People's History for the Classroom. Dan Brown is a teacher and director of the Future Educators Association.

In this segment we look at formative and summative teacher evaluations and discuss what teachers can do to support more valid and effective assessments. Follow: @InnovativeEdu @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork W. James Popham, a UCLA emeritus professor, is the author of Evaluating America’s Teachers: Mission Possible? (Corwin, 2013). The author of more than 30 books, 200 journal articles, and 200 research papers, he has studied the evaluation of teachers throughout his entire career. Lisa Nielsen, author of the book Teaching Generation Text, is a long time public school educator who has worked in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. Award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator.

Social media is potentially a powerful tool for connecting with parents. What is required to make parent/teacher social media work? Follow: @kathycook1, @Joe_Mazza @KleinErin @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Kathy Cook is Director of Educational Technology and a faculty member at the University of Phoenix College of Education and a former K-12 teacher. Dr. Joe Mazza serves as K-12 Director of Connected Teaching, Learning & Leadership in Pennsylvania. He is the Innovation Coach at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. Erin Klein is a second grade teacher, blogs at Kleinspiration.com and also blogs for Scholastic as a member of the National Writing Project.

Some schools and teachers have strict policies against teachers engaging students on social media. Other schools and districts say the biggest mistake you can make is to not engage students through social media. Listen to the pros and cons. Follow: @kathycook1, @thomascmurray, @KleinErin @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Kathy Cook is Director of Educational Technology and a faculty member at the University of Phoenix College of Education and a former K-12 teacher. Tom Murray serves as the Director of Technology and Cyber Education for the Quakertown Community School District in Bucks County, Pa. co-founded and moderates both #sbgchat and #edtechchat. Erin Klein is a second grade teacher, blogs at Kleinspiration.com and also blogs for Scholastic as a member of the National Writing Project.

Managing challenging behavior is part and parcel of being a classroom teacher. In this segment our guests explore the drivers of disruptive behaviors, discuss traditional methods of responding to disruptive students and offer proven strategies. Follow: @docrappaport @jesslahey @NancyFlanagan bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Dr. Kaye Otten is currently a behavioral and autism specialist for the Lee’s Summit R-VII School District in Lee’s Summit, Missouri and co-author, How to Reach and Teach Children with Challenging Behavior. Dr. Nancy Rappaport is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of School-Based Programs at the Cambridge Health Alliance and co-author, The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding & Teaching the Most Challenging Students. Jessica Lahey is an educator, writer, and speaker, a formermiddle and high school English, Latin, and writing teacher, and is currently a correspondent for the Atlantic, a commentator for Vermont Public Radio, and writes the bi-weekly "Parent-Teacher Conference" advice column for the New York Times Motherlode blog. Nancy Flanagan is a retired teacher, with 31 years as a K-12 Music specialist.

It's that time of year. Teachers around the nation are beginning to focus on assessments and test prep. Our guests say that test prep can actually be fun and offer specific strategies you can use immediately. Follow: @AngelaBunyi @KleinErin @burgessdave @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Dave Burgess is a teacher and highly sought after professional development speaker well known for his creative, entertaining, and outrageously energetic style, and the author of Teach Like A PIRATE: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator. Angela Bunyi is a K-6 Academic Interventionist outside of Nashville, Tennessee, publishing over 100 blogs, magazine articles, lessons, and unit plans through Scholastic. Erin Klein is the second grade teacher, Erin Klein blogs at Kleinspiration.com and also blog for Scholastic.

This is the time of year when both students and teachers can feel exhausted by the grind of the school year and slip into a slump. Our guests share practical tips to help students and teachers over the hump. Follow: @shellyterrel @burgessdave @RichardCash @TeacherJenCarey @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Dave Burgess is the author of Teach Like A PIRATE: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator. Richard M. Cash, Ed.D. is the former Director of Gifted Education for the Bloomington Public Schools, in Minnesota. Jen Carey Director of Educational Technology at the Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Florida. Shelly Sanchez Terrell is a teacher trainer and online instructor, author, co-founder of the award-winning #Edchat movement.

In this segment we explore why some students don't listen, and what teachers can do about it. Follow: @Geoffreyp1 @danbrownteacher @mzteachuh @bodymindchild Geoffrey Caine coauthored 9 books building bridges between neuroscience, psychology and education. Isis Artze, Asst. Dir., Center for the Advancement of Teaching, & author of article, "Active Listening: Seven Ways to Help Students Listen, Not Just Hear" Melanie Link Taylor teaches both general ed. and Special Ed. Dan Brown is a teacher and director of the Future Educators Association.

It's tax time, so we invited a tax expert to come on and answer some common teachers' tax questions. In this segment we get updates and guidelines on the educator expense deduction, unreimbursed expenses, conference costs and side work. Follow:@coolcatteacher @michaelbrubin @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Association. Michael B. Rubin, CPA, CFP, is the author of Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck and The Savings Solution. He is also the founder of Total Candor, a financial planning education company, and a frequent media contributor. Vicki Davis is a classroom technology teacher and author of Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds.

There are few things more frustrating to a passionate teacher than an unmotivated student. Why are some students unmotivated? What can be done about it? Our guests share useful insights and practical solutions. Follow: @kathrynwentzel @tonybaldasar @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Dr. Kathryn Wentzel is a Professor of Human Development at the University of Maryland, College Park. She recently, a book titled, "Motivating Students to Learn". Dr. Allen Mendler, trainer, author, develops effective frameworks and strategies for educators to help difficult youth succeed. Tony Baldasaro is the Chief Human Resource Officer of the Virtual Learning Academy.  

Quiet, calm minds learn better. Unfortunately, students are increasingly stressed about life inside and outside of class. In this segment our guests offer strategies to help students stress less. Follow:@danbrownteacher @Larryferlazzo @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Linda Esposito, LCSW is a psychotherapist/Anxiety Saboteur. Larry Ferlazzo teaches English, Social Studies and International Baccalaureate classes to English Language Learners in Sacramento, California. Melanie Link Taylor teaches both general ed. and Special Ed. Dan Brown is a teacher and director of the Future Educators Association.

Many teachers see transitions between classes, or from one activity to another, as a potentially chaotic time where all sorts of things can go wrong. Our guests today offer decades of their collective experience on how to make transitions more smooth and less stressful. Follow: @teachpreschool @flourishingkids @vincent_Kristen@bodymindchild @bamradionetwork Michaelene Ostrosky is Head of the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois. Kristen Vincent is co-author of the NEFC book Closing Circles: 50 Activities for Ending the Day in a Positive Way. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed.,over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education as a teacher, director, curriculum writer. Joan Young is an elementary school teacher San Francisco Bay, and a clinical psychologist."