Value Adds Value!

On this episode Kyle is joined by the creator of The Cutesy Class (cutesyclass.com) online store Brittanie McGregor! Not only does Brittanie (IG: @thecutesyclass) create some of the most popular teacher apparel out there she also is a passionate math teacher and coach. During our conversation we talked about how Britt strives to help every student feel the same way she does about school and learning. She also spoke of the importance of teachers taking time for themselves and stepping away from the stress of the classroom. One of our favorite things Brittanie said was her answer to the question of the best advice she's received, "It'll be ok...everything will still get done!" This was such powerful advice for teachers who struggle with the ever growing to-do list and have a serious fear that it will never go away. She explained how this is a part of taking time for herself and that she has learned the things that need to get done will always find a way to get done. It was such a fun conversation and we hope yo

Juan Gonzalez Jr. is a teacher and proud of it. We're proud to be able to call him a colleague and a friend. During this conversation with Kyle and Wil he talks about why our stories matter. Juan (IG: @teaching3rdwithmrg) has a love for reading that is infectious and passion for showing others the power that reading has to open up our world. "Reading is an insight into the world before they live it," according to Juan as he explains how we can shift students mindset to understand that books tell the same stories as TV and the internet. Juan strives to shine a positive light on education and urges teachers to let students know the why of everything that they do in order to establish the relevance of learning. And his most power piece of advice, "we don't know the impact we have on students." He stressed that we can show students that reading isn't a chore and that as teachers we are never alone in our struggles. And as an added bonus he discusses the Teach Your Heart Out Cruise in June of 2019!! So to get deta

On episode 50 Kyle is joined by Kimberley Moran of We Are Teachers. The mission of We Are Teachers is to be the best place for teachers to come to get the resources and support that they need. Kimberley is one of the editors at We Are Teachers and she discussed how they want to see teachers thrive without competition. With all of the expectations and 'professionalism' that teachers are expected to live up to she describes how teachers can create learning experiences for students. The content on We Are Teachers is for teachers and created by teachers. It is how they maintain the culture of cooperation over competition. One of the most important parts of our conversation was when she describe the process of how they select humor at We Are Teachers. Kimberley talked on how they refuse to use any humor that makes teachers or students the joke. Humor is essential for all of us, but they won't provide it at our expense. At the end she challenges teachers to READ, RESIST, AND RISE in their pursuit of improvement in

On this episode of the podcast Kyle is joined by one our favorite Canadians Gary Gray Jr! Gary (IG: @garyrgrayjr) is currently teaching abroad in Singapore after having taught in Kuwait. It was interesting to talk with someone on a Friday night in Wisconsin and have him drinking coffee on a Saturday morning because of the 13 hour time difference. During our conversation Gary spoke on the importance of kids seeing people who look like them in the classroom. Our conversation centered around him being black and male and the importance for those two groups of people to see that it is possible for them to become teachers. Gary works at a school in Singapore that is for diverse both in cultures and nationalities, but he explained how at a school like his diversity allows them to use empathy as a teacher. They foster empathy and use it to learn by embracing the need to have the hard conversations and practicing the skills it takes to make the conversations meaningful. And to top it off he gives advice to any teacher

On this episode of the podcast Kyle was joined by The Dapper Teacher himself Jon Avery. "Education is the greatest form of service," was the answer Jon gave when asked about his teaching philosophy and it sums up our conversation well. Jon spoke of how a teacher named Ms. Cross create an inclusive classroom and how that is a reflection of the classroom he's created for himself. During our time together Jon talked the need for teachers to evaluate each moment they are in to look for how they could have made that moment better and how that mentality has helped him show up authentically to his students. In this episode you'll hear how Jon embraces his personality and culture, the need to teach conflict resolution in schools, what it means to teach dapper and so much more. If you don't follow him hurry up and do so @thedapperteacher. If you want to connect with us the methods are below! We hope you enjoy this episode of The LED Project Podcast. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On this episode of the The LED Project Podcast Kyle was joined by Josie Bensko! Josie (@maniacsinthemiddle) is a rockstar 6th grade Science teacher in Illinois who sums up teaching as "the process of engagement." We thought that was such a fantastic way to describe the intersections of relationships, teaching style, and content in creating true learning for students. Josie discusses how she uses relationships, hands on activities, and music to create engagement with her students. If you follow her InstaStory you'll see all of the amazing activities that her team creates and delivers to serve their students. If you don't follow her stop what you're doing and do it! As always thank you for listening and if you'd like to connect with us use any of the methods listed below. If you want to subscribe to our newsletter and get more free content head over to theledproject.com! Instagram: @valueaddsvalue Email: podcast@theledproject.com Facebook: Lighthouse Educator Development --- Support this podcast: https://an

On episode #46 of the podcast Kyle was joined by Monica Genta. Monica (@monicagentaed and monicagenta.com) is a middle school teacher, speaker, and trainer who we're excited to see present at Teach Your Heart Out Las Vegas! Monica spoke during the show about her hunger for learning drives her everyday and it drove her to among other things learn how to DJ for a school event without any prior experience. Monica and Kyle talked about how she strives to help her students become "Captain Confidence" by owning who they are and becoming invest in their day to day education. But to put it simply her philosophy on education is to make everyone love school... including parents and teachers! Within that we talked about the importance of building face to face relationships and how teacher self care is a must. We finished up the conversation talking about her books GAME CHANGERS and 180 DAYS OF AWESOME. This episode was so fun to record and we hope that you enjoy it as much as we did. If you have questions you'd like u

On this episode of the podcast Kyle is joined by Liz Kleinrock (@teachandtransform and teachandtransform.org) to have a discussion about anti-bias education and equity in schools. Liz is a teacher, trainer and presenter on social justice and anti-bias education who has presented at SXSW EDU and has been published in Teaching Tolerance. Liz discussed her own educational experience growing up in Wasington DC and how after stops in St. Louis for college and Oakland she has found a home at a charter school in Los Angeles. Liz talked about what anti-bias education strives to do and how we can all become more aware of the biases we hold and how they are impacting our students. Liz discussed in a powerful way the need for teachers to stop underestimating the impact their words and actions have over their students and start to embrace our ability to positively impact the lives of our kids. We can all provide spaces in our classrooms for students to be reflective and have the types of conversation our country needs to

On this episode we are joined by Heather Salaz of Advancing Improvement in Education (aieconference.net or @aieconf on Instagram). We had a great conversation with Heather about her time as a full release mentor (meaning no classroom duties), the power of getting to know students to build our cultural proficiency, and November's AIE Conference that is striving to BE THE CHANGE. Heather discussed the need for us to make education more human and how she mentors teachers to meet students where they are. She explained that too often as teachers we're so focused on the end game that we don't get to know our students and where they are starting from. It was a really powerful conversation and we hope you enjoy it. Feel free to reach out to us on Instagram @valueaddsvalue, via email at podcast@theledproject.com, or on Facebook we are Lighthouse Educator Development! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On this episode we were lucky enough to be joined by the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Joe Dombrowski (IG: @mrdtimes3)! And when you listen to this episode you'll realize that he is everything you hope he'd be and so much more. Not only were we blown away by his passion for education and the teaching craft, but his authenticity and candor were unreal. Joe is so willing to authentic because his guiding principle is to 'embrace your weird' and throughout the show he discusses ways that teachers of all experience levels can do this. Joe opens up about his love for April O'Neil from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the concerns he has for the state of education, and how he has found value in his life both personally and professionally. He also mentioned that he is working on a book!! We hope you are as entertained and inspired by this episode as we were and as always thanks for tuning in. Here's how to reach us: *@valueaddsvalue on Instagram *Lighthouse Educator Development on Facebook *podcast@theledproject.com

On episode #41 Kyle and Wilkie are joined by their friend and motivational rockstar Mike Berezny (@mikeybee3)! Mike's message on how as teachers and people we must trust the process of growth really struck a chord with us. This was such a fun conversation in which Mike and Wilkie share their love of hip hop and their progression as rappers. Mike is actually a performing artist and if you follow him on social media you'll see how he uses hip hop with his students. We also discussed the value of motivation and inspiration in teaching students and how we can all work to find our inner superhero. We respect Mike so much for the way he prioritizes personal development with his students and look forward to his #mindsetmonday each week. We hope you find as much value in it as we did! As always if you want to connect with us send an email to podcast@theledproject.com or find us on Instagram @valueaddsvalue. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On this episode we were joined by Tosha Wright the founder of The Wright Stuff Chics (@thewrightstuffchics) and the Teach Your Heart Out Conference (@teachyourheartoutcon). It was amazing to hear the story of how in less than three years her and her mother have made such a gigantic impact on the teaching community through their inspiring apparel and inventive conference. During our conversation we discussed the value of teachers building authentic relationships in our urban schools, how we can better serve teachers who are new to the profession, and her mission to inspire teachers in ways that will leave a lasting impact on the profession. We hope this conversation gets you as fired up as it did us. As always thanks for listening and to connect with us please email us at podcast@theledproject.com, follow us on Instagram @valueaddsvalue, or find us on Facebook as Lighthouse Educator Development. To learn more about Tosha, The Wright Stuff Chics, and The Teach Your Heart Out Conference click on the links below.

On this episode Kyle is joined by J.R. Rivera (@_jrrivera) to talk about inspiration, purpose, and the book tour for his book "What's Eating Up Your Time." J.R. teaches at the SLAM Charter School in Miami after having spent time teaching in his hometown of Fort Myers and prior to that playing arena football. We connected with J.R. on his belief that each teacher has a unique purpose and the importance of being authentic to create relationships with students. We spoke on how teachers can strive to go the extra mile, how to create a purpose driven routine, and how he helps his kids create a vision for the future. We're excited for the continued collaboration that is in the works with J.R. and we hope you enjoy this episode. If you don't follow him on social media you should and to buy a copy of his book click the link below!! https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Eating-Your-Time-developing/dp/1978177585/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522029482&sr=8-1&keywords=What%27s+eating+up+your+time --- Support this podca

Episode #38 is one of our best yet as we were joined by CJ Reynolds (@realrapwithreynolds)! CJ teaches 9th grade English at Latin Boys High School in West Philly... INSERT THE FRESH PRINCE THEME HERE and has an incredible YouTube channel with which he puts out videos on teaching. During our conversation we talked about the value of both authenticity and vulnerability and how we models them for his boys. CJ also discussed how to "find the you" among your students meaning that if we are struggling to connect with our students we should seek out kids who were like us at that age because we can easily relate. And among other things made the point in conclusion that our job as teachers is to make sure kids feel seen and heard and challenges us to strive at that goal. It was a powerful conversation and you're going to want to follow CJ wherever you can! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRGA_FqyigEPmh5U37Yn7fA --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On this episode we are joined by Ben and were able to record in the same room. We felt it was important to talk about school safety and the idea that teachers should/could be armed. Our opinions on this topic may vary, but our discussion centers around what we theorize would be the impact on the teaching force if measures to arm teachers were put in place. There isn't a single answer to solve the problem of school safety and we don't claim to have one. We want to be a part of the conversation and hope you enjoy our show. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On episode #36 we talk about how changing your conjunctions from BUT to AND can completely change your message. As Wilkie says during the episode when you use the conjunction 'but' the excuse that follows will lurk around everything you do. When you use the conjunction 'and' it will launch you in a positive direction attacking the challenges you face. What stood out to both of us was on the tone of voice changes when using but versus and. We picked up the concept of using 'and' from Gary Vaynerchuk as we both follow him on Instagram. We think changing your conjunctions as teachers and modeling for your students how they can change theirs can reap serious dividends. We hope you enjoy episode #36 and if you have questions send us an email or follow us on social media!! podcast@theledproject.com Instagram: @valueaddsvalue Facebook: Lighthouse Educator Development --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On this episode Kyle sits down for a conversation with Rick Howden. Rick is a fellow Winona State grad who was close to Kyle's roommate in college Jared Stene who passed away in 2008. They talk about the legacy Jared left and how it lives on through the Jared P. Stene Student Leadership Scholarship, how government and education are connected, and what they future of learning is. Rick has worked in the past for Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota and brings a unique perspective on the role of teachers and education in our society. We hope you enjoy the podcast with Rick! If you have questions or topics you'd like us to cover please drop an email to podcast@theledproject.com or find us on Instagram as @valueaddsvalue. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

"It's a poor dog that won't wag its own tail." On this episode we talk about how and why we are trying to brand ourselves and our organization to join the outstanding community of educators in this country. We discuss our need to advocate for ourselves to set the example for how teachers and students can advocate for themselves. We also talk about growing our social media presence and which superheroes we would be as teachers. It'd mean the world to us to hear from you be leaving a review on iTunes or via email at podcast@theledproject.com!! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On this episode Kyle is joined by Susan Thomson who teaches Pre-Kindergarten in a private school in Manhattan. In our conversation she talks about life as a first year teacher, how private school compares to her public school experiences, and how she prioritizes herself and taking care of her health. We really enjoyed this conversation and hope that it brings you value. If you want to learn more about us follow us on Instagram @valueaddsvalue and on Facebook at Lighthouse Educator Development. If you know a teacher that would be great for the podcast or have questions shoot us an email at podcast@theledproject.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support

On this episode Kyle is joined by Brett Eaton (@motivatedbybrett on Instagram and motivatedbybrett.com) to talk about health, fitness, and the importance of teachers recharging their batteries. Brett is a personal trainer and motivational speaker in Arlington, Virginia, that shares about his favorite teacher, the value of service, why he workouts out in the morning, and so much more! We hope you enjoy episode #32 and if you have questions you'd like us to answer send us an email at podcast@theledproject.com or find us on Instagram @valueaddsvalue. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/valueaddsvalue/support