The Teachers Lounge

 Teaching can be a very discouraging field. It's very tempting to gravitate to the dark side while complaining about our career and being very negative. Owen Griffith is our guest in the Lounge. He is a veteran teacher and educational blog writer (http://spirituallyteaching.blogspot.com). Owen has found that teaching gratitude not only has changed the students in his classroom but also has made him a stronger teacher. We discuss the importance of cultivating an attitude of gratitude in our classrooms and the many benefits it brings. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mr-bryans-classroom/message

 Congratulations to the teachers in the States! You have made it to Thanksgiving break! We all deserve some rest from the classroom. It's also a good time to give thanks.   Kriscia Cabral took some time to write down what she is thankful for when she goes to work as a teacher. In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, Bryan shares her top five reasons on why she is a thankful teacher. For the full article go to http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/11/top-5-reasons-im-thankful-teacher --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mr-bryans-classroom/message

 Girls rule in school. Great, right? Not to the millions of boys who are performing poorly in reading and writing, being diagnosed with learning disabilities in record numbers, and opting out of college.  Joining us is Peg Tyre, best selling author of The Trouble with Boys. Peg will be giving teachers, school administrators, and concerned parents a clear idea of the problems that beset boys from all walks of life and helping families and schools come up with new tools to ensure all children achieve their best. Check out the book on Amazon or from Peg Tyre's website at https://www.pegtyre.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mr-bryans-classroom/message

 Teachers, no less than anyone, deserve safe workplaces. These days we show a lot of concern about the topic of bullying in regards to our students. Unfortunately, very little is being done about teachers being bullied by their students, parents, and leadership at a place that is supposed to be a bully free zone.   School officials must send an unmistakable message to students that striking or threatening physical violence against a teacher will bring the swiftest and most severe consequences.  Cyber bullying is real not just with student victims but educators as well. If teachers are not safe, disrespected, and have no place to turn for support, our educational system is in serious trouble.   --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mr-bryans-classroom/message

 Joining me on the program is returning guests Dr. James Hughey and Evelyn Sellers. Together they bring a lot of experience and insight about the teaching profession. For this episode, we respond to our listeners and discuss some common problems that teachers experience.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mr-bryans-classroom/message

With the current cost of living, and the struggles of the teaching profession here in the States, many teachers are wanting change. Some teachers realize that little will change in their favor. So they make a change by teaching overseas like South Korea where the profession is better respected and the stress is less. In this episode, we talk with a young teacher in South Korea who gives us some insight into the pros/cons of teaching overseas. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mr-bryans-classroom/message

 Parent/teacher conferences can be something that both parents and teachers dread. We can get tired of the same old interactions that really did not affect change. Often this conferences take the shape of telling the parents all the “wrong” things their child is doing to earn a bad grade – or it is a time for the parents of the high performing students to come to school to hear how great their child is or is doing. Most of the time the student is excluded from the conference or not given much of a voice to advocate for themselves.  Instead of conferences, why not try goal setting meetings that are led by students? This meeting can be a positive, proactive approach to improve student achievement by facilitating a positive mindset.   Learning cannot happen if students do not understand the expectations and do not have a positive attitude and mindset. Student success is more likely with parents as part of the instructional team. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mr-bryans-classroom/message

 Teachers expect their students to listen. However, how are we as listeners to our students? Listening is an important skill for educators and it's a skill many of us struggle with. Dr. James Hughey and Bryan discuss the impact of teachers who listen.  For Dr. Hughey's “Power For Positive Living” podcast & blog posts  visit PFPL.US --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mr-bryans-classroom/message

In Smart Kids, Bad Schools, award-winning author and educator Brian Crosby (brian-crosby.com)draws on his many years as a high school English teacher to offer a candid appraisal of why our schools are failing and what we must do to save them.        --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mr-bryans-classroom/message

Are you looking for a strategy that allows you to do some lecture but also builds in time for student interaction? In this episode, I'll share the Ten Plus Two strategy from the "Let's Teach" YouTube channel found at https://youtu.be/Y2udPWz_3vg --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mr-bryans-classroom/message