In this episode there is a lot covered! Being amplified is Ted Kraig, a WEAC Region 7 Uniserv Director. His experience working with the teacher’s union is to help frontline educators (teachers, paraprofessionals, school secretaries, guidance counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists) maintain professional level working conditions. He has a wealth of knowledge and understanding on what it is like to be a public school employee without actually being one.  Listen to this episode to learn more about how educators are treated within the workplace. Hear about how Ted helps educators in a range of situations: education law, teacher improvement plans, salary negotiations, public school funding, professional work time, and much more! Be prepared to learn a lot from Ted - he is direct, well-versed, and clear about the educator experience in schools and how professionals should be treated. To all frontline educators who work within public schools - if you haven’t already - join your union! Whether you have a local association or not, Ted explains how you can join at weac.org/joinnow and all the support you will receive. Educators - we need support now more than ever - connect with those who have your back!  Connect with us via Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified or through email at educatorsamplified@gmail.com and give us your answer to the question: IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND AND MAKE YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE WITHIN EDUCATION DISAPPEAR, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Thank you to our sponsor: NEA (National Education Association) Thank you to our producer: Josh Evert at Silver City Studios in Milwaukee, WI Thank you to DJ DripSweat for our original music. If you are interested in learning more about education from around the nation, go to: nea.org

In this episode, it’s time to amplify Katerina - a teacher that Joanna and Hallie used to work with. Katerina is authentic, passionate, and gets right to the point. She shares her journey to becoming a teacher instead of pursuing her dreams of becoming an astronaut.   Hear what led Katerina to ‘make the move’ to leave one District and go to another, from Southeast Wisconsin to Chicago Public Schools. They discuss, in detail, the two top reasons for leaving education: #1 is salary and #2 is administration. And listen to how Katerina, Joanna, and Hallie all have their own way of relating to these reasons to leave.   They dive deep into serious issues going on in schools with students, like rising mental health, self-medicating, and extreme behaviors. It’s a raw conversation, but to them it’s a ‘typical day at the office’.    Hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as they loved chatting again. Connect with us via Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified or through email at educatorsamplified@gmail.com THANK YOU to our sponsor: NEA (National Education Association) THANK YOU to our producer: Josh Evert at Silver City Studios in Milwaukee, WI THANK YOU to DJ DripSweat for our original music. If you are in education within Wisconsin and want to join your professional organization now, go to: weac.org/joinnow If you are interested in learning more from around the nation, go to: nea.org

Joanna and Hallie talk with a (past) student for the first time on the podcast! Xavier talks about his experience as a student and now as a parent in school. Hear an authentic and raw conversation about what it was like for him, a hyper student who was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, to navigate the school system. He talks openly about the benefit of his meaningful relationships with three teachers that helped him manage his education experience.  Xavier’s bottom line is that it’s all about the approach and comes down to understanding. Plus a reminder to all students - you are loved. If you want to hear a student’s experience in school, this is a MUST LISTEN! Also, don’t forget to RSVP to our Educational Event on March 4th 2023 - Flyer & RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/NziZqJMXYW8TGE5D8   Connect with us via Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified or through email at educatorsamplified@gmail.com THANK YOU to our sponsor: NEA (National Education Association) THANK YOU to our producer: Josh Evert at Silver City Studios in Milwaukee, WI THANK YOU to DJ DripSweat for our original music. If you are in education within Wisconsin and want to join your professional organization now, go to: weac.org/joinnow If you are interested in learning more from around the nation, go to: nea.org

In this episode Joanna and Hallie are dreamin’ - they’ve got big ideas for how schools can transform in 2023 and beyond! And when they say “dreaming”... they actually can *see* this being a reality.  They work through what they see, hear, and are within education to chat about how schools can transform to spaces where children’s needs are met in developmentally meaningful ways. From the teenage mental health crisis to a concerted effort to privatize education - they cover it all. It all boils down to nervous system regulation y'all!  Take a listen and let us know what your thoughts and hopes for public schools are!    Connect with us via Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified or through email at educatorsamplified@gmail.com THANK YOU to our sponsor: NEA (National Education Association) THANK YOU to our producer: Josh Evert at Silver City Studios in Milwaukee, WI THANK YOU to DJ DripSweat for our original music. If you are in education within Wisconsin and want to join your professional organization now, go to: weac.org/joinnow If you are interested in learning more from around the nation, go to: nea.org

Joanna and Hallie start by talking about the added stress in our lives right now, especially during the holiday season. It’s *insider info* and expertise that teachers understand from working with children that this time of year isn’t always “the most wonderful time of the year”. Our guest today, Allie, is in her third year as a classroom teacher. She started her career during a global pandemic and teacher exodus. She is authentic about hardships and of questioning herself during the start of her career. She asks the question a lot of teachers identify with: are we ever ‘good enough’? Allie, Hallie, and Joanna chat about how they know each other and Allie’s immediate connection and inspiration to teach nervous system regulation in the classroom. She expresses how it has served her as a teacher and her ability to manage it all with this base-level understanding.  Lastly, hear about Allie’s experience within WEAC - from Aspiring Educator to Early Career Educator (ECE) to Local President - she gains her energy from her work with WEAC. In the words of Allie, “joining the Union is a kind of a no-brainer”.  Enjoy!  Connect with us via Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified or through email at educatorsamplified@gmail.com THANK YOU to our sponsor: NEA (National Education Association) THANK YOU to our producer: Josh Evert at Silver City Studios in Milwaukee, WI THANK YOU to DJ DripSweat for our original music. If you are in education within Wisconsin and want to join your professional organization now, go to: weac.org/joinnow If you are interested in learning more from around the nation, go to: nea.org

In this episode, Joanna and Hallie talk with a Global Leadership Director (wowza!), the optimistic education researcher himself: Dr. Michael Fullan. Michael is an advocate for educators and explains how he writes what he captures from people on the frontlines within education. He has a clear way of expressing what’s going on in schools and how we can work towards making schools a place teachers and students can grow and learn. Hear about how Joanna and Michael linked up through the concept of how schools are ‘Academic Obsessed’. Also, hear about how they have evolved to working together, including an op-ed titled “When It Comes to the Teacher Shortage, Who’s Abandoning Whom?”. (Links below to read more about it) Most importantly, Michael is hopeful and inspires Hallie and Joanna (and hopefully you, the listener!) about where we can head in education when we ground in what’s working and offer effective, breakthrough solutions to the problems we face right now.    Take a look at the article that brought Joanna and Michael together about ‘Academic Obsession’: https://michaelfullan.ca/3460-2/ Link to the article Joanna and Michael co-authored, “Who’s Abandoning Whom?”: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-when-it-comes-to-the-teacher-shortage-whos-abandoning-whom/2022/08). Article Michael references in the episode, “6 Reasons Out Students Should Be Seen As Changemakers”: https://www.edweek.org/technology/opinion-here-are-6-reasons-our-students-should-be-seen-as-changemakers/2022/09 Other Shout Outs during the Episode: Kevin Kumishiro WEAC PDI Conference NEA - National Education Association   THANK YOU to our sponsor: NEA (National Education Association) THANK YOU to our producer: Josh Evert at Silver City Studios in Milwaukee, WI THANK YOU to DJ DripSweat for our original music.   If you are in education within Wisconsin and want to join your professional organization now, go to: weac.org/joinnow If you are interested in learning more from around the nation, go to: nea.org

We made it back, baby, and it’s a new school year! Have educators come back energized? How many new teachers are new at your school? What are you seeing and hearing at your public school? In this episode, Joanna and Hallie talk about what they see and hear throughout multiple school districts across the state and nation now that we are back to school. They chat about what it’s like to be sitting in the ‘professional development’ meetings that educators have to come back early to school for. They identify the juxtaposition in schools between why teachers are in schools and what they are told to teach and its polarities.  The good news is: Educators are now able to identify what they can and can’t take on this school year - healthy boundaries are being set! There is a larger community effort and understanding of the devastating effects of the privatization efforts on public schools - more people are standing up and speaking out! Educators are doing amazing, creative things - let’s bring more of it into our schools! Something to remember: “don’t look up, look around,” tell us what that statement means to you - email us at educatorsamplified@gmail.com or message us on Facebook and Instagram at Educators Amplified.  Here’s the article Joanna references about Cell Phones & Schools:  “Teachers Tired of Fighting Cell Phones in Classrooms”  Link to the episode where we were guests on SpearHead Conversations: Educators Amplified on SpearHead Conversations Link to Joanna’s article that she co-authored with Dr. Michael Fullan: “When It Comes to the Teacher Shortage: Who’s Abandoning Whom?”  THANK YOU to our sponsor: NEA (National Education Association) THANK YOU to our producer: Josh Evert at Silver City Studios in Milwaukee, WI THANK YOU to DJ DripSweat for our original music. If you are in education within Wisconsin and want to join your professional organization now, go to: weac.org/joinnow If you are interested in learning more from around the nation, go to: nea.org

Joanna and Hallie from “Educators Amplified” have partnered with Dr. Tim Slekar and Dr. Johnny Lupinacci from “BustED Pencils” to create an Education Media Collaboration Extravaganza! They’ve come together to offer a K-12 teacher and higher education perspective, because when we hear from each other we can work towards solutions to problems.  The four of them talk through many layers within education. They discuss what’s not working in education: a lack of teacher autonomy, the profession being built on sacrifices, products overly purchased, the harm that occurs because of the hyper focus on academics, and how the conversations about education continue to be about high-quality material. They also talk about what could be done in schools right now: meet all of children’s needs (physical, social, emotional, intellectual), prioritize children’s rights, understand the human nervous system, and overall regulation.  There is a lot that needs to be done, and it starts with individuals becoming humble, reflecting on what they think schools should provide in our society, and “unlearning” the biases we bring to education. Let’s transform our schools from an academic endeavor to a unifying space around justice, equity, and empowering our youth - this is the start to Tim, Johnny, Joanna, and Halie’s collaboration. Enjoy! Give Dr. Johnny Lupinacci, Dr. Tim Slekar, and BustED Pencils some LOVE on Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified or email at educatorsamplified@gmail.com THANK YOU to Josh at Silver City Studios, DJ Dripsweat, and WEA Academy for your original music, skills, and sponsorship!

Hallie and Joanna amplify more results from the survey that educators have been responding to. Go to tinyurl.com/BeHeardEducators, to take the survey if you haven’t already. Then, there is another educator on the podcast - Zach!  Zach highlights how teachers may have felt they were in a “Goldilocks district” until 2020 exaggerated and exposed the hierarchy system within education. He eloquently outlines how decisions are made from people with no 'skin in the game’ because there is a lack of communication between who makes the decisions in a school versus who’s working with students on a daily basis. Hallie, Joanna, and Zach discuss the incredible resilience of students and the importance of creating communities within the classroom. They are noticing the deep compassion children have during difficult times.  Lastly, Zach shares how he has transcended his anger to focus on things that “give him Life”, which tends to be union work. He describes how an under-shared benefit of being part of the union is the feeling of being empowered because we work towards something bigger than ourselves. Everything about the union is a win-win situation.  Give Zach some love and let us know your thoughts - on Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified or email at educatorsamplified@gmail.com THANK YOU to Josh at Silver City Studios, DJ Dripsweat, and WEA Academy for your original music, skills, and sponsorship!

This episode breaks it all down (not literally), Hallie and Joanna offer a different perspective on how to look at what’s going on in our school system. To begin, they give the first update on the Educator Survey they’ve been encouraging educators to take… honestly, it looks exactly as they predicted – not so good. Hallie and Joanna discuss four main reasons people are either leaving or considering leaving the education profession. Go to: tinyurl.com/BeHeardEducators, to take the survey if you haven’t already. Next, Hallie and Joanna discuss student behaviors - aggressive, disengaged, and passive compliance - and how all of these “behaviors” are actually student’s needs not being met. This ends up not being much of a surprise, when they break down that only 25% of needs are addressed in our school system.  Finally, they discuss how standardization has magnified issues for everyone in schools. A way of describing education right now is: “teaching is telling and learning is the lesson” and then they share a comparison of the disconnects between students and the school system.  And even with all of this - Hallie and Joanna can *feel* that the allies are aligning! Amplify your voice! On Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified or Email at educatorsamplified@gmail.com THANK YOU to Josh at Silver City Studios, DJ Dripsweat, and WEA Academy for your original music, skills, and sponsorship!

In this episode, Hallie and Joanna start out by discussing how they are doing - hey, educators, we are you - we are exhausted, too! Joanna shares how what we really need right now is stabilization in our schools: teaching about the foundation of sleep and the importance of water intake, nutrition, moving our body, and stress management. This leads them into discussing Adverse Childhood Experiences (things that prevent development and success) and Benevolent Childhood Experiences (protective factors that aid children when highly stressed). IMAGINE if the priority in education were in the benevolent childhood experience list … seriously imagine it! Then we have Stephanie come on the podcast - eight year elementary teacher and local Union leader - to offer a calm and clear explanation of what she has experienced in the classroom and as a Union president. Her direct experience in the classroom with children has opened her eyes to how taking care of stressed children - like getting outdoors and going for a walk - are not prioritized and questioned. This mismatch of priorities led her to get involved with her local Union within a group called COME Forward (Caucus of Millenial Educators) and how the connection and work she did made her feel like she mattered. She was empowered to work towards ‘waving the flag’ to let those in charge know that something ‘needs to give’ within education. As a local Union leader, she’s been able to grow professionally and has kept her in the teaching profession this long. We are the power behind the change we need! Be in touch! Connect with us through Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified & ANYONE can email us at educatorsamplified@gmail.com LISTEN TO EPISODE 5:  On our website: Educatorsamplified.podbean.com Or wherever you listen to podcasts. THANK YOU to Josh at Silver City Studios, DJ Dripsweat, and WEA Academy for your original music, skills, and sponsorship!

In this episode, Joanna and Hallie talk about what no one else is talking about: what needs to change in our schools to make things better. So, BIG PICTURE, what needs to change? Leadership and the structure of how schools operate. There is a need to define the problems correctly, in order to come up with solutions because there is a full out effort to dismantle public education, which has caused fear and compliance within education and has led to exploitation within the profession. Hear them talk candidly about what educators are experiencing within the current school structure and how it's affecting the profession.  Then hear their energizing thoughts about the Launch Party they hosted in November 2021 at Third Space Brewery in Milwaukee, WI. Additionally, hear the voices of educators who were at the Launch Party and what they feel needs to be amplified at this time.  SHOUT OUT to Tim Slekar at BustEd Pencils - another great advocate for public education and he has his own podcast as well. Find his podcast, BustEd Pencils, wherever you listen to Educators Amplified or on his website: www.bustedpencils.com Be in touch! Connect with us through Facebook and Instagram @EducatorsAmplified & ANYONE can email us at educatorsamplified@gmail.com LISTEN TO EPISODE 4:  On our website: Educatorsamplified.podbean.com Or wherever you listen to podcasts.

We have our first teacher guest on the podcast - Heather!  First we discuss Hallie’s experience of presenting at the WEAC Professional Development Institute in November 2021. She’s still thinking about it, feeling good from the connection, and overall feeling hope! Then we get into talking with Heather, a “cowboy” of electives in education, and advocate for a just public education system. Listen to our conversation about: student/staff exhaustion, how challenging teaching is now, the increase of eating disorders of youth (especially in our “high-achievers” in school). We ponder if people are willing to work towards systemic change, what that looks like, and how schools should shift to a “power with” structure. We highlight how teachers and students are treated more similarly than we may realize within this “top-down” system.  And amidst all of it - we still have hope for the future in education!   Additional resources about teens, mental health, and eating disorders: Newsclip Heather references in the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6sxULjDYuU Other related articles:  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/28/well/family/teens-eating-disorders.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/well/mind/covid-eating-disorders.html https://milwaukeenns.org/2021/07/29/some-health-providers-see-surge-in-eating-disorders/ https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2021/11/23/holidays-plus-pandemic-could-be-a-dangerous-mix-for-eating-disorder-risk--experts-say

In this episode we discuss the foundation of everything we talk about and where we’re coming from … REGULATION! Regulation is rooted in trauma research, connects to our human body, and helps our mind be at ease. Regulation is all about being at-ease and balanced – and who doesn’t need that these days?!?! We go beyond just explaining what it is, and offer applicable ways to bring regulation into your life, school, and classroom.

Welcome! We start by introducing ourselves and sharing our experience within education thus far.  Hallie has been teaching for 12 years and is considered a Millennial educator, Joanna has been teaching for 26 years and is a Latina educator; together they have taught for 10 years in an innovative, alternative education program that integrates well-being and academics within the classroom.  Come listen, relate, and join in the conversation!

Welcome! WE SEE YOU - WE HEAR YOU - WE ARE YOU This podcast is for educators! Educators are teachers, paraprofessionals, school secretaries, school counselors, psychologists, social workers, school nurse, school lunch staff, custodial and cleaning staff. Plus parents and supporters of education are welcome to hear what’s really going on in our public schools. We want to inspire and empower educators to harness their power within to reclaim our profession!