What is a catch up boy? A catch up boy is a young man who has gone his entire life without guidance of a competent, confident and consistent adult male. And then, something terrible happens. It could be any number of traumas: the death of someone close, addiction, abuse, gangs, crime. And when these events happen — events that no child should experience — Eric helps these boys get themselves back on track. Through the three Cs — Competence, Consistency, and Confidence —...

At 28, Ed Latimore was stuck. At 33, Ed Latimore is on top of the world. How did he do it? By harnessing the power of momentum and pushing forward to change his life. Ed is an inspiration. In five years he joined the army, thrived as an amateur boxer, graduated with a Physics degree, wrote his first two books, and he has become one of the wisest and most influential accounts on Twitter. For his complete journey, listen to this episode of the Punk Rock Preschool Podcast. Ed combines his...

#1. Dream Big I’ve always had a desire to do things people wouldn’t even think to do — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 24, 2018 #2.  Trust Your Intuition Don’t follow crowds. Follow the innate feelings inside of you. Do what you feel not what you think. Thoughts have been placed in our heads to make everyone assimilate. Follow what you feel. — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 18, 2018 #3. Live in the Moment Be here now. Be in the moment. The now is the greatest moment of our lives...

Are we raising kids who are prepared for an unpredictable and changing world?  We tell children to follow their heart and go with their their gut, but are we giving kids the tools to even listen? Intuition can’t be taught from a textbook but it can be developed in the classroom. And while this is an area that gets little attention in our education system, it will be getting all the attention it deserves on this week’s episode of the Punk Rock Preschool Podcast with special guest Alexander...

Meet the Black Mr. Rogers! Mr. Dwayne Reed, a first year teacher on the West Side of Chicago, has already made a profound impact on so many students and teachers around the world. And he does so by bringing the positivity, freedom, and cool vibes of being a kid into every lesson in the classroom!  Sounds like Mr. Rogers to me! On this episode of the Punk Rock Preschool Podcast, Mr. Reed will give you all of the tips and strategies to generate excitement and build great relationships with...

Do you want the playbook to unlock your student’s full potential? Lucky for you, today’s guest is Annie Brock who literally wrote the book on growth mindset in the classroom! She actually wrote multiple books on growth mindset! In this episode, Annie shares incredible strategies and research to help you bring growth mindset into your classroom and into your students’ lives! A fixed mindset is the belief that talents, skills, and abilities cannot be developed; that they are fixed and set in...

Teaching is an art form. When you live and teach artistically, magical things will happen in your classroom. Today’s guest is Enrique Feldman, an artist, author, conductor, singer, speaker, composer, musician, and educator. Enrique’s approach to learning is so unique, inspiring, and up-lifting because he gives us tools and mindsets to bring joyful curiosity back into the landscape of education. Listen here to learn about Enrique and his journey in inspiring children and adults around the...

What are the stories that you want to share with the world? Telling your story and sharing parts of yourself is how we learn, connect, and build empathy. No matter the context, whether in a personal or professional setting, your story matters. Powerful stories can leave a lasting positive impact on students and teachers because they show us that we are not alone in our struggles. But the trick is — you may not realize the impact that your story can have until you share it. This is just one...

Kids live in a world where they don’t have to wait for anything. But in school, we tell them what they have to do, when they should do it, and how it needs to be done. There are few opportunities for student choice and even fewer opportunities for students to create something of their own. As kids learn to play the game of school, they learn that doing as they’re told is how you win. But what happens when kids get to college and out in the real world and there isn’t anyone telling them what...

It is time to retake control of your curriculum! As teachers, we must be true to ourselves in everything we do in the classroom. Sometimes this means trying new things, and sometimes this means not knowing if they’ll work or not. But jumping into these new experiences can be so rewarding! When you teach from within yourself, you create opportunities to transfer your enthusiasm and your excitement down to your kids — and THAT can be the biggest driver of learning more than anything that is...

Welcome back! I know it’s been a long time since our last episode but the Punk Rock Preschool Podcast is returning in spectacular fashion! This week, I am thrilled to share with you my interview with Linda Simensky, the VP of Children’s Programming at PBS. Linda is one of the most impressive human beings on the planet — not only is she in charge of children’s programming at PBS, she is also responsible for green-lighting and developing some of the most iconic and memorable children’s...

For a first-year teacher, your first week of school can be a doozy! Even though you may have tons of experience student-teaching, I don’t know any programs that let you walk into a classroom and student-teach on the first day of school. Therefore, this entirely different (and very important) world of teaching remains foreign to you until it is your own classroom and the first day of school is upon you! Then, with no practice, you are expected to explain and enforce classroom rules and...

If you want to bring the skills of the 21st century into your classroom but don’t know where to start, drop what you’re doing and listen to this episode right now! This week, we have a special guest – Kiki Prottsman – who is the Curriculum Development Manager for Elementary Curriculum at Code.org.  Kiki has an incredible story and an even more incredible mindset! This interview is guaranteed to inspire and empower you to bring computational thinking and computer science into your classroom!...

The best way to learn about personal responsibility is to live it! With this long list of classroom jobs, every student will have an opportunity to contribute to your classroom’s success! To choose jobs each week, I would write each student’s name on a popsicle stick and place a piece of velcro on the back and pull a name out for each job. This process was quick, simple, random, and fair, but you can hand out the jobs any way you see fit! The important thing is that your students are learning...

If you’re looking for the perfect themes to plan in your classroom, look no further! Bring a new theme to the classroom each week and help your students find their passions! Expose kids to the most interesting, fascinating topics that exist and let them discover the topics and ideas that capture their imaginations! In this episode, teach everything from Astronomy to Zoology and get the full run-down of the 24 themes you MUST teach in your classroom next year!  [01:55] – Introduction [04:57]...

Today we are doing our first interview on the Punk Rock Preschool Podcast, and it is not one you want to miss. Our guest today is Author, Podcaster, Graphic Designer, Coach, Entrepreneur, and Creator, Christopher Hines. Chris runs the Greatness Podcast Network, which includes podcasts on education, business, finance, community, mindset, and all the other tools for people to create their own successes. Speaking of successes, Chris hosts the Key to Success Podcast as well as five other shows!...

Has anyone ever told you that public trackers “don’t work?” I’ve heard this plenty, but I’ve seen public tracking work with my own two eyes, for myself and for other teachers. I’ve also seen teachers run their class exceptionally without any trackers, either for behavioral or academic motivation. Frankly, I don’t know how there are hundreds of pages of literature dedicated to this idea that public trackers don’t work, can’t work, will never work when there are so many examples proving that...

How do kids learn self-control and self-discipline? How can they take ownership of their educations and remind themselves to make great choices in school? Self-discipline can’t happen by accident! It comes from teachers modeling discipline and being consistent with it! Always enforcing your classroom rules and expectations doesn’t make you a disciplinarian. It makes you a great teacher because you are constantly providing reminders to your students on how to make the best choices and build...

“There are two things a person should never be angry at: what they can help and what they can not.” Plato knew the deal. This wisdom has existed for centuries! Let’s pass it on to our students so they have the work ethic and mindset to create their own futures! So how do we teach kids to stick with a problem, work hard, and persevere in the face of challenges, especially in a world so reliant on immediate gratification? How do you convince kids that the uncomfortable stages of growth are...

How do you pick the themes you teach? Do you lesson plan yourself or with a team of teachers? Do you use your school’s provided lessons or do you create your own curriculum and teach what you love? If you want more freedom and flexibility, you should take it! You deserve to have fun! Listen here and get all the tools to design a curriculum that works for you and your classroom!   In this episode, we go through a week-by-week, unit-by-unit, and even a day-to-day breakdown to help you develop...

Teaching and parent communication don’t have to be separate things. For Mother’s Day, give moms (and dads) the best gift ever – an opportunity to see their child’s growth every single day! Most parents wish they could spend the day with their child so let’s give them the next best thing! Build parent communication into your day-to-day schedule by using social media! When you post your students’ work on the wall, post it on the Facebook wall as well!  Move your classroom into the 21st century...

Are you ready for a breakthrough? At the end of the year, it’s more likely we are going to be having a breakdown! In this episode, learn how to unleash your students’ full potential in the final part of your school year so they are inspired to leave a permanent mark on history! (You can catch up on ACT I: Discovering Potential & ACT II: Unlocking Potential) In ACT III, breakthroughs are in no short supply! In fact, the entire unit is focused all around breakthroughs in art and science!...

Do you want to save money, teach kids personal responsibility, and make the school day run much smoother all at the same time? If this sounds too good to be true, you are going to love what you learn in this week’s episode! When you start the school-year, your classroom is filled with brand new crayons, sharpened pencils, untouched watercolors, and glue-sticks that have never seen their caps removed. Ahhh. Good times. But those good times soon become a romanticized memory. School kicks...

What does your perfect curriculum look like? I’m not asking about THE perfect curriculum, because there is no such thing! There is only YOUR perfect curriculum. What works for you? What do you want to teach? How can you bring energy, passion, and enthusiasm to class every day and leave your students with the skills and mindsets to succeed in the world? Find the most important, inspiring, fascinating, and attention-grabbing topics and empower your classroom with a love of learning! Teach the...