The Extraordinary Educators Podcast
Best practices, tips, and stories to help you be extraordinary in your classroom and beyond, featuring Curriculum Associates' Director of the Educator Community Sari Laberis.
The Extraordinary Educators Podcast
Teacher Appreciation with Rob Waldron
Discover the transformative power of appreciation and the heartwarming impact it has on educators far and wide, as we bring you a special Teacher Appreciation Week episode of the Extraordinary Educators Podcast. Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates, joins this episode to celebrate the influence of teachers. We explore how simple acts of kindness, such as leaving a sticky note or sending an encouraging email, can bolster morale and create a ripple of positivity within the educational community. Moreover, we delve into the necessity of self-care for educators, affirming that taking a moment for oneself isn't just a luxury—it's essential for recharging and delivering the best to our students.
Rob Waldron imparts his profound appreciation for the tireless efforts of teachers and offers his seasoned advice for fostering a collaborative spirit that not only strengthens the school's culture but also nurtures professional growth. Tune in to this celebratory episode that promises to renew your passion for teaching and underscores the significance of unity in education.
Read Sari's blog: CurriculumAssociates.com/blog/celebrate-teachers
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Have feedback, questions, or want to be a guest? Email ExtraordinaryEducators@cainc.com to connect with us!
Curriculum Associates presents the Extraordinary Educators Podcast with host Sari Laberis. Hear tips, best practices and successes to improve your teaching and leadership and drive student growth and learning. Hey everyone, it's Sari. Welcome back to the Extraordinary Educators Podcast and happy Teacher Appreciation Week. We just wanted to say how much we appreciate you and all you do every single day in your classrooms. We know this year is hard and you are seriously all champions, just thinking about the work that you do every single day and how inspiring you are and the impact that you have on your students. And so this year for teacher appreciation, we were really thinking about how to build connections with other teachers, whether they're at your school or not, and share success and how important it really is to celebrate one another, and so we wrote a blog about this and we'll link it in the show notes.
Sari Laberis:But two best practices that I just wanted to share before we get into our interview for today. First is really taking time to appreciate and value each other. If you see something, say something. Maybe you see a colleague doing something incredible. Shoot them an email. You know, stop by their room, leave a little sticky note on their computer saying great job. You know, teaching X lesson or whatnot. It can really go a long way and help them feel supported, and then potentially they'll pass on the kindness. Maybe they'll shout out another colleague Just a really nice way to make someone's day. You can also practice good self-care and encourage others to do the same. So, for example, maybe it's your prep and you're walking back from the water fountain. Maybe you pop into a classroom and just say hey, do you need anything? Can I get you more water too? Or on the way to fill up your water, you ask the colleague if they need more water. Make sure you take time for yourself. Do something for you on the weekend or after school so that you return to work feeling more rested and more focused.
Sari Laberis:And I also wanted to share just some research-backed benefits of teacher collaboration and celebration. So did you know that studies have found that teacher collaboration helps reduce feelings of isolation and burnout, leading to higher teacher retention and greater job satisfaction? So think about that. There's actual research that shows when you connect with your colleagues, you are happier, you feel more satisfied and you'll have less burnout. There's also studies that show enhanced student achievement. So researchers have reported a positive relationship between teacher collaboration and improvements in student math and reading scores. That's incredible. So not only does collaborating and celebrating with your colleagues help you, it also helps your students. There's also increased data-driven decision-making, so collaborative teams can analyze student data together to identify trends and target areas for instructional improvement. Maybe your colleague has an idea that you haven't thought of yet.
Sari Laberis:There's also studies that show that collaborating is obviously great for your professional growth and development. They provide opportunities for you to learn from one another, share best practices and potentially gain new perspectives, and also will help your school culture and community. Studies have shown that collaborative environments foster a sense of camaraderie, shared purpose and mutual support among teachers. So really think about that. You're not only helping you and your students, but your actual whole school community. It's pretty cool. You can also create more personalized and engaging learning experiences for students if you're collaborating. So studies have shown that you can combine your expertise to design diverse interactive lessons and activities for your students. And, lastly, studies have shown that by collaborating, you can improve problem solving and also your own growth.
Sari Laberis:Teachers who work together can often tackle challenges and find better innovative solutions, leading to ongoing refinement of your practices. And so, in all, research definitely indicates that collaboration and celebration has a ton of benefits for you, your students and your school community. So with that, just want to reiterate we appreciate you. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week. We hope you feel the love and to celebrate this year, as we always do, we interviewed Rob Waldron, who is the CEO of Curriculum Associates, and Rob talks about why he appreciates teachers this year and just some advice he has for you all. So here is my conversation with Rob. Welcome, Rob, we are so excited to have you back on the podcast.
Rob Waldron:Well, thanks, glad to be here.
Sari Laberis:Can you introduce yourself?
Rob Waldron:Sure, I'm Rob Waldron. I'm the CEO of Curriculum Associates. I have been in this seat now for 16 years.
Sari Laberis:Yes, I think this is our fourth time having you on for Teacher Appreciation Week, so why do you appreciate teachers? What's on your mind in terms of teacher appreciation this year?
Rob Waldron:I am the son of a single mom for some of my childhood who became a teacher and know how hard it is for teachers. So she raised you know two rambunctious boys while she was being a teacher, and so I see all the hard work, the amount of times you have to go back in and try to solve problems that nobody ever expected, problems that are well beyond student achievement but include student achievement, so I just have a. You know I grew up with a teacher, have great respect for teachers and know how hard the job is.
Sari Laberis:Absolutely. And what about in terms of right now, you know, as we head into Q2 of 2024, and what are you thinking about in terms of what you want our teachers, our partners to know?
Rob Waldron:Well, the biggest, thing you know, we have almost a million teachers and administrators on our platform. We have 13 million children about one in three K-8 children in the United States. So we have just an incredible data set, probably one of the best data sets in the world on education. And the thing that is not being said and not known is results are actually getting better, not worse. So we have the COVID struggles that we all know about it and what people call learning loss, but the truth is is we have a number of districts who are starting to show gains and those gains are getting better, and I think we all need to do a better job at celebrating that these things are back. There's a long way to go. I understand that we lost ground historically in COVID, but results are actually improving.
Sari Laberis:Absolutely. It needs to be celebrated and replicated, and teachers need to learn from each other on what's working. So that is it for today, rob. Thank you so much for being here, great.
Rob Waldron:And thank you for all the great teachers out there in America. We depend on you. You are highly loved and we have the deepest respect for your work and your craft.
Sari Laberis:Get inspired by following us on social media and please tag us in your posts on X at Curriculum Associates and on Instagram @myiready. If you have feedback about the podcast, a topic of interest or if you want to be a guest email extraordinaryeducators@ cainc. com. Please subscribe where you listen to podcasts and if you'd like to help more educators, just like you, join the conversation and please leave a review. Remember, be you, be true, be extraordinary. The Extraordinary Educators podcast is produced by Curriculum Associates, editing by Shane Lowe, social media by Atziri Hannon, guest booking by Sari Laberis and production by Hayley Browning. This podcast is copyrighted materials and intellectual property of Curriculum Associates.