“I really wanted to be a ‘good teacher’ so I said yes to almost every request just to get approval.” At the heart of it all was the feeling that “I wasn’t enough,” says Meredith Newlin. Our guest now knows she went too far and believes she’s not alone. As we head into another exceptionally demanding school year, Meredith hopes the lessons she learned will inspire others who are struggling with similar feelings. Follow on Twitter: @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork @MeredithNewlin Meredith Newlin is entering her 17th year teaching secondary English. Her passion and purpose are to help motivate and inspire educators to rediscover—and keep— their joy for the teaching profession. She is the author of Captured Fireflies: Truths, Mistakes, And Other Gifts Of Being an English Teacher and Freed To Teach: 7 Keys To Thrive In an Era Of Uncertainty. She is also the creator of The Transformed Teacher podcast as well as a variety of workshops, online courses, and programs for teachers. She also coaches teachers who want to finish and launch their own books.

I’ve made many mistakes while overseeing pandemic learning in my district. Among them, I’ve found that too often I jump to hasty conclusions when teaching and learning are not happening as expected. Over the last year, I’ve learned the single most important thing I can do when virtual school isn’t working. Follow @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork @drneilgupta Dr. Neil Gupta is the Director of Secondary Education for Worthington City Schools and Past-President of the Ohio Association of Secondary Schools Administrators Association. He co-moderates #ohedchat and #leadupchat, and he writes blogs for BAM! Radio Network.

Keeping control of the classroom is essential.  Join us as Paul shares how he learned firsthand that communication is superior to control in his classroom. Follow on Twitter: @Harper70bd @PaulONeill1972 @bamradionetwork Paul O'Neill is an educational game-changer from New Jersey who uses the power of inquiry and reflection to shatter the status quo.

Sharing your story helps your students connect with you; however, our guest held back and as a result, damaged the relationship with a student. In this episode, we find how sharing your personal story can help students know that you care. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @basil_marin  @bamradionetwork Basil Marin, Ed.S., is an Assistant Principal at Churchland High School with Portsmouth Public Schools in Portsmouth, Virginia. Marin believes wholeheartedly that he was placed on this earth to help at-risk youth who have the mentality that they will never amount to anything. He also believes all students are capable of learning and all students have the right to an equitable education.

So I tweeted, 'There are a lot of people who have never been a classroom teacher telling teachers what to do." I expected a lot of agreement. I was surprised by the response. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @kylehamstra @bamradionetwork Kyle Hamstra teachs fifth grade math and science at Davis Drive Elementary for fourteen years. crafting learning experiences as a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) specialist. He is a 2016 ASCD Emerging Leader, a member of the Wake Science Core Leadership Team, and a member of the North Carolina Digital Leaders Coaching Network.

I brought so many assumptions about teaching into my classroom and one day I saw how one of those assumptions hurt one of my students. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @Catlin_Tucker @bamradionetwork Catlin Tucker is a Google Certified Innovator, bestselling author, international trainer, and keynote speaker. Catlin is currently working as an education consultant and blended learning coach while pursuing her doctorate at Pepperdine University. er, Keynote Speaker & Bestselling Author and author of several books. including Power Up Blended Learning: A Professional Learning Infrastructure to Support Sustainable Change.

I was so focused on my lesson and my agenda that I failed to heed a student's need for help. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @baldRoberts @bamradionetwork Mike Roberts has taught middle school English for the past twenty years. In that time, he has received numerous awards for his outstanding teaching, including being named the 2014 Utah English Teacher of the Year. Mike's most recent book is titled Chasing Greatness: 26.2 Ways Teaching is Like Running a Marathon.

I was ignorant and I assumed that dads didn't want to come to school to support their kid's education. Then I met Jason. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @Joe Smith @bamradionetwork In 2009 Linebacker Dad (Joe Smith) was awarded Father of The Year, recognized by an agency in Sacramento, CA and the state of California. Youth Development and Parent Involvement, which is LineBackerDAD’s gift. LineBackerDAD creates positive opportunities in schools, school districts and communities. LineBackerDAD, a K-12 education “Swiss Army Knife.” Follow the movement…

I learned the hard way that my job extended beyond providing support for students. I eventually realized that I'm part of a team. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @froehlichm @bamradionetwork Hans Appel has worked as a counselor in the Richland School District for the past 18 years and at Enterprise Middle School since it opened. In 2018, EMS was awarded the ASCD Whole Child Award for the State of Washington and the Global “Class Act Award” for creating a culture of excellence through kindness, service, and empathy. Recently, Hans launched his own blog about School Culture and this fall rolled out a student-led leadership podcast called Award Winning Culture: Hosted by Wildcat Nation.

When a new student changed the social dynamic in my class, took the easy way out. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @froehlichmandy @bamradionetwork Mandy Froehlich is the Director of Innovation and Technology in Ripon, WI. She also consults, presents and keynotes nationally on teacher engagement, edtech, leadership, and climate & culture. She is the author of The Fire Within and Divergent EDU, a national speaker, co-host of Teachers' Aid.

I thought I was ready for my first presentation. I expected to do well, but I didn't. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @TaraMartinEDU @bamradionetwork Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, speaker, and author of Be REAL: Educate From the Heart. Her ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change and to motivate others to become the best they can be, all while staying REAL--Relatable Exposing Vulnerability Always Approachable, and Learning Through Life.

I was so excited about what I had just learned and couldn't wait to share the ideas with my peers and staff. However, I discovered that there is a right way to do it and a wrong way. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @Jennifer_Hogan @bamradionetwork Jennifer Hogan has been a high school teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal, and not always in that order. She is currently an assistant principal at Hoover High School, the largest, most diverse high school in Alabama. Jennifer relentlessly advocates for students, believes that we all have to fail our way to success, and knows that every child needs at least one adult that he or she can depend on.

I was inflexible, detached, and demanded compliance from my students until crushed a student's vision for her future. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @bbray27 @bamradionetwork Barbara Bray is a Creative Learning Strategist at Rethinking Learning and is founder/owner of My eCoach that are both divisions of her company, Computer Strategies, LLC. Barbara is a writer, coach, change agent, risk-taker, instructional designer, connector, and believer in magical things happening in learning. She is past co-founder of Personalize Learning, LLC and is the co-author of both books, Make Learning Personal and How to Personalize Learning.

I was feeling deep dissonance, but I wasn't acknowledging that I needed to make a change. I eventually hit a tipping point. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @sarahsajohnson @bamradionetwork Sarah Johnson is passionate about leadership and helping educators thrive in their work. She has been an English teacher, building principal, and author. Due to a recent calling to pursue spreading her message to masses, Sarah has taken a leap into becoming an educational consultant in the areas of balance, resilience, and faithful leadership. Twitter ID https://twitter.com/sarahsajohnson

I was trying to do the right thing, but in the process, I mishandled a parent Follow: @jonHarper70bd @ProvenPrincipal @bamradionetwork Nathaniel Provencio is the principal of Minnieville Elementary in Prince William County, VA. He is the 2017 Washington Post Principal of the Year and a featured writer and presenter on family engagement.

Instead of confronting the conflict with my colleague, I essentially withdrew my support and stopped collaborating. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @mmnixon73 @bamradionetwork Dennis Griffin serves as the principal of Prairie Elementary School and is pursuing his doctoral studies in Educational Leadership at Cardinal Stritch University. Dennis is a servant leader that seeks to build collaborative cultures that enhance the future for ALL students, educators, and communities at large.

I'm constantly feeling guilty about not having the perfectly balanced life. Follow: @jonHarper70bd @mmnixon73@bamradionetwork Dr. Melissa Nixon has been dedicated to her work in education for over 20 years. She has served schools in central North Carolina as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and district level administrator. Dr. Nixon serves on the Phi Delta Kappa International Board of Directors and is also an adjunct professor at High Point University. As mother of two, she used her experiences in schools and life to co-author Powerful Parent Partnerships.

I'm in leadership now and I understand more clearly how unsupportive I was when I was not. Follow: @jonHarper70bd fastcrayon @bamradionetwork Amy Fast is an assistant principal at McMinnville High School in McMinnville, Oregon and author of It's the Mission, Not the Mandates. Amy is a committed educator and passionate commentator on public education in America.