Episode 58

Unlocking Teaching Success: Strategies from Jonathan Davis and Maureen Connolly on Effective Planning

In this episode, Jeffrey Bradbury speaks with Jonathan Davis and Maureen Connolly, authors of 'Planning for Teaching Success: 30 Practical Strategies for All School Context.' They discuss the importance of effective planning, collaboration among educators, and strategies for determining learning goals and assessing student progress. The conversation also covers the significance of connecting with previous learning, organizing lessons, and reflections on their journey as authors and educators. If you are a new listener to TeacherCast, we would love to hear from you.  Please visit our Contact Page and let us know how we can help you today!

Conversation Takeaways

  • The book aims to help both novice and veteran teachers.
  • Collaboration among educators enhances the teaching experience.
  • Teachers should focus on the bigger picture in planning.
  • Understanding the 'why' behind teaching is crucial for engagement.
  • Finding joy in teaching can inspire students.
  • Organization is key for effective lesson planning.
  • Teachers need to adapt goals based on student needs.
  • Formative assessment helps connect with previous learning.
  • Routine and novelty in lessons keep students engaged.
  • The authors emphasize the importance of community in education.

Chapters

  • 00:00 Introduction to the Authors and Their Work
  • 04:06 Planning for Teaching Success: Strategies and Goals
  • 09:06 The Importance of Collaboration in Education
  • 14:00 Determining Learning Goals and Assessing Progress
  • 18:52 Connecting with Previous Learning and Lesson Pacing
  • 22:57 Organizing Lessons for Effective Teaching
  • 27:10 Reflections on the Journey and Future Plans

About our Guests:

Maureen Connolly, is an Associate Professor of Education at The College of New Jersey and a consultant for CBK Associates. She has also worked as an English teacher at Mineola High School in NY for fifteen years and coordinator of service learning grants for the New York Metropolitan Area. Maureen’s areas of educational expertise include service learning, curriculum development, literacy, standards, and assessment. She has authored several books on these topics and is currently developing a five-book series with her colleague, Jonathan Ryan Davis, entitled "Building Your Teaching Toolbox”. This series provides over 100 strategies for developing positive classroom climate, unit and lesson planning, instruction and professional development. The strategies in this series have been selected based on interviews with K-12 teachers, in varied school contexts, from all over the world. The titles of author and teacher are add-ons to the title of mom for Maureen. Helping educators do their best work is both personal and professional for her! While the most valuable praise she’s been given comes from her children and her students, Maureen can brag that she has been awarded the title of Honoree for the ASCD Outstanding Young Educator of the Year, granted the LEAD Award in Education by St. John’s University, and she was selected by Teachers for the Global Classroom for an international fellowship in Morocco. Maureen’s international experience also includes teaching and professional development in India, Ghana, Peru, Spain, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Japan. At the core of her work, Maureen’s WHY is the belief that it is the job of educators to develop purposeful learning that opens students’ eyes to the potential for positive change in themselves and in their local, national, and global communities. Jonathan Ryan Davis is an Associate Professor at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in the Department of Educational Administration and Secondary Education. Jonathan's research emphasizes strategies for preparing new teachers, including: culturally responsive teaching, classroom management, and diverse pedagogy. He is the author of the Palgrave Studies in Urban Education Series book, "Classroom Management in Teacher Education Programs," which re-envisions classroom management and how to best prepare teachers to engage in creating positive learning environments. Jonathan is now collaborating with Maureen Connolly to write a five-book "Building Your Teaching Toolbox" series published with Rowman & Littlefield that provides tried-and-tested strategies, for teachers by teachers, that can be used in ALL school contexts. Jonathan's work as a teacher educator and scholar are drawn from his years working as a public high school social studies teacher in northern Kentucky and New York City. During his decade-plus of teaching before becoming a professor of education, Jonathan served as a department chair, instructional coach, and field supervisor for student teachers. He became an Honorary Colonel of Kentucky for his work with a Kentucky state legislator who sponsored two bills written by Jonathan's students. Author Socials

About the Book

Planning for Teaching Success: 30 Practical Teaching Strategies for All School Contexts is designed for all K-12 educators, pre-service teachers, and teacher preparation faculty. This book will provide readers with accessible tools that can help them develop meaningful lesson and unit plans in efficient ways. Discover step-by-step breakdowns of how to implement each impactful strategy as well as professional reflections from varying contributors representing two different grade-levels from across the globe. Education students and novice teachers can learn from the in-depth descriptions of how to implement each strategy. Veteran teachers will be inspired by contributing teachers’ professional reflection regarding why and how they utilize each strategy. If you are looking for practical ideas from the field, look no further - this is a book designed to build your teaching toolbox with planning strategies that you will use for years to come.

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Jeffrey Bradbury

Jeff Bradbury is a globally-recognized educator, educational broadcaster, public speaker, and entrepreneur whose powerful message has inspired thousands of educators through the TeacherCast Educational Network.