Blog - Page 20 of 49 - Spencer Education

Jul 06 2020

Pajama PD: Taking an Anytime / Anywhere Approach to Professional Learning

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Professional Development No Comments

This is my latest article in a series on owning your professional learning. I love the concept of "Pajama PD." It's the idea that you can engage in deep professional learning without having to dress up nicer or go anywhere. Don't get me wrong. I…

Jul 02 2020

How to Read 50 Books in a Year (Even When You’re Busy)

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Professional Development 9 Comments

This is my latest article in a series on owning your professional learning. According to a Pew Research poll, over a quarter of the U.S. adult population said they hadn't read a book within the last year, whether that was in audiobook, ebook, or physical…

Jun 29 2020

Make Something Awesome This Summer

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Professional Development One Comment

This is my latest article in a series on owning your professional learning. Genius Hour (or 20% Time) projects begin with a simple idea: give students a dedicated period of time to pursue their passions, interests, and questions in a creative way. Made famous by…

Jun 26 2020

Three Book Club Opportunities

By John Spencer Professional Development One Comment

In my previous article, I wrote about how teachers can use book clubs as a way to own their professional development. These book clubs can be in-person or online. They can be synchronous or asynchronous. You might go more open-ended or have things a little…

Jun 22 2020

Why Every Teacher Needs a Mastermind Group

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast, Professional Development 4 Comments

This is my latest article in a series on owning your professional learning. In this series, we explore what it means to own your professional learning. This article focuses on mastermind groups. These groups are self-initiated and democratic. Members meet together to provide accountability, structure,…

Jun 15 2020

How to Use Book Clubs for Deeper Professional Learning

By John Spencer Podcast, Professional Development 8 Comments

This is my latest article in a series on owning your professional learning. This is the second in a series on owning your professional learning. Book clubs can be a powerful way to learn new skills, find new ideas, and experience paradigm shifts. Book studies…

Jun 08 2020

16 Ways to Own Your Professional Learning

By John Spencer Podcast, Professional Development 11 Comments

This is the first in a summer series on owning your professional learning. I created a sketch video as a preview. If you enjoy the video, would you click the "like" button and consider subscribing to my channel? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw53uRedr5U&feature=youtu.be Right now, teachers all over the…

Jun 02 2020

Making Anti-Racism a Priority (Lessons from My Former Principal)

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life 15 Comments

It was my sixth of teaching but everything felt new. I was in a new position (photojournalism) at a new school. So, when I heard the words, "we need talk," from my new principal, I panicked. "John, I think the morning announcements have been working…

May 18 2020

Seven Teacher-Tested Ways to Find Renewal During Distance Learning

By John Spencer Distance Learning, Podcast, Teacher Life 5 Comments

Last week, I created the following goofy video as a reminder about the differences between teaching in-person and teaching from home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adrezHg-Aj0&t=97s Subscribe to YouTube Channel While this video is a little goofy, it points to a reality that teaching from home is vastly different…

May 11 2020

Seven Reasons to Pilot Genius Hour Projects

By John Spencer Creativity, Empowering Students, Podcast, Student Choice 7 Comments

Genius Hour (or 20% Time) projects begin with a simple idea: give students a dedicated period of time to pursue their passions, interests, and questions in a creative way. In this blog post and podcast, we explore the benefits of doing Genius Hour projects. This…