Episode 22: Looking for the “Heart” of Classroom Discipline

Feature Interview: Paula Wick and Michelle Slekar (My better half) talk about the “Nurtured Heart Approach” with “intense” children as an alternative to traditional discipline. Activist of the Week: Tammy HoltanArnold. What Would Matt Damon’s Mom say about “zero tolerance” discipline? The Schools Our Children Deserve: Emily Kaplan is an elementary teacher and blogger featured… Read more »

Episode 21: Democrats and Republicans on Public Education: The Sound of Silence!

Feature Interview: Ruth Conniff (Editor and Chief of The Progressive) gives us a behind the scenes look at what went on at the Democratic and Republican Conventions concerning public education. Big Question: What’s a Progressive to do? Activist of the Week: Dr. Andre Perry from The Hechinger Report. What Would Matt Damon’s Mom say about… Read more »

Episode 20: Teacher Education 3.0 with Ken Zeichner

Feature Interview: Ken Zeichner reminds us how the Every Student Succeeds Act promotes “fast track” teacher education and then details how teacher education 3.0 might be the only way to save professional teacher education at the college and university level. Trending News: Another Relay Graduate School of Education opens its doors. #WWMDMS about fast track… Read more »

Special Episode of BustED Pencils: What are the Schools Our Children Deserve?

Feature Interview: Alfie Kohn BustED Pencils talks to prolific author Alfie Kohn about his 1999 Book, The Schools Our Children Deserve. After we talk to Alfie get ready!  We will ask a who’s who list of education activists the question: What are the schools OUR children deserve. When it comes to talking about the Schools… Read more »

Episode 19: Punk Rock + Education = One Kick A$$ Show!

Feature Interview: Punk Rocker and Kick Ass Educator, Martin Atkins! Activist of the Week: DJ Hostettler of Unintimidated Trending News: Releasing well adjusted humans back into society. WWMDMS?: What about those “well adjusted humans?” Moment of Zinn: Inspiring words. LETS BUST SOME PENCILS!

Episode 18: It’s “easy being GREEN” for Dr. Jill Stein

Feature Interview:   Dr. Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate “Presumptive Nominees” Trump and Clinton.  But what about Stein?  Wait till you hear her powerful ideas on public education! Fully Leaded Education News:  Trump the bully   Activist of the Week: Emily Kaplan (blogger for Defending the Early Years) — Not just teaching, but making public all things… Read more »

Episode 17: Grit? You Ain’t Got NO Grit!

Feature Interview: Dr. Andre Perry Founding Dean of Urban Education at Davenport University, Grand Rapids, MI; Writer for Hechinger  Andre joins us to discuss the racist assumptions behind the push to teach “grit” to minority students. Fully Leaded Education News:  Opt Out Bullying   Special Activist of the Week/WWMDMS: Howard Zinn! Matt Damon’s Mom, Nancy, gives us… Read more »

Episode 16: Is this the Revolution we’ve been waiting for?

Check out this episode for nothing but “in your face” truth and justice.  Jed and Tim interview Chicago social studies teacher Monique Redeaux-Smith.  Wait till you hear her talk about teaching poor children of color the history of testing in America and her students’ response to opt out. Our Activist of the Week is an… Read more »

Episode 15: Rockin in the History Classroom

Get ready to “Bang Your Head!” In this episode of BustED Pencils, Jed and Tim spend time with American history teacher Mr. Andrew Larson. What’s so cool about Mr. Larson? He decided to combine American History and Rock and Roll into a high school course. What’s he going to teach? Listen and find out. Don’t… Read more »

Episode 14: No Excuses. No Excuses. No Excuses!

You know what they say, “Excuses are like @ssh0les$, Everybody has One.” In this episode of BustED Pencils, Jed and Tim talk to Jim Horn about his new book, Work Hard, Be Hard: Journeys through “No Excuses” Teaching and explore the world of “no excuses” charter schools through the voice of teachers. Our Activist of… Read more »