George

The “Numb” Feeling of Emergency Remote Teaching

I saw my brother, Dr. Alec Couros, share this short and powerful video by Liv McNeil. Please take three minutes to watch it: An incredible video by a student to show one person’s experience during emergency remote teaching. I have had a lot of conversations with educators about their students during the past few months. The … [Read more…]

By George

5 Points To Get Across in a Teaching Interview #Podcast

In the post “5 Points To Get Across in a Teaching Interview” from 2018, I wanted to share some ideas for people going through the education interview process. No matter what questions are being asked, I think we can still bring up some key points that highlight our thoughts on education. In the accompanying podcast, … [Read more…]

By George

Taking Care of the Adults

Just some thoughts swirling around in my mind… In the past few weeks, I have been discussing social-emotional learning and mental health with guests such as Tony Sinanis, Jody Carrington, and Mandy Froehlich. Why would I discuss these topics on a podcast about “Innovation” in education? This is from “The Innovator’s Mindset“: “…at the heart … [Read more…]

What Leads to Meaningful Change? #Podcast

You can listen to the whole podcast on this topic with some added stories on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, on YouTube. One of the comments I keep hearing over and over again during this time goes something like, “It has been amazing to see teachers try so many things that they haven’t done … [Read more…]

By George

Start Again Tomorrow

The above quote is something I am known for. Not just the quote, but the ability to find positive and opportunities in tough situations. I am not sure if I would consider myself an “optimist,” but I have worked to become a solution-focused person. Sometimes, I do force myself to be positive because I … [Read more…]

Creating Our Own Connections for Learning

You can listen to the full podcast discussing the post below on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, or watch it on YouTube. I read a comment on a feedback form that said something like, “These are great ideas, but how do they apply to teaching math?” Every educator, including myself, wants ideas and … [Read more…]

By George

4 Non-Negotiables for Schools #Podcast

Although this podcast on “4 Non-Negotiables” was recorded long before schools moved to “Emergency Remote Teaching,” these ideas still apply, but may look different. As you read the post below or listen to the podcast, consider these questions: You can listen to the full podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or Soundcloud, or check out the original post from … [Read more…]

By George

Accountability to What’s Important in Education

In this post, I was able to share some thoughts on a tweet by Weston Kieschnickin the post below. You can also check the expanded ideas on my podcast, as well as YouTube. Later this week, I will post a conversation I had with Weston on this topic as well. Check out the podcast on … [Read more…]

By George

7 Important Questions Before Implementing Digital Portfolios

Digital portfolios have been something that I have been work on for over ten years, and I am very passionate about not only the product it can create but, more importantly, the process. Having a space to share my learning and reflections has been powerful during this time in our world. In this post, I … [Read more…]

By George

5 Strategies for Improving Mental and Physical Health #Podcast

2019 was the year I tried to take back my own health and wellness, both mentally and physically. Honestly, 2020 has been so challenging for so many and the tips I share have also helped me during this time. The ideas I share below and in this podcast are things that have worked for me, … [Read more…]

By George

The Importance and Impact of Greetings in Virtual Hallways

“The driver for learning is social connection.” The statement above from the Edutopia video on “Making Connections with Greetings at the Door” is one that truly resonated. Check out the entire video below. “I see you, I know you, I’m connecting with you, and you’re important to me.” How powerful is … [Read more…]

By George

5 Hopes for When Schools Reopen Face-To-Face

In this week’s podcast, I discuss some of my hopes for when schools return to a face-to-face setting and dive into those ideas. You can check it out on YouTube, SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Check out the full video below, and below is a summary of some of the ideas shared in the full … [Read more…]

By George

The Quickest Path to a Destination

When I first did my internship, I had an awesome mentor teacher who helped to get my career started in the right direction. I know this is not always the case for new teachers, and as a former teacher and administrator, I know how much a great mentor can matter when you are new to … [Read more…]

By George

Always Err on the Side of Positive #Podcast

It felt like serendipity, but I received a very kind message from a good friend in Australia on Sunday morning and another from Mary Jane Burke that seemed to be interconnected. In this podcast, I share about how Mary Jane’s kindness helped me through a challenging time, but I also wanted to share the original … [Read more…]

By George

“…we are all isolated across the entire world together.”

Sometimes I write to share my learning, and sometimes I write to learn. Today I am writing to process my thoughts so bear with me. I keep thinking about this memory from my childhood. When I was probably somewhere between 8-10 years old, I remember my older brother (Alec), and I fell … [Read more…]

By George

A Focus on Connection, Finding Positives, and Growth

I have been thinking a lot about what is going on in the world and how I am responding in a way that can help others. In this video, I share three things that have helped me through this time. 1. Having a focus on building connections and relationships. It has been helpful to … [Read more…]

By George

4 Ideas for Student-Led Learning During Emergency Remote Teaching

I was lucky enough to “Zoom” in with a group of educators and was asked the following question by Carrieann Sipos, which inspired this blog post (paraphrased): Now that we have educators really focused on having students create digital materials, how can we keep up with all of the feedback? What I have learned to … [Read more…]

By George

4 Ideas to Consider for Online Learning #Podcast

I recently posted “4 Ideas to Consider for Online Learning” and I wanted to put together a podcast for people to be able to access the big ideas in a way that makes sense to them, while also reposting the original post. My podcast discusses the main ideas from the original post but provides some … [Read more…]

By George

Toward A New and Better Normal

“Change is an opportunity to do something amazing.” The above quote from “The Innovator’s Mindset” has been shared back to me seemingly 100’s of times in the past few weeks. I am going to be honest, that sometimes I get excited to see all of the opportunities this new reality is creating. Then sometimes, … [Read more…]

By George

10 Core Values for Education #Podcast

In September of 2018, I wrote the post “10 Core Values for Education” based on the “Core Values” of the online shoe company, Zappos. In this post and podcast, I share something I did that was more focused on following the rules rather than doing what was right for my students, and how creating and discussing our … [Read more…]

Author: George