On this episode, I have three of the best educators in the state of Idaho and, without any hint of hyperbole, the country. We spoke about what it’s really been like in schools over the last 19 months, how teachers are coping and rising above, and what we can do as community members to support our teachers and schools.
Stacie Christensen is a twenty-year educator teaching fifth grade in Boise, Idaho. A professional development junkie, Christensen has been awarded numerous grants to study American history throughout the nation and has served as a Civil War Washington Teacher’s Fellow with Ford’s Theatre. The state of Idaho awarded her Master Teacher status in 2020. Also in 2020, Christensen was awarded Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Idaho History Teacher of the Year, where she was also one of twelve finalists for National History Teacher of the Year. She has since been asked to the Gilder Lehrman Institute to serve as a Master Teacher Fellow, and the National Humanities Center’s Teacher Advisory Council where she is eager to work advancing the teaching and learning of history and the humanities.
Angela Hagans started teaching in 2007. She has built her career around teaching special populations, spending eight years teaching students in a gifted and talented middle school program and then moving to an alternative high school, where she taught English for six years. Angela is now the Title I coordinator and runs the intervention program for Frank Church High School in Boise, Idaho. Learning about new ideas is what drives Angela. You can often find her reading books or talking about her favorite podcast episodes.
Rick Jordan has been teaching and/or coaching for 34 years. He has taught PE/Health at Elementary and High Schools in Idaho and Montana, and coached basketball, track, and golf. In 2014, Rick became a vice principal is currently in his third year as principal. Rick enjoys dinner in downtown Boise, biking, running and golf. He has been married to Christy for 31 years and their daughter, Hayley, just began her Master’s program at Boise State University.
The books we talked about…
- We Are Crew: A Teamwork Approach to School Culture by Ron Berger
- Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
- The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Listen on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Breaker, PocketCasts, or RadioPublic.
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April Kolman 