Teachers on Fire

→ Why is curiosity foundational to everything that happens in the classroom?→ How can simple micro-inquiry tasks at the beginning of a lesson set up direct instruction to follow?→ How can teachers use AI as a collaborative thought partner to amplify student thinking?Welcome back to the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.Today’s Teacher on Fire is Olivia Odileke. Olivia is an educator, author, instructional technology leader, and founder of Kampus Insights CC, where she helps schools design engaging, curiosity-driven learning experiences. With over 15 years of experience in Title I schools, she has trained thousands of educators and is passionate about helping teachers spark student thinking before delivering content. Olivia is also the creator of the Spark Curiosity EDU experience, a movement designed to help educators rediscover wonder, joy, and purpose in teaching and learning.You can connect with Olivia Odilekeon LinkedIn, on X @KampusCoach,on Instagram @fearless.educator, andat her website, sparkcuriosityedu.com.[You’ll also find helpful resources from Olivia related to this conversation at ai.sparkcuriosityedu.com, app.leadsparkteam.com, and fearlesseducator.com.]Timestamps from This Episode0:00:00 - Olivia Odileke is an education author, speaker, and teacher trainer1:51 - Curiosity is NOT just an extra, it's everything4:55 - Micro-inquiry tasks at the beginning of the lesson9:26 - The Spark Curiosity EDU "anti-conference" in Austin19:24 - The Spark Curiosity GPT Coach26:25 - What's killing curiosity in our classrooms today29:29 - Olivia's AI-generated music for educators34:20 - The AI tools she uses for her music37:11 - Unleashing Curiosity, Olivia's most recent book41:39 - How and where to connect with Olivia onlineVisit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library.

→ How can AI tools and technologies support learning in the classroom?→ How can students leverage AI tools for greater creativity and judgment?→ How can we make sure our AI policies align with mission and core pedagogical beliefs?Welcome back to another episode of the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.About This Guest, Becky KeeneBecky is an educator, author, and speaker who helps schools integrate AI to empower students as creators and support innovative teaching and learning. She designs professional learning for teachers and leaders on practical, responsible AI use—blending instructional coaching and game-based learning to make AI meaningful in the classroom.Connect with Beckyon LinkedIn,on X @beckykeene, on Instagram and TikTok @BeckyKeeneEdu, and at her website, beckykeene.com.Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

→ What does it mean to lead with curiosity over expertise?→ How can we make our schools places where the adults like to come to work?→ How can school leaders build a presence that feels more supportive, less policing?Welcome back to another episode of the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.About This Guest, Dr. Danny SteeleDanny is a former award winning principal who speaks to educators around the country about the difference they make for kids. He’s also the author of several best-selling books for educators, including The Instructional Leader in You: 10 Strategies for Every School Leader, Essential Truths for Principals, and The Total Teacher: Understanding the Three Dimensions that Define Effective Educators.Connect with Dannyon LinkedIn, on X @SteeleThoughts,on Instagram @SteeleThoughts,on his blog at https://www.steelethoughts.com/In This Conversation1:50 - Passion drift for school leaders4:09 - Leading with curiosity over expertise6:48 - Creating cultural conditions to overcome stagnancy7:53 - Staff come first, students second8:57 - Admitting vulnerability as a building leader10:31 - Observing the student experience instead of teacher performance12:09 - When an expert teacher struggles to integrate into the community13:15 - Being a supportive resource instead of a policing presence15:11 - Shouting out teachers for their great work16:49 - Building fun and meaningful traditions in your school19:14 - Danny raps about the power of good choices21:06 - Danny Steele's six education books22:19 - Danny Steele's speaking services and other resources on his websiteVisit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

→ Why must attention become the curriculum of our schools?→ How are classrooms disrupting student attention and learning?→ What is the important choice that our schools and districts must make?Welcome back to another episode of the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.About this guest, Andrew CantaruttiAndrew is an educator and writer with over a decade of experience teaching in public and private schools across Canada and the world. His work bridges classroom practice with educational theory, drawing on insights from philosophy, developmental psychology, and cognitive science to reimagine how learning environments can cultivate focus, depth, and intellectual resilience. Connect with Andrew Cantaruttion LinkedIn, on X @walledgardenedu, on Instagram @walledgardenedu, and at https://walledgardenedu.substack.com.In This Conversation0:00:00 - Andrew Cantarutti is an educator and writer with international experience1:12 - Imagining schools as walled gardens for deep attention and critical thinking4:54 - Teacher reactions to "Why Attention Must Become Curriculum"7:38 - How are we disrupting student attention in the classroom?12:49 - Why schools must avoid the Marketplace Mirror Model16:29 - Gamification of learning, "engagement"18:22 - How do we make attention the curriculum itself?27:19 - Andrew on the role of AI in schools 34:29 - The choice facing schools today37:56 - Where to connect with Andrew Cantarutti onlineVisit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

→ What hope is there for the school leader who feels constantly overwhelmed?→ What’s the most common productivity pitfall that school leaders fall into?→ How can we manage fires and interruptions without burning out?Welcome back to another episode of the Teachers on Fire Podcast, airing live on YouTube most Saturday mornings at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern. My name is Tim Cavey, and my mission here is to warm your heart, spark your thinking, and ignite your professional practice.About this guest, Rich CzyzRich is a school principal, cofounder of fouroclockfaculty.com, the author of four books on education and leadership. Rich is dedicated to creating productive environments and engaging all stake-holders in meaningful and relevant learning opportunities.Connect with Richon LinkedIn, on X @RACzyz,at his website, https://fouroclockfaculty.com.In This Conversation0:00:00 - Rich Czyz is the principal of an elementary school in New Jersey1:21 - The vision for school leaders in Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders2:45 - A misconception about productivity4:13 - One immediate shift that education leaders can make5:29 - A common productivity pitfall for school leaders8:08 - Being visible on campus as a building leader9:54 - How to manage interruptions in the weekly calendar12:00 - How to think about delegation when it feels like only you can do it13:57 - 5th Grade students do the intercom announcements15:34 - Doing the work that powers the mission before email18:08 - How to conduct a personal time inventory20:33 - Rich's daily routine, from wake-up to end of day24:47 - Managing substitute shortages27:04 - How and where to connect with Rich CzyzVisit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.Song Track Credit: Tropic Fuse by French Fuse - retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.