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We strive to highlight the great things that educators are doing around the world. It is our hope that by featuring these outstanding educators, you are challenged, informed, and encouraged. Thank you to all of our special guests. We are grateful for your dedication to education and your expertise.
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Tenywa Richard is the founder of the Kyotera Brass Band Community Youth. This non-profit organization in Kyotera, Uganda serves orphans by training them in music skills, supporting their basic needs, and bringing hope to their lives.
Together, Tenywa and Raymond are dynamic teachers that have devoted their lives to rescuding orphaned children off the streets, providing them with food and basic needs, all while teaching them to play a musical instrument. Their community band performs throughout the year, and is also a means of funding to ensure the children’s basic needs are met.
Connect with Tenywa, Raymond, and the organization through social media or donate to their mission through
Kyotera Community Brass Band Go Fund Me
TENYWA RICHARD & RAYMOND SSEGAWA
Teachers are Changing the Lives of Children in Uganda
Season 4, Episode 12
Educational opportunities look different everywhere you go. For some, it is learning in a homeschool environment where parents are the sole providers of education. For others it is a public school system who leads a student for thirteen years. Still for others it is private education with the finest teachers and experiences that money can buy. In this episode, the Teach Bigger team travels around the globe to uncover a compelling story of two young educators who are giving their lives and resources not only to educate but also provide for some of the most impoverished children on the planet. Tenywa Richard and Raymond Ssegawa are rescuing homeless orphans off the streets of Uganda to give them the gift of education and the skill of playing a musical instrument. This story of hope and sacrifice will challenge you to do something big.
Nick is a band director based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Stone of Hope Youth, a non-profit organization that works hand-in-hand with local school districts to provide year-round mentorship programs to guide disadvantaged boys from the inner city in their everyday lives.
Nick received his Bachelors of Music Education from Sam Houston State University, he is currently the Western Division Committee Chair for the Music Ed Alliance Foster Project, and he holds numerous awards and recognitions including the Music for All Educator Spotlight in 2017, a presenter for the Midwest International Band & Orchestra Conference, and the 68th Annual United Nations Civil Society Conference.
Connect with Nick on his website www.stoneofhopeyouth.org
or through social media:
NICK GONZALES
Mindset is the Foundation for BIG THINGS!
Season 4, Episode 11
A teacher’s greatest impact is on the minds of young people. If we can shape a student’s thinking about their value as an individual, we can change the trajectory of their lives. The Teach Bigger Team speaks with educator Nick Gonzales. Nick is a public-school band director and also serves as the Founder and Executive Director of Stone of Hope Youth. Stone of Hope Youth is a non-profit organization that partners with public schools in Salt Lake City Utah and the surrounding areas to provide mentors for boys in their everyday lives. Nick shares his work and reveals the power that we all have to do big things.
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Troy is the Founder of Texans for Public Education, a non-profit organization that educates and unifies voters around the key issues in public education. He received his BFA in Acting and Directing from Sam Houston State University, and holds a M.Ed. in Education Administration and Supervision. He holds numerous awards and recognitions including the 2008 Who’s Who Among Community Leaders award, 2010 HEB Excellence in Education District Winner, and the 2016 TSNAP Region 6 Testing Director of the Year.
Connect with Troy on his website www.texansforpubliceducation.com
or through social media:
TROY REYNOLDS
How a Teacher Can Impact a State
Season 4, Episode 9
Teachers have impact. Their impact reaches to their students, to parents, colleagues, and some even see their reach grow to something bigger. Mr. Troy Reynolds is the Founder of Texans for Public Education and in this episode, he shares the impact that he and other teachers are having across the state of Texas to support public education. He shares powerful insight that will inspire you to doing something big in your arena and reminds us that kids and relationships must come first.
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Stef is currently a 5th Grade Science teacher in Texas. She earned her Bachelors of Multidisciplinary Studies from Texas Lutheran University and her Masters of Curriculum and Technology from Grand Canyon University. She has been awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Secondary Science for the State of Texas in 2011. She is currently working on “Station Mania” – a program designed to compile best practices and specific how-to information to run stations in the classroom.
STEF GROVES
Science Changed My Life
Season 4, Episode 7
Many teachers begin their career, and through an amazing chain of events, teaching finds them. Stef Groves joins the Teach Bigger team to share her journey and explain how discovering the art of Science has changed her life. This episode will excite and empower you not only to look at Science differently, but to think out of the box and teach bigger!
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Sarah is a board-certifed music therapist. She received her Bachelors of Music in Music Therapy from Sam Houston State University and is certified by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).
SARAH PARKER
The Impact of Music on Learning
Season 4, Episode 6
Everyone loves music. It is a part of who we are as people. Did you know that music can have a profound impact on learning? The Teach Bigger team welcomes board certified music therapist Sarah Harper to the show. She explains music therapy and how it is used in the classroom, as well as shares some practical examples for teachers to incorporate music into the learning environment. She also gives steps that every teacher can take to care for their mental and emotional health and overcome stressful situations.
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Aaron teaches high school math, serves as the Mathematics Department Chair, and is the Instructional Technology Specialist for his campus. He earned is Bachelors of Economics with a Minor in Mathematics from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. He earned his Masters of Educational Administration from Sam Houston State University in Texas. Aaron is currently compiling research over the impact of social and emotional health and the development on learinng.
Connect with Aaron on his website: www.aarontomhave.com
and on socialmedia:
AARON TOMHAVE
What if Great Culture and Relationships are Not Enough?
Season 4, Episode 5
There has been a major shift in education over the last decade to emphasize positive relationships and culture in the learning environment. At Teach Bigger, this is the heart of what we believe. What happens when this paradigm is not enough and kids are still struggling? What do you do when you have great relationships and culture, but there are still barriers to learning for some students? The Teach Bigger Team welcomes a truly incredible educator, Mr. Aaron Tomhave to the show. This wild and innovative math teacher shares his incredible journey and helps us understand what to do next when everything is good, but kids are still falling through the cracks.
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Billie is a 5th grade, self-contained teacher in a private school.
BILLIE PARKER
The Calling of a Teacher
Season 3, Episode 15-16
Often as we get overwhelmed and exhausted from the profession of education, we can begin to question if we have what it takes to be a teacher. However, there are some characteristics that great teachers share. In this two-part episode, the Teach Bigger team interviews special guest and inspirational teacher Billie Parker. They discuss the character traits that can strengthen your work in the classroom as well as explore the approach that Billie has taken to see tremendous social and academic growth with her students. Whether you are considering the teaching profession or have been teaching for years, you don’t want to miss this amazing interview that will encourage, challenge, and inspire your next weeks in the classroom.
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Kenneth is an assistant principal for a 6A high school in Texas. He is a graduate Sam Houston State University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Secondary Education and his Masters of Education in Educational Administration. Kenneth was named Teacher of the Year in 2013 and received the Humanitarian award in 2020.
Connect with Kenneth:
KENNETH SHIELDS
Administrator Speaks Out About Restarting School
Season 2, Episode 15
Kenneth joins the Teach Bigger team as they discuss the shutdown and the effect it is having on students, teachers, and administrators. This episode is a candid look at the real impact on the local school. Kenneth shares great advice to help administrators help teachers and students get back into the learning environment.
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