Best Betsy Bird Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 325 - little blue and little yellow 30:50

1h ago30:50

30:50

While Betsy often prefers to hand Kate children's picture books to consider that are chock full of details, at a certain point she is forced to come up with books that contain none of that. And you cannot get much more basic than Little Blue and Little Yellow here. Your heroes are essentially paint swatches, after all. In the course of our conversa…

1
EP306 How to get TRUE student buy-in for your "no phone" policy (with Ashly HIlst) 27:25

6h ago27:25

27:25

Here’s an innovative way to get student buy-in for your cell phone policy, reduce distractions, and maximize class time. Today you’re going to hear from Ashly Hilst, a secondary teacher at North Clackamas Christian School in Oregon City, Oregon. Ashly has taught high school English for 7 years in both public and private schools. For the 2024 Summit…

1
Episode 324 - Tomás and the Library Lady 30:23

16h ago30:23

30:23

Kooky that we haven't done this one yet? You betcha. It's well known nationwide, been turned into lots of stage plays, and is generally a book that should be right up our alley. In the pantheon of heroic librarian books, where does this particular book fall out? We discuss the correct length of dinosaur teeth, sensible shoes, and how the HECK the a…

1
Episode 323 - LIVE FROM ALA - Who's Got the Apple? 30:44

6d ago30:44

30:44

The American Library Association's Annual Conference for 2024 may be over but here at Fuse 8 n' Kate the party NEVER stops! And we can back that statement up by pointing out that this latest episode was actually recorded AT the conference. And not only that, it was recorded WITH a special guest star! Turns out, conferences are a great way to connec…

1
EP305 5 ways to automate teaching tasks next school year to save you time 31:17

10d ago31:17

31:17

It seems like every tech tool we use has now integrated generative artificial intelligence. Open a Google Doc, you’re prompted to use Gemini to help you write. Read a post on Facebook, Meta prompts you to “ask anything” via their AI. It’s powering our phones and our email, and the customer support chatbots on nearly every website when shopping onli…

1
Episode 322 - Apple Pie Fourth of July 28:56

12d ago28:56

28:56

We are pleased to announce that with its 2002 publication date we are finally able to celebrate the upcoming Independence Day with a book that Betsy has been sitting on for years. It can be exceedingly hard to find books for this particular holiday. Even better, this consideration of this book marks the very first time the podcast has ever done a J…

1
Last chance for early bird discounts on the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek! 14:02

19d ago14:02

14:02

Get an early bird discount by July 1st when you join the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Full Year program! The full transcript of this announcement is below. ---- Hey there, it’s Angela, I just wanted to release a quick announcement letting you know that our 40 Hour Workweek programs are now open for early bird access for the 2024-2025 school year! I’m g…

1
Episode 321 - Baby, Come Out! 29:49

20d ago29:49

29:49

Betsy's logic behind this week's choice is that it is hot outside right now, so why not do a picture book featuring nudity? Now we currently live in a country where so much as a bare butted goblin picture book can get banned by Moms for Liberty at the drop of a hat. May as well go all in and do a book that unapologetically doesn't care about such p…

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EP304 Is artificial intelligence the key to a 40 hour teacher workweek? 27:33

25d ago27:33

27:33

We know there’s potential…but let’s talk about the larger implications for the profession. In this episode, I’m sharing how AI has already transformed the way many teachers work, and exploring the ethics, best practices, and future trends for AI in schools. Listen in to hear: What surprised me in a survey about schools' AI policies 3 principles tha…

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66: Hallucinating AI Spider Robots with Martha Brockenbrough 1:38:26

24d ago1:38:26

1:38:26

Author Martha Brockenbrough joins me to discuss her new book FUTURE TENSE: HOW WE MADE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE -- AND HOW IT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING. We're tackling your burning AI-related questions, such as: Should authors and illustrators be worried about AI? HOW worried? Are there ethical ways to utilize AI technology? How can AI help us, and how…

1
Episode 320 - Mr. Maxwell's Mouse 31:26

28d ago31:26

31:26

Kate's crie de coeur for more blood and guts in children's picture books once again finds its mark. Usually you might associate a book of this sort with titles of a more European bent, but Asch and son are 100% 'merican, baby. With enough weirdness to choke a cat, this one's just so very strange. Not to give anything away but we are exceedingly ple…

1
Episode 319 - The Mysterious Tadpole 32:22

1M ago32:22

32:22

Oh ho! We haven't done a Steven Kellogg re-illustration title since Pinkereton, Behave! back in 2021! This is particularly strange as The Mysterious Tadpole was always, without a doubt, a favorite Kellogg picture book of Betsy's when she was a child. For various reasons we were never able to discuss it on Fuse 8 n' Kate... until today! We consider …

1
EP303 How Danish schools embrace the slowdown and foster work/life balance (with Pernille Ripp) 1:10:59

1M ago1:10:59

1:10:59

As an educator who's lived and taught in both the US and Denmark, Pernille’s story is a revealing look into two vastly different education systems. Let's unpack her journey and what it tells us about work-life balance, societal values, and teaching philosophies. You’ll hear: Why Pernille’s family moved to Wisconsin from Denmark when she was a teena…

1
Episode 318 - Red-Eyed Tree Frog 41:25

1M ago41:25

41:25

Here in Illinois the cicadas are truly beginning to emerge en masse. As such, Betsy was kind of hoping she might be able to find a book that speaks to this. Alas, Cicada Symphony by Sue Fleiss (illustrated by Gareth Lucas) is just barely a year old. So what's the next best course of action? Locate some other red-eyed creature found in trees, of cou…

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65: Inside the Art Department, with Art Director Brian LaRossa 1:08:23

2M ago1:08:23

1:08:23

We're back from hiatus with special guest Brian LaRossa, who in addition to being an Executive Art Director at Scholastic, is an educator, pizza-maker, and all-around mensch. We tackle a variety of topics, like what IS an Art Director, how does the Art Department work with illustrators, what role do they play in the acquisitions process, how do typ…

1
EP302 Education trends, predictions, and hope for the future of teaching 49:27

2M ago49:27

49:27

As the school year comes to a close, we’re taking a step back from practical strategies, and looking at the big picture of K-12 education. Until summer, there’s not a lot of time or mental bandwidth to consider questions like, “What are the larger factors impacting our work? How are other schools handling these challenges? How do we proactively pre…

1
Episode 317 - Dinosaur Bob and his Adventures with the Family Lazardo 41:25

2M ago41:25

41:25

As mentioned on this podcast episode, Kate and Betsy truly will be in San Diego at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference to record an episode WITH a special secret guest. Many thanks to the very kind Travis Jonker (alumni of Kate's college) for sharing his recording booth with us. Today's book was a Reading Rainbow book back in the day. We detect some…

1
Episode 316 - The Three Pigs 30:46

2M ago30:46

30:46

Today, we do our second David Wiesner book (after Tuesday). Along the way we discuss the philosophy behind Wiesner's void ("Is this just the space between the stories we tell?") and how this is (spoiler alert) our 200th classic on the podcast! Woohoo!Show Notes:For the full show notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/05/13/fuse-8…

1
EP301 5 ways to make an old lesson feel fresh and interesting again (with Betsy Potash of Spark Creativity) 40:05

2M ago40:05

40:05

Bored with your curriculum or instructional routines? I’m talking with Betsy Potash of the Spark Creativity Podcast about easy ways to make things feel fresh and interesting again. Often we switch things up in our teaching to keep ourselves from getting bored. But, too much change can create unnecessary work for us. It can also waste class time for…

1
Episode 315 - Tops and Bottoms 28:42

2M ago28:42

28:42

Today we dive right in to a good spring picture book that somehow we've never done before. Even better, a Caldecott Honor title at that! We haven't discussed Janet Stevens since we did Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock a little more than a year ago. Consider this the book that made vertical picture books cool (Mel Fell owes this title a hat tip of t…

1
Episode 314 - Enemy Pie 30:50

3M ago30:50

30:50

Recently LeVar Burton suggested today's picture book on an episode of The Sporkful ("Reheat: LeVar Burton Even Reads Recipes Dramatically") and in spite of the fact that Kate was dead-on about the fact that we should have done this book for a Thanksgiving episode, we're doing it, baby! Enemy Pie was a Reading Rainbow Book back in the day, how does …

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EP300 Teaching through hormonal changes: post-partum, perimenopause, and beyond (with Dr. Jen Gunter) 34:42

3M ago34:42

34:42

This topic is definitely new territory for my Truth for Teachers podcast, and I was initially hesitant to include it because I didn’t want to overshare. However, as I began to talk to other women about this, I realized how many of us really didn’t have a good grasp on the way hormones impact our daily function. The experience is so individualistic,…

1
Episode 313 - Ginger Bear 30:33

3M ago30:33

30:33

"Crime and murder!"Do you want unspeakable violence on the picture book page? Well, folks, Kate sure did. And thanks to the suggestion of listener Rachelle, and her daughter Sarah, Betsy finally had a book that would give her just what she required. Is there blood? There is not, though honestly she got her fill of blood when we talked about King St…

1
Episode 312 - I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew 30:19

3M ago30:19

30:19

What's that? You've never heard of this particular Dr. Seuss book? Well, you're definitely not alone. If one were to rank Seuss titles from best known to least, there is no doubt in my mind that Solla Sollew would be right there at the bottom. But is there any chance that this 1965 publication might have something to say about the baby boomer gener…

1
EP299 A spring cleaning classroom guide: what if you didn’t need all that STUFF to teach well? 17:16

3M ago17:16

17:16

Do you refuse to throw anything out because you MIGHT need it one day, or find yourself holding on to worthless stuff “just in case” you need it? In this episode, I’ll share 10 things you can get rid of in your classroom this spring to make space for what you actually need and use. And, I’ll help you establish a mindset of abundance rather than sca…

1
Episode 311 - Bad Kitty 29:59

3M ago29:59

29:59

April is National Autism Acceptance Month, so Kate asked Betsy to bring her an appropriate book. Our usual rule is that we only consider books that are 20+ years old. The trouble is that most of the best books on the topic of the autistic spectrum were created within the last two decades. So we're cheating a bit this week and going with something p…

1
Dead Bird Songs - Chat and Preview 37:24

3M ago37:24

37:24

Oooh, children, gather around for Vacation Story School. While the clerg' takes a breather, they gather to discuss and share the first chapter of Brother Reid (Reid Faylor's) audiobook novel: Dead Bird Songs.If you wanna skip right to the juicy audiobook chapter, go to 22:29, otherwise enjoy our chat about writing, editing, and peeing in pockets.Su…

1
Episode 310 - King Stork 31:21

4M ago31:21

31:21

What makes an appropriate April Fool's post? How about a book that FOOLED its own art directors, editors, publicists, etc. by including copulation? I'd say that counts! In fact, you might say that Trina Schart Hyman was the ultimate April Fool's picture book creator! She snuck insults of book reviewers onto gravestones. She managed to get the missi…

1
EP298 Clock out confidently: 5 tips to get out the door at contract time (with June Link) 27:57

4M ago27:57

27:57

This episode features a sneak peek from one of the upcoming 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit sessions. You’ll hear from a teacher named June Link, whose session is called, “Clock out confidently: 5 tips to get out the door at contract time.” In this episode, June shares some helpful principles and mindset shifts, along with the exact process …

1
Episode 309 - The Gardener 30:44

4M ago30:44

30:44

Spring has sprungeth! Not that you'd know it looking at Illinois right now, of course, but we're getting close to sunnier days. To celebrate, we've decided to equinox the heck out of this latest podcast episode (I still say it can be a verb). Somehow we've never done this particular Caldecott Honor winner before, so we're going to right a great wro…

1
Join us for the FREE 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Online Summit in April 7:05

4M ago7:05

7:05

It's the only event focused entirely on saving teachers TIME! Learn from current K-12 teachers as they share their best tips for working more effectively, efficiently, and enjoyably. The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program is an online course I first created in 2015 (with a total update in 2020), and we’ve now had tens of thousands of teachers complet…

1
Episode 308 - There's No Such Thing as a Dragon 30:14

4M ago30:14

30:14

It's the Year of the Dragon and yet so far we've done precisely ZERO dragon books so far. That ends today with our first consideration of Jack Kent. The cartoonist turned picture book author/illustrator may have come to the form late in life, but he cast some indelible images in his time. Surprisingly, this turns out to be one of our more divisive …

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EP297 Feedback first: How 2 different teachers help students focus on learning, not grades 26:37

4M ago26:37

26:37

Teachers spend so much time giving feedback to students, but often kids don’t internalize it. They tune out the carefully-crafted written comments on their work, briefly register the grade they earned, and move on. So how can we help students care about improving their skills and take time to reflect deeply on their learning? In this episode, you’l…

1
Episode 307 - Finn MacCoul and his Fearless Wife 30:40

4M ago30:40

30:40

If you want something Irish, this book fulfills that desire tenfold. Now, for those of you who listen to the Fuse 8 n' Kate podcast regularly, you'll know that Kate likes three particular things in her picture books: 1. Ireland. 2. Strong women. 3. Lotsa details in the art. With that in mind, is it surprising that she adored this? In this episode w…

1
Episode 306 - Zeralda's Ogre 31:12

5M ago31:12

31:12

No stranger to controversy, we dive deep into one of Tomi Ungerer's more peculiar picture books. It's all about the consumption of children, but that's not why we get icked out by this particular title. Turns out, it has an ending grosser than anything involving the consumption of kids. Sadly, Betsy was not able to give Kate the blood and guts in a…

1
EP296 Thinking creatively about tough problems: the power of diffuse thinking for you and your students 22:29

5M ago22:29

22:29

Have you ever noticed how breakthroughs often come when you're not actively trying to find a solution? That's diffuse thinking at work: a relaxed state in which creativity flourishes. On today’s episode of Truth for Teachers, I’ll share how stepping back can lead us forward. It turns out that intense concentration isn't always the best approach to …

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