On this episode of The Balancing Act, we happily welcome influencer Jessica Hawk as she shares her 32 years of wisdom and experience inside and out of her New Jersey classroom. On her self proclaimed victory tour, Jessica is approaching retirement with bittersweet memories of her years as a high…
Credited with inspiring the New York Giants towards their winning season, former teacher and current motivational speaker, Gian Paul Gonzalez, sits down with us for an end of the school year pep talk. Hailing from Union City, New Jersey, Gian Paul is here to talk us through the muddled end…
We welcome teacher and author Katie Schneider this week to discuss her extremely potent and thought provoking “viral” letter written to parents. Shared by so many across the country over many social media platforms, Katie brings her point of view to the discussion on how to help teachers balance parents'…
Spring Break is heading our way and the hosts are ready to party like it's 1999 in Cancun, Mexico. Or maybe they are just ready for some couch time. Listen for an honest discussion about what is lacking from the real partners in education, the parents. Why is there such…
Viral Instagram and Tik Tok wonder Educator_Andrea joins this week to discuss how to properly support and retain the “good ones”, the teachers who are meant to be in the game for a long time, and how we as seasoned veterans can show them all how to make the journey…
Can teachers really do their jobs effectively without parental support? Where is the team? Where is the backup system? Where is the empowerment? Join us as we discuss the ever popular and deeply controversial topic that plagues the American education system: Can we do our jobs effectively without the support…
Local hero and beloved business owner Eric LeGrand joins us for a trip down memory lane. Listen as we laugh, learn and enjoy a cup of bELieve, as Eric takes us through his morning routine, nightly pleasures and tips for taking each day as it comes. We can’t wait for…
If Mrs. Brady had Alice, how are we supposed to tackle all of this on our own? Today your hosts tackle the never ending subject of how to flip the switch from teacher to parent and back again. Whether it is helping at homework time with your own kids, driving…
Our hosts are back in action and ready to focus on the new year ahead. Listen for their words of the year and how they plan to put these words to good use in 2024. Jamie and Joe discuss the modern learner and how to attempt to adapt their classrooms…
Join us as we excitedly talk to Nick Ferroni, a teacher advocate working at Union High in Union, New Jersey. Nick was gracious enough to meet with us for a cup of coffee and talk about our favorite topic: teachers. Nick is working with various news outlets to highlight the…
Jamie and Joe are singing their way towards the New Year with a lighthearted walk through their Christmas favorites. Join the Balancing Act podcast hosts as they share a holiday Would You Rather, discuss their opinions about Snow Days, and recount their personal “peach and pit” of 2023. Warning ahead:…
Edcamp Live: The Best PD is the Teacher Down the Hall Join us as we take the pod on the road with our first live recording at EdCamp NJ. Our early November morning began with amazing guests who shared with us their first hand experiences in the field of education.…
It’s time to talk about A.I. Uh oh? Or hurry up, and let’s go? An interview with Dr. Tyler Tarver Dr. Tyler Tarver joins us to talk about Artificial Intelligence in the classroom. Dr. Tarver is an enthusiastic educator with background and experience in preschool through college level and his…
This week we discuss what it's like to parent your children while parenting your parents. Join us as we discuss our very personal experiences as members of a very difficult club as members of “the sandwich generation.” We will lean into a very sensitive topic as we share our personal…
Our hosts would like to wish a very Happy Halloween to all of our listeners who celebrate this spooky day inside of and outside of their classrooms. Whether you love or hate this day, it turns up each year to flip the little ones in our lives inside out and…
On our first Youtube episode we welcome Ann Dolin, the President of Educational Connections, an online tutoring company that pairs students and their parents with coaches that offer guidance with executive functioning, college preparedness and subject specific help. Our hosts discuss the challenges students face with organization within the online…
This week our hosts discuss how to handle the ever growing to do list as the school year unfolds and explore how to manage a full to overflowing plate of expectations and responsibilities. Whether it is learning to say no, or leaning on a friend or co worker as an…
Our hosts return to discuss back to school madness and just how to manage all of the craziness that is involved in getting yourself and your family through the month of September. Tips and best practices are the topic for this newest episode of The Balancing Act. From climbing the…
Nervous? Of course! Excited? Absolutely. Today's episode comes from the shores of Long Beach Island. Enjoy the conversation, the laughs, and the sound of the ocean! On this very special episode of The Balancing Act podcast we tackle the topic of the “Sunday Scaries.” How do you handle the back…
Part II of the premiere episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Times they are a Changin, focuses on time management and the guilt involved with being a teacher, parent and spouse. We explore balancing our own time to care for ourselves, the time it takes to care for our families…
This is it! The inaugural episodes of The Balancing Act Podcast! Let’s meet the hosts on the premiere episode, with Joseph Vitale and Jamie Wanko. Spend a minute getting to know them, and a bit about their professional experience and what they have to say about the ever changing world…