It might seem weird to say, but it doesn't matter if you are teaching a skill to an animal or a child, many of the principles of learning are the same. When your dog successfully lays down on command, you reward it with a treat. That's positive reinforcement and the same principal can be used to teach a variety of skills to all sorts of people (and animals)!

Mary Barry has certificates in Behavioral Science and Animal behavior and has over 15 years experience teaching positive reinforcement for horses and other animals. She has 30 years experience teaching science and has been a speaker and participant in numerous conferences on science and positive reinforcement. During the pandemic, she started Malba Books and is now a children’s book author who makes learning to read an enjoyable process for 4 & 5 year olds by using rhyme and repetition.

In this episode, Mary explains to us the core components of using positive reinforcement to teach skills. She discusses key aspects of the method, such as finding the specific type of rewards to positively reinforce a behavior, as well as acknowledging that each student learns differently and the stage at which you reinforce may look different for each student. She also discusses her time as a children's author and how these same principals of teaching inform her writing.

Special education students are first and foremost...students! And they don't just exist in the special education classroom. These students are in our dance classes and on our little league teams, and just like any other student, they want to be included and feel success. How they get to that point might just look a little different. 

Shelley Kenow is a Special Educator with 30 years experience in the field, who now works with families and school districts as an IEP Consultant. She’s been quoted in US News and World Report and is also the author of Those Who “Can’t”...Teach, a book containing the true stories of special needs families to promote acceptance, inclusion, and empathy.

In this episode, Shelley explains to us some common ways that instructors, coaches, and educators can better include special education students in their classrooms, and provide accommodations that allow the student to feel success. Shelley emphasizes the importance of communication with both the student and the parent, as well as creating a culture to teaches the general population to embrace those with disabilities in a way that is both accepting and encouraging. You can find more about Shelley's work by following her on Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram!

STEM and art are often seen as opposites. One is full of logic and reasoning and the other is creative and beautiful. But these two topics aren't mutually exclusive.

James Thornock is the operations manager at Coder Kids, which teaches kids grades K-12 coding skills both in person in the Houston area and online. James is also a former history teacher who brings an incredible insight about how coding can impact all areas of growth for students.
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In this episode, James explains how his approach of teaching coding to students forces them to use logic to problem solve, as well as encourages creativity to push them to new heights. James believes in giving students the tools they need to succeed and then getting out of the way and letting them explore. This approach forces students to think critically while broadening their horizons to realize all the amazing things they are capable of doing.

Many students have a lot of big feelings which they can't specifically name. Others have loads of energy which they can't control. 

Liz Torres Zocchi, the owner of Mindful Yoga With Liz, an award winning yoga studio in the Hudson Valley, NY. Liz holds 14 certifications from babies as young as 6 weeks old to adults. She teaches students in her studio, as well as in local schools and even other teachers in her Kids Yoga Teacher Training.
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In this episode, Liz explains to us how she uses the power of yoga to teach students how to handle those emotions and feelings. Through her teaching methods, students become empowered to better control their minds and bodies, and thus improve their ability to grow and learn. If you have a student who struggles in this way, you'll want to listen into this conversation and hear how you can get students to take control of their learning.

Welcome to "How to Teach Anything". Are you a coach, instructor, or teacher? Whether your focus is sports, art, or education, we take a look at how the best teachers in their field have mastered the art of instruction. By looking at a variety of activities, we not only become smarter and stronger ourselves, but can apply what we’ve learned to teaching others, whatever the subject may be!

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