Welcome back to the TechEd Clubhouse Podcast, where we smash the status quo of traditional teaching and bring real talk to real classrooms. In this episode, I sit down with Marlena Hebern—former teacher, co-creator of EduProtocols, and all-around EdTech disruptor.

We break down:

• What an EduProtocol is (spoiler: it’s not another worksheet in disguise)

• Why most “tech integration” misses the point

• How lesson frames like Iron Chef, Sketch & Tell, and Number Mania build actual learning and not just point-getting

• Why open-ended routines are essential for building agency, equity, and deeper thinking

• How Smart Start routines set the tone for a year of student engagement

• How EduProtocols support collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication—without eating up your whole prep period

• How to keep learning student-centered without surrendering the reins

We also touch on:

• How to use EduProtocols with fidelity and flexibility

• The biggest mistakes teachers make when trying to use tech

• How to scaffold rigor, support ELLs, and make learning meaningful without losing your sanity

This one is full of hard truths, practical examples, and no-BS advice you can actually use tomorrow.

• Sketch & Tell – Think-pair-share with purpose

• Iron Chef – Fast, focused, and fun research and reteaching

• Number Mania – Crowdsourced data turned into powerful visuals

• 🔗 EduProtocols Website

• 🔗 EduProtocols Templates & Resources

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• ✔️ Subscribe to the podcast
  ✔️ Rate and review to help spread the word
  ✔️ Share this episode with a teacher who’s still assigning digital worksheets

  
  

  
  

  What’s one boring assignment you can swap with an EduProtocol this week? Tweet it out using #TechEdClubhouse or DM me @coachthomastech.

  
  

Let’s cut the fluff—death-by-slideshow is not the way to start your school year. In this solo episode, Dan breaks down why you should ditch the rules-and-procedures lecture and how to launch your year with a small, high-impact Project-Based Learning (PBL) activity that sets the tone for real engagement.

Forget the “All About Me” coloring sheets. Instead, empower your students to fix a real problem, co-create the classroom culture, and build something that matters.

Dan shares:

• 3 reasons why starting the year with PBL is a game-changer

• 3 easy starter project ideas you can run in any class

• A cheat sheet for making it work with no budget and little prep

• A challenge for you to compare two classes—one with PBL, one with slides—and see the difference

• Culture > Rules: Start with habits, inquiry, and ownership instead of a contract.

• Small Projects, Big Impact: You only need cardboard, curiosity, and a problem worth solving.

• Make It Personal: Projects like “Fix Something at School,” “Redesign the Rules,” and “Solve a Personal Problem” help students feel heard and valued from day one.

• Skip the Grade: The reflection is the assessment. Ask: What did you learn? What would you change?

“Don’t tell them this class is different—prove it. Let them build something. That’s how you earn buy-in.”

• Curipod for anonymous, interactive student input

• CoachThomasTech.com – for blog posts, PBL ideas, and contact info

• LEGO, craft materials, markers, cardboard—whatever you’ve got on hand

Try a mini PBL project this week and tag Dan on social media @coachthomastech. Whether you fix the pencil problem or redesign the rules, share what your students create.

Want help brainstorming a PBL kickoff for your class or school? Reach out to Dan directly at coachthomastech.com or message him on Twitter/X.

In this episode of The TechEd Clubhouse, I sit down with Rae Hughart—teacher, speaker, author, and founder of the Teachers Deserve It movement—to get brutally honest about professional development, time-saving hacks, and what teachers really need to thrive in today’s classrooms.

Rae isn’t sugarcoating anything. She’s talking about howeducators are overworked, under-supported, and often stuck with outdated PD models that just don't cut it anymore. Together, we dig into how to flip that script—offering teachers choice, agency, and time back in their day.

We talk about:

• Why PD needs to work like real teaching—differentiated, practical, and personalized
• The power of micro-learning and teacher-driven goal setting
• How Rae and her team support over 21 states (and counting) with hands-on coaching and a fully loaded Learning Hub
• Why paraprofessionals, new teachers, and special areateachers can’t be left out anymore
• Her mission to help 1 million teachers by the end of 2025
• And why it’s OK to ask for help, even if you don’t know the solution yet

Whether you're a new teacher, a seasoned vet, or an admintrying to make PD not suck—you’ll get something out of this.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• “Stop surviving. Start thriving.”
• PD shouldn’t be a 6-hour sit-and-get. It should look likegreat teaching.
• Give teachers TIME. Thirty seconds saved here and fiveminutes there add up fast.
• Let teachers set their own learning goals—and then support the hell out of them.
• It’s not just about student data. It’s about teacherretention and sustainability.
• Rae’s team is basically your on-demand assistant. Got a pain point? They’ll solve it.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

💻 TeachersDeserveIt.com

🔑 The Learning Hub (with Free Trial)

📘 Teachers Deserve It Book by Rae Hughart & Adam Welcome – Get it here

📌 Free Digital Downloads

📣 Join the Facebook Community

📱 Follow Rae on TikTok & Instagram: @RaeHughart

👋 Connect with Rae Hughart:

Website: https://www.teachersdeserveit.com

Twitter/X: @RaeHughart

Instagram: @RaeHughart

Facebook: Teachers Deserve It Group

🧰 Tech Ed Clubhouse Tools of the Week:

🎯 Rae’s top PD tip: Try standing while conferencing with students—boosts efficiency by 33%

🧠 Pro Move: Don’t hoard tools. Share them. Nothing’s behind a paywall that shouldn’t be.

🗣️ Call to Action:

🔥 Want to join a PD movement that doesn’t suck?
➡️Head to teachersdeserveit.com and try out the Learning Hub. Use the free trial, download everything, and cancel if it’s not for you.

🧱 And while you're at it, join the Facebook group—even if you just lurk. Trust me, you’ll find value.

🎧 About the Host:

I’m Dan Thomas—retired after 32 years in the classroom, butnot done disrupting education. I bring conversations that matter straight to teachers who give a damn.

Follow me:

Twitter/X: @coachthomastech

Podcast: TechEd Clubhouse

Blog: coachthomastech.com/blog