The Stuff I Learned About Learning: A TCEA Podcast

Guest: Rachael Welsh, Librarian, Pearland ISD Rachael Welsh, a school librarian at Pearland ISD, shares her winding path from wanting to be a veterinarian to finding her true calling among the stacks. She talks candidly about the misconceptions people have about librarians, the "refresh and recharge" corner she's built for kids who need a quiet moment, and why she pushes back on the idea that "kids don't read anymore." Rachael also opens up about book advocacy, curating difficult topics with ca

Guest: Debbie Tannenbaum, Elementary Educator at Fairfax County Public Schools, and Elementary EdTech Coach Debbie Tannenbaum, an elementary ed tech coach in Virginia, joins to talk about "screen value, not screen time." Debbie traces her path from French teacher to connected educator, shares the framework behind her "Five C's" of meaningful tech use, and explains how AI helped her team build richer, more inclusive morning meetings for students with autism. She also opens up about her "word of

Guest: Mary Eldredge, Early Childhood Librarian, Arlington ISD Mary Eldredge, an early childhood librarian at Arlington ISD, talks about her journey from teaching early childhood special education to running one of the most joyful library programs around. She shares how her ECSE background shapes her inclusive approach to storytime, why play is the foundation of real learning, and the magic of a makerspace where teachers are the ones asking questions. Mary also opens up about the "1,000 Books B

Guest: Scott Laleman,Technology Director, Medina Valley ISD Scott Laleman, Technology Director at Medina Valley ISD, joins the show to talk about a career built on a willingness to break things and fix them. From five networked classroom computers in 1997 to overseeing construction on a rapidly growing district's tenth and eleventh campuses, Scott shares how an elementary ed background became an unlikely path to CTO life. He digs into the hidden complexity of building "smart" schools, his distr

Guest: Mantha Camacho, Special Education Teacher, Plano ISD Mantha Camacho, a special education teacher at Plano ISD with over two decades in the classroom, joins the show for a conversation that ranges from Disney ears to vibe coding. Mantha traces her winding path through early childhood, middle school SPED, an ed tech company, and back to the classroom, sharing stories of students who changed her forever. She opens up about growing up with a hearing impairment and hand deformity, and how tha

Join us for Teacher Appreciation Week, where we talk to three teachers of a sometimes overlooked group - first year teachers! That's right, these three educators are just out of school and are in the classroom for the very first time. Learn how they struggled, overcame, and succeeded with their kiddos and peers, and what they'd tell other newbies just starting out. Interested in joining TCEA for free as part of free membership week? Check out https://tcea.org/membership/ for more. Featuring: