Welcome back to the Edu20/20 Podcast. This episode is all about success criteria and why it’s become one of the most misunderstood (and overcomplicated) things happening in classrooms right now.

After hundreds of classroom observations, we’ve seen it all:
• Success criteria turned into an agenda
• Success criteria that literally gives away the answer
• Success criteria used as a compliance checkbox
• And about five different definitions in the same building

So…what is it actually supposed to be?

We break down what works, what doesn’t, and how to use success criteria in a way that actually helps students instead of overwhelming teachers.

Chapters:
0:00 Why this topic is making us a little spicy
2:18 The biggest problem: no clear definition
5:08 Why success criteria can’t be one-size-fits-all
7:12 When it turns into compliance instead of support
10:02 What success criteria should actually be tied to
11:45 Using student work to build real clarity
14:20 What it looks like when it’s done well
15:44 The takeaway: don’t throw it out… fix it

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com

Welcome to the Edu20/20 After Hours Podcast. This is your official warning to not listen to this one with your kids in the car.

In this episode, we’re sharing some of the wildest, most unhinged things we’ve heard in the classroom, from students, parents, and situations that no teacher prep program could ever prepare you for.

We’re talking:
• Parent notes that should’ve never been written
• Classroom activities that took a turn real fast
• Things students casually say that stop you in your tracks
• Parent conference moments you cannot make up

If you’re a teacher, you’ve got your own version of these stories. If you’re not, just know we’re out here experiencing things daily.

Chapters:
0:00 Why this episode comes with a warning
1:05 The wild parent notes (yes… those notes)
3:56 Classroom activities gone wrong
6:20 The things students learn at home… and repeat
8:24 Kindergarten stories that should never exist
10:41 The note that got sent to the WRONG person
13:00 The parent conference that went completely off the rails
15:06 Why teachers have stories for days

#edu2020 #podcast #teachingcommunity #theedu2020podcast #teachingopportunities #education #onlineeducator

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com

Welcome to the Edu20/20 Podcast, where we take the things everyone says we “have to do” in education and talk about whether they actually make sense.

This episode is all about goals and why they so often feel like a moving target. We break down why goals feel overwhelming (or unclear), what teachers actually need, and how simplifying your focus will lead to real results.

Chapters:
0:00 Why goals feel like a moving target
4:14 The real problem with unclear goals
7:20 What happens when you actually focus
11:42 Goals during new curriculum implementation
15:25 What leaders should do differently

#edu2020 #podcast #teachingcommunity #theedu2020podcast #podcastclips #teachingopportunities #education #onlineeducator

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com

In this After Hours episode of The Edu20/20 Podcast, Shannon flips the script and puts Courtney in the hot seat.

We talk about her journey into foster care and adoption--how she went from zero kids to two in 48 hours (and eventually three) while also running a company and teaching full-time.

We get into:
• What actually led to the decision to foster
• What those first 48 hours were really like
• The reality of trauma, transitions, and daily life
• The moment they said yes to a newborn
• What educators need to understand about foster/adopted students

This one’s a little more personal, but also one every educator probably needs to hear.

Chapters:
0:00 Why we’re putting Courtney in the hot seat
1:24 How the foster/adoption journey started
5:13 The call and becoming parents in 48 hours
7:39 The reality check (what no one tells you)
10:38 The call for a baby that changed everything
11:47 Bringing home a newborn with zero prep
15:29 What educators need to understand about foster kids
16:18 The timeline story that changed everything
19:08 Why this perspective matters

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com

In this episode of The Edu20/20 Podcast, we’re continuing the conversation on lesson planning and zooming in on one of the most overlooked (but critical) parts: checks for understanding.

The reality is kids can be doing all the things and still not learning anything.

We get into what it actually looks like to monitor learning in real time, how to check for comprehension (not just completion), and how to do it without spending your entire life grading papers.

You'll hear us talk about lap logs, sticky notes, turn-and-talks, tech struggles, and how to make everything doable in an actual classroom with actual kids.

Chapters:
0:00 Why we’re talking about lesson checks (and why it matters)
3:10 The problem with monitoring for completion instead of learning
5:28 Simple systems that actually save you time (lap logs + quick checks)
8:27 Feedback, trends, and why you don’t need to check everything
12:06 What this looks like in K–2 (yes, even without writing)
13:28 The reality of tech in the classroom (and where it falls short)
17:07 The biggest mistake we see in classrooms

#Edu2020 #LessonPlanning #InstructionalCoaching #TeachingStrategies #Education

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com

Welcome to the Edu20/20 After Hours Podcast, AKA the version of us that probably shouldn’t be mic’d up, but here we are.

This episode is fully dedicated to Shannon because she casually dropped one of the most unhinged life stories we’ve ever heard and then just moved on like it was normal.

We’re talking about her first marriage inside a highly controlled religious organization, what that process actually looked like, and how she eventually got out.

It’s wild, uncomfortable, and also weirdly funny at times because…Shannon.

Chapters:
0:00 How this episode turned into “all things Shannon”
5:30 The “organized” marriage situation
10:04 What life actually looked like inside it
14:28 The escape (yes, an actual escape)
19:16 The moment everything started to click
21:00 Why this story still sticks

There’s a lot more where this came from. And yes, we will absolutely be circling back to this.

#Edu2020 #Edu2020AfterHours #TheEdu2020Podcast #EducatorPodcast #PersonalStory #WomenInEducation

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com

In this episode, we’re breaking down a game-changing practice: lesson framing.

If your students constantly ask:
“Is this for a grade?”
“Why I gotta do this?”
…it might not be defiance. It might be that the lesson wasn’t framed clearly.

We talk about:
- What “lesson framing” actually means (beyond writing standards on the board for compliance)
- How framing creates clarity, predictability, and smoother lessons
- Why your third-period lesson always hits harder than first period (and how to fix that)
- Quick ways to frame lessons without adding a ton of planning time
- How leaders can use the same framing moves to improve PD and PLC buy-in
- A real example of how clear learning targets helped students actually remember what they learned

Want more on lesson framing? Check out Courtney's blog post on Lesson Framing: edutwentytwenty.com/setting-the-stage/

Like, subscribe, and drop a comment: What’s the #1 question your students ask that makes you question your life choices?

#education #podcast #teachingcommunity #teachercertification #edu2020 #podcastclips #teachingopportunities #teachereducation #onlineeducator #educationjobs

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com

In this episode of The Edu20/20 Podcast After Hours, Courtney Dumas and Shannon Street take you behind the scenes of life on the road as co-owners of Edu20/20. When you travel across states supporting teachers and leaders, you collect stories… and we’ve collected a lot.

In this episode:
- The infamous Office Depot bathroom injury (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like)
- The gas station with the “Please don’t wipe your boogers on the wall” sign
- A steak knife mysteriously embedded three floors up in a hotel wall
- The unsettling third-floor window waver
- Courtney's sole criterium for choosing a hotel (it's not stars)
- The Airbnb snake incident (and attic extension cord situation 😳)

Make sure to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you don’t miss future After Hours episodes. You truly never know what we’re going to talk about next. Neither do we, honestly.

#edu2020 #podcast #teachingcommunity #teachercertification #education #podcastclips #teachingopportunities #teachereducation #onlineeducator

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com