Author: communications

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Heartfelt messages of appreciation were written by Bingham High School students and delivered to every single teacher at the school.

On this episode of the Supercast, find out why so many students jumped at the opportunity to tell teachers how much they care in a project that resulted in 3,300 personalized cards being delivered to classrooms and bringing some teachers to tears.

We're talking with some students here at Bingham High School, some of our student officers, about the project of writing cards for teachers. Tell me about how this happened and how it felt to express gratitude to your teachers.

Student #1:
Well, we had some time during the day to do the climate survey, the climate change survey, and a couple other things, and then they said, if you wanna do a form for your teachers and just thank them for all they do, You can do that, it's optional, but I mean, if you wanna take some time to thank your teacher, go ahead. 

And so I think a lot of us took advantage of the opportunity to fill out that form and just thank some of our favorite teachers that we know truly care about us and just want the best for us. So I took some time to write some to some of my favorite teachers and ones that have helped me a lot throughout my years in high school. I'm a senior, I'm graduating soon, so I just wanted to thank them. I thought that was an awesome way. I'm glad the administration put that together. And yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
As a senior graduating, coming to the end of 13 years of public education, do you look back on teachers throughout your years and the impact that they've had?

Student #1:
Oh yes, for sure. Yeah, there are so many teachers, I mean, throughout elementary school and middle school, and now in high school that have really just been there for me and been there to help me. And when I've struggled, I just know that I could rely on them and they're always there to help.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the things you remember writing your cards to teachers?

Student #2:
Just telling them that they made me excited to go to school and school hasn't always been the best atmosphere for me personally with learning and just friends, but teachers really make it a safe place to be and they want you to learn. And that is super important to me. And I've had a lot of teachers, I could say every teacher's had a really good atmosphere to help me learn and help me grow. And you can just tell that everyone at Bingham really, really cares about their students and want us to succeed and go on, and it's really cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
I remember those classrooms too. Where you knew, I'm going to walk in this classroom and it's going to feel good. And there's going to be something engaging and interesting for me to do that's going to push me and move me to places I hadn't been. 

Student #2:
100%.Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about for you?

Student #3:
For me, I was just thanking my teachers for all they'd done. I wrote one to my choir teacher. I started singing choir at Bingham, so it was my first year I was scared.  And he helped me just fit in with the class and it was really welcoming and now I love choir and it's definitely one of my favorite classes. So my teachers, they're just so nice and I was just thanking them for all they do to make me feel safe at the school and help me develop my education further.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about you? Do you remember some of the things that you said?

Student #4:
Yeah, so I wrote a lot about personal interactions that I've had with the teachers and I think for me, personal interactions with them, like make it or break it. And treating my teachers like they're my friends, you know. I like treating them with respect, and they also treat me with respect. And I think I'm really grateful for that. So showing that and being able to reciprocate that in a letter and them being able to read it on my behalf is so cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
Looking back on the year, are you able to see kind of the progression? Like you start out kind of wondering what's this class going to be about. And now you get to this totally different place. And really, to me, that's what's amazing is how the relationships form over the year. It's kind of imperceptible and then you look back and you realize just how far you've come.

Student #4:
I'd agree. I think that like, I don't know, I feel like at the beginning of the year you're a little nervous like going into the first day of school. It's like, oh I don't know what to expect. What's going to change and what's going to be different from last year? But I think you grow and develop as a human throughout, I don't know, this is my junior year so very big year for me, just a lot of decisions. And I think there's a lot of personal growth and I think teachers helped with that. They're coaching me along the way and like helping me become the person that I want to be. So, yeah.

Student #2:
I agree. I think that throughout the year the teachers can, their excitement for that subject and what they're teaching is contagious and it's really helped me know what I want to do. Like specifically my physics teacher, Mr. Fish. He is amazing and he just really cares about us learning and it's made me think about how I want to apply that to maybe my future career.

Anthony Godfrey:
Fantastic. Any other parting thoughts about your teachers?

Student #1:
I just, I personally think that the choice is up to them if they want to make the class super fun and engaging, or just do the bare minimum, and there are so many teachers that just, they want it to be engaging. They go out of their way, they take time outside of school to make school a place of learning, but also a place of fun. And with that, I think that me as a student, I like to give more respect to that, and I think a lot of other students do too.

Just because that's hard to put in that much effort and that much time to try and just make the class something fun and not something that will bore students. And with that, you know, it just makes me a lot more grateful to see all the hard work they're putting in. As a result, I just, I have a lot of respect for them. So yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much.

Students:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's nice to meet all of you.

Stay with us when we come back. Jordan School District's Teacher of the Year received a stack of handwritten cards of appreciation from students. Find out what they said and Andrea Call’s reaction. 

Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian? Commercial pilot? Programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant. These are just some of the programs offered as part of Career and Technical Education. CTE in Jordan School District. CTE provides the technical skills needed to prepare students for future employment or for a successful transition to post-secondary education. Career and Technical Education provides work-based learning opportunities. We partner with industry experts to offer apprenticeships and internships with students working in the real world at real jobs while going to school. The CTE experience starts in our elementary schools with the Kids' Marketplace and grows through middle and high school. To explore all CTE has to offer in Jordan School District visit cte.jordandistrict.org today and let's get your child started on the pathway to a profession.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here at Bingham High School celebrating Andrea Call, the Teacher of the Year for Jordan School District. How do you feel Andrea?

Andrea Call:
I'm shocked, I'm honored. Yeah, I feel like I represent so many amazing teachers so I hope I can do well.

Anthony Godfrey:
There are a lot of amazing teachers out there and you are certainly one of them. There's a great teacher in every classroom in Jordan School District but I've been so excited to be able to be in yours and to see you teach. To see really the connection that you have with students it's really something. And the connection that you made with the adults who have been in the classroom as well. 

We were there for “Miner Tank” we did another Supercast episode about that. We just talked with some students about the project of writing thank you cards for teachers. So Andrea, as hard as it is to read things about yourself, would you mind pulling out a couple of the cards that you received? A couple of the thirty, I think it's thirty-three hundred cards that were written here at Bingham, and just read a couple of those for us if you would.

Andrea Call:
Okay.

“Hi Mrs. Call, I just wanted to thank you for believing in me. You were the first teacher since elementary school who had faith in me. So I thank you for that.”

“She is always there to talk to.”

“ She is kind. I love her style of teaching and the activities we do to tie in the lessons. She is my favorite teacher.”

“She is absolutely the best teacher at the school. She is a gem and a prize in our school community. She goes above and beyond for her students.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, that feels pretty good. They're not even about me and it felt great to hear those cards.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, but I am sure that if we had another teacher here reading it would be the same because I do feel like most of the teachers at Jordan District really care about their students. We have such a unique group of teachers and staff that support and care about the students and so I feel like we could read hundreds of cards about everybody.

Anthony Godfrey:
Every student has a teacher of the year in their mind.

Andrea Call:
Absolutely.

Anthony Godfrey:
What would you say to the students who took the time to write these cards, voluntarily,  as part of their school day?

Andrea Call:
I feel like these thank-you notes are probably the greatest gift and greatest payment that you could possibly give a teacher. Because I just feel like hearing that you have made a difference, that you have actually impacted a student is the best thing for a teacher.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about what it was that made you want to become a teacher.

Andrea Call:
Oh gosh. I feel like I have always felt sort of a responsibility to, I don't know, help and serve those around me. Oh gosh. And I feel like being in education is probably the most impactful way to do that. And we, you know, being a teacher is one of those things like you don't know if you're doing it well, and it's not really until students kind of come back and sort of say to you a couple years later, like, you helped me, what you taught me has impacted me. And to me, that's what it's about. Is helping students just be good humans and recognize that they have another adult cheering for them.

I mean, I don't have to do that because you know your parents you kind of discount because you're like my mom and dad, they have to love me. But you know your teachers we really don't, we choose to. And so I think for me that is really impactful for my life, is choosing to love and serve.

Anthony Godfrey:
You have described very well that unique relationship between teacher and student. It doesn't have to happen. Just because you're in the same room at the same time doesn't mean there's automatically a connection. It's when teachers like you reach out and give of yourself and have that focus on service, and caring, connecting. 

And you're right. There is no number. There's no test. There's no analysis that provides you that type of feedback about the impact that you've had. Sometimes it's years later and it can sometimes be a student that in the moment didn't seem all that engaged with the class, necessarily.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, those are the best actually. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, exactly when you don't expect it. Tell me about some of the things that you've heard from students over the years.

Andrea Call:
I feel like most of it is you know, “you help me see the world in a different way.” “You help me, you know learn how to learn.” “You help me value myself and believe in myself.” That those are probably the most impactful, you know. And then I do enjoy the students that go to college and are like “you taught me everything I needed to know in marketing and so my class is easy” so that helps me.

Anthony Godfrey:
For those who haven't had the chance to be in your classroom talk about the classes that you teach.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, I teach a lot of business classes so I teach Business Communications. I teach Business Leadership. I teach Marketing and then concurrent enrollment Marketing, and then the Entrepreneurship Academy and the school store so a lot of practical business classes.

Anthony Godfrey:
And the entrepreneur class is the one that I was able to visit where we brought in business leaders who really helped mentor throughout the year students who have their own ideas and their own business projects. Tell me a little bit about that.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, that actually has been so fun because students have looked for like a problem that they see and then they've come up with a solution on how to fix it. Which is what an entrepreneur is. And then they've been able to develop that idea into businesses and have some guidance from people who have started businesses and been wildly successful. And even if they've decided that they don't want to continue the business, they've learned so many things just about being an entrepreneur or just being a person in business or having a job.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you've already referenced it, but there are lots of things that your students take away from your class that have nothing to do with business or marketing.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's problem solving, and I think from what I saw, I feel like it's a sense of efficacy that they know ‘Hey, if I apply myself and really try this I can do something I didn't think I could do.’

Andrea Call:
Yeah, absolutely. Honestly for me those soft skills, those real-world skills are probably more important than the content, you know, because you can Google the content.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right, and those skills are going to apply to a wide range of circumstances throughout their lives.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, yeah for sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about teachers in your life that have had an impact.

Andrea Call:
(laughs) - I mean, so many teachers in my life, and especially the ones who were able to believe in me when I couldn't believe in myself. I mean, there have been so many in so many different areas. I feel like, honestly, I have the attitude that most people that I come in contact with, I have something to learn from, and so honestly, there are so many.

Anthony Godfrey:
When you're interacting with as many high school students as you do, that's the perfect attitude to have. There's something to learn from everyone. I remember learning things from my students all the time.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, I learned so much from them. I actually learn more from them sometimes than I'm sure they learn from me.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it's a great concentration of humans that get to interact and learn from each other and make connections that just don't go away. So, any thoughts for those who may be considering being a teacher? Either adults who are thinking of coming to teaching or students who are thinking about pursuing it early on as a career?

Andrea Call:
Yeah, I mean, I feel like we desperately need more people who want to be teachers. And I think a lot of times we worry like, well, maybe we don't know the content area, but I think if you care about people, it's one of the best professions for you to be in. I'm not gonna lie, there's not a lot of money in it, But I do feel like there's a huge reward. So, and that matters. And at the end of your life, I feel like that may matter more.

Anthony Godfrey:
Absolutely, absolutely. Thank you for being our Teacher of the Year, Andrea, and for being an incredible educator.

Andrea Call:
Thanks.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a time to reflect on memories that will last a lifetime while looking forward to the future.

On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with some members of the graduating class of 2023. Find out who inspired them to succeed and what's next as they make new memories in their journey beyond high school.

Introduce yourself and tell me about a teacher or adult that's been impactful for you at school.

Linda:
I'm Linda and I'm from Riverton High School. And a teacher that has been impactful for me through school. I'm so grateful because I had the opportunity to have so many great teachers in my life. I remember in third grade I had my teacher, Ms. Colgan, and even though we were homeless or the different things that we would struggle with, she was always so kind and always was so loving and it just always made my day brighter.

I remember one thing, she brought me snow boots for the winter because I had no snow boots. And I will never forget that moment because she showed her love and her kindness. At the high school, I've had so many great teachers, Ms. Elliot, Brett Nelson, and my wonderful counselor, Mr. Christensen. Having these great teachers, having them not judge me, and be there for me, and know that I'm capable of greater and my grades don't define me, my past doesn't define me, and that I'm going to grow into a great person. Just having them and their great example has helped me a lot.

Anthony Godfrey:
He's taught you there's always that next step forward. I love that. That's great. What advice do you have for those who are entering high school or their senior year?

Linda:
I would say that life as well as high school is going to be what you make it. So I think oftentimes whatever life throws at us or whatever we go through like in middle school coming in, again like I said it won't define you. And if you want to have a fun time in high school, if you want to do all the things or want to grow or want to go into a certain career, just do the work to do that. Because anything in life is going to be work, it's just about how much you're willing to put into it.
High school is such a great thing and I say just work hard and get there because it's gonna flash by quicker than you know.  I remember someone saying that to me when I was in like sixth grade and I was like "ha ha ha, like you're funny" and now I'm like "Oh, ha ha, it wasn't funny. Just kidding.” But just be willing to put in the work because you can do great things. It's just about how much work you're willing to put into it. And anybody's capable of great things and you've got this.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that. And just so you know, the time will go faster and faster. Take it from me.

Linda:
Okay. (laughing) Wow.

Anthony Godfrey:
Introduce yourself and tell me about a teacher or adult who's had an impact on you from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Graycee:
I'm Graycee and I'm from Mountain Ridge High School. I've had a few teachers who have impacted me throughout my high school experience. I've had Cambria Robertson and Shane Busdicker. They helped me a lot my sophomore year. You know, going through COVID it's kind of hard to figure out who you are as a person, a student, and trying to make friends while, you know, going in person for school, then switching to online, and Zoom all the time. And they really helped me to get confidence in myself and to understand that everything will be okay, even when it's hard just to know that you can always push through life.
And then my student government advisors, Richard Hoonakker and Shaila Keck, have taught me so much about leadership, dedication, motivation, time management, just all the skills that I feel like I need for a career path just to get through life in general. And I'm so grateful to them for their leadership to me and they're such a role model in my life. I'm just grateful that I had the opportunity to have them as my teachers.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great teachers and great lessons. Tell me what advice do you have for students who are entering high school or entering their senior year?

Graycee:
I would say the most important thing is just, be yourself like everyone else is saying, but also put yourself out there and get involved, even if it's scary and uncomfortable. You can always grow when you push yourself past your comfort zone. And I've learned so much about myself doing student government or being on the cheer team. It's just something you wouldn't expect, but you're so grateful for the outcome afterwards because you're a completely different person after. And so without forgetting about your fears and all the doubts in your head, just stop being such a critic of yourself and just have fun and get to know people. Don't be afraid that you're being judged by other people. Just do you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great advice, thank you. Introduce yourself, tell us your name and the school you're graduating from, and then tell me a couple of things. A favorite teacher or adult that had an impact in your life from kindergarten to 12th grade, and then advice that you have for anyone who is either going to be a senior next year or starting high school next year.

Luseane:
Perfect, hello, my name is Luseane. I'm graduating from Valley High, and one teacher, or actually a couple teachers, from kindergarten up to senior year, I would wanna say number one, my mom, of course. She's a teacher, she was teaching at Syracuse Arts Academy, and she was my theater teacher, but I want to say thank you, Mom, for everything, I mean, giving me life, number one. And number two, letting me sneak into your class and get snacks during my other classes. Also, I want to say thank you to Billy Zumbrun, that's my counselor from Clearfield High. He helped me strive to be better in every aspect of life, to show up to class, to actually put an effort after my dad had passed.
And I also want to thank Crivello and Bany from Valley High that have given me a lot of opportunities to be myself and to make up a lot of credits whenever I have fallen short a little bit.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And what advice do you have for those who are entering high school or entering their senior year?

Luseane:
Honestly, I would say just to be yourself. There is no one else you can describe to be. You can look at your peers, and you can look at your friends, and foes because who knows? But look at everybody but also remember that you don't have to try to be anybody but yourself. You don't have to impress anybody to make friends. You don't have to be the best in your class or the funniest. Just live a little, you know what I'm saying?

Anthony Godfrey:
Be yourself, live a little.

Luseane:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
But you are the funniest, aren't you?

Luseane:
I mean, I don't know, I'm not gonna brag. (laughing)

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, thank you very much.
All right, introduce yourself and tell me about a teacher or adult who's had an impact on you, kindergarten through 12th grade.

Trevor:
I am Trevor and I am the valedictorian of Copper Hills High School. One thing about me is I ask a lot of questions and they're always really deep questions that are not exactly inside the school curriculum. So the best teachers for me are the ones that put in the effort and have the knowledge to answer all the questions I ask. So Ms. Messervy, my calculus teacher, and Ms. Edelman, my psychology teacher, probably some of the favorite teachers I've ever had. Another teacher I really like is Mr. Taylor, my choir teacher because he's always so fun and so engaging while still being able to effectively and quickly convey all the material to his large classes.

Anthony Godfrey:
So they've had a big impact on you.

Trevor:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me what advice do you have for students who are just entering high school or entering their senior year?

Trevor:
So I have two pieces of advice. The first is that time is by far the most valuable resource you have, and you do not want to waste a second of it. Every second you have is a second that you'll never get back and you've got to do what you can with the time you've been given because it's going to go away very quickly.

Anthony Godfrey:
You have me regretting all that time I spent on TikTok this morning. (laughing)

Trevor:
That's why it's called TikTok.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's right.

Trevor:
Second piece of advice is to avoid apathy. Especially for all you seniors out there, as you go into your senior year, you're going to feel the urge to give up, to stop trying. But you've come this far and you cannot give up at this point. There is, you have so much potential and so much you can do with your life if you only continue to care.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, great. Great advice. Thank you.

Stay with us. Up next, we listen in on some graduation speeches from the Class of 2023.

Break:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org

Linda:
My name is Linda Curtis and I'm from Riverton High School. Good evening, class of 2023. I am honored to be here. Today marks one of the most significant milestones in our lives. Before we put on our big kid pants and step out onto the big world, I hope we all remember this important quote, "Don't forget where you came from and never lose sight of where you're going."

A few short years ago, I thought graduating high school would be impossible. Thankfully, through hard work, dedication, great teachers, and a wonderful counselor, shout out to Mr. Christensen, you're a G for real, I get to do so today.

My utmost gratitude, however, goes to my parents, Brian and Shay Curtis. Even though we found each other later in life when I was 16, I can say they have shaped me far more than I can put into words. I would not be the person I am standing before you today without them. I am so blessed to have their great example in my life and I thank God every day because I am so blessed. They have given me constant support, love and guidance. I went from believing I would never amount to anything to being able to look at myself in the mirror. I am who I am today because of their great example.

I can tell you firsthand what blowing off school and your core values will do to you and your future families. In the neighborhoods where I grew up and in my biological family, survival was the most important thing, not traditional education. No one really graduated high school in my neighborhood nor in my biological family. Most of my childhood friends have dropped out of high school, are in jail, turned to drugs and violence, sadly passed away, or just living to survive.

My GPA before I came to RHS was a 1.25. Through hard work, a home filled with love, and a caring neighborhood and community, I'm currently an A/B student. Mostly A, but English 1010 kicked me in the butt a little bit this year. And have raised my GPA from a 1.25 to 2.7. I'm really proud to say that I will be the first ever high school graduate in my biological family.

Trevor:
My name is Trevor Eldredge, and I am from Copper Hills High School. Ever since I was a kid, I thought of graduation as something far in the future. Something that wouldn't happen to me for a long, long time. Now, it still barely feels real. Like I'm still that kid, staring out into the future, wondering what it will hold.

And in a way, I still am that kid. We all are. In the same routine for a dozen years, we've had our lives fairly figured out up until this point. But now, it's time to look forward to a future that's rapidly becoming our present, and soon, our past.

Today is the first day of tomorrow, the first day of the rest of your life. Each one of us has spent tens of thousands of hours working, learning how to learn and how to succeed. It's time to put those skills to use in the next phase of our life.

No matter what you're doing with the next phase of your life, I challenge you to make it something incredible, to do the things that no one thinks are possible, and to achieve the things that no one thinks you can achieve. Every one of us is capable of that. The fact that you are all here is living proof of that fact.

Graycee:
My name is Graycee Wells and I am from Mountain Ridge High School and then for part of my speech I talk about COVID so I say although COVID impacted us all we have emerged from this experience stronger and more resilient than ever before. We came out on top, we learned to embrace change and each time we were challenged or encouraged setbacks, we were given the opportunity to turn the negatives into positives.

We learned to think critically, solve problems, and communicate more effectively. We learned to show people love and concern even if it wouldn't be in the same room together. We learned about loss and heartache and how to comfort those around us. And we learned how to have more gratitude for our teachers, staff, and one another. We have developed resilience, perseverance, and a strong work ethic. These are all qualities that will serve us no matter what path we choose to take.

Today I want to speak on making a positive impact on the world regardless of our circumstances, achievements, failures, or even a pandemic. Minor Myers Jr., who was the president of Illinois' Westland University, said, "Go into the world to do well, but most importantly, go into the world to do good."

Luseane:
My name is Luseane Burke and I'm from Valley High. And this is just a little excerpt from my graduation speech.

When I would bring home a report card, I would get in trouble if I had one A-minus. I was a 4.0 student through elementary and junior high. When I started high school, I kept my grades up for a while, but then my social life blurred my vision. My grades and attendance started to slip and COVID didn't help. I couldn't learn and exceed in my education attending school virtually. I attended Syracuse High and Clearfield High sophomore year, trying to find the best learning environment for myself.

Then the summer between my sophomore and junior year, I got off work and while walking to my car I got a call from my sister saying something was wrong with my dad. I was yelling the whole way home hoping he could hear me, mad that he didn't reach out to me. I soon after got a call from my stepmom stating that my dad passed away. That was by far the hardest thing I've had to go through my entire life because not only did I lose my father I lost my best friend, my protector, and my twin. 

Grief is nothing to play around with. I couldn't get out of bed. Depression started taking over my everyday life. I failed every class the entirety of my junior year due to my attendance. I felt like there was nothing to live for. My heart was ripped out of my chest and buried with my dad. Many of my friends' junior year asked me where I was and why I missed school. I told them I was sick, and really I couldn't fathom the idea of getting out of bed and living life as if nothing happened.

Summer was coming to an end and I was contemplating dropping out of school permanently to be with my family. I then remembered what my dad would want and what he would tell his kids to do. I toughened up, moved in with my auntie and uncle, and grandma, and started attending Valley High School.

As everyone here knows, this isn't the normal high school. We came to Valley for a reason, whether it be because you wanted to follow in your sibling's footsteps, the schedule or location was better for you, or this was your last option to graduate. I know many of us weren't planning on walking here, but I believe I can speak on behalf of our class and say thank you to the school for the many opportunities given to us to make up credits and help us be able to walk out of here with the diploma in our hands. 

My fellow graduates, take a look at where you've been, the sacrifices you've made to be here, and if no one else will say it, I want to say I'm proud of you for graduating and being here today because we all know this diploma wasn't easy to obtain. Celebrate this huge milestone in your life, but never forget where you came from or your journey. Be thankful, be happy, this is just the beginning.

Anthony Godfrey:
Congratulations to all of our graduating seniors. We wish you the very best.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. She is one of the most recognized morning radio hosts in the Salt Lake Valley. Amanda Dickson has been a staple on KSL NewsRadio in the mornings for nearly three decades doing what she loves, connecting with people and sharing stories.

On this episode of the Supercast, we hear about a newfound passion for the popular radio host. Amanda Dickson is now spending a lot of her time off-air in the classroom as a substitute teacher. Find out why she says students bring her such joy and why she believes kids in the classroom can do the same for others willing to try substitute teaching.

I'm here with Amanda Dickson, radio personality for KSL and substitute teacher extraordinaire for Jordan School District.

Amanda Dickson:
I don't know about that.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I'm actually in a classroom at Golden Fields where you've been substituting today.

Amanda Dickson:
Yes, I'm here in Miss Beck's class, her third-grade class and we had a really good day today.

Anthony Godfrey:
It looks like it's decorated for Hogwarts.

Amanda Dickson:
Oh yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
I don't know if it always is but the candles are floating in the air and pictures of children in robes are on the wall and it looks like a great environment.

Amanda Dickson:
Each group of tables is a different house like Slytherin, and this is Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor was particularly good today.

Anthony Godfrey:
No surprise there. That's how Gryffindor rolls. I have a lot of questions. So I assume that you interviewed me and others at Riverton High School not long ago, a few weeks ago, about just as part of your broadcasting out in the community. And that was a lot of fun. Everybody I talked with had a great time with that. I was amazed at how many things you can keep going all at the same time. You're talking to them, to the people on your earphones telling you what to do, you're connecting with me at the same time, you're looking at the screen, it's all happening in real-time. I suspect that prepares you very well to be a substitute.

Amanda Dickson:
Oh, that's brilliant. Yes, I think that doing, in fact, doing my show in particular, because we have to hit things at exactly the right time because people use us like a utility. So if they're not out the door by the time they hear three things, or traffic and weather, they know they're late, we have to be on time with those things. That makes us a little strange in the way we multitask because we're constantly looking at the clock and counting back in our heads, do we have enough time to do this? Will we hit at this precise time. I had a boss once that called me scatterbrained. I like to think of it more as multitasking.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's multitasking.

Amanda Dickson:
Multitasking, yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Lots of people think they can do it and can't do it. I sit in a lot of meetings where people think they can be looking at the screen and be very aware of what's happening all at the same time. They can't, but you absolutely can. I have witnessed it. And like I said, I'm sure that those skills are very helpful when you've got lots of children that you don't necessarily know that you're dropping in on. And that's the difficult part, is that you're dropping in on an established routine, established relationships among the kids, and then you're the new person. So tell me a little bit about what that's like.

Amanda Dickson:
Oh, it's wonderful. I feel like a grandparent Dr. Godfrey because I get to take them for the day and then I give them back. “So nice having them. Here you go.”

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a great way to describe it.

Amanda Dickson:
Because I get to love them for a day and then I give them back to the teacher who is so responsible, so I get perfect instructions. I mean today was a perfect example. You do this for a half hour, this for 15 minutes, here's the instruction, these are the books. I mean, I'm given a perfect roadmap of what to do.

But you're right, if I don't connect with them, then it's a very long afternoon. So I have to find a way to connect with them. And sometimes it's just as simple as energy. If I listen to their reading enthusiastically, they'll come to where I am. But sometimes it's more difficult.

I had a great class today because these kids were obviously proud of their work, of their reading skill, of their writing skill, and they wanted to share it. And that's beautiful. And it's so different from the news if you'll forgive me for saying that. Because the news can be, as you well know, it can be very heavy and negative and at a distance. Substitute teaching is joyful and in-person and focused on the future and not on the past.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love the focus on the future that's exactly it and the impact that you have keeps rolling. You're building momentum with these kids with a positive interaction. Listening enthusiastically to their reading is a great example of that. And you know, this is not to downplay the difficulties of being in a classroom or being a substitute teacher. It's a very difficult job but you also have some degree of control over what the climate is for that classroom. How do I want it to feel? And you've described that. I want to connect with them. I want to be sure that they feel loved and that I'm connecting with them but then I'm also going through the instructions left by the teacher.

Amanda Dickson:
Right.

Anthony Godfrey:
That gives them a sense of comfort that those routines continue and they stay in place and the teacher's gone.

Amanda Dickson:
Yeah because they'll try and get away with things as you well know.

Anthony Godfrey:
The news doesn't allow you to do that.

Amanda Dickson:
No.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that comes at you and you have to deal with what's coming at you. But they do try to work it though. So what age do they try to work it the most?

Amanda Dickson:
Kindergarten on. I mean.

Anthony Godfrey:
All of the ages.

Amanda Dickson:
All of the ages in different ways. No junior high of course. It's junior high.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I was a middle school teacher so I do understand that at a deep level.

Amanda Dickson:
God bless you.

Anthony Godfrey:
I liked eighth graders. I know that is a rare person that loves eighth graders but I had a blast with eighth graders.

Amanda Dickson:
I have found many kids in middle school to love and classes to love, but those have also been some of the hardest experiences. Because I've been spoiled these 30-plus years at KSL that when I talk people listen to me. Until I went to middle school and then I realized this is a whole… They don't know who I am, they don't care who I am, they just want to see what they can get away with. And yet there are students of course there who are more shy and more studious. So how do you make, this is a question, how do you make it a good learning experience for those students who are applying themselves and address the difficulties, the behavioral issues at the same time?

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you ask an important question. It's a question that I think teachers have to ask themselves constantly throughout the day. It's part of the stress of being a teacher. And you've understood this for a long time. At the end of the day, you've made so many decisions about, "Should I talk to that child? Should I talk to this child? Should I allow them to do that? Should I not?” That by the end of the day, you have decision fatigue. You're worn out. There's a lot of energy that goes into that.

I think what you have to do is connect with kids that aren't outwardly begging for it because there's behavior that is meant to draw your attention. There are kids who will try to draw your attention in other ways, but there are kids who are quietly working and doing what they're asked to do, not doing things to outwardly reach out for your attention. And if you actively give it to them, then that is very meaningful to those students who are quietly just doing what they need to. It takes time to do that, it's hard to do.

Amanda Dickson:
And in so many of your elementary schools, the teachers have set up processes for that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes.

Amanda Dickson:
You know, and told me specifically something very similar to what you said. You know, here are the marbles. Give them marbles when they're on task. Give them marbles when they're reading. Or give the class a point, or take it away. So that reward structure is, it's structured in elementary school. In middle school, not as much, but yeah, that's good advice. I'll use that.

Anthony Godfrey:
But you're right, the feedback structure, however that is, is really important to students. It's important to the teacher because it kind of allows everyone to feel engaged no matter what's happening. And then you get to focus on the content because you don't have to be worried about whether people are feeling like they belong in the class or whether they're connected with the adult in the classroom.

When I visit classrooms for Outstanding Educator awards, we visit every school every year. So all 68 schools, we stop and we have a group from the Foundation and I like to play around with the kids and have fun. And one of the things that really gets the teacher's attention is if I notice what their reward structure is. I see the box of, you know, bucks, the teacher bucks that get handed out or whatever rewards or treats. But I really admire how teachers structure their classroom for maximum belonging and maximum teaching. I'm continually impressed as I see that.

Amanda Dickson:
Me too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Even though I've been in education for three decades, it's amazing what they do.

Amanda Dickson:
I mean like in this classroom, you can see the love.

Anthony Godfrey:
You can.

Amanda Dickson:
If you never met this teacher and never met her students, the walls are filled with their names and their likenesses, and their accomplishments. And the books are organized by mystery, adventure, history, biography. But this is not unlike all the classrooms I'm in. It's a version of love in color.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's such a great way of putting it. And as I look around, I see evidence of love. I didn't notice it the first. Like, wow, they've got potion bottles.

Amanda Dickson:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
And action figures and it really is a great way of describing it.

Amanda Dickson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me, how long have you been substituting?

Amanda Dickson:
This is my first year.

Anthony Godfrey:
This is your first year.

Amanda Dickson:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
It feels like you've been doing it for a long time.

Amanda Dickson:
I wish I had.

Anthony Godfrey:
You understand it so well, you've just connected with this job.

Amanda Dickson:
I love it so much more than I anticipated. I had had people, and I'm embarrassed to say this now, but I had had people tell me, "You're not gonna like this, you shouldn't do it. You're gonna hate substitute teaching, what are you thinking?” But we had stories at the beginning of the year about how there weren't enough substitute teachers. And I get done with work like 11, 11:30, and I thought, well, would I ever be able to do this?

So I contacted the District Office and I went through the training and I take every afternoon that's offered that I can get because it's so joyful. Mostly in elementary, but I do some middle and some high school. And those can be joyful on different levels too, as you know.

So I started this year and I found it challenging. I look forward to it. When I leave KSL and I value that job, I don't mean to say anything, I value that job very much, but I feel like I come into a place where my spirit almost belongs more, that it's a chance to, goodness, I'm emotional about it, but it's a chance to be with, my kids are mostly grown. My youngest is 16, my oldest is 34, and I miss kids of this age, I miss that light. I had four girls present today to the class with their poster and they were so good and so nervous and so creative and I miss that.

Anthony Godfrey:
It is a beautiful thing to get to see kids in action, to watch them learning, and to see them grow. It's what drew me to education.

Amanda Dickson:
Yeah, I bet.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm so glad you found it so fulfilling and felt such a close connection to it.

Amanda Dickson:
I recommend it. If anyone out there is thinking about substituting, do not listen to the naysayers. Go and be in a classroom yourself. And I bet for every person, it would be different as to which age they connect with more or which subject matter. For me, it's elementary school, but there are lots of good middle school and high school classes too. I've had the chance to be in journalism classes in high schools and English. I was an English major in college. So for me, anytime I get to teach language arts, I'm happy. So there's--

Anthony Godfrey:
That was me. I was a language arts teacher.

Amanda Dickson:
Oh, were you? I mean, I love reading. I love reading and I love talking about books and I love reading the students' writing about books and their criticism of books and it just brings everything to life.

Anthony Godfrey:
You get to know a lot of people this way. You get to know a lot of people with KSL. You're always interviewing new people. If you'd kept track, I'm sure it's in the many thousands of people that you've spoken with. But it's so fun to see kids at this stage of their life. And like I said, to see them grow and to see the third-grade version of them doing their very best and learning what they can and becoming who they're going to be.

Amanda Dickson:
Yeah, I look at them sometimes and I think, I wonder, you know, but we have no way of knowing, of course, because it's like going to a high school reunion and the person who you thought was gonna be all that, you know, is not all that, you never, who knows? So even when I have a kid who's challenging, I think you never know. This kid could be the governor someday. I mean, I need to pay attention to this kid. He's very boisterous, he's very outspoken, he has complete confidence that he deserves the floor. (laughing) He deserves the floor at any given moment. Maybe he's a politician.

Anthony Godfrey:
See, that's the trick, is that you see this version of them and you have to imagine every possible version of them in the future so that the way that we interact with them doesn't limit in their mind what they're able to do.

Amanda Dickson:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us, more with Amanda Dickson when we come back. And learn how you too can become a substitute teacher in Jordan School District.

Break:
In Jordan School District, we like to support students in and outside the classroom along with their families. That's where the Jordan Family Education Center comes in, offering support services and a wide variety of classes for students and their families, free of charge. You can take a class called Blues Busters for children feeling sad or worried. Just Breathe is a class that helps students reduce stress. Or how about a class that supports parents in helping their children make and keep good friends. There are also support groups and free counseling, all provided by Jordan School District school psychologists and counselors. To find out how you can benefit from free family support services offered by the Jordan Family Education Center, call 801-565-7442 or visit guidance.jordandistrict.org.

Anthony Godfrey:
What have you learned about teachers as a substitute?

Amanda Dickson:
I had no idea how hard they worked. I thought they worked hard. I was way off. I mean, think about how hard I work in the four hours I'm in the classroom, but they leave all their papers to be graded the next day by the teacher who filled out an entire list of what I was to do. So when she comes in tomorrow, she has to not only have her whole lesson plan do that whole day, but then grade everything we did the day before.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right, they prepared everything for you. They'll grade everything afterwards.

Amanda Dickson:
Right, I did nothing. I'm exhausted.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you're experiencing only the real-time in front of the kids part.

Amanda Dickson:
The easiest part. Their workload is outrageous. And their love is enormous.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes.

Amanda Dickson:
And their patience with we parents who are not supportive sometimes, their patience is like some kind of biblical thing. Frankly, Superintendent, I know one of my children has been a real challenge for his teachers. And I'm now going to go find their emails and write an apology email to each and every one of them because It's it takes an emotional toll on these teachers that they're not compensated for.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, there is an emotional toll it takes tremendous energy and you're right, teachers work very, very hard. No matter how hard you think they work you’re undershooting it.

Amanda Dickson:
It's hard. Yeah, because just thinking about what to cover, especially in elementary school when you're covering all these different subjects, what kind of an assignment will I give them that will bring them to life? That will engage them? That can't come straight out of a book. What do I have to teach them? What are the standards that I have to make? How can I make those two things jive? How can I give them enough work to challenge them but not leave them in the dust?

Anthony Godfrey:
You describe it very well.

Amanda Dickson:
Oy vey Maria. I gave myself a headache just saying it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it's stressful talking about that work, much less doing it. The difficult part of it also is that teachers love their kids and they feel this responsibility. And just like you described, you want to be at your best, you want to be providing the best for students, and it's messy, it's chaotic. Kids' needs vary, and they vary from day to day. And meeting those needs and being at your very best is a very difficult thing, and it's a difficult thing to sustain day in and day out throughout the school year.

Amanda Dickson:
Why has the respect for teachers, or do you agree with the statement that the respect for teachers has gone down in some cases and why?

Anthony Godfrey:
That is very puzzling to me because…

Amanda Dickson:
They were the heroes during the pandemic.

Anthony Godfrey:
They were the heroes during the pandemic.

Amanda Dickson:
We stand outside holding signs, thank you. And two years later what happened?

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm afraid that teachers have been placed in the center of a lot of debates that don't have a lot to do with the classroom directly.

Amanda Dickson:
I agree.

Anthony Godfrey:
And our teachers need to be championed at every turn. You are someone who walks the talk on that.

Amanda Dickson:
You know what I loved seeing, and I saw it today, is the support that the teachers give each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes.

Amanda Dickson:
I saw the third-grade teachers hanging out by the door right before we were going to get the kids from recess, just swapping stories and offering words of encouragement. And it made me think when was the last time I did that for my coworkers at KSL? I mean when was the last time I just hung out with them and told them, "Wow, what you did there was awesome and you really put a lot of effort into that. And I'm sorry if that wasn't appreciated because I appreciated it.” When was the last time I said the kind of things I heard your third graders, your third grade teachers saying today. That was beautiful. I'm glad they have each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that description. It's something I've experienced personally as a teacher and that I've been able to observe over the years and it's a unique culture. People who come from outside of education marvel at that because you don't see that everywhere.

Amanda Dickson:
No, you don't.

Anthony Godfrey:
What advice do you have for those who might be thinking about being a substitute? We always need more help.

Amanda Dickson:
If you can love children, you can do this job. I mean, you don't need to be an expert in-- I've taught science classes and math classes. YouTube is my friend. If I know what the subject is in advance, I'll go YouTube a little bit and get up to speed on something. But as long as you can come with an open mind and don't expect perfection, you're new. They're awkward around you. Imagine if it was your first day with a new person. They've had a woman or a man that they've trusted for months and months, and who's this stranger? So be patient with them when they're boisterous. They don't mean to be disrespectful. This is not about you. This is about them. So if you can go with an open mind and an open heart, you'll get so much love in return. And I have not been blessed with grandchildren yet. I hope I am someday, kids, if you're listening. But until then, I'm going to borrow your kids, Dr. Godfrey, and love them if that's OK.

Anthony Godfrey:
You can have them anytime. We're so grateful that you choose to sub. And I'm very appreciative of the energy you bring to it and the love for our students. So thank you very much for your time today and for everything you're doing to support our teachers and our students.

Amanda Dickson:
Thank you for what you do too, Dr. Godfrey, and for all your teachers.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you. If you want to find joy in substitute teaching with a flexible work schedule in our elementary or secondary schools, Visit employment.jordandistrict.org.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It looked like a scene straight out of an old movie. We're talking about World War II Day at West Jordan High School.

On this episode of the Supercast, find out why history teacher Alyse Almond is so passionate about preserving American military history. She's giving students a real-life history lesson, with the help of World War II historians, hoping to connect today's students to the stories of those who served our country and sacrificed so much.

We're here with social studies teacher, Alyse Almond at West Jordan High School. And I'm finally getting to see this tradition of World War II Day. Tell me a little bit about this.

Alyse Almond:
So World War II Day started about eight years ago here at West Jordan High School. Me and my friends, we are the Utah Military History Group and we do living history from World War I through Vietnam. And our passion is World War II, so we wanted to bring the history to the students in a very tangible way.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's obvious you're doing that. I see vehicles, it feels like I'm on a MASH episode, I know that's the wrong era, but this particular ambulance gives me that feel. We've got uniforms, it looks like we've got all kinds of materials from the time period. So, and several vehicles that are probably getting the attention of people driving by, wondering if there's a military takeover of West Jordan High School. So can you talk me through what we've got out here.

Alyse Almond:
Yeah. So we have a World War II 1945 CCKW, which is a truck made by GMC.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's walk over there.

Alyse Almond:
It was built in 1945. So this is Layne Schoenfeld and this is his 1945 GMCCKW.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about your CCKW, Layne.

Layne Schoenfeld:
Well, one of the most common vehicles used during World War II, it was used to transport troops and material. It was the backbone of the Red Ball Express. I don't know if anybody's familiar with the Red Ball Express but that was basically a supply route from the beaches in Normandy, France, up deeper into Europe and on into Germany, supplying the troops the front line.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the state it was in before you refurbished it.

Layne Schoenfeld:
It was a rust bucket. It had been sitting outside for 20 years, just filling up full of leaves and dirt and the water raining on it. So it was all rusty and it was missing a few pieces here and there.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's pretty amazing. How long did this restoration take you?

Layne Schoenfeld:
I'm ashamed to say it took me 15 years.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hey, that's something that you just chip away at over time.

Layne Schoenfeld:
Yeah, life got in the way a couple of times.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's pretty exciting that West Jordan High School is the first event. How does it feel to have it out in the public now?

Layne Schoenfeld:
It feels good.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Layne Schoenfeld:
It feels good.

Anthony Godfrey:
What got you interested in World War II initially?

Layne Schoenfeld:
My father was a World War II veteran,  and him telling me a few stories.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you for sharing it with the students here at West Jordan High School.

Layne Schoenfeld:
You're welcome. It's a pleasure and an honor. And hopefully, the students learned a little something and we can keep history alive. That's what this is all about.

Alyse Almond:
We also have two World War II Jeeps here. One is a 1942 Willys and one is a 1944 Willys. These are both quarter-ton all-utility vehicles that were used in World War II. And then here we actually have, this is a weapons carrier and this is Dave Vuyk.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hi Dave.

Dave Vuyk:
How are you?

Alyse Almond:
And this is his vehicle and have you-

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about this vehicle.

Dave Vuyk:
It's a 1944 Dodge weapon carrier. It's a three-quarter ton. This is a copy of the original build card that went through the factory with this truck.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow. So do you turn some heads when you're driving this down the road?

Dave Vuyk:
Yeah, for sure. And people love it. I think people find it fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
You might not beat people off the line.

Dave Vuyk:
Oh, we don't, yeah. No, we don't beat people off the line. My son Schyler, who's in here, he had Miss Almond for history. Kind of got the bug. And I have a little bit of it, but I'm not into the uniforms and some of that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Between you and Miss Almond, he's hooked, huh?

Dave Vuyk:
Oh, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you for sharing this with West Jordan High School.

Dave Vuyk:
We love it.

Anthony Godfrey:
So exciting.

Dave Vuyk:
This is fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Dave Vuyk:
And you know, a little bit of education is fun.

Alyse Almond:
So this is Brent Fordham. He is our medic in our living history group and this is his medic display and ambulance.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hi Brent. How are you?

Brent Fordham:
Good.

Anthony Godfrey:
This is, you have not only the ambulance behind you, which looks incredible, but you've also got all kinds of first aid kits it looks like, and first aid materials. So this is everything a combat medic would have carried. Tell me, can you walk me through this?

Brent Fordham:
A lot of what you see is just like an assortment of like random bandages. A medic’s sole purpose, they weren't licensed doctors, so they really just did like band-aid work just get them stable enough to get them to an actual hospital.

Anthony Godfrey:
What is it that got you interested in the medic aspect of World War II?

Brent Fordham:
Well, I've always been into history. My dad did reenacting when I was a kid, and I've just always kind of been drawn to the medical stuff. I don't really know why. I mean, as a kid, I wanted to be a paramedic.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you very much for bringing all this here and for allowing students the chance to interact with this. I have no doubt that this will have a lasting impact on them.

Brent Fordham:
I hope it does, that's why we do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're at the board with lots of photos and bios, it looks like, from various veterans of World War II. Tell me about this board.

Alyse Almond:
So we do-- this is an honorarium for the family members of our faculty and staff who served in World War II. So I send out a message to all of our faculty and staff. And last year and this year, they sent me back their stories and their photographs of their family member veterans.

So like up in the corner, we actually have Principal Birch's dad, who was a World War II, he was in the Army Air Corps in World War II and he was on a B-17 and he was actually shot down over Germany on one of his missions and he became a POW. And he was a POW for six months during World War II.

And then we have the stories of like our, the woman who runs our Jag Stash here, her dad, was also in World War II. He was in the Army. He served on Okinawa. And so we have his story.

We also have the story of my great-uncles on here. We have the stories of one of our science teachers here, actually. Her great-grandpa, when she sent me his name, all she had was his name, that he died and where he died, and the name of his family, so his wife and his kids. They didn't know anything else. And I actually ended up researching him and finding out what regiment he was with, what division he was with, and what happened to him and when he was killed in action.

Anthony Godfrey:
So she didn't know all of this and you were able to uncover some facts about his life.

Alyse Almond:
Yep.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, this really ties it to the faculty as well. Again, another way of adding dimension to history and to make it personal.

Stay with us when we come back, more on World War II Day, and we'll hear from a student who came back to West Jordan after graduating to show off his own collection and express appreciation for his experience in Ms. Almond's class.

Break:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with some of the students at West Jordan High School that have been able to be part of World War II Day. Tell me your name.

Brayden:
Brayden.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me a little bit about your experience.

Brayden:
It's been really exciting to see all the vehicles and all the stuff. I've had family members that served, so that's why I took the class. And my great grandfather was a pilot, so they let me hold the aviator stuff. So it was really good to see what he would have worn and what he would have done.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the things that you've learned that might have surprised you in this class?

Brayden:
How brutal the war was in the Pacific, because I feel like most of the time we think of the war in Europe and not in the Pacific. And also the other countries that were involved besides the United States and most of the European countries, like Brazil and Mexico.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about you? Tell me your name and some of the things you've learned from the class.

Joseph:
My name is Joseph and it's been an absolute amazing time being part of the class. I was largely and vaguely into World War II beforehand and I loved World War II and studying it, but this class has opened up so many more opportunities to learn. It's shown me stories about men on the front, it's shown me stories about how different things were, how Miss Almond usually brings in these uniforms. You get to see what did they wear, what were they working with, and it's more focused on the individual rather than the whole entire aspect of World War II. So it's been an amazing experience taking her class.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's true when you think about it as individual humans going through this it's very different from just talking about it in broad terms.

Joseph:
It went from tactical to more with the person instead.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah exactly. Tell me your name and a little bit of your experience in the class.

Tiernan:
My name is Tiernan. My experience with the class is great. It's always easier to learn with a teacher who is very enthusiastic about the topic like Miss Almond is. Something I learned in the class that I didn't know before was how pervasive it was, not just in the battlefield or in the military branches but also everything in each of these countries just on a civilian level was also in aid of the war effort.

Anthony Godfrey:
Citizens were a key component of war effort. Tell me your name and some of the things that stood out for you in the class.

Peter:
My name is Peter, but I go by Pidge. And I've always had a love for strategic battles and tactical warfare, and I study World War I on the side. I learned a lot about Italy and their involvement, the blitzkrieg that went into the Balkans and Greece. I've also learned a lot about the Pacific and the brutality of Japanese imperialism.

We look at war through a iso commander.  We see the battles. We see these casualty numbers from official reports, but when you look down at the average day-to-day life, when you go down to the civilian level, you see the mass amount of destruction, the massive amounts of sort of these atrocities that happened and sort of this realization that War is a lot more grimace than we think it is because we are never exposed to the sort of nitty-gritty of it.

Alyse Almond:
So this is Schyler Vuyk and he is actually a West Jordan High School alum. You graduated in 2019? And then after he graduated he joined our living history group. His focus is on the Coast Guard and the Merchant Marine because his great-grandfather was in the Coast Guard.

Anthony Godfrey:
So wow, this is a whole different set of artifacts. Tell me a little bit about what you have here.

Schyler Vuyk:
Well, we have an assortment of both personal objects and objects that they would have used on the ship anywhere between combat or if they had some time off. These are some objects that would have been privately purchased.

Anthony Godfrey:
This looks like a little kit that folds up together with playing cards. Is that what that is?

Schyler Vuyk:
Yeah, so it's playing cards, you have checkers, you have dice, and then this is a recent purchase. This is a wallet and the calendar was never used. This is fresh.

Anthony Godfrey:
Calendar for 1943.

Schyler Vuyk:
It was never used. It was bought by a gentleman on eBay. He said he bought it and then never used it. It sat in his house for years and he never used it and he sold it. And then this one I have not a whole lot of information on him unfortunately but this is him, this is Bob Sherman and then here's another picture of him. He would have, it looked like he served in every single theater during the merchant marine, well he served in the merchant marine during World War II.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you have photos from him and you have a case, is this a case of his medals.

Schyler Vuyk:
These are all of his medals, yes. And then what's interesting is this medal is actually a Russian medal, this top one right here. This is actually a 1985 Russian Jubilee medal. And from what I can gather, just by having a Russian medal is that he most likely would have supplied, he would have done what they called the Murmansk Run, which was when they had shipping boats transport shipping and stuff to the Soviet Union through the Arctic Circle, literally going over Finland and Sweden to get to Russia through like below zero temperatures and stuff like that. And some of them earned Russian medals if they were in Soviet waters that shot down planes. And then I believe what would have probably happened is he probably was invited back because some merchant marine and some Navy men were invited back to Russia if they participated and supplying the Soviet Union and I believe he was given that when he probably visited in 1985.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you have moved your collection in all kinds of different directions I love seeing the personal effects and these personal medals it really reminds you that they were individuals that were involved in this. Now tell me about these uniforms that you have here.

Schyler Vuyk:
These are Alyse's uniforms but I could probably talk a little bit about them. This is a Navy wave uniform. This would have been something they would have worn anywhere that they went on duty and I think this was also used for ceremonial like funerals dances and stuff like that. They would have been able to wear something like this.

Alyse Almond:
That is their dress uniform.

Schyler Vuyk:
Their dress uniform.

Alyse Almond:
And it was actually a big part of what they used to entice women into the military in World War II was we're gonna give you a lot of clothes and they're gonna look really good on you. And so the guy who actually designed the waves uniform, he was a well known New York fashion designer and then he sold his pattern for that uniform to the Navy for a dollar to support the war efforts.

Anthony Godfrey:
His contribution.

Alyse Almond:
Yep and so this uniform would be one that would be worn for official purposes and then the one that's actually behind it which is a gray dress with a beret that one was a dress that the Navy nurse were issued and they would wear that if they were not on duty and they were say going out with friends or going to a dance or other places.

Anthony Godfrey:
So between Ms. Almond and your dad and your family history you've become a serious history buff.

Schyler Vuyk:
I think that's a perfect observation to say.

Anthony Godfrey:
A lot of effort by a lot of people from the community and it's a tremendous experience for students to get some hands-on connection to the war. Tell me what do you hope students take away from this experience.

Alyse Almond:
I hope that students walk away from this day understanding that history is not just something that you read about in a book. That history is something that actually happened and that individuals lived those experiences. And when you can see and interact with the artifacts and the uniforms that those men and women used, I think it brings it alive for these students and it makes it something that is not just two-dimensional.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you very much for the time today and for creating such an incredible, immersive experience and unforgettable experience for our students.

Alyse Almond:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. In some parts of the world, they are kept as pets due to their peculiar appearance and interesting behavior. We're talking about the Madagascar or hissing cockroach.

On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Jordan Hills Elementary School, where hissing cockroaches are in one classroom helping students study science and insect behavior. Hear what students have to say about the unique project and how the ancient bugs are contributing to the learning process in a pretty big way.

We're here at Jordan Hills with third-grade teacher Melissa Reynolds and I can't take the smile off my face because this is perhaps the most unique school visit I've ever made and that is to visit your classroom cockroaches. Tell me a little bit about that.

Melissa Reynolds:
So last year, the FOSS program was new to Jordan Hills, and in the FOSS program, there is an activity about crayfish. And in Utah, it's illegal to transport crayfish from their natural habitat to your home or anywhere else or to another habitat without first killing them, and so we can't bring crayfish in for the FOSS part of that. We're supposed to learn about behaviors and adaptations.

Anthony Godfrey:
So so far, I've already learned that I to be more careful with crayfish. Not that I've ever transported live crayfish like a common criminal, but I will know not to do that in the future.

Melissa Reynolds:
Or you'll be imprisoned.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's right.

Melissa Reynolds:
No, but so there's an alternate activity in the book that says we can use hissing cockroaches instead. So I--

Anthony Godfrey:
No wait, hissing cockroaches.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, these are the Madagascar hissing cockroaches, not the yucky kind you find on your kitchen floor. Not my kitchen floor, but others.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, other unfortunate kitchen floors, yes.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, these are not the yucky, nasty cockroaches. So these are Madagascar hissing cockroaches. And the activity is somewhat the same. They still talk about the different adaptations that they use, the behaviors that they have. You identify different structures on the animals. And so it works well, and it's very guided through the FOSS system.

Anthony Godfrey:
So tell everyone what FOSS is for those who may not know.

Melissa Reynolds:
FOSS is the science program that our district is providing for us. It's really an all-inclusive program. It comes with a couple of bins for each unit that you teach, and I'm doing the Life Structures Unit this year. I say that I'm doing it because, just like Boston was saying, we each decided, as three of the third-grade teachers, we'll each take one and teach it to all the classes in third grade, mostly because the other teachers did not want to do cockroaches.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you are the designated cockroach teacher.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, yes. So the kids get really excited to come to my science group because they get to see the cockroaches, they get to hold them. One of the activities we do is what happens when we touch their antenna? What happens when we leave them alone with a cardboard tube, what happens when we touch their abdomen, what happens when we hold them? And they get to see what animals do to react and then we talk about why they have those reactions as instincts to keep them alive.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are the two little kind of antennae right down below the main big ones? Their two little dangly ones.

Melissa Reynolds:
These ones that are right by his mouth.

Anthony Godfrey:
And have you named any of them?

Melissa Reynolds:
No. No, there was. So we had originally two cockroaches when I first started doing it last school year and none of the other teachers were that brave and we weren't rotating. So I was just teaching my class and I wanted to have more cockroaches because the program says you need about eight to do everything that you're supposed to do. Because then you introduce them to other cockroaches and see what they do when they're around other cockroaches. And so I said, “okay, I want them to have more cockroaches.” So I talked to Mr. Squire in our school. He teaches second grade and he has had cockroaches before too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, how about that? On purpose?

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, on purpose.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Melissa Reynolds:
And my son when he was in second grade, he's now in sixth, when he was in second grade he said, "Mom, can we please take home a cockroach?" And I said, "Heavens no. We are never having a cockroach. Never will you get to take home a cockroach." And he begged and begged and I said, "No, and here I am now with 140 or more cockroaches."

Anthony Godfrey:
And that was my next question. So you're supposed to have eight. You now have 140. You are the Outstanding Educator of the Year for Jordan Hills and when I came to give you that award, we talked about cockroaches. I had heard about this in your classroom and when you invited me back, you emailed me that all of the over 100 babies were all ready to go and I could come anytime. Tell me, why did you go from 8 to 140 cockroaches?

Melissa Reynolds:
Well, I only had those two and I kept trying to get them to have babies so I gave them a heater, made it really moist inside so that they would be happy because that's what Mr. Squire told me to do. And then they just had like maybe four or five last summer and I was really kind of bummed. I thought, "Oh, I just need some more," and then none of them really lived except for that one that I was just holding, the male. He lived. And then I bought two new females in November and those two females and that male, now there are over 140. And they had their first batch of babies in February, on the 10th of February. And then it seems like I keep looking in there and there's more babies every day. I mean, that's not true, but it feels like that.

Anthony Godfrey:
There are more and more cockroaches in your classroom.

Melissa Reynolds;
They start out as little tiny, about the size of a potato bug. And then they molt seven or so times until they're an adult.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, when you told me that there were baby cockroaches for us to come see, I was really expecting teeny tiny cockroaches. I was a little bit shocked when I came in and I saw cockroaches the size of, oh, what would you say that is, like a band-aid?

Melissa Reynolds:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I just thought, wow, that is an enormous cockroach.

Melissa Reynolds:
These ones we found a couple of days ago and they are teeny tiny.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah, look at the little ones underneath the dish. After you've looked at the big ones, the little ones can actually look kind of cute.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, they are very cute when they start out.

Anthony Godfrey:
Although they move very quickly, which is alarming. It feels like they could be anywhere you don't want them to be in an instant.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes. The baby ones are a little more quick and unpredictable.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now these, the big ones, are shiny and formidable, and they actually look like you could be seeing them in a terrarium at a zoo or on display somewhere because they really do look quite exotic I must say.

Melissa Reynolds:
They actually have them at the aquarium in Draper.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, do they?

Melissa Reynolds:
They have a display with some of them in there.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you said that initially, you were a little bit hesitant about this.

Melissa Reynolds:
Oh yes. I tried to pick them up for the very first time from the little container that I got at the pet store and they hissed at me and I screamed and I just couldn't pick them up. So for the first little bit, I used a paper towel roll and got them to crawl in the paper towel roll and then I kind of shook them into their enclosure and I was terrified of them. But now I'm used to them and they don't hiss at me quite as often and I've learned how to handle them and how to pick them up.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how do your students react to them?

Melissa Reynolds:
They think they tickle when they hold them. One of them actually last year got scared and screamed and it fell on the floor and it was okay, they have that exoskeleton. But they do different reactions. Some of them want to hold them every day, and I wish we had time to do that every day but we don't, and some of them don't want to touch them but most of them at least want to try one time and then they tell me it tickles.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay and what do you hope that the students take away from the experience of having cockroaches in the class and from the lessons associated with those cockroaches?

Melissa Reynolds:
Well, it's really actually quite neat that they get to see a full life cycle of these cockroaches because not only do they talk about their behaviors and their adaptations, they've actually seen them grow. They always come to the front right here when they're molting and so we get to see them push the molt off and it's really a neat process for them to see an animal life cycle full scale. They get to see it start out as a baby and they get to see it grow a little bigger and a little bigger and a little bigger and we talk about when they molt and it's neat that they can apply what they're seeing in the classroom to other animals. That they have different stages that they're growing into and just be a little more connected with science in the real world.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think that's fabulous.

Stay with us when we come back we take a tour of the Cockroach terrarium.

Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hope, tell me what you think about having cockroaches in your classroom.

Hope:
I think it's pretty cool that there's cockroaches in here, and I'm really excited to like hold one when we can.

Anthony Godfrey:
Have you held one before?

Hope:
Uh-huh like in fall when she brings them to the class. I hold held one.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh cool, and do you look at them everyday kind of as you walk by?

Hope:
Yeah, usually. Sometimes I don't because there's like everybody in front of it, but I usually do.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's pretty popular to see the cockroaches?

Hope:
Yeah

Anthony Godfrey:
Hope, do you want to adopt one and take it home?

Hope:
Maybe if my dad and mom is fine with it I think my mom is fine with it, but I'm not sure with my dad.

Anthony Godfrey:
You think your dad might be a tougher sell?

Hope:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I understand Thank you Hope. What's your name?

Boston:
Boston

Anthony Godfrey:
Boston, tell me about this one right here.

Boston:
So the white ones have molted and sometimes, so we always catch them in the act of molting. So it's really common because they're 140 plus.

Anthony Godfrey:
So with 140 cockroaches you're generally going to see one molting pretty often.

Boston:
Pretty much every day we see one or two in the morning. Sometimes you can see their skin still on their butt.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow and what does it mean for them to molt?

Boston:
It means for them to lose their shell so they can get a bigger one.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you said I shouldn't touch the one that just molted. Why is that?

Boston:
You can touch it, but very lightly. If you press it too hard or squish it too hard, then it will get squished and die.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, because it's very soft right now and kind of vulnerable. Okay.

Boston:
They really like in the dark up there because, they also like a little tunnel, and it creeps me out so much when they crawl out of the tiki now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, here in the terrarium, right?

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, we're looking in on several cockroach friends.

Boston:
Some of them can just sneak under that little hole in the cork rock.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah.

Boston:
This is the one we named Big Mama. And the dad that's still alive which was original. We named him Big Daddy. I mean Tiny Daddy.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, Big Mama and Tiny Daddy. Well, how do you keep track of who the original mom is? Are there distinct markings on these kissing cockroaches?

Boston:
Yes, you can tell if they're male or females 'cause the bumps.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Melissa Reynolds:
Which one has bumps?

Anthony Godfrey:
Where are the bumps and who has them?

Boston:
The bumps are always on the males. The females have tiny ones, but you just really can't see them at all.

Melissa Reynolds:
And where are they?

Boston:
They're on like the back of its head. So we're doing rotations and currently the last rotation for our class, Mrs. Alvies, is my mom's.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay, cool. The Tiki face looks to be screaming.

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
But it has 15 cockroaches on top of it, so I understand why it may be screaming. That may be very uncomfortable.

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you wanna see my impression of a cockroach?

Boston:
Sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
You can tell me whether you think it's good or not. Are you ready? You guys ready to see my impression of a cockroach?

Boston:
Yeah.

(Students laughing)

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you think?

Students:
Yeah. Good!

Anthony Godfrey:
Is that good?

Students:
It's true, it's true.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, kind of the antenna moving independently. I worked on that for a long time, so I'm glad you like it.

Boston:
So that blue one is, that blue dish is supposed to be the food dish, but they would probably get stuck if they were the babies.

Anthony Godfrey:
So what's on the blue dish? Is that salt?

Boston:
No, that's a cotton ball.

Anthony Godfrey:
A cotton ball?

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do they like--

Boston:
That's how they get their water.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's how they clean their ears? No, that's how they get their water.

Boston:
Yeah, and the dishes glow in the dark.

Anthony Godfrey:
The dishes glow, I'm learning a lot very quickly here. So the dishes glow in the dark, the cotton is to give them something to drink, and they really like being on top of Tiki Tower. And they're soft once they molt, so you have to be gentle with them. No problems here.

Boston:
And usually, it's the one that molted eats their own shell that they had just molted. But sometimes, since there's a bunch of cockroaches...

Anthony Godfrey:
Do they eat each other's shells?

Boston:
Yeah.

Melissa Reynolds:
That one's eating it right now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, look at that. Let me get my glasses on so I can appreciate the fine detail of that. Yep. Can confirm. All right. Well, thank you very much for giving me a tour of the terrarium. Have any of you wanted to name the cockroaches? Have any of you named any of them?

Boston:
I named one Bob.

Anthony Godfrey:
You named one Bob? Is it Bob short for Robert or is it just Bob the Cockroach?

Boston:
Bob.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. How about you? Did you name one? Yeah. What did you name?

Student #1:
I named one of them like Luke.

Anthony Godfrey:
You named him Luke?

Student #1:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is that after someone?

Student #1:
Not really. Just seems like the right name for that cockroach.

Anthony Godfrey:
Just seems like the right name for that cockroach.

Student #1:
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Now how do you know that Luke and Bob are not the same cockroach?

Student #1:
Because they're not, well cockroaches are not really not the same all the, both each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you can tell the difference between cockroaches now?

Student #1:
Sometimes, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Something you did not know you were going to learn in third grade. How about you? Did you name any of them?

Student #2:
No, but really some people have been calling them spider roach because they were climbing up the glass.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, spider roach because they climbed up the glass. Okay. Oh no, wait. Oh, they're out in the world here. Look at those things. They are big and fat and juicy aren't they? Wow.

Melissa Reynolds:
To a lizard or someone who might eat it? Yes. So on their backs right here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Melissa Reynolds:
This one that's crawling towards you. That one is the male.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah, I can see the bumps very easily now.

Melissa Reynolds:
And a lot of people think that those are their eyes, but their eyes are underneath them. The heads are like an ant head underneath.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Melissa Reynolds:
It's like busy. Anyway, so they have their heads underneath there, and many people think that those are their eyes, but those are just, they call them male bumps.

Anthony Godfrey:
Male bumps.

Melissa Reynolds:
So that's how you know that that one is a male cockroach.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, now is that dog food that they're eating?

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Melissa Reynolds:
They eat dog food. It's the easiest thing to keep in there that won't mold unless it gets really wet or anything. But then once or twice a week, I throw in like lettuce, they eat fruits and vegetables, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Anthony Godfrey:
So a balanced diet, a balanced diet. Okay, very good.

Melissa Reynolds:
They really like the lettuce.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Well, here's the important question. Do they fly?

Melissa Reynolds:
No, they do not fly, they do not bite. They don't do anything except for they have little like, I don't know how to describe them. They're kind of like little barbs almost on their legs, but they don't hurt you. It's mostly for them to be able to grip and also for defense so that when something's trying to grab them, they can push against with their leg and get away from that creature. That's the only thing that might feel like it's poking you or anything, but they won't bite and they can't harm you. So it's really nice.

Anthony Godfrey:
I’m building up to holding one. I'm not there yet, but hopefully, I can get there very quickly. So, what happens we're closing in on the end of the year. What happens when in a few days school is over and the cockroaches need continued care? What are you going to do with the cockroaches at that point?

Melissa Reynolds:
Well, I am planning to take them home. They've been home with me last summer, not all 140 yet, and over longer breaks because I want to make sure they get fed. But I have opened up to the third-grade students in our school too. I'm sending home an adoption form and they can have a parent permission slip signed saying that they can take a cockroach or two home with them over the summer as long as they'll treat them nicely. And then I also, maybe you could help with this, I don't know, if there are other third grade teachers that are doing the FOSS program and they would like to have cockroaches in their classrooms, I am more than willing to share my 140 because they can be pricey on Amazon. They're $20 to $30 for a pair of cockroaches. So I wouldn't sell them to you. They are yours for the taking and you can use them in your classrooms if that's something you're interested in.

Anthony Godfrey:
We can definitely email third-grade teachers with the email subject line, "Free cockroaches." Just see if we attract some attention that way. And if there's somebody listening who's dying to have a hissing cockroach in their life, by all means reach out and then let's see if we can help you out.

So Boston, your home becomes a cockroach hotel over the summer. How does that feel having them at home as well?

Boston:
It feels really good because sometimes the cockroaches hiss at Mom when she picks them us and sometimes they go like really really fast so it just turns into a funny thing.

Anthony Godfrey:
If I pick one up, do you think it's going to hiss at me? Because if it hisses at your mom, your mom is very good to these cockroaches. So if they're hissing at her, I really think they're gonna hiss at me, do you think?

Boston:
Yeah, because I think it's just like if they know you, like I think they can like feel you and smell you with their antenna or something, or they just might not be familiar to strangers.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well you know what, I'm gonna pick one up, I'm going to. So I'll let you know whether it hisses at me or not, okay?

Boston:
I'll even tell you how to pick it up so it doesn't just...

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, how do you... yes, how do you pick it up?

Boston:
Um, so you have to pick it up on its sides with your middle finger and thumb like this. Lightly pick it up and put it onto your hand. And if it gets too far up here and might fall off, you just do the same thing with your other hand.

Anthony Godfrey:
Just make sure there's always a hand for him to step onto.

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Uh, I might have your mom pick it up for me. Thank you for inviting me into your cockroach corner, your cockroach classroom, and answering some of the cockroach conundrums that have been plaguing me. This is very, very interesting and thank you for stretching yourself and going all in. I see it not just in the cockroach cage, but I see other stuff growing and happening all over your classroom that makes it a very engaging environment. So thanks for all the hard work you're putting into making this a great experience for these third graders.

Melissa Reynolds:
Absolutely. Thanks.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.