Ryan Pelkey is an educator/speaker/writer and advocate of teacher mental health. With 25 years in education he has seen most, done most and been a part of some amazing schools and taught over 10,000 students. As a current administrator, he is active in restorative practices, instructional leadership and bringing the best out of his teachers, students and other stakeholders. Listen to Episode 280 which is when we first interviewed Ryan in 2022! Quotables *All quotables are from the interviewee  "I want other people to know that it's okay to want more out of your career, or want more out of your life...and to be able to step up and step out is what it's all about..." "A lot of times the focus is on the kids. The focus is on our students, and it should be...but if you treat your teachers well, you're gonna create those environments where the kids are gonna want to be there..." "...I know my staff. I know my community and I know my kids and I've really adapted and grown as a leader and a person because of the people I'm surrounded with..." About Ryan Pelkey Ryan is writing a new book called "...Just- The Dirtiest 4 letter word in a Growth Mindset" which is soon to be published on Amazon. His previous book The Boy Who Lost His Ears was a best seller on Amazon for students in grades 3-5. This SEL story shows the importance of listening skills and do we really need ears to hear/listen? Feel free to zoom him into your classrooms as a Pop Up Author! He has spoken at educational conferences from Virginia to Australia and Malaysia, hoping to make connections to help people anyway, anyhow and anywhere. Teachers need to be first in schools! He lives in Northern Virginia with his family and 2 amazing dogs. A big Yankee Fan, Eagles Fan and Carolina Basketball Fan. Find him on X and Instagram @mr_pelkey View Ryan's LinkedIn profile, too! Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter Join here and grab a freebie! Connect with Gretchen Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com Blog: Always A Lesson Facebook: Always A Lesson Twitter: @gschultek Instagram: Always.A.Lesson Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College Gretchen's latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon. Leave a Rating and Review: This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2 Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’ Under ‘Customer Reviews,’ click on “Write a Review.” Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best) Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast Click ‘Send’