Tag: Class Companion

Tacos, Tech, and Talk: Kick Off ISTE 2025 w/ The Official EdTech Bites Walking Food Tour Of Downtown San Antonio!

Only 30 spots! Join us for tacos, burgers, paletas, and great conversation during The EdTech Bites Walking Food Tour of downtown San Antonio at ISTE 2025—sponsored by Class Companion!

Ready to spice up your ISTE 2025 experience—literally? 🌶️

I’m thrilled to announce the Official EdTech Bites Walking Food Tour Of Downtown San Antonio, sponsored by my friends at Class Companion! I can’t think of a better way to kick off ISTE 2025. We’re talking tacos that’ll make you tear up (happy tears), juicy burgers that’ll ruin all other burgers for you forever, and authentic Mexican paletas that could cool off even the hottest AI debate.

Here’s the Deal:

  • 🗓️ When: Sunday evening, June 29, 2025 from 7:00pm-9:00pm CT
  • 📍Where: Beautiful downtown San Antonio—walking distance from the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
  • 🍴What’s on the Menu:
    • Stop 1: Mi Corazon Street Tacos: Authentic Mexican tacos (not that Tex-Mex crap) that’ll transport you straight to abuela’s kitchen
      • Stop 2: Bombay Bicycle Club: Some of San Antonio’s best burgers (seriously, wear your Thanksgiving pants)
      • Stop 3: Paletería San Antonio: A sweet ending with hand-crafted, colorful paletas—aka gourmet Mexican popsicles
  • 🎟️ How Much: $5, but spots are limited to just 30 educators

This isn’t just about food (okay, it’s mostly about food). It’s about connecting with fellow educators before the conference chaos begins. Picture this: you, a taco in hand, swapping classroom wins and tech fails with new friends under the San Antonio skyline. It’s like networking, but tastier.

Why Should You Fill Out the Interest Form?

  1. 30 spots. That’s it. Once it’s full, it’s full—and no, we can’t smuggle anyone in via tortilla.
  2. Kick off ISTE with community. This is your chance to meet other educators before the crowds hit.
  3. Sponsored by Class Companion. Yes, that means surprises, swag, and some seriously cool educator tools (we’re not just here for the tacos… kind of).
  4. Get your steps in. Let’s be real—you’re going to eat a lot at ISTE. Might as well walk off the food. It will cancel the calories, right?!

Click the image below to fill out the interest form before it’s gone!

*Filling out the Interest Form does not guarantee your spot. You will be emailed later this week letting you know if you’re in or not. Don’t worry, if you don’t get in, you’ll still receive some Class Companion swag!*

Don’t wait—these Walking Food Tours always fill up faster than you can say “extra guac.” Join us, bring your appetite, and let’s kick off ISTE 2025 with flavor, fun, and foodie-fueled friendships.

See you on the streets (and by streets, I mean near the good tacos).

Buen provecho!

Ep. 250 | From Burnout to Brilliance: How To Reignite Your Teaching Passion With Brittany Blackwell

Struggling with teacher burnout? In this episode, Brittany Blackwell shares strategies to reignite your passion and balance mind, body, and soul in teaching.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

Are you feeling the weight of burnout or wondering how to rekindle your love for teaching? In this inspiring episode, I sit down with Brittany Blackwell, an educator dedicated to helping teachers nourish their mind, body, and soul. She shares her powerful story of learning to pivot when faced with exhaustion, offering practical strategies to reignite your passion and embrace teaching with renewed energy. She also hosts The Resilient Teacher Podcast where she gives teachers ways to pivot from burnout to building resiliency to ensure they are at their best for their students. Tune in for an uplifting conversation that will remind you why you fell in love with teaching in the first place! Buen provecho!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

About Brittany Blackwell

Brittany Blackwell, M.Ed., is an an award winning special educator and teacher burnout & sustainability strategist from South Carolina. With over thirteen years of experience in elementary and middle school classrooms, Brittany has become an expert in addressing teacher burnout. She is also the host of the popular podcast “The Resilient Teacher Podcast”.

Brittany is passionate about empowering teachers and educational leaders to prioritize their mental health. She helps them develop personalized sustainability and burnout recovery plans, reducing stress and creating the fulfilling lives they’ve always dreamed of. Through her digital approach, which includes automation, digital planning, vision planning, and sustainable strategies, Brittany has reached thousands of educators worldwide.

You may know Brittany as “MsPrincessTeach” on TikTok, where her social media following grew through her fast-paced, lighthearted tutorials and relatable real-life experiences. She offers teachers actionable strategies, personalized coaching, mindset shifting, and digital resources to create their own Individualized Burnout Recovery Plan. By reducing stress and automating mundane tasks, Brittany enables educators to prevent burnout and maximize fulfillment in both their personal and professional lives.

Connect With Brittany Blackwell

Ep. 247 | Tool Time: Exploring Our New Favorite EdTech Tools With Greg Bagby

In this episode, I chat with Greg Bagby while at the FETC 2025 conference. We discuss our new favorite edtech tools and how we use them in our everyday lives!

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

What’s better than discovering an edtech tool that makes your teaching life easier? Sharing it with a friend! In this episode, we sit down with the ever-insightful Greg Bagby to trade notes on our favorite new edtech finds. Greg introduces us to Notebook LM, a next-level AI-powered notetaking assistant, while I dive into Class Companion, a versatile tool designed to facilitate student writing feedback through AI. Join us for a fun, practical conversation filled with tips, tricks, and plenty of “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments. If you’re looking to level up your tech toolkit, this episode is for you!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

About Greg

Greg is the Coordinator of Instructional Technology in Hamilton County schools in Chattanooga, TN. He is about to finish a contract as an Apple Professional Learning specialist. He served on the Technical Working Group for the National Education Technology Plan and hopes to graduate soon with a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology.

Connect With Greg Bagby

Ep. 245 | Maximizing Teacher Time: How Class Companion Delivers Real-Time Insights for Student Success w/ Avery Pan And Brittany Blackwell

Discover how Class Companion empowers teachers with time-saving tools and real-time insights, helping them focus more on student engagement and success.

*This episode is sponsored by Class Companion. To learn more and get started, Click Here!

Are you ready to reclaim your time and supercharge student learning? In this episode, recorded live at FETC 2025, we sit down with Avery Pan (Co-Founder) and Brittany Blackwell (Marketing and Community Lead) of Class Companion to explore how their innovative platform saves teachers hours of work and provides timely insights into student progress. Discover how you can spend less time grading and more time engaging with your students. Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or instructional coach, this conversation will inspire you to rethink what’s possible in the classroom. Buen provecho!

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

Connect With Class Companion

FETC 2025: Learning, Food, and Fun!

FETC is just around the corner and here’s what I’ve got going on. There’s still a few spots left for the food tour so make sure you’re signed up.

It’s January, and you know what that means: FETC is right around the corner! I’m beyond excited to pack my bags (and my stretchy pants) and head back to sunny Orlando for a few days of learning, inspiration, connection, and—let’s be honest—amazing food.

There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by passionate educators who are as eager to learn as they are to share. Presenting to educators is one of my greatest joys, and getting to do it in a vibrant city like Orlando? That’s the cherry on top (or maybe the sprinkles on the donut—this is Florida, after all).

The Walking Food Tour of Downtown Orlando

This year, I’ve partnered with the amazing folks at Lumio to host my annual walking food tour of downtown Orlando. If you’ve ever joined one of these tours, you know it’s not just about the food—it’s about breaking bread (or tacos, or pastries) together, swapping ideas, and building connections that last long after the conference ends. I’m thrilled to share that we STILL HAVE A FEW SPOTS OPEN! If you’re interested in joining us, check out the details and sign up below.

Sign Up For The FETC Walking Food tour

A HUGE thank you to Lumio for sponsoring this event and supporting my book as well. If you’re still looking for a copy of Cooking Up Experiences in the Classroom, here’s your chance:

Click Here To Purchase

Podcasting with Class Companion

FETC isn’t just about sessions and workshops for me—it’s also about connecting one-on-one. This year, I’m teaming up with Class Companion to record podcast episodes live at the conference. These episodes will feature incredible educators and thought leaders sharing their insights on all things teaching and learning—while we enjoy some delicious bites, of course! I’m so grateful to FETC and Class Companion for making this opportunity possible.

Be sure to subscribe to my podcast so you don’t miss a single FETC episode when they drop after the conference. Trust me, these conversations are going to be worth the wait!

Subscribe On Apple Podcast
Subscribe On Spotify

Steps, Sunshine, and Guilt-Free Indulgence

Now, let’s talk about mornings. Since summer 2024, I’ve made it a point to get my steps in every single morning—and Orlando will be no exception. I’ll be up bright and early, power-walking my way through the city and soaking up that gorgeous Florida sunrise. Why? Because nothing makes enjoying Orlando’s culinary scene feel sweeter than knowing I’ve already burned a few extra calories. Balance, right?

Let’s Connect!

If you’re heading to FETC, let’s connect! Whether you’re coming to one of my sessions, stopping by the Class Companion booth, or just passing me on a morning walk, don’t be shy—say hello! Here’s a list of my sessions:

And if you’re not making it to Orlando this year, stay tuned for all the updates, podcasts, and behind-the-scenes fun. Hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss out, and who knows—maybe next year, we’ll be breaking bread together.

Here’s to a week of learning, laughter, and living our best edtech foodie lives! See you in Orlando and Buen Provecho!