AJ Bianco (@AJBianco) | #BowTieTuesday
This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight goes to an educator that I was lucky to have connected with through a mutual colleague. The Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than Mr. AJ Bianco (@AJBianco), a middle school social studies educator by day and podcaster by night! AJ is a co-host of the extremely popular podcast, PodcastPD and their latest episode features a real gem in the world of education.
Educational Pursuit: AJ is a seasoned veteran in the world of education. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in adolescent education with a concentration in social studies from SUNY Oneonta. He then went on to earn a master’s degree in history from Iona College and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Ramapo College.
AJ remembers vividly the amazing social studies teacher he had when he was in high school that showed him that learning was much more than doing things by the book. This teacher showed him that while learning can be a slow, arduous process, it was also something that could be fun. This teacher fostered opportunities for AJ and his peers to create projects, do group work and learn in an environment that was fun and engaging. It was at that point in his life that AJ knew that he wanted to be able to recreate a similar learning environment and inspire his students the way his teacher inspired him.
Most Memorable Moment: AJ is pretty fortunate as his most memorable moment occurs every year. He spoke of the times when former students come back and tell him that they remember something they did together in class. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something they learned; it could be a memory of something that was discussed or joked around about but it was still something that they took away because of the learning environment he was able to develop.
Personal Learning Interests: AJ possesses an intense passion for learning and continual growth as an educator and leader. Currently, he enjoys learning more about techniques and methodologies that he can employ within his classroom such as the Flipped Classroom, Blended Learning, Personalized Learning and technology integration.
The Fun Stuff
AJ’s go-to Karaoke Song: Anything by Frank Sinatra – Just the Way You Look Tonight
AJ’s Inside Scoop: AJ is a big softie! He wears his emotions on his sleeve and he is always thinking about what he can do to help others.
Thank you, Bruce, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. I was blessed that I crossed paths with Clark who put the two of us in contact with one another. You have contributed immensely to my PLN and continue to serve as a role-model for the type of leader and man I hope to become. I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward.
Thanks for reading and sharing!
Bow-Tie Barry
