Holly Clark is a passionate educator and internationally recognized keynote speaker, based in southern California. She has been in the education industry for more than seventeen years as a teacher and administrator, with this history in mind, she also delivers professional development sessions and keynote speeches to audiences around the world.

Holly is also an education consultant, blogger, speaker, and co-owner of Elevate Books Edu - A Book Publishing Company and the co-founder of CaliforniaEdChat and EduSlam me show where they highlight innovative teaching practices from around the world.

In 2017, Holly published her first book The Google Infused Classroom and in 2020, both The Microsoft Infused Classroom and The Chromebook Infused Classroom were released.

Interview

Q: What’s the first thing you do to get your day going?

I can’t start the day without coffee - and a long walk with my dog gets me thinking about my day and how I need to spend it. Fresh air helps me think and gives me time to reflect on what are the most important things I need to accomplish that day.

Q: What’s your go-to meal for breakfast and tea or coffee?

I am American, so of course, it's Coffee. A flat white :)

Q: Which music artist best describes your teaching style?

Taylor Swift because I like to write my own lessons...I have never looked to something like Teachers Pay Teachers to get ideas...they come easily and naturally to me.

Q: What inspires you to go to work every morning and indeed throughout your career?

Students. I want students to have a better educational experience than I did. I want them to fall in love with learning and leave my class buzzed with excitement about what we are doing. My students are now teachers - so I treat them the same way.

Q: What do you love most about your work?

Travel and experiences of helping people see how amazing the classroom can look in 2021 and beyond.

Q: Are you team Google or team Apple & why?

Both. I could not live without all of my apple projects, but once I open them up, I use Google. I often think about how tied I am to Apple products simply because of the convenience of iMessage - and don’t know how people live without an iPhone that connects to their computer.

Q: What advice can you give to fellow educators about remote learning that you found invaluable or general tips for how to cope?

This is easy, remote learning is now turning to blended learning and I could not do any of it without HyperDocs. Check out Hyperdocs.co for more information.

Q: What are your thoughts on the theme for Women’s month this year, Choose to Challenge, and how do you think women in education can take this theme into their lives throughout the year and beyond?

I wish we did more about the triumph of women during this month (and all year). As a woman who chose the non-traditional route - like for instance, I didn’t have kids - and I wish we would celebrate how different choices are magical for some people.

Q: What is your Mantra for the year?

Buckets are my mantra...I want to make new buckets this year and fill them up. Whether it is business or personal...I want loads of new buckets this year that overflow with what I add to them.

Discover more about the Infused Classroom here and the awesome work that Holly gets up to!

Thank you Holly for taking the time to share these tips and tricks with me. I look forward to continuing to learn more from you.

Onwards

Panashe Goteka

Team Mobile Guardian