Engaging Students in a World of Distractions with Dr. Marc Isseks (EP171)

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For 30 years, Dr. Marc Isseks has served as a teacher, staff developer, content specialist, and building administrator in New York City and Long Island, NY. A third-generation educator, Marc believes in the power of learning to engage,  inspire, inform, and transform young people so they can become the best versions of themselves. Marc co-hosts the State of Ed Podcast, is the author of 2 books: Forward Fast and Captivate, and is a self-proclaimed Educational Pyromaniac. 

Your WHY

To ensure that every young person receives a high-quality, inspirational, and transformational education – the most powerful artillery known to humankind. 

Tell us about your background. Where did you grow up? What was it like when you were a student? 

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and received an incredible public school education from half-day pre-K through high school. Coming from a family of educators (both parents and maternal grandparents), nearly every soul who entered my childhood home worked in a school building. (One woman’s husband was an attorney, and another married a judge. That was it.) 

My mother was a union rep, and my father was an assistant principal. There were always adults who knew my parents were looking out for me in every school I attended. This meant that slacking off or cutting class was NEVER going to fly. At the time, I didn’t perceive those as benefits. The only advantage worth anything was that my dad used to work with Tony, the custodian at my elementary school, P.S. 197. So, when I would go with friends to the schoolyard to play stickball – and our one-and-only ball was inevitably hit onto the roof – I would push the buzzer on the wrought iron gate, and Tony would run up and toss down every single ball. Then he’d call down in his Irish brogue, “Tell your dah oy say hoy!â€

Of all my schooling experiences, the years I spent at Edward R. Murrow High School were the most special because of how progressive it was. With a communication arts focus, inspired by the renowned newsman for whom the building was named, students were given unparalleled autonomy to develop their independence, pursue a wide variety of academic objectives, and think critically. With flexible scheduling and optional time built into student programming, I found tremendous value in the education I was blessed to have an army of teachers who challenged me. We didn’t have competitive varsity sports, but we had a state-of-the-art theater, a nationally ranked chess team, and a planetarium. It was unlike any experience my non-Murrow peers were receiving.

Why did you become a teacher? Who impacted you and believed in you?

As I mentioned, teaching was the “family business,†which is why I swore I would never work in a school. So, while I figured out how to break into Wall Street, Hollywood, and law, my father suggested I do a little substitute teaching to bring in a few dollars. I guess I have weak sales resistance… 

My parents believed in my abilities and encouraged me to get the necessary credits for licensure. After two years of long-term subbing/leave replacements, I received my first full-time position teaching middle school math (with some science and music appreciation thrown in, even though my license was in social studies – welcome to Brooklyn in the mid-90s). While I didn’t recognize it at the time, teaching anything and everything taught me the importance of doing my homework in the form of preparation. It also helped me become the instructional leader I am today because I have developed a boundless curiosity in all disciplines, which has helped me connect to myriad teachers and support their professional growth. 

My father’s classroom from the late 1950s. Foreshadowing my destiny to become an educator and an indictment on how little the educational system has evolved.

Outside of my parents, the pedagogical leviathan is Saul Bruckner who sits on my Mount Rushmore. He was the founder and principal of Murrow High School, and the most visionary educator I’ve ever had the fortune of knowing. I went back to work there for a year before the higher pay scale of Long Island beckoned me. To this day, I have mixed feelings about making that move. It difficult to turn down a 30% increase, but I hadn’t finished my training with Yoda. I could’ve learned so much more. 

State of Ed Podcast

I started the State of Ed Podcast in 2015 with my incredible friend, Dr. Nick Simone. We briefly taught in the same social studies department at Floral Park Memorial High School in the early 2000s, and remained very close once I began my administrative journey. Nick and I would speak regularly on the phone during our respective commutes, and though we would try to avoid it, the topic of education always dominated our chats. One Saturday afternoon, Nick attended my school’s football game. I supervised from the sidelines, looked up at him, and said, “We should start a podcast on education.†He replied, “We’ll see.â€

This is a picture of Nick and me taking a break from the podcast to attend our hooding ceremony.

A decade later, we have had the pleasure of meeting some of the most wonderful educators from around the country and beyond. After every conversation, Nick and I marvel at how many talented people there are in this field. It has been a pleasure to share their stories and expertise with our global audience; we look forward to continuing this work well into the future. 

Your books: Forward Fast (2019) and CAPTIVATE (2024)

If there has been one strand that has run through my 30 years as a professional educator, it has been technology. My career began with an overhead projector, transparency markers, and the most bespoke chalk holder you’ve ever seen.

I have witnessed every major shift in this era of seemingly endless disruptions. Not only have I acquired a tremendous amount of anecdotal evidence as a classroom teacher and building leader, but instructional technology was at the heart of my doctoral work. As such, it was a natural subject for me to focus my writing.

This led to my first book, Forward Fast: Making Sense of Education in an Era of Rapid Change. In it, I shared views on how we, as educators, could best handle the speed of progress while still maintaining our purpose. Get your copy at Amazon.

My latest work, Captivate: Engaging and Empowering Students in a World of Digital Distractions, was written to answer what I believe is the most critical question in education today: How do schools compete for students’ attention now? 

We know that it is more difficult than ever to engage students. When I began in the classroom, my greatest opponent was an unsanctioned game of Tic-Tac-Toe. Today, it is TikTok. That is a seismic shift. Therefore, it requires a seismic response. Hence, the title of my book, which is also my mission as an educational leader: Captivate.  Get your copy at Amazon.

The Rhythm Forever Foundation

The logo for the Rhythm Forever foundation I formed to raise money for colon cancer research, in memory/honor of my best friend who lost his battle to the disease. https://rhythmforever.com

 

What quote would you like to leave with our audience?

Your legacy is every life you touch. ~ Maya Angelou

Dr. Marc Isseks’ Contact Information

Email: educationalpyromaniac@gmail.com 
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/marcisseks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcisseks/
State of Ed Podcast: https://stateofedpodcast.com   
Website: http://marcisseks.com/ 
X https://x.com/marcisseks

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I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Dr. Marc Isseks. I loved Marc’s book Captivate, and was glad I read it before the podcast. I couldn’t put his book down and wrote notes to discuss in the podcast.  I enjoyed our conversation, his stories, and his great sense of humor. I hope you enjoyed it did too. Please share this post and podcast with your friends and make sure you connect with Marc.

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