Summer is a great time for students to make a splash into activities that create family memories lasting a lifetime. Collecting seashells at the beach, spying a bear on a hike in the mountains, or riding a thrilling roller coaster may be part of the plan for kids, but for teachers, this time off is often spent thinking and planning for the next school year.

It is during these seemingly endless summer days that quality educators sift through the myriad of ways they can do a better job of making a positive and lasting impact on their students. And for those who don’t, there is hope.

Dr. Kevin Leman and Kristin Leman O'Reilly believe that becoming a tremendous educator is easier than you think. They contend that by following a few simple steps, you can inspire and energize your classroom for a lifetime of success.

In Be a Great Teacher by Friday: 5 Winning Ways to Spark World-Changing Potential, Dr. Leman and O'Reilly offer wisdom fueled guidance on how to best refine education basics and craft an intentional culture to match your teaching goals.

We recently sat down with this father/daughter duo to discuss the greatest challenges facing teachers these days, some positive developments currently happening in classrooms across the United States, and the most important thing educators need to know to be successful.

When you grow up in a rural part of New England your dreams of being anything in the media or the arts become practical, shaped by geography as much or more so than talent.

For someone who aspires to share their music with the masses, the thought of Hollywood or Nashville seems like a distant pinpoint on a map rather than a destination for the dream.

The sobering fact is, not too many musicians from the Northeastern reaches of the United States have broken through to national success. For every James Taylor or Ray LaMontagne, the musical landscape is littered by artists who dreamed big but didn’t quite make it past the county line.

Ben Fuller grew up on his family’s dairy farm in southern Vermont. He began singing when he was young on the farm but didn’t play his first show until 2017, when he was 30 years old, at a small local bar. But that was enough to fuel his passion for more. Soon thereafter, he packed up everything he had and headed to Nashville, determined to make his mark on the music industry.

Playing every live venue that would give him stage time, Fuller eventually caught the ear of Provident Entertainment, who signed him to a recording contract in 2022.

The rest as they say is history. In the last three years, Fuller has racked up two Dove Awards, a KLOVE Award, 53 million streams of his single “If I Got Jesus”, and performances at the Grand Ole Opry and the CMA Festival.

He has just released his second album, “Walk Through Fire”, that features a collaboration with multi-platinum selling artist Carrie Underwood on a song called “If It Was Up to Me”.

Fuller joins us to chat about growing up on a rural dairy farm in rural Vermont, what inspired him to take the big leap to start his music career in Nashville, and a fateful dinner with hometown friends that changed his life forever.

With a quiet stealth-like frequency, children’s television programming is becoming more and more woke. So much so that conservative parents are becoming increasingly concerned.

One doesn’t have to look far to see that gender ideology has made inroads on shows like Muppet Babies which features a transgender character, or Blues Clues and You that has trumpeted an animated “Pride Parade” hosted by a drag queen.

Even Sesame Street, considered to be the gold standard in children’s television programming, has celebrated LGBTQ Pride Month for many years.

Seeing this negative trend, Kirk Cameron has joined in partnership with Brave Books to create a new children’s television series to counter some of these progressive concepts that are increasingly permeating the children’s television programming landscape.

Currently streaming on Great American Pure Flix, Iggy and Mr. Kirk is a live action/animated series that is designed for children and families. The program follows a curious iguana and his friend, Mr. Kirk, as they explore engaging yet profound life lessons that are grounded in Scripture. Each episode demonstrates faith-based values like kindness, courage and compassion all seen through the lens of effective storytelling, humor, and music. Think Veggie Tales meets Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

In addition to Cameron who plays the lead role of Mr. Kirk, the show also features Disney Channel alum Leigh-Allyn Baker and renowned American puppeteer John Kennedy.

Cameron joins me to chat about the role entertainment plays in the values our children develop and observe through the media they consume. Listen as he encourages parents to be more intentional about kids having positive entertainment to choose from.