Larry Ferlazzo: How to Teach "Better"

What Is at the Heart of Better Teaching? — Larry Ferlazzo What should remain constant in great teaching even as technology, AI, and instructional trends continue to change? John Schembari talks with educator and author Larry Ferlazzo about ideas from The Better Teacher's Toolbox, including relationships, student autonomy, relevance, competence, productive struggle, small-group learning, and keeping technology in its proper place. They also explore how teachers can use AI and technology withou

What if we could prevent hate, violence, misogyny, and discrimination before they take root? John speaks with Leslee Udwin, award-winning filmmaker and founder and president of Think Equal. Udwin shares how making the Peabody Award-winning documentary India’s Daughter transformed the direction of her life and led her to focus on the attitudes and beliefs that can underlie violence and dehumanization. They explore why Udwin believes early childhood education offers a critical opportunity to bui

Teaching changes because what we know about learning changes. In this episode of Have a Life Teaching, John Schembari talks with Ross McGill, founder of Teacher Toolkit, about what 35 years in education have taught him about how students learn—and what teachers should do differently as a result. Ross explores the evolution from sharing “good ideas” to evidence-informed teaching, why retrieval and questioning matter, how teachers can make student thinking visible, and why metacognition may be o

Becoming a principal changes everything from relationships with colleagues to responsibility for instruction, culture, communication, and the direction of an entire school. In this episode, I’m joined by Tom Hierck, Rita Marler, and Shan Jorgenson Adam, co-authors of You’re a Principal Now, What’s Next?, to explore the realities of school leadership that traditional preparation programs don’t always prepare leaders for. We discuss why new principals need support beyond their initial training,

What happens when a coaching relationship leaves the coach feeling frustrated, ineffective, or demoralized? In this episode of Have a Life Teaching, I talk with Elena Aguilar, founder and CEO of Bright Morning and author of How to Coach Resistance: Turning Pushback into Positivity. Rather than focusing only on why teachers resist coaching, we turn the lens back on coaches and school leaders responsible for adult learning. Elena challenges us to rethink resistance itself: what we experience as

What can students learn through dance that they may not learn sitting at a desk? In this episode of Have a Life Teaching, John Schembari talks with Minila Shah, founder of Ajna Dance Company, about the role dance and the performing arts can play in helping young people experience culture, develop confidence, express themselves, and connect with others. Minila shares her own journey from learning Bharatanatyam as a child growing up in Canada to eventually founding Ajna Dance Company in New York