Episodes

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, John speaks with Dr. Danita Grissom and Dr. Vicki Kelner, co-authors of High Five to Thrive: Five Proven Practices to Unleash Your Passion for Teaching . The conversation e...

In this episode of Have a Life Teaching Podcast , John sits down with Jeff Riley , former Commissioner of Education for Massachusetts and current Executive Director of Day of AI , a nonprofit initiative launched out of MIT. T...

Anyone who has stepped into a K–5 classroom knows this truth: kids need to move. But they also need strong math foundations. So how do we do both—without sacrificing rigor? In this episode, I sit down with Suzy Koontz, CEO an...

What can the costume designer behind Raiders of the Lost Ark and Michael Jackson’s Thriller teach educators? A lot. In this episode, Dr. Deborah Landis, UCLA professor and legendary Hollywood costume designer (also behind The...

Why do people keep doing the opposite of what we’ve clearly explained over and over again? Or do nothing at all? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Judy Newman , researcher, former principal, and author of Influence , for a p...

In this wide-ranging conversation, Carol Ann Tomlinson reflects on her unconventional path into teaching and the classroom realities that led her to redefine differentiation—not as a set of tactics, but as an ethical stance t...

What if schools taught longevity—not just aging? On the latest episode of the podcast, I spoke with Karol Schwartzlander (California Commission on Aging) and Judith Hemphill about why aging belongs in our K–12 conversations. ...

Grammar doesn’t fail because students can’t learn it. It fails because of how it’s taught . In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast , I’m joined by literacy expert Patty McGee , co-author of Not Your Granny’s Gram...

In this episode, I speak with Adam Watson about role-playing and gamification as serious instructional tools , not motivational add-ons. We explore how well-designed role-play: Shifts students from passive responders to activ...

As we return to the second half of the school year, and exhaustion starts to set in, morale often becomes fragile—for teachers, students, and leaders alike. In this episode, John is joined by Dr. Darrin Peppard, former Wyomin...

What does it really mean to communicate a vision—and why does it matter so much for school culture? In this episode, John Schembari is joined by Corey Gordon , CEO of DeliverEd, to explore how schools and districts can move b...

In this episode, John Schembari is joined by student author Amy Wallace and education researcher Dr. Nick Jackson to explore AI in education—from the learner’s perspective. Key Topics Covered How students actually use AI to t...

Chronic absenteeism still hovers around 25% nationwide—and one root cause keeps surfacing: student disengagement. In this episode, we sit down with Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards , to unpack a hard truth many of us...

In 2025, great teaching isn’t about delivering content — it’s about curating it, unleashing student curiosity, and building true student efficacy.But here’s the twist: teachers can’t foster efficacy if leaders are still ferry...

Making Social Studies Come Alive Through Inquiry In this week’s Podcast episode, I sit down with Charisse Smith Ph.D. —CEO of Sankofa Educational Consulting and former K–6 Social Studies Supervisor in Trenton Public Schools ,...

Cutting Through the Noise with Priority Standards Teachers are asked to do everything — personalization, differentiation, voice and choice, standards-based instruction… but rarely is anything taken off the plate. In this epis...

In this Have a Life Teaching Podcast episode, we speak with Maureen Chapman and James Simons of Core Creative Partners about their new book, Leaders of the Class . We explore how motivation, perseverance, communication, and c...

Host Dr. John Schembari brings together three leading K–12 podcasters from the U.S. and Australia to explore why they podcast, how they amplify teacher voices, and what keeps them inspired. They discuss balancing practical cl...

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast. we welcome Dr. Carmen Bell Ross—founder and CEO of SP Grace—and her daughter, Sierra Ross, a Harvard University student, for a powerful mother-daughter conversation on help...

John talks with Mickey Evans and Erin Sanchez about place-based learning , a pedagogy of connectedness that roots instruction in students’ local communities, cultures, and environments. They share design principles for creati...

In this episode, Dr. John Schembari speaks with Nicholas Bradford - Founder at National Center for Restorative Justice - about how restorative justice can transform school culture by balancing accountability, relationship bui...

Guest: Dr. Tim Shanahan , literacy researcher, author of Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives , and founder of the UIC Center for Literacy. Episode Summary: Dr. Shanahan joins John to discuss why students must engage with grade-lev...

“If students can’t read to learn, they can’t learn through reading.” In this episode of the podcast, I talk with Gwen Pauloski, author of Making Deep Sense of Informational Text: A Framework for Strengthening Comprehension in...

In this inaugural episode, education podcasters sit down to reflect on the art and purpose of podcasting in education. From the challenges of balancing storytelling with scholarship to the power of teacher voice in shaping pu...