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Episodes

Feb. 12, 2025

How to Co-Teach Effectively (Belinda Karge and Matt Rhoads)

Effective coteaching has so many benefits for students, particularly in terms of inclusion for students with special needs and for bilingual learners. So say today's guests on the podcast - Belinda Karge and Matt Rhoads - who...

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Feb. 11, 2025

How to Help Students Take Ownership of Their Own Learning (Aaron Hans…

Too often, at best, students are compliant with school directives and, at worst, actively defiant much like inmates in a minimum security prison. So says, today's guest, Aaron Hansen - author of the book "Heroes Within" - on ...

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Feb. 4, 2025

How to Guarantee You Are Using a Deep Knowledge Curriculum (Nathaniel…

In some schools, curriculum is prescribed. In other places, teachers put together their own learning materials. In either case, how do we know that what we are providing students, in terms of materials and content, will promo...

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Jan. 28, 2025

How to Enhance Student Curiosity in Your K-2 Math Classroom (Chepina …

Too often, we think of early primary learners as empty recepticles to be filled. However, this is when creativity and ingenuity is most unfettered and/or non self-conscious. How then can we draw out what early primary student...

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Jan. 21, 2025

How to Teach the Holocaust in the 21st Century (Maud Dahme, Mike Pawl…

How and Why Still Teach the Holocaust? After all, it has been 80 years since the liberation of the concentration camps and end of WWII. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is very simple. Look at the world around us …

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Jan. 14, 2025

How to Ground Your Teaching in Best Practice Research (Nathaniel Hans…

Knowing research can help us to determine if what others may be telling us to do in our teaching is in the best interest of us and our students. So says, Nathaniel Hansford, a teacher in Canada and author of …

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Jan. 7, 2025

How to Create Digital Projects that Elevate Student Voice (John Arthu…

In this episode, we chat with John Arthur, former Utah teacher of the year, current 6th grade teacher in Salt Lake City, and author of the new book "The Digital Projects Playbook." Join us here as we discuss not only …

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Dec. 17, 2024

How to Develop Your Capacity as a Servant Leader (David Gaston)

Leadership within 21st Century schools should be different from what those of us in Generation X or before experienced of our school leaders says my next podcast guest, David Gaston. Gaston is founder and CEO of Gaston Educat...

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Dec. 10, 2024

How to Ensure Great City Schools (Tracey Quarles and Michael Casserly)

Urban schools are vitially important for ensuring the strength of our overall economy as well as the growth of democracy says Michael Casserly, former executive director and current senior consultant of the Council of Great C...

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Dec. 3, 2024

How to Use Physical Objects in Student Historical Inquiry (Leslie Hay…

In this episode, we are joined by Leslie Hayes, Vice-President of Education at the New York Historical Society. Hayes discusses how even the simplest item - a Dunkin Doughnuts Coffee Cup for example - can unleash deep and eng...

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Nov. 26, 2024

How to Design Community Informed Schools (Jenee Henry Wood)

For too long, schools have been designed using either a top down or bottom up approach; top down where administration makes all system decisions or bottom up where leadership is responsive to parent needs and wishes. However,...

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Nov. 20, 2024

How Schools Can Create Systems To Weather the Unexpected (Geri Parsca…

Did you know that two out of every three students will experience a traumatic event before they reach the age of 16? Trying to be clearheaded during a crisis is difficult. As such, schools must therefore be prepared to addres...

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Nov. 19, 2024

How Schools Can Support Grieving Students (Lindsay Schambach)

Did you know that November is Children's Grief Awareness Month? Or, that 1/12 U.S. children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18? Grief is a normal part of life, and schools must find ways to …

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Nov. 12, 2024

How to Activate Math Talks in Your Elementary Classroom (Paola Sztaij…

Dr. Paola Sztaijn is Dean of Education at North Carolina State University and co-author of the book - Activating Math Talk: 11 Purposeful Techniques for Your Elementary Students. In this episode, Paola and I discuss the four ...

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Nov. 5, 2024

How and Why to Teach the "Hard" Election Process (Jeremy Kaplan)

Given the contentious nature of this election season and the accompanying polarization, humanities teachers could be forgiven for not wanting to teach the election process. Yet, if we onlt teach the past, including hard pasts...

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Oct. 29, 2024

How to Use Questioning to Maximize Student Curiosity and Engagement (…

In this episode, I am joined by Erik Francis, author of the new book Inquiring Minds Want to Learn. In our conversation, we discuss not only how to use questioning as a form of assessment but, perhaps more importantly, as …

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Oct. 22, 2024

How to Design Your Student Assessments in Five Easy Steps (Nicole Dim…

Assessment of student learning is critical if we are to get a true sense of what students know and can do before, during, and after teaching. Join me and my next guest, Nicole Dimich, as we discuss her book - …

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Oct. 15, 2024

How to Think of Teaching as a Series of Building Blocks (Gretchen Bri…

Join me and my guest Gretchen Bridgers and I as we discuss her latest book - Always a Lesson. In it, and in our conversation, Gretchen discusses the four building blocks of teaching that must be considered, in order, for …

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Oct. 9, 2024

How to Coach Teachers and School Leaders as an External Consultant (G…

There are times when school systems need to rely on external support to improve instruction and student outcomes. While external consultants often bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in what works in schools, it can be...

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Oct. 8, 2024

How to Teach Students About Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship (…

Increasingly, financial literacy standards are being adopted across school districts and states. Join me and my guest Tevan Asaturi, Founder and CEO of Money Mastery University, as we discuss the need to teach financial liter...

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July 2, 2024

Will Be Back with More HALT Content in August!

Hi Everyone! Thanks for listening to season one of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast. In July 24, I'll be continuing to edit great content that I hope you will enjoy in August and beyond. The podcast will be back …

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June 25, 2024

How to Teach Students About Slavery (Adam Andre)

In this episoode of the Have a Life Teaching podcast, Adam Andre - museum participation facilitator at the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool - and I discuss how and why we should not shy away from teaching students ab...

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June 18, 2024

How to Reduce Student Academic Stress and Improve School Climate (Eli…

In this episode, Anjana and Anya, two high school students from New Jersey, discuss their program 'Connected' aimed at promoting awareness of the mental health struggles that often accompany the academic pressures that high a...

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June 11, 2024

How to Write a Strategic and Engaging Curriculum Unit (Maria Nielsen)

In this episode, we speak with Maria Nielsen - former school principal, current education consultant, and author of the new Solution Tree book - 15 Day Challenge: Simplify and Energize Your PLC at Work. We discuss how to writ...

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