Episodes

Educators can't do well by their students if they are not whole themselves. Sometimes, the best course of action is to know when enough is enough and change course to new jobs in the education field or outside of it. In this episode, Casey Jakubowski - co-author of Crush It From the Start: 50 Tips for New Teachers and school principal - and I discuss the signs to look for to determine if moving on is the right decision. In his book, see Tip #50 - Knowing When to Retreat. We als...

In this episode, Megan Conklin - founder of Conklin Educational Perspectives and Trainer at the Washington Education Association - discusses her work in designing and facilitating substitute teacher team training programs and how her model could and should be replicated across the country. Data suggests that K12 students in the USA can spend up to a year in classes managed by substitutes who are often unsupported and unprepared to meet student needs. Yet, programs like Megan's are providing s...

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, Jo Boaler, Stanford Math education professor and author of ther new book "Math- ish", and I discuss how to make Math instruction more accessible to students in K12 schools. Math learning can cause unnecessary anxiety if it is taught only abstractly rather than in a way that connects it to the world in which we live and helps to explain it. We chat about the value that comes from K12 students discussing what they think Math represented pi...

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, Roxie Patton, Founder of RJ Consulting and Coaching, and I continue our conversation on the importance of having educators who understand the students and families they serve. Since many educators no longer live in the communites where they teach, this becomes a particularly important consideration within teaching. Roxie and I discuss ways through which educators might combat the internal biases they may have of others/their students as ...

When we teach students how to write, we often do so by teaching certain writing "moves" - introducing a topic, expanding on it, and summation, etc. We also should be teaching the communication moves that go along with public speaking and presentation. So says my guest Robyn Brinks Lockwood, speech professor at Stanford University, on this episode. So that students can meet the rigor of college teaching and learning, Professor Brinks-Lockwood and I discuss what K12 educators, particularly h...

Over 27 percent of all students in America have immigrant parents. In this episode, Ari Gerzon-Kessler and I discuss strategies for better engaging this traditionally underserved population of families. Gerzon-Kessler, a former principal, currently serves as a coordinator of family partnerships and is the author of the new book "On the Same Team: Bringing Educators and Underrepresented Families Together". He and I discuss the power of newcomer parent-teacher teams as well as home visits in bo...

In this episode, my guest Allison Rodman, author of the new book Still Learning and the founder/CEO of The Learning Loop, and I discuss what is required to embed effective teacher professional development in schools. We discuss what administrators must do to ensure that all training is systemic and has established success criteria as well as how to improve the effectiveness of teacher professional learning communities and overall teacher collaboration in schools. Allison Rodman LinkedIn St...

In this episode, the authors of the Formative Assessment Handbook, Marine Freiburn and Sandy Brunet, and I discuss how to craft learning intentions that then allow teachers to align assessment and student engagement to those learning goals. In our chat, we discuss how to unpack standards into child friendly learning intentions, how to embed success criteria in learning, and strategies for engaging students in understanding and measuring their own growth towards mastery of learning intentions. ...

Maker spaces are anywhere and everywhere where students are taking knowledge and creating something physical that adds on to that knowledge in new ways. Students' cognitive skills are developed in the process. Yes, schools can create labs with 3D printers but teachers can also turn a closet into a maker space. Join my next guest Matt Zigler, maker space cordinator at the Bullis School and professional artist, and I as we discuss ways through which he helps classroom teachers design a maker space...

In Part I, Sybil Hall and I discussed what educators can do to take ownership of their own wellbeing. Here, in Part II, Aimee Parkinson Presnall. Founder and CEO of Well-Nest (Australia) and I discuss how individual responsibility for our own wellbeing as educators can and should be further supported by school systems/administrators. School leaders also have a responsibility to implement and sustain initiatives that prioritize the collective wellbeing of all within their school community. Aimee ...

There is a wealth of things we can do to reduce the stress and anxiety that we feel as educators. In this episode, wealth and wellbeing consultant, teacher, and author Sybil Hall (Burn Bright Not Out) takes us through some simple ways we can make our lives calmer as educators be that through scheduling our time, batching our teaching tasks, and/or taking brief time outs before and during the day to meditate/reflect. Sybil Hall LinkedIn Burn Bright Not Out Book Music - Aylex

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) means much more than just ensuring that students are reading books with a diverse character. Join Maria Garcia Underwood, founder of M Ideas Consulting, and I as we discuss what deep DEI looks like in terms of curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy within school communities vested in ensuring that all members are seen and heard. We also discuss allyship. M Ideas Consulting Maria Underwood LinkedIn Music: Aylex

Many teachers are teaching 21st Century students in buildings designed in the 19th and/or early 20th Centuries. Join my next guest, Prakash Nair, CEO of Education Design International, and I as we discuss in this episode what school communities are doing around the world to design buildings that are purposefully built to engage students through collaboration and inquiry based learning. Prakash Nair LinkedIn Education Design International Music: Aylex

Join me and my guest Nicola S. Morgan - Founder/CEO of NSM Training and Consultancy - as we discuss strategies for developing resiliency in the students we teach. Nicola also is one of a select few to successfully swim across the English channel and uses this experience to guide her resiliency work in schools. We also discuss how this experience has informed her work in schools. Nicola S. Morgan LinkedIn Unfinished Business TED Talk NSM Consultancy Music: Ayles

Many of us in education, particularly these days, feel like we are not capable of addressing all of the needs of our students and families. This is often the case for both teachers and administrators. Join me and my guest Jill Stoddard, author of the book "Imposter No More", in this latest episode, as we discuss strategies that educators can use to quell the anxiety and fear that often accompany imposter syndrome. Jill Stoddard Web Page Jill Stoddard LinkedIn Jill Stoddard TED Talk Imposte...

India is becoming an ever increasingly important player on the international stage. It is the largest democracy in the world and its population to set to shortly overtake that of China. Further, citizens of India have long been successful participants in the global economy - and in particular within the tech/innovation sectors. Join my guest Greshma Momaya, Principal of the Prarthana World School in Bangalore, and I as we discuss how India is adapting its primary and secondary education polic...

No one needs to be told that many teachers are leaving the profession these days for a variety of reasons. However, there are ways to make teaching more sustainable. Join my guest Paul Emerich France and I as we discuss how to grade less but still assess learning, how to lesson plan for impact rather than compliance, and on how to develop less toxic/more welcoming school communities that will embrace LGBTQ+ and other diverse educators. Paul Emerich France (LinkedIn) Make Teaching Sustainab...

As my next guest Maribeth Edmunds says, students with Autism will grow up to be adults with Autism. In this episode, we explore how to help our students with Autism grow and achieve academically and socio-emotionally so they can become fully integrated adults participating in our economy and community. The number of students being diagnosed with Autism is on the rise. Be prepared to educate these students. Maribeth Edmunds LinkedIn TED Talk Music: Aylex

It's that time of year again. College applications are due! Join me and my guest Kate Stone, CEO of University Gurus, as we discuss how high school/rising college students can be writing effective application essays. We also discuss what high school teachers can be doing to help students develop strong writing skills as well as how students can become better storytellers through the writing process. Kate Stone LinkedIn University Gurus Why Did I Say Yes to Speak Here? (Malcolm Gladwell) ...

We are in a new age of education where, finally, all communities (not just the rich) have the ability to create schools that mirror their values and hopes for their children. Join my guest David Greenberg - Vice President, Authorizer Learning & Development at NACSA - and I as we discuss the new school authorization process, nationally, as well as local resources available in various states. NACSA David Greenberg on LinkedIn Music: Aylex

The rigor of any lesson begins with the learning objective and what we are asking students to know and be able to do. However, far too often, we do not ask our students to engage in heavy cognitive lift. Join me and my guest, Alice Vigors, as we discuss how to get students to think about their thinking in visible ways/through the use of simple thinking protocols (see, think, and wonder). Alice Vigors LinkedIn The Thinking Classroom Teacher Takaway Podcast Music: Aylex

Are you preparing your students for your past or their future? If you are banning the use of technology in the classroom then it is your past that you are prioritizing. Listen in to Jeff Utecht and I as we discuss how to use technology in K12 classrooms responsibly. Jeff Utecht LinkedIn Jeff Utecht Homepage Shifting Schools Music: Aylex

Having guest speakers can really make learning come alive for students. However, to maximize the benefits that can come from these living community resources, guest speaker engagements need to be well planned. Join Samantha Shane, ELA teacher in Northern New Jersey, and I as we discuss ways to maximize the impact of guest speakers on this episode of the Have a Life Teaching podcast. Samantha Shane Edutopia Page Samantha Shane LinkedIn Samantha Shane X SpeakerHub Skype a Scientist Music:...

In the wake of the pandemic, we all know that students are struggling in understanding and regulating their emotions. Before learning can occur, however, students need to be able to understand and regulate their emotions; It falls to the adults mentoring students to build SEL into the curriculum. Join Bridget Durkan Laird, CEO at Kings for Kids, and I as we discuss ways to bring simple SEL strategies into academic and after school programming. Bridget Durkan Laird LinkedIn Wings for Kids M...