When students ask where are they EVER going to use the Math they are learning in middle and high school, there is usually something deeper going on; And that is a disconnect in, disinterest, and lack of curiosity in learning Math which manifests itself in misbehaving students. So says, Jenn Lenhardt - author of the book Common Denominators: Cultivating Engagement and Belonging in Secondary Mathematics 7-12 and former 7-12th grade Math interventionist.

In this episode, we talk with Lenhardt about getting students excited about and engaged within the process of learning Math both individually and collectively. For students to engage with Math, they have to feel that they both belong in Math classrooms and can be successful learners of Math. Teachers also have to push aside thoughts that their students can't do Math focusing instead on what they need to do next to help students learn Math precisely BECAUSE their students might struggle in learning Math.

One strategy that Lenhardt recommends strongly is having students explore Math concepts through quick rotations, or stations, like we might more commonly see in elementary classrooms.

Jen Lenhardt HMH

Jen Lenhardt LinkedIn

Common Denominators Book

Music - Aylex

The other day, I was speaking with a colleague with whom I co-moderated a LinkedIn Live event, a year or two ago, on supporting multilingual students.

She told me that, recently, someone reached out to her from across the country for support. I was so excited by this. I also get excited when people reach out to discuss my occasional online posts pro or con.

My next guest on the podcast and I - Douglas Fisher, Chair of Educational Leadership Programs at San Diego State University - discuss the joy he too feels knowing that his many writings and conference presentations, those accomplished alone and with his frequent collaborator Nancy Frey, are supporting educators and adding to the conversation far and wide.

We discuss:

- Why all educators should be sharing their thinking

- Venues where educators can share their thinking

- Presenting and writing tips that can help us go from "no" to "yes"

- The importance of not just speaking and/or writing but consuming

- How, by sharing info, we can change the negative school narrative

- Reigniting the passion for teaching

Listen and subscribe here!

Douglas Fisher LinkedIn

Douglas Fisher Books

Douglas Fisher ASCD

TNTP Opportunity Makers

Aylex - Music

As one of our next guest on the podcast, Daniel Argentar says, students need to know something to learn something. Students need to be able to read and write to be able to internalize scientific information.

In this episode, we are joined by the authors of the book Reading and Writing Strategies for the Secondary Science Classroom to discuss the most important literacy skills in science classrooms and how to help our students develop these skills.

Without a doubt, students - in science - need to have a broad scientific vocabulary and to be able to understand and articulate claims, reasons, and evidence.

Listen in to this episode as we discuss reading and writing strategies designed for use in science (and other content area) classrooms - vocabulary building exercises, reading annotation codes, as well as the hexagonal thinking strategy.

We discuss which reading and writing strategies work best at different points of a lesson - before, during, and after - as well as the power of science classroom libraries where students are empowered to "choice" read.

Maureen Rubsenstein Solution Tree Page

Katherine Gillies Solution Tree Page

Daniel Argentar Solution Tree Page

Book - Reading and Writing for the Secondary Classroom

Music - Aylex

AI can really help teachers plan more engaging lessons in a time conscious manner.

In this episode, we speak about how AI can help teachers to plan engaging lessons with North Carolina based science teacher Paul Cancellieri. Cancellieri is the author of the new book - 50 AI Prompts for Teachers.

We discuss in particular:

- Why it is important for teachers to use AI

- Various AI platforms that teachers may want to explore

- The four types of AI prompts that teachers might create within each part of the learning cycle (pre-assessment, new content, practice, post assessment, and extension or reteaching)

- Some specific AI prompts

- Do's and Dont's when it comes to using AI as a teacher

- How admin can help teachers integrate AI

- How teachers can use AI in their PLC work

Paul Cancellieri LinkedIn Page

Paul Cancellieri Web Page

50 AI Prompts Book

Music - Aylex

How to Teach Using Play Based Learning

In this episode, we chat with Bo Stjerne Thomsen - Director of Education for LEGO Education and former VP with the LEGO Foundation - about how teachers can integrate physical objects (manipulatives) and play-based learning across all content areas.

We also discuss:

What Play Based Learning Is

How it Helps Students Make Meaning and Retain Information

The "Happy Medium" Between Unbounded and Scripted Learning

How LEGO Supports Educators Globally

How We Can Assess Play Based Learning in Our Classrooms

Bo Stjerne Thomsen LinkedIn Page

LEGO Education

LEGO Foundation - Learning Through Play

Music - Aylex

Parents should always have the right to decide what books their student can read. But school system wide book bans are bad for children. So says our next guest on the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, former ALA librarian of the year Amanda Jones.

In this episode, Jones - author of the book "That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in the United States" - discusses how she became an activist, why book bans hurt children, how educators can respond to book bans as well as to harassment, and best practices for ensuring that the books we place in our school and classroom libraries are age appropriate (collection development policy).

We also discuss ways that school librarians and classroom teachers can work together to enrich student learning. Listen here and subscribe.

Amanda Jones Website

Amanda Jones Book - That Librarian

NYT Article

PEN America - Online Harassment Field Manual

EBSCO Tools for Collection Development

Music - Aylex

While oral language development is a process that occurs naturally, over time, the written word is a complex human produced system that, therefore, requires a systematic approach to decipher - or read. So says this week's guest on the podcast, Steve Underwood.

In this episode, Underwood, former senior director of professional development with NWEA and founder/CEO of Veritas Educational Consulting, chats with us about how to teach reading systematically through "the science of reading".

I hope that you will listen in to our conversation about the recent reading wars and why the science of reading - as opposed to balanced literacy - is a better approach to teaching reading particularly in the fundamental early years of instruction.

We also discuss the five essential components within the science of reading - phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, the order in which textbooks should sequence these components, and specific strategies for teaching each component (i.e., sound spelling cards),

We also touch upon how using a systemic approach to teaching reading - such as the science of reading - benefits all young children but especially those with dyslexia and others with special needs.

Also, please don't forget to subscribe.

Steve Underwood LinkedIn Page

Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science 2020

The Teaching Reading Sourcebook - CORE

Music - Aylex

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 are the authors of the book "Co-Teaching Evolved".

Listen here to our conversation with Karge and Rhoads as we discuss several strategies for effective co-teaching, actions that might help co-teaching pairs effectively plan for and monitor student progress, and solutions to common co-teaching problems ranging from reducing co-teacher tensions to how administration can better support co-teaching pairs.

Belinda Karge LinkedIn Page

Matt Rhoads LinkedIn Page

Co-Teaching Evolved Book

Concordia University

Music - Aylex

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 this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast.

In this episode, we speak with Hansen about ways through which teachers can better engage students to take ownership of their own learning journeys such as by posting and discussing learning objectives with them, having students track their own academic progress, and by having students self and peer assess learning and next steps. Having students be the heroes of their own success, says Hansen, can lead to more intrinsic motivation to learn on the part of the learner.

Aaron Hansen LinkedIn Page

Heroes Within Book

White Pine Middle School - National Model School

Music - Aylex

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 promote learning acquisition, extend thinking, and foster creativity? How do we know that it aligns with the science of learning?

In this episode, my guest Nathanial Swain, professor of teaching at La Trobe University and author of the book "Harnassing the Science of Learning", discuss the elements that should be in any knowledge rich curriculum.

We discuss the importance, in particular, of knowledge curriculum that incorporates retrieval practice and spiraling of content (i.e. Ancient Egypt) as well as life skills from year to year. A quality curriculum also supports aligned vocabulary development, and serves as both a mirror on student lives as well as a window onto the external world.

Equally important, we discuss the importance of quality curriculum to all students but, particularly, to those children in marginalized and/or economically impacted communities.

Nathaniel Swain Web Page

Harnessing the Science of Learning Book

Core Knowledge Foundation

Knowledge Matters

Think Forward Educators

Momentum Schools Project

Music - Aylex