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 the book "The Scientific Principles of Teaching",

Hansford, in particular, discusses what the research says works in developing student literacy skills (phonemic awareness) as well as on how teachers should not base their practices on one study, here or there, but on meta-analysis.

Of added benefit, Hanson offers listeners some suggestions as to which researchers to follow regarding their research on teaching pedagogy as well as on how to determine if research suggests the practice being studied will positively impact student achievement (effect size of .04 or higher).

Nathaniel Hansford LinkedIn Page

The Scientific Principles of Teaching Book

Hansford Webite - Teaching By Science

Hansford Podcast - Pedagogy Non-Grata

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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 the benefits of project based learning, a topic we also have discussed in earlier episodes, but also how and why to turn projects into digital learning opportunities such as blogs, podcasts, and interactive presentations that are equally evergreen and promote ongoing conversation with student voice at the heart of this discourse.

We hope you will also check out all of the below links but, if interested in seeing what projects the students in Arthur's class are creating, checxk out 9th Evermore.

John Arthur LinkedIn Page

Digital Projects Playbook

9th Evermore Student YouTube Channel

John Arthur Testimony to Congress

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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 Educational Consulting LLC and a former district superintendent in Charles City, Virginia. He also partners with Commonwealth Learning Partnership, Shaffer Evaluation Group LLC, and Upbeat in his consulting work.

Often, we teach (or lead) the way we were taught (or led). However, the top-down authorative approach to leadership is not a model of success for today as leaders need a different set of skills to thrive.

Join Gaston and I, in this episode, as we discuss how he coaches leaders to hone their servant leadership skills such as building trust in the capabilities of those below them in the hierarchy, allowing more team authority to make decisions, developing one's consensus building skills, communicating a vision for schooling, and providing access to allow diverse stakeholders a voice in schooling.

David Gaston LinkedIn Page

Gaston Educational Consulting

Charles City VA Public Schools

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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 City Schools, on this week's podcast.

On this episode, Casserly discusses his new book - The Enduring Promise of America's Great City Schools (Forward by Arne Duncan) - and how we can ensure that the urban schools we manage today are high quality learning centers for all.

We are joined on this episode by Tracey Quarles, principal of elementary school P.S. 150 in Brooklyn, New York, who also shares how she took her school off of receivership and turned it into a learning space where all students thrive.

Both guests offer wonderful tips to urban school leaders (really, any school leader) on how to develop the processes and systems that ensure student academic and social growth.

Michael Casserly LinkedIn Profile

The Enduring Promise of America's Great City Schools Book

Tracey Quarles LinkedIn Profile

PS 150 Website

I Am Principal Today Book

Music - Aylex

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 engaging student conversation on what everyday items tell us about the cultures we currently live in as well as about past times.

Hayes also tells us about the work of her department at the museum in training educators and teaching students and also walks listeners through the steps that educators should take students through when conducting object based inquiry.

She also discusses tips on how teachers can start collecting/using their own artifacts when teaching Social Studies. Hint: This does not need to be expensive or complicated.

Leslie Hayes LinkedIn Page

New York Historical Society - Objects Tell Stories

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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, in each model, important stakeholders are missing from the decision making table - students, families, leadership, teachers, and other community partners.

What if, instead, says Wood - Chief Learning Officer at Transcend Education, we implemented a community informed school design model which incorporates the best of the top down model (order) and one that also prioritizes the social emotional needs of the students/families that schools serve?

I hope you will listen in to this episode to learn from Wood how Transcend Education helps school communities to design community schools.

Wood also offers listeners ideas on how communities might design community schools on their own from her new book - Extraordinary Learning for All: How Communities Design Schools Where Everone Thrives.

Jenee Henry Wood LinkedIn Page

Transcend Education

Extraordinary Learning for All Book

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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 address the unexpected before the unexpected happens. But how to prepare for all of the unknowns that can befall our students and their families?

Join me and my next guests, Geri Parscale and Darcy Kraus, as we discuss their new book - Navigating the Unexpected. In this episode, we discuss, in particular, how to move beyond providing immediate family support (The Caserole Effect) to a more systematic ongoing approach to meeting the long term needs - behavioral, social, and academic - of these students and families; from onset to conclusion of the event.

Geri Parscale LinkedIn Page

Darcy Kraus LinkedIn Page

Navigating the Unexpected Book

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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 support students experiencing it. Join my next guest - Lindsay Schambach , CEO of the NJ based Imagine Grief Support Center - and I as we discuss ways through which teachers and others within school communities can help students process their grief over deaths of people involved in their lives as well as those experiencing grief related to other traumatic events.

Lindsay Schambach LinkedIn Page

Imagine Center Website

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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 types of Math discourse as well as how/when to plan for each type so that math conversations between our students are meaningful and that students feel empowered and welcome to participate in such discussions. We also discuss the power of good questioning and the systemic conditions that are necessary for Math discourse to take root across our elementary schools.

This conversation is particularly timely given the shifts in the next generation of Common Core Math Standards. I hope you will listen in!

Paola Sztaijn LinkedIn Page

NC State College of Education Website

Activating Math Talk - Book

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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 like slavery, then we never prepare students for the hard present which can help them to engage effectively as involved citizens in the civic sphere.

So says my guest in this episode, Jeremy Kaplan, author of several Chalkbeat articles on teaching students political processes and assistant principal of Supervision for Social Studies and Physical Education at the High School for Health Professions and Human Services in New York City.

Kaplan also was also recently featured in a New York Times article.

Jeremy Kaplan LinkedIn page

Talking to Students About the Trump Assassination Attempt Article (Chalkbeat)

What Teenagers Are Learning About the 2024 Election Article (New York Times)

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