Have a Life Teaching

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 weren’t trained to question:

👉 Rewards, grades, praise, and “positive reinforcement” don’t build motivation—they often undermine it.

Alfie reminds us:

• Motivation isn’t one thing. The kind matters more than the amount.

• Intrinsic motivation (learning for meaning, curiosity, purpose) is more powerful than extrinsic carrots and sticks.

• The more we reward learning, the more we unintentionally teach students that learning isn’t worth doing on its own.

• What’s framed as “encouragement” is often control in disguise—and kids (and adults) feel it.

So what’s the shift?
🔄 From doing things to students → working with students
🔄 From praise and compliance → choice, voice, agency, and dialogue
🔄 From grades and behavior charts → feedback, reflection, and authentic assessment

This conversation isn’t about blaming teachers—it’s about questioning systems we inherited and reimagining classrooms (and workplaces) where engagement is designed, not bribed.

Alfie Kohn Website

Kohn's Zone Podcast

Punished by Rewards

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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-captains instead of bridge-builders.In my latest conversation with Tanya Bosco (Chief Strategy Officer at IDE Corp), we unpack the leadership mindset shifts from her new book Students Taking Charge: Implementation Guide for Leaders. We covered: 🔹 The difference between student engagement, empowerment, and efficacy 🔹 How an efficacy notebook transforms learning ownership 🔹 Why leaders must shift from dissemination → conversation 🔹 How to avoid “surface innovation” traps 🔹 What future-powered classrooms actually look and feel like 🔹 And the big one: why real transformation should feel like joyIf we want students who believe “I can change the world,” we need schools designed for it — from the classroom up and the leadership down.

Tanya Bosco LinkedIn Page

IDE Corp Website

Students Taking Charge Book

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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, NJ—to dig into why inquiry-driven social studies is essential for today’s learners.

We talk about:

✨ Moving beyond facts + dates to real student thinking

✨ Why elementary students can handle complex history

✨ Powerful examples of informed action (2nd graders contacting City Hall!)

✨ How IDM creates space for civic engagement, critical thinking & SEL

✨ Supporting teachers through the shift from “sage on the stage” to inquiry facilitator/

If you want social studies to be relevant, joyful, and transformative, this is the episode.

🎧 Listen now and lean into inquiry. Our students—and our democracy—benefit.

Charisse Smith LinkedIn Page

Sankofa Educational Consulting

C3 Teachers Blog: Implementing IDM

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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 episode of the Podcast, I sit down with Larry Ainsworth, the nationwide expert on unwrapping standards, priority standards, and creating clear learning targets.

We dive into:

✨ How to identify what’s truly essential for student learning ✨ The REAL (Readiness, Endurance, Assessment, Leverage) framework

✨ Turning standards into meaningful learning targets & success criteria

✨ Supporting multilingual learners and students with disabilities

✨ Why AI is a tool — not a replacement — for teacher expertise

✨ How schools that prioritize standards see real gains in student achievement.

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I teach what’s essential when everything feels essential?” — this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and bring clarity back to teaching.

Larry Ainsworth LinkedIn Page

Larry Ainsworth Website

Essential Standards for Multilingual Learners

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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 collaboration can be intentionally taught alongside academic content—especially at the secondary level.

Our guests share powerful stories about helping schools rebuild joy post-pandemic, why adolescents need more opportunities to reflect and lead, and how routines like goal setting, emotional awareness, perseverance strategy banks, and structured collaboration can transform classroom culture.

Most importantly, we discuss how this work supports equity, belonging, and agency—ensuring every student, especially those who feel disconnected, develops the skills and confidence to thrive in school and beyond.

Core Creative Partners

Maureen Chapman LinkedIn Page

James Simons LinkedIn Page

Leaders of the Class Book

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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 classroom takeaways with deeper human stories, staying authentic and apolitical, and the impact of connecting educators worldwide.

Key Themes:

• Diversity of voices in education

• Equity and purpose in teaching

• Balancing research and real classroom practice

• The emotional power of teacher storytelling

Find Them:
Vicki Davis – CoolCatTeacher.com
Alice Vigars – Teacher Takeaway Podcast
Matthew Green – Art of Teaching Podcast

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 helping students not just get into college but thrive once they’re there.

Dr. Carmen shares the origins and pillars of her College Smarter Method, a framework that helps students identify their authentic strengths, personal brand, and purpose beyond grades and test scores.

She explains how cultivating self-awareness, strategy, and fit empowers young people to stand out in college admissions and future careers.

Sierra offers a student’s perspective on discovering her authentic path through STEM exploration, dance, and community service, and how her mother’s guidance helped her connect passion to purpose. She also speaks candidly about confidence, resilience, and self-motivation in college life.

Together, they discuss how educators can validate all students’ gifts, ask better questions, and create environments that nurture student agency, reflection, and belonging—especially for diverse learners navigating today’s evolving college landscape.

💡 Key Topics:

• Personal branding and self-discovery for high-school and college students

• The College Smarter Method and its core pillars

• Student agency, validation, and authentic storytelling

• Balancing academic rigor with personal passion

• Navigating college challenges with confidence and purpose

Visit CollegeSmarter.com to explore Dr. Carmen Bell Ross’s work and upcoming workshops.

Carmen Bell-Ross LinkedIn Page

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 creating authentic, equitable learning experiences and examples from tribal, rural, and urban schools—showing how community partnerships, storytelling, and student voice transform learning.

The episode also explores how AI and VR can expand access and make place-based learning possible anywhere.

• Defining place-based learning and its equity focus

• How to design “learning journeys” that connect culture, inquiry, and community

• Real-world examples from schools nationwide

• Overcoming time and testing pressures

• Using AI and VR to enhance community-connected learning

Erin Sanchez LinkedIn

Micki Evans LinkedIn Page

Place Based Learning Book

PBL Path

Music by Aylex

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 building, and community repair.

Together, they unpack what restorative practices look like in real classrooms and explore how schools can move from punitive discipline models to ones focused on learning, empathy, and responsibility.

• Redefining Discipline: Moving beyond punishment to accountability and relationship repair.

• Restorative Practices in Action: How “restorative conferences” differ from traditional discipline and what they look like in schools.

• Accountability with Compassion: Helping students author responsibility for their actions rather than simply “serve time.”

• Teacher Reflection: When adults also need to own their actions and model restorative behavior.

• Building Schoolwide Systems: Starting small with low-hanging fruit—such as relationship-building circles—and scaling to full restorative programs.

• The Role of Community: Involving students, staff, and parents in a culture of empathy and shared responsibility.

• Results in Practice: How schools implementing restorative justice have seen significant reductions in suspensions and improvements in climate surveys.

“Discipline is choosing what I want most over what I want right now.” — Nicholas Bradford

Nicholas Bradford LinkedIn Page

National Center for Restorative Justice

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-level, complex texts—and how teachers can scaffold instruction instead of lowering text difficulty. He explains practical ways to support struggling readers while maintaining rigor and motivation.

Key Takeaways:

• Match instruction—not text level—to student needs.

• Use rereading, chunking, and guided practice to build comprehension.

• Pre-teach critical vocabulary and model how to decode complex sentences.

• Replace “popcorn reading” with safe, paired fluency work.

• Teach morphology and word structure beyond early grades.

• Keep students reading on grade level to close, not widen, learning gaps.

Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives Book (Harvard Education Press)

Blog: Shanahan on Literacy

Tim Shanahan LinkedIn Page

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