Have a Life Teaching

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

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 students already know and think about Math? How might we get students to make conjectures and extend their thinking?

I hope you will listen in to our recent conversation with Chepina Rumsey, professor at the University of Northern Iowa, and Jody Guarino, professor at UC Irvine, about their book - Nurturing Math Curiosity - and fostering Math curiosity.

In our conversation, we discuss a range of related topics including the importance of effective questioning, the four stages of early primary student argumentation, the importance of using concrete and representational models of Math to draw out student knowledge and curiosity, and on why a lack of writing and reading skills in early primary students is not an impediment to early student math discourse and/or argumentation.

Chepina Rumsey LinkedIn Page

Jody Guarino LinkedIn Page

Nurturing Math Curiosity Book

Tools to Support K-2 Students in Mathematical Argumentation

Music by Aylex

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 where hate and prejudice continue to thrive.

As such, I hope you will listen in to this special episode where we ask several people making a difference in Holocaust education about how they would answer this question and about how teachers, across content areas, might teach this hard subject in engaging ways.

Join us as we speak with Maud Dahme, Chair of the NJ Holocaust Commission and former hidden child in the Netherlands, Mike Pawlowski, 7th grade ELA teacher in Roselle, NJ, David Modigliani, creator of the popular podcast about his Italian Jewish family's escape from Italy called "Pack One Bag", and Catherine Clark, senior director of programming at the USC/Shoah Foundation.

Maud Dahme Book - Chocalate, the Taste of Freedom

Maud Dahme Documentary - The Hidden Child

New Jersey Holocaust Commission

David's Podcast - Pack One Bag

David Modigliani LinkedIn

Shoah Podcast - We Share the Same Sky

USC/Shoah Foundation Website

Living Links

IWitness Website

Catherine Clark LinkedIn

Roselle Public Schools - ELA Teacher Michael Pawloski

Music - Aylex

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", In this episode, Hansford talks about the importance of aligning our teaching practices to what research indicates is effective in increasing student growth and achievement.

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

Music by Aylex

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

Music by Aylex

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

Music by Aylex