Episode Summary: In this episode of the Innovative Schools Podcast, host Jordan sits down with Dr. John Almarode, a professor at James Madison University and an expert in student engagement. We will dive into the critical distinctions between engagement and entertainment in the classroom, explore the levels of engagement, and discuss actionable strategies to ensure students are actively processing and retaining information. Dr. Almarode also shares insights from his research on Visible Learning and the importance of making student thinking visible.

Key Topics Covered:

• The definition and importance of student engagement in the classroom
• How engagement differs from entertainment
• The common pitfalls educators fall into when trying to engage students
• The continuum of engagement: active disengagement, passive disengagement, passive engagement, and active engagement
• Strategies for making student learning visible
• How to assess and measure student engagement effectively
• The impact of different teaching methods on student retention and comprehension
• Practical ways educators can shift the cognitive load to students for deeper learning

Key Takeaways:

• Engagement is not a simple yes/no concept; it exists on a continuum.
• Entertainment can grab students' attention, but what happens after is what truly matters.
• Students learn best when they are actively processing, organizing, and integrating new information.
• Making student learning visible through writing, discussion, and reflection enhances retention and comprehension.
• Traditional lecture-based teaching has a low impact on learning, while active strategies like discussion and self-assessment have much higher effectiveness.

Resources Mentioned:

• Teacher Clarity (New Edition) by John Almarode (Available Now)
• How Learning Works Playbook by John Almarode
• How Feedback Works Playbook by John Almarode
• John Hattie's Visible Learning

Connect with Dr. John Almarode:

• Website: johnalmarode.com
• Facebook: John Almarode
• X (Twitter): @JTAlmarode

Call to Action:

• Reflect on engagement in your own classroom: What does it look like? How do you measure it?
• Try implementing one of the strategies discussed to make student thinking more visible.
• Share this episode with fellow educators who might benefit from a deeper understanding of engagement.
• Subscribe to the Innovative Schools Podcast and leave a review to help us reach more educators!

Stay Connected:

Follow Innovative Schools on https://www.instagram.com/innovativeschoolspodcast/

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Innovative Schools podcast, hosts Jordan and Liz sit down with Jessica Sinarski, an expert in education and counseling, to discuss how movement in the classroom can minimize disruptive behavior and enhance learning. Jessica introduces the concept of proprioception—a hidden sense that affects body awareness and regulation—and explains how teachers can incorporate movement strategies to support students, particularly those with sensory processing challenges or trauma histories.

Jessica shares practical ways educators can use movement to create a more focused and engaged classroom environment. From jumping challenges to the "Bubblegum Club," she provides simple yet effective strategies that can help students self-regulate and optimize their learning experience.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How movement impacts classroom behavior and student learning.
• The importance of proprioception and why it's a game changer in education.
• Common signs that students may need more proprioceptive input.
• Practical movement strategies teachers can easily integrate into their classrooms.
• The role of proprioception in self-regulation and emotional well-being.

Key Quotes:

• “Great teachers can create a space for students to regulate themselves and engage in learning.”
• “It’s not us against our students. We are on the same team, working to light up the learning brain.”
• “When kids’ needs are met, they are more able to learn. And when teachers’ needs are met, they are more able to teach.”

Resources & Links:

• Download Jessica’s Free Guide to Proprioception: www.BraveBrains.com/PROPE
• Learn more about Brave Brains, Jessica’s organization: www.jessicasinarski.com/bravebrains
• Check out Jessica’s book Light Up the Learning Brain: www.jessicasinarski.com/light
• Register for the Innovative Schools Summit in Orlando (March 20-23, 2025): www.innovativeschoolssummit.com/Orlando

Stay Connected:

• Follow Innovative Schools on www.instagram.com/innovativeschoolspodcast/

Episode Summary: Welcome to the first episode of the Innovative Schools podcast! In this episode, host Jordan sits down with Joseph Cope, a Responsibility Centered Discipline (RCD) master trainer, to discuss the challenges and rewards of working in Title 1 schools. They explore classroom management, self-control, and how educators can create a space for every student to succeed—even those who present challenges.

Joseph shares his journey from elementary to middle school education, his experiences in Title 1 schools, and the lessons he learned along the way. He provides insight into how teachers can foster intrinsic motivation, set boundaries while maintaining student dignity, and manage their own emotional well-being to prevent burnout.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The reality of working in Title 1 schools and the unique challenges students face.
• Why traditional classroom management strategies may not always work—and what to do instead.
• How to create a space for students to choose self-regulation and self-control.
• The importance of maintaining student dignity while addressing behavioral issues.
• Strategies to prevent teacher burnout and sustain a fulfilling teaching career.

Key Quotes:

• “Great teachers can create a space for students to choose to change behavior for themselves.”
• “Self-control is like a muscle—you have to use it for it to grow.”
• “Sometimes, we have to save ourselves from ourselves by protecting our heart with a level of skill.”
  
  

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Responsibility Centered Discipline: https://www.givemfive.com/
• Interested in bringing Joseph to your school for professional development? https://www.givemfive.com/contact/

Thank you for joining us for this episode! We look forward to continuing this conversation and learning together in future episodes of the Innovative Schools podcast.

What Every Educator Needs to Know about the Brain

This week we are joined by Jessica Sinarksi, LPCMH, an author and thought leader in neuro-science who specializes in training educators about the brain and how to teach students of all ages how the brain works, and why it matters!

In this episode, Jessica explains how the brain functions and how to teach students to recognize when they are operating out of “downstairs brain.” Jessica also shares strategies educators can use to teach students to calm themselves in stressful situations and how to navigate difficult moments with others so that they can ultimately succeed in the classroom and in life. 

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

https://bravebrains.com/resources/ (Free!)

https://www.rileythebrave.org

This week we speak with author and counselor Tracie Berry-McGhee about the work she does with the SistaKeeper Empowerment Program in St. Louis and discuss strategies educators can use to help girls in their schools improve their self-image and reduce relational aggression.

In this episode, we speak with author Robert Jackson and discuss his Gold Excel award-winning book, Becoming the Educator They Need: Strategies, Mindsets, and Beliefs for Supporting Male Black and Latino Students and preview his upcoming Pre-Conference Session for the August Innovative Schools Virtual Summit titled Salvaging Our Sons: Helping Educators Reach, Teach and Empower Young Men.

Robert will present both a Pre-Conference Session and Keynote during the August Innovative Schools Virtual Summit August 5-8. Learn more at www.InnovativeSchoolsSummit.com/Virtual

With a majority of the nation’s schools being closed, teachers are facing a litany of challenges -- ranging from keeping students engaged in an online classroom, to monitoring student progress in a virtual setting, to handling the fact that not all students have the same access to technology.

To learn more about how to overcome these challenges, I am joined by Dr. Marquita Blades. Dr. Blades is an award-winning educator, an international speaker, and an author. She is also the host of the Dr. Marquita Blades Show – an internet-based broadcast dedicated to discussing current trends and issues in education.

On this episode, I speak with Mike Paget, M.Ed. about how classroom teachers can help students struggling with anxiety.

We discuss Mike’s Top 3 Strategies for helping students with anxiety conditions, how to recognize signs of anxiety and strategies teachers can use to educate all students on how to manage their anxiety.

We worked with Mike to create a free 90-minute online training titled Anxiety in the Classroom: How Educators Can Support Students with Anxiety Disorders and we are making this training available for free to all podcast listeners. 

To access this training visit InnovativeSchoolsPodcast.com/Resources

Mike will be presenting at several upcoming Innovative Schools Summits and you can find information on training he does around the country at WiredSeminar.com.

This week we speak with Kim Johancen, LPC about key warning signs that a student may be self-injuring, what a teacher should do if they discover that a student is self-injuring, key risk factors that increase a student’s likelihood of self-injuring and what school leaders can do to educate all students on mental health.

Kim is a counselor who has worked for a number of years with students who self-injure or who have experienced trauma. She is co-author of the newly released book, Traumatized Students: School-Based Interventions for Reaching Below the Surface, and will be presenting at Innovative Schools Summit Las Vegas July 6-10.

One recent study found that nearly 1 in every 6 American teenagers engage in self-injury. This equates to about 7 million students nationwide – which is more than the population of several states.  And the numbers are on the rise. Another recent study found that the self-injury rate among 10 to 14-year-old girls has nearly tripled since 2008. 

With these numbers in mind, we thought it was important to have Kim on the show to learn what educators can do to help students struggling with this behavior.

Here are links to resources relevant to the topics discussed in the episode:

Traumatized Students: School-Based Interventions for Reaching Below the Surface.

WebRemix: ACEs-Informed Schools: Take-Aways from Classroom Case Studies

WebRemix: Engaging the Traumatized Student