In this S5E15 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack the question: What if the teaching traditions we follow aren't actually required? This week's bonus episode explores the revolutionary concept of "stepping aside" in education—not stepping away, but repositioning yourself so students can drive their own learning.

In this reflection on Sarah Zerwin's groundbreaking work, we examine phantom policies (those teaching traditions we follow even though we're not required to), explore why we often work harder than our students, and discover practical strategies for student-driven learning that actually work.

Key Topics Covered:
💫Phantom policies in teaching and why we follow them
💫The OTA (Original Thought Annotation) strategy for student engagement
💫The driving course metaphor for effective teaching and instructional strategies
💫Learning progressions and student self-evaluation
💫How to increase student participation and active learning
💫Practical teaching tips for inspiring students and boosting student motivation

This episode is perfect for teachers, education coaches, instructional leaders, school administrators, teacher mentors, new teachers, and anyone committed to education transformation and student success.

Featured Concepts:
✓ Student-driven learning frameworks
✓ Culturally responsive teaching approaches
✓ Inclusive teaching strategies
✓ Whole child education
✓ Professional development insights
✓ Instructional coaching techniques
✓ Teacher support and mentor teachers guidance

Whether you're dealing with low engagement, seeking innovative teaching methods, or looking to improve classroom behavior and classroom belonging, this episode offers actionable education strategies you can implement tomorrow.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Introduction: The Challenge of Stepping Aside
1:00 - What Are Phantom Policies in Teaching?
3:00 - Common Phantom Policies We All Follow
4:00 - The OT (Original Thought) Annotation Strategy
6:00 - Building Student Thinking: The Three-Step Process
7:00 - The Driving Course Metaphor for Teaching
9:00 - Student-Driven Learning vs. Teacher-Centered Learning
10:00 - The Elephant in the Room: Grades & Evaluation
12:00 - Learning Progressions & Student Self-Evaluation
13:00 - Book Recommendations & Final Reflections
14:00 - Your Challenge: Find One Place to Step Aside
15:00 - Closing Thoughts on Student Agency

🚀📚 Watch the full S5E15 interview here (https://youtu.be/bsiNQiIn5DQ)

Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.

📧 Connect: [email protected] 
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl

Don't forget to  👍LIKE &🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! 

#StepAside #Schoolutions #SchoolutionsTeachingStrategies #ForeverGettingBetter #TeachingStrategies #StudentEngagement #EducationPodcast #TeacherTips #InstructionalCoaching #StudentMotivation #ActiveLearning #EducationLeadership #TeacherSupport #ProfessionalDevelopment #InclusiveTeaching #StudentSuccess #InnovativeTeaching #ClassroomStrategies #EducationTransformation #WholeChild #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #TeacherCoaching #LessonPlanning #InspiredTeaching #EmpoweredEducators #SchoolLeadership #StudentDrivenLearning #EducationReform 

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this S5E15 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, join me with teacher and author Sarah M. Zerwin as she shares strategies from her book Step Aside: Strategies for Student-Driven Learning with Secondary Readers and Writers (Illustrated by Jane Zerwin).

🚗 The Driving Course Metaphor: Student-driven learning isn't about abandoning students—it's like teaching someone to drive. You don't toss them the keys; you sit beside them, teach the rules, create a safe course, and strategically step back while staying present.

📝 The Power of the Humble Post-it Note: Discover how Original Thought Annotations (OTAs) using simple sticky notes can revolutionize student engagement, classroom belonging, and student motivation. Students write "I noticed... I think..." and build complex thinking from small observations.

🎯 The Three Step Meaning Making Process:
1️⃣Start Small (notice details through OTAs)
2️⃣Seek Connections (through rambling writing and discussion)
3️⃣Take Action (apply thinking to authentic work)

Resources:

• Pointless by Sarah Zerwin
• The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer
• Reading With Presence by Marilyn Pryle
• A Novel Approach by Kate Roberts
• The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez
• The Quickwrite Handbook by Linda Rief

CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction: Working Harder Than Your Students? 

1:00 Meet Sarah Zerwin and Step Aside

3:00 Parker Palmer & The Third Thing 

5:00 The Driving Course Metaphor 

8:00 Phantom Policies We Don't Need 

12:00 Collaborating with Jane 

15:00 The Humble Post-it Note Revolution 

17:00 Original Thought Annotations (OTAs) 

20:00 Building Thinking from Small Observations 

23:00 The 3-Step Meaning-Making Process 

26:00 Start Small: What Students Notice 

28:00 Seek Connections: Rambling & Discussion 

32:00 Take Action: Thinking into Learning 

34:00 Evolution from Pointless 

36:00 Learning Progressions 

38:00 Student-Generated Goals Using AI 

42:00 Lightning Round

44:00 Misconceptions About Student-Driven Learning 

46:00 Where Can You Step Aside? 

48:00 Final Invitation 

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this S5E14  @schoolutionspodcast BONUS,  I unpack  @katedriscoll931 's revolutionary approach to education that prioritizes observation over analysis, pride over perfection, and joy over data. Whether you're teaching art, math, or anything in between, Kate's strategies for classroom belonging, student engagement, and inspiring students will transform how you think about effective teaching.

What if the most important thing we could teach students isn't in any curriculum guide? Art teacher Kate Driscoll, whose video reached 80 million people, believes the answer is simple: teach them to notice.

What You'll Learn:
• Why teaching observation before interpretation changes everything for student participation and attention in class
• How to create conditions for authentic pride (not participation trophies) that boost student motivation
• Kate's assessment philosophy that starts with "What do you like about your work?" – a game-changer for low engagement
• The power of using contemporary, local artists to increase student engagement and create meaningful home-school connection
• 5 concrete strategies you can implement Monday morning for active learning across any subject

Kate sees 400 students for just one hour each week, yet every child leaves her classroom carrying pride and creative confidence. This approach to inclusive teaching and culturally responsive teaching works because it honors the whole child while building student success through real autonomy and choice.

Perfect for teachers, education coaches, school administrators, parents, homeschoolers, teacher mentors, instructional leaders, and anyone committed to education transformation and empowered educators.

Referenced Episode: Season 5, Episode 14 - "Why This Art Teacher is Making Kids Love Creating" with Kate Driscoll

5 Try-It-Tomorrow Strategies:
1. Practice noticing – really seeing without devices
2. Create conditions for pride through real challenges with autonomy
3. Find contemporary, relevant connections to your curriculum
4. Ask "What do you like about your work?" before offering feedback
5. Remember the joy you bring

Weekend Challenge: Take a noticing walk with your students. Count colors in a leaf, observe shadow patterns, really see your environment. Email your observations to [email protected].

Chapters
0:00 - Introduction: The 80 Million View Video
1:00 - The Power of Teaching Students to Notice
3:00 - Observation Before Analysis: What Students Are Missing
4:30 - The Radical Skill of Paying Attention
5:30 - Creating Conditions for Pride (Not Trophies)
6:45 - Contemporary Artists: Making Curriculum Relevant
8:00 - Assessment That Starts With Self-Reflection
9:30 - Remember the Joy You Bring
10:30 - 5 Try-It-Tomorrow Strategies
12:00 - Weekend Challenge: Take a Noticing Walk
13:00 - Final Thoughts: Teaching the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

🚀📚 Watch the full S5E14  ⁨@schoolutionspodcast⁩ interview here (https://youtu.be/wWpZsQCFHvI)

Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating i

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this S5E14 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, join me with Kate Driscoll (@art_teacher_life) an Australian art educator whose first Facebook video reached 80 million people! With 37 years in education (23 as a primary teacher, 14 as an art specialist), Kate shares transformative strategies for nurturing creativity in students.

In this episode, discover:
• How to build student engagement through art education strategies
• Innovative teaching methods that foster student motivation and classroom belonging
• Assessment techniques that promote student success while maintaining creative freedom
• The power of connecting students with contemporary artists for authentic learning
• Practical tips for classroom behavior management in creative spaces
• Why teaching students to "notice" is the ultimate educational gift

Kate reveals her approach to inclusive teaching, working with 400 students weekly in hour-long sessions that prioritize joy, autonomy, and storytelling through art. Learn how she creates an inclusive classroom where every child feels proud and empowered.

Some Episode Mentions:
💫Mulga - Australian artist who creates incredible creatures/animals and writes stories about his artwork
💫Anya Brock - West Australian artist with murals around Perth and Fremantle area

Perfect for teachers, education coaches, instructional leaders, school administrators, parents, and homeschoolers seeking effective teaching strategies that inspire student participation and active learning.

Chapters
0:00 Introduction & Kate's Viral Impact
1:00 Kate's Teaching Background
2:00 Professional Development & Teaching Philosophy
3:00 Classroom Structure & Student Numbers
5:00 Daily Routines & Question of the Day
7:00 Teaching Observation & Noticing Skills
8:00 Finding Contemporary Australian Artists
10:00 Making Real-World Art Connections
13:00 Assessment & Self-Evaluation
15:00 Literacy Integration & Storytelling
17:00 Mentoring New Teachers
18:00 Global Art Education Perspectives
20:00 Fostering Lifelong Creativity
22:00 Autonomy in the Art Room
23:00 Art is Everywhere Philosophy
24:00 Lightning Round: Misconceptions & Must-Haves
26:00 The Joy You Bring as an Art Teacher

Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. 

📧 Connect: [email protected]
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl

Don't forget to  🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! 

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this S5E13 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack 3 game-changing insights from my conversation with attachment expert @attachmentnerd that will transform your approach to classroom behavior, student engagement, and inclusive teaching.

🧠 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM TRUTH: Learn why students laugh during serious lessons (hint: it's not about disrespect) and how this understanding changes everything about classroom behavior, student motivation, and effective teaching strategies.

📓 THE REACTION JOURNAL METHOD: Discover an innovative teaching approach that builds genuine empathy without forcing it - perfect for culturally responsive teaching, student participation, and creating inclusive classrooms where every child can process difficult content authentically.

🐕 THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER GREETING: This simple daily practice literally rewires brains for security and transforms student success, active learning, and attention in class. It's the ultimate pro-kid mindset shift for thriving students.

Whether you're managing low engagement, seeking education strategies for inspiring students, or working on school improvement through better home-school connection, these instructional strategies will revolutionize your teaching impact.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR EDUCATORS & CAREGIVERS:
✅ Why "reach before teach" is the foundation of student motivation and whole child development
✅ The critical difference between confidence and arrogance in empowered educators and students
✅ How to decode challenging behaviors as communication (essential for new teachers, teacher coaching, and instructional coaching)
✅ Simple strategies for parent communication and family partnerships that support education at home

Perfect for: teachers, education coaches, school administrators, parents, homeschoolers, teacher mentors, instructional leaders, school counselors, and anyone committed to anti-bias teaching and equity in education.

This episode provides practical instructional leadership insights, coaching strategies, and professional development ideas that support school culture transformation and education transformation at every level.

📧 Email me your biggest takeaway: [email protected]
🎧 Listen to the full interview with Eli Harwood: [Link to S5E13]

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction: When Kids Act Out During Serious Lessons
1:02 The Nervous System Response Behind "Inappropriate" Laughter
3:14 The Reaction Journal Method for Building Authentic Empathy
4:45 The Golden Retriever Greeting That Changes Everything
6:38 Confidence vs Arrogance: What We're Really Building
8:12 "Reach Before You Teach" - The Carpenter's Son Story
9:45 Every Behavior is Communication
10:24 Weekend Challenge & Practical Applications

🚀📚 Watch the full S5E13  @schoolutionspodcast interview here (https://youtu.be/PdSf9T4zmQg)

Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.

📧 Connect: [email protected]
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl

Don't forget to  👍LIKE this video if it helped you, 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! 

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this S5E13 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, join me with attachment expert Eli Harwood ("The Attachment Nerd") as she revolutionizes our understanding of student behavior, classroom belonging, and student engagement. Discover why nervous laughter isn't defiance - it's a cry for help with emotional regulation.

In this transformative episode, you'll learn:
• Why "You're fine" might be damaging student success [33:00]
• The critical difference between confidence and arrogance in inclusive classrooms [8:00]
• How to transform low engagement through pro-kid mindset approaches
• Revolutionary strategies for student motivation and active learning
• The neuroscience behind classroom behavior and attention in class

Key Insights for Education Transformation:
✓ Innovative teaching method: "Reach before you teach" - the foundation of student participation
✓ How to create classroom belonging when students laugh at inappropriate times 
✓ Instructional strategies that address tool deficiency, not heart deficiency
✓ Why 80% of brain development happens by age 3 - and what it means for teaching tips

Featured Teaching Strategies:
• One-down curiosity technique for inspiring students [29:00]
• Reaction journals for culturally responsive teaching [21:00]
• Enthusiastic greeting rituals for school culture improvement [33:30]
• Effective teaching approaches for whole child development

Resources Mentioned:
• Book: Raising Securely Attached Kids
• Website: attachmentnerd.com
• Research: Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation

Chapters
0:00 Introduction: When Students Laugh at Tragedy
1:00 Meet Attachment Expert Eli Harwood
2:00 Research Foundation: Mary Ainsworth & Attachment
5:36 "We Before Me": Understanding Development
7:00 The 80% Brain Development Milestone
8:00 Confidence vs. Arrogance Explained
10:00 The Problem with Praise-Based Feedback
13:00 Real Story: Connecting with Disengaged Students
14:14 "Reach Before You Teach" Philosophy
15:16 Why Students Laugh at Inappropriate Times
17:00 How to Respond to Nervous Laughter
19:00 Understanding Bullying Behavior
21:00 Creating Reaction Journals
22:00 Tool Deficient vs. Heart Deficient
23:00 Structure vs. Suffocation in Teaching
26:00 Setting Clear Expectations
28:00 Allowing Students to Fail Safely
29:00 One-Down Curiosity Technique
32:00 Lightning Round: Stop Saying "You're Fine"
33:30 Enthusiastic Greeting Ritual
35:00 The Secure Parent Program

Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

📧 Connect: [email protected]
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl

Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! 

#SecurelyAttachedKids #AttachmentNerd #SchoolutionsTeachingStrategies

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this S5E12 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack three game-changing education strategies from my conversation with Gravity Goldberg that will revolutionize your classroom behavior and student motivation. 

🧠 What if everything you've been taught about student engagement and student fatigue is WRONG? 
Discover why the glazed eyes and fidgeting you see 15 minutes into independent reading isn't real exhaustion—it's anticipated fatigue. 

🎯 THREE BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIES YOU'LL LEARN:
• The Two-Thirds Rule: Why visible timers sabotage student participation and attention in class
• Movement as Memory: How students retain 76% MORE information through active learning
• Intentional Gestures: Transform low engagement into focused learning with simple hand signals

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction: Rethinking Student Fatigue
1:00 The Two-Thirds Rule Discovery  
3:00 Strategy #1: Remove Visible Timers
4:00 Strategy #2: Movement as Memory (76% Better Retention)
5:00 Creating Embodied Memories
6:00 Strategy #3: Intentional Gestures
8:00 Bodies as Learning Pathways
9:00 Monday Implementation Challenge

💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR IMPLEMENTATION:
✓ Remove visible timers for better student engagement and sustained attention in class
✓ Use manipulatives and movement for deeper lesson planning and instructional strategies 
✓ Create gesture-based teaching tips that support anti-bias teaching and thriving students

📑 VIDEO CHAPTERS

0:00 Rethinking Everything About Student Fatigue
0:45 Introduction to Three Game-Changing Strategies 
1:00 The Two-Thirds Rule: Why Students Check Out
2:30 The Timer Problem: How We Sabotage Stamina
3:00 Strategy #1: Remove Visible Timers
3:30 Vary Duration Without Announcing
4:00 Strategy #2: Movement as Memory (76% Retention Boost)
4:30 How Actors Learn: Blocking as Memory
5:00 Creating Embodied Memories in Your Classroom
5:30 Age-Appropriate Movement Applications
6:00 Strategy #3: Intentional Gesture System
6:30 Creating Your Gesture Vocabulary
7:00 Student-Created Gestures for Ownership
7:30 Bodies as Learning Pathways, Not Obstacles
8:00 Recognizing Natural Movement Learners
8:30 Movement as Rigorous, Sophisticated Work
9:00 Monday Implementation Challenge
9:30 Choose Your Strategy and Transform Your Classroom

🚀📚 Watch the full S5E12 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies interview here (https://youtu.be/4-mosH0raZg)

Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.

📧 Connect: [email protected]
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl

Don't forget to  👍LIKE this video if it helped you, 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! 

#BrainBodyConnection #StudentEngagement #ClassroomBehavior #ActiveLearning #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalStrategies #EducationTransformation #InclusiveTeaching #StudentMotivation #TeachingTips #MovementBasedLearning #WholeChild #EffectiveTeaching #SchoolImprovement #ProKidMindset #EmpoweredEducators

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this S5E12 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, literacy expert and author Gravity Goldberg reveals game-changing strategies backed by 25 years of teaching experience. Discover the revolutionary research that explains why student exhaustion isn't about tired brains—it's about expectations.

🎯 KEY INSIGHTS:
✅Students retain 76% MORE information when movement is integrated into learning 
✅The "two-thirds rule" explains why students get tired—and how to prevent it 
✅Simple gestures can boost memory, engagement, and comprehension across all grade levels 
✅Why sitting still actually SABOTAGES student memory and focus

✨ WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
💡How to use movement to boost comprehension by over 50%
💡The actor's secret to memorization (and how it applies to your classroom)
💡Pre-test warmup strategies based on student anxiety levels
💡Why timers might be sabotaging your students' stamina
💡Simple manipulatives that transform understanding across content areas

Some Episode Mentions: 

• Ellen Langer - Key Study: Eye exam reversal study (starting with small print vs. large print changed prescriptions)
• Arthur Glenberg - Key Study: Reading comprehension with manipulatives vs. rereading (50%+ improvement)
• The Noices - Researchers studying actor memorization techniques
• The Body-Brain Connection: Evidence-Based Ways to Reduce Anxiety, Boost Engagement, and Increase Comprehension Across Classrooms
  
  CHAPTERS
  0:00 Introduction: The Fatigue Paradox
  1:00 Movement IS the Learning
  2:00 Meet Gravity Goldberg
  3:00 Ellen Langer's Eye Exam Study
  4:00 The Two-Thirds Rule Explained
  5:00 Gravity's Running Discovery
  6:00 Mental Fatigue vs Physical Fatigue
  8:00 Why Timers Might Be Sabotaging Stamina
  9:00 The Broken Clock Advantage
  10:00 What's Really Happening During Mental Fatigue
  12:00 Stamina vs Willpower
  13:00 The 76% Memory Boost from Movement
  14:00 The Actor's Secret: Blocking and Memory Tags
  16:00 Big Movement to Small Visualization
  17:00 Walking with Perspective Exercise
  18:00 Reading Comprehension and Facial Expressions
  19:00 Envisioning Strategies for Parents
  21:00 Decoding with Multisensory Approaches
  22:00 Fluency and Physical Tracking
  24:00 High-Impact Strategy: Intentional Gesture
  25:00 Why Gesture Beats Talking Heads
  27:00 The Manipulative Study: 50% Better Comprehension
  29:00 What a Body-Brain Classroom Looks Like
  31:00 Trust and Student Autonomy
  33:00 Play Meets Rigor
  34:00 Lightning Round Begins
  35:00 Pre-Test Body Strategy Warmups
  36:00 The Homework Position Secret
  38:00 Gravity's Personal Discovery
  39:00 Ending the Body-Brain Dualism
  41:00 Closing Challenge and Resources
  
  Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. Don't forget to  🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! 
  
  📧 Connect: [email protected]
  🎵 Music: Benjamin

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this S5E11 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack game-changing insights from math expert Mona Iehl about why student engagement and student motivation actually INCREASE when we give kids harder problems. This counterintuitive approach transforms classroom behavior and builds true classroom belonging through mathematical struggle.

💡 What You'll Discover:

• Why rescuing kids from struggle hurts their mathematical identity
• The 2 magic phrases that revolutionize student participation and attention in class
• How to plan a week of transformative math lessons in ONE prep period
• Why wrong answers are actually windows into understanding
• The simple shift from math as performance to math as conversation

 🌟 Key Takeaways:
This episode challenges traditional instructional strategies and offers practical education strategies for creating inclusive classrooms where every child discovers they ARE a math person. Learn how active learning through productive struggle creates thriving students and inspired teaching.

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• Word Problem Workshop by Mona Iehl

📖 CHAPTERS:
0:00 Why We're Hurting Kids By Helping Too Much
1:30 The Math Identity Crisis in Our Classrooms 
3:00 Choosing Problems That Challenge Your Top Students
4:00 John Dewey: Learning Through Reflection
4:30 The Forecasting Guide Secret
5:30 Math Narration at Home
6:30 When Kids Rise to Hard Problems
7:00 From Silent Pencils to Mathematical Discourse
8:00 The Two Magic Phrases
9:00 Math as Conversation, Not Performance
10:00 Your Monday Morning Challenge

🚀📚 Watch the full S5E11 interview here (https://youtu.be/HO0l_eyKZPw)

Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

📧 Connect: [email protected]
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl

Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 
💬SHARE with fellow educators! 

#MathWorkshop #ProductiveStruggle #MathIdentity #TeachingStrategies #ElementaryMath #GrowthMindset #MathEducation #ActiveLearning #StudentEngagement #InclusiveTeaching #TeacherTips #InstructionalCoaching #EducationPodcast #MathAnxiety #ProblemSolving #WholeChild #EffectiveTeaching #SchoolImprovement #ParentInvolvement #InspiredTeaching #ThrivingStudents #EducationTransformation #ProKidMindset #TeacherSupport #MathDiscourse

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

In this S5E11 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, elementary educator and math coach Mona Iehl shares her transformative 5-step Word Problem Workshop method that's revolutionizing how students engage with mathematics. From "I'm not a math person" to confident problem solver—this conversation will change how you think about teaching math.

🎯 What You'll Learn: 

• The 5 steps to creating a classroom of problem solvers (Launch, Grapple, Share, Discuss, Reflect) 
• How to plan an entire week of word problems in ONE prep period 
• Why student-centered methods foster student engagement and student motivation better than traditional approaches 
• The forecasting guide that transforms lesson planning and instructional strategies 
• How to choose problems that challenge WITHOUT overwhelming 
• Building positive math identities through classroom belonging and student participation

This isn't just about math—it's about effective teaching that builds the whole child through culturally responsive teaching and equity in education.

Resources Mentioned: 

📚 Word Problem Workshop by Mona Iehl 

📚 Five Practices for Orchestrating Mathematical Discussions by Peg Smith 

📚 Adding It Up - Five Strands of Mathematical Proficiency

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction & Preview
2:00 Welcome & Guest Introduction
3:00 Book Reveal: Word Problem Workshop
4:00 Research Foundation: Peg Smith & Five Practices
5:47 Math Identities & Personal Journey
7:00 Project-Based Learning vs. Traditional Math
8:00 Traditional Word Problems vs. Word Problem Workshop
10:00 Student-Centered Learning & Building Confidence
11:00 Five Strands of Mathematical Proficiency
12:00 Conceptual Understanding in Practice
13:00 Strategic Competence & Adaptive Reasoning
15:00 Community-Based Learning Approach
16:00 Step 1: Launch - Packing the Backpack
16:37 Step 2: Grapple - Independent Problem Solving
17:00 The Joy of Figuring It Out
18:00 Step 3: Share - Making Thinking Visible
18:30 Step 4: Discuss - Facilitating Discourse
19:00 Step 5: Reflect - John Dewey's Wisdom
20:00 The Power of Reflection (Nuthall's 20% Research)
21:00 Teacher Roles in Word Problem Workshop
22:00 Getting Curious About Student Thinking
24:00 Teacher as Scribe During Sharing
25:00 Planning Magic: A Week in One Prep
26:00 Choosing Learning Goals & Problems
27:00 The Challenge Problem Philosophy
29:00 The Forecasting Guide Tool
30:00 Planning for All Learners
31:00 Collaborative Planning Time
33:00 Overcoming Fear: First Steps for Teachers
35:00 Administrator Support & Clear Focus
37:00 Supporting Math at Home: Caregiver Tips
38:00 Modeling Mathematical Thinking
39:00 Lightning Round: Math Misconceptions
40:00 Vision for Positive Math Identity Classrooms
42:00 Equitable Access & Confident Communities
43:00 Final Thoughts: Teachers as the Most Important
44:00 Closing & Call to Action

Connect with Mona: 

🎙️ Math Chat Podcast 

📧 Connect: [email protected]
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.