"Think-Pair-Share is a classic routine that never goes out of style — and for good reason. By structuring time to think individually, talk with a peer, and then share with the class, this strategy ensures every student has a voice and every idea gets refined.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to run Think-Pair-Share effectively in secondary classrooms.

• Why it increases equity of participation and reduces student anxiety.

• Practical variations across subjects — from quick math checks to deep dives in literature and history.

Simple to launch, powerful in impact — Think-Pair-Share is a must-have in every teacher’s tool belt."

Fishbowl Discussion is one of the most effective ways to teach students how to think, talk, and listen with purpose. In this episode, we explore how the fishbowl structure channels dialogue through an inner circle of speakers and an outer circle of observers. You’ll learn how to set it up, establish norms, and guide students toward deeper questioning, analysis, and reflection.

We’ll highlight why it works—drawing on Hattie’s research showing that classroom discussion (d = 0.82) is among the highest-impact practices—and how fishbowl turns that effect into a repeatable, classroom-ready protocol.

Whether you’re teaching literature, history, ethics, or even science debates, Fishbowl offers a way to make student voices and metacognitive reflection central to learning.

Exit Tickets are one of the simplest, most powerful routines you can add to your teaching. In this episode, we explore how a single 3–5 minute check-in at the end of class can transform tomorrow’s lesson. Learn how to design effective prompts, adapt them for in-person or virtual settings, and make student thinking visible across all content areas.

Reciprocal Teaching sits at #2 on our High-Impact Protocols list with an effect size of 0.74 — making it one of the most powerful ways to boost comprehension. This episode explores how the four roles — predict, question, clarify, and summarize — turn passive reading into active meaning-making.

You’ll learn:

• How to model each of the four roles and launch the routine in one class period.

• Ways to chunk texts so students practice multiple cycles in a single lesson.

• Adaptations for ELA, science, social studies, and electives.

• How to gradually release responsibility so students run the process independently.

By the end, you’ll have a clear plan to use Reciprocal Teaching to deepen reading comprehension and student dialogue — whether you teach novels, primary sources, case studies, or even lab procedures.

Socratic Seminar earns the #1 spot on our High-Impact Protocols list for a reason: it gets every student thinking critically, speaking with evidence, and listening actively. In this episode, we explore why Socratic Seminar is so powerful — backed by Hattie’s research — and how to run one that works for your students, whether in person or online.

You’ll learn:

• How to set clear purposes and norms that make discussions meaningful.

• Practical steps to launch a seminar tomorrow — even with reluctant talkers.

• Ways to scaffold questions, evidence use, and reflection.

• How to iterate and improve with each round.

By the end, you’ll be ready to transform whole-class discussion from a few voices dominating to a true community of inquiry.

Welcome to the first episode of Strategy Spotlight: The Podcast. In this launch conversation, Marcus James and I unpack why this show exists: to highlight high-impact teaching protocols rooted in John Hattie’s research. We explore what Hattie’s Visible Learning studies reveal about what really works in education, why protocols matter, and how teachers can make every minute count in the classroom.

Whether you’re new to the idea of instructional protocols or looking to sharpen your teaching toolkit, this episode lays the foundation for everything to come.