Teach Me, Teacher

Hello everyone! Today I have a special episode for you. We are discussing systematic inequality in America, and how it is not only affecting our communities and students, but what teachers SPECIFICALLY can do about it. To help us navigate these complex issues, I have brought on Dr. Anindya Kundu, a sociologist who currently serves as a Senior Fellow at The City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Kundu brings his sharp insight to the podcast to discuss his unique work on the fallacy of grit, and how just telling people to "work harder" is ignoring one of the biggest factors that plays into a persons ability to succeed—the supports they receive actively or passively. In this talk we: Define systematic inequality and grit Examine underlying systems that fail students who struggle Begin unpacking the unique role teachers can play in fixing the issues plaguing our schools and communities You do not want to miss this vastly important episode. I learned a lot, and you will too. And once you are done listening (or right now), check out Dr. Kundu's latest book The Power of Student Agency: Looking Beyond Grit to Close the Achievement Gap, due out on July 10th. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and by their Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo. I hear about this book all the time from teachers because it's so accessible and so respectful of teacher's time. Each page is a different strategy to share directly with a student—little nudges to make whatever skill they're working become automatic. Jen Serravallo really knows what teachers need. Each strategy includes teaching language, prompts, and visuals you can also share with kids. There's 300 strategies total, and they're all organized by important reading goals like comprehension, vocabulary, writing about reading, and more. You'll find something here to help every reader in your classroom grow. If you don't have The Reading Strategies Book, head on over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing or order yourself a copy.

Hello everyone! In light of the tragedies facing the world and America today, I found it timely to bring this talk to teachers. I don't believe there has ever been a time in modern history when our students need to be doing what matters most—exploring their thoughts and reflecting on the ideas, experiences, and lives of others. With the murder of George Floyd giving rise to Black Lives Matter protests across the globe, and an unprecedented pandemic changing everything about modern life, we need to become better teachers NOW. To help give us the tools to empower students in such a way, I brought on my friend Travis Crowder to discuss his approach to reading workshop, and more specifically, his use of journals as tools for student reflection. If you missed part one, check it out here. If you've ever struggled with keeping a journal or binder neat (or useful), or wondered if there was a better way to get kids invested in their reading, this is the podcast for you. Travis Crowder is the co-author of Sparks in the Dark, and his latest book, Reflective Readers is out now (and it is FANTASTIC.) This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and by their Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo. I hear about this book all the time from teachers because it's so accessible and so respectful of teacher's time. Each page is a different strategy to share directly with a student—little nudges to make whatever skill they're working become automatic. Jen Serravallo really knows what teachers need. Each strategy includes teaching language, prompts, and visuals you can also share with kids. There's 300 strategies total, and they're all organized by important reading goals like comprehension, vocabulary, writing about reading, and more. You'll find something here to help every reader in your classroom grow. If you don't have The Reading Strategies Book, head on over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing or order yourself a copy.

Hello everyone! In light of the tragedies facing the world and America today, I found it timely to bring this talk to teachers. I don't believe there has ever been a time in modern history when our students need to be doing what matters most—exploring their thoughts and reflecting on the ideas, experiences, and lives of others. To help give us the tools to empower students in such a way, I brought on my friend Travis Crowder to discuss his approach to reading workshop, and more specifically, his use of journals as tools for student reflection. If you've ever struggled with keeping a journal or binder neat (or useful), or wondered if there was a better way to get kids invested in their reading, this is the podcast for you. Travis Crowder is the co-author of Sparks in the Dark, and his latest book, Reflective Readers is out now (and it is FANTASTIC.) This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and by their Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo. I hear about this book all the time from teachers because it's so accessible and so respectful of teacher's time. Each page is a different strategy to share directly with a student—little nudges to make whatever skill they're working become automatic. Jen Serravallo really knows what teachers need. Each strategy includes teaching language, prompts, and visuals you can also share with kids. There's 300 strategies total, and they're all organized by important reading goals like comprehension, vocabulary, writing about reading, and more. You'll find something here to help every reader in your classroom grow. If you don't have The Reading Strategies Book, head on over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing or order yourself a copy.

Hello everyone! Today, I am releasing what I believe is the most important podcast in the history of the show. Not only is it filled with honest and real world talk, it is filled with research based advice and insight from one of the premier thinkers on education today. In this episode, I sit down with Alfie Kohn and discuss a range of topics, such as why grading hurts more than it helps, why rewards do more harm than good, and why the testing obsession leads to bad teaching. I consider these the three pillars of what holds up an outdated educational model, and Alfie Kohn is the main reason for that perspective. Without a doubt, Alfie has influenced my teaching in such fundamental ways, and I know his thinking, research, and expertise will encourage you to question some of the norms of our educational climate. Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. The most recent of his 14 books are SCHOOLING BEYOND MEASURE…And Other Unorthodox Essays About Education (2015) and THE MYTH OF THE SPOILED CHILD: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom About Children and Parenting (2014). Of his earlier titles, the best known are PUNISHED BY REWARDS (1993), NO CONTEST: The Case Against Competition (1986), UNCONDITIONAL PARENTING (2005), and THE SCHOOLS OUR CHILDREN DESERVE (1999). This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators. Heinemann knows that teachers make the difference every day for their students. That's why they're celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week for the entire month of May with a special discount. From now until May 31 , you can receive a special discount and free shipping on every Heinemann professional book and other select resources. Just use the coupon code MAYEDU during online checkout at Heinemann.com to receive this discount. There are some restrictions, so make sure you visit Heinemann.com or the Heinemann blog for all of the details. From everyone at Heinemann, thank you educators for everything you do.

Hello everyone! There are a lot of great ideas out in the world. Many of them are fantastic projects, experiences, or just ideas on how to spice up a lesson in your class. Some of those are MEGA LESSONS—lessons that take student interest to heart and provides authentic learning experiences for EVERYONE involved, and that's exactly what I wanted to talk about on today's episode of Teach Me, Teacher! To do so, I have brought on Lisa Toebben, a high school special education teacher, who has created an amazing authentic experience for her students. I don't want to spoil it too much here, but it's a business learning experience unlike any other! YOU HAVE TO HEAR ABOUT THIS. I loved talking with Lisa about this lesson (and a lot more) because it's these lessons that students remember the most. The ones that are useful and involve the whole child in the learning. You are sure to get some ideas and positive vibes from this one! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators. Heinemann knows that teachers make the difference every day for their students. That's why they're celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week for the entire month of May with a special discount. From now until May 31 , you can receive a special discount and free shipping on every Heinemann professional book and other select resources. Just use the coupon code MAYEDU during online checkout at Heinemann.com to receive this discount. There are some restrictions, so make sure you visit Heinemann.com or the Heinemann blog for all of the details. From everyone at Heinemann, thank you educators for everything you do.

Hello everyone! Last week, I talked with Adam Welcome about what it takes to lead in today's environment, and today we pivot the discussion a bit and discuss what teachers deserve, and how we should all raise our voices to tell the story of REAL education. Adam has been an elementary school teacher, Elementary Principal, Director of Innovation for a district with 35,000 students and enjoys pushing the envelope to always do what's best for kids! Adam was Principal of the Year for his region, a 20 To Watch for the National School Board Association, guest blogger for EdWeek, NAESP magazine, and many other publications. Adam also consults and works with many education companies as a way to improve their product for others! In this episode, we discuss: Teachers Deserve It Motivation Burnout Raising our voices …and a WHOLE LOT MORE! Inspiration ABOUND in this one. You do NOT want to miss it. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators. Heinemann knows that teachers make the difference every day for their students. That's why they're celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week for the entire month of May with a special discount. From now until May 31 , you can receive a special discount and free shipping on every Heinemann professional book and other select resources. Just use the coupon code MAYEDU during online checkout at Heinemann.com to receive this discount. There are some restrictions, so make sure you visit Heinemann.com or the Heinemann blog for all of the details. From everyone at Heinemann, thank you educators for everything you do.

Hello everyone! During times of uncertainty, turmoil, and change, leadership is needed more than ever. To discuss what it takes to lead a school, I brought on Adam Welcome, one of the premier leaders of our current educational world. Adam has been an elementary school teacher, Elementary Principal, Director of Innovation for a district with 35,000 students and enjoys pushing the envelope to always do what's best for kids! Adam was Principal of the Year for his region, a 20 To Watch for the National School Board Association, guest blogger for EdWeek, NAESP magazine, and many other publications. Adam also consults and works with many education companies as a way to improve their product for others! In this episode, we discuss: Perspective during Covid-19 Doing what's hard Motivation Principal and teacher burnout Not wasting time on pointless tasks ...and a WHOLE LOT MORE! Inspiration ABOUND in this one. You do NOT want to miss it. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators. Heinemann knows that teachers make the difference every day for their students. That's why they're celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week for the entire month of May with a special discount. From now until May 31 , you can receive a special discount and free shipping on every Heinemann professional book and other select resources. Just use the coupon code MAYEDU during online checkout at Heinemann.com to receive this discount. There are some restrictions, so make sure you visit Heinemann.com or the Heinemann blog for all of the details. From everyone at Heinemann, thank you educators for everything you do.

Hello everyone! In this episode, I am continuing on delivering my promise to talk special education on the podcast with Ashley Granados, but in part two we dive into what serving our students looks like during remote learning. In this episode, we discuss what's really important right now with school, why compassion is needed now more than ever, and why it's ok to admit this all kind of suck (but there aren right sides!) Ashley's insight into the lives of special needs students, what they need, and how schools are succeeding (and failing) at being advocated for them, is top tier. Plus, she's just great to listen to. If you want to learn how to better advocate for kids (as a parent or teacher), feel vindicated in your frustrations with the system, or just listen to two teachers talk passionately about the craft of teaching, this episode is for you! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators. Obviously, this is a challenging time for every educator. Your taking care of yourself and your family, you're thinking about friends and loved ones you can't see in person. And you're also adapting to trying to teach and care for your students virtually. Heinemann and their authors are providing free resources to support remote learning during this time. This page is being updated daily. So just go to Hein.pub/RemoteLearning to find all of the remote learning resources that are available for you to access for free.

Hello everyone! I have FINALLY delivered on my promise to talk about special education, and to do so, I brought on one of my FAVORITE special needs teachers, Ashley Granados. Ashley's insight into the lives of special needs students, what they need, and how schools are succeeding (and failing) at being advocated for them, is top tier. Plus, she's just great to listen to. If you want to learn how to better advocate for kids (as a parent or teacher), feel vindicated in your frustrations with the system, or just listen to two teachers talk passionately about the craft of teaching, this episode is for you! This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators. Obviously, this is a challenging time for every educator. Your taking care of yourself and your family, you're thinking about friends and loved ones you can't see in person. And you're also adapting to trying to teach and care for your students virtually. Heinemann and their authors are providing free resources to support remote learning during this time. This page is being updated daily. So just go to Hein.pub/RemoteLearning to find all of the remote learning resources that are available for you to access for free.

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you, and you're ready to discuss writing instruction! I have brought on one of my favorite educators in the literacy space, Martin Brandt, to discuss his book Between the Commas, and how to use writing instruction that WORKS! Last week, we discussed: That writing is more than just responses to questions and essays How to achieve sentence focus The power of writing instruction that frees students from artificial constraints And this week, we go deeper into the teaching of writing, specifically, we discuss how to evolve our approach from proscriptions to possibilities! You do NOT WANT TO MISS THIS ONE. This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators. Obviously, this is a challenging time for every educator. Your taking care of yourself and your family, you're thinking about friends and loved ones you can't see in person. And you're also adapting to trying to teach and care for your students virtually. Heinemann and their authors are providing free resources to support remote learning during this time. This page is being updated daily. So just go to Hein.pub/RemoteLearning to find all of the remote learning resources that are available for you to access for free.