Selecting a curriculum is a big decision for any school or district. In this episode, we define curriculum and discuss the challenges and benefits of adapting and implementing new curriculum in educational settings. We welcome Courtney Brown back to the conversation as we address the importance of understanding the time and effort required for such changes, as well as the potential limitations of professional development programs.

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Welcome to our annual wrap-up episode of Teaching Today! We're excited to bring you a special compilation featuring our three most-listened-to conversations from the past year, plus a bonus clip that captured international attention. Thank you again for these conversations: Nona Ullman, Melissa Payette, Lisa Dughi, Collette Smith, Dr. Padhu Seshaiyer, Dr. Laura Rigolosi and Jacqui Stolzer.

We’re proud to make this content free and accessible to all. If you find value in our episodes, please consider donating to support and sustain our efforts: https://cpet.tc.columbia.edu/giving.html

In this episode, we dive into the Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) model and its impact on educational practices. We are joined by CPET colleagues, and co-teaching dynamic duo, Jacqui Stolzer and Dr. Laura Rigolosi as we dig into various co-teaching models, their effectiveness depending on the type of student engagement activity and learning goals, and the challenges of implementing these models in different teaching scenarios.

We’re proud to make this content free and accessible to all. If you find value in our episodes, please consider donating to support and sustain our efforts: https://cpet.tc.columbia.edu/giving.html

Secondary literacy isn’t confined to ELA classes—it spans all content areas, requiring a shared understanding and commitment from teachers across disciplines. Matthew Mazzaroppi, Deputy Superintendent at New Visions High School District joins us to discuss the importance of collaboration, expertise, and community engagement in improving learning systems. With a focus on the role of district-level administrators and the need for patience and persistence in implementing change, we dig into the questions we face along the way of transformative change: How do we move the big barriers? Who are we talking about when we say we need to hear from “experts” in our district? How will we know if the work we’re doing is creating the change students need?

We’re proud to make this content free and accessible to all. If you find value in our episodes, please consider donating to support and sustain our efforts: https://cpet.tc.columbia.edu/giving.html

What does it mean to shift the cognitive load from the teacher, empowering students to grapple with content and develop their critical thinking skills? Where can we find authentic moments of writing in every classroom from math to physical education? In this episode, Dr. Alice Lee shares her experiences championing a district-wide focus on writing across the curriculum, emphasizing that writing is essential for learning in any subject area. We also discuss the value of customizing district support to address the unique needs and dynamics of individual school communities, including learning walks as a valuable tool for teachers, administrators, and coaches.

Moving from Q&A to Q&D is both an art and a science. In this episode, CPET coaches Dr. Jen Gowers and Kelsey Hammond, join us to think out loud about what makes vibrant discussions a challenge to facilitate, how we can meet that challenge, and how we might handle surprising moments in our classroom discussions. The team shares what "invisible skills" are, why they are crucial for helping students participate in meaningful discussions, along with practical steps we can take to teach these skills to children of all ages. Your voice matters! After you listen, let us know your thoughts, questions, and reflections on fostering engaging dialogues in the classroom.

Public education should both equip and empower students to be successful in their lives and contribute to their communities, but how is the current system delivering on this promise? In this episode, we welcome Mr. David Adams, CEO of the Urban Assembly, a nonprofit that promotes economic and social mobility by innovating in public education. Our thought-provoking discussion ranges from the purpose and promise of public education to Social Emotional Learning and Career and Technical Education to the need to redefine the goals and measures of success in the public education system. We discuss not only what needs to happen, but also how teachers can take a small step toward a big future for their students.

The complexities of navigating the teaching profession go beyond delivering content or curriculum and require a deep understanding of students' perspectives and diverse needs. In this episode, Hunter Gehlbach, Professor & Director of the PhD program at the Johns Hopkins School of Education, invites us to consider how intellectual humility coupled with curiosity can support us to channel our inner detective in the classroom and outside of it. Through powerful examples and research-backed insights, this episode empowers educators to move beyond surface-level assumptions and toward a more student-centered approach to teaching and learning.

Teachers are socialized to view themselves as "superhuman.” They are celebrated when they work long hours, sacrifice personal time, and go "above and beyond" in their roles. In this episode, Dr. Shamari Reid, Assistant Professor of Justice and Belonging in Education at New York University and Dr. Marcelle Mentor, Director of Educator Preparation and Assistant Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at UMass Boston join us to discuss Dr. Reid’s book Humans Who Teach: A Guide for Centering Love, Justice, and Liberation in School. Together we explore how celebrating the diverse identities and experiences of teachers and acknowledging their full humanity creates supportive environments that foster the growth and well-being of teachers and their students.

Questions come naturally to young children: Why is the sky blue? Where do butterflies go in winter? As they grow older, students need invitations to cultivate curiosity and teachers who are able to teach the skill of questioning. The Question Formulation Technique builds this lifelong learning skill, teaching students how to ask their own questions.

In this episode we're taking a journey into our podcast archives to a conversation with Dan Rothstein, Luz Santana, and Sarah Westbrook from The Right Question Institute to discuss how the QFT works and what we can do to cultivate curiosity through questioning.