The Teachers' Playbook: Where Passion Meets Practice

Teachers do not need one more thing on their plates. They need practical ways to save time so they can get back to what they love: teaching students.

Host Paul Murray talks with educator, author, consultant, and AI advocate Dedra Stafford about using artificial intelligence as a thought partner to reduce repetitive work and give teachers more time to focus on students.

Dedra shares practical examples of using AI to develop review games, improve lessons, respond to parent emails, create newsletters, differentiate instruction, and complete other time-consuming tasks. She also discusses protecting student information, verifying facts and sources, and teaching students when AI supports learning and when it gets in the way.

In This Episode

• Why teachers should care about AI even when they do not want another tool to learn
• How AI can serve as a thought partner without replacing teacher judgment
• Why some teachers remain fearful, overwhelmed, or resistant
• How constraints and parameters help AI generate more useful ideas
• What student and family information teachers should never enter into AI
• Why teachers should use AI for creativity and feedback but verify factual information
• How teachers can model responsible AI use for students
• Which everyday tasks offer some of the quickest time-saving wins

About the Guest

Dedra Stafford is an educator, author, keynote speaker, educational coach, consultant, and AI advocate. A former classroom teacher and professional development specialist, Dedra has more than 20 years of experience working with teachers and students.

Known as the “Queen of Practical,” Dedra helps educators implement practical strategies that improve engagement, instruction, and student achievement.

Her books include:

• Teaching Kids to Thrive: Essential Skills for Success
• Summarization in Any Subject: 60 Innovative, Tech-Infused Strategies for Deeper Student Learning
  
  

Links

• Dedra Stafford: www.dedrastafford.com
• Dedra Stafford’s books: www.dedrastafford.com/books
• Teaching Kids to Thrive resources: www.teachingkidstothrive.com
• Learn more about Dedra or bring her to your school, district, or conference: www.educationspeakersnetwork.com
• Explore free CAPSPD professional learning, webinars, and the CAPSPD Annual Conference: www.capspdnow.com

Credits

• Host: Paul Murray
• Guest: Dedra Stafford
• Produced by Education Speakers Network and Theophany Media or Podcasting for Good
• Part of the California Private School Professional Development Program through Title II, Part A funding
• Powered by Education Speakers Network

How do teachers move beyond simply covering content and create learning that truly lasts?

In this episode, host Paul Murray talks with educator, author, and consultant Erik Francis about meaningful learning, student engagement, questioning, and Depth of Knowledge.

Erik explains why meaningful learning begins by helping students understand what makes the content interesting and why they are learning it. He discusses the importance of connecting learning experiences to academic standards while still making them relevant and meaningful to students.

The conversation also examines the difference between engagement and learning. Students may be participating in an activity, using a device, or earning tokens and points—but that does not necessarily mean they understand what they are learning. Erik explains that true learning requires students to comprehend and communicate their thinking.

Finally, Erik shares how teachers can use questioning to increase rigor by asking students to explain, provide examples, use evidence, and extend their learning.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• Why students are asking “Why am I learning this?”
• How teachers can connect what makes content interesting to the standards students are expected to learn
• Why engagement and learning are not always the same thing
• Why a correct answer does not necessarily demonstrate understanding
• How comprehension and communication provide stronger evidence of learning
• Why Depth of Knowledge is about the response students provide
• How teachers can raise rigor with the follow-up question “You’re right—but why?”
• Why students should be doing more of the explaining, reasoning, and communicating
• How five question stems can transform standards and learning targets into questions

About the Guest

Erik M. Francis, M.Ed., M.S., is an educator, author, professional learning specialist, and founder of Maverik Education. With more than 30 years of experience in K–12 education, he has served as a classroom teacher, site administrator, education program specialist at a state education agency, and professional learning provider.

Erik is recognized for helping educators understand and apply Depth of Knowledge to create academically rigorous, standards-focused, and student-supportive learning experiences.

He is the author of:

• Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning
• Inquiring Minds Want to Learn: Posing Good Questions That Promote Student Inquiry
• Now That’s a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning
  
  

Links and Resources

• Erik Francis’s books: www.maverikeducation.com/books
• Learn more about Erik or bring him to your school, district, or conference: www.educationspeakersnetwork.com
• Explore free CAPSPD professional learning, webinars, and the CAPSPD Annual Conference: www.capspdnow.com
  
  

Credits

• Host: Paul Murray
• Guest: Erik M. Francis
• Produced by Education Speakers Network and Theophany Media / Podcasting for Good
• Part of the California Private School Professional Development Program through Title II, Part A funding
• Powered by Education Speakers Network

Does moving away from traditional homework grades, strict deadlines, and penalties mean schools are lowering expectations for students?

In Part Two of this conversation, host Paul Murray continues his discussion with educator, author, and consultant Rick Wormeli about the role homework should play in student learning. Rick challenges the belief that assigning more work—or attaching more points to it—automatically builds responsibility, motivation, or academic achievement.

Instead, Rick asks educators to separate academic achievement from work habits and to treat homework as what it really is: practice. He explains why grades should accurately communicate what students know and can do, why feedback makes practice more effective, and how retrieval practice, spacing, and interleaving can help students carry learning forward.

Rick also offers a practical way to increase student ownership: invite students to help identify meaningful ways to practice, narrow the choices to the strongest options, and allow students to choose the method that works for them.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• Why moving away from punitive homework practices does not mean lowering expectations
• Why responsibility and academic achievement should be taught and reported separately
• How including homework completion in an academic grade can distort what the grade communicates
• Why homework should be treated as practice rather than proof of mastery
• How timely, descriptive feedback increases the effectiveness of homework
• Why students need knowledge stored in long-term memory to analyze, connect, and create
• How priming students with the purpose and expectations for an assignment improves learning
• Why spaced practice helps students retain information over time
• How interleaving different types of problems strengthens retrieval and flexible thinking
• Why shorter, more complex assignments may be more valuable than long sets of repetitive problems
• How student choice and agency can increase participation in meaningful practice
• Why the true evidence of learning is what students can carry forward—not simply what they knew for one test

The Big Idea

Homework should support learning, not distort the reporting of it.

Homework is most valuable when students use it to practice something they have already begun learning, receive meaningful feedback, and revisit the content over time.

Completing homework may provide evidence of responsibility, persistence, or work habits—but it does not automatically provide evidence of academic mastery. When those behaviors are combined into one grade, families and students may receive an inaccurate picture of what the student actually knows and can do.

Separating academic achievement from work habits allows teachers to hold students accountable for both without allowing one to misrepresent the other.

The Play: Try This Tomorrow

Let Students Help Design the Practice

After teaching a new concept, ask students:

“What are some meaningful ways you could practice today’s learning?”

Create a list of approximately eight possibilities with the class. Then:

1. Identify three options that would provide the most meaningful interaction with the content.
2. Allow each student to select one of those options.
3. Keep the assignment short enough for students to think deeply rather than simply complete a large amount of repetitive work.
4. Build in a way for students to receive feedback—from the teacher, a classmate, or through self-assessment.
5. Return to the learning later through spaced retrieval so students must carry it forward.

The teacher protects the quality of the practice, while students gain choice, agency, and ownership.

Memorable Takeaway

“The testimony for a grade is what kids carry forward, not what they once knew and then forgot.”

The goal is not for students to complete enough assignments to earn points. The goal is for them to practice, receive feedback, revise their understanding, and retain the learning long after the original lesson is over.

About the Guest

Rick Wormeli is an internationally recognized educator, author, and speaker whose work focuses on grading and assessment, differentiation, motivation, leadership, cognitive science, and effective teaching practices.

A classroom teacher for more than four decades and one of the first National Board Certified teachers in the United States, Rick is known for helping educators examine long-standing practices with research, practicality, honesty, and humor. He is the author of several influential education books, including Fair Isn’t Always Equal.

To learn more about bringing Rick to your school, district, or conference, visit Education Speakers Network.

Continue Learning

• Explore Rick Wormeli’s work and resources: www.rickwormeli.com
• Find free resources on retrieval, spacing, and interleaving: www.retrievalpractice.org
• Learn about upcoming Rick Wormeli seminars: www.educationspeakersnetwork.com/rick-wormeli-seminars
• Explore speakers and customized professional development: www.educationspeakersnetwork.com
• Access free professional learning and upcoming webinars: www.capspdnow.com

About the Podcast

The Teacher’s Playbook is where passion meets practice.

Each episode brings educators practical strategies, honest conversations, and new ideas they can put into action in their classrooms and schools.

One conversation may not change education—but one great idea put into practice just might.

Homework is one of education's most debated practices—but the better question may not be whether teachers should assign it. The better question is: What is the homework designed to accomplish?

In part one of this conversation, host Paul Murray sits down with educator, author, and consultant Rick Wormeli to examine the real purpose of homework. Rick challenges teachers to move beyond routine assignments, compliance grades, and one-size-fits-all practice—and instead use homework intentionally to strengthen learning and long-term retention.

Together, they explore how cognitive load, student readiness, formative assessment, executive-function skills, and life outside of school should influence both the homework teachers assign and the way they respond when it is not completed.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• Why the primary purpose of homework should be practice for long-term retention, not teaching responsibility or enforcing compliance
• Why no homework should be the default unless an assignment has a clear learning purpose
• How to recognize and retire busywork that does not meaningfully advance learning
• Why effective homework should be timely, responsive, and sometimes different for different students
• How exit tickets can help teachers quickly match practice to students' actual needs
• Why homework is formative practice and should not distort a student's summative achievement grade
• How family responsibilities, access, reading ability, anxiety, and other factors can affect homework completion
• Why explicitly teaching executive-function skills is more productive than relying on zeros and penalties
• Why students should practice independently only after they have demonstrated enough understanding to practice accurately

The Big Idea

Homework should not be assigned simply because it is expected, because it is a certain day of the week, or because every student has always received the same worksheet. It should be assigned only when it gives a student purposeful, appropriate practice that helps move learning into long-term memory.

The Play: Try This Tomorrow

Before assigning homework, ask:

1. Will this practice meaningfully strengthen learning or long-term retention?
2. Has the student shown enough understanding to complete it accurately and independently?
3. Is this the right practice for this student based on today's evidence?
   
   

If the answer to any question is no, skip the assignment or adjust it. Use an exit ticket to identify what each student actually needs next, then group the responses into a few targeted practice options.

Memorable Takeaway

“Doing homework is a report of compliance. It is not a report of learning.” — Rick Wormeli

About the Guest

Rick Wormeli is an educator, author, and consultant with more than four decades of experience in education. His work helps teachers and school leaders rethink assessment, grading, homework, cognitive psychology, and meaningful learning so classroom practices more accurately support—and report—student growth.

Learn more about Rick Wormeli or inquire about bringing him to your school, district, or conference at Education Speakers Network. www.educationspeakersnetwork.com 

Continue Learning

Explore free resources, upcoming webinars, and the free CAPSPD annual conference at CAPSPD Now.

About the Podcast

The Teacher's Playbook: Where Passion Meets Practice brings educators practical strategies, meaningful conversations, and real-world ideas they can use to support student success. The podcast is part of the California Private School Professional Development Program through Title II, Part A funding and is powered by Education Speakers Network.

Follow, share, and recommend the podcast to a colleague—and join us for part two of this conversation with Rick Wormeli.

Welcome to the first episode of The Teacher’s Playbook: Where Passion Meets Practice. Host Paul Murray is joined by Dedra Stafford, founder of Education Speakers Network and collaborator on the podcast, to share how the show began and what educators can expect throughout the season.

Created to make meaningful professional learning accessible whenever and wherever educators need it, The Teacher’s Playbook brings listeners engaging conversations with some of the country’s leading education speakers. Each manageable episode will explore one practical topic—from homework, grading, and student engagement to AI and leadership—and help educators turn what they hear into something they can use.

Whether you teach in a private, public, or charter school—or serve as an instructional coach or school leader—this podcast is designed to encourage you, challenge your thinking, and leave you with one practical idea you can put into action right away.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• Why The Teacher’s Playbook was created
• How the podcast makes professional learning more accessible to busy educators
• Why the conversations are relevant to educators in private, public, and charter schools
• What topics and classroom challenges will be explored throughout the season
• Why most episodes will be approximately 20 minutes
• How conversations with leading education speakers can extend learning beyond conferences and webinars
• Why each episode begins with the purpose behind an idea before addressing challenges and practical application
• How every episode will conclude with one strategy, idea, or challenge listeners can immediately put into practice
• Which education experts listeners can expect to hear from this season

The Big Idea

Professional learning should not end when a conference session or webinar is over. Educators need manageable, meaningful conversations they can access on their own schedules—and those conversations should lead to practical action in classrooms and schools.

The Play: Try This Today

Identify one question or challenge you are currently wrestling with in your classroom or school.

As you listen to future episodes, use that challenge as your focus:

1. Listen for one idea that challenges or strengthens your current thinking.
2. Choose one practical strategy you can try.
3. Put it into action within the next week.
4. Reflect on what changed for you or your students.
   
   

The goal is not to implement everything you hear. It is to find one great idea and put it into practice.

Memorable Takeaway

“One conversation won’t change education, but one great idea put into practice just might.”

About the Guest

Dedra Stafford is the founder of Education Speakers Network and a professional-learning consultant who works with leading education speakers, schools, and organizations to create meaningful learning experiences for educators.

As a collaborator on The Teacher’s Playbook, Dedra helps connect listeners with respected education experts who bring practical strategies, fresh perspectives, and real classroom experience to each conversation.

Learn more about Dedra, the speakers featured on the podcast, or professional-learning opportunities for your school or district at Education Speakers Network.

Continue Learning

Explore free resources, upcoming webinars, professional-development opportunities, and the free CAPSPD annual conference at CAPSPD Now.

About the Podcast

The Teacher’s Playbook: Where Passion Meets Practice brings educators practical strategies, meaningful conversations, and real-world ideas they can use to support student success.

The podcast is part of the California Private School Professional Development Program through Title II, Part A funding and is powered by Education Speakers Network.

Follow, subscribe, share the podcast with a colleague, and join us for upcoming conversations with Rick Wormeli, Erik Francis, Katie Kinder, Dr. Chris Culver, Dedra Stafford, and other leading educators.

For TK–12 teachers, instructional coaches, and private school leaders, The Teachers' Playbook: Where Passion Meets Practice delivers practical ideas you can use in your classroom right away. Each episode explores topics like classroom management, student engagement, teaching strategies, AI in education, differentiated instruction, assessment, school leadership, and teacher professional development through research-informed, actionable conversations. 

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