Have a Life Teaching

When Teachers Believe—in Themselves and Each Other—Students ThriveThis week on the podcast, we sit down with Jenni Donohoo and Glenn Forbes to discuss their new book, Collective Impact: Overcoming the Twelve Enemies of Teacher Efficacy.We explore how collective efficacy—educators’ shared belief in their power to impact student learning—creates school cultures where both teachers and students flourish.Just as we encourage students to see challenges as opportunities, teachers must shift from fixed, demoralized mindsets to one where a small win is celebrated and setbacks fuel growth. Together, educators can—and do—make the difference.- In this episode we highlight John Hattie’s research on collective efficacy as the #1 influence on student achievement.- Explore the authors’ framework of the “12 enemies of efficacy” (from isolation to negativity).- Share practical “micro moves” rooted in Bandura’s four sources of efficacy—mastery, modeling, emotions, and persuasion. Jenni Donohoo LinkedIn PageJenni Donohoo Website Glenn Forbes LinkedIn PageCollective Impact BookSouthern Tioga School District Music by Aylex

In this episode, we are joined by Shannon McLeod from Thrive with Outdoor Learning for an inspiring and insightful conversation about the power of taking learning outside the classroom. We cover the how, why, when, and what of outdoor learning—from practical strategies to deeper reflections on its benefits for students' well-being, engagement, and development.Shannon shares her journey into outdoor education, the philosophy behind her work, and the tangible ways educators can integrate nature into everyday teaching. Whether you're new to outdoor learning or looking to expand your toolkit, this episode offers valuable takeaways and motivation to get outside and make learning come alive.Thrive with Outdoor Learning Website Teach Better Article Pinterest

Our kids are drowning in math failure — and it starts shockingly early. By grade 3, too many students already believe: “I’m just not a math person.”The culprit?Timed tests that reward speed over thinking, worksheets that kill curiosity, and assessments that feel like traps, not opportunities. We’re creating a generation terrified of math.The SNAP Solution flips the script:- Math becomes a puzzle full of wonder- Students show thinking in drawings, equations, and real-life examples- Teachers see true understanding — not test anxietyIf we don’t change math assessment now, the crisis only gets worse.Hear from authors of the book - The SNAP Snapshot - on why SNAP might be the lifeline we need on the most to reinvigorate Math teaching and learning.Tom Hierck LinkedIn Page Jonathan Ferris LinkedIn PageKirk Savage LinkedIn PageThe SNAP Solution Book Music by Aylex

Are we grading what really matters? In most cases, no. In this episode, we sit-down with Karin Hess, Jonathan Vander Els and Brian Stack - authors of the book Elevating Competency-Based Learning in a PLC at Work - to discuss how competency-based learning and grading can help educators provide students with a clear pathway in learning both standards based academic content while developing higher order life skills. We discuss, in particular, how to create classrooms that are student owned, assessment practices beyond the paper and pencil test, and how we can ensure equity in teaching practices across classrooms.Karin l. Hess LinkedIn PageJonathan Vander Els LinkedIn PageBrian Stack Linkedin PageBook - Elevating CompetencyMusic by Aylex

We hope you have enjoyed season two. We will be back with brand new episodes and a third season in August 2025. In the meantime, please feel free to catch up on any of our past episodes. Music - Aylex

In this episode, I talk with educator and author Susan Midlarsky about her book The Art of Learning Math: A Manual for Success. We explore how math can be more than numbers—how it can help students see patterns in life, solve problems creatively, and rebuild confidence after math-related stress or trauma.Susan shares:How recognizing relationships and patterns helps students make sense of math and the worldWays to address math anxiety and trauma with compassion and curiosityThe importance of student-led problem solving over rote memorizationHow connecting math to real life builds confidence and resilienceThis episode is perfect for educators, parents, or anyone looking to make math a more meaningful, empowering experience for learners of all ages.Susan Midlarsky LinkedIn PageBook - The Art of Learning Math HomepageAchieve the Core Coherence Maps Music - Aylex

In this episode of the podcast, we chat with a pioneer in the AI space - Dr. Ken Kahn. Ken walks us through the amazing ways we can increase student creativity through the use of high-powered AI chat bots, not reduce it. We discuss how students can create games and simulations to demonstrate their knowledge of concepts in all core content areas, without needing to know code, as well as ways to create multimodal resources for students (music and images) and choose your own adventure type activities. It truly is a brave new world! Listen in as Ken and I discuss these ideas as well as how his new book can serve as a guide to educators in maximizing the use of AI with students.Ken Kahn LinkedInKen Kahn Book - The Learner's Apprentice Music - Aylex

Drama critic George Jean-Nathan once said that "Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote." Although 47% of all young people eligible to cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election did so, 53% did not. How did we get here? Professor Lindsey Cormack, author of the book "How to Raise a Citizen" believes that this situation, overall, is the result of a lack of youth awareness of the political and democratic process. So how then can educators, along with parents, teach students what they need to know?In this episode we discuss:- The definition of "citizen". - How teachers can teach the political process through experiential learning.- How we should spiral or build upon learning of the democratic process in each grade not just in middle school or 11th grade government class.- How to turn youth from consumers of information on the Internet to information seekers.- Why adults need to turn down the negativity about politics and teach students how to argue opposing viewpoints with civility. - How teachers can teach the democratic process without falling victim to increasing legal jeopardy when what they teach upsets some parents with strong political views - red or blue. - How parents can and should support the awareness of their children about the democratic process. We hope you will listen in to this important conversation. Lindsey Cormack LinkedIn page Book - How to Raise a Citizen How to Raise a Citizen InstagramHow to Raise a Citizen Webpage James Madison's Montpelier Website Music - Aylex

In this episode of the podcast, we speak with authors Jenn David-Lang, the Main Idea, and Kim Marshall, the Marshall Memo, about their work in curating the "best of" resources available to educators - particularly leaders working with new teachers as well as new teachers interested in self-growth. New teachers need certain supports beyond what David-Lang calls the boiler plate "where are the keys" training all teachers get at the beginning of each year. Marshall and David-Lang offer their suggestions on what this training should look like if we want to retain their talents. The Marshall MemoThe Main IdeaThe Best of the Marshall Memo Music - Aylex

In this latest episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, we chat with education researcher John Hattie - professor at the University of Melbourne. We discuss, despite evidence suggesting it is ineffective, the continued prevalence of the theory of learning styles and preferences and targeting instruction for individual students towards a specific approach such as visual, auditory, verbal, and/or kinesthetic learning. Rather, Hattie suggests that we think in terms of using a variety of learning strategies that evidence suggests are high impact strategies for improving student knowledge and retention of learning:- Organizational strategies- Learning consolidation techniques- Exposed student thinking practicesWe also discuss specific techniques for helping teachers to design lessons that engage students in each of these best learning practices. The Hattie Family Foundation WebsiteLearning Styles, Preferences, Learning Strategies Article Corwin Visible Learning Website Visible Learning: The Sequel Book 10 Mind Frames for Visible Learning Book Music by Aylex

We waste so much time as educators during the working day.If we are not chatting with colleagues during our prep periods, we are often using many of our precious minutes in our prep periods planning how we will use our prep periods. Teacher Ellen Linnihan, author of the book "Teacher Time Management - How to Prioritize Your Day So You Can Enjoy Your Evening", offers us several strategies for making every extra moment in our teaching count in terms of our efficiency.We discuss:- How to classify our activities into three categories - those activities that require high concentration, average, and low concentration.- How to plan out in advance how to use low intensity/energy times in our teaching.- What to do when students experience periods of high/low energy- The power of video as a time saver for teachers. - How to plan your units so we have an easier end of year. Ellen Linnihan LinkedIn Page Teacher Time Management Book Ellen Linnihan YouTube Music by Aylex

In an earlier episode, we spoke with Stanford University Professor Robyn Brinks Lockwood on how to better prepare high school students for the rigors of college communication and discourse (making presentations/speeches).In this episode, college professor and former high school ELA teacher Johanna Tramantano also sounds the alarm as it relates to high school students not having the executive functioning skills necessary to thrive in college and career settings. However, says Tramantano, there are simple practices that K-12 teachers can implement to help students develop not only the communication skills they will need in higher education but the metacognition that students need to direct their own learning.I hope you will listen in (and subscribe) as we discuss:- The CONNECT Framework for developing student metacognition in high school and beyond.- Simple middle and high school classroom practices for student self and peer reflection on learning.- How best to facilitate student conferences that place the student in the driver's seat. and- The gradual release of control over assessment and analysis of learning to students from middle through high school. Johanna Tramantano LinkedIn Page Literacy Landscapes Podcast Leveraging Literacy Webpage Music by Aylex

This week on the podcast, I’m joined by journalist Dana Seith, co-creator of the bold new storytelling card game Tell Me a Story — made in collaboration with The Bitter Southerner, We’re not just talking games — we’re talking transformation. In this episode, we unpack:- The five essential elements of unforgettable narrative storytelling- How stories boost executive functioning and student focus- Creative ways to use storytelling cards in your classroom to bring narrative fiction to lifeClick, listen, and subscribe. Because if your students can’t tell a story, they might be missing the most powerful tool they’ve got.Dana Seith LinkedIn Page Tell Me a Story Card Game Music by Aylex

This week on the podcast, we are joined by chief academic officer Samuel Nix who discusses his book - 6 Stepa to a Strong School Culture: A Leadership Cycle for Educational Success. Nix should know - having taken, as principal, his school to the top 30 in the nation. Too often, says Nix, school leaders go from crisis to crisis rather than developing a systemic approach to school improvement which lies at the heart of sustainable and strong school culture. Also, many school leaders maintain a mindset that prioritizes teaching over learning, Lastly, leaders have a tendency to hold other educators accountable without having been clear in communicating the school mission nor having provided quality feedback so that teachers can improve. To change this, Nix recommends that school leaders:- Clarify the mission_ Plan Strategically- Empower Self and Others- Measure and Gather Feedback- Adjust and Improve- Be Accountable and Give RewardsI hope you will listen in to our conversation as we discuss each of these six steps. Samuel Nix Solution Tree Page 6 Steps to a Strong School Culture Book SNIX3 Consulting Music - Aylex

Brak Rosenshine first published his Principles of Instruction in 2010 through the International Academy of Education (IAE) as part of their Educational Practices Series (booklet No. 21). Taking his years of research, Rosenshine paired down what good teachers do to obtain good academic outcomes: review, chunk information, question, model, guide practice, check for understanding, allow student time for independent practice, and scaffold.In this episode, we speak with UK based educator, former principal, and current consultant Tom Sherrington, one of the creators of WALKTHRUs - a series of playbooks for different instructional moves. WALKTHRUS has taken Rosenshine's principles and has represented them graphically to better support teacher coaching and mentoring. Tom and I discuss:- How the design of WALKTHRUS was influenced by visual tech manuals and info graphics.- Rosenshine's principles and how WALKTHRUs captures these.- An Example of how WALKTHRUS works using think-pair-share and cold calling instructional moves.- How WALKTHRUS has evolved from an individual mentoring tool into a systemic teaching framework.-How mentorship and coaching differ from evaluation. - WALKTHRUS growth in both the UK and Australia and its introduction in North American schools. Tom Sherrington LinkedIn PageTeacher Head BlogWALKTHRUS Website Rosenshine's Principles Article Aylex - Music

Per our next guest on the podcast, MLL/STEM specialist Darlyne de Haan, there are over 900K high school MLL students in the USA - a large number of these students living in poverty (2014). While Algebra and other STEM classes can catapult students into lucrative STEM careers, still, only a very small percentage of MLL students take these courses. I hope you will listen in to my conversation with de Haan, author of the book STEM For All, as we discuss:-Why MLLS are dropped from the STEM Pipeline.-How tiered WIDA data can help STEM educators learn what MLL students can and cannot do linguistically.- What STEM educators can do to help integrate MLL students in their classrooms through the use of specific literacy scaffolds.- How ALL students can and should have access to STEM learning. Darlene de Haan LinkedIn PageNeighborhood ScienceBrain Based ScienceSTEM is for Everyone Book Music - Aylex

Do You Know What the Superpower Understandings in Math Are? Recently, I wrote an article for ASCD about modeling Math through a gradual release framework. A common way through which to do this is to teach Math conceptually, representationally, and then abstractly (CRA Framework). However, there are other frameworks that help students understand Math as well. This week on the podcast, I speak with Patrick Sullivan about additional ways to help elementary students see Math holistically. Sullivan is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Missouri State University and the author of the Solution Tree book - See It, Say It, Symbolize It: Teaching the Big Ideas in Elementary Mathematics. We discuss:- The five superpower understandings all elementary students need - The interconnections among these understandings - How to model math through these understandings. I hope you will listen and subscribe.Patrick Sullivan Missouri State University Information See It Say It Symbolize It TPT ResourcesSee It Say It Symbolize It Book Elevate to Excellence WebsiteMusic - Aylex

In this episode, we speak with Niles North High School Summer Reading Program leads ELA teacher Katie Gillies and librarian Beverly Zbinden.While summer reading may help reduce the potential student summer learning slide, Gillies and Zbinden discuss their true purpose in creating this ambitious project at North Niles High School - a large and diverse high school outside of Chicago:- help students see themselves reflected in the literature they read- expand student choice in the type of literature to which students are exposed- create strong school and community around literature- foster joy in reading and self-discovery.In a time of increasing attacks on diversity and free speech, this program ensures that everyone in the school community is valued. We also discuss the processes involved in implementing such a project - from text selection to program launch and after - as well as the partnership that is required between classroom teachers and librarians in the school and, with Skokie Public Library. Katie Gillies LinkedIn PageOurLitLabNiles North Summer Reading Lit GuideSummer Reading 2025 Incoming Freshman Page Music by Aylex

Earlier in the second season of this podcast, we had as a guest Bo Stjerne Thomsen of LEGO Education discussing the importance of play in creative learning. In this episode, we continue our look at creativity in learning by discussing how to infuse art in the four core -content areas. In this discussion, we are joined by Cheri Sterman, Director of Education, for Crayola as well as science teacher Elle LeBlanc who discusses her recent Edutopia article - Integrating the Arts in High School Science. We discuss:- Elle's efforts to include all her students in science learning through art- The benefits of art in promoting student well-being - The research behind why art matters and the 100 languages of children (Reggio Emilia)- Specific examples from grade school through high school on how arts can be integrated in core learning - A plethora of Crayola resources for integrating the arts into your classroomCheri Sterman LinkedIn Page - Crayola Creative Styles Tool - Crayola Read Along and Draw Along- Crayola The Art of Learning - Crayola Learning YouTube Channel- Crayola Creativity Week - The 100 Languages of ChildrenElle LeBlanc Edutopia Page/ArticleMusic - Aylex -

When students ask where are they EVER going to use the Math they are learning in middle and high school, there is usually something deeper going on; And that is a disconnect in, disinterest, and lack of curiosity in learning Math which manifests itself in misbehaving students. So says, Jenn Lenhardt - author of the book Common Denominators: Cultivating Engagement and Belonging in Secondary Mathematics 7-12 and former 7-12th grade Math interventionist. In this episode, we talk with Lenhardt about getting students excited about and engaged within the process of learning Math both individually and collectively. For students to engage with Math, they have to feel that they both belong in Math classrooms and can be successful learners of Math. Teachers also have to push aside thoughts that their students can't do Math focusing instead on what they need to do next to help students learn Math precisely BECAUSE their students might struggle in learning Math. One strategy that Lenhardt recommends strongly is having students explore Math concepts through quick rotations, or stations, like we might more commonly see in elementary classrooms. Jen Lenhardt HMHJen Lenhardt LinkedInCommon Denominators BookMusic - Aylex