Have a Life Teaching

Hi Everyone! Thanks for listening to season one of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast. In July 24, I'll be continuing to edit great content that I hope you will enjoy in August and beyond. The podcast will be back in August/September on a limited schedule - as I will be working overseas in September - and returning full force with season two content being published weekly in October onwards. Best, John Schembari

In this episoode of the Have a Life Teaching podcast, Adam Andre - museum participation facilitator at the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool - and I discuss how and why we should not shy away from teaching students about historical slavery nor its ongoing impact on our world today. We discuss: - Liverpool's connection to the transatlantic slave trade and the impact of slavery on the city's growth - How to center the voices of those victimized by slavery - Focusing on resistance, for example preserving the culture of those enslaved, and the legacy of slavery within the study of slavery rather than oversaturating students with stories of slavery's barbarism particularly in the upper elementary grades - Using primary source documentation and/or artifacts in the study of slavery particularly at the MS/HS level - How the view of historical events can change over time and involving students in this conversation - Drawing parallels between historical slavery and the way the world is structured today - How we memorialize those involved in the slave trade August 23rd is Slavery Remembrance Day! Check out what the museum has planned for August should you find yourself in Liverpool. International Slavery Museum Liverpool Museums And other resources: Enid Blyton Biography Rann Miller ASCD Article The Slave Ship: A Human History Music - Aylex

In this episode, Anjana and Anya, two high school students from New Jersey, discuss their program 'Connected' aimed at promoting awareness of the mental health struggles that often accompany the academic pressures that high achieving secondary students sometimes feel. Anjana and Anya share their experiences and insights on creating this high school public awareness campaign and discuss how their work has inspired peer scholars to prioritize their mental health wellbeing. Anjana and Anya emphasize the importance of students developing time management skills and not overextending themselves academically and/or in other activities. They also highlight the potential for increasing the number of students supporting their campaign and connecting their organization/campaign with other schools and organizations to further their mission to reduce academic stress. Liz Warner, Co-Founder of the School Culture and Climate Initiative (SCCI), also discusses the work that SCCI does within schools to increase opportunities, such as those experienced by Anjana and Anya, to develop student leadership capabilities which, in turn, can have an overall positive impact on school culture and climate. Liz Warner LinkedIn School Culture and Climate Initiative HOSA - Future Health Professionals Music - Aylex

In this episode, we speak with Maria Nielsen - former school principal, current education consultant, and author of the new Solution Tree book - 15 Day Challenge: Simplify and Energize Your PLC at Work. We discuss how to write 15 day curriculum units, efficaciously and efficiently, through a seven step PLC process that is strategically aligned to academic goals, anticipates student needs, assesses impact on student growth and achievement and is collaborative in nature. Learn how such a process not only increased teacher ownership and creativity in design of the learning plan at Maria's school but helped clarify and differentiate for educators at her school the content that students had to learn (boulders) from learning that was superfluous (butterflies). If you like this episode, also check out our recent conversations with Chad Dumas on using data within PLC work as well as our chat with Marine Freiburn and Sandy Brunet on developing learning objectives. Maria Nielsen Solution Tree Bio Maria Nielsen LinkedIn The 15 Day Challenge Book Learning by Design Music - Aylex

In an earlier episode, we spoke with Alice Vigors about her work in creating cross-content thinking classrooms. In this episiode, we speak with Professor Peter Liljedahl, of Simon Fraser University, about how to create thinking classrooms in Mathematics - primarily K-6 - where students are doing the heavy cognitive lift as opposed to teachers. Join me and my guest co-host Norman Eng, student teaching supervisor at Brooklyn College/CUNY, as we chat with Peter Liljedahl about: - The 14 practices associated with a thinking Math classroom (macro/micro moves); - Exemplars of what a thinking Math classroom looks like; - How a thinking classroom differs from traditional models of teaching (i.e. the I Do, We Do, You Do Model); - How teacher practice shifts from answering questions to asking them and having students make meaning of learning before direct instruction; - How to prepare student teachers in this alternative methodology Peter Liljedahl - Building Thinking Classrooms Website Building Thinking Classrooms Book Norman Eng - 10X Your Teaching Website Teaching College Book Music - Aylex

Earlier this week, we chatted with Ryan Steuer and Andrew Larson about the mechanics of embedding PBL within our teaching practice. This week, we speak with Carolyn Brown, Acting VP of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, and Rose Reiken, middle school teacher at High Tech High in San Diego, about their PBL unit collaboration. Learn more in this episode about how Carolyn and Rose partnered on a project that benefited both the museum, in improving the youth engagement factor of their public tours, and Rose's students in their understanding of Japanese American internment during WW2 and human rights issues. Also learn about the intergenerational bonds formed between the docents at the museum and Rose's 7th grade students. Carolyn Brown LinkedIn Page Rose Reiken LinkedIn Page High Tech High - Middle MESA Japanese American Museum of San Jose Music - Aylex

In this episode, join me and my guests Ryan Steuer and Andrew Larson - authors of PBL Simplified and Life's a Project - as we discuss the ins/outs of teaching through a project based learning model. In this episode, we discuss the what and why of PBL - student engagement in learning - as well as practical ways to implement PBL in the classroom. We chat about how to align PBL learning to standards, the typical length of a PBL unit, sample units, the role of community parthers and student public presentation of their work, as well as ways to assess both individual students and small groups through PBL. Both guests also talk about the impact of PBL in renewing their passion for teaching. Andrew Larson LinkedIn Page Life's a Project Book Ryan Steuer LinkedIn Page PBL Simplified Book Magnify Learning Music by Aylex

New teachers coming into the profession often struggle in knowing what to do/learn first. Indeed, as my next guests say, for most new teachers, the goal is simply surviving day to day and to make it into their second yearof teaching.   Join me and my guests, Tom Hierck and Alex Kajitani – book authors and Solution Tree education consultants – as we discuss their new book – You’rea Teacher Now! What’s Next?  We discussthe importance of forming relationships with both students and colleagues, as the key to survival, and knowing our students’ DNA – Dreams, Needs, and Abilities. We also discuss how administrators should know the DNA of theirstaff.    Developing positive relationships with students lets students know that teachers care about them as individuals and helps teachers to design lessons that speak to student interests and aptitudes. Tom Hierck LinkedIn Alex Kajitani LinkedIn You're a Teacher Now Book Tom Hierck Website Alex Kajitani Website Music - Aylex

In this episode, we have the opportunity to chat with Chad Dumas - former school principal, CEO of Next Learning Solutions, and Solution Tree PLC@Work consultant - about how schools should be using data strategically in both PLCs and school leadership teams to improve student growth and achievement. Dumas discuss the four lenses through which we should collect/review data, systemically, as we set school improvement goals and develop our 3-5 year school strategic plans - achievement, perception, demographic, and program data. How does program and perception data affect achievement, and vice versa, etc.? We also discuss examples of each type of data, processes that school leadership teams might use while reviewing data, and the priority that we should be placing on collecting formative assessment data (exit tickets) in our classrooms - teacher data - and then reviewing this data across classrooms at the school level/supporting teacher teams doing this work. Chad Dumas LinkedIn Page Next Learning Solutions Webpage Let's Put the C in PLC Book Music by Aylex

In an earlier episode with Darlene Prott, we discussed how to help students to engage in the act of reading itself. In this episode, we speak with Lorraine Radice - K-12 director of literacy in a public school district in New York and author of the book Leading a Culture of Reading -about how to create a welcoming school community culture centered around reading. This culture can take many forms, some of which we unpack here - adult book study, parent academies centered around how to help parents read with one's child, class/teacher book swaps, activities where students are the stakeholders driving literacy discussions, and many more! Radice also describes her work as a "reading role model" in previewing and presenting new childrens and young adult fiction/non-fiction texts to her colleagues - who then serve as adult reading role models to their students - as well as the genres of text that different learner age groups tend to enjoy. Dr. Lorraine M. Radice Web Page Leading a Culture of Reading Book Lorraine M. Radice X Account Music by Aylex

These are challenging times in the world and, as we see on university/K12 school campuses, global events are having a direct impact on the teaching and learning environment. How do we teach students about both Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia? How do we engage with those who do not share our perspectives on the Israel-Hamas conflict? I hope you will listen to this podcast conversation with Dr. Debbie Almontaser - cultural diversity specialist and founder/CEO of the Bridging Cultures Group - as we discuss how to have a thoughtful conversation with our students about this sensitive topic. We also discuss ways through which we can help our students work through rascist tropes that are promogated on social media and elsewhere about both Arab and Jewish Americans. Dr. Debbie Almontaser LinkedIn Page Bridging Cultures Group New York Times Article - Critics Cost Muslim Educator Her Dream School Music - Aylex

As Darlene Prott - Founder and CEO of NJ Teacher 2 Teacher says, we may think students should be able to read once they pass third grade but we may want to think again especially if we are supporting multi-lingual learners. Students may be able to decode words by 3rd grade but do they truly understand and can they make meaning of and draw connections from what they are reading? In this episode, Prott and I discuss how teachers - particularly cross content teachers grades 4 and up - can help students deconstruct what they are reading while also improving student vocabulary development in ways that are visible to the teacher. In particular, we discuss the importance of using annotation codes with students as they read as well as whole group read alouds across K12. Darlene Prott LinkedIn Page NJ Teacher to Teacher Webpage The Gift Music - Aylex

Today, principals are coming to the job younger and with less experience. While they come with curiosity and enthusiasm for the job, many still struggle in the role because they do not have a grounding in the basic pillars of leadership in school settings. In this episide, my guest David Franklin - CEO and founder of The Principal's Desk - and I discuss the five pillars of leadership as discussed in his new book - Advice from The Principal's Desk. We highlight the importance of improving student attendance, being creative in reaching out to families, and learning to listen before acting as school leader. David Franklin LinkedIn Page The Principal's Desk Blog Advice from the Principal's Desk Book Music by Aylex

In this episode, Jose Bowen - DEI education consultant and former President of Goucher College - and I discuss his new book Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning. Indeed, in his book and in our chat, Professor Bowen asserts that AI will not replace jobs but rather require students today to use AI to develop both their metacognition and creativity if they are to be marketable for the jobs that AI will actually create. We also discuss practical ways through which teachers can integrate AI into their classroom instruction. As Professor Bowen argues, AI is poised to revolutionize how we receive and process information much like the advent of the Internet some thirty years ago. Jose Antonio Bowen LinkedIn Jose Bowen Webpage Teaching with AI Book The New 3Rs of Education TED Talk Music - Aylex

April 7th will be the thirtieth anniversary of the start of the Rwandan Genocide in which 800,000 men, women, and children - mostly from the Tutsi minority group - were deliberately and systematically murdered because of who they were - not because of anything they did. In this episode, my guest Jacqueline Murekatete - human rights lawyer and founder of the Genocide Survivors Foundation - and I not only discuss her work in supporting survivors of global genocide but also her experiences as a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda. We discuss ways through which educators can make students not only aware of the typical hate speech and demonisation of victims that often occurs, prior to the crime of genocide, but also help students to become upstanders against it. We also discuss how Rwanda today teaches its own students about its troubled past. Warning: This episode describes situations of physical violence and emotional abuse. Jacqueline Murekatete LinkedIn Genocide Survivors Foundation BBC - How the Rwandan Genocide Happened Music - Aylex

Educators can't do well by their students if they are not whole themselves. Sometimes, the best course of action is to know when enough is enough and change course to new jobs in the education field or outside of it. In this episode, Casey Jakubowski - co-author of Crush It From the Start: 50 Tips for New Teachers and school principal - and I discuss the signs to look for to determine if moving on is the right decision. In his book, see Tip #50 - Knowing When to Retreat. We also discuss ways to limit burnout in one's current position by saying no to asks from those above in a professional manner. It's not about refusing but by asking what else from one's plate can be removed to accomodate this new request. Casey Jakubowski LinkedIn Crush It From the Start: 50 Tips for New Teachers Music - Aylex

In this episode, Megan Conklin - founder of Conklin Educational Perspectives and Trainer at the Washington Education Association - discusses her work in designing and facilitating substitute teacher team training programs and how her model could and should be replicated across the country. Data suggests that K12 students in the USA can spend up to a year in classes managed by substitutes who are often unsupported and unprepared to meet student needs. Yet, programs like Megan's are providing substitute teachers with the skills needed to excel and also a community of like individuals. With over 30% of Megan's participants wanting to become certified full time teachers, substitute training is an investment in time that not only helps districts to have qualified substitutes on hand now but also is an investment in the future of education. Megan Conklin LinkedIn Washington Education Association Good Morning America Substantial Classrooms Music - Aylex

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, Jo Boaler, Stanford Math education professor and author of ther new book "Math- ish", and I discuss how to make Math instruction more accessible to students in K12 schools. Math learning can cause unnecessary anxiety if it is taught only abstractly rather than in a way that connects it to the world in which we live and helps to explain it. We chat about the value that comes from K12 students discussing what they think Math represented pictorally may mean - even if imprecise. We also discuss the importance of students reflecting upon the Math thinking of peers. We also touch upon new Math learning pathways - transitioning from an Algebra/Calculus track in high school to one that more so incorporates courses on Statistics and Data Analysis. Jo Boaler LinkedIn Math-ish Book YouCubed.Org Music - Aylex

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, Roxie Patton, Founder of RJ Consulting and Coaching, and I continue our conversation on the importance of having educators who understand the students and families they serve. Since many educators no longer live in the communites where they teach, this becomes a particularly important consideration within teaching. Roxie and I discuss ways through which educators might combat the internal biases they may have of others/their students as well as how school administration can proactively develop inclusive school communities. Roxie and I also discuss how schools might better provide inclusive environments for educators - those who may be neurodivergent and/or require physical accomodations themselves and why we want these diverse educators on our payrolls. Roxie J. Patton LinkedIn Music - Aylex

When we teach students how to write, we often do so by teaching certain writing "moves" - introducing a topic, expanding on it, and summation, etc. We also should be teaching the communication moves that go along with public speaking and presentation. So says my guest Robyn Brinks Lockwood, speech professor at Stanford University, on this episode. So that students can meet the rigor of college teaching and learning, Professor Brinks-Lockwood and I discuss what K12 educators, particularly high school teachers, can do to better prepare students to not only give presentations but also to serve as facilitators and moderators of student led discussion. We also discuss how students can better capture important learnings from the traditional lecture model of teaching and to become active as opposed to passive listeners. Robyn Brinks-Lockwood LinkedIn Books by Robyn Brinks-Lockwood Q&A With Robyn Brinks-Lockwood Music - Aylex