Students often struggle to make meaningful connections to literature and put those connections into words. The Up-Down-Both-Why technique, which starts with how the text makes a student feel, gets much better results. My guest, Sarah Levine, explains how it works.  This episode is sponsored by Kialo Edu and National Geographic Education. And check out the Teacher's Guide to Tech 2021 at teachersguidetotech.com, and use the code LISTENER at checkout to get 10 percent off!  

The yearly roundup of tools includes an audio feedback tool, sites to combat racism and media bias, and an app that lets you Google things in mid-air. This episode is sponsored by Kialo Edu and National Geographic Education.

Whether it's real or fictional, putting students to work on a campaign for a cause is a powerful way to get them writing persuasively. In this episode, U.K.-based teacher Jane Currell walks us through the process. Follow Jane Currell on Twitter at @JaneCurrell and read more of her work at passion4pedadogy.com. This episode is sponsored by Listenwise and National Geographic Education. Learn more about my mini-course, 4 Laws of Learning and How to Obey Them, at cultofpedagogy.com/laws. 

Breakout rooms, collaborative projects, games—whatever we do, it's crucial that we do something to get our students talking to each other. In this episode, I'm giving you a huge list of ideas teachers have shared with me for getting students to interact better, both in-person and remotely. This episode is sponsored by Listenwise and National Geographic Education. Check out my new mini-course, Four Laws of Learning, and use the code LISTENER at checkout to take $5 off course tuition.

In a self-paced classroom, each student is met where they are, is given an appropriate level of challenge, and grows at a steady pace throughout the school year. In this episode, Kareem Farah of the Modern Classrooms Project teaches us how to get started. Learn about Modern Classrooms' free course on creating a self-paced classroom at cultofpedagogy.com/modern *   *affiliate link

Green screen technology allows students to create videos where they travel just about anywhere, virtually. This simple, affordable method offers so many possibilities for deep learning and creativity across all grade levels and subject areas, even in remote learning situations. I was never all that enthusiastic about green screens, but now I'm a believer! In this episode, I talk with teacher educator Justine Bruyère about the why and the how of doing green screen projects with your students.

Sometimes, to do right by their students, good teachers have to break the rules. In this episode, I talk with Melinda Anderson, author of Becoming a Teacher, about the times when doing the right thing means bucking the system. Get the book, Becoming a Teacher (Amazon Affiliate link) Follow Melinda Anderson on Twitter: @mdawriter

Some of your students are in school. Others are at home. Some days they might switch. Your students are all over the place, and you're supposed to be teaching them all. Welcome to 2020, baby. In this episode, I'll share six principles for making this situation work as best as you can, curated from teachers who are also figuring it out.  

If you've been looking for a fresh approach for getting students to think outside the box and collaborate with each other, this may be just what you need. Hexagonal Thinking is a simple discussion strategy that can be used in lots of different subjects, in most grade levels, and it can be done in person or online. In this episode, Betsy Potash teaches us how to do it.  --------------------------- Find more from Betsy Potash at Spark Creativity. Get your free hexagonal thinking digital toolkit here.

Teaching is complex. It's dynamic. Every day we learn about new tools, strategies, and programs, and it's easy to lose our way. When you start to feel like you're in a teaching tailspin, these four research-based laws of learning will put you back on track. Want to learn more? Check out my new mini-course, Four Laws of Learning, which goes more in-depth on these laws and includes supplementary materials to help you really dig in and apply these laws in your own teaching. Use the code LISTENER at checkout to take $5 off your tuition!

One of the most important things we need to accomplish as we move forward into the school year is building relationships with our students. But if you're teaching online, that task will be more challenging than ever. In this episode I talk with Dave Stuart Jr. about his strategy of creating Moments of Genuine Connection and how we can do that while teaching remotely. Get Dave's free mini-course: 10 Tips for Staying Motivated When Teaching in Times of Uncertainty  See all of Dave's online courses** at cultofpedagogy.com/dave   **I am an affiliate for Dave Stuart Jr.'s online courses. This means I receive a commission for any purchases made through my links.

Despite many attempts at improvement, school is still not working for many of our students, especially students of color. My guest, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, believes the answer could be in rethinking our curriculum. In this episode we discuss her Historically Responsive Literacy framework, which is based on the work of 19th century Black Literary Societies and focuses equally on four areas: identity, skills, intellect, and criticality. Learn more about the framework in Gholdy's book, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy (affiliate link) Find Gholdy Muhammad on Twitter at @GholdyM

Since blogs first showed up on the internet, they have really evolved as a genre, and they're a smart choice for a robust, long-term assignment. In this episode I'll share six different kinds of blogs students can write, along with advice on assessment, technology, and ways students can take their blogs beyond school.

Chances are you're going to be doing at least some online teaching in the upcoming school year. What shifts do we need to make in our face-to-face teaching practices to make the most of online learning? In this episode I talk to instructional technology coach Melanie Kitchen about nine ways online teaching should be different from in-person teaching, plus a few ways it should be exactly the same. Find Melanie on Twitter at @MelKitchenEDU or on her website, creativecuriosity.org. To get a weekly email about Cult of Pedagogy's latest posts, podcasts, courses, and products, sign up at cultofpedagogy.com/subscribe.

Are we planning with clear, measurable, meaningful learning goals to guide us, or are we just keeping students busy? Backward design helps us make sure we're doing the first thing. In this episode, I'm giving you an overview of how this approach to lesson planning works.

Some educators wonder if multicultural and social justice education are relevant if most of your students are white. The answer is yes. In fact, they may be even more relevant for white students. In this episode, Dr. Sheldon Eakins talks with me about the reasons white students need this kind of education and what, specifically, we can teach them. Follow Dr. Eakins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheldoneakins Find Dr. Eakins' podcast, the Leading Equity Podcast, here: https://www.leadingequitycenter.com/podcast  More resources available at the Leading Equity Center.

Some thoughts on what post-COVID instruction might look like when schools reopen. (Spoiler alert: None are as good as face-to-face, a few aren't too bad.) Plus my attempt at a pep talk. 

We all want to give more high-quality feedback to students, but there's never enough time. In this episode I talk to Matthew Johnson, author of the book Flash Feedback, about three strategies he uses to get high-impact feedback to students much, much faster.

If you are moving some of your direct instruction to video, whether it's by necessity or by choice, knowing how to create a good screencast is essential. In this episode, blended learning mentor Kareem Farah gives us advice on how to make screencasts that students will actually watch.

While most teachers recognize the value of social-emotional learning, many struggle to fit it into their curriculum. But one of the most powerful ways to teach SEL is through modeling the competencies ourselves every day, which doesn't require any extra time or materials. In this episode, second-grade teacher Wendy Turner shares her process for modeling her own social-emotional growth and weaving that seamlessly into regular instruction.

A general overview of the nuts and bolts of distance learning, including general tips, advice on tech, and troubleshooting some common problems.

How often do you hear "I don't know" in your classroom? For some students, this phrase becomes a crutch that stops them from learning. In this episode, I talk with author Connie Hamilton about how we can teach students to use more specific phrases that will keep them engaged instead of taking a pass.

Although well-intended, some of our efforts to include students from diverse backgrounds can make them feel anything but welcome. In this episode, my guest Hedreich Nichols shares nine tips that will help you improve your practice and avoid some of the faux pas that come with teaching students who look, think, or opine differently than you.

If you've been wanting to try Project Based Learning but have been unsure about exactly how to do it, this is the episode for you. PBL expert Jenny Pieratt takes us step-by-step through the planning of an 8-week PBL unit. 

If cooperative learning hasn't really worked for you in the past, don't lose hope. In this episode we'll explore tons of solutions to four of the most common problems with cooperative learning.

How connected are you to the afterschool staff in your school? If you're like a lot of teachers, it's probably not much. In this episode I talk with educator Eva Jo Meyers about her work in afterschool programs, and she shares seven ways school-day teachers can build more powerful partnerships with afterschool teachers.

It's a new year and it's a great time to try out a few new tech tools. Here's my annual round-up of apps and sites I think are worth a look, plus two more extra just for the heck of it. The 2020 Teacher's Guide to Tech is now available at https://teachersguidetotech.com/guide/

Just a little story for you; the title says it all. 

Detentions and suspensions don't really change behavior. What's much more effective is having students work to repair the harm done by their actions. In this episode, I talk with Brad Weinstein and Nathan Maynard, authors of Hacking School Discipline, about this restorative justice practice that is a powerful alternative to traditional punishment.

Our students need more social-emotional support than ever before, and schools are coming up with creative ways to meet that need. In this episode, I interview Dan Ryder, whose high school makerspace serves as a stigma-free space for students to solve problems they have inside or outside the classroom.

Students with special needs are spending more and more time in mainstream classrooms, so all teachers need to learn how to support them well. In this episode, special educator Lisa Brooks helps us learn to identify students who may have dyslexia. She then shares ways we can do a better job of supporting students with this learning difference that's far more common than you might think.

French class doesn't look the same as it did when you were in school. In this episode, veteran French teacher Rebecca Blouwolff walks me through six key shifts that have changed world language instruction for the better. 

Producing your own podcast is easier than you might think. In this episode, I share the tools and processes I use to produce my own podcast, plus some general advice to help you get started.

A lot of you are out there giving lectures, presentations, and workshops, and your slideshows need work. These seven tips will help.

You ask your group a question, and you get nothing back. What's up with that? In this episode, we'll talk about some of the reasons your students (or audience members) aren't participating the way you want them to, and some new things you can try to get a better response.

The problem of late work never seems to go away. In this episode, I share eight smart solutions teachers use to manage it with their students.

Graphic novels are wonderful for reading, but when students use the graphic novel form for their own writing, incredible stories can emerge. In this episode, I talk with English teacher Shveta Miller about how she teaches this process to her students, and why this particular genre allows students to share some of their most important stories.

Historical simulations can be a powerful teaching tool that fully immerses students in an experience, but when it comes to traumatic or violent periods, like slavery, there really isn't a good way to do them. My guest Hasan Kwame Jeffries talks with me about why teachers should avoid these kinds of simulations, and what to do instead.

OERs have gotten really good over the last few years, but in order to steer clear of the crap, you have to know where to look. In this episode, I interview curriculum evangelist Karen Vaites about where teachers can go to find outstanding materials—from single-use resources to full-year curricula—that are 100% free.

Cognitive scientists are learning more all the time about what strategies really work to help people learn, but teachers don't always know how to apply that knowledge in the classroom. In this episode, I talk with Pooja Agarwal and Patrice Bain, authors of the new book Powerful Teaching, about the four research-based teaching "power tools" that can be used in any classroom to boost student learning.

A one-pager is a highly engaging, visual tool that allows students to synthesize learning, but some kids don't think they're creative enough to make them. My guest, Betsy Potash, host of the Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, shares her simple solution to this problem, along with a step-by-step plan for using one-pagers in your classroom.

Ask any group of teachers if their goal is to simply have students regurgitate facts, and every one of them will say no. Despite that, it keeps happening. In this episode, we'll look at two of the most common errors teachers make when planning lessons for higher-order thinking, and some ideas for what to do instead.

When you've done lots of diversity training, but something is still missing, it might be that people still aren't comfortable having honest conversations about race. In this episode, I talk with Glenn Singleton, creator of the Courageous Conversations About Race online course, and David Watkins, Director of Equity and Diversity for Broward County, Florida, where the course has already helped over 300 teachers get more comfortable having these conversations.

Is it a reflection of a warm school culture, or a subtle way to get teachers to volunteer more time? If you suspect it's the latter, it's time to push back. In this episode, I talk with Angela Watson, author of the new book Fewer Things Better, about three popular school norms that can ultimately lead to teacher burnout, plus some specific ways teachers can push back on those messages.

Physical movement makes learning stick better. In this episode, we'll explore six different ways to add more movement to your classroom.

If you use rubrics, this episode is for you. I talk with administrator Mark Wise about five guidelines that can help make your rubrics more effective.

In this episode, I talk with Khan Academy's founder, Sal Khan, about the platform's new mastery learning feature, which allows learners to get personalized practice, filling much needed skill gaps and advancing at their own pace. And it's all completely free.

Many dress codes unfairly target students in certain populations, doing more harm than good. Is your dress code due for an upgrade? In this episode, equity writer Coshandra Dillard helps us learn what to look for when revising dress code policy, and high school principal Marcus Campbell shares his experiences in changing his own school's dress code.