Have a Life Teaching

John Schembari
  • 4.0 (4)
  • Education
  • Updated Daily

In this podcast, we will engage in conversation with educators providing insight on best-in-class K-12 curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices.

  1. 22h ago

    Thomas Guskey: How to Make Grades Mean Something

    Thomas Guskey on Rethinking Grading What should a grade actually tell us? I talk with grading and assessment expert Thomas Guskey about why grades should communicate what students have learned and can do but not how they rank against classmates. We discuss why schools need a shared purpose for grading, the problems with averaging and percentage grades, and why product, process, and progress all matter but shouldn’t be combined into one confusing mark. We also explore homework, clearer rubrics, engaging families in grading reform, and Guskey’s fundamental challenge to educators: Are we selecting talent or developing it? Thomas Guskey LinkedIn Page Engaging Parents and Families in Grading Reforms Book Music by Aylex

    Thomas Guskey: How to Make Grades Mean Something

  2. 6d ago

    Deborah Higdon and Chaco Abraham: How to Make Fathers Feel Welcomed at School

    What if schools stopped asking why fathers aren’t involved—and started asking whether fathers truly feel invited to belong? In this episode, John talks with Dr. Debra Higdon and Dr. Chacko Abraham, co-authors of The Dad Difference: How and Why to Invite Fathers into Your School, about moving beyond traditional parent-engagement events toward meaningful relationships with fathers. They explore the barriers that can keep fathers disconnected—including time, transportation, school culture, previous negative experiences, and invitations that unintentionally speak more to mothers than fathers. The conversation offers practical ways schools can change that: personally inviting dads, giving them specific and meaningful roles, asking when and how they want to participate, using technology when physical presence isn’t possible, and recognizing that “showing up” can take many forms. Most importantly, the conversation challenges schools to stop measuring father engagement simply by attendance at events and instead ask a deeper question: Do fathers have a meaningful place in their child’s educational life? Deborah Higdon LinkedIn Page Chaco Abraham LinkedIn Page The Dad Difference Book Music by Aylex

    Deborah Higdon and Chaco Abraham: How to Make Fathers Feel Welcomed at School

  3. Sep 23

    Brett Roer: How AI Can Give Teachers Their Time Back

    Can AI make teaching easier and make teaching better? John talks with Brett Roer, founder and CEO of Amplify and Elevate Innovation, about practical ways educators can use AI and digital tools to save time while keeping human expertise at the center. From voice memos and AI “sandwiches” to customized Gems and schoolwide AI playbooks, Brett shares concrete strategies teachers and leaders can use right away and explains why successful AI implementation starts with human wisdom, not the technology. In this episode: A simple AI/time-saving hack teachers can try tomorrowThe “AI sandwich” approachTurning teacher expertise into reusable AI toolsUsing AI to personalize learning without outsourcing thinkingWhy AI implementation sometimes failsBuilding staff trust and co-creating AI expectationsStarting small and moving toward an AI-forward school Brett Roer LinkedIn Page Amplify and Elevate Innovation Website Music by Aylex

    Brett Roer: How AI Can Give Teachers Their Time Back

  4. Sep 22

    James Anderson: How Do We Teach Students to Become Better Learners

    What if improving schools isn’t only about improving teaching but also about teaching students how to learn? John talks with James Anderson, author of Learnership, about shifting from teacher-dependent learning toward independent and agile learners. They explore productive struggle, students’ relationship with challenge, the difference between performance and growth, and why mistakes should be treated as information. James also explains how teachers can help students recognize their “learning zone” and develop the capacity to take greater ownership of their growth. In this episode: What “learnership” meansWhy good teaching alone isn’t enoughThe progression from dependent to agile learnersChallenge, mistakes, effort, and productive struggleTeaching students to recognize when they are actually growingMoving from teacher as instructor to teacher as coachBuilding genuine learner agency James Anderson LinkedIn Page Learnership Website and Book Music by Aylex

    James Anderson: How Do We Teach Students to Become Better Learners

  5. Sep 15

    Larry Ferlazzo: How to Teach "Better"

    What Is at the Heart of Better Teaching? — Larry Ferlazzo What should remain constant in great teaching even as technology, AI, and instructional trends continue to change? John Schembari talks with educator and author Larry Ferlazzo about ideas from The Better Teacher's Toolbox, including relationships, student autonomy, relevance, competence, productive struggle, small-group learning, and keeping technology in its proper place. They also explore how teachers can use AI and technology without sacrificing the human interaction and student thinking at the heart of learning. Key takeaway: Better teaching isn't about chasing every new tool or trend. It's about knowing what matters, understanding your students, and adapting your practice to the context in front of you. Larry Ferlazzo LinkedIn Page Larry Ferlazzo - The Better Teacher's Toolbox Music by Aylex

    Larry Ferlazzo: How to Teach "Better"

  6. Sep 8

    Leslee Udwin: How to Teach Children Empathy Before Hate Takes Root

    What if we could prevent hate, violence, misogyny, and discrimination before they take root? John speaks with Leslee Udwin, award-winning filmmaker and founder and president of Think Equal. Udwin shares how making the Peabody Award-winning documentary India’s Daughter transformed the direction of her life and led her to focus on the attitudes and beliefs that can underlie violence and dehumanization. They explore why Udwin believes early childhood education offers a critical opportunity to build empathy, emotional literacy, inclusion, peaceful conflict resolution, and other prosocial skills. Think Equal now has a presence in 42 countries and uses stories, lesson plans, and practical classroom tools to make this learning explicit. The conversation also examines behavior as communication, the power of storytelling to develop empathy, healthier definitions of strength and masculinity, and why investing in prevention may ultimately be far more effective than responding to violence after it occurs. In this episode: How India’s Daughter led to the creation of Think EqualWhy Udwin argues empathy must be taught earlyStorytelling as a tool for building empathyRethinking children's behavior as communicationTeaching boys that strength can mean empathy and self-controlMoving from reacting to violence toward preventing itWhy Udwin calls teachers “architects of the character of our next generation” Leslee Udwin LinkedIn Profile Think Equal Website India's Daughter Film Trailer Music by Aylex

    Leslee Udwin: How to Teach Children Empathy Before Hate Takes Root

  7. Sep 1

    Ross McGill: How Does Learning Actually Happen?

    Teaching changes because what we know about learning changes. In this episode of Have a Life Teaching, John Schembari talks with Ross McGill, founder of Teacher Toolkit, about what 35 years in education have taught him about how students learn—and what teachers should do differently as a result. Ross explores the evolution from sharing “good ideas” to evidence-informed teaching, why retrieval and questioning matter, how teachers can make student thinking visible, and why metacognition may be one of the most important concepts educators need to understand. They also unpack pedagogy, andragogy, and heutagogy—the progression from teaching children, to facilitating adult learning, to becoming a self-directed learner—and consider where AI belongs in that process. Ross also offers a warning for the AI era: technology can support our thinking, but it shouldn’t replace the cognitive work that develops expertise. In this episode: How learning actually happensRetrieval practice and memoryBetter questioning and “Think, Pair, Share, Show Me”Making student thinking visibleFeedback students can understand and act uponMetacognition and developing expertisePedagogy, andragogy, and heutagogyUsing AI without outsourcing our thinkingWhat 20 years of Teacher Toolkit data reveals about teachers’ needs Ross McGill LinkedIn Page Teacher Toolkit Website

    Ross McGill: How Does Learning Actually Happen?

  8. Aug 25

    Tom Hierck, Rita Marler, and Shan Jorgenson-Adam: How to Handle What Principal Preparation Doesn’t Teach You

    Becoming a principal changes everything from relationships with colleagues to responsibility for instruction, culture, communication, and the direction of an entire school. In this episode, I’m joined by Tom Hierck, Rita Marler, and Shan Jorgenson Adam, co-authors of You’re a Principal Now, What’s Next?, to explore the realities of school leadership that traditional preparation programs don’t always prepare leaders for. We discuss why new principals need support beyond their initial training, how a clear and collectively owned vision becomes a lens for decision-making, and why leadership development should respond to the actual needs of each leader and school rather than follow a generic checklist. We also explore: Why principals need trusted colleagues with whom they can be vulnerableHow systems can better support and develop school leadersWhy principals don’t need to be content experts to provide meaningful instructional feedbackHow classroom walkthroughs and reflective conversations strengthen teachingWhy relationships and instructional leadership need to develop togetherHow leaders can create and communicate a clear narrative about what their school stands forWhy experienced principals can also benefit from revisiting the fundamentals of effective leadershipWhether you’re preparing for your first principalship or have been leading schools for years, this conversation offers practical insights into the parts of school leadership that are often learned only after you get the job and why leaders shouldn’t have to figure them out alone. You're a Principal Now Book Tom Hierck LinkedIn Page Shan Jorgenson-Adam LinkedIn Page Rita Marler LinkedIn Page JAM Consulting Tom Hierck LLC

    Tom Hierck, Rita Marler, and Shan Jorgenson-Adam: How to Handle What Principal Preparation Doesn’t Teach You
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About

In this podcast, we will engage in conversation with educators providing insight on best-in-class K-12 curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices.

Information

  • Creator
    John Schembari
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    153
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © John Schembari
  • Show Website
    Have a Life Teaching

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