223: Why Students Give You the Blank Stare, and What to Do About It

228: A Conversation About School Choice

The rights of parents to choose the best school for their children — also known as school choice — may seem simple on the surface, but it's anything but, and it has the potential to impact teachers and students all over the country. In this episode, I talk with Cara Fitzpatrick, author of The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America. We discuss why school choice is actually pretty complicated, we dig into some of the key groups that have historically pushed for it, and we explore some things concerned citizens can do to ensure that families can still get their children the best education possible.

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Thanks to WeVideo and The Modern Classrooms Project for sponsoring this episode.

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To read a transcript and get a link to Cara's book, visit cultofpedagogy.com/pod and choose episode 228.

227: Two Effective Ways to Teach Annotation

Annotation can be a powerful way to improve comprehension and increase engagement, but its effectiveness can vary depending on how it's taught. In this episode, two teachers share their classroom-tested approaches to teaching students how to effectively annotate texts: 3rd grade teacher Andrea Castellano and high school English teacher Irene Yannascoli.

Thanks toListenwiseandStudyofor sponsoring this episode.

To read a full transcript of this conversation, visitcultofpedagogy.com/art-of-annotation/.

226: Yes, Your School Librarian Can Do That (and More)

If your school is lucky enough to have a full-time certified librarian, it's likely they are not being utilized to their full capacity. In fact, yours may be one of a growing number of schools that are eliminating librarians altogether, and that is a terrible idea. In this episode, I sit down with four accomplished librarians — K.C. Boyd, Barbara Paciotti, Lauren Mobley, and Karina Quilantan-Garza — to explore all the ways a certified school librarian can make teachers' work easier, more efficient, and more effective, and to make a strong case for why every school needs one.

Thanks toWeVideoandThe Modern Classrooms Projectfor sponsoring this episode.

To read a full transcript of this conversation, visit cultofpedagogy.com/pod and choose episode 226.

225: Two Programs with Fresh Solutions to the Teacher Shortage

Many states are seeing record high numbers of teacher turnovers and vacancies. While the problems that caused this shortage have not gone away, there are groups of people who are coming up with some creative ways to address this situation, new and surprisingly affordable pathways for training good, enthusiastic teachers. Two of these programs are Oxford Teachers College at Reach University and Educators Rising. In this episode, educator Kimberly Eckert talks with me about how and why both of these outstanding programs work.

Thanks toEdge•U BadgesandEVERFIfor sponsoring this episode.

To read a full transcript of our conversation and find links to all the resources mentioned in this episode, visit cultofpedagogy.com/teacher-shortage.

224: Some Thoughts on Teachers Crying in the Classroom

Crying in front of your students can be a humiliating experience. Not the kind that happens when you're moved to tears by a poignant story or you react to upsetting news; those moments can actually bond you to your students. It’s the kind that comes from frustration, shame, anger, or loss of control. It might be something you experience as a new teacher, but it can also happen well into your career. Regardless, if it happens to you, it can shake you up. In this episode, I share a few thoughts that might help.

Thanks toEdge•U BadgesandEVERFIfor sponsoring this episode.

To read a written version of this episode and find links to all the resources I mention, go to cultofpedagogy.com/crying-in-class.