Have a Life Teaching

John Schembari
  • 5.0 (3)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED DAILY
Have a Life Teaching

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

  1. How to Implement a High School Summer Reading Program (Katie Gillies and Beverly Zbinden)

    4D AGO

    How to Implement a High School Summer Reading Program (Katie Gillies and Beverly Zbinden)

    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 Page OurLitLab Niles North Summer Reading Lit Guide Summer Reading 2025 Incoming Freshman Page Music by Aylex

    35 min
  2. How to Infuse Art and Creativity in K-12 Core Content Learning (Cheri Sterman and Elle LeBlanc)

    APR 8

    How to Infuse Art and Creativity in K-12 Core Content Learning (Cheri Sterman and Elle LeBlanc)

    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 classroom Cheri 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 Children Elle LeBlanc Edutopia Page/Article Music - Aylex -

    39 min
  3. How to Help Secondary Students Develop a Math Identity (Jennifer Lenhardt)

    APR 1

    How to Help Secondary Students Develop a Math Identity (Jennifer Lenhardt)

    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 HMH Jen Lenhardt LinkedIn Common Denominators Book Music - Aylex

    38 min
  4. How Educators Can Share Their Voice (Douglas Fisher)

    MAR 25

    How Educators Can Share Their Voice (Douglas Fisher)

    The other day, I was speaking with a colleague with whom I co-moderated a LinkedIn Live event, a year or two ago, on supporting multilingual students. She told me that, recently, someone reached out to her from across the country for support. I was so excited by this. I also get excited when people reach out to discuss my occasional online posts pro or con. My next guest on the podcast and I - Douglas Fisher, Chair of Educational Leadership Programs at San Diego State University - discuss the joy he too feels knowing that his many writings and conference presentations, those accomplished alone and with his frequent collaborator Nancy Frey, are supporting educators and adding to the conversation far and wide. We discuss: - Why all educators should be sharing their thinking - Venues where educators can share their thinking - Presenting and writing tips that can help us go from "no" to "yes" - The importance of not just speaking and/or writing but consuming - How, by sharing info, we can change the negative school narrative - Reigniting the passion for teaching Listen and subscribe here! Douglas Fisher LinkedIn Douglas Fisher Books Douglas Fisher ASCD TNTP Opportunity Makers Aylex - Music

    41 min
  5. How to Integrate Reading and Writing in a Secondary Science Class (Daniel Argentar, Katherine Gillies, and Maureen Rubenstein)

    MAR 18

    How to Integrate Reading and Writing in a Secondary Science Class (Daniel Argentar, Katherine Gillies, and Maureen Rubenstein)

    As one of our next guest on the podcast, Daniel Argentar says, students need to know something to learn something. Students need to be able to read and write to be able to internalize scientific information. In this episode, we are joined by the authors of the book Reading and Writing Strategies for the Secondary Science Classroom to discuss the most important literacy skills in science classrooms and how to help our students develop these skills. Without a doubt, students - in science - need to have a broad scientific vocabulary and to be able to understand and articulate claims, reasons, and evidence. Listen in to this episode as we discuss reading and writing strategies designed for use in science (and other content area) classrooms - vocabulary building exercises, reading annotation codes, as well as the hexagonal thinking strategy. We discuss which reading and writing strategies work best at different points of a lesson - before, during, and after - as well as the power of science classroom libraries where students are empowered to "choice" read. Maureen Rubsenstein Solution Tree Page Katherine Gillies Solution Tree Page Daniel Argentar Solution Tree Page Book - Reading and Writing for the Secondary Classroom Music - Aylex

    35 min
  6. How to Create Effective AI Prompts as a Teacher (Paul Cancellieri)

    MAR 11

    How to Create Effective AI Prompts as a Teacher (Paul Cancellieri)

    AI can really help teachers plan more engaging lessons in a time conscious manner. In this episode, we speak about how AI can help teachers to plan engaging lessons with North Carolina based science teacher Paul Cancellieri. Cancellieri is the author of the new book - 50 AI Prompts for Teachers. We discuss in particular: - Why it is important for teachers to use AI - Various AI platforms that teachers may want to explore - The four types of AI prompts that teachers might create within each part of the learning cycle (pre-assessment, new content, practice, post assessment, and extension or reteaching) - Some specific AI prompts - Do's and Dont's when it comes to using AI as a teacher - How admin can help teachers integrate AI - How teachers can use AI in their PLC work Paul Cancellieri LinkedIn Page Paul Cancellieri Web Page 50 AI Prompts Book Music - Aylex

    36 min
  7. How to Integrate Play-Based Learning Into Your Teaching (Bo Stjerne Thomsen)

    MAR 4

    How to Integrate Play-Based Learning Into Your Teaching (Bo Stjerne Thomsen)

    How to Teach Using Play Based Learning In this episode, we chat with Bo Stjerne Thomsen - Director of Education for LEGO Education and former VP with the LEGO Foundation - about how teachers can integrate physical objects (manipulatives) and play-based learning across all content areas. We also discuss: What Play Based Learning Is How it Helps Students Make Meaning and Retain Information The "Happy Medium" Between Unbounded and Scripted Learning How LEGO Supports Educators Globally How We Can Assess Play Based Learning in Our Classrooms Bo Stjerne Thomsen LinkedIn Page LEGO Education LEGO Foundation - Learning Through Play Music - Aylex

    30 min
  8. How to Respond to Book Bans as a Librarian/Educator (Amanda Jones)

    FEB 25

    How to Respond to Book Bans as a Librarian/Educator (Amanda Jones)

    Parents should always have the right to decide what books their student can read. But school system wide book bans are bad for children. So says our next guest on the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, former ALA librarian of the year Amanda Jones. In this episode, Jones - author of the book "That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in the United States" - discusses how she became an activist, why book bans hurt children, how educators can respond to book bans as well as to harassment, and best practices for ensuring that the books we place in our school and classroom libraries are age appropriate (collection development policy). We also discuss ways that school librarians and classroom teachers can work together to enrich student learning. Listen here and subscribe. Amanda Jones Website Amanda Jones Book - That Librarian NYT Article PEN America - Online Harassment Field Manual EBSCO Tools for Collection Development Music - Aylex

    30 min
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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 - 2025
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © John Schembari
  • Show Website
    Have a Life Teaching

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