Podcast

Click above to listen to Podcast Episode 20: “Classroom Engagement Ideas for Easily Adapting the Classroom with Steph Sperber” Steph Sperber, a 14-year teaching veteran, said something in our Student-Centered World mastermind group back in 2020 that stopped me mid-scroll. She mentioned that when her school shifted online, she actually found herself with more time on her … Read more

My third-period sophomores were presenting their history projects, and I couldn’t stop glancing at the classroom across the hall, where students were completing a similar project. Through the window in my door, I could see my co-worker’s students. They were standing at the front of her room, speaking with real authority, answering questions from their … Read more

I’ll never forget the look on my juniors’ faces. They filed in, grabbed their daily schedule sheet from me at the door, and sat down. But instead of the usual quiet rustle of backpacks and notebooks, I heard whispers. “What are we doing today?” “I don’t know, but it’s never boring.” One kid actually said … Read more

My good friend, Dr. Joe Lizza, runs campus activities at Rowan University, and we chatted on my podcast about student life a while back. He told a fascinating story during the interview. It turns out, during the first months of COVID, when everything shut down, his team discovered that a surprising number of college students … Read more

I was one of the teachers who signed up to do after-school detention. It was easy money, but patterns began to emerge the more frequently I sat in. It seemed to be the same community members from our student body appearing over and over. They weren’t bad kids, but they were definitely frustrated, overwhelmed, and … Read more

Click above to listen to Podcast Episode 26: “The Importance of Student Relationships with Bridget Hocutt“ I still remember sitting across from a student during my prep period, watching her eyes well up as she finally admitted she had no idea what was going on in class. This was a junior who had been in … Read more

Click above to listen to Podcast Episode 31: “Handling What You Can’t Control“ I vividly remember spending a Sunday evening in my second year of teaching, crafting what I genuinely believed was a flawless lesson on the Progressive Era. I had primary sources lined up with discussion questions tiered by complexity and a closing activity … Read more

I remember the exact moment a teacher I was coaching realized she had completely lost one of her students. She had been struggling to reach this particular kid for weeks. No eye contact. No participation. Assignments were turned in blank or not at all. She told me about it during one of our coaching calls, … Read more