The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast
Episodes
EduTip 13: Add novelty to boost learning.
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Adding an unexpected ingredient to a lesson makes students more likely to remember the thing they were supposed to learn. You can find full written ve...
191: In Support of Trans Athlete Inclusion in Women's Sports
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whether or not you're involved in athletics, all teachers will have transgender students in their classrooms, and understanding the issues that impact...
190: Why so many teachers are leaving, and why others stay.
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Teachers are leaving the classroom in larger numbers than ever, and many are breaking contracts mid-year just to get out. What can school leaders do t...
EduTip 12: Model EVERYTHING.
24 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are so many things we ask our students to do in school that they would do so much better if we just modeled it for them. While modeling is alrea...
189: Eight Principles for Supporting Students with ADHD
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many teachers don't know enough to effectively meet the needs of students with ADHD. In this episode, we'll take a look at 8 principles you can apply ...
EduTip 11: Replace general praise with something specific.
10 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When we say something generic like "good job," it might make a student feel good, but that's about it. What has a lot more impact is specific praise g...
188: Uncovering Your Implicit Biases: An Exercise for Teachers
03 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An essential first step toward becoming an anti-racist educator is uncovering your own implicit biases—attitudes and beliefs about certain groups of...
EduTip 10: Use music to buffer "silent" activities.
27 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
True silence is almost impossible to achieve in the classroom, and extraneous noises can be distracting. Adding background music creates a sanctuary w...
187: Contrasting Cases: A Simple Strategy for Deep Understanding
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This activity can be plugged into any lesson when you want students to go beyond surface traits and consider deeper connecting principles. My guest Sa...
EduTip 9: Use an antiseptic bounce to prevent off-task behavior.
13 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you see early signs of off-task behavior, you might think your only choices are to ignore it or address it directly. The antiseptic bounce gives ...
186: Using Gallery Walks for Peer Feedback
27 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Peer feedback can be an incredible tool for student growth IF students are trained in how to do it well. In this episode, English teacher Marcus Luthe...
185: How Teachers Can Support Arab-American Students
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Even when they appear to be navigating school successfully, Arab-American students aren't thriving like they could. In this episode, I talk with Dr. S...
184: Lessons that Build Students' Media and News Literacy
30 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our students can access information on any topic in seconds, so we need to build their media and news literacy. In this episode, I talk with Common Se...
EduTip 8: Don't take anything personally.
23 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
So many things don't go our way throughout the school day, and if we can learn how to take a step back, to depersonalize these situations, we'll be ab...
183: Six Tech Tools to Try in 2022
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This year's picks include a video conferencing platform that feels more like a physical space, a database of books where the main characters are black...
EduTip 7: Stop popcorn reading.
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Popcorn or "round-robin" reading has been around forever, even though it's not supported by research and can actually slow down students' reading prog...
182: Eight Ways to Grow Students' Vocabulary
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Building a robust vocabulary is an essential part of any education. Students will learn new words in our classes no matter what, but if we're delibera...
EduTip 6: Try a tiered activity for simple differentiation.
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to do more differentiation, but you feel overwhelmed by the idea of creating lots of individual lessons, try creating a tiered activity. T...
181: Teachers are being silenced. What can be done about it?
27 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How is the anti-CRT movement harming and silencing teachers, what damage will it ultimately do to students, and what can be done to fight it? For a ...
EduTip 5: Use huddles to communicate during group work.
07 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When students are working in groups, and we need to get their attention, shouting over the noise certainly gets the job done, but huddles work so much...
180: Make Units More Inspiring with Vision Boards
31 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Planning instructional units can be less than exciting when all you have to deal with is words and more words. Creating a vision board at the beginnin...
EduTip 4: Hold off on most feedback until AFTER a task is done.
24 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When we see students making a mistake, we may be tempted to stop them and offer a correction. It might be best to resist that temptation, at least fo...
179: Teachers are barely hanging on. Here's what they need.
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Teachers are saying this is the worst school year ever. In this episode, I'll explore the reasons why, offer some solutions, and also share a few othe...
EduTip 3: Distract the Distractor
10 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This subtle little teaching move stops off-task behavior in a class session and gets things back on track without drama! You can find full written v...
178: Street Data: A Pathway Toward Equitable, Anti-Racist Schools
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Many well-intended efforts to make schools more equitable often fail because we're trying to make them work inside a system that's a terrible fit for ...
EduTip 2: Don't yell at another teacher's class.
26 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you come in and rescue another teacher from a misbehaving class, you think you're being helpful, when really, you're just disempowering them. Try...
177: How to Find, Read, and Use Academic Research
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You want to know that your instructional decisions are supported by research, but you're not exactly sure where to find that research or how to read i...
EduTip 1: Don't make them read and listen at the same time.
12 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to EduTips, a side project of the Cult of Pedagogy podcast where I share one quick tidbit of educational research, teaching ideas, classroom m...
176: Suicide Prevention: What Teachers Can Do
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What factors are most likely to contribute to suicide in young people, and how can teachers recognize the signs? In this episode I talk with Anne Moss...
175: Introducing the HyperRubric
22 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Most rubrics only tell students where they are right now, but a HyperRubric marks their progress as they go, then points them to tools that can help t...
174: Why You Should Bring Podcasts Into Your Classroom
08 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There's a good chance you're already sold on the value of podcasts. But have you brought this incredible medium into your classroom in a substantial o...
173: How ELA and Special Ed Collaboration Can Produce Great Student Writing
25 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Writing is one of the most challenging academic tasks we ask of our students, and it can be especially difficult for students with learning difference...
172: The Importance of Maslow's Fourth Tier
11 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What we call "attention-seeking behavior" is a sign of a deficit need. In this episode, my guest Connie Hamilton shares specific strategies we can use...
171: Does Your School Need a Literacy Check-up?
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Literacy is arguably the most valuable asset we develop in our students, but many classrooms are missing some of the most effective literacy practices...
170: No More Easy Button: A Suggested Approach to Post-Pandemic Teaching
16 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel of Covid-19, we have an opportunity for a fresh start in schools, and we can't waste it. Let's ...
169: Revolution School: When "Reimagining School" Actually Happens
02 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Revolution School is a fantastic new high school in Philadelphia where students co-create their education around experiential learning, community part...
168: Mistake Analysis
18 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Wrong answers can be an incredible tool for learning and critical thinking. In this episode, Thinking Like a Lawyer author Colin Seale teaches us four...
167: How to Co-Construct Success Criteria with Students
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When we include students in the process of defining quality work, they are more likely to rise to those standards. In this episode, educator Starr Sac...
166: UDL as a Key to Equity
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that rejects one-size-fits-all teaching by offering students options for how to engage, what materi...
165: Setting Up Mastery-Based Grading in Your Classroom
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's a terrible feeling when you know some of your students didn't really learn the content, but you move them on anyway. Mastery-based grading solves...
164: The Elegance of the Gray Area
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An argument for spending more time practicing subtlety and nuance and complication in our thinking. This episode is sponsored by Kialo Edu and Kiddo...
163: It's Time to Give Classroom Jobs Another Try
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
These fresh ideas for student jobs will invigorate your classroom and get you and your students excited about school again—even if you teach remotel...
163: It's Time to Give Classroom Jobs Another Try
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
These fresh ideas for student jobs will invigorate your classroom and get you and your students excited about school again—even if you teach remotel...
162: Up-Down-Both-Why: A Funds of Feeling Approach to Literature
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Students often struggle to make meaningful connections to literature and put those connections into words. The Up-Down-Both-Why technique, which start...
161: Six Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2021
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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....
160: Fire Up Your Students with a Campaign Unit
06 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
159: Connecting Students in a Disconnected World
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
158: How to Create a Self-Paced Classroom
08 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
157: What's Possible with Green Screens in the Classroom
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Green screen technology allows students to create videos where they travel just about anywhere, virtually. This simple, affordable method offers so ma...
156: Subversion: An Essential Tool of the Master Teacher
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 T...
155: How to Teach When Everyone's Scattered
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
154: Hexagonal Thinking: A Colorful Tool for Discussion
12 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 n...
153: Four Laws of Learning
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
152: Creating Moments of Genuine Connection Online
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
151: Historically Responsive Literacy: An Equity-Centered Approach to Curriculum
02 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Despite many attempts at improvement, school is still not working for many of our students, especially students of color. My guest, Dr. Gholdy Muhamma...
150: A Few Creative Ways to Use Student Blogs
19 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
149: Nine Ways Online Teaching Should Be Different from Face-to-Face
05 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 tea...
148: Backward Design: The Basics
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are we planning with clear, measurable, meaningful learning goals to guide us, or are we just keeping students busy? Backward design helps us make sur...
147: Why White Students Need Multicultural and Social Justice Education
07 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
146: Reopening School: What it Might Look Like
24 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 b...
145: Flash Feedback: More Meaningful Feedback in Less Time
10 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 bo...
144: Making Great Screencast Videos
26 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 essenti...
143: To Teach Social-Emotional Learning, Start with Yourself
12 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
142: Distance Learning: A Collection of Resources for Teachers
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A general overview of the nuts and bolts of distance learning, including general tips, advice on tech, and troubleshooting some common problems.
141: Getting Rid of "I Don't Know" in Your Classroom
15 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
140: Nine Ways to be More Inclusive of Diverse Students
01 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Although well-intended, some of our efforts to include students from diverse backgrounds can make them feel anything but welcome. In this episode, my ...
139: How to Create a Project Based Learning Lesson
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 Pi...
138: Making Cooperative Learning Work Better
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
137: How Afterschool Staff Can Take Your Class to the Next Level
19 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
136: Six Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2020
07 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
135: The Time I Made a Fart Sound During a Test
24 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Just a little story for you; the title says it all.
134: Repairing Harm: A Better Alternative to Punishment
10 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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. ...
133: How One Makerspace is Meeting Students' Social-Emotional Needs
27 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
132: How to Spot Dyslexia, and What to Do Next
13 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
131: How World Language Teaching Has Evolved
29 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 k...
130: Tips for Starting a Podcast
15 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
129: Let's Make Better Slideshows
03 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of you are out there giving lectures, presentations, and workshops, and your slideshows need work. These seven tips will help.
128: When You Get Nothing But Crickets
19 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
127: A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work
04 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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.
126: Student-Created Graphic Novels
21 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Graphic novels are wonderful for reading, but when students use the graphic novel form for their own writing, incredible stories can emerge. In this e...
125: Think Twice Before Doing Another Historical Simulation
07 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Historical simulations can be a powerful teaching tool that fully immerses students in an experience, but when it comes to traumatic or violent period...
124: A Closer Look at Open Educational Resources
23 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 inte...
123: Four Research-Based Strategies All Teachers Should Be Using
09 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 appl...
122: A Simple Trick for Success with One-Pagers
26 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
121: Is that Higher-Order Task Really Higher Order?
12 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 happen...
120: How One District Learned to Talk About Race
28 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When you've done lots of diversity training, but something is still missing, it might be that people still aren't comfortable having honest conversati...
119: "We're a Family" and Other School Norms that Can Cause Burnout
14 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
118: To Boost Learning, Just Add Movement
31 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Physical movement makes learning stick better. In this episode, we'll explore six different ways to add more movement to your classroom.
117: Five Ways to Improve Your Rubrics
17 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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.
116: Mastery Learning with Khan Academy
03 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 persona...
115: Time to Take a Look at Your Dress Code
17 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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, e...
114: Let's Give Our Teaching Language a Makeover
03 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
To master this craft, we need to choose our words carefully. This mini-makeover shows how revising our language in four common classroom scenarios can...
113: Global School Play Day: One Day. Nothing But Play.
20 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Could your school stop its normal routine for a full day and devote it entirely to unstructured play? That's what thousands of schools all over the wo...
112: Six Tech Tools to Try in 2019
06 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This year's collection includes a discussion monitor, a tool that analyzes writing, a virtual reality tour maker, and my favorite new game.
111: Teaching Note-Taking with Stations
16 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Quality note-taking is a powerful learning tool, but to do it well, students need to be taught how to do it. In this episode, I talk with instructiona...
110: Ten Ways Educators Can Take Action in Pursuit of Equity
02 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Awareness of educational inequity is important, but we also need to take action. In this episode, professor and activist Pedro Noguera shares ten spec...
109: Get Students Talking with Ongoing Conversations
18 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
High school English teacher Jeff Frieden shares his Ongoing Conversations strategy, a simple, effective way to get students to have rich, one-on-one c...
108: To Learn, Students Need to DO Something
04 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In too many classrooms, we're expecting students to learn material without asking them to do much of anything with it. Why is this a problem? Where di...
107: The Best Ways to Use Leveled Texts
21 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot of confusion about how to use leveled texts in the classroom. In this episode, I interview literacy expert Jen Serravallo about the mist...
107: The Best Ways to Use Leveled Texts
21 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot of confusion about how to use leveled texts in the classroom. In this episode, I interview literacy expert Jen Serravallo about the mist...