The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast

Jennifer Gonzalez

Teaching strategies, classroom management, education reform, educational technology -- if it has something to do with teaching, we're talking about it. Jennifer Gonzalez interviews educators, students, administrators and parents about the psychological and social dynamics of school, trade secrets, and other juicy things you'll never learn in a textbook. For more fantastic resources for teachers, visit http://www.cultofpedagogy.com.

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314 episodes
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Episodes314

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Mar 6, 2015 · 28 min
14: Seven Easy Ways to Support Student Writing in Any Content Area
Helping students improve their writing skills is no longer solely reserved for English language arts teachers; educators in all content areas are expected to help students develop their abilities to write effectively. Fulfilling this goal isn't as hard as it might seem; these seven strategies (plus one bonus) are easy to implement, won't consume a lot of instructional time, and deliver big results.
Feb 20, 2015 · 53 min
13: Could You Teach Without Grades?
This year, Starr Sackstein made a drastic change in her high school English and journalism classes: After years of feeling as if students cared more about their grades than they did about learning, she decided to stop giving grades altogether. In this interview, Starr talks to me about how she runs a no-grades classroom in a school that still requires traditional grading. She shares her strategies for helping students learn to self-reflect, describes how her teaching workload has changed, and talks about how throwing out grades has improved students' learning.
Feb 6, 2015 · 25 min
12: How Your Nonverbals Impact Your Teaching
How important are nonverbals when it comes to your effectiveness as a teacher? In this episode, I talk with Teaching for Success CEO Jack Shrawder about the specific non-verbal behaviors that make teachers less effective and how you can adjust your voice, posture and other non-verbals to give yourself more presence and confidence in the classroom.
Jan 25, 2015 · 23 min
11: Avoiding the "Wait 'Till Your Father Gets Home" Trap
For some teachers, it has become a habit to send the majority of discipline problems elsewhere: Either we write up an office referral, threaten to call parents, or even enlist a more intimidating colleague to deal with a problematic student. When we do this, we are giving our power away, limiting the respect our students have for us and missing an opportunity to model assertive, skillful problem solving. In this episode, I'll share some ideas for breaking this habit and reclaiming control of your classroom management.
Jan 12, 2015 · 16 min
10: In Praise of Think-Pair-Share
Sometimes the simplest techniques are the most effective. Think-Pair-Share is a humble but powerful teaching strategy that's due for some attention. In this episode, I talk about the benefits of Think-Pair-Share, plus some tips for making it work better for you.
Dec 17, 2014 · 40 min
9: How to Connect with Your Students
How important is the relationship you build with your students, and how can you make that relationship better? James Sturtevant, author of the book You've Gotta Connect, joins me to talk about why the teacher-student relationship is more significant to student learning than even socioeconomic status, the specific things teachers can do to build a strong, trusting relationship with students, and why sarcasm will always bite you in the butt. A must-listen for teachers interested in improving classroom management.
Dec 3, 2014 · 44 min
8: Talking about Race in the Classroom with José Vilson
What are the most productive ways for teachers to talk to their students about the shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the incidents that have occured in its aftermath? In this episode, I talk to José Vilson, a teacher and writer whose work focuses on issues of race, culture, privilege, and education, about how teachers can approach this topic in their classrooms -- and the inner work they'll need to do beforehand.
Nov 26, 2014 · 13 min
7: Should You Give Timed Math Tests?
When she gives her son timed math tests, a homeschooling mom notices his anxiety and wonders if she's taking the right approach. I pull together some research and some real teacher responses to answer her question.
Oct 30, 2014 · 32 min
6: Our First Call-In Advice Show!
Welcome to our very first installment of "Ask the Cult," our call-in advice show for teachers and anyone else with questions about teaching, learning, and education. In this episode, we hear from a science teacher who wants advice on making his class more challenging for gifted and advanced students, a graduate student who needs help keeping her online bookmarks organized, and a teacher who doesn't know what to do about a co-worker who mistreats students right in front of her.
Oct 16, 2014 · 42 min
5: What is 20 Percent Time? A Conversation with A.J. Juliani
Whether it's called 20 percent time or genius hour, more teachers are starting to carve out instructional time to allow students to pursue their own interests and passions. A.J. Juliani tells us how he did it, what problems he encountered, and what other teachers who want to try it should do.
Jul 21, 2014 · 1 hr 10 min
4: What the Mother of a Child with Autism Wants Teachers to Know
In the 10 years she's been raising a daughter with autism, Leigh has had good and bad experiences with teachers and schools. In this honest, funny, and moving interview, she talks about how she communicates with teachers, the steps she's taken to improve her daughter's social life, and the three things all teachers should know about giving students with autism a much richer school experience.
Nov 29, 2013 · 1 hr
3: The Montessori Method
What makes a Montessori school so different from a traditional public or private school? How is the Montessori philosophy -- which many only associate with the preschool years -- applied on the elementary level? How can all teachers use some of the Montessori approach in their own classrooms? We spend an hour with Benedicte Bossut, who started her own Montessori school for grades K-8.
Sep 10, 2013 · 1 hr 14 min
2: Why One Teacher Left the Profession
In Episode 2 we talk to Carrie, a former elementary school teacher who recently left teaching to pursue a different career. She talks about the events and experiences that finally led her to make this decision.
Aug 15, 2013 · 1 hr 38 min
1: Best Practices for Teaching English Learners
Kim, a passionate ESL teacher and our very first guest, talks candidly about the complexities of teaching English learners: the power imbalance that arises when the kids speak English but the parents don't, why ELL students won't look their teachers in the eye, and the well-intended mistake so many content area teachers make when working with a diverse population.

The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast

14: Seven Easy Ways to Support Student Writing in Any Content Area

13: Could You Teach Without Grades?

12: How Your Nonverbals Impact Your Teaching

11: Avoiding the "Wait 'Till Your Father Gets Home" Trap

10: In Praise of Think-Pair-Share

9: How to Connect with Your Students

8: Talking about Race in the Classroom with José Vilson

7: Should You Give Timed Math Tests?

6: Our First Call-In Advice Show!

5: What is 20 Percent Time? A Conversation with A.J. Juliani

4: What the Mother of a Child with Autism Wants Teachers to Know

3: The Montessori Method

2: Why One Teacher Left the Profession

1: Best Practices for Teaching English Learners