Explore every episode of the podcast Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works

Summary

In this from-the-archives episode, Bart Hoffman interviews Dr. Frank Rodriguez and Gene Tavernetti about their book Digital Captives: Helping Schools Strike a Balance Between Humans and Hardware. They trace how technology moved from a tool intended to augment instruction into something that can displace attention, relationships, reading, and meaningful learning.

Frank and Gene discuss what they have observed in schools and after-school programs, why the pandemic accelerated existing problems, and how educators can respond without swinging from unquestioned technology adoption to an equally unhelpful rejection of digital tools. Their central message is practical: schools need intentional systems that put humans, learning, and healthy technology habits back at the center.

Chapters

• 0:00 — Introduction: from digital natives to digital captives
• 2:17 — What changed for students and schools
• 6:00 — When technology stopped augmenting instruction
• 10:27 — The problem of too much digital material
• 14:09 — Finding balance between humans and hardware
• 18:00 — Adult modeling, attention, and schoolwide systems
• 23:18 — Practical ways schools can reset technology habits
• 26:00 — Screen inferiority and reading comprehension
• 31:30 — Rebuilding conversation, focus, and human connection
• 38:00 — Leading change without creating another pendulum swing
• 47:56 — The book, the authors, and where to learn more
• 60:30 — Closing thoughts

Show Notes

• Dr. Frank Rodriguez — Educator and leader of after-school and community learning programs whose work with students and staff helped prompt the research behind Digital Captives.
• Gene Tavernetti — Host of Better Teaching and co-author of Digital Captives.
• Bart Hoffman — Education leader and friend of the podcast who conducts the interview.
• Digital Captives: Helping Schools Strike a Balance Between Humans and Hardware is written by Frank Rodriguez, Donna Smith, and Gene Tavernetti.
• Learn more about the authors and the book through Schools Next.

This is a refreshed from-the-archives presentation of Better Teaching episode 90.

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Summary
Gene Tavernetti examines the familiar explanation that school improvement is difficult because “it’s just the culture.” Drawing on work with schools across the United States and Canada, he argues that culture is not fixed atmosphere—it is the residue of daily decisions, habits, and follow-through.
The practical path to change is to change what people do. Gene lays out a focused approach: choose one or two specific instructional practices, support them through consistent coaching, use common look-fors in leadership walkthroughs, and protect the commitments through follow-through. The goal is a shift from isolated classrooms to a shared identity around how “we teach here.”
Chapters
0:00 — Welcome to Better Teaching
0:37 — Why “it’s just the culture” becomes an excuse
2:13 — Culture is built from daily decisions
3:08 — Change behavior before trying to change beliefs
4:12 — Make coaching and walkthroughs consistent
5:26 — From “I teach here” to “we teach here”
6:42 — Protect the culture you want through follow-through
Show Notes
Guest/host: Gene Tavernetti
Gene’s professional site: tesscg.com
Gene’s books include Teach Fast: Focus, Adaptable, Structured Teaching and Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles.
Better Teaching is part of the BE Podcast Network: bepodcastnetwork.com
Production card: Basecamp

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Summary

Instructional coaches are often treated as a school’s all-purpose backup: covering classes, managing testing logistics, joining extra committees, and handling whatever emergency appears next. In this episode of Better Teaching, Gene Tavernetti explains how those individually reasonable requests quietly dismantle a coaching program.

Gene makes the case for protecting coaching time as carefully as instructional time. He recommends a clear job description, a schedule that protects observation and debriefing, explicit monthly expectations, and a target of spending 70–80 percent of the coach’s time in classrooms. The long-term choice is clear: covering a class solves today’s problem, while coaching improves instruction this year and the years that follow.

Chapters

• 0:00 — Welcome to Better Teaching
• 0:46 — The all-purpose support trap
• 1:23 — How understaffing consumes the coaching calendar
• 3:12 — The message teachers receive when coaches are pulled
• 4:08 — Define and protect the coaching role
• 4:49 — Keep 70–80% of the coach’s time in classrooms
• 5:16 — Dr. Randy Olson and the “nothing is an emergency” rule
• 5:44 — Short-term convenience versus long-term improvement
• 6:42 — Closing thoughts and resources

Show Notes

• **Host:** Gene Tavernetti
• **Core takeaway:** Protect the coaching calendar like instructional time. Define what coaches do—and what they do not do—and hold leadership accountable for preserving that work.
• **Recommended starting point:** Write a clear coaching job description, set a weekly schedule for observations and debriefs, and review the coach’s time allocation monthly.
• **Gene’s books:** *Teach Fast, Focus Adaptable Structure Teaching* and *Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles*
• **Website:** TESS Consulting Group
• **BlueSky:** @gtavarnetti
• **X/Twitter:** @gtavarnetti
• **BE Podcast Network:** bepodcastnetwork.com

About Better Teaching

Better Teaching is hosted by Gene Tavernetti and focuses on practical ideas for teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, and everyone who supports better work in classrooms—no clichés, no buzzwords, only stuff that works.

Added/created/modified by Codex on 2026.09.22 13:22 PT on ombee

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Summary

In this episode of Better Teaching, Gene Tavernetti challenges the belief that effective coaching must be spontaneous and unscripted. He explains why a well-designed coaching script does not make a feedback conversation rigid or inauthentic—it gives the coach a reliable structure for specific, courageous, and useful feedback.

Gene connects coaching scripts to classroom-management routines, surgical checklists, crisis-response training, and his own experiences as a counselor, principal, and coach. The practical takeaway is simple: prepare the sequence, transitions, and language of a feedback conversation so you can be fully present when the conversation begins.

Chapters

• 0:00 — Welcome to Better Teaching
• 0:45 — The coaching trap: unplanned and unscripted feedback
• 2:57 — Why educators distrust scripts
• 3:57 — Scripts, checklists, and professional responsiveness
• 4:49 — How preparation helps coaches face fear
• 6:25 — Using scripts in high-stakes conversations
• 8:01 — What happens when a coach goes off script
• 8:47 — A practical standard for scripting feedback conversations
• 9:37 — Resources and closing

Show Notes

• **Host:** Gene Tavernetti
• **Featured idea:** Script coaching conversations with the same intentionality teachers bring to well-planned lessons.
• **Gene’s books:** *Teach Fast, Focus Adaptable Structure Teaching* and *Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles*
• **Website:** TESS Consulting Group
• **BlueSky:** @gtavarnetti
• **X/Twitter:** @gtavarnetti
• **BE Podcast Network:** bepodcastnetwork.com

About Better Teaching

Better Teaching is hosted by Gene Tavernetti and focuses on practical ideas for teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, and everyone who supports better work in classrooms—no clichés, no buzzwords, only stuff that works.

Added/created/modified by Codex on 2026.09.14 17:27 PT on ombee

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Summary

What does effective literacy intervention look like for students in middle and high school? Faith Howard returns to Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works to explain how she built Literacy Lab, a 6–12 intervention model that combines the science of reading with age-appropriate, grade-level texts.

Faith shares how a glorified study hall became a focused literacy intervention, why secondary educators need practical support in teaching foundational reading skills, and how schools can build sustainable literacy capacity instead of depending on one-time professional development. She also explains why teachers—not computer programs—teach kids, and how decoding, morphology, vocabulary, and rich novels can work together for adolescent readers.

Faith Howard is an adolescent-literacy leader and educational consultant with 17 years of experience in education. She has taught middle and high school English language arts, coached ELA and social studies teachers, served as a director of curriculum and instruction, and worked as a literacy specialist.

Chapters

• 00:00 — Meet Faith Howard and the case for adolescent literacy
• 01:48 — Why the original intervention model was not working
• 03:50 — Faith’s self-study in the science of reading
• 05:02 — Building Literacy Lab with foundational skills and grade-level texts
• 05:58 — Why teachers teach kids, not programs
• 08:11 — Making structured literacy meaningful for teenagers
• 10:39 — What “teen-friendly” literacy intervention really means
• 12:40 — Decoding, morphology, vocabulary, and complex texts
• 14:04 — What secondary teachers need from literacy support
• 17:27 — Demystifying the science of reading through modeling
• 21:11 — A sustainable sequence for schoolwide literacy improvement
• 24:16 — From professional development to practice and follow-through
• 44:49 — Building local capacity and letting the work speak for itself
• 46:36 — Gene’s closing message

Show Notes

Faith’s work focuses on students who have been overlooked or left behind by unsuccessful literacy interventions. Literacy Lab brings explicit foundational-skills instruction into a teen-friendly setting, pairing work with multisyllabic words, morphology, decoding, and vocabulary with thought-provoking, grade-level books.

In this conversation, Faith and Gene discuss:

• How students can be misidentified for intervention when schools do not examine the root causes of academic difficulty
• Why secondary teachers are often expected to address reading gaps without having been trained to teach reading
• The limits of relying on computer-based programs without an in-person connection
• How to adapt foundational reading routines for older students without giving them childish content
• Why adolescents need both explicit instruction and meaningful, challenging texts
• How Faith supports districts through modeling, planning, coaching, and follow-through
• Why lasting change requires school leaders and teachers to build capacity together

Learn more about Faith Howard and Literacy Lab:

• Website: literacylabwithfaith.com
• Facebook: Literacy Lab with Faith
• Substack: litlabwithfaith.substack.com
• YouTube: Science of Reading Classroom
• Email: literacylabwithfaith@gmail.com

Faith also highlights the Wyoming Science of Teaching and Learning Collaborative Conference, taking place October 10 in Cody, Wyoming.

Better Teaching is hosted by Gene Tavernetti. Find more practical conversations about teaching and learning at tesscg.com.

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Summary

What should every new teacher know before they are asked to improvise, differentiate, or innovate? Gene Tavernetti argues that one of the most important foundations is fluency in explicit instruction—not just hearing about it in professional development, but learning to design it, deliver it, practice it, and receive feedback until the work becomes automatic.

Gene explains why that fluency matters in real classrooms: it reduces the number of decisions teachers have to make, gives them a reliable baseline for accommodations and modifications, helps schools eliminate instructional variables before moving students into intervention, sharpens their ability to evaluate purchased or AI-generated materials, and creates a common language for collaboration. The goal is not to make every lesson look the same; it is to give teachers a strong instructional foundation from which they can adapt intelligently.

Chapters

• 0:00 — Better Teaching introduction
• 0:41 — What new teachers need to know
• 1:52 — Why training and coaching matter
• 3:10 — Reason 1: Build fluency and automaticity
• 5:19 — Reason 2: Create a baseline for accommodations
• 6:22 — Reason 3: Eliminate instructional variables
• 8:02 — Reason 4: Evaluate curriculum and AI-generated lessons
• 10:08 — Reason 5: Build a common professional language
• 12:31 — Explicit instruction is a foundation, not a restriction
• 14:55 — Better Teaching outro

Show Notes

• Gene Tavernetti helps educators strengthen explicit instruction, lesson design, and instructional coaching.
• Gene’s website: tesscg.com
• Gene’s books include Teach Fast, Focus, Adaptable Structured Teaching and Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles.
• Follow Gene on Bluesky and X: @gtavernetti

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Summary

Glenn Whitman is a distinguished educator who has worked with schools around the world to support schools and teachers bringing evidence practices to their classrooms.

In this episode Glenn talks about his own school’s journey to becoming an evidence-based teaching institution, his continued role in that journey, and how his school supports schools around the world who also want to become evidence-based through The Center for Transformative Teaching.

Episode Links

• Website: Home - The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning
• Glenn's Email: gwhitman@saes.org

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Summary

Kate Meyers and Nicole Davis, AKA Two Maine Teachers and authors the EduProtocol Field Guide: AI Literacy Edition, discuss AI, AI in schools, AI for teachers, and AI for literacy for students.

Show Notes

• LinkedIn: two-maine-teachers
• Facebook: Facebook
• Website: twomaineteachers.com
• Book: The EduProtocol Field Guide AI Literacy Edition

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, I talk about how to get a faster and more effective start to coaching this year. 

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Everyone says one of the most effective ways to teach new content is by using explicit instruction. But fewer teachers than you might think can deliver an effective explicit instruction lesson. Dr. Tavernetti wrote Teach FAST to help remedy that situation and help guide teachers to more effective explicit instruction lesson.

In this episode Gene lists and explains the differences between this book and other books on explicit instruction.

Andrew Bixler, a friend and colleague of Gene Tavernetti, turns the tables and interviews Gene about his book Teach FAST: Focused Adaptable Structured Teaching.

Get Teach FAST here.

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Beth Hawks talks about her new book, Show Your Work: Teaching Smarter with the Science of Learning as well as her professional path to the Science of Learning and how she utilized it in her teaching.

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode Alison Rini, founder of Star Lab school in Sarasota, Florida, describes her journey in education and how her vision of a microschool became a reality.

After 25 years of teaching and leading public, private, and charter schools, Alison Rini left the school system and designed a microschool called Star Lab. In order to bring the vision to reality, Alison received a fellowship from The Drexel Fund, providing support and training to design an outstanding educational program accessible to low-income families. Alison is passionate about brain science, learning principles, and human flourishing. She intentionally set Star Lab in a low-income zip code of Sarasota to test the assumption that 95% of children can learn to read given proper instruction. Star Lab is entering its third year of operation, growing from 5 students in its first year, to 20 students last year, to 50 students for the school year starting this August. Many of the students who come to Star Lab have had struggles in their previous placements, and Alison’s goal is to prove that children growing up in public housing can achieve at the highest levels when school is designed around how children actually learn. Alison has three degrees from Columbia University in Neuroscience, Curriculum, and Leadership, but she has learned the most in the past few years of her school design journey.

X/Twitter: @Educ8Liber8

LinkedIn:  @AlisonRiniStarLab

Facebook: @StarLabSRQ

Instagram: @StarLabSRQ

Star Lab donation page: https://www.starlab.world/donate.html

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

This is latest in our series of Thinking Out Loud. In this episode Zach Grosell and I talk about your year in consulting and a plethora of other topics.

Links:
Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching

Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Jane Wagner spent more than 30 years as a teacher and driving force of an award-winning K-8 Visual and Performing Arts magnet school. In this episode we discuss the challenges of maintaining a quality thematic school.

Gene's Books:
Teach Fast
Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles
Digital Captives

X: (1) Gene Tavernetti (@gtavernetti) / X

LinkedIn:(7) Gene Tavernetti | LinkedIn

www.tesscg.com

Substack: Gene Tavernetti | Substack

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, I talk about what takes more time than we think when it comes to implementation, and what takes longer than we think.

Links:
Gene's Books:
Teach Fast
Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles
Digital Captives

X: (1) Gene Tavernetti (@gtavernetti) / X

LinkedIn:(7) Gene Tavernetti | LinkedIn

www.tesscg.com

Substack: Gene Tavernetti | Substack

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode Dr. Anthony Fitzpatrick talks about a unique apprenticeship program designed to enhance skills of teachers and facilitate movement on the salary schedule all without intrusive amounts of time after regular school hours. Who benefits? Everyone!

Links:

LinkedIn:  Anthony Fitzpatrick, Ed.D. | LinkedIn

Facebook:  (1) anthony fitzpatrick - Search Results | Facebook

Instagram: antfitz55

Website: Anthony Fitzpatrick | Enhance Education Today – Get Inspired

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@antfitzy

Anthony's most recent book:

The Evolving Science of Reading: Building a Continuum from Foundations to Fluent Thinking

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, Gene Tavernetti speaks with Dr. Randy Palisoc, a passionate educator known for his innovative approach to teaching math. Dr. Palisoc shares his experiences and strategies for making math easy for students, focusing on the importance of understanding math as a language. They discuss Dr. Palisoc's background, including his work at Synergy Academies, the development of the Core Advantage Math Fluency System, and his current role at James Jordan Middle School. The conversation also covers the challenges of teaching math, the significance of consistent language in math instruction, and the impact of professional development.

Get in touch with Randy:
randypalisoc@mathfluency.com or randypalisoc@gmail.com

MathFluency.com

linkedin.com/randypalisoc/

Math isn't hard, it's a language | Randy Palisoc | TEDxManhattanBeach (youtube.com)

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this solo episode, Gene Tavernetti breaks down why most "we do" approaches to guided practice don't work. Using decimal addition as a teaching example, he shows how to isolate and pre-teach the key concept before practice even starts. He exposes three common but ineffective guided practice patterns and offers a step-by-step alternative that gets better student repetitions and real formative data. Strategies are drawn from his book Teach Fast.

Links:
Gene's Books:
Teach Fast
Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles
Digital Captives

X: (1) Gene Tavernetti (@gtavernetti) / X

LinkedIn:(7) Gene Tavernetti | LinkedIn

www.tesscg.com

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here.

Cognosente Books - knowledge for discerning educators

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, host Gene Tavernetti speaks with Sean Morrissey, a fifth-grade teacher and former school psychologist, about his structured, research-based approach to vocabulary instruction. Sean shares his four-part daily lesson framework — retrieval practice, explicit instruction, fluency passages, and independent practice — explaining how pairing words, embedding spelling, and using morphology helps students deeply map new vocabulary into long-term memory. The conversation also explores how teachers can use sophisticated language naturally throughout the day to expand student word knowledge beyond formal lessons. Sean closes with practical advice for getting started, including small steps like teaching word pairs, studying common prefixes and roots, and using video reflection to continuously improve instruction.

About Sean Morrisey:
Sean Morrisey has quickly earned a well-deserved following for his work on effective vocabulary instruction. He is the creator of the Word Mapping Project and author of the Word Mapping curriculum. In this episode, we explore the nuts and bolts of vocabulary instruction, including how to build durable word knowledge, the role of morphology, and how vocabulary instruction supports broader literacy development. Sean shares the strategies he uses to strengthen students’ vocabulary, reading comprehension and fluency.

X/Twitter: (1) Sean Morrisey (@smorrisey) / X

Bluesky: Sean Morrisey (@smorrisey.bsky.social) — Bluesky

YouTube Channel: Word Mapping Project Overview

Website: http://wordmappingproject.com

Substack: https://seanmorrisey.substack.com/

Resources mentioned:

Neil Ramsden Mini Matrix-Maker Home Page

Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode Gene shares some thoughts about what he has learned about what NOT to do when it comes to providing professional development and support for teachers and staff.

Links:
Gene's Books:
Teach Fast
Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles
Digital Captives

X: (1) Gene Tavernetti (@gtavernetti) / X

LinkedIn:(7) Gene Tavernetti | LinkedIn

www.tesscg.com

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Rachel Canter didn’t just report on the Mississippi Marathon—she was involved from the beginning of the state’s long journey toward educational improvement. In this episode, we discuss why meaningful change took so long and what it took to move reform from legislation into actual classroom practice.

LinkedIn:  Rachel Canter - Progressive Policy Institute

Website: Rachel Canter - Progressive Policy Institute

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, Dr. Groshell and I discuss how to begin when providing support to teachers. Both Zach and Gene currently work in schools supporting teachers in their quest to be their best for students.

Dr. Zach Groshell is the host of the popular podcast Progressively Incorrect and the author of:

Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching

Dr. Gene Tavernetti is the author of:

Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles

Teach Fast: Focused Adaptable Structured Teaching

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, Dr. Brian Poncy shares the story behind his free math fact fluency program, Facts on Fire. We explore how the program started, how it has evolved over time, and what classroom teachers can realistically expect from students using a model that takes less than 10 minutes a day over six weeks.

X/Twitter:   Brian Poncy (@brian_poncy) / X

Website: http://www.factsonfire.com

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, Bob shares his professional journey—from his early years in Fresno Unified School District, one of the largest districts in California, to leading a small rural district, and ultimately returning to Fresno Unified as superintendent. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons he’s learned in leadership—what works, what doesn’t, and what he would do differently.

Dr. Bob Nelson is an Assistant Professor in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at Fresno State, where he teaches in the Department of Educational Leadership. He is also the Founder and CEO of #MilitantPositivity, LLC, an organization focused on speaking, consulting, and podcasting in education.

LinkedIn: Bob Nelson | LinkedIn

Facebook: (2) Facebook

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Elana Gordon is the fifth Goyen Fellow to join the podcast. Like the others before her, she is a knowledgeable and skilled educator who shares her expertise through videos, blogs, and a highly regarded podcast focused on literacy instruction from kindergarten through secondary grades.

X/Twitter:   Elana Gordon (@mommagordon2) / X

Substack:  @‌VoicesfromtheField

Podcast: The Road to Reading

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode teacher leader Laura Stam shares personal experiences in her journey to continual improvement in her teaching practice.

Laura also describes her experience of participating in an instructional coaching cycle for the first time.

Links:
X: @stamstam193
Facebook: @Mrs.Stam.2021

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath and I discuss his new book; Digital Delusion and the intersection of what science knows about how we learn and the impacts of technology on that learning.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-cooney-horvath-phd-med-730704b2/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jared.cooney.horvath/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/jaredcooney

Website: https://www.lmeglobal.net

Book: The Digital Delusion

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Dr. Olivia Mullins returns to the podcast to discuss her work teaching science with primary grade students. We discuss how she is using research in improving students' reading comprehension in the science lessons.

LInks: 

Website: https://www.science-delivered.org/

X: Olivia Mullins (@oliviajune82) / X

Substack: Olivia Mullins | Substack

LinkedIn: (1) Olivia Mullins | LinkedIn
Books: Amazon.com: Experimenting With Science: Think, Test, and Learn! (Dummies Junior): 9781119291336: Mullins, Olivia J., Ph.D: Books

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

AJ Crabill explains that school boards should represent community values and set student outcome goals—not micromanage operations. Effective boards match words with actions by consistently monitoring learning data, while most fail by getting distracted from their core mission: ensuring children actually learn.

AJ Crabill serves as National Director of Governance at Council of the Great City Schools. He recently served as the Conservator at DeSoto (TX) ISD, as Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency, and as board chair of Kansas City (MO) Public Schools. The 3rd edition of his bestselling book, "Great On Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective” was released last month.

Links:
YouTube: Bing Videos

Website: Airick Journey Crabill | AJ Crabill | aj-crabill.com

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, a friend of the podcast Bart Hoffman, interviews Frank Rodriguez and Gene Tavernetti about their new book and the importance of being more intentional about how technology is used in schools. They discuss the challenges educators face in balancing digital tools with meaningful human interaction in learning environments.

Digital Captives: Helping Schools Strike a Balance Between Humans and Hardware, written by Frank Rodriguez, Donna Smith, and Gene Tavernetti, explores how schools can thoughtfully integrate technology while keeping teaching, learning, and relationships at the center.

See bios for the authors at the Schools Next website.

www.schoolsnext.org

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, I’m joined by Anjanette McNeely, an award-winning kindergarten teacher in Davis County, Utah, who is deeply committed to research-informed classroom practice. Anjanette focuses on translating educational research into practical strategies that help every student build strong foundations in literacy and mathematics.

She is LETRS-certified (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) and holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a master’s degree in Instructional Design. In addition to her classroom work, Anjanette has served as a literacy coach and curriculum writer. She is currently a Goyen Literacy Foundation Fellow, where she continues to deepen her work advancing evidence-based literacy instruction.

Links:
Substack:  https://substack.com/@anjanettemcneely

X: Anjanette McNeely (@anjanettemcnee2) / X

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, veteran school leader Joey Davis pulls back the curtain on the path to the principalship — and the reality of serving as “middle management” in today’s schools. We talk candidly about the highs, the hard days, and the constant balancing act between district expectations and supporting teachers and students.

Links:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram: mrwjdavis

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Oberle and Mitch Weathers join the conversation to explore the critical role of executive functions in early learning — and why they matter so much for young students. We discuss how skills like self-regulation, organization, and cognitive flexibility lay the foundation for long-term academic success.

We also dive into their new book, Executive Functions for Every K–3 Classroom: Promoting Self-Regulation for a Strong Start and unpack practical strategies teachers can use immediately to support students in developing these essential skills.

X/Twitter: 
Sarah: Sarah Oberle, Ed.D. (@s_oberle) / X

LinkedIn:
Sarah:  www.linkedin.com/in/drsarahoberle
Mitch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchweathers/

Facebook:
Mitch: https://www.facebook.com/organizedbinder

Instagram:
Mitch: https://www.instagram.com/organizedbinder/

Website:

Sarah: http://sarahoberle.com

Mitch: http://organizedbinder.com

Books:
Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom: Promoting Self-Regulation for a Strong Start
Executive Functions for Every Classroom, Grades 3-12: Creating Safe and Predictable Learning Environments

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, Gene interviews Blake Harvard, Blake discussed his new book: Do I Have Your Attention: Understanding Memory Constraints and Maximizing Learning and what he teaches his students about learning.

01:36 Festival of Education and Presentation Highlights

06:25 Understanding Memory Constraints

07:45 Strategies for Effective Teaching

09:46 Application of Cognitive Psychology in the Classroom

13:57 High Expectations and Student Motivation

17:57 Practical Techniques: Brain Book Buddy Model

27:49 Pre-Service Teacher Advice

Rod made the move back to the classroom after years as a leadership and instructional coach. In this episode, he reflects on the surprises of returning to teaching—and how his experiences beyond the classroom shaped his transition. We talk specifically about how he has changed his writing instruction and his emphasis on student dialogue.

Resources:

The Literacy Cookbook (Sarah Tantillo)

literacycookbook.com/about-us.php

Inside Teaching: How Classroom Life Undermines Reform (Mary Kennedy)

Follow Rod on:

X/Twitter:  Rod (@rodjnaquin) / X

LinkedIn: (1) Rod Naquin | LinkedIn

Facebook: (2) Facebook

Substack: Rod J. Naquin | Substack

Podcast: Why I'm giving students the claims - Pocket Casts

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Weston Kieschnick and I discuss teaching, coaching, leadership, relationship building, parenting, and the heavy burden of being funniest person in his family. This was a fun conversation with a great educator and a great guy.

X: Weston Kieschnick (@wes_kieschnick) / X

LinkedIn:  (1) Weston Kieschnick | LinkedIn

Facebook:  (3) weston kieschnick

Website:  https://westonkieschnick.com/

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Dave McAlinden is an instructional designer at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. In this episode, we start by clarifying a question many educators have: What does an instructional designer actually do? If you’ve ever taken an online course, you’ve already experienced the impact of instructional design—whether you realized it or not.

You can connect with Dave on LinkedIn: (2) Dave McAlinden | LinkedIn
Feel free to reach out—Dave enjoys engaging with educators and talking through ideas about teaching, learning, and instructional design.

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Lauren Brown and I discuss how social studies and history instruction shifts and deepens as students grow, mature, and develop a greater capacity for understanding over time.

Lauren hosts podcasts on teaching US History. Folks can also find the registration link on my Substack, on the Teacher Resources page. or here: Teaching U.S. History with Meaning

There will be 2 left when this podcast airs:

Thurs. Jan 22 - Using Themes & Stories to Make History Come Alive

Thurs. Jan 29 - Short, Powerful Writing Activities to Reinforce Learning

Both are at 6:00 CT/7:00 ET

Also find Lauren at:

https://laurenbrownoned.substack.com

For more, folks can check Lauren’s writing for MiddleWeb: https://www.middleweb.com/tag/lauren-brown/

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:16) - Episode

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Dr. Carl Hendrick is known throughout the world for his expertise in the science of learning. In addition to publishing numerous articles, he has co-authored two books How Learning Happens and How Teaching Happens in which he shares the most impactful research on this topic.

In this episode he shares what he believes is the most important information that all teachers should know about how students learn but is still not being taught in many schools of education. He also has some advice for teachers about some things they can safely stop doing.

Links:
X: @‌C_Hendrick

BlueSky: @‌carlhendrick.substack.com

LinkedIn: Carl Hendrick
Weekly Science of Learning newsletter at The Learning Dispatch
How Teaching and Learning Happens e-learning course can be found here. 

Joe Finch is a 5th grade teacher in Kelseyville, California. Joe is committed to the teaching profession and truly desires to improve his craft. In this episode he describes how he discovered the science of learning in his search to improve and how he developed his own professional development program.

X:  Joe Finch, M.S. Ed. (@mrjfinch) / X

Substack: Joe Finch | Substack

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath and I discuss his new book; Digital Delusion and the intersection of what science knows about how we learn and the impacts of technology on that learning.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-cooney-horvath-phd-med-730704b2/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jared.cooney.horvath/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/jaredcooney

Website: https://www.lmeglobal.net

Book: The Digital Delusion

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Karen Vaites is well-known as a literacy advocate. In this episode we discuss the Southern Surge, the Mississippi Miracle, and the Louisiana and Tennessee increases (sorry no alliterative descriptors) in literacy scores.

Episode Links:
X: Karen Vaites (@karenvaites) / X

Karen Vaites | Substack

Curriculum Insight Project | Substack

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Two teachers, one middle school and one elementary, share how they have made writing instruction a priority. Josie Wozniak and Kimberly Voge are avid users and proponents of EduProtocols to support their writing instruction. In this episode they share how students are able to write more. But more importantly, how the students take more responsibility for improving their writing.

Twitter: @‌ms_woz @kvoge71

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-voge-662b905b/

Facebook: (5) Facebook

(5) EduProtocols Community | Facebook

Instagram: @‌jwoz_teaches @‌hermajestyvoge

Bluesky: @‌jwoz-teaches.bsky.social

Tik Tok: @‌jwoz_teaches @techsassy

Deploying EduProtocols

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

The process of deciding which High Quality Instructional Materials to adopt is not as straight forward as it might seem. There are good options, and there are good teachers with varying opinions. 

Kelly Harkins, Supervisor of Elementary English Language Arts, describes her district’s two different processes for selecting two different ELA curricula.

Facebook: The Reading League Delaware

Website: the reading league Delaware

Reading League Delaware Memberships 2025

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode with Doug Lemov we discuss how teachers can support reading fluency and literacy beyond the early grades. Doug also describes his work with professional sports teams helping the coaches be more effective teachers. And much, much more!

Books:

The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading

The Coach's Guide to Teaching

Teach Like a Champion 3.0

X: Doug Lemov (@doug_lemov) / X

LinkedIn: Doug Lemov | LinkedIn

Website:  http://teachlikeachampion.org

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Enjoy another installment of Thinking Out Loud with Zach Groshell. In this episode, Dr. Groshell and I discuss how to begin when providing support to teachers. Both Zach and Gene currently work in schools supporting teachers in their quest to be their best for students.

Dr. Zach Groshell is the host of the popular podcast Progressively Incorrect and the author of:

Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching

Dr. Gene Tavernetti is the author of:

Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles

Teach Fast: Focused Adaptable Structured Teaching

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

In this episode, Gene Tavernetti speaks with Linda Rhyne, award-winning educator and owner of Rhyne Consulting. They discuss the changing landscape of literacy education, instructional coaching, and practical strategies for supporting teachers. Linda shares her vast experience in teaching, literacy coaching, and district-level instructional support, providing actionable insights for educators and coaches.

00:00 Introduction

01:21 Science of Reading

01:40 Role and Experience as a Literacy Coach

04:32 Transition to Instructional Coaching

06:39 Responding to Change in Literacy Practices

20:45 Transparency and Trust in Coaching

30:26 Challenges and Strategies in Coaching

Get in touch with Linda:
Website: lindarhyneconsulting.com

Instagram: instagram.com/lindarhyneconsulting

X: twitter.com/lindaschultzie

Facebook: facebook.com/lindarhyneconsulting

Lindedin: linkedin.com/linda-rhyne-91704b93/

You Tube: youtube.com/@lindarhyne8246

Faith Howard knew something had to change. As a Literacy Specialist, in her school district she wasn’t making the impact she knew was possible. With the support of her administration, Faith reimagined her role and launched a “Literacy Lab” — a space designed to emphasize the SOR principles in targeted literacy intervention and instruction. In this episode, Faith shares how the Literacy Lab came to life and offers practical strategies teachers can use to strengthen Tier 1 instruction in their own classrooms. 

Facebook: Literacy Lab with Faith

Substack: Faith Howard | Substack

YouTube Channel: Science of Reading Classroom

Email: literacylabwithfaith@gmail.com

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

Al Borges has coached football at the highest levels of the college game. In this episode, he talks about how great coaching is really just great teaching. You’ll hear familiar ideas—like managing cognitive load, respecting the learning hierarchy, and using retrieval practice to make learning stick. Al even shares how he adjusted his teaching for players with different skill levels.

X: (1) Al_Borges_Burner (@freddyteee83) / X

Books:

Deny of the Tiger The story behind the undefeated SEC Champion Auburn Tigers, who were denied the opportunity to play for the BCS National Championship.

Coaching the West Coast Quarterback

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. 

After recently retiring from Frederick County Public Schools, where she played a key role in advancing evidence-based instruction, Meg Lee has joined forces with her longtime friend and colleague, Dr. Jim Heal, to launch Learning Science Partners. Their organization is dedicated to supporting school districts committed to implementing evidence-informed practices that enhance teaching and learning.

In this episode Meg shares organizational insights into making it all happen.

Episode Links:
X: Meg Lee (@megvertebrae) / X

LinkedIn: (1) Meg Lee | LinkedIn

Website: LSP

Edutopia: Solidifying Core Concepts With Examples and Non-Examples | Edutopia

This podcast sponsored by:

The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here.