Stopping while you read a text out loud might be necessary in order to explain, dissect, or analyze something, but those interruptions can really mess up a listener's experience of the text. Next time, start with a smooth first read, then start over and get into the instruction. ---------- You can find full written versions of these tips at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips. ------------------- Thanks to Edulastic for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

EduTip 16: Do a smooth first read.

Critical thinking is something usually reserved only for advanced classes, but if we want our students to receive an equitable education, they all need regular practice in thinking critically. In this episode, Tangible Equity author Colin Seale shares three easy strategies for infusing critical thinking into any lesson. ------------------- Thanks to CoderZ and Pear Deck for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

194: Finding the Funk: 3 Ways to Add Culturally Responsive Critical Thinking to Your Lessons

If too many of your classroom plans go off the rails, you might need to add more norm-setting, where you clarify expectations in detail before starting an activity. It's a step some of us skip, but the time you spend on it will pay off later.  ---------- You can find full written versions of these tips at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips. ------------------- Thanks to Edulastic for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

EduTip 15: Set aside time to set norms.

Language shapes so much of who we are, but not all students feel they can bring their whole selves into the classroom. Even the most well-meaning teachers can unwittingly do more harm than good. In this episode, educator Andrea Castellano answers some common questions about students who code-switch between languages and dialects and shares research-based practices that will help multilingual students flourish. ------------------- Thanks to CoderZ and Edulastic for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

193: Creating Language-Affirming Classrooms for Code-Switching Students

We spend a LOT of time with students, and quite a bit of that time is not used for direct instruction. This "downtime" offers plenty of tiny opportunities for teaching, assessment, and relationship building—we just have to recognize them. You can find full written versions of these tips at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips. ------------------- Thanks to Pear Deck for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

EduTip 14: Find teachable moments in the downtime.

We've covered a lot of differentiation strategies over the years, and here's one you may not have heard of: backward chaining. It allows students to start a task a few steps ahead, allowing them to experience a sense of completion that might otherwise be out of reach. My guest Melanie Meehan explains how it works.  ------------------- Thanks to Pear Deck and Spinndle for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

192: How to Use Backward Chaining to Differentiate Instruction

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 versions of these tips at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips. ------------------- Thanks to Pear Deck for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

EduTip 13: Add novelty to boost learning.

Whether or not you're involved in athletics, all teachers will have transgender students in their classrooms, and understanding the issues that impact them will make you a better teacher for these vulnerable students. In this episode, I talk with former college athlete and sports policy scholar Katie Lever about the reasons trans athletes should be included in women's sports.  ------------------- Thanks to Pear Deck and Spinndle for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

191: In Support of Trans Athlete Inclusion in Women's Sports

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 to stop this? What makes one school lose teachers in the double digits, while others manage to hold on to almost everyone? In this episode, we'll hear the stories of four teachers who left their jobs in the past year. Then we'll hear the words of hundreds of teachers who stayed, and what administrators in those schools did differently. ------------------- Thanks to Listenwise and Spinndle for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

190: Why so many teachers are leaving, and why others stay.

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 already probably a strategy you're using to teach some concepts, you probably could be using it a whole lot more, and getting more from your students as a result. You can find full written versions of these tips at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips. ------------------- Thanks to Stash101 for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

EduTip 12: Model EVERYTHING.

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 to your teaching that can help these students thrive. ------------------- Thanks to Listenwise and Read&Write by Texthelp for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

189: Eight Principles for Supporting Students with ADHD

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 given to individual people. You can find full written versions of these tips at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips. ------------------- Thanks to Stash101 for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

EduTip 11: Replace general praise with something specific.

An essential first step toward becoming an anti-racist educator is uncovering your own implicit biases—attitudes and beliefs about certain groups of people you may not even realize you have. In this episode, Hedreich Nichols walks us through an 8-question exercise to help us start to do this work on ourselves. ------------------- Thanks to Listenwise and Read&Write by Texthelp for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

188: Uncovering Your Implicit Biases: An Exercise for Teachers

True silence is almost impossible to achieve in the classroom, and extraneous noises can be distracting. Adding background music creates a sanctuary where sustained concentration is more likely to happen. You can find full written versions of these tips at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips. ------------------- Thanks to Stash101 for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

EduTip 10: Use music to buffer "silent" activities.

This activity can be plugged into any lesson when you want students to go beyond surface traits and consider deeper connecting principles. My guest Sarah Levine shows us how it works.  ------------------- Thanks to Listenwise and Read&Write by Texthelp for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

187: Contrasting Cases: A Simple Strategy for Deep Understanding

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 you a third option. You can find full written versions of these tips at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips. ------------------- Thanks to Stash101 for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

EduTip 9: Use an antiseptic bounce to prevent off-task behavior.

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 Luther shares how he prepares students for gallery walks, where they give insightful, affirming feedback to each other's writing. With a heavy emphasis on modeling and seting clear norms, Luther's approach is one teachers can follow to help students give higher quality feedback in any class.  ------------------- Thanks to Fearless Schools and Read&Write by Texthelp or sponsoring this episode. -------------------

186: Using Gallery Walks for Peer Feedback

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. Sawsan Jabar about how teachers can change that. ------------------- Thanks to Fearless Schools and Google's Applied Digital Skills for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

185: How Teachers Can Support Arab-American Students

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 Sense Education's Kelly Mendoza about their Digital Citizenship curriculum, with a special focus on the media and news literacy component, walking through three sample lessons you can try in your own classroom. ------------------- Thanks to Fearless Schools and Google's Applied Digital Skills for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

184: Lessons that Build Students' Media and News Literacy

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 able to respond rather than react. You can find full written versions of these tips at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips. ------------------- Thanks to Floop for sponsoring this episode. -------------------

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