The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast

When teachers push back against coaching, professional development, or a new initiative, they often get labeled as "resistant." But that label can keep us from seeing what's really going on. In this episode, author Elena Aguilar shares insights from her new book, How to Coach Resistance. We talk about how coaches and leaders may unintentionally contribute to the pushback, practical ways to respond to emotions and identify barriers to change, and what to do when a teacher's objections have merit. Thanks to Highfive for sponsoring the episode. To read a summary or a transcript and find links to the book, visit cultofpedagogy.com/teacher-pushback. To learn more about Mastering the Lesson Plan, visit cultofpedagogy.com/teaching101.

In Part 4 of our Back to Basics series on unit planning, we're taking our sample unit and building in more differentiation. I'm putting out this series as an introduction to my new online course, Mastering the Lesson Plan. These four episodes will give you the big picture, but the course takes a much deeper dive into each step of the process and gives you practical tools you can use to plan stronger instruction. To learn more about the course, visit cultofpedagogy.com/teaching101. ___________________________ Thanks to Brilliant and Notability for sponsoring the episode. To read a written version of this podcast, visit cultofpedagogy.com/realistic-differentiation.

It's part 2 of our Back to Basics series on unit planning! Last episode, we looked at the overall process and started by setting measurable objectives for a sample unit. Now we're going to design a unit assessment plan that includes diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments. I'm putting out this series as an introduction to my new online course, Mastering the Lesson Plan. These four episodes will give you the big picture, but the course takes a much deeper dive into each step of the process and gives you practical tools you can use to plan stronger instruction. To learn more about the course, visit cultofpedagogy.com/teaching101. ___________________________ Thanks to Brilliant and Notability for sponsoring the episode. To read a written version of this podcast, visit cultofpedagogy.com/how-to-create-an-assessment-plan/.

Character education often gets lip service in schools — we say it matters, but rarely build a real system to make it happen. What if students could regularly practice noticing and naming character strengths like self-efficacy, depth, and generosity in each other through anonymous nominations? On the podcast this week, high school English teacher Marcus Luther returns to share a system he created that does exactly that. ___________________________ Thanks to Alpaca and Notability for sponsoring the episode. To read a written version of this podcast, visit cultofpedagogy.com/peer-affirmations. To learn more about my upcoming course, Mastering the Lesson Plan, visit cultofpedagogy.com/teaching101.

Neurodivergent educators, like those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other forms of cognitive diversity, are essential voices in our schools. They bring innovation, empathy, and authenticity. Yet they often work within systems that weren't built with them in mind, and this can make the job of teaching especially challenging. In this episode, we'll learn about the strengths neurodivergent teachers bring to the classroom and strategies that help them thrive from Emily Kircher-Morris, who is a mental health professional, neurodiversity advocate, and host of The Neurodiversity Podcast. ___________________________ Thanks to foundry10 and SchoolAI for sponsoring the episode. To read Kircher-Morris's article and a full transcript of our conversation, visit cultofpedagogy.com/neurodivergent-teachers. ___________________________ To learn more about The Teacher's Guide to Tech, visit teachersguidetotech.com.

If your teaching requires students to read or work with texts, and things have gotten a little stale in the engagement department, this episode will give you some great new strategies to try. High school English teachers Susan Barber and Brian Sztabnik once felt the same way, so they curated tons of fun, interactive, interesting text-based activities in their new book, 100% Engagement: 33 Lessons to Promote Participation, Beat Boredom, and Deepen Learning in the ELA Classroom. In this episode, they'll share three of their favorites. ______________________________________________________________ Thanks to Solution Tree and Listenwise for sponsoring the episode. For links to the book 100% Engagement and a full transcript of our conversation, visit cultofpedagogy.com/text-engagement-strategies. To learn more about Grammar Gap Fillers, visit cultofpedagogy.com/grammar.

At a time when test-driven reform has quieted student voices and marginalized perspectives are being pushed aside, we need student voice and agency more than ever. In this episode, I'm joined by Shane Safir, Marlo Bagsik, Sawsan Jaber, and Crystal Watson, authors of the new book, Pedagogies of Voice: Street Data and the Path to Student Agency. The book offers a "seed store" of small, replicable classroom practices that help students reflect, speak, and act with purpose. Each of the four authors shares one or two of their favorite practices that teachers can use right away to help students grow into thoughtful, empowered participants in their learning. ______________________________________________________________ Thanks to Solution Tree and Listenwise for sponsoring this episode. For links to the book and a full transcript of this episode, visit cultofpedagogy.com/pod and choose episode 260.

Answering student questions is faster in the moment, but redirecting is better in the long run. The next time a student asks you a question, pause before answering and see if you can point them toward finding the answer themselves. ------------------- Thanks to Brisk Teaching for sponsoring this tip. You can find written and video versions of these at cultofpedagogy.com/edutips.