Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works

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 S...

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 Ring...

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...

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 Advan...

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 dat...

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 morpholog...

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...

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...

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...

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 podc...

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...

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 p...

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...

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:...

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: E...

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 School...

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 Hu...

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 Readin...

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: Th...

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 Cl...

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 Classr...

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) literacyco...

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 s...

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) D...

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:...