The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast

281: Why School Improvement Fails So Often, and What to Do Instead

Schools are constantly trying to improve, but too often, big improvement efforts don't lead to the changes people hoped for. In this episode, I talk with Jal Mehta and Ma

280: A Realistic Approach to Differentiation

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

279: How to Write a Lesson Plan

We've reached part 3 of our Back to Basics series on unit planning! Last episode, we built the assessment plan for our sample unit that included diagnostic, formative, an

278: How to Create an Assessment Plan

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.

277: How to Plan a Unit of Instruction

I'm kicking off a four-episode Back to Basics series that will offer a practical overview of how to effectivley plan a unit of instruction. This week we'll start with the

276: A Classroom Ritual for Peer Affirmations

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 not

275: Three Fresh Ideas for Structuring Professional Development

What often sets the best PD experiences apart are a few intentional choices in how that learning is designed. In this episode, I talk with Jenn White and Josh Kurzweil of

274: Why School in Denmark is Better, and What We Can Learn from Them

When Pernille Ripp moved from the U.S., where she had taught for over a decade, to her native country of Denmark, she was immediately struck by how different school was.

273: The Art of Classroom Timing: 10 Ways to Fit it All In

It can ruin even the most carefully designed lessons: An activity you had planned takes way longer than you thought it would. Or worse, it takes way less time. And someti

272: The Replacement Skills Approach: Teaching Behavior Instead of Managing It

When a student behaves in a way that disrupts their own learning or someone else's, our response is often limited to a reprimand or a punishment. While this usually stops

271: Meet Ellis: Your On-Demand Classroom Companion

Students are coming to school with more needs than ever, and a lot of those needs aren't strictly academic: anxiety, withdrawal, behavior issues, and learning differences

270: Eight Ways to Squeeze Writing Instruction Into a Few Minutes

There's been no shortage of conversation about the science of reading over the past several years. But writing barely comes up, even though the two are deeply connected.

269: Bringing the Power of Debate to Math Class

Have you ever watched students sit completely silent in math class, only to come alive the moment they're asked to share an opinion? That's what inspired my guest Chris L

268: What is a Warm Demander?

When our students face challenges in the classroom, some teachers double down on control and rigor: tighter rules, firmer consequences, higher demands. Others lean toward

267: How Inquiry-Based Freewriting Can Deepen Student Writing

Teaching students to write well has always been challenging, and newer developments have made it even more difficult: The internet offers unlimited text to plagiarize, st

266: Six Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2026

We're kicking off the year like we always do, with a round-up of six educational tech tools we think are worth a look. On the list this year: a site that offers fantastic

265: Growth Discourse: A Framework for Discussing Hard Topics with Students

We're living in a time when having a difference of opinion is a potential minefield of hurt feelings, emotional outbursts, and severed relationships. If this has caused y

264: How Schools Can Support Neurodivergent Teachers

Neurodivergent educators, like those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other forms of cognitive diversity, are essential voices in our schools. They bring innovation, empa

263: Five Skills that Get Students to Take Ownership of Their Learning

If we're doing our jobs right as educators, students will gradually become independent, self-directed learners capable of monitoring, directing, and actively participatin

262: Three Fresh Strategies That Get Students Engaged With Texts

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 n