Tag: Teaching Strategies

When an administrator gave me excellent scores for differentiation during a classroom observation, I was confused. I didn’t level the activity we were doing at all. Every student was working with the exact same text, the exact same questions, the exact same level of challenge. I had bought into the differention myth. So what was my admin seeing? Today I’m pulling on that thread. And it’s completely changed how I think about differentiated instruction.

A student once accused me of writing with AI. The evidence? My em dash. I’ve been using em dashes for thirty years — blame Shakespeare, not a chatbot. But it made me stop and think: if my own writing gets flagged, what does that mean for the whole project of trying to catch AI in the classroom? In this episode, I make the case for why AI detection is a losing game, and what reimagining instruction around process over product actually looks like instead.

When it comes to technology in the classroom, the question isn’t whether to use tech. It’s where it belongs. In this episode, I walk through five questions that turn intentional technology use from a philosophy into a practical, in-the-moment teaching tool, with classroom stories that show exactly what edtech strategies look like when they work and when they don’t.

If you’re looking for end-of-school-year activities that aren’t just busywork, you’re not alone. Those final weeks after AP exams and major testing can feel strange for both teachers and students. The real work of the course is finished, but the school year isn’t quite over yet. In this episode, I’m sharing meaningful end of year activities for high school students, including reflection projects, course redesign ideas, and low stress classroom activities that help students stay engaged without piling on unnecessary pressure. Whether you teach AP, dual enrollment, or any high school course with testing that ends before the calendar does, this episode is about navigating that in-between space with intention instead of just filling time.

If you’ve ever had a student ask “when will we ever use this?” when you’re teaching, you already know it’s not always about curiosity. Sometimes it’s genuine, and sometimes it’s a stall tactic dressed up as philosophy. In this episode, I’m sharing a real classroom moment that changed how I respond to student pushback for good, plus practical classroom management strategies for handling off-task students without losing instructional time or getting pulled into a debate you didn’t plan for.

If you’re looking for test review strategies for students that actually work, this is one I use in my own classroom. In this episode, I share a simple, low-prep flashcard sort that helps students move beyond memorizing facts and start seeing patterns, connections, and big ideas (exactly what they need for exams). Whether you teach AP World History or any subject, this active review strategy helps students feel more prepared, more confident, and more able to access what they’ve learned under pressure. If your students have been working all year but still don’t feel ready, this approach gives them the framework they’ve been missing.

Teaching is one of the only professions where your to-do list gets hijacked before first period even starts (and to be honest, it’s probably the only profession with a first period). If you’ve ever ended a school day wondering where the time went, you’re not alone (and it’s not a you problem). In this episode, we’re tackling teacher workload management with a real-world triage framework built for actual classroom chaos. You’ll learn how to prioritize as a teacher when everything feels urgent, so you can stop drowning in teacher burnout and overwhelm and start putting your energy where it actually matters.

You’ve built the relationships, established the procedures, and yet somehow you’re fighting the same battle with the same student every single day. But what happens when good relationships aren’t enough? In Episode 36 of If Teachers Ruled the World, Leah Cleary tackles one of the most exhausting classroom management challenges teachers face: pleasant defiance. Learn practical classroom management strategies for teachers, how to handle a defiant student without blowing up the relationship, when to call parents about repeated behavior issues in the classroom, and when to write an office referral. If you’re stuck in the Groundhog Day loop with a student you actually like, this episode is for you.

Want to stop wasting time on vocabulary busy work that doesn’t stick? This episode reveals research-backed vocabulary instruction strategies that transform how students learn academic terms. Using John Hattie’s surface-deep-transfer framework from Visible Learning, I’ll show you exactly how to teach vocabulary effectively. Vocabulary instruction that’s not busy work. We’ll go from SEE-IT cards to Socratic seminars, with one example (mercantilism) carried all the way through.

Struggling with how to prepare for a substitute teacher without staying up all night? Whether you need last minute sub plans for a sick day or emergency sub plans for an extended absence, this episode has you covered. Learn practical strategies for creating substitute teacher plans and substitute lesson plans templates you can set up once and use all year. Discover why being sub-ready doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your sanity—and how the right system for sub plans for teachers can save you hours of stress when life happens.