Teach Me, Teacher
by Teach Me, Teacher LLC
Designed from the ground up as a no nonsense approach to teacher development, this podcast is your gateway to bettering your craft (and having some laughs along the way).It is a show for you. To help you better your craft, learn new skills, and get ideas to fuel your own.It is a show for anyone in the field of education, and has featured teachers and administrators from all over to offer their unique perspectives on some of the most relevant and hottest topics in public schools.Teach Me, Teacher has won several "best of" awards and has featured some of the top minds in education to date.
Episodes
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#419 Whole Book Comprehension with Jennifer Serravallo (Season X Finale pt.2)
In this episode, Jacob Chastain sits down with Jennifer Serravallo to discuss Whole Book Comprehension and why knowledge building, sustained reading, and deep comprehension deserve a renewed place in today's classrooms. Together, they explore how literacy instruction has shifted over the past...
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#418 Whole Book Comprehension with Jennifer Serravallo (Season X Finale pt.1)
In this episode, Jacob Chastain sits down with Jennifer Serravallo to discuss Whole Book Comprehension and why knowledge building, sustained reading, and deep comprehension deserve a renewed place in today's classrooms. Together, they explore how literacy instruction has shifted over the past...
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Teaching is an Embattled Yet Hopeful Profession with James Nottingham
Hello everyone! Personally, I believe this episode to be the best episode of Teach Me, Teacher in a long time. James Nottingham is most known for his work with The Learning Pit, but he has also written several books, and consults regularly around the world. His newest book, Teach Brilliantly, can...
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Practical Classroom Management Tips (Claire English pt.2)
Hello everyone! Classroom management has never been more important in schools. Study after study cites one of the biggest reasons for teachers leaving the classroom has to do with student behavior. While we can't control everything, we can come together and think about how to create classrooms…
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A Fresh Look at Classroom Management with Claire English (pt.1)
Hello everyone! Classroom management has never been more important in schools. Study after study cites one of the biggest reasons for teachers leaving the classroom has to do with student behavior. While we can't control everything, we can come together and think about how to create classrooms…
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#417 Lockdown Your Style with Jay Wamsted (pt.2)
n this episode of Teach Me, Teacher, Jacob sits down with educator and author Jay Wamsted to discuss how teaching becomes transformational when we stop trying to fit a mold and start embracing our own originality. While Jay's latest novel, The Lockdown Artist, serves as the backdrop for the...
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#416 Your Originality is Your Hook with Jay Wamsted (pt.1)
Every great teacher has something students can't find in a textbook: themselves. In this episode of Teach Me, Teacher, Jacob sits down with educator and author Jay Wamsted to discuss how teaching becomes transformational when we stop trying to fit a mold and start embracing our own originality....
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Reflective Readers with Travis Crowder (pt.2) - Greatest Hits
Hello everyone! In light of the tragedies facing the world and America today, I found it timely to bring this talk to teachers. I don't believe there has ever been a time in modern history when our students need to be doing what matters most—exploring their thoughts and reflecting on the ideas,...
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Reflective Readers with Travis Crowder (pt.1) - Greatest Hits
Hello everyone! In light of the tragedies facing the world and America today, I found it timely to bring this talk to teachers. I don't believe there has ever been a time in modern history when our students need to be doing what matters most—exploring their thoughts and reflecting on the ideas,...
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10 Tips to Get Hired as a Teacher
Hello everyone! Today I'm flying solo as I offer my best 10 tips for getting hired as a teacher. While this episode is geared to new teachers, I believe anyone can follow these tips. So if you are changing schools, positions, or moving, I think these 10 tips can increase your chances at nailing...
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#415 On Endings, Failure, and Growth
As summer break begins, many educators find themselves carrying the weight of a hard year—stress, setbacks, frustration, negativity, and the moments that didn't go as planned. In this reflective episode of Teach Me Teacher, we explore what it means to move forward without being defined by the...
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#414 The Leader in Me (Muriel Summers pt.2)
What if the leadership crisis everyone's talking about isn't a talent problem—but a systems problem? In this episode of Teach Me, Teacher, I sit down with Muriel Summers, founding principal of the first Leader in Me school and a global voice in transforming how schools think about leadership.…
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#413 Fostering Student Leadership with Muriel Summers (pt.1)
What if the leadership crisis everyone's talking about isn't a talent problem—but a systems problem? In this episode of Teach Me, Teacher, I sit down with Muriel Summers, founding principal of the first Leader in Me school and a global voice in transforming how schools think about leadership.…
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#412 Achieving Universal Child Care in New York (Cordero & Gardner pt.2)
What happens in early childhood classrooms doesn't stay there—it shows up every day in K–12 schools. In this episode of Teach Me, Teacher, I sit down with Robert Cordero and Tara Gardner to unpack what "universal child care" in New York City really means—not just as a policy idea, but as a lived...
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#411 The Tie Between Child Care and Education (pt.1)
What happens in early childhood classrooms doesn't stay there—it shows up every day in K–12 schools. In this episode of Teach Me, Teacher, I sit down with Robert Cordero and Tara Gardner to unpack what "universal child care" in New York City really means—not just as a policy idea, but as a lived...
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Growing Out of Struggle
Hello everyone! Spring is here—and everything that means for school. State testing. Unknowns. Changes. Student behavior struggles…the list goes on. This time of year can be stressful and miserable at times for teachers. If you know, you know… But this time can also be a moment for clarity. A…
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Should We Hate Standardized Testing? with Jeff Farely
Hello everyone! We hear about it everywhere…The test. Whatever state you're in might change what test you're talking about, but it follows us. It infects our teaching, our conversations, and even how we view our jobs. But is standardized testing as bad as so many make it out to be? Let's find…
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#410 The Disconnection Crisis (Jacob Adams pt.2)
What happens after we name the problem—but still aren't sure what to do about it? In Part 2 of this conversation on Teach Me, Teacher, I continue my discussion with Jacob Adams, founder and executive director of Inner Spark Learning Lab, moving from diagnosis into action. If Part 1 unpacked the...
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#409 Rebuilding Connection to Schools with Jacob Adams (pt.1)
What happens when the biggest problems in education—chronic absenteeism, failing grades, teacher burnout, and families leaving schools—aren't actually the core issues at all? In this episode of Teach Me, Teacher, I sit down with Jacob Adams, founder and executive director of Inner Spark Learning...
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Teaching Grammar as Possibility (Martin Brandt pt.2)
Hello everyone! I hope you are ready for some AMAZING content today, because I have brought on one of my favorite educators in the literacy space, Martin Brandt, to discuss his book Between the Commas, and how to use writing instruction that WORKS! In this talk, we discuss: That writing is more...
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Keys to Focus Student Writing with Martin Brandt (pt.1)
Hello everyone! I hope you are ready for some AMAZING content today, because I have brought on one of my favorite educators in the literacy space, Martin Brandt, to discuss his book Between the Commas, and how to use writing instruction that WORKS! In this talk, we discuss: That writing is more...
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#408 Choosing to Keep Teaching (Pam Ochoa pt.2)
This week on Teach Me, Teacher, Jacob sits down with lifelong educator and friend Pam Ochoa — former cohost of the Craft & Draft podcast — who has stepped back into the high school classroom after retirement. Why now? What pulled her back? Together, they wrestle with big questions facing the...
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#407 Is This Era of Teaching Dead? with Pam Ochoa (pt.1)
This week on Teach Me, Teacher, Jacob sits down with lifelong educator and friend Pam Ochoa — former cohost of the Craft & Draft podcast — who has stepped back into the high school classroom after retirement. Why now? What pulled her back? Together, they wrestle with big questions facing the...
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A Closer Look at Student Behavior with Ms. Chyna (Greatest Hits)
Hello everyone! I wanted to talk about behavior and better ways we can respond as teachers. To do so, I brought on the amazing Ms. Chyna, a behavioral special education teacher, otherwise known as @especiallysped on Instagram. In this talk, we set the stage for how we should be thinking about...
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#406 Rest in Peace, Cyanna Boone
Hello everyone. What we do as educators has meaning, and the lives that we interact with and that affect us are just as powerful as what we offer them. Unfortunately, one of my previous students lost her life in the last few weeks, and I wanted to take the time to give my respects, solid her...
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#405 Education Needs to Evolve with Dr. Anindya Kundu (pt.2)
I am thrilled to welcome back sociologist and education thought-leader Dr. Anindya Kundu for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to lead schools and communities toward meaningful change. You may remember Anindya from our earlier discussions on systemic inequality and student agency....
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#404 Who's to Blame for the State of Education? with Dr. Anindya Kundu (pt.1)
I am thrilled to welcome back sociologist and education thought-leader Dr. Anindya Kundu for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to lead schools and communities toward meaningful change. You may remember Anindya from our earlier discussions on systemic inequality and student agency....
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#403 The Digital Delusion with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath (pt.2)
On this week's Teach Me, Teacher we sit down with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath — neuroscientist, educator, and author — to dive deep into one of the most urgent debates in education today: the role of technology in schools. All of the discussion items in this episode are inspired by and directed by...
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#402 How Ed Tech is Harming Our Kids with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath (pt.1)
On this week's Teach Me, Teacher we sit down with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath — neuroscientist, educator, and author — to dive deep into one of the most urgent debates in education today: the role of technology in schools. All of the discussion items in this episode are inspired by and directed by...
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#401 Resolutions for Teachers in 2026
Hello everyone! In this episode of the podcast, we go over what resolutions teachers should embrace this coming year. The last several years have been difficult in the profession and for Jacob Chastain personally, but times change, we grow and we move on. The resolutions featured here are…
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The Tool to Finally Engage Students in Writing (Redux)
Hello everyone! Writefully Empowered is HERE! It's my second book, all about creating a writing workshop that empowers young people to be their best and write pieces they care about. In this episode, I talk with my co-host of Craft & Draft (my paused second podcast) about her experience with...
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Empowering Inclusion with Melinda Arnost (Greatest Hits)
Hello everyone! If you have listened to the podcast for a significant amount of time, you have probably heard me talk about how my son is autistic. It has been a journey, for sure, but something that has been helpful along the way has been all of the great educators who have supported him and his...
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#400 How Technology Can Support Literacy (Tinsley Galyean pt.2)
In this episode, we sit down with Tinsley Galyean—co-founder of Curious Learning and author of the forthcoming book REFRAME: How Curiosity & Literacy Can Redefine Us—to challenge everything we think we know about technology, kids, and learning. As debates rage over screen time, AI, and the impact...
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#399 Reframing Tech and Literacy with Tinsley Galyean (pt.1)
In this episode, we sit down with Tinsley Galyean—co-founder of Curious Learning and author of the forthcoming book REFRAME: How Curiosity & Literacy Can Redefine Us—to challenge everything we think we know about technology, kids, and learning. As debates rage over screen time, AI, and the impact...
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180 Days with Penny Kittle — Greatest Hits
Hello everyone and happy Thanksgiving break! We will be back to our regular scheduled programming next week, but for our off week, let's revisit one of the top minds in education to look at reading and writing practices that actually work in secondary classrooms. NOTE: This episode featured a...
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#398 Ruthless Equity (Ken Williams pt.3)
This week, we're back with Part 3 of my conversation with Ken Williams — and we're pushing even deeper into what real leadership looks like when the excuses are stripped away. If you missed Part 2, make sure you catch up first. In this installment, we go beyond the question of whether teachers...
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#397 How Schools Make Teachers Invisible (Ken Williams pt.2)
This week, I sit down with Ken Williams — educator, speaker, author of Ruthless Equity, and founder of Unfold the Soul — to dig into a question that hits the core of what schools are becoming: Do teachers still matter? If you missed part 1, click here. In far too many places, we've slipped into...
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#396 Do Teachers ACTUALLY Matter? with Ken Williams (pt.1)
This week, I sit down with Ken Williams, educator, speaker, and author of Ruthless Equity and founder of Unfold the Soul, to wrestle with one of the toughest questions in education today: Do teachers still matter? In too many schools, leadership decisions, policies, and even cultural norms seem…
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#395 High School Students Need to Be Engaged Too!
High school kids are tough to reach… but maybe that's the fun part. In this episode, we're talking about engagement that actually works—finding that ONE thing that makes your lessons hit different. Maybe it's a wild outfit. A totally new lesson design. A classroom setup that surprises them....
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#394 Leading People, Not Buildings (Carrie Jackson pt.2)
Hello everyone! This week I'm joined by Carrie Jackson, the incredible principal of Allen High School in Texas — and someone I've had the privilege of working alongside in my career. Carrie embodies what it means to lead with humility, compassion, and care. In our conversation, we dig deep into...
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#393 Humility in Leadership with Carrie Jackson (pt.1)
Hello everyone! This week I'm joined by Carrie Jackson, the incredible principal of Allen High School in Texas — and someone I've had the privilege of working alongside in my career. Carrie embodies what it means to lead with humility, compassion, and care. In our conversation, we dig deep into...
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#392 Applying the Science of Reading (Erica Woolway pt.2)
Hello everyone! We have done extensive podcasts on the many aspects of reading and writing. We have covered pedagogy, research, cutting edge ideas and a return to form. One of the biggest topics that have graced this show is the topic of The Science of Reading. Heard of it? To dive into the…
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#391 Guide to the Science of Reading with Erica Woolway (pt.1)
Hello everyone! We have done extensive podcasts on the many aspects of reading and writing. We have covered pedagogy, research, cutting edge ideas and a return to form. One of the biggest topics that have graced this show is the topic of The Science of Reading. Heard of it? To dive into the…
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PSA
In light of the world and the tragedies that have unfolded, Teach Me, Teacher skipped this week. In the meantime, a PSA for the audience.
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#390 Is AI Making Cheating Worse? with Pam Ochoa
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. In this episode, Jacob and Pam address the issues of student cheating and AI. Jacob poses the question of whether...
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#389 What Bell to Bell Really Means (Josh Monroe pt.2)
In this heartfelt new episode of Teach Me, Teacher, we sit down with Josh Monroe—the inspiring 5th-grade teacher behind the TikTok sensation @mrmonroeandnala, where he shares heartwarming and thought-provoking classroom moments alongside his therapy dog, Nala TikTok (though things have changed)....
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#388 Teaching People While Teaching Content with Josh Monroe (pt.1)
In this heartfelt new episode of Teach Me, Teacher, we sit down with Josh Monroe—the inspiring 5th-grade teacher behind the TikTok sensation @mrmonroeandnala, where he shares heartwarming and thought-provoking classroom moments alongside his therapy dog, Nala TikTok (though things have changed)....
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#387 Actualize Your Worth as a Teacher (Jonathan Alsheimer pt.2)
Jonathan Alsheimer is back on the podcast, and this conversation is every bit as powerful as his first appearance. If you missed part 1, check it out here. We dig into what it really means to show up for kids—not just being present in the room, but being fully engaged, intentional, and committed…
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#386 Teachers are More than Curriculum Presenters with Jonathan Alsheimer (pt.1)
Jonathan Alsheimer is back on the podcast, and this conversation is every bit as powerful as his first appearance. We dig into what it really means to show up for kids—not just being present in the room, but being fully engaged, intentional, and committed to their success. Jonathan shares how...
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They Don't Want You to Hear This (Season X Intro)
Welcome to Season X of Teach Me, Teacher—the podcast that refuses to stay silent while public education is under attack. This season, we stand shoulder to shoulder with teachers, parents, and communities across the nation, fighting back against the tech giants, profiteers, and bad actors who want...
About this show
Designed from the ground up as a no nonsense approach to teacher development, this podcast is your gateway to bettering your craft (and having some laughs along the way).It is a show for you. To help you better your craft, learn new skills, and get ideas to fuel your own.It is a show for anyone in the field of education, and has featured teachers and administrators from all over to offer their unique perspectives on some of the most relevant and hottest topics in public schools.Teach Me, Teacher has won several "best of" awards and has featured some of the top minds in education to date.
Hosted by
Teach Me, Teacher LLC