Have a Life Teaching

Leadership Isn’t About the Idea as much as It’s About the Decision

Most leaders have great ideas. The difference? Execution lives in the shadow between idea and reality.

In this podcast episode, we speak with Norman Hunter - author of the book "Between the Idea and the Reality: Decision-Making for the Thinking Educational Leader".

We dive into:

Why decision-making defines leadership

How great leaders think beyond the obvious

W...

What can crossword puzzles teach us about learning?

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, I speak with crossword constructor and social scientist Natan Last, author of Across the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle.

We explore how crossword puzzles bring together language, mathematics, history, and creative thinking—and why they can be powerful tools for classroom learning.

Natan explains how...

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, John speaks with Dr. Danita Grissom and Dr. Vicki Kelner, co-authors of High Five to Thrive: Five Proven Practices to Unleash Your Passion for Teaching.

The conversation explores why so many teachers are overwhelmed, why burnout is often created by the system rather than the individual, and what educators and leaders can do to restore hope, regulation, and sustainability. The gues...

In this episode of Have a Life Teaching Podcast, John sits down with Jeff Riley, former Commissioner of Education for Massachusetts and current Executive Director of Day of AI, a nonprofit initiative launched out of MIT.

Together, they explore what AI truly means for K–12 education beyond the fear, beyond the cheating headlines, and beyond the hype.

Jeff shares:

• Why AI literacy may become the “fourth R”

• How schools can balance inno...

Anyone who has stepped into a K–5 classroom knows this truth: kids need to move. But they also need strong math foundations. So how do we do both—without sacrificing rigor?

In this episode, I sit down with Suzy Koontz, CEO and Founder of Math & Movement, to explore how movement-based learning can dramatically increase math fluency, engagement, and student confidence. A former actuary turned education innovator, Suzy shares how a...

What can the costume designer behind Raiders of the Lost Ark and Michael Jackson’s Thriller teach educators?

A lot.

In this episode, Dr. Deborah Landis, UCLA professor and legendary Hollywood costume designer (also behind The Blues Brothers, Animal House, and Oscar-nominated for Coming to America), breaks down how costume design is actually about:

• Reading deeply

• Interpreting text

• Understanding culture and history

• Building authentic c...

Why do people keep doing the opposite of what we’ve clearly explained over and over again? Or do nothing at all?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Judy Newman, researcher, former principal, and author of Influence, for a practical, eye-opening conversation on applied neuroscience, psychology, and learning.

We unpack:

• Why thinking is not the same as learning (neurons fire vs. wire)

• How trust, relationships, and growth map directly...

In this wide-ranging conversation, Carol Ann Tomlinson reflects on her unconventional path into teaching and the classroom realities that led her to redefine differentiation—not as a set of tactics, but as an ethical stance toward learners.

Key Themes & Takeaways:

• Differentiation ≠ multiple lesson plans: It’s about common goals with multiple pathways, supports, and timelines.

• Choice builds agency: Students learn more deeply wh...

What if schools taught longevity—not just aging?

On the latest episode of the podcast, I spoke with Karol Schwartzlander (California Commission on Aging) and Judith Hemphill about why aging belongs in our K–12 conversations.

We’ve added nearly 30 years to life expectancy, yet schools rarely prepare students for long, multigenerational lives. Aging doesn’t start at retirement—it starts at birth.

Key ideas from the conversation:

Positive...

Grammar doesn’t fail because students can’t learn it.
It fails because of how it’s taught.

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, I’m joined by literacy expert Patty McGee, co-author of Not Your Granny’s Grammar, to rethink grammar instruction from the ground up.

We explore how grammar can be:

• taught through sentences, play, and inquiry

• embedded across ELA, science, and social studies

• accessible to multilingual lear...

In this episode, I speak with Adam Watson about role-playing and gamification as serious instructional tools, not motivational add-ons.

We explore how well-designed role-play:

• Shifts students from passive responders to active decision-makers

• Lowers affective risk while increasing cognitive demand

• Uses identity, narrative, and constraints to deepen reasoning

• Supports academic discourse without overscripting language

This conversa...

As we return to the second half of the school year, and exhaustion starts to set in, morale often becomes fragile—for teachers, students, and leaders alike.

In this episode, John is joined by Dr. Darrin Peppard, former Wyoming Principal of the Year and founder of Road to Awesome Consulting, to explore a critical reframe: morale isn’t a program—it’s a byproduct of a well-run school.

Darren traces his own leadership journey from class...

What does it really mean to communicate a vision—and why does it matter so much for school culture?

In this episode, John Schembari is joined by Corey Gordon, CEO of DeliverEd, to explore how schools and districts can move beyond vision statements as “documents on a page” and turn them into drivers of strategic action and improvement.

Together, they unpack:

• Why a clear vision is the essential first step in building strong ...

In this episode, John Schembari is joined by student author Amy Wallace and education researcher Dr. Nick Jackson to explore AI in education—from the learner’s perspective.

Key Topics Covered

• How students actually use AI to think, revise, and plan

• Why bans and AI “detection” tools fail

• What AI reveals about broken assessment systems

• Student agency vs. performative voice

• AI, careers, and uncertainty in the future workforce

• Lessons ...

Chronic absenteeism still hovers around 25% nationwide—and one root cause keeps surfacing: student disengagement.

In this episode, we sit down with Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards, to unpack a hard truth many of us weren’t trained to question:

👉 Rewards, grades, praise, and “positive reinforcement” don’t build motivation—they often undermine it.

Alfie reminds us:

• Motivation isn’t one thing. The kind matters more than the...

In 2025, great teaching isn’t about delivering content — it’s about curating it, unleashing student curiosity, and building true student efficacy.But here’s the twist: teachers can’t foster efficacy if leaders are still ferry-captains instead of bridge-builders.In my latest conversation with Tanya Bosco (Chief Strategy Officer at IDE Corp), we unpack the leadership mindset shifts from her new book Students Taking Charge: Implementa...

Making Social Studies Come Alive Through Inquiry

In this week’s Podcast episode, I sit down with Charisse Smith Ph.D. —CEO of Sankofa Educational Consulting and former K–6 Social Studies Supervisor in Trenton Public Schools, NJ—to dig into why inquiry-driven social studies is essential for today’s learners.

We talk about:

✨ Moving beyond facts + dates to real student thinking

✨ Why elementary students can handle complex history

✨ Pow...

Cutting Through the Noise with Priority Standards

Teachers are asked to do everything — personalization, differentiation, voice and choice, standards-based instruction… but rarely is anything taken off the plate.

In this episode of the Podcast, I sit down with Larry Ainsworth, the nationwide expert on unwrapping standards, priority standards, and creating clear learning targets.

We dive into:

✨ How to identify what’s truly essential f...

In this Have a Life Teaching Podcast episode, we speak with Maureen Chapman and James Simons of Core Creative Partners about their new book, Leaders of the Class.

We explore how motivation, perseverance, communication, and collaboration can be intentionally taught alongside academic content—especially at the secondary level.

Our guests share powerful stories about helping schools rebuild joy post-pandemic, why adolescents need more ...