Have a Life Teaching

What does effective explicit instruction actually look like—and when should teachers move beyond it?

In this episode, Dr. John Schembari sits down with Australian instructional coach Brendan Lee, founder of Knowledge for Teachers, to explore how cognitive science, explicit instruction, and the instructional hierarchy can help educators improve student learning and instructional decision-making.

Brendan shares his own journey fr...

Why are boys disciplined more frequently than girls beginning as early as preschool? Why are boys of color disproportionately affected by school discipline? And how can educators support boys in developing healthy, positive masculinity while improving behavior, communication, and leadership skills?

In this episode of the Have a Life Teaching Podcast, host John Schembari sits down with Robert Cooper Jr., founder of Young Men Becoming...

Rural schools educate nearly one-third of America's public school students, yet they are often underrepresented in national conversations about education policy, innovation, and school improvement.

In this episode of Have a Life Teaching, Dr. John Schembari is joined by Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association and author of The Resilient Rural Leader, along with Derek Cantrell, principal of ...

In this episode, John Schembari speaks with Becca Silver about the real causes of resistance in schools and how leaders can respond more effectively.

Becca shares her Catalyst Mindsets framework, explains why resistance is often rooted in unmet needs, and discusses the difference between compliance, buy-in, and ownership.

The conversation explores practical strategies for coaches, principals, and district leaders seeking to build t...

In this episode of Have a Life Teaching, I sit down with Starr Sackstein, Michael McDowell, and Alexandra Laing, co-creators of Actionable Assessment, to unpack one of the most pressing instructional questions teachers face every day:

When some students get it, some don’t, and some are already ahead… what do you do next?

We explore how formative assessment should be less about collecting data and more about making immedi...

In this episode of Have a Life Teaching, I sit down with Charlotte Dungan, Chief Learning Officer at the Mark Cuban Foundation, to explore what meaningful AI education actually looks like in K-12.

We unpack:
• What effective AI professional learning for teachers should include
• Why AI literacy must go beyond prompts and productivity
• How the Mark Cuban Foundation’s free teacher and student AI bootcamps work
• Th...

In this episode of Have a Life Teaching, John Schembari speaks with Musical IQ leaders Philip Gillette and James Soler about how music can become a bridge to culture, identity, collaboration, and deeper learning.

The conversation explores how schools can move beyond treating music and the arts as “extras” and instead use them as powerful tools for engagement, systems thinking, interdisciplinary learning, and community b...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. William DeJean, CEO of Unleash Learning, to unpack a reality many school leaders are feeling but struggling to name: we’re in an era of overwhelm.

We explore why traditional approaches to leadership—compliance, checklists, and even strategy overload—are no longer enough.

Instead, William makes the case for systems thinking: grounding schools in a clear teaching and learning mis...

In this episode, we explore one of the most debated questions in literacy instruction:

👉 Should students read grade-level texts or texts matched to their ability?

Joined by Dr. Noreen Bunt, we unpack:

• Why grade-level text access matters for all students
• The risks of over-relying on leveled grouping
• How to support struggling readers without lowering expectations
• Practical strategies for:
• The evolving role of literacy in content-area c...

International Schools: What Educators Need to Know

Summary:
What is it really like to teach in an international school? This episode explores the realities—opportunities, challenges, and misconceptions—of working abroad as an educator.

Key Points:
• There is no single definition of an international school
• Leadership and school quality matter more than location
• Compensation often includes housing, travel, a...

In this episode, I’m joined by Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio, authors of Lead It Like Lasso, to explore what school leaders can learn from Ted Lasso. We discuss leadership archetypes, building authentic school culture, and why leaders don’t need all the answers to be effective.

We also dig into developing reluctant leaders, surrounding yourself with the right team, and the difference between students being “fin...

In this episode of Have a Life Teaching, we explore what it really means to prepare students for a future shaped by rapidly evolving technology.

While tools like flight simulation may seem niche, the deeper conversation is about something much bigger: how we design learning experiences that build decision-making, problem-solving, and real-world application.

We discuss how immersive environments and AI-powered tools are shifting stud...

In this episode, I’m joined by Mariya Gluzman to explore how educators can use Notebook LM to support—not replace—student thinking.

We discuss how AI is shifting instruction from product to process, and how tools like Notebook LM can help structure deeper learning, safer AI use, and more intentional instructional design.

• AI should supplement thinking, not replace it
• Traditional plagiarism detection is no longer r...

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 obviou...

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 explai...

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 school...

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 ...

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 authe...