Teach Me, Teacher

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 that support the best behavior students can have and cultivate a great learning environment.
To help with this, I have brought on Claire English — a fellow podcaster, classroom management trainer, and all around fantastic educator. If you missed part one, check it out here. 
In this episode, we discuss what modern classroom management looks like, how to reframe to focus on the key factors that lead to effective classroom management, and so much more.

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 that support the best behavior students can have and cultivate a great learning environment.
To help with this, I have brought on Claire English — a fellow podcaster, classroom management trainer, and all around fantastic educator.
In this episode, we discuss what modern classroom management looks like, how to reframe to focus on the key factors that lead to effective classroom management, and so much more.

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 conversation, the heart of this episode is about the people behind the lesson plans.
Jay shares why he chose fiction as a way to wrestle with the questions that have followed him throughout his years in the classroom—questions about belonging, curiosity, relationships, and the kind of schools we're creating for students.
Together, Jacob and Jay explore an idea that every educator needs to hear: your personality isn't separate from your teaching—it is your teaching. The stories you tell, the passions you share, the music you love, the way you laugh, and the way you see the world become the "hook" students attach to. Long before they remember your content, they remember you.
The conversation is a reminder that students don't need another perfect teacher. They need authentic adults who are willing to bring their whole selves into the classroom. Because when teachers embrace what makes them unique, they create spaces where students feel permission to do the same.

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. While Jay's latest novel, The Lockdown Artist, serves as the backdrop for the conversation, the heart of this episode is about the people behind the lesson plans.
Jay shares why he chose fiction as a way to wrestle with the questions that have followed him throughout his years in the classroom—questions about belonging, curiosity, relationships, and the kind of schools we're creating for students.
Together, Jacob and Jay explore an idea that every educator needs to hear: your personality isn't separate from your teaching—it is your teaching. The stories you tell, the passions you share, the music you love, the way you laugh, and the way you see the world become the "hook" students attach to. Long before they remember your content, they remember you.
The conversation is a reminder that students don't need another perfect teacher. They need authentic adults who are willing to bring their whole selves into the classroom. Because when teachers embrace what makes them unique, they create spaces where students feel permission to do the same.
If you've ever wondered what truly makes a classroom unforgettable, this episode offers a simple answer: it starts with the courage to be yourself.

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, experiences, and lives of others.
With the murder of George Floyd giving rise to Black Lives Matter protests across the globe, and an unprecedented pandemic changing everything about modern life, we need to become better teachers NOW.
To help give us the tools to empower students in such a way, I brought on my friend Travis Crowder to discuss his approach to reading workshop, and more specifically, his use of journals as tools for student reflection.
If you missed part one, check it out here. 
If you've ever struggled with keeping a journal or binder neat (or useful), or wondered if there was a better way to get kids invested in their reading, this is the podcast for you. 
Travis Crowder is the co-author of Sparks in the Dark, and his latest book, Reflective Readers is out now (and it is FANTASTIC.)
This episode originally appeared as #167.