logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
50 m

238: How Teacher Language Can Build a Mo...

JENNIFER GONZALEZ
About this episode

For many this week, the discomfort and pain of living side by side with people who see the world so differently from us has hit hard. But this is where we are right now, and we can either succumb to our current divide and let it get bigger, or keep trying to figure out how to close it. Though I didn't plan it this way, this week's podcast just happens to address one of the ways we might start to do that in our classrooms. I'm talking with Peter Johnston, author of Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning, about the prompts and phrases teachers can use to equip students not to avoid or be afraid of differences, but to approach them as opportunities to learn. 

--------------------------------------------

Thanks to The Gilder Lehrman Institute and Listenwise for sponsoring this episode.

For a full transcript of this episode, visit cultofpedagogy.com/democratic-classroom

Up next
Aug 16
278: How to Create an Assessment Plan
It's part 2 of our Back to Basics series on unit planning! Last episode, we looked at the overall process and started by setting measurable objectives for a sample unit. Now we're going to design a unit assessment plan that includes diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment ... Show More
26m 31s
Aug 9
277: How to Plan a Unit of Instruction
I'm kicking off a four-episode Back to Basics series that will offer a practical overview of how to effectivley plan a unit of instruction. This week we'll start with the big picture, an overview of the process I use for planning a unit, starting with setting measurable objective ... Show More
21m 18s
Aug 2
276: A Classroom Ritual for Peer Affirmations
Character education often gets lip service in schools — we say it matters, but rarely build a real system to make it happen. What if students could regularly practice noticing and naming character strengths like self-efficacy, depth, and generosity in each other through anonymous ... Show More
52m 37s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
How can I use different languages in my teaching?
Students’ home languages should be seen assets in the English language classroom – but all too often they are viewed as problematic and detrimental. In this episode, the writers of the British Council publication Using multilingual approaches:moving from theory to practice share ... Show More
33m 34s
Sep 2025
"Soul-Destroying" Or Empowering Pedagogy?
Drew Perkins talks with Karen Vaites about navigating educational tribalism, the "Science of Learning," and the impact of knowledge-rich, coherent curricula on student outcomes. Links & Resources Mentioned In This Episode 
1h 22m
Mar 2024
How can we teach vocabulary and grammar more communicatively?
It's episode 2 of our new series, and this week we are discussing how to teach vocabulary and grammar more communicatively. We talk to Jo Cummins, freelance ELT teacher, trainer and materials writer. Jo shares some ideas for communicative activities in the classroom that can help ... Show More
35m 13s
Aug 2016
S4EP04 How to deal with a principal who just doesn't "get it"
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today's episode is inspired by a lot of different emails I've gotten from teachers about a wide range of problems with administrators. Some of these teachers feel like their principals place too much emphasis on testing and try to standardize te ... Show More
19m 28s
Apr 2022
S6 E17- Open Door Policy - How Approachable Are You
<p>Last week we talked about ways to support our teachers post pandemic. In addition to all of the things we talked about last week, we know that now, more than ever, our teachers need us to be available to them. With all of the additional paperwork and pressures we have as leade ... Show More
21m 18s
Sep 2022
Heritage Languages in U.S Schools: A Story of Identity, Belonging and Loss
What do schools and teachers need to know when they have students whose home language is not the one spoken at school? We look at ways teachers can guard against loss of heritage languages, ways to support outside the classroom, and how to keep families involved at school. Plus, ... Show More
27m 32s
Mar 2025
The Double Empathy Problem in the Classroom
<p class="" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">On episode 264, we're sharing our sister podcast's conversation about the double empathy problem. In Creating Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools, Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin explore a concept that challenges the assumption that neurodive ... Show More
33m 44s
Jul 2024
224. Building the Classroom Culture [Getting Ready for BTS]
Continuing our five-part series on Building Effective Classroom Teams, this episode focuses on how you, as a team member, are responsible for establishing and nurturing the classroom culture with both the students and the staff. Your tone, your behavior, and your approach can mak ... Show More
14m 31s