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Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Gene Tavernetti
Descriptions of effective teaching often depict an idealized form of "perfect" instruction. Yet, pursuing perfection in teaching, which depends on children's behavior, is ultimately futile. To be effective, lessons and educators need to operate with about 75% efficiency. The remaining 25% can be impactful, but expecting it in every lesson, every day, is unrealistic. Perfection in teaching may be unattainable, but progress is not. Whether you are aiming for the 75% effectiveness mark or striving for continuous improvement, this podcast will guide you in that endeavor.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago33 min
The Issue with "We Do" in Explicit Instruction
In this solo episode, Gene Tavernetti breaks down why most "we do" approaches to guided practice don't work. Using decimal addition as a teaching example, he shows how to isolate and pre-teach the key concept before practice even starts. He exposes three common but ineffective guided practice patterns and offers a step-by-step alternative that gets better student repetitions and real formative data. Strategies are drawn from his book Teach Fast.Links:Gene's Books:Teach FastMaximizing the Impact of Coaching CyclesDigital CaptivesX: (1) Gene Tavernetti (@gtavernetti) / XLinkedIn:(7) Gene Tavernetti | LinkedInwww.tesscg.comThis podcast sponsored by:The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here.Cognosente Books - knowledge for discerning educators
- 2 weeks ago58 min
Word Mapping with Sean Morrisey
In this episode, host Gene Tavernetti speaks with Sean Morrissey, a fifth-grade teacher and former school psychologist, about his structured, research-based approach to vocabulary instruction. Sean shares his four-part daily lesson framework — retrieval practice, explicit instruction, fluency passages, and independent practice — explaining how pairing words, embedding spelling, and using morphology helps students deeply map new vocabulary into long-term memory. The conversation also explores how teachers can use sophisticated language naturally throughout the day to expand student word knowledge beyond formal lessons. Sean closes with practical advice for getting started, including small steps like teaching word pairs, studying common prefixes and roots, and using video reflection to continuously improve instruction.About Sean Morrisey:Sean Morrisey has quickly earned a well-deserved following for his work on effective vocabulary instruction. He is the creator of the Word Mapping Project and author of the Word Mapping curriculum. In this episode, we explore the nuts and bolts of vocabulary instruction, including how to build durable word knowledge, the role of morphology, and how vocabulary instruction supports broader literacy development. Sean shares the strategies he uses to strengthen students’ vocabulary, reading comprehension and fluency.X/Twitter: (1) Sean Morrisey (@smorrisey) / XBluesky: Sean Morrisey (@smorrisey.bsky.social) — BlueskyYouTube Channel: Word Mapping Project OverviewWebsite: http://wordmappingproject.comSubstack: https://seanmorrisey.substack.com/Resources mentioned:Neil Ramsden Mini Matrix-Maker Home PageBringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction This podcast sponsored by:The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. Murmuration Author Services by Mark Combes. Looking to write your first book? Murmuration Author Services is your friend and coach for this journey. Learn more here.
- 3 weeks ago23 min
What NOT To Do In Professional Development
In this episode Gene shares some thoughts about what he has learned about what NOT to do when it comes to providing professional development and support for teachers and staff.Links:Gene's Books:Teach FastMaximizing the Impact of Coaching CyclesDigital CaptivesX: (1) Gene Tavernetti (@gtavernetti) / XLinkedIn:(7) Gene Tavernetti | LinkedInwww.tesscg.com This podcast sponsored by:The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. Murmuration Author Services by Mark Combes. Looking to write your first book? Murmuration Author Services is your friend and coach for this journey. Learn more here.
- 4 weeks ago59 min
From Reforming Legislation to Classroom Practice with Rachel Canter
Rachel Canter didn’t just report on the Mississippi Marathon—she was involved from the beginning of the state’s long journey toward educational improvement. In this episode, we discuss why meaningful change took so long and what it took to move reform from legislation into actual classroom practice.LinkedIn: Rachel Canter - Progressive Policy InstituteWebsite: Rachel Canter - Progressive Policy Institute This podcast sponsored by:The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. Murmuration Author Services by Mark Combes. Looking to write your first book? Murmuration Author Services is your friend and coach for this journey. Learn more here.
- May 13, 202638 min
From the Archives: Providing Support to Teachers with Zach Groshell
In this episode, Dr. Groshell and I discuss how to begin when providing support to teachers. Both Zach and Gene currently work in schools supporting teachers in their quest to be their best for students.Dr. Zach Groshell is the host of the popular podcast Progressively Incorrect and the author of:Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit TeachingDr. Gene Tavernetti is the author of:Maximizing the Impact of Coaching CyclesTeach Fast: Focused Adaptable Structured Teaching This podcast sponsored by:The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. Murmuration Author Services by Mark Combes. Looking to write your first book? Murmuration Author Services is your friend and coach for this journey. Learn more here.
- May 6, 20261h 0m
Facts on Fire with Brian Poncy
In this episode, Dr. Brian Poncy shares the story behind his free math fact fluency program, Facts on Fire. We explore how the program started, how it has evolved over time, and what classroom teachers can realistically expect from students using a model that takes less than 10 minutes a day over six weeks.X/Twitter: Brian Poncy (@brian_poncy) / XWebsite: http://www.factsonfire.com This podcast sponsored by:The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. Murmuration Author Services by Mark Combes. Looking to write your first book? Murmuration Author Services is your friend and coach for this journey. Learn more here.
- Apr 29, 202651 min
What Works, What Doesn't, and Other Lessons from Leadership with Dr. Bob Nelson
In this episode, Bob shares his professional journey—from his early years in Fresno Unified School District, one of the largest districts in California, to leading a small rural district, and ultimately returning to Fresno Unified as superintendent. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons he’s learned in leadership—what works, what doesn’t, and what he would do differently.Dr. Bob Nelson is an Assistant Professor in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at Fresno State, where he teaches in the Department of Educational Leadership. He is also the Founder and CEO of #MilitantPositivity, LLC, an organization focused on speaking, consulting, and podcasting in education.LinkedIn: Bob Nelson | LinkedInFacebook: (2) Facebook This podcast sponsored by:The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. Murmuration Author Services by Mark Combes. Looking to write your first book? Murmuration Author Services is your friend and coach for this journey. Learn more here.
- Apr 22, 202644 min
The Road to Reading with Elana Gordon
Elana Gordon is the fifth Goyen Fellow to join the podcast. Like the others before her, she is a knowledgeable and skilled educator who shares her expertise through videos, blogs, and a highly regarded podcast focused on literacy instruction from kindergarten through secondary grades.X/Twitter: Elana Gordon (@mommagordon2) / XSubstack: @VoicesfromtheFieldPodcast: The Road to Reading This podcast sponsored by:The Bell Ringer, a weekly newsletter providing news, tools, and resources on the science of learning, written by education reporter Holly Korbey. Subscribe here. Murmuration Author Services by Mark Combes. Looking to write your first book? Murmuration Author Services is your friend and coach for this journey. Learn more here.
About Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works
Descriptions of effective teaching often depict an idealized form of "perfect" instruction. Yet, pursuing perfection in teaching, which depends on children's behavior, is ultimately futile. To be effective, lessons and educators need to operate with about 75% efficiency. The remaining 25% can be impactful, but expecting it in every lesson, every day, is unrealistic. Perfection in teaching may be unattainable, but progress is not. Whether you are aiming for the 75% effectiveness mark or striving for continuous improvement, this podcast will guide you in that endeavor.
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