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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.
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- 5 days ago10 min
The Coaching Trap: Why Scripted Feedback Makes Coaching More Human
Summary In this episode of Better Teaching, Gene Tavernetti challenges the belief that effective coaching must be spontaneous and unscripted. He explains why a well-designed coaching script does not make a feedback conversation rigid or inauthentic—it gives the coach a reliable structure for specific, courageous, and useful feedback. Gene connects coaching scripts to classroom-management routines, surgical checklists, crisis-response training, and his own experiences as a counselor, principal, and coach. The practical takeaway is simple: prepare the sequence, transitions, and language of a feedback conversation so you can be fully present when the conversation begins. Chapters 0:00 — Welcome to Better Teaching0:45 — The coaching trap: unplanned and unscripted feedback2:57 — Why educators distrust scripts3:57 — Scripts, checklists, and professional responsiveness4:49 — How preparation helps coaches face fear6:25 — Using scripts in high-stakes conversations8:01 — What happens when a coach goes off script8:47 — A practical standard for scripting feedback conversations9:37 — Resources and closing Show Notes **Host:** Gene Tavernetti**Featured idea:** Script coaching conversations with the same intentionality teachers bring to well-planned lessons.**Gene’s books:** *Teach Fast, Focus Adaptable Structure Teaching* and *Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles***Website:** TESS Consulting Group**BlueSky:** @gtavarnetti**X/Twitter:** @gtavarnetti**BE Podcast Network:** bepodcastnetwork.com About Better Teaching Better Teaching is hosted by Gene Tavernetti and focuses on practical ideas for teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, and everyone who supports better work in classrooms—no clichés, no buzzwords, only stuff that works. Added/created/modified by Codex on 2026.09.14 17:27 PT on ombee 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.
- 1 weeks ago47 min
Teaching Adolescents to Read: Faith Howard on Literacy Intervention That Works
SummaryWhat does effective literacy intervention look like for students in middle and high school? Faith Howard returns to Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works to explain how she built Literacy Lab, a 6–12 intervention model that combines the science of reading with age-appropriate, grade-level texts.Faith shares how a glorified study hall became a focused literacy intervention, why secondary educators need practical support in teaching foundational reading skills, and how schools can build sustainable literacy capacity instead of depending on one-time professional development. She also explains why teachers—not computer programs—teach kids, and how decoding, morphology, vocabulary, and rich novels can work together for adolescent readers.Faith Howard is an adolescent-literacy leader and educational consultant with 17 years of experience in education. She has taught middle and high school English language arts, coached ELA and social studies teachers, served as a director of curriculum and instruction, and worked as a literacy specialist.Chapters00:00 — Meet Faith Howard and the case for adolescent literacy01:48 — Why the original intervention model was not working03:50 — Faith’s self-study in the science of reading05:02 — Building Literacy Lab with foundational skills and grade-level texts05:58 — Why teachers teach kids, not programs08:11 — Making structured literacy meaningful for teenagers10:39 — What “teen-friendly” literacy intervention really means12:40 — Decoding, morphology, vocabulary, and complex texts14:04 — What secondary teachers need from literacy support17:27 — Demystifying the science of reading through modeling21:11 — A sustainable sequence for schoolwide literacy improvement24:16 — From professional development to practice and follow-through44:49 — Building local capacity and letting the work speak for itself46:36 — Gene’s closing messageShow NotesFaith’s work focuses on students who have been overlooked or left behind by unsuccessful literacy interventions. Literacy Lab brings explicit foundational-skills instruction into a teen-friendly setting, pairing work with multisyllabic words, morphology, decoding, and vocabulary with thought-provoking, grade-level books.In this conversation, Faith and Gene discuss:How students can be misidentified for intervention when schools do not examine the root causes of academic difficultyWhy secondary teachers are often expected to address reading gaps without having been trained to teach readingThe limits of relying on computer-based programs without an in-person connectionHow to adapt foundational reading routines for older students without giving them childish contentWhy adolescents need both explicit instruction and meaningful, challenging textsHow Faith supports districts through modeling, planning, coaching, and follow-throughWhy lasting change requires school leaders and teachers to build capacity togetherLearn more about Faith Howard and Literacy Lab:Website: literacylabwithfaith.comFacebook: Literacy Lab with FaithSubstack: litlabwithfaith.substack.comYouTube: Science of Reading ClassroomEmail: literacylabwithfaith@gmail.comFaith also highlights the Wyoming Science of Teaching and Learning Collaborative Conference, taking place October 10 in Cody, Wyoming.Better Teaching is hosted by Gene Tavernetti. Find more practical conversations about teaching and learning at 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.
- 2 weeks ago15 min
Before Innovation, Fluency: Why Every New Teacher Needs Explicit Instruction
SummaryWhat should every new teacher know before they are asked to improvise, differentiate, or innovate? Gene Tavernetti argues that one of the most important foundations is fluency in explicit instruction—not just hearing about it in professional development, but learning to design it, deliver it, practice it, and receive feedback until the work becomes automatic.Gene explains why that fluency matters in real classrooms: it reduces the number of decisions teachers have to make, gives them a reliable baseline for accommodations and modifications, helps schools eliminate instructional variables before moving students into intervention, sharpens their ability to evaluate purchased or AI-generated materials, and creates a common language for collaboration. The goal is not to make every lesson look the same; it is to give teachers a strong instructional foundation from which they can adapt intelligently.Chapters0:00 — Better Teaching introduction0:41 — What new teachers need to know1:52 — Why training and coaching matter3:10 — Reason 1: Build fluency and automaticity5:19 — Reason 2: Create a baseline for accommodations6:22 — Reason 3: Eliminate instructional variables8:02 — Reason 4: Evaluate curriculum and AI-generated lessons10:08 — Reason 5: Build a common professional language12:31 — Explicit instruction is a foundation, not a restriction14:55 — Better Teaching outroShow NotesGene Tavernetti helps educators strengthen explicit instruction, lesson design, and instructional coaching.Gene’s website: tesscg.comGene’s books include Teach Fast, Focus, Adaptable Structured Teaching and Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles.Follow Gene on Bluesky and X: @gtavernetti 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.
- 3 weeks ago44 min
Evidence-Based Schools with Glenn Whitman
Summary Glenn Whitman is a distinguished educator who has worked with schools around the world to support schools and teachers bringing evidence practices to their classrooms. In this episode Glenn talks about his own school’s journey to becoming an evidence-based teaching institution, his continued role in that journey, and how his school supports schools around the world who also want to become evidence-based through The Center for Transformative Teaching. Episode Links Website: Home - The Center for Transformative Teaching and LearningGlenn's Email: gwhitman@saes.org 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.
- Aug 19, 202658 min
AI Literacy with Kate Meyers and Nicole Davis
SummaryKate Meyers and Nicole Davis, AKA Two Maine Teachers and authors the EduProtocol Field Guide: AI Literacy Edition, discuss AI, AI in schools, AI for teachers, and AI for literacy for students.Show NotesLinkedIn: two-maine-teachersFacebook: FacebookWebsite: twomaineteachers.comBook: The EduProtocol Field Guide AI Literacy Edition 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.
- Aug 12, 202612 min
How to Start Coaching Faster and More Effectively
In this episode, I talk about how to get a faster and more effective start to coaching this year. 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.
- Aug 5, 202634 min
From the Archives: Teach FAST with Gene Tavernetti
Everyone says one of the most effective ways to teach new content is by using explicit instruction. But fewer teachers than you might think can deliver an effective explicit instruction lesson. Dr. Tavernetti wrote Teach FAST to help remedy that situation and help guide teachers to more effective explicit instruction lesson.In this episode Gene lists and explains the differences between this book and other books on explicit instruction.Andrew Bixler, a friend and colleague of Gene Tavernetti, turns the tables and interviews Gene about his book Teach FAST: Focused Adaptable Structured Teaching.Get Teach FAST here. 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.
- Jul 29, 202639 min
Show Your Work with Beth Hawks
Beth Hawks talks about her new book, Show Your Work: Teaching Smarter with the Science of Learning as well as her professional path to the Science of Learning and how she utilized it in her 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.
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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