Best Differentiated Instruction Podcasts (2025)

In this episode of The Balance, I dig into why the teacher-led station is the heart of the Station Rotation Model. I share how I use this time with small groups for differentiated direct instruction, modeling sessions, and need-based instruction driven by real-time data. I also discuss how I facilitate rich discussions using Webb’s Depth of Knowled…

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How AI Can Help Math Teachers Differentiate Instruction for Every Learner 34:02

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25d ago34:02

34:02

How can math teachers harness AI to lighten their workload, differentiate with confidence, and boost student thinking—without losing the human touch? The AI wave isn't coming—it's already here. In this energizing episode, Dr. Nicki Newton returns to share how AI is transforming the way elementary math educators plan, differentiate, and reflect. Whe…

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Making Durable Decisions in Math Leadership | A Sustainable Math Practice Case Study 22:10

14h ago22:10

22:10

Fidelity matters, yet rigidity can stall growth. In this follow-up episode, we revisit the balance between fidelity and flexibility in math improvement and explore how two district partners faced this exact challenge. You will hear how they committed to implementing with fidelity, ensuring consistency, clarity, and shared language, while avoiding t…

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Episode 359: This Simple Treasure Hunt Game Will Change How You Do Review Forever 9:29

1d ago9:29

9:29

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! Welcome back to our Games Series! Today’s episode is all about Digging for Treasure — a review game that brings all the excitement of Battleship straight into your ELA classroom. With every correct answer, students get to “dig” for hidden treasures on their grids, turning grammar, vocabulary, and figurativ…

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Differentiation in Action: Making Learning Accessible and Engaging for Every Student 30:12

3d ago30:12

30:12

Differentiation doesn’t have to mean creating 30 different versions of a lesson. In this episode, I unpack what differentiation really looks like in practice and why it’s essential in today’s diverse classrooms. I share examples from elementary, middle, and high school to show how teachers can adjust content, process, product, and learning environm…

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Episode 358: Letting Go of Comparison — Your Journey, Your Classroom 27:30

3d ago27:30

27:30

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! In this episode, we’re tackling something every teacher faces — comparison. Whether it’s classroom decor, lesson ideas, or student success stories, it’s so easy to look at others and feel like we’re falling short. But here’s the truth: your classroom doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. Your journey do…

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When Fidelity in Math Improvement Turns Into Rigidity & How To Avoid This Costly Mistake 29:38

4d ago29:38

29:38

Implementing with fidelity matters—whether it’s adopting a new math resource, embedding a routine like number talks, or structuring PLCs. But fidelity is not the same as rigidity. When we cling too tightly to practices, they can outlive their usefulness and prevent innovation. In this episode, we draw from research, including Janice Fraser’s concep…

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102. ADHD Tips and Tricks in the Classroom 14:18

4d ago14:18

14:18

In this episode of Teach Task Box Inspire, Lisa dives deep into practical, classroom-tested strategies for supporting students with ADHD. From setting up structured environments and predictable routines to using movement, visuals, and positive reinforcement, she shares realistic tools that teachers can implement immediately. Lisa also explores moti…

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Episode 250: Visual Rubrics 50:14

5d ago50:14

50:14

TR is joined by Eileen Ng to discuss her use of visual rubrics to enable authentic assessment, reflection, and learning Show Notes Examples of Eileen's visual rubrics: Spider Web Lab Report Four-Level Rubric EDrenaline RUsh The Personal Record Rubric The Spider Graph rubric, based on Dungeons and Dragons See also - Lucas Blair's "Dungeons and Drago…

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Episode 357: The Game That Turns Vocabulary, Grammar, and More Into Student Obsessions 8:46

8d ago8:46

8:46

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! In this episode, Caitlin breaks down exactly how to bring this hilarious, energy-packed game into your ELA classroom — from simple icebreakers and vocabulary swaps to full-on academic reviews. You’ll learn creative ways to adapt the rules, sneak in rigorous practice, and keep your students begging for “jus…

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Episode 234 – Momo Pixel – Coding, Culture, & Creativity 42:27

8d ago42:27

42:27

In this episode, Matt and Laura welcome back award-winning art director, game designer, and artist Momo Pixel to talk about her work across the mediums of games, fashion, pixel art, and music! Momo is the creator of the viral game “Hair Nah” as well many other interactives for Hulu, Google, and much more. Momo shares her personal approach to creati…

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How to Sequence Math Tasks: Thin Slicing in Building Thinking Classrooms Explained by Peter Liljedahl and Kyle Webb 40:47

8d ago40:47

40:47

How do you move your students from confusion to confidence—one question at a time when Building Thinking Classrooms? If you've ever found yourself wondering how to keep every student engaged without oversimplifying your math lessons or overwhelming your class with complexity, you're not alone. Many math teachers face the challenge of designing less…

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Driving Inquiry & Documenting Thinking with Learning Walls featuring Jessica Vance 49:34

10d ago49:34

49:34

By catlinthebalance

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Episode 356: Stop Staring at the Mountain in Front of You: Do This Instead 25:35

10d ago25:35

25:35

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When Tools Steal Thinking: Rethinking Technology Use in Math 40:24

11d ago40:24

40:24

In this episode, we dig into the tricky question every math teacher faces: When is a calculator a helpful tool—and when does it actually rob students of valuable mathematical thinking? Yvette shares a personal story about a conversation with her son on whether he should use a calculator for an upcoming test. The discussion quickly expanded: is a lo…

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101. Task Boxes Meet Burnout Prevention 8:44

11d ago8:44

8:44

In this episode of Teach Task Box Inspire, Lisa shares a fresh perspective on how task boxes can support not just students, but teachers too. Burnout in special education is real, and sometimes we need practical tools that lighten the load while still building student success. Lisa explains how task boxes can reduce planning stress, create breathin…

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Episode 249: Dungeons and Dragons and Self Pacing 1:02:57

12d ago1:02:57

1:02:57

TR is joined by Travis Hammer to talk about how he uses the MCP model in his Dungeons and Dragons class to teach social and soft skills through gaming Show Notes Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) Balder’s Gate III Wizards of the Coast SchoolAI [Example DnD Assignments](https://open.bu.edu Not Another DnD Podcast Dimension20 D20 Adventuring Academy The Ore…

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Episode 355: ELA Games Series: Why Bluffing Might Be the Most Fun Way to Practice ELA 6:51

15d ago6:51

6:51

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! Today on the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, we’re bringing you one of our favorite high-energy classroom activities: The Bluff Game – Language Arts Edition! 🙌 This fast-paced game is perfect for practicing vocabulary, grammar, reading skills, and more—all while keeping your students on their feet (lit…

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Episode 233 – Jorge Lucero – Acts of Caring for Art Educator 42:17

15d ago42:17

42:17

In this episode, Matt and Laura welcome back artist, educator, and author Jorge Lucero to share his practices of caring for fellow art educators. Listen in and hear specifically about how writing letters of recommendation turned into an opportunity to lift up the importance of the work art educators do! Jorge shares what goes into these letters, fr…

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Going Narrow in Math Improvement: A Practical Playbook from One District 23:45

15d ago23:45

23:45

Math improvement plans don’t gain traction just by naming priorities—they gain traction when districts commit to going narrow. For one small district, that meant resisting the urge to spread resources across every grade and instead doubling down on a focused goal: supporting grades 3–5 teachers with the consistent use of problem strings to strength…

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Setting the Stage for Station Rotation Success: Agreements, Routines, and Student Accountability 28:33

17d ago28:33

28:33

In this episode of The Balance, I tackle one of the biggest concerns teachers raise about the Station Rotation Model: can I really trust students to work independently while I’m at the teacher-led station? I share strategies for setting the stage for success, including co-creating class agreements, establishing a clear and consistent path of conseq…

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Episode 354: ChatGPT Series: 3 ChatGPT Shortcuts Every ELA Teacher Needs to Save Hours on Prep 19:10

17d ago19:10

19:10

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! Tired of spending endless hours planning, grading, and creating materials? In today’s episode, Caitlin shares three powerful ways to use ChatGPT to cut prep time in half—without sacrificing quality or your unique teaching style. From drafting discussion questions to batch-prepping warm-ups, you’ll walk awa…

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Fear, Pressure, and the Struggle to Truly Commit to Math Priorities 25:57

18d ago25:57

25:57

District math improvement plans can’t succeed if we try to do everything at once. For meaningful change to happen, leaders need to go narrow. In this episode, we explore why narrowing focus is so difficult for districts and schools, even when everyone knows it’s the right move. We unpack the fears leaders face—picking the “wrong” focus, pressure fr…

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100. Celebrating 100 Episodes of Teach, Task Box, Inspire 11:24

18d ago11:24

11:24

In this milestone 100th episode of Teach, Task Box, Inspire, I’m celebrating by looking back at the biggest lessons from the past 100 episodes. Instead of just rattling off a list, I’m sharing the stories, strategies, and “aha” moments behind your favorite episodes—classroom setup, independence, behavior, staff training, and practical tools that ma…

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Episode 248: Station Rotation 55:54

19d ago55:54

55:54

TR is joined by Catlin Tucker to talk about the Station Rotation model of blended learning Show Notes Catlin Tucker NotebookLM "The Station Rotation Model and UDL," by Catlin Tucker Study Guide for The Station Rotation Model and UDL Universal Design for Learning The Four C's "The Shift to Student Led," by Catlin Tucker Learning Experiences for the …

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Beating Initiative Fatigue: How to Filter Math PD Opportunities without Overwhelm 21:37

22d ago21:37

21:37

Do you ever feel torn between staying laser-focused on your math goals and chasing all the new opportunities that come your way? Whether it’s a conference, a webinar, or a brand-new resource, unexpected opportunities can be energizing—but without a clear filter, they can also overwhelm teachers and derail your district’s math improvement plan. List…

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Episode 232 – Jason Blair – Scribbles to Stories: The Impact of Elementary Art 44:11

22d ago44:11

44:11

In this episode, Matt & Laura chat with returning guest – Jason Blair about the essential role the arts play in young students’ development. Listen in to discover how artmaking supports the growth of critical skills, strengthens students’ ability to communicate complex ideas, and fosters a deeper sense of community. Through playful exploration, mul…

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Episode 353: The Shortcut Narrative Unit: How to Get Powerful Stories in Just 10 Days 23:21

22d ago23:21

23:21

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! Narrative writing is such an important skill for middle schoolers—but let’s be honest, it often feels like it takes forever to teach. Before you know it, weeks (or even months!) are gone, and you’re scrambling to fit in argument and informational writing. In this episode, I discussed how to make narrative …

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Ep. 25: SLAyyy Pronunciation Pedagogy 57:50

24d ago57:50

57:50

SLAyyy: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone Website Gaslight Everything Will Work Out in the End (Maybe?) The Critical Period Relationship to One’s Own Accent Gatekeep - Vijay A Ramjattan, Imagining an anti-racist pronunciation pedagogy, ELT Journal, Volume 78, Issue 3, July 2024, Pages 318–325 Webinar on the Same Topic Refusal - Relational - …

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Episode 352: ChatGPT Series: Differentiation Without the Extra Work 14:30

24d ago14:30

14:30

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! Differentiation doesn’t have to mean staying up late making three different versions of the same lesson. In this week’s Teaching Middle School episode, I shared how you can use ChatGPT to quickly create scaffolds, extensions, and tiered questions—so every student has a way into the learning without you dou…

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99. Building Paraprofessional Confidence From Day One 14:35

25d ago14:35

14:35

In Episode 99 of Teach, Task Box, Inspire, we’re focusing on the heart of every special education classroom—paraprofessionals. When paraprofessionals feel confident, the whole classroom benefits. In this episode, I share why confidence matters so much, the barriers that often hold paraprofessionals back, and practical ways to build their skills and…

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Episode 247: Engaging Professional Development 1:01:49

26d ago1:01:49

1:01:49

TR is joined by Erin Luckhardt and Kim Weaver to talk about the importance of relevant, differentiated professional development opportunities for teachers Show Notes Meet Every Learner's Needs, by Rob Barnett Kareem on the Cult of Pedagogy podcast: Everything You Need to Know About Building a Great Screencast Video How to Create a Self-Paced Classr…

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98. Fading Prompts Without Losing Independence 13:16

28d ago13:16

13:16

In Episode 98 of Teach, Task Box, Inspire, we’re tackling one of the trickiest parts of special education: how to fade prompts without losing independence. Too much support leads to dependence, but too little too soon can cause frustration. In this episode, I break down what prompt fading really looks like, the biggest mistakes to avoid, and practi…

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Why Systemic Change in Math Fails Without the Right Bridges in Place 21:23

29d ago21:23

21:23

What does it look like to build Bridges in real time? In this episode, we highlight the story of a district leader who knows she can’t do the work of math improvement alone. She identified her Bridges—instructional mentors and department chairs—and committed to building their capacity in two intertwined ways: Deeply internalizing the district’s mat…

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Episode 231 – Tamryn McDermott – Multimodal Learning 43:32

29d ago43:32

43:32

In this episode, Laura talks with artist, researcher, and teacher – Tamyrn McDermott about multimodal learning! Listen in to learn what this is and how it can be applied in an art classroom. Tamryn shares strategies and activities she’s used in her own experience that art educators can introduce into their existing programs. During the discussion, …

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Episode 351: Balancing Creative and Academic Writing in the Middle School Classroom 14:17

29d ago14:17

14:17

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! How do we strike the right balance between fun, engaging creative writing and the academic writing skills our students need to succeed? In this episode, let's dive into why both matter, how to weave them together, and practical strategies you can start using right away. Tune in to discover how creativity a…

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Future-Focused Schools: Career-Connected Learning with Shira Woolf Cohen 51:45

1M ago51:45

51:45

In this episode of The Balance, I talk with Shira Woolf Cohen, co-founder of Innovageous and author of Leading Future-Focused Schools: Engaging and Preparing Students for Career Success. With nearly three decades in education and workforce development, Shira shares why the gap between what students learn in school and the skills needed in today’s w…

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Episode 350: ChatGPT Series: Communication & Admin Tasks Made Easier 17:46

1M ago17:46

17:46

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! Emails, newsletters, behavior documentation… oh my! Communication and admin tasks can easily eat up hours of your week—but they don’t have to. In today’s episode of Teaching Middle School ELA, I shared how ChatGPT can act like your personal assistant for the behind-the-scenes work of teaching. From draftin…

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Why Math Improvement Efforts Stall Without Clear Bridges 30:05

1M ago30:05

30:05

District math objectives can’t live on a slide deck. For change to happen, they need Bridges—the leaders who translate vision into action at the school and classroom level. In this episode, we explore who the Bridges are (principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, coordinators, and teacher-leaders) and why their role is essential to m…

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Episode 246: Math Mentor Relationship 42:56

1M ago42:56

42:56

Zach is joined by Candi Williams to talk about the MCP virtual mentorship experience and the value of personalized coaching and feedback in the MCP program Show Notes Wavio and The Wavio Pulse Tracker Zach's anonymized progress tracker Connect with Candi by email at [email protected] Learning Experiences for the Upcoming Week: Wan…

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How Time Debt Is Derailing Your Math Leadership Goals 15:15

1M ago15:15

15:15

Are you letting daily emergencies steal time from what really matters in your role as a math leader? From a soaked teenager's phone to the all-too-common chaos of K–12 math leadership, this episode draws a sharp parallel between personal emergency funds and the way we manage our time. For many district leads, coaches, and administrators, every day …

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Episode 349: Scaffolding Evidence: How to Help Students Choose Quotes That Actually Work 15:11

1M ago15:11

15:11

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! Ever had a student pick a random quote just because it “sounded good”? 😅 You’re not alone! In today’s episode of Teaching Middle School ELA, I talked about practical scaffolds to help students go beyond guessing and actually choose evidence that supports their claims. From curated quote banks to our powerf…

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Episode 230 – Reflecting & Resetting for the School Year Ahead 47:39

1M ago47:39

47:39

Back-to-school season is upon us with a new crowd of students and new host of challenges! In this episode Matt & Laura discuss common challenges we face as art educators and how to prepare for them. Discover actionable steps and strategies to ensure a smooth transition, including planning curriculum for the year, creating successful routines, formi…

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How Schools Can Balance Curriculum Fidelity and Teacher Creativity 32:07

1M ago32:07

32:07

In this episode, I’m digging into a challenge I hear about a lot: the tension between fidelity to an adopted curriculum and the need for teacher creativity. Too often, teachers feel pressured to follow lessons lockstep, leaving little room to respond to their students’ needs or bring their own expertise into the design. That rigidity can strip away…

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Ep. 24: SLAyyy Shared Reading with Storybooks 40:43

1M ago40:43

40:43

SLAyyy: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone Website Gaslight Missing Out on Kindergarten Day Kids Books Are For the Adults Bored During Shared Reading Gatekeep - Reading Children’s Books Rule How many repetitions do they need? Use of L1 to Get Back to the L2 Program Length, Abstraction, Home Language Girlboss Park and Pause Comprehension-Based…

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Episode 348:ChatGPT Series: Planning Support Without the Overwhelm 19:42

1M ago19:42

19:42

I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text! Planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. In today’s episode of Teaching Middle School ELA, I am sharing how ChatGPT can be your planning partner—helping you brainstorm, differentiate, and save hours each week without sacrificing quality. Whether you’re an EB teacher already using the Portal or just look…

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How To Teach Multi-Digit Multiplication 33:42

1M ago33:42

33:42

In this episode, we explore why multi-digit multiplication continues to be the thorn in so many teachers’ sides. We talk about why sometimes we need to step back in order to step forward—focusing on place value, composing and decomposing numbers, and building connections between strategies. We highlight the differences between invented strategies a…

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97. Winning Over Parents in the First Month-Positive Communication Strategies to Build Trust from the Start 13:00

1M ago13:00

13:00

At the start of the school year, parents are handing over their most precious people to us every day — and for many, that trust doesn’t come easily. In this episode of Teach Task Box Inspire, Lisa shares practical, positive communication strategies for building strong parent partnerships in the first month of school. Through a personal story about …

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Episode 245: Gamification in SPED 58:48

1M ago58:48

58:48

Toni Rose is joined by Dykeisha Hill to talk about using games of all types to bring joy into the classroom and connect with students Show Notes ArtyNerdShop - Dykeisha's Etsy City Year Freedom Riders Some of the games Dykeisha mentions: God of War Kingdom Hearts The Legend of Zelda Ed Tech tools Dykeisha mentions: Edpuzzle Nearpod Peardeck Comic b…