Why Better Lesson Planning Starts with Better Questions Featuring Lori Cohen Lindsey and Tasha welcome Lori Cohen, educator, instructional leader, and co-author of The Science of Lesson Planning: High-Impact Practices That Deepen Student Learning, for a conversation about what happens when educators look beyond lesson-planning templates and ask better questions about how students learn. Lori explores the connection between intentional lesson design, psychological safety, classroom culture, and school systems. Drawing on her experience as a teacher and school leader, she challenges educators to consider not only what they want students to do, but what students need in order to think deeply, take academic risks, and demonstrate meaningful learning. In this episode, we discuss: Why systems thinking helps school leaders anticipate how decisions affect teachers, students, and families How coalition building and impact mapping can strengthen the implementation of school initiatives The five phases of Lori's lesson-planning framework and why they provide a process rather than a prescription Why psychological safety means supporting productive struggle, not removing academic challenges How teachers can connect students' lived experiences to lesson content in meaningful ways Why classroom culture must be continually revisited instead of established only at the beginning of the year How cognitive load influences students' ability to concentrate and engage in deeper thinking Why existing lessons can often be strengthened through one intentional adjustment rather than a complete redesign How hinge questions provide immediate evidence of understanding and inform teachers' next instructional decisions Why making student thinking visible matters more than simply observing engagement or correct answers How relevance and curiosity influence students' willingness to engage with challenging content Why teachers and students must protect their own critical thinking as AI becomes more prevalent How Lori's experiences in supportive and compliance-focused schools shaped her understanding of instructional leadership Why leaders should create conditions where teachers feel known, trusted, and supported in their professional growth What it means to approach education as an architect of possibility About today's guest Lori Cohen is a K–12 educator, instructional leader, author, and professional learning facilitator. Her work focuses on helping educators strengthen lesson design and build the relationships, structures, and systems that support meaningful learning. Her book, The Science of Lesson Planning, brings research on learning and instruction into a five-phase framework designed for teachers, coaches, mentors, and school leaders. Connect with Lori Cohen and Explore Her Resources Lori Cohen Consulting: https://www.loricohenconsulting.com/ The Science of Lesson Planning (official publisher): https://conference.ascd.org/books/the-science-of-lesson-planning?variant=126012 Free Transformative Lesson Planner App: https://scienceoflessonplanning.app/ Explore Lori's books: https://www.loricohenconsulting.com/bookslist Connect with Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-cohen-9a447224/

When we think about ADHD, we often think about the symptoms we can see from the outside. But many of the challenges that come with ADHD are happening internally. Someone may be dealing with racing thoughts, difficulty filtering information, problems regulating attention, or trouble creating structure for themselves even when those challenges aren’t obvious to the people around them. That’s why in episode 271 of the De Facto Leaders podcast, I talk with Shontaye Glover Jones, pediatric speech-language pathologist and author, about what ADHD can feel like from the inside and how that impacts executive functioning and daily life. In this episode, we discuss: What internal hyperactivity and racing thoughts can look like when ADHD symptoms aren’t obvious externally. Why the effects of stimulant medication are often misunderstood, and how medication can help with filtering and focus rather than simply making someone “calmer.” Why medication works best when it’s paired with therapy, skill-building, and other interventions. Why transitions from highly structured environments to less structured settings can be especially difficult for people with ADHD and executive functioning challenges. The importance of learning how to put scaffolding and structure in place for yourself in unstructured environments. Shontaye’s book about an autistic Black boy preparing for a trip to the barbershop, and why everyday community experiences may require significant front-loading and preparation for someone with different sensory needs Shontaye is a children's book author, pediatric SLP, content creator, conference programmer and professional speaker. In 2016, she founded her private practice Having Our Say, LLC to create a space where families and children would feel seen, valued, and be heard. Shontaye works with organizations and school districts around the country with a focus on literacy and creating equitable spaces for all students. Her debut picture book, "Liam's First Cut" (2020) is a story that centers family and neurodiversity as Liam, an autistic Black boy, prepares for his first trip to the barbershop. Her second book The Season of Yes! (2023) is a love letter to her favorite time of year, summer, and spending quality time with her mom during the season of endless opportunities for fun!  As a late diagnosed autistic person with ADHD, Shontaye advocates for early identification and support for neurodivergent girls and women. Listen to our full conversation here. You can connect with Shontaye Glover Jones on her Instagram page @havingoursay On her websites at:  https://www.tayejones.com/ www.cemonitor.com www.havingoursay.org In this episode, I mentioned the Task Execution and Planning Protocol that helps clinicians and educators support students who present with demand avoidance and require constant prompting during functional or academic tasks. You can learn more about the Task Execution and Planning Protocol at: drkarendudekbrannan.com/taskexecution

Special Education, Explicit Instruction, and the Power of Literacy — with Dr. Lalita Karpen About This Episode In this episode of Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works, Gene Tavernetti talks with Dr. Lalita Karpen about special education, specially designed instruction, literacy, and the responsibility schools have to provide effective instruction for every student. Dr. Karpen shares her path from leaving high school to earning a doctorate, and explains why she sees literacy as a human right. The conversation then examines how specially designed instruction differs from accommodations, how it should build on strong Tier 1 instruction, and what teachers and school leaders can do to support students with disabilities. What You’ll Learn Why literacy and education can change the trajectory of families and generations. What specially designed instruction means under special education law. How SDI should connect content, methodology, and delivery to individual student needs. Why teacher preparation and instructional leadership must better support special education. How mentoring, lesson planning, immediate feedback, and progress monitoring help teachers serve students well. What co-teaching, school choice, and student-loan forgiveness mean for students with disabilities. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome to Better Teaching 01:28 — Dr. Karpen’s journey and the power of literacy 08:10 — Education as a human right 15:45 — What specially designed instruction means 26:20 — Preparing and mentoring special education teachers 37:35 — Applying SDI to individual student needs 48:10 — Instructional leadership, co-teaching, and school support 57:20 — Teacher preparation, school choice, and student debt 63:10 — Closing thoughts Resources Dr. Lalita Karpen on LinkedIn — Connect with Dr. Karpen and follow her education work. Dr. Lalita Karpen on X — Follow Dr. Karpen’s updates and resources. Council for Exceptional Children — The professional organization referenced in the conversation.

Does a story from the past need to be true to make it meaningful?  Listen to learn about Christian Pass and the story of the 'missing harp' and see if you find it worthwhile despite the fact that we do not know if the story was true.  

Few people have influenced the implementation of Universal Design for Learning as deeply as Dr. George Van Horn. In this episode, George shares the story of how a commitment to learner variability, educator collaboration, and systems-level change helped shape one of the nation's most recognized examples of sustained UDL implementation.  From leadership lessons to practical insights, this conversation explores what happens when schools intentionally design for all learners and how that work can continue long after the original champions have stepped away.  Transcript Resources: A Long, Strange Trip: Honoring George Van Horn’s Lasting Impact on UDL and Inclusive Learning  Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation