Principal Center Radio

Get the full webinar recording, slides, transcript, audiobook, and hardcopy book for $1 when you try the Instructional Leadership Association for 14 days » Get the book Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership About This Episode In this episode, I have something special for you—the audio of my recent webinar The Now We're Talking! Walkthrough System. Enjoy, and if you'd like the book, get it for $1 here. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book Teachables: Bite-Size Strategies That Make a Major Impact in the Classroom About The Guests Cheryl Abla brings over thirty years of experience in education, partnering with schools and districts across the country to help teachers and leaders create classrooms where every student excels. A former educator who taught across grades 1–12, she brings practical classroom insight to her work supporting instructional strategies, problem-based learning, classroom technology, teacher coaching, and multilingual learner success, with a focus on simple, high-impact strategies that make learning meaningful and sustainable. Cheryl is the co-author of Teachables: Bite-Size Strategies That Make a Major Impact in the Classroom (2024), The New Classroom Instruction That Works (2022), and Tools for Classroom Instruction That Works (2018). She has also written numerous Edutopia articles focused on engagement, belonging, and effective instruction. Lisa Maxfield draws on more than three decades of experience in education organizations to empower teachers and leaders with the tools, training, and support they need to succeed. As a Project and Customer Success Manager, she leads impactful implementations, delivers engaging professional learning, and builds lasting partnerships that help educators thrive. Deeply committed to supporting the teaching profession, Lisa has presented at AESA and ASCD conferences and co-authored Teachables: Bite-Sized Strategies That Make a Major Impact in the Classroom. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book Becoming an Expert Teacher: Deliberate Practice for Effective Teaching About The Guests Nidhi Sachdeva is a scholar, educator, and international speaker recognized for her work in advancing evidence-informed education. Her scholarship spans educational technology, microlearning, and teacher education, with a focus on translating cognitive science into practical, high-impact instructional design that foster equitable educational outcomes. With more than twenty years of teaching experience, she has taught German, Hindi, and English as a Second Language in diverse multilingual contexts, bringing a deep understanding of language, cognition, and culture to her academic work. Born and raised in India, she completed her early studies there before moving to Toronto, where she continued her academic journey and earned her PhD at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. She now teaches graduate courses at OISE on the theoretical foundations of teaching and learning in the Master of Education program. Nidhi is also a professor at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam and leads projects on developing teacher expertise. Sachdeva is Chair of researchED Canada and co-author of the globally read Science of Learning publication. She has delivered keynotes and participated in international scholarly roundtables across North America, Europe, South America, and Australasia, contributing to global conversations on instructional clarity, equity, and professional standards in education. Through her writing and public engagement, she advocates for education grounded in evidence rather than ideology. Paul A. Kirschner is one of the most influential voices in the national and international education debate. For decades, he has conducted research and translated scientific insights about learning, memory, and teaching into clear, educationally applicable insights. Paul is a professor emeritus at the Open University of the Netherlands, an honorary doctor (Doctor Honoris Causa) at the University of Oulu (Finland), a visiting professor at the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Flanders, and the owner of the educational consultancy kirschner-ED. He is regarded worldwide as a leading expert in his field and has published approximately 450 scientific articles, in addition to several hundred popular science contributions and blogs for teachers and school leaders. In addition, he is the first or co-author of several influential and widely read books, including Instructional Illusions, How Learning Happens, How Teaching Happens, Evidence-Informed Learning Design, Ten Steps to Complex Learning, Developing Curriculum for Deep Thinking and Urban Legends about Learning and Education and Instructional Illusions. Throughout his career, Kirschner has been an influential voice in the debate about education and learning. He is known as an advocate of evidence-informed education and as a critical thinker who sharply examines educational myths and unproven hypes. He is a champion of evidence-informed education and has responded critically to popular but unsubstantiated educational practices (educational myths and eduquacks). Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book Science Teaching for Social Justice About The Guests Gretchen Kraig-Turner teaches biological sciences at a high school in northwest Washington. Gretchen earned a BS in zoology at the University of Washington, an MST at Portland State University, and did postgraduate studies in MLL education at Pacific University and with the Oregon Writing Project at Lewis & Clark College. Jana Dean spends most of her working life with middle school students and teachers. She currently serves as CEO of the Mathematics Education Collaborative and supports a fantastic team of middle school math teachers in North Thurston Public Schools. Her research focuses on the intersection of content learning and language learning. Jen Sauer currently teaches 6th- 8th-grade science at a public school in Knoxville, Tennessee. She has also taught 6th grade in Atlanta and English in Japan. She received a BS in elementary education in Memphis and an MS in science education at Georgia State. She is a co-founder and committee member of the Knoxville Outdoor Learning Committee. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.

Get the book Reforming Lessons: Why English Schools Have Improved Since 2010 and How This Was Achieved About The Guest Sir Nick Gibb served as Member of Parliament for 27 years, serving first as shadow schools minister and then as schools minister under four different prime ministers from 2010 to 2023, where he oversaw substantial reforms to the English education system, working with Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove. He received a knighthood in the 2025 New Years Honours List. Episode Sponsor This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data.Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.