
Modern Classrooms Project Podcast
Your hosts discuss the model and its implications for the future of education, along with guests including MCP implementors such as mentors, teachers, and administrators.
Latest episodes

Jul 2, 2025 • 53min
FEED DROP: The Balance with Catlin Tucker
For our third feed drop episode, we're happy to share this episode of Catlin Tucker's The Balance podcast. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
You can find more info on The Balance podcast and subscribe here

Jun 29, 2025 • 16min
Episode 245: Shortcast 60 - Middle School Student Experience
Listen to the full episode here
Toni Rose is joined by two of her former 6th grade students, Lila and Tyler (currently 8th graders) to talk about their experience in Modern Classrooms throughout middle school - in person, in remote learning, and in general
Show Notes
Edpuzzle (and MCP Tutorial)
Kahoot
Quizlet
Follow us online and learn more:
Modern Classrooms: @modernclassproj on Twitter and facebook.com/modernclassproj
Kareem: @kareemfarah23 on Twitter
Kate: @gaskill_teacher on Twitter
Toni rose: @classroomflex on Twitter and Instagram
The Modern Classroom Project
Modern Classrooms Online Course
Take our free online course, or sign up for our mentorship program to receive personalized guidance from a Modern Classrooms mentor as you implement your own modern classroom!
The Modern Classrooms Podcast is edited by Zach Diamond: @zpdiamond on Twitter and Learning to Teach

Jun 22, 2025 • 16min
Episode 244: Shortcast 219 - Student Voice (EC)
Listen to the full episode here
Zach is joined by Marlene Tapia Garcia and three of her first grade students, Olivia, Arya, and Ethan, to talk about their experience in a Modern Classroom.
Read a summary of this episode on the Modern Classrooms Project blog.
Show Notes
MCP Podcast episode 138: La Revisión y las Pruebas de Dominio (Marlene's previous episode, entirely in Spanish with an English blog recap)
Two-Way Language Programs
Spring Math
Contact us, follow us online, and learn more:
Email us questions and feedback at: podcast@modernclassrooms.org
Listen to this podcast on Youtube
Modern Classrooms: @modernclassproj on Twitter and facebook.com/modernclassproj
Kareem: @kareemfarah23 on Twitter
Toni Rose: @classroomflex on Twitter and Instagram
The Modern Classroom Project
Modern Classrooms Online Course
Take our free online course, or sign up for our mentorship program to receive personalized guidance from a Modern Classrooms mentor as you implement your own modern classroom!
The Modern Classrooms Podcast is edited by Zach Diamond: @zpdiamond on Twitter and Learning to TeachSpecial Guest: Marlene Tapia-Garcia.

Jun 18, 2025 • 26min
FEED DROP - Lifelong Learning Defined with Jorge Valenzuela: Season 3, Episode 19 - From Compton to the World: Building STEM Futures Through Project-Based Learning with Jose González
For our second feed drop of the summer off-season, we'd love to share an episode of Jorge Valenzuela's Lifelong Learning Defined podcast. This episode is called "From Compton to the World: Building STEM Futures Through Project-Based Learning with Jose González"
You can find the Lifelong Learning Defined Podcast here

Jun 15, 2025 • 16min
Episode 243: Shortcast 213 - Do We Want Students To Be On Pace or Actually Learning?
Toni Rose is joined by Drea Siford to talk about her approach to teaching 4th grade using the MCP model
Show Notes
Listen to the full version of this episode here
Zearn
Eureka Math
Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers podcast, and the episode with Kareem:
3 practices to give you more one-on-one time with students
Email Drea at amsiford@bcps.k12.md.us
Drea's game board
Announcements for the Upcoming Week
Want to start building your own Modern Classroom? Sign up for our summer Virtual Mentorship Program! From June 23rd - July 27th, work with one of our expert educators to build materials for your own classroom. We have scholarships all over the country so you can enroll for free if you teach in Chicago, Alabama, Oakland, LA, Minnesota, and more. To see if there’s an opportunity for you, check out modernclassrooms.org/apply-now
Do you have a student whose voice you'd like to elevate on our podcast? We're looking for student guests, so if you have a student who would like to share their story as a Modern Classrooms learner, please reach out to us at podcast@modernclassrooms.org!
Contact us, follow us online, and learn more:
Email us questions and feedback at: podcast@modernclassrooms.org
Listen to this podcast on Youtube
Modern Classrooms: @modernclassproj on Twitter and facebook.com/modernclassproj
Kareem: @kareemfarah23 on Twitter
Toni Rose: @classroomflex on Twitter and Instagram
The Modern Classroom Project
Modern Classrooms Online Course
Take our free online course, or sign up for our mentorship program to receive personalized guidance from a Modern Classrooms mentor as you implement your own modern classroom!
The Modern Classrooms Podcast is edited by Zach Diamond: @zpdiamond on Twitter and Learning to TeachSpecial Guest: Drea Siford.

Jun 8, 2025 • 15min
Episode 242: Shortcast 204: Reflections from a Four-Year Implementer
Listen to the full episode here
Toni Rose is joined by Sam Ortiz to talk about her experience implementing the model over four school years, addressing concerns from stakeholders, and engaging with the MCP community
Show Notes
Screencastify and Screencastify Submit
Quizziz
MCP Self-Paced Structures resources (including the tracker templates Sam mentioned)
MCP Free Course (also linked below in every episode!)
Connect with Sam on Instagram @thatteachermomma
Learning Experiences for the Upcoming Week
Contact us, follow us online, and learn more:
Email us questions and feedback at: podcast@modernclassrooms.org
Listen to this podcast on Youtube
Modern Classrooms: @modernclassproj on Twitter and facebook.com/modernclassproj
Kareem: @kareemfarah23 on Twitter
Toni Rose: @classroomflex on Twitter and Instagram
The Modern Classroom Project
Modern Classrooms Online Course
Take our free online course, or sign up for our mentorship program to receive personalized guidance from a Modern Classrooms mentor as you implement your own modern classroom!
The Modern Classrooms Podcast is edited by Zach Diamond: @zpdiamond on Twitter and Learning to TeachSpecial Guest: Samantha Ortiz Whitelaw.

Jun 4, 2025 • 1h 9min
FEED DROP: Boundaries and Balance: Practical Solutions for Teacher Burnout
For our first feed drop of the summer, we'd love to share this episode of Teachers Talkin' with you! Teachers Talkin’ is a discussion-based podcast hosted by Dustin Tatroe and Ghazali Abdul-Wahab, focused on elevating conversations in education. Each episode features honest, reflective dialogue with educators from around the world on topics ranging from instructional practices and leadership to school culture and professional growth. The goal is to create a space for inspiration, challenge, and connection—where teachers and education leaders can explore what’s working, what’s not, and how we move forward together.
You can find the Teachers Talkin' Podcast on Spotify and Youtube, and you can subscribe in a podcast app here. Follow them on LinkedIn here

Jun 1, 2025 • 18min
Episode 241: Shortcast 201 - Increasing Student and Teacher Confidence
TR is joined by Megan Meachum to talk about how the MCP model benefited both herself and her students, and her plans for the coming school year.
Read a summary of the original episode on the Modern Classrooms Project blog.
Show Notes
Listen to the full version of this episode here
Remember, you can now listen to this episode (and all episodes) on Youtube!
Email Megan at megan.meachum@modernclassrooms.org
Learning Experiences for the Week of June 1st, 2025
Calling all school and district leaders! We are hosting a virtual Summer Summit on June 24th for leaders supporting Modern Classrooms educators. Leaders will learn practical skills from fellow leaders, attend workshops of their choice, and connect with the Modern Classrooms Project Leadership Collaborative community. Modern Classrooms co-founder Robert Barnett is our featured keynote speaker and will share insights from his book Meet Every Learner’s Needs alongside voices of students, educators, and leaders. We invite educators to share the summit with their leaders and invite leaders to register. Learn more and [register here](www.modernclassrooms.org/summit)
Want to start building your own Modern Classroom? Sign up for our summer Virtual Mentorship Program! From June 23rd - July 27th, work with one of our expert educators to build materials for your own classroom. We have scholarships all over the country so you can enroll for free if you teach in Chicago, Alabama, Oakland, LA, Minnesota, and more. To see if there’s an opportunity for you, check out modernclassrooms.org/apply-now
We are hosting two book clubs this summer! We are reading The Promises and Perils of AI in Education by Ken Shelton and Dee Lanier in June and The Identity-Conscious Educator by Liza Talusan in July. Look out for more details.
Stacey Snyder is presenting on Modernizing Instruction with Mastery Learning: Using Google for Education Tools at CREATE! 2025 on June 5 in Maumee, OH. Hui Couch is presenting on Empower Every Learner in Self-Paced, Blended, and Mastery-based Learning MCP Model at JCPS Academic Innovation Summit from June 3-5 in Louisville, KY. Kate Klug is presenting on Self-Pace: Letting Students Drive Their Learning at Dakota State University Teach Camp on June 6 virtually. Toni Rose Deanon will be attending Georgia Council for Exceptional Children Annual Conference from June 6-7 in Carrollton, GA. If you’re attending, make sure to check them out and say hi!
Contact us, follow us online, and learn more:
Email us questions and feedback at: podcast@modernclassrooms.org
Listen to this podcast on Youtube
Modern Classrooms: @modernclassproj on Twitter and facebook.com/modernclassproj
Kareem: @kareemfarah23 on Twitter
Toni Rose: @classroomflex on Twitter and Instagram
The Modern Classroom Project
Modern Classrooms Online Course
Take our free online course, or sign up for our mentorship program to receive personalized guidance from a Modern Classrooms mentor as you implement your own modern classroom!
The Modern Classrooms Podcast is edited by Zach Diamond: @zpdiamond on Twitter and Learning to TeachSpecial Guest: Megan Meachum.

May 25, 2025 • 44min
Episode 240: Hacking Assessments
TR is joined by Starr Sackstein to talk about how teachers can authentically innovate and disrupt in the realm of assessment.
Read a summary of this episode on the Modern Classrooms Project blog.
Show Notes
Starr Sackstein
Starr's book, Hacking Assessment
Starr and Alexandra Laing's new book, Solving School Challenges: The Everything Guide to Transformative Change
Starr's TED Talk
Starr's podcast, Learner Centered Spaces
Connect with Starr on LinkedIn
Learning Experiences for the Upcoming Week
Calling all school and district leaders! We are hosting a virtual Summer Summit on June 24th for leaders supporting Modern Classrooms educators. Leaders will learn practical skills from fellow leaders, attend workshops of their choice, and connect with the Modern Classrooms Project Leadership Collaborative community. Modern Classrooms co-founder Robert Barnett is our featured keynote speaker and will share insights from his book Meet Every Learner’s Needs alongside voices of students, educators, and leaders. We invite educators to share the summit with their leaders and invite leaders to register. Learn more and register here
Want to start building your own Modern Classroom? Sign up for our summer Virtual Mentorship Program! From June 23rd - July 27th, work with one of our expert educators to build materials for your own classroom. We have scholarships all over the country so you can enroll for free if you teach in Chicago, Alabama, Oakland, LA, Minnesota, and more. To see if there’s an opportunity for you, check out modernclassrooms.org/apply-now
We are hosting two book clubs this summer! We are reading The Promises and Perils of AI in Education by Ken Shelton and Dee Lanier in June and The Identity-Conscious Educator by Liza Talusan in July. Look out for more details.
Want to connect with other educators of color who are creating a more student-centered learning environment? Join our monthly Shades of Excellence meetup on Tuesday, May 27, 7pm ET. Register here
Contact us, follow us online, and learn more:
Email us questions and feedback at: podcast@modernclassrooms.org
Listen to this podcast on Youtube
Modern Classrooms: @modernclassproj on Twitter and facebook.com/modernclassproj
Kareem: @kareemfarah23 on Twitter
Toni Rose: @classroomflex on Twitter and Instagram
The Modern Classroom Project
Modern Classrooms Online Course
Take our free online course, or sign up for our mentorship program to receive personalized guidance from a Modern Classrooms mentor as you implement your own modern classroom!
The Modern Classrooms Podcast is edited by Zach Diamond: @zpdiamond on Twitter and Learning to TeachSpecial Guest: Starr Sackstein.

May 18, 2025 • 40min
Episode 239: Wavio
Guest host Aimee Yocom is joined by Dana Kravchick to talk about the Wavio Pulse tracker, developed specifically for MCP. They discuss how Wavio came to be, how it can be used in the classroom, and what the future holds for the platform.
Read a summary of this episode on the Modern Classrooms Project blog.
Show Notes
Wavio and The Wavio Pulse Tracker
Khan Lab School
Zach's tracker
Connect with Dana:
Email at dana@mywavio.com
Book a chat
Linkedin
Facebook
Learning Experiences for the Upcoming Week
Calling all school and district leaders! We are hosting a virtual Summer Summit on June 24th for leaders supporting Modern Classrooms educators. Leaders will learn practical skills from fellow leaders, attend workshops of their choice, and connect with the Modern Classrooms Project Leadership Collaborative community. Modern Classrooms co-founder Robert Barnett is our featured keynote speaker and will share insights from his book Meet Every Learner’s Needs alongside voices of students, educators, and leaders. We invite educators to share the summit with their leaders and invite leaders to register. Learn more and register here
Want to start building your own Modern Classroom? Sign up for our summer Virtual Mentorship Program! From June 23rd - July 27th, work with one of our expert educators to build materials for your own classroom. We have scholarships all over the country so you can enroll for free if you teach in LA, Oakland, Chicago, Minnesota, Alabama, and more. To see if there’s an opportunity for you, check out modernclassrooms.org/apply-now
We are hosting two book clubs this summer! We are reading The Promises and Perils of AI in Education by Ken Shelton and Dee Lanier in June and The Identity-Conscious Educator by Liza Talusan in July. Look out for more details.
Contact us, follow us online, and learn more:
Email us questions and feedback at: podcast@modernclassrooms.org
Listen to this podcast on Youtube
Modern Classrooms: @modernclassproj on Twitter and facebook.com/modernclassproj
Kareem: @kareemfarah23 on Twitter
Toni Rose: @classroomflex on Twitter and Instagram
The Modern Classroom Project
Modern Classrooms Online Course
Take our free online course, or sign up for our mentorship program to receive personalized guidance from a Modern Classrooms mentor as you implement your own modern classroom!
The Modern Classrooms Podcast is edited by Zach Diamond: @zpdiamond on Twitter and Learning to TeachSpecial Guests: Aimee Yocom and Dana Kravchick.