Rephonic
Artwork for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast

The ThoughtStretchers Podcast

ThoughtStretchers Education
Inquiry-Based Learning
Cognitive Load Theory
Cognitive Science
Education
Project-Based Learning
Critical Thinking
Equity In Education
Education Policy
Teaching Strategies
School Choice
Knowledge-Rich Curriculum
Dyslexia
Educational Research
Artificial Intelligence
Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives
Educational Equity
Explicit Instruction
Curriculum Design
Reading Education
Professional Development

Dialectic Conversations For Intellectually Rigorous Educators

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes461Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Education

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast

Latest Episodes

Drew Perkins is joined by Neal McCluskey to discuss his new book, Fighting for the Freedom to Learn. We move beyond the common narrative that school choice is a modern, free-market invention of the 1950s, instead tracing the historical roots of educa... more

In this episode, Drew Perkins is joined by Dr. Nathan Dolenc to unpack his recent critique of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), detailed in his report, Good Intentions, Bad Implementation. While acknowledging the positive intentions behin... more

In this episode, Drew Perkins talks with veteran high school math teacher and author Kristen Smith to discuss her evolution from a more traditional approach to math teaching, in the style of Teach Like a Champion, to one that might best be described ... more

Drew Perkins talks with Ron Noble, Chief of Teacher Prep at the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) to discuss the "Transforming Teacher Prep" initiative. We explore why pre-service training often misses the mark and how prioritizing clinical ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Ron Noble
Chief Teacher Prep at NCTQ
National Council for Teacher Quality
Episode: Transforming Teacher Prep
Michael Pershan
Math teacher in New York City; Substack author
Self-employed/Writer
Episode: Applying Cognitive Load Theory In The Classroom
Haili Hughes
Associate Professor at La Trobe University (Melbourne) and education thinker
La Trobe University
Episode: Education Tribalism, Research, & Practice
Mark Enser
Educator, former Ofsted National Geography Lead
Geography education/content creation
Episode: Synergizing Dialogue, Inquiry, and Cognitive Science for Powerful Knowledge Pedagogy
Christian Moore-Anderson
Returning guest; teacher in Spain and author of Teaching Meaning
Self-published/Independent educator
Episode: Teaching Meaning: Beyond "Just Tell Them"
Dylan Wiliam
Educator and researcher, associated with formative assessment work and Inside the Black Box
University/Educational research circles
Episode: Paul Black's Legacy of Assessment for learning
Chris Harrison
Educator at King's College London, PhD collaborations with Paul Black
King's College London
Episode: Paul Black's Legacy of Assessment for learning
Jo Boaler
Professor, Stanford University, PhD advisor through Paul Black's network
Stanford University
Episode: Paul Black's Legacy of Assessment for learning
James Moore
Author of Explain Yourself: Master the Art of Explanation in the Age of AI; writer for Veritasium
Veritasium; Uplearn
Episode: Show, Don't Just Tell: Explaining For Understanding

Host

Drew Perkins
Host of The ThoughtStretchers Podcast

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 52 ratings
  • Always insightful conversations!

    Drew is a good interviewer and has really interesting conversations. I highly recommend this podcast anyone that works in education!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Z Cress
    United States6 years ago
  • New Educator

    This was the first podcast that I listened to and what a wealth of knowledge and insight!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ambitious Blue
    United States7 years ago
  • Every Educator and Parent Needs to Listen

    Each conversation is filled with inspiration. If you are trying to teach your children what really matters and not just the material to pass tests, this podcast is a must!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bburtteaches
    United States8 years ago
  • Transforming education

    What a great podcast authentically changing education by providing valuable expertise in how to teach the 21st century learner!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AwesomeMontana
    United States8 years ago
  • Teacher

    I am a new teacher. It is my 3rd or 4th career. I teach in a private religious school. This podcast helped melearn about what isgoing on outside my school. It also exposed me to ideas on the cutting edge of education. Thank you

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NDCARMI
    United States10 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

- High-quality guests spanning researchers to practitioners, with practical takeaways.
- Positive, informative show for educators seeking evidence-based strategies.
- Thoughtful, insightful conversations with strong host interviewing.
- Clear, respectful debates about reform and pedagogy, with actionable ideas.
- Audience appreciates grounding in cognitive science and real-world classroom relevance.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Transforming Teacher Prep
Q: How important are early clinical experiences and what models exemplify this?
Early clinical experiences are essential for translating coursework into practice, with examples like Winston-Salem State University's tutoring-centered model showing how practice, reflection, and feedback loops drive course corrections and better preparation for modern classrooms.
Transforming Teacher Prep
Q: What is the core rationale behind Transforming Teacher Prep and what are the two main strands of work?
The core rationale is to tighten the alignment between teacher preparation and day-one expectations in classrooms, addressing slow change in teacher prep. The two strands are: (1) partnering with a small number of states to analyze and coach on policy landscapes to enable coherent state-level policy changes, and (2) cultivating innovation within teacher prep programs themselves, funding and supporting programs with smart ideas so those innovations can be scaled.
Applying Cognitive Load Theory In The Classroom
Q: How do you balance explicit instruction with inquiry in a typical math lesson?
I starting lesson with short problem-solving sequences, use mini whiteboards or coral responses for quick checks, and progressively introduce worked examples to level up students before applying concepts in more open-ended tasks.
Applying Cognitive Load Theory In The Classroom
Q: What sparked your initial interest in cognitive load theory, given your background in unconventional schooling?
I encountered CLT through online math education communities and criticisms, then deliberately engaged with the material to see what could be learned and applied in my classroom, eventually writing a piece and experimenting with worked examples to balance guidance and discovery.
Biologically Primary vs. Secondary Learning With David Geary
Q: What is the role of domain-general problem solving (fluid abilities) in education and its heritability?
Fluid problem-solving abilities are somewhat heritable and support learning across domains, but instruction can teach problem-solving approaches that are transferable, though not perfect transfer; educators should provide explicit strategies alongside opportunities to practice in multiple domains.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The ThoughtStretchers Podcast

What is The ThoughtStretchers Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Thought-provoking conversations centered on education, pedagogy, and cognitive science drive practical insights for educators, administrators, and edtech professionals. Episodes frequently explore teacher preparation, formative assessment, cognitive load theory, inquiry-based learning, and the translation of research into classroom practice. Guests tend to be researchers, policy advocates, and seasoned educators who share concrete strategies, classroom realities, and reform-minded perspectives. The show frequently threads in questions of how to balance foundational knowledge with inquiry, how to scale evidence-informed approaches, and how to leverage technology and policy to improve learning outcomes. A standout throughline is a commitment ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The ThoughtStretchers Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The ThoughtStretchers Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The ThoughtStretchers Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The ThoughtStretchers Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The ThoughtStretchers Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The ThoughtStretchers Podcast:

1. Chalk & Talk
2. Science of Reading: The Podcast
3. The Knowledge Matters Podcast
4. The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast
5. Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ® | Science of Reading for Teachers

How many episodes of The ThoughtStretchers Podcast are there?

The ThoughtStretchers Podcast launched 11 years ago and published 461 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The ThoughtStretchers Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The ThoughtStretchers Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The ThoughtStretchers Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The ThoughtStretchers Podcast?

Recent guests on The ThoughtStretchers Podcast include:

1. Ron Noble
2. Michael Pershan
3. Haili Hughes
4. Mark Enser
5. Christian Moore-Anderson
6. Dylan Wiliam
7. Chris Harrison
8. Jo Boaler

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days