Teachers are burned out and continue to leave the profession in droves. One of the biggest challenges is that there’s so much out of our control as educators that we struggle to cope. Even before COVID wreaked havoc on our world, there was little we could do to control what happened in our day-to-day lives. What if we just let go of what we can’t control and instead focus on what is within our power? That’s the mindset behind this week’s podcast episode with Ryan Racine, author of The Stoic Teac...
Aug 09, 2022•39 min
In the U.S., we say we’re growing global citizens, but are we really? Being a global citizen means that we’re willing to have uncomfortable conversations, we are willing to see others’ points of view, and we’re cooperative across borders about global events. It’s interesting to look at how other countries’ educational systems operate and believe that we can all learn so much from one another. This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Brantley Turner, the founding American principal at Shanghai ...
Aug 02, 2022•44 min
It might seem like there’s no correlation between recent Supreme Court rulings and what happens in our public schools. But that’s not the case at all, especially if you look at potential translations of decisions down the road. There’s a new ideology in the Supreme Court, one that has leaders on both sides of the political aisle perking up. On one side, decisions are being handed down that are changing the fabric of our society; on the other side, they’re scrambling to highlight implications and...
Jul 26, 2022•35 min
We forget that in order for teachers to teach materials, they need to know how to use them. Most teachers today don’t have any experience with robotics or computer science, so how can we expect them to teach these skills to our students? There’s a lot of talk about ensuring that curriculum is inclusive, but we forget about the teachers. Sure there are computer science teachers out there who can teach those higher-level classes where true expertise is necessary. But the curriculum is not inclusiv...
Jul 19, 2022•40 min
Language development isn’t worksheets and passive listening, especially when it comes to language delays and struggling students. After a traumatic brain injury, guest Emily Cadiz learned first-hand how difficult it is to get back language skills, much less learn them in the first place. Our pre-kindergarten children spend up to 4.5 hours a day in front of a screen, impairing their ability to use their language skills. The result is kindergarteners and primary school students who are far behind ...
Jul 12, 2022•32 min
As educators, you know that kids need independence. And yet, many our youth graduate from high school having never had to take responsibility for getting themselves up on time, fixing themselves a meal, or scheduling an appointment on their own. Our kids are being raised in a bubble where parents (and sometimes educators) do it all for them, for fear kids might fail at something. We’re doing our kids a disservice if we don’t back off and give them the power and independence they need to live a f...
Jul 05, 2022•43 min
We assume our children will organically learn how to organize their thoughts and belongings, be able to manage their time, and more. Not true. In fact, if you thought about it, you’d realize that you struggle with this too. We must teach these executive functioning (EF) skills to our children. In doing so, we can transform their family and school experience. This week on the podcast, I’m joined by Sean McCormick, who was inspired to teach and coach executive functioning to empower parents and te...
Jun 28, 2022•34 min
Neurodivergent students often get pulled out of classrooms and taught separately because they are “different.” Well, we’re all a little bit different. Does that mean we should all be taught in silos? Not a chance. There’s an inclusive program in the Seattle area that’s supporting our colorful, mismatched students in a unique way that can help them on and off the stage. Youth are learning through theater and improvisation. This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Lauren Marshall, director of Th...
Jun 21, 2022•35 min
How do we know if our children are digesting what we’re teaching? We give them assessments! And if you’ve ever stepped into a traditional classroom in the U.S., this could mean many things. Often it means large, summative assessments at the end of a unit or school year to determine what the students have retained. Sadly, this type of assessment is ineffective, for more reasons than I can begin to explain. But I sure try in this episode! There are many ways to assess student learning, aside from ...
Jun 14, 2022•17 min
Many of us go into our fields because we’re inspired by someone who supported us as youth or we see something that we want to fix. For Vanessa Castañeda Gill, this week’s guest, it was something else. She wanted to fix herself. After a neurodivergent diagnosis at 14, then hiding that diagnosis from everyone but her family for more than six years, Vanessa was looking for a way to be successful. She had heard so many stories about those with a similar diagnosis that she tried to fit that mold. Thr...
Jun 07, 2022•30 min
We recently hosted our second annual EdActive Collective summit to help support a learner-centered, equitable learning environment for all children. With the help of a fantastic list of trailblazing educational and industry leaders, attendees heard from experts on topics that helped to reimagine education models, apply neuroscience to learning, raise youth activists, support leaders through this challenging time, and so much more. This week on the podcast, I’m sharing some of my own biggest take...
May 31, 2022•18 min
We know that kids learn best when they’re interested in the curriculum. But our traditional model leaves a lot to be desired. Prescribed curriculum regurgitated in front of a classroom full of quietly sitting children is not the way to interest those children. Instead, we need kids to be involved. We need them to forge their own paths and learn through inquiry. That’s exactly how School Lane Charter School in Bensalem, Pennsylvania operates. And the school is on the cutting edge of finding new w...
May 24, 2022•42 min
We’ve all learned so much from the pandemic, and school leaders and superintendents are no exception. In addition, things that we knew from being inside the schools have been spotlighted to the public, thanks to social media and the news media. While that might be good for conversations around change, there’s still a lot to unpack and many hurdles and red tape to get around. This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Doug Roberts, an educational consultant who works with education entrepreneurs ...
May 17, 2022•35 min
Being a parent is hard. Being a parent of a child who will one day graduate from high school and have to make decisions about what to do next is even more difficult. And they’re one and the same. In the United States, we live in a tragedy of student loan debt. According to Investopedia , Americans hold about $1.75 trillion in student loan debt. And while the government debates on whether to forgive some of that debt or continue to defer it, our youth continue to apply for student loans. It’s tim...
May 10, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Too many educational systems determine the success or failure of students based on just a few assessments. Assessments that don’t have a clear goal or purpose, aside from measuring what children can memorize and regurgitate back. This week on the podcast, we’re talking about going beyond those assessments and looking at the purpose of assessments and creating a system that’s relevant, equitable, and student-driven. Kristine Hadeed of Beyond Multiple Choice is sharing her personal perspective as ...
May 03, 2022•43 min
We spend so much time worrying about whether students will engage with the curriculum that we forget a really important part of the equation. Yes, students need to be interested. But what about the teachers? If the curriculum isn’t easy to navigate and fun to use, teachers aren’t likely to utilize all the tools and resources available. And that means the students will miss out too. At the same time, sometimes the more open and flexible the curriculum is, the more challenging it is for students. ...
Apr 26, 2022•33 min
The ease with which we can travel and connect with others across the globe is mind-blowing, when you think about how people traveled and communicated just a generation or two ago. But yet, in some of the lower-income communities in the U.S., people often live and work within a 10-block radius. That means the children of these communities have their worlds limited to these confines too. That’s what makes what Dr. Naomi Johnson-Booker even more extraordinary. This week on the podcast, Dr. Booker i...
Apr 19, 2022•48 min
We’re all fatigued. Even with schools and businesses opening back up, we’re still so stuck in our pandemic and pre-pandemic ways. Hopefully everyone has learned a thing or two about what it looks like to educate our youth, because it’s clear that things need to change. That’s why a group of dedicated education activists joined me last year in forming the EdActive Collective. We’re determined to create a different landscape for our learners and knew that in order to maintain momentum, we needed t...
Apr 12, 2022•12 min
“Think Tanks” became popular in the 1960s, and even more so in the 1980s as a way for experts to research and develop ideas for policy and change. But if we spend all our time thinking instead of taking action, what good are we doing? This week on the podcast, Don Soifer and Ashley Campbell of Nevada Action for School Options are sharing how their Action Tank is actually doing the work. What if we focused on meeting each individual students’ needs, instead of trying to fit kids into a prescribed...
Apr 05, 2022•41 min
Kids need to feel that their passions and ideas matter. Unfortunately, our system is set up to mold kids into who we want them to be. Schools are guilty of this and even well-meaning parents are guilty of it. We have our own versions of success in our minds and trying to steer children on our path is setting them up for failure and for feeling unseen. This week on the podcast, Luthern Williams is sharing how his school, New Roads School, is doing things differently. And he proves that small, pri...
Mar 29, 2022•43 min
Schools try to help and support families with neurodiverse learners, but there’s not a lot of wiggle room for anyone who doesn’t fit into the “normal” box. What schools don’t acknowledge is that no two kids will ever be the same or learn in the same way. It’s the parents’ responsibility to advocate for their children and to help (kindly) educate schools, teachers, and other parents about how their child navigates the world. Our system is setting kids up for failure, and that’s the last thing our...
Mar 22, 2022•41 min
We teach children that everyone is special and unique; everyone is different. So why is it that we don’t model for kids how to embrace those differences in school? Instead, we expect children to conform to the way “normal” children should learn and develop. Instead of labeling children with diagnoses, which generally only serve to fund resources, we should embrace the differences of everyone. According to this week’s guest, Dr. Bibi Pirayesh, disability is the social justice issue of ableism. Li...
Mar 15, 2022•40 min
How hopeful do you feel about the future? Does it show in your interactions with youth? I think we can all use a healthy dose of hope these days, but we’re not talking about it enough. We look at the events of the world today and we stay quiet, feeling like we need to grin and bear it. That’s not true. If you’re struggling, others are struggling. And our youth need to hear stories of love, compassion, and hope. It’s our responsibility as educators to do just that. This week on the podcast, I’m j...
Mar 08, 2022•40 min
One of the biggest disservices we do to our youth is to expect them to graduate from high school knowing what they’re going to do in their future without giving them any guidance or help in figuring that out. Instead, we need to support their passions and interests while encouraging them to put together their own narrative of success. Because success looks different for everyone. That story they tell can prepare them for what happens after high school and, even better, they’ll be ready for it. T...
Mar 01, 2022•46 min
Does a high school diploma make kids ready for the workforce? The answer is no. Sure, they have knowledge of history and geography. But high schools don’t teach the relevant, saleable skills that graduates can take to the workforce. Students either have to go to college or learn a skill. What if our youth learned a skill in high school? A skill that got them ready for work and that they actually wanted to learn about? That’s the idea behind West-MEC, a career and technical education district in ...
Feb 22, 2022•52 min
We don’t build houses without first laying a solid foundation. So why do we expect children to learn without first making sure they feel safe and secure? COVID has been a complex trauma for us all, yet we’re pushing on rather than taking the time to process the information and being mindful of what students (and teachers!) are experiencing. Because if students aren’t regulated, they cannot process academic content. On this episode, Dr. Kristen Miller of With Heart Project is sharing her research...
Feb 15, 2022•38 min
Teachers are (still!) not okay, and that’s coming straight from the mouth of a teacher. The pandemic continues, and teachers continue to struggle with making the impact they went into the profession to make. The result is a lot of burnout and frustration, a lot of complaining (from teachers, students, administrators, parents), and a mass exodus of teachers leaving the profession. This week’s guest is not one of those teachers. In fact, he’s a teacher on a mission to help others get back to thems...
Feb 08, 2022•41 min
With schools struggling to stay open between COVID and teachers leaving the profession in droves we definitely need some wisdom and inspiration in the field of education right now. Who out there is moving learning forward? And what is giving us hope? If we’re going to make it through this challenging time in history, actively searching for and reflecting on lessons and hope is going to be crucial. Otherwise, we’ll find ourselves right back where we were before the pandemic. And while we’re not i...
Feb 01, 2022•19 min
Anyone can create change, so long as they have the heart and drive for it. This week’s guest is a model for this. Not liking what she saw in education, Monique Sayers looked inward and got to work. She gathered a community of other passionate change agents and co-authored a book of resources, stories, and insights that they hope will transform education to become the highest good of all. In our interview, we talk about bringing the “woo woo” into education--because love shouldn’t be brushed off....
Jan 25, 2022•32 min
So much of what we do in education is based around “getting through the curriculum” and checking off skills that students have “mastered.” It’s safe to say that this isn’t working, and it frankly never has. Every child is different and every child learns at a different rate. The notion that you can teach concepts in a string of ideas and that students will latch onto them in order is archaic. There’s a different way to approach teaching and learning and this week’s guest, Catherine Saldutti of E...
Jan 18, 2022•45 min
