Join Mihai Covaser as he recaps and summarizes the most important lessons from Season 3 of Help Teach, with a focus on the vital importance of attitudes and mentality. Thank you for another amazing year of engagement, from all around the world! We can't wait to bring you more inspiring stories and helpful lessons with a new sound from a new team of volunteers. Thank you for listening, and I'll see you next time! Help Teach Discord community Get in touch at helpteachpodcast@gmail.com....
Jul 25, 2025•23 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In this episode, we explain the "accessibility Spidey-sense" that often accompanies life as a disability advocate or ally and how we can more effectively share the work of learning together in the classroom. Join Mihai and Talina Papazian as they discuss allyship, advocacy, and the variety of hats disabled and non-disabled people wear in pursuit of a more accessible community. They break down the "sixth sense" for inaccessible environments that advocates often develop, discuss different lenses a...
Jun 27, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this special milestone episode, Help Teach goes international as we explore the power of our own attitudes in shaping our disability experience. Join Mihai and Andrew Gadd as they discuss the foundational role of educators in shaping the personal perceptions and attitudes that young people with disabilities carry into their adult lives. We often talk about the obstacles created by others' judgment, but our own beliefs - shaped by our families, role models, and peers - can seriously inhibit us...
May 30, 2025•29 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In this long-awaited return episode, we take a deep dive into user experience design, digital platforms, and accessibility in the modern age. Join Mihai and Valérie Chabot as they discuss the important role user experience design experts play in creating intuitive and accessible websites and apps for everyone to enjoy. Together, they bridge the gap between the digital world and the classroom to highlight the impact that "agility" can have on educators looking for the best ways to accommodate the...
May 02, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In this episode, we take a trip down memory lane to highlight the vital role that an arts-infused education can play in a young student's life. Discover how we can all foster inclusion and excellence through the arts together heart-warming episode. Happy holidays! Join Mihai and John McMahon as they reminisce on old times and tell inspiring stories of students whose lives were forever changed after being enabled to take an active role in their early education through the arts. This discussion on...
Dec 13, 2024•37 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this episode, we dissect the nuts and bolts of inclusive playgrounds, from funding to construction, and discuss the importance of both free play and universal design for young people of all abilities. Join Mihai and Melissa as they explain how crucial inclusive (not "accessible"!) playground equipment can be for young learners. They offer recommendations for teachers on how to help advocate for, fund, and construct these structures so that as many students as possible can have the experience ...
Nov 15, 2024•28 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this episode, we explore a program designed to make dreams come true for young people with disabilities in Nova Scotia and talk about why new experiences are crucial for developing self-confidence in the classroom and beyond. Thank you Dimitri and Darren for your amazing work! Join Mihai and Payton as they bring you the story of Payton's experience with Dream Wings, a program that gives Nova Scotian youths with disabilities the gift of flight. They dive into how life-changing it can be to hav...
Aug 23, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 14
In this episode, we answer the question, "What lessons can Canada learn from around the world to improve its accessibility landscape?" We explore the idea that our attitudes may do more heavy lifting than we think in making our environments more accessible. Join Mihai and Maggie as they compare notes about their experiences with accessibility abroad. On their conversational voyage, they pass by mobile, visual, and auditory obstacles typically found in countries older than Canada as well as the b...
Jul 26, 2024•29 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In this episode, we respond to our previous conversation on the proper role of support staff in the school system and ask a Certified Educational Assistant (CEA) about her views and experiences. Join Mihai and Delrene Stade as they discuss the difficulties of working as a CEA/EA in various school districts, including a lack of administrative engagement and proper training for new support staff. They then turn the conversation to how the school system and training regime might be improved, to the...
May 31, 2024•32 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this episode, we trace the multi-faceted experience of life with cerebral palsy through the stages of education and into the professional world and workforce. Join Mihai, Marco Pasqua, Payton Given, and Lucy Diaz as they discuss the experience of life with cerebral palsy (CP) in Canada as it relates to education and work. They trace the outline of the life of a CP advocate through elementary school, high school, post-secondary and into the labour force, with special attention to the value of ...
Mar 29, 2024•59 min•Season 2Ep. 11
In this episode, we discuss the role of Educational Assistants and the value of accounting for some extra time in the classroom to support a variety of students and their needs. Join Mihai and Jordan Lowe as they discuss the formative role of Educational Assistants (EAs) in the Canadian public school system and their personal experiences with educational support. They touch on patience, compassion, collaboration, and the idea of leaving extra time in the day to ensure that students don't feel pr...
Feb 23, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Join Mihai Covaser on a trip back through 2023 to learn a bit more about the "why?" behind the show and reflect on the past, present, and future of Help Teach. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Dec 26, 2023•27 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In this episode, we discuss the concept of collaborative inclusion and how the classroom benefits from open doors to conversation between students, teachers, and parents. Join Mihai and Kyla Bresch as they discuss the concept of collaborative inclusion, drawing on personal stories of well-adapted classrooms and the benefits of collaboration to achieve accessible ends. Together, they highlight the importance of building bridges and opening doors to students, parents, and other school staff member...
Oct 20, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In this episode, we discuss the intersection of public and alternative forms of education and lessons that teachers can learn to supplement their accessibility plan in the classroom. Join Mihai and Aaron Wang as they discuss alternative forms of education, such as online and private schooling, and what public school teachers can learn from these programs to make their classrooms more accessible. They also touch on the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky and how teachers can implement his ideas to ...
Sep 22, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 7
In this episode, we discuss the value of musical education in practicing self-expression and how social justice, music, and education can all intersect in the lives of young learners. Join Mihai and renowned concert violinist and accessibility advocate Adrian Anantawan as they discuss the benefits of musical education for students with disabilities. They describe three key components of inclusive education - space, tools, and attitudes - and share personal stories of advocacy and music in their ...
Jul 21, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In this episode, we celebrate one year of Help Teach! Enjoy this long-form recap and universal takeaway from all of our co-leads. Thank you all for your incredible support so far! Join Mihai, Maggie, Élise, and Payton as they summarize the progression of Help Teach over the past year. They discuss what they have been up to over the past few months, where the show is heading next, and how audience members can become more involved. Finally, they give advice on how to best approach members of the d...
Jun 23, 2023•46 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In this episode, we showcase a new inclusive initiative for school-age children in the Okanagan Valley and discuss some of the elements that make advocacy successful. Join Mihai and Melissa Grassmick as they discuss Julia's Junction, a new accessible playground initiative for the city of West Kelowna. They dive into what made this project so successful and what helped Melissa and her daughter Julia navigate elementary school so far, ensuring Julia's inclusion despite the obstacles in their path....
May 26, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In this episode, we discuss the intersection between disability advocacy and environmental activism and how students can be better supported as they seek to participate in their areas of passion. Join Mihai, Isabel Huang, and Élise Doucet as they discuss their journies in disability advocacy and environmental activism. They discuss what it means to support many causes at once, where barriers can arise, and how teachers can best empower students to become holistic individuals and invested communi...
Mar 31, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In this episode, we discuss the academic concerns surrounding non-verbal students, advocacy on behalf of someone else, and a specific challenge in the built environment: washrooms. Join Mihai and Lucy Diaz as they explain the physical and academic challenges that come with navigating the school system as a person with severe cerebral palsy and a lack of verbal communication capacity. They elaborate on what advocacy can mean in different contexts, such as for people without lived experience, and ...
Mar 03, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In this episode, we discuss para-sport, the Paralympics, and how young athletes can participate in sports in their communities regardless of their disabilities. Join Mihai and Dr. Jaimie Borisoff as they continue their chat by answering a fan question about para-sport and the Paralympics. They explain how the Paralympics rank their athletes, how to differentiate between the Special Olympics and the Paralympics, and how an aspiring athlete might end up participating in para-sport at different lev...
Feb 10, 2023•22 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this episode, we discuss the challenges unique to parenting with a disability and how schools can be more welcoming not only to their students but to the parents of those students, as well. Join Mihai and Dr. Jaimie Borisoff as they chat about what it's like to be a parent and a wheelchair user in Canada, including the struggle of dealing with an inaccessible school and a reluctant school board. They touch on playgrounds, restaurants, and more as they explore the attitudes surrounding disable...
Jan 30, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Join Mihai Covaser and James Kwinecki as they discuss blindness and vision impairment and the various challenges that these pose, historically and in the modern day. They explain technology for blindness, its progress over time, and how it can be implemented in the classroom, as well as the pros and cons of entering the world of disability at a later age in life, rather than having a disability from birth or school age. VoiceOver by Apple...
Jan 02, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Join Mihai Covaser and Maggie Manning as they give their perspectives on the importance of exposure to different forms of disability advocacy for those looking to become allies to the cause of accessibility and inclusion. They share some personal stories, dig into the frustration that people often feel when faced with the seemingly insurmountable obstacles to accessibility in the world today, and tackle a divisive question: what does take to be part of the disability community? English IDPwD Web...
Dec 05, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Join Mihai Covaser and Amarinder Mehta as they discuss what it means to be at once an educator, a parent, and a person with disabilities and how those varied experiences translate into the classroom setting. They break apart the role of the teacher into three key components - the teacher as an advocate/activist, the teacher as a caretaker, and the teacher as a learner - and provide resources for educators to familiarize themselves with the idea of lifelong learning. Bias Assessment Tool Learning...
Nov 07, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Join Mihai Covaser and Tybie Elenko as they discuss the obstacles faced by students with challenges that extend beyond the mobile, visual, and auditory. They illuminate the often misunderstood case of the gifted learner, describe their experiences with forced conformity, and provide a key takeaway so that teachers can support all students as they work together to maximize student potential. SAGE BC Rick Hansen Resource Library Rick Hansen - Create an Inclusive School Year Rick Hansen Supplementa...
Oct 10, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Join Mihai Covaser and Élise Doucet as they discuss the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its implications for disabled youths in the classroom. They discuss articles pertaining to discrimination, disability rights, and education to encourage students to advocate for quality schooling and educators to help their students do so. UNICEF Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Landing Page UNCRC Full Text UNCRC Child-Friendly Text Resources and Research on the UNCRC UNE...
Sep 12, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Join Mihai Covaser and Alexis Holmgren as they discuss the benefits of invitations to communicate in the classroom. They discuss the experience of missing opportunities for learning and travel due to discrimination against their disabilities and how teachers and students can encourage an environment of mutual growth through simple, regular check-ins in the classroom. Moodle.org Information on Google Classroom...
Aug 15, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Join Mihai Covaser, Maggie Manning, Élise Doucet, Payton Given, and Alexis Holmgren as they tie off the opening of this community audio project with a collaborative episode. They discuss the experience of being forced to miss school due to a lack of accommodations, cover how the media tends to portray living with a disability, and drive home the message that the story of each individual is unique and crucial to guiding a successful educational journey. From all of us, thank you for your support ...
Jul 18, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Join Mihai Covaser and Stephanie Spies as they discuss teaching in high-needs environments, collaboration in the classroom, and the pressure under which educators are placed to provide for all of their students. Mihai and Stephanie cover human and material resources, teamwork, and communication as key factors in the fight for accessible Canadian classrooms.
Jul 04, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Join Mihai Covaser and Alexis Holmgren as they discuss what it's like to live with rare diseases and disabilities, the enforcement of accommodations in education (or the lack thereof), and attitudinal barriers in place for youths with disabilities in education. Mihai and Alexis explain how public and online schooling treat disabilities differently and muddy the waters of Individual Education Plans in Canada before leaving teachers with a takeaway about helping students achieve their maximum pote...
Jun 27, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 4
