Big Little Lessons

In this summer revisit, Jenny and Kristine welcome Lisa Konstandt back to continue their conversation about flexibility, resilience, and navigating change.

Lisa shares that flexibility is not simply about changing plans—it is about loosening expectations, accepting our emotions, and learning to adjust when life unfolds differently than we imagined.

The conversation explores why the transition from a busy school year into summer can feel surprisingly difficult. Our brains become accustomed to structure and routine, so slowing down may take time. For children, especially neurodivergent children, creating a predictable summer rhythm can help ease the transition.

Lisa also encourages listeners to let go of the pressure to “do it all” over the summer and instead ask, “What do I need right now?” She reminds us that rest, flexibility, and self-care are practices we can carry with us throughout the entire year.

Flexibility never ends. Life will always ask us to adjust, so learning to “make friends with flexibility” helps us move forward instead of getting stuck.

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

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In this joyful revisit, Jenny and Kristine welcome back their friend and colleague, James Calvert, to share more of the funny, unpredictable, and unforgettable moments that happen in schools. Drawing from their years in the classroom—as well as James’s recent experiences as a substitute teacher and summer art teacher—they reflect on the students whose personalities, questions, and unexpected comments continue to make them laugh.

Together, they celebrate the beautiful chaos of working with children and the importance of slowing down long enough to notice the humor, connection, and wonder hidden inside an ordinary school day. Because the moments that do not go according to plan often become the stories we remember—and treasure—the most.

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

https://www.instagram.com/teachbiglittlelessons/

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What happens when a father steps away from a demanding career and becomes the primary caregiver for his two children?

In this episode, Jenny and Kristine sit down with Michael Bradley for an honest, thoughtful, and often humorous conversation about life as a stay-at-home dad. Michael reflects on the many labels people have used to describe his role, the assumptions that still surround fathers who serve as primary caregivers, and the confidence and curiosity that helped him embrace a path he never necessarily expected.

Michael also shares how he and his wife, Sally, have built a strong partnership while navigating the demands of parenting, household responsibilities, and Sally’s career as the full-time working parent. Together, they have learned to appreciate the different pressures each carries and to recognize that providing for a family can take many forms.

From identity and marriage to caregiving, gender roles, and the everyday work of raising children, Michael’s story invites us to reconsider what it means to be a provider—and reminds us that there is no single right way to build a meaningful family life.

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

https://www.instagram.com/teachbiglittlelessons/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Travel has a way of waking us up. It invites us to slow down, look more closely, step outside our routines, and rediscover a sense of wonder.

In this episode, Jenny and Kristine reflect on the big little lessons that emerge when we leave the familiar behind and experience new places, people, cultures, and ways of living. They share stories from recent travels, the moments that surprised them, and the ways a journey can stretch our perspective—even when plans change, the weather doesn’t cooperate, or things don’t unfold exactly as expected.

But wonder doesn’t have to end when the trip does. Jenny and Kristine also explore how we can bring that same curiosity, openness, and attentiveness back into our daily routines at home. By noticing what is around us, trying something new, asking better questions, and resisting the urge to move through life on autopilot, even ordinary days can become opportunities for discovery.

From remaining curious and flexible to appreciating beauty, connection, and the comforts of home, this conversation is a reminder that travel is about much more than the destination. The lessons we gather along the way can help us return home more present, grateful, openhearted, and awake to the wonder already around us.

Viator

Trip Advisor

Backroads Travel

Get Your Guide

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

https://www.instagram.com/teachbiglittlelessons/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Big Little Lessons, Jenny and Kristine sit down with Jan Weiss for a thoughtful conversation about staying curious, trying new things, and continuing to move forward through life’s many seasons. Jan reminds us that growth does not stop at a certain age or stage — and that being open, flexible, and willing to begin again can lead to unexpected opportunities, deeper self-understanding, and renewed purpose.

Together, they explore what it means to step outside of what is familiar, listen to where life may be leading, and approach change with curiosity rather than fear. This conversation is a gentle encouragement to keep learning, keep stretching, and stay open to what’s next.

Jan’s Recommendations:

Skirball Cultural Center (book club option)

An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

https://www.instagram.com/teachbiglittlelessons/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Endings are never just endings. Whether it’s the last day of school, saying goodbye to a season of life, watching children grow, or stepping into something new, transitions often hold both grief and gratitude.

In this episode of Big Little Lessons, Jenny and Kristine reflect on the bittersweet nature of goodbyes and new beginnings. Drawing from years in the classroom and life beyond it, they talk about why closure matters, how rituals help children and adults process change, and how even tender endings can make room for growth, hope, and what comes next.

Because sometimes the biggest lessons come when we pause long enough to honor where we’ve been before moving forward.

The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

https://www.instagram.com/teachbiglittlelessons/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this inspiring episode, Jenny and Kristine sit down with Lucy Martin, Director of Development for the Children's Literacy Project, to discuss the life-changing impact of literacy and why reading is one of the greatest gifts we can give a child. Lucy shares how her organization is working to address America's literacy crisis through storytelling, advocacy, volunteer engagement, and community partnerships.

The conversation explores the far-reaching effects of literacy on education, opportunity, confidence, and lifelong success. Lucy also discusses the powerful documentaries Sentenced and Moonshot, which shine a light on both the challenges facing struggling readers and the communities working together to create meaningful change. Throughout the episode, listeners are reminded that improving literacy is not just the responsibility of schools—it's something all of us can support through awareness, encouragement, and action.

About Lucy Martin

Lucy Martin is the Director of Development for the Children's Literacy Project and a passionate advocate for improving childhood literacy. Through storytelling, community engagement, and documentary filmmaking, she helps raise awareness about the literacy crisis in America and inspires individuals and organizations to become part of the solution.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Southern Surge Article

How to Build a Brain video

Love to Learn by Isabelle Hau

D.E. Stevenson Website

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

https://www.instagram.com/teachbiglittlelessons/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this heartfelt and humorous conversation, Jenny and Kristine sit down with author, podcaster, and creator of Modern Mom Probs, Tara Clark, to talk about the realities of modern motherhood. Through honest stories, relatable parenting moments, and plenty of laughter, Tara shares how a simple Instagram account grew into a thriving community that reminds parents they are not alone.

Together, they explore the pressures facing today's moms, the impact of social media, the power of vulnerability, and why perfection is never the goal. Tara reflects on the lessons she's learned through parenting, marriage, creativity, and showing up consistently for over a decade. This conversation is a refreshing reminder that connection often grows in the very moments we wish had gone differently.

Whether you're raising young children, navigating a new season of parenting, or simply trying to give yourself a little more grace, this episode offers encouragement, honesty, and the comforting reminder that the messy moments are often the most meaningful.

Connect with Tara Clark

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

https://www.instagram.com/teachbiglittlelessons/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amelie Redivo joins Jenny and Kristine for a heartfelt conversation about healing, identity, faith, and redefining what it truly means to be strong. As a professional dancer, fitness instructor, holistic health coach, and model, Amelie shares her deeply personal journey through an eating disorder and exercise compulsion—and the turning point that helped her move from striving and self-punishment toward compassion, balance, and self-worth.

Grounded in her Christian faith and supported by her family, Amelie reflects on learning to see herself not through performance or appearance, but as “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Together, the conversation explores body image, comparison, mental wellness, healthy movement, and the powerful connection between physical and emotional health.

Amelie also shares how her own healing journey now shapes the way she coaches others—with empathy, encouragement, and a focus on empowerment rather than perfection. This episode is a meaningful reminder that true strength often begins not with control… but with grace toward ourselves.

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

https://www.instagram.com/teachbiglittlelessons/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode Summary:

What if the way children learn about food in their earliest years quietly shapes their health for a lifetime? In this thoughtful and informative conversation, Jenny and Kristine sit down with Dr. Mona Misra, a nationally recognized bariatric and metabolic surgeon, to explore how families can build healthier relationships with food, movement, and overall wellness—without shame, perfection, or obsession over appearance.

Dr. Misra shares her personal journey into medicine, her passion for helping patients transform their health, and her belief that obesity should be understood as a complex chronic disease rather than a personal failure. Together, the conversation explores the powerful role early childhood habits play in lifelong health, how emotional patterns and food triggers develop, and practical ways families can create sustainable routines centered around nourishment, awareness, and balance.

With compassion and clarity, Dr. Misra offers realistic strategies for parents and adults alike—reminding listeners that small, consistent changes can create lasting impact, and that seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Dr. Mona Misra Website

We welcome your feedback. Please email us at [email protected]

Out of respect for our students, we want to note that while the stories we share are real, names have been changed for anonymity. In fact, every student we mention is named “Charlie.” We use that name as a way to honor privacy while still sharing authentic classroom experiences.

https://www.instagram.com/teachbiglittlelessons/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.