Classroom Matters

As both a public and private school teacher and a homeschool mom, Kristen Schindler has had over twenty years of experience with teaching and learning. In her most current role as a published author and educational consultant she is able to connect with people and truly listen to the stories they have to share. Join Kristen as she sits down with host Kristy Houle to chat about her book All the Things and what she is doing to help new homeschool families get a stress-free start to the new school year.

Michael Desparrios is no stranger to the world of education.  As a former special education teacher and a special education consultant and coordinator he has seen firsthand the challenges teachers and parents sometimes face with understanding, and empathy for each other in times of trouble.  In Michael’s current role as the Leader of Educational Initiatives for the Our Community Listens organization, he develops and train participants in the field of listening, non-verbal behaviors, and healing broken relationships.  Join Kristy Houle as she chats with Michael about the program and her own experience with the 3-day training.

In this episode of Classroom Matters join host Kristy Houle as she wraps up a three-part series with Heather Forbes, the owner of the Beyond Consequences Institute.  In the last episode of this series Heather discusses how the pandemic and civil unrest around the nation have increased the need for a trauma-informed approach.

In the second part of our three part series with Heather Forbes we dive into teacher buy-in and how to create change in the school environment.  Heather is an expert in the field of trauma-informed care and is the owner of the Beyond Consequences Institute which works to help educators and parents take a trauma-informed approach with students.  Join Kristy Houle as she chats with Heather and takes a deeper look into teacher implementation of the trauma-informed approach.

Chuck Alphin has been a vital part of the St. Louis community for decades and now his dedication to keeping the community safe is stronger than ever.  As the regional director of the O’Fallon Boys and Girls Club and an intregral part of the Kingian Nonviolence philosophy  Chuck spends his time delivering and emulating a message of support and love.  Join host Kristy Houle as she chats with Chuck about the role of the Boys and Girls Club this summer and how the Kingian Nonviolence movement is needed now more than ever.

Heather Forbes is one of the nation's leading experts in the world of Trauma-Informed Education and has been a catalyst for the positive changes in school districts across the country.  As the owner of the Beyond Consequences Institute, Heather has worked for over 20 years helping to educate both teachers and parents in the area of using a trauma-informed approach to help student's academic and behavioral health.  Join host Kristy Houle as she starts this three part series with Heather to discuss the building blocks of the Beyond Consequences approach and how we can become better equipped to face upcoming challenges in the educational system.

Education shifted tremendously when the pandemic hit the nation in early March.  Many parents were instantly thrown into the educator role and students had to learn a new normal quickly.  Join host Kristy Houle as she talks about the differences between isolated learning and homeschooling.  In both segments you will hear Kristy talk about the foundation of each and strategies for dealing with both types of learning.

Education shifted tremendously when the pandemic hit the nation in early March.  Many parents were instantly thrown into the educator role and students had to learn a new normal quickly.  Join host Kristy Houle as she talks about the differences between isolated learning and homeschooling.  In both segments you will hear Kristy talk about the foundation of each and strategies for dealing with both types of learning.

It can be easily said that students and school districts across the nation are faced with challenges of how to stay engaged and learning while at home, and this is especially true for low income school districts.  In many of these districts children are not only struggling with how to keep up but also facing a lack of technology to assist them.  Join host Kristy Houle as she chats with school principal Nate Porter about these challenges and how we can overcome them and prepare our students and teachers for the future of learning.

In this episode you'll hear...

• The challenges that students in low-income areas face
• How Covid-19 has complicated the issues
• Ways to address those challenges

As educators, there will always be those students who just don’t want to be there no matter how hard you try.  Join host Kristy Houle and Tim Gore as they discuss strategies and techniques they used to help motivate students who didn’t want to be motivated.