🧭 Episodic Synopsis

In Part II of this conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down again with educator-scholar Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf to examine what happens after disruption—when trauma, authority, and behavior collide in the classroom. Moving beyond theory, this episode focuses on the ethical decisions educators must make in real time: when to intervene, when to pause, and when restraint is the most powerful pedagogical move.

Drawing from personal experience—including a formative moment as a Harvard undergraduate, classroom eruptions involving student crisis, and decades of teaching across secondary and higher education—Wolfsdorf interrogates how educators’ unresolved wounds can shape classroom dynamics, sometimes creating the very behaviors they seek to control. Together, Weisler and Wolfsdorf explore reflective functioning, countertransference, and the danger of reactive discipline in trauma-laden spaces.

This episode reframes classroom management as a relational practice rather than a punitive one, arguing that trust, emotional regulation, and curricular flexibility are not signs of weakness—but prerequisites for meaningful learning. For educators navigating burnout, behavioral challenges, and ethical uncertainty, Teaching in the Riptide, Part II offers a grounded, humane approach to holding both students and ourselves to higher standards.

📝 Show Notes: Key Ideas & Takeaways

• When Teachers Create “Bad Students” Wolfsdorf revisits a pivotal experience as an 18-year-old Harvard student, illustrating how rigid authority and intellectual gatekeeping can wound learners and distort identity—often unintentionally.
• Trauma Does Not Stay Outside the Classroom Both educators and students bring lived experiences into learning spaces; unexamined trauma in teachers can quietly shape grading, discipline, and expectations.
• Countertransference in Education Borrowed from psychology, this concept helps explain why certain students trigger disproportionate reactions—and why self-awareness is essential for ethical teaching.
• Punishment vs. Empathy Not all misbehavior requires escalation. In moments of student crisis, empathy and delayed response often produce better long-term outcomes than immediate discipline.
• Reflective Functioning Under Pressure Wolfsdorf emphasizes the educator’s ability to regulate emotion before responding, especially after explosive incidents, as a defining professional skill.
• The Aftermath Matters More Than the Outburst How teachers handle follow-up conversations—tone, timing, and intent—shapes whether a rupture becomes a turning point or a lasting fracture.
• Reading the Room as Pedagogy Teaching requires the same situational awareness as performance—knowing when to pivot, slow down, or lean into what students are already carrying.
• Good Teaching Is Developmentally Flexible While structure varies across K–12 and higher education, the core principles of trust and intellectual respect remain constant.
• Holding Ourselves to High Standards Wolfsdorf closes by urging educators to be relentless with their own growth, arguing that teacher self-reflection is the most underused assessment tool in education.

🔗 Learn More About Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf

🔗 Get the Book: Teaching in the Riptide

🧭 Episodic Synopsis

In this return conversation (since spring 2025), Dr. Joey Weisler welcomes back Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf—English educator, scholar, and author of Teaching in the Riptide—for a deep exploration of the moments in education that pull teachers off balance and force reckoning, reflection, and growth. Drawing on vivid classroom narratives, Dr. Wolfsdorf introduces the metaphor of the “riptide”: those unpredictable, disorienting moments that no amount of lesson planning or graduate training can fully prepare educators for.

Together, Weisler and Wolfsdorf examine obstructive and constructive subversions, unpacking how power shifts in classrooms when students challenge authority, disrupt norms, or exceed expectations in profound and unexpected ways. From a graduate seminar overtaken by cupcakes and balloons to a ninth grader’s devastatingly honest poem about loss, this episode interrogates what happens when teaching collides with humanity.

At its core, this conversation asks educators to rethink control, creativity, and compliance—arguing that meaningful learning often emerges not from obedience, but from ethical risk-taking, reflective restraint, and a willingness to sit with uncertainty. For anyone teaching in today’s trauma-aware landscape, Teaching in the Riptide offers both a warning and an invitation: the work will unsettle you—and that may be precisely the point.

📝 Show Notes: Key Ideas & Takeaways

• The Riptide as Pedagogical Reality Wolfsdorf defines “riptide moments” as those classroom experiences that disorient educators—moments where control dissolves and certainty disappears, yet reflection can transform futility into growth.
• The Illusion of Preparation Graduate seminars and teacher training often simulate idealized classrooms, failing to reflect the emotional, psychological, and social complexities students bring into real learning spaces.
• Obstructive Subversion When students challenge authority in ways that derail learning—such as boundary-crossing behavior—the educator is forced to navigate power, professionalism, and self-preservation in high-stakes moments.
• Constructive Subversion Not all disruption is harmful. Some of the most transformative learning emerges when students exceed expectations, reshape assignments, and radically reframe what is possible in the classroom.
• Power, Authority, and Fear The episode explores how evaluation culture, student ratings, and institutional pressure can make educators fearful of confrontation—sometimes leading to silence as a survival strategy.
• Creativity as Ethical Practice From poetry to video games to performance, creative freedom becomes a pathway for students to engage deeply without forcing therapeutic disclosure or retraumatization.
• Resisting Compliance Culture True learning, Wolfsdorf argues, is inherently radical. Obedience may feel safe, but subversion—when guided ethically—creates thinkers, not replicators.
• Educator Subversion The episode closes by challenging teachers to examine their own subversive identities, suggesting that comfort with personal nonconformity allows educators to better support student resistance and creativity.

🔗 Learn More About Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf

🔗 Get the Book: Teaching in the Riptide

📘 Episodic Synopsis

In Part II of this two-part conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler and Christopher S. Mukiibi turn toward the heart of the work: connection, burnout, courage, and the deep human need to feel seen. Chris shares what his burnout research revealed — that connection, not rest alone, is what keeps teachers alive in the work — and how isolation inside classrooms can quietly erode purpose.

The conversation explores imposter syndrome, the nervous system in schools, public skepticism toward education, and why many educators still do the work despite misunderstanding or dismissal. Joey and Chris also reflect on the lifelong impact of mentors who make students feel seen, and how modeling courage and curiosity gives students permission to grow.

This episode is for educators who are tired, hopeful, introverted, overwhelmed, committed — and still here.

📝 Show Notes – Key Ideas & Highlights

• Connection as the strongest protective factor against burnout
• Why rest alone doesn’t cure burnout — belonging does
• The isolating structure of K–12 classrooms and its emotional cost
• Imposter syndrome and why courage and faith are foundational virtues
• How mentors who see us change the trajectory of our lives
• Building campus relationships as a burnout antidote
• The nervous system in the classroom: regulation, safety, and presence
• How educators absorb student pain — and why it feels so heavy
• Public skepticism about education and how teachers persist anyway
• Reframing expertise: anyone can build competence and agency
• Education as a tool to alleviate unnecessary suffering
• “Feeling seen” vs. “being assessed” — and why the difference matters

🔗 Links and Contact

Christopher's Linkedin Username: Christopher Mukiibi

Instagram: @mrmukiibi

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://stan.store/mrmukiibi

📘 Episodic Synopsis

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with educator, mentor, and creator Christopher S. Mukiibi to explore what real learning actually is—and why education must help students suffer less, not just perform better. Drawing from his own first year of teaching after the pandemic, his “Learning Compass” framework, and his experiences supporting students living through trauma, Chris speaks candidly about apathy, burnout, literacy, discipline, identity, and the deep human need for connection in schools.

Together, Joey and Chris discuss how literacy gives language to pain, how students “act out” experiences they cannot yet express, and why connection—not perfection—protects both teachers and students. This episode is for anyone who believes education should change lives, not just test scores, and who is searching for meaning in the work again.

📝 Show Notes – Key Ideas & Highlights

• The meaning of “real learning”—understanding, behavior change, and moving closer to the life we actually want
• Education as a path to reducing unnecessary suffering
• Why connection protects against burnout more than rest alone
• The crisis of apathy and disengagement post-pandemic
• How students “act out” when they lack the vocabulary for their pain
• The role of literacy and writing in healing trauma and PTSD
• First-year teaching challenges: parenting, pandemic return, instability, and grief in students
• Why teachers matter even when lessons “don’t land”
• The unseen curriculum: students learn who we are, not only what we teach
• Reframing metrics of success: measuring growth instead of just participation
• The danger of treating reading as punishment or compliance
• The life-changing impact of safe adults who notice and intervene
• Chemistry, language, and story: “We are made of stories more than atoms.”

🔗 Links and Contact

Christopher's Linkedin Username: Christopher Mukiibi

Instagram: @mrmukiibi

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://stan.store/mrmukiibi

🧭 Episodic Synopsis

In this Weisler Alumni segment of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Tom —Army Reserve Staff Sergeant, communications specialist, husband, and returning college student—to explore what happens when education becomes a space for recovery rather than survival.

Reflecting on his experience growing up in an underfunded rural school system, Tom shares how rigid, checkbox-driven classrooms pushed him away from higher education—and how the military unexpectedly reintroduced him to learning as a form of leadership, reflection, and meaning-making. Through trauma-informed writing, open classroom design, and mentorship-centered dialogue, Tom describes how returning to college in his mid-twenties allowed him to reclaim his voice and reframe trauma with nuance and respect.

This episode is a powerful reminder that learning doesn’t follow a straight line—and that when classrooms invite humanity instead of rigidity, education can become a catalyst for healing, connection, and purpose.

🎧 Episodic Synopsis

In this powerful alumni spotlight episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler reconnects with a former student, Dieunise, for an unfiltered conversation about what it truly means to be a student in today’s education system. From K–12 classrooms to college lecture halls, Dieunise reflects on how education has shifted from learning to survival—and why that shift is failing so many students.

As a film and video student navigating an underfunded arts pathway, Dieunise shares the stark contrast between institutional support for STEM students and the isolation experienced by students in the humanities. She speaks candidly about being labeled “lazy” for learning differently, the emotional cost of rigid systems, and the resilience required to carve out one’s own path.

This episode challenges educators, policymakers, and listeners alike to ask a critical question: Who is education really working for? And more importantly—who is being left out of the room when decisions are made?

🧠 Episodic Synopsis

In this student-voice segment of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with former student Florence Shirman, a neuroscience and behavior major at Florida Atlantic University, to reflect on what learning feels like when education moves beyond grades and toward meaning.

Florence speaks candidly about her journey through school—from early experiences shaped by internal pressure rather than external expectations, to a college classroom where choice, conversation, and community transformed how she engaged with writing and learning. She shares how her semester-long Your Voice, Your Change project allowed her to respond academically and personally to the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel, using writing as a way to speak from identity, process real-world events, and contribute her voice beyond the classroom.

Together, Florence and Dr. Weisler explore how classroom design, tone, and trust shape student participation—and why education is most powerful when students are seen, heard, and invited into genuine dialogue.

LINKS AND RESOURCES: Dr. Joey Weisler on teaching to the HEART

🔗 Show Notes

In this episode, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Dr. Lisa Kay—art therapist, professor, and national leader in art education—to unpack why classrooms can feel restorative but are not therapy rooms.

Dr. Kay breaks down the essential differences between therapeutic spaces and clinical spaces, offers four pillars that make classrooms safer (predictability, flexibility, connection, empowerment), and explains how art-making helps students hold stress, regain control, and express what words can’t.

She also draws a clear boundary between art facilitation and art therapy, while sharing practical, classroom-ready art practices like “Stress/De-Stress” and “Scribble It Out.” A must-listen for educators navigating dysregulation, creativity, and care—without crossing into clinical territory.

🔗 Show Resources

Lisa Kay – Faculty Profile (Temple University)

Learn more about Dr. Kay’s academic work as Professor and Chair of Art Education & Community Arts Practices at Temple University, where she also directs graduate studies in Art Therapy and leads national research at the intersection of art, trauma, and education.

Dr. Lisa Kay's Official Website

Explore Dr. Kay’s full body of work, including her publications, research projects, courses, speaking engagements, and resources designed for educators, art therapists, and community practitioners.

Restorative Practices in Education Through the Arts (Book)

This edited collection shows how restorative principles and the arts work together to build connection, agency, and resilience in classrooms and community spaces. It offers real-world strategies for nurturing supportive, choice-based environments for learners of all ages.

Therapeutic Approaches in Art Education (Book)

Dr. Kay’s foundational text for educators who want to integrate therapeutic art-making into their classrooms without crossing into clinical practice. The book outlines trauma-sensitive approaches, explains key distinctions between art education and art therapy, and offers practical, classroom-ready activities.

MA in Art Therapy – Temple University

This graduate program prepares students to become credentialed art therapists through intensive studio practice, supervised clinical training, psychological theory, and ethical community-based work.

🔗 Referenced "Classroom Narratives" segments in this episode

“Art as Lifeline: Traci Molloy on Collective Creation After 9/11 and Beyond”

“Navigating Trauma in the English Classroom: Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf on Relational Teaching, Boundaries, and the Power of Story”

📘 Episodic Synopsis

In this powerful episode, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Dr. Susan B. Neuman—NYU Professor of Childhood Education, former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary & Secondary Education, and one of the most influential voices in early literacy. Together they trace the complex landscape of American reading practices, the politicization of literacy, and what it truly takes to build lifelong readers.

Dr. Neuman challenges traditional narratives about literacy by reframing it as both a social experience and a community-driven practice, while naming the systemic forces that shape how children learn. From laundromats to grocery stores, from multilingual classrooms to policymaking tables, she reminds us that literacy lives everywhere—and that teachers hold powerful keys to shaping children’s futures.

This episode is essential listening for educators, literacy advocates, and anyone who believes reading is both a right and a relationship.

In this deeply personal solo segment, Dr. Joey Weisler traces the journey from his childhood dream of teaching, to the profound disillusionment he faced entering the classroom months after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy, to the transformation that led him toward resilience, boundary-setting, and wholehearted teaching.

Drawing on stories from his first year in the classroom, his doctoral research, and the wisdom of his kindergarten teacher Ms. Lynch, Dr. Weisler introduces The H.E.A.R.T. Mindset—a trauma-informed, relationship-centered approach rooted in Habits, Engagement, Awareness, Resilience, and Telling Stories.

This episode reframes what it means to teach today: not with perfection, not with saviorhood, but with presence, authenticity, and humanity. Whether you’re a new teacher or a veteran craving renewal, this conversation reminds you that you can meet standards without becoming standardized, and that the connections you build will outlast anything printed in a pacing guide.

Join Dr. Weisler as he shows how educators can turn scars into stars, lead with heart, and carry purpose through pain.

H — Habits

Create routines that regulate you and provide stability for students. In Joey’s classroom, this includes circles, choice-based discussions, and flexible methods of engagement.

E — Engagement

Students engage when they feel invited, not commanded. Joey uses co-regulation, options for sharing (verbal or written), and “written alternative assignments” instead of punitive homework.

A — Awareness

Students grow when they connect learning to their own world. Projects like Your Voice, Your Change help students locate themselves inside bigger conversations — from mental health and substance use to gluten-free advocacy and athletic pressure.

R — Resilience

Resilience isn’t pushing through — it’s protecting your energy. Joey discusses the power of giving yourself permission to set boundaries, regulate, and refuse to be standardized by a pacing guide.

T — Telling Stories

Stories help us bridge meaning and reclaim truth. From students’ letters to intergenerational wisdom, Joey emphasizes how storytelling becomes “our day in court” — a way to honor impact and find clarity after trauma.

ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS FROM THE SEGMENT

• Safety isn’t announced — it’s practiced through invitational language.
• You can meet standards while still being human, warm, and flexible.
• Students won’t remember every formula, but they’ll remember your grace.
• Perseverance after hardship is always possible.
• You are whole and enough as you are.

RESOURCES:

Contact Dr. Joey Weisler by visiting his website here

Get your free HEART poster with additional resources linked inside!