What if learning and doing well in academics (and life) meant doing less, not more? In this conversation between host Sonia Dong and Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer, founder and CEO of Awakened Learning, we learn how to unpack what it really means to support your kids as learners without the burnout.

Dr. Deena shares how she went from high school teacher to pioneering holistic learning strategies that serve learners of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. She challenges the myth that hours of note-rewriting equals real studying, and introduces her practical 3-2-1 method for exam prep that reduces stress and improves grades. This conversation offers parents a refreshing new lens on how to show up for their kids (and themselves) as lifelong learners.

About Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer

Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer is Founder & CEO of Awakened Learning, Canada’s #1 team of Learning Strategists. She’s a lifelong educator with over 20 years of experience supporting thousands of learners, educators, and parents and chosen families across K–12 and post-secondary spaces. Deena is also a TEDx speaker and a 2× bestselling author of Feel Good Learning and Raising Well Learners, where she explores how learning can feel more humane, inclusive, and effective–without burnout, shame, or overwhelm.

Follow Dr. Deena on Instagram @awakendlearning and LinkedIn. Find freebies, accessible workshops and more about Dr. Deena’s work on her website.

Resources

How to Get From To-Do to Done, Tedx Talk by Dr. Deena

Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator, Ted Talk by Tim Urban

Dr. Deena’s best-selling book to parents, Raising Well Learners

Dr. Deena’s best-selling book to students, Feel Good Learning

Thriving in Action Program, TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University)

Did you like this episode? Remember to review, follow and share!

Receive weekly parenting tips and reflections, and don’t miss an episode by signing up to my newsletter, Next Gen Connection.