Innovative Schools Podcast

Educator and speaker Connie Hamilton shares insights into how educators can support students through productive struggle without doing the thinking and work for them. The episode also provides practical suggestions to build student ownership and problem-solving, and skills to increase a student's overall confidence.

🔑 Key Takeaways
• Productive struggle provides students opportunities to persevere, learn from mistakes, and build confidence.
• Helping students finish an assignment isn’t always the same as helping them learn.
• The smallest useful amount of support leaves room for students to think, discover, and solve problems themselves.

💬 Memorable Quotes
• “We’re the ones who solve the problem and they just do the solution.”
• “Don’t rob them of the joy of discovery while they’re working through whatever challenge.”
• “If we’re always giving less help than we could, that means we’re leaving the door open for students to help themselves.”

🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn
• Ask “What have you tried?” before stepping in with a solution.
• Redirect questions back to students or a partner to restart their thinking.
• Let wrong answers breathe so students have time to recognize and work through mistakes.

➕ Additional Practices
• Ask students before they get stuck to identify three things they can try if a challenge arises.
• Use “stop and jot” or partner processing before whole-class discussion so more students develop a response.
• Give the least amount of scaffolding needed, adding support only when necessary.

📚 Resources and Links
• Connie Hamilton: https://www.conniehamilton.org/
• Innovative Schools Summit: https://innovativeschoolssummit.com/
• Dr. John Almario episode on challenge and struggle: Rethinking Productive Struggle w/ Dr. John Almarode

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Video Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
03:33 Meet Connie Hamilton
05:49 Challenge vs. Struggle
11:04 Rethinking What It Means to Help
15:16 Learning Through Mistakes
23:08 Give the Smallest Amount of Help
27:18 Practical Classroom Strategies
32:20 Stop and Jot
34:55 Let Wrong Answers Breathe
41:44 Coaching for the Thinking Process

Former teacher and comedian Devin Siebold explores how laughter can relieve stress, build community, and help students feel safe. Educators will learn practical ways to bring authentic humor into the classroom without needing to be a comedian.

🔑 Key Takeaways
• Laughter can communicate safety and help students lower their guard.
• Humor gives educators and students a needed break from stress and uncertainty.
• Small moments of laughter can strengthen classroom community and connection.

💬 Memorable Quotes
• “These teachers just got to laugh.”
• “Laughter is humans’ way of communicating safety to one another.”
• “Why can’t we just have some of that, even just a little bit of it, in the classroom?”

🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn
• How to use humor to create a greater sense of safety in the classroom.
• Ways to use laughter as a reset during stressful moments.
•  Suggestions for finding authentic humor in shared educational experiences without “punching down.”

➕ Additional Practices
• Intentionally create small opportunities to laugh with students.
• Find healthy sources of humor outside school to disconnect and recharge.
• When sharing classroom humor, focus on relatable experiences rather than specific students, parents, or colleagues.

📚 Resources and Links
• Devin Siebold’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinsiebold/?hl=en
• A Teacher in the Wild by Devin Siebold: https://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Wild-Devin-Siebold/dp/0578260182
• Devin’s comedy tour for teachers: Bored Teachers Tour

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Video Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:32 Devin’s Teaching Journey
07:56 From Teacher to Comedian
11:26 Why Teachers Need Laughter
14:24 Stress in Today’s Schools
17:49 Bringing Laughter Into the Classroom
23:59 Laughter, Safety & Connection
27:03 Finding Humor Without Punching Down
28:49 A Teacher in the Wild
34:00 Encouragement for Educators

Dr. Tiffany Anderson shares how relationships, service, high expectations, and community connections can transform schools. She challenges educators to get beyond the walls of the school, understand the people they serve, and build systems that create lasting change.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Strong schools are built on trust and relationships.
• Challenges can be reframed as opportunities for change.
• Schools can become powerful centers of their communities.
• Lasting improvement requires systems, not temporary programs.
• Educators can accomplish more through connection and collaboration.

💬 Memorable Quotes

🗣️“You can’t serve needs you don’t know.”

🗣️“Programs come and go... but systems will remain.”

🗣️“Listen to learn. Stop listening to respond.”

🗣️“We are not in this alone.”

🗣️“We are literally ambassadors of hope.”

🧠Strategies You’ll Learn

• How to identify what students and families truly need.
• Ways to build stronger connections with the community.
• How to break down silos across schools and teams.
• How to maintain high expectations while providing meaningful support.
• How networking can bring new ideas and solutions back to your school.

➕Additional Practices

• Conduct community listening tours.
• Build partnerships that address barriers outside the classroom.
• Invest intentionally in relationship-building among staff.
• Seek out educators and schools you can learn from.
• Practice “listening to learn” instead of listening to respond.

📚 Resources and Links

🔗 Links to https://youthlight.com/browse.php?p=tiffany+anderson

🔗 See more Tiffany on AccuEd.com: https://accued.com/programs/the_three_levers?category_id=104440

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Jordan and Will sit down with Dr. John Almarode to explore the difference between challenge and true struggle. They discuss how educators can find the right level of difficulty, recognize when students are stuck, and respond without taking over the learning.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Challenge isn’t struggle: Challenge is difficult but manageable; struggle happens when existing skills and strategies no longer work.
• Don’t design for struggle: Aim for the right level of challenge instead.
• Response matters: What teachers and students do after struggle begins determines whether it becomes productive.
• Build better strugglers: Teach students strategies for getting themselves unstuck.
• Competence builds confidence: Success can prepare students to tackle harder tasks.

💬 Memorable Quotes

🗣️“We want them to know what to do when they don’t know what to do.”

🗣️“Competence leads to confidence, not the other way around.”

🗣️“We should not plan for struggle. Instead, we should plan for the right level of challenge.”

🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn

• Recognize the difference between challenge and struggle.
• Use prompts, cues, feedback, and scaffolding without taking over.
• Find the “Goldilocks” level of challenge.
• Build students’ metacognitive and self-regulation skills.
• Use previous success to build confidence for harder tasks.

➕ Additional Practices

• Make student thinking visible through discussion and formative assessment.
• Prompt students before providing answers.
• Adjust support without removing rigor.
• Explicitly teach strategies for getting unstuck.
• Reflect and adjust when multiple students struggle with the same task.

📚 Resources and Links

🔗 Links to John Almarode’s books: https://youthlight.com/browse.php?p=John+Almarode

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Gerry Brooks joins the Innovative Schools Podcast to share practical ways educators and administrators can start the school year strong. From building relationships with colleagues and families to being a visible, supportive leader, Gerry explains how investing in people early can set the tone for the entire year.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Prioritize relationships during the first weeks of school.
• Make positive parent contact before problems arise.
• Remember that colleagues may be carrying challenges you can't see.
• Principals should be visible and present throughout the school.
• New leaders should listen and observe before making major changes.
• High staff turnover can be a sign of leadership problems.
• Support people publicly and address concerns privately.

💬 Memorable Quotes

🗣️“This is the two weeks where I say worry about everybody else.”

🗣️“A teacher will stay at a school without supportive parents if they have supportive administrators.”

🗣️“Support them publicly and criticize privately.”

🗣️“If you do it right, it’s the best career ever.”

🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn

• How to build stronger staff relationships.
• Simple ways to create positive parent connections.
• How principals can support teachers during the first month.
• How new administrators can approach school culture and change.
• How to give feedback without damaging relationships.

➕ Additional Practices

• Spend 15 minutes a day making positive family contacts.
• Check in with people outside your normal circle.
• Ask families about students' interests and concerns.
• Celebrate progress beyond academics.
• Aim for more praise than criticism.
• Take time to know the people behind their job titles.

📚 Resources and Links

🔗 Gerry Brooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gerrybrooksprin/?hl=en

🔗 Gerry Brooks Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GerryBrooks

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In this special live season finale of the Innovative Schools Podcast, Jordan brings together a panel of education experts—Katie Kinder, Kara Rigsby, Megan Diede, and Ernesto Mejia—to discuss how educators can make the most of their summer. Through stories, laughter, and practical advice, the panel explores the importance of rest, reflection, and renewal, while offering actionable ways to recharge both personally and professionally before the next school year begins.

🔑 Key Takeaways

✔️Summer should be viewed as a time of renewal, not just recovery.

✔️Rest is most effective when it is intentional and guilt-free.

✔️Reflection helps educators celebrate successes while identifying opportunities for growth.

✔️Creating memories often matters more than completing another to-do list.

✔️Small personal habits and mindset shifts can dramatically improve well-being.

✔️Educators should prioritize both physical and mental health during the summer months.

✔️The impact educators make often extends far beyond what they can see.

💬 Memorable Quotes

🗣️“Rest is a requirement, not a reward.”

🗣️“You're not going to remember the to-do list. You'll remember the memories you created.”

🗣️“What is your why for the summer?”

🗣️“The work that you do matters.”

🗣️“You are not thanked enough, appreciated enough, or respected enough.”

🗣️“Summer isn't about recovery—it's about renewal.”

🗣️“Create a memory list instead of a to-do list.”

🧠 Strategies You'll Learn

• How to use the Three R's: Rest, Reflect, and Rejuvenate as a framework for summer growth.
• How to intentionally schedule rest instead of waiting for it to happen.
• How to reflect honestly on the previous school year without dwelling on negativity.
• How to gather meaningful feedback from colleagues, administrators, and stakeholders.
• How to replace a summer to-do list with a memory-focused experience list.
• How to identify personal habits that bring energy and joy into your life.
• How to conduct a personal "check-engine light" assessment for your physical and mental health.
• How to carry positive summer habits into the next school year.

➕ Additional Practices

• Create a "Summer Memory List" with experiences you'd like to have rather than tasks you'd like to complete.
• Start a gratitude journal and identify three things you're thankful for each day.
• Schedule important health appointments you've been postponing.
• Ask trusted colleagues to identify two strengths and two growth areas for you as an educator.
• Try something completely new or outside your comfort zone this summer.
• Build intentional family experiences and traditions.
• Take time to celebrate successes from the previous school year before planning the next one.
• Identify one habit that fills your cup and commit to continuing it during the school year.

📚 Resources and Links

🔗 Megan and Kara’s IntergatED Website: https://integratedk12.com/

🔗 Link to the previous episode with Kara and Megan: Teaching Through Integrated Pathways w/ Megan Diede & Kara Rigsby

🔗 Katie Kinder’s Website: https://katie-kinder.com/

🔗 Link to previous episode with Katie: Digital Heroin w/ Katie Kinder

🔗Cool Speak with Ernesto Mejia Website: https://coolspeak.com/youth-motivational-speakers/ernesto-mejia/

🔗 Link to previous episode with Ernesto: The Power of Family Engagement w/ Ernesto Mejia

🔗 Find them all at the Innovative Schools Summit: https://innovativeschoolssummit.com/

In this episode of the Innovative Schools Podcast, we sit down with Brad Chapin to explore the power of self-regulation—for both educators and students. Brad breaks down how stress impacts the brain and body, why many challenging behaviors are actually skill deficits, and how teachers can intentionally help students build healthier responses to emotions and adversity. From “lizard brain” moments to practical classroom strategies, this conversation is packed with insights educators can apply immediately.

🔑 Key Takeaways
✔️ Self-regulation is a skill set—not a personality trait

✔️ Every student and educator carries an invisible “backpack” of stress and experiences

✔️ Dysregulation is a normal human response to challenge

✔️ Awareness is the first step toward regulation

✔️ Students need explicit teaching and practice around emotional skills

✔️ Healthy regulation must be practiced intentionally, not assumed naturally

💬 Memorable Quotes

🗣️ “The problem is not the backpack—it’s how we carry it.”

🗣️ “You can’t regulate something if you don’t even know it’s happening.”

🗣️ “Self-regulation is either healthy or unhealthy, effective or ineffective.”

🗣️ “The first step in self-regulation is self-awareness.”

🗣️ “You’re fighting against biology when stress takes over.”

🗣️ “Hope plus skills equals growth.”

🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn

• Ways to identify physical warning signs of dysregulation
• How to use calming techniques like box breathing intentionally
• Steps to help students recognize emotions before they escalate
• Techniques to teach self-regulation the same way you teach academic skills
• How to create predictable classroom routines that increase emotional safety
• Suggestions to shift from punishment to skill-building when addressing behavior
• Tips to help students separate controllable and uncontrollable stressors

➕ Additional Practices

• Create a “body map” activity where students identify where stress shows up physically
• Practice calming routines as a class before stressful moments occur
• Normalize conversations about emotions and stress in the classroom
• Build opportunities for reflection after emotionally challenging moments
• Use predictable structures and routines to support emotional safety
• Encourage students to create personal regulation plans and calming strategies
• Model healthy self-regulation openly as an educator

📚 Resources and Links
🔗 Brad Chapin’s website: http://www.selfregulationstation.com/about-brad/

🔗 Brad Chapin’s Books: https://youthlight.com/Brad-Chapin

🔗 Innovative Schools Summit: https://innovativeschoolssummit.com/

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In this episode of the Innovative Schools Podcast, we welcome back Joseph Cope to explore a powerful shift in how educators approach student behavior. Instead of reacting to what students do, Joseph challenges us to look deeper—asking what skills students may be missing and how we can intentionally help them grow. From real classroom stories to practical frameworks, this conversation provides a roadmap for turning challenging moments into opportunities for long-term impact.

🔑 Key Takeaways

✔️ Behavior is communication—every action tells a deeper story

✔️ The problem isn’t the behavior; it’s the missing skill underneath

✔️ Taking behavior personally prevents effective responses

✔️ Students need coaching in life skills, not just correction of actions

✔️ Relationships and “currency” are essential for influence

✔️ Big emotional moments are often rooted in safety and control

💬 Memorable Quotes

🗣️ “The problem is not the problem.”

🗣️ “Every behavior tells a story.”

🗣️ “When we make it about us, we lose the opportunity to teach the skill.”

🗣️ “You can’t withdraw from a relationship you haven’t invested in.”

🗣️ “How you speak your mind will determine your next state of mind.”

🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn

• How to reframe behavior as a missing skill instead of defiance
• How to remove yourself emotionally from challenging moments
• How to identify and teach foundational life skills in real time
• How to build “currency” with students to increase influence
• How to navigate high-emotion situations without escalating them
• How to use structured conversations to guide behavior

➕ Additional Practices

• List behaviors that frustrate you—and reframe them as missing skills
• Create 4–5 foundational classroom skills (e.g., respect, perseverance, self-control)
• Define those skills clearly so students understand expectations
• Intentionally connect with students outside of academic conversations
• Reflect after difficult moments: Was I focused on the student or my feelings?
• Practice small mindset shifts—growth happens incrementally

📚 Resources and Links

🔗 RCD Expert Joseph Cope: https://accutrain.com/joseph-cope-m-ed/

🔗 Joseph Cope Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.empathy.guy/

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In this episode of the Innovative Schools Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Dorina Ebuwa to unpack what it truly means to teach multilingual learners effectively. This powerful conversation goes beyond strategies and into mindset—challenging educators to reflect on their own “lens of life,” eliminate limiting beliefs, and create classrooms where every student is both supported and held to high expectations. From redefining terminology to practical classroom moves, this episode will leave you inspired—and ready to act.

🔑 Key Takeaways

✔️“Multilingual learner” shifts the focus from deficit to strength

✔️Your lens of life directly impacts how you see and teach students

✔️Lowering expectations (pobrecita syndrome) harms student growth

✔️Students need both support and high expectations (TLC Squared)

✔️Language is not the only barrier—culture, trauma, and experience matter

✔️You are responsible for every student on your roster—no exceptions

💬 Memorable Quotes

🗣️“Roster equals responsibility.”

🗣️“It’s not just linguistic—it’s human.”

🗣️“You are already halfway there when you take your lens off.”

🗣️“We don’t coddle—we prepare.”

🗣️“Language is power—but it shouldn’t take power away from identity.”

🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn

• How to identify and remove your personal bias (lens of life)
• Ways to avoid “Epcot Syndrome” and see students as individuals
• Methods for balancing empathy with high expectations (TLC Squared)
• How to assess students and meet them at their actual level
• Steps to build intrinsic motivation instead of relying on external pressure
• Tips for creating a safe, challenging, and inclusive classroom environment
  
  

➕ Additional Practices

• Write a welcome letter to multilingual learners to establish trust and expectations
• Learn and correctly pronounce student names—identity matters
• Use small, incremental shifts in mindset (incremental is monumental)
• Replace “I don’t know what to do” with intentional learning and reflection
• Focus on student potential, not limitations or labels

📚 Resources and Links

🔗 Dr. Dorina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b.e.l.i.e.v.e._dr.dorito/

🔗 Dr. Dorina Website: https://www.dorinasackman.com/

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💡 Innovative Schools Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innovativeschoolspodcast/

💡Listen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/innovative-schools-podcast/id1502414943

💡Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Lbw553jnDXuG08IZ43Kb5

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In this episode of the Innovative Schools Podcast, Kevin sits down with gifted education teacher Jere Chang to explore how life experiences shape the way we show up for students. From an unexpected path into teaching to becoming a voice for educators through social media, Jere shares powerful insights on identity, student relationships, and what it truly means to make an impact. This conversation dives into gifted education myths, the importance of teacher self-worth, and how creating spaces where students feel seen can transform lives.

🔑 Key Takeaways

✔️Teaching is more than a job—it’s a lasting influence on students’ lives.

✔️The phrase “just a teacher” reflects a larger issue of respect and trust in education.

✔️Gifted students are often misunderstood and don’t always fit the “perfect student” mold.

✔️Relationships—not curriculum or data—are what students remember most.

✔️Educators must advocate for themselves while also building strong partnerships with parents and administrators.

💬 Memorable Quotes

🗣️“I’m not just a teacher—I’m impacting lives.”

🗣️“No student has ever come back and thanked me for a data chart.”

🗣️“Gifted doesn’t mean perfect—it means different.”

🗣️“You treated me like a person.”

🗣️“It’s good—it’s going to be good.”

🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn

• Tips to build authentic relationships that make students feel seen and valued
• How to support gifted students beyond stereotypes and labels
• Methods to communicate effectively with parents as partners, not opponents
• Ways to create classroom environments where all students can be themselves
• How to handle difficult conversations with confidence and empathy
  
  

➕ Additional Practices

• Intentionally connect with students who may feel overlooked or unseen
• Celebrate student strengths without forcing labels or expectations
• Use role-play to help students develop social awareness and communication skills
• Prioritize real conversations with parents over transactional communication
• Reflect on your own self-worth as an educator and avoid comparison with others

📚 Resources and Links

🔗 Jere Chang Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mschanggifted/

🔗 Jere Chang TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mschanggifted

🔗 Jere Chang website: https://mschanggifted.com/

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💡 Innovative Schools Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innovativeschoolspodcast/

💡Listen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/innovative-schools-podcast/id1502414943

💡Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Lbw553jnDXuG08IZ43Kb5

💡Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@innovativeschoolspodcast