During remote learning, students had to use virtual proctoring tools to take their tests online. These apps and software can be as extreme as using artificial intelligence to track a students eye movements and keystrokes or as simple as a lockdown browser that prevents students from accessing other pages during the test. Students and caregivers have raised concerns about school pressures, racial bias, privacy and mental health. The rise of these tools and their defects brings up some bigger questions too: Where does trusting students come in? Is it time to change the way schools test altogether?

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What do students really need in order to learn? MindShift is where teachers, parents and caregivers can discover solutions for raising our kids in the modern era. Hear from educators and experts creating pathways for students to flourish. The first episode of an all new season drops Tuesday, July 19.

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Today, we’re looking at a huge problem in education: teacher shortages. Across the US, schools are struggling to fill teaching roles. Large numbers of teachers are quitting after only a short time on the job, and 9 out of 10 teachers hired are replacing a teacher who has left the profession. The high turnover means more classrooms are run by beginner teachers, substitute teachers, emergency teachers and teachers from new, for-profit teacher training companies. This story is an excerpt from the four-part series, “Who Wants to Be a Teacher” from the Educate podcast at APM Reports.

To listen to the full series visit the Who Want to Be a Teacher project page:

https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2021/07/28/who-wants-to-be-a-teacher

After reflecting in isolation, millions of adults got fed up and voluntarily quit their jobs in record numbers, and teenagers have also been ready for a change. But what does that look like? Today on MindShift, we’re talking to Caroline Smith about the great resignation and what that looks like for schools.

With social distancing, stay-at-home orders and remote learning during the pandemic, many caregivers allowed more screen time than usual. Teenagers’ screen time doubled during COVID, and now many caregivers and parents are afraid their kid’s screen time has gone overboard. Dr. Anna Lembke, author of “Dopamine Nation,” makes the case for how technology, with its promise of nonstop engagement and flashing lights, can be addictive.

MindShift partnered with KQED Education to create the "Rethink Schools" youth media challenge. Here are a few of the student proposals.

Nested within the national teacher shortage is an equally concerning Black teacher shortage. In response to push out factors that cause Black educators to leave the profession altogether, Mosley founded the Black Teacher Project, an organization that supports the shrinking population of Black teachers through leadership-focused professional development. In this minisode she shares the thinking behind their tagline “Every Student Deserves A Black Teacher” and strategies to improve Black teacher retention.

We spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve our brains -- from apps to help you focus to games that purportedly keep your mind fresh. But science journalist Annie Murphy Paul says we’re not focusing enough on what’s happening outside of the brain -- with our bodies. When it comes to work that is all about thinking -- like writing, math, reading -- our society is largely designed around sitting still at a desk. Annie will share some of the latest research on embodied learning and how teachers and parents can apply some of those findings at home.

Most teachers feel they have to hide negative emotions from students. That puts them in a tough situation because - as we showed in our episode on toxic positivity - research shows suppressing negative emotions can make stress worse. In this minisode, we look at what happens when teachers show their real emotions in class, from the highs to the lows.

Glenn Singleton is the author of “Courageous Conversations About Race,” which gives helpful ground rules when talking about race. One Florida school district taught Singleton’s techniques to all their educators so they could develop cultural competency and address systemic inequities. What can their experience teach others?