Off the Assembly Line

I've had a hard time pulling this episode together. The last few weeks have presented the greatest disruption to formal education of our lifetimes, and quite possibly, modern history. It's hard to know what is needed right now, especially as more information, resources, tools, and strategies flood our feeds than ever before. The strongest urge I’ve felt in the last few weeks is the urge to be still, to observe, and to listen. And as I have, a few several things have risen to the surface as "most important". In this quarantined episode I share an epiphany I had while working on an art piece, a few of the things I believe are most important for educators and parents during this time. Stay safe my friends. We are all in this together.


You can find more show details and resources at offtheassemblyline.co and connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

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Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and even now, lean into possibility!

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Things have changed a lot in the last week. Many are in the process of transitioning from work and school to home, and working hard to figure out what the next weeks and months will look like. As I thought about the best thing I could share this week, I kept coming back to mindfulness. Our collective anxiety is spiking right now and it does not take long to lose ourselves amid the sea of updates, tweets, and posts. We have to be intentional about being good to ourselves, good to our brains, and creating space for peace. So this week I'm re-sharing one of my favorite conversations, with Lou Redmond, founder of One Mindful Education. The entire conversation is full of amazing tips for both adults and kids to release anxiety and ground themselves, but my favorite part of the conversation is when Lou actually walks us through a meditation himself. If you need a few moments of de-stressing right now, you can skip right to the exercise at 46:30, or listen to the whole thing. Take some time for self-care, starting with this episode.

Connect with Lou and One Mindful Education:

Website: https://onemindfuleducation.com/

Email: [email protected]


You can find more show details and resources at offtheassemblyline.co and connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

Follow Off the Assembly Line
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!

Support the show

Five years ago, Daniel Bauer sat in a conference for school leaders and heard the seven words that would forever change his trajectory: "Everyone wins when a leader gets better". Those seven words launched Daniel on a journey of personal development that ultimately led him to create Better Leaders Better Schools, a trusted blog and category-defining podcast that helps thousands of school leaders level up every week. Creating change as a school leader is challenging to say the least, and even more challenging in isolation. On this episode Daniel shares the core actions leaders can take to create meaningful and lasting change within their schools - and themselves.

Connect with Daniel and Better Leaders Better Schools:

Website: https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/

Twitter: @alienearbud

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielevanbauer/

Podcast: Better Leaders Better Schools

This July, Daniel is hosting Bollingen Tower, a 3-day event for leaders like you to create a 3-year vision. Click the link above for more details or register here.


If you liked what you heard, rate and review Off the Assembly Line

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

Learn more about the Teacher Mastermind at http://teachermastermind.com

Follow Off the Assembly Line:
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!

Support the show

Year over year, Gallup student polls have revealed a disturbing, but unsurprising trend: student engagement in school declines steadily with each grade, and sharply from elementary to middle to high school. One of the proven contributors to this decline over time is the inability of many schools to build the strengths of each student and make learning relevant. This is especially true for the nearly 50% of polled students who have entrepreneurial ambitions.

So what can schools do? If you ask Don Wettrick, CEO and Co-Founder of the StartEdUp Foundation, the answer can be found in the word purpose. For 20 years, Don has taught students to connect to a larger life purpose through innovation and entrepreneurship. What started in the classroom, has grown into a global network of renowned innovators, educators and entrepreneurs. The StartEdUp network is dedicated to helping teachers and students change education by building innovation and entrepreneurship into the fabric of the classroom. In this episode Don talks about the StartEdUp story, what it looks like in action, and how educators and school leaders can get started.

Connect with Don and StartEdUp:

Website: https://startedupfoundation.org/ and http://www.startedupinnovation.com/

Twitter: @donwettrick and @letsstartedup

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donwettrick/


If you liked what you heard, rate and review Off the Assembly Line

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

Learn more about the Teacher Mastermind at http://teachermastermind.com

Follow Off the Assembly Line:
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!

Support the show

[RECAST EP01] A little over 6 years ago, Sabari Raja heard a persistent and compelling question from educators, community leaders, and industry professionals in her city. They all wanted to know how to create meaningful and accessible industry connections in the classroom. The question led Sabari and co-founder Binu Thayamkery to create Nepris, which connects professionals of all kinds with K-12 classrooms (LIVE!) - no matter where they're located. Sabari shares insights on the industry-education connection, the importance of broad career exposure for student opportunity, and how she started Nepris.

Connect with Sabari and Nepris:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://nepris.com

Twitter: @neprisapp

Facebook: @neprisapp


Rebecca's hosting the first Education Innovation Virtual Town Hall TODAY, February 25, 2020. Registration is closed, but the recording will be available upon request. Email [email protected].

If you liked what you heard, rate and review Off the Assembly Line.

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

Learn more about the Teacher Mastermind at http://teachermastermind.com

Follow Off the Assembly Line
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!

Support the show

Have you ever read a paper, found a tool, or heard an idea that made you stop and think, "If we could do this, we'd see truly major changes"? That's how I felt after speaking with education journalist and author Natalie Wexler about her recent book, The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System - and How to Fix It. Despite the heavy emphasis on reading instruction through testing, "accountability" measures, and funding over the last two decades, reading scores have been flat. Students performing at "proficient" levels make up less than one third of the student population. Why is this? The answer appears to lie not in environmental factors or lack of resources, but in our approach to reading instruction. In this episode, Natalie shares why skills-based reading comprehension misses the mark, and new approach that can close the gap. 

Connect with Natalie and her writing:

Website: https://nataliewexler.com/

Twitter: @natwexler

Books: The Knowledge Gap and The Writing Revolution


Rebecca's hosting the first Education Innovation Virtual Town Hall on February 25, 2020. The event is free but remaining space is limited. Click here to register and reserve your spot!

If you're interested in partnering with kindness.org as a Learn Kind Pilot classroom, go to kindness.org and scroll down to "Learn Kind" to find out more. (Or you can send Rebecca a message!)

If you liked what you heard, rate and review Off the Assembly Line

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

Learn more about the Teacher Mastermind at http://teachermastermind.com

Follow Off the Assembly Line
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!

Support the show

This week I'm excited to share a deeply insightful conversation with Dr. Robyn Koslowitz, clinical psychologist, regular contributor to Psychology Today, and the Education Director of Targeted Parenting Institute. We’re talking about social-emotional learning (SEL), and the small tweaks that can make a major difference in students’ wellness, behavior, and long-term health and success. My favorite insight in our conversation is the innovative and integrated approach that Dr. Koslowitz uses to bridge the gap between home and school - a disconnect that is felt by many, but rarely addressed holistically. Like our recent mindfulness episodes, this conversation has wisdom for everyone.

Connect with Dr. Koslowitz and Targeted Parenting Institute:

Website: https://targetedparenting.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynkoslowitz/

Facebook: @drkoslowitzpsychology

Instagram: @dr.koslowitzpsychology

Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/targeted-parenting

If you're interested in partnering with kindness.org as a Learn Kind Pilot classroom, go to kindness.org and scroll down to "Learn Kind" to find out more. (Or you can send Rebecca a message!)

Rebecca's hosting the first Education Innovation Virtual Town Hall on February 25, 2020. The event is free but remaining space is limited. Click here to register and reserve your spot!

If you liked what you heard, rate and review Off the Assembly Line

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

Learn more about the Teacher Mastermind at http://teachermastermind.com

Follow Off the Assembly Line
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!

Support the show

We'll be back with a brand new, full-length episode next week. This week I wanted to tell you about a project I've been working on. Last fall I partnered with global non-profit and kindness leader kindness.org, to explore new ways to bring kindness to classrooms. While there are wonderful programs and materials already available under the umbrella of kindness, we found in talking with teachers that there were still needs to be met. Our research revealed the need for kindness curriculum that accounts for each student's experience, home life, personality, and unique educational needs. So we developed curriculum that puts students in the driver's seat.

In just a few weeks we'll be releasing Learn Kind, an inquiry-based curriculum for K-8 students, to a limited cohort of pilot classrooms across the U.S. If you want to partner with us as a pilot classroom, or share this program with others, go to kindness.org and scroll down to "Learn Kind" to find out more. (Or you can send Rebecca a message!)

Rebecca's hosting the first Education Innovation Virtual Town Hall on February 25, 2020. The event is free but remaining space is limited. Click here to register and reserve your spot!

If you liked what you heard, rate and review Off the Assembly Line

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

Learn more about the Teacher Mastermind at http://teachermastermind.com

Follow Off the Assembly Line
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!

Support the show

How do you thrive as a true creative, in a system built for process? If you're 2086xxoo (or 20 for short), you dive in with both feet and "problem-solve your way through" - and create curricular innovation along the way. This week I'm honored to talk with the most innovative educator I have ever seen in action. 20 is the kind of teacher they make movies about, the kind of educator whose ability to connect with students and call up the best in them seems almost magical. Throughout a career that has spanned every grade level, school type, and demographic environment, 20 has consistently fed the fire of creative work, recently launching the language arts platform for teachers and students, Liberation Education. Think of Liberation Ed like an educational Netflix, with a library of original language arts hip hop songs and videos, created in collaboration with students, with full curriculum currently in the works. On this episode, 20 and I talk about harnessing the magic of "kid energy" to create curriculum that students WANT to connect with, and how to thrive as a true creative in an education system stacked against mold-breakers.

Connect with 2086xxoo and Liberation Education:

Website: https://liberation.education/

Facebook: @2086xxoo and @liberationed

Instagram: @2086xxoo and @liberationed

Check the original song and video PIN to Win


Rebecca's hosting the first Education Innovation Virtual Town Hall on February 25, 2020. The event is free but remaining space is limited. Click here to register and reserve your spot!

If you liked what you heard, rate and review Off the Assembly Line

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

Learn more about the Teacher Mastermind at http://teachermastermind.com

Follow Off the Assembly Line
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!

Support the show

Imagine an entire school pausing, turning inward, and dedicating several unbroken minutes to mindfulness guided by a prompt overlaid with classical music. Imagine each student, teacher, and school staff member beginning the day with this experience. You can almost feel the collective exhale and see the clear minds emerging from each musical moment. This is exactly what happens in classrooms and schools that partner with Mindful Music Moments, a program that brings mindfulness practice to K-12 students in partnership with world-class performing arts organizations. In the second episode of our Mindfulness Education miniseries, Mindful Music Moments creator Stacy Sims explains just what makes this program so powerful, and how educators can begin to practice some of the most effective aspects of mindfulness right now. 

Connect with Stacy and Mindful Music Moments:

Website: https://www.thewell.world/mindful-music (now available by app!)

Check out the PBS Newshour Special


If you liked what you heard, rate and review Off the Assembly Line

Go to offtheassemblyline.co to sign up for the Education Innovation Town Hall (details in show intro!)

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

Learn more about the Teacher Mastermind at http://teachermastermind.com

Follow Off the Assembly Line
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/. 

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!

Support the show