Our Classroom

Artificial intelligence has changed the way we access information, but it hasn't changed the importance of curiosity.

In this solo episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán explores why great teaching isn't just about helping students find answers. It's about helping them ask better questions.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why curiosity is one of the most important skills students can develop

How questions deepen learning across every subject

What AI reveals about the future of education

Why classrooms should celebrate thoughtful questions as much as correct answers

How teachers can cultivate lifelong learners

As educators, our goal isn't simply to prepare students for the next test. It's to prepare them for a lifetime of learning.

Key Reflection

"The future doesn't belong to the people with all the answers. It belongs to the people who never stop asking thoughtful questions."

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

The beginning of a school year is filled with anticipation.

Teachers organize classrooms, prepare lesson plans, establish routines, and think through every detail of the first week. Those things matter but they aren't the only things that matter.

In this solo episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán invites educators to look beyond procedures and consider the deeper questions that shape the culture of a classroom long before the first unit is complete.

Rather than offering a checklist for the first week of school, Roberto shares five reflective questions that can influence every interaction, every lesson, and every relationship throughout the year.

What students are learning about themselves in your classroom

Why every student arrives carrying an unseen story

How belonging is built through everyday decisions

The difference between creating compliance and cultivating community

What you hope students will remember long after they've forgotten your lessons

As another school year begins, this episode is a reminder that great teaching isn't only measured by what students know, it's also measured by who they become.

"Long after students forget your syllabus, they'll remember how your classroom made them feel about themselves."

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

Every day, teachers ask students to write.

But how often do we ask them to write the stories that only they can tell?

In this solo episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán reflects on a question that emerged while preparing for a workshop on poetry, identity, and place: What stories are we inviting students to preserve?

Too often, writing becomes an exercise in compliance—responding to prompts, meeting standards, or completing assignments. But writing can also become an act of remembering, honoring, and preserving the people, places, and experiences that shape who we are.

In this episode, Roberto explores how educators can move beyond asking students to write about content and begin inviting them to write from their lives.

This conversation is an invitation to rethink writing, not simply as an academic task, but as a way for students to discover themselves and leave something meaningful behind.

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"Our greatest contribution may not be the lessons we teach, but the space we create for students to tell the stories only they can tell."

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

 As educators, we often focus on what we're going to teach. But what if the most important part of teaching happens before we ever step into the classroom?

In this solo episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán reflects on preparing for an upcoming workshop with the Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau, Alaska. As he revisits his presentation, he realizes that the workshop isn't really about poetry—it's about humility, listening, and honoring the stories that already exist within every community.

Rather than arriving as the expert, Roberto shares why he's choosing to enter as a guest and what that shift has taught him about culturally sustaining teaching, place-based education, and the importance of helping students tell their own stories.

Whether you teach across the country or across the hallway, this episode is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and recognize the knowledge students already bring into the classroom.

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Key Reflection

"Before we teach, we should learn. Before we speak, we should listen."

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

What if multilingualism isn't something to overcome—but one of a child's greatest strengths?

In this episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán sits down with educator, school leader, and multilingual education advocate Elise Genao to explore the power of translanguaging and why honoring children's full linguistic identities creates stronger learners and more inclusive classrooms.

Drawing from her experience as a teacher, instructional coach, administrator, and consultant, Elise shares how educators can move beyond deficit thinking and embrace language as an asset.

In this conversation, we discuss:

What translanguaging is—and what it is not

Why multilingualism is a strength, not a barrier

Common misconceptions about multilingual learners

Practical classroom strategies that honor students' home languages

The connection between language, identity, and belonging

How school leaders can better support multilingual students and families

Why every educator—not just bilingual teachers—has a role to play

This episode is a reminder that when students are invited to bring all of who they are into the classroom, everyone benefits.

"Students shouldn't have to leave part of themselves at the classroom door in order to learn."

Elise Genao is an educator, instructional leader, and consultant with extensive experience supporting multilingual learners. She is passionate about helping schools create language-rich environments where every child's identity is valued and every language is seen as an asset.

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

How do we teach children to respect others without teaching them to ignore themselves?

In this episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán sits down with children's author Caitlin Roeder to discuss her forthcoming picture book, Family Kisses, and the important conversations it invites around family traditions, culture, consent, bodily autonomy, and children's voices.

Together, they explore how adults can help children navigate relationships with confidence, kindness, and self-respect—without asking them to sacrifice who they are.

In this conversation, we discuss:

The inspiration behind Family Kisses

Teaching children about bodily autonomy in age-appropriate ways

Honoring family traditions while respecting personal boundaries

The role trusted adults play in helping children find their voice

Why consent is really about dignity and respect

How picture books create opportunities for meaningful conversations

What educators and families can learn from Mei-Li's story

This episode reminds us that teaching children to honor others should never require them to lose themselves.

"Children can learn to be kind, respectful, and compassionate while also understanding that their voice and their boundaries matter."

Caitlin Roeder is a children's author whose forthcoming picture book, Family Kisses, offers a joyful depiction of family celebration while introducing young readers to ideas of consent, bodily autonomy, and self-advocacy through the story of Mei-Li and her Chinese New Year celebration.

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

Every lesson teaches something.

The question is: What are students learning beyond the standards?

In this episode of Our Classroom, Lorena Germán sits down with educator and school leader Suzanne Adinolfi to explore the hidden curriculum—the unspoken messages students receive about identity, belonging, voice, and power.

Together, they discuss why meaningful learning extends beyond academic standards and how educators can intentionally create classrooms where students feel seen, valued, and empowered.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

This episode is an invitation to rethink not only what we teach, but also what our teaching communicates.

“Students may forget a lesson, but they’ll remember how your classroom made them feel about themselves as learners.”

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

What if some of the most important lessons about belonging happen outside the classroom?

In this episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán sits down with educator, school social worker, author, and parent Jalpa Vaidya Patel to discuss how schools and families can intentionally create spaces where children feel seen, valued, and connected.

Drawing from her work helping transform recess into a cultural celebration and her broader commitment to community-building, Jalpa shares practical insights about belonging, curiosity, culture, and student well-being.

In this conversation, we explore:

This episode reminds us that belonging isn’t something we simply hope for—it is something we build together.

“Belonging doesn’t happen by accident. It happens through intentional relationships, meaningful experiences, and a commitment to seeing one another fully.”

Jalpa Vaidya Patel is an educator, licensed clinical social worker, author, and advocate for student well-being. Her work focuses on helping children develop empathy, connection, and a sense of belonging in schools and communities.

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

What does meaningful school change actually look like?

In this episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán sits down with Dr. Lucy Canzoneri-Golden, Co-Founder and Co-Director of Coral Reef Montessori Academy Charter School, to discuss what happens when a school commits to culture, belonging, and student-centered learning over the long haul.

Rather than treating equity and inclusion as isolated initiatives, Coral Reef Montessori has worked intentionally to embed these values into the fabric of the school community. Dr. Canzoneri-Golden shares lessons learned from that journey, the challenges along the way, and the impact it has had on students, educators, and school culture.

In this conversation, we explore:

This episode is a reminder that meaningful change rarely happens overnight. It happens through commitment, reflection, relationships, and a willingness to keep showing up.

“School culture isn’t built through a single workshop. It’s built through years of intentional practice.”

Dr. Lucy Canzoneri-Golden is an educator, Montessori leader, and advocate for child-centered learning. As Co-Founder and Co-Director of Coral Reef Montessori Academy Charter School, she has helped cultivate a learning community grounded in independence, curiosity, compassion, and lifelong learning.

School leaders, if this conversation resonated with you, we’d love to help your team move from good intentions to sustained impact.

Multicultural Classroom partners with schools and districts through professional development, coaching, and implementation support designed to strengthen belonging, student engagement, and culturally sustaining practice.

Visit MulticulturalClassroom.com to learn more.

Let’s build the kind of schools our students deserve.

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.

What if picture books were some of the most powerful tools available to educators—not just for teaching reading, but for helping students understand themselves?

In this episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán sits down with literacy consultant and author Sarah Cordova to discuss the role picture books can play in shaping student identity, developing writers, and creating more inclusive classrooms.

Together, they explore how thoughtfully selected mentor texts can serve as both mirrors and windows—reflecting students’ lived experiences while expanding their understanding of others.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

Whether you’re an elementary teacher, literacy coach, administrator, or secondary educator looking to strengthen writing instruction, this conversation offers practical ideas and inspiration for helping students see themselves—and their possibilities—through books.

Sarah Cordova is a national literacy consultant and author of The Power of Picture Books in Student Identity: Writing Lessons That Empower. Her work helps educators integrate identity, belonging, and culturally responsive literacy practices into daily instruction.

Teach in Truth.
Lead with Courage.
Belong to a Community That Gets It.