Small, steady moves can transform a classroom. We sit down with Pennsylvania educator Brittany Christensen to unpack how 5–10 minute SEL warmups grew into a living practice woven through literacy, nonfiction analysis, and daily routines. Teaching English and ESOL in a large urban district, she shows how high expectations can coexist with care by building a shared language around growth mindset, self-discipline, and self-motivation, then returning to those skills in texts, discussions, and assessments.

You’ll hear how she starts with clear, student-owned definitions, scaffolds from spotting competencies in literature to reflecting on real life, and uses quick exit tickets to make progress visible. We dig into concrete strategies for integrating SEL into reading and writing: narrowing focus to a few skills per unit, inviting groups to justify choices with textual evidence and author context, and connecting skills to figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Brittany’s ESOL lens shines through with explicit vocabulary, gradual release, and co-teaching habits that support multilingual learners. 

Beyond the classroom, Brittany models accountability as care by closing loops with families when students ask for it, and sharing how restorative practices and humility fuel collaborative growth. She offers practical planning tips to get started tomorrow: put SEL on the calendar, use early-finish moments or pre-break days, and keep routines short and consistent. If you want a humane, high-expectation classroom where students can name the skills they’re practicing and transfer them to life, this conversation delivers tools you can use right away.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Brittany via email at [email protected]

What if the biggest lever for healthier schools is how we view people and problems? I sit down with veteran educator and consultant Thom Stecher to unpack how a shift in perspective can transform classroom climate, leadership choices, and our well-being. From the first moments, we trace a clear arc: perception shapes understanding, understanding unlocks empathy, and empathy fuels compassionate action. And that sequence lives inside every SEL competency.

Thom shares personal stories that bring both-and thinking to life, showing how grief and gratitude can coexist and how that nuance matters for students and staff navigating complex emotions. We dig into responsible decision-making as the cumulative outcome of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills, then get practical: using a mindful pause to interrupt reactivity, spotting absolutist language that signals stuck thinking, and replacing it with I-statements that restore agency. We also explore cognitive empathy versus affective empathy and why honoring different truths in a classroom builds respect without demanding conversion.

Curiosity gets its due as the engine of empathy and innovation, raising a tough question for schools: Do we actually want curiosity if it refuses to be compliant? Drawing on the original meaning of educare (to draw out), we offer strategies to elevate student voice, invite multiple perspectives, and design learning that values people over mere performance.

If you’re ready to trade either-or for both-and, to ground big goals in human connection, and to build a culture where perspective leads to wiser choices, this conversation will give you language, tools, and courage to start. 

If it resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help others find it. 

What’s one place you’ll add a mindful pause this week?

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Thom Stecher via his website or Facebook.
• Order his book, Social Emotional Learning - One Day at a Time

What if students did work they couldn’t fake and didn’t want to? 

We sit down with award-winning educator and author Michael Hernandez to rethink assessment, culture, and the role of technology by anchoring learning in agency, responsibility, and authentic audiences. Instead of building classrooms around compliance and bans, we explore how trust and clear boundaries create a sandbox where creativity thrives, and cheating loses its appeal.

Michael walks us through a step-by-step PSA project that turns SEL from a talking point into a daily practice. Along the way, we dig into assessing for impact, originality, and courage; teaching ethical research and credibility; and using phones, mics, and cameras as microscopes and telescopes for inquiry. We also talk about oral histories as a powerful listening-first approach that builds digital literacy, empathy, and real communication skills.

The conversation widens to film festivals, cross-school collaboration, and policy shifts away from standardized tests toward portfolios and a portrait of a graduate. We frame the classroom as a think tank with real deadlines and audiences, where feedback and iteration are the norm, responsibility has consequences, and students learn to navigate ambiguity with confidence. If you want practical, human-centered strategies that make learning relevant, rigorous, and public, this one will spark ideas you can use tomorrow.

EPISODE RESOURCES: 

• Connect with Michael via his website, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• Check out Michasel's books and online courses!

What if staff meetings ended with real decisions and classes felt like energizing workshops? We sit down with communication expert and author Chris Fenning to rebuild school time around clarity and outcomes using one simple framework: Topic, Purpose, Output. From IEPs and MTSS to department huddles and professional learning workshops, we show how to set relevance, choose the right activities, and leave each session with a tangible result you can print, share, or ship.

We unpack the difference between meetings and workshops and why that distinction matters for educators. You’ll learn how to write agendas as questions so anyone can lead with confidence, use the inverse time rule to handle niche items without holding everyone hostage, and stop “admiring the problem” by validating voices and shifting to solutions. Chris shares fast, inclusive techniques such as silent writing, quick polls, sticky-note clustering, and time-boxed sprints that surface ideas from the quiet, curb overtalkers, and keep momentum strong.

This conversation connects directly to SEL. Clear purposes lower stress. Named outputs build agency. Validation increases belonging. When we frame lessons as purposeful meetings - opening with a question, selecting activities that align with the goal, and closing with a visible product - students practice collaboration, focus, and reflective decision-making.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Chris via his website and LinkedIn.
• Check out Chris' books:
  • The First Minutes
  • Effective Emails
  • Effective Meetings 
  • 39 Ways to Make Training Stick 

What if US history class felt human, focused, and alive every single day? We sit down with high school social studies teacher Trevor Conde to unpack a design-first approach to SEL where routines create safety, novelty sparks curiosity, and students see themselves in the story. Trevor shares how backward design, clear weekly modules, and transparent due dates reduce friction and build self-management, while creative touchpoints turn content into a shared culture that students remember.

We walk through his daily architecture: collaborative “perch group” bell ringers that students own, a quick whole-class synthesis, and three station rotations with random groups that broaden social awareness and collaboration. Trevor explains the why behind randomization and how it grows real-world teamwork skills by stretching comfort zones. He also reveals a signature practice that boosts attention and presence: one device-free day each week. By committing to analog tools and shared materials, the class reclaims focus, deepens dialogue, and practices care for each other’s learning.

Along the way, Trevor models a growth mindset for professional learning by integrating literacy strategies and SEL into his existing goals, rather than treating them as add-ons. If you’re looking to balance routine with spark, bring SEL to life in your content area, and build a classroom that functions as a learning community, this conversation offers clear, practical moves you can try tomorrow.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Trevor via email at [email protected].
• Recommended reading: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles

What if the difference between a struggling reader and a confident one is not a love of books, but the routines around them? Dr. Steve Underwood joins us to unpack how predictable, evidence-based instruction changes the math on literacy and identity. From a childhood marked by poverty and round-robin dread to a career leading systems change, Steve shows why consistency, safety, and the science of reading can give every student a fair shot at comprehension and confidence.

We dive into the simple view of reading and then get practical. Steve walks through explicit, systematic phonics with everyday moves teachers can adopt: stable sound-spelling routines, precise finger cues that highlight graphemes, and three targeted blending approaches that keep the process consistent and the thinking focused. We connect those micro-moves to SEL - how choral response boosts participation without shame, how steady sequences reduce anxiety, and how emotional and psychological safety sets the stage for real learning. We also explore audio supports that preserve dignity and allow students to control the pace while building meaning.

We reframe reading as a purpose-driven cycle: preview strategically, monitor understanding as you read, apply insights afterward, and then discuss because learning is social. Finally, we zoom out to the systems level. When a school aligns on routines, students don’t have to relearn directions each year; they build skills.

If you’re ready to trade guesswork for what works, and to pair solid research with human-centered teaching, this conversation will equip you with steps you can use tomorrow. Subscribe, share with a colleague who teaches reading in any content area, and leave a review to tell us which strategy you’ll try first.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Steve via his website, LinkedIn, or YouTube.
• Steve also recommends these resources:
  • The Reading League
  • International Dyslexia Association
  • CORE Teaching Reading Sourcebook

Coaching should feel like a partnership where educators bring their expertise, name the barriers they face, and co-create next steps that actually fit their classrooms. We sit down with Kenny McKee and Kathy Perrett, co-authors of Compassionate Coaching, to explore a humane, practical framework for helping teachers move forward without judgment or gimmicks.

In this episode, we unpack six recurring barriers: lack of confidence, failure, overload, disruption, isolation, and tough school culture. Kenny shares how reframing "failure" with design thinking and action research turns data into direction, not blame. Kathy explains how to introduce coaching so it's not "come fix me," but truly collaborative. You'll hear how to offer options without overwhelming, ask for permission before advising, and attribute ideas in ways that build trust rather than hierarchy. We also highlight a simple data routine that changes conversations quickly: ask students two questions: "What helped you learn today?" What got in the way? Then use those insights to plan the next lesson together.

Across stories from elementary to high school, single-site to multi-school roles, we show how compassionate coaching strengthens teacher agency, elevates student voice, and adapts to wildly different cultures. You'll leave with practical tools for gathering meaningful, in-the-moment data, strategies for starting with willing partners, and a mindset shift: be the most coachable person in the building, model reflection, and celebrate small wins that compound. 

If this resonates, follow the show, share with a colleague, and leave a review telling us which barrier you're tackling next.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Kenny via his website, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• Connect with Kathy via her website, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• Purchase their book -  Compassionate Coaching: How to help educators navigate barriers to professional growth

Leading a school shouldn’t feel like juggling flaming clipboards. Tammy Musiowsky and Christine Arnold join us to share how minimalist leadership turns a noisy school ecosystem into a coherent one by aligning purpose, editing systems, and removing friction that wastes energy and time. They unpack the Triple P (purpose, priorities, pare down) and the Five Rs (reimagine, remove, repurpose, reinvest, refine) to show how small, smart edits in communication, operations, and culture create outsized gains for teachers and students.

We explore why interdependence matters: when leaders are stretched or unclear, stress cascades through the whole community. Tammy and Christine walk through concrete ways to “buy back” time by blocking deep work, backmapping deadlines, simplifying meetings, and building buffer zones so people can think. They make a powerful case that simplifying raises the level of thinking by freeing attention for strategy, feedback, and relationships.

Along the way, we get candid about tradeoffs, boundaries, and the signals leaders send without realizing it. A head-up greeting, a cleaner email, and a tighter agenda can shift the emotional climate of a hallway, a team, and a school day. If you’re craving fewer initiatives and more impact, this conversation delivers practical edits you can make next week, plus a mindset that keeps them sticking. We share favorite chapters on time and well-being, talk through tool choices and timelines, and highlight how to reduce friction in your own role, even without a formal title.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• ​Connect with Tammy and Christine via the Plan Z website, Tammy's Instagram, LinkedIn (Tammy), LinkedIn (Christine).
• Read their books:
  • ​The Minimalist Teacher
  • ​Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School Ecosystem

What if belonging wasn’t a poster or a pep talk, but a practice you could measure, build, and sustain? We sit down with Dr. Sheldon Eakins to unpack how leadership choices shape whether students feel accepted, supported, and included. From turning speaking engagements into chapters to designing a student belonging survey, Dr. Eakins shows how to move from intent to impact with tools any school can use.

We dig into inclusion and assimilation, and why asking students to “fit in” by quietly shedding their identity undermines achievement. Sheldon shares how to audit rituals and traditions, align mission and vision with lived culture, and break down silos between special education, multilingual learning, and general education. His potluck metaphor reframes the work: bring homemade, not boxed. Craft environments where every learner sees themselves on the table and feels safe enough to try something new.

Teachers will find concrete ideas to swap “classroom management” for community-building: co-create agreements, build respectful relationships, and design projects that connect standards to students’ lives. We also explore attachment theory across K–12, showing how even 50 minutes can become a secure base for growth. And for the time-starved, Sheldon offers a pragmatic take on AI: use it to draft plans and personalize entry points, then spend your energy on feedback, facilitation, and care.

If you’re ready to lead with clarity and purpose, and to build a culture where identity fuels learning, this conversation is your roadmap.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Dr. Sheldon Eakins via his website, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 
• Check out Dr. Eakin's books:
  • Leading Equity: Becoming an Advocate for All Students
  • What Are You Bringing to the Potluck?: How School Leaders Set the Table for a Community of Belonging
  • Meaningful Classroom Management: Adapting Your Teaching to Build Culture and Community

The first breath of the conversation is gratitude, and from there it builds into a grounded, courageous blueprint for how belonging becomes real. We sit down with Craig Aarons-Martin, CEO of CCM Education Group, to unpack the craft of creating brave spaces in schools and communities, not as a slogan, but as a daily practice shaped by rituals, reciprocal relationships, and stories that center joy without denying the weight of the moment.

Craig shares how his morning rhythm shapes the way he leads culture, equity, and SEL work across classrooms and organizations. He names the mountain and the valley: the mountaintop for its vantage point, the valley for its lessons. That frame powers his new book on brave spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, including the breakthrough chapter on advocacy that documents resilience, tactics, and light. We explore what it means to give “a cup of courage,” how to tell stories that invite action, and why the most effective change starts with regulating our nervous systems so we can co-regulate with students.

If you’re building cultures of belonging, leading SEL initiatives, or searching for practical ways to champion LGBTQ+ and Black boys’ brilliance, this conversation is your map and your spark. 

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Craig via his LinkTree, Instagram, LinkedIn, and his website. 
• Check out Craig's book and podcast:
  • Black Boy Joy Blueprint Journal: A Guide to Identity, Dreams & Leadership
  • Brave Voices podcast