In this episode of the Teach4Justice Podcast, host Alfredo Silva is joined by Dr. Anne Paonessa—educator, consultant, and author of Essential Connection Skills. With over two decades in education, Anne brings a clear message: if we want students to thrive, we must teach beyond test scores.

We explore how integrating social connection into core content boosts student engagement, academic outcomes, and emotional well-being. Anne shares tangible strategies to shift classrooms from performance-based to purpose-driven.

Whether you're a classroom teacher, administrator, or education advocate, this episode offers a compelling look at how connection is not a supplement to learning—it’s the foundation.

History teachers this one is for YOU.

In ninth grade, Luke Basso began documenting the stories of veterans. He created a YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@filmperia1945 - to preserve the experiences of soldiers who served from World War II to current conflicts. Basso skipped his high school graduation this year to go to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

He is now 20 years old and reflects on his past and talks about his future

Our guest is Dr. Sawsan Jaber, a nationally recognized educator known for her commitment to fostering inclusivity and engaging students with complex, meaningful topics. Dr. Jaber is not only an outstanding teacher, but also a fierce advocate for social justice and human rights. She brings her lived experience and expertise to empower students to grapple with difficult conversations that many shy away from.

Today, we’re diving into the power of trusting students to engage with challenging topics, particularly around hot button current events. Dr. Jaber will share her insights on how to create classrooms that honor students' curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking—no matter how complex or controversial the subject matter.

I'd love to introduce you to four amazing teachers who, like you, are passionate about sustainability education and are collaborating on a student book project across four different countries.

Megan Vosk teaches at Vientiane International School in Laos and is one of our League for Green Leaders Ambassadors. She is deeply committed to teaching the SDGs and has participated in the World’s Largest Lesson with her Model UN club for several years. We connected through the Flip Global Climate Action Exchange program.

Jose Gonzalez teaches at Davis Middle School in the Compton Unified School District in California. He is passionate about Project-Based Learning, ensuring students have a voice and choice in their learning process. Jose introduced the League for Green Leaders program to his district during their Engineering Week last month.

Omar Murji teaches at Sir Ernest MacMillan Senior Public School in the Toronto District School Board, Canada. He is renowned for his innovative approach to education and his integration of technology, STEM, and sustainability in the classroom.

Henrique Lima s a Biology and Science Teacher at Colégio Militar de Manaus in Brazil. His students are working on evaporative toilets as part of their sustainability and SDG studies. Students from his classroom and Jose's collaborate on the research, design and implementation of the project. Through the photos his students took for the book project, I was connected with local environmental issues in the Amazon first time.

Finally, Bringing the Group Together is Jane Ji. Climate Advocate and creator of the League of Green Leaders - A gamified Climate Action game for kids that can be found at Springbay Studios.

Today, I’m speaking with Becky Keene, the Director of Operations for insight2execution, where she leads teams in developing professional learning content for global edtech companies and supporting systemic change in major U.S. school systems. A passionate advocate for game-based learning, she also serves as board chair for Phygital Labs and has worked with educators on four continents. Becky is the co-author of Sail the 7 Cs with Microsoft Education and has contributed to multiple professional development programs, including the AI in Education pathway for Microsoft Learn. With a background in classroom teaching, coaching, and program management, she brings deep expertise in literacy, educational technology, and digital transformation. I’m excited to explore her insights on edtech, game-based learning, and the future of education!

I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Becky recently at the Illinois Digital Educator Alliance conference known as IDEAcon where we both were featured speakers and thought leaders and I am grateful and excited to have her on the show

Stephanie Howell is a dedicated education technology advocate with a rich background in supporting diverse learners. Diagnosed with a learning disability in second grade, she has channeled her personal experiences into a passionate advocacy for students with disabilities. Her mission centers on creating personalized and differentiated learning experiences that empower every student to overcome obstacles. As a founding member of The Global GEG - Gold EDU, Stephanie has been instrumental in promoting best practices in education. She currently contributes her expertise to Kami, an interactive learning platform, where she focuses on enhancing student engagement and collaboration

Welcome to Season 3 Episode 1. Jesse Hagopian is an educator, activist, and writer dedicated to racial and social justice in education. A longtime teacher at Seattle’s Garfield High School, he helped lead the 2013 MAP test boycott, sparking a national movement against high-stakes testing. Jesse is an editor for Rethinking Schools and co-editor of Black Lives Matter at School and Teaching for Black Lives. He directs the Black Education Matters Student Activist Award and organizes with the Black Lives Matter at School movement. A nationally recognized speaker, Jesse’s work has been featured in The Nation, The Progressive, CNN, Democracy Now!, and more. He also advocates for athlete activism and youth empowerment. Jesse is a recipient of multiple social justice and education awards, including the NAACP’s Racial Justice Teacher of the Year

Dorie Conlon is an elementary school Spanish teacher who is currently getting her doctorate in applied linguistics and discourse studies. 

Her current research is on how Spanish language education in the United States can perpetuate racism against Spanish speakers.

Her Twitter (X) and Threads handle: @Doriecp

BlueSky Handle: @DorieC

Dorie’s Shoutouts

Article by author Megan Figueroa whom she gave a shout out to

https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/gpsfe

Author Jonathan Rosa https://ed.stanford.edu/faculty/jdrosa

Author Nelson Flores https://www.gse.upenn.edu/academics/faculty-directory/flores

I interview the superintendent of Garden Grove Unified School District one of the most DIVERSE districts in California. We discuss the benefits of diversity, her mentor program, how teachers can work with admin, and riding the school bus twice a year to check the pulse of the district.

Welcome to season 2 episode 1 with Monte Syrie.

Show Notes:

Our season 2 premier episode guest has been on what he calls an everquest as he looks at grading differently in an attempt to achieve better.

Better outcomes yes - but also better relationships with his students. He considers these linked.

I first found Monte Syrie on twitter a little over a year ago. As I spent last year getting to learn podcasting and having conversations with folx about justice I regularly scanned twitter for people and stories to cover. One day there it was. Monte posts his daily conversation starters online almost daily and as you twitter users who follow him know, some days the questions he poses to his students are deep and relevant questions that us educators need to be asking ourselves and eachother if we want to make real change.

Monte’s Twitter: @MonteSyrie

Website: https://www.letschangeeducation.com/

Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRBP9H3Y?ref_=k4w_oembed_AwFO7xCGM0cTag&tag=kpembed-20&linkCode=kpd