Recorded as a virtual panel session for Shaping the Future 2021.

Join a panel of podcast hosts, producers, educators and enthusiasts for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "The Podclass: Conversations on School Health.” Learn the evidence behind why podcasts are a great strategy for professional learning, how this series was brought to life and is being utilized in a “flipped classroom” approach for a BEd. course, and how teachers at any stage of their career can take advantage of shared or solo learning opportunities through podcasts.

Jamie talks with Dr. Rahat Zaidi, an Associate Professor in Second Language Pedagogy at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary about diversity in culture, language, and backgrounds in Canadian classrooms. She shares resources and strategies for teachers to acknowledge and honour diversity without having to be a language or cultural expert.

Additional Resources

• Living Together: Muslims in a Changing World
• McIntosh, P. (1989). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Peace and Freedom (p. 10-12).
• Zaidi, R. (2017). Anti-Islamophobic curriculums (1st ed.). Peter Lang Publications. ISBN 1433142562, 9781433142567
• Zaidi, R. & El Chaar, E. (2020). Identity texts: an intervention to internationalise the classroom. Pedagogies: An International Journal. DOI: 10.1080/1554480X.2020.1860060
• Zaidi R. (2020). Dual language books: Enhancing engagement and language awareness. Journal of Literacy Research. First published July 16, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1086296X20939559
• Zaidi, R. (2019). Islamophobia and education. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford University Press. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.231

Jamie talks with Ben Schworer from Rocky Mountain Collective, a cannabis shop in Hinton, Alberta about how teachers, health promotion professionals, and cannabis retailers are unlikely allies in keeping cannabis out of the hands of youth.

Additional Resources:

• Leafly
• Project CBD
• Dr. Ethan Russo

Elizabeth talks with Dana, a teacher and instructor at the University of Calgary and the University of Pennsylvania, about the need to prioritize teacher wellbeing in addition to student wellbeing when it comes to school health promotion. She shares practical strategies for teachers to feel their best, maintain perspective, and enjoy their work.

Additional Resources:

• My Sleep Well
• CBC Article on Self Help
• SelfCompassion.org
• Day One App
• VIA Institute on Character
• Coursera: Resilience Skills in a Time of Uncertainty

Elizabeth talks with Lisa Taylor, an instructor at the University of Calgary, about small shifts to embed wellness in your daily routine as a teacher. She shares stories about how she became health champion in the schools where she taught and how health promotion can lead to happier school communities.

Apps for reading articles:

• For iOS: Natural Readers App
• For android: Voice Aloud Reader

Elizabeth speaks with Lisa Bush, author of the book Teaching Well: How Healthy, Empowered Teachers Lead to Thriving, Successful Classrooms, about how teachers can intentionally change what’s under their control to be a well-rounded, happy teacher. She shares her favourite tips for time management, collaboration, and assessment with an eye to reducing workload but not our effectiveness as teachers.

Additional Resources:

• Brown, Roediger, McDaniel, Roediger, Henry L., and McDaniel, Mark A. (2014). Make It Stick : The Science of Successful Learning. Belknap Press.
• Sackstein, S. (2015). Hacking assessment: 10 ways to go gradeless in a traditional grades school. Times 10 Publications.
• Tricarico, D. (2018). Sanctuaries: Self-care secrets for stressed-out teachers. Dave Burgess Consulting.

Elizabeth speaks with Andrew Baxter, who works with Alberta Health Services to promote mental health literacy, about teachers’ role in promoting mental health in the school setting. He provides useful information on the most common mental disorders teachers may see in their students.

Additional Resources:

• Teen Mental Health
• Teen Mental Health YouTube Channel
• Anxiety Canada

Elizabeth speaks with Dr. Kate Storey, associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, about how teachers can promote wellbeing in small but real ways. She focuses on the need for a good night’s rest and how we can encourage our students to prioritize sleep to improve their health and academic success.

Additional Resources:

• CSEP Guidelines
• ParticipAction
• Kate Storey's Website

Jamie and Elizabeth share their unique experiences of teaching in alternative school programs and student leadership initiatives in this episode that focuses on how school can be a site for skill development, social belonging, and positive mental well-being. Jamie talks about how a student-led volunteer project, Joy4All, landed his class in the media spotlight.

Additional Resources

• Joy4All
• Maskwacis School of Rock (formerly the Hobbema School of Rock)
• Cadbury commercial of Jamie’s students and their Joy4All project