Time for Teachership

How can schools help students practice democracy—not just learn about it?

In this episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons sits down with civic education researcher Dr. Sarah Burnham to explore how classrooms can cultivate the habits of democracy, civic engagement, and critical consciousness in young people.

Dr. Burnham, a researcher at Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, shares insights from research on civic education, student belonging, and anti-oppressive attitudes in youth. Together they discuss why civic learning must move beyond memorizing government structures to include student voice, inquiry-based learning, participatory decision-making, and real-world civic action.

You'll hear powerful examples of schools using participatory budgeting, collaborative decision-making, and student-led initiatives to strengthen school communities and foster civic identity. Dr. Burnham also explains how families can support civic development at home through everyday conversations, community involvement, and modeling respectful disagreement.

If you're an educator, school leader, or parent who wants to empower young people to see themselves as active participants in democracy, this episode is packed with research-backed strategies and inspiring ideas.

• What it means to build the habits of democracy in classrooms

• Why student belonging and representation are critical for civic learning

• The research behind critical consciousness and anti-oppressive attitudes

• How inquiry-based civic education strengthens engagement and agency

• Examples of participatory budgeting in schools

• The role of student voice and shared decision-making

• Why civic education does not lead to political indoctrination

• How families can support youth civic engagement at home

Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/253

• BlueSky: BernhamBurglar

• LinkedIn: SL Burnham

• Email: [email protected]

• Research hub: CIRCLE at Tufts

Talking with young people about difficult current events—especially those involving immigration enforcement, protests, and community fear—can feel overwhelming for educators and families. In this episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons sits down with education leaders Kara Pranikoff and Dr. Eric Soto‑Shed to discuss how teachers and caregivers can support students navigating conversations about immigration enforcement, protests, and current events.

Together, they introduce the Think–Feel–Do framework, a simple yet powerful structure educators can use to guide discussions about complex and emotional issues like actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The framework helps students explore three key questions:

• What do I think? (curiosity, critical thinking, and context)

• How do I feel? (identity, empathy, emotional processing)

• What can I do? (civic action and agency)

The conversation explores how teachers can address hard topics responsibly without avoiding them—and without overwhelming students emotionally. By grounding discussions in content knowledge, shared values, and opportunities for action, educators can create classrooms where students process events thoughtfully and compassionately.

This episode also highlights how families can partner with schools to support young people as they make sense of difficult news, build media literacy habits, and develop resilience in challenging times.

• How to talk with students about immigration enforcement and current events

• The Think–Feel–Do framework for discussing difficult issues in classrooms

• Supporting students without retraumatizing them

• Why content knowledge and historical context matter in emotionally charged discussions

• The role of values like fairness, safety, and dignity in civic dialogue

• Helping students move from awareness to civic engagement and informed action

• Addressing diverse reactions among students—from curiosity to activism

• Supporting students directly affected by immigration policy

• How families can model healthy media habits and emotional processing

• Why joy, resilience, and community still matter in conversations about injustice

• Dr. Eric Soto‑Shed — Faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education

• Kara Pranikoff — Visit her website at karapranikoff.com

Welcome to the Time for Teachership Podcast!

In this inspiring episode, Iuri Melo, therapist, educator, and founder of School Pulse, joins Lindsay to explore how schools, families, and students can proactively cultivate joy, positive relationships, and mental wellness.

Iuri shares his 20+ years of experience in therapy and his work with thousands of students, highlighting the importance of shifting from reactive crisis management to proactive, positive engagement. From live text-based support to fun, evidence-based student success activities, School Pulse provides tools that are inclusive, practical, and grounded in research.

• Why schools often focus on crisis intervention—and how early, proactive support can prevent many challenges.

• The power of positive psychology, growth mindset, and cognitive strategies in creating student wellbeing and academic success.

• How to implement benign, inclusive mental wellness content that works for diverse student populations without controversy.

• Practical ideas for starting and ending the day with positive momentum—for students, families, and teachers alike.

• How live text-based support, proactive emails, and short videos can engage students in building relationships, managing emotions, and developing life skills.

• Fun examples of student success activities, including acronyms like CASH (Compliment, Ask questions, Smile, Help) and SWIFT for relationship building.

• Mental wellness can be taught proactively, not just reactively.

• Inclusive, evidence-based strategies improve academic performance, relationships, and school culture.

• Small actions—like greeting students warmly or sending positive messages—can create momentum that impacts daily experiences.

• Families and schools can partner to reinforce positive habits and student growth.

Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/251

Connect With Guest Iuri Melo:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.schoolpulse.org

Welcome to Episode 250 of the Time for Teachership podcast! 🎉

In this milestone episode, Lindsay explores how stories and civic imagination can help educators, leaders, families, and students co-construct shared values — and ultimately build meaningful community agreements for how we want to be together.

Inspired by the powerful book Practicing Futures: A Civic Imagination Handbook by Peter László and Srdja Popovic (and their incredible free online resources), this episode shares:

• Key insights from the book

• Reflections on civic imagination as a collective practice

• A practical, adaptable 60-minute workshop you can facilitate in classrooms, staff meetings, conferences, advisory blocks, PTA gatherings, or even at home

If you've ever struggled to move from "values on the wall" to lived, shared agreements — this episode offers a creative and hopeful pathway forward.

1. Civic imagination builds community — focus on shared values and trust, not just power struggles.

2. Stories reveal values — personal experiences or pop culture characters help groups identify what they care about.

3. Collective imagination drives action — envision futures, create stories, then connect them to real-world classroom or community practices.

4. Creativity + realism — fantastical thinking opens possibilities while addressing real problems.

Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/250

What does it take to build a classroom culture where students truly believe:

• I belong here.

• I can master rigorous challenges.

• My ideas make an impact.

In this energizing conversation, Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab Learning, joins Lindsay on the Time for Teachership podcast to explore how educators can intentionally cultivate what she calls STEM identity — not just in STEM classrooms, but across all learning spaces.

Together, we unpack how belonging, productive struggle, and agency are foundational not only for academic success, but for thriving in future careers and contributing meaningfully to the world.

This episode is about more than tools or technology. It's about designing an ecosystem that helps students develop the self-belief to lead.

• STEM identity starts with belief. Students thrive when they believe: I belong here, I can master challenge, and my ideas matter.

• Productive struggle builds confidence. Pause before stepping in. Calibrated support — not immediate rescue — strengthens learning power.

• Belonging requires intentional design. Environment, curriculum, facilitation, and real-world connection must work together as an ecosystem.

• Avoid "random acts of STEM." Tools and technology should be tied to authentic problems and industry relevance.

• Education must be future-focused. In an AI-driven world, students need agency, adaptability, and the confidence to lead the tools they use.

Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/249

Connect With Guest Dr. Jennifer Berry:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jennifer-berry-9a05113/

Last week, I had the incredible honor of speaking with Zaretta Hammond about cognitive justice, instructional equity, and rebuilding students' learning power. If you haven't listened to Episode 247 yet, I strongly encourage you to go back and start there.

In this episode, I do something a little different.

I reflect — in real time — on a moment in our conversation where Zaretta stopped me and challenged my thinking. Specifically, she pushed back on my assumption that student voice could serve as the primary lever for instructional improvement and equity.

Her response sparked a full-on mental model shift for me.

This episode is a transparent walk through that shift — the embarrassment, the defensiveness, the reflection, and ultimately, the integration. If you've ever experienced discomfort while learning, this episode may resonate deeply.

• Discomfort signals growth. Being challenged can trigger defensiveness, but that tension often marks the start of real learning.

• Student voice isn't a silver bullet. Dependent learners may need explicit instruction in literacy and metacognitive skills before voice can be fully leveraged.

• Build learning power intentionally. Cognitive apprenticeship — teaching students how to learn — is foundational to equity.

• Sequence matters. It's both/and (literacy and criticality, skill-building and voice), but clarity about outcomes and timing is essential.

• Change requires action. Dissatisfaction + vision + a concrete first step are necessary to move beyond resistance.

Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/248

What does it really take to lead meaningful change in schools — not just adopt new strategies, but fundamentally shift practice?

In this powerful conversation, Zaretta Hammond joins Lindsay on the Time for Teachership podcast to discuss her latest book, Rebuilding Students' Learning Power: Teaching for Instructional Equity and Cognitive Justice. Together, we explore what it means to pursue cognitive justice, why change is so difficult in schools, and how instructional leaders can move beyond surface-level reforms toward true transformation.

Zaretta challenges leaders to examine the mental models and explanatory stories that drive their decisions. She explains why many well-intentioned reforms — even progressive ones — can unintentionally maintain cognitive redlining. Most importantly, she offers a roadmap for leading change that centers students as learners, not just participants.

This is not a conversation about adding one more strategy. It's about rethinking the recipe.

Zaretta's vision for education is rooted in cognitive justice — ensuring every student becomes a powerful, independent learner. Colonization and systemic inequities have historically underdeveloped the cognitive capacity of marginalized communities through invisible sorting mechanisms. Instructional equity requires intentionally countering those systems.

Change does not begin with new strategies. It begins with interrogating the explanatory stories we tell ourselves:

• What narratives do we hold about students and families?

• Where did those beliefs originate?

• How do those stories drive our instructional decisions?

Leaders must first collect and examine the stories circulating in their schools before attempting transformation.

Many school systems still operate within a "grammar of schooling" that hasn't shifted in over a century. Pacing guides, engagement checklists, and surface-level reforms often reinforce compliance rather than build learning power.

The shift requires:

• Integrating "learning how to learn" skills into curriculum pacing

• Designing classrooms as cognitive apprenticeships

• Creating productive struggle

• Moving students from novice → journeyman → mastery

Observable engagement does not equal learning.

Students repeating learning targets, appearing busy, or using the right jargon can create an illusion of learning. Leaders must develop a science-of-learning lens to avoid being misled by these poor proxies.

Professionalism in education requires ongoing inquiry into instruction — not just strategy adoption.

Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/247

Connect With Guest Zaretta Hammond:

• Website: www.ready4rigor.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaretta-hammond-2b122ba/

One-off workshops rarely create lasting change in classrooms. In this episode of the Time For Teachership podcast, Lindsay shares a practical Google Doc template designed to support teacher teams in ongoing, meaningful professional learning. She walks through a structured approach called Group Implementation Coaching Sessions, showing how coaching, feedback, and inquiry can help teachers refine their practice and better support student learning.

• Why continuous coaching is more effective than standalone workshops (Joyce & Showers, 2022).

• How to set the stage for teacher team coaching by identifying team strengths, individual values, and key priorities.

• Strategies for maintaining an asset-based, equity-focused, and student-centered approach in coaching sessions.

• Key coaching moves to help teachers shift mindsets, including:

  • Asking for examples to get to evidence.

  • Reframing challenges (e.g., valuing curiosity over background knowledge).

  • Moving from scarcity to prioritization.

  • Aligning pedagogy to core teaching values.

• A step-by-step walkthrough of a coaching session:

  1. Human Connection: Check-ins, celebrations, and group reflection.

  2. Implementation Check: Review previous action steps, data, and student feedback.

  3. Action Planning: Identify instructional strategies, micro-groups, or feedback systems to try before the next session.

  4. Next Steps: Decide who will try what and how data will be gathered.

• How to leverage peer coaching and group reflection to generate richer insights and practical solutions.

[00:00:00] – Welcome & Episode Overview

• Introduction to Episode 246

• The importance of continuous learning over one-off workshops

[00:00:22] – Google Doc Template Overview

• How to support teacher teams after workshops

• Group Implementation Coaching Sessions

[00:00:47] – Influences & Inspirations

• PLC at Work: Dr. Anthony Mohammed, Dr. Chad Dumas, Bob Sanju, Marin Powers, Shalene Miller

• Grow Model & Raman Behan

• Positive psychology, asset-based education, values alignment

• Books: Street Data, Pedagogies of Voice, Rebuilding Students' Learning Power

[00:04:00] – Meeting 1: Setting the Stage

• Identify team strengths and values

• Center equity and "critical hope"

• Name the students/groups on the margins

• Define success: what it looks, sounds, and feels like

• Co-design inquiry questions and evidence-gathering

[00:07:16] – Coaching Bank & Key Moves

• Asking for evidence: "Can you say more? Share an example?"

• Reframing challenges: curiosity > background knowledge

• Shifting from scarcity mindset to prioritization

• Aligning teaching to core values

[00:14:42] – Structuring Subsequent Meetings

• Start with human connection: check-ins, listening dyads, celebrations

• Implementation check: review prior actions and data

• Three containers: initial reactions, data reflection, gut checks

[00:19:35] – GLEE Model for Action Planning

• Goal: What do we want to foster before next session?

• Learn: Analyze student strengths, gaps, and feedback

• Explore: Identify instructional moves to grow skills & student agency

• Expectations: Decide who does what and gather data for next session

[00:24:34] – Final Thoughts & Evidence for Coaching

• Joyce & Showers (2022): coaching increases skill transfer from 5% → 75–90%

• Peer coaching and structured feedback as essential professional learning

[00:26:04] – Closing

• Think big, act brave, and be your best self

Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/246

What does it look like to coach teachers with humanity, curiosity, and care—especially in today's demanding educational landscape?

In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay welcomes back Dr. Jacobē Bell to explore what it truly means to take a humanizing approach to instructional coaching. Drawing on her experience coaching instructional coaches across multiple contexts, Dr. Bell shares practical strategies, mindset shifts, and real coaching moments that help educators grow while protecting their wellbeing.

This conversation is part of a mini-series focused on supporting instructional coaches, particularly those who step into the role without formal preparation and are learning "by fire."

• • • • Humanizing Coaching

        • Coaching is not just about instruction—it's also about emotional awareness, wellness, and meeting educators where they are.

        • Coaches can balance accountability with care by centering teachers as co-producers of knowledge.

      • Afrofuturism, Freedom Dreaming & Coaching

        • Dr. Bell connects Afrofuturism to instructional coaching by imagining a future where educators experience wellness, contentment, and sustainability.

        • A powerful vision: coaching that empowers educators without burning them out.

      • Mindset Shifts from Teacher to Coach

        • Moving from classroom teaching to coaching requires seeing the whole system, not just individual practice.

        • Coaches must navigate adult belief systems, values about students, and differing perspectives—often without making everyone happy.

      • Micro-Modeling as a Coaching Strategy

        • Instead of modeling an entire lesson, Dr. Bell advocates for micro-modeling:

          • Coaches model a short instructional move

          • Teachers immediately practice it with students

          • Coaches give real-time feedback

        • This approach helps shift beliefs about student ability and leads to immediate, tangible growth.

      • Surfacing Beliefs with Curiosity

        • Strategies for navigating hard conversations:

          • Reflecting teachers' words back to them

          • Asking open, curiosity-driven questions

          • Lowering defensiveness by naming uncertainty or even "blaming" your coaching

        • Assuming best intentions opens the door to vulnerability and growth.

      • Live Coaching with Care

        • Live coaching can include gently interrupting or questioning moments of instruction—but only after trust and norms are established.

        • Asking teachers how they prefer to be coached is a critical first step.

      • Authenticity Over One-Size-Fits-All

        • There is no single "right" way to coach.

        • Effective coaching grows from authenticity, relationships, and listening—not rigid formulas.

      • Sustainability & Change Management

        • Dr. Bell shares her current learning focus on sustaining change in schools over time.

        • Sustainable improvement requires planning for longevity from day one—not just short-term wins.

[00:00] Welcome & reintroduction of Dr. Jacobē Bell [01:00] Coaching as "baptism by fire" & the need for coach-specific professional learning [02:04] Dr. Bell's background coaching instructional coaches across contexts [02:35] Afrofuturism, freedom dreaming, and instructional coaching [03:55] Initiative fatigue, educator wellness, and a humanizing coaching vision [05:17] Teachers as co-producers of knowledge in coaching conversations [05:58] Shifting from a teacher mindset to a coach mindset [06:33] Coaching former peers & navigating leadership tensions [07:21] Seeing instruction systemically across teams and schools [08:29] Beliefs, values, and meeting students' needs through coaching [09:15] Practical coaching tools & action steps [10:29] Micro-modeling as a powerful coaching strategy [11:52] Shifting beliefs about "harder" or "lower" students through practice [13:21] Real-time feedback and immediate teacher implementation [15:11] Logistical realities: making micro-modeling work in real schools [16:48] Flexibility in coaching cycles and time constraints [18:00] Surfacing values and beliefs in coaching conversations [19:04] Reflecting teacher language back to them as a coaching move [20:00] Lowering defensiveness by "blaming the coaching" [21:02] Vulnerability, honesty, and seeing the whole teacher [22:29] Assuming best intentions and leading with curiosity [23:17] Live coaching moments & addressing problematic language in the classroom [24:42] Establishing norms for live coaching [25:23] Entry points for new instructional coaches [26:19] Authenticity over one-size-fits-all coaching approaches [27:47] Rapport, relationships, and trust as the foundation of coaching [28:12] What Dr. Bell is learning now: sustainability & change management [29:32] Where to connect with Dr. Jacobē Bell [29:42] Closing reflections & gratitude

Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/245

• LinkedIn: Dr. Jacobē Bell

How can educators gather meaningful data that actually reflects student thinking—without over-relying on benchmarks or labels?

In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay is joined by Dr. Jana Lee to explore how teachers, coaches, and instructional leaders can collect and analyze data that shows what students truly understand, how they're thinking, and where learning breaks down. Together, they unpack mindset shifts around assessment, flexible grouping, and skill-based instruction—and why these approaches are essential for inclusive, equitable classrooms.

Dr. Jana Lee shares practical strategies for using student work artifacts, observation, and in-the-moment checks for understanding to guide instruction, support coaching cycles, and measure real impact on student learning.

• Why measuring student thinking matters more than measuring "levels"

• The shift from leveled grouping to skill-based, flexible grouping

• How to collect data during instruction—not just at benchmark time

• What kinds of student artifacts best reveal thinking and misconceptions

• How instructional leaders can create systems (PLCs, coaching, look-fors) that support meaningful data use

• Why giving students 60–90 seconds of independent struggle is critical

• How consistency across classrooms increases student achievement

• Practical ways to assess thinking in both secondary and elementary settings

• The role of transparency, shared goals, and co-created success criteria in school improvement

• 00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Dr. Jana Lee
• 01:00 – Why measuring student learning and coaching impact matters
• 01:45 – Big dreams for education & inclusive outcomes for all students
• 03:10 – Mindset shifts around assessment and grouping students
• 04:50 – Moving from leveled groups to skill-based, flexible grouping
• 06:00 – How in-the-moment data reduces stigma and supports equity
• 08:28 – Collecting classroom data that reflects real student learning
• 09:37 – Connecting benchmark data with daily instructional evidence
• 10:51 – Why consistency across classrooms increases achievement
• 12:58 – Structures instructional leaders can use (PLCs, coaching, goals)
• 14:38 – Co-creating look-fors and success criteria
• 16:55 – Using patterns and themes in data to guide support
• 19:03 – Student artifacts as powerful evidence of thinking
• 20:12 – Diagnosing errors in thinking vs. right/wrong answers
• 21:38 – Gathering meaningful data in elementary classrooms
• 23:34 – Creative ways to assess thinking beyond writing
• 25:33 – Why skill-based strategies must be content-agnostic
• 26:24 – Biggest challenge teachers face with data collection
• 26:50 – Letting students struggle independently (60–90 seconds)
• 27:46 – One action listeners can take tomorrow
• 28:05 – What Dr. Lee is learning now: adolescent reading comprehension
• 28:59 – Where to connect with Dr. Jana Lee
• 29:30 – Closing reflections

• Student achievement data should be paired with classroom evidence of how students think

• Written, oral, behavioral, and tactile artifacts can all reveal learning

• Effective remediation starts with diagnosing where thinking breaks down

• Inclusive instruction happens when decisions are responsive, not based on preconceived beliefs

• Skill-based instruction across content areas creates coherence for students

Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/244

• Instagram: @jana.c.lee

• Website: www.janaleeconsulting.com