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Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
Schoolutions is a podcast for educators, coaches, administrators, and families seeking evidence-based strategies to strengthen school culture and spark student growth. Host Olivia Wahl, with over 25 years of teaching and coaching experience, curates insights from more than 150 expert interviews. Each episode offers practical tips to bridge the gap between school and home, tackling common classroom challenges. New episodes drop every Monday and Friday, featuring actionable strategies and inspirational stories.
Episodes
Why Kids Need Teachers to Look Beyond Labels
A student quietly running the lights from the booth becomes a confident, creative leader on stage. In this short clip, educator Angela Lathem-Ballard shares teaching tips on how seeing students in a different light can change classroom belonging, student engagement, and student success.Angela reminds teachers, education coaches, and instructional leaders that we aren't experts in someone else
Why I Glued Two Writing Notebooks Together for My Students (Try It Tuesday Teacher Move)
✏️ Try It Tuesday: Writing Folders, Writer's Notebooks & Doing Your Own AssignmentWriting doesn't happen in a straight line. Angela Lathem-Ballard and I talked about that on the podcast this week, and it reminded me of the folders and notebooks I bring into every writing conference and mini-lesson I teach. Here's what's inside them.In this reel:✅ My K-2 writing folder. One
One School, Four Roles: How This Teacher Balances It All
Angela Lathem-Ballard holds four roles at one small school in rural Maine. She teaches fifth- and sixth-grade humanities, teaches art from pre-K through eighth grade, directs the middle school play, and supervises visiting teachers from other states and countries who fly in to watch her in action.In part one of our S6E5 Schoolutions conversation, I ask how Angela balances all four roles. Angela wa
Are Your Lessons Running Without You? Here's Why That's a Problem...
Here's a test for tomorrow's lesson. Could you hit play, walk out of the room, and have it run exactly the same without you? If so, Katie Lewis White says you're presenting, not facilitating.In part two of Schoolutions S6E4, Katie and I discuss what separates the two. Presenting is a one-way message. Facilitation is a conversation. It means watching who's leaning in and who&apo
Could Your Lesson Run the Same Way if You Walked Out of the Room?
Could your lesson run the same way if you walked out of the room? My guest Katie Lewis White says if the answer is yes, you're presenting, not facilitating learning.In the full episode, Katie shares what to watch for when you shift from presenting to facilitating, why a silent classroom tells you something, and how outdated slides and handouts make facilitation harder. She also opens up about
Every Teacher Needs This Master Hub Doc (Try It Tuesday Teacher Move)
Ever rebuilt a Google Doc you knew you'd already made? My Schoolutions podcast guest, Katie Lewis White, taught me there's a name for that. It's called learning debt, and once I heard it, I saw it everywhere.My Try It Tuesday tip: build one master hub doc for each unit you teach. Put every link inside it. Videos, graphic organizers, slide decks, readings. When it's time to tea
What is Learning Debt (& Why You Need to Fix it Right Now)?
It's 9:45 on a Sunday night. You're digging through a shared Google Drive for a document you made last year. You can't find it, so you rebuild it. Two hours gone. Katie Lewis White calls this learning debt, and in this S6E4 Schoolutions conversation, she shows me how much it costs teachers and schools.Katie spent eight years teaching Spanish in a K-12 school and has over a decade of
Why Depth Beats Delivery Every Time (October Podcast Preview)
October on Schoolutions is all about depth over delivery. I edited every episode this month and noticed one question running through all four conversations: how do we ask kids to make meaning and wonder more, so learning sticks? Here's who joins me.Katie Lewis White explains learning debt. I didn't know it had a name until she told me. It affects every teacher and every school. She also
The Truth About Year One: What Really Matters in the Classroom
Jennifer Orr felt she had to prove herself to new colleagues in her 28th year of teaching. In part two of our S6E3 Schoolutions conversation, she explains why that feeling has nothing to do with being new and everything to do with being human.We take apart the myth of the Pinterest-perfect classroom and discuss why bare walls invite students to co-create the space and build a sense of belonging in
How to Feel Confident Meeting with Families as a New Teacher
Nervous about meeting skeptical parents at the start of the school year? You're not alone. 💛In this reel, educator Jennifer Orr shares how she built trust with families as a 25-year-old first-year teacher, and the two mindset shifts that make parent communication feel less intimidating and far more powerful.TIP #1: LEAD WITH CURIOSITYInstead of trying to prove yourself, invite caregivers to t
Why You Should Spend 2 Minutes for 10 days with Your Hardest Students (Try It Tuesday Teacher Move)
Struggling to connect with a few students this school year? Try the 2x10 strategy! 🍎In this Try It Tuesday reel, I share a simple, relationship-first approach from this week's podcast guest, Jennifer Orr, for teachers who are struggling to reach two or three students. Whether kids are resistant, having a hard time with the back-to-school transition, or showing low engagement, the 2x10 strateg
How to Build a Classroom That Runs Itself
Four days into her 29th year of teaching, Jennifer Orr already knows which student she hasn't figured out yet. She also knows they'll get there. In part one of our S6E3 Schoolutions conversation, Jennifer shares the teaching tips she wishes someone had handed her in 1998, straight from her book, Letters to a New Teacher: Real Advice and Practical Strategies for Getting Started in Element
The Truth About Student Silence: It’s Not What You Think
58% of recent high school graduates say they held back their real opinion on a political or civic topic in class. When asked who they were worried about, 91% said their classmates. Only 41% said the teacher.In this S6E2 Schoolutions solo episode, I break down the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute's 2026 report, "Why Are Students Self-Censoring in Civics Class?" It follows the inst
Why Are Students Self-Censoring in School? (Thoughtful Thursday Research)
91% of students who self-censor in civics class say they're worried about their classmates. Only 41% said the teacher.That finding comes from a new Sandra Day O'Connor Institute report, "Why Are Students Self-Censoring in Civics Class?" I'm breaking down the full report Friday on the Schoolutions podcast. Today is one number and one strategy you can try tomorrow.I was coac
How to Teach the 250th Anniversary of America
Donald Trump was born in 1946, when Harry Truman was president. Truman was born in 1884, when Chester Arthur was president. Arthur was born when Andrew Jackson was president. Jackson was born in 1767, nine years before the Declaration of Independence.That's four presidential lifetimes, and Jesseb uses them to show students how close the founding really is. The country grew from 2.5 million co
Teach Critical Thinking (Try it Tuesday Teacher Move)
Five-year-olds can practice critical thinking. So can seniors in high school. Pick a topic with several perspectives, let students learn why people see it differently, then ask where they stand and what they value.That's this week's Try It Tuesday move. Your students don't need to know your political affiliation. They need to hear many perspectives on things happening in the world,
Inside the Classroom During America's 250th: 17 Teachers on Division, Hope, and Civics
S6E2 of Schoolutions is civics education at its best. 17 teachers who participated in the Civics for Colorado Summer Institute, answer one question: What does it feel like to teach civics and history at the exact moment the country turns 250? Their answers run from hopeful to unresolved, sometimes in the same breath.The first teacher (Jesseb) covers all of American history in four presidential lif
The Think Tank Protocol: A 15-Minute Framework for Solving School Problems Together
Can a teacher name a real problem in a room that includes the person who evaluates them? Jenn David-Lang of @themainideaeducation breaks down why that question determines whether school leadership actually builds teacher support or just performs it.In part two of this S6E1 Schoolutions conversation, Jenn walks us through her 15-minute consultancy protocol, a structure built for instructional coa
What Motivates People to Learn? (Thoughtful Thursday Research)
It's Thursday, and I'm starting a new series called Thoughtful Thursday. Each week I'll offer you one piece of research you can apply to your life or your classroom right away. This week's topic is motivation. I was in conversation with Jenn David-Lang of @themainideaeducation, and she connected motivation to Richard Ryan and Edward Deci's Self-Determination Theory. It co
How Can You Build Your Influence As a Leader?
In this clip from my conversation with Jenn David-Lang of @themainideaeducation , she breaks down a shift that changes how new leaders solve problems. In her mastermind groups for aspiring leaders, someone always brings the same complaint early in the year: a teacher won't do what's being asked, and the instinct is to have the principal force it. Jenn pushes back on that instinct. Real
Keep Your Lesson Relevant (Try it Tuesday Teacher Move)
It's Tuesday, and I'm starting a new weekly series called Try It Tuesday. Each week, I'll give you one teacher move that has a real, measurable impact on student success and student engagement. This week's tip comes from a moment with Cris Tovani, and it's about relevance. We were standing in a high school classroom together, and the teacher couldn't quite explain why
What Does Peer-Driven Leadership Look and Feel Like in Schools?
Jenn David-Lang has spent over 20 years supporting school leaders, first through @themainideaeducation, her monthly education and leadership book summary service, and now through the peer-led Mastermind groups she facilitates for principals and aspiring leaders. In part one of this S6E1 Schoolutions conversation, Jenn and I break down what school leadership actually looks like when instructional l
How to Build a Stronger School Community this September
This September on Schoolutions, I'm bringing you three conversations that will change how you see leadership inside school buildings. 💫You'll hear from Jenn David-Lang of The Main Idea about a peer-led leadership model where instructional leaders troubleshoot problems together and partner with each other from all over the world. It's a model built on instructional coaching, coaching
Forever Getting Better: Season 6 of Schoolutions
Season 6 of the Schoolutions Podcast is here. This season leads up to the release of my book with Stenhouse Publishers, Forever Getting Better: 5 Essential Practices for Reclaiming Teacher Expertise, which I hope will be in your hands by June of 2027.This season follows teachers, coaches, and school leaders as they use the five essential practices from my book in real classrooms. Guests discuss le
Behind the Scenes: Revising my Book Chapter by Chapter (Writing Wednesday)
This is my last Writing Wednesday post for a while. Season six of Schoolutions starts next week, and Wednesdays are switching over to expert tips from that week's guest.Right now I'm in the final stretch of revising and editing my book, Forever Getting Better: 5 Essential Practices for Reclaiming Teacher Expertise. Going slow here is what lets me move fast later. I'm going chapter b
Reading Wars: The $1 BILLION Industry That's Failing Students
Are reading wars destroying our children's education? In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. P.L. Thomas, a former high school English teacher with 18 years of classroom experience, exposes how education strategies, effective teaching, and instructional strategies are being replaced by one-size-fits-all programs that ignore what we know about student engagement, student motivation, and inclusi
Inside the Secret Moves of Expert Teachers
S5E1 of Schoolutions begins with Professor John Hattie, renowned for his groundbreaking Visible Learning work. After analyzing 2,500+ studies with 200 million students, Professor John Hattie discovered something shocking: there's virtually no correlation between teaching experience and effectiveness after 5 years. So what separates expert teachers from the rest?In this eye-opening conversatio
What Words and Phrases Could You Cut As a Writer? (Writing Wednesday)
Five words/phrases are quietly cluttering your writing: our, your, that, I think, I believe. This Writing Wednesday breaks down why these words sneak into student writing and adult writing, and what happens when you cut them.The tip comes from a real classroom. A teacher noticed her student kept writing "I think" and "I believe" before every idea. Her response: you're the
Finding Common Ground in a Polarized World
In this powerful conversation with former Colorado Commissioner of Education Dr. Katy Anthes, we explore her groundbreaking "Forward Framework" for navigating polarization and finding productive middle ground in education and beyond. Dr. Anthes shares research-backed strategies to move from destructive conflict to productive disagreement, explaining why curiosity and humanity are essenti
The 3 Types of Student Engagement Every Teacher Needs to Know
This S1E1 Schoolutions conversation with Cris Tovani and Sam Bennett covers the importance of student engagement, building relationships, time management, and planning for disengaged students.Cris shares ideas for identifying and supporting disengaged students through long-term planning and building relationships. Sam paints a picture of the circles of engagement (emotional, behavioral, and cognit
Don't Let Fear Stop Your Progress (Writing Wednesday)
I've been writing and getting close to turning in my book manuscript. My editor Kassia let me know it's time to reach out to people for endorsements. I'd had a list in my head for months. Sending it terrified me.I asked anyway. The response floored me. People I admire said yes, fast and warm, with no hesitation. One person said no. That's fine. Everyone's stretched thin ri
Being 'Pro-Kid' in 2026: What Teachers REALLY Need to Know
In this S2E1 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies interview, join education expert Cornelius Minor for this powerful conversation about revolutionizing classroom management, student engagement, and inclusive teaching. Discover why traditional behavior strategies fail and learn the "radical listening" approach that transforms disruptive students into engaged learners.What You'll Learn:✅
I See, I Hear, I've Got You: Changing How We Teach with The NeuroWild Shift
In this S3E29 Schoolutions conversation, Emily (Em) Hammond shares why she built NeuroWild after her own late autism and ADHD diagnosis, and after years of translating abstract concepts into illustrations for the neurodivergent kids and families she works with as a speech pathologist. She walks through The NeuroWild Shift, her three-stage framework for classroom belonging and student engagement: I
Are You Quoting Too Much? A Simple Writing Tip (Writing Wednesday)
Happy Writing Wednesday. This week's tip is about a decision writers make constantly: quote it directly, paraphrase it, or summarize it.I pulled an old favorite off my shelf, Emily Kissner's Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Retelling. I've had this book since 2006 and it still holds up. Some quotes need to stay word for word. Others work better paraphrased. The book helps me sort out
Using Micro Mentor Texts: Standing Next to & Teaching Beautiful Writing
In this S2E31 Schoolutions conversation, Penny Kittle lives by her words, "When you stand next to beautiful writing, your writing is just kind of set free." Penny shares how her latest book, Micro Mentor Texts: Using Short Passages From Great Books to Teach Writer's Craft offers a process for studying and teaching on the shoulders of incredible authors as mentors to transform studen
Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics
Dr. Peter Liljedahl breaks down why 80% of students sit through a math lesson without ever thinking, and what actually fixes it. This episode covers the research behind Building Thinking Classrooms: random groups, vertical whiteboards, and the difference between a thinking task and a mimicking task. Peter and host Olivia Wahl talk through classroom behavior, student engagement, and why low engagem
What I Learned When My Friend Read My Writing Aloud to Me (Writing Wednesday)
Reading your own writing out loud catches a lot of errors. But, reading it out loud yourself is not the same as hearing someone else read it back to you. In this Writing Wednesday, I talk about what happened when my friend Katie Kelly read the opening of a chapter I wrote. Hearing her voice on my own words showed me exactly where the writing dragged, where it confused her, and where I could cut wi
20 Years in Kindergarten Taught Me This About Joy
Kindergarten teacher extraordinaire "Mr. Greg" of The Kindergarten Smorgasboard and ELEVATE Conference shares why being a teacher matters most. Listeners will leave inspired by Greg's hilarious tales from the classroom and practical tips to try right away with their students! Episode Mentions: The Kindergarten SmorgasboardResource CenterBlogBasket Head ELEVATE ConferenceHolly Ehle
Kids Deserve More Than Answers: They Deserve Ownership
Discover why true educational transformation happens when we shift from content-centered to student-centered learning! In this insightful conversation, educators Julie Wright and James Goldberg share wisdom from their book The Limitless Classroom: Mantras to Deepen Learning. Learn how giving students time, purpose, and ownership develops genuine curiosity and transferable skills.Julie and James ex
We All Have Our Own Writing Process (Writing Wednesday)
I spent last week at the Quoddy Writing Retreat in Lubec, Maine. My colleague Angela teaches fifth- and sixth-grade writers. She tells her students that every writer works differently. Some students write inductively. They start with small stories and scattered facts, then hunt for the pattern that reveals the big idea. Other students start with the big idea. They find the stories and facts that s
Orthographic Mapping vs. Memorization: Which Actually Works?
In this S5E4 Schoolutions conversation, Dr. Molly Ness challenges what you know about learning to read, sharing insights from her most recent book, co-authored with Dr. Katie Pace Miles, "Making Words Stick." Discover how brain science and the alphabetic principle reveal better teaching reading strategies and build stronger reading skills for kids. You'll discover why 99% of "i
When RtI Boxes Kids In Instead of Lifting Them Up
I sit down with teacher, instructional coach, and author Julie Wright to dig into her book What’s Our Response: Creating Systems and Structures to Support ALL Learners. We talk about the five problems of practice she names in RtI and MTSS models, and why so many well-intentioned systems end up boxing kids in instead of lifting them up.Julie and I explore what classroom belonging actually looks lik
Stop Trying to Fix Students' Writing and Do This Instead (Writing Wednesday)
I'm at the Quoddy Writing Retreat in Lubec, Maine, this week, working alongside Ralph Fletcher and Georgia Heard and a room full of writers on completely different projects. Yesterday they gave us three prompts to bring into our response groups each day, and I'm sharing them here because every teacher facilitating peer feedback in a classroom can use these too."This seems to be abou
What Happens When You Bring Mindfulness into Every Classroom?
Christy Lynn Anana is a Mindfulness Director with Whole School Mindfulness at Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary, located on the land of The Tulalip Tribes in Washington State, north of Seattle. In this episode, Christy offers listeners two guided meditations alongside a peek into her published book series called I Am Healing. This is one of my top 20 most-listened-to episodes, back now as part of our s
The Step-by-Step Process to Build Your Own Integrated Curriculum
Leah Mermelstein returns to Schoolutions for S2E35 to make the case for bending curriculum instead of buying a new one for literacy instruction every few years. She walks me through the exact process she uses with school districts to build integrated units of study, work that pulls reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar together around real content like a kindergarten animal unit or a fourth-gr
We Need Human Stories Tied to Data About Teaching (Writing Wednesday)
Research alone won't move a teacher to change what they do tomorrow. A story will. In this Writing Wednesday, I break down the method I use in my own writing: for every piece of research I include, I pair it with a real classroom moment, either something I lived through myself or something I watched happen in another teacher's room.The story is what makes a reader trust you. The research
Relationships Before Correction: The Strategy That Changes Student Behavior
In S3E11 of Schoolutions, I sat down with school counselor Zack "Coach Kasabo" to talk about self- and co-regulation mental health strategies that actually work, not quick fixes teachers try once and abandon. Zack told me about his own struggles with anxiety and depression as a teen, and how that experience now shapes his work on classroom belonging, classroom behavior, and student enga
Identity-Affirming Classrooms: What's Actually Working?
You will learn practical strategies and frameworks to create inclusive, identity-affirming spaces throughout this S4E24 conversation with Kwame Sarfo-Mensah. This episode highlights Kwame’s book, Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally-Affirming Classroom. This conversation is officially one of our top 20 most-listened-to episodes. Culturally responsive teaching and identity awar
Four Brain Shifts That Happen When You Walk (Writing Wednesday)
Stop staring at your screen and start walking for a mental reset. This Writing Wednesday covers four science-backed reasons walking resets your brain and improves cognitive function before you sit back down to write. Movement is a powerful tool to regulate your nervous system and flush out stress hormones like cortisol. By increasing dopamine and serotonin, a short walk stabilizes your brain chemi
The Outline I Almost Skipped Became My Lifeline (Writing Wednesday)
I'm starting a new weekly series called Writing Wednesday. My book manuscript is due end of August, and I'm holding myself accountable by posting every week about the process. Here are two lessons from my editor, Kassia: First: build an outline before you write. I didn't get why she pushed me on this until I was three chapters in and kept losing the thread. Now I reread that outline
Transform Your Classroom With Intentional Vocabulary Instruction
Dr. Tanya S. Wright, an Associate Professor at Michigan State University and former kindergarten teacher, explains how to move beyond static word lists. This S2E26 Schoolutions episodeffocuses on the mechanics of building rich language environments during everyday classroom routines. Whether you are managing transitions or facilitating morning meetings, you will see how minor adjustments to your e
The Case for Bringing Play Back to School
Global changemakers Renée Dinnerstein and Larry Leaven have a shared commitment to children when it comes to reviving choice time, inquiry, exploration, and play in schools around the world. Their inspiring anecdotes and creative out-of-the-box solutions through this S2E36 Schoolutions conversation, will help listeners immediately put choice time into action.Episode Mentions:Vivian Gussin PaleyDeb
PLC at Work® Is Being Reignited by Leaders Like This
I sat down with Dr. Anthony Muhammad for Schoolutions S3E37 to talk about his book The Way Forward: PLC at Work and the Bright Future of Education, and this conversation just landed in the top 20 most listened-to episodes in our summer series re-release. Anthony spent nearly twenty years as a teacher, assistant principal, and high school principal before becoming one of the most respected voices i
Science of Reading & The PreK Years (NYSED Literacy Brief 4)
You're about to hear one of the most downloaded episodes from the last five years of this podcast. The audio may be rougher than what you hear now, but I'm not going back to clean it up. You're hearing exactly where I started, and I trust that the growth shows on its own, the same way I hope my work as an educator does.___________________________I continue my conversation with Dr. W
Counting Down the Top 20 Schoolutions Episodes This Summer
There's a magic to the 1980s and 90s childhood memories that just doesn't exist anymore. Did you grow up waiting by the radio on Sunday mornings for Casey Kasem's American Top 40? My sister and I would sit next to a clock radio for four hours, waiting for the number-one song in America. That kind of countdown is worth reviving.I’m taking a trip back to the era of analog weekend ritu
Season 5 Finale: Truths About Teaching in Uncertain Times
How do we approach parenting advice and teaching children when the world keeps changing? After over 40 conversations with experts during Season 5 of Schoolutions, I am summarizing the key ideas for supporting children during uncertain times. You will learn the surprising answer that nearly every expert discussed as the foundation for modern child development and the throughline every expert kept r
Teaching Fiercely: Why Teachers Need Autonomy to Transform Schools
What does it look like to lead with both ferocity and grace, and why do so many teachers forget that admitting your feelings isn't the same as admitting defeat?In Part 2 of my S5E43 Schoolutions conversation, I continue my conversation with Cornelius Minor (author of We Got This) and Dr. Kass Minor (author of Teaching Fiercely), co-founders of The Minor Collective. We discuss why grace and
Teachers Don't Have to Go It Alone
At the heart of the refreshed Minor Collective site is one belief: people come before ideas, ideology, or frameworks. As conversations about student growth and teacher effectiveness quietly shift toward kid obedience and teacher compliance, going it alone can feel scary. In this short but powerful clip from my S5E43 Schoolutions conversation with Cornelius and Dr. Kass Minor, The Minor Collective
Reclaiming Joy: The Blueprint Resilient Educators Follow
What does it look like when education is built around the full humanity of every child and every teacher?In Part 1 of my S5E43 Schoolutions conversation, I sit down with Cornelius Minor (author of We Got This) and Dr. Kass Minor (author of Teaching Fiercely), co-founders of The Minor Collective. Together, they unpack what it really means to build a pro-kid mindset, reclaim teacher personhood, an
Rebuilding Math Confidence: Practical Tips for Families
What if rebuilding your child's math confidence this summer started not with worksheets, but with a mirror?In Part 2 of my S5E42 Schoolutions conversation, Wendy Ward Hoffer (All Minds on Mathematics: Math Workshop for Every Learner) gets practical and personal. If your child had a hard year in math, this is your playbook. Wendy walks families and educators through exactly what to do and what
The Truth About Being "Good" at Math
What does it really mean to be "good at math"? In this short but powerful clip from my S5E42 Schoolutions conversation with Wendy Ward Hoffer, of PEBC, we challenge the old myth that math identity is built on speed and being right and explore how families and teachers can work together to nurture every child's confidence and curiosity in math.True mathematical thinking isn't ab
The Secret to Student-Centered Math Instruction
What if the most powerful thing you could do for your child's math future this summer had nothing to do with worksheets or tutoring?In Part 1 of this week's S5E42 Schoolutions conversation, Wendy Ward Hoffer, author of All Minds on Mathematics: Math Workshop for Every Learner, shares a simple but radical idea: math identity is built in the everyday moments most of us are already living.I
Summer Boredom? Try These Movement Ideas for Every Age
🏃 What if the secret to student engagement this summer was free, fun, and made by a P.E. teacher with nearly 15 million views?In Part 2 of my Schoolutions conversation with @CoachGelardi (The PhysEdZone), we get completely practical. Tom gives age-by-age movement tips for summer, shares exactly which videos to start with, and explains why co-creating movement WITH kids, not just directing them, i
Building Emotionally Safe P.E. Classrooms with Evidence-Based Strategies
What if the most powerful thing you could do for student engagement wasn't a new lesson plan, but making sure every kid feels safe enough to try?In this clip from my S5E41 Schoolutions conversation, I sit down with @CoachGelardi where he emphasizes the critical role of physical safety in the P.E. classroom, but also highlights that an emotional connection with students encourages them to try
The Hidden Power of P.E. Class
What does it really take to teach 28 kindergartners (alone) in a gym every single day? In Part 1 of my S5E41 Schoolutions conversation with @CoachGelardi, the 2025 SHAPE America National Elementary P.E. Teacher of the Year and New York State Teacher of the Year, we talk about what world-class physical education and fitness actually look like and why every educator, parent, and school leader needs
The Summer Reading Toolkit Every Family Needs
In Part 2 of my S5E40 Schoolutions conversation with Dr. Kay Stahl, we explore practical tips for families to keep reading alive over the summer. This episode provides valuable educational strategies to enhance reading comprehension and foster essential reading skills, especially for children who say they are not readers. Dr. Stahl shares the latest research on comprehension (from the National Aca
Do You Know the Difference Between These Two Categories of Reading Skills?
Are all reading skills taught the same way? Not according to researcher Scott Paris and understanding the difference could transform how you teach literacy.In this short from my S5E40 Schoolutions conversation, I sit down with Dr. Kay Stahl as she explains how Scott Paris introduced a powerful framework that every educator needs to know: the Constrained vs. Unconstrained Skills Continuum. On one e
Diagnostic Reading Tools Every Teacher Needs Before Summer
What if the biggest obstacle to student success isn't summer, it's what teachers stop doing after the standardized test? In Part 1 of my S5E40 Schoolutions conversation with Dr. Katherine (Kay) Stahl, literacy consultant, clinician, and former director of the NYU Literacy Clinic, she shares what 25+ years in classrooms taught her about reading, assessment, and what actually works. Learn
Setting Teachers, Families, and Students up for Summer
This June, Schoolutions is setting teachers, families, and students up for success in September all summer long. Five conversations. One month of inspiring students, empowered educators, and real education transformation. This Month's Conversations: 📖 S5 E40: Dr. Kay Stahl | June 1 & 5Dr. Kay Stahl brings 25+ years of classroom and clinic experience to a conversation about the 5th edition
Why This Integrated Literacy Framework is a Game-Changer for ELLs
What does it actually take to build student engagement and student participation for experienced multilinguals — not just in theory, but in every lesson, every day?In Part 2 of my S5E39 Schoolutions conversation, literacy experts Beth Skelton and Tan Huynh break down the integrated literacy framework at the heart of their new book, Integrated Literacy for Experienced Multilinguals. This episode is
Breaking Down Language Barriers in the Classroom
What does it cost us when experienced multilinguals never receive the explicit academic language instruction they need, not just to pass a class, but to fully participate in school, in careers, and in life?In this short from my S5E39 Schoolutions conversation, I sit down with authors Beth Skelton and Tan Huynh to unpack their newest book, Integrated Literacy for Experienced Multilinguals. Together
Your Good Intentions Are Widening the Gap: What ENL Teachers Need to Hear
What does "stuck" actually look like in a classroom and whose job is it to fix it?In this S5E39 Part 1 episode of Schoolutions, I sit down again with Beth Skelton and Tan Huynh to discuss their newest collaboration, Integrated Literacy for Experienced Multilinguals. They talk about why the phrase "long-term English learner" needs to go, and what "stuck" looks like in
The Actionable Participatory Model Every Teacher Needs to Learn About
What happens when the students whom everyone overlooks become the ones who change everything? In Part 2 of this must-hear S5E38 Schoolutions conversation, Rachael Thrash shares the inspiring story about Angolan students in Portland, Maine, who turned their isolation into a school-wide soccer tournament, walks through her Actionable Participatory Model step by step, and gives you the one move you c
Treating Every Student as a Leader Changes Everything
Is your student council secretly reinforcing the status quo? In this short from my S5E38 Schoolutions conversation, Rachael Thrash, author of Let the Learners Lead and Senior Director of Education & Innovation at Big Bad Boo Studios, breaks down why traditional student leadership models are built on barriers that silence the very students whose voices matter most.When school leadership becomes
Every Student Is a Leader & Here's the Research to Prove It
Is your student council accidentally silencing the students who need a voice most? In Part 1 of this two-part S5E38 Schoolutions conversation, Rachael Thrash, Senior Director of Education and Innovation at Big Bad Boo Studios and author of Let the Learners Lead: Empowering Student Voice to Co-Create School Culture, breaks down why traditional student leadership models are quietly reinforcing the s
Student Climate Advocacy In Action: From Classroom Stories to Civic Change
What if the secret to student engagement, student motivation, and inspiring students wasn't a new app or a new behavior system, but storytelling? In Part 2 of my S5E37 Schoolutions conversation, Xochitl Bentley (author of Helping Students Become Climate Stewards) walks us through what climate stewardship projects look and feel like in real classrooms: from a Green Ambassador Grant field trip
How to Get Students to Care About Climate Change in Your Classroom
When students shut down during climate conversations, the answer isn't more data; it's better storytelling. In this short from my S5E37 Schoolutions conversation, climate educator and author Xochitl Bentley explains why wrapping difficult facts in stories is the key to unlocking student engagement, authentic voice, and real civic action in your classroom.Whether you're focused on in
Want Students to Become Climate Stewards? Use These 6 Storytelling Stances!
What if the most powerful climate tool we have isn't a statistic, it's a story?In Part 1 of my S5E37 Schoolutions conversation, I sit down with teacher Xochitl Bentley to unpack how using six specific storytelling stances can effectively engage students with climate change issues. Xochitl emphasizes that stories can be a more powerful tool than statistics in fostering environmental educa
Can We Scale Street Redesign? @openplansnyc Has a Plan!
In part 2 of my S5E36 Schoolutions conversation with Sabina Sethi Unni from @openplansnyc breaks down how urban redevelopment can truly impact a school community. Sabina shares specific strategies for urban design, like a co-created toolkit and a relational outreach approach, showing a before and after in community engagement. This architecture video highlights the Clarkson Street project, propo
How is @openplansnyc Turning School Streets into Outdoor Classrooms for Students?
In this clip (watch here), Sabina Sethi Unni from Open Plans defines a school street as a DOT program enabling schools to close adjacent streets to car traffic during school hours, enhancing school safety. This initiative, rooted in urban planning, can range from simple pick-up and drop-off closures to creating spaces for recess and gym. The aim is to improve road safety and overall student safety
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زن بودن
Medicine with Meaning
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Collection
Take Back Your Health®
CBS Radio Mystery Theater | Old Time Radio
Solved Murders - True Crime Stories
紐約鳥｜New York Aperture
The Swerve Podcast: Obscure Topics | Conspiracy Theories
The Bread and Banter Podcast
