The Thoughtful Teacher podcast shares the stories of educators who have implemented innovative or creative solutions within their space. These stories and commentaries empower educators by sharing a world of ideas that can enhance pedagogical choices and decrease the isolation many teachers experience. We introduce listeners to school-based educators, thinkers, and researchers who have powerful ideas and innovations that makes teaching and learning more meaningful for your students. We also…
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Send us Fan Mail Policy researcher Weade' James shares research that she and her colleagues at the Center for American Progress conducted regarding new teacher induction programs. In this episode we discuss the findings of her research and what supports new and experienced teachers should receive from induction programs.
Send us Fan Mail Cheryl Randle is an instructional specialist helping teachers and administrators support students. In this conversation she shares how she approaches finding the clues to help teachers motivate students. Cheryl's website
Send us Fan Mail No student ever was successful without developing self-regulation skills, which is harder than ever for students to develop. In this conversation, Danielle Larsen shares how she teaches yoga in the classroom specifically to promote and develop self-regulation within students. We discuss how she approaches her work and Danielle shares some tips for teachers. Rise Yoga -Danielle…
Send us Fan Mail In the second part of our series on building communities of practice around social emotional learning through the Social Emotional Learning Alliance, we share a conversation with Megan Lyons and Beth Rice. Megan and Beth joined with a group of educators in North Carolina to form the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for North Carolina or SEL 4NC. In this episode they share the…
Send us Fan Mail Jim Vetter the executive director of the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for the United States-SEL4US- shares how this collection of state alliances supports classroom teachers and schools to develop and promote strong social emotional learning initiatives. This is the first of a two part series featuring the work of educators within SEL 4US. Links https://sel4us.org/ Social…
Send us Fan Mail Does your school's detention program do little to teach students how to make better choices in the future? Many do because detention is not used as a learning opportunity. In this episode Leslie Trundy shares how talking students on a hike as an alternative to after school detention actually works as a teaching opportunity and changes detention from punishment to community…
Send us Fan Mail Aspen Institute Senior Fellow Laura Schifter shares about her work at This Is Planet Ed -part of the Aspen Institute's Energy and Environment Program. This Is Planet Ed an initiative to unlock the power of education as a force for climate solutions to empower the rising generation to lead a sustainable and resilient future. In this conversation we discuss why learning about…
Send us Fan Mail It's happened to all of us we have to teach grammar and our teeth clench because we hate it. Almost all teachers have some writing instruction, but the grammar lessons remind us of all the red ink on our own papers when we were in school-so we find work arounds and avoid. In this episode Patty McGee, co-author of the new book Not Your Granny's Grammar, shares that it doesn't have…
Send us Fan Mail School-based nature educator Kyra Stephenson shares how she developed the nature-based learning program at her school in New York and shares stories about how this program promotes learning with her students. Links from episode Children & Nature Network Resources for Schools Nature Mind Solutions website Rochester Ecology Partners website-partner organization mentioned in episode
Send us Fan Mail Christina Cipriano led a research team that studied over 250 social emotional learning programs worldwide again demonstrating that SEL is effective and essential to promote positive outcomes for all students. In this conversation we discuss why SEL is so important and how your school should approach developing daily, quality SEL interventions for students and why every teacher…
Send us Fan Mail Anne Podolsky of the Learning Policy Institute shares the latest research trends in effective teacher professional learning. Some of the findings-particularly on learning environments for experienced teachers may be surprising. What is not surprising is that the collegial professional learning environment of a school has a huge effect on student academic and social emotional…
Send us Fan Mail National Teacher of the Year for 2024-2025 Missy Testerman uses her position to advocate for the teaching profession. In this conversation, she shares how even in times of stress and upheaval there is great joy and positivity in the education profession. Links RAND study on teacher stress Earlier Rand study on teacher stress Neurolaunch editorial on professional stress
Send us Fan Mail She taught, she founded schools, she was published widely, she demonstrated that women and girls could achieve academically at the same levels as men and boys. She became one of the most famous women of her time in the 19th century. Yet, almost none of us have ever heard of Catharine Beecher (even those who know of her famous younger sister). In this episode biographer R. Lee…
Send us Fan Mail At both the local and national levels PBS stations are facing serious challenges. Yet, they keep providing some of the most helpful and robust resources for educators. In this conversation local PBS educator Robyn Stringfellow shares how PBS stations support the work of teachers-and will continue to do so in the future! Links WTCI TV Chattanooga -the local PBS station we discuss…
Send us Fan Mail Every interaction with every student is important, but how we structure (and yes, even plan) our conversations have an enormous impact on how students learn and achieve. In this conversation Erika Bare and Tiffany Burns, authors of Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students , share their strategies building connecting relationships with students.
Send us Fan Mail English teacher and author Matthew R. Kay shares how to build the classroom ecosystem for having meaningful conversations in the classroom, especially conversations about race in America. In this conversation he shares several interventions he uses and discusses how to craft great questions that lead to quality conversations in the classroom.
Send us Fan Mail Matthew Hawn used to be a social studies teacher until he was fired. He had his day in court and won, but instead of being reinstated the school board appealed. In this conversation, Matt shares his story, his thoughts on teaching controversial issues and how the community and particularly his former students have reacted. Despite many setbacks, he continues to be optimistic about…
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever noticed that tree-lined streets and neighborhoods with lots of trees seem appealing? Have you ever thought that your school or the area around campus could use more trees? Well, it turns out that trees do more than just make things look nice: having a lot of trees on campus and near a school actually improves achievement (yes for real!). In this episode of The…
Send us Fan Mail Most teachers know that the physical space in schools and classrooms matter for student learning, health and wellness. But often teachers are using guesswork when they make decisions about physical spaces that are conducive to learning. Design consultant Bill Browning and architect Jim Determan are practitioners and researchers on biophilic design. In this conversation they share…
Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, self-described "bad student" Jerry Kolber shares insights from his work producing kid friendly media and how good storytelling can help teachers connect with students. Jerry is co-founder of Atomic Entertainment which produces kid-friendly programming like Brain Games and the podcast Who Smarted.
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Maggie Brodkerick shares her past experiences as a music teacher and her current work as a professor to tell how teachers can create a culture of caring in their classrooms-while also maintaining academic rigor. Many students are sometimes not connected to teachers or other students for a variety of reasons, but teachers can integrate the arts and social emotional learning to…
Send us Fan Mail While still a teenager, Sydney Guerette founded a nonprofit where youth run the show solving problems within their communities and promoting mental health. In this conversation Sydney and Scott Lee discuss how she got started on this journey and how educators and caring adults can support youth who are making a difference in their communities.
Send us Fan Mail Amy Richter founder of Music Workshop shares how music education can be transformative experience for students. In this conversation, Amy shares that funding cuts at her children's school meant no more music education. She decided to take action and find a solution by founding the non-profit Music Workshop. Now Music Workshop is available to 6 million students around the world and…
Send us Fan Mail This episode features a conversation with Vince Shorb, CEO of the National Financial Educators Council. In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss the problems many K-12 educators face in developing a quality personal finance program at all grade levels and Vince shares his ideas for improving outcomes and implementing serious reform initiatives.
Send us Fan Mail Education researcher and advocate Dr. Nancy E. Bailey shares why educators should be concerned about literacy programs that claim to be based on the "Science of Reading". While there is no consensus on what the term "Science of Reading" means, many reading programs may only meet the literacy needs of some students. In this conversation we discuss what to look for and what issues…
Send us Fan Mail Our friend James Dittes returns to share his latest experiences with teaching internationally. When we first met James in 2020 he had started an exchange program with his class and a school in Germany. Since our last conversation, James has taken on a new adventure and now teaches English in an international school in Turkey. In this conversation he shares how he approaches…
Send us Fan Mail Hayes Greenfield is a jazz musician, composer, and teaching artist. In this episode he shares the importance of not just music-but sound and how teaching students about sound can enhance social emotional learning and student attention.
Send us Fan Mail Donna Van Natten-the Body Language Dr.- shares her expertise on non-verbal communication and behavioral intentions. A former teacher herself, the conversation focuses on communication skills with students in the classroom.
Send us Fan Mail Lynne Roland, Brain Hopkins, and Raymond Appleberry are educators in the Grand Prairie Independent School District in Texas and Rising Phoenix Consulting. In this episode they share their stories of creating a culture where students develop resilience because of their work implementing restorative practices and cultivate positive relationships based on The Circle of Courage Model.
Send us Fan Mail Sloyd is a 19th century teaching methodology that fell out of favor in the early 20th century in America. Luke Johanson shares how The Sloyd Experience is bringing this highly useful teaching approach back to relevance for students in the 21st century.
Send us Fan Mail Listen to this conversation with science curriculum developer Janneke Petersen shares how she empowers students with Symbiotic Schoolyard. This curriculum helps teachers plant and grow native plants in their schoolyard. This place-based learning initiative is aligned to Next-Gen Science Standards and helps students understand how ecology is local and meaningful in students'…
Send us Fan Mail Transgender and non-binary students often do not find inclusive experiences in schools and many teachers do not know where to turn in finding resources and supports. Scott Lee shares a conversation with Vanessa Ford and Rebecca Kling who discuss their book The Advocate Educator’s Handbook: Creating Schools Where Transgender and Non-Binary Students Thrive who discuss issues…
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever worried that your students are using an artificial intelligence (AI) program to cheat? To do homework? To do something else dishonest? Join me for this conversation with Jen Roberts as we talk about not only how to prevent academic dishonesty using AI, but actually how to use it in the classroom to actually enhance student writing!
Send us Fan Mail Outdoor learning expert Becca Katz shares the powerful, research based reasons why students perform better when outdoor learning is part of everyday education activity. She also shares about how her non-profit organization provides professional learning opportunities for teachers to make outdoor learning part of their regular teaching.
Send us Fan Mail Thoughtful Teacher Podcast host Scott Lee shares a story about a former student who was in foster care and eventually adopted by his foster parents and how it all happened without using a computer dating service.
Send us Fan Mail Librarian Caroline Mickey says "reading builds empathy" in this conversation about school library censorship. Caroline shares her experiences having a lesson cancelled as the result of an organized campaign falsely claiming that her lesson had inappropriate content about the role of motherhood.
Send us Fan Mail Sue Jones a Trauma Informed Practices Coach in New York shares how using the restorative intervention Life Space Crisis Intervention supports students who have experienced trauma and present with elevated ACE scores.
Send us Fan Mail Equity-focused school leadership is an ongoing, whole-team process for school improvement. In this continuing conversation Mark A Gooden and Scott Lee discuss the ongoing routines and habits of equity focused leadership teams as well as various challenges educators face regarding equity practice.
Send us Fan Mail For schools to truly provide an equitable learning environment, educators and school leaders must understand implicit bias and how implicit bias affects all our interactions with students (and other professional educators). In the first of two episodes Mark Anthony Gooden shares his work and insights into these important and timely issues in a conversation with host Scott Lee.
Send us Fan Mail Host Scott Lee offers this commentary on the implications of the lack of prioritizing civics education in the US.
Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, occupational therapist Michele Morgan shares how she and her colleagues implemented several mental health interventions within her school district's career and technical education (CTE) program. Using evidence-based approaches they developed a relationship-focused, student-centered curriculum model that promotes safety and wellness. This far-ranging…
Send us Fan Mail Many times students with serious mental health needs are sent to separate schools or residential placements. In this episode we discuss an alternative-The Therapeutic Inclusion Program with Michael A Murray and Laura Balogh. After developing and implementing The Therapeutic Inclusion Program in their public school they co-authored the recently published book The Therapeutic…
Send us Fan Mail In this conversation Sarah Giddings and Wendy Salcedo-Fierro share their experiences working with students in Teacher-Powered Schools. Teacher Powered Schools are organized intentionally to have a shared, collaborative leadership structure. Both Wendy and Sarah share how their schools are different, how it changes their professional practices and how the student experience is…
Send us Fan Mail The conversation continues as Steve Van Bockern and host Scott Lee discuss some examples of what happens, or should be happening in schools. Steve Van Bockern is author of Schools That Matter: Teaching the Mind and Reaching the Heart and is co-author with Larry Brendtro and Martin Brokenleg of Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Futures of Promise. Listen in this conversation that provides…
Send us Fan Mail Schools can create a culture where students are challenged academically while also supporting the well-being of all students. In this conversation host Scott Lee and Steve Van Bockern discuss how the needs of students can be met without sacrificing academics. Steve Van Bockern is author of Schools That Matter: Teaching the Mind and Reaching the Heart and is co-author with Larry…
Send us Fan Mail In this conversation Scott Lee and Brantley Turner discuss Brantley's experiences as an administrator in shared Sino-US school and how her work shapes her beliefs in the importance of challenging assumptions and helping students become global citizens.
Send us Fan Mail Host Scott Lee thanks listeners from around the world for supporting The Thoughtful Teacher Podcast and issues a call to action about the lack of quality mental health services for children and adolescents in the United States.
Send us Fan Mail Teachers are drowning in data and much of this data has little value to inform and improve instruction. Scott and Matthew Courtney discuss how to solve this problem- and do so simply and without wasting valuable time. Matthew Courtney is author of the book Exploratory Data Analysis in the Classroom and he shares how to effectively choose useful data (that teachers are probably…
Send us Fan Mail Thoughtful Teacher Podcast host Scott Lee explores the problem with the growing trend of retaining 3rd grade students for a full year using state testing scores. This commentary considers some of the problems with using state tests in this way, policy considerations and a few ideas for what could be done differently.
Send us Fan Mail Scott Lee has a wide ranging conversation with author and former teacher and literacy coach Jill Speering. Jill shares insights from her memoir Rubies in the Rubble: An Educator's Transformation from Pain to Prominence, from Abuse to Absolution. The discussion includes Jill's work as an elementary teacher, district-wide literacy training specialist and school board member. This…