Yocheved shares her background growing up in a loud, opinionated family as the quieter sibling sandwiched between strong personalities, and how her parents’ journey as baalei teshuva (people who became religious later in life) — including her father returning to school for a master’s in education — shaped her identity as an educator. Chavie and Yocheved compare birth order dynamics, with Chavie as the oldest of nine and Yocheved navigating not knowing where she fit, and how that later informed Yocheved’s certainty about becoming an educational advocate. Yocheved talks openly about struggling in traditional classrooms, loving college and research, and realizing that her strength was learning rather than schooling, which leads into a candid conversation about why so many children struggle in rigid educational systems and where responsibility really lies between schools and parents. The conversation turns personal as Yocheved shares her fertility journey, her decision to be open about shidduchim and PCOS, and what it was like raising children with very different temperaments, including selective mutism and multiple neurodivergent diagnoses. Chavie and Yocheved dig into nature versus nurture, letting go of outcomes in parenting, and how to set measurable goals without lowering expectations. They close by talking about confidence versus self-esteem, avoiding power struggles, trusting your gut as a parent, and how to show up to schools in ways that are effective rather than just emotionally validating.

Yocheved Shapiro, M.Ed. is a dedicated educator and advocate with over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. Holding a Master’s in Educational Psychology, she combines professional expertise with personal experience as a parent of three neurodivergent children, championing their success in every aspect of life. She is passionate about guiding and empowering parents and educators in navigating and gaining access to the appropriate resources to best support children.

This Week's Prompt How Do You Color Outside the Lines of Societal Expectations In Your Daily Life? This is a NEW segment at the end of every episode featuring voice notes from listeners with their hot takes on our featured topic!

Referenced On the Pod

• 10:39 Totally Unexpected! interview with Chevee Szokovski
• 48:47 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• 1:22:32 The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
• 1:29:29 Ari Shapiro’s (Yocheved’s son) website
• 1:29:57 JEM - Jewish Educational Media
• 2:15:15 Totally Unexpected! interview with Sarah Immerman

Stay in touch with Yocheved!

WhatsApp: 718-501-2165

yochshap@gmail.com

Yocheved on Instagram

www.ShapiroEducationalConsulting.com

Yocheved's WhatsApp Group

Stay in touch with Chavie!

@chaviebruk on Instagram

www.totallyunexpected.blog

Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.