Episodes

  • Ross Greene: What if Bad Behavior Isn’t the Problem?

    Ross Greene: What if Bad Behavior Isn’t the Problem?
    May 13 2026
    KQED's Ki Sung talks with clinical psychologist and author Ross Greene about why traditional discipline strategies often fail students, and what educators can do instead. Greene explains his Collaborative & Proactive Solutions model, which shifts the focus away from rewards and punishments and toward identifying the unmet needs and unsolved problems behind student behavior.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Who Misses Out When Tutoring Starts Too Late?

    Who Misses Out When Tutoring Starts Too Late?
    Apr 14 2026
    KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo reports from Bellevue Elementary in Santa Rosa. Abrupt cuts to AmeriCorps funding last year impacted the school-based tutoring there. Principal Nina Craig explains how the loss of tutors affected instruction and student relationships, while new AmeriCorps members, Maya Nurse and Elena Zeoli, describe stepping into classrooms with limited time and resources. This episode explores how even a few missed months of literacy support reduces how many students can be served.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Randy Porter’s Middle School Jazz Band

    Randy Porter’s Middle School Jazz Band
    Mar 10 2026
    In this episode, KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo visits the band room at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland and speaks with longtime music teacher Randy Porter, who is retiring after 40 years in Oakland Unified schools. Porter shares how introducing students to experimental jazz, including the music of Sun Ra, helps young musicians explore creativity and possibility.
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • Scott R. Levy: How School Boards Can Strengthen Our Democracy

    Scott R. Levy: How School Boards Can Strengthen Our Democracy
    Feb 10 2026
    In this episode KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo speaks with Scott R. Levy, adjunct lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and a former school board member, about why school boards matter more than ever. Levy’s new book, Why School Boards Matter: Reclaiming the Heart of American Education and Democracy, explains how school boards function, how their power has shifted over time and how school boards can serve as a rare space for civic engagement and democratic participation.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Financial Literacy in The Digital Age With Lillian Zhang

    Financial Literacy in The Digital Age With Lillian Zhang
    Jan 13 2026
    Lillian Zhang is a financial and career educator. Her book, "The New Money Rules: The GenZ Guide to Personal Finance" covers how to eliminate debt and offers non-judgmental advice on saving and investing. Zhang talks to KQED's Marlena Jackson-Retondo about the tips she gives to young people managing their own finances for the first time.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • MIT's TeachLab Presents The Homework Machine

    MIT's TeachLab Presents The Homework Machine
    Dec 9 2025
    This month MindShift is sharing an episode from MIT's TeachLab podcast. Hosts Jessie Dukes and Justin Reich have interviewed teachers, school leaders, and students about how the debut of ChatGPT and Generative AI is actually playing out in schools. They’ve compiled their learnings into a mini series called the Homework Machine. Listen to more episodes here: https://www.teachlabpodcast.com/
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • Deborah Farmer Kris: How Awe Helps Us Flourish

    Deborah Farmer Kris: How Awe Helps Us Flourish
    Nov 11 2025
    KQED's Ki Sung talks to longtime MindShift contributor and child development expert Deborah Farmer Kris. In her book "Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive," she shares how exploring the emotion awe can help students engage with classwork and also open us all up to connecting more with our communities.
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • What Can Teachers Do About AI? Three Approaches in the Classroom

    What Can Teachers Do About AI? Three Approaches in the Classroom
    Oct 14 2025
    This month MindShift is sharing an episode from our friends at KQED's Close All Tabs. Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor. Host Morgan Sung talks to Max Spero, founder of the AI detection company Pangram Labs, MindShift reporter Marlena Jackson Retondo and educator Jeremy Na about three different approaches educators are adopting to deal with AI in their classrooms.Listen to more episodes here: https://www.kqed.org/news/program/close-all-tabs
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins