• Community Building during Detention? Take a Hike! with Leslie Trundy
    Feb 24 2026

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    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 building.

    Links

    Outdoor Skills Leadership class mentioned in episode

    Maine Public Media story about detention hikes

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    30 mins
  • Teaching All Students about Climate Action with Laura Schifter
    Feb 3 2026

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    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 climate action should be part of the content in all classes and we'll share some actionable ideas for classrooms and schools.

    Links:

    This Is Planet Ed

    Laura Schifter, Ed.D.

    Subject to Climate - teacher resources

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    34 mins
  • Yes! Grammar can be Fun to Teach with Patty McGee
    Jan 13 2026

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    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 to be like that.

    Links

    Patty’s website

    Not Your Granny’s Grammar book from Corwin Press

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    31 mins
  • Our Students say They Feel Free: Outdoor Learning with Kyra Stepenson
    Dec 9 2025

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    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

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    49 mins
  • SEL Works for Every Student with Christina Cipriano
    Nov 18 2025

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    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 must intentionally work to promote SEL with all students.

    Links

    Christina Cipriano’s website

    Yale Child Study Center

    Yale Education Collaboratory - site for ongoing SEL data updates and additional research

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    37 mins
  • Professional Learning for Teachers to Thrive with Anne Podolsky
    Oct 28 2025

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    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 learning.

    Links discussed in conversation

    Think Again: Do the Returns on Teacher Experience Fizzle Out? research brief by Anne Podolsky and Linda Darling-Hammond published by The Fordham Institute

    Learning Policy Institute blog

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    27 mins
  • Joy and Empowerment in Teaching with Missy Testerman
    Oct 7 2025

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    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

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    35 mins
  • Why Have We Never Heard of Catharine Beecher? with R. Lee Wilson
    Sep 18 2025

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    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 Wilson shares the story of one of the most influential educators that you have never heard of and why he believes you should know how Catharine Beecher changed American education for the better.

    Links

    Lee Wilson’s website

    Lee Wilson author page on Goodreads

    Catharine Beecher background at PBS

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    41 mins