What does it mean to truly prepare students for life?In episode 98 of SELinEDU, I sit down with Dr. De'Shawn Washington, 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year and founder of Cultivating Changemakers, for a conversation that weaves together three things every student deserves: the ability to read, the knowledge to manage money, and the freedom to learn with joy.We dig into why over 60% of Massachusetts third graders are reading below grade level, why less than 10% of students are getting financial literacy education, and why neither of those things can be fixed without joy at the center of how we teach.Dr. Washington reminds us that joy is not a reward for academic success. It lives within us, and it is our job as educators to help students find it, name it, and keep it.This one is worth your full attention.Connect with Dr. Washington via his website and LinkedIn!

In this episode of SEL in EDU, high school educator Stephanie Clinise discusses how AI can be a supportive tool in classrooms, fostering student voice, agency, and meaningful learning. She and Krista explore practical strategies, the importance of authenticity, and the future of technology in education.Main Topics:Integrating AI in the classroom without replacing routinesUsing AI to support student voice, agency, and process-based learningThe role of social-emotional learning in tech-enabled environmentsStrategies for personalized and differentiated instruction with AI toolsThe importance of teacher authenticity and creating safe spaces for studentsPerspectives on AI and younger students: elementary to high schoolBuilding teacher-student relationships through shared experiences and transparencyThe significance of relevant, contextual learning and student passionsNavigating the evolving digital landscape and nurturing critical digital literacy

In this episode of SELinEDU, Dr. Krista Leh sits down with Dr. Natalie Odom Pough, a mathematics educator and advocate for joyful, justice-centered learning, to explore what she calls the soft life. Together, they unpack the idea that learning environments do not have to be rooted in pressure, comparison, and compliance—but can instead be spaces where students feel seen, respected, and capable of growth.Through stories from her work in middle school math classrooms and her own experiences as a parent and educator, Natalie shares how identity, culture, and personal experience shape how students engage with learning. She challenges the notion that math exists in isolation, offering powerful examples of how relevance, real-world context, and student-centered design can transform both engagement and understanding. From rethinking word problems to connecting math with history and community, she reminds us that meaningful learning happens when students can see themselves in the work.The conversation also highlights the deeply human side of teaching. Natalie reflects on what it means to truly see each student—even in large classrooms—and how relationships, consistency, and communication with families create the foundation for both academic and social-emotional growth. She shares practical ways educators can support productive struggle, build classroom culture over time, and shift from comparison-driven environments to ones that honor each student’s unique abilities.At its core, this episode is a reminder that social emotional learning is not separate from content—it is how learning comes to life. When we center students as individuals, treat learning as a conversation, and create spaces grounded in respect and belonging, we open the door for both rigor and humanity to coexist.Chapters00:00 The Soft Life in Education05:43 Empowering Students in Math13:01 Seeing Students as Individuals18:02 Social Emotional Learning and Teaching37:22 Productive Struggle and Discourse in the Classroom

What helps young people and adults see beyond what is into what could be? In this episode, I’m joined again by educator, author, and lifelong champion for young people, Thom Stecher, for a conversation about possibility... a powerful mindset that invites hope, stretches imagination, and opens doors where others see walls.Together, we explore possibilities not as wishful thinking, but as a way of seeing, teaching, and living that helps people move beyond limitation into growth, agency, and purpose.Throughout this conversation, Thom shares wisdom about nurturing possibility in schools and in life: how educators can become cultivators of potential, why belief often precedes achievement, and how creating conditions for curiosity, courage, and imagination can transform learning.We also reflect on how possibility connects to SEL, fueling hope, resilience, perspective-taking, and self-discovery. If you’ve ever wondered how we help students envision futures they may not yet be able to name, or how we keep possibility alive in ourselves, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical wisdom that will stay with you.

Discover practical strategies for fostering resilience and emotional wealth in students and educators alike. This episode features insights from Josephine Hunt, a seasoned special education teacher and media voice, who shares how natural consequences, intrinsic motivation, and mindful coaching cultivate resilient learners.Main topics:The resilience loop: understanding how overcoming challenges builds long-term strengthDifferentiating resilience as a skill versus a fixed traitThe impact of social media and technology on youth mental health and resiliencePractical classroom strategies: choice, autonomy, and reflective questioningThe importance of self-regulation and co-regulation for adults working with youthThe role of physical strength and movement in emotional well-beingResources & Links:Josephine Hunt’s WebsiteThe Four Agreements by don Miguel RuizDealing with Feelings by Dr. Mark BrackettBrené Brown on VulnerabilityConnect with Josephine Hunt:WebsiteYouTube ChannelEmailThank you for joining this conversation about resilience, growth, and emotional health in education. Remember to notice one small way SEL showed up in your day and keep nurturing meaningful, connected learning.

If your school feels busy but not aligned, the issue might not be effort at all. It might be clarity. I’m joined by speaker, author, and consultant Casey Watts to dig into why well-intentioned initiatives stall when teams don’t share a clear, detailed grasp of the destination, the language, and the role each person plays in getting there.We get concrete about what “clarity” actually means in education leadership. Casey shares the moment a group of teachers admitted they didn’t know what they were being asked to do, and how that kind of quiet confusion can erode collaboration. We also discuss the hidden dangers of jargon in school improvement work. When terms like SEL, tier one instruction, and differentiation mean different things to different people, alignment becomes impossible, no matter how many meetings you hold.Then we walk through Casey’s Clarity Cycle Framework and challenge the idea of chasing “buy-in” by shifting toward commitment by building agency, self-efficacy, and collective efficacy. We connect the same leadership moves to student engagement, especially the role of relevance, belonging, and inviting students into the learning process.If you want practical tools for clearer meetings, stronger roles and responsibilities, and success indicators that sustain momentum, this conversation offers a simple lens you can apply right away. EPISODE RESOURCES: Connect with Casey via her website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.Read her book, The Craft of Clarity, and subscribe to her newsletter.

A single hand raised can fool us into thinking a class feels safe, while most students are silently calculating the social cost of being wrong. We sit down with award-winning educator and burnout expert Chase Mielke to make psychological safety practical through a Goldilocks Gradient lens: low, mid, and high-risk moments that shape student participation, academic risk-taking, and real engagement.We talk through why “one student in the spotlight” instantly creates a high-gradient situation, even when the question is simple. Then we map out how to sequence learning so students warm up before you ask for courage: quick partner exchanges, brief opinion prompts, and fast confidence checks that serve as formative assessments. We also get honest about the harm of cold calling when it spikes threat responses, and how “lukewarm calls” preserve rigor while protecting dignity.The conversation moves beyond talk into the environment itself. Classroom layout, teacher movement, lighting, and visual cues can quietly broadcast safety or threat. Chase shares ways to use anchor spots in the room, class agreements, and displays that celebrate progress and courage so students see mistakes as part of learning. If you’re building SEL, classroom culture, and equitable participation, these strategies are designed to be usable tomorrow. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review with the one small change you’re going to test next.EPISODE RESOURCES:Connect with Chase via his website, LinkedIn, and Instagram.Purchase Chase's book and read his articles.

Small, steady moves can transform a classroom. We sit down with Pennsylvania educator Brittany Christensen to unpack how 5–10 minute SEL warmups grew into a living practice woven through literacy, nonfiction analysis, and daily routines. Teaching English and ESOL in a large urban district, she shows how high expectations can coexist with care by building a shared language around growth mindset, self-discipline, and self-motivation, then returning to those skills in texts, discussions, and assessments.You’ll hear how she starts with clear, student-owned definitions, scaffolds from spotting competencies in literature to reflecting on real life, and uses quick exit tickets to make progress visible. We dig into concrete strategies for integrating SEL into reading and writing: narrowing focus to a few skills per unit, inviting groups to justify choices with textual evidence and author context, and connecting skills to figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Brittany’s ESOL lens shines through with explicit vocabulary, gradual release, and co-teaching habits that support multilingual learners. Beyond the classroom, Brittany models accountability as care by closing loops with families when students ask for it, and sharing how restorative practices and humility fuel collaborative growth. She offers practical planning tips to get started tomorrow: put SEL on the calendar, use early-finish moments or pre-break days, and keep routines short and consistent. If you want a humane, high-expectation classroom where students can name the skills they’re practicing and transfer them to life, this conversation delivers tools you can use right away.EPISODE RESOURCES:Connect with Brittany via email at [email protected]

What if the biggest lever for healthier schools is how we view people and problems? I sit down with veteran educator and consultant Thom Stecher to unpack how a shift in perspective can transform classroom climate, leadership choices, and our well-being. From the first moments, we trace a clear arc: perception shapes understanding, understanding unlocks empathy, and empathy fuels compassionate action. And that sequence lives inside every SEL competency.Thom shares personal stories that bring both-and thinking to life, showing how grief and gratitude can coexist and how that nuance matters for students and staff navigating complex emotions. We dig into responsible decision-making as the cumulative outcome of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills, then get practical: using a mindful pause to interrupt reactivity, spotting absolutist language that signals stuck thinking, and replacing it with I-statements that restore agency. We also explore cognitive empathy versus affective empathy and why honoring different truths in a classroom builds respect without demanding conversion.Curiosity gets its due as the engine of empathy and innovation, raising a tough question for schools: Do we actually want curiosity if it refuses to be compliant? Drawing on the original meaning of educare (to draw out), we offer strategies to elevate student voice, invite multiple perspectives, and design learning that values people over mere performance.If you’re ready to trade either-or for both-and, to ground big goals in human connection, and to build a culture where perspective leads to wiser choices, this conversation will give you language, tools, and courage to start. If it resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help others find it. What’s one place you’ll add a mindful pause this week?EPISODE RESOURCES:Connect with Thom Stecher via his website or Facebook.Order his book, Social Emotional Learning - One Day at a Time

What if students did work they couldn’t fake and didn’t want to? We sit down with award-winning educator and author Michael Hernandez to rethink assessment, culture, and the role of technology by anchoring learning in agency, responsibility, and authentic audiences. Instead of building classrooms around compliance and bans, we explore how trust and clear boundaries create a sandbox where creativity thrives, and cheating loses its appeal.Michael walks us through a step-by-step PSA project that turns SEL from a talking point into a daily practice. Along the way, we dig into assessing for impact, originality, and courage; teaching ethical research and credibility; and using phones, mics, and cameras as microscopes and telescopes for inquiry. We also talk about oral histories as a powerful listening-first approach that builds digital literacy, empathy, and real communication skills.The conversation widens to film festivals, cross-school collaboration, and policy shifts away from standardized tests toward portfolios and a portrait of a graduate. We frame the classroom as a think tank with real deadlines and audiences, where feedback and iteration are the norm, responsibility has consequences, and students learn to navigate ambiguity with confidence. If you want practical, human-centered strategies that make learning relevant, rigorous, and public, this one will spark ideas you can use tomorrow.EPISODE RESOURCES: Connect with Michael via his website, LinkedIn, and Instagram.Check out Michasel's books and online courses!