We keep treating stalled initiatives as a knowledge problem. Dr. Amanda March says that's rarely what's actually going on."Knowledge and skills are not enough to do the good work."In this conversation, the school psychologist and systems consultant introduces the KASAB model, Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, Aspirations, Behaviors, from Joellen Killian and Learning Forward, and zeroes in on the two A's most leaders skip: attitudes and aspirations. She shares why two veteran colleagues resisted the same change for opposite reasons, how values misalignment quietly drives turnover, and the signal she listens for that change is sticking: when it spreads horizontally between peers rather than top-down.One practical shift for leaders: stop asking, "What strategy did you try today?" and start asking, "What value were you able to personify today?"Connect with Dr. Amanda March via LinkedIn and her website.

Restorative practices often show up only after something has gone wrong. Erika Schwanbeck, a restorative practice coach, and Stephanie Clinise, a secondary ELA teacher, argue that the real work happens long before any conflict. Both talk with Krista about what restorative practice looks and sounds like day to day, woven into content rather than bolted on as a discipline.They get concrete: the 80/20 principle (80 percent proactive, 20 percent responsive), fair process and its three E's of engagement, explanation, and expectation clarity, and the engagement window that keeps support and accountability high. Stephanie shares how shared language turns a Romeo and Juliet circle into a lesson about real choices, and Erika unpacks why a relational consequence outweighs a punitive one.If you have ever wondered whether student voice and teacher authority can coexist, this conversation offers a practical, relationship-first answer.Connect with them on Instagram: Stephanie and Erika

When Brenda Do watched her young nephew drop a container of leftovers and instantly call himself "so stupid," it broke her heart and sparked a question she couldn't put down. A copywriter by trade, Brenda went down a research rabbit hole into Carol Dweck's work on mindset, her own experience growing up where perfection was the baseline, and why children learn to fear getting things wrong. The result is her picture book "It's Okay Not to Know."In this conversation, Brenda and Krista talk about mistakes as a gift, choosing curiosity over self-judgment, and why "staying in your lane" quietly shrinks a child's sense of what is possible. They also make the case that picture books belong with older students, not just K-2, as a doorway into voice, worth, and taking bold risks.If you have ever mistaken not knowing for not being capable, this one is for you and your students. Connect with Brenda via her website.

Dr. Michele Ogden has spent her career in California schools as a teacher and principal, but some of her most meaningful work happens outside of them: eight years as a CASA, a court-appointed special advocate for youth in foster care. In this episode, Michele explains what the role actually involves, from ramen outings and first train rides to the one-page court reports a judge reads before every hearing. She shares how she built trust with a teenager who couldn’t believe a volunteer would keep showing up (“They don’t pay you?”), and how the work reshaped her classroom... the way she welcomes students who arrive late, and how she talks about weekends and vacations now that she knows home isn’t a soft place to land for every child. She also covers the practical side: the training, the time commitment, and why educators’ skills translate so naturally to advocacy. If you’ve been looking for a way to be one caring, consistent adult in a child’s life, this conversation shows what that looks and sounds like in practice.

In part four of the To Be Continued series, Krista sits down again with Thom Stecher, an educational consultant who has spent more than four decades mentoring students, teachers, and school leaders. Perspective, possibility, and passion led him here: to purpose.Thom describes purpose as a North Star and, more surprisingly, as a discipline. Passion moves us, he says, but purpose is what channels that energy into work that lasts. He and Krista trace where purpose comes from and how it shifts across a life, from the dinner table where his father put down his fork and said he wanted to make a difference, to the cornfield where his grandfather taught him that as long as you are breathing, there is work to do.Along the way, they get honest about ego, humility, and the daily practices that keep us on track. This is a conversation for any educator wondering whether purpose is something you find once, or something you keep refining.

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.