"History should be like chocolate." - Lee WindIn this episode, Lee Wind brings his love for history and his mission to empower LGBTQ+ youth and community to the forefront in this powerful episode of The Compassionate Educators Show.  To serve our students means to create inclusive and safe environments for all youth as well as for adults. Whether you are here because you identify as queer, an ally, or an educator wanting to make a difference, our conversation will be insightful and full of fun facts from Lee's newest book, "No Way, They Were Gay?"Take the Queer History Quiz here: www.leewind.org/quiz and tell us your Pride colors! Mine were red and orange for life and healing. My score was dismal, but that means I have lots of room to learn and grow!Lee Wind’s superpower is stories – true and fictional – that center marginalized kids and teens and celebrate their power to change the world. Closeted until his 20s, Lee writes the books that would have changed his life as a young Gay kid. His Masters Degree from Harvard didn’t include blueprints for a time machine to go back and tell these stories to himself, so Lee pays it forward with a popular blog with over 3 million page views (I’m Here. I’m Queer. What The Hell Do I Read?) and books for kids and teens.His latest book is the middle grade nonfiction “No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves” (Lerner Publishing Group/Zest Books, April 2021), honored as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection.With day jobs for the Independent Book Publishers Association (as their director of marketing and programming) and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (as their official blogger), Lee’s superhero job is storytelling to empower readers to shine with their own light.Let's change lives together.Join The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)

It's time we've had a conversation on The Compassionate Educators Show about Racial Trauma and how it impacts our students.Join Thea Hunter-Spiekermann and I as we shed light on the difference between racism and discrimination, the multifaceted impact that racial trauma has on every aspect of life, how to challenge our own implicit biases, and ways to support our students within our classrooms and school systems.Enjoy the Show.Thea specializes in eclectic array of psychotherapies including trauma therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, addictions counseling, and wellness coaching.  She thoroughly assesses each patient and collaboratively creates a treatment plan with the patient's personal definition of their "ideal life" in mind.  This includes treatment of psychological diagnoses, but also linkage to resources, coaching, family counseling, and conflict resolution so that patients receive well rounded, holistic treatment.  She genuinely believes that every patient is capable of change, and has been working in the behavior change field since 2013.  She received her undergraduate degree from UW-Parkside and her Master's from UW-Platteville.  Let's change lives together.Join The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)

Immigration is a hot topic issue in today's political climate, making it more critical than ever to be aware of how the current key immigration issues can impact our students and their families. In today's episode I speak with Tahmina Watson, a passionate immigration lawyer who gives us very specific ways to support our students and families and create safer and more inclusive environments. As Compassionate Educators, we have incredible opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our students and their families. Please help share this powerful message with teachers and administrators everywhere. One voice CAN make a difference.Enjoy the Show!Tahmina Watson is a Seattle-based immigration attorney, podcaster, and activist. She was born and raised in London, UK, and worked as a barrister moving relocating to Seattle, Washington, USA. For her community work, Tahmina was recently recognized as a 2020 Woman of Influence honoree by the Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ). She is the founder of Watson Immigration Law and founder of the Washington Immigrant Defense Network. Tahmina works with leading national publications as a commentator and columnist and speaks around the country on immigration law and social justice issues. Tahmina serves as a national spokesperson for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and the chair of the Response Committee of the Washington Chapter of AILA. Tahmina also serves as a trustee of the Board of King County Bar Association in Washington, a past president of King County Washington Women Lawyers, and a former board member of both the Asian Bar Association of Washington and Washington Women Lawyers. In addition to being recognized for her work by PSBJ, she is a recipient of the 2019 AILA President's Commendation Award. Tahmina Talks Immigration podcast is available on Apple Podcasts. Legal Heroes in the Trump Era is Tahmina's second book. She is launching the second edition of her book The Startup Visa this summer. Additional information can be found at www.watsonimmigrationlaw.comLet's change lives together.Join The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)Support the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)

If I ask you to think about what veterans and children have in common, you may initially draw a blank.  Looking deeper under the surface, we discover that both veterans and many children are at a high risk for anxiety, sleep disorders, hyper-arousal  and other branches of mental illness often stemming from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), whether diagnosed or presenting symptoms sans a diagnosis. On today's episode, Brenda Lauer, veteran, counselor and founder of the Truman Foundation, shares amazing stories about how her service dog Truman has changed her life by decreasing her anxiety, and the benefits that service dogs have provided to the mental health of countless veterans. When it comes to our students, one of the primary reasons we have seen for having a service dog such as Truman, is to assist with seizure alerts, however, we see an expanding role for service dogs to provide support for children who experience panic attacks and social anxiety as well.Discover the incredible ways that service dogs have made a difference as well as additional ways that dogs have helped students including "read with a dog" programs to assisting with emotional regulation. Brenda also shares with us an exciting addition to the Truman Foundation and a few tips for what to do and not to do when a service dog is present.Enjoy the show!*****Brenda Lauer is the founder of the Truman Foundation where she advocates and educates individuals and communities about the benefits of service dogs and the do's and don't of what to do as part of a service dog team. Brenda has a Master's degree in counseling. Her passion for service animals stems from her personal experience with PTSD stemming from her service in the military as well as from a car accident.  Her service dog, Truman, changed her life and helped her to understand herself better. It is Brenda's belief that an educated community will make it easier for service dog teams to go out and be included in community. Her current project is a children's book about Truman and his eight-year-old best friend. The book will be available to educate children about service dogs as well as jump start a mental health awareness series for children with Truman as the main character.For more information, or to connect with Brenda, visit https://truman-foundation.orgFollow Truman on IG HERE @the_truman_foundationLet's change lives together.Join The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)

Can creating a life of intention, setting boundaries, and living your authentic vision not only bring more joy to your life, but also empower your students? Join Tessa Thompson and I as we explore what life looks like when we working towards our goals inspires others around us. Tessa and I also discuss simple yet effective ways to increase student engagement and holding space for our students to create their own goals and visions.Enjoy the show!*****Tessa Thompson is a proud Veteran of the United States Air Force (Served in Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom).  Thompson graduated from the University of Wisconsin Parkside in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Spanish, and Certificate in Nonprofit Management.  Thompson received a Master of Social Work degree in 2008 from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Thompson specializes in Social Work in the areas of Case Management, Family and Individual Counseling, Substance Abuse and School Social Work.  She is a Solution Focused and Holistic Perspective Social Worker who believes in looking at the whole person in their environment and works to empower others by developing a plan to meet future vision and goals.  Thompson currently works for Kenosha Unified School District as a School Social Worker. In 2018 she launched Balanced Vision Consulting LLC. to empower others to change their narrative and be their best self.  Tessa Thompson is a woman of advocacy, support and empowerment tothose in her community.  She is the recipient of the City of Madison's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in 1999. The University of Wisconsin Parkside's Dr. MartinLuther King Jr. Community Service Award January 2011 and University of Wisconsin Parkside's Distinguished Alumni Service Award May 2011.  Thompson’s future goals include continuing to work in her community to create a network of leaders providing advocacy, social justice and empowerment. Thompson's greatest joy is her life as a mother of 6 children and wife.Connect with Tessa here!Website:  https://mrstessathompson.comFacebook:  Facebook.com/mstessabrownLet's change lives together.Join The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)

How do we help students take responsibility in doing the "hard things"? Growth mindset has been a buzz word in education and in parenting for years now, but what does it look like in practical application to learning environments and even at home?Join me as I sit down with Ava Sharma, communication and mindset coach, as we explore the facets of leadership and growth mindset to support students in reaching their full potential.Enjoy the show!*****Ava Sharma a communication and mindset coach, specializing in motivating and influencing teens.  She spent 10+ years as an educator, and in that time, had the chance to observe the role that their emotions played in her students' decisions and motivation.After realizing how pervasive low self esteem was in her students and how much it would block their potential, she started developing a curriculum to answer their objections for why it's worth it to put in the effort, and to provide them the inspiration and motivation to strive for their best.Her mission is to help teens and tweens adopt a growth mindset so they have the mental strength to overcome the obstacles on their path to success. Connect with Ava here!Website:  Bridgeofempowerment.comFacebook:  Facebook.com/Sharma.AvantikaLet's change lives together.Join The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)

Does the idea of "going gradeless" give you butterflies? Batsheva Frankel, the host of the popular "Overthrowing Education" podcast, longtime educator, speaker and author, and I explore how creative and gradeless assessments are actually the most efficient (and fun!) way to assess students' learning and knowledge. In a world where everyone has the demands and burdens of "shoulds/should nots", we dive into real-time ideas for building creative assessments into your classroom as well as Batsheva's personal experience of how to approach parents and administrators when utilizing grade-less assessments. The response may just surprise you... I know I was!Enjoy the show!Connect with Batsheva!www.NewLensEd.com [email protected]'s change lives together.Join The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)

Join Nicole McDonald, veteran school social worker, educator and parenting coach, and I as we explore the realities facing teen (and pre-teen) girls that can lead to school difficulties, anxiety, depression, declines in academic achievement and self-harming behaviors as well as disconnect from family and friends. Learn what teachers, school staff and parents can do to support our students so that they can learn in a safe environment and feel supported in the challenges they face.While our conversation does not include explicit language, it is intended for mature audiences... PG13 if you will.  We encourage you to share this episode with colleagues in an effort to end the silence and suffering that so many students face.Connect with Nicole HERE: https://pocketsuite.io/link/nicole-mcdonald-parenting-coachFB Group: bit.ly/momsraisingconfidentdaughtersWebsite: www.leadingwlove.comIG: www.instagram.com/moms_raisingconfidentdaughtersBook a call: bit.ly/mcdonaldchatEnjoy the show!Let's change lives together.Join The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)

How can we improve our children's ability to focus, develop empathy, and increase self-understanding & emotional intelligence... without spending a dime? Join Andrew Jordan Nance, the founder of Mindful Arts San Francisco and author of four Mindfulness books, including the popular Puppy Mind, and I as we take a conversational journey to uncover the richness a mindfulness practice can bring for yourself and your students. Andrew give simple yet powerful tips for teaching children how to reconnect with their inner voice, explains why there are no "bad" emotions, and what we might be missing in our own lives that we can put into practice immediately so that we can model best practices of mindfulness for our students and children... even if you're teaching virtually.Connect with Andrew!Andrew's LinkedIn profile , Facebook page, official website and Mindful Arts San Francisco.Enjoy the show!Let's change lives together.Join The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)

In this episode, I bring you a conversation between Aviva Levin, host of Lesson Impossible, where the tables are turned as Aviva interviews me as the guest on the hot-seat! In this powerful episode we discuss letting go of the perfectionist mindset, the Helper's Risk Trifecta, how to improve your own mental wellness, and having an identity outside of the role of teacher (or parent!)Enjoy the show!Let's change lives together.Connect with Aviva here:Website: www.lessonimpossible.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/avivalevinInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lessonimpossible/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lessonimpossible/Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aviva-levin-8483511a7Improv professional development workshop:https://www.lessonimpossible.com/improv-workshopsJoin The Compassionate Educators Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/  for more resources.EMAIL: [email protected] the show (https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassionateeducationresources/)