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  • Sparking Curiosity, Building Confidence, and Moving PD Into Action with Olivia Odileke (EP185)
    2026/07/07
    Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS Olivia Odileke is the founder of Kampus Insights Inc. and the creator of Lead Spark Team, a platform designed to help schools move professional development beyond inspiration and into measurable instructional change. Olivia also created the Spark Curiosity AI Coach, which helps educators spark student curiosity through short, inquiry-based learning experiences at the beginning of a unit. Your WHY My why is simple, but it runs deep: I want every student, teacher, and leader to love to wonder again. I want them to fall in love with growing their mind, discovering their potential, and nurturing the natural gifts already inside of them. Education has always been more than content delivery to me. At its best, learning should awaken something in us. It should invite students, teachers, and leaders to wonder, question, grow, and see new possibilities in themselves. That is the heart of my work. I believe curiosity is one of the most powerful things we can protect in education. When students are curious, they lean in. When teachers are curious, they become designers of learning instead of simply deliverers of content. And when leaders are curious, they create the conditions for people to grow. Through Kampus Insights CC, Lead Spark Team, the Spark Curiosity AI Coach, Spark Curiosity EDU, and Fearless Educator Radio, my work centers on one big idea: helping educators move from inspiration to action, and from action to meaningful instructional change. What challenged you to start Kampus Insights? What were the problems you saw that you knew you could make a difference? I started Kampus Insights CC because I kept seeing the same disconnect in schools. Teachers were attending professional development, getting inspired for the day, but then returning to classrooms where the actual shift in practice was hard to sustain. I understood that because I was a teacher. I worked in Title I schools for many years. I know what it feels like to care deeply about students while also feeling overwhelmed by pacing guides, testing pressure, behavior challenges, and the daily responsibility of trying to meet every learner’s needs. The problem I saw was that teachers did not need more information thrown at them. They needed practical tools, meaningful support, and small instructional shifts they could actually use. They needed professional development that did more than motivate them for a moment. They needed support that helped them change what happens in the classroom. That is what challenged me to build Kampus Insights and eventually Lead Spark Team. I wanted to help schools move beyond, “That was a great workshop,” into, “We can actually see this changing teacher practice and student engagement.” Lead Spark Team was created to help schools turn professional development into measurable instructional change. It gives leaders and teachers a way to focus on a specific instructional practice, reflect on implementation, gather evidence of growth, and build momentum over time.You can learn more about Kampus Insights here: https://kampusinsights.com Being curious is all about wonder and magic. How do you spark curiosity? I spark curiosity by helping teachers create moments where students get to wonder before they are told what to know. A lot of times in education, we start with the answer. We introduce the vocabulary, explain the concept, model the process, and then ask students to respond. But curiosity often happens before the explanation. It happens when students notice something, question something, make a prediction, compare ideas, or realize there is a gap between what they know and what they want to understand. That is where Micro Inquiry comes in. A Micro Inquiry Task is a short learning experience that gives students something to observe, discuss, sort, compare, predict, or figure out before the lesson begins. The teacher then uses guiding questions to help students make meaning together. It is like lighting a small spark before building the fire. The goal is not to teach the entire lesson in that moment. The goal is to create the reason students want to learn the lesson. To support teachers in creating these moments more easily, I created the Spark Curiosity AI Coach. The coach helps educators design short, curiosity-based learning experiences that can be used at the beginning of a unit or around challenging concepts. You can explore the Spark Curiosity AI Coach here:https://ai.sparkcuriosityedu.com What does it look like when curiosity is sparked? What are some results and outcomes from this work? Some of the most meaningful outcomes from my work have come through the messages teachers send after they experience a Spark Curiosity session, use a Micro Inquiry Task, or try the Spark Curiosity AI Coach. I have had teachers share that they felt a difference in their classroom almost immediately. They noticed students talking more, wondering more, and participating in ways they ...
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    51 分
  • Building a Culture of Collaboration with Jamie Meola Saponaro (EP186)
    2026/08/03
    Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS Jamie Saponaro is the Senior Director of Community and Professional Learning at ClassLink. She leads thought leader initiatives that bring educational communities together through summits, webinars, and professional learning events. Jamie is the host of LinkedUp: Breaking Boundaries in Education, a podcast dedicated to spotlighting boundary-breaking educators. She just launched her new book: Transforming Classrooms: Building a Culture of Collaboration. I just had to share a picture of Jamie and me at one of the high teas I mentioned in the podcast. I always ask my guests to share their WHY. What is your WHY? My father taught for 37 years – drafting, architectural drawing, woodshop, technology education, video production – and whenever anyone asked him what he taught, his answer was never that he taught any of those subjects – he always said ‘I teach students.’ That shaped everything about how I think about teaching. Are we teaching the ‘curriculum’? Or are we teaching the ‘students’? Students learn through instructional best practices that allow for differentiation. It is not about teaching the ‘stuff.’ It is about teaching and reaching individual learners. It is about building a community of students and the conditions for unique learning opportunities from not only their teacher, but also from each other. Can you share an overview of your background? A Jersey girl coming from a family of educators – my father was a teacher, my mother was a teacher, my husband was a teacher and is now a superintendent – education became my path as well, and I’ve been in it for over 35 years. I taught for a dozen years and then became a technology director. I went on maternity leave to start my family, and during that time, I wrote a book called Creative Projects Using Popular Computer Applications. Then, I founded my own company, InTECHgration, as an instructional strategist and technology integration specialist, providing professional learning for teachers and administrators through coaching, mentoring, and hands-on workshops rooted in research-based strategies and high engagement. I also volunteered as the president and executive board member of an education foundation for 10 years. Lead of ClassLink’s Thought Leader Initiatives The industry side of education came knocking, so I gradually took that on full-time and now lead ClassLink’s thought-leader initiatives that promote community building and professional learning for educational leaders through in-person and virtual summit events in pursuit of “linking leaders.” I am also the co-host of the podcast, “LinkedUp: Breaking Boundaries in Education,” and produce the podcast, “Perspectives: Finding Common Ground,” and additionally produce and host 3 webinar series. As for the rest of my family, my sister was the only one not in education, and my older daughter, Bella, followed in her footsteps in the fashion world. My other daughter, Lauren Rose, is an avionics product designer who is also my graphic designer for my second book, Transforming Classrooms: Building a Culture of Collaboration. What Your Book Shares with Teachers and How it Transforms Classrooms Most educators I have worked with have tried group work, and it failed every time. One student does all the work. Another disappears. A third turns it into a fight. The rest just wait for it to be over What I want teachers to know is that it is not a flaw in their abilities. It’s actually a design flaw. Group work fails because it was never designed to work. There is no structure requiring every voice, no accountability that reaches every student, no reflection that builds the skill for next time. Without those elements, we are not doing cooperative learning. We are just putting children in proximity and hoping for the best. Cooperative learning is different. It is a research-backed structure with 70 years of evidence showing it outperforms individual learning at a statistically significant rate — but only when all the components are present. When we implement it with fidelity, students do not just complete tasks together. They think together. They teach each other. They learn how to belong. Cooperative learning is different. It is a research-backed structure with 70 years of evidence showing it outperforms individual learning at a statistically significant rate — but only when all the components are present. When we implement it with fidelity, students do not just complete tasks together. They think together. They teach each other. They learn how to belong. That distinction is the entire foundation of my book Transforming Classrooms: Building a Culture of Collaboration. I have seen it work so beautifully for students and seen classrooms flourish because of it, so I wrote the book to share the tips and simple tweaks to turn group work into true cooperative learning. _________________ The ...
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    43 分
  • Learning Experiences Worth Savoring with Kat Crawford (EP184)
    2026/03/02
    Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS Kat Crawford, an Instructional Designer and Justice and Accessibility Advocate, specializes in designing innovative digital solutions, facilitating professional learning, and supporting the transformation of school systems to enhance student engagement. Kat never really left the stage—she traded the bright lights of theatre class for designing learning experiences that students actually want to eat up as the Lunch Lady. She spent over a decade disrupting the technology divide inside secure schools, fueled by her core belief: every student deserves a seat at the table—and a learning experience worth savoring. Your WHY My work spans various roles, including directing and designing national curriculum initiatives, teaching graduate courses, and leading digital adoption for alternative and secure schools, all driven by my passion for student success and inclusion. All of my work is driven by my core belief that all students deserve a high-quality education. I run on stories. On second chances. On the sacred mess of being human. Background as an Educational Technology Leader As an educational technology leader with over 20 years of experience, I specialize in designing innovative digital solutions, facilitating professional learning, and supporting the transformation of school systems to enhance student engagement. With expertise in curriculum design, technology integration, and instructional coaching, I have worked with school districts in 47 states to promote educational equity and impactful learning experiences. Executive Director of Digital Innovation From 2020 to 2024, I was the Executive Director of Digital Innovation at the Schlechty Center. My responsibilities included: Managing school district clients nationwide from the classroom to the boardroom in designing work centered around engagement.Customizing district proposals to design innovative work in person and virtually through on-site workshops, meetings, and trainings.Driving adoption and implementation of technology in professional learning sessions using educational technology tools aimed at equity, accessibility, and collaboration for all students.Leveraging client relations from year to year to maintain proposal renewals and growth opportunities with new and existing districts.Working closely with cross-functional teams to support our work nationally. The Lunch Lady My alter ego, The Lunch Lady, is an apron-wearing, tray-slinging voice inside every educator, reminding us that meaningful learning isn’t prepackaged—it’s handcrafted, messy, and deliciously authentic. It’s lunchtime, and The Lunch Lady is cooking up something new for the classroom. The way this came about is when I was asked to dress up like a chef for an ISTE playground. Everyone looked like a chef, but that wasn’t me. I remember Chris Farley as the lunch lady, and that was it. https://lunchladyedu.com The Secret Recipe for Student Agency is now Breakfast in Banter Today’s special? A three-course meal filled with deeper learning, sprinkled with innovation, and stuffed with student agency – served piping hot! Your reservation is ready because every student deserves a seat at the table – and a learning experience worth savoring. Don’t start from scratch! It’s time to reveal the secret recipe for Mystery Meat: Learning experiences worth devouring. Step into the kitchen and start cooking meaningful learning – no more prepackaging or reheating. Let’s transform classrooms into cafeterias of curiosity, choice, and creativity. Come hungry – you’ll want seconds. Figma and how it is aligned with your WHY I am the Education Program Manager for Figma. We support K12 educators, schools, and districts in bringing collaboration and creativity to the classroom through FigJam and Figma. The current focus includes in-person training, community building, and scaling impact through virtual programming. Your Consulting Company: How Might We We empower school districts to push beyond traditional boundaries by fostering innovative solutions that address complex challenges. We specialize in designing transformative systems and initiatives for educational institutions, with a strong focus on alternative schools. Our services include individual and team coaching, customized professional development, and dynamic workshops. We don’t just respond to existing needs—we inspire new possibilities, helping schools discover what could be and build toward what will be. Kat Crawford’s Contact Information LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dramatickat/X: https://x.com/dramatickatLL (X): https://x.com/LunchLadyEDU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dramatickatInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dramatickat/LL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunchladyedu/Lunch Lady Headshots: The Lunch Lady Plain Background ***** I was looking forward to talking on my virtual porch with Kat Craford, the Lunch Lady. I didn’...
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    54 分
  • Unlock the Power of AI in School Counseling with Hanna Kemble-Mick (EP183)
    2026/02/16
    Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS Hanna Kemble-Mick, school counselor, dean of elementary school counseling, Indian Hills Elementary School, Topeka, Kansas. Hanna is a 2025 School Counselor of the Year® finalist, Therapy Dog mom, and Tech/AI enthusiast. I met Hanna through her mom, Jerri Kemble, when they were presenting with firefly wings. Then I had a one-to-one conversation with Hanna, and that was it… she had to be a guest on my show. Your WHY and What Brings You Joy My “why” is building schools where students are truly seen, where creativity is valued, and where opportunity is not reserved for a lucky few. I root for the underdog, the underserved, and students in rural communities who deserve the same expansive possibilities as anyone else. What brings me joy is connection, continuous learning, dogs, polka dots, and the everyday magic of my students growing into who they are meant to be. Your Background (what it was like in school, growing up, what you always wanted to be) I grew up in a rural community with a big heart, where everyone knew each other and helping others was simply part of everyday life. My parents, Kurt and Jerri Kemble, modeled what it meant to show up for others, and that spirit carried through our town. All of my grandparents lived nearby, so my childhood was filled with time around their kitchen tables, lending a hand to neighbors, and taking part in community service. When I was little, I dreamed of becoming a veterinarian because of my love for animals. I loved school and felt connected there until my senior year, when my mom became superintendent, and I transferred to the district where she worked. Suddenly, I felt out of place. In true teenage fashion, I joined the track team and filmed basketball games, volunteering for anything that would get me out of the building. Even then, I was learning how much belonging and environment shape a person’s experience. I am fortunate to have a loving family and live in Lawrence, Kansas, with my husband, Dalton, two dogs, and a cat. Becoming a School Counselor: Describe what it meant to you when you figured out your calling. I graduated from college with a degree in advertising and began a career I genuinely enjoyed. I loved my job and deeply respected my boss, but something within me kept whispering that the work was not fulfilling my soul. I knew I wanted to make a different impact, so I decided to return to school to become a counselor. My boss met that decision with incredible kindness, allowing me to continue working while attending graduate school full-time, a generosity I have never forgotten. When I first contacted the counseling program, the response felt uncertain and discouraging. There were questions about whether this path was truly right for me and how a background in marketing and advertising fit into the counseling world. While I understand their perspective now, at the time, it planted seeds of imposter syndrome and left me wondering if I truly belonged. Yet, as the program continued, so did my clarity of purpose. I discovered that the skills I brought with me, including communication, creativity, understanding people, and connecting messages to meaning, were not detours but strengths. Looking back, I would not change the path at all. It shaped my resilience, deepened my empathy, and affirmed that this calling was exactly where I was meant to be. Junior Coaches Program Junior Coaches began as a restorative program designed to support students who struggle with peer conflict and behavior by building problem-solving skills and confidence. The group included older students who practiced these skills together and then took them to recess, where they supported younger students in navigating conflicts and challenges. This felt more comfortable and natural for them than stepping into that role with their own classmates, and it gave them a meaningful way to lead. Paws and Claws grew alongside it as a project-based learning group where students design, create, and donate pet products to a local animal shelter. I love both of these groups because they move beyond simply talking about skills and instead create depth through authentic skill-building. Students are not just learning what to do. They are practicing empathy, responsibility, collaboration, and problem-solving in real and meaningful ways. School Counselor of the Year 2025 Finalist Being named a 2025 School Counselor of the Year Finalist has been a wild and humbling ride. I still catch myself looking at photos from Capitol Hill and thinking, Did that really happen? It has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. https://videos.schoolcounselor.org/hanna-kemble-mick For a moment, you feel fully seen, valued, and celebrated as an educator and as a school counselor, and I find myself wishing every person in education could experience that kind of affirmation. The connections, friendships, and shared purpose have been next level. ...
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    53 分
  • Building Future-Ready Schools and Families with Dr. Martha Umana (EP182)
    2026/02/09
    Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS Dr. Martha Umana, Founder of AIA (AI4Educator), author, and bilingual educator, is known as The Bridge. She helps parents and teachers thrive in the AI era by prioritizing human skills for future-ready kids. For over two decades, Dr. Umama has worked at the intersection of school and home, guiding families and educators in raising children who are emotionally intelligent, cognitively strong, and future-ready. Your Why My WHY is the child and the adults around the child. I kept seeing students who could produce impressive work, but they could not explain it, verify it, or revise it. When the process is missing, the child is not protected: teachers cannot assess fairly, and parents cannot mentor confidently at home. I do this work to keep learning honest across school and family life, and to build the human skills that remain stable. no matter what AI becomes: judgment, self-regulation, empathy, and truth seeking. Your Background I was born and raised in Latin America. Because I have lived and worked across countries and languages, I am careful about what transfers and what does not. What I focus on is universal: children learn when adults stay connected, expectations are clear, and revision is safe. Growing up, learning was a deeply social experience. Adults helped you improve without shaming you. That balance, accountability, and connection became central to how I work with teachers and families. I do not romanticize any system. I simply pay attention to what protects children: high expectations paired with dignity, and correction paired with care. Early in my career, I held leadership roles in higher education, including Academic Affairs Director and University Professor. Later, I moved to the United States as an adult, built a business, and eventually returned to education in public schools. Looking back, that shift mattered because it gave me the three lenses I needed: system, workplace, and relationship. AI Changed the Conditions of Learning, and Why This is Urgent AI did not just add a tool. It changed the conditions of learning for children and for the adults guiding them. AI accelerates output, but it does not build the internal capacities a child needs to live well. It can generate language, answers, and even persuasive arguments, but it cannot build a child’s self-regulation, empathy, moral judgment, or ability to verify what is true. Those skills are formed through guided practice and accountability. If we do not prioritize them now, we will confuse productivity with competence. We will raise students who can perform, but cannot explain, check, or revise under pressure. That is why I say that human skills are the stable line of support when the future is hard to predict. From school safety to AI governance: why emotional and identity harms appear first. The Role Shift for Teachers and Parents Teachers are no longer competing as holders of information. Information is everywhere. What is scarce now is judgment, verification, and authorship. So the teacher’s role shifts. Teachers become accountable architects of thinking: they design what students must know and show independently, what can be supported, and what must be verified, so learning is not replaced by polished output. Parents face a role shift, too. Parents have a new factor shaping childhood: algorithmic influence. It shapes what children see, what they repeat, what they normalize, what they desire, and sometimes what they fear. Parenting shifts from policing screens to mentoring attention, values, safety, and truth seeking. The child is the only person who lives in both worlds every day. That is why home and school must be coherent: shared expectations for explanation, verification, and revision keep the child protected. Coherence before capacity: Protecting teacher thinking in the age of AI Coherence Before Capacity, and What I Built My organizing principle is Coherence Before Capacity. It means we align roles, boundaries, and evidence of learning first, before we scale tools, training, or adoption. Capacity without coherence just scales confusion. Coherence is what protects meaning, protects dignity, and protects the child as an author of their own learning. I founded AI4Educator to help teachers use AI in a way that protects teacher authority, student authorship, and feasibility. That is why I built two practical supports. Question: When AI saturates STEM ecosystems, what protects the learning process? For teachers, I developed an Epistemic Principle: a simple way to decide what must be independent, what may be supported but verified, and what artifacts make thinking visible. I built the agent to operationalize that in teacher planning, so those protections show up in lessons without adding workload. For parents, I created The Bridge: a shared language that brings home and school together in the same direction through explanation, verification, and revision. The Bridge Script, One...
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    42 分
  • Dismantling Math Anxiety with Dr. Aditya Nagrath (EP181)
    2026/01/22
    Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS Dr. Aditya Nagrath helps students overcome mathematics anxiety. He is the creator and founder of Elephant Learning Mathematics Academy. With a PhD in Mathematics & Computer Sciences, he has spent over 30 years in industry as a software engineer, author, leader, speaker, and serial entrepreneur working on projects ranging from atomic clocks to iOS and Android apps to Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Dr. Nagrath shares how confidence and belief are essential in overcoming math anxiety and shaping a child’s success in mathematics. Your WHY I help children and the adults who support them overcome mathematics anxiety and build real confidence with numbers. My mission is to empower children with mathematics. Right now, about 4 out of 5 students start kindergarten unprepared for the kindergarten math curriculum. Underneath that statistic is something very human: a language gap around quantities. Children often don’t have a solid, intuitive grasp of what words like “three,” “ten,” or “five” really mean, and have not connected them with symbols on a page. When the language and ideas aren’t there yet, math can quickly feel like a foreign language. My “why” is closing that gap—so that every child has the conceptual language of quantity they need before they ever have a chance to say, “I’m just not a math person.” Your Background: What Math Was Like for You Growing up, I was not always the kid who just “got” mathematics. It did not all come naturally. My mother played a huge role in changing that story for me. Every summer, she would gather the math books for the following year and have me study for a few hours a day so I could be ready when school started. At the time, it sometimes felt tedious, but looking back, that steady, structured exposure is what gave me the understanding and confidence to persevere in math, instead of turning away from it. Early discipline and support are big reasons why I eventually earned my Ph.D. in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Denver. Because I know firsthand what it’s like not to instantly understand math—and what a difference the right support can make—I’m passionate about giving other children the kind of foundation and encouragement that changed everything for me. Elephant Learning Elephant Learning is my way of scaling that kind of support and structure to as many families as possible. The system focuses on the language and concepts of quantity first, then builds steadily toward more advanced ideas. On average, students in our system learn about 1.5 years of mathematics in just ten weeks, using Elephant Learning for only 30 minutes per week. By meeting students at their true level and strengthening the underlying language of math, we help them move quickly and confidently—without the pressure and anxiety that so many of us grew up with. My goal is simple: to make sure that the next generation doesn’t inherit the same fear of math that so many adults carry today, and instead experiences mathematics as a tool for thinking, problem‑solving, and empowerment. Book: Rethinking Math Learning https://amzn.to/44bDN94 Book: Treating Mathematics Anxiety https://amzn.to/3KdZy1d Resources: Course and Videos30 Second Math Hack and more tips What’s next for you? Writing a textbook on Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages. Dr. Nagrath’s Contact Information LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityanagrath/ Website: https://www.elephantlearning.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anagrath/ Email: anagrath@elephantheadsoft.com ***** It was great to have Dr. Aditya Nagrath join me on my virtual porch. I was one of the students who was anxious about math. I even said, “I don’t do math,” because I struggled with it. Listening to the strategies he shared about making math relevant and real makes so much sense. As a professional developer working with math teachers, I saw the power of math. I could see math everywhere. I understand the idea Dr. Nagrath mentioned about math being like a language we can learn if we practice it. I hope you enjoyed our conversation as much as I did. Please share this post and podcast with your friends, and make sure you connect with Dr. Aditya Nagrath. ***** The post Dismantling Math Anxiety with Dr. Aditya Nagrath (EP181) appeared first on Barbara Bray.
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    48 分
  • Listening to Change by Communicating with Purpose with Dr. Laura Janusik (EP179)
    2026/01/06
    Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS With over 20 years as a listening expert and researcher, Dr. Laura Janusik empowers caregivers, leaders, and growth seekers to build stronger, more compassionate relationships. Transforming workplace communication through training and workshops, Laura guides caregivers navigating cognitive decline. Laura’s work is rooted in the science and practice of listening, helping people connect with clarity, patience, and understanding in every part of life. Your WHY about Listening I took my first listening course in my master’s level program because my mentor, Dr. Andrew Wolvin, was a listening scholar. I knew he’d be writing my letters of recommendation, so I figured that if I showed a little interesr of his passion, the letters might be better. Within 2 weeks of that class, my life had changed! I couldn’t believe what listening actually was, and how I had been the world’s worst listener for over 30 years! When I realized that the quality of listening determines the quality of the relationship, I was hooked! I, too, became a listening scholar, and my passion has been to help people develop better personal and professional relationships through the power of listening. Most communication problems aren’t about what we say; they’re about how our brains listen. I help business leaders, caregivers, and coaches strengthen their communication through neuroscience-based listening strategies. When you understand how the brain processes messages, you can create connections, reduce stress, and build trust in every conversation. Listening to Change, LLC http://listeningtochange.com/ Listening to Change helps Coaches, Leaders, Executive Leadership Teams, Sales Teams, Groups, and Individuals listen and speak with purpose to increase shared understanding, decrease time on projects, and build a positive company culture. Consulting, training, and coaching are customized for each client. Create AlignmentDeepen ConnectionsGrow through Action Why Listening is an Important Skill Listening takes intention, awareness, and practice, and it appears different depending on who you are and the challenges you face. It is also dependent on the context, including with whom you’re speaking, the purpose of the conversation, and your goal. Whether you’re leading a team, caring for a loved one, or seeking personal growth through coaching, the right strategies can help you listen more effectively, increase trust, and build stronger, more compassionate connections. Most people don’t think of listening as being a part of communication. I like to use this equation: Communication = Sending Messages + Receiving Messages. And, most miscommunication occurs because of poor listening, not poor speaking. If we learn to listen even 10% better, our conversations and relationships will improve. How Listening is Important in Business Listening is important in business because it’s the best skill to create alignment. It is the skill that helps teams get on the same page and work towards the same goal. A business cannot exist without communication, so it seems counterintuitive to me when a business doesn’t invest in communication training. Listening is the one skill that influences all of those primary business goals, such as getting projects completed on time, increasing sales, and achieving higher customer satisfaction. There are two best ways someone can develop better listening in business. The first is through coaching, and the second through team training. I work in both areas. I use the ECHO Listening Profile. as the foundation of either one, and I’m a certified coach for Listening Intelligence. The ECHO is special, as it’s a validated listening assessment that identifies your dominant listening habit and blind spot. I use this instrument because it’s a great way to show people what they are listening to and for, as well as what they are missing. It not only helps individuals; it also helps teams, because the group report is an excellent way to ‘see’ how team members are listening similarly and differently. Aren’t Most Coaches Good Listeners? Most coaches are better listeners than the average person, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t improve. As a coach myself, I know that it’s a great way to help clients build their confidence. I help coaches with tiny tweaks rooted in neuroscience so they can help their clients listen better to their inner wisdom. How did you get involved with Caregivers and the focus on listening? My Mom was diagnosed with cognitive decline about 10 years ago, and I promptly did what most children do…nothing! I figured she had dealt with and conquered all of her health ailments, and she would do the same with this one, too. Fast forward 5 years to when she got COVID, which really exacerbated her dementia. As the only surviving child, I knew I needed to step in. Communicating with her was frustrating because she didn’t ...
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    43 分
  • Changing the Narrative with Michael Hernandez (EP177)
    2025/10/12
    Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS Michael Hernandez is changing the narrative as an award-winning educator, best-selling author, education consultant, and international speaker. He helps individuals and organizations adapt and thrive in a changing world. Michael is an Apple Distinguished Educator, PBS Digital Innovator, and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow. Michael’s work focuses on authentic learning in the age of AI, digital and civic literacy, creativity, and innovation. Your WHY about Changing the Narrative This is a challenging moment in education. I’m doing my best to help teachers and education leaders navigate these challenges. Educators diagnose problems, such as academic integrity, in the age of AI. However, kids aren’t showing up to school, physically or intellectually. There has been too much focus on standardized test scores, the drill and kill mindset, and data-driven processes. Instead, we need to focus on human-centered experiences. But I don’t see many people offering solutions. That’s where I’ve decided to focus my energy. Students can create nonfiction multimedia research projects as an alternative to tests and worksheets. It just builds on what teachers already do best and what they know to be good pedagogy. When students have agency, when they can work on projects they care about, and when all of the hard work we ask them to do has a point, they’ll put in the effort and get excited about learning. They won’t want to cheat if the experience is rewarding and has an impact. Even kids as young as kindergarteners can have agency and impact their communities beyond the classroom. My WHY is to help educators design assignments that maintain rigor and address standards, but in ways that are meaningful to students and help teachers make the case for why their curriculum matters. How Changing the Narrative Affected You Growing Up I come from a family of educators–both of my parents, two aunts, and my uncle were educators. My brother is a college professor and research scientist. I guess learning is in my blood. I grew up in Central California, the son of a migrant farm worker who was the first in his family to graduate from college, so I have the experience of understanding why a quality education is important. I was fortunate to have some incredible teachers growing up, from elementary through college, who shaped who I am and my teaching philosophy. In fact, many of them are in the acknowledgements section of my book. The main thread is that they were all creative and none of them stuck to the rules. Even though they asked us to work hard, we had fun, and school was joyful. Fun and joy are the key pieces that have been sucked out of education in the U.S. ever since No Child Left Behind. The metric of success became a test score, not a tangible product or observable outcome. It’s not surprising that student engagement has been decreasing for years, long before the pandemic and cell phones. Your Story of Changing the Narrative as an Educator As I said, both of my parents were educators, so I should have known better than to become one! I was finishing graduate school in film and realized that I had student loan debt. I was going to be a production assistant, hunting for jobs. I should have thought that career path through a little better! Then I heard about a school district starting a film and journalism program, so I applied, and they hired me. It was a 5-year plan to pay off my student loans. I foolishly thought I could work on my own projects in all the spare time that teachers have! I just completed year 26 of the five-year plan! I was able to share my passion for film, journalism, and storytelling with thousands of students–many of whom are working in the industry. It’s so rewarding to open eyes to new possibilities, and students found their “thing.” It wasn’t math, or history, or science. We can’t all be novelists or engineers. It’s crucial to honor everyone’s individuality and potential, and offer students experiences that empower them to discover their way. Now that I’ve left the classroom, I’m focusing on helping schools and districts adapt and thrive in these challenging times by taking my knowledge of teaching and deep empathy for teachers to help others find success in meaningful ways. I support schools through keynote speaking, leading professional development experiences, and working alongside leadership teams. I’m still a teacher; however, I get to have more impact than if I stayed in my own classroom. Book: Storytelling with Purpose: Digital Projects To Ignite Student Curiosity I published my book, “Storytelling with Purpose, through ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). It is a practical handbook and guide to solving these problems by designing authentic learning experiences. This has been my passion project for the past few years. I wanted to write a book that I wish I had when I ...
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