In this interview, Michelle talks with Hallie a school psychologist, CPS trainer, and implementation leader at Think:Kids about Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) and the mindset shift required to move beyond rewards, punishments, and compliance-based discipline.

Hallie shares how a failing behavior plan with a first-grade student forced her to confront the limits of traditional behaviorism and ultimately led her to CPS. Together, they explore why behavior is best understood as skill-based rather than willful, and how this reframe changes everything from how teachers regulate themselves to how students learn to problem-solve independently.

This conversation covers:

• What Collaborative Problem Solving actually is (and what it’s not)

• The five skill areas that drive behavior

• Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C—and when each matters

• Why regulation must come before problem-solving

• How CPS builds trust, communication, and long-term independence

Michelle weaves in her own experiences as a teacher and parent, illustrating how CPS provides language and structure for approaches that many educators intuitively feel but struggle to articulate or defend in systems driven by compliance.

This episode is for educators, parents, and leaders who are ready to stop asking “Why won’t they?” and start asking “What skills are missing—and how can we build them?”

Connect with Michelle on Instagram: ⁠@dearmrsroundy⁠

Think:Kids Link: https://thinkkids.org/Learn-Collaborative-Problem-Solving/Additional-Courses/

ASK A QUESTION: Do you have a question you’d like Michelle to address on The Elephant and The Teacher? Complete this form for an opportunity to receive insight on your specific situation.

In this episode, Michelle explores what happens when teachers and leaders give their power away by staying stuck in blame, resentment, and complaint – even when the system IS broken.

This conversation invites listeners to look honestly at where they may be outsourcing responsibility for their energy, culture, and leadership. Michelle weaves in the old fairy tale The Red Shoes, as interpreted by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, as a metaphor for the shortcuts we take to feel relief and how those shortcuts often lead us down the path to burnout.

This episode is not about ignoring systemic issues. It’s about reclaiming agency, integrity, and authorship inside imperfect systems. If you’ve ever felt exhausted, stuck, or quietly resentful in your work, this is an invitation to step off the complaining train and return to conscious choice.

Connect with Michelle on Instagram: @dearmrsroundy

Books referenced in this episode:

• The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership

• Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Do you have a question for Michelle to discuss on The Elephant and The Teacher? Fill out this form for a chance to gain insight on your specific situation.

In this episode, Michelle tells the story of Emily’s backpack—a small moment that opens up a much larger question about learning. When a student loses access to their usual comforts, what actually happens? Through a morning meltdown, natural consequences, and honest reflection, this episode explores how our well-intentioned supports can sometimes prevent growth. A conversation about failure, scaffolding, and the courage it takes to let students struggle just enough to learn.

If this conversation stirred something for you, consider sharing it with a colleague or friend who lives in this work alongside you. Michelle would love to hear what questions, resistance, or insight it sparked.

Connect with Michelle on Instagram: @dearmrsroundy