Episodes

Get your mind and pen ready! In this episode, Julie Schell takes us on a journey full of depth, purpose, and insight—walking us through how we think, encouraging us to feel the pinch of empathy, and clarifying the powers of p...

Educators are burning out. Quickly. But we don't have to! Nor do we have to overhaul our entire teaching practice. In fact, with a few minor changes, we can thrive! And so can our students. In this episode, Rae Hughart pulls ...

Did Maslow get it wrong? Does writing poetry make us brave? Are we needlessly nailing ourselves to the cross? Maybe. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss educational phrases and mindsets, work through a few powerful quote...

We don't have to travel far to find someone who is struggling. Be it a student, fellow teacher, neighbor, or friend, at some point, in some way, everyone will be asked to endure hard times. Often, we try and do it alone. In t...

"No savant has ever changed the world," David Epstein writes in Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. Generalists, however, have. And do. Yet, in our classrooms and schools - in our quest to raise children as...

Scott Irvin is widely known as The Kid Whisperer, He is also the author of the Classroom Behavior Manual⁠ and strongly believes we are in the dark ages of behavior management. Fortunately, he has a plan. - Use your Argument S...

The Truth About Reading is an "eye-opening documentary film from Emmy-winning director Nick Nanton" that attempts to reveal the truth about reading and the failure of public schools to teach it. In this episode, Brian and Kas...

Are our habits smart? Are they truly helpful? Are we acquiring high-quality knowledge or simple knowledge? And how do we know? Then, and most importantly, are we able to use it? The answers may not be as easy as we think. In ...

Few people have made a dent in the academic universe like John Hattie. In our brief conversation, it is easy to see why. In this episode, Kasey and Brian chat with John Hattie about sports, Visible Learning , what it means to...

Dr. Brad Gustafson is a celebrated and award winning elementary principal, speaker, and author. He recently published his latest work, Overcoming Education: Complex Challenges, Difficult People, and the Art of Making a Differ...

Entertainment and manipulation, although low-hanging fruit that can easily change behaviors, are not true engagement. They're wolves. In this episode, using Amy Berry's Continuum of Engagement , Kasey and Brian work through t...

Before learners learn, they need to feel safe and sound. Before teachers teach, they need create a space that IS safe and sound. And we do so by building personal connections. - Enter with empathy. Say, "This isn't going to b...

Being a teacher is unique. The struggles are real and the weight of responsibility overwhelming. Especially when tasked with doing "whatever it takes" for our students and schools. In this episode, Brian and Kasey discuss the...

Grab your notes, sharpen you pen, and buckle up! In this episode, we take off quick and cover a TON of beautiful ground. John Almarode is an associate professor of education and the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning...

Cultural Engagement is essential to creating a safe and sound environment, and a safe and sound environment is essential to learning. In this episode, Kasey and Brian provide strategies for teachers and educational leaders th...

From deschooling to the average age shifting to 32 and everywhere in-between. In this episode, Brian and Kasey take a break from the deep-dive of engagement and check in, share their current thoughts and convictions, and wres...

"How can I lead you through this?" This week, we welcome back school mental health expert Charle Peck to discuss Emotional Engagement and how we can best serve, protect, and teach our students in an emotionally secure environ...

Social Media is NOT true engagement. It has skewed our perception of connection and continually ignores the rules of social engagement. It has not only changed us all, it has directly impacted our schools and classrooms. In t...

Understanding and guiding student behavior is a crucial component to any classroom. Unfortunately, our traditional discipline and behavior management strategies are also primarily based on reaction rather than proactive and p...

Welcome to the 80s!!! It's hard to believe we've made it this far, but here we are, and what an episode to usher us in! In this episode, Brian and Kasey define "Physical Engagement," and discuss the importance of Although we ...

In a variety of European countries, the expression “red thread” refers to the core idea or theme of something. It is as the “throughline” that allows everything else to make sense.In this episode, Kasey and Brian discuss so...

We are back for season three! And we are thrilled to deep dive into new and purposeful topics. But for now, a summer recap of lessons learned and a conversation of convictions for the coming year, such as: - Have a plan. Be i...

Dr. Jim Knight, is the "Founder and Senior Partner of Instructional Coaching Group (ICG)" and "a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than two decades studying prof...

Sheri and Kate