Episodes

What happens when students and older adults have intentional opportunities to learn from one another? In this episode of Time for Teachership, host Lindsay Lyons talks with guest Ivy Mitchell, a former civics teacher and creator of Bridging the Generations, about using intergenerational connection to strengthen civic engagement, challenge age-based stereotypes, and help young people see themselves as active members of their communities. Ivy shares how a simple classroom idea grew into a commun...

What happens when young people and older adults have meaningful opportunities to learn, volunteer, and build relationships together? In this episode of Time for Teachership, host Lindsay Lyons talks with guest Marissa Birne about the power of intergenerational learning and her work developing Vermont Youth Leaders in Aging, a volunteer program that connects high school students with older adults in their communities. Marissa shares why relationships are at the heart of intergenerational educat...

What can educators learn from Indigenous ways of knowing, intergenerational learning, storytelling, and community-centered education? In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, host Lindsay Lyons talks with guest Dr. Anton Treuer, author, educator, and scholar, about how education can help create social transformation and prepare students to thrive in an increasingly diverse world. Dr. Treuer explores the importance of moving beyond a single way of teaching and learning and creating ...

What happens when middle school girls have a consistent, trusted group of older women who listen to them, validate them, and create a safe space for them to be heard? In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, host Lindsay Lyons talks with guest Karen Foley of the Juvenile Protective Association (JPA) in Chicago about the transformative power of intergenerational learning and JPA’s Grandmothers Program, which connects middle school girls with older women from their communities. Karen...

Think it's too early in the school year to start classroom discussions? Think again. In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay Lyons makes the case for starting classroom discussions now—whether you're a few weeks into the school year, starting later, or listening at another point in the year. Drawing particularly from Making Classroom Discussions Work, edited by Jane C. Lo, Lindsay explores both why classroom discourse matters and practical ways educators can begin building ...

What if the way we phrase a discussion question is actually shaping the kind of thinking and conversation students have? In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay Lyons explores how to reframe discussion prompts so classroom discourse moves beyond binary “agree or disagree” questions and toward deeper listening, critical analysis, perspective-taking, values exploration, and civic imagination. Drawing from work with San Francisco Unified School District and ideas from educator...

How can we help students have meaningful conversations across differences—not by avoiding disagreement, but by learning how to engage in it well? In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay Lyons talks with Joe Schmidt and Nichelle Pinkney, co-authors of Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities, about what it actually takes to create classrooms where students can listen, question, disagree, learn from one another, and participate in productive dialogue. ...

What if creating a supportive classroom environment starts not with changing student behavior, but with understanding the nervous systems of the adults and students in the room? In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay Lyons talks with Emily Read Daniels, an internationally recognized trauma specialist and trainer in the trauma-informed schools movement, about The Regulated Classroom, co-regulation, polyvagal theory, felt safety, and the powerful role educators play in shapin...

Welcome to Season 7 of the Time for Teachership podcast! 🎙️ Season 7 is here—and we're getting very intentional about the focus that has been woven through so much of the podcast over the years: discourse. In this Season 7 premiere, Lindsay Lyons shares why student-led discourse, student voice, classroom discussion, and shared leadership are becoming the central lens for the podcast moving forward. From classroom conversations to instructional coaching, school leadership, curriculum design, fa...

How do you assess classroom discussions in a way that supports deeper thinking—not just participation? In this solo episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons shares practical strategies for assessing student discourse in ways that promote critical thinking, equitable participation, and authentic learning. Rather than focusing only on written assignments, this episode explores how teachers can gather evidence from classroom conversations, provide meaningful feedback, and he...

As multilingual learner populations continue to grow in schools across the country, many educators are asking the same question: How can we provide language support without lowering academic rigor? In this solo episode, Lindsay Lyons breaks down the WIDA 2020 Framework into practical, classroom-ready ideas for teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders. You'll learn how the framework organizes language development, why over-scaffolding can unintentionally reduce learning opportunities, ...

What if grammar wasn't about memorizing rules—but about helping students express themselves more powerfully? In this episode with host Lindsay, literacy consultant and author Patty McGee shares the research behind her book Not Your Granny's Grammar and explains why traditional grammar instruction often fails to improve student writing. Instead, she offers an inquiry-based, student-centered approach that helps grammar become a meaningful tool for communication, creativity, and voice. Together, ...

In Part 2 of this conversation with host Lindsay, Dr. Genevieve Erker Caffrey unpacks the final three components of her P.O.W.E.R. Framework for justice-oriented social studies instruction: Wisdom & Wit, Entanglements & Empowerment, and Relevance & Responsibility. Together, these dimensions help educators move beyond teaching about history to creating meaningful learning experiences that cultivate critical thinking, civic engagement, and student agency. You'll hear practical examples for elemen...

What does it actually mean to create a justice-centered curriculum? Many educators are committed to equity, inclusion, and justice, but translating those values into daily curriculum design can feel overwhelming. In this guest episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons sits down with educator, researcher, and framework designer Dr. Genevieve Erker-Caffrey to discuss her innovative P.O.W.E.R. Framework, a practical tool for creating justice-oriented social studies curriculum...

How do school leaders respond when staff resist change? In this solo episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons explores how discourse can serve as a powerful form of change leadership. Drawing on adaptive leadership research, transformative learning theory, and the concept of constructive disorientation, Lindsay shares a practical framework for leading difficult conversations in ways that honor staff humanity, deepen learning, and create lasting organizational change. Whe...

What does it mean to lead effectively when there are no simple solutions? In this guest episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons sits down with educator, anthropologist, researcher, and author Dr. Annalies Corbin to explore the concept of wicked problems and what educational leaders can learn from them. Together, they discuss how schools can foster agency, resilience, cultural responsiveness, and meaningful learning experiences while navigating increasingly complex educat...

In this solo episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons explores several influential change leadership theories and examines how they can strengthen staff discourse, shared decision-making, and transformational school improvement. Drawing from her doctoral research in leadership and change, as well as her experience supporting turnaround schools, Lindsay shares practical frameworks that educational leaders can use to foster equity, inclusion, collaboration, and meaningful di...

In this powerful episode of Time for Teachership, Lindsay Lyons speaks with Dr. Aditya Nagrath, founder of Elephant Learning, about transforming how we teach and experience mathematics. Together, they challenge the traditional view of math as memorization and computation and reframe it as a language for solving real-world problems. From addressing math anxiety to bridging learning gaps for older students, this conversation explores how conceptual understanding, student confidence, and meaningfu...

In this powerful episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay Lyons talks with Dr. Darla Bishop, educator, public health advocate, and author, about how families and schools can partner together to build financially confident kids from preschool through adolescence. Dr. Bishop shares why children are the carriers of social change, how everyday errands can become rich financial literacy lessons, and what teachers and families can do right now to start conversations about money that build...

In this episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, Lindsay Lyons talks with Christina Hidek, founder of PTO Answers and author of The Principal’s Parent Group Playbook, about how schools are overlooking one of their greatest assets: parent groups. Christina shares why PTOs and PTAs are often misunderstood, under-leveraged, and poorly supported—and how school leaders and teachers can transform family engagement by building true partnerships with parent organizations. If you’ve ever felt frustr...

In this episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons welcomes picture book author and illustrator Molly Arbuthnott for a rich conversation about why picture books are not the “bottom rung” of reading—but the top. This episode is part of a special mini-series for educators and families focused on how to support children’s reading lives. Molly shares how picture books create space for deep thinking, emotional conversations, imagination, and student voice—without the pressure of...

In this powerful episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons sits down with therapeutic school principal and psychologist Doug Bolton to explore a timely question: What if our definition of success in schools is actually harming kids, families, and educators? Doug shares research-backed insights on the youth mental health crisis, the unintended consequences of achievement-driven schooling, and the essential role of belonging, emotional regulation, and relationships in buildi...

Most schools are collaborating. But very few are collaborating in a way that systematically elevates instruction for every teacher and every student. In this episode, guest Kurtis Hewson breaks down the Collaborative Team Meeting (CTM)—a deceptively simple structure that becomes the engine of a school’s entire support system. You’ll learn how CTMs sit inside a larger four-layer collaboration model, why focusing on “yellow” students (not red) is a game-changer, and how a tight, repeatable meeti...

What if “student voice” isn’t the goal? In this episode, guest Adam Fletcher reframes the conversation around Meaningful Student Involvement—a deeper, more transformative approach built on student–adult partnerships, confronting adultism, and cultivating personal engagement from kindergarten through graduation. Adam argues that education is not just preparation for democracy—it is the bedrock of civil society itself. When students are true partners in learning, teaching, and leadership, school...