Episodes

In this guest episode, Leah Ellis shares with Lindsay how a simple moment with her 4-year-old during the pandemic sparked a movement where kids don’t just learn about leadership… they practice it now by starting real businesses, solving real community problems, and seeing themselves as capable change-makers today. You’ll hear how Leah uses the improv mindset of “Yes, and…” to coach youth ideas without shutting them down, how her 36-week entrepreneurship curriculum works in schools, and powerful...

What if students weren’t just “given a voice,” but shared real power in how schools operate? In this episode, Lindsay sits down with Ana, Jacoby, and Lindsey from UP for Learning to explore what youth–adult partnership actually looks like in practice—and how it’s transforming schools at the classroom, district, and even state policy level. You’ll hear how students and adults work side-by-side through youth participatory action research (YPAR), how mindset shifts unlock authentic partnership, a...

In this powerful episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons speaks with educator Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver about teaching social studies through the lens of justice, literacy, and belonging. Caitlin shares what it means to teach during challenging times—supporting students facing food insecurity, immigration detention, and political rhetoric affecting their communities. Despite these realities, she explains why classrooms remain powerful spaces for hope, civic engagement, and ...

How do teachers respond when students appear to have little or no background knowledge about a topic? In this episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host and instructional coach Lindsay Lyons explores strategies for helping students connect new learning to their lived experiences. Rather than viewing students as lacking knowledge, she encourages educators to expand their definition of background knowledge to include students’ identities, communities, experiences, and cultural assets. Dra...

How can schools help students practice democracy—not just learn about it? In this episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons sits down with civic education researcher Dr. Sarah Burnham to explore how classrooms can cultivate the habits of democracy, civic engagement, and critical consciousness in young people. Dr. Burnham, a researcher at Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, shares insights from research on civi...

Talking with young people about difficult current events—especially those involving immigration enforcement, protests, and community fear—can feel overwhelming for educators and families. In this episode of the Time for Teachership Podcast, host Lindsay Lyons sits down with education leaders Kara Pranikoff and Dr. Eric Soto‑Shed to discuss how teachers and caregivers can support students navigating conversations about immigration enforcement, protests, and current events. Together, they introdu...

Welcome to the Time for Teachership Podcast! In this inspiring episode, Iuri Melo, therapist, educator, and founder of School Pulse, joins Lindsay to explore how schools, families, and students can proactively cultivate joy, positive relationships, and mental wellness. Iuri shares his 20+ years of experience in therapy and his work with thousands of students, highlighting the importance of shifting from reactive crisis management to proactive, positive engagement. From live text-based support t...

Welcome to Episode 250 of the Time for Teachership podcast! 🎉 In this milestone episode, Lindsay explores how stories and civic imagination can help educators, leaders, families, and students co-construct shared values — and ultimately build meaningful community agreements for how we want to be together. Inspired by the powerful book Practicing Futures: A Civic Imagination Handbook by Peter László and Srdja Popovic (and their incredible free online resources), this episode shares: Key insight...

What does it take to build a classroom culture where students truly believe: I belong here. I can master rigorous challenges. My ideas make an impact. In this energizing conversation, Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab Learning, joins Lindsay on the Time for Teachership podcast to explore how educators can intentionally cultivate what she calls STEM identity — not just in STEM classrooms, but across all learning spaces. Together, we unpack how belonging, productive struggle, and agency are...

Last week, I had the incredible honor of speaking with Zaretta Hammond about cognitive justice, instructional equity, and rebuilding students’ learning power. If you haven’t listened to Episode 247 yet, I strongly encourage you to go back and start there. In this episode, I do something a little different. I reflect — in real time — on a moment in our conversation where Zaretta stopped me and challenged my thinking. Specifically, she pushed back on my assumption that student voice could serve ...

What does it really take to lead meaningful change in schools — not just adopt new strategies, but fundamentally shift practice? In this powerful conversation, Zaretta Hammond joins Lindsay on the Time for Teachership podcast to discuss her latest book, Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power: Teaching for Instructional Equity and Cognitive Justice. Together, we explore what it means to pursue cognitive justice, why change is so difficult in schools, and how instructional leaders can move beyond su...

One-off workshops rarely create lasting change in classrooms. In this episode of the Time For Teachership podcast, Lindsay shares a practical Google Doc template designed to support teacher teams in ongoing, meaningful professional learning. She walks through a structured approach called Group Implementation Coaching Sessions, showing how coaching, feedback, and inquiry can help teachers refine their practice and better support student learning. What You’ll Learn in This Episode/Key Takeaways ...

What does it look like to coach teachers with humanity, curiosity, and care—especially in today’s demanding educational landscape? In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay welcomes back Dr. Jacobē Bell to explore what it truly means to take a humanizing approach to instructional coaching. Drawing on her experience coaching instructional coaches across multiple contexts, Dr. Bell shares practical strategies, mindset shifts, and real coaching moments that help educators grow w...

How can educators gather meaningful data that actually reflects student thinking—without over-relying on benchmarks or labels? In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay is joined by Dr. Jana Lee to explore how teachers, coaches, and instructional leaders can collect and analyze data that shows what students truly understand, how they’re thinking, and where learning breaks down. Together, they unpack mindset shifts around assessment, flexible grouping, and skill-based instruct...

What is instructional coaching—really? And how can coaches meet teachers where they are without forcing everyone into the same coaching mold? In this episode of the Time For Teachership podcast, Lindsay is joined by Chrissy Beltran, instructional coaching expert, host of Instructional Coaching with Miss B, and author of an upcoming ASCD book on differentiated coaching. Together, they unpack what it means to differentiate instructional coaching, define the coaching role clearly, and build authen...

In today's episode with special guest Mary Kelly, Lindsay discusses student agency, and how it's relevant to trade schools today. Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share! Get In Touch With Mary Kelly: Website: http://www.stratatech.com Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/242 Lindsay's Links: LinkedIn: @lindsaybethlyons Instagram: @lindsaybethlyons Facebook Group: Time for Teachership

In today's solo episode, Lindsay is sharing her thoughts and takeaways from the book POV about how educators can lead change in turnaround/low-performing schools. Hope you enjoy! Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share! Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/241

In today's solo episode, Lindsay is sharing her thoughts and takeaways from Hammond's book about how educators can lead change in turnaround/low-performing schools. Hope you enjoy! Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share! Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/240

In today's solo episode, Lindsay is sharing her thoughts about how educators can work to lead positive and effective change in both turnaround and "low-performing" schools. Hope you enjoy! Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share! Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/239

In today's solo episode, Lindsay is sharing how you can unlearn the incorrect way the history of Thanksgiving is often taught to students at school, in order to discuss and have children relearn it in a more accurate manner at home. Hope you enjoy! Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share! Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/238

In today's episode with special guests Dr. Eric Soto-Shed and Kara Pranikoff, Lindsay discusses how you can effectively spark conversations with your family about important topics. Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share! Get In Touch With Dr. Eric Soto-Shed: Email: eric_shed@gse.harvard.edu Website: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/directory/faculty/eric-soto-shed boi Get In Touch With Kara Pranikoff: Email: kara@karapranikoff.com Website: karapranikoff.com LinkedIn: Kara Pranikoff Get Yo...

In today's solo episode, Lindsay is sharing ways you can properly approach and initiate current event conversations with your kid at home. Hope you enjoy! Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share! Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/236

In today's episode with special guest Ari Gerzon-Kessler, Lindsay discusses the topic of relational family engagement as it relates to parents, students, and educators. Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share! Get In Touch With Ari Gerzon-Kessler: Website: www.sameteamconsulting.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arigerzon-kessler/ Email: arigerzon@gmail.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Same-Team-Underrepresented-opportunity-achievement/dp/1958590010/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=8egM8&c...

In today's episode with special guests Dr. Claudia M. Bertolone-Smith and Marlene Moyer, Lindsay discusses their book Tools Not Rules, and specifically how educators shouldn't classify students by their behaviors. Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share! Get In Touch With Dr. Claudia M. Bertolone-Smith: Website: ttps://www.toolsnotrules.com/ Email: Claudia@toolsnotrules.com Get In Touch With Marlene Moyer: Website: http://www.toolsnotrules.com Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources...