Part One of my S5E19 @schoolutionspodcast conversation with Rusty Keeler explores how to integrate more unstructured play, loose parts, and outdoor activities for kids into daily life, fostering child development and encouraging open-ended play. It's time to grow imagination. Rusty has spent 30+ years designing and advocating for natural outdoor play around the world, and he's witnessed firsthand how we've fundamentally changed childhood. While we've created increasingly "safe" playgro...

Happy New Year! I'm excited to share a Schoolutions Teaching Strategies podcast update with you, designed to enhance your weekly planning routine and boost your productivity. Starting January 5th, 2026, guest conversations will be divided into two shorter episodes, released on Mondays and Fridays. Wednesdays will feature a 60-second reel, offering a bite-sized piece from our conversation that you can share with a colleague. This month's theme: Imagination, Play, and Storytelling - essential ...

In this S5E18 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I tackle the complex challenges within coaching relationships, especially when teachers repeatedly decline coaching. This conversation addresses the resistance and avoidance behaviors that can stall progress, offering insights for instructional leadership. It's an exploration of personal growth in coaching, emphasizing the impact of effective relationships. What happens when a teacher says no to coaching? Not just once, but repeatedly. In...

In this S5E18 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, Chrissy Beltran explains how to stop being a "fixer" coach and start being a partner! In this powerful conversation, Chrissy (Buzzing with Ms. B) shares game-changing strategies for instructional coaching that actually work with all teachers, maximize teacher support, and drive student success. Chrissy is the host of the "Instructional Coaching with Ms. B" podcast (250+ episodes), a former literacy coach and instructional coach sup...

In this S5E17 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack Sarah Tesar's honest story about leaving public school kindergarten—not because of bad admin or paperwork, but because the emotional cost became unsustainable. This isn't just about teacher burnout. It's about the empathy paradox: the same qualities that make someone great at student engagement and classroom belonging can become impossible to sustain without systemic support. In This Episode, You'll Discover: ✅ Why self-care adv...

In this S5E17 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, Sarah Tesar shares why being a public school kindergarten teacher for 12 years made her an excellent teacher for other people's children, but prevented her from being fully present with her own family, and how she's now created a hybrid homeschool model that honors both her expertise as an educator and her needs as a whole human being. What You'll Learn: ✅ The emotional cost of teaching and recognizing when your cup is empty ✅ How ...

In this S5E16 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I break down MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW's powerful teaching strategies that seem almost too simple to work—but they do. Listen to learn how you can transform your classroom with 3 simple practices that unlock genuine curiosity and calm. In this bonus episode, Discover why saying "I don't know you" every morning can revolutionize student engagement, how 4 minutes of silence reached a defiant teen, and the 60-second "notice" practice that...

In this S5E16 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, join me with seasoned clinician MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, as she shares the story of a 14-year-old who mooned a bus—and how nine minutes of curious conversation taught him life skills that lasted decades. Discover why curiosity requires discomfort, how to create calm from the inside out, and the simple "notice" practice that even Notre Dame football players started using in their huddles. In This Episode You'll Discover: ✨Why classr...

In this S5E15 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack the question: What if the teaching traditions we follow aren't actually required? This week's bonus episode explores the revolutionary concept of "stepping aside" in education—not stepping away, but repositioning yourself so students can drive their own learning. In this reflection on Sarah Zerwin's groundbreaking work, we examine phantom policies (those teaching traditions we follow even though we're not required to), explore wh...

In this S5E15 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, join me with teacher and author Sarah M. Zerwin as she shares strategies from her book Step Aside: Strategies for Student-Driven Learning with Secondary Readers and Writers (Illustrated by Jane Zerwin). 🚗 The Driving Course Metaphor: Student-driven learning isn't about abandoning students—it's like teaching someone to drive. You don't toss them the keys; you sit beside them, teach the rules, create a safe course, and strategically ...

In this S5E14 @schoolutionspodcast BONUS, I unpack @katedriscoll931 's revolutionary approach to education that prioritizes observation over analysis, pride over perfection, and joy over data. Whether you're teaching art, math, or anything in between, Kate's strategies for classroom belonging, student engagement, and inspiring students will transform how you think about effective teaching. What if the most important thing we could teach students isn't in any curriculum guid...

In this S5E14 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, join me with Kate Driscoll (@art_teacher_life) an Australian art educator whose first Facebook video reached 80 million people! With 37 years in education (23 as a primary teacher, 14 as an art specialist), Kate shares transformative strategies for nurturing creativity in students. In this episode, discover: • How to build student engagement through art education strategies • Innovative teaching methods that foster student motivati...

In this S5E13 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack 3 game-changing insights from my conversation with attachment expert @attachmentnerd that will transform your approach to classroom behavior, student engagement, and inclusive teaching. 🧠 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM TRUTH: Learn why students laugh during serious lessons (hint: it's not about disrespect) and how this understanding changes everything about classroom behavior, student motivation, and effective teaching strategies. 📓 TH...

In this S5E13 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, join me with attachment expert Eli Harwood ("The Attachment Nerd") as she revolutionizes our understanding of student behavior, classroom belonging, and student engagement. Discover why nervous laughter isn't defiance - it's a cry for help with emotional regulation. In this transformative episode, you'll learn: • Why "You're fine" might be damaging student success [33:00] • The critical difference between confidence and arrogance i...

In this S5E12 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack three game-changing education strategies from my conversation with Gravity Goldberg that will revolutionize your classroom behavior and student motivation. 🧠 What if everything you've been taught about student engagement and student fatigue is WRONG? Discover why the glazed eyes and fidgeting you see 15 minutes into independent reading isn't real exhaustion—it's anticipated fatigue. 🎯 THREE BREAKTHROUGH STRATEG...

In this S5E12 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, literacy expert and author Gravity Goldberg reveals game-changing strategies backed by 25 years of teaching experience. Discover the revolutionary research that explains why student exhaustion isn't about tired brains—it's about expectations. 🎯 KEY INSIGHTS: ✅Students retain 76% MORE information when movement is integrated into learning ✅The "two-thirds rule" explains why students get tired—and how to prevent it ✅Simple...

In this S5E11 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I unpack game-changing insights from math expert Mona Iehl about why student engagement and student motivation actually INCREASE when we give kids harder problems. This counterintuitive approach transforms classroom behavior and builds true classroom belonging through mathematical struggle. 💡 What You'll Discover: Why rescuing kids from struggle hurts their mathematical identityThe 2 magic phrases that revolutionize student participation ...

In this S5E11 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, elementary educator and math coach Mona Iehl shares her transformative 5-step Word Problem Workshop method that's revolutionizing how students engage with mathematics. From "I'm not a math person" to confident problem solver—this conversation will change how you think about teaching math. 🎯 What You'll Learn: The 5 steps to creating a classroom of problem solvers (Launch, Grapple, Share, Discuss, Reflect) How to plan an ...

In this S5E10 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies BONUS, I break down the Essential Standards Framework from Larry Ainsworth that completely transformed my teaching—and can transform yours too. Stop drowning in standards and start teaching what actually matters. 🎯 The Game-Changer: Research shows students who master 88% of standards perform BETTER on tests than those who skim through 100%. This episode gives you three actionable insights from my conversation with Larry that you can implement Mo...

In this S5E10 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, join me with Larry Ainsworth, the pioneer of essential standards work, where he reveals why focusing deeply on fewer standards leads to BETTER assessment results than frantically trying to cover everything. Yes, you read that right: 88% focused teaching outperforms 100% surface-level teaching. What You'll Learn: ✅ The REAL criteria for identifying essential standards (Readiness, Endurance, Assessment, Leverage) ✅ How to...