Combatting Burnout Let's face it. Being an educator can be an incredibly daunting task. There's constantly a demand to "do more" with fewer resources, and COVID has only compounded the stressful work environment in the classroom.  In this episode of Class Dismissed, a former teacher turned burnout coach, Gabby Lubin, discusses mindfulness and exercise techniques that may help prevent or at least mitigate educator burnout.  Lubin believes it's helpful to have mindfulness and exercise sessions with fellow educators. That's why she's spent the last few years building an online community of educators that use her techniques to work through the tough times. Gabby Lubin, CEO & Founder of Spark by Gabby (Courtesy of Spark by Gabby) "You don't have to go about it alone. "You're with your peers. You're taking classes from other educators," says Lubin. "And they're helping support and figure out how to apply this work to your daily life." For example, one mindfulness instructor at SparkByGabby.com lightly calls about something she may have experienced in the class recently. So those involved in the session can apply those mindfulness techniques in their lives as a teacher.  To hear our entire conversation with Gabby, listen to Episode 214 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcasting app to learn more about Decision Education. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2022

It’s about teaching life lessons that prepare our children for the future.  We all make thousands of decisions a day. So shouldn’t we begin teaching the psychology of decision-making to our students? Our guest on Episode 213 of Class Dismissed is a former high school English teacher and the Senior Educational Content Designer for the Alliance for Decision Education. Jillian Hardgrove says that the Alliance for Decision Education is focused on helping students develop skillful processes that are involved in making a decision. There are a few different decision-making processes for students to learn.  In the moment decisions - For example, if somebody cuts you off in traffic, how might you react to that?  Habits - Exercise, eating healthy, regular mindful practices Deliberative decision making - going to college, buying a car, selecting a company to work for.  “We have the attitude that it’s better to learn these things when you’re young, and you have the opportunities to practice them, rather than to wait for something negative to happen,” says Hardgrove. Other Alliance for Decision Education Tools Hardgrove and her colleagues at the Alliance for Decision Education offer a few different programs and resources to educators. HabitWise When students dream about their careers and life goals, they must understand how habits can turn their dreams into reality or get in the way. HabitWise helps middle and high school students achieve their goals by teaching them how to create and track beneficial habits and crush problematic patterns. Mindful Choices Mindful Choices is a Social and Emotional Learning program that helps students manage stress and anxiety, increase self-control, and sustain attention. Listen to Episode 213 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcasting app to learn more about Decision Education. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2022

Predictions for 2022 In Episode 212 of Class Dismissed, we chat about what education may look like in 2022? Could we see a mass exodus of teachers fed up with educating through a pandemic? How might two years of learning in a pandemic impact test scores? Will Universal Pre-K ever become a reality? We examine Larry Ferlazzo's latest list of predictions, and Kristina weighs in with her perspective. Making employment central to educational offerings Also, in this episode, we often think of higher education as the place that preps us for our future careers. But is this the focus of colleges and universities? Are students finding work related to their degree right after graduation? Our guest has some ideas on how colleges can better prep students for the workforce. You can listen to the latest Episode of Class Dismissed on your favorite podcasting app or iTunes. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2022

In Episode 211 of Class Dismissed, we have our 5th Annual "Classy Awards." This annual tradition allows us to reflect on a few of our incredible show guests during 2021. This year's categories include... Most Downloaded Episode Most Clicked on Article on our Website Most Useful Episode for Teacher Most Useful Episode for School Leaders Most Thought Provoking Guest Best Ed Tech Pitch To hear the winners, listen to Episode 211 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on your favorite podcast app or iTunes. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2022.

The first step to understanding something new is often the most challenging part.  Our guest on Episode 210 of Class Dismissed explains why we need to rethink the way we teach students.  He suggests that we reconsider the three Rs - Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic and possibly replace those with some new Rs. Such as Relationships, Resilience, and Reflection. Jose Antonio Bowen is the author of the hit book "Teaching Naked." Bowen led innovation and change for over 35 years at Stanford, Georgetown, and the University of Southampton (UK), and he's just released a new book. "Teaching Change: How to develop independent thinkers using Relationships Resilience, and Reflection." Drawing on new research, Bowen explores ways to better prepare students while also focusing less heavily upon teachers themselves, instead placing greater emphasis on their process interactions within a learning environment. In "Teaching Change," Bowen examines student psychology, history, assumptions, anxiety, and bias and advocates for education to focus on the new 3Rs—Relationships, Resilience, and Reflection. In our interview with Bowen, he said that critical thinking has become more crucial than ever. "We have to teach them [students] process," says Bowen These three Rs are more about process. The old three Rs were about content -- Reading, Writing, Arithmetic -- stuff you need to know." "Relationships, Resilience, and Reflection are more about what you need to know about yourself so that you can manage your own future change. Because my goal as a teacher is to make myself obsolete. So you don't need me, you can think for yourself."  To learn how more about the new 3Rs, listen to Episode 210 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on your favorite podcast app or iTunes. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2021.

Many students can remember details from their favorite television show but struggle with remembering things their teachers say in class. Why is this? Memory is an intriguing subject. You might think that your most recent memory would always be in front of you, but sometimes we find ourselves at a loss when trying to remember something from 15 seconds earlier, such as what I came into the kitchen for or even where my car keys are!  Meanwhile, other seemingly trivial memories can last our entire lives - for example, why do we remember some advertisements? Courtesy Dr. Daniel Willingham Facebook Our guest in Episode 209 of Class Dismissed is here to help us make some sense of memory. He'll also give us some teacher tips on how to make a more memorable lesson plan. Dr. Daniel Willingham is a psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia. He's also the author of "Why Don't Students Like School?" His book dives into how the mind works and what it means for the classroom. Willingham wants educators to know that "memory is the residue of thought." In other words, your memory is not a product of what you want to remember or what you try to remember; it's a product of what you think about. To learn how educators can use this information to their advantage in their lessons, listen to Episode 209 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on your favorite podcast app or iTunes. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2021.

In K-12 education, there’s a strong push for STEM education. It’s for good reason, math and science are important. But where should social-emotional learning rank? Psychiatrist Helen Riess, MD, believes we’re in a society that’s ill-equipped to talk about emotion and feelings. Riess thinks we need more than just information in this world to succeed. She believes we need to be taught how to have difficult conversations. We need to engage with people who are not like us. For Riess, teaching with empathy in the classroom is crucial. So important, she dedicated a chapter in her book just for teachers. Riess, a psychiatrist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, authored “The Empathy Effect: Seven Neuroscience-Based Keys for Transforming the Way We Live, Love, Work, and Connect Across Differences" Her book, which is supported by research, answers whether or not empathy is an innate quality. Can it be taught? Or is it just something we’re born with? She also offers tips on how we can develop into a more empathetic person. “Empathy is not one thing, says Riess. “It’s actually a capacity to perceive and understand and know to some degree what experiences another person is experiencing.” When Riess talks about empathy, she’s speaking about capacity for perception. Empathy in the classroom For a student to be motivated, they need to see that the teacher recognizes them as unique individuals, says Riess. There’s nothing more powerful than making meaningful eye contact with students. To show I see you and that you’re not just looking at a blur of faces, says Riess. Riess suggests that educators should register each student’s eye color in their mind. Don’t say the eye color out loud, but take time to really look at a person’s eyes’ unique color. She says it will build a connection with the individual. She also suggests teachers should silently “name the affect” when working with students. Affect is a scientific term for emotion. There’s a well-known phrase, “if you can name it, you can tame it,” says Riess. “If you can name that somebody looks confused. You’re probably going to be a little more conscious of trying to clear up confusion than if you just look at someone’s face and don’t try to name what emotion you’re seeing.” Riess also suggests that everyone should learn the ABC of empathy Acknowledge – when you’re in a difficult situation Breathe – take a deep breath. Gives a pause from the trigger to the response. Curiosity – as soon as we move to judgment there really is no open door left to show empathy. But if we say ‘I’d like to understand why you did that.’ Once the person is listened to and heard, you might get to a deeper level. To learn more from Riess, listen to Episode 208 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on your favorite podcast app or iTunes. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2020.

Are educators doing enough when it comes to climate change? Purdue University Professors Dr. Daniel Shepardson and Andrew Hirsch believe that right now, climate change is the one topic that isn't adequately covered in classrooms across America - even though this is one of our most pressing environmental issues today. "It tends to be addressed in a piecemeal fashion," Shepardson says students may touch on it a bit in earth science or biology class, but that's not enough. "There's not really a clearly defined conceptual framework to help teachers to teach about climate change." That's why Shepardson and his colleague, Hirsch recently co-authored "Teaching Climate Change – What educators should know and can do" in American Educator. They argue that climate change is the #1 environmental issue. "If we don't address a warming climate, then we are going to find ourselves having to deal with extreme heat, extreme storm events, and food security may become a problem," says Hirsch. Navigating the political storm. There's a fine line between educating students about climate change and making it an opportunity for debate. A lot of teachers will present both sides. Still, the pair say that allowing this kind of discussion in your classroom could backfire if you're not careful to avoid any heated exchanges among classmates who may be on opposite ends with their beliefs about global warming or how humans contribute to its occurrence. Hirsch says the debate should be about how we deal with the issue. "That's where teachers can engage students in debating the ways we mitigate and adapt to our changing climate. To get tips on how to teach about climate change and hear our full interview with Hirsch and Shepardson, listen to Episode 207 of the Class Dismissed Podcast. You can listen to the latest episode of Class Dismissed on iTunes here. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017 – 2020

The Operation Varsity Blues investigation is a landmark moment for college admissions. More than 50 wealthy parents have been revealed to be participating in an expensive fraud scheme orchestrated by William "Rick" Singer that nets them their kids' spot at some of America's most elite universities. One of those universities is Stanford. John Vandemoer is a former Stanford University sailing coach, and he was the first person sentenced in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.  He is our guest in Episode 206 of Class Dismissed. His interview comes on the heels of the release of his new book, "Rigged Justice." The book is the candid and true story of how Vandemoer was drawn unwittingly into a web of deceit – it outlines the sophisticated scheme designed to take advantage of college coaches, which plays to the endless appetite for university fundraising. John Vandemoer, Stanford University's former head sailing coach Vandemoer admits he took money for the university sailing program, but he maintains he never took money for his personal use. A distinction that separates him from many of the other coaches linked the scandal.  "I was sentenced to a $10,000 fine. Two years of supervised release, and the first six months of that, I had an ankle monitor. I was on house arrest," says Vandemoer.   In Episode 206 of Class Dismissed, Vandemoer walks us through his first encounter with FBI and IRS agents and offers his perspective on how we may be able to get the University admissions process back on track.  He says it's essential for students and parents to realize that there are a lot of great Universities for students. "We have to stop being obsessed with working on going for the same schools all the time and focusing on the US News and World Reports List," he says. "And also taking financial considerations out of the US News and World Reports List, I think would be really helpful."  To hear our full interview with Vandemoer listen to Episode 206 of the Class Dismissed podcast. You can listen to the latest episode of Class Dismissed on your favorite podcast app or iTunes. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2021

Exercising your critical thinking muscle We now live in a world where Siri, Alexa, and Google can answer straightforward questions in a matter of seconds.  So when it comes to educating our students, there's almost no doubt that teaching our students how to think critically is an essential skill. Our guest in Episode 205 has conducted research that takes what we know about teaching critical thinking further. Emily Fyfe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University. Dr. Fyfe and her colleagues have released their latest findings in a "Scalable, Versatile Approach for Improving Critical Thinking Skills."  Their findings give us insight into how we can strengthen our critical thinking muscles.  What did they do? Fyfe says they were inspired to do the research because people are honestly not very good at critical thinking. "Just because you are educated, or you attended a class, or you graduated from college doesn't necessarily mean that you're a better critical thinker, and that seemed like a problem," says Fyfe.  In their study, all participants started the experiment by taking a pre-test and receiving basic training about critical thinking.  But afterward, only one group of participants spent time having "critical training practice." Meanwhile, a second group received "non-critical thinking practice," and a third group received no practice of any kind.  After the practice, all participants participated in a post-test.  As a result, those in the critical thinking practice scored better on the post-test than the pre-test. However, the people in the other conditions experienced minimal improvements.  To learn more about the study and why it's important to exercise our critical thinking muscles listen to Episode 205 of the Class Dismissed podcast. You can listen to the latest episode of Class Dismissed on your favorite podcast app or iTunes. All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2021