Running coach and author, Linda Flanagan, talks about her book, “Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania are Ruining Kids’ Sports and Why It Matters," and gives tips on how parents can tell when they've gone too far.

Caldecott and Newbery Honoree Grace Lin and bestselling author Kate Messner talk about their new book “Once Upon A Book” and share advice on how to help kids cultivate a love of reading.

Chris Emdin, is the Robert A. Naslund Endowed Chair in Curriculum & Teaching and a professor of education at the University of Southern California. He tells us how we might reimagine STEM subjects to be more inclusive and how to teach in a way that creates young people with strong STEM identities.

Carla Shalaby, a former public school teacher who trains educators at the University of Michigan’s School of Education, offers new ways for teachers to think about classroom management.Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by donating!This episode was reported by Nimah Gobir. MindShift is produced by Ki Sung, Nimah Gobir and Kara Newhouse. Seth Samuel is our sound designer. Additional support from Chris Hambrick, Jen Chien, Ethan Toven- Lindsey and Holly Kernan.

The pandemic has revealed that teachers have been doing more than just teaching students academics. Long before COVID-19 school closures, teachers were storing snacks in their desk drawer for the occasional hungry student or keeping their classroom open to kids during lunch. While many schools do not have systems in place to support teachers’ often invisible work, the community school model provides some strategies to lighten the load on schools and their educators. California is investing big in the model and the rest of the country is watching to see how it plays out.Additional Reading: POST Sign up for the MindShift email newsletter Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by donating!This episode was reported by Nimah Gobir. MindShift is produced by Ki Sung, Nimah Gobir, Jessica Plazcek and Katrina Schwartz. Seth Samuel is our sound designer. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Gerald Fermin, Ethan Lindsey and Holly Kernan.

What do schools and teachers need to know when they have students whose home language is not the one spoken at school? We look at ways teachers can guard against loss of heritage languages, ways to support outside the classroom, and how to keep families involved at school. Plus, how these strategies can help English language learners thrive in the classroom.Additional Reading: Heritage Languages in U.S. Schools Sign up for the MindShift email newsletter Read the episode transcript here. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by donating!This episode was reported by Kyana Moghadam. MindShift is produced by Ki Sung, Nimah Gobir, Jessica Plazcek and Katrina Schwartz. Seth Samuel is our sound designer. Additional support from Olivia Allen-Price, Jen Chien, Gerald Fermin, Ethan Lindsey and Holly Kernan.

Across the country, teachers are seeing angry kids. With students returning to in-person learning, there has been an uptick in disruptive behavior, fighting and frustration. Educators are taking the brunt of it with 6 in 10 teachers reporting they've experienced physical violence or verbal aggression since the pandemic. Experts point to regression, lack of socialization, and trauma caused from navigating COVID-19 as reasons students are acting out. While there are no quick fixes, teachers and students alike may find answers in a multi-tiered system of support model and restorative justice practices, which focus on improving school culture as a precursor to addressing challenging behavior.Additional Reading: With Disruptive Classroom Behaviors on the Rise, Restorative Justice Practices Can Help Sign up for the MindShift email newsletter Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by donating!This episode was reported by Nimah Gobir. MindShift is produced by Ki Sung, Nimah Gobir, Jessica Plazcek and Katrina Schwartz. Seth Samuel is our sound designer. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Gerald Fermin, Ethan Lindsey and Holly Kernan.

A growing body of research shows when kids are between 10-12 their brains go through an explosive period of development that makes them susceptible to influence, for better or worse. Experts call it the "age of opportunity" because what happens during this time can lead a child towards greatness, but it can also introduce intractable bad habits. Parents get plenty of advice on how to deal with teens, but little when it comes to tweens. Schools also play an important role in shaping adolescent minds by cultivating positive experiences. We talk with psychologists and a Middle School Teacher of the Year about how to make the most of growth at this age.This episode was reported by Ki Sung. The MindShift podcast is produced by Nimah Gobir, Ki Sung, Jessical Plazcek, Katrina Schwartz and Seth Samuel. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Erika Kelly and Gerald Fermin.

Remote learning was far from ideal, but it did open the door for schools to approach the school day day in new ways. We explore the research on teen sleep and what that means for school start times, as well as the promise and peril of the four day school week. Research shows shortening the school week doesn’t necessarily improve student outcomes, but it may alleviate teacher burnout. Finally, we look at the history of the school bell, how it shapes learning and whether it’s time for the final toll. Additional Reading: Students Can Get to Class Without Bells, But Schools Need to Adapt Three Reasons Teens Need Later School Start Times Why More Schools Are Considering a 4-Day Week Despite the Risk Sign up for the MindShift newsletter

During remote learning, students had to use virtual proctoring tools to take their tests online. These apps and software can be as extreme as using artificial intelligence to track a students eye movements and keystrokes or as simple as a lockdown browser that prevents students from accessing other pages during the test. Students and caregivers have raised concerns about school pressures, racial bias, privacy and mental health. The rise of these tools and their defects brings up some bigger questions too: Where does trusting students come in? Is it time to change the way schools test altogether?Additional Reading: Read MindShift articles Sign up for the MindShift newsletter