Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity

How do we best prepare kids to succeed in today's fast-evolving world? STEAM coordinator Andrew Sachs explains how part of the answers comes down to one word: teamwork.

A lot of times when we ask why we are doing something in education a certain way, we get the answer "Because we've always done it that way." One educator who challenges that assumption is Melissa Romano, candidate for Montana State Superintendent of Instruction. And she challenges that assumption with a question that asks us to stop and think, "Are we doing what's best for kids now?"

The educational research is pretty clear: two critical factors move the student success dial the most (1) understanding how teachers think about their instruction and student learning, (2) how students learn, and the intersection of the two. Educational researcher Professor John Hattie explains.

Innovating in today's schools is tough for a number of reasons. There are historic barriers and sometimes frankly, there's the inertia of leadership. One easy way to innovate and bring some pretty interesting results for kids, however, is to literally step outside the walls of the classroom and school. Long-time educational observer and reformer, Tom Vander Ark explains "The Power of Place."

We all like to think we're working hard, right? The sad fact, though, is that most of us spend a lot of time doing "fake work," which is emotionally draining and non-productive. And someone who has researched the concept of fake work and seen a lot of it first hand – and sometimes engaged in it – is Gaylan Nielson, author of Stop Fake Work in Education. Listen in as Gaylan defines "fake work" and how we can avoid it.

How do you teach during these challenging times? Experiment. Try something. Try something else. And above all, nurture student relationships. Teacher and education technology master Chris Nesi explains.

How do we move forward as a national around the discussion of race? We start, says principal Anthony McWright, by acknowledging our biases.

Why won't a cooker-cutter approach to transforming schools work? Principal of the innovative Science Leadership Academy, Chris Lehmann explains.

Today we welcome Dimitry Anselme, the Executive Program Director for Professional Learning and Support at "Facing History and Ourselves." The mission of this nonprofit organization is to use lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. In this episode, we'll learn about Dimitri's and Facing History's vision for how schools can create educational experiences that combine social and emotional learning, equity, and civic education.

"The best thing we can ever do for kids is help them find their 'why' in life." Dr. Ken Wallace, Superintendent of District 207 in Park Ridge, Illinois explains why and what happens when schools don't.