Find Your Inner Calm in the Classroom

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 classroom belonging starts with curiosity, not compliance ✨How to shift from judgment to curiosity to improve classroom behavior and student engagement ✨The "notice" practice that transforms student motivation and attention in class in under 60 seconds ✨Why low engagement often signals adults need to change, not students ✨ Active learning strategies that inspire students through emotional regulation ✨ How student participation increases when teachers practice co-regulation ✨ Instructional strategies that support the whole child approach Resources Mentioned: Brené Brown's research on curiosity and vulnerabilityInner Challenge Mental Wellness Program Creating Midlife Calm Podcast:Ep. 130: 1 Simple Coping Skill To Stop Stress & Anxiety From Spiraling Out Of Control & Derailing Midlife Calm Ep. 131: 5 Simple Words That Will Transform Stress, Anxiety & Chaos Into Calm, To Make Better Midlife DecisionsEp. 91: Use These 2 Mindfulness Practices To Instantly Increase Focus, Calm & Joy To Ease Stress & Anxiety Ep. 1: What Is Mental Wellness & One-PagerCHAPTER MARKERS0:00 - Introduction: The Power of "Help Me Understand" 1:00 - Meet MJ Murray Vachon: 50,000+ Therapy Sessions 3:00 - Brené Brown's Research on Curiosity 4:00 - Why You Can't Be Curious and Comfortable 6:00 - The Two-Word Shift: From Judgment to Curiosity 9:00 - The Bus Mooning Story Begins 10:00 - The Four-Minute Wait That Changed Everything 11:00 - Teaching the Do-Over: Life Skills in Action 13:00 - The 9-Minute Conversation vs. A Day of Emails 14:00 - Why Repair Matters More Than Punishment 17:00 - Letting Go: What Education Needs to Release 19:00 - The Teacher Who Got Retooled at 67 21:00 - When "Kids Are Lazy" Is Actually Adult Control 23:00 - Creating Calm from the Inside Out 25:00 - The "Notice" Practice Explained 26:00 - Notre Dame Football Players in the Huddle 28:00 - Co-Regulation: Students Need Us Until 18 30:00 - Teaching Kids to Notice: Slowing Down to Speed Up 33:00 - Lightning Round: Best Advice for Teachers 34:00 - What MJ Believed Then vs. Now 36:00 - The Podcast Origin Story: Students Made Me Do It 38:00 - Your Invitation: Try Notice Tomorrow 39:00 - Outro & ResourcesWhen teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.