I See, I Hear, I've Got You: Changing How We Teach with The NeuroWild Shift

In this S3E29 Schoolutions conversation, Emily (Em) Hammond shares why she built NeuroWild after her own late autism and ADHD diagnosis, and after years of translating abstract concepts into illustrations for the neurodivergent kids and families she works with as a speech pathologist. She walks through The NeuroWild Shift, her three-stage framework for classroom belonging and student engagement: I See You, I Hear You, I've Got You.The conversation covers fluctuating capacity, why lowering the hoop matters more than raising expectations, and why rewards and punishment train kids to mask instead of thrive. Em and I talk about inclusive teaching, instructional strategies for neurodivergent students, and how educators can build a classroom culture where every kid, not just the neurodivergent ones, feels safe enough to try.Em also breaks down why deep interests belong in every subject, how culturally responsive teaching and anti-bias teaching connect to equity in education, and why a pro-kid, whole child mindset produces thriving students and empowered educators. If you care about instructional leadership, school change, or just want inspired teaching that treats kids like people instead of behavior charts, this one's for you.Episode Mentions:The NeuroWild ShiftDr. Ross Greene - Children will do well if they can.Vygotsky’s Zones of DevelopmentNeuro-affirming vs. neuro-damaging responsesUDLDrive (excerpt) by Daniel PinkEm’s Teachers Pay Teachers ShopNeuroWild Shift:    NeuroWild Shift Information Packet (49 pages) by Emily Hammond -NeuroWild (teacherspayteachers.com)   (This is the full-priced one.)NeuroWild Shift Information Packet (49 pages), Parent Discount | TPT (teacherspayteachers.com) (This is the parent discount one.)Free Executive functioning handout for classrooms:     Regulation and Executive Function Handout (7-page colored document) (teacherspayteachers.com)Free handout for supporting ND students in classrooms:  Helping Neurodivergent Students Find Success in the Classroom | TPT (teacherspayteachers.com)Connect and Learn with Em:on Instagramon FacebookChapters0:00 Intro1:01 Meet Emily Hammond1:25 An inspiring teacher story4:51 How Em built NeuroWild8:13 Why the system fails neurodivergent kids9:29 What is The NeuroWild Shift10:58 Neurodivergent vs neurotypical, defined12:31 Stage One: I See You13:30 Stage Two: I Hear You15:17 Stage Three: I've Got You16:17 The basketball hoop analogy19:21 What kids learn when they're shamed23:37 The Opportunity stage27:09 Zones of development and asset-based teaching30:22 Neuro-affirming vs neuro-damaging responses31:54 Teaching through deep interests35:34 The mental health crisis for neurodivergent adults39:26 Building a classroom where kids feel safe42:23 Why rewards and punishment backfire48:33 Where to find NeuroWildSchoolutions is the podcast for educators and school leaders, families and homeschoolers, and the coaches, counselors, and mentors who believe every student deserves to thrive. Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise.🎵 Music: Benjamin WahlDon't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE! #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies #TeacherPodcast#NeuroWild #NeurodivergentKids #InclusiveTeaching #StudentEngagement #ClassroomBelonging #TeacherSupport #InstructionalCoaching #SchoolLeadership #EquityInEducation #AutismAwareness #ADHDinSchool #WholeChild #EducationPodcast #SchoolutionsPodcast #TeachingTips #ProfessionalDevelopment #ParentInvolvement #NeurodiversityAffirming #ClassroomCulture #studentsuccess When 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.