Why Students Need Presence & Play Ft. Aija Simmons w/Anita Nowak - Purposeful Empathy

In the final episode of this special series devoted to empathy in education with leaders and fellows of Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL), watch this episode to discover how SEL (social and emotional learning) can transform classrooms into spaces of co-regulation, belonging, and joy—especially for students who need it most.Aija Simmons, Program Director at 21st Century California School Leadership Academy, shares how raising a neurodivergent child, teaching in inner-city schools, and leading California’s Universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Initiative have shaped her understanding of education. She also advocates for play-based learning and joy in the classroom, as well as at home.00:00 Preview01:12 Introduction 01:47 About Aija Simmons03:35 Aija’s backstory06:39 Aija’s understanding of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)10:15 How teachers can help students navigate their emotions through co-regulation14:17 Bringing more joy into classrooms—and why that’s important18:33 Talking about SEL with skeptics20:35 What folks misunderstand about SEL24:32 SEL for parents 29:11 What growing up with an incarcerated parent taught Aija?36:28 The power of play in early childhood education39:40 Why teachers need to learn more about their students43:05 The role of empathy in education45:02 Aija Simmons’s Purposeful Empathy storyCONNECT WITH ANITA✩ Email [email protected] ✩ Website https://www.anitanowak.com✩ Buy a copy of Purposeful Empathy http://tiny.cc/PurposefulEmpathyCA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitanowak/✩ Instagram https://tinyurl.com/anitanowakinstagram✩ Podcast Audio https://tinyurl.com/PurposefulEmpathyPodcast✩ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/anitanowak.bsky.socialCONNECT WITH AIJA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aijeron-simmons/SHOW NOTES✩ Transformative Educational leadership https://www.teleadership.org/✩ Artesian Wellness Coaching  http://www.artesianwellcoaching.com ✩ Universal Transitional Kindergarten https://www.csba.org/en/GovernanceAndPolicyResources/ResearchAndPolicyBriefs/Universal-Transitional-Kindergarten#gsc.tab=0Video edited by Green Horizon Studio