Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education

📝 Episode SynopsisWhat if the greatest obstacle standing between us and success isn't failure—but our expectation that success should come easily?In this episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler welcomes psychologist, former counselor educator, and sports performance consultant Dr. Vonetta Kalieta for a powerful conversation about resilience, identity, perfectionism, and the psychology of high performers. Drawing from decades of experience working with athletes, students, and educators, Dr. Kalieta explains why true excellence is never built through shortcuts—it is built through consistency, setbacks, and learning to keep moving forward even when life refuses to cooperate.Together, they explore how social media has distorted our understanding of perfection, why failure is an essential part of learning, what happens when our identity becomes tied to a single role, and how educators can create classrooms where students feel supported without removing the productive struggle that growth requires. Along the way, they challenge common misconceptions about resilience, redefine what mental wellness really means, and remind us that sometimes getting stuck isn't failure—it's exactly where transformation begins.Whether you're an educator, coach, student, parent, or anyone navigating life's inevitable hurdles, this conversation offers a refreshing reminder that success isn't about never falling—it's about choosing to keep going.🔗 Links and Resources 📌 About Dr. Voneetta Kalieta 👉 Meet the Abrams Psychological Services Team.... 📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: Adjust the Flame: Exploring Anger and Emotional Intelligence in Schools with Dr. Mitch Abrams 📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: "The Pie Just Gets Bigger”: Parenting, Identity, and Emotional Survival in Schools with Dr. Julie Davelman

📝 Episode SynopsisIn the final installment of the HEART series, Dr. Joey Weisler explores the Truth pillar and asks what may be the most important question of all:What do students do with everything they've learned?Beginning with a classroom tradition in which students read Joey's own screenplay about the aftermath of the Parkland tragedy, this episode examines how storytelling can become a bridge between lived experience and meaningful learning—not through disclosure for its own sake, but through responsible reflection and purposeful communication.Through examples spanning English, mathematics, science, engineering, economics, and beyond, Joey argues that every discipline offers students opportunities to discover truths about themselves, their communities, and the world around them. The final pillar of HEART reminds educators that while content teaches knowledge, stories help students decide what that knowledge means.🔗 Show NotesIn This EpisodeWhy Joey assigns his own screenplay during the first week of class.The purpose of asking, "What did you think about this work?" instead of testing plot recall.Why stories exist to create meaning—not simply to be decoded.Modeling vulnerability without turning classrooms into confessional spaces.The difference between trauma disclosure and purposeful storytelling.Helping students shape difficult experiences responsibly through language.Why every discipline contains opportunities for meaningful storytelling.Revisiting Your Voice, Your Change as an example of truth through authentic expression.Helping students find pieces of a curriculum that resonate personally.Concluding the HEART framework through the power of student voice.👉 Key TakeawaysStories become powerful when they create meaning.Teachers model reflection—not performance.Truth is cultivated through thoughtful communication.Every subject offers opportunities for personal connection.Students don't simply learn content—they discover voices worth sharing.Show Links and Resources📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: Voices of Resilience: Paula Reed on Healing Through Education After Columbine📌 HEART SOLO SERIES SEGMENTS:💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: "The Look" That Taught Me to Care, Not Carry💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: The HABITS That Evolved Community Beyond Compliance💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: ENGAGEMENT Beyond a Right Answer💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: AWARENESS Beyond "Why Does This Matter?"💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: RESILIENCE Beyond "I Can't"

📝 Episode SynopsisFor generations, education has celebrated the teacher who arrives first, stays last, answers emails at midnight, and sacrifices everything in the name of serving students. But what if those habits aren't signs of dedication at all?In this episode, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with educator, speaker, and author Dr. Yvette Dixon-Ledford, author of Teacher By Day: A No-Guilt Guide to Boundaries, Balance, and Bliss, to challenge one of education's most dangerous assumptions: that caring more must always mean doing more, and often beyond contractual hours.Together, they explore teacher burnout, professional boundaries, emotional labor, school culture, and the subtle ways educators begin tying their worth to exhaustion. From "teacher tired" to after-hours expectations, grading overload, difficult student situations, administrator relationships, and redefining success beyond standardized test scores, this conversation offers practical strategies for building a sustainable career without sacrificing compassion.Dr. Ledford offers ways for educators to love their job while hold onto a healthy professional identity. 👉 Show NotesIn this episode, we discuss:Why "teacher tired" has become normalized—and why it shouldn't be.The hidden cost of equating availability with professional value.How healthy boundaries actually make teachers more effective for students.Practical ways to reduce burnout without becoming disconnected or uncaring.Why quality almost always outweighs quantity in classroom design.The emotional challenge of supporting students while protecting your own well-being.Building relationships with administrators that make honest conversations possible.Using the "village" approach to share responsibility for students in crisis.Moving beyond standardized test scores as the primary measure of success.Redefining professional fulfillment through sustainable teaching instead of self-sacrifice.Why rest is not selfish—but essential for longevity in education.💭 Memorable ideas from the conversation"We are professionals, not possessions."Teacher exhaustion should not become a badge of honor.Boundaries don't reduce compassion—they protect it.Great teaching isn't measured by how late you stay at school.Sustainable teachers create sustainable classrooms.The goal isn't simply surviving education—it's continuing to love teaching years from now.🔗 Links and Resources 📌 Dr. Ledford's personal website 📌 BOOK: Teacher By Day: A No-Guilt Guide to Boundaries, Balance, and Bliss📌 Instagram handle: @dr.yvetteledford

📝 Episode SynopsisIn the fifth installment of the HEART series, Dr. Joey Weisler explores the Resilience pillar and reframes one of education's greatest misconceptions: that struggle signals failure.Through stories ranging from a classroom disagreement in college literature to a powerful eighth-grade "No Puedo" ceremony that continues to shape his teaching today, Joey argues that emotion is not the opposite of learning—it is often evidence that learning is taking place.This episode examines how educators can respond when students encounter discomfort, resistance, frustration, or failure without attempting to eliminate those emotions altogether. Instead, resilience is presented as the process of helping students move through those emotions with purpose, support, and practical strategies that transform "I can't" into "Let's try another way."👉 Key TakeawaysEmotion is evidence that learning is being internalized.Resistance often signals that students need support, not less challenge.Grace and rigor can coexist.Revision communicates possibility.Resilience is not avoiding difficult emotions—it's learning what to do with them.Show Links and Resources📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: Making Moments Matter: Weisler Alumni (Pt. I) — Mandy Lanier & Ryan Romero on Student Voice, Creativity, and Authentic Classrooms📌 HEART SOLO SERIES SEGMENTS:💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: "The Look" That Taught Me to Care, Not Carry💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: The HABITS That Evolved Community Beyond Compliance💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: ENGAGEMENT Beyond a Right Answer💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: AWARENESS Beyond "Why Does This Matter?"

📝 Episode SynopsisWhat makes students genuinely want to come to school?In this episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with principal, speaker, and author Shaun Hurtado to explore how school culture is created—not through slogans or assemblies, but through thousands of intentional interactions between students, teachers, and leaders.Together they discuss why every student deserves at least one trusted adult, how administrators can lead through visibility instead of isolation, and why authentic relationships are among the strongest forms of prevention available in today's schools. Shaun shares practical leadership strategies from his Leading with Culture framework, including his powerful "No Dot Student" exercise, daily leadership habits, and the importance of creating schools where both educators and students feel genuinely seen.The conversation also examines teacher wellbeing, leadership empathy, safe spaces, student voice, and the responsibility every adult carries in shaping school climate. Whether you're a classroom teacher, administrator, counselor, or educational leader, this episode offers practical ideas for building cultures where people don't simply attend school—they belong.💭 Memorable Takeaways:💡 "Every data point has a heartbeat."💡 "It only takes one trusted adult for a student to feel connected to school."💡 "Culture is never finished—it's something we build every single day."💡 "Everybody has an effect on culture."🔗 Links and Resources📌 Shaun Hurtado personal website📌Leading With Culture: Creating Schools That All Students Want To Attend📌 Leading With Culture-75 Leadership and Culture🎧 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES PODCAST SEGMENT: When Presence Becomes Prevention: School Safety, Trauma, and Educator Voice with Abbey Clements🎧CLASSROOM NARRATIVES PODCAST SEGMENT: More Than a Title: Leadership Through Service and Presence (Part I with Jeremy Brooks)*Special thanks to Jeremy Brooks https://www.theedtalk.com/ for the connection to Principal Hurtado!

📝 Episode SynopsisIn the fourth installment of the HEART series, Dr. Joey Weisler explores the Awareness pillar and asks one of education's most important questions: Why does this matter?Reflecting on a first-year teaching assignment that left both him and his students uninspired, Joey introduces a different vision for learning—one where curiosity replaces compliance and students move beyond simply completing assignments to creating meaningful work that reflects their own interests, values, and purpose.Through the framework of Recognition, Expression, and Solution, this episode explores how educators can help students identify what they care about, transform those interests into authentic learning experiences, and create work that extends beyond the classroom. Whether you're teaching elementary school, secondary education, or higher education, this conversation invites you to rethink how awareness transforms learning into action.Key TakeawaysAwareness begins with curiosity.Students become invested when they discover personal meaning.Learning becomes memorable when students create something that extends beyond the classroom.Design learning transforms assignments into contributions.Authenticity invites authenticity.Show Links and Resources📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: A Conversation With Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf (Pt I): Teaching in the Riptide: Subversion, Power, and the Moments That Redefine the Classroom📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: A Conversation With Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf (Pt II): Teaching in the Riptide: Trauma, Authority, and the Ethics of Response in the Classroom📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: Invitation Over Compliance: Design Thinking in Classrooms with Dr. Fred Estes📌 HEART SOLO SERIES SEGMENTS:💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: "The Look" That Taught Me to Care, Not Carry💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: The HABITS That Evolved Community Beyond Compliance💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: ENGAGEMENT Beyond a Right Answer

📝 Episode SynopsisFor decades, health education has focused on what students should eat. But what if the bigger question is how students think about food, their bodies, and themselves?In this episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with registered dietitian, nutrition therapist, and author Lauren Dorman to explore the emotional side of nutrition and why lasting health begins with self-compassion—not self-criticism. Drawing from more than twenty years of clinical experience, Lauren shares how social media, diet culture, body image, and shame are shaping today's students, and why schools must move beyond calorie counting and weight-focused messaging.Together, they discuss Lauren's STRONG Student Shift framework, the neuroscience behind healthy habits, the connection between nutrition, sleep, mindset, and emotional regulation, and how educators and families can help young people become the CEOs of their own minds & bodies. Rather than promoting perfection, Lauren offers a refreshing vision of sustainable wellness built on curiosity, flexibility, and small daily choices that support lifelong wellbeing.👉 Show NotesIn this episode, you'll learn:Why traditional nutrition education often overlooks the emotional and psychological factors behind healthy behaviors.How social media and diet culture have contributed to rising concerns surrounding body image, food anxiety, and disordered eating among young people.Lauren's STRONG Student Shift framework and how each element helps students build sustainable habits from the inside out.Why vision, purpose, and identity are stronger motivators than rules or willpower.The importance of teaching media literacy so students can recognize misleading nutrition and wellness messaging online.How respecting—not perfecting—the body creates healthier long-term habits.The connection between nutrition, sleep, focus, emotional regulation, and academic performance.Why restrictive food rules often create guilt and shame instead of healthy relationships with eating.How educators and families can encourage flexible, balanced approaches to food rather than all-or-nothing thinking.Why nourishment extends far beyond food to include the ways we think, cope, connect, move, & rest.Practical strategies schools can implement to foster healthier, more resilient students through compassionate health education.🔗 Guest ResourcesLauren Dorman, RD: Personal website ('schools' tab)IG: dont_diet_dietitianNine to Nourish: The Nine Ingredients to Refuel Your Relationship with Food, Body, and MindSnack PlateSTRONG student shift

📝 Episode SynopsisWhat happens when a scientist, substitute teacher, and congressional candidate all become the same person?In this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Amanda Bell to explore an unconventional career rooted in one common purpose: serving others. After nearly 25 years with the U.S. Geological Survey, Amanda stepped away from federal service and into Wisconsin classrooms as a substitute teacher—experiences that ultimately shaped her decision to run for Congress.Rather than focusing on politics, this conversation examines what classrooms reveal about leadership, empathy, educational equity, and civic responsibility. Together, Joey and Amanda discuss why schools function as community hubs, how respectful disagreement can be taught through critical thinking, why educators deserve leaders who understand education firsthand, and how teachers often influence lives far beyond the walls of their classrooms.Whether you're an educator, school leader, student, or someone passionate about building stronger communities, this episode is a reminder that meaningful leadership always begins with listening—and with a genuine commitment to serving others.🔗 Show Links and ResourcesIG: amandabellforcongress

📝 Episode SynopsisIn the third installment of the HEART series, Dr. Joey Weisler explores the Engagement pillar and challenges one of education's most persistent questions: How do we get students to care?Reflecting on experiences ranging from teaching Night in middle school to designing an innovative college business writing course, Joey argues that authentic engagement isn't created through compliance or performance. Instead, it emerges when students see themselves in their learning.This episode introduces two complementary forms of engagement—academic and emotional—and offers a practical framework for helping students connect classroom content to their own experiences while maintaining healthy instructional boundaries. Whether you're teaching literature, science, mathematics, or elementary school, this conversation invites educators to rethink what meaningful participation truly looks like.In This EpisodeWhy one student's comment—"I don't care about this class"—changed Joey's approach to teaching.The difference between academic engagement and emotional engagement.Why students often participate to sound "right" instead of to think deeply.Introducing the Reveal • Relate • Justify framework.Helping students make personal connections without turning the classroom into group therapy.Why emotional learning should remain connected to academic purpose.Designing multimodal opportunities for students to demonstrate learning.Why silence isn't always disengagement.Helping students become active participants instead of passive recipients.Preparing students for the next HEART pillar: Awareness.Key Takeaways:Students engage when learning feels meaningful.Intellectual and emotional engagement work best together.Personal connection should deepen comprehension—not replace it.Great discussions invite interpretation instead of simply rewarding correctness.Engagement begins when students recognize themselves within the learning.Show Links and Resources📌 HEART SOLO SERIES SEGMENTS:💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: "The Look" That Taught Me to Care, Not Carry💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: The HABITS That Evolved Community Beyond Compliance

📝 Episode SynopsisWhat happens when we stop trying to fix people's pain and instead learn how to truly witness it?In this episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler welcomes narrative medicine practitioner and occupational therapist Dr. Rondalyn Whitney for a profound conversation on grief, storytelling, and compassionate listening. The discussion ultimately invites educators to reconsider what it truly means to respond responsibly—not by carrying another person's pain, but by helping them know they do not have to carry it alone.In this episode, we discuss:What narrative medicine is—and why it is rooted in deep listening rather than treatment.Why stories, literature, and writing can become powerful tools for witnessing rather than fixing pain.Dr. Rondalyn Whitney's personal journey through widowhood and how writing every day for "a year and a day" became an act of survival.The role of educators as compassionate witnesses while maintaining healthy professional boundaries.Why classrooms should make space for difficult conversations without becoming therapeutic spaces.How literature helps students develop empathy by learning to "deeply read" both texts and people.The difference between responding to students and feeling responsible for saving them.Why authentic listening often requires becoming comfortable with uncertainty and not immediately searching for solutions.🔗 Links and Resources📌 Rondalyn Whitney's website📌Rondalyn Whitney's ResearchGate📌Habits of Widows (by Rondalyn Whitney)📌Lies in the Afterlife (by Rondalyn Whitney)📌 Columbia University: Narrative Medicine Workshops📌CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: Beyond the Text: Creating Safe Spaces for Emotional Learning with Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf

📝 Episode SynopsisIn the second installment of the HEART series, Dr. Joey Weisler explores the first pillar of the HEART framework: Habits. Reflecting on his early years as a college professor, Joey shares how he once believed academic rigor meant assigning more work—until both his students and his own life revealed a different path.This episode examines how simple, predictable classroom routines can foster psychological safety, increase student ownership, and strengthen engagement without sacrificing rigor. Through practical examples—from classroom circles and invitational language to flexible assessment choices—Joey argues that effective habits aren't about controlling students; they're about creating structures that invite them into meaningful learning.Dr. Weisler justifies that earning respect from students does not come the quantity of work assigned; but rather, the quality in which content can be responded to.Whether you teach elementary school, high school, or college, this conversation offers practical ways to rethink routines so that students feel both challenged and supported.💭 Memorable TakeawayGreat classrooms aren't built on rigid compliance—they're built on predictable habits that invite students into learning.🔗 Show Links and Resources📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: Safe Enough: Redefining Healing, Safety, and Story with Dr. Jamie Marich📌 HEART SOLO SERIES SEGMENTS:💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: "The Look" That Taught Me to Care, Not Carry

📝 Episodic SynopsisWhat happens when caregiving stops being driven by fear and starts being rooted in connection?In this deeply reflective episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with nurse leader, educator, healthcare innovator, and author Winston Meikle for a conversation that bridges the worlds of healthcare and education through one shared reality: the emotional weight of caring for others.Drawing from more than four decades in nursing and patient advocacy, Winston explores burnout, survival mode, patient-centered care, authenticity, and the emotional toll that helping professions often place on the people within them. Together, Joey and Winston discuss the parallels between hospitals and classrooms, the fear-based systems that shape caregiving professions, and why genuine human connection may be the very thing that protects caregivers from losing themselves.The conversation also dives into Winston’s developing “Power of Love Theory,” energetic presence, trauma, emotional healing, and the importance of remaining authentic in professions that often pressure people to emotionally disconnect.This episode is for educators, nurses, caregivers, leaders, and anyone trying to serve others without abandoning themselves in the process🔗 Show Links and Resources📌 Winston Meikle's website📌 The Power of Love a Nursing Theory: When science meets spirits, A new kind of nurse is born (book by Winston Meikle)📌 Classroom Narratives podcast segment with Ron Yap

📝 Episode SynopsisIn the first installment of the HEART & SOUL series, Dr. Joey Weisler shares the deeply personal story that helped shape the foundation of the HEART framework. Long before he entered a classroom as a teacher, Joey recognized what he calls "the look"—the quiet expression carried by people who simply want to feel visible.Through reflections on a high school friendship, and the loss of the friend to suicide, and the lessons learned from years of trying to help others heal through direct intervention efforts, Joey explores the difference between caring for people and carrying people. Along the way, he examines how empathy can become both a gift and a burden, and why educators need structures that allow them to support students without sacrificing themselves in the process.This episode serves as the emotional origin story behind HEART, offering listeners an invitation to reflect on their own motivations for entering education and challenging the belief that seeing someone's pain automatically makes us responsible for solving it.🔗 Links and Show Notes📌 Join HERE for the HEART and SOUL book launch📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES segment: Stepping into the classroom – An introduction to the "Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education" podcast journey with host Joey Weisler📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES segment: From Disillusionment to Fulfillment: Teaching with the HEART...A Mindset by Dr. Joey Weisler📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES segment: Listening Beyond the Answer: Narrative Medicine, Grief, and the Courage to Witness with Dr. Rondalyn Whitney

📝 Episodic SynopsisIn this special “Weisler Alumni” segment of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler reconnects with Haylie — a former Parkland-area student now studying sociology and higher education at Georgia Southern University. Together, they reflect on growing up in the aftermath of the MSD tragedy, navigating grief during adolescence, and the educators who helped make school feel safe, human, and healing.Haylie opens up about losing her father to glioblastoma during middle school, the friendships that carried her through, and the classroom environments that helped her breathe during difficult seasons of life. From calming writing exercises and stream-of-consciousness journals to the impact of compassionate teachers, this conversation explores what students remember long after the lesson plans are gone.At its heart, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the smallest moments in education — feeling heard, welcomed, and emotionally safe — become the moments students carry forever.

📝 Episodic Synopsis‼️ PROFANITY LANGUAGE ALERT in this episode ‼️What if anger itself isn’t the problem?In this powerful episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with psychologist and anger specialist Dr. Mitch Abrams to unpack one of the most misunderstood emotions in education and society.Drawing from his book I’m Not Fcking Angry: Adjust the Flame to Get What You Want and Need*, Dr. Abrams challenges the idea that anger should simply be suppressed or feared. Instead, he explores the critical distinction between anger and aggression, the relationship between trauma and emotional dysregulation, and why emotional intelligence must be intentionally taught—not assumed.Together, Joey and Dr. Abrams examine classroom power dynamics, teacher burnout, school violence, emotional validation, and the hidden psychological realities shaping student behavior. From Parkland to Sandy Hook, from prisons to classrooms, this conversation confronts the difficult truths educators quietly carry while offering practical strategies for emotional regulation and healthier school culture.This episode is not about “staying calm at all costs.” It is about learning how to recognize emotion before it reaches the breaking point—and understanding what happens when people feel unseen for too long🔗 Show Notes and Resources 📌 I’m Not F*cking Angry!: Adjust the Flame to Get What You Want and Need (Book by Dr. Mitch Abrams) 📌 Dr. Mitch Abrams website 📌 For Dr. Abrams' Beach scene Imagery & Visualization script + PMR Muscle Relaxation Script, please email [email protected]

‼️DISCLAIMER‼️ This segment discusses themes of violence within communities, significantly around Sandy Hook Elementary School (2012). Please take care of yourself while listening.In this deeply moving episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Abbey Clements, a second-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School during the tragedy of December 14, 2012.Drawing from the anthology If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, Abbey reflects on survival, grief, educator presence, and the invisible emotional labor teachers carry in the aftermath of collective trauma. Together, Joey and Abbey explore what it means to “show up” for students when there are no perfect words, why educators are often excluded from conversations about school safety, and how teacher advocacy itself can become an act of prevention.The conversation also highlights the work of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, the national organization Abbey co-founded alongside Sarah Lerner to amplify educator voices, support impacted communities, and advocate for trauma-informed prevention efforts nationwide.From Sandy Hook to Parkland and beyond, this episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes the most important thing a teacher can do is simply remain present.🔗 Show Links and Resources📌 If I Don't Make It, I Love You: Survivors in the Aftermath of School Shootings (anthology edited by Amye Archer and Loren Klineman) 📌 Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence (also check out their sign-up page here)📌 Teachers Unify podcast 📌 Classroom Narratives: Sarah Lerner, Paula Reed, Adam Wolfsdorf

What happens when parents, teachers, and students all feel pressure to “get it right” — but nobody was ever given the manual?In this deeply reflective episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Julie Davelman to explore the emotional realities underneath modern education: parent burnout, frustration tolerance, identity formation, perfectionism, divorce, college transition, and the overwhelming pressure families carry while trying to support children “correctly.”Together, they unpack why so many students struggle not because they lack ability, but because they lack space to fail, recover, and develop resilience. The conversation moves beyond surface-level conversations about achievement and instead asks what children, teachers, and parents actually need in order to function, grow, and feel emotionally safe.From “good enough parenting” to the myth of work-life balance, Dr. Davelman offers a compassionate but grounded perspective that reminds listeners something essential:Humans are far more complicated than the manual ever promised.🔗 Show Resources📌 Dr. Julie Davelman profile with Abrams Psychological Services📌 BLOG: Can this help you? – Learn psych tips and techniques that can help you in everyday life📌 The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents by Lisa Damour, PhD📌 Facebook and Linkedin Dr. Julie Davelman📌 Classroom Narratives segments:~From Teacher to Attorney: Frances Shefter on Advocacy, Equity, and the Stress-Free IEP~The Pooped-Out Teacher in Loco Parentis: Dr. Dre on Presence, Consistency & Care~Meeting Your Inner-Hero and Healing Your Inner-Child: with Ron Yap @mentalhealthceo~Empathy Without Self-Abandonment: Unhooking from Survival Mode in Leadership and Teaching with Leila Boutaleb Brousse

📝 Episodic Synopsis What does it mean to truly listen—not just hear, but witness?In this powerful panel conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler is joined by Rosa McAllister and Tieshka K Smith to explore how intentional listening can transform communities. Drawing from their work on the Listening Loom project and their contributions to Restorative Practices in Education Through the Arts, they unpack how art, storytelling, and human connection create space for healing across cultures, identities, and lived experiences.From classrooms to community spaces, this episode challenges educators and leaders to rethink participation, redefine safety, and embrace the role of witness—with boundaries. Through stories of displacement, trauma, and resilience, Rosa and Tieshka reveal how healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens between people, in the courage to listen, and in the spaces we intentionally create for others to be seen.🔗 Show Links and Resources📌 Kathryn Pannepacker's Classroom Narratives segment on creating spaces of presence📌 Restorative Practices in Education Through the Arts (Book)📌 ROSA MCALLISTER:networksfortraining.org Artists For Artists Global (AA4G)📌 TIESHKA SMITHtieshkasmith.com

📝 Show SynopsisWhat if listening wasn’t about responding—but about being present?In this episode, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with artist Kathryn Pannepacker about “intentional listening” as a practice of care, not correction. Through her Listening Loom project, Kathryn creates spaces where people are asked two simple questions: How are you doing? and What do you need?Together, they explore how educators can foster connection without becoming “fixers,” why presence matters more than performance, and how small moments of attention can reshape classroom culture.🔗 Links and Resources📌 Lisa Kay on the Classroom Narratives📌 Bev Johns on the Classroom Narratives 📌 Restorative Practices in Education Through the Arts (Book) 📌 Kathryn’s website📌 Kathryn’s listening loom: Eyewitness News ABC-7 📌 “I Saved A Chair For You”: work by Kathryn Pannepacker

📝 Show Notes (Key Ideas & Takeaways)What if healing isn’t just about looking back—but also about learning to listen forward?In this episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Ron Yap (@mentalhealthceo) to explore the dual work of healing the inner child while also meeting the inner hero—the future version of ourselves who has already found meaning, clarity, and direction.Drawing from his work in Finding Meaning in Life When It Feels Like There Is None, Ron unpacks how people lose their sense of purpose through survival mode, identity disruption, and living stories that were never truly theirs. For educators especially, this conversation hits close to home—where caring for others can quietly lead to losing yourself.Together, they examine anxiety, OCD, the survival mode, imposter syndrome, and the emotional weight educators carry, while offering a grounded way forward: reconnecting to values, separating internalized voices from your own, and creating a vision of who you’re becoming—not just who you’ve been.This episode is both reflective and practical—a reminder that healing doesn’t stop with the past. It continues when we allow our future self—the inner hero—to guide us forward.🔗 Show Resources and Links 📌 Ron Yap's website 📌 Ron Yap's instagram: @mentalhealthceo 📌 The Inner-Hero's Journey Newsletter 📌 The Inner-Hero Workbook📌 Beyond Behavior: Bev Johns

🧭 Episodic Synopsis What if burnout isn’t coming from the workload—but from disconnection?In this episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with leadership expert Leila Boutaleb Brousse, founder of Eyelee Growth and creator of the Unhooked Leadership Method, to explore what it really means to operate in “survival mode”—and why so many educators and leaders feel stuck there.Leila challenges the idea that empathy alone is enough, introducing a critical distinction: empathy without boundaries isn’t leadership—it’s self-sacrifice. Together, they unpack how people-pleasing, decision fatigue, and chronic overextension quietly erode both performance and identity over time.From emotional regulation to boundary-setting, this conversation offers a grounded, practical lens on how to reconnect with your “why,” reclaim your energy, and lead without losing yourself in the process.If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly giving but slowly disappearing in the work—this one is for you.🧩 Show Notes (Key Ideas & Takeaways)Survival mode isn’t about workload—it’s about disconnection. Burnout often stems from losing connection to purpose, meaning, and identity—not just being “too busy.”Decision fatigue is quietly draining educators. Thousands of daily micro-decisions—academic, behavioral, emotional—leave teachers mentally and physically depleted.Empathy without boundaries is not empathy—it’s self-sacrifice. What many educators call “empathy” is often unregulated people-pleasing that leads to burnout.People-pleasing starts as care—but becomes a self-sabotager. When driven by fear, validation, or approval, it erodes confidence, leadership presence, and self-trust.Working at 120% becomes the expectation—not the exception. Overperforming consistently resets the baseline, making sustainable effort appear like underperformance.Emotional regulation is a leadership skill—not a luxury. Suppressing emotions leads to delayed reactions, inconsistency, and breakdowns in trust.Naming emotions reduces their intensity. Simply identifying what you’re feeling can decrease emotional intensity by up to 50%, creating space for intentional response.Authenticity is not “acting however you feel.” True authentic leadership is grounded in values, clarity, and intentional action—not emotional reactivity.Boundaries are not selfish—they are protective. They allow educators and leaders to sustain their energy, align with their values, and show up consistently.A simple framework for growth: Awareness → Intention → Action Real change begins with self-awareness, followed by intentional choices, and sustained through consistent action. 🔗 Show Links and ResourcesLeila's website: EYELEE Growth Leila's linkedin Leila Instagram: @leilaboutalebbrousseSupriya Budhiraja podcast Brené Brown on sympathy vs empathy

📝 Episodic Synopsis What happens when learning stops being about information—and starts becoming about invention?In this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with educator, author, and innovation specialist Dr. Fred Estes to explore how design thinking can transform the classroom into a space of agency, creativity, and real-world impact.Drawing from decades of experience across K–12 and higher education, Dr. Estes introduces the “ABCs of learning”—Agency, Belonging, and Competence—and challenges educators to move beyond traditional models of instruction that prioritize memorization over meaning. Together, Joey and Fred examine what it means to create classrooms rooted in invitation rather than force, where students are empowered to solve real problems, design for others, and reconnect with their own capacity for creativity.From working with marginalized students to redefining the role of play, this conversation reminds us that the most powerful learning environments are not the ones that demand engagement—but the ones students choose to enter.📌 Show Notes and ResourcesDesign Thinking: A Guide to Innovation (Dr. Fred Estes)Fred Estes websiteThe Education Talk Show With Jeremy Brooks

📝 Episode synopsisWhat happens when the world writes your story before you even begin?In this deeply honest and urgent conversation, Dr. Dwight “Kofi” Rogers—district leader, author of Change the Narrative, Don’t Let the Narrative Change You, and 2025 ACSA Administrator of the Year—joins Dr. Joey Weisler to explore the lived realities of identity, perception, and power in education.From growing up navigating isolation and racialized narratives in school to leading transformative conversations around equity and belonging, Dr. Rogers unpacks how societal narratives shape both students and educators—and what it takes to actively resist them.Together, they examine the myth of neutrality in teaching, the emotional weight educators carry, the loneliness of leadership, and the responsibility teachers hold in shaping not just academic outcomes, but human lives.This episode is not just about education—it’s about who gets to define the story, and what it means to take that power back.🔗 Show Links 📌 Dr. Rogers instagram: @ dr_kofi_rogers 📌 Change the Narrative: Don't Let the Narrative Change You (Rogers) 📌 More Than Just Principals (Hinchcliffe) 📌 The Education Talk Show (Jeremy Brooks)

🎧 Episode Synopsis (for notes/description)What if resilience isn’t something you “have”…but something that’s built—moment by moment, relationship by relationship?In this episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Dr. Rob Martinez—educator, former superintendent, and author of Recipes for Resilience—to challenge everything we think we know about resilience in schools.From losing his mother at 13 to rebuilding his life through connection, mentorship, and education, Rob shares a deeply personal story that reshapes resilience as a process rooted in safety, care, and community—not grit alone.Together, Joey and Rob explore the tension between transactional education vs. human-centered learning, the dangers of toxic school cultures, and what it truly means to create classrooms where students feel safe enough to grow.This is a conversation about what schools get wrong, what great educators do differently, and why—at the end of the day—we’re never doing too much for kids..📌 Episodic show notes and resources✏️ Rob's website (@ResiliencyGuy) and link to social medias✏️ Recipes For Resilience✏️ The Story of Sparkle and Shine✏️ Dave Burgess: Teach Like a Pirate

📝 Episode SynopsisIn this deeply honest and affirming conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Claire Plumbly to explore the lived reality of burnout—what it is, how it shows up in the body, and why so many educators find themselves quietly unraveling while trying to hold everything together.Drawing from her work in trauma and her book The Trauma of Burnout, Dr. Plumbly breaks down the difference between stress and burnout, guiding listeners through the emotional, cognitive, and physical signs that often go unnoticed until it’s too late. Together, Joey and Claire reflect on the intersection of teaching, trauma, and identity—what happens when passion turns into depletion, and when caring deeply begins to cost too much.Through personal story, clinical insight, and practical tools, this episode offers something essential: permission. Permission to pause, to recalibrate, and to remember that being human in this work is not failure—it’s the foundation.At the heart of the episode is a simple but powerful reminder:“I’m doing my best. And that’s enough.”📝 Show Notes📌 Dr. Claire Plumbly website📌 Dr. Claire Plumbly "Feel Better" page📌 Dr. Claire Plumbly Burnout/Recovery book📌 Dr. Claire Plumbly instagram: @drclaireplumbly📌 Dr. Claire Plumbly linkedin📌 Follow here to understand the Yerkes-Dodson model📌 Two conversations with Christopher S Mukiibi on the nervous system (Classroom Narratives podcast-- Pt 1 and Pt 2)

📌Episode Synopsis In this powerful episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with literacy scholar and educator Dr. Katie Egan Cunningham to explore how stories shape the human experience—both inside and outside the classroom.Together, they examine why stories matter not only as texts but as lived experiences. From novels and playlists to social media and personal memory, stories help young people make sense of the world and themselves. Dr. Cunningham reflects on how literature allows students to see themselves and others through what educators call “windows and mirrors,” while also urging educators to think carefully about how stories are selected and taught.The conversation moves into deeply personal territory as Dr. Cunningham shares how navigating her son’s dyslexia reshaped her understanding of literacy systems and advocacy in education. She explains how school structures can unintentionally fail children who learn differently—and how educators can recognize early warning signs before students fall through the cracks.Dr. Weisler and Dr. Cunningham also discuss grief, vulnerability, and the emotional realities that students bring into classrooms. From experiences of trauma and loss to the pressures of school systems that prioritize certainty over humanity, the episode asks a critical question: What happens when educators create classrooms where students feel seen?Ultimately, this conversation reminds us that literacy instruction is not only about decoding words—it is about helping students navigate the stories of their own lives.📌 Show Notes🔗 Dr Katie Egan Cunningham's website 🔗 Dr. Cunningham's article: In Search of Hope and Healing: Guideposts for Whole-Hearted Living, Loving, and Teaching after Loss 🔗 Article: Catching Readers Before They Fall (Torgesen)🔗 PODCASTS: Dr. Susan B Neuman, Dr. Adam WolfsdorfTheorists and thinkers: Grace Enriques from Lesley University, Pam Allyn,

Episode SynopsisIn this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with Bruce Liebe, a retired Illinois State Police officer with over 30 years of law enforcement experience and a longtime instructor in active threat training and tactical response.Together, they explore the intersection between education and prevention—specifically how educators, administrators, and communities can recognize early warning signs that may indicate a student in distress or at risk of causing harm.Drawing from research, real cases, and decades of field experience, Bruce explains the five phases many active attackers move through, emphasizing that the earliest stages—fantasy, planning, and preparation—often contain visible signals that educators may encounter through student behavior, communication, or writing.Dr. Weisler reflects on his own teaching experiences following the Parkland tragedy, discussing the challenges educators face when trying to report concerning student behavior while navigating institutional pressure, stigma, and uncertainty.This conversation offers practical insights into threat assessment processes, school-community collaboration, and how educators can remain attentive without creating fear or trauma within school environments.Ultimately, the episode reminds listeners that prevention is rarely about a single person acting alone—it requires a village of educators, families, counselors, and community members willing to listen, observe, and act early.Show Notes Guest: Bruce Liebe Retired Illinois State Police officer (30 years of service) Former statewide SWAT coordinator and active threat instructor Contributor to The Tactical Edge and international law enforcement consultantFurther ReferencesBev JohnsSue Klebold – A Mother’s ReckoningPeter Langman – Research on School ShootersDave Cullen – Columbine and Parkland ReportingWhy Meadow Died – Andrew Pollack and Max Eden

📝 Episode Synopsis (for episode description)In this powerful conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with nationally recognized special education leader and behavioral consultant Bev Johns, whose four-decade career has helped shape special education law, classroom practice, and behavioral supports across the United States. Bev shares deeply personal stories—from teaching students who were once denied access to school altogether, to advocating for legislation protecting students from harmful disciplinary practices.Together, they explore what happens when behavior is misunderstood, why teachers’ calls for help often go unheard, and how trauma, anxiety, and invisible disabilities manifest in classrooms. Bev challenges punitive approaches and urges educators and systems alike to see behavior as communication—not defiance.This episode highlights the life-changing power of relationships, the necessity of documentation and advocacy, and the restorative role of the arts in helping students regulate emotion and reclaim dignity. Above all, Bev reminds us that supporting students begins with supporting teachers—and that education, at its core, is an act of human connection.🤞🏻A Message of HopeSupporting educators is key to sustaining the profession.Collaboration between families, schools, and community services is essential.Positive relationships remain the most powerful force for change in education.📌 Show Notes (Key Ideas and Highlights)Check out Bev Johns website here"Sally Sits On My Shoulder" article Classroom Narratives podcast segment with Dr. Lisa KayRestorative Practices in Education Through the Arts (Book)

🗒️ Episodic Synopsis In this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with Principal Robert Hinchcliffe—award-winning school leader, author of More Than Just Principals, and nationally recognized advocate for human-centered school leadership.Drawing on more than two decades as an elementary school administrator, Hinchcliffe shares what it truly means to lead a school in today’s climate. He reflects on servant leadership, the emotional complexity of guiding teachers and students, and why visibility, relationships, and trust must come before compliance. He challenges rigid curriculum systems, emphasizing the importance of differentiation, teacher autonomy, and honoring the individuality of every student.Together, they explore the tension between leadership and humanity—how principals balance accountability with compassion, how new teachers can be supported rather than judged, and why schools must stop “eating their own” through negativity and isolation. At its core, this conversation reframes leadership not as authority, but as presence—showing up for students, teachers, and communities every day.As Hinchcliffe reminds us, leadership isn’t clean or predictable—it’s messy, relational, and deeply human.🔗 Show Links and Resources 📌 Follow Principal Hinchliffe's Linktree for his books, social media, and ways to stay connected!📌 Brad Johnson's Memoir "Room 212"📌Learn more about the Ron Clark Academy (RCA)

Episodic SynopsisIn Part II of this conversation with Jeremy Brooks, Classroom Narratives shifts from leadership identity to leadership responsibility — exploring school safety, crisis response, and the systems that support students, educators, and families during difficult moments.Jeremy reflects on guiding school communities through loss, the importance of transparent communication during crises, and the responsibility educators carry in balancing emotional care with professional boundaries. Together, he and Dr. Joey Weisler discuss proactive safety planning, SEL practices across disciplines, and the role of and PBIS frameworks in creating supportive school climates.At the center of this conversation is a powerful leadership principle: meaningful change in schools happens through servant leadership, shared responsibility, and what Jeremy calls “radical interdependence.” While schools cannot prevent every crisis, they can build systems of care that help communities respond with compassion and connection.Jeremy Brooks' extended bioJeremy Brooks is the CEO of Brooks Broadcasting LLC and the host of The Education Talk Show with Jeremy Brooks, an international education media platform that has reached more than 1.5 million viewers from around the world and over 295,000 subscribers.Under his leadership, The Education Talk Show with Jeremy Brooks has earned five Communicator Awards from the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts as well as the YouTube Silver Creator Award, establishing it as a leader in digital education media. Brooks Broadcasting LLC also produces The Weekly Recess, an award-winning live, panel-style show that expands conversations around education, leadership, and culture.Jeremy is also a published author and contributor, having written “7 Effective Steps to Improve Your School’s Attendance” for Leadership magazine. He is featured in the book More Than Just Principals by Robert Hinchliffe, which highlights educators who go above and beyond in service to students and school communities.In addition to his media work, Jeremy is a former school administrator who has served in key professional leadership roles, including past president of a county charter of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and former Chair of Legislative Policy, representing five counties on ACSA’s State Public Policy Committee. Through this work, he has contributed to statewide and national education policy conversations in Washington, D.C.Alongside his leadership and media roles, Jeremy still finds time to play an active role as a classroom educator, teaching courses like Psychology and college-level Advanced Placement American Government and Politics for high school students. He is a recipient of the Crystal Apple Award, recognizing his work for going above and beyond for students.🔗 Show LinksMore Than Just Principals (Robert Hinchliffe)Seven Effective Steps to Improve Your School’s Attendance (ACSA Leadership Article)Jeremy Brooks — The Ed Talk WebsiteThe ED Talk Show — YouTube ChannelThe Anxious Generation (book by Jonathan Haidt)

Episode SynopsisIn Part I of this two-part conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with educator, former principal, doctoral researcher, and media host Jeremy Brooks to explore what leadership truly looks like during difficult moments in education.Drawing from his journey from classroom teacher to administrator to founder of Brooks Broadcasting, Jeremy reflects on how leadership is not defined by titles, but by presence, integrity, and service to students and educators. Together, Joey and Jeremy discuss teacher burnout, compassion fatigue, the importance of visible leadership in school communities, and how trauma-informed practices can shape healthier school cultures.This episode centers on a powerful idea: strong leadership keeps educators in the profession — especially when systems feel overwhelming and teachers are asked to support students while carrying their own emotional weight. Part II will continue the conversation by examining school safety, accountability, and the shared responsibility of building supportive educational systems.Jeremy Brooks' extended bioJeremy Brooks is the CEO of Brooks Broadcasting LLC and the host of The Education Talk Show with Jeremy Brooks, an international education media platform that has reached more than 1.5 million viewers from around the world and over 295,000 subscribers.Under his leadership, The Education Talk Show with Jeremy Brooks has earned five Communicator Awards from the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts as well as the YouTube Silver Creator Award, establishing it as a leader in digital education media. Brooks Broadcasting LLC also produces The Weekly Recess, an award-winning live, panel-style show that expands conversations around education, leadership, and culture.Jeremy is also a published author and contributor, having written “7 Effective Steps to Improve Your School’s Attendance” for Leadership magazine. He is featured in the book More Than Just Principals by Robert Hinchliffe, which highlights educators who go above and beyond in service to students and school communities.In addition to his media work, Jeremy is a former school administrator who has served in key professional leadership roles, including past president of a county charter of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and former Chair of Legislative Policy, representing five counties on ACSA’s State Public Policy Committee. Through this work, he has contributed to statewide and national education policy conversations in Washington, D.C.Alongside his leadership and media roles, Jeremy still finds time to play an active role as a classroom educator, teaching courses like Psychology and college-level Advanced Placement American Government and Politics for high school students. He is a recipient of the Crystal Apple Award, recognizing his work for going above and beyond for students.🔗 Show LinksMore Than Just Principals (Robert Hinchliffe) Seven Effective Steps to Improve Your School’s Attendance (ACSA Leadership Article) Jeremy Brooks — The Ed Talk Website The ED Talk Show — YouTube Channel Principal Earnshaw segment

📌 Episode Synopsis In this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with storyteller and teaching artist Rachael Harrington to explore how storytelling can rebuild connection, imagination, and community in the aftermath of isolation and disruption.Drawing from her background as a middle school art teacher and illustrator, Rachael shares how the “invitation to play” became central to her teaching philosophy and later evolved into her storytelling work with schools, libraries, and families. She reflects on creating Morning Circle during the COVID shutdown, using stories and art-making to provide routine, creativity, and emotional respite for children and educators navigating uncertainty.Together, Joey and Rachael discuss storytelling as a deeply human act—one that strengthens listening skills, builds shared language and memory, and fosters empathy across communities. Through folktales, imagination, and interactive performance, storytelling becomes more than entertainment—it becomes a pathway toward reconnection.As Rachael reminds us, rebuilding community often begins with something simple: sharing our stories with one another🔗 Link here to Rachael's website🔗 Rachael's podcast: The Fairytale Art Cart

📝 Episodic SynopsisWhat does it really mean to rise when the special education system feels overwhelming, opaque, and emotionally exhausting?In this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing and Education, Dr. Joey Weisler is joined by Mark Ingrassia, longtime special education advocate, former teacher, parent-coach, and founder of Special Ed Rising: No Parent Left Behind. Together, they explore what families are facing behind the scenes—burnout, fear, withheld information, and the constant pressure to advocate without clear guidance.Mark shares both professional insight and lived experience, offering a compassionate look at why parents need trusted allies, why educators need better support and training, and how true collaboration between schools and families can change outcomes for students. This conversation moves beyond policy and paperwork to center humanity, presence, and the quiet, daily work of rising—together.This episode is for parents, teachers, school leaders, and caregivers who believe that advocacy is not about conflict, but about connection.📌 Show Notes / Key TakeawaysParents carry more than paperwork Families navigating special education are managing daily emotional labor, fear for the future, burnout, and uncertainty—often unseen by schools.The school–home connection is everything Progress happens when parents are treated as partners and experts on their own children, not as adversaries.The IEP is a living, legal roadmap Mark emphasizes the importance of early, consistent advocacy—starting as early as age 14—to ensure families are prepared for post–high school transitions.Advocacy doesn’t have to mean confrontation Advocates can be parents, retired educators, professionals, or community members who help families understand their rights and the process.Information gaps harm trust When schools withhold or fail to fully communicate information, families are left reacting instead of participating proactively.Mainstreaming without training hurts everyone New and general education teachers are often placed in high-need classrooms without adequate preparation, leading to burnout and inequitable outcomes.Teacher retention is tied to feeling valued Recognition, mentorship, collaboration, and simple affirmation (“you did a good job”) matter deeply—and are often missing.Rising is not performative Rising means getting out of bed, meeting the moment imperfectly, pausing before reacting, and choosing compassion over fear.Knowledge empowers families Each piece of understanding helps parents rise—reducing isolation and restoring agency.Community is the antidote to exhaustion No parent, teacher, or student is meant to navigate this system alone.🔗 Links to Include in Show Notes🌐 Special Ed Rising – Home Page https://specialedrising.com/home-page/🎧 Special Ed Rising Podcast https://special-ed-rising.captivate.fm/

🧭 Episodic SynopsisIn Part II of this conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down again with educator-scholar Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf to examine what happens after disruption—when trauma, authority, and behavior collide in the classroom. Moving beyond theory, this episode focuses on the ethical decisions educators must make in real time: when to intervene, when to pause, and when restraint is the most powerful pedagogical move.Drawing from personal experience—including a formative moment as a Harvard undergraduate, classroom eruptions involving student crisis, and decades of teaching across secondary and higher education—Wolfsdorf interrogates how educators’ unresolved wounds can shape classroom dynamics, sometimes creating the very behaviors they seek to control. Together, Weisler and Wolfsdorf explore reflective functioning, countertransference, and the danger of reactive discipline in trauma-laden spaces.This episode reframes classroom management as a relational practice rather than a punitive one, arguing that trust, emotional regulation, and curricular flexibility are not signs of weakness—but prerequisites for meaningful learning. For educators navigating burnout, behavioral challenges, and ethical uncertainty, Teaching in the Riptide, Part II offers a grounded, humane approach to holding both students and ourselves to higher standards.📝 Show Notes: Key Ideas & TakeawaysWhen Teachers Create “Bad Students” Wolfsdorf revisits a pivotal experience as an 18-year-old Harvard student, illustrating how rigid authority and intellectual gatekeeping can wound learners and distort identity—often unintentionally. Trauma Does Not Stay Outside the Classroom Both educators and students bring lived experiences into learning spaces; unexamined trauma in teachers can quietly shape grading, discipline, and expectations. Countertransference in Education Borrowed from psychology, this concept helps explain why certain students trigger disproportionate reactions—and why self-awareness is essential for ethical teaching. Punishment vs. Empathy Not all misbehavior requires escalation. In moments of student crisis, empathy and delayed response often produce better long-term outcomes than immediate discipline. Reflective Functioning Under Pressure Wolfsdorf emphasizes the educator’s ability to regulate emotion before responding, especially after explosive incidents, as a defining professional skill. The Aftermath Matters More Than the Outburst How teachers handle follow-up conversations—tone, timing, and intent—shapes whether a rupture becomes a turning point or a lasting fracture. Reading the Room as Pedagogy Teaching requires the same situational awareness as performance—knowing when to pivot, slow down, or lean into what students are already carrying. Good Teaching Is Developmentally Flexible While structure varies across K–12 and higher education, the core principles of trust and intellectual respect remain constant. Holding Ourselves to High Standards Wolfsdorf closes by urging educators to be relentless with their own growth, arguing that teacher self-reflection is the most underused assessment tool in education.🔗 Learn More About Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf🔗 Get the Book: Teaching in the Riptide

🧭 Episodic SynopsisIn this return conversation (since spring 2025), Dr. Joey Weisler welcomes back Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf—English educator, scholar, and author of Teaching in the Riptide—for a deep exploration of the moments in education that pull teachers off balance and force reckoning, reflection, and growth. Drawing on vivid classroom narratives, Dr. Wolfsdorf introduces the metaphor of the “riptide”: those unpredictable, disorienting moments that no amount of lesson planning or graduate training can fully prepare educators for.Together, Weisler and Wolfsdorf examine obstructive and constructive subversions, unpacking how power shifts in classrooms when students challenge authority, disrupt norms, or exceed expectations in profound and unexpected ways. From a graduate seminar overtaken by cupcakes and balloons to a ninth grader’s devastatingly honest poem about loss, this episode interrogates what happens when teaching collides with humanity.At its core, this conversation asks educators to rethink control, creativity, and compliance—arguing that meaningful learning often emerges not from obedience, but from ethical risk-taking, reflective restraint, and a willingness to sit with uncertainty. For anyone teaching in today’s trauma-aware landscape, Teaching in the Riptide offers both a warning and an invitation: the work will unsettle you—and that may be precisely the point.📝 Show Notes: Key Ideas & TakeawaysThe Riptide as Pedagogical Reality Wolfsdorf defines “riptide moments” as those classroom experiences that disorient educators—moments where control dissolves and certainty disappears, yet reflection can transform futility into growth.The Illusion of Preparation Graduate seminars and teacher training often simulate idealized classrooms, failing to reflect the emotional, psychological, and social complexities students bring into real learning spaces.Obstructive Subversion When students challenge authority in ways that derail learning—such as boundary-crossing behavior—the educator is forced to navigate power, professionalism, and self-preservation in high-stakes moments.Constructive Subversion Not all disruption is harmful. Some of the most transformative learning emerges when students exceed expectations, reshape assignments, and radically reframe what is possible in the classroom.Power, Authority, and Fear The episode explores how evaluation culture, student ratings, and institutional pressure can make educators fearful of confrontation—sometimes leading to silence as a survival strategy.Creativity as Ethical Practice From poetry to video games to performance, creative freedom becomes a pathway for students to engage deeply without forcing therapeutic disclosure or retraumatization.Resisting Compliance Culture True learning, Wolfsdorf argues, is inherently radical. Obedience may feel safe, but subversion—when guided ethically—creates thinkers, not replicators.Educator Subversion The episode closes by challenging teachers to examine their own subversive identities, suggesting that comfort with personal nonconformity allows educators to better support student resistance and creativity.🔗 Learn More About Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf🔗 Get the Book: Teaching in the Riptide

📘 Episodic SynopsisIn Part II of this two-part conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler and Christopher S. Mukiibi turn toward the heart of the work: connection, burnout, courage, and the deep human need to feel seen. Chris shares what his burnout research revealed — that connection, not rest alone, is what keeps teachers alive in the work — and how isolation inside classrooms can quietly erode purpose.The conversation explores imposter syndrome, the nervous system in schools, public skepticism toward education, and why many educators still do the work despite misunderstanding or dismissal. Joey and Chris also reflect on the lifelong impact of mentors who make students feel seen, and how modeling courage and curiosity gives students permission to grow.This episode is for educators who are tired, hopeful, introverted, overwhelmed, committed — and still here.📝 Show Notes – Key Ideas & HighlightsConnection as the strongest protective factor against burnoutWhy rest alone doesn’t cure burnout — belonging doesThe isolating structure of K–12 classrooms and its emotional costImposter syndrome and why courage and faith are foundational virtuesHow mentors who see us change the trajectory of our livesBuilding campus relationships as a burnout antidoteThe nervous system in the classroom: regulation, safety, and presenceHow educators absorb student pain — and why it feels so heavyPublic skepticism about education and how teachers persist anywayReframing expertise: anyone can build competence and agencyEducation as a tool to alleviate unnecessary suffering“Feeling seen” vs. “being assessed” — and why the difference matters🔗 Links and ContactChristopher's Linkedin Username: Christopher MukiibiInstagram: @mrmukiibiEmail: [email protected]: https://stan.store/mrmukiibi

📘 Episodic Synopsis In this powerful conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with educator, mentor, and creator Christopher S. Mukiibi to explore what real learning actually is—and why education must help students suffer less, not just perform better. Drawing from his own first year of teaching after the pandemic, his “Learning Compass” framework, and his experiences supporting students living through trauma, Chris speaks candidly about apathy, burnout, literacy, discipline, identity, and the deep human need for connection in schools.Together, Joey and Chris discuss how literacy gives language to pain, how students “act out” experiences they cannot yet express, and why connection—not perfection—protects both teachers and students. This episode is for anyone who believes education should change lives, not just test scores, and who is searching for meaning in the work again.📝 Show Notes – Key Ideas & HighlightsThe meaning of “real learning”—understanding, behavior change, and moving closer to the life we actually wantEducation as a path to reducing unnecessary sufferingWhy connection protects against burnout more than rest aloneThe crisis of apathy and disengagement post-pandemicHow students “act out” when they lack the vocabulary for their painThe role of literacy and writing in healing trauma and PTSDFirst-year teaching challenges: parenting, pandemic return, instability, and grief in studentsWhy teachers matter even when lessons “don’t land”The unseen curriculum: students learn who we are, not only what we teachReframing metrics of success: measuring growth instead of just participationThe danger of treating reading as punishment or complianceThe life-changing impact of safe adults who notice and interveneChemistry, language, and story: “We are made of stories more than atoms.”🔗 Links and ContactChristopher's Linkedin Username: Christopher MukiibiInstagram: @mrmukiibiEmail: [email protected]: https://stan.store/mrmukiibi

🧭 Episodic SynopsisIn this Weisler Alumni segment of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Tom —Army Reserve Staff Sergeant, communications specialist, husband, and returning college student—to explore what happens when education becomes a space for recovery rather than survival.Reflecting on his experience growing up in an underfunded rural school system, Tom shares how rigid, checkbox-driven classrooms pushed him away from higher education—and how the military unexpectedly reintroduced him to learning as a form of leadership, reflection, and meaning-making. Through trauma-informed writing, open classroom design, and mentorship-centered dialogue, Tom describes how returning to college in his mid-twenties allowed him to reclaim his voice and reframe trauma with nuance and respect.This episode is a powerful reminder that learning doesn’t follow a straight line—and that when classrooms invite humanity instead of rigidity, education can become a catalyst for healing, connection, and purpose.

🎧 Episodic Synopsis In this powerful alumni spotlight episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler reconnects with a former student, Dieunise, for an unfiltered conversation about what it truly means to be a student in today’s education system. From K–12 classrooms to college lecture halls, Dieunise reflects on how education has shifted from learning to survival—and why that shift is failing so many students.As a film and video student navigating an underfunded arts pathway, Dieunise shares the stark contrast between institutional support for STEM students and the isolation experienced by students in the humanities. She speaks candidly about being labeled “lazy” for learning differently, the emotional cost of rigid systems, and the resilience required to carve out one’s own path.This episode challenges educators, policymakers, and listeners alike to ask a critical question: Who is education really working for? And more importantly—who is being left out of the room when decisions are made?

🧠 Episodic Synopsis In this student-voice segment of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with former student Florence Shirman, a neuroscience and behavior major at Florida Atlantic University, to reflect on what learning feels like when education moves beyond grades and toward meaning.Florence speaks candidly about her journey through school—from early experiences shaped by internal pressure rather than external expectations, to a college classroom where choice, conversation, and community transformed how she engaged with writing and learning. She shares how her semester-long Your Voice, Your Change project allowed her to respond academically and personally to the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel, using writing as a way to speak from identity, process real-world events, and contribute her voice beyond the classroom.Together, Florence and Dr. Weisler explore how classroom design, tone, and trust shape student participation—and why education is most powerful when students are seen, heard, and invited into genuine dialogue.LINKS AND RESOURCES: Dr. Joey Weisler on teaching to the HEART

🔗 Show Notes In this episode, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Dr. Lisa Kay—art therapist, professor, and national leader in art education—to unpack why classrooms can feel restorative but are not therapy rooms.Dr. Kay breaks down the essential differences between therapeutic spaces and clinical spaces, offers four pillars that make classrooms safer (predictability, flexibility, connection, empowerment), and explains how art-making helps students hold stress, regain control, and express what words can’t.She also draws a clear boundary between art facilitation and art therapy, while sharing practical, classroom-ready art practices like “Stress/De-Stress” and “Scribble It Out.” A must-listen for educators navigating dysregulation, creativity, and care—without crossing into clinical territory.🔗 Show ResourcesLisa Kay – Faculty Profile (Temple University)Learn more about Dr. Kay’s academic work as Professor and Chair of Art Education & Community Arts Practices at Temple University, where she also directs graduate studies in Art Therapy and leads national research at the intersection of art, trauma, and education. Dr. Lisa Kay's Official WebsiteExplore Dr. Kay’s full body of work, including her publications, research projects, courses, speaking engagements, and resources designed for educators, art therapists, and community practitioners. Restorative Practices in Education Through the Arts (Book)This edited collection shows how restorative principles and the arts work together to build connection, agency, and resilience in classrooms and community spaces. It offers real-world strategies for nurturing supportive, choice-based environments for learners of all ages. Therapeutic Approaches in Art Education (Book)Dr. Kay’s foundational text for educators who want to integrate therapeutic art-making into their classrooms without crossing into clinical practice. The book outlines trauma-sensitive approaches, explains key distinctions between art education and art therapy, and offers practical, classroom-ready activities. MA in Art Therapy – Temple UniversityThis graduate program prepares students to become credentialed art therapists through intensive studio practice, supervised clinical training, psychological theory, and ethical community-based work. 🔗 Referenced "Classroom Narratives" segments in this episode“Art as Lifeline: Traci Molloy on Collective Creation After 9/11 and Beyond”“Navigating Trauma in the English Classroom: Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf on Relational Teaching, Boundaries, and the Power of Story”

📘 Episodic SynopsisIn this powerful episode, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Dr. Susan B. Neuman—NYU Professor of Childhood Education, former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary & Secondary Education, and one of the most influential voices in early literacy. Together they trace the complex landscape of American reading practices, the politicization of literacy, and what it truly takes to build lifelong readers.Dr. Neuman challenges traditional narratives about literacy by reframing it as both a social experience and a community-driven practice, while naming the systemic forces that shape how children learn. From laundromats to grocery stores, from multilingual classrooms to policymaking tables, she reminds us that literacy lives everywhere—and that teachers hold powerful keys to shaping children’s futures.This episode is essential listening for educators, literacy advocates, and anyone who believes reading is both a right and a relationship.

In this deeply personal solo segment, Dr. Joey Weisler traces the journey from his childhood dream of teaching, to the profound disillusionment he faced entering the classroom months after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy, to the transformation that led him toward resilience, boundary-setting, and wholehearted teaching.Drawing on stories from his first year in the classroom, his doctoral research, and the wisdom of his kindergarten teacher Ms. Lynch, Dr. Weisler introduces The H.E.A.R.T. Mindset—a trauma-informed, relationship-centered approach rooted in Habits, Engagement, Awareness, Resilience, and Telling Stories.This episode reframes what it means to teach today: not with perfection, not with saviorhood, but with presence, authenticity, and humanity. Whether you’re a new teacher or a veteran craving renewal, this conversation reminds you that you can meet standards without becoming standardized, and that the connections you build will outlast anything printed in a pacing guide.Join Dr. Weisler as he shows how educators can turn scars into stars, lead with heart, and carry purpose through pain.H — HabitsCreate routines that regulate you and provide stability for students. In Joey’s classroom, this includes circles, choice-based discussions, and flexible methods of engagement. E — EngagementStudents engage when they feel invited, not commanded. Joey uses co-regulation, options for sharing (verbal or written), and “written alternative assignments” instead of punitive homework. A — AwarenessStudents grow when they connect learning to their own world. Projects like Your Voice, Your Change help students locate themselves inside bigger conversations — from mental health and substance use to gluten-free advocacy and athletic pressure. R — ResilienceResilience isn’t pushing through — it’s protecting your energy. Joey discusses the power of giving yourself permission to set boundaries, regulate, and refuse to be standardized by a pacing guide. T — Telling StoriesStories help us bridge meaning and reclaim truth. From students’ letters to intergenerational wisdom, Joey emphasizes how storytelling becomes “our day in court” — a way to honor impact and find clarity after trauma.ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS FROM THE SEGMENTSafety isn’t announced — it’s practiced through invitational language.You can meet standards while still being human, warm, and flexible.Students won’t remember every formula, but they’ll remember your grace.Perseverance after hardship is always possible.You are whole and enough as you are.RESOURCES:Contact Dr. Joey Weisler by visiting his website hereGet your free HEART poster with additional resources linked inside!

📘 Episode SynopsisIn this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing and Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with author and educator Lincoln James, whose work spans decades, genres, and emotional terrain. Known for his haunting thrillers and his compassionate presence in the classroom, Lincoln shares how his novels—We Are Human, Written Just for You, The Vanishing Eight, and more—explore the unspoken corners of grief, love, and identity. Together, they unpack how storytelling can be both a survival instinct and an act of healing, and why the same empathy that drives a good novel can transform how we teach, connect, and lead.🗝️ Show NotesGuest: Lincoln James — author of We Are Human, Written Just for You, The Vanishing Eight, Devils Like Us, and All the Time; Communication professor in New York City.Host: Dr. Joey Weisler, creator of Classroom Narratives: Healing and Education.Key Topics:Humanity in Horror: How We Are Human reframes Frankenstein-like themes to explore trauma, identity, and survival in a fractured world.Thrillers as Emotional Architecture: Why thrillers allow readers to confront fear, loss, and shame in “safe” emotional spaces—and why catharsis matters.Teaching Through Storytelling: Lincoln’s reflections on how his classroom work mirrors his fiction: guiding students to find voice, confidence, and meaning through narrative.From Fourth Grade to Fiction: A childhood teacher who said “yes” to his stories sparked a lifetime of creative courage—and shaped his teaching philosophy today.The Writer’s Craft: Lincoln’s meticulous research process—character sheets, historical detail, and authenticity that brings each era to life.Sustaining Creativity Without Burnout: Why writing “for himself” keeps him balanced while juggling teaching, editing, and nationwide book signings.Connection and Continuity: How all of Lincoln’s books exist within a shared universe of emotional echoes and Easter eggs, inviting readers to look deeper.Looking Ahead: Sneak peek into The Ninth Layer, his upcoming thriller set in 2002, where a college class finds itself trapped beneath the earth—both literally and psychologically.Emotion as the Goal: “If my words can make someone feel something—that’s all I could ever hope for.”Bridging Story and Humanity: Both the classroom and the written page become spaces where courage meets empathy, and where tension meets tenderness.🔗 Connect with Lincoln James🌐 Website: thelincolnjames.com📸 Instagram: @lincolnjjames📖 New Book: We Are Human (released Tuesday, 11/11/2025!)

📘 Episode Synopsis In this deeply reflective episode, Dr. Joey Weisler welcomes Dr. Jamie Marich—trauma specialist, expressive artist, author of over a dozen books, and founder of the Institute for Creative Mindfulness. Together, they explore how trauma is not a life sentence but an unhealed wound that can mend through care, validation, and creative expression. From the limits of “safe space” language to the role of belonging, narrative, and authenticity in classrooms, this conversation bridges psychology and pedagogy with heart. Dr. Marich’s lived experience and clinical insight invite us to see healing as both personal and collective—a process of being safe enough to connect, express, and grow.🗝️ Show NotesFeatured Guest: Dr. Jamie Marich — Trauma specialist, EMDR educator, expressive artist, and founder of The Institute for Creative MindfulnessKey Discussion Points:Redefining Trauma: Trauma isn’t a death sentence—it’s an unhealed wound that can recover through proper care, presence, and validation.Beyond “Safe Spaces”: Why “safe enough” and “safe moments” may better honor the lived realities of students navigating trauma and identity.The Power of Invitation: How invitational language fosters belonging without forcing vulnerability.Belonging and Kindness: The small, daily gestures of empathy that build classroom trust—especially for marginalized students.Story as Healing: How narrative, expression, and creative arts bridge emotional and intellectual learning.Balancing Logic and Emotion: Dr. Marich and Dr. Weisler discuss blending emotional intelligence and academic rigor in writing and literature classrooms.Boundaries in Authentic Teaching: Sharing personal experience responsibly—being transparent without oversharing.Education and Collective Healing: “We’re all just walking each other home”—what it means to teach as an act of shared humanity.Narrative Medicine in Education: How writing, art, and reflection can become tools of safety and renewal for students.Cross-Disciplinary Healing: Dr. Marich calls for educators, clinicians, and artists to collaborate beyond silos to create cultures of compassion.Referenced Works and Connections:TEDx Youngstown Talk — “Healing the Public Health Crisis of Trauma”Navigating Trauma in the English Classroom by Dr. Adam Wolfsdorf Paula Reed’s Classroom Narratives episode Jamie’s primary sites: 🔹 www.jamiemarich.com 🔹 www.redefinetherapy.com

Episodic SynopsisIn Part Two, Dr. Matthew Arau shares practical ways to transform classrooms through circles, peer-to-peer leadership, and his Power of GET — a mindset of gratitude, enthusiasm, and treasure that helps teachers and students thrive🔗 Featured Links & ResourcesPower of GET Discover Dr. Arau’s signature mindset shift — moving from “have to” to “get to” — with resources, stories, and tools to help you bring gratitude, enthusiasm, and treasure into your daily practice.Power of GET – Leadership Quiz Take a free 4-question quiz to uncover your GET leadership style (Grower, Energizer, or Trailblazer) and receive tailored strategies for elevating your leadership.Upbeat Global Home of Dr. Arau’s Upbeat philosophy — connecting mindset, mindfulness, and leadership practices to reenergize teachers, transform classrooms, and build positive cultures worldwide.GIA Music – Upbeat Book Collection Order Matthew Arau’s books and resources, including Upbeat!, The Upbeat Daily Journal, Upbeat Daily Planner, and The Upbeat Leadership Workbook — with bundle pricing options.Upbeat Leaders Facebook Group Join thousands of educators and leaders in an uplifting community where members share authentic stories, resources, and encouragement for sustaining positivity in education.Lawrence University Faculty Profile Read about Dr. Arau’s role as Associate Professor of Music Education and Associate Director of Bands at Lawrence University.About Matthew Arau – Upbeat Global Learn more about Matthew’s journey, mission, and the development of his Upbeat leadership philosophy.VanderCook College of Music Profile View Dr. Arau’s faculty profile as part of the VanderCook College of Music, where he contributes to leadership and teacher development.Matthew Arau on LinkedIn Connect with Dr. Arau professionally and follow his updates on leadership, education, and speaking engagements.Upbeat! on Amazon Purchase Dr. Arau’s bestselling book, Upbeat: Mindset, Mindfulness, and Leadership in Music Education and Beyond.

Episodic SynopsisIn Part One, Dr. Matthew Arau shares how educators can find joy and trust even in the midst of burnout. He unpacks the six human needs, the difference between joy and happiness, and why the inner work of mindset sets the tone for our classrooms.🔗 Featured Links & ResourcesPower of GET Discover Dr. Arau’s signature mindset shift — moving from “have to” to “get to” — with resources, stories, and tools to help you bring gratitude, enthusiasm, and treasure into your daily practice.Power of GET – Leadership Quiz Take a free 4-question quiz to uncover your GET leadership style (Grower, Energizer, or Trailblazer) and receive tailored strategies for elevating your leadership.Upbeat Global Home of Dr. Arau’s Upbeat philosophy — connecting mindset, mindfulness, and leadership practices to reenergize teachers, transform classrooms, and build positive cultures worldwide.GIA Music – Upbeat Book Collection Order Matthew Arau’s books and resources, including Upbeat!, The Upbeat Daily Journal, Upbeat Daily Planner, and The Upbeat Leadership Workbook — with bundle pricing options.Upbeat Leaders Facebook Group Join thousands of educators and leaders in an uplifting community where members share authentic stories, resources, and encouragement for sustaining positivity in education.Lawrence University Faculty Profile Read about Dr. Arau’s role as Associate Professor of Music Education and Associate Director of Bands at Lawrence University.About Matthew Arau – Upbeat Global Learn more about Matthew’s journey, mission, and the development of his Upbeat leadership philosophy.VanderCook College of Music Profile View Dr. Arau’s faculty profile as part of the VanderCook College of Music, where he contributes to leadership and teacher development.Matthew Arau on LinkedIn Connect with Dr. Arau professionally and follow his updates on leadership, education, and speaking engagements.Upbeat! on Amazon Purchase Dr. Arau’s bestselling book, Upbeat: Mindset, Mindfulness, and Leadership in Music Education and Beyond.

📖 Episodic SynopsisIn this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with Dr. Alexander Fields—Assistant Professor of counselor education at Florida Atlantic University, licensed professional counselor, and nationally certified counselor. Together, they explore Dr. Fields' groundbreaking work in suicide prevention among young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), his BEAM curriculum (Bias Exploration and Awareness in Mental health diagnosis), and why systemic change is urgently needed in both education and mental health care.Listeners will hear practical strategies for trauma-informed classrooms, stories that reveal the hidden signs students use when they can’t verbalize distress, and insights on how to challenge professional and personal bias in order to provide truly person-centered care. Whether you are a teacher, counselor-in-training, or community advocate, this conversation offers hope, actionable tools, and the reminder that care begins when we choose not to look away.📝 Show NotesAbout Dr. Alex Fields – Assistant professor at FAU whose research focuses on integrated behavioral health, disability justice, counselor preparation, and systems-level reform.Elevated Suicide Risk in IDD Populations – A landmark study co-authored by Dr. Fields uncovers the heightened risks faced by young adults with IDDs, challenging misdiagnosis, systemic silence, and exclusion.The BEAM Curriculum – Bias Exploration and Awareness in Mental health diagnosis helps counselors recognize their blind spots, challenge assumptions, and ground clinical reasoning in cultural humility.Practical Strategies for Educators – From daily “temperature checks” to reframing behavioral concerns as possible cries for help, Dr. Fields offers trauma-informed tools educators can use immediately in classrooms.Community and Connection – Why no educator or counselor should “work on an island,” and how collaboration, consultation, and empathy-building activities can transform school culture.COVID’s Lingering Impact – Understanding how disrupted early schooling continues to affect today’s learners, especially students with disabilities.Language That Heals – How simplifying clinical language, validating students’ lived experiences, and asking direct but compassionate questions can save lives.Key Takeaway – “It’s okay not to know something, but it’s not okay not to care.” Education and compassion are lifelong commitments that bridge the gap between systems and humanity.Resource LinksFeature: Advancing Integrated Mental Health Research Florida Atlantic University – First-Year Faculty Story on Dr. Alex Fields https://www.fau.edu/education/newsevents/documents/alex-fields-web-story-5.23.25.pdfDr. Alexander Fields — LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-fields-5b286bb9/Article: Suicide Risk Elevated Among Young Adults with Disabilities FAU News Desk – Research on Suicidality in IDD Populations https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/suicide-risk-young-adults-disabilities

Episodic SynopsisIn this powerful episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with award-winning musician, author, and youth empowerment coach Emma G. From surviving ten brain surgeries to transforming classrooms through songwriting, Emma shares how music can help students process emotions, confront trauma, and reclaim their voice. Drawing from her Māori heritage, teaching background, and her Youth Empowerment Through Songwriting program, Emma offers educators practical ways to move beyond compliance-driven teaching toward safe, creative, and student-centered learning. This conversation blends artistry, resilience, and practical strategy for anyone passionate about reimagining education.Show NotesKey Ideas & HighlightsFrom Survival to Songwriting: Emma G’s journey from living with hydrocephalus and undergoing ten brain surgeries to becoming an international performer and youth coach.The Healing Power of Music: How songwriting acts as both a therapeutic process and a tool for self-discovery, especially for teens navigating identity, trauma, and anxiety.Teaching the Student, Not the Curriculum: Emma’s philosophy of adapting teaching methods to meet individual needs—embracing creativity, autonomy, and non-conformist approaches.Trauma-Informed Creativity: Practical strategies for making emotional breakthroughs safe rather than overwhelming, including “naming” emotions and using music as a bridge to healing.Cultural Frameworks in Education: Incorporating Māori values (Aguwa principles) to create safe, non-judgmental, and reciprocal learning spaces.Music as a Classroom Anchor: Using intentional soundscapes and songs to set the tone, signal activities, and build an emotional rhythm for the day.Empowering Educators & Students Alike: Viewing the classroom as a mutual exchange where both teacher and student learn from each other, fostering respect and engagement.Breaking the Compliance Cycle: Why rigid standardization in teaching limits critical thinking and how educators can reframe standards without sacrificing creativity.A Toolkit for Emotional Engagement: Three essentials:Create a safe, judgment-free spaceShow up 110% and invite students to do the sameShare authority to build authentic relationshipsEmma G’s Call to Action: Be a disruptor in education—break boundaries, challenge norms, and give students the tools to become their “best baddest selves.”VISIT EMMA G's WEBSITE HERE

📘 **Episode Synopsis (for podcast directories):In this powerful episode, Dr. Joey Weisler welcomes Frances Shefter—former special education teacher turned education attorney—for a heartfelt conversation on what it means to advocate for students within (and often against) the system. As the founder of Shefter Law PA and the visionary behind the “Stress-Free IEP” method, Frances opens up about her journey from the classroom to the courtroom, shares the hard truths about bureaucratic barriers, and reminds educators and parents alike of the simple, radical idea: focus on the child. Whether you’re a teacher quietly trying to do what’s right, a parent learning to navigate IEPs and 504 plans, or a leader in search of human-centered solutions, this conversation will move you, challenge you, and equip you.📎 Show Notes & Links:Learn more about Frances Shefter and access free advocacy tools at 👉 https://shefterlaw.comWatch Frances’s weekly show Stress-Free IEP on YouTube: YouTube @shefterlawpaDownload her free parent resources and advocacy guides: https://shefterlaw.comConnect with Frances on Facebook: @ShefterLawPARecommended takeaway: Write a one-pager for your child’s teacher summarizing key emotional and behavioral supports before the school year begins.