Welcome to a new season of Impacting the Classroom. In today’s season opener, we're joined by Bridget Hamre, Teachstone CEO and CLASS author, who sheds light on how educators can enrich their teaching practices to foster whole student development.    Throughout this episode, we will uncover the critical yet often overlooked connection between a student's emotional well-being and their learning achievements, the role of professional development in bridging the gap between theory and practice, and the importance of nurturing teacher empowerment for creating independent learners.&n ..read more

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In today’s episode, we explore the intricacies of the childcare system with distinguished guests, Jen Huffman and Anna Kresse from the Prenatal to 3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University.  Focusing on the enormous ripple effects of investing in affordable, high-quality childcare, our guests highlight the far-reaching benefits of such investments, including enabling thousands of mothers to return to work, lifting children out of poverty, and feeding millions of dollars back into the economy. The discussion explores the difficulties of providing quality childcare at an affordable ra ..read more

This episode deeply delves into the complexities of special education and intersectionality with Cheryl Poe. Cheryl Poe is the founder and Executive Director of Advocating 4 Kids, Inc., a Special Education Advocacy organization that provides resources, information, and workshops to parents and professionals with a special focus on addressing the needs of Black and Brown children with disabilities. Cheryl shares her inspiring journey as she transitioned from being a mother battling racism within the educational system to becoming a tireless advocate for her son and other children. Throughout th ..read more

How can educators use trauma-informed strategies as they work to engage with the families of their students? In today’s episode of our podcast, we dive deep into the transformation of family engagement in education amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. Today’s guest is Sean M. Bryant, Director of Professional Development and Adult Learning with the Child Lab at Yale University. With Sean's expert guidance, we unpack the major shifts in early learning settings caused by the pandemic and how educators should be thinking about different facets of family engagement going forward. Listen to ..read more

What does social-emotional learning really mean, and why is it so important? In today’s episode, we explore the transformative power of social-emotional learning (SEL) with renowned experts Dr. Bridget Hamre and Erin Gruwell. Join us as we delve into the true meaning of SEL, its impact, and some critiques.  Erin shares her experiences, including her story portrayed in the Freedom Writers movie. We discuss the role of personal narratives in shaping curriculum and the importance of building intentional relationships with students. We also tackle fear, vulnerability, and healing in education ..read more

In this episode, we explore Teach for America's strategies for addressing the national teacher shortage with Grant Van Eaton and Robin Greatrex. Grant, a Senior Research Scientist, and Robin, a Senior Managing Director of Teacher Leadership, share their combined research and data insights in supporting and retaining educators.    The episode delves into Teach for America's unique recruitment model, financial incentives, advocacy for systemic changes in teacher housing, pay, and student loan debt, and the use of the CLASS tool in training teachers. We also discuss the organization's a ..read more

This week we’re bringing you a special recast from our sister podcast, Teaching with CLASS. You’ll hear from a very CLASSy school, who shares their advice for creating a school with one shared goal: it’s all about interactions.  What does it look like for CLASS to be fully integrated into the curriculum? How can coaches get teachers excited about that, and what impact does it have on the lives of students? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Lisa Howard and Britney Blackman from the New E3 School as they talk about their CLASS curriculum.  Listen to the episode to hear what Britney ..read more

The educational workforce is changing, and going through a global pandemic only heightened and accelerated those changes. Today, we’ll talk about the kinds of changes that are happening in schools and classrooms and how the workforce is adapting and evolving along with the classrooms. Melia Slinger, the ECE Program Director at Waldorf University, and Dr. Freda Barnett-Braddock, the Program Director of Graduate Education join Marnetta today to discuss what they see happening in schools and how the educational field is changing. They’ll discuss what was missing from education during the pandemic ..read more

Implementing CLASS can be a challenge, especially in special education and inclusive settings. Teachers may initially feel they don’t have the time to handle or have other struggles that get in the way. Today’s guests discuss the implementation of CLASS in a special education setting to show how it can work.  In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Early Childhood Special Education Coaches Jess Schuhart, Cindy Sigsbee, and Christie Johnson. Learn about the strategies they used for rolling out CLASS and supporting teachers and students throughout the rollout, their framework for dealing with ..read more