The Whole Child Podcast: Changing the Conversation About Education

Guests: 2017 Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award-winning School Butterield Trail Middle School, Van Buren, Arkansas - Recorded live at ASCD Empower17 in Anaheim, California, ASCD recognizes the school's tremendous dedication and many accomplishments through a discusion around the importance of relationships, culture, healthy and safe environment, and community involvement.

Guests: Jason Flom, Ross Hall, and Jahana Hayes, 2016 National Teacher of the Year - The skills needed in society today are not the skills that have dominated education for the past half-century. They are the skills that utilize and synthesize knowledge and require us to act in concert with each other, develop relationships, and take ownership. These skills are founded in empowering individuals—requiring voice and ensuring meaning—as they navigate their unique educational paths. On this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, host Sean Slade, director of outreach and whole child at ASCD, and our panelists discuss why empowerment is important in education.

Guests: Fred Ende, Maddie Fennell, and Bryan Goodwin - Teacher leadership is not a new topic in education, but it is one that has continued to grow in importance. When teachers are empowered to lead in their schools, they experience greater job satisfaction and are empowered to make a greater impact—and students benefit by having the best teachers in the classroom. On this episode, you'll hear a range of perspectives on teacher leadership that will address many key concerns, such as how administrators and teachers both benefit from empowered teacher leaders, how they can work together to develop a solid structure, and how such a structure benefits the whole child.

Guests: Peter Anderson, Jeffrey Bradbury, and Gordon Stokes - We may wish for teacher collaboration, by itself, to improve learning, but the reality is more complex. What does team teaching look like in today's schools? Do teachers have the skills and supports they need to make such collaboration work? How are teachers transforming their practice by working together? On this episode we explore the benefits and challenges of educators working together to plan and deliver instruction.

Guests: Marc Brackett, Anthony Cody, and Joshua P. Starr - Data, data, and more data. Educators are asked to gather and interpret student data to guide improvement, measure student learning, and track efforts to engage and support learners. On this episode we explore the data schools and districts collect and how to translate them into meaningful action.

Guests: Jeffrey Benson, Giacomo Bono, Laurie A. Namey - How educators respond to students' emotions and emotional behaviors can have lifelong effects—on students' academic growth, on the way they see themselves as people, and on the well-being of all the other students. In this episode, we explore how we all can help develop kids who are emotionally healthy and resilient.

Students learn best when they are engaged in what they are learning and why they are learning it. In this episode, we explore what makes questions essential, how they are used to engage learners in thoughtful "meaning making," and how they help develop and deepen understanding of important ideas and processes.

Educators often mention engaging families and the broader community as the ideal -- not only in terms of achievement but also in establishing effective communication and a support structure for all students. Forming these relationships allows schools to access the wide range of resources across the community and also help build a culture for success that is inclusive of everyone. On this episode, teachers share their stories and favorite tips and strategies to engage parents and families in their children's learning.

How well are we, as a nation, supporting the whole child? On this episode, we explore ASCD's Whole Child Snapshots and how they can be used to prompt conversations about how well states support the whole child, where they need to improve, and what strategies can help them meet the comprehensive needs of children.

The ASCD Whole Child approach is a pathway to sustainable school improvement -- that is, by creating a culture and climate where students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged, schools will increase student engagement, increase attendance, reduce disciplinary referrals, increase academic credits earned, and increase graduation rates. On this episode, host Donna Snyder, ASCD's manager of Whole Child Implementation, and guests explore the approach's process, implementation, and outcomes.

On this episode, we explore how to develop and grow our capacity for success through self-reflection and its impact on student learning, the quality of our schools, and the state of our profession.

Recorded live at the 70th ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show in Houston, Tex., this episode features teachers and administrators from Magnolia Elementary, the 2015 Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award-winning school.

Students enter the classroom with their own specific learning needs, styles, abilities, and preferences. They also bring with them their own cultures, backgrounds, and personal histories. On this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, we explore what it means to empower students, how to create a positive classroom learning community, and what supports teachers need to serve their diverse students.

Differentiated instruction is an approach to teaching in which educators actively plan and adjust for students' differences so that instruction suits and supports all students' strengths and needs. On this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, we explore what differentiated instruction is, what the necessary components of a differentiated learning environment are, and how real teachers are applying differentiation principles and strategies to respond to the needs of all learners.

From specialty schools to courses and programs of study within larger school offerings, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education is an interdisciplinary approach where academic learning is matched with authentic projects. Engaging students in these practical, kid-centered projects develops critical thinking and problem solving skills, fosters creativity, and inspires innovation.