Loading...

PODCAST

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.

Do you need innovative strategies to strengthen your school culture and spark student growth? This podcast is your go-to resource for coaches, teachers, administrators, and families seeking to create dynamic and engaging learning environments.In each episode, you"ll discover how to unite educators and caregivers to support students, tackle common classroom challenges, and cultivate an atmosphere where every learner can thrive.With over 25 years of experience as a teacher and coach, host Olivia Wahl

education education for kids

All Episodes

0:57

What Words and Phrase Could You Cut As a Writer?...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/09/02

Five words/phrases are quietly cluttering your writing: our, your, that, I think, I believe. This Writing Wednesday breaks down why these words sneak into student writing and adult writing, and what happens when you cut them. The tip comes from a real classroom. A teacher noticed her student kept writing "I think" and "I believe" before every idea. Her response: you're the one writing it. We already know it's your thinking. This kind of small shift is what effective teaching and instruc...

en-us

0:57

Don't Let Fear Stop Your Progress (Writing Wednesday)

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/08/26

I've been writing and getting close to turning in my book manuscript. My editor Kassia let me know it's time to reach out to people for endorsements. I'd had a list in my head for months. Sending it terrified me. I asked anyway. The response floored me. People I admire said yes, fast and warm, with no hesitation. One person said no. That's fine. Everyone's stretched thin right now. If you're building something, a book, a program, a workshop series, ask for help when you need it. Chapters: ...

en-us

0:59

Are You Quoting Too Much? A Simple Writing Tip...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/08/19

Happy Writing Wednesday. This week's tip is about a decision writers make constantly: quote it directly, paraphrase it, or summarize it. I pulled an old favorite off my shelf, Emily Kissner's Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Retelling. I've had this book since 2006 and it still holds up. Some quotes need to stay word for word. Others work better paraphrased. The book helps me sort out which is which before I hand my writing off to a reader. I recommend this resource for teachers working with ...

en-us

0:58

What I Learned When My Friend Read My Writing Aloud...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/08/12

Reading your own writing out loud catches a lot of errors. But, reading it out loud yourself is not the same as hearing someone else read it back to you. In this Writing Wednesday, I talk about what happened when my friend Katie Kelly read the opening of a chapter I wrote. Hearing her voice on my own words showed me exactly where the writing dragged, where it confused her, and where I could cut without losing anything. I was too close to my own draft to see it clearly. This takes five minu...

en-us

0:48

We All Have Our Own Writing Process (Writing Wednesday)

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/08/05

I spent last week at the Quoddy Writing Retreat in Lubec, Maine. My colleague Angela teaches fifth- and sixth-grade writers. She tells her students that every writer works differently. Some students write inductively. They start with small stories and scattered facts, then hunt for the pattern that reveals the big idea. Other students start with the big idea. They find the stories and facts that support it afterward. Angela's lesson applies to any writer, young or old. It has real value for ...

en-us

0:59

Stop Trying to Fix Students' Writing and Do This Instead

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/07/29

I'm at the Quoddy Writing Retreat in Lubec, Maine, this week, working alongside Ralph Fletcher and Georgia Heard and a room full of writers on completely different projects. Yesterday they gave us three prompts to bring into our response groups each day, and I'm sharing them here because every teacher facilitating peer feedback in a classroom can use these too. "This seems to be about..." "I really connected to the part where..." "I wanted to know more about..." These three prompts pull mean...

en-us

0:41

We Need Human Stories Tied to Data About Teaching...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/07/22

Research alone won't move a teacher to change what they do tomorrow. A story will. In this Writing Wednesday, I break down the method I use in my own writing: for every piece of research I include, I pair it with a real classroom moment, either something I lived through myself or something I watched happen in another teacher's room. The story is what makes a reader trust you. The research is what backs up the claim. Put them together and you get writing that actually sticks with the teachers...

en-us

0:57

Four Brain Shifts That Happen When You Walk (Writing...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/07/15

Stop staring at your screen and start walking for a mental reset. This Writing Wednesday covers four science-backed reasons walking resets your brain and improves cognitive function before you sit back down to write. Movement is a powerful tool to regulate your nervous system and flush out stress hormones like cortisol. By increasing dopamine and serotonin, a short walk stabilizes your brain chemistry and restores your ability to focus on complex tasks. If you need to break through a creativ...

en-us

0:58

The Outline I Almost Skipped Became My Lifeline...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/07/14

I'm starting a new weekly series called Writing Wednesday. My book manuscript is due end of August, and I'm holding myself accountable by posting every week about the process. Here are two lessons from my editor, Kassia: First: build an outline before you write. I didn't get why she pushed me on this until I was three chapters in and kept losing the thread. Now I reread that outline constantly. It keeps the structure consistent for readers while still leaving room to cut and rearrange as ...

en-us

0:58

Counting Down the Top 20 Schoolutions⁩ Episodes This...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/07/01

There's a magic to the 1980s and 90s childhood memories that just doesn't exist anymore. Did you grow up waiting by the radio on Sunday mornings for Casey Kasem's American Top 40? My sister and I would sit next to a clock radio for four hours, waiting for the number-one song in America. That kind of countdown is worth reviving. I’m taking a trip back to the era of analog weekend rituals, from the anticipation of the weekly Top 40 countdown to the chaotic energy of watching American Gladiator...

en-us

14:06

Season 5 Finale: Truths About Teaching in Uncertain...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/29

How do we approach parenting advice and teaching children when the world keeps changing? After over 40 conversations with experts during Season 5 of Schoolutions, I am summarizing the key ideas for supporting children during uncertain times. You will learn the surprising answer that nearly every expert discussed as the foundation for modern child development and the throughline every expert kept returning to: the expertise isn't out there in the next program or framework. It's already withi...

en-us

38:26

Teaching Fiercely: Why Teachers Need Autonomy to...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/26

What does it look like to lead with both ferocity and grace, and why do so many teachers forget that admitting your feelings isn't the same as admitting defeat? In Part 2 of my S5E43 Schoolutions conversation, I continue my conversation with Cornelius Minor⁩ (author of We Got This) and Dr. Kass Minor (author of Teaching Fiercely), co-founders of The Minor Collective. We discuss why grace and ferocity are twin concepts and how embracing emotional vulnerability is actually a mark of true...

en-us

0:59

Teachers Don't Have to Go It Alone

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/24

At the heart of the refreshed Minor Collective site is one belief: people come before ideas, ideology, or frameworks. As conversations about student growth and teacher effectiveness quietly shift toward kid obedience and teacher compliance, going it alone can feel scary. In this short but powerful clip from my S5E43 Schoolutions conversation with Cornelius and Dr. Kass Minor, The Minor Collective's message is simple: you're not alone, and we're meant to go together...moving where teac...

en-us

19:36

Reclaiming Joy: The Blueprint Resilient Educators Follow

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/22

What does it look like when education is built around the full humanity of every child and every teacher? In Part 1 of my S5E43 Schoolutions conversation, I sit down with Cornelius Minor⁩ (author of We Got This) and Dr. Kass Minor (author of Teaching Fiercely), co-founders of The Minor Collective. Together, they unpack what it really means to build a pro-kid mindset, reclaim teacher personhood, and find beauty in the mess of modern schooling. You'll learn: → How curriculum audits cent...

en-us

22:14

Rebuilding Math Confidence: Practical Tips for Families

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/19

What if rebuilding your child's math confidence this summer started not with worksheets, but with a mirror? In Part 2 of my S5E42 Schoolutions conversation, Wendy Ward Hoffer (All Minds on Mathematics: Math Workshop for Every Learner) gets practical and personal. If your child had a hard year in math, this is your playbook. Wendy walks families and educators through exactly what to do and what to stop saying so that children walk into September with agency, curiosity, and the belief that the...

en-us

0:59

The Truth About Being "Good" at Math

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/17

What does it really mean to be "good at math"? In this short but powerful clip from my S5E42 Schoolutions conversation with Wendy Ward Hoffer, of PEBC, we challenge the old myth that math identity is built on speed and being right and explore how families and teachers can work together to nurture every child's confidence and curiosity in math. True mathematical thinking isn't about quick answers. It's about dwelling with ideas, pondering, and reflecting deeply. These are qualities shared b...

en-us

18:23

The Secret to Student-Centered Math Instruction

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/15

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your child's math future this summer had nothing to do with worksheets or tutoring? In Part 1 of this week's S5E42 Schoolutions conversation, Wendy Ward Hoffer, author of All Minds on Mathematics: Math Workshop for Every Learner, shares a simple but radical idea: math identity is built in the everyday moments most of us are already living. In this episode you'll learn: • Why being good at math is not about speed or correct answers • What a chil...

en-us

18:47

Summer Boredom? Try These Movement Ideas for Every Age

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/12

🏃 What if the secret to student engagement this summer was free, fun, and made by a P.E. teacher with nearly 15 million views? In Part 2 of my Schoolutions conversation with @CoachGelardi⁩ (The PhysEdZone), we get completely practical. Tom gives age-by-age movement tips for summer, shares exactly which videos to start with, and explains why co-creating movement WITH kids, not just directing them, is the real driver of student motivation and active learning. 🎯 You'll Learn: • How the

en-us

0:59

Building Emotionally Safe P.E. Classrooms with...

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/10

What if the most powerful thing you could do for student engagement wasn't a new lesson plan, but making sure every kid feels safe enough to try? In this clip from my S5E41 @schoolutionspodcast conversation, I sit down with @CoachGelardi where he emphasizes the critical role of physical safety in the P.E. classroom, but also highlights that an emotional connection with students encourages them to try new things without fear of making mistakes. It underscores how acknowledging the uniqueness ...

en-us

32:47

The Hidden Power of P.E. Class

Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based... ·

2026/06/08

What does it really take to teach 28 kindergartners (alone) in a gym every single day? In Part 1 of my S5E41 @schoolutionspodcast conversation with @CoachGelardi, the 2025 SHAPE America National Elementary P.E. Teacher of the Year and New York State Teacher of the Year, we talk about what world-class physical education and fitness actually look like and why every educator, parent, and school leader needs to pay attention. Tom is the creator of the PhysEdZone YouTube channel, which is ...

en-us

348 results

Similar Podcasts

Edutainment Learning

Ralph Krauss

Daily Facts

Amalia Dupray and Montgomery Jones.

Les dents et dodo

BFMTV

Education Futures

Svenia Busson & Laurent Jolie

Out In The Hall

NHSA