Schoolin' Around

Amidst the many opinions swirling around education, navigating the chatter can be dizzying. But fear not! This December, Schoolin’ Around is here to untangle the web of perspectives. Each week this month, we invited a guest for a short conversation, diving into misunderstandings around Hot Topics and Tough questions in education. For our first episode of this series, Larissa chats with our Profess...

We are celebrating One Year of 'Schoolin’ Around' by sharing favorite moments from the show over the last year. Host Larissa Napolitan is in the hot seat and joined by Community and Social Media Strategist Melanie Gonzalez. We discuss the collective efficacy magic of MTSS, how to handle deficit-based mindset to build on students’ strengths, the Big Buzz Word of system-level change: BUY-IN, the dif...

For educational leaders striving to move change initiatives forward, they have to do the work to bring everyone on the same page, which includes having a common language and clear communication. The episode guest, Krissy Martin of Roanoke Rapids School District in North Carolina, talks about the importance of developing a common language as they implemented MTSS, ensuring more consistency in their...

Every school has its own unique challenges and culture, and when a new initiative such as MTSS comes along, it might seem easier just to replace the old ways with the new ways. However, our guest today, Christine Downing, says that an important aspect of MTSS implementation is to start with examining what aspects of MTSS are already happening and build on those practices. Christine Downing is an e...

Leaders work hard to make their schools great, often facing many challenges, like getting others to agree on what needs to change. Change can be hard, especially within an established school system, with long-held beliefs, traditions, or struggles. In this episode, we discuss why change is so hard and how leaders can build their root cause analysis and strategic thinking skills. Our guest, Simma R...

In the world of education, every year new initiatives are promised to be the magic bullet that solves all the problems. However, many of those new things don’t last. Educators can be weary of something new. Our guest today understands the hesitancy; however, in her work, Angie Plugge, director of Learning in Waverly, Nebraska, spends her days building an MTSS practice that stays true to its purpos...

Most teachers will tell you that teaching is not just about helping students learn content but about how to think about themselves, the world, and even their place in it. Our guest today, Emily Francis, talks a lot about the power of story and how that can help students find their way, especially if they are immigrant students encountering language and cultural challenges. In today’s episode, Emil...

Schools around the country are still feeling the effects of interrupted learning and finding their way to help students grow and succeed. Many of those schools know that they can’t go back to the way things were before, and they want to make a change to impact ALL students. For Emily Myers, MTSS Director of Orange County Schools in North Carolina, she desires to lead her team in the work of equita...

In the work of educators, one area that continues to challenge schools is making sure that we are helping students in the best way possible, preventing problems for them further in the future. Now more than ever, educators are looking to researchers to find the most effective interventions and provide them with guidance and what to do with the needs they see in the classroom. The guest for this ep...

Any educator will tell you that the first couple of years in a new role is like drinking from a fire hose. There is so much to learn and adapt to, even more so when you are a new principal. In this episode, Larissa talks with Justin Peterson, an elementary school principal in Broken Bow, Nebraska. He stepped into a new role this year and is not only learning what it means to be a principal but is...

It takes a lot more work and planning to make a large wheel turn, but in Gwinnett County Schools, their team did just that. They have been working hard these last few years, making the wheel of school improvement turn with their strategic work with MTSS, and they are seeing the impact of their efforts. In this episode, Larissa chats with Dr. Tinisha Parker, Executive Director of Student Services,...

In this episode, we talk with Jennifer Ocana and Jennifer Sessa from Island Village Montessori, a K-8 charter school in Florida's Sarasota County School system. Jennifer Ocana is the Head of School for Island Village but has been teaching and leading for 20 years in Montessori schools. Jennifer Sessa is the Director of Pupil Support, working with the Special Education staff. We talk about how MTSS...

Reading difficulty has an outsized effect on a student's ability to be successful in school and life. In the past few years, more and more states are passing legislation around dyslexia, requiring schools and teachers to have the knowledge and to screen students early. Dyslexia is “a brain-based learning disability that specifically impairs a person’s reading ability.” Fortunately, research sugges...

As educators, we know that we cannot control what students bring in with them each day, whether that be academic, behavioral, emotional, or even language learning needs. An educator's job is to support students, helping them feel safe so that they can learn and meet their goals. This episode is a conversation with Gabi Graham, a former elementary dual language teacher passionate about helping scho...

Karen Castle, veteran educational leader and Executive Director of Professional Learning at Branching Minds, offers wisdom about wrapping up the school year and questions for leaders to reflect on their MTSS practice. We also dive into the idea that “Remembering Your Why” is not sufficient with the why and the how of making school transformation. Karen is the Executive Director of Professional Lea...

The guest for this episode, AJ Crabill, advocates for taking risks to find a better way to improve schools and support students. AJ Crabill believes that “Student outcomes don't change until adult behaviors change.” In this conversation with AJ, we talk about his work in helping improve schools and helping schools create student-led restorative circles. Restorative practices focus on resolving con...

Part of any good system of support isn’t just reacting to student needs but also being proactive in supporting students at risk. Intervening early can be the best way to prevent students from missing out and falling further behind. One way would be to utilize Early Warning Indicators, such as attendance, behavior, and class grades. These are helpful indicators for identifying students that may nee...

Recently it has been reported that more than 80 Percent of U.S. Public Schools say the pandemic has negatively impacted student behavior and socio-emotional development.   Our guest today is the perfect person to give us some insight into how the system and school culture can help teachers with these issues.  Trudy Bender previously served as the Coordinator of District Behavior Intervention for t...

Now more than ever, a spotlight is being shined on our education system. Requiring states to make decisions to help support educators. Schools, teachers, and students need help. In this episode, our two guests are working to connect and build relationships with policymakers, researchers, and those who can help change the system for better student outcomes. Abigail Woodworth, VP of Communications a...

Often, as a teacher using educational technology, I had frustrations about its uses in the classroom, its functionality, and its purpose. I wish I had known our guest back then to discuss how to make technology work FOR me, not against me. In this episode, we talk with Emily-Rose Barry, the VP of Product at Branching Minds. Much like many of our guests, her journey began in the classroom as a stud...

Recent research around students’ mental and emotional health has revealed a dire need for educational professionals to do something to help. More than 15% of students have had a depressive episode in this last year. And many parents believe their students would benefit from mental health assistance. Our guest today, Dr. Essie Sutton, an applied developmental psychologist, has made it her job to le...

Have you ever thought about how you can think different thoughts and how your brain works? Beginning from childhood, this week’s guest loved to think about how people think. Dr. Eva Dundas and I sat down to chat about how a Dr. of Developmental and Cognitive Psychology became a Chief Product Officer for an Edtech company. We dive into how she went from being an academic research scientist to seeki...

The best leaders are the ones that know they can’t be an expert at everything. They often continue to learn and seek out other experts to join their team. In this episode, Part 2 of our conversation with former educator turned Edtech CEO, Maya Gat shares how she continues to lean into the idea of humility and the power of learning. She expands on how she is always a learner and how she translated...

Every compelling story has an unlikely hero, someone on an adventure to solve a problem, find a treasure, or save the day. For this episode, we have the privilege of hearing one of these great stories. Former teacher Maya Gat shares with us how she became the CEO and Co-Founder of Branching Minds. This episode is part one of the conversation. We cover where it all started, her journey to be a teac...

Since the purpose of this podcast is to bring you conversations with practitioners and experts from the field, to discuss the challenges of supporting students and schools, we had to share a special episode featuring Dr. Alan Coulter and Dr. Eva Dundas. In this episode, originally recorded for our 2022 MTSS Summit, Dr. Eva Dundas, Branching Minds Chief Product Officer, sat down with Dr. Coulter to...