A Work of Heart: Human Intelligence in Education

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with California 2026 Teacher of the Year Chrizia Dela Rosa to explore a journey of belonging, resilience, and the transformative power of education. After immigrating to the United States from the Philippines at age six without speaking English, Chrizia struggled to find her place in school. Everything changed when a teacher helped her fee...

What happens when an educator discovers that their voice matters? In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with longtime kindergarten teacher, educator leader, and newly elected teachers union president Kristy Herrera to explore a remarkable journey of growth, leadership, and advocacy. In this conversation, she shares how daily practices like emotional check-ins, morning circles,...

What if play isn't just something children need? What if it's one of the most important capacities we have as human beings? As educators transition into summer, many find themselves moving from months of constant activity into a season of unexpected space. And while that space can feel restorative, it can also feel uncomfortable. Without lesson plans, meetings, and endless to-do lists, man...

In this restorative conversation, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with longtime educator and Breathe for Change faculty member Beth Schrieber to explore one of the most overlooked aspects of educator well-being: the intelligence of the body. As the school year comes to a close, many educators find themselves carrying exhaustion, stress, compassion fatigue, and the emotional weight of supporting student...

Artificial intelligence is transforming education faster than most schools can adapt. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, educators are faced with an important question: What skills will students need to thrive in a world where information, answers, and expertise are more accessible than ever before? In this thought-provoking conversation, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with he...

What happens when an educator on the verge of leaving the profession discovers the tools to heal, reconnect, and lead with renewed purpose? In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with educator and Director of Curriculum Beth Schreiber and Superintendent Jon Konen of Stevensville School District in Montana to explore how one educator’s personal transformation can create powerful...

As another school year comes to a close, many educators are carrying more than exhaustion. They are carrying the emotional weight of months spent supporting students, managing stress, navigating uncertainty, and showing up day after day with extraordinary care. In this deeply reflective episode, Dr. Ilana Nankin and Sam Levine create space for educators to pause, breathe, and reconnect with themse...

What if one of the most important skills we can teach is the ability to notice where our attention is and intentionally bring it back? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Dr. Kris Evans to explore the science and practice of mindfulness and meta-awareness. Kris recently completed his PhD at Stanford University, where his research focused...

In this episode of A Work of Heart, Dr. Ilana Nankin and Sam Levine dive into one of the most essential and uniquely human capacities we possess: our ability to build meaningful relationships. As part of Breathe For Change’s Human Intelligence Framework, they explore Relational Intelligence and the five competencies that help us create deeper connection in our classrooms, communities, and personal...

In this special episode of A Work of Heart , Dr. Ilana Nankin and Michael Fenchel celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week by moving beyond pizza parties to explore the radical impact of gratitude. Research shows only 25% of teachers feel recognized—we’re here to close that gap. Learn how shifting your mindset to an "Attitude of Gratitude" can enhance your well-being, rekindle your passion, a...

In this episode of A Work of Heart , Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with Dr. Salina Gray, a veteran educator whose career spans over three decades across middle, high, and elementary school settings, and now, special education. Salina’s story is a profound example of the "Transformation of Self." She shares her vulnerable journey from an unconsciously dysregulated teacher—who unintentionally...

In this episode of A Work of Heart , Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with Adriana Robertson to explore the transformative power of Somatic Intelligence. For many educators, the body is treated as a separate entity from the mind, but our internal states actually dictate our ability to connect, regulate, and lead. If you have ever felt bottled up or overwhelmed by classroom chaos, this conversation offer...

In this moving episode of A Work of Heart, Dr. Ilana Nankin sits down with her lifelong friend and brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Beatrice Rabkin, to discuss the mental health crisis currently facing our schools. They move past multiplication tables and surface-level wellness to explore what it really means to hold space for suffering while maintaining your own well-being. Whether you are navigating...

What does it really mean to trust yourself — especially when the system you work in doesn't trust you back? In this episode, Dr. Ilana Nankin and Michael Fenchel sit down with Justin Dent, founder and CEO of Our School, for a deeply human conversation about radical trust as a practice, a pedagogy, and a way of leading. Justin opens his heart and shares how losing both of his parents within thr...

In this episode of A Work of Heart , Dr. Ilana Nankin and Sam Levine dive into the heart of Human Intelligence: Emotional Intelligence . They move beyond the traditional definition of "managing" feelings to explore a more profound goal— wholeness . This conversation is an invitation to stop suppressing the "difficult" emotions like anger, shame, and anxiety, and instead cultivate an empowering rel...

The first episode of A Work of Heart is a foundational conversation for anyone who believes that the future of education starts with the human beings in the classroom. Dr. Ilana Nankin and Michael Fenchel dive into the first layer of the Human Intelligence Framework to explore how we can reclaim our agency in a world that feels increasingly driven by data and artificial intelligence. They move bey...

Teaching is the most burned out profession in America. And Beth Schreiber lived that statistic for two decades before finding her way back. Beth is a 20-year classroom teacher, Master's degree graduate of Breathe for Change's inaugural cohort, and now Director of Curriculum for her entire district in Montana. She walked into her career with her whole heart and spent years pouring everything she ha...

Public education is under pressure. And Dr. Alex Marrero is leading right in the center of the storm. Dr. Marrero is the first Latino superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Colorado’s largest district, and he’s not here to “win every moment.” He’s here to make decisions he can live with indefinitely. In this conversation, Alex takes us inside the real job of leadership: the backlash, the weight,...

What if cynicism and optimism are actually two sides of the same broken coin? Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith (clinical psychologist, trauma expert, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, and co-architect of Breathe For Change's Human Intelligence framework) joins Sam and Ilana for a conversation that might just change how you show up in your classroom tomorrow. Allison defines cyni...

What happens when a superintendent watches her teachers burn out and decides to get 200-hour certified in yoga instead of handing them another curriculum? Dr. Barbara Malkas, the 2024 Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year, transformed the post-pandemic education crisis. And her secret wasn't stricter policies, better test prep, or a new academic program. It was three deep breaths. When Barbara...

What if we’ve misunderstood intelligence all along? In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Ilana Nankin sits down with Dr. Michael Jacob, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at UCSF and her cousin, to explore what it really means to be human in the age of AI. Michael has spent his career studying how the brain, heart, and body communicate and how meaning, emotion, and creativity shape our min...

Parker J. Palmer is a legend in education. He’s the author of The Courage to Teach , Let Your Life Speak , and Healing the Heart of Democracy , founder of the Center for Courage & Renewal, mentor to generations of educators, and now in his mid-80s, he remains one of the clearest voices reminding us that teaching begins with who we are. He had essentially stopped doing interviews. He said yes t...

A few months ago, Ilana nearly died. Eight days later, we hit record. After a 44-foot rock-climbing fall that should have ended in tragedy, Ilana sits with co-host and co-founder Michael to share what happened in the air, in the ER, and inside her body. The accident made something very clear. We teach Human Intelligence for a reason. When life gets loud, we need tools that bring us back to center....