The Parent Classroom

Here we are at the end of Season 1.  In this podcast episode, I quickly share why I have decided to close out Season 1 of this podcast, and what I am looking forward to moving forward. By the end of this episode, you will get a glimpse into what led me to make this decision, and all the learnings I've had along the way. Thank you for being a part of this journey, and thank you for all of your list...

Here's an interview of me (your host) by two fellow educators.  In this podcast episode, I am honored to be interview by both Lauren Pinto and Seth Fleischauer, where they get the opportunity to pick my brain on my new school space, High Tech High. We explore project-based learning, and all the parts of my school that are inherently conscious. By the end of this episode, you will get a glimpse int...

What if ALL children are good at math?  In this episode, I am joined by mom and founder of Ready Set Learn, Navi Riar, as we dive into how math can be problematic in schools, but how we can shift it to be a beautiful subject for ALL kids. We dive into Navi's experience as a math teacher, the pitfalls with teaching and learning this subject, and tangible ways to shift your mindset as a parent and c...

What if the school you worked out was inherently conscious? In this podcast episode, I explore my first month of teaching at my new job, and all the ways in which it is conscious. I explore the cultural ways to support every child, and how my day-to-day is built in as a partner to my students. By the end of this episode, you will understand my love for my job and also how conscious classrooms do e...

What if AI is a powerful tool for schools? In this episode, I am joined by expert Dr. Sabba Quidwai, founder of Designing Schools and former education executive at Apple . We dive into the fears that come with AI technology, and why parents shouldn't fall into the trap of resisting new innovations in our schools. We dive intro Dr. Sabba's practice of leading with a culture of empathy, and utilizin...

Life has a funny way of working out - and I'm telling you why.  In this podcast episode, I explore my BIG decision of going back to become a teacher. I speak to the five years that I took off, why I left the classroom in the first place, and what brought me back to where I am today. This episode is vulnerable, and shares with parents on the non-linearity of education.  In this episode, I cover: 1)...

How do you choose the RIGHT school for your child? In this episode, I am joined by guest Lauren Pinto, a former teacher and a mother. We dive into the journey of choosing a school for your child, and why parents fall into the marketing trap of schools, rather than figuring out what they truly want for their child.  We discuss how Lauren chose a school for her daughter, and the many questions she a...

What if college license plates are the reason we aren't innovating education? 🎓 In this podcast episode, I explore the idea that our identification with old ideals of success as parents are holding our society back from truly innovating education for the future. I speak to how unconsciously taking pride  in our college diplomas and the status of our jobs may be hindering your kids, and all kids....

How did our schooling affect us in adulthood?  In this episode, I breakdown my own experience of the ways in which my  K-12 schooling  had negative consequences for me when I got to my 20s and 30s. I speak to the battle against perfectionism, needing validation from others, and constantly striving to achieve. I ask every parent a key question: If we keep going the same way, what will be the cost f...

How do you support your child's dreams over the summer? In this episode, I am joined by guest Matt Barnes, a Parenting Education Coach and parent of three. We dive into the term summer "vacation", and why parents fall into a trap of summer camps.  We discuss the importance of guiding summer learning as a parent, and co-creating a learning experience that your child will remember year-over-year. By...

How do you equip your child to navigate the emotions in school? In this episode, I am joined by guest Mansi Parikh, a Conscious Parenting Coach and parent of three. We dive into the emotional cost of a school day, and how to support your child to navigate the day effectively.  We discuss the importance of emotionally regulating as a parent, and how to breathe through the issues that your child may...

As a teacher, I always felt like I failed. In this episode, I share a personal anecdote that led me to believe that I failed as a teacher for every parent's child. With a system that is built on urgency and lack of time, it could feel that the emotional needs of my students were constantly unmet. This episode goes into a vulnerably place and provides insights to every parent on how an educator fee...

How can self-love be integrated with achievement for your child? In this episode, I am joined by guest Neha Patel, parent of two and co-founder of Hatch Brighter. We dive into the nature of external achievement in our schools, and how every parent can be empowered to shift the perspective for their child.  We discuss the importance of the inner world and how it can negate the stress and pressure o...

What is self-love and are schools denying this for your child?  In this episode, I breakdown the word "self-love" and how the K-12 schooling system denied my own self-love growing up, and so many of my students as well. I speak to the many ways in which a school only "loves" kids who achieve highly, rather than showing a child that their value is based on their character itself. Though the innate...

How does a parent communicate grades with their child? In this episode, I have a brilliant conversation with guest Seth Fleischauer, both a parent of two and former educator on all things grades. We dive into the nature of grades from an educator perspective, and how this can inform the way you communicate grades with your child. By the end of this episode, you will leave the conversation with val...

What if grades are a big problem in our schooling system?  In this episode, I break down my perspective on grades as a former teacher. Though I dive a little bit into my own childhood experience with grades, I also speak to  the subjective nature of grades, and the negative implications it can cause on your child's learning and education.  By the end of this episode, I will cover basic tips a pare...

What if your child was not behind? What if this word was created to just have every child be pitted against each other to survive?  In this episode, I breakdown the word "behind" and how the K-12 schooling system perpetuates this amongst students when a child is not meeting grade level standards, meeting behavioral expectations or just not keeping up. I share an analogy on mastery and how that val...

How was school for you growing up? Did it inform the way you see education for your child? In this episode, I become vulnerable and share about my own journey as a K-12 student. As someone who was a shell of a student, I share my experiences with schooling growing up and how someone who was a creative child got stifled by the system. This episode is about digging deeper into our own experiences, a...

"The highest form of learning is unlearning" - Rumi In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most critical step to nurturing your child's K-12 schooling, which is unlearning. Though this topic could be broken into many episodes, I wanted to give you a  quick overview of what unlearning is, and how you can unlearn the ways success was put onto you growing up. I give you 3-4 steps to begin this...

"Komal, what is conscious education?"  This is a question I get so often by parents and educators alike so I wanted to take a step back and give you a Conscious Education 101 crash-course.  In this episode, I give a quick synopsis on how my idea of conscious education was developed from my days as a teacher, and what every parent should know about their child's school and how to make it more consc...

Welcome to the Parent Classroom! This podcast is for every parent who believes that every child should have an educational experience that is filled with love, joy, and compassion. Hosted by Komal Shah, you will learn tools and strategies from a former teacher alongside parents as guests on how to navigate the K-12 schooling system consciously in order to nurture their child's education. This podc...