The Voice of the Student with Dr. Kelley Spence

In Part 1 of this series, we explore what it actually means to “teach with intuition” in a public high school setting—grounding it in nervous system awareness, pattern recognition, and your professional wisdom. You’ll learn how to listen to your own cues, trust what you’re noticing with students, and make calmer, more aligned choices in the moment without abandoning structure or standards. If you’...

In this episode, we return to homework with a practical focus on what actually helps teen brains learn—spacing, relevance, choice, and clear limits—rather than overloading students and families. You’ll walk away with concrete, brain-based homework ideas you can adjust for different courses, schedules, and school policies without starting from scratch. To continue reimagining homework, routines, an...

In this episode, we connect teacher burnout to the realities of teaching the adolescent brain—constant emotional intensity, attention demands, and decision-making in high school classrooms. You’ll learn three small, realistic shifts that protect your energy while still showing up for students: regulating yourself first, simplifying expectations, and using student voice to share the load. If you’re...

This episode focuses on simple emotional intelligence, EQ, routines—like emotional check-ins, language shifts, and brief reflections—that build emotional intelligence without taking over your whole lesson plan. We explore how these small practices can lower conflict, deepen relationships, and support both academic outcomes and student mental health in high school classrooms. For more emotional int...

In this episode, we move beyond top-down rules and talk about co-creating classroom expectations with teens so they actually remember, respect, and uphold them. You’ll learn step-by-step questions, scripts, and routines to build expectations with students that support both wellbeing and academic rigor. If you want more tools for expectations, routines, and student voice, visit https://www.thevoice...

In this powerful episode, we break down core parts of the adolescent brain—like the prefrontal cortex and limbic system—and connect them to everyday behaviors that often get mislabeled as “defiance” or “laziness.” You’ll get practical, brain-aligned strategies to respond more effectively to risk-taking, emotional swings, and inconsistent follow-through in high school students. To explore more brai...

In this episode, we translate The Four Agreements into simple, student-friendly language and show how they can become shared classroom agreements that reduce conflict and increase trust in high school settings. You’ll hear examples of how to use this framework during group work, feedback, and daily interactions without sounding cheesy or losing your authority. If you’d like more language and tools...

In this episode, we walk through five key “elements” of classroom energy—space, sound, visuals, routines, and your presence—and how each one shapes how safe and engaged students feel. You’ll get simple, low-cost tweaks you can make to your room and daily flow to create a calmer, more inviting space for high school learning. For more guidance on designing calm, engaging high school classrooms, visi...

This episode is about teaching in alignment with who you really are so you’re not constantly fighting your own nervous system or pretending to be a different kind of teacher. We explore what authentic, nervous-system-aware teaching looks like in high school classrooms and how to bring more of your real self into your practice without losing boundaries or rigor. To dive deeper into aligned, sustain...

In this episode, we name rest as a radical, necessary act for teachers and unpack how chronic stress in high school settings impacts your nervous system and your students’ experience of your classroom. You’ll leave with small, doable rest practices—inside and outside of class—that fit real teacher lives and help you show up less depleted and more grounded. If you’re ready for more structured suppo...

This episode explores how authentic student voice can actually support teacher wellbeing by reducing guesswork, increasing buy-in, and making your classroom feel more collaborative instead of combative. You’ll learn simple, specific ways to ask for feedback, co-create routines, and use student voice as a protective factor for your own nervous system. For more tools on student voice, engagement, an...

In this episode, we rethink homework through a wellbeing lens so it supports, instead of stresses, the adolescent brain—focusing on shorter, more intentional assignments that protect student mental health and attention. You’ll hear brain-based, realistic homework shifts that help high school teachers reduce overload, increase relevance, and better align assignments with teen nervous systems and re...

In this episode of  The Voice of the Student Podcast , Dr. Kelley explores how shifting from top‑down “rules” to co‑created classroom agreements can protect both your nervous system and your students’. You’ll hear why teens in her pilot study described rules as something to push against, while agreements felt like shared commitments that everyone—including you—is accountable to. You’ll learn how c...

In this episode of  The Voice of the Student Podcast , Dr. Kelley invites you to see adolescent behavior not as a verdict on your teaching, but as information about what students are carrying into your classroom. Drawing on student voices, you’ll hear how many teens describe feeling invisible, misunderstood, or mislabeled as “disrespectful” or “lazy” when no one pauses to ask what’s underneath the...

In this episode of  The Voice of the Student Podcast , Dr. Kelley shows how intention setting can quietly transform your day from “just getting through” to teaching in alignment with why you’re really here. You’ll learn how a clear intention becomes a practical filter for your brain, guiding what you notice, how you respond, and how your classroom feels—without adding another big task to your plat...

In this episode of  The Voice of the Student Podcast , Dr. Kelley shares one simple daily classroom routine that anchors both your nervous system and your students’, so you can start class grounded instead of already in survival mode. You’ll see how the first five minutes of class can become a reliable “doorway” between hallway chaos and a calmer, more intentional learning space. You’ll learn why...

In this episode of  The Voice of the Student Podcast , Dr. Kelley shares what teens actually notice about teacher stress—and how your inner state shapes the entire feel of your classroom, even when you say you’re “fine.” Drawing from student interviews and wellbeing science, you’ll learn why your nervous system is an “invisible curriculum” that can either add to students’ stress load or become a s...

In this premiere episode of  The Voice of the Student , Dr. Kelley Spence explores how your classroom energy shapes the emotional climate of the room and why your presence may be one of the most powerful teaching tools you already have. If you teach high school, you already know the same lesson can feel completely different from one period to the next. One class feels tense and guarded, another fe...