Teachers' Voices: Recent Episodes
BOLD and Nina Alonso
Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children and young people with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential. Teachers' Voices is a podcast series from BOLD, the digital platform on learning and development. Join Nina Alonso as she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their experiences, and listen in on inspiring conversations with international experts on learning and child development. If you're a parent, teacher, or just someone interested in learning and development, this podcast is for you. For more information, visit bold.expert
To wrap up season 4, educators share books, films, and tools to inspire other teachers, students, and learning communities at the start of the new school year. Nina shares some highlights in the episode, and the full list is below. Thank you to everyone who sent in their recommendations.
Books
- In the Small Places: Stories of Teacher Changemakers and the Power of Human Agency by Fred Mednick, recommended by Katharine Young.
- Reaching and Teaching Children Who Hurt: Strategies for Your Classroom by Susan E. Craig, recommended by Trinidad Arellano.
- Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, recommended by Rosina Dorelli.
- The Hidden Balance of Things: Family constellations, shamanism, and other ways to prevent our extinction by Guillermo Leone, recommended by Rocio Garcia Solca
- Schools That Learn: Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, Parents, and Everyone Who Cares about Education by Peter Senge, recommended by Carlos Chiu.
- Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education by Ken Robinson, recommended by Joanna Marriott.
- Another Way Is Possible: Becoming a Democratic Teacher in a State School by Derry Hannam, recommended by Richard Fransham.
- The Secret of Spinoza by Jose Rodrigues dos Santos, recommended by Ingrid Delange.
Films and videos
- Spare Parts, recommended by Carlos Chiu.
- Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, recommended by Trinidad Arellano.
- Suvemae: Pioneer of Possibility, recommended by Richard Fransham.
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, recommended by Katharine Young.
- The Story of Stuff and the original, recommended by Rosina Dorelli.
- Kiss the Ground, recommended by Rocio Garcia Solca.
- The Literacy Shed, recommended by Silvana Gili.
- Hichki, recommended by Meesha Arora.
Find the rest of the recommendations on BOLD
Guests
Katharine Young: LinkedIn
Trinidad Arellano: LinkedIn, Instagram
Rosina Dorelli: LinkedIn
Carlos Chiu: LinkedIn
Richard Fransham: LinkedIn
Meesha Arora: LinkedIn
Toyin Awofeso: LinkedIn
Atukunda Samuel: LinkedIn
Joanna Marriott: LinkedIn
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In what ways do students vary? How can teachers take account of variability when students develop at different paces and across different dimensions of learning?
In this episode, Nina speaks with Sarah Bichler, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Passau in Germany. Sarah says children grow and learn in different ways, sometimes steadily, sometimes through abrupt shifts. Recognizing individual learning timelines allows teachers to “design the instruction that matches the learner’s developmental stage”.
Nina then hears from Meesha Arora, an economics teacher at an international school in New Delhi, India. Meesha sees students' confidence, analytical skills, and academic performance change over time with guidance, one-on-one attention, and use of AI in formative assessment. For Meesha, differentiating instruction is important because students come from different curricula and places. “I often spend the first six months just getting to know the child a little bit better”, she says, so she can cater to them.
Finally, Nina speaks to Karmen Linnamägi, a music therapist and primary school teacher in Estonia. Karmen works with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and uses participatory, creative teaching methods. Children “might have hidden skills and capacities, which suddenly at certain particular moments reveal themselves”, she says.
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Guests
Sarah Bichler: LinkedIn
Meesha Arora: LinkedIn
Karmen Linnamägi: Facebook
What role do families play in children’s learning as they grow into adolescence? How can teachers build partnerships with parents and caregivers? What happens when schools work with families?
In this episode, Nina speaks with Elisabetta Aurino, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Barcelona in Spain. Elisabetta shares findings from her research in Ghana showing how caregivers can support their teens, even with limited resources. She discusses why some parents hold back from getting involved and how teachers can communicate with empathy. “Parents still remain the main factor driving the children's learning and development, especially in the early adolescent years”, Elisabetta says.
Nina then hears from Shereen Abdullah, who teaches language and literature at an IB school in Cairo, Egypt. She specialises in supporting students with special educational needs. Shereen says that consistent, open communication between parents and schools can impact a student’s learning experience. Shereen says that just “a 10-minute talk with their parents on a daily basis” can help a student be well-rounded.
Next, Nina hears from Wendy McKenzie and Cheryl McKenzie, sisters with extensive teaching experience in Trinidad, the USA, and beyond. Wendy, who teaches at an all-boys secondary school in Trinidad, shares stories of deep parental engagement, from project mentoring to guidance sessions led by parents. She says that “those boys whose parents have been present in school, they are usually the boys who excel at school”.
Cheryl, a middle school teacher, tells Nina that parental involvement evolves as children mature. They can offer strategies to support teenagers’ emotional and social development alongside their academic growth. “We should have talks with parents encouraging them to be there for their child socially, be there for their child academically,” Cheryl says.
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Guests
Elisabetta Aurino: LinkedIn
Shereen Abdullah: LinkedIn, Instagram
Wendy McKenzie: BOLD profile
Cheryl McKenzie Eugene: Facebook
How can educators recognise and build on the strengths children gain from adversity? What happens when teachers shift from seeing deficits to seeing potential? How are children changing their own narratives with the support of educators?
In this episode, Nina explores children’s resilience and the strength they gain from living in difficult circumstances.
Nina first speaks with Gabriele Paone, a researcher in Oxford in the UK who studies how children in high-stress environments in different parts of the world develop strengths that are often overlooked. Gabriele focuses not on what students lack, instead recognising how they adapt, cope, and grow in the face of adversity. “Shifting from a deficit perspective to an adaptive one encourages educators to see potential strengths in differences”, Gabriele says.
Nina then speaks with Murimi Nyaga, known as Turi, a teacher and Teach For Kenya fellow working in Machakos, Kenya. Turi teaches in a rural community where students face family hardships, poverty, and emotional challenges. Despite this, he has seen students thrive when given support and creative outlets. Through projects like arts and music, children are building confidence and discovering hidden talents. “The learners that have been engaged in the project have gained esteem”, Turi says. “They're able to take up responsibilities. They're able to take up leadership in the school.”
Finally, Nina talks with Gilson Penha, a teacher and coordinator in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gilson works in schools that serve neighbourhoods impacted by inequality and violence. Gilson developed a story with Turi’s students about a young warrior who uses a magical spear to free his people from oppression. This story helped his students see themselves as protagonists of a story of change. “I really believe that education can change the social context within our neighborhood, within our community”, says Gilson.
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Guests
Gabriele Paone: Website
Murimi Nyaga (Turi): LinkedIn
Gilson Penha: Instagram
How can teachers support students in emergencies or difficult contexts? In this bonus episode, Nina hears advice for teaching in challenging conditions from four educators.
First Nina meets Diana Suárez, a teacher in Colombia and an expert in multilingualism and multiculturalism. Diana says that safe play spaces let children reconnect, express themselves, and feel joy again.
Next, Nina speaks to Gilson Penha, who teaches in a public school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gilson believes in building a welcoming school environment to support community involvement and hands-on, real-life activities that keep students motivated.
Murimi Nyaga, known as Turi, is a middle school teacher from Machakos, Kenya. He tells Nina about connecting students with nature through school gardens and conservation projects. These experiences help students develop a sense of belonging and purpose, even if they struggle academically or face difficult home lives.
Finally, Nina meets Antonio Castillo, a recent graduate from Spain, who works in afterschool programs for youth at risk of dropping out. He builds trust through authenticity and humility. By letting his students teach him first, he is able to truly connect.
Join the Teachers’ Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Diana M. Suárez: LinkedIn
Gilson Penha: Instagram
Murimi Nyaga (Turi): LinkedIn
Antonio Castillo
Teachers Without Borders: website
What makes leadership and innovation critical in education during emergencies? How do local educators overcome challenges with limited resources? How can communities and technology help sustain learning in crisis contexts?
In this episode, Nina first speaks to Katy Noble, Head of Education in Emergencies at Teach For All, based in Palestine. Katy shares insights from 15 years working with crisis-affected communities, reflecting on how leadership in emergencies requires both adaptability and care. She believes in distributed, human-centered leadership. Katy says: “We need to question long held sector norms, like the obsession of focusing on access to education over quality learning outcomes, or this laser focus on student wellbeing at the expense of teacher wellbeing.”
Nina also hears from Atukunda Samuel, Head Teacher of Navikale Refugee Settlement Secondary School in Uganda. Samuel tells Nina about the daily realities of leading a school under extreme pressure, including limited resources, overcrowded classrooms, and the emotional toll on both students and teachers. He also talks about the strength of the community: “The entire community plays a role. The school principals look for ways to recruit additional teachers amongst the internally displaced populations.”
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Guests and resources
Katy Noble: LinkedIn
Teach For All video: Education in Emergencies: Connecting across borders
Atukunda Samuel: LinkedIn
Why is evidence so important in education solutions? How is evidence incorporated into large-scale educational solutions? How can evidence lead to greater equity in education?
In this episode, Nina first speaks to Vicky Colbert, from Colombia. Vicky is the founder of Fundación Escuela Nueva, an NGO that has shaped the way multigrade classrooms operate. Vicky tells Nina how they use evidence to ensure their work is effective, equitable, and scalable. Evidence improves outcomes, by showing what works and what doesn’t work. Teachers are the agents of change in their solution, as they get together to learn. Vicky says that “teachers sometimes learn more from other teachers than from experts”.
Next, Nina meets Karen Levesque, Head of Research at Imagine Worldwide. Imagine Worldwide is an NGO making education accessible through technology and self-directed learning. They strongly believed that personalised EdTech had the potential to make a difference in Sub-Saharan Africa, but they wanted to prove it could make a difference before implementing their solution. “Having an evidence base can help schools and systems decide: what is best for our children?” Karen says.
Both NGOs are winners of the 2024 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prizes, in recognition of institutions and individuals implementing evidence-based solutions aimed at promoting child development and learning in practice.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Vicky Colbert: LinkedIn, X
Fundación Escuela Nueva: website, Facebook, YouTube
Karen Levesque: LinkedIn
Imagine Worldwide: website, short introduction video, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Should arts and science come closer together? How are teachers bringing these subjects together in the classroom?
In this episode, Nina talks to Pamela Burnard, Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations at the University of Cambridge in the UK. “When we look at creative industries, real world practitioners are not sitting in expert siloes, they are collaborating, they are co-authoring,” Pamela says. In medicine, culture, and technologies, people are connecting, she says.
Next, Nina meets Silvana Baico, a primary educator in Uruguay. Silvana connects learning with art and movement, looking for the math and geometry in dance. Silvana also trains teachers in this. ”Teacher training is essential because you give them the kind of fresh air, a sort of renewed desire to do things, to imagine new things,” says Silvana.
Ingrid Delange is a secondary teacher working in Luxembourg. “If you mix art and mathematics, you can definitely develop creativity,” Ingrid tells Nina. For Ingrid, the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí is a source of inspiration and she uses his work in the classroom. Students are able to see beyond the painting and create their own interpretations of this art.
Lastly, Nina speaks to Akina Lam, a teacher librarian in Hong Kong. “ I believe that by blending maths with stories, we can make it more engaging and accessible for everyone.” She recommends storybooks to children that incorporate mathematical concepts, such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Pamela Burnard: LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Sculpting New Creativities in Primary Education (book)
STEAM gardens
Silvana Baico: Instagram
Ingrid Delange: LinkedIn
Akina Lam: LinkedIn
HK Gorden Dragon Book Awards organized by Akina Lam
What is high sensitivity? How many children in a classroom are highly sensitive? How can teachers support highly sensitive children?
In this bonus episode, Nina talks to Michael Pluess, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Surrey. Michael has been studying children’s individual differences in sensitivity for more than 10 years. Around 30% of children are highly sensitive, he says, which means they are more affected by their environment, whether that’s positive or negative.
Michael and his team have developed free resources for teachers which will help teachers learn about sensitivity and provide a classroom environment suited for those children. There’s a questionnaire to help teachers identify sensitive children in the classroom, and an online training course for teachers to complete which comes with a certificate.
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Guest and resources
Michael Pluess: University profile, LinkedIn, X
sensitivityresearch.com: Test your student, Teacher training
How to support highly sensitive children in class - Michael Pluess and Cherry Hirst share strategies for teachers and caregivers to help highly sensitive children thrive
Should learning be easy or effortful? What’s the zone of failure and why is it useful for learning? How can teachers design tasks for deep learning?
In this episode, Nina talks to Manu Kapur, Professor of Learning Sciences and Higher Education at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. When Manu was a teacher of grade 12 mathematics, he noticed that student understanding was quite shallow, even when explanations were very clear. This inspired him to study why that happens, and what can be done about it. The science shows that deep learning happens “in that zone which is beyond your current skill sets and abilities”, Manu says. Tasks need to be in that zone of failure for students to learn something new.
Next Nina hears from primary school teacher Katharine Young who works in Spain. Katherine sees a move away from teachers simply passing on information. “We have to present meaningful learning situations”, she says. Katherine focuses on active, project-based learning, where students learn by doing.
Nina also meets Toyin Awofeso from Rwanda DOS International Montessori School in Rwanda. In Montessori classrooms, lots of autonomy is given to the students, but teachers plan for every child. Toyin lets her students figure things out on their own in their projects, leading to aha moments. “Having them discover the concept you are trying to teach them makes the memory everlasting for them”, Toyin says.
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Guests and resources
Manu Kapur: website, book, PDF book chapter, LinkedIn, Instagram
Katharine Young: LinkedIn
Toyin Awofeso: LinkedIn
Why is sleep important as children grow? Are young people getting enough sleep? How can schools work with families to make sure children get the sleep they need?
In this episode, Nina talks to Jared Saletin, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University and the Associate Director of the E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep Research Laboratory in Rhode Island, the US. “Sleep is critical across the entire lifespan”, Jared says. “And it's critical for mental health. It's also critical for physical health.” Jared tells Nina about the ‘perfect storm’ of adolescence, whereby teenagers’ lives are scheduled in opposition to their biology. Even one night of insufficient sleep compromises memory, attention, and mood, he says.
Nina hears from three teachers who share experiences from their classrooms. Ganiyat Muritala Wuraola from Nigeria helped a student who was sleeping in class by talking to her family, who then made sleep a priority.
Rocío García Solca, a Chemistry teacher from Argentina, discovered that many of her students were getting just five hours’ sleep a night. She encourages them to sleep well the night before an important or difficult lesson.
Kawita Thani teaches teenagers in Vietnam. At Kawita’s school, they’re making a change in the schedule in response to the sleepiness students feel at different times of the day, in the hope it helps students to learn.
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Guests and resources
Jared Saletin: LinkedIn, website, Frontiers for Young Minds article
Ganiyat Muritala Wuraola: LinkedIn
Rocío García Solca: LinkedIn
Kawita Thani: LinkedIn
In this episode, Nina first meets Chaitra Murlidhar, in Boston in the US. Chaitra is the Global Lead of Leadership Development at Teach For All. Teach For All developed a Teaching as Collective Leadership Framework, which puts growing student leadership at the core of its approach to education. “Nobody can do this alone”, Chaitra says. “We are all connected with the common challenges we face in education.”
Next, Nina speaks to Hamlet Khachatryan, who teaches English as a foreign language in Armenia. He noticed that students in his classroom weren’t listening to each other, so he encouraged them to listen to each other’s voices and understand that everyone’s ideas matter. Hamlet says, “listening is an indicator of being a good leader”.
Finally, Nina meets Nicole Ames Chipana, who shares her experiences teaching science in a rural school in Peru. Nicole gave students challenges that mattered to them in their real lives, not just for school. “Leadership is about taking action and believing in your own power to create change.”
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Chaitra Murlidhar on LinkedIn, on X
Teach For All on LinkedIn
Teaching as Collective Leadership
Hamlet Khachatryan on LinkedIn, on Instagram, and on Facebook
Teach For Armenia on LinkedIn, and on X
Nicole Ames Chipana on LinkedIn, and on Instagram
Enseña Perú on Facebook, and on X
In this short bonus episode, teachers Magdalena Balica, Kawita Thani and Sanja Vičević Ivanović share their tips for supporting teacher and student wellbeing in the classroom. Magdalena Balica and Sanja Vičević Ivanović, who were guests on the full episode about teacher wellbeing, suggest using mindfulness techniques for stress relief, cultivating the social side of wellbeing, and focusing on your purpose and meaning as an educator.
Practitioners also shared with Nina the following ten ideas for slowing down and nurturing wellbeing in the classroom.
- Guide students through some deep breaths as they sit comfortably. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, and exhale for 4. It can help young students to suggest smelling a flower for 4 counts, freezing for 4, and then gently blowing out a candle for 4.
- Lead the class in some simple body stretches to release tension. Include neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, and side bends.
- Ask students to tense and relax their muscles. Inhale for 4 counts, tense all the muscles for 4, then exhale and relax all the muscles for 4. Repeat 4 times. On the last go, tense all muscles to their maximum. For a variation, guide them to breathe in while moving the neck to one side, and breathe out coming to a neutral position. Repeat the exercise using different parts of the body.
- As students inhale, they draw the breath with a crayon. When they exhale, they move the crayon in a different direction.
For a variation, students draw a circle whenthey inhale, and a line when they exhale. Start with 10 breaths or set a timer for 3 minutes. - Ask students to concentrate on the sensory details of something in nature, ideally outdoors. If you’re indoors, provide something from nature such as a flower. Ask students to observe and feel the texture, the colours, the patterns, the smell etc.
- Read a story aloud for 5 minutes each day or play an engaging audiobook.
- Challenge students to find and count items of a certain colour or shape they can see in the classroom within 2 minutes.
For a variation, ask students to close their eyes and focus on the sounds around them for 1 minute. They can share them with the class or keep them in a journal. - On a rainy day, or as you play the sound of rain, ask students to close their eyes for 30 seconds as they concentrate on the rhythm of the rain. In pairs, one student gently taps with the tip of their fingers on the wrists of their partner, mimicking the rhythm of rain falling. Each partner does this for 30 seconds.
- In pairs, students lay on their backs, placing a small stuffed animal or a book on their stomachs, focusing on the item rising and falling with their breath.
- What am I doing well (in my life, at home, in school, anywhere?) Write a note of appreciation for yourself in the centre of the page - what are you doing well in life, at home, in school, or elsewhere? Scribble a continuous line around it, twisting and turning, in and out, left and right.
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Guests and resources
Magdalena Balica on LinkedIn
Sanja Vičević Ivanović on LinkedIn
Kawita Thani
What supports teachers’ wellbeing? Can improving teacher wellbeing impact students’ wellbeing and their learning?
In this episode, made in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB), Nina first talks to IB researcher Magdalena Balica from the Hague in the Netherlands. Magdalena looks at three elements of teacher wellbeing: Satisfaction with school life, positive emotions, a sense of purpose and meaning. Teachers’ wellbeing is often considered a personal matter, says Magdalena, but “in many cases, it’s a systemic problem that we need to support and address”.
Nina stays in the Netherlands to meet Claudia Casalino-Korevaar, a chemistry teacher and coordinator of the middle school years program at a school in Amsterdam. “When teachers take care of their own wellbeing, they are better positioned, leading to a more supportive and productive learning environment”, Claudia says.
Finally, Nina meets Sanja Vičević Ivanović, a language teacher and primary school years IB program coordinator in a school in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. They take wellbeing very seriously at their school, including for teachers. “Taking care of our own wellbeing is absolutely the key when it comes to taking care of students’ wellbeing,” Sanja says.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Magdalena Balica on LinkedIn, policy research paper What is well-being?
Claudia Casalino-Korevaar on LinkedIn
Sanja Vičević Ivanović on LinkedIn
International Baccalaureate
Research Well-being for schoolteachers, Why well-being matters during a time of crisis, Supporting student well-being in a digital learning environment
Podcast episode Teacher Wellbeing: The Key to Student Success
HundrED’s Spotlight on Wellbeing in Schools report
What support do teachers need from their leadership teams? How does school leadership impact children’s learning?
In this episode, Nina first hears from Shulammite Ajayi, a science teacher in Nigeria. Encouragement from her school leader helps Shully to motivate her students. “ When teachers are encouraged, when teachers are well-equipped with tools, with 21st century strategy, teachers want to work.”
Jazzera Muneer is a special educator in India. “Inclusive education should not be a privilege, but a standard practice across all schools”, she tells Nina. Jazzy believes that inclusive education starts with inclusive school leadership.
Next, Nina hears from Egoitz Etxeandia, a Spanish teacher. “School principals and school leaders are one of the pillars and the most important stakeholders to transform education.” Leaders build the environment for teachers to innovate in, he says.
Nina then speaks to four members of the African Centre for School Leadership in Rwanda. Regional coordinator Fay Hodza tells Nina that “effective school leaders brings back the dignity to the teacher”. Nina also hears from technical lead Chantal Kabanda Dusabe, and education advisors Joselyne Cyiza Kirezi and Etienne Ntawigira. They tell Nina how strengthened school leadership can improve learning outcomes and wellbeing for teachers and learners.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Shulammite Ajayi on LinkedIn
Jazzera Muneer on LinkedIn
Egoitz Etxeandia on LinkedIn
Fay Hodza on LinkedIn
Chantal Kabanda Dusabe on LinkedIn
Joselyne Cyiza Kirezi on LinkedIn
Etienne Ntawigira on LinkedIn
African Centre for School Leadership website, on LinkedIn, on Facebook, on X
VVOB Rwanda website, on Facebook, VVOB on X
School leadership in Africa
School Leadership for Equitable Quality Education
What could solve the challenge of teacher shortages around the world? What inspires teachers to become teachers in the first place? How do teachers find a connection with their students?
In this episode, Nina talks to Carlos Vargas, Head of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat at UNESCO. The Teacher Task Force was formed in 2008. Its mission is to fill the gap in quantity of teachers and quality of teaching, to provide equitable, inclusive and quality education for all. “We forget that the working conditions of teachers are the learning conditions of students”, Carlos says. He argues that motivation will suffer if teachers do not have good working conditions or believe they’re making a difference.
Next, Nina meets Teemu Kuutila, a teacher of primary and middle school children in Jyväskylä, in the north of Finland. Teemu loves his job, and finds teaching very rewarding. He tries to be a good role model, he uses humour, and he brings personality into his teaching. “My advice would be to share about your personal life with the students. I've noticed that it has a tremendous effect”, Teemu says.
Nina then talks to science teacher Hina Mahmood, in Bahawalpur in Pakistan. Hina takes an integrated approach to teaching science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), giving students projects that involve applying knowledge to real world situations. “I love my subject area and want to share that enthusiasm with my students”, Hina says. “ I chose this profession because teachers influence the thoughts, values, beliefs of the students, helping to mold the next generation of citizens.”
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Carlos Vargas-Támez - Teacher Task Force website, resource centre, Strategic Plan, on YouTube, on X, on LinkedIn
Teemu Kuutila - on YouTube
Hina Mahmood - Roots Ivy International Schools on Instagram
Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential.
Join Nina Alonso for the fourth season of the podcast in which she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences. Every episode, Nina invites international experts on learning and child development to give their thoughts on the big topics in education.
How does teacher wellbeing impact student wellbeing? How important is sleep for learning? What does strong school leadership look like? Explore these questions and many more in our fourth season, and hear from inspiring teachers and amazing guests.
ContactJoin us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://boldscience.org/podcasts/teachers-voices
Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning when you subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter here: https://boldscience.org/
Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
The final episode of Teachers’ Voices season 3 opens with Sister Zeph, winner of the 2023 Global Teacher Prize, talking directly to teachers. “You are a future maker”, she says. These words inspired the rest of this mini-episode, which explores futures literacy. What is futures literacy? What do students gain from futures literacy? How can teachers incorporate it into their classrooms?
Former teacher Michelle Blanchet, co-author of the Startup Teacher Playbook and Co-Founder of The Educators’ Lab answers these questions for Nina. Michelle is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Futures literacy is “a way to encourage young people to use their imagination and their agency to adapt, invent, recover, prepare for all the changes that we're experiencing”, Michelle explains.
Teachers’ Voices will be back for season 4 later this year.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Sister Zeph - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Global Teacher Prize
ZWEE Foundation of Sister Zeph - Facebook, Instagram
Michelle Blanchet - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
The Educators’ Lab - Twitter/X, Medium, Facebook
UNESCO - Futures Literacy
Contact
Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.
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Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.
Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com.
Why is it important to make sure children have words to name their emotions? How can teachers promote mental health and wellbeing? Is it possible to remove academic pressure from school?
In this episode, Nina first meets Sarah Griffiths, a Senior Research Fellow at University College London and Co-Director of the Wellbeing and Language Lab in UCL’s department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology. “Language, particularly words for emotions, are critical for understanding emotions,” Sarah explains. Emotion understanding is not innate, children learn about emotions through conversations.
Next, Nina meets Riffat Arif, known as Sister Zeph, winner of the 2023 Global Teacher Prize. Sister Zeph talks to Nina from Gujranwala in Pakistan. She has given thousands of marginalized children and women access to learning. “Mental wellbeing has always been my priority”, Sister Zeph says. The children at her school are traumatised from poverty, hunger, and physical and mental violence, and Sister Zeph provides them a safe space.
Nina speaks to Virna Talarico, a teacher working in primary education in Zurich in Switzerland. Virna shares that they talk about emotions in the classroom - children have the right to feel emotions and other children have to respect that. “It is important that the children feel they are taken seriously”, she says.
Nina’s final guest is Joyce Mininger, Learning Director of the LearnLife primary years hub near Barcelona in Spain. “We take away the pressure of school”, Joyce explains. At their school, they reduce academic pressure to support children’s wellbeing. They also foster healthy relationships between learners, and work on teacher wellbeing too, which impacts children’s wellbeing.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Sarah Griffiths - Lab, Twitter/X, UCL
Sister Zeph - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Global Teacher Prize
ZWEE Foundation of Sister Zeph - Facebook, Instagram
Joyce Mininger - LinkedIn
LearnLife, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter/X
Dr Ross Greene explains Plan B, a technique to solve problems collaboratively with children
Virna Talarico
Contact
Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.
Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.
Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.
Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com.
What types of physical activity benefit students? Can bringing movement and play into different academic classes help children learn? How can spaces and classes for movement be inclusive?
Nina first meets Fotini Vasilopoulos, a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydney in Australia. “Physical activity is important for physical health, for mental health, and it also can drive behaviours for learning.” Fotini suggests giving children different types of experiences - not just sports, but also play and dance, which can foster inclusivity.
Next, Nina speaks to Saumil Majmudar in the Himalayas, India. Saumil is the founder of Sportz Village, India's largest youth sports platform. “We do something very simple,” Saumil says, “we just get kids to play”. The Sportz Village approach is to give children the time and space to play safely with others their own age.
Nina also hears from Tanya Sheckley, founder of the Up Academy and host of the Rebel educator podcast. Tanya is based in California in the US. Tanya’s school incorporates movement and play into classroom time, and students can have breaks from work on a large monkey bar structure.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Fotini Vasilopoulos
Saumil Majmudar - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook
Sportz Village - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook
Tanya Sheckley – LinkedIn, Facebook, Rebel Educator podcast
UP Academy - Twitter/X
Contact
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In what ways do students differ from each other in their learning? How does one student vary in their own learning from day to day? How can schools embrace these types of learning variability?
In this episode, Nina talks to Julia Leonard, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Learning variability, Julia explains, is both “my learning might be different than your learning” and “my learning one day might be different from the other day”. It is also that “my learning in one class might be different than another class”. Julia’s research asks how educators can create contexts that bring kids to the top of their potential.
Nina also meets Guyot Betoto, a secondary school teacher from Madagascar. Guyot teaches large groups of students and is always looking for ways to adapt to student variability. He explains how he moves around the group and identifies learners’ needs, and empowers students to lead and motivate others in the group: “They do it with pleasure”.
Next, Nina speaks to two edupreneurs from LearnLife in Barcelona, where students’ interests and passions are at the centre of their learning. Emma Buckle, Community Partnerships & Development Director, explains that the LearnLife approach is a “truly personal model that helps learners focus on and find their own personal passion”.
Devin Carberry, LearnLife’s Barcelona Hub Lead, tells Nina about the way students direct their own learning. “Amazing projects come out of this because we give learners a space to reconnect with learning how they like to do it.”
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Guests and resources
Julia Leonard - Lab website, Twitter/X
Guyot Betoto
Emma Buckle - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
Devin Carberry - LinkedIn
LearnLife - website, Facebook, YouTube
Contact
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How can teachers help students make a positive change in their communities? How can schools better connect education with the future of work?
In this bonus mini episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina hears practical tips from last episode’s guests Alison Yang, Barbara Bilgre, Maud Seghers, and Larisa Akrofie. Nina is also joined by Tanya Sheckley, an edupreneur and host of the podcast Rebel Educator. All share their tips and inspiring resources for instilling an entrepreneurial mindset and preparing students for the future of work.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Alison Yang - LinkedIn, website
Barbara Bilgre - LinkedIn
Global Issues Network
Round Square
African Leadership Academy
Maud Seghers - LinkedIn
VVOB - website, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook
Larisa Akrofie - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
Tanya Sheckley - website, Rebel Educator podcast
Contact
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What is an entrepreneurial mindset? Why should educators nurture entrepreneurial mindsets in young people? What entrepreneurial projects have teachers developed in classrooms around the world?
In this episode, Nina first speaks to Maud Seghers. Maud is a global education advisor at VVOB in Belgium, an international organisation devoted to education development. An entrepreneurial mindset is not just about starting and managing projects, programs, and businesses that generate wealth, Maud says, as a lot of entrepreneurs and young people also want to “maximise benefits to society and the environment”.
Next, Nina meets Larisa Akrofie in Ghana. Larisa is Lead of Skills and Education at the Mastercard Foundation and believes that building entrepreneurial attitudes in the growing young population in Africa is really important. “High rates of entrepreneurial skills will go a long way to empower young people to create their own opportunities and contribute to the diversification of economies and address social challenges”, Larisa says.
Nina then speaks to Alison Yang, an international school teacher in Hong Kong who specialises in entrepreneurship. Alison explains that students often acquire skills and knowledge but don’t necessarily know how to apply them outside the classroom. “That's why we have the entrepreneur project”, she explains, to explicitly show students how to apply their “knowledge and interest to create something that's useful”.
Finally, Nina hears from Barbara Bilgre, a marine biologist and science teacher in India. Barbara believes that “if you're going to be setting up a business, you should have in mind a purpose for social improvements and social justice”. Barbara tells Nina about the benefits of connecting schools with social entrepreneurs who are working to improve the environment.
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Guests and resources**
Maud Seghers - LinkedIn
VVOB - website, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook
Larisa Akrofie - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
Plugging African Youth - WhatsApp Channel
Alison Yang - LinkedIn, website
IB Middle Years Programme - Twitter/X
Barbara Bilgre - LinkedIn
Contact
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What barriers keep girls from fulfilling their potential in STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics – subjects?
Nina first meets Maliha Fawzia, the interim Global Head of Girls’ Education at Teach For All. Maliha joins Nina from Bangladesh. Maliha explains that the first barrier for girls studying maths and science is feeling welcome in the classroom as girls. “It's first and most important to feel safe, to be seen, to feel confident, to share their opinion”, she says.
Next, Nina meets math teacher Patrycja Janekankit, based in Poland. Patrycja gets to know her students as well as possible, and makes sure they get to know her – for example, through telling them about her previous work as a financial analyst. “My teaching methods are built on authenticity and honesty”, she says.
Next, Nina speaks to chemistry teacher Shulammite Ajayi from Nigeria. “I use role models and guest speakers for my science projects”, Shulammite tells Nina. She shows students that they can solve real life problems using science. “I try as much as possible to relate each of the topics with what they see in their environment.”
Finally, Nina speaks to biology teacher Kainat Rohail from Pakistan, who, like Shulammite, connects students’ work with their daily lives. Kainat also invites people with STEAM careers to talk to students, and she arranges lab and university visits for students. This helps students to focus not just on their grades, but also their careers. It is “helping them to achieve their long term goals”, Kainat explains.
This episode was made in collaboration with Teach For All, a global network in more than 60 countries around the world, developing collective leadership to ensure all children can fulfil their potential. The teachers in this episode are Fellows of the Teach For All Global Girls' Education program.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Maliha Fawzia - LinkedIn
Teach For All - website, Girls’ Education, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X
Patrycja Janekankit – LinkedIn, Facebook
STEAM projects are a pathway to modern education, Teach For All blog
Teach For Poland
Shulammite Ajayi - LinkedIn
Teach For Nigeria
Kainat Rohail - LinkedIn
Teach For Pakistan
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What is neurodiversity? How does it differ from neurodevelopmental disorders? How can schools make sure all children feel like they belong?
In this episode, Nina meets Alyssa Alcorn, lead researcher for the Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS) project at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Alyssa explains that neurodiversity concerns everyone, because everyone has a brain. Neurodiversity is a biological fact. “We are all different in how we think and feel and learn because our brains process information differently”, she says. “Neurodivergence is not about having a diagnosis, it means that you’re different from the majority in terms of your processing.”
Nina also speaks to Silvana Gili, a primary school teacher in Brazil. Silvana teaches 6- and 7-year-olds in an international school. Silvana explains that the classroom is organised according to students’ different needs, and tells Nina about their work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. “We as a school believe that students can only learn if they feel like they belong to that learning community”, she says.
Educator Chesta Dhingra tells Nina about inclusive education at her school in India. They have a tool for following the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), creating accessible learning environments for all learners. Chesta explains that they also have an individual educational plan for each child based on their needs.
Nina hears from Inés Bertoni from Argentina, who describes the challenge of providing the assistance kids need when resources and time are limited and classes are big. Not all schools have adequate resources.
Alyssa rounds off the episode with some useful tips for supporting all children in the classroom. Are there supports available for some children in the class with special arrangement? If so, could these be available to everyone, so that anyone can benefit - even those who might never think to ask?
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Guests and resourcesAlyssa Alcorn - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS)
Silvana Gili
Graded - The American School of São Paulo - LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X
Chesta Dhingra - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
Lancers International School - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X
Universal design for learning (UDL) and inclusive practices in IB World Schools
Inés Bertoni - LinkedIn, Instagram
In this bonus episode, Nina celebrates International Day of Education with former science teacher, Sarah Horley. Sarah is Programme Manager from Teachers for the Planet, a program that aims to improve climate change education. Teachers for the Planet are showcasing teacher-led climate change education solutions. Three of the teachers showcased in the Teachers for the Planet repository share their solutions with Nina.
First, secondary school teacher Astrid Hugli in Switzerland explains how she helps students understand whether common statements about climate change are true or false. Astrid also helps students understand how to reduce their carbon footprint. “Instead of just doing theory, I prefer to activate them with models and with experiments,” she tells Nina. Astrid uses a game with her students called Climate Fresk.
Next, Nina meets Nicole Swedlow from Mexico. Nicole tells Nina about an organisation called Compass Education, “a global network of educators who have come together because they believe that a flourishing world begins with sustainability in schools”. Compass Education’s tool helps teachers focus on systems thinking - an approach that acknowledges the interconnectedness of the challenges in the world.
Finally, Nina speaks to Scott Sinclair from a teacher’s network called TIDE - teachers in development education. They are asking: What are the educational implications of climate change? How is the world going to change and how will that affect schools? Teachers share their creativity and thoughts with each other through their magazine called the Elephant Times. Scott believes that teachers need to “connect and communicate in order to have a sense of the whole”.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines**.
Guests and resources**Sarah Horley - LinkedIn
Teachers for the Planet
Learning Planet Institute - Twitter/X
Learning Planet Festival
Colegio Mbaracayu - Instagram
Mbaracayu Technical Baccalaureate in Environmental Sciences
Astrid Hugli - LinkedInClimate Fresk
ICOS Cities Education Project
Nicole Swedlow - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
Compass Education - Resources, Toolkit, Twitter/X, Facebook
Scott Sinclair - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
Tide - Twitter/X
Elephant Times Magazine
Why is education important for conflict-affected children? How are teachers in conflict zones using EdTech? Can EdTech adapt to children’s changing learning conditions and help them to thrive?
In this episode, Nina talks to Jasmine Turner and Olena Onyshchenko from War Child about the EdTech solution Can’t Wait to Learn. Talking to Nina from Uganda, Researcher Jasmine explains that Can’t Wait to Learn is a digitized adaptive self-paced personal learning program, aligned with the national curriculum in each country it is used in.
Jasmine believes that education should not be an additional burden on parents and teachers in conflict zones. “Overall, it should be something supporting everybody, rather than adding to their stress.”
Olena is Senior Project Lead of Can't Wait to Learn for Ukraine. Based in the Netherlands, she explains what they learnt when the program was adapted for use in Ukraine, a more high-resource setting than previous contexts. As devices and video games are more common in Ukraine, the program had to be more sophisticated to capture children’s attention. “We're competing with other video games”, Olena tells Nina. The gaming, playful element is essential, she says, to reduce the stress of learning as much as possible.
Next, Nina meets Yuliana Dovhopol, a teacher who uses Can’t Wait to Learn with her students in Ukraine. “When we hear the sound of the siren, we immediately go down to the shelter”, Yuliana says. They don’t take any notebooks, so the students use their phones in the shelter and continue their learning with Can’t Wait to Learn.
Lastly, Nina hears from Oksana Kostyuchenko, a teacher who works in a hospital in Ukraine. “Our students are not at school desks, but in hospital beds”, she tells Nina. Oksana explains how students use the app to make up for topics they’ve missed, and how the repetition in the app is beneficial.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resourcesWar Child Holland - LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram
Can’t Wait to Learn - YouTube
Jasmine Turner
LinkedIn
Olena Onyshchenko
LinkedIn
Yuliana Dovhopol
Facebook
Instagram
Oksana Kostyuchenko
School of Superheroes
ContactJoin us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
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In this episode, Nina talks to two experts from International Baccalaureate (IB) in Washington DC. Nicole Bien, Chief Schools Officer at IB, tells Nina that since the start of the pandemic, the IB has ensured wellbeing is at the core of the learning experience in their schools. “Wellbeing is so central to learning. Without it, there’s little space in a student’s mind and body to focus on learning”, Nicole says.
Jennifer Merriman, Global Director of Research, Policy & Design at IB, tells Nina about how the IB worked with Oxford Wellbeing Research Center to come up with a definition and framework for wellbeing. “Where they landed with the definition was student life satisfaction”, Jennifer says, and there are three components within that. One of their biggest insights is that there is “no trade-off to be had between wellbeing and academic performance”.
Nina also speaks to Charlotte Hankin, a teacher based in Bali. Charlotte describes the psychological, cognitive, social and physical components of wellbeing that she sees in the classroom. She believes that wellbeing is complex and dynamic, and that “everyone is part of the student's wellbeing”.
Lastly, Nina speaks to Yvette Larsson who works in an IB school in Sweden. Yvette tells a story about the changes her school made to support wellbeing when the pandemic hit and schools remained open while the rest of the world seemed to be in lockdown.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resourcesMamadou Diakhaté
Twitter
Mamadou’s association building new schools, water wells and toilets for schools: Twitter
Ingrid Delange
LinkedIn
Nicole Bien
LinkedIn
Jennifer Merriman
LinkedIn
Charlotte Hankin
LinkedIn
Yvette Larsson
LinkedIn
AHA! Wellbeing
International Baccalaureate
LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook
Festival of Hope: LinkedIn, Community Guide, YouTube trailer
Wellbeing research: What is well-being?, Supporting student well-being in a digital learning environment, Why well-being matters during a time of crisis, Well-being in education in childhood and adolescence, Join our student wellbeing learning journey with schools
Digital Promise
Designing an Intervention for Enhancing Student Wellbeing
What are children around the world learning about looking after finances and other resources? What should be in a financial and social education curriculum? How can teachers involve parents in discussions on these topics?
In this episode, Nina talks to two experts from Aflatoun, an international organisation based in the Netherlands that brings financial and social education to children worldwide. Cristina Peña, Programme Manager for the Americas, believes that “now more than ever, we need to really understand how to manage our resources”. Cristina says that children aren’t necessarily taught these skills or given opportunities to practise them.
Curriculum Specialist Chandni Mehta tells Nina about the education Aflatoun offers. It’s not just about saving money – it’s also about saving food, resources, and the environment. “We are trying to help children and youth understand the broader societal impacts of the financial decision”, Chandni says.
Nina also meets two teachers implementing Aflatoun’s programs. Aura Juarez in El Salvador runs workshops for students to discuss finances with their parents. “For most of them, it was the first time that they actually discussed home financing”, Aura says. For some kids, it changed how they saw money.
Nina also speaks to Induni Dandeniya in Sri Lanka. Induni shares the five core elements of the Aflatoun club she runs: personal understanding, saving, budgeting, social and financial enterprise, and children’s rights. Induni says the club is very popular in the school. “Most of these activities are done as games”, she says, “so they enjoy it and they love this”.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Cristina Peña
LinkedIn
Chandni Mehta
LinkedIn
Aura Juarez
Programa Oportunidades- FGK (Facebook)
Induni Dandeniya
Aflatoun profile
Aflatoun
Website
YouTube
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
In episodes 2 and 3 of Teachers’ Voices season 3, Nina explored lots of questions about AI in the classroom. What are teachers’ concerns about AI, and what opportunities do they see? How can AI adapt to individual students? And how can teachers take a human-centred approach to AI?
This special mini episode briefly introduces some AI resources that might help in the classroom. Nina hears from Harvey Spencer, ex-teacher and host of the podcast AI for Teachers based in Australia. Harvey recommends starting the integration of AI into your practice by reflecting on the challenges you want to address with AI, then picking the right solution for you. All of the resources Nina and Harvey mention are listed below.
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
How can educators use AI to support their students' learning? In this episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina explores the concerns and opportunities around AI in the classroom.
How can teachers take a human-centred approach to AI? In this episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina asks how AI can adjust to the needs of individuals, and how it can keep the human element of teaching.
ChatGPT: Educational friend or foe? Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Elias Blinkoff argue that artificial intelligence should be used to enhance, not limit, students’ learning.
Should ChatGPT replace teachers’ red pens? In episode 1 of our guest podcast Ed-Technical, hosts Libby Hills and Owen Henkel talk to assessment expert Daisy Christodoulou MBE.
Is AI the answer to better feedback for teachers? In episode 2, Libby and Owen speak to Dora Demszky, Assistant Professor in Education Data Science at Stanford University, about the potential and limitations of using large language models.
Guests and resources
Harvey Spencer
AI for Teachers podcast
Cognimates - A platform for building games, programming robots and training AI models.
OctoStudio - A mobile coding app for learners to experiment with coding and training language models.
Teacher Time Machine - A tool for generating digital resources like lesson plans and assessments.
Querium - Personalised, bite-sized lessons for mastering STEM skills.
Brilliant - Interactive courses and quizzes across STEM topics.
Gradescope - A tool to administer and grade assessments.
UNESCO Guidance for generative AI in education and research
ContactJoin us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
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How can AI adjust learning materials and feedback to the needs of individual students? How can teachers make sure that the human element is kept?
In this episode, Nina speaks to Inge Molenaar, director of the National Education Lab AI in the Netherlands (NOLAI). Inge is a Professor in Behavioral Science who specialises in the interface between education and technology. Inge tells Nina how AI can help to personalise students’ learning. “The technology is being used to adjust the learning materials, and the instruction, and the feedback to the needs of individual students.”
Nina also speaks to Cecilia Aguilera Campos, a teacher in Spain. Cecilia uses robotics to support her teaching in different subjects with primary school children. “I teach programming, 3D design, 3D printing, virtual reality, augmented reality”, Cecilia says. She doesn’t teach robotics on its own, it’s always alongside other areas of education such as maths or music.
Next Nina meets Zarqaish Sheharyar, a science teacher working with secondary school students in Pakistan. Zarqaish uses AI to help her be more efficient in her own work. Zarqaish turns to ChatGPT “when I don't have time enough to plan my lessons or design the questions”. She also guides her students to use it. “They can use the ideas given to them by the AI and then translate it into their own words, based on their own understanding.”
Finally, Nina hears from Yvette Larsson, a teacher in Sweden. Yvette has important conversations about the use of AI tools with her middle school learners. She also uses AI herself. For Yvette, ChatGPT is “like a brainstorm friend” for teachers who can be stressed with lots of admin to do. Yvette thinks ChatGPT can make teacher life a little easier. “What am I, as a teacher, going to put my energy and focus on?”
Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines**.
Guests and resources**
Inge Molenaar
LinkedIn
Twitter
National Education Lab AI (NOLAI)
Journal article: Towards hybrid human-AI learning technologies
Jacobs Foundation
Cecilia Aguilera Campos
LinkedIn
Zarqaish Sheharyar
LinkedIn
Facebook
Yvette Larsson
LinkedIn
Twitter
Blog
AHA! Accelerating Education
Guidance for generative AI in education and research
Ed-Technical: Insights on AI in education
Contact
Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
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What are the main concerns that teachers have about artificial intelligence in the classroom? What opportunities does AI open up for students? How can AI focus on automation while helping humans do what they’re best at?
In the second episode of Teachers’ Voices season three, Nina speaks to Stefania Druga, Principal Researcher at the Center of Applied AI Research at the University of Chicago. Stefania is the founder of Cognimates, an AI education platform for building games, programming robots, and training AI models.
Stefania believes that AI is “becoming one of the basic literacies along with reading and writing”. It is becoming embedded in every aspect of our lives, so we need to understand it, she argues. Stefania teaches programming to children so they can understand how it works, and to become critical users of AI.
Stefania understands the fear that some teachers feel about AI. “I understand it’s overwhelming, but we need to be in the driver’s seat. And what better way to support people to be in the driver's seat than starting very early?” Teachers don’t have to know everything about AI, but they can guide their students and have conversations around values.
Nina also hears from three educators – Marisa López, Paul Abok, and Yvette Larsson – who share some concerns about AI, such as privacy, security, and equity, as well as the opportunities they see, for personalised learning, for example. In the next episode, hear more from teachers in their own words talking about their experiences using AI for lesson planning and classroom instruction.
Join the new Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.
Guests and resources
Stefania Druga
Personal website
LinkedIn
Twitter
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business Center for Applied AI
Research publications
Cognimates AI education platform: Free resources
TEDx talk: The Power of Play
TEDx talk: HacKIDemia -- creative making for social impact
TEDx talk: Boys and girls should play together
TEDx talk: Tapping into children's creativity & technology to change the world (Romanian)
Marisa López
Facebook
Paul Abok
LinkedIn
Yvette Larsson
LinkedIn
Ed-Technical
Podcast about AI in education
Contact
Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
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Get in touch with us: podcastte
Welcome to the first episode in the third season of Teachers’ Voices. In this episode, Nina talks to Stefania Giannini, the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, in Paris. Stefania tells Nina that “education must be protected from all the threats around it, including climate change.” Education is also part of the solution, she says. Hear Stefania describe the four pillars of UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership.
Nina also meets Jimmy Brian Kayangue, a former teacher now implementing teacher training in rural Malawi. Jimmy tells Nina about a tree planting project to bring back what has been lost to floods and cyclones. Teachers plant trees with the communities they teach in, Jimmy explains, and “they understand that they are agents of change in their communities”.
Next, Nina meets Francis Bizoza who works with teachers and students in refugee camps in North Uganda. Francis has been putting together a project-based learning curriculum for out of school refugee children, so they can preserve the environment. Francis also tells Nina about the importance of teaching about global citizenship. “It helps us to bring in a sense of responsibility irrespective of where you are – whether you're in your home country, whether you're in a different community.”
Lastly, Nina hears from Celia Hogan, an educator, author, and founder of Little Kiwis Nature Play in New Zealand. “The children, when we go foraging, they’re learning identification, they’re learning taste, they’re understanding the leaves of the different plants. It’s a connection to nature.” Celia tells Nina that the children often want to share what they have learnt with their parents, sometimes bringing them back at the weekend to show what they’ve been doing.
Guests and resourcesStefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO
LinkedIn
UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership
On the road to COP 28: webinar series
Jimmy Brian Kayangue
LinkedIn
DAPP Supports Primary Schools to Plant More Trees
Francis Bizoza
LinkedIn
YouTube: The African Travelling Teacher
Celia Hogan
LinkedIn
Little Kiwis Nature Play
ContactJoin us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.
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Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential.
Join Nina Alonso for the third season of the podcast in which she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences. Every episode, Nina invites international experts on learning and child development to give their thoughts on the big topics in education.
What challenges and opportunities does AI bring to school life? How can children be more connected to nature and be agents of social and environmental change? Explore these questions and many more in our third season, and hear from inspiring teachers and amazing guests including Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education at UNESCO.
ContactJoin us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Join educational researcher Nina Alonso for this podcast series as she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences.
In the previous episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina heard from four inspiring guests about connecting children to nature so that it becomes more central in their learning and development.
In this special mini episode, Nina ends the season with recommendations and tips from those guests. Hear from Luis Alberto Camargo, Joaquin Leguia, Jeff Barrett, and Sal Gordon. Nina also speaks to Emma, a forest school teacher, who shares helpful resources for teachers and families to bring nature to kids’ lives.
Thank you to all of the educators and researchers who contributed to the second season of Teachers’ Voices. We’re busy working on season three and can’t wait to share more stories from teachers around the world with you later in the year.
Guests
Luis Alberto Camargo
LinkedIn
Twitter
OpEPA
Sal Gordon
LinkedIn
Green School – Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Jeff Barrett
Blue Mountain Wild School – Research, Facebook, Instagram
Emma
Joaquin Leguia
LinkedIn
Facebook
Resources and recommendations
IUCN Resources
‘Belonging’, an inspiring wordless picture book about re-greening the cities by Jeannie Baker
The Woodland Trust
David Sobel
Children’s land TiNi
Forest schools
Do children benefit from forest school?
Contact
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What is the role of nature in children’s learning and development? How are schools around the world connecting children to nature?
In this episode, Nina talks to Luis Alberto Camargo, a social entrepreneur who specialises in nature-based education. Luis tells Nina about the scientific research exploring the role of nature in children’s wellbeing. Nina also speaks to Joaquin Leguia, the founder of an approach that promotes healthy relationships between children and the Earth.
Nina also meets Jeff Barrett, an outdoor adventurer and the founder of a school in the Canadian forests, and Sal Gordon, the principal of a school in the jungles of Bali that aims to make the world sustainable.
Guests and resources
Luis Alberto Camargo
LinkedIn
Twitter
OpEPA
Education for Regeneration – Why EE Is Natural for Personal Growth and Understanding
Education for Regeneration – A Nature-Based Approach
Leading Change Beyond Sustainability
IUCN #NatureForAll
Children & Nature Network Resources
Global Lessons on Greening School Grounds & Outdoor Learning
OpEPA - Bringing Nature into Learning on HundrEd
Joaquin Leguia
LinkedIn
Facebook
Ania – Instagram, Facebook
Children’s Land (TiNi) – TiNi on UNESCO en español YouTube
Jeff Barrett
Blue Mountain Wild School – Research, Facebook, Instagram
Sal Gordon
LinkedIn
Green School – Instagram, Facebook
Coconut Thinking Podcast
Contact
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
How can educators take some of the stress and anxiety out of mathematics?
In this episode, Nina talks to Lindsey Richland, Associate Professor at the University of California, Irvine. Lindsey talks about the importance of teaching methods that incorporate reasoning skills. Nina also speaks to Dror Dotan, Head of the Mathematical Thinking Lab at Tel Aviv University, who describes the different knowledge processes that mathematical learning entails. Dror explains how understanding this can help in supporting individual learners.
Nina also hears from two former mathematics teachers – Elena Flores, Principal of Colegio Madrid in Spain, and Nate Madick in California, the Educators Outreach Lead of the digital platform Brilliant. Both discuss digital resources for mathematics teachers.
Guests and resources
Lindsey Richland, University of California Irvine
Dror Dotan, Mathematical Thinking Lab
Elena Florez, Colegio Madrid, LinkedIn
Nate Madick, Brilliant, LinkedIn, Twitter
Smartick
Listen to Lindsey Richland discuss the importance of developing children’s reasoning skills on a previous episode of Teachers’ Voices.
Read more by Dror Dotan: What’s the most effective way to learn the times table?
Thanks Laura Villar for dubbing Elena Florez
Contact
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
How can education be transformed so that all children, including the most underprivileged, have access to learning?
In this episode, Nina talks to Armando Ali in Kenya about organisations promoting children’s foundational learning across Africa, South Asia, and South America. Nina also hears from Francis Bizoza about accelerated learning interventions that help children catch up with foundational learning in a refugee camp in Uganda. Finally, Nina speaks to Koen Verrecht about his experiences working with the most underprivileged children who are out of school and living on the streets.
The guests share caring, respectful approaches and innovative solutions that can offer new opportunities for the most vulnerable children around the world.
Guests and resources
Armando Ali, CEO of the People's Action for Learning Network
Francis Bizoza
Learning Equality
Amal Alliance
Koen Verrecht, Strategic Education Advisor at VVOB
MobileSchool
Contact
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter
Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert
Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
In this special mini episode, teachers from Qatar, Mexico, and Nigeria share resources and recommendations for other educators.
Guests
Aljawhara Aladba from Teach For Qatar
Isaac Galindo from Enseña por México
Ganiyat Muritala Wuraola from Teach For Nigeria
Resources and recommendations
Teachers Pay Teachers
Twinkl
Socrative
Kahoot!
Freedom Writers
The Ron Clark Story
Contact
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert
Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
How can educators develop leadership mindsets in the classroom? What impact does this have on student agency, wellbeing, self-confidence, connections with others and also academic mastery?
In this episode, Nina talks to Robbie Dean, Director of Research, Evaluation, and Network Learning at Teach For All. Robbie explains how Teach For All developed a framework to support teachers to develop leadership mindsets among students in the classroom.
Nina also speaks to three teachers to understand more about the framework in practice. Aljawhara Aladba, an English teacher in an all girls school in Qatar, describes how the framework helped her cater to individual student needs better. Isaac Galindo is a secondary school teacher in Baja California, Mexico. He explains how the framework enabled him to make his classes more dynamic, engaging, and fun for the students. Ganiyat Muritala Wuraola, a primary school teacher in the south east of Nigeria, says it helped her to see the power of community.
The teachers reflect on the fact that they are active learners alongside the students, and they highlight the importance of teacher-student relationships.
Guests and resources
Robbie Dean from Teach For All
Isaac Galindo from Enseña por México
Aljawhara Aladba from Teach For Qatar
Ganiyat Muritala Wuraola from Teach For Nigeria
Teaching as Collective Leadership Framework
Contact
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
How can educators and caregivers better understand the needs of students who particularly struggle to stay engaged in a world full of distractions? Does allowing choice in the classroom better support the differing needs of all students? Why is teacher-family communication and collaboration so crucial for children who need extra support?
In this episode, Nina talks to teachers around the world about helping students who may find it difficult to stay on task, thrive in the classroom and beyond.
Cindy Anne, from Guangzhou in China, Rachel from Philadelphia in the USA and Michele Li from Hong Kong explain how they work creatively to support students with concentration, self regulation and task prioritisation. They also share tips to create supportive learning environments that can help strengthen the executive functions of students at different ages.
Guests
Cindy Anne D.
Rachel Epstein
Michelle Li
Resources and useful links
https://www.understood.org/
The Child Mind Institute
Executive Function & Self-Regulation (Harvard University)
https://www.grownowtherapy.com/
https://www.instagram.com/GrowNOWADHD/
https://www.clarifyadhd.com/
Technology doesn't have to distract from learning
How specific are developmental disorders?
Our changing understanding of neurodivergence
How can teachers support children with ADHD?
Contact
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
What impact does distractibility have on learning and development? How can digital tools help students manage digital distractions? What makes a supportive learning environment for students with ADHD?
In this episode, Nina Alonso speaks to Assistant Professor Melissa Dvorsky about the impact of distractibility on learning and development. Melissa also discusses the rise of digital education during the pandemic and how that impacted students with ADHD.
Nina also meets Bryan Dinner, a social entrepreneur with personal experience of growing up and living with ADHD. Bryan talks about a tool he developed that helps teens work independently at home and manage digital distractions.
Finally, Nina speaks to Mike McLeod, a counsellor and ADHD specialist. Mike shares practical advice to help teachers create a supportive learning environment that helps to strengthen executive functions.
Look out for the next episode, when Nina talks to teachers around the world about helping students who struggle to stay on task thrive in the classroom and beyond.
Guests
Melissa Dvorsky
Bryan Dinner, founder and CEO of Clarifi
Mike McLeod
Links
Technology doesn't have to distract from learning
How specific are developmental disorders?
Our changing understanding of neurodivergence
How can teachers support children with ADHD?
Contact
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter
Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert
Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
In this special mini episode, Nina celebrates World Teachers’ Day with a bonus episode of Teachers’ Voices. Listen for inspirational stories together with quick practical ideas and resources that educators and researchers have shared.
Guests
Teachers
Maree Karaka
Ingrid Delange
Monica Bhimwal
Azmin Mistry
Researchers
Sarah Richardson and Sladana Krstic from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).
Resources and recommendations
Read the summary of the ACER research conducted in collaboration with International Baccalaureate (IB) and the full report.
Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative by Ken Robinson.
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers.
Knowledge Works
Kath Murdoch
Flyaway Boy by Jane De Suza
Drama Resource, David Farmer
How to keep kids curious – 5 questions answered
Why are curiosity and creativity so relevant for all learning? Can curiosity in the classroom be measured? How can researchers and educators work together to develop teaching strategies that encourage children to embrace creativity?
Nina Alonso welcomes Sarah Richardson and Sladana Krstic from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) who have been conducting research in collaboration with International Baccalaureate (IB). They discuss partnering with teachers in the classroom to test prototype material with the ultimate aim of tracking and fostering creativity and curiosity among students.
Nina also talks to educators in China, India and Australia about the importance of curiosity and creativity in the classroom. The educators discuss their roles in the research conducted by ACER and the development of the tools they are able to use to support their learners.
Guests and resources
International Baccalaureate (IB)
IBO.org
IB Twitter
IB Facebook
LinkedIn
IB Instagram
Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
ACER.org/au
ACER Twitter
ACER Facebook
ACER Linkedin
Hunter Valley Grammar School (Australia)
Webpage
Maree Karaka was at Hunter Valley at the time of recording and is now Education Officer - Gifted Education at the Catholic Schools Office.
ISA International school Guangzhou, China
Linkedin
Ingrid Delange
Pathways school, India
Webpage
Monica Bhimwal (Headteacher, Pathways School)
Bombay International School (India)
Bombay International School
Azmin Mistry
Read the summary of the ACER research and the full report.
An additional study on behalf of the IBO about curiosity and creativity was conducted by Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment and can be found here.
Contact
https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights
https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
Newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter
https://bold.expert
Email: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
How can teachers promote gender equality? How easy is it to start challenging stereotypes in the classroom? Can gender responsive pedagogies help break down the barriers holding girls back?
In this episode, two educators, from Zambia and Paraguay, share their stories of challenging stereotypes, and encouraging and empowering girls in the classroom.
Nina also talks to Christina Kwauk, a social scientist and policy analyst specialised in girls’ education. Christina addresses the connection between gender equality in the classroom and societal change and how gender responsive and gender transformative pedagogical approaches can increase resilience.
Guests and resources
You can find Christina Kwauk on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Daughters of the Forest tells the powerful, uplifting story of a small group of girls in one of the most remote forests left on earth who attend a radical high school where they learn to protect the threatened forest and forge a better future for themselves.
VVOB GRP4ECE toolkit: A practical approach to gender-responsive pedagogy for early childhood education.
Further resources
UNICEF about girls education
The Malala Fund
Contact
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
Today’s episode is a collaboration with Sophie Bailey, from the Edtech podcast. Nina and Sophie explore the theme of collaborative learning using education technology.
How are researchers collaborating with children to co-design new technology? What’s the role of teachers in working with technology? How can technology be utilised in more challenging teaching environments?
To find out more, Nina and Sophie talk to Jason Yip, assistant professor of digital youth at The Information School at the University of Washington and Koen Timmers, a lecturer, author and founder of several global educational projects.
GuestsSophie Bailey - The Edtech Podcast
Website
Twitter Jason YipWebsite
Twitter
Koen TimmersWebsite
TwitterJoin us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter: https://bold.expert/newsletter
Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert
Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
In this special mini episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina Alonso recaps some of the resources her guests have shared with her so far this season. With a particular focus on teachers working to engage their students with environmental issues at local and global levels, listen in for tips, resources and sources of inspiration.
Guests
Terry Godwaldt is on Twitter and Linkedin.
Manuela Valentim is on Twitter or visit her website.
Resources
The Centre for Global Education – Twitter
Koen Timmers - Educator, Author, Speaker
Climate Action Project
Hashem Al-Ghaili (instagram)
Nina's recommendations for picture books about environment and conservation
- A Handful of Seeds by Monica Hughes
- Belonging by Jeannie Baker
- Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers
- The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter by Shabazz Larkin
- The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer
- We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
- Aani and the Tree Huggers by Jeannine Atkins
A video game recommendation from Ninahttp://neveralonegame.com/
A guide to more picture books around sustainable development curated by IBBY:
UNESCO-CERLAC IBBY Catalogue of children’s books for the sustainable development
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
Climate change can be an overwhelming concept for young people. But perhaps it can be made easier to understand and relate to by demonstrating local impacts and showing students how young people all over the world are dealing with similar issues.
How does youth activism support learning opportunities? What are the components of learning that best support ‘green life skills education’? How are teachers already helping students develop these skills, with vastly different access to resources?
In this episode, Nina talks to Christina Kwauk, an interdisciplinary researcher specialising in international development, education and climate change. She also talks to teachers from Madagascar, Kenya and Indonesia about their role in raising awareness among the students they teach, and providing them with the support they need.
Guests
You can find Christina Kwauk on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Read more: A new green learning agenda: Approaches to quality education for climate action.
The following are resources from Mohammed Raiza:
www.mongabay.com
www.mongabay.co.id
Instagram: We Make Change
Instagram: World Economic Forum
Instagram: Hashem Al-Ghaili
Read the article Guyot’s students co-wrote for COP26: DEAR GREEN PLACE / COP26: Madagascar's children are worried — and depend on those in power more than most
Mary Nadenge is on Facebook.
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
How can we help young people find their voices through activism and collaboration? And why is this an important element of education?
In this episode, Nina explores the many benefits that come from supporting youth activism – from building leadership skills to promoting empathy.
While each guest has a different international perspective – they are based in India, Canada and Trinidad – all three work collaboratively with schools and students at a local, regional and international level to support young people in their mission to build a more sustainable future.
Guests
You can find Annapurna Chintaluri on Twitter.
Terry Godwaldt is on Twitter and Linkedin.
Wendy Mack is on Twitter.
More information on the topics in this episode
The Centre for Global Education – Twitter
The Decarbonized project – Get involved
UNESCO associated schools network – Twitter
UN Climate Change Conference
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning: https://bold.expert
Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
Why is it so important to take a holistic approach to young people's sense of self? Nina explores how educators can be the connection between children, nature and the wider society with the aim of creating a community of learning.
In this episode, two teachers, from Portugal and Japan, share how their work enables them to support collaborations between students, schools and communities to help protect the environment.
Nina also talks to Ross Hall about the tools and actions needed for educators, schoolchildren and the wider community to learn and thrive together.
GuestsFor more info about Ross Hall and the work of the Jacobs Foundation, connect on LinkedIn or visit Learning Societies.
Ross's book recommendation: Designing regenerative cultures by Daniel Christian Wahl.
You can find Manuela Valentim on her website or on Twitter.
For more information about Blueschools: The Blue Schools concept, Blue Schools
Manuela’s inspiration: Koen Timmers - Educator, Author, Speaker
Barbara Bilgre is on Twitter.
For more information about the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos: GMFER
Barbara’s tips for resources:
Learning that transfers
Podcast: Cult of Pedagogy
Episode Highlights
- [02:25] Meet Ross Hall
- [03:25] What does 'thriving' mean?
- [07:26] What does the research say?
- [10:27] Inspiration and recommendation
- [11:09] Meet Manuela Valentim
- [12:28] Project-based learning
- [15:07] Building learning ecosystems
- [17:21] Manuela's tips and resources
- [19:24] Meet Barbara Bilgre
- [20:54] A life-changing moment
- [24:07] Barbara's advice and inspiration
- [26:32] The power of collaborative networks
Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers
Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://bold.expert/teachers-voices/
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Get in touch with us: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
Teachers' Voices, the podcast in which teachers tell their own stories, in their own words, is back for season two.
No matter the learning context - from Stockholm, to Uruguay - teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces we have for equity, access and quality in education. And they’re an important part of sustainable global development.
Join Nina Alonso for inspiring interviews with experts about learning and child development. Guests come from all over the world and discuss topics such as neurodiversity, youth activism, curiosity and creativity, educational technology, and gender equality.
Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or you’re interested in how children learn, be part of the conversation on how we encourage children to thrive in an uncertain world.
Teachers' Voices is produced in partnership with BOLD, the digital platform on learning and development.
There is a new episode every fortnight and you can find Teachers' Voices on your favourite podcast platform or on bold.expert.
Follow Teachers' Voices and make sure you don't miss the fascinating interviews in season two.
As adults we take it for granted that we have the ability to choose. But for children, they don’t always have the awareness that they have choices available to them.
Yet having agency, i.e. making choices based on active engagement in decision making, plays a vital role in developing a child’s self esteem as well as enabling their learning.
In this episode, we hear from Natalia Kucirkova, Professor of Early Childhood Education and Development about the role of children as independent agents of action.
“It is really about making sure that children have choices about their own lives, it is what gives life meaning isn’t it. Agency is a fundamental human right, some say supreme human value. I think we have to see both the learning benefits as well as this broader importance of agency.” - Natalia
We next hear from Koen, a strategic advisor for the Belgian organization for education and development, VVOB, based in Vietnam, who shares a story about children taking an experience and turning it into a class production:
“The satisfaction of seeing how the kids collaborated and seeing how proud they were when they realized what they had achieved, it's a very rewarding moment for a teacher to experience something like that.” - Koen
Finally we meet Aline who works as a researcher and university lecturer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She shares a story about how reading experiences with young children can support their agency:
“When we think about agency, it is not that we are free to do whatever we want or that the child can do whatever she wants… we are always dealing with the context around us.”
On today’s podcast:
Links:
- What children's agency means
- How educators can nurture children's agency
- The link between children's agency and motivation
- Why story apps feed children’s imagination
- How educators can help children make conscious choices
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
Good school practices are the key to helping build better educational systems, says Renaud Comba, research manager at UNICEF, but detecting exemplary school practices is easier said than done:
“For the first time we are paying attention to the already created, contextualized, cost effective local solutions that local stakeholders have created through practice and through understanding where they live and their context to really address global education challenges.” - Renaud
We also hear from three teachers trying to develop good creative practices in their daily work with children. First off we meet Andrea from Montevideo in Uruguay who teaches strong basic numeracy skills through play and experiential learning:
“In the pedagogy of our school it is very important to guide the learning development with lived experiences that include a body and sensorial experience….In the multiplication table, every scale is represented by an animal” - Andrea
Next we hear from hear from Suzie in Wyoming who explains the different dimensions of foundational skills when teaching visually impaired children:
“All things that people know by seeing not by doing we have to give [visually impaired] kids the experiences too and then from there we can learn the literacy piece because it will then be more meaningful and motivating.” - Suzie
We also meet Manda, a traveling teacher working in various schools in California, who shares how she supports the development of foundational skills with visually impaired children:
“So many of these skills that are taught in school are taught visually… sighted children are surrounded by letters…they also have access to social skills through seeing, like body language and visual expressions.” - Manda
And finally we hear from Francis Bizoza, a teacher trainer from Uganda, who stresses the need for teachers to motivate reluctant young people:
“When helping them understand it is important for you to be able to read, it is important for you to write well showing them that in their day to day life these are things we do daily, we read, we comprehend and we listen.” - Francis
On today’s podcast:
- The Data Must Speak
- The relevance of learning through play
- Learning numbers through bodily experiences
- The learning needs of visually impaired children
- The importance of improving young people’s motivation for learning
Links:
- Renaud Comba
- Data Must Speak (UNICEF)
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
Investing in children’s foundational educational skills is key to their learning and development, as these skills are the building blocks for other life skills and further education, says Professor Ricardo Sabates, a researcher dedicated to equipping out-of-school children in the global south with basic numeracy, reading and writing skills.
“One of the challenges that we have is that when children are not able to reach these foundational skills, when the curriculum that the teachers are trying to teach is further advanced than the capabilities and understanding of concepts of these children, then actually the curriculum is only being able to be followed by 10 percent of the children in the classroom.” - Ricardo
While some children don’t have the foundational skills they need to make learning happen, for others, the language they speak at home isn’t the language of instruction at school, which can lead to an even wider educational gulf developing.
This is something that Nadira, a social science teacher working in a multilingual community in South Africa, is very conscious about:
“What we find amongst our learners in the rural parts of our province is that they have a low self esteem because they do not have that parental support or they do not have that confidence that's built up from birth. Hence, the learners are very very afraid when it comes to speaking English.” - Nadira
Finally, we hear about the experience of Manu, a French primary school teacher who uses innovative project-based learning approaches to strengthen his students' motivation in learning how to read and write.
“A child needs to make sense of what he's doing. Why he writes, why he reads, what is the meaning of all that? The child needs to know why we ask him those things, because he needs to own his learning process.” - Manu
On today’s podcast:
- The importance of foundational skills
- The role of educators and teachers in accelerated learning interventions
- Tackling the gendered component of education
- The centrality of motivation and self esteem in children's learning
Links:
- Ricardo Sabates
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
We all remember that one teacher from school who had a long lasting positive impact on us. In this episode, we hear once more from a variety of educators around the world, each one sharing why they’re so passionate about preparing children for their future.
First we hear from Nadia in New York:
“The long impact that teachers have is we do things that we are passionate about, from our heart we pour into the lives of children not knowing where that would lead and we will not often have the opportunity of hearing how we've changed their lives.” - Nadia
We also hear again from Jose Luis, in Singapore, and from Pamela, in South Africa:
“I believe that teaching is not only about academics. I'm very passionate about giving and helping children gain skills in developing socially, building their self-esteem and having a positive outlook towards school and life in general.” - Pamela
Diana in the Gaza Strip highlights the need to support other teachers and keep them motivated during turbulent times, because the key to the success of any educational experience is the teacher. This is a view also held by Olasunkanmi in Nigeria, who during the pandemic created a digital platform to enable collaboration among educators.
So if you’re an educator, wherever you are in the world, and you are looking for ways to improve your teaching practice, download and listen to Teachers’ Voices. Here you’ll find incredible dialogue from a variety of teachers all in different locations, discussing the latest pedagogical research and how they’re implementing it in their daily teaching.
On today’s podcast:
- The positive impact of a teacher’s recognition
- Teachers are agents of social change and transformation
- Educators need the support of other educators
- What we can learn from the variety of teachers’ voices
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
Our world is evolving so quickly and the skills that students needed to thrive just a few years ago are fast becoming obsolete. So what 21st century core competencies do students need to learn to succeed in our modern world?
In this episode we are joined by two inspiring teachers, Enzil and Samaya, who, despite working in very different places – The Bahamas and Nepal - and teaching very different subjects - drama and technology – both prioritize strategies that develop 21st century skills.
Our special guest today, framing the stories that Enzil and Samaya share, and providing us with his definition of 21st century skills, is Goren Gordon, a researcher studying the potential of social robots to promote curiosity in children.
“21st century skills [are] sometimes called super skills. They're called the 4 Cs, so it's about creativity, communication and collaboration and critical thinking… I would actually add another one, which is the 5th C, which is curiosity.” - Goren.
First we hear from Enzil in The Bahamas, who teaches drama in Nassau’s Saint Andrew International School:
“If we, as teachers, think beyond the content, we can invite [students] to bigger places or broader places that allow them to feel connected to real world experiences. And in that way, it's not ignoring the content, it's actually adding value to the content.” - Enzil.
Next we hear from Samaya who is developing a STEM workshop with Karkhana, a Nepalese social enterprise dedicated to showing children creative ways of using science and technology.
“Most of the time we'll be focusing on a full skill, so the child learns how to think critically… So we know how we can communicate with people, how we can communicate our ideas. Also, how to be creative. Also, the most important thing is that we can't do the work alone. We need a team, we need to know how to work in a group that means collaboration.” - Samaya
On today’s podcast:
- Developing skills that can be applied to the real world
- Building skills through STEM education
- Social robots and the skills they help children learn
- Developing a sense of community around robots
Links:
- Email: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
- Bold.expert
- Karkhana
- Goren Gordon
- Saint Andrew school
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts
One key aspect of children’s lives and development which many of the teachers we have spoken to for this podcast have mentioned, regardless of who they’re teaching and where they are, is the relevance of parental and family engagement in children’s education.
Their observations mirror the findings of today’s guest Sharon Wolf, an applied developmental psychologist interested in how young children’s social environments - specifically their families and schools - shape their development.
“Parents' involvement really can enhance the children’s academic outcomes. Not just how they engage in school, but their positive attitudes and their behaviours, and how they feel about school.” - Sharon
We are also joined by teachers in Lebanon and India, and hear in-depth insights from an impactful parental engagement program in Cajon Valley, California.
First we hear from Nour, who works in a kindergarten in Lebanon, supporting the special needs of autistic children.
“The program that I am working on relies a lot on consistency and without the parents' engagement this is very difficult to do. You cannot be consistent with the work that you are doing if the parents are not engaged.” - Nour
Next we hear from Janice Raymond, lead of the project Family and Community Engagement (FACE) in Cajon Valley, Southern California.
“Regardless of who you visit, other parents in the apartment buildings see you, other kids see you doing visits. All of a sudden everyone wants a home visit. You affect more than just that one family. The relationship is built in the community just by reaching out and making that first step. It is really quite astonishing how that ripple effect works. You don’t need to visit every single family to have an effect on every single family.” - Janice
On today’s podcast:
- Why the pandemic opened parents’ eyes to their children’s schooling
- The need for teacher-parent supportive relationships
- Why family engagement in children's schooling is crucial
Links:
- Email: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
- Bold.expert
- Center for Universal Education at Brookings
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
Over the last 18 months teachers have had to find innovative ways to not only teach, but engage with students. For many, they’ve relied on technology to help them educate their students. But how do technology and play contribute to learning?
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection between learning through play and technology. First we speak with Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Chair of Learning Through Play and the Vice-President of the Lego Foundation, about the increasing role technology has in learning through play.
“When we look at how technologies are used in playful ways, where they test and try out things, they engage in collaborative activity, they use it to integrate and explore the environment. There's huge opportunities both for development and for learning.” - Bo
We also hear firsthand accounts from two inspiring teachers from two very different contexts, about the impact technology has had on enabling their students to learn through play.
First we hear from Patrizia in Monterrey, Mexico who works with all ages, but tells us about early teenagers' use of video games in a learning context.
“Once they start working and learning through game-based learning, they are constantly learning, connecting, involving with their environment through positive experiences in games.” - Patrizia
And secondly, we hear from Pamela, near Johannesburg in South Africa, who shares with us her experience of how her primary school students learned to play via distance learning during COVID-19 school closures.
“For the children, I think the rewarding outcome for them is when they grasp that concept, when they have understood that skill, it is a pure joy that they feel. And I know that once I've taught through play, that knowledge will stick.” - Pamela
On today’s podcast:
- The positives that technology can bring to learning through play
- Using Minecraft to help students express themselves
- The importance of play for childrens’ development
Links:
- Email: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
- bold.expert
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
**Children need to develop reasoning skills in order to carry out problem solving in the real world, says Professor Lindsey Richland. But what are reasoning skills and why are they so important for children to learn, and what role can teachers play in helping develop them?
Lindsey explains:**
“When we are learning how to reason and how to use that information, teachers are able to use those resources in really important ways so [children] can be productive in lots of different kinds of long term career trajectories.” - Lindsey
We also hear from three amazing teachers who help students at different developmental stages and in different contexts, develop their reasoning skills and make interesting connections between concepts, ideas, practice and observation.
First we meet Monica who coordinates a Montessori Kindergarten in Brussels (Belgium):
“I believe that mainly in early childhood contexts you are teaching them to be independent, to be part of the society, so young children are learning how to eat by themselves, how to dress by themselves.” - Monica
Next we meet Anne-Li, a social science teacher from Sweden who teaches her secondary school students in a very special program - sailing around the world and visiting different harbours with them:
“The reasoning skills are really working because they put things together from facts and from visiting harbours… The thing here is when you are actually being a part of the people in a country you can take so much [more] wisdom with you that you can't do when you just read about it or look at it on the Internet. Every assignment really comes to life with the people we meet.” Anne-Li
Finally we hear from Hasan who is instilling his love of maths and physics in his teenage students at the American School in Palestine:
“I’m trying to make maths more interesting by introducing some practical problems, something that they don’t know, and they have to use physics or maths to explain certain ideas or to solve certain problems.”
On today’s podcast:
- How reasoning skills develop in the brain
- What children can learn about reasoning from other cultures
- Make teaching experiences relevant for real life situations
- How teachers can help kids learn reasoning skills
Links:
- LinkedIn - Lindsey Richland
- Lindsey Engle Richland
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
Play is essential for learning and development. Typically, we associate play-based learning with young children, but, says Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Chair of Learning Through Play and the Vice-President of the Lego Foundation, an international expert on play, learning and creativity, play is beneficial for all ages.
“Play is inherently about engagement, about motivation to engage in things that are difficult, through different types of play, but there are these mindsets, these states of mind we are in and can be used all across activities and ages.” - Bo
We are also joined by three incredible educators from around the world, who share their fascinating stories of how play allows them to develop meaningful and engaging teaching practices in their particular educational contexts.
Houdeja, a teacher of English working in a remote and low-resource secondary school in Tunisia, describes the games she finds beneficial for her teaching:
“One helpful game is I-spy with my little eye. I pick a colour and they have to touch things in our class saying this and that so at the same time they are touching, talking and looking at things and simultaneously translating colours.” - Houdeja
Next we hear from Raquel, a teacher working in the UK with autistic children, about how play-based learning is particularly pertinent for children with special needs:
“One of the most rewarding things about this experience is that my child learned how to speak and how to use her words to ask for things. And she then stopped crying a lot and shouting because she knew how to communicate her needs.” - Raquel
Finally we hear from Lê in Vietnam, about what she’s found to be the benefits of learning through play:
“You learn many things like problem solving skills, the knowledge from the lesson as well, and more importantly, when they play together they know how to play with others through conflict, try to solve the conflicts, sharing, and how to compromise.” - Lê
On today’s podcast:
- The relevance of play for learning and development
- What is play based learning
- The benefits of play based learning
- The importance of play for children with special needs
Links:
- Email: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
- bold.expert
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
In this special episode, Nina is joined firstly by Gemma Wirz, Editor in Chief of BOLD to discuss the show’s journey so far, and to pause and reflect once more on why it’s so important to listen to teachers’ voices:
“I have always been fascinated by oral traditions and communication as a means of disseminating culture and education. I believe that teachers’ stories need to be shared. They deserve the power and intimacy of the voice.” - Nina
Hear why Gemma joined the podcast, why she believes it’s so important to bring educators, researchers, parents and policy makers together, the global challenge of teaching during the pandemic, and the shared passion and creativity that all teachers have for making learning possible for students.
“Right from the first time I heard your idea for a podcast that brings teachers and researchers together and lets teachers tell their own, powerful stories in their own words, I was hooked.” - Gemma
Next we meet Tobias Heiberg Jorgensen, who has experience as both a teacher and leader of teacher education programmes. Tobias leads the Playful Learning Programme in Denmark, a nationwide partnership between The LEGO Foundation and universities and colleges in Denmark.
“You cannot tell teachers what to do. You can't give them one recipe, one method but you can give them a frame to develop and reflect and to ask. And this is what I guess you do try to inspire through your podcast and the playful learning programme is basically with the same vision I guess.” - Tobias
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss our upcoming episode celebrating World Teachers’ Day.
On today’s podcast:
- Why we need to elevate teachers’ voices
- What all educators have in common
- World Teachers’ Day
- The role of play in learning
- Creating a community of practice
Links:
- Email: podcastteachersvoices@gmail.com
- bold.expert
- Playful Learning podcast
- Ben Mardell – Harvard – on Pedagogy of play
- Mitch Resnick – MIT – on Lifelong Kindergarten
- Chris Rodgers and Matt Mueller – Tuft’s University – on PlayLabs and Tinkering
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
Why is literature and storytelling so important for children and adolescents? This is the topic we explore in this latest episode of Teachers’ Voices with our special guest, Evelyn Arizpe, an expert in children's literature and literacy. Evelyn pioneered research into children’s responses to picturebooks and visual literacy and, in the last decade, her research has focused on migration and displacement, building on this to develop a programme for migrant readers.
“When you have nothing, when you have lost your home, when you have lost your material possessions, when there are no resources, maybe even when you have lost the power to express yourself in the language of a new place, one of the things that you still have is your own language, your own voice and the potential to tell your own story.” - Evelyn
With Evelyn’s ideas in mind, we hear from educators around the world with a passion for books and storytelling: Susan in Hong Kong, Lina in Athens, and Trini in Santiago.
Susan works in a library in an international primary school in Hong Kong. She says:
“Reading is such a wonderful outlet and I think in times like these, children like to identify themselves in books and picture books as a way of helping [them] to identify feelings that maybe they can't put into words themselves.” - Susan
Next we meet Lina who specialises in teaching language and literature in Athens:
“Using wordless picture books as a starting point, teachers can promote their students' critical thinking and initiate thought provoking conversations… I think the most rewarding outcome as an educator is listening to children’s views, giving them space to express their ideas and making their voices heard.” - Lina
Finally, we hear from Trini, a head teacher with limited resources at a state primary school in Santiago. While she doesn’t have access to many materials, she’s moving heaven and earth to provide books to read and talk about with her students.
“I believe that reading and enjoying a book in whichever form can have a healing aspect. It can have a concept of reflecting on your own life but also learning about other people's experiences, other realities, other fantasies.” - Trini
On today’s podcast:
- What visual image is in literature and storytelling
- How to best support children's reading of picture books
- Why picture books make you engage with stories differently
- Give children books that are mirrors of themselves and others
Links:
- Golden Dragon Book Award
- bold.expert
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
There are 3 major challenges that teachers around the world have had to respond to during the recent COVID-19 pandemic: changing pedagogy, the mission, and dealing with challenges in their own households while trying to teach online.
“Many of our concerns have been about kids, and how we make sure that they're still learning. It's wonderful to hear the discourse turn to thinking about those who are doing the teaching, who are providing that care and that education.” - Gillian Hayes
In this episode of Teachers’ Voices, expert Gillian Hayes, who has researched distance learning challenges, discusses the difficulties teachers have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. She provides commentary on the lived experiences of teaching and learning throughout this time from three fantastic teachers - Rocio from Buenos Aires Argentina, Diana in the Gaza Strip, and Asma, in Gwalior, North India.
First we hear from Rocio, who teaches physics and chemistry in a secondary school on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rocio describes an imaginative way she has faced the pedagogical challenge:
“With the help of some of my colleagues from the science department we created a science box. I even took some of those boxes to the students’ houses. The most important thing was that they could touch something, everything is in the cloud these days.” - Rocio
Next we hear how Diana, an English teacher at a United Nations school working with primary school children in the Gaza strip, has had to cope with distance learning despite the frequent power outages and lack of internet connection:
“One of the moms told me that she go to the dentist, because the dentist clinic has an internet connection, just to attend the session with her son... Palestinians, parents and kids, they have determination to learn, regardless of our circumstances and conditions.” - Diana
Finally we meet Asma, a biology teacher in Gwalior, North India, and hear about the challenges she faced to engage students during the pandemic:
“Flipped learning made my classes super interactive. I was [also] introduced to the concept of Pecha Kucha. Pecha Kucha literally means to chat in Japanese. It is like a show and tell concept.” - Asma
On today’s podcast:
- The 3 challenges of distance learning
- Handling changing pedagogy
- Remote teaching without internet
- The global education inequities highlighted by COVID-19
- Engaging students during the pandemic
Links:
- Gillian Hayes
- bold.expert
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts
If you’re an educator supporting children learning various languages, at different developmental stages and in different contexts and geographies, then don’t miss Kaja Jasinska, a cognitive neuroscientist interested in understanding how early life experience changes the brain’s capacity for language and learning.
“We found that school children who are learning two languages from birth actually outperform monolingual children on tasks that measure a child’s awareness of and ability to manipulate sounds of languages.”
As well as Kaja’s insights, in this episode we hear from three teachers in different geographical regions around the world, all of whom support children whose mother tongue is perhaps not the same as the language in which they are being taught.
“A child’s first language skills support their second language skills and literacy skills... we want to ensure that children are able to fully learn that first language and that should be the language that parents and caregivers are most proficient at.”- Kaja Jasinska
First we hear from Daniela, an Italian language facilitator supporting young bilingual kids in Luxembourg. Daniela works with young children supporting the link between heritage language, local languages and the development of early literacy.
“After one year of storytelling in Italian, I arrived one day without a voice. I asked them to tell me the story. They narrated me the most beautiful story I have ever heard, mimicking my voice and intonation. It was even more beautiful than the author’s story.” - Daniela
Then we travel to Nigeria to meet Olasunkanmi, an innovative international teacher prize winner who teaches English to lower secondary school students in a public school in a suburban area of Abuja.
“For me as a teacher what is rewarding has always been my results. My students can give me up to 90% pass rate… nothing makes me happier than that… I feel fulfilled seeing that.” - Olasunkanmi
Finally we hear from Jose Luis, who tries to infuse his love of Spanish into older kids in an international private school in Singapore.
“What I try to teach to them is the spirit of the language… how it feels to think in Spanish, how it feels to write in Spanish.” - Jose Luis
Stay tuned until the very end to hear our expert, Kaja, share some observations on how educators might best support bilingual and multilingual children.
On today’s podcast:
- What’s happening in the brain of a multilingual child in the first few years of development
- How multilingualism affects reading development in children
- A child’s first language skills support their second language skills & literacy skills
- Quality education is key
Links:
- http://www.haskins.yale.edu/staff/jasinska/
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
This episode has some discussion around bulimia and mental health issues. Listener discretion is advised.
If you’re an educator keen to learn more about motivation and self esteem in children’s learning, don’t miss Eddie Brummelman, a researcher studying children's growing understanding of themselves as individuals, how children develop self-views, how these self-views shape mental health and educational outcomes, and how interventions that target self-views can help at-risk children flourish.
“Self esteem shapes how children look at themselves, but also how they look at their social environment, but also how they look at their schoolwork… self esteem can get in the way of learning, and therefore it's important to be aware of the child's level of self esteem.”
From Eddie we then hear from 3 teachers, from 3 different geographies, teaching 3 different age groups a variety of subjects, but they all have in common a special interest in developing motivation strategies that pay attention to individual needs.
First we travel to the Caribbean and meet Kayleigh, who teaches Spanish as a second language to young primary school children.
“In my classroom, my students are constantly speaking, they have avenues to share their opinions, we've created a space where they feel okay to share. We've also created an environment where our ideas and opinions, although different, are respected.”
We then travel across the world to Australia and meet Mark, who’s developing teenagers’ capacities to learn from their peers through experiential learning with film making techniques.
Finally we visit Marisa, an English teacher in a private school in a wealthy residential area of Madrid, Spain, who is setting the necessary conditions to support the development of each student’s particular identity in their learning processes.
“Part of the teaching process is to observe your students and to figure out what they need in each moment. For me, that is one of the most rewarding moments in my teaching life.”
On today’s podcast:
- How children develop self esteem
- Self esteem in a learning environment
- The role of praise in building self esteem
- The importance of feeling emotionally supported
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
In this episode of Teachers’ Voices, we explore the challenges of teaching and learning under adverse conditions with special guest, Willem Frankenhuis. Willem is an expert in developmental psychology, and specialises in social and cognitive skills and abilities that might be enhanced in harsh and unpredictable environments.
Willem discusses why it’s so important to take adversity into account when talking about supporting children's learning, and suggests techniques that teachers can learn or might be able to use to help students who are learning under adverse conditions.
“One of the things we see in research is that making the information concrete and relevant to the lived experience of these children can sometimes enhance their performance.”
We then hear from three educators who each share their inspiring stories about supporting children's learning in challenging conditions. From Deborah organising reading activities for young refugees on the island of Lampedusa:
“You have to connect with what clicks in someone. And to make them understand that a book is something that opens up to a new world.”
Nadia supporting underserved students in the socially deprived neighbourhood of the Bronx, New York:
“We need to make learning accessible in a way that it actually connects to children's lives. But if it doesn't directly connect, how can we make those connections and be intentional about that?”
And Mike teaching dance for social cohesion and children's well being in Africa's largest slum, Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya.
To learn what different teachers are doing around the world, download and listen today.
On today’s podcast:
- Take adversity into account when supporting children’s learning
- Reading with young refugees in Lampedusa
- Supporting students in the Bronx
- Teaching dance for social cohesion
Links:
- http://www.willem.maartenfrankenhuis.nl/
- https://projectelimu.org/in-the-press/
- http://www.thelopezeffect.com/aboutme/
- https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/silent-books/silent-books-ibby-camps-in-lampedusa
To find out more about today’s guests, and for more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
Welcome to the inaugural episode of Teachers’ Voices where you’ll hear three very different stories of teachers coming at teaching from very different learning environments, contexts and situations. Yet all of these teachers share a passionate commitment to the particular needs of individual learners.
Our first special guest is Nora Marketos, co-lead of the learning school’s portfolio of the Jacobs Foundation, and in her role she works with educators around the world.
“This podcast brings together teachers' voices in a short, but really powerful manner. And it complements their stories with existing research and evidence of what is already working. This provides a bridge between the teaching community on the one hand and those researchers who are seeking to better understand how we can help children learn and develop.”
In today’s episode, we hear about the challenges of accelerating basic literacy in a rural community in Mozambique:
“In our province, which is the most populous province in the country, only one out of 10 children can read Grade Two stories.” (Armando, a teaching facilitator in Mozambique).
About the enjoyment of developing creative ways to stimulate the interest of unmotivated students in mathematics, in a socially deprived area in Brazil. And discover the motivation to improve the reading skills of girls with severe dyslexia in Saudi Arabia:
“I told her [mother] that your daughter is like a gift that is wrapped in gold paper. But this paper is too thick, and it needs careful unwrapping. By the time you unwrap her potential, you will see a star inside that golden box.”
To learn what different teachers are doing around the world, download and listen today.
On today’s podcast:
- Why now is the time to listen to teachers
- Accelerating basic literacy in Mozambique
- Stimulating an interest in maths in Brazil
- Helping severely dyslexic girls in Saudi Arabia
For more episodes featuring other teachers and their stories, visit https://bold.expert/podcasts/bold-podcast-series2
Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children and young people with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential.
Teachers' Voices is a podcast series from BOLD, the digital platform on learning and development. Join Nina Alonso as she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their experiences, and listen in on inspiring conversations with international experts on learning and child development.
If you're a parent, teacher, or just someone interested in learning and development, this podcast is for you
For more information, visit bold.expert