How's School?

Digital Futures Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University
  • 5.0 (9)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

"How's School?" The question adults reflexively ask, and kids hate to answer. The truth is, we care about our young people, dare we say, even worry about them. But staying connected to their world and all the complexity they navigate can be a real challenge. The scope of issues we look at includes education, health, and psychology, but at the core is their well-being. And our ability to face things that impact them without losing heart.

Episodes

  1. Reimagining School Safety

    11/09/2022

    Reimagining School Safety

    Sonali Rajan studies gun violence and responses to it in an educational context, and she believes the persistence of gun violence is a solvable problem. In looking at how this affects children (4:53), Rajan and other researchers are looking more closely at how the impact of gun violence and its related harms are understood and defined. She shares that this issue affects some communities disproportionately (9:38); for example Black children are almost four and a half times more likely to be exposed to gun violence than white children. We asked Dr. Rajan how she processes both the news, and the emotional content of this subject both as a parent and as a researcher (11:49), and she shares her personal practices, the pockets of success that fuel her sense of possibility, and what gives her hope. The politics around this issue tends to center around what Rajan calls “school hardening measures” (14:43) but she calls our attention to the way investing in communities and practicing restorative justice in our schools both reduce gun violence, as well as benefiting communities and children in numerous other ways.  Professor Rajan gives us an uplifting example in our collective response to drunk driving prevention (17:40). We ask what actions, investments or interventions she would like to see (21:52) and hear a layered response and broad vision that research shows would both improve our communities AND reduce gun violence. You can find the full transcript here on the episode website, along with links to Professor Rajan’s work.  Subscribe, rate, and review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This series is created, hosted and produced by Joe Riina-Ferrie and Jen Lee, with audio production and original music by Billy Collins. "How's School?" is a production of The Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.  The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.

    32 min

  2. 11/08/2022 · BONUS

    Teaching Today: A Podcast from CPET at Teachers College

    Hey everyone, we’re here to let you know about another podcast produced here at Teachers College. Do you know what’s going on with teaching today? Our friends at the Center for the Professional Education of Teachers, or CPET, provide customized professional development, coaching, and research studies to schools around the world. Their podcast, Teaching Today, brings educators together to break down the problems, policies and promising practices that define teaching today.  Each week’s episode brings to life the issues that real teachers are facing every day, honoring the challenges and offering some fresh perspectives for professional learning.  Check out Teaching Today wherever you get your podcasts, or visit tc.edu/cpet, that’s t-c dot e-d-u forward slash c-p-e-t for more information. And we’ll be back  tomorrow for our next episode of How’s School with Dr. Sonali Rajan on Reimagining School Safety.

    1 min
  3. Black Studies Curriculum

    11/02/2022

    Black Studies Curriculum

    Professor Sonya Douglass is leading the Black Education Research Center (BERC) in a project to create a first-of-its-kind, Pre-K through 12 interdisciplinary Black Studies curriculum for New York City public schools, the largest district in the U.S. She walks us through BERC’s research and findings about the impacts of COVID-19 and racism on Black students and families (2:14), why including Black Studies in our education is important and relevant, as well as a long time coming (5:07). We explore what’s at stake, for our students and our democracy, in the midst of current attacks on teachers and public education (8:11). Professor Douglass takes us inside the ground-breaking work that this curriculum project is taking on (11:48), and how they are thinking ahead to reach other communities across the country (14:15). She shares how she’s doing in the midst of both these efforts and this political environment (16:20) and the vision that pulls her forward. Dr. Douglass frames Black Studies as the study of the world (19:35) and how this inclusive approach can serve as a corrective to existing schooling, which highlights the perspective of white Europeans to the exclusion of others.  There tends to be more talk about what people don’t want in schools instead of what they do, but here Professor Douglass walks us through the six tenants of this emancipatory vision of education (20:46), and addresses what actions we can take to support and advance this future (23:03). Follow "How’s School?" for new episodes and announcements. You can find the full transcript of the episode, along with links to Professor Douglass’s work and the Black Education Research Center on the episode website. Subscribe, rate, and review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This series is created, hosted and produced by Joe Riina-Ferrie and Jen Lee, with audio production and original music by Billy Collins. "How's School?" is a production of The Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.  The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.

    27 min
  4. Supporting Youth Mental Health

    10/26/2022

    Supporting Youth Mental Health

    In this episode we speak with Professor Cindy Y. Huang, whose work has shown that while the impact of worsening mental health and the pandemic is felt across youth identity categories, some youth are facing higher risk based on things like their identity or immigration status. For example, Asian American youth and their families have dealt with an increase in racism and racial violence and the sense of fear that goes along with it.  Professor Huang notes the prevalence of these struggles (3:10) and how recent attention to mental health issues has given more of us language to talk about them, and how they are impacted by contextual factors like racism and discrimination (3:39). She gives us a sense of how these trends have been developing over time and why she thinks we’ve hit a point where we can no longer look away (6:20). The conversation gets personal when Professor Huang shares about her experience as a psychologist and mother of three young children in the early days of the pandemic, experiencing some of the very stress and risk factors she studies (9:55). She points out the way young people experience uncertainty, right alongside our own, even if they don’t know how to describe it (11:34). We also ask her what we can look for to identify when those around us are struggling, and she gives solid tips for noticing changes in behavior (14:38), how to check in and really listen to their responses. Professor Huang describes somatic symptoms, when our mental or emotional states can show up in our bodies (21:03). Finally she shares how understanding and compassion for the contextual factors impacting mental health,  like race and discrimination, can begin in our conversations at home (22:48). You can find the full transcript of the episode here, along with links to Professor Huang’s work.  Subscribe, rate, and review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This series is created, hosted and produced by Joe Riina-Ferrie and Jen Lee, with audio production and original music by Billy Collins. "How's School?" is a production of The Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.  The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.

    29 min
  5. Facing the Climate Crisis

    10/19/2022

    Facing the Climate Crisis

    As the Director of the Center for Sustainable Futures, Oren shares what events and developments caused him to take more action on climate issues (4:15), and how he holds his concern alongside a renewable hope (5:39). We ask him to go deep on what keeps him going (8:59). He leads us in an exercise to see what the climate crisis brings up for Jen and Joe, and then shares the results from young activists whose answers deliver a powerful message. He addresses structural barriers to sustainability education (17:42) and a new vision for environmental education (19:07). He and Jen talk about lying down and watching TV as a coping strategy (23:10) and then he shares about elevating the climate concerns and voices of young people in New York’s City Department of Education (24:00). You can find the full transcript of the episode, along with links to Oren’s work, on the episode website. Follow, rate, and review to support the show: Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This series is created, hosted and produced by Joe Riina-Ferrie and Jen Lee, with audio production and original music by Billy Collins. "How's School?" is a production of The Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.  The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.

    32 min
  6. How to Listen to Young People

    10/12/2022

    How to Listen to Young People

    We think we are listening, so why don’t young people feel heard? This age-old, generational communication gap is the perfect place to begin a podcast about how to connect with young people and ask better questions. The questions we ask only matter to the degree to which we are able to listen to and genuinely hear the answers. Professor Limarys Caraballo listens to young people professionally. Join us as we discuss where the breakdown in listening occurs and what causes it (2:57), how to back up and see if we have shared ideas of success (4:06), and making sure we’re not engaging in performative listening (5:16). We also look at how our position in the relationship plays into conversations, and how the stakes differ for us and for our young people (7:50).  Professor Caraballo shares a story about a time she and a colleague tried very intentionally to listen to students and why their attempts fell flat (12:12). Dr. Caraballo breaks down some steps that all of us can do again and again, beginning with identifying the goals of our interaction (14:57). Next, she recommends reflecting on our own expectations, assumptions, and implicit bias. Finally she shares tips for reflecting on the stakes, asking whose interests are being served, and looking for how power can be shared (19:33). Follow "How’s School?" for new episodes and announcements. You can find the full transcript of the episode, along with links to Professor Caraballo’s work, on the episode website. Follow, rate, and review to support the show. This series is created, hosted and produced by Joe Riina-Ferrie and Jen Lee, with audio production and original music by Billy Collins. "How's School?" is a production of The Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.  The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.

    28 min

  7. EPISODE 1

    Announcing "How's School?"

    “How’s School?” The question adults reflexively ask, and kids hate to answer. The truth is, we care about our young people, dare we say, even worry about them. But staying connected to their world and all the complexity they navigate can be a challenge. The scope of issues we look at includes education, health, and psychology–but at the core is their well-being, and our ability to face things that impact them without losing heart. Look for "How's School?" this fall. From the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.

    2 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

"How's School?" The question adults reflexively ask, and kids hate to answer. The truth is, we care about our young people, dare we say, even worry about them. But staying connected to their world and all the complexity they navigate can be a real challenge. The scope of issues we look at includes education, health, and psychology, but at the core is their well-being. And our ability to face things that impact them without losing heart.

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  • Creator
    Digital Futures Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    7
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    © 2025 Digital Futures Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University
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    How's School?