Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education

Joseph Weisler
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Education
  • Updated Daily

The Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education podcast is a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of educators, students, and mental health professionals to explore the intersections of trauma, survival, resilience, and transformation in education. Through compelling interviews and personal stories, the podcast serves as a bridge between academic leaders, pre-service teachers, students, and those passionate about educational reform. Our mission is to foster critical conversations that lead to actionable change, promote trauma-informed education, and support educators in their pursuit of meaningful, impactful careers. Follow Us: Instagram: @classroomnarrativespodcastFacebook: Classroom Narratives Podcast

  1. 1d ago

    Beyond the Baton: Lessons from the Music Classroom with Dr. David Gregory

    📝 Episode Synopsis What do students remember decades after they leave our classrooms? According to legendary music educator Dr. David Gregory, it usually isn't the lesson plan. Drawing from more than fifty years in education and the stories behind his new book Students as Teachers, Dr. Gregory reflects on the moments that shaped not only his students—but himself. Together, we explore why consistency builds trust, why students notice far more than teachers realize, and how classrooms become places where young people feel seen, protected, challenged, and inspired. Although rooted in music education, this conversation reaches every educator. Whether you teach kindergarten, chemistry, English, or band, this episode serves as a powerful reminder that the greatest lessons students carry with them are often the ones we never intended to teach. Because long after students forget the assignment, they rarely forget how a teacher made them feel. 👉 Featured Guest Dr. David Gregory Founder of the Georgia Wind SymphonyUniversity professor, conductor, and educational leaderAuthor of Students as Teachers 🔗 Show Links and Resources 📌 David's website: David Gregory books 📌 Students as Teachers by David Gregory 📌 Contact David Gregory at his email, mdg@mindspring.com

    Beyond the Baton: Lessons from the Music Classroom with Dr. David Gregory

  2. Oct 14

    Showing Up Beyond Good Intentions: Teaching Presence in an Awkward World with Jen Marr

    📝 Episode Synopsis After tragedy, many people want to help—but few know how. In this episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with Jen Marr, founder of Showing Up LLC, whose work supporting the Sandy Hook community and responding to the Boston Marathon tragedy reshaped her understanding of empathy, leadership, and human connection. Together, they explore why showing up isn't simply a personality trait—it's a skill. From navigating uncomfortable conversations to recognizing the "awkward zone," Jen shares how educators, school leaders, and everyday people can move beyond fear, avoidance, and fixing to create authentic relationships that help others feel seen. Whether you're supporting a student in crisis, leading a faculty through uncertainty, or simply trying to become a more present human being, this conversation offers practical insights into building classrooms—and communities—where connection comes before correction. 📋 Show Notes 👉 In this episode, we discuss: Why showing up is a skill—not an instinct.What Jen learned while supporting the Sandy Hook Elementary community through comfort dog therapy.How good intentions often fail to become meaningful support.The hidden loneliness people experience after trauma and loss.The four "Awkward Zone" responses that prevent authentic connection:The DoubterThe DeflectorThe FixerThe AvoiderWhy educators don't need to rescue students—they need to remain present.The difference between caring and carrying another person's pain.The importance of relationship-building through consistent micro-moments.How classrooms can intentionally cultivate belonging, visibility, and trust.Why today's students need explicit opportunities to develop interpersonal connection in an increasingly digital world.Jen's "barbell" model of support, balancing clinical care, self-care, and everyday human presence.Practical ways teachers and leaders can make every student feel seen. 🔗 Links and Resources 📌Jen Marr's website: Showing Up LLC 📌 Showing Up: A Comprehensive Guide to Comfort & Connection 📌 Lifting Up: The Transformative Power of Supportive Leadership 📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES PODCAST segment: When Presence Becomes Prevention: School Safety, Trauma, and Educator Voice with Abbey Clements 📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES PODCAST segment: Listening Beyond the Answer: Narrative Medicine, Grief, and the Courage to Witness with Dr. Rondalyn Whitney 📌 Spencer Jones (Joey's conduit for Jen Marr)

    Showing Up Beyond Good Intentions: Teaching Presence in an Awkward World with Jen Marr

  3. Oct 7

    100 Ingredients in the Secret Sauce of Education

    📝 Show Notes In this milestone 100th episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler revisits the question posed to guests throughout the series: What is the “secret sauce” for improving education? When Joey began the podcast in 2024, he believed he was searching for redemption from the teacher he remembered himself as during his first year in the classroom. Across 100 episodes, however, he found something different: validation, connection, and a community of voices committed to making education more human. This commemorative episode brings together 100 ingredients shared by educators, students, survivors, mental health professionals, advocates, researchers, and school leaders. Their reflections explore the importance of authentic relationships, student voice, intentional listening, emotional safety, professional boundaries, educator well-being, community, and the courage to keep learning. The episode concludes with former students reflecting on the classrooms they need—and a reminder from Joey that when students are given space to develop self-love, form meaningful connections, and value learning as a lifelong process, educators are teaching with both heart and soul. Which ingredient would you add to the secret sauce of education?

    100 Ingredients in the Secret Sauce of Education

  4. Sep 30

    Beyond the Diagnosis: Listening Without Rescuing Students with Morgan DiPrimo

    📝 Episode Synopsis Every classroom is filled with stories that students haven't yet found the words to tell. In this episode, Joey speaks with filmmaker, advocate, and Align33 Media founder Morgan DiPrimo to explore what educators can learn from hundreds of conversations with survivors, clinicians, families, and researchers navigating eating disorders and recovery. Drawing from her own lived experience, Morgan challenges one of our strongest instincts as educators: the desire to fix students. Instead, she argues that healing often begins when someone simply feels seen, heard, and believed. Together, Joey and Morgan discuss identity beyond diagnosis, why students often hide their struggles, the difference between helping and rescuing, and how teachers can approach difficult conversations with curiosity rather than fear. Their conversation serves as a powerful reminder that while educators cannot solve every problem their students carry, they can create classrooms where students know their stories matter. Whether you're supporting students through mental health challenges, navigating your own desire to "save" everyone, or simply hoping to become a better listener, this episode offers practical wisdom grounded in compassion, resilience, and human connection. 📋 Show Notes 👉 In this episode, we discuss: Morgan's personal journey through eating disorder recovery and how it inspired the creation of Align33 Media.Why more than 400 interviews convinced her that society doesn't have a lack of stories—it has a lack of microphones.Common misconceptions surrounding eating disorders and why they affect far more people than stereotypes suggest.The powerful relationship between identity, recovery, and rebuilding a life after illness.Why people often don't need someone to fix them—they need someone willing to truly listen.How educators can check in with struggling students without making assumptions or causing additional shame.The difference between supporting, rescuing, and empowering students toward resilience.Joey's reflections on trying to "save" every student after Parkland and the lesson that simply showing up can be enough.How resilience develops when we help people discover their own strength rather than solving every problem for them.Why every classroom should become a place where students know their stories will be heard when they're ready to share them. 🔗 Show Links and Resources 📌 Align 33 Media (Morgan DiPrimo) 📌 Morgan DiPrimo's substack 📌 Social Media handles: Instagram @ morgan_maxwell_diprimo 📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES PODCAST SEGMENT: Beyond the Plate: Helping Students Build Healthy Relationships with Food, Body, and Mind with Lauren Dorman (Joey's conduit for Morgan. Thank you, Lauren!)

    Beyond the Diagnosis: Listening Without Rescuing Students with Morgan DiPrimo

  5. Sep 23

    Beyond the Institution: What Fiction Reveals About Power, Leadership, and Humanity in Schools with John Infortunio

    📝 Episode synopsis Schools are built on relationships—but they're also shaped by policies, politics, and the people making decisions behind the scenes. So what happens when those worlds collide? In this episode, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with with educator, coach, school leader, and novelist John Infortunio, author of Destroyed by the Events of the Day, for a conversation about the realities that schools don't always like to acknowledge. Together, they explore the dual-business and community models that institutions juggle, the pressures facing teachers and administrators, the emotional weight educators carry, the gap between leadership and the classroom, and why fiction can sometimes tell the truth about education better than nonfiction. From difficult leadership decisions to school culture, hidden tensions, and the power of listening, this episode challenges us to think more deeply about the systems we build—and the people inside them. 🔗 Links and resources 📌John Infortunio: USA Today press release 📌 Book 1: "Destroyed By The Events of the Day" 📌 Book 2: "Today Was Tomorrow" 📌Instagram: @johninfortunio

    Beyond the Institution: What Fiction Reveals About Power, Leadership, and Humanity in Schools with John Infortunio

  6. Sep 16

    Teaching with the HEART and SOUL: Going BEYOND the HEART

    📝 Episodic Synopsis In this concluding episode of the HEART series, Dr. Joey Weisler reflects on an unexpected conversation with a college student that affirmed everything the HEART framework was designed to accomplish. After weeks of sitting outside the classroom door, afraid to enter, one student finally found the courage to come inside. What followed became a reminder that meaningful teaching isn't measured solely by content delivered, but by whether students believe they belong in the learning community. Looking back across each pillar of HEART, Joey reflects on what happens when intentional classroom design, meaningful engagement, purposeful awareness, resilience, and truth converge to help students feel seen—not just as learners, but as people. 🔗 Key Takeaways Belonging precedes participation.Students often carry invisible fears into our classrooms.Compassion and rigor strengthen one another.The greatest impact of teaching is often invisible.Every HEART practice points toward one goal: helping students feel seen. 📌 HEART SOLO SERIES SEGMENTS: 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: "The Look" That Taught Me to Care, Not Carry 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: The HABITS That Evolved Community Beyond Compliance 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: ENGAGEMENT Beyond a Right Answer 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: AWARENESS Beyond "Why Does This Matter?" 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: RESILIENCE Beyond "I Can't" 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: TRUTH Beyond a Story

    Teaching with the HEART and SOUL: Going BEYOND the HEART

  7. Sep 9

    Beyond the Hurdle: Building Resilience Through Identity, Failure, and the Courage to Keep Going with Dr. Vonetta Kalieta

    📝 Episode Synopsis What if the greatest obstacle standing between us and success isn't failure—but our expectation that success should come easily? In this episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler welcomes psychologist, former counselor educator, and sports performance consultant Dr. Vonetta Kalieta for a powerful conversation about resilience, identity, perfectionism, and the psychology of high performers. Drawing from decades of experience working with athletes, students, and educators, Dr. Kalieta explains why true excellence is never built through shortcuts—it is built through consistency, setbacks, and learning to keep moving forward even when life refuses to cooperate. Together, they explore how social media has distorted our understanding of perfection, why failure is an essential part of learning, what happens when our identity becomes tied to a single role, and how educators can create classrooms where students feel supported without removing the productive struggle that growth requires. Along the way, they challenge common misconceptions about resilience, redefine what mental wellness really means, and remind us that sometimes getting stuck isn't failure—it's exactly where transformation begins. Whether you're an educator, coach, student, parent, or anyone navigating life's inevitable hurdles, this conversation offers a refreshing reminder that success isn't about never falling—it's about choosing to keep going. 🔗 Links and Resources 📌 About Dr. Voneetta Kalieta 👉 Meet the Abrams Psychological Services Team.... 📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: Adjust the Flame: Exploring Anger and Emotional Intelligence in Schools with Dr. Mitch Abrams 📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: "The Pie Just Gets Bigger”: Parenting, Identity, and Emotional Survival in Schools with Dr. Julie Davelman

    Beyond the Hurdle: Building Resilience Through Identity, Failure, and the Courage to Keep Going with Dr. Vonetta Kalieta

  8. Sep 2

    Teaching with HEART and SOUL: TRUTH Beyond a Story

    📝 Episode Synopsis In the final installment of the HEART series, Dr. Joey Weisler explores the Truth pillar and asks what may be the most important question of all: What do students do with everything they've learned? Beginning with a classroom tradition in which students read Joey's own screenplay about the aftermath of the Parkland tragedy, this episode examines how storytelling can become a bridge between lived experience and meaningful learning—not through disclosure for its own sake, but through responsible reflection and purposeful communication. Through examples spanning English, mathematics, science, engineering, economics, and beyond, Joey argues that every discipline offers students opportunities to discover truths about themselves, their communities, and the world around them. The final pillar of HEART reminds educators that while content teaches knowledge, stories help students decide what that knowledge means. 🔗 Show Notes In This Episode Why Joey assigns his own screenplay during the first week of class.The purpose of asking, "What did you think about this work?" instead of testing plot recall.Why stories exist to create meaning—not simply to be decoded.Modeling vulnerability without turning classrooms into confessional spaces.The difference between trauma disclosure and purposeful storytelling.Helping students shape difficult experiences responsibly through language.Why every discipline contains opportunities for meaningful storytelling.Revisiting Your Voice, Your Change as an example of truth through authentic expression.Helping students find pieces of a curriculum that resonate personally.Concluding the HEART framework through the power of student voice.👉 Key Takeaways Stories become powerful when they create meaning.Teachers model reflection—not performance.Truth is cultivated through thoughtful communication.Every subject offers opportunities for personal connection.Students don't simply learn content—they discover voices worth sharing. Show Links and Resources 📌 CLASSROOM NARRATIVES SEGMENT: Voices of Resilience: Paula Reed on Healing Through Education After Columbine 📌 HEART SOLO SERIES SEGMENTS: 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: "The Look" That Taught Me to Care, Not Carry 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: The HABITS That Evolved Community Beyond Compliance 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: ENGAGEMENT Beyond a Right Answer 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: AWARENESS Beyond "Why Does This Matter?" 💛 Teaching with HEART and SOUL: RESILIENCE Beyond "I Can't"

    Teaching with HEART and SOUL: TRUTH Beyond a Story
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The Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education podcast is a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of educators, students, and mental health professionals to explore the intersections of trauma, survival, resilience, and transformation in education. Through compelling interviews and personal stories, the podcast serves as a bridge between academic leaders, pre-service teachers, students, and those passionate about educational reform. Our mission is to foster critical conversations that lead to actionable change, promote trauma-informed education, and support educators in their pursuit of meaningful, impactful careers. Follow Us: Instagram: @classroomnarrativespodcastFacebook: Classroom Narratives Podcast

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