Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.

Olivia Wahl
  • 4.7 (42)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Do you need innovative strategies to strengthen your school culture and spark student growth? This podcast is your go-to resource for coaches, teachers, administrators, and families seeking to create dynamic and engaging learning environments. In each episode, you'll discover how to unite educators and caregivers to support students, tackle common classroom challenges, and cultivate an atmosphere where every learner can thrive. With over 25 years of experience as a teacher and coach, host Olivia Wahl curates episodes with insights from more than 150 expert interviews, offering practical tips that bridge the gap between school and home. Tune in every Monday and Friday for actionable strategies and inspirational stories that can transform your approach and make a real impact on learning.Start with a fan-favorite episode today (S5E1: Inside the Secret Moves of Expert Teachers with John Hattie) and take the first step towards transforming your educational environment!

  1. 21H AGO

    The Groundbreaking Plan to Stop Teachers From Being Priced Out of Their Own Communities

    In part one of my S5E31 @schoolutionspodcast conversation, Dr. Fabi Bagula, Superintendent of San Diego Unified School District, discusses her authentic approach to leadership and its impact on education. She shares insights into critical teacher retention issues and the innovative, affordable housing solutions her team is implementing in San Diego, California. Fabi's commitment to equity and school improvement strategies is evident as she addresses the challenges and triumphs of leading with an open heart. Fabi also speaks to why she refuses to call it an "achievement gap" (it's a support gap) and how she's avoided hardening in response to public criticism. This episode is essential listening for school administrators, instructional leaders, new teachers, teacher mentors, instructional coaches, families, and anyone invested in school improvement and education transformation. Some Episode Mentions: ➡️Otto Scharmer, author of Presencing ➡️Marshall Elementary School ➡️Yale Broad Leadership Fellowship ➡️Monday 02/26 & Tuesday 02/27 board meetings, when they chose the final proposals for more information 📌 Part 2 drops Friday, where Fabi illuminates what emancipatory leadership looks and feels like in practice 📑 CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction — Dr. Fabi Bagula, First Latina Superintendent of San Diego Unified 1:45 The researcher Fabi is leaning on: Otto Scharmer's Presencing 3:00 How they met 26 years ago at Marshall Elementary 4:30 Schools belong to the communities they serve 5:50 Stepping into unsteady terrain: building trust as a new superintendent 7:00 Why honest, hard conversations move schools AND people 8:00 The weight of carrying everyone's 10-year-old problems 9:30 Laying off 69 while creating 86, and why no one heard the good news 10:40 "Don't armor up" - the hardest part of leading with an open heart 12:30 The affordable housing crisis for San Diego educators 13:45 How the district turned 5 vacant properties into 30 developer bids 16:00 $4 billion in long-term revenue with zero taxpayer dollars 17:45 Why educators living in the communities they teach matters 19:00 Whole child AND whole adult education 20:30 Lightning Round: school culture, the support gap, and what teachers need to know 22:00 Teaser for Part 2 🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content. 📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!  When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

    23 min

  2. 3D AGO ·  BONUS

    100% Ask-Back Rate: Why Every School That Tries Portrait Pals Wants It Again

    Part 2 of my ⁨@schoolutionspodcast⁩ conversation with Tonya Quinn from The Kindness Art Education details how her Portrait Pals program uses art to address critical attendance management issues. The initiative fosters a powerful kindness movement, helping to alleviate stress relief among students by connecting them through shared experiences. This approach significantly contributes to improving kids mental health and overall school engagement. 💫Make sure to check out Part 1 before this episode In this episode, you'll discover: → The full Portrait Pals process: from professional photographer to curated gallery exhibition → How this program directly addresses chronic absenteeism and low engagement → Why inspiring students works better than enforcing behavior → The questionnaire questions that reveal what kids are really carrying → How active learning through portraiture weaves in math, science, anatomy, & narrative → What classroom belonging looks like when a child feels truly seen → How police officers, senior citizens, and kids in France are all Portrait Pals → What to say to a skeptical administrator who thinks there's no time or funding → The blank canvas moment and why it's the most important teaching tool in the room Portrait Pals has a 100% ask-back rate from every school and community it touches. The only thing standing between this program and thousands more thriving students is resources. Share this episode with a teacher, principal, school counselor, or donor who believes every child deserves to thrive not just survive. Donate here.  Whether you're a teacher searching for instructional strategies that spark student motivation, an instructional coach looking for coaching strategies that produce real school change, a school leader committed to school culture and equity in education, or a parent who believes in the whole child this episode is essential listening. CHAPTERS: 0:00 — Introduction: 31% chronic absenteeism & Portrait Pals 1:45 — The professional photographer & authentic self-presentation 3:30 — Anthony: "My pal looks like they could do something major one day" 5:45 — How Tonya matches pals across communities and countries 7:30 — The questionnaire: shared anxiety between rural America and France 9:00 — Supplies, structure & meeting community needs 10:45 — Police officers, Portrait Pals & "this is exactly what we needed" 13:30 — How many sessions & keeping it during the school day 15:00 — Portraits, math, science, anatomy & human skills 17:30 — Shape, light & shadow, and spirit the three elements of portraiture 18:45 — The gallery exhibition experience 20:00 — The girl with her head on her desk and what happened next 21:45 — 100% ask-back rate & how to get involved 23:00 — Closing reflections & how to support Portrait Pals Next Week: We are heading to San Diego, where history is being made. San Diego Unified School District has nearly 3,000 affordable housing units in the pipeline for educators. Superintendent Fabi Bagula, Ph.D., is leading a charge to make sure the people who show up every day to serve students can actually afford to live in the communities they serve. That conversation is coming your way next week. Don't miss it. When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

    26 min

  3. 5D AGO ·  BONUS

    The 3-Step Method Every Portrait Artist Needs

    In this short, we discuss creating and painting portraits by focusing on three key areas: shape, light and shadow, and spirit. Tonya Quinn outlines how to paint a face by observing and interpreting human features, emphasizing that even simple shapes like parentheses can represent them. This approach provides valuable painting tips and painting techniques for artists of all levels. By teaching students to read a face, not just draw it, children develop the skills to notice how a classmate is truly feeling, even when words aren't spoken. This is inclusive teaching and culturally responsive teaching in action. Students practice active learning by observing, interpreting, and responding to each other's emotional states, building empathy, classroom belonging, and student engagement naturally through the creative process. When a child says, "He's smiling, but I think he's angry.  I hope he takes a minute to calm down."   That's whole child development. That's inspiring students to care for one another. That's the kind of school culture that transforms classrooms. Whether you're a teacher looking for innovative teaching and instructional strategies, an instructional coach seeking coaching strategies for professional development, a school administrator focused on school improvement and instructional leadership, or a parent exploring education at home and family partnerships, this clip will shift how you think about student motivation, student participation, and what effective teaching truly looks like. 🎨 Art becomes the doorway. Empathy becomes the lesson. Connection becomes the outcome. 👇 Save this. This is what education transformation looks like. Watch, reflect, and share Part 1 & Part 2 of our  @schoolutionspodcast S5E30 interview with your team. 🗂️ CHAPTERS 0:00 — The Secret to Painting Portraits 0:05 — The 3-Part Framework: Shape, Light & Spirit 0:12 — Reading the Human Face 0:22 — What's Behind the Smile? 0:35 — Kids Teaching Kids Emotional Awareness 0:50 — How I Calm Myself When I'm Angry 📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!  #Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBased #PortraitPals #TheKindnessArtEducation #ClassroomBelonging #StudentEngagement #EffectiveTeaching #InspiredTeaching #WholeChild #InclusiveTeaching #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #EmpoweredEducators #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #SchoolCulture #ActiveLearning #ProKidMindset #EquityInEducation #StudentSuccess #ThrivingStudents #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #SchoolLeadership #NewTeachers #ProfessionalDevelopment #ArtEducation #SELinSchools #EmpathyInEducation #PortraitDrawing #TeachingTips #InnovativeTeaching #SchoolImprovement #FamilyPartnerships #ParentInvolvement When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

    1 min

  4. MAR 23

    Every Child Needs These 4 Rules to Become an Artist

    Part 1 of my S5E30 @schoolutionspodcast conversation, Tonya Quinn from The Kindness Art Education shares her journey, emphasizing the role of visual art and art for kids in shaping worldviews. This conversation highlights how art classes for beginners can ignite creativity and provide healing, even far from home. Tonya illuminates how personal hardship has fostered her powerful kindness movement.  In this episode, you'll discover: → The 4 rules for being an artist (and why they work for every child in every classroom) → Why active learning and student participation skyrocket when kids feel creative ownership → How Portrait Pals bridges generations to fight low engagement → What inclusive teaching actually looks like when you hand a child primary colors and say, "You can do this" → Why inspiring students starts with teaching them to listen to themselves first → The research from Harvard's Project Zero that proves arts access improves academic performance → A pro-kid mindset that goes beyond survival toward whole-child thriving Whether you're a teacher looking for innovative teaching strategies, an instructional coach searching for coaching strategies that move the needle, a school leader focused on school culture and instructional leadership, or a parent exploring the home-school connection and family partnerships,  this conversation is for you. Some Episode Mentions: Harvard’s Project Zero Theresa Booth Brown The National GalleryAna María Hernando Faith Ringgold Portrait Pals Frida Kahlo Molly Piper Greaves The Kindness Art Education 📌 Part 2 drops Friday where we go inside the full Portrait Pals process. If this moved you, share it with a teacher, principal, parent, or school counselor who believes every child deserves to thrive, not just survive. CHAPTERS: 0:00 — Introduction & Tonya Quinn overview 1:45 — Harvard's Project Zero research on arts & student success 4:00 — How Tonya's parents shaped her pro-kid mindset 5:20 — 20 years in London: perspective, art galleries & inclusive teaching 8:30 — Launching a nonprofit during the pandemic 9:50 — The "How to Be an Artist" curriculum & 4 rules 13:00 — Every child deserves to thrive, not just survive 14:30 — The challenge sweet spot: frustration + growth in the classroom 16:30 — Making skin tone: the hardest and proudest moment 17:45 — Lightning round with Tonya Quinn #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven  #PortraitPals  When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

    21 min

  5. MAR 20 ·  BONUS

    Africa Has a Literacy Crisis. America Has an Economic Stake in Solving It.

    In Part 2 of my  @schoolutionspodcast conversation, Dr. Kris Nystrom (founder of Reading the World Inc.) connects the dots among global literacy rates, the world economy, and why what happens in a slum school in Nairobi has a profound economic impact. This discussion highlights the critical role of universal education in addressing poverty and fostering global awareness, underscoring the broader implications for finance and world news. Kris shares: 🌍 Why student success in Kenya is directly tied to the global economy 📖 Project Ripple: a science of reading initiative in Nairobi slum schools with 100:1 student-teacher ratios 💡 The Good Hope Royalty Center, where "all children are royal" and street kids are given unconditional love and a future 🔁 The Sankofa philosophy: "You can go back and fix your mistakes" 👨‍👩‍👧 How one literate child creates a ripple of empowered educators, healthier families, and stronger communities 💫Make sure to watch Part 1 & donate here if you can. 📚 CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome & Sankofa: "You can go back and fix your mistakes" 02:00 Colonial history & why African literacy rates are low 04:30 Inside Nairobi slum schools: 100 students to 1 teacher 07:30 Project Ripple: science of reading training in APBET schools 09:00 Why global literacy matters to every economy 10:30 By 2050, 1/4 of the world will live in Africa 12:00 The ripple effect: one child teaches their parents to read 13:30 Good Hope Royalty Center & Faith Woge's unconditional love 16:30 "All children are royal" candles, soap & sustainable futures 17:30 How to support Reading the World Inc. 18:00 Closing reflection: the ripple is the whole thing 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: Why Should I Care? Counting Up From SurvivalReading the World ProjectsAPBET schools (Alternative Provision for Basic Education and Training)SUNY New Paltz Science of Reading Center 🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content. 📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! Next Week: We are going somewhere equally unexpected and equally beautiful. Portrait Pals, founded by Tonya Quinn, is redefining what art class can be — pairing children across communities to paint each other's portraits, and in doing so, teaching them that every face tells a story worth seeing.  When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

    22 min

  6. MAR 18 ·  BONUS

    Where You're Born Shouldn't Decide Your Education

    What does a child's birthplace have to do with their right to learn? Everything. And Dr. Kris Nystrom is doing something about it. This clip explores the philosophical foundation of "reading the world," asserting that a child's place of birth should not dictate their access to education for all. It underscores the critical role of academic success in fostering social justice. This perspective drives the daily work of educators committed to education reform, questioning why any child should be treated as less than, and emphasizing the need for mental health support. 🌍 Support Reading the World Inc. by donating here. In this clip: - The philosophical foundation of Reading the World Inc. - What "school deserts" are, and the 4 forces that create them - Why the pro-kid mindset has no borders - What culturally responsive teaching looks like at a global scale - How student success begins with seeing the whole child Save this. Share it with your school administrators, instructional leaders, and fellow teachers. Watch, reflect, and share Part 1 & Part 2 of our @schoolutionspodcast S5E29 interview with your team. 📌 CHAPTERS 0:00 — The Quote That Drives Everything 0:12 — "Where One Is Born Cannot Be the Only Reason" 0:28 — Looking Kids in the Eyes: The Moral Case for Equity 0:45 — What Is a School Desert? 0:52 — Walking Through Lions to Get to Class 1:05 — Building Schools That Communities Own 📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!  #Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBased #equityineducation #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #SchoolDesert #GlobalLiteracy #WholeChild #StudentSuccess #InclusiveClassrooms #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalLeadership #SchoolImprovement #ProKidMindset #EmpoweredEducators #Schoolutions #ReadingTheWorld #TeachingTips #EducationTransformation #NewTeachers #MentorTeachers #FamilyPartnerships #SchoolCulture When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

    1 min

  7. MAR 16

    Lions, Floods, & Poverty: Knocking Down The Barriers Keeping African Kids Out of School

    Part One of my S5E29 @schoolutionspodcast with Dr. Kris Nystrom highlights the critical need for education for all and how a dedicated "teacher" can drive education reform through direct action. It reframes our understanding of social justice in educational contexts and the profound impact of ensuring academic success globally. In Part 1 of this conversation, Kris shares: • How 10 years of global literacy research revealed a crisis hiding in plain sight • What the "four horsemen of educational inequity" are (conflict, climate, geography, and cost) and why they demand a whole child approach • Why good teaching always begins with student culture, and how bypassing that is itself a political act • His community-first protocol for sustainable school building: no savior complex, no top-down solutions • What it's really like when kids walk through lion and leopard territory just to reach a classroom Kris founded Reading the World Inc. in 2024. Nobody takes a salary. Every dollar goes directly to children. Donate here.   🎙️ Part 2 drops this Friday, where we zoom out to the global literacy crisis and why it matters far beyond sub-Saharan Africa. ➡️Resource links   ➡️Paulo Freire  ➡️Umberto Eco  ➡️Charles Sanders Peirce  ➡️Stanislas Dehaene  ➡️Maryanne Wolf  Chapters 0:00 Introduction: Who is Dr. Kris Nystrom? 1:40 Research foundations: Paulo Freire, semiotics, and how the brain reads 4:00 Why culturally responsive teaching is a moral stance 5:00 What is a school desert? The four horsemen of educational inequity 8:00 The real cost barriers keeping kids out of school 10:30 From Connecticut retirement to sub-Saharan Africa 12:30 The philosophical foundation: where you're born shouldn't determine access 13:40 Kris's community-first protocol for building schools 17:00 Lightning round: what keeps Kris up at night, biggest misconceptions 19:30 Preview of Part 2: global literacy and economic ripple effects Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. 🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content. 📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!  #readingtheworld #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies  #SchoolDeserts #GlobalLiteracy When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

    22 min

  8. MAR 13 ·  BONUS

    Federal Funding Threatened: Here's How Homeless Liaisons Fought Back

    In Part 2 of my @schoolutionspodcast conversation, Erin Patterson from SchoolHouse Connection returns to detail legislative wins for families experiencing homelessness, showcasing how advocacy works amid federal budget cuts.  In this episode, you'll learn: How $129 million in homeless education funding was zeroed out in the President's FY26 budget, and how SchoolHouse Connection got it restored through nonpartisan grassroots advocacyWhat the McKinney-Vento Act actually guarantees for homeless studentsThe Homeless Children and Youth Act: the signature legislation that would align federal definitions so families in motels and doubled-up housing finally qualify for housing assistanceHow the Thrive from the Start Coalition is mobilizing state-level action on infant and toddler homelessness, and why 48 states applied for just 10 grantsMentions: ➡️Barbara Duffield ➡️Thomas J. Lucas (TJ) ➡️Thrive from the Start Coalition ➡️Advocacy Page ➡️Federal Policy Tracker ➡️Homeless Children and Youth Data Map ➡️McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act ➡️Every Student Succeeds Act ➡️Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program ➡️Homeless Children and Youth Act  ➡️Individuals with Disabilities Education Act  ➡️Resources for Homeless Education Liaisons 🎧 Watch Part I! Erin paints the full picture of what hidden homelessness looks like for children across America. CHAPTERS  0:00 When the Budget Shows a Zero  1:45 FY26 Budget & Homeless Education  6:00 $129 Million Restored  7:30 McKinney-Vento Explained  10:00 Undocumented & Homeless  11:45 Dedicated Funding vs. Block Grants  13:00 Thrive from the Start  15:15 Homeless Children & Youth Act  16:30 How to Get Involved  Next Week:  Dr. Kris Nystrom left retirement to tackle the world's lowest literacy rates in sub-Saharan Africa, one community at a time. This one will change how you see what's at stake when a child can't read.  When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

    21 min
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Do you need innovative strategies to strengthen your school culture and spark student growth? This podcast is your go-to resource for coaches, teachers, administrators, and families seeking to create dynamic and engaging learning environments. In each episode, you'll discover how to unite educators and caregivers to support students, tackle common classroom challenges, and cultivate an atmosphere where every learner can thrive. With over 25 years of experience as a teacher and coach, host Olivia Wahl curates episodes with insights from more than 150 expert interviews, offering practical tips that bridge the gap between school and home. Tune in every Monday and Friday for actionable strategies and inspirational stories that can transform your approach and make a real impact on learning.Start with a fan-favorite episode today (S5E1: Inside the Secret Moves of Expert Teachers with John Hattie) and take the first step towards transforming your educational environment!

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