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

Olivia Wahl
  • 4.7 (46)
  • 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. 1d ago

    Stop Trying to Fix Students' Writing and Do This Instead (Writing Wednesday)

    I'm at the Quoddy Writing Retreat in Lubec, Maine, this week, working alongside Ralph Fletcher and Georgia Heard and a room full of writers on completely different projects. Yesterday they gave us three prompts to bring into our response groups each day, and I'm sharing them here because every teacher facilitating peer feedback in a classroom can use these too. "This seems to be about..." "I really connected to the part where..." "I wanted to know more about..." These three prompts pull meaning from a writer's work instead of jumping straight to fixing it. That shift matters for how writers apply feedback during peer response time, and it builds real connection instead of surface-level editing comments. These three prompts will change how your students talk to each other about their work. I also want to put a book on your radar: Valerie Bolling's book, Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom, released in 2025. Chapter Four highlights peer feedback and critique groups, and I'm obsessed with it right now. Chapters: 0:00 Writing Wednesday from the Quoddy Writing Retreat 0:12 Meet the facilitators: Ralph Fletcher and Georgia Heard 0:25 Three prompts for response groups 0:50 Why these prompts pull meaning instead of fixing writing 1:05 Book recommendation: Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom by Valerie Bolling 1:20 Chapter Four: peer feedback and critique groups 1:30 Sign-off 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise. #Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #5PracticesOfExpertTeachers #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBasedClassroomReadyStrategies #WritingWednesday  #PeerFeedback #WritingWorkshop #ClassroomBelonging #StudentEngagement #InstructionalStrategies #TeacherCoaching #ActiveLearning #LessonPlanning  When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.

  2. 3d ago

    What Happens When You Bring Mindfulness into Every Classroom?

    Christy Lynn Anana is a Mindfulness Director with Whole School Mindfulness at Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary, located on the land of The Tulalip Tribes in Washington State, north of Seattle. In this episode, Christy offers listeners two guided meditations alongside a peek into her published book series called I Am Healing.  This is one of my top 20 most-listened-to episodes, back now as part of our summer rerelease series. My guest is Christy Lynn Anana, Mindfulness Director at Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary and author of the I Am Healing book series. We talk about classroom belonging, classroom behavior, and what active learning looks like when a school builds mindfulness into its actual culture instead of treating it as an extra. Christy walks me through a grounding breath practice, explains how student engagement and student motivation shift when kids have tools for big emotions, and describes teaching fifth graders to lead student participation in mindfulness for younger kids. We get into attention in class, effective teaching, instructional strategies, and lesson planning for teachers navigating low engagement after the pandemic.  Christy also breaks down the difference between school counseling and mindfulness coaching, what instructional coaching and teacher support can look like at the district level, and why mentor teachers and new teachers alike need coaching strategies built around real classroom pressure, not just professional development checkboxes. Chapters:  0:00 Welcome and introduction  1:13 Three-breath grounding exercise  3:48 Inspiring educators: Dr. Anthony Craig  6:16 What a Mindfulness Director does  7:48 Defining mindfulness  9:47 Fifth graders leading mindfulness  12:29 The I Am Healing book series  13:53 I Can Feel Better and EFT tapping  16:09 A Safe Place and EMDR-inspired practice  18:26 What is EMDR  20:10 Circling up and big emotions  21:33 Waves of Emotions  24:21 A Guide for Lonely Kids  25:05 Supporting families through grief  26:25 Mindfulness Director vs school counselor  31:34 Post-pandemic mental health trends  36:03 Call to action and resources  37:20 Closing guided meditation Episode Mentions: I Am Healing Book SeriesI Can Feel Better: A Tapping StoryA Safe Place: Strategies to Feel BetterDr. Francine Shapiro -  EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing)Waves of Emotions: A Mindfulness StoryA Guide for Lonely KidsQuil Ceda Tulalip ElementaryUniversity of Washington - Leadership for Learning (L4L) Program  - FacebookDr. Anthony Craig  (Schoolutions S1 E5: Accessing the Wisdom of Tulalip Tribes' Elders as Cultural Guides in Public Schools with Dr. Anthony Craig)Tulalip TribesRainbow Dance - Boston Children's FoundationDr. Bruce D. PerryEFT - Emotional Freedom TechniquesWhole School MindfulnessKobayashi Maru Tricia Hersey - Rest is Resistance: A ManifestoSam Bennett's Circles (Types) of EngagementSchoolutions is the podcast for educators and school leaders, families and homeschoolers, and the coaches, counselors, and mentors who believe every student deserves to thrive. 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. 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!  #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #5practicesofexpertteachers #curiositydriven #evidencebasedclassroomreadystrategies #ClassroomBelonging #StudentEngagement #InstructionalCoaching #TeacherSupport #SchoolCounselors #EducationLeadership #WholeChild #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolCulture #MentorTeachers #InclusiveTeaching #EquityInEducation #ParentInvolvement #EmpoweredEducators  When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.

  3. 6d ago

    The Step-by-Step Process to Build Your Own Integrated Curriculum

    Leah Mermelstein returns to Schoolutions for S2E35 to make the case for bending curriculum instead of buying a new one for literacy instruction every few years. She walks me through the exact process she uses with school districts to build integrated units of study, work that pulls reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar together around real content like a kindergarten animal unit or a fourth-grade historical fiction study tied to local history. The conversation covers: 💫What teaching with fidelity actually means (hint: it's not "follow the script") 💫How to form a teacher cadre that drives instructional coaching and professional development 💫Why starting with a school's mission statement changes the whole planning process.  Leah even lays out six concrete steps: form a cadre, root the work in the mission statement, set priority goals, connect grammar and vocabulary to what's already being taught, build in cumulative and spaced practice, and plan for real independence. Episode Mentions: Leah Mermelstein's Schoolutions Interview, "We-Do" Writing Book, "We-Do" Model Graphic & Self-Directed Writers BookP. David PearsonCornelius Minor's Schoolutions Interview & We Got This. Book Dr. Tanya Wright's Schoolutions Interview & A Teacher's Guide to Vocabulary Development Across the Day BookPatterns of Power Series Nell K. Duke & Kelly B. Cartwright's The Science of Reading Progresses: Communicating Advances Beyond the Simple View of Reading (graphic on page 9)First Education Writing Summit  (June 14, 2023) - Reboot, Revamp, and Refresh Your School's or Classroom's Writing InstructionAlign the Design: A Blueprint for School Improvement by Nancy J. Mooney & Ann T. Mausbach Schooling by Design: Mission, Action, and Achievement by Grant Wiggins & Jay McTigheCHAPTERS: 0:00 Leah Mermelstein returns 1:10 Cornelius Minor: being in time, bending curriculum, pro-kid 4:30 The NAEP scores and why they matter here 7:15 What integrated curriculum looks like: the animal unit 11:00 Teaching with fidelity vs. bending curriculum 15:20 Step 1: Forming a curriculum cadre 17:40 Step 2: Starting with the mission statement 19:30 Step 3: Priority goals and enduring understandings 22:00 Step 4: Connecting grammar and vocabulary 23:18 Step 5: Cumulative and spaced-out practice 27:00 Step 6: Planning for purposeful independence 31:00 Reading student writing to guide instruction 33:45 Nell Duke's Active View of Reading and the "We-Do" model 36:30 Reboot, Revamp, Refresh Writing Summit, June 14th 38:00 How to reach Leah Mermelstein 39:00 Dialogue, not debate 40:00 Closing thoughts Schoolutions is the podcast for educators and school leaders, families and homeschoolers, and the coaches, counselors, and mentors who believe every student deserves to thrive. 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. 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!  #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #5practicesofexpertteachers #curiositydriven #evidencebasedclassroomreadystrategies #IntegratedCurriculum #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #WholeChildEducation #EquityInEducation #TeacherSupport #SchoolLeadership #StudentEngagement #InclusiveTeaching #LessonPlanning #NewTeachers #MentorTeachers #EducationPodcast #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #RadicallyProKid #LiteracyInstruction #TeacherImpact #schoolculture  When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.

  4. Jul 22

    We Need Human Stories Tied to Data About Teaching (Writing Wednesday)

    Research alone won't move a teacher to change what they do tomorrow. A story will. In this Writing Wednesday, I break down the method I use in my own writing: for every piece of research I include, I pair it with a real classroom moment, either something I lived through myself or something I watched happen in another teacher's room. The story is what makes a reader trust you. The research is what backs up the claim. Put them together and you get writing that actually sticks with the teachers, coaches, and school leaders reading it. This one's short, but it's a habit worth stealing if you write for educators, coach teachers, or create content for classrooms. Whether you're building out professional learning materials or writing instructional strategies for a blog, tie the research to a person. A moment. A room with real kids in it. This Writing  Wednesday series is for teachers, instructional coaches, mentor teachers, and school leaders who've thought about writing their own book.  See you next week. Watch the reel here. Chapters: 0:00 Why research alone falls flat 0:10 The method: pair every research point with a real story 0:25 Stories build trust, research backs the claim 0:35 Who this habit is for 0:40 Sign-off This series is for teachers, instructional coaches, mentor teachers, and school leaders who've thought about writing their own book. 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise:  #Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #5PracticesOfExpertTeachers #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBasedClassroomReadyStrategies #WritingWednesday  #WritingWednesday #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #EffectiveTeaching #TeachingTips #ProfessionalDevelopment #MentorTeachers #NewTeachers #TeacherImpact #InstructionalStrategies #EducationCoaches #InspiredTeaching #SchoolLeadership #EducationWriting #TeacherSupport When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.

  5. Jul 20

    Relationships Before Correction: The Strategy That Changes Student Behavior

    In S3E11 of Schoolutions, I sat down with school counselor Zack "Coach Kasabo"  to talk about self- and co-regulation mental health strategies that actually work, not quick fixes teachers try once and abandon. Zack told me about his own struggles with anxiety and depression as a teen, and how that experience now shapes his work on classroom belonging, classroom behavior, and student engagement. His core belief: relationships come before punishment. That's what drives real student motivation. We talked about why low engagement usually traces back to unmet emotional needs, not laziness or defiance. Zack walked me through why active learning and inspiring students start with connection first, correction second. He also broke down two frameworks he created himself: the C.A.L.M. Redirection Technique and the T.I.P. Framework. Both are tools any teacher, counselor, or parent can use tomorrow to improve student participation and attention in class, without shaming a kid into compliance. I asked Zack about parent involvement, parent communication, and the home-school connection. He shared how he built family partnerships and caregiver support at a Title I school, including partnerships with local police, the fire department, and the YMCA to get kids winter coats. We also talked about education at home and what caregivers can do differently. Throughout the conversation, we kept coming back to culturally responsive teaching, equity in education, inclusive classrooms, and anti-bias teaching. Zack's mindset is pro-kid without being permissive. He wants every student to reach real student success, not just survive the school day. Episode Mentions: The School Counselor and Multitiered System Supports Title I Conscious Discipline Brain State ModelSchoolutions S2E2: Stopping Bullying and School Violence Before They Start with Professor Ron Avi AstorWhat is the Difference Between CBT and Solution-Focused Therapy?Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development Watch the episode on YouTube here. Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to Schoolutions 1:01 Zack's grandmother, his inspiration 2:23 Compassion without enabling 3:36 Zack's teen mental health struggles 6:10 His current role as a K-8 school counselor 8:15 Why Tier 1 support has to come first 9:34 Working in a Title I school 11:14 Relationships before academics 13:36 How weekly classroom guidance changed everything 14:29 Building community partnerships 19:58 Life as Coach Kasabo 20:16 Punishment versus consequences 24:16 Compliance versus proficiency 26:26 The C.A.L.M. Redirection Technique 32:40 The T.I.P. Framework for self-regulation 36:29 Should kids be forced to apologize? 42:14 The theories and tools Zack relies on 44:57 How to connect with Zack Schoolutions is the podcast for educators and school leaders, families and homeschoolers, and the coaches, counselors, and mentors who believe every student deserves to thrive. 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. 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!  #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #5practicesofexpertteachers #curiositydriven #evidencebasedclassroomreadystrategies #SchoolCounselor #CoachKasabo #ClassroomManagement #StudentEngagement #TeacherSupport #InstructionalCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolLeadership #ParentInvolvement #EquityInEducation #InclusiveClassrooms #WholeChildEducation #SelfRegulation #CoRegulation #EducationPodcast #TeacherTips #NewTeachers #SchoolCulture #EmpoweredEducators When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.

  6. Jul 17

    Identity-Affirming Classrooms: What's Actually Working?

    You will learn practical strategies and frameworks to create inclusive, identity-affirming spaces throughout this S4E24 conversation with Kwame Sarfo-Mensah.  This episode highlights Kwame’s book, Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally-Affirming Classroom.  This conversation is officially one of our top 20 most-listened-to episodes. Culturally responsive teaching and identity awareness are the foundation for becoming a better human to the young people in your life and classroom. Most educators focus on curriculum, but true connection requires a deeper look at your own positionality.  We break down why identity awareness is not just an abstract concept, but a vital tool for building trust. By understanding your own positionality, you can better navigate the complex dynamics that define modern education. Kwame Sarfomenzo offers a roadmap for community members and teachers who are ready to do the internal work required to support young people more effectively. This is about moving beyond traditional methods to foster genuine human connection. Would you rather watch this conversation? Here's the YouTube link. ➡️The three P's of intersectional awareness: Privilege, Power, and Positionality ➡️Strategies for being an authentically active community-engaged educator ➡️The importance of origin stories in teaching ➡️Counter-storytelling and celebrating marginalized communities ➡️Creating culturally affirming classroom environments Highlighted Frameworks: 💫Origin Story Components (STORI): 💫Racial Literacy Development Framework: Practical Strategies: ✨The "Me Bag" activity for celebrating student identities ✨Reflective questions for educator development ✨Community engagement at multiple levels ✨Ways to incorporate counter-storytelling Schoolutions is the podcast for educators and school leaders, families and homeschoolers, and the coaches, counselors, and mentors who believe every student deserves to thrive. 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. 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE the episode! #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedclassroomreadystrategies #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #EquityInEducation #TeacherPD #SchoolLeadership #InclusiveClassrooms #StudentEngagement #NewTeachers  When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.

    Identity-Affirming Classrooms: What's Actually Working?

  7. Jul 15

    Four Brain Shifts That Happen When You Walk (Writing Wednesday)

    Stop staring at your screen and start walking for a mental reset. This Writing Wednesday covers four science-backed reasons walking resets your brain and improves cognitive function before you sit back down to write. Movement is a powerful tool to regulate your nervous system and flush out stress hormones like cortisol. By increasing dopamine and serotonin, a short walk stabilizes your brain chemistry and restores your ability to focus on complex tasks. If you need to break through a creative wall, try this simple habit today: 🚶‍♀️‍➡️cuts cortisol, the stress hormone that piles up when you're frustrated and stuck. 🚶‍♀️‍➡️releases serotonin and dopamine, which stabilizes your mood. 🚶‍♀️‍➡️gives your brain a break through something called soft fascination, where your eyes wander and your mind loosens. 🚶‍♀️‍➡️ pumps more blood to your brain, which sharpens focus. Watch the reel here. Chapters: 0:00 Writing Wednesday starts 0:07 Cortisol drops when you walk 0:22 Serotonin and dopamine kick in 0:34 Your attention resets 0:49 Blood flow sharpens your focus 1:02 Get up and walk This series is for teachers, instructional coaches, mentor teachers, and school leaders who've thought about writing their own book. 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise:  #Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #5PracticesOfExpertTeachers #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBasedClassroomReadyStrategies #WritingWednesday #TeacherSupport #ProfessionalDevelopment #EducationStrategies #InstructionalCoaching #TeacherWellbeing #TeachingTips #EmpoweredEducators #EducationLeadership #MentorTeachers When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.

  8. Jul 14

    The Outline I Almost Skipped Became My Lifeline (Writing Wednesday)

    I'm starting a new weekly series called Writing Wednesday. My book manuscript is due end of August, and I'm holding myself accountable by posting every week about the process. Here are two lessons from my editor, Kassia: First: build an outline before you write. I didn't get why she pushed me on this until I was three chapters in and kept losing the thread. Now I reread that outline constantly. It keeps the structure consistent for readers while still leaving room to cut and rearrange as the writing changes. Second: get an editor who tells you the truth, not just what you want to hear. This series is for teachers, instructional coaches, mentor teachers, and school leaders who've thought about writing their own book. Watch the reel here. Chapters: 0:00 Why I'm starting Writing Wednesday 0:07 Lesson one: build the outline first 0:34 Lesson two: find an editor who's honest 0:47 See you next Wednesday 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise #Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #5PracticesOfExpertTeachers #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBasedClassroomReadyStrategies #WritingWednesday #TeacherAuthor #InstructionalCoaching #ProfessionalLearning #EmpoweredEducators #StudentEngagement #EffectiveTeaching #SchoolLeadership #EquityInEducation #TeacherSupport #NewTeachers #MentorTeachers #WholeChild #InclusiveTeaching #EducationTransformation When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.

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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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