Second Look Education

second look education
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Second Look Education is a practitioner-scholar podcast hosted by experienced educators. Each episode begins with real moments from classrooms, teacher preparation, policy, and professional life — the moments that make us pause and take a second look. From there, we engage in shared inquiry, examining development, relationships, professional judgment, and the systems shaping teaching and learning. Thoughtful, evidence-informed, and grounded in practice, this podcast resists oversimplification and centers the conditions that make good teaching possible.

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Authentic Self Care: Beyond Bubble Baths

    After a serious illness forced Candace to slow down, she started asking a question many educators quietly carry: When did exhaustion become normal? In this episode, Candace and Amy explore why conversations about self-care often miss the realities educators face. They unpack the differences between burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, moral injury, and the collective stress many educators have carried since 2020. Rather than offering another list of wellness tips, they examine how educator wellbeing is shaped by both personal practices and the systems in which teachers work. They discuss why boundaries matter, why recovery is often treated as something we have to earn, and why sustainable teaching requires more than individual resilience. Key Question: How do we become so accustomed to depletion that we stop recognizing what genuine care and recovery look like? Topics Discussed Burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and moral injuryWhy educator wellbeing is both personal and systemicThe limits of traditional "self-care" conversationsCollective trauma and the realities of post-pandemic teachingSelf-compassion and sustainable professional practiceBoundaries, recovery, and modeling healthy care for childrenReadings & Resources Mentioned Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Self-Assessment Toolhttps://proqol.org Kristin Neff – Self-Compassion Resourceshttps://self-compassion.org Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981)The Measurement of Experienced Burnout. Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 2(2), 99–113.https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205 Figley, C. R. (Ed.). (1995)Compassion Fatigue: Coping with Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder in Those Who Treat the Traumatized.https://www.routledge.com/Compassion-Fatigue-Coping-with-Secondary-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-in-Those-Who-Treat-the-Traumatized/Figley/p/book/9780876307595 Dean, W., Talbot, S., & Dean, A. (2019)Reframing Clinician Distress: Moral Injury, Not Burnout. Federal Practitioner, 36(9), 400–402.https://www.mdedge.com/fedprac/article/208986/mental-health/reframing-clinician-distress-moral-injury-not-burnout Neff, K. D. (2003).The Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Self-Compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223–250.https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027 Noddings, N. (2003).The Challenge to Care in Schools: An Alternative Approach to Education (2nd ed.).https://www.tcpress.com/the-challenge-to-care-in-schools-2nd-edition-9780807746097 Hernández, P., Gangsei, D., & Engstrom, D. (2007).Vicarious Resilience: A New Concept in Work With Those Who Survive Trauma. Family Process, 46(2), 229–241.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2007.00206.x Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., Bonus, K., & Davidson, R. J. (2013).Mindfulness for Teachers: A Pilot Study to Assess Effects on Stress, Burnout, and Teaching Efficacy.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23489570/ Roeser, R. W., et al. (2013).Mindfulness Training and Reductions in Teacher Stress and Burnout: Results from Two Randomized, Waitlist-Controlled Field Trials.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-29029-001 Brouwers, A., & Tomic, W. (2000).A Longitudinal Study of Teacher Burnout and Perceived Self-Efficacy in Classroom Management.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(99)00057-8 Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2016).Teacher Stress and Teacher Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Engagement, Emotional Exhaustion, and Motivation to Leave the Teaching Profession.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-015-9326-4 Try This After Listening: Parents: What do your children learn about rest, boundaries, and asking for help by watching the adults in their lives? Teachers: What have you been calling burnout that might actually be something different? What kind of support would address the real issue rather than simply helping you endure it? Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducation Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  2. Jul 2

    What Do We Think Summer Is For?

    July arrived, and somehow it already felt like we were behind. Not because anything was wrong. The kids were reading, swimming, building forts, arguing with siblings, and finding ways to fill their days. But underneath it all was a nagging feeling that summer should be accomplishing something more. In this episode, we explore where that pressure comes from. Along the way, we revisit the history of summer break, examine what research actually says about summer learning loss, and consider what might be happening when we focus so heavily on what children could lose that we overlook what they might be gaining. From reading and boredom to play, conflict, and independence, this conversation asks a simple question: What do we think summer is for? Key Question What do we think summer is for? Topics Discussed • Feeling behind when nothing is wrong • The stories we tell about summer • Summer learning loss and what the research says • Reading, play, boredom, and conflict • Growth that is difficult to measure • Teacher rest, recovery, and productivity • What summer might be offering that we often overlook Readings & Resources Mentioned Practitioner & Teaching Perspectives The Truth About Teachers’ Summershttps://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/the-truth-about-teachers-summers/2024/07 In Defense of Summer Break for Teachers and Academicshttps://existential-therapy.com/in-defense-of-summer-break-for-teachers-and-academics-what-critics-need-to-know/ Why Teachers Need a Summer Breakhttps://theeducatorsroom.com/why-teachers-need-a-summer-break/ The Exhausted Teacher’s Guide to a Rejuvenating Summer Breakhttps://newapproachesme.com/the-exhausted-teachers-guide-to-a-rejuvenating-summer-break/ Summer Recharge: Essential Self-Care Tips for Teachershttps://learnwellservices.com/summer-recharge-essential-self-care-tips-for-teachers/ Making Rest a Priority in the Summerhttps://medium.com/@spencerideas/making-rest-a-priority-in-the-summer-52e5dc99746c Research Sources Referenced in the Episode Why Do American Schools Have Such Long Summer Breaks?https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/debunking-myth-summer-vacation Summer Learning at a Glancehttps://www.summerlearning.org/at-a-glance/ Summer Learning Loss: What Is It and What Can We Do AboutIt?https://www.brookings.edu/articles/summer-learning-loss-what-is-it-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/ Summer Learning Loss: What We Know, What We're Learninghttps://www.nwea.org/blog/2026/summer-learning-loss-what-we-know-what-were-learning/ Evidence Matters: Is the Summer Slide a Slippery Slope?https://www.furman.edu/riley/evidence-matters-is-the-summer-slide-a-slippery-slope/ Whether Real or Not, Beware the Summer Slidehttps://news.miami.edu/stories/2024/06/whether-real-or-not-beware-the-summer-slide.html Foundational Research & Further Reading The Power of a Slow Summer: Why Kids Need Time to Just Behttps://instituteofchildpsychology.com/the-power-of-a-slow-summer-why-kids-need-time-to-just-be/ Summertime = Playtimehttps://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/18/06/summertime-playtime 27 Reasons Why Freedom and Play Are Important During theSummerhttps://www.aaastateofplay.com/27-reasons-why-freedom-and-play-are-important-during-the-summer/ Tinker Dabble Doodle Tryhttps://tinkerdabble.com/ The Power of Playful Learning in the Early Childhood Settinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK552659/ Playful Learning Landscapeshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK552668/ Try This After Listening Parents: What is one thing your child learned this summer that wouldnever appear on a report card? Teachers: What would change if you viewed rest and recovery as part ofprofessional growth rather than a break from it? Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducationListen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts | Watchon YouTube @secondlookeducation

  3. Jun 18

    Who are Evaluations For?

    The inspiration for this episode came from a conversation with a veteran teacher who left an evaluation meeting feeling defeated despite years of successful teaching and strong relationships with students. Her experience raised a question that many educators quietly ask: What is the actual purpose of teacher evaluations? In this episode, Candace and Amy explore the tension between accountability and professional growth within educator evaluation systems. They discuss how policies such as No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and Illinois' Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) shaped modern evaluation practices and examine the gap that can exist between a system's intentions and educators' lived experiences. The conversation also explores evaluator bias, the challenges of measuring relational aspects of teaching, and the reality that both teachers and administrators operate under significant institutional pressures. Throughout the discussion, the hosts consider whether evaluations function as tools for growth, compliance mechanisms, or something in between. Listeners are ultimately left considering how schools can create accountability systems that maintain professional standards while preserving professional dignity, trust, and humanity. Key Question How do we create accountability systems that maintain professional standards without stripping people of professional dignity? Topics Discussed The emotional impact of educator evaluations Accountability reforms and their influence on schools PERA and the evolution of teacher evaluation systems The Danielson Framework and reflective practice Evaluator bias and subjectivity Professional dignity, trust, and accountability Readings & Resources Mentioned Practitioner & Teaching Perspectives Illinois State Board of Education: Educator Evaluationshttps://www.isbe.net/Pages/Educator-Evaluations.aspxCharlotte Danielson Framework for Teachinghttps://danielsongroup.org/framework/Illinois Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) Overviewhttps://www.isbe.net/Pages/Educator-Evaluations.aspxEvaluation Satire Video Referenced During Discussion https://youtu.be/u348vcErLaUAdditional Evaluation Discussion Videohttps://youtu.be/KzDcYuSsU2E?si=iSo5MBAsJH0M9VMYIllinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Educator Evaluationshttps://www.isbe.net/Pages/Educator-Evaluations.aspxPublic Act 104-0020 (2025): Student Growth Component No Longer Required by LawEffective July 1, 2025, student growth components became optional in teacher, principal, and assistant principal evaluations.https://www.ilga.govEvaluation Training Materials Addressing:Halo EffectPitchfork EffectNegativity BiasCentral TendencyRater DriftCharlotte Danielson. Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching https://danielsongroup.org/framework/ Try This After Listening Parents: Think about a professional evaluation you have experienced. Did it help you grow, or did it primarily measure your performance? What made the difference? Teachers: Reflect on your most recent evaluation. Which parts felt genuinely developmental, and which parts felt performative or compliance-driven? What conditions would make professional feedback feel more meaningful? Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducationListen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  4. Jun 4

    When Screens Became the System

    In our previous episode, we explored why LAUSD’s decision to limit screen use on school-issued devices felt significant. In this episode, we step back to ask a different question: How did screens become the system in the first place? We trace the shift from occasional classroom technology to one-to-one devices, online platforms, digital assessments, and always-connected learning environments. What began as a series of practical decisions gradually became the default structure of schooling. But this conversation is about more than education technology. It is about normalization. The same forces that transformed schools also reshaped daily life—changing how we work, communicate, entertain ourselves, and spend our attention. Rather than debating whether technology is good or bad, this episode explores how major cultural shifts become invisible over time. When does a tool become an expectation? When does convenience become dependence? Key Question When did this become normal—and why didn’t we question it sooner? Readings & Resources Mentioned Practitioner & Teaching Perspectives Schools Beyond Screens ⁠https://www.schoolsbeyondscreens.com/⁠ An educator-led initiative focused on reducing screendependency in schools and promoting more balanced, developmentally appropriate learning environments. Phone Free Schools Movement ⁠https://www.phonefreeschoolsmovement.org/⁠ A coalition advocating for reducing student phone use duringthe school day, highlighting the impact of devices on attention, learning, and school culture. Smartphone Free Childhood (U.S.) ⁠https://smartphonefreechildhoodus.com/⁠ A grassroots movement supporting families and schools indelaying smartphone use and rethinking children’s relationship with technology, with growing connections to school-based device policies and screen use. Fairplay – Screens in Schools Initiative ⁠https://fairplayforkids.org/campaigns/screens-in-schools/⁠ Advocacy and research focused on reducing harmful commercial and digital influences in schools, including concerns about student data, platform design, and screen-based learning environments. Research Sources Referenced in the Episode Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development —Students, Computers and Learning ⁠https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/students-computers- Pew Research Center — Teens, Social Media & Technology2018 ⁠https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/⁠ Education Week — Chromebook Growth in Schools ⁠https://www.edweek.org/technology/chromebook-sales-to-k-12-schools-reach-new-heights/2014/12 Foundational Research & Further Reading National Education Policy Center ⁠https://nepc.colorado.edu/⁠. Annenberg Institute at Brown University ⁠https://annenberg.brown.edu/⁠ Shoshana Zuboff — The Age of Surveillance Capitalism ⁠https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=56791⁠ Neil Postman — Technopoly ⁠https://interesi.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/technopoly.pdf⁠ Try This After Listening Take inventory of your own digital timeline: Where did screens move from helpful to habitual in your life? What now feels normal that would have felt excessive or distracting 10–15 years ago? What activities, routines, or interactions slowly changed alongside constant connectivity? Where do you still feel like you’re making intentional choices versus simply moving through systems designed to keep your attention? This episode invites listeners to reflect not only on whatbecame normal in schools, but on what became normal everywhere else too. Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducationListen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  5. May 21

    The Screens Schools Gave Them

    Episode Summary Los Angeles Unified School District recently passed aresolution to create limits on student screen time—but this isn’t just another conversation about phones. This decision focuses on the devices schools themselves have assigned and built into daily learning. In this episode, we unpack what this policy actually includes, why it’s happening now, and what it reveals about how technology has been used in classrooms. They explore the difference between access and instructional quality, the role of attention in learning, and howscreens can quietly reshape the environment around student. The episode ends with practical reflection points for bothparents and educators, grounded in one central question: if schools are starting to limit screens now, what changed—and what does that mean for how we move forward? Key Question What changed that made this necessary now? Topics Discussed LAUSD’s screen-time resolution and what it actually includes The difference between phone bans and school-issued device policies Access vs. instructional quality in technology use Attention, multitasking, and what screens do to learning conditions What gets displaced when screens become the default System-level gaps: scaling devices before defining limits and oversight Readings & Resources Mentioned Practitioner & Teaching Perspectives Screen Awareness Resource Guide (Conference Materials)https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dEM1-NVbtyUfadIpqbn2a-rBk5dijgCO/view?usp=drive_link A brief resource guide developed for educators andcaregivers Screen-Aware Early Childhood by Cantor, Holohan and Rogershttps://www.tcpress.com/products/screen-aware-early-childhood_9780807787281 A research-informed and practitioner-centered guide tounderstanding how screens intersect with child development, relationships, and learning. Fairplay – Screens in Schools Initiativehttps://fairplayforkids.org/campaigns/screens-in-schools/ A national advocacy effort focused on reducing harmfulcommercial influences in schools Research Sources Referenced in the Episode Los Angeles Unified School District Screen Time Resolution(Summary + reporting)https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/los-angeles-schools-set-limits-classroom-screen-time-2026-04-22/ California Phone-Free School Act (AB 3216)https://apnews.com/article/a8b624f0a9fce4eab4e927a985285871 Illinois Senate Bill 2427 (Wireless Communication Device Policy)https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=2427&DocTypeID=SB&GAID=18&LegId=162470&SessionID=114 Illinois Policy Institute – Cell Phone Use in Classroomshttps://www.illinoispolicy.org/bill-would-limit-cell-phone-use-in-classrooms/ Additional District Examples & Reporting Natasha Singer, The New York Times — “ChromebookRemorse: Tech Backlash at Schools Extends Beyond Phones”https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/apr/05/chromebook-remorse-tech-backlash-at-schools-extend/ A reprint of New York Times reporting on McPherson MiddleSchool in Kansas The Guardian — “Los Angeles school board votes to set limitson classroom screen time”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/22/los-angeles-school-district-screen-time MultiState — “Elementary School Screen Time Limits GainMomentum in 2026”https://www.multistate.us/insider/2026/4/8/elementary-school-screen-time-limits-gain-momentum-in-2026 Policy overview of state-level classroom screen-timelegislation, noting that 2026 bills and laws are beginning to address screen time in elementary classrooms Try This After Listening Parents: Instead of asking “How much screen time is too much?” ask:What is this screen replacing right now? Teachers: Identify one part of your day where screens are not the default.What changes when that space is protected? Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducationListen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  6. May 7

    Who Gets to Love Learning?

    Episode Summary In this episode, we move from a single moment to a pattern that’s harder to ignore. What began as a conversation about a child not liking school expands into a broader question about the emotional experience of learning across classrooms, schools, and systems. Candace reflects on recurring moments — preservice teachers describing students as “behind,” classrooms driven by pacing over presence, and college students navigating learning environments that feel disconnected from relationships and meaning. Together, Candace and Amy explore how the language of urgency, remediation, and compliance shapes not just what students learn, but how learning feels. Drawing on research around motivation, emotional safety, and culturally responsive practice, the conversation examines whether joy is being treated as an extra — or whether it is a condition necessary for meaningful learning. The episode moves into a deeper tension: If joy depends on autonomy, belonging, relevance, and safety… are those conditions equally available to all learners? We close by asking what it means if they are not. Key Question: If joy is a condition for deep learning, who actually has access to it? Topics Discussed Joy as a condition for learning, not a reward The language of “behind,” urgency, and remediation Emotional safety and relationships in learning environments Scripted curriculum, pacing pressures, and system constraints The difference between compliance and engagement Education debt vs. achievement gaps Joy, identity, and access across race, class, and power Learning as human, relational, and nonlinear Readings & Resources Mentioned Practitioner & Teaching Perspectives Gholdy Muhammad Work on culturally and historically responsive education and joy as sustained fulfillmenthttps://education.uic.edu/profiles/muhammad-gholnecsar/ bell hooks Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedomhttps://academictrap.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/bell-hooks-teaching-to-transgress.pdf Research Sources Referenced during the episode: Edward Deci & Richard Ryan Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, connection)https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_RyanDeci_SDT.pdf Daniel J. Siegel Brain development, relationships, and emotional safety in learningPeter Gray Learning, autonomy, and the impact of control on motivationhttps://drdansiegel.com/relationship-science-and-being-human/ Foundational Research & Further Reading Gloria Ladson-Billings From achievement gap to education debthttps://thrive.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/From%20the%20Achievement%20Gap%20to%20the%20Education%20Debt_Understanding%20Achievement%20in%20US%20Schools.pdf Bettina Love We Want to Do More Than Survivehttps://www.beacon.org/We-Want-to-Do-More-Than-Survive-P1446.aspxJal Mehta Deep learning and system designhttps://jfforg-prod-new.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/The-Why-What-Where-How-121415.pdf Parents: Ask your child not just what they learned, but how learning felt that day. Notice what brings energy — and what drains it. Educators: Reflect on your classroom environment: Where do students experience autonomy, belonging, and relevance? Where might compliance be mistaken for engagement? If joy is sustained fulfillment, then we have to ask: Which students are being sustained by school — and which are being depleted by it? Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducation Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  7. Apr 23

    The Edges of Inclusion

    Episode Summary Amy brings a real moment from home: her children come backfrom school excited about inclusion activities—adaptive sports, conversations about disability, and new perspectives. The experience is meaningful, engaging, and clearly impactful. But it raises a quieter question: why does inclusion still show up as a special event? As the conversation unfolds, Amy and Candace explore thetension between awareness and design. While schools have made significant progress—especially through legislation like IDEA—this progress has not always translated into fully inclusive classroom experiences. Inclusion exists, but often within boundaries that go unnamed. They examine how systems have expanded access without fully redesigning how schools function, and how this leads to a version of inclusion that is real, but partial. The conversation moves from history to classroom reality, naming the complexity teachers already hold and the structural limitsthat shape what’s possible. The episode closes by shifting from solutions toawareness—inviting listeners to notice who is present, who is missing, and what it would take to design spaces where inclusion isn’t something we visit, but something we live alongside. Key Question What does it mean to teach inclusion in spaces that arealready selectively inclusive? Topics Discussed: Inclusion as an event vs. inclusion as design The gap between legal access and classroom reality The concept of “bounded inclusion”Awareness without proximity Teacher capacity and system constraints The role of collaboration (gen ed, SPED, specialists) Universal design and everyday inclusion Noticing who is missing from classrooms Readings & Resources Mentioned Practitioner & Teaching Perspectives Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines – CASThttps://udlguidelines.cast.orgIRIS Center: Universal Design for Learning Overview (Vanderbilt University)https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/udl/Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) – High-Leverage Practiceshttps://highleveragepractices.orgResearch Sources Referenced in the Episode Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – U.S. Department of Educationhttps://sites.ed.gov/idea/Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) – IDEA Guidancehttps://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/b/300.114Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975) – Historical Overviewhttps://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2142/Education-All-Handicapped-Children-Act-1975.html Foundational Research & Further Reading CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 2.2https://udlguidelines.cast.org/more/downloadsNational Center for Education Statistics (NCES) – Students with Disabilities Datahttps://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cggU.S. Department of Education – Annual Report to Congress on IDEAhttps://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/index.htmlTry This After Listening Parents:Notice how you talk about difference in everyday moments—at parks, sidewalks,or public spaces—and name design features (like ramps or adaptive equipment) aspart of how the world works. Teachers:Look at one lesson this week and ask: Who can access this easily—and who has toadapt? What small shift could make it more flexible? Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducationListen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  8. Apr 9

    How did we lose the joy this early?

    Episode Summary Candace shares a moment that stopped her in her tracks: her 7-year-old niece, in the middle of learning to read, said, “I don’t like school.” There was no frustration or struggle, just a quiet certainty. In this episode, Candace and Amy take a second look at what it means when a child at one of the most critical stages of learning already feels disconnected from school. They explore the difference between learning a skill and wanting to keep learning, and how systems built around pacing, measurement, and outcomes may unintentionally disrupt children’s natural curiosity. Drawing on research in motivation, development, and literacy, the conversation examines how early experiences shape a child’s relationship with learning, and what it means if students can perform but no longer feel connected to the process. Because the question isn’t just whether children can learn. It’s what they’re learning about learning itself. Key Question If a child can read but doesn’t want to read, did school succeed? Topics Discussed The difference between skill acquisition and desire to learnWhy early reading should feel meaningful, not just measurableIntrinsic motivation and the role of autonomy, competence, and connectionHow compliance-driven systems shape student experienceThe impact of pacing, benchmarking, and over-assessmentJoy as a condition for learning, not a reward after itThe growing gap between what schools measure and what students feelReadings & Resources Mentioned National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/dap Edutopia – Student Engagement https://www.edutopia.org/topic/student-engagement Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan) https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/theory/ Ryan & Deci (2000) Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10620381/ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Flow Theory https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/ Peter Gray – Free to Learn https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-learn Gholdy Muhammad – Unearthing Joy https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/unearthing-joy-9781338856606.html Bettina Love – We Want to Do More Than Survive https://jethe.org/index.php/jethe/article/download/259/58/1078 Try This After Listening Parents:Ask your child what part of their day at school feels most interesting or exciting, and why. Teachers:Reflect on when you last adjusted a lesson based on student engagement, not pacing. Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducation Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  9. Mar 26

    Inside High-Stakes Testing

    Episode Summary In this episode, we start with a small moment — a child mentioning that they get to chew gum during the Illinois Assessment of Readiness — and follow it into a larger question: How did high-stakes testing become such a routine part of school that it now feels inevitable? Amy reflects on raising her own children inside a testing system she has studied, written about, and once administered as a classroom teacher. Drawing on her experience preparing third graders for their first standardized test, researching children’s experiences of testing, and later stepping away from that grade level, she examines how policy becomes classroom reality. We explore how federal accountability systems made annual testing structural, why the 95% participation rule continues to shape school responses, how Illinois moved from IGAP and ISAT to PARCC and IAR, and why teachers and parents often experience these systems differently. We close by asking what children learn when adults treat constructed systems as natural — and what it means to stay conscious inside them. When high-stakes testing feels inevitable, what are children learning about systems, authority, and participation? High-stakes testing as policy, not inevitability The 95% participation rule under NCLB and ESSA Illinois testing history: IGAP, ISAT, PARCC, and IAR Teacher compliance, care, and professional survival Student identity and the emotional experience of testing Parent advocacy inside institutional systems Practitioner & Teaching Perspectives FairTest. National Center for Fair and Open Testing.https://fairtest.org Illinois State Board of Education. Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR).https://www.isbe.net/iar  Illinois State Board of Education. Assessment Overview.https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Assessment.aspx Research Sources Referenced in the Episode U.S. Department of Education. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).https://www.ed.gov/essa  U.S. Department of Education. No Child Left Behind Act Overview.https://www.ed.gov/media/document/execsummpdf-4020.pdf  Foundational Research & Further Reading Schneider, M. K. (2015).Common Core Dilemma: Who Owns Our Schools? Teachers College Press. https://www.tcpress.com/common-core-dilemma-who-owns-our-schools-9780807756492 Gorlweski, A., Porfilio, B., Gorlewski, D. (2012).Using Standards and High-Stakes Testing for Students: Exploiting Power with Critical Pedagogy https://www.peterlang.com/document/1109148  Neill, M. (2016).The Testing Resistance and Reform Movement https://monthlyreview.org/articles/the-testing-resistance-and-reform-movement/  Author Background & Related Scholarship Kelly, A. L. (2019).The High Stakes of Testing: Exploring Student Voice and Standardized Assessment through Governmentality. Brill Sense.https://brill.com/display/title/61974 Kelly, A. L. (2021).A Guide to High-Stakes Standardized Testing in the United States: A Historical Overview. Brill Sense.https://brill.com/display/title/54596 Parents: Ask your child what they think the test is for — and what they think it says about them. Teachers: Reflect on how testing season changes the tone of your classroom. What messages are students receiving about learning, success, and compliance? Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducation Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts| Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  10. Mar 12

    Read Across America — What Do We Do About Dr. Seuss?

    Episode Summary In this episode, Candace begins with a personal moment: learning, years into her career as an educator, that many of the Dr. Seuss books she loved as a child contain racist imagery and stereotypes. Like many teachers, she grew up celebrating Read Across America with Cat in the Hat hats, green eggs and ham activities, and Dr. Seuss-themed classrooms. But once she encountered research examining racial representation in Seuss’s books, that tradition started to feel more complicated. This episode explores what happens when nostalgia collides with new information. Why did Dr. Seuss become so closely tied to Read Across America? What does the research actually say about representation in his books? And what responsibility do educators have when the materials we’ve traditionally celebrated may carry harmful messages? Candace and Amy examine the history of Read Across America, the research that sparked national conversations about Seuss’s work, and the developmental research showing how early children begin forming racial biases. This is not a conversation about banning books or erasing childhood memories. It is an invitation to take a second look at how we choose the stories we center in classrooms—and what those choices communicate to children When schools celebrate reading, whose stories are we choosing to center—and what messages do those choices send to children? The history of Read Across America and its connection to Dr. SeussResearch examining representation in Dr. Seuss’s children’s booksThe tension between nostalgia and responsibility in educationChild development research on how early racial bias formsWhy representation in children’s literature matters for identity and belongingThe National Education Association’s shift away from Dr. Seuss in Read Across America programmingWhy many schools continue Seuss-themed celebrations despite that shiftHow educators can evaluate children’s books more intentionallyDiverse authors and books that bring joy, imagination, and representation into classroomsIshizuka, K., & Stephens, R. (2019).The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss’s Children's Books. https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/journals/rdyl/article/view/1525  This study examined 50 Dr. Seuss books and more than 2,200 characters. Researchers found that only 2% of characters were people of color—and those characters were consistently portrayed through racial stereotypes. Dr. Seuss Political Cartoons https://calisphere.org/collections/26157/ National Education Association – Read Across America https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance)Reading Diversity Tool https://www.learningforjustice.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/Reading-Diversity-v2-Redesign-WEB-Nov2017.pdf DIG Checklist for Inclusive Children's Media https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58595220e58c62b4ba107c65/t/59e7b0b964b05fdd650ecf7a/1508356282001/KIDMAP-DIG-CHECKLIST.pdf Amy references several tools and frameworks educators can use to evaluate children’s books for representation, bias, and quality. These include materials developed through a professional learning community with preservice teachers, as well as curated research and evaluation frameworks. 👉 Access the Episode Resource Hub: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NMFikM9nHMseKL9kTluh1QZHf3NiEa5B?usp=sharing  Resources include: Children’s Book Evaluation Checklist• Full research list on evaluating children’s literatureTeachers: Look at the books you highlight during reading celebrations. Ask yourself: Who is represented—and who isn’t? Parents: When reading with children, explore books that show a wide range of cultures, identities, and experiences. Representation helps children see both mirrors and windows in literature. Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducation Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  11. Feb 26

    When Learning Has to Leave a Trace

    Episode Summary In this episode, we start with a simple moment — a child bringing home a stack of completed workbook pages — and follow it into a larger question: How did written work become the primary way schools recognize learning? We explore how assessment systems shape classroom tasks, why teachers rely on visible artifacts, and what may become invisible when proof becomes the priority.This is not an argument against worksheets — it’s an examination of what role they are quietly being asked to play. We close with practical ways parents and teachers can look beyond completion and notice understanding. Key Question When evidence of learning becomes the goal, what kinds of learning stop counting? Topics Discussed Observable vs. experiential learning Accountability and instructional design Task architecture in classrooms Developmental learning vs. documented learning Parent–teacher feedback loops Practical ways to surface student thinking Readings & Resources Mentioned Practitioner & Teaching Perspectives Elaine. 5 Reasons to Stop Using Workbooks. Hummingbird Learning Centrehttps://hummingbirdlearning.com/5-reasons-to-stop-using-workbooks/ Segar, Sara. Why I Don’t Give My Students Worksheets and What I Do Instead. Experiential Learning Depothttps://www.experientiallearningdepot.com/experiential-learning-blog/why-i-dont-give-my-students-worksheets-and-what-i-do-instead Research Sources Referenced in the Episode Utami, A. R., Aminatun, D., & Fatriana, N. (2020).Student Workbook Use: Does It Still Matter to the Effectiveness of Students’ Learning? Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 1(1), 7–12.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349654476_STUDENT_WORKBOOK_USE_DOES_IT_STILL_MATTER_TO_THE_EFFECTIVENESS_OF_STUDENTS'_LEARNING Osborn, J. (1984).Evaluating Workbooks (Reading Education Report No. 52). Center for the Study of Reading, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/items/17574/bitstreams/63193/data.pdf Foundational Research & Further Reading Shepard, L. A. (2000).The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4–14.https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X029007004  Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998).Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment.https://people.bath.ac.uk/edspd/Weblinks/MA_Ass/Resources/Using%20assessment%20formatively/Black%20&%20Wiliam%201998%20PDK.pdf  Stein, M. K., & Smith, M. S. (1998).Mathematical Tasks as a Framework for Reflection (QUASAR Task Analysis Framework overview)https://www.nctm.org/Handlers/AttachmentHandler.ashx?attachmentID=wTjgEy0K1jw=  Dewey, J. (1938).Experience and Education.https://archive.org/details/experienceeducat00dewe Author Background & Related Scholarship The ideas discussed in this episode draw on research about how accountability systems influence classroom practice: Kelly, A. L. (2019).The High Stakes of Testing: Exploring Student Voice and Standardized Assessment through Governmentality. Brill Sense.https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004401365 Kelly, A. L. (2021).A Guide to High-Stakes Standardized Testing in the United States: A Historical Overview. Brill Sense.https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004511736_001 Try This After Listening Parents: Ask what was confusing today before asking if it was correct. Teachers: Decide whether a page is practice or documentation before collecting it — then respond accordingly. Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducation Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts| Watch on YouTube @secondlookeducation

  12. Feb 23

    Why We’re Taking a Second Look

    Welcome to Second Look Education. In this first episode, Amy and Candace introduce who we are, where we come from, and why this podcast exists. We are experienced educators, former classroom teachers, school leaders, researchers, and parents. We are not observing education from the sidelines. We are living it. We prepare future teachers while also watching our own children move through increasingly complex school systems. This show was created because we kept having the same honest conversations behind closed doors. Conversations about the growing gap between how teachers are prepared and how systems ask them to teach. Conversations about autonomy, compliance, developmentally appropriate practice, instructional scripts, technology, standardized systems, and the narrowing of professional judgment. Second Look Education is a practitioner-scholar podcast examining policy, curriculum, technology, and instructional trends through a developmental, relational, and classroom-reality lens. We are not neutral. We are thoughtful, evidence-informed, and grounded in lived practice. In this episode, we lay out: What we believe about children and learningWhat we believe about teachers and professional judgmentWhat we believe about systems and reformThe core questions that will frame every episode:Are we designing systems for compliance, or for human development? Who benefits from current structures, and who carries the cost? This episode sets the foundation for the conversations to come. Follow us on Instagram: @secondlookeducation

  • 12 Episodes

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About

Second Look Education is a practitioner-scholar podcast hosted by experienced educators. Each episode begins with real moments from classrooms, teacher preparation, policy, and professional life — the moments that make us pause and take a second look. From there, we engage in shared inquiry, examining development, relationships, professional judgment, and the systems shaping teaching and learning. Thoughtful, evidence-informed, and grounded in practice, this podcast resists oversimplification and centers the conditions that make good teaching possible.

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  • Creator
    second look education
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © second look education
  • Show Website
    Second Look Education