Vrain Waves: Teaching Conversations with Minds Shaping Education

Suzy Evans, Shane Saeed
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Vrain Waves seeks to provide teachers powerful professional learning anywhere, and anytime. We feature interviews with educational giants, successful professionals, and sought-after consultants to help teachers feel more informed, inspired, and connected. Join us each week as we highlight educational theory, strategies, and tools that all teachers can put to use in the classroom.

  1. 12/19/2025

    The Scaffolding Effect: Hunting, not Fishing

    Bringing 2025 to a close with one of our most important conversations! Tune in as we chat with educator-authors, Rachel Ball and Alex Fairlamb, on why we need to be hunters in our classrooms, searching for student understanding, instead of hoping and fishing for mastery. The Scaffolding Effect is one of the best professional development books we've ever read; truly scaffolding and chunking material down for all of us to understand. Happy year-end to all of our listeners! Rachel Ball Alex Fairlamb  Suzannah Evans Shane Saeed

    40 min

  2. 11/14/2025

    AI in the Classroom: Enhancement, Inspiration, & Reflection

    The perfect follow-up to our episode last month with Dr. Catlin Tucker, three rockstar St. Vrain Valley educators give us a peek into how they're using AI as an enhancement tool, as inspiration and a thought-partner for students, a coach for themselves, and the ultimate brainstorming generator. Tune in to get inspired yourself and start to embrace our new AI reality! @SuzannahEvans2 @drshanesaeed @Catlin_Tucker @AckermanSVVSD Exploration AI: Conversations Beyond the Algorithm

    41 min

  3. 10/03/2025

    Season 8 is here! Leverage and Lean into AI!

    Welcome back to Season 8! Dr. Catlin Tucker is back on the show, talking with us about how we can leverage AI to be a thought partner. How can we thoughtfully design learning pathways, lean into AI for the pieces that have traditionally taken up our time, and be more available for human connection? Tune in as we discuss UDL, sustainable practices, elevating our teaching, and always, always, ensuring our students leave the classroom with agency and motivation! @Catlin_Tucker @SuzannahEvans2 @drshanesaeed Elevating Educational Design with AI The Shift to Student-Led CatlinTucker.com

    30 min

  4. 05/09/2025

    Refine, Refresh, Relate!

    We're wrapping up Season 7 with two master St. Vrain teachers, Joylynn Boardman and Brian Huey, who continue to refine their practice, create relevant learning experiences, and champion their students! No matter how long we've been in education, adapting, tweaking, and reflecting are the keys to sustaining student engagement. But the most crucial piece for ALL students is, of course, inspiring them to believe they CAN succeed. Tune in for one of our favorite conversations this year and have a great summer! @SuzannahEvans2 @Drshanesaeed

    44 min

  5. 04/25/2025

    Scaffolding, Mastery, and Self-Image

    Tune in as we chat with Professor Dan Willingham about his flow chart for independence, mastery in education, and building up the self-image of our students. Check out his book, Outsmart Your Brain, for strategies to combat learned helplessness, understanding what it takes to achieve true mastery, and how crucial it is to help our students reframe their personal narrative about academics.  Dan Willingham Flow Chart for Independence Outsmart Your Brain Suzannah Evans Shane Saeed

    28 min

  6. 02/28/2025

    Teaching to the whole student

    It's time to connect the Physical and the Education in the classroom. Nothing is in a silo in our world. We are teaching the whole student, so connecting mind and body in our instruction benefits everyone. Incorporating movement in our classrooms creates engagement and builds attention, which helps content stick. Tune in as we chat with two @SVVSD physical education teachers who also teach academic content and how they see these two important worlds complementing each other.  @SuzannahEvans2 @DrShaneSaeed

    28 min

  7. 01/31/2025

    Sound Body, Sound Mind!

    Welcome to 2025! The month of January is famous for starting new physical activity routines and we can't emphasize enough how important it is to move in the classroom too! "Movement snacks" as @DrJulianReed describes them are not only crucial for a sound body but also translate to increased academic performance. Tune in as we talk about the benefits of understanding the basics of brain science, focus, and stimulation all related to physical activity. While you're listening, move your body! activedinc.com @DrJulianReed @SuzannahEvans2 @DrShaneSaeed

    44 min

  8. 01/01/2025

    Holy Cats! Learning Progressions

    Looking to build agency and standards mastery in your classroom? Then look no further than learning progressions! Tune in as we say goodbye to 2024 and chat with our very own @BennerBrainiacs. She motivates her students to self-assess on standards, visualize their goals more clearly, and achieve true mastery using learning progressions in her classroom. @SuzannahEvans2 @Drshanesaeed @BennerBraniacs Learning Progression Template Learning Targets PD

    21 min
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Vrain Waves seeks to provide teachers powerful professional learning anywhere, and anytime. We feature interviews with educational giants, successful professionals, and sought-after consultants to help teachers feel more informed, inspired, and connected. Join us each week as we highlight educational theory, strategies, and tools that all teachers can put to use in the classroom.

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