How One Picture Book Is Saving Kids From Cancer Isolation
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
09/08/25
•35m
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In this S5E2 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation, you'll hear from Brett Fox ( Hopecam) and Suzanne Stone (Livestrong), who discovered a shocking gap in resources for teachers and parents dealing with childhood cancer. When a child in your classroom or community is diagnosed with cancer, do you know what to say?
Their collaboration resulted in My Brave Friend: Emma and Noah Face Cancer Together - the first picture book specifically designed to help K-2 students understand cancer in an age-appropriate, non-scary way.
You'll discover:
➡️Why 1 in 285 kids will face cancer and how it affects entire school communities
➡️The exact language to use when talking to young children about cancer
➡️How isolation impacts not just the child, but entire families
➡️Free resources available to teachers and parents right now
➡️The simple action that helps kids feel empowered to help their friends
This isn't just about cancer - it's about building empathy, community, and giving children tools to navigate difficult situations with courage and kindness.
Episode Mentions:
- Livestrong
- Livestrong at School
- Hopecam
- My Brave Friend: Emma and Noah Face Cancer Together
- September Initiatives (Childhood Cancer Awareness Month)
- Living with Scanxiety: Cancer Podcast - Hosted by Rosaria Kozar
Chapters:
- 0:00 - Introduction to Brett Fox and Suzanne Stone
- 2:00 - Community-Based Research Approach
- 4:30 - Discovering the Resource Gap
- 7:00 - Real Stories from the Classroom
- 12:00 - The Impact of Isolation on Families
- 17:00 - Age-Appropriate Cancer Education
- 22:00 - Taking Action: How Kids Can Help
- 26:00 - Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Initiatives
Weekly Episode Release Schedule:
🔥 Guest Episodes: Every Monday
⭐ Highlight Reels: Every Wednesday
💡 Bonus Reflections: Every Friday
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.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 👍LIKE this video if it helped you, 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
#ChildhoodCancer #MyBraveFriend #Hopecam #Livestrong #ChildrensBooks #TeacherResources #CancerAwareness #ElementaryEducation #ParentingAdvice #CommunitySupport #SocialEmotionalLearning #BackToSchool #CancerEducation
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.
Previous Episode
BONUS: Why Expert Teachers Are 'Nosy' (& You Should Be Too)
September 5, 2025
•15m
Professor John Hattie's research reveals in this S5E1 BONUS Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation that teachers only see 20% of what actually happens in their classrooms. This episode breaks down the three daily impact questions that transform good teachers into expert teachers, plus the feedback strategy that's 80% more effective while requiring 80% less effort.
After 5 years of teaching, there's virtually NO correlation between experience and expertise. But here's what separates expert teachers from everyone else: they're professionally "nosy" about their students' learning.
What You'll Discover:
✅ The 3 daily questions expert teachers ask themselves
✅ Why "being nosy" is actually an act of love in teaching
✅ How to make your feedback dramatically more effective
✅ The truth about student engagement and why curiosity beats compliance
✅ Research-backed teaching tips that work immediately
Perfect for teachers, education coaches, school administrators, teacher mentors, instructional leaders, and anyone committed to student success and teacher impact.
🎯 Key Topics Covered:
Effective teaching, instructional strategies, teacher coaching, professional development, student engagement, student motivation, classroom management, teaching tips, instructional coaching, teacher support, mentor teachers, education strategies, student success, thriving students, empowered educators, inspired teaching, education transformation, school improvement, instructional leadership, whole child approach, pro-kid mindset
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
➡️Original S5E1 interview with Professor John Hattie
➡️Three impact questions framework
➡️Feedback effectiveness research
Chapter Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction: The Uncomfortable Truth About Teaching Experience
1:00 - Why We Only See 20% of Our Teaching Impact
2:00 - What Does It Mean to Be "Professionally Nosy"?
3:00 - The Three Daily Impact Questions Expert Teachers Ask
4:00 - Reflection: Moving Beyond Surface-Level Teaching
5:00 - The Power of Evaluative Thinking in Education
6:00 - Real Expertise vs. Years of Experience
7:00 - The 80% of Classroom Impact We're Missing
8:00 - From Curiosity to Compliance: A Heartbreaking Story
9:00 - Why Students Need 5-7 Opportunities to Learn
10:00 - The Art of Effective Feedback: Less is More
11:00 - Checking Our Assumptions: Self-Confirmation Bias
12:00 - Why Learning Isn't Always Joyful (And That's OK)
13:00 - Teachers Deny Their Expertise (Here's Why That Matters)
14:00 - Challenge: Embrace Being Professionally Nosy
15:00 - Call to Action & Next Steps
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.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 👍LIKE this video if it helped you, 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! https://www.youtube.com/@schoolutionspodcast/
#JohnHattie #ExpertTeachers #TeachingTips #EducationStrategies #StudentEngagement #TeacherImpact #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalStrategies #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeacherCoaching #StudentSuccess #ClassroomManagement #StudentMotivation #InstructionalCoaching #TeacherSupport #MentorTeachers #EducationTransformation #ThrivingStudents #EmpoweredEducators #InspiredTeaching #SchoolImprovement #InstructionalLeadership
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.
Next Episode
BONUS: How One Picture Book is Teaching 105,000 Kids Empathy
September 12, 2025
•13m
This S5E2 BONUS Schoolutions Teaching Strategies conversation explores the sinking feeling of not knowing what to say when someone you care about is hurting. The video highlights how one picture book is teaching empathy to over 105,000 kids, providing tools for how to support others. Silence can feel like abandonment, but even small acts of communication can make a big difference for cancer patients.
Empathy isn't taught—it's caught. I reflect on my transformative conversation with Brett Fox (@Hopecam) and Suzanne Stone (@Livestrong) about their picture book "My Brave Friend" and reveal how we can proactively prepare children for emotional emergencies.
Discover three game-changing revelations: how 105,000 students learned empathy through real experience, why we need proactive versus reactive approaches to crisis support, and how isolation affects entire families—not just patients.
This episode will shift your perspective on classroom management, student engagement, and creating inclusive classrooms where every child learns to approach learning with courage. Make sure to watch the original S5E2 @schoolutionspodcast interview with Brett and Suzanne, including linked show notes.
Perfect for teachers, education coaches, school administrators, caregivers, homeschoolers, and anyone committed to raising compassionate humans.
Learn practical teaching tips for building empathy, effective teaching strategies for emotional preparedness, and how to create a supportive school culture through challenging times.
Don't wait for crisis to strike—get "My Brave Friend" for your classroom or home library today and start these critical conversations now.
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction: When We Freeze in Crisis
1:00 - The Power of Connection: 105,000 More Empathetic Humans
2:00 - Welcome & Episode Overview
3:00 - Revelation #1: Teaching Empathy Without Knowing It
5:00 - Revelation #2: Proactive vs Reactive Mindset Shift
7:00 - Revelation #3: Isolation Affects Entire Families
9:00 - Three Action Steps You Can Take Right Now
11:00 - Final Thoughts: Courage & Showing Up
12:00 - Call to Action & Closing
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.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 👍LIKE this video if it helped you, 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! https://www.youtube.com/@schoolutionspodcast/
#Hopecam #Livestrong #MyBraveFriend #Schoolutions #SchoolutionsTeachingStrategies #EmpathyEducation #ClassroomManagement #StudentEngagement #InclusiveTeaching #TeacherSupport #WholeChild #EducationStrategies #ParentCommunication #SchoolCulture #TeacherCoaching #StudentMotivation #ProfessionalDevelopment #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #AntiBiasTeaching #ProKidMindset #StudentSuccess #ThrivingStudents #EmpoweredEducators #InspiredTeaching #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #SchoolImprovement #FamilyPartnerships #HomeschoolSupport #EffectiveTeaching #InnovativeTeaching #CaregiverSupport #EducationAtHome #InstructionalStrategies
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.
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