Students Thrive When Teachers Center Their Voices
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
05/03/26
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This May, @schoolutionspodcast is putting student voices front and center because real student success starts with listening. We spotlight how teachers can tune in to children's voices and experiences, including their streets, stories, leadership, and language.
👟 Sabina Sethi Unni opens the month with her powerful work through Open Plans NYC and the School Streets program. She is transforming unsafe streets in front of New York City schools into open play spaces that honor the whole child.
📖 Xochitl Bentley dives into different storytelling stances and how they connect to climate stewardship. Xochitl offers a masterclass in culturally responsive teaching, inclusive classrooms, and sparking student motivation through narrative and identity.
🌱 Rachael Thrash talks about co-creating schools with students and developing student leaders. This is a must-listen for anyone passionate about active learning, student participation, and equity in education.
📚 Beth Skelton and Tan Huynh close out the month with their new book on working with experienced multilinguals and their integrated literacy framework. Beth and Tan offer essentials for anyone committed to anti-bias teaching, inclusivity, and thriving students who are also language learners.
These conversations are rooted in inspiring students and educators, and in the belief that educational transformation happens when we center student voice, build family partnerships, and support teachers.
Join us this May. We can't wait to see you. 💙
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CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro: May's theme: centering children's voices
0:12 Sabina Sethi Unni: School Streets & safe play spaces
0:25 Xochitl Bentley: storytelling stances & climate stewardship
0:36 Rachael Thrash: co-creating schools & student leadership
0:47 Beth Skelton & Tan Huynh: experienced multilinguals & integrated literacy
0:58 Join us this May!
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBased #ClassroomReadyStrategies #ClassroomBelonging #StudentEngagement #StudentMotivation #ActiveLearning #InspiringStudents #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalCoaching #TeacherSupport #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolLeadership #SchoolCulture #FamilyPartnerships #HomeSchoolConnection #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #EquityInEducation #InclusiveClassrooms #AntiBiasTeaching #WholeChild #StudentSuccess #EmpoweredEducators #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #NewTeachers #StudentVoice #StudentLeadership #MultilingualLearners #TeachersOfYouTube #EducationPodcast #ProKidMindset #SchoolImprovement
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
In part two of my S5E35 @schoolutionspodcast conversation, science busker and communicator David Price with @ScienceMadeSimpleUK joins me to unpack what happens when you take STEM education to the streets. From crossing language barriers without a single word to designing classroom belonging through hands-on phenomena to building STEM kits for classrooms where balloons are a luxury, this episode is packed with practical insights for anyone who cares about inspiring students and transforming how we teach.
In this episode:
➡️Why student participation skyrockets when you lead with play, not lecture
➡️How mimicry and observation are the original instructional strategies — and why schools train it out of kids
➡️The "Odd One Out" technique for sparking student engagement and scientific thinking from minute one
➡️How to design for inclusive classrooms where language, cost, and jargon aren't barriers
➡️What the Singapore National Science Busking Championship reveals about empowered educators and student success
➡️Why effective teaching starts with you, not a script, not a lab, not a budget
💫Make sure to watch Part 1 & here are some episode Mentions:
- Lightyear Foundation
- British Interactive Group (BIG)
- Singapore National Science Busking Championships
Chapters:
0:00 — Welcome Back & Part 1 Recap
1:45 — Going Global: Language & Cultural Barriers in Science Busking
3:30 — Why Wordless Performance Works: The Power of Observation & Mimicry
5:00 — Learning-Doing: The Inseparable Pair
6:30 — Can Visualize Come Back? A Call to Funders
7:00 — Holding the Mission Sacred While Running a Real Business
8:30 — Meet the Science Made Simple Team
9:30 — STEM Education in Ghana: Designing Kits for Equity
11:30 — Building Science Busking Kits for Any Context
13:00 — Teaching the Scientific Method as a Phenomenon
14:00 — Connecting Science to Real-Life Phenomena in the Classroom
16:00 — Thinking, Doing, Talking Science: The Odd One Out Technique
17:30 — Building Student Confidence to Question & Explore
18:30 — Advice for Aspiring Science Communicators
20:00 — The Most Effective Communicator Is YOU
21:00 — Find Your Community: British Interactive Group & Science Communication Masters
22:30 — What Still Feels Unfinished: Singapore Busking Championships & a Dream for Europe
24:00 — Closing Reflections & Three Takeaways
26:00 — Next Week: Urban Planner Sabina Unni on School Streets
🎧 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
Next week: I am so excited to introduce you to urban planner Sabina Sethi Unni, who is on a mission to transform the clogged streets in front of New York City schools into outdoor classrooms, block parties, and safe spaces for kids to actually breathe. She is going to break down exactly how the School Streets program with Open Plans works and what it would take to bring it to every school in the city.
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
In Part 1 of this S5E36 two-part @schoolutionspodcast conversation, urban planner and organizer Sabina Sethi Unni from @openplansnyc breaks down New York City's School Streets program. It's a DOT initiative that closes car traffic in front of schools during school hours to create outdoor space for kids who need it most. Consider the possibilities...what if the street outside your school could become a gym, a science fair, or a Halloween parade all before 3 PM?
We discuss:
- What School Streets actually looks like (hint: it's active learning in action)
- How schools apply and who is eligible
- Why student engagement and classroom behavior improve when kids have space to move
- The #1 barrier for under-resourced schools and how Open Plans removes it
- Why equity in education and culturally responsive teaching are baked into their outreach model
- How parent involvement and family partnerships make or break the program
- What school leadership and principal strategies can do to champion this today
- Why community engagement is non-negotiable in education transformation
📩 Want to bring a School Street to your school? Reach out to Sabina directly: sabina@openplans.org
Some resources mentioned:
- School Streets program with Open Plans
- Hackney, UK (suburb of London): Open streets research program
- Paris School Streets program
- School Streets report
CHAPTERS:
0:00 — Introduction & Sabina's Background
1:45 — Research That Drives the Work (Hackney, UK)
3:00 — How Street Design Became a Lever of Power
5:00 — From Intern to Full-Time: The Equity Research That Started It All
7:15 — How Schools Apply & Who Is Eligible
8:45 — Prioritizing Low-Income Communities of Color
9:45 — The Real Barriers: Staffing, PTAs & Stretched Schools
10:55 — How Open Plans Removes Barriers for Schools
12:30 — What a School Street Actually Looks & Feels Like
13:45 — Flexible Hours: Schools Choose What Works for Them
14:30 — How Involved Is Open Plans After Approval?
15:30 — Leadership Turnover as a Hidden Barrier
16:30 — Lightning Round: Best Quotes, Myths & Big Dreams
18:30 — The Danger of Skipping Community Engagement
19:30 — Key Takeaways & Part 2 Preview
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!
#schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies#SchoolStreets #EquityInEducation #StudentEngagement
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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