Innovating Education

Innovating Education

by Dr. Riley Williams
Education
Season 1
The Schoolhouse 302: Intentional Instructional Leadership with Dr. Joseph Jones and Dr. T.J. Vari
In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Dr. Joseph Jones and Dr. T.J. Vari—co‑founders of TheSchoolHouse302, about why meaningful school improvement requires working through conflict rather than avoiding it. The conversation examines their evolution from site leaders under No Child Left Behind to authors and coaches, and how that experience informed their approach to culture, feedback, and instructional leadership.​​ Jones and Vari outline core ideas from their books, including Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools and their new title Time, Tools, and Tactics of Instructional Leadership: A Principal’s Guide to Leading Learning, with an emphasis on moving from “urgent management” to intentional leadership grounded in coaching and daily growth. They highlight why every principal benefits from having a coach, how the “law of the lid” applies to schools, and what it looks like to get 1 percent better each day in service of improved outcomes for students.​​ Key takeaways: An explanation of why a “culture of nice” and conflict avoidance undermines real change, and how candid, compassionate feedback can support both performance and trust.​​ Specific approaches for using time, tools, and coaching structures to shift leaders from constant crisis response to focused instructional leadership.​​ Considerations for superintendents and principal supervisors who want to invest in leadership capacity so school improvement efforts are sustainable and student-centered.​​ Connect and resources: Website: https://theschoolhouse302.com (includes FocusED podcast, book information, and coaching/booking details)​ Book: Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools Book: Time, Tools, and Tactics of Instructional Leadership: A Principal’s Guide to Leading Learning
S1 · E40
Jan 12, 2026
49:14
Erin Thorkilsen: Humanizing Classroom Practice Through Learning Science
In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, we sit down with Erin Thorkilsen—educator, professor, and founder of Heart in Education, a professional development initiative focused on the human and relational dimensions of teaching. With over two decades of experience and deep grounding in learning science, Erin helps educators navigate complexity, strengthen classroom culture, and teach in ways that honor both student and teacher wellbeing. This conversation dives into the psychology of learning, emotional regulation, and what really happens in the brain when students—and adults—become dysregulated. Erin shares practical, emotionally grounded tools for designing learning experiences that honor curiosity, emotion, and multisensory engagement. She also reframes classroom management through a lens of compassion, co-regulation, and teacher self-awareness—moving beyond “fixing” behaviors toward supporting whole humans. Key takeaways from this episode: Why emotion is the engine of learning—and how to design lessons that leverage attention, memory, movement, and joy. How to shift from “rescue boat” to “lighthouse” when students experience big feelings. Practical strategies for building regulation skills, both for students and for teachers in difficult moments. How to support classroom management by meeting students’ needs for play, novelty, and connection—especially during tricky transitions. Why letting go of outcome can open the door to presence, clarity, and stronger relationships. A glimpse into Erin’s Refresh Your Toolkit workshop and her self-inquiry approach to helping educators move from stuckness to insight. Referenced frameworks & resources: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain Shelburne Farms’ Cultivating Joy and Wonder Blue School’s creative learning model Heart in Education’s regulation and relational teaching toolkit Connect with Erin Thorkilsen: 🌐 Website: heartineducation.org 📸 Instagram: @heartineducation
S1 · E39
Dec 1, 2025
37:08
Kwame Sarfo Mensa: Building Identity-Affirming Classrooms That Humanize Learning
In this special Thanksgiving episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Kwame Sarfo Mensa—veteran educator, global consultant, and author of Learning to Relearn—about what it means for educators to “unlearn and relearn” in order to create more humanizing schools. The conversation examines how equity-centered, culturally affirming practice invites teachers and leaders to interrogate bias, reconsider school culture, and center identity, belonging, and trust in daily decisions.​ Key takeaways: An explanation of why educators must continually “learn to relearn” and concrete strategies for interrupting bias through self-assessment, reflective practice, and intersectional empathy.​ Specific approaches for culturally affirming and identity-affirming teaching, including pronunciation and use of students’ names, modeling cultural humility, and building classroom norms that validate multiple identities.​ Considerations for school leaders and policymakers who seek to model inclusive leadership, strengthen student trust, and frame education as a collective, relational practice rather than a purely technical system.​ Connect with Kwame Sarfo Mensa: Website: https://www.identitytalk4educators.com​ Email: kwame@identitytalk4educators.com Podcast: Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE
S1 · E38
Nov 29, 2025
26:28
Steven Bollar (aka Stand Tall Steve) Breaks It Down: Just Do This
In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Steven Bollar—also known as Stand Tall Steve—an educator, former superintendent, author, and national speaker on school climate and culture. The conversation examines why many school improvement efforts stall when leaders pursue perfection over progress and how clearer decision-making and culture practices can make change more sustainable.​​ Key takeaways: An explanation of the five levels of decision-making and how leaders can use them to set expectations, communicate clearly, and reduce frustration in schools and districts.​​ Specific approaches for simplifying culture work, avoiding initiative fatigue, and using “reduce, not eliminate” as a realistic strategy for improving staff experience and student outcomes.​ Considerations for using the ideas in Steve’s book Just Do This to prioritize practical actions over abstract theory when leading in complex systems.​​ Connect and resources: Website: https://www.standtallsteve.com​ Email: steven@standtallsteve.com Podcast: The School Climate & Culture Show – hosted by Stand Tall Steve, with Megan Diede.​ Just Do This Boost Camp and related events: details available at https://www.standtallsteve.com​
S1 · E37
Nov 29, 2025
30:51
The Grammar Guy Bob Safran: Grammar's Ties to Literacy & the Science of Reading
In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Bob Safran, an educator and developer of the EGUMPP grammar program, about the place of explicit grammar instruction in literacy education. The conversation reviews how policy shifts such as the 1985 NCTE resolution influenced classroom practice and considers arguments for reintroducing more structured grammar study.​ Key takeaways: An overview of rationales for treating grammar as a foundational component of reading and writing, including implications for academic and workplace communication.​ A description of how EGUMPP structures content into online modules focused on grammar, usage, mechanics, and punctuation, with self‑paced lessons and automated feedback.​ Considerations for schools and systems weighing how to balance explicit grammar instruction with broader literacy goals and classroom time constraints.​ Where to connect: EGUMPP – online grammar, usage, mechanics, and punctuation program developed by Bob Safran: https://egumpp.com​ This episode features a founder discussing their own product; inclusion is for informational purposes and is not a paid promotion.
S1 · E36
Nov 29, 2025
37:40
Eleni Soler: How Entrepreneurial Thinking Can Transform K–12 Education
In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Eleni Soler—founder of Eleni’s Edge, educator, systems strategist, and certified coach—about how entrepreneurial thinking can inform the design of K–12 learning in a volatile, uncertain world. The conversation examines how inquiry-based learning, AI-powered ideation, and coaching practices can increase student agency while supporting educators and leaders to redesign their roles without burnout.​​ Key takeaways: An explanation of what an entrepreneurial mindset looks like in K–12 settings and why it matters for all students, not only future business founders.​ Specific approaches for fostering curiosity, risk-taking, and psychological safety in classrooms, including using story to teach math, silence as a thinking tool, and clear structures to keep creative environments from becoming chaotic.​​ Considerations for using generative AI in ways that support critical thinking, and for applying coaching conversations to strengthen culture, feedback, and distributed leadership. Resources: Learn more about Eleni’s coaching, speaking, and consulting: https://www.elenisedge.com​ Book Eleni for workshops or keynotes: eleni@elenisedge.com​ Also mentioned: The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer; the “VUCA” concept (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity); using silence as a thinking tool; three paradoxes for structuring creative classrooms without chaos.
S1 · E35
Nov 29, 2025
40:59
Marc Williams’s Rules of Engagement: A New Era for Teaching Public Speaking
In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Marc Williams—global speaker, educator, and co‑founder of Speaker Skills Academy—about redesigning how public speaking is taught in schools and organizations. The conversation examines why traditional public speaking classes often reinforce fear and performance anxiety, and how Marc’s ten-part Rules of Engagement framework offers a more practical, learner-centered alternative.​​ Key takeaways: An explanation of why conventional speech rubrics and one‑off presentations fail to build authentic communication skills. Specific approaches for using gamification, storytelling, and deliberate “communication drills” to help learners build confidence and presence over time.​ Considerations for shifting from grading speeches to developing communicators, including how to foster classroom cultures where speaking feels safe and purposeful. Connect and resources: Speaker Skills Academy – communication training co‑founded by today’s guest, Marc Williams: https://www.speakerskillsacademy.com​ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-williams-speaks​
S1 · E34
Nov 29, 2025
55:19
Teacher Burnout Is a System Failure: Dr. Jen Rafferty on Boundaries, Brain Science, and Breaking the Superhero Myth
In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Dr. Jen Rafferty—educator, emotional intelligence practitioner, and founder of Empowered Educator—about teacher burnout as a systemic failure rather than an individual weakness. The conversation examines how neuroscience, emotional regulation, and identity work can help educators understand their stress responses and build more sustainable ways of relating to their work.​ Key takeaways: An explanation of why school cultures that reward overextension contribute to burnout and why self-blame is misplaced.​ Specific approaches for using nervous system science and emotional regulation strategies to recognize and interrupt chronic stress patterns.​ Considerations for school and system leaders who want to design professional learning and supports that prioritize educator well-being alongside student outcomes.​ Connect and resources: Website: https://www.empowerededucator.com​ TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUDvzruMD9I​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenrafferty_/​ Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/empowerededucatorfacultyroom
S1 · E33
Nov 29, 2025
32:53
How Ruthe Farmer is Redesigning the Pipeline—and the Payoff—for STEM Students
In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Ruthe Farmer—founder and CEO of the Last Mile Education Fund, former Senior Policy Advisor for Tech Inclusion in the Obama White House, and a national leader in the CSforAll movement—about what it truly means to design tech pathways that don’t leave low-income and underrepresented students behind. From scaling national computer science initiatives to funding students who are one unexpected bill away from dropping out, Ruthe connects policy, philanthropy, and lived experience into a clear, urgent call for action.​ The conversation surfaces the real barriers students face in the “last mile” of a STEM degree—unpaid internships, lost housing, food insecurity, or a broken laptop—and how Last Mile provides rapid, targeted support so potential is not derailed by circumstance. It is a direct look at how relatively small investments can change individual lives and reshape the future tech workforce.​ Key takeaways: Why traditional scholarships and financial aid often fail students in the final stretch of STEM degrees—and how “last mile” funding closes that gap.​ How tech inclusion work from the White House and CSforAll laid the groundwork for systemic approaches to equity in computer science and engineering.​​ What educators and policymakers can do right now to identify students at risk, remove hidden barriers, and connect them with flexible, fast support.​ Support and connect: Last Mile Education Fund – donate, partner, or refer students: https://www.lastmile-ed.org​ Apply / share with students: https://www.lastmile-ed.org/apply​ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthefarmer/​
S1 · E32
Nov 29, 2025
42:05
Why Classroom Assessments Matter More Than You Think – with David Woodward
In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with David Woodward—founder and president of Forefront Education and lead author of Universal Screeners for Number Sense—about why classroom assessments are the most powerful lever schools have to improve learning. Drawing on his work with districts nationwide, David explains how to realign instruction, grading, and assessment around teacher-scored tasks rather than interim tests and state exams.​ The discussion examines systemic misalignment in current assessment systems, the limits of adaptive testing, and why formative assessment is a practice, not a product. David offers practical guidance on using classroom evidence to guide PLC work, protect teacher time, and shift district data culture from compliance to meaningful decision-making.​ Key takeaways: Why classroom assessments—unit tests, quizzes, performance tasks, and student work samples—provide the richest data for improving instruction.​ How to use tools like the Universal Screeners for Number Sense to identify number sense gaps and target supports without overtesting.​ Common pitfalls in benchmark and adaptive testing, and how districts can bring teacher-scored evidence back to the center of data conversations. What it takes to build a healthier assessment culture that values timely, actionable information over volume of tests.​ Connect with David Woodward and Forefront Education: Forefront Education – classroom assessment data platform founded by today’s guest, David Woodward: https://forefront.education​ Book: Universal Screeners for Number Sense and related resources: https://forefront.education/resources/universal-screeners-for-number-sense​ Schedule a Forefront demo: https://forefront.education/contact/​ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwoodward​ This episode features a founder discussing their own product; inclusion is for informational purposes and is not a paid promotion.
S1 · E31
Nov 29, 2025
35:06
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