MindShift Podcast

Has Ed Tech Gone Too Far? Parents Want to Hit Pause.

When a middle schooler started bringing home his worst grades ever, his parents were stunned. His teachers said he understood the material. The problem? He couldn’t stay

The Lasting Legacy of Rita Pierson’s ‘Every Kid Needs a Champion’

More than a decade after Rita Pierson stepped onto the TED stage and declared, “Every child deserves a champion,” her words still echo through schools, teacher prep progr

Teachers are Burning Out. Can Former Educators Help?

At Redwood Heights Elementary in Oakland California, educators participate in workshops with the Teaching Well, a professional support organization focused on teacher sus

How Finnish Education Inspires U.S. Schools, Still

Inspired by Finland’s student-first approach, Copper Island Academy in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula prioritizes inclusion, early intervention, and teacher autonomy to creat

MindShift Season 11 Is on the Way!

This season we explore the ecosystems of support that shape student success. At a time when schools are facing staffing shortages, disruptions to the Department of Educat

Shafia Zaloom: Sex Ed and Becoming the Askable Parent

KQED’s Ki Sung talks to health educator Shafia Zaloom about her book Getting Real About Sex Ed: What Today's Students Need. Zaloom shares advice for parents and educators

Ross Greene: What if Bad Behavior Isn’t the Problem?

KQED's Ki Sung talks with clinical psychologist and author Ross Greene about why traditional discipline strategies often fail students, and what educators can do instead.

Who Misses Out When Tutoring Starts Too Late?

KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo reports from Bellevue Elementary in Santa Rosa. Abrupt cuts to AmeriCorps funding last year impacted the school-based tutoring there. Princ

Randy Porter’s Middle School Jazz Band

In this episode, KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo visits the band room at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland and speaks with longtime music teacher Randy Porter, who is ret

Scott R. Levy: How School Boards Can Strengthen Our Democracy

In this episode KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo speaks with Scott R. Levy, adjunct lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and a former school board member, abo

Financial Literacy in The Digital Age With Lillian Zhang

Lillian Zhang is a financial and career educator. Her book, "The New Money Rules: The GenZ Guide to Personal Finance" covers how to eliminate debt and offers non-judgment

MIT's TeachLab Presents The Homework Machine

This month MindShift is sharing an episode from MIT's TeachLab podcast. Hosts Jessie Dukes and Justin Reich have interviewed teachers, school leaders, and students about

Deborah Farmer Kris: How Awe Helps Us Flourish

KQED's Ki Sung talks to longtime MindShift contributor and child development expert Deborah Farmer Kris. In her book "Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps

What Can Teachers Do About AI? Three Approaches in the Classroom

This month MindShift is sharing an episode from our friends at KQED's Close All Tabs. Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful i

Why Teens Love to Hang Out at the Library

Host Ki Sung takes listeners inside some of the public libraries that have made significant transformations to better serve community needs. Inspired by Chicago’s pioneer

Can Talking to Older Adults Make Students Better Citizens?

Interacting with people from different generations has been shown to accelerate students’ social skills, improve literacy, and provide valuable lessons about history and

How to Help Kids Through Friendship Breakups Without Making Things Worse

Do you remember the sting of not being invited to a birthday party or watching your friend sit at a different lunch table? Most adults can recall a falling out with a fri

When Teachers Learn All of AAPI History, Students Benefit

There is a common perception that Asian Americans don’t get involved with civic life, but a closer read of AAPI history proves that to be false.

Why Are These High School Students Having Better Debates Than Grown-Ups?

When you think of debate, you might picture presidential candidates interrupting each other, pointing fingers, and undermining their opponents. It often feels like a refl

Finding Your Voice Isn't Just For Kids, It's For Teachers Too

Teacher Jess Lifshitz noticed that her students were more enthusiastic when they told her about their everyday life than when they wrote stories for their writing unit pr