I welcome Lauren Smith, a former educator and current nationally certified school psychologist to talk about how and why our American school system needs to change. From testing to the lack of resources to mental health — there’s so much to unpack.
We discuss:
Limitations to American school system education
How the school system is failing our chi ... Show More
Today
The Follow-Up: Overcoming Percentile Anxiety
In this Follow Up episode, I’m opening up about something I’ve counseled countless parents through yet still had to face myself: the emotional weight of percentiles. After my daughter Vera was born, a mix of postpartum complications, exclusive pumping, and constant worry about he ... Show More
15m 57s
Nov 17
The Follow-Up: Helping Kids Feel Proud
Raising kids who feel proud of who they are, not just what they do, is one of the biggest gifts we can give them. In this Follow-Up episode, I revisit my conversation with Dr. Becky Kennedy, recorded back when I was a new mom trying to understand how to raise a confident child. N ... Show More
12m 32s
Sep 2023
“I Didn’t Know What the Word Burnout Meant”: One Teacher’s Mental Health Journey
The public school system in the U.S. lost at least 300,000 public school teachers and administrators between February 2020 and May 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Post-pandemic, some of that strain has abated, but many of the underlying causes for quitting, bur ... Show More
35m 2s
Jul 2023
Kids are missing too much school. How do we get them back?
Before the pandemic, about 8 million U.S. students were considered chronically absent during the school year. Now, that number has doubled. Students who are chronically absent often have lower test scores, fall behind, or even drop out at higher rates than others. Which students ... Show More
25m 48s