-
S2 E1: Mental Health, Community Schools, and the Mess We’re All Living In
Season 2 opens with Jen, Kyle, and Stuart dusting off the microphones, forgetting how to introduce themselves, and immediately diving into the deep end: mental health in schools, the crisis facing students and teachers, and why everything seems to be on fire. Our heroes talk social-emotional learning, trauma, the impossible pressure… Listen ⇢
-
S1 E7: The FAPE Paradox: When “Appropriate” Isn’t Appropriate
In this episode, we dive headfirst into the mess that is FAPE: Free and Appropriate Public Education. We unpack how “appropriate” too often means “sit in a class you can’t access,” why canned curriculum is a billion-dollar confidence trick, and how grade levels still haunt us like a bad group… Listen ⇢
-
S1 E6: Holding Space: Navigating Relationship-Centered Teaching in Middle School
In this warm and candid conversation, Kyle, Jen, and Stuart welcome Dawn (one of Vermont’s Teachers of the Year in 2024!) to reflect on two decades in middle school classrooms. Together, they explore how the modern emphasis on teacher-student relationships differs from traditional models, the emotional weight of holding space… Listen ⇢
-
S1 E5: Qualified to Care? Rethinking What Makes a Teacher Effective
In this episode, Stuart, Jen, and Kyle explore the barriers that traditional teacher certification processes create, preventing passionate, talented individuals from entering the classroom. The hosts are joined by Maya, the very first guest of the Four Winds Learning Collective! Maya is an experienced educator who transitioned from progressive private… Listen ⇢
-
S1 E4: Attachment Styles: How Early Relationships Shape Us
In this episode. Kyle, Jen, and Stuart dive into the fascinating world of attachment style: how our early relationships with caregivers shape the way we connect with others throughout life. They discuss the four main attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized) and how they manifest in students and adults… Listen ⇢
-
S1 E3: The Politics of Education: Wrestling with Project 2025
In this episode, Jen, Kyle, and Stuart dive into one of the most polarizing education policy proposals of our time: Project 2025. The team examines the potential dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, the shift to state-controlled funding, and the far-reaching consequences for students, teachers, and families across the… Listen ⇢
-
S1 E2: Reclaiming Passion in the Age of Distraction
In this episode, Kyle, Jen, and Stuart dive into the pressing challenges faced by educators, parents, and students in a world dominated by screens. They explore themes from Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, discussing how technology distracts from passion, creativity, and the pursuit of purpose. Join the hosts as they reflect… Listen ⇢
-
S1 E1: Education in the Great Outdoors
In our very first episode, we step outside into the late-September sun, pull up one microphone, and start talking about why we built the Four Winds Learning Collective in the first place. Jen, Kyle, and Stuart share the story of how our paths crossed, what pushed us to imagine something… Listen ⇢
Meet the podcast hosts, Jen, Kyle, & Stuart.
Three longtime educators who came together to rethink how learning can nurture belonging, purpose, and possibility for every young person.
