Education can feel like a push and pull between a focus on academics and taking time to nurture students as whole people—body, mind, heart, and spirit. In reality, it’s not about sacrificing one for the other, they go hand in hand. Join Molly as she talks with Dr. Eve and guests Patty Parson, Principal, and Lawren Hunter, Lighthouse Coordinator, at Live Oak Elementary, about how to build a focus on students as whole people into every school day.

When students are leaders of change, they are more likely to be academically motivated, have a higher sense of self-worth, and show more effort and persistence. Join Molly, Dr. Eve, and guest Alex Butler, 3rd-grade Teacher at A.B. Combs Elementary, as they talk about practical ways to intentionally empower students to participate, innovate, and lead efforts to improve their classrooms, schools, and communities.

When we release learning to students, we make an intentional choice to empower them. We step back, so they can step up. This can, however, come with some uneasy feelings that we’ll lose control. Join Molly, Dr. Eve, and Dereck Marr, Principal at Rich Pond Elementary, as they explore the benefits and challenges of empowering students to lead their own learning.