Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education

Adjust the Flame: Exploring Anger and Emotional Intelligence in Schools with Dr. Mitch Abrams

📝 Episodic Synopsis ‼️ PROFANITY LANGUAGE ALERT in this episode ‼️ What if anger itself isn’t the problem? In this powerful episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with psychologist and anger specialist Dr. Mitch Abrams to unpack one of the most misunderstood emotions in education and society. Drawing from his book I’m Not Fcking Angry: Adjust the Flame to Get What You Want and Need*, Dr. Abrams challenges the idea that anger should simply be suppressed or feared. Instead, he explores the critical distinction between anger and aggression, the relationship between trauma and emotional dysregulation, and why emotional intelligence must be intentionally taught—not assumed. Together, Joey and Dr. Abrams examine classroom power dynamics, teacher burnout, school violence, emotional validation, and the hidden psychological realities shaping student behavior. From Parkland to Sandy Hook, from prisons to classrooms, this conversation confronts the difficult truths educators quietly carry while offering practical strategies for emotional regulation and healthier school culture. This episode is not about “staying calm at all costs.” It is about learning how to recognize emotion before it reaches the breaking point—and understanding what happens when people feel unseen for too long 🔗 Show Notes and Resources 📌 I’m Not F*cking Angry!: Adjust the Flame to Get What You Want and Need (Book by Dr. Mitch Abrams) [https://www.amazon.com/Im-Not-cking-Angry-Adjust-ebook/dp/B0FQDNH6K1/ref=sr_1_2?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ggCy8kYl82a9UL2Mc4psV2N333Qsz2Mt_McKn97NTKqreeBYGnNG-_N2SrfeICe6VEX8HuWN-o5dbM2SrPvLdQ.iv4shCdmYzE6UFweJ0RJJ4PiE9l6t3TbaMmiZ_EkzLs&dib_tag=se&qid=1779680784&refinements=p_27%253AMitch+Abrams&s=books&sr=1-2] 📌 Dr. Mitch Abrams website [https://drmitchabrams.com/] 📌 For Dr. Abrams' Beach scene Imagery & Visualization script + PMR Muscle Relaxation Script, please email mitchabramspsyd@gmail.com [mitchabramspsyd@gmail.com]

When Presence Becomes Prevention: School Safety, Trauma, and Educator Voice with Abbey Clements

‼️DISCLAIMER‼️ This segment discusses themes of violence within communities, significantly around Sandy Hook Elementary School (2012). Please take care of yourself while listening. In this deeply moving episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with Abbey Clements, a second-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School during the tragedy of December 14, 2012. Drawing from the anthology If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, Abbey reflects on survival, grief, educator presence, and the invisible emotional labor teachers carry in the aftermath of collective trauma. Together, Joey and Abbey explore what it means to “show up” for students when there are no perfect words, why educators are often excluded from conversations about school safety, and how teacher advocacy itself can become an act of prevention. The conversation also highlights the work of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, the national organization Abbey co-founded alongside Sarah Lerner to amplify educator voices, support impacted communities, and advocate for trauma-informed prevention efforts nationwide. From Sandy Hook to Parkland and beyond, this episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes the most important thing a teacher can do is simply remain present. 🔗 Show Links and Resources 📌 If I Don't Make It, I Love You: Survivors in the Aftermath of School Shootings (anthology edited by Amye Archer and Loren Klineman) [https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510772960/if-i-dont-make-it-i-love-you/] 📌 Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence [https://www.teachersunify.org/] (also check out their sign-up page here [https://secure.everyaction.com/Swa7LzjeFE2qzi77z9adhQ2]) 📌 Teachers Unify podcast [https://teachersunify.transistor.fm/subscribe] 📌 Classroom Narratives: Sarah Lerner [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/1736296/], Paula Reed [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/1743687/], Adam Wolfsdorf [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/1884071/]

"The Pie Just Gets Bigger”: Parenting, Identity, and Emotional Survival in Schools with Dr. Julie Davelman

What happens when parents, teachers, and students all feel pressure to “get it right” — but nobody was ever given the manual? In this deeply reflective episode of Classroom Narratives, Dr. Joey Weisler sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Julie Davelman to explore the emotional realities underneath modern education: parent burnout, frustration tolerance, identity formation, perfectionism, divorce, college transition, and the overwhelming pressure families carry while trying to support children “correctly.” Together, they unpack why so many students struggle not because they lack ability, but because they lack space to fail, recover, and develop resilience. The conversation moves beyond surface-level conversations about achievement and instead asks what children, teachers, and parents actually need in order to function, grow, and feel emotionally safe. From “good enough parenting” to the myth of work-life balance, Dr. Davelman offers a compassionate but grounded perspective that reminds listeners something essential: Humans are far more complicated than the manual ever promised. 🔗 Show Resources 📌 Dr. Julie Davelman profile with Abrams Psychological Services [https://www.abramspsychservices.com/dr-julie-davelman] 📌 BLOG: Can this help you? – Learn psych tips and techniques that can help you in everyday life [https://drdavelman.wordpress.com/] 📌 The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents by Lisa Damour, PhD [https://a.co/d/0hL3OtfB] 📌 Facebook and Linkedin Dr. Julie Davelman 📌 Classroom Narratives segments: ~From Teacher to Attorney: Frances Shefter on Advocacy, Equity, and the Stress-Free IEP [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/2124929/] ~The Pooped-Out Teacher in Loco Parentis: Dr. Dre on Presence, Consistency & Care [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/2064769/] ~Meeting Your Inner-Hero and Healing Your Inner-Child: with Ron Yap @mentalhealthceo [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/2781882/] ~Empathy Without Self-Abandonment: Unhooking from Survival Mode in Leadership and Teaching with Leila Boutaleb Brousse [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/2762913/]

Listening as Witness: How Art, Community, and Invitation Create Space for Healing with Rosa McAllister and Tieshka K. Smith

📝 Episodic Synopsis What does it mean to truly listen—not just hear, but witness? In this powerful panel conversation, Dr. Joey Weisler is joined by Rosa McAllister and Tieshka K Smith to explore how intentional listening can transform communities. Drawing from their work on the Listening Loom project and their contributions to Restorative Practices in Education Through the Arts, they unpack how art, storytelling, and human connection create space for healing across cultures, identities, and lived experiences. From classrooms to community spaces, this episode challenges educators and leaders to rethink participation, redefine safety, and embrace the role of witness—with boundaries. Through stories of displacement, trauma, and resilience, Rosa and Tieshka reveal how healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens between people, in the courage to listen, and in the spaces we intentionally create for others to be seen. 🔗 Show Links and Resources 📌 Kathryn Pannepacker's Classroom Narratives segment on creating spaces of presence [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/2782430] 📌 Restorative Practices in Education Through the Arts (Book) [https://www.davisart.com/restorative-practices-in-education-through-the-arts/] 📌 ROSA MCALLISTER: networksfortraining.org [http://networksfortraining.org] Artists For Artists Global (AA4G) [https://linktr.ee/artistsforartistsglobal?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnuoyAOLxXNQQ7eiDdvIIJeYfRdH8KT_WSjB3tGGfWUKQLR_am2h-JHHUOsdk_aem_kAcFDH19opqrKlH5wKuSag] 📌 TIESHKA SMITH tieshkasmith.com [http://tieshkasmith.com]

Listening Isn’t Fixing: Creating Space for Presence in the Classroom with Kathryn Pannepacker

📝 Show Synopsis What if listening wasn’t about responding—but about being present? In this episode, Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with artist Kathryn Pannepacker about “intentional listening” as a practice of care, not correction. Through her Listening Loom project, Kathryn creates spaces where people are asked two simple questions: How are you doing? and What do you need? Together, they explore how educators can foster connection without becoming “fixers,” why presence matters more than performance, and how small moments of attention can reshape classroom culture. 🔗 Links and Resources 📌 Lisa Kay on the Classroom Narratives [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/2373312/] 📌 Bev Johns on the Classroom Narratives [https://rss.com/podcasts/teachertestimony/2576503/] 📌 Restorative Practices in Education Through the Arts (Book) [https://www.davisart.com/restorative-practices-in-education-through-the-arts/] 📌 Kathryn’s website [https://www.kpannepacker.com/about] 📌 Kathryn’s listening loom: Eyewitness News ABC-7 [https://abc7ny.com/videoClip/11393791/] 📌 “I Saved A Chair For You”: work by Kathryn Pannepacker [https://www.waygay.org/i-saved-a-chair-for-you]