EP. 23 – Joyful Chaos: Maine Teacher of The Year Julia Edwards on Music, Mistakes, and Connection

EP. 23 – Joyful Chaos: Maine Teacher of The Year Julia Edwards on Music, Mistakes, and Connection

Michelle sits down with Julia Edwards, the 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year, choral director, and creator of the Cultural Context Curriculum, for a wide-ranging conversation about what it really means to lead learning rather than deliver it. They talk about: * Joyful chaos — reframing the overwhelm of a big year (or a big life) as a wild ride worth gratitude, not just survival. * Co-regulation through connection — the science of why singing together synchronizes heart rates, and what that means for how we help students find belonging in an isolated, hyper-connected world. * From "podium culture" to student agency — how Julia shifted from being the focal point of her classroom to being a mirror that reflects her students' own capability back to them. * The Cultural Context Curriculum — an inquiry-based framework Julia built to help students research the origin and context of every piece of music they perform, rooted in curiosity rather than shame. * Modeling mistakes — a live performance mishap that became one of the most powerful teaching moments of the year. * The oboe as metaphor — what years of sounding like "an angry duck" taught Julia about patience, growth, and trusting the process with herself and her students. This conversation is a reminder that teaching is an act of faith: you plant seeds you may never see bloom, and the real measure of impact isn't a perfect performance, it's what students carry with them when you're not in the room. —------------------ Have your question featured on the podcast by filling out the form Linked Here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWAYAAj5U-n4ecUt0DVb6Ad-D-yu8pHEsVc8ZFyQu3YG2yng/viewform?usp=header]! If this episode moved your thinking, please leave a 5-star review and tag @DearMrsRoundy [https://www.instagram.com/dearmrsroundy/]on social media! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ —------------------ GUEST: Julia Edwards | 2026 Maine Teacher of The Year 👉 WEBSITE: https://www.juliaedwardsmusic.com/ [https://www.juliaedwardsmusic.com/] 👉 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/singwithme_207 [https://www.instagram.com/singwithme_207] HOST: Michelle Roundy | 2026 Wyoming Teacher of The Year 👉 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dearmrsroundy/ [https://www.instagram.com/dearmrsroundy/]

EP. 22 – Season 1 Finale: The books I’m reading this summer and 3 questions for you!

Thank you for listening to Season 1 of The Elephant and The Teacher! Please fill out this form [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0gTjzAwMAo-jOetMOQXyAoYlA8R0-c5ov3-89-zimo3HN8g/viewform?usp=publish-editor] to help me curate my content for Season 2. Have an amazing summer and we'll be back soon! My Summer Reading List: * Wild Dark Shore by Charolette McConaghy [https://a.co/d/0hWk3dI3] * The Correspondent by Virginia Evans [https://a.co/d/07K5y43g] * Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell [https://a.co/d/05qlNDH7] * North Woods by Daniel Mason [https://a.co/d/0c3Yaunm] * How to Carry What Can’t be Fixed by Megan Devine [https://a.co/d/0jbZQSW1] * The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron [https://a.co/d/08UQslId] * Teaching Foundational Skills to Adolescent Readers by Douglas Fisher , Nancy Frey, Sarah Ortega, Kierstan Barbee , Aida Allen-Rotell [https://a.co/d/0a48jb5b] Special Thanks to My Season 1 Guests: * EP. 5 – Interview: Hallie with Think:Kids on Behavior as Skill Gaps and Collaborative Problem Solving [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0h1TajT1ictZ39pVSFiUrI?si=rlyGf5kBRaaQTJ4kVfdOyA] * EP. 9 – Morgan Hahn on The Human Side of History and AI: A Conversation with Wyoming's 2025 Teacher of the Year [https://open.spotify.com/episode/12w0uDOZwdNS5x3jOTfJBx?si=VxDKuYuxR-epliWILscMJg] * EP. 12 - A Conversation about Language with my Husband and SRO, Drew Roundy [https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/w0NZWLHIS1b] * EP. 16 – Shifting Out of Transactional Grading and Into Curiosity-Driven Learning with Ryan Donovan (Part 1) [https://open.spotify.com/episode/14USI4Jwxa8gpb3zVYnPS7?si=-dlopaP9SV2yzuxItlyzNw] * EP. 17 – How To Be a More Conscious Leader with Stephanie Hardeman of Teton Teams | Personal Responsibility and Candor [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BoLuwLU8Qoc35gwYUotri?si=MX3lmwwKTzyclCydTqXE7Q] * EP. 18 – Cultivating a Culture of Evidence Based Grading with Ryan Donovan (Part 2)  [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3s4gW34JAtlJTp2dZgSl30?si=N7TEle-aRYmhovz3wQRRlg] My Favorite Episodes: * EP. 2 – “Is This Graded?” What Student Questions Are Really Telling Us [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2XefHSbOA2uoNEJTMvJDuV?si=JlZ84_KcS1ymPDZQIFH4iQ] * EP. 19 – Barefoot and Blindfolded: What Fear in the Forest Taught Me About Teaching [https://open.spotify.com/episode/64uiOLXaoMExX6sagF4HSn?si=s0gWrjs-S2mv56U0GT8tlQ] Please let me know your responses to the following 3 questions either by filling out this form [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0gTjzAwMAo-jOetMOQXyAoYlA8R0-c5ov3-89-zimo3HN8g/viewform?usp=publish-editor], or send me a DM on Instagram [www.instagram.com/dearmrsroundy]! 1. What is one specific routine or practice you’re desperately trying to rethink or let go of before August roles around? 2. How are you growing as a teacher, leader or admin? What feels good or what doesn’t? 3. What’s your biggest “How do I actually make this work question?” Support the Podcast: If this episode moved your thinking, please leave a 5-star review and tag @DearMrsRoundy [https://www.instagram.com/dearmrsroundy/]on social media!

EP. 21 – 3 Questions for The End of The School Year

By the time June hits, most teachers' nervous systems are running on pure adrenaline. In this mini episode, Michelle offers three reflective questions to carry into your summer that are about you – the human behind the teacher. (1) When were you most authentic? (2) When did you fully receive from others? (3) When did you feel truly seen? These moments aren't just good memories for your journal,  they're clues that can help you reveal the exact conditions where you were most regulated. Use your summer to find more of those moments, so you can bring your most rested, grounded self back into the room next fall. Ask a Question: Have a question for Michelle? Fill out the listener form [Linked Here] [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWAYAAj5U-n4ecUt0DVb6Ad-D-yu8pHEsVc8ZFyQu3YG2yng/viewform?usp=header]. Support the Podcast: If this episode moved your thinking, please leave a 5-star review and tag @DearMrsRoundy [https://www.instagram.com/dearmrsroundy/]on social media!

EP. 20 – The Bear, The Grub, and The Gripping Anxiety

When everything changes, the instinct is to grip harder. To control the outcome, manage the future, and think your way through the panic. But what if steadiness isn't found in certainty at all? In this episode, Michelle explores what it actually looks like to stay grounded when your identity is on the line. Ask a Question: Have a question for Michelle? Fill out the listener form [Linked Here] [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWAYAAj5U-n4ecUt0DVb6Ad-D-yu8pHEsVc8ZFyQu3YG2yng/viewform?usp=header]. If this episode moved your thinking, please leave a 5-star review and tag @DearMrsRoundy [https://www.instagram.com/dearmrsroundy/]on social media!

EP. 19 – Barefoot and Blindfolded: What Fear in the Forest Taught Me About Teaching

In this episode, Michelle shares a profound personal experience from a week-long ancestral skills course in Montana, where she found herself barefoot and blindfolded walking through the forest. What started as a physical challenge quickly surfaced something much deeper: old stories about inadequacy, toughness, and the fear of needing help.  The lessons she carried out of that forest go straight into the classroom. Michelle unpacks what it means to stand beside someone in their fear without making them feel weak for having it. Ask a Question: Have a question for Michelle? Fill out the listener form [Linked Here] [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWAYAAj5U-n4ecUt0DVb6Ad-D-yu8pHEsVc8ZFyQu3YG2yng/viewform?usp=header]. Support the Podcast: If this episode moved your thinking, please leave a 5-star review and tag @DearMrsRoundy [https://www.instagram.com/dearmrsroundy/]on social media!