How Schools Can Use AI Without Losing What Matters

Book Review: Wild Things by Sally Rippin

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537819/fan_mail/new] We review Sally Rippin’s Wild Things and connect her story of raising a son with dyslexia and ADHD to what teachers and parents can do differently right now. We talk about misunderstood behavior, early intervention, the science of reading, and why schools have to meet kids where they are.  • Sally Rippin’s background as a beloved children’s author and why her adult book matters for educators and parents  • The book’s unique chapter structure using children’s book characters to frame lessons about learning differences  • Misbehavior as a sign of unmet needs and why kids are often misunderstood at school  • The pressure to “fix” kids instead of noticing strengths we can encourage  • Early warning signs, parent denial, and why early dyslexia identification and intervention are essential  • What dyslexia can look like in reading and comprehension and why decoding can feel like slow hard work  • The science of reading and the reading wars, including why systematic phonics helps dyslexic students  • ADHD challenges in school relationships and why educator words and tone matter  • Helpful resources and technology, including Understood and programs like Nessy  • A critique of cookie cutter schooling and why we need systems that value different learners  Join me next time for the episode we're going to do on dyslexia.  If you have ideas for future episodes or questions you'd like me to explore, you can reach me anytime at admin@educatemewell.com. Contact Educate Me Well * Email Tonya at admin@educatemewell.com * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/ [https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell [https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell] * X: https://x.com/EducateMeWell [https://x.com/EducateMeWell] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well [https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well] Keep watching for the website to go live: https:www.educatemewell.com [https://educatemewell.com] We are just getting started! Check back for more info as we go along on our social sites.  Thanks for listening and keep making a difference in the lives of children!

Called To Teach

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537819/fan_mail/new] I didn’t take the “straight line” into teaching, and if you’re feeling stuck, behind, or disqualified, my story is for you. I grew up in a Christian home, and when I was very young my dad suffered a major car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury. Living close to disability shaped how I see people, and it planted a compassion that later drew me toward special education and advocating for kids who need patient support. What surprises most people is that I didn’t step into the classroom right away. I was steered toward accounting, worked for years in other fields like bookkeeping and computers, and kept teaching at church the whole time. Then one day, I felt the Lord tug my heart about the need for Christian educators in public schools. I went back to college, finished my degree, entered a teacher program, and started my first year of teaching at 39. If you’re an adult thinking about returning to school, changing careers, or answering a calling to education, I want you to hear this: it is not too late. I also share the reality of the work, from the rewards of special education teaching to the pressure of special education administration and school leadership. I talk about launching a private Christian school from scratch, the stress that comes with “doing it all,” and why educators have to guard their health and fight to keep their joy. We also address the sacred trust parents place in teachers, why abuse is unforgivable, and why our schools desperately need strong, safe, compassionate people. If this encourages you, subscribe to Educate Me Well, share it with a teacher friend, and leave a review so more future educators can find it. What part of your own story might be pointing you toward the classroom? Contact Educate Me Well * Email Tonya at admin@educatemewell.com * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/ [https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell [https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell] * X: https://x.com/EducateMeWell [https://x.com/EducateMeWell] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well [https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well] Keep watching for the website to go live: https:www.educatemewell.com [https://educatemewell.com] We are just getting started! Check back for more info as we go along on our social sites.  Thanks for listening and keep making a difference in the lives of children!

How Schools Can Use AI Without Losing What Matters

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537819/fan_mail/new] We explore how AI is changing K through 12 education and why the real story sits between hype and fear. We weigh the benefits against the risks, then share practical ways families and schools can use AI without losing deeper thinking, trust, and human connection.  • personalized and adaptive learning for different needs and pacing  • teacher efficiency through grading support and planning drafts  • engagement and accessibility for multilingual learners and students with disabilities  • scalable tutoring support through hints and step-by-step explanations  • overreliance and the crutch effect reducing productive struggle  • weaker relationships when learning turns transactional  • equity concerns from the digital divide and algorithmic bias  • privacy, safety, consent, and long-term wellness questions  • classroom guardrails like human oversight and AI literacy lessons  • family-friendly tools like Socratic, Photomath, ChatGPT Study Mode, Grammarly, Canva, and Khanmigo  Go to this episode link and click on fan mail to send me a text or email me at admin at educatemewell.com.  If you have ideas for future episodes or questions you'd like me to explore, you can reach me anytime at admin at educatemewell.com and be sure to keep an eye on educatemewell.com.  Resources: Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies | UNESCO [https://www.unesco.org/en/artificial-intelligence?hub=195885] A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect | Brookings [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-new-direction-for-students-in-an-ai-world-prosper-prepare-protect/] The Evidence Base on AI in K-12: A 2026 Review [https://scale.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/The%20Evidence%20Base%20on%20AI%20in%20K-12%20Report.pdf] How to use AI for teaching: 12 proven classroom applications | SchoolAI [https://schoolai.com/blog/ai-teaching-classroom-applications] AI and Equity, Explained: A Guide for K-12 Schools [https://www.edweek.org/technology/ai-and-equity-explained-a-guide-for-k-12-schools/2024/06#] Equity and Bias in AI: What Educators Should Know | Edutopia [https://www.edutopia.org/article/equity-bias-ai-what-educators-should-know/] How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education | Sal Khan | TED - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJP5GqnTrNo] Socratic by Google - appkingo [https://appkingo.com/p628/socratic-by-google/com.google.socratic] Photomath Online - Photo Math Solver with Steps, No Sign-up [https://photo-math.online/] Sizzle - Learn anything [https://web.szl.ai/] Grammarly [https://app.grammarly.com/] Canva AI - Canva [https://www.canva.com/ai] Khanmigo for educators | Khan for Educators | Khan Academy [https://www.khanacademy.org/khan-for-educators/khanmigo-for-educators] Contact Educate Me Well * Email Tonya at admin@educatemewell.com * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/ [https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell [https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell] * X: https://x.com/EducateMeWell [https://x.com/EducateMeWell] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well [https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well] Keep watching for the website to go live: https:www.educatemewell.com [https://educatemewell.com] We are just getting started! Check back for more info as we go along on our social sites.  Thanks for listening and keep making a difference in the lives of children!

Individualized Discipline That Works

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537819/fan_mail/new] We use a simple animal story to show why one-size-fits-all teaching fails and why kids need to be seen for their strengths. I walk through why students misbehave, how to spot what motivates them, and how faith and wisdom can guide a calm, consistent discipline plan. • the moral of individualized instruction and recognizing achievement fairly  • core behavior principles like habits reinforcement and escalation before improvement  • primary needs and social needs that can trigger misbehavior  • checking my classroom management style for reactive versus proactive patterns  • teaching procedures expectations and group work skills to prevent problems  • Dreikurs social discipline and the drive to belong  • four mistaken goals behind behavior: attention power revenge helplessness  • using my own feelings as cues to diagnose student goals  • how special education and home stress can mix multiple behavior goals  • skillstreaming as direct teaching of missing social skills  • using rating scales baseline data intervention plans and consistency  • seeking the Lord for wisdom and showing kindness in discipline  If you have ideas for future episodes or questions you'd like me to explore, you can reach me anytime at admin at educatemewell.com and be sure to keep an eye on educatemewell.com. Contact Educate Me Well * Email Tonya at admin@educatemewell.com * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/ [https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell [https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell] * X: https://x.com/EducateMeWell [https://x.com/EducateMeWell] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well [https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well] Keep watching for the website to go live: https:www.educatemewell.com [https://educatemewell.com] We are just getting started! Check back for more info as we go along on our social sites.  Thanks for listening and keep making a difference in the lives of children!

Spiritual Growth In Kids

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537819/fan_mail/new] Your child’s faith questions can be surprisingly direct, and sometimes unintentionally funny, like a preschooler hunting under the bed because you said God is everywhere. That moment reveals something important: children aren’t “hard to teach” spiritually, they’re simply processing God through the developmental stage they’re in. I walk through children’s spiritual development with a practical, age-by-age lens so you can teach faith clearly, patiently, and with confidence. We ground the conversation in Scripture and the call for Christian parenting to be daily and intentional, drawing on Deuteronomy 6 and Proverbs 22:6 as a framework for faith-based education at home, church, homeschool, and private school. Then we get specific: what works for four- and five-year-olds who think literally, how to use repetition, simple explanations, Bible story play, and Scripture memory without frustration. For ages six to eight, we talk about keeping Bible time active and engaging so kids connect spiritual growth with joy, not boredom. For preteens, we focus on lively learning, participation, and making room for deeper questions as their thinking becomes more abstract. I also spend time on a real-world challenge: raising kids in a secular school environment. Public schools may not teach spirituality, but they can teach moral development, and parents remain the primary guides for building a spiritually vibrant home. You’ll also hear a memorable metaphor for faith formation: spiritual growth adds layers like tree rings, building over time rather than replacing earlier stages. If this helps you, subscribe, share the episode with a parent or teacher, and leave a review so more families can find it. Resources: What You Need to Know About Kids' Spiritual Development [https://childrensministry.com/spiritual-development/] - https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2537819/episodes/18902653/edit » I Can Know God: A Guide to Children’s Spirituality [https://faithandchildren.org/2024/04/22/a-guide-to-childrens-spirituality/] - https://faithandchildren.org/2024/04/22/a-guide-to-childrens-spirituality/ THRIVE_FINAL-compressed.pdf [https://faithandchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/THRIVE_FINAL-compressed.pdf] - https://faithandchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/THRIVE_FINAL-compressed.pdf Contact Educate Me Well * Email Tonya at admin@educatemewell.com * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/ [https://www.facebook.com/educatemewell/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell [https://www.instagram.com/educatemewell] * X: https://x.com/EducateMeWell [https://x.com/EducateMeWell] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well [https://www.linkedin.com/company/educate-me-well] Keep watching for the website to go live: https:www.educatemewell.com [https://educatemewell.com] We are just getting started! Check back for more info as we go along on our social sites.  Thanks for listening and keep making a difference in the lives of children!