All Episodes

October 6, 2023 34 mins

This week on TeachLab, we continue our series of conversations with innovative educators with Mel Cheng, a lifelong educator and learner. Mel is the Director of Engagement at What School Could Be, and before that worked as a classroom teacher, technology facilitator and coach, and administrator at Hawaiʻi’s first public charter school for 23 years. A maker enthusiast, Mel believes that intentionally designing environments in which learners are free to tinker builds stronger communities and richer connections.

We talk to Mel about her experiences with the Cycle of Experiment and Peer Learning, and the idea that people who can really change the teaching and the learning in schools are the classroom teachers.

“Intuitively we know that teachers are the driving force of change and administrators need to create the conditions for this to happen but rarely is that articulated, much less given a road map” 

Mel Ching’s review of Iterate:The Secret to Innovation in Schools

 

Resources and Links

Visit the What School Could Be platform to find resources for educators and join the community.

Order Justin Reich’s new book Iterate: The Secret to Innovation in Schools

Watch our documentary film We Have to Do Something Different

 

Transcript

https://teachlabpodcast.simplecast.com/episodes/iterate-melching/transcript
 

 

Credits

Host Justin Reich

Produced by Aimee Corrigan and Garrett Beazley 

Recorded and Mixed by Garrett Beazley

Follow TeachLab on Twitter and YouTube

Follow our host Justin Reich on Twitter

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

United States of Kennedy
Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.