To The Core: An Education Podcast For Parents

Ever wonder about independent, private, or charter school options? We have too, and we got our questions answered by an educator who knows them as both a parent and an administrator.  We'll talk to Kim Evelti Polin, the Director of Curriculum at The Williston Northampton School, and we'll tease back the layers around school choice.

Kim will share with us:

• Why we might want to consider independent, pr...

Math joy may seem like an oxymoron but trust us. It's so important for our children!  In this episode, we'll get to the core of math joy by exploring math play, learning how we can integrate it into our family life at home. We'll talk to Jay Bright Shovar, a Mount Holyoke College alumna, a veteran educator from Alberta, Canada, and a Community Classroom tutor.  Jay is the host of Math Play with Jay, a Twitter-based p...

What do our kids need to know before they start  Kindergarten? And should we worry if they don't know the alphabet or their letters yet? These are some of the questions we'll tackle today with our guest, early childhood educator Danielle Goua.

Dani is a teacher in DC Public Schools who has worked with prekindergarten, Head Start, Kindergarten, and first-grade students. She is a passionate educator who loves young...

What exactly is  fluency and why should we care as parents? 

You may have seen it in an elementary school report card or heard about it in a parent-teacher conference, but what does it mean for reading at home? These are some of the questions we'll tackle today with our guest, veteran educator Christina Webster.

Christina Webster is a veteran educator with a deep passion for early childhood literacy. She has ...

Girls and science. Something happens to girls in upper elementary school and middle school where they start losing their fascination and love of science! Our guest in this episode helps us unpack that complex relationship. Carly Baldwin is a National Board Certified Teacher, a chemistry teacher in Ashland, Kentucky, a virtual tutor at The Community Classroom, and a Presidential Award Winner in Math and Science Teaching.

Ca...

Ever been frustrated with your child's math homework? We feel you! In this episode, we'll get to the heart of what is causing that frustration and what we can do about it. We'll talk to Dr. Mike Flynn, the 2008 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, author of Beyond Answers, and the Director of Math Leadership Programs at Mount Holyoke College. 

Dr. Flynn (who is also Megan's husband!) will share with us:

If our children don't like to read, can they still "do" life successfully? 

Is this normal?

What can we do as parents to help our kids like reading a bit more?

If you've ever wondered about these questions, this episode will bring you some much-needed peace of mind. We talk to literacy expert and educator Mary Phillips, a veteran educator of over 20 years who works to direct systemic a...

"My child doesn't like to write. What can I do?"

We hear this question frequently at The Community Classroom, so we decided to ask one of the best teachers we know: Christine Paglia Baker. Christine is local to the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, a tutor at The Community Classroom, and an educator of many years. This thoughtful and brilliant educator shares with our parent and caregiver audience:

Does it hurt children to measure pandemic learning loss? Are we going to stigmatize an entire generation of kids? And WHAT do we do as parents about standardized tests and this upcoming school year?

In this episode of To The Core, we get to the core of these questions with Dr. Jemelleh Nurse Coes, the 2014 Georgia Teacher of the Year and the Director of Teacher Leadership Programs at Mount Holyoke College. We'll tackl...

Today we answer a parent question we've heard more than once: My daughter used to love math and now she doesn't. What happens with girls and math?

We talk to Dr. Daniele Massey, the 2013 Department of Defense and Education Activity Teacher of the Year and a math teacher for over 15 years. She offers us insight into:

• The importance of math role models
• How language can impact a child's math identity
• How paren...

Is there a better way to ground ourselves in education than by talking to a child? 

In this very first episode of To The Core, we hear from Edith Allen, a rising second-grader. I think you'll have some peace of mind when you hear all the things she liked about Zoom school! 

Edith will share with us:

• Her take on learning in a pandemic
• Advice to parents and caregivers on how to help your kids with math
• How to ...

The teachers of The Community Classroom are proud to showcase Episode Zero of To The Core, a podcast series that answers parent questions about education and learning. This episode gives you the who, what, why, and when of Season 1, which starts on September 7th. To get on the list to be notified when Season 1 is live, please visit the Podcast Registration Page www.thecommunityclassroom.com.

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