When You Wonder, You’re Learning could sit as comfortably in the core collection of classic and truly supportive parenting books as it does in a list of key resources for teachers of young children. To both groups it offers the evidence behind the skills and mindsets that cognitive scientists now consider essential for learning. With fresh eyes on the children of today, as well as their digital-age parents and teachers, authors Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski look back to the beloved TV program, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, to ask what we want our students to become as human beings, and what we need to know and do to support them in getting there. Each chapter encourages a growth mindset about a component of our humanness. In “Curiosity can be taught (and caught)” we are guided through examples of teaching practice in early childhood settings that foster connections between asking questions, offering deep listening, and developing empathy. “What might you do?” sections pose questions and options, always encouraging, never prescribing. Far from offering a slim or soft message, this book carries remarkable gravitas alongside messages we can intuitively hear and hold close. Plain speaking about what matters most, it is practical and inspirational, measured and exuberant. For children and their adults, in families and in schools, this book explains why a curriculum of caring, curiosity, appreciation, and connection will always bear scrutiny and provide value.

Grounded in student letters to the oft-despised content of math itself, this book explores the ways in which educators possess power to cultivate a love of learning. While the book explicitly addresses the reality of many math classrooms, its key pedagogical concepts of listening, belonging, and creating an environment of liberation are applicable to all educators, regardless of content area. Teacher-student duo Sarah Strong and Gigi Butterfield amplify and validate the student perspective by arguing that all students are able to become mathematicians, and more broadly, thoughtful and curious problem solvers. Fluent in concepts of project-based learning, the authors offer reflection questions for educators at the close of each chapter. Dear Math pushes our conceptualization of “fun” beyond the philosophical basis of hedonic engagement and into the sense of liberation found in play as a way to understand something which had previously been obscured. By positioning students as possessing knowledge and assigning competence to redistribute power in the typical classroom, this book offers a way forward for educators to engage in the paradoxical necessities of education.

In this podcast series, creator Kareem Rahma asks young people around the country to tell a story about their world. Instead of conducting interviews, though, Rahma sends recording equipment to each person and asks them to talk about their lives while walking through their neighborhood. They talk about whatever comes to mind – what they are struggling with and what they hope for the future. Most subjects are recently out of high school or college and are at pivotal stages of life. They discuss their identity, friendships, family, and professional life. As such, each episode is a vivid window into the lives of others: a trans woman finding herself abroad as she struggles with her transition; a biracial college student who is managing her racial identity; a man who has faced early job loss, self-sabotage, and the healing power of therapy; a scientist who quit her job to live out of her car to search for a new way to explore the world. For the subjects, the exercise is often therapeutic. For the audience, it can be an exercise in listening without judgment or without offering advice. As educators, we regularly interact with students not much younger than those on this podcast; Walks of Life is a rare opportunity to stay silent, to listen intently, and to learn.

Many child-rearing frameworks focus on changing a child’s behavior through the use of rewards, punishments, shame, or ignoration. Based on her experiences as a parent and a clinical psychologist, Dr. Becky Kennedy uncovers something else: while often successful in changing behaviors, these default strategies fail to understand the root causes of behaviors and can harm children's relationships with adults. Kennedy’s approach is grounded in the belief that all people are good inside and that adults must understand the emotions behind kids’ behaviors before attempting to change them. For example, Kennedy writes about a hypothetical situation in which a child yells at their parents for leaving them at home with a babysitter. Instead of ignoring the child or telling them that their words “Make me sad,” Kennedy advocates for first recognizing a child's emotions: “Wow, those are big words, let me take a breath…I hear how upset you are. Tell me more." She believes that adults must set firm boundaries with children; for a child to respect these boundaries, though, they must first feel understood. While Dr. Kennedy’s book was written specifically for parents, the strategies she explores would be effective for educators of students of all ages and would assist them in setting clear standards for behavior while building connections within their schools and classrooms.

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Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò’s new book challenges readers to think less about individual agency and intention and far more expansively, globally, and structurally about the fact that “history has built the rooms around us [and] we find ourselves in places, and with people, resources, and incentives, that we did not choose.” In other words, it’s not as much about who is in the room as it is that some rooms have more power or influence than others; the very existence of such rooms causes problems for promoting equality. Táíwò is sympathetic of efforts to “[center] the most marginalized” and understands the impulses behind them, but his overarching critique is that these sorts of approaches orient “what little attentional power we can control at symbolic sites of power rather than at the root political issues that” underlie contemporary social ills. In the end, he admits that deference politics is “right about the what.” We do need to pay attention to people’s lived experiences and differences. At the same time, Táíwò suggests that deference politics is “wrong about the how, because the more we focus on changing our norms of interaction to ones that locally and cosmetically elevate the voices and perspectives in the room, the harder it becomes to change the world outside of the room.” Táíwò’s arguments are bracing, probing, and provocative – and well worth a read for anyone invested in creating a more just, equitable future.

In “Why American Teens Are So Sad,” Derek Thompson breaks down the myths or fallacies of mental health. According to the article, a survey given to approximately 8000 students demonstrated that students' mental health has declined over the last ten years by 18%. Thompson disagrees that this decline is related to teens misbehaving, being moody, or reacting to the pandemic. Instead, he pushes us to think about the real issues our teens are dealing with daily. The percentage of students contemplating suicide has increased, especially among girls and LGBTQ teens. This increase can be attributed to social media's impact on kids, especially when teens compare themselves to others. “One explanation,” Thompson offers, “is that teenagers (teenage girls in particular) are uniquely sensitive to the judgment of friends, teachers, and the digital crowd.” Also, the world beyond social media is harsh and adds to teens’ stress. Between gun violence, political turmoil, and war, our teens don't have hope. Lastly, parenting today is very “hands-on.” Parents want to solve problems for their children, which is understandable, but at what point do we stop "accommodating" our kids and instead allow them to practice developing solutions to their own problems? As educators, we must be mindful of all the factors contributing to a child’s mental health, and Thompson’s article provides concrete data and a clear overview.

Do you know The Slowdown? U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón hosts The Slowdown (produced by American Public Media in partnership with The Poetry Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts), sharing a reflection and poem per episode, every weekday. Educators will enjoy consuming this short, rich, and meditative podcast or its newsletter version via email. In this particular episode from September, Limón reflects on her own education before reading “What You Missed That Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade” by Brad Aaron Modlin. In Limón’s words, Modlin’s poem “imagines what it would have been like to have been taught some of life’s biggest lessons in elementary school,” yet it’s worth exploring, too, how the poem invites us – at every level of education – to consider and reconsider what we are teaching and why. The episode (or perhaps just the poem itself) is a sumptuous offering for any gathering of educators – from faculty meetings, to departmental retreats, to celebratory events – and timely at any point in the year, including November as we reflect on our work and progress with students, clarifying our goals for the winter and spring to come.

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