On this episode of the Alliance for Excellent Education’s Critical Window podcast, Dr. Medha Tare breaks down what research on the science of adolescent learning says about the development of literacy skills during adolescence, and how educators can support this development.

Too often people think stereotypically about the period of adolescence as a time of vulnerability, risks, and problems. You may even be guilty of this. How often have you participated in or overheard conversations between parents that sound something like “my daughter is headed to middle school next year” and the response is “yikes, good luck!”? But the reality is that adolescence is the healthiest period of the lifespan, explains Professor Ronald Dahl, MD, a pediatrician...

Gifted programs are structured to cultivate and maximize the strengths of an individual. But shouldn’t these ideals be applied to all students? This week, Dr. Yvette Jackson, adjunct professor at Teacher’s College at Columbia University and a senior scholar at the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, returns to Critical Window to share her knowledge about gifted and talented programs, what they tell us about how we structure our education system, and what we can learn from these...

Sports provide a place for young people to grow, learn, and enhance their physical skills, but, with the help of good coaches, they will learn more than how to throw a pitch or perfect a layup. On this episode of Critical Window (audio link below) a podcast by the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), Jennifer Brown Lerner, deputy director for Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, explores how sports and coaching influence the social, emotional, and academic...

When you step into your classroom each day, do you believe that all your students can succeed? This week, Dr. Yvette Jackson, adjunct professor at Teacher’s College at Columbia University and senior scholar at the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, shares her concept of the “pedagogy of confidence,” and how can educators use this style of pedagogy to support adolescent learning.

Who Am I? Podcast Episode from @All4Ed Explores Racial and Ethnic Identity Development During Adolescence

The opioid crisis is shaking the nation and greatly impacting young people. In just one year, 42,000 people died of drug overdoses involving opioids. That same year, 2016, 38,000 individuals died in car crashes or car-related injuries. There’s no question that this epidemic is affecting families, communities, and schools across the country. How can educators help support students impacted by the crisis? To help answer this question, Critical Window, a podcast by the Alliance for...

Feeling frustrated that your lesson plan isn’t resonating with your students? Before you throw it out, you should know that there may be more going on with your students than meets the eye. For students to learn, they must feel safe, engaged, connected, and supported in their classrooms and schools. But experiences like chronic stress or trauma from exposure to violence can have tremendous impact on students’ ability to learn. Students that have been through at least four adverse...

How can teachers and school administrators navigate the waters of student activism? This week, our guest, Dr. Ben Kirshner, dives into what student activism is, its role in student development, and the challenges educators can experience when faced with student activism.

How do students look to teachers and school leaders for support? What can a positive relationship between students and teacher do for students’ motivation? This week, Dr. Kathryn Wentzel walks us through the process of building positive student-teacher relationships and how it affects student engagement and learning.

Did you know that adolescence is the second most active time of neurodevelopment in a human’s life? In this meeting of the minds between Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, cognitive neuroscientist and author of Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain, and Alliance for Excellent Education President Bob Wise, learn about the workings of the teenage mind and what this means for educators and school leaders.