Teachers' Voices
Teachers' Voices is a podcast from BOLD, a digital platform on learning and development. Host Nina Alonso shares stories from teachers around the world as they talk about their experiences in their own words. The series also features conversations with international experts on learning and child development. It is aimed at parents, teachers, and anyone interested in education. For more information, visit bold.expert.
Episodes
Inspirational books, films, and tools for teachers
To wrap up season 4, educators share books, films, and tools to inspire other teachers, students, and learning communities at the start of the new school year. Nina shares some highlights in the episode, and the full list is below. Thank you to everyone who sent in their recommendations.BooksIn the Small Places: Stories of Teacher Changemakers and the Power of Human Agency by Fred Mednick, recomme
When teachers match instruction to individual learners
In what ways do students vary? How can teachers take account of variability when students develop at different paces and across different dimensions of learning?In this episode, Nina speaks with Sarah Bichler, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Passau in Germany. Sarah says children grow and learn in different ways, sometimes steadily, sometimes through abrupt shifts. Recognizi
How teachers and families can support adolescents together
What role do families play in children’s learning as they grow into adolescence? How can teachers build partnerships with parents and caregivers? What happens when schools work with families?In this episode, Nina speaks with Elisabetta Aurino, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Barcelona in Spain. Elisabetta shares findings from her research in Ghana showing how caregivers can s
How schools can value the strengths children gain from adversity
How can educators recognise and build on the strengths children gain from adversity? What happens when teachers shift from seeing deficits to seeing potential? How are children changing their own narratives with the support of educators?In this episode, Nina explores children’s resilience and the strength they gain from living in difficult circumstances.Nina first speaks with Gabriele Paone, a res
Tips for teaching in difficult conditions
How can teachers support students in emergencies or difficult contexts? In this bonus episode, Nina hears advice for teaching in challenging conditions from four educators.First Nina meets Diana Suárez, a teacher in Colombia and an expert in multilingualism and multiculturalism. Diana says that safe play spaces let children reconnect, express themselves, and feel joy again.Next, Nina speaks to Gil
School leadership in emergencies
What makes leadership and innovation critical in education during emergencies? How do local educators overcome challenges with limited resources? How can communities and technology help sustain learning in crisis contexts?In this episode, Nina first speaks to Katy Noble, Head of Education in Emergencies at Teach For All, based in Palestine. Katy shares insights from 15 years working with crisis-af
Improving children’s lives with evidence in education
Why is evidence so important in education solutions? How is evidence incorporated into large-scale educational solutions? How can evidence lead to greater equity in education?In this episode, Nina first speaks to Vicky Colbert, from Colombia. Vicky is the founder of Fundación Escuela Nueva, an NGO that has shaped the way multigrade classrooms operate. Vicky tells Nina how they use evidence to ensu
Bridging arts and science teaching
Should arts and science come closer together? How are teachers bringing these subjects together in the classroom?In this episode, Nina talks to Pamela Burnard, Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations at the University of Cambridge in the UK. “When we look at creative industries, real world practitioners are not sitting in expert siloes, they are collaborating, they are co-authoring,” Pamela
Tools to support highly sensitive children in school
What is high sensitivity? How many children in a classroom are highly sensitive? How can teachers support highly sensitive children?In this bonus episode, Nina talks to Michael Pluess, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Surrey. Michael has been studying children’s individual differences in sensitivity for more than 10 years. Around 30% of children are highly sensitive, he
How does deep learning happen?
Should learning be easy or effortful? What’s the zone of failure and why is it useful for learning? How can teachers design tasks for deep learning?In this episode, Nina talks to Manu Kapur, Professor of Learning Sciences and Higher Education at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. When Manu was a teacher of grade 12 mathematics, he noticed that student understanding was quite shallow, even when explanatio
Why is sleep so important for children’s learning?
Why is sleep important as children grow? Are young people getting enough sleep? How can schools work with families to make sure children get the sleep they need?In this episode, Nina talks to Jared Saletin, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University and the Associate Director of the E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep Research Laboratory in Rhode Island, the US. “Sleep is cri
Inspiring students to become leaders
In this episode, Nina first meets Chaitra Murlidhar, in Boston in the US. Chaitra is the Global Lead of Leadership Development at Teach For All. Teach For All developed a Teaching as Collective Leadership Framework, which puts growing student leadership at the core of its approach to education. “Nobody can do this alone”, Chaitra says. “We are all connected with the common challenges we face in ed
Wellbeing tips for teachers
In this short bonus episode, teachers Magdalena Balica, Kawita Thani and Sanja Vičević Ivanović share their tips for supporting teacher and student wellbeing in the classroom. Magdalena Balica and Sanja Vičević Ivanović, who were guests on the full episode about teacher wellbeing, suggest using mindfulness techniques for stress relief, cultivating the social side of wellbeing, and focusing on your
How teacher wellbeing impacts students
What supports teachers’ wellbeing? Can improving teacher wellbeing impact students’ wellbeing and their learning?In this episode, made in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB), Nina first talks to IB researcher Magdalena Balica from the Hague in the Netherlands. Magdalena looks at three elements of teacher wellbeing: Satisfaction with school life, positive emotions,
What makes an effective school leader?
What support do teachers need from their leadership teams? How does school leadership impact children’s learning?In this episode, Nina first hears from Shulammite Ajayi, a science teacher in Nigeria. Encouragement from her school leader helps Shully to motivate her students. “ When teachers are encouraged, when teachers are well-equipped with tools, with 21st century strategy, teachers want to wor
How teachers shape the lives of their students
What could solve the challenge of teacher shortages around the world? What inspires teachers to become teachers in the first place? How do teachers find a connection with their students?In this episode, Nina talks to Carlos Vargas, Head of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat at UNESCO. The Teacher Task Force was formed in 2008. Its mission is to fill the gap in quantity of teachers and quality of t
Welcome to Teachers' Voices season four
Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential.Join Nina Alonso for the fourth season of the podcast in which she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences. Every epi
Why students benefit from futures literacy
The final episode of Teachers’ Voices season 3 opens with Sister Zeph, winner of the 2023 Global Teacher Prize, talking directly to teachers. “You are a future maker”, she says. These words inspired the rest of this mini-episode, which explores futures literacy. What is futures literacy? What do students gain from futures literacy? How can teachers incorporate it into their classrooms?Former teach
How to support children’s mental health in school
Why is it important to make sure children have words to name their emotions? How can teachers promote mental health and wellbeing? Is it possible to remove academic pressure from school?In this episode, Nina first meets Sarah Griffiths, a Senior Research Fellow at University College London and Co-Director of the Wellbeing and Language Lab in UCL’s department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psy
Why physical activity in schools helps children thrive
What types of physical activity benefit students? Can bringing movement and play into different academic classes help children learn? How can spaces and classes for movement be inclusive?Nina first meets Fotini Vasilopoulos, a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydney in Australia. “Physical activity is important for physical health, for mental health, and it also can drive behaviours fo
How can schools embrace variability in learning?
In what ways do students differ from each other in their learning? How does one student vary in their own learning from day to day? How can schools embrace these types of learning variability?In this episode, Nina talks to Julia Leonard, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Learning variability, Julia explains, is both “my learning might be different than your learning” and “my le
How to bring social entrepreneurship to schools
How can teachers help students make a positive change in their communities? How can schools better connect education with the future of work?In this bonus mini episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina hears practical tips from last episode’s guests Alison Yang, Barbara Bilgre, Maud Seghers, and Larisa Akrofie. Nina is also joined by Tanya Sheckley, an edupreneur and host of the podcast Rebel Educator. Al
Nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets at school
What is an entrepreneurial mindset? Why should educators nurture entrepreneurial mindsets in young people? What entrepreneurial projects have teachers developed in classrooms around the world?In this episode, Nina first speaks to Maud Seghers. Maud is a global education advisor at VVOB in Belgium, an international organisation devoted to education development. An entrepreneurial mindset is not jus
Gender equity in STEAM starts in school
What barriers keep girls from fulfilling their potential in STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics – subjects? Nina first meets Maliha Fawzia, the interim Global Head of Girls’ Education at Teach For All. Maliha joins Nina from Bangladesh. Maliha explains that the first barrier for girls studying maths and science is feeling welcome in the classroom as girls. “It's fi
Why neurodiversity is relevant for all schoolchildren
What is neurodiversity? How does it differ from neurodevelopmental disorders? How can schools make sure all children feel like they belong?In this episode, Nina meets Alyssa Alcorn, lead researcher for the Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS) project at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Alyssa explains that neurodiversity concerns everyone, because everyone has a brain. Neurodive
How are teachers helping students understand the climate crisis?
In this bonus episode, Nina celebrates International Day of Education with former science teacher, Sarah Horley. Sarah is Programme Manager from Teachers for the Planet, a program that aims to improve climate change education. Teachers for the Planet are showcasing teacher-led climate change education solutions. Three of the teachers showcased in the Teachers for the Planet repository share their
How can EdTech help teachers and learners affected by conflict?
Why is education important for conflict-affected children? How are teachers in conflict zones using EdTech? Can EdTech adapt to children’s changing learning conditions and help them to thrive?In this episode, Nina talks to Jasmine Turner and Olena Onyshchenko from War Child about the EdTech solution Can’t Wait to Learn. Talking to Nina from Uganda, Researcher Jasmine explains that Can’t Wait to Le
Why student wellbeing is central to learning
In this episode, Nina talks to two experts from International Baccalaureate (IB) in Washington DC. Nicole Bien, Chief Schools Officer at IB, tells Nina that since the start of the pandemic, the IB has ensured wellbeing is at the core of the learning experience in their schools. “Wellbeing is so central to learning. Without it, there’s little space in a student’s mind and body to focus on learning”
How can financial education help kids?
What are children around the world learning about looking after finances and other resources? What should be in a financial and social education curriculum? How can teachers involve parents in discussions on these topics?In this episode, Nina talks to two experts from Aflatoun, an international organisation based in the Netherlands that brings financial and social education to children worldwide.
What are the most useful AI tools for teachers?
In episodes 2 and 3 of Teachers’ Voices season 3, Nina explored lots of questions about AI in the classroom. What are teachers’ concerns about AI, and what opportunities do they see? How can AI adapt to individual students? And how can teachers take a human-centred approach to AI?This special mini episode briefly introduces some AI resources that might help in the classroom. Nina hears from Harvey
How can teachers take a human-centred approach to AI?
How can AI adjust learning materials and feedback to the needs of individual students? How can teachers make sure that the human element is kept?In this episode, Nina speaks to Inge Molenaar, director of the National Education Lab AI in the Netherlands (NOLAI). Inge is a Professor in Behavioral Science who specialises in the interface between education and technology. Inge tells Nina how AI can he
How can educators use AI to support their students' learning?
What are the main concerns that teachers have about artificial intelligence in the classroom? What opportunities does AI open up for students? How can AI focus on automation while helping humans do what they’re best at?In the second episode of Teachers’ Voices season three, Nina speaks to Stefania Druga, Principal Researcher at the Center of Applied AI Research at the University of Chicago. Stefan
How can teachers build communities that inspire environmental care?
Welcome to the first episode in the third season of Teachers’ Voices. In this episode, Nina talks to Stefania Giannini, the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, in Paris. Stefania tells Nina that “education must be protected from all the threats around it, including climate change.” Education is also part of the solution, she says. Hear Stefania describe the four pillars of UNESCO’s Gr
Welcome to Teachers' Voices season three
Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential.Join Nina Alonso for the third season of the podcast in which she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences. Every epis
Bonus Episode – Teachers' Resources 4
Join educational researcher Nina Alonso for this podcast series as she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences. In the previous episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina heard from four inspiring guests about connecting children to nature so that it becomes more central in their learning and development.In this special mini episode, Ni
How nature can play a role in children’s wellbeing
What is the role of nature in children’s learning and development? How are schools around the world connecting children to nature?In this episode, Nina talks to Luis Alberto Camargo, a social entrepreneur who specialises in nature-based education. Luis tells Nina about the scientific research exploring the role of nature in children’s wellbeing. Nina also speaks to Joaquin Leguia, the founder of a
How teaching methods and tools can improve mathematics learning
How can educators take some of the stress and anxiety out of mathematics?In this episode, Nina talks to Lindsey Richland, Associate Professor at the University of California, Irvine. Lindsey talks about the importance of teaching methods that incorporate reasoning skills. Nina also speaks to Dror Dotan, Head of the Mathematical Thinking Lab at Tel Aviv University, who describes the different knowl
How learning interventions can help children who are out of school
How can education be transformed so that all children, including the most underprivileged, have access to learning? In this episode, Nina talks to Armando Ali in Kenya about organisations promoting children’s foundational learning across Africa, South Asia, and South America. Nina also hears from Francis Bizoza about accelerated learning interventions that help children catch up with foundational
Bonus Episode – Teachers' Resources 3
In this special mini episode, teachers from Qatar, Mexico, and Nigeria share resources and recommendations for other educators.GuestsAljawhara Aladba from Teach For QatarIsaac Galindo from Enseña por MéxicoGaniyat Muritala Wuraola from Teach For NigeriaResources and recommendationsTeachers Pay TeachersTwinklSocrativeKahoot!Freedom WritersThe Ron Clark StoryContactJoin us on social media: https://t
How a leadership mindset can improve students’ agency and wellbeing
How can educators develop leadership mindsets in the classroom? What impact does this have on student agency, wellbeing, self-confidence, connections with others and also academic mastery?In this episode, Nina talks to Robbie Dean, Director of Research, Evaluation, and Network Learning at Teach For All. Robbie explains how Teach For All developed a framework to support teachers to develop leadersh
How creative classrooms can help every child focus
How can educators and caregivers better understand the needs of students who particularly struggle to stay engaged in a world full of distractions? Does allowing choice in the classroom better support the differing needs of all students? Why is teacher-family communication and collaboration so crucial for children who need extra support?In this episode, Nina talks to teachers around the world abou
How a supportive environment and digital tools can help students with distractibility
What impact does distractibility have on learning and development? How can digital tools help students manage digital distractions? What makes a supportive learning environment for students with ADHD?In this episode, Nina Alonso speaks to Assistant Professor Melissa Dvorsky about the impact of distractibility on learning and development. Melissa also discusses the rise of digital education during
Bonus Episode – Teachers' Resources 2
In this special mini episode, Nina celebrates World Teachers’ Day with a bonus episode of Teachers’ Voices. Listen for inspirational stories together with quick practical ideas and resources that educators and researchers have shared. GuestsTeachersMaree Karaka Ingrid DelangeMonica BhimwalAzmin MistryResearchersSarah Richardson and Sladana Krstic from the Australian Council for Educational Researc
How a curious and creative classroom can inspire learning
Why are curiosity and creativity so relevant for all learning? Can curiosity in the classroom be measured? How can researchers and educators work together to develop teaching strategies that encourage children to embrace creativity?Nina Alonso welcomes Sarah Richardson and Sladana Krstic from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) who have been conducting research in collaboration
How gender equality in education can benefit all children
How can teachers promote gender equality? How easy is it to start challenging stereotypes in the classroom? Can gender responsive pedagogies help break down the barriers holding girls back?In this episode, two educators, from Zambia and Paraguay, share their stories of challenging stereotypes, and encouraging and empowering girls in the classroom.Nina also talks to Christina Kwauk, a social scient
How technology can encourage collaborative learning
Today’s episode is a collaboration with Sophie Bailey, from the Edtech podcast. Nina and Sophie explore the theme of collaborative learning using education technology. How are researchers collaborating with children to co-design new technology? What’s the role of teachers in working with technology? How can technology be utilised in more challenging teaching environments?To find out more, Nina and
Bonus Episode – Teachers’ Resources 1
In this special mini episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina Alonso recaps some of the resources her guests have shared with her so far this season. With a particular focus on teachers working to engage their students with environmental issues at local and global levels, listen in for tips, resources and sources of inspiration.GuestsTerry Godwaldt is on Twitter and Linkedin.Manuela Valentim is on Twitte
How climate education can empower students
Climate change can be an overwhelming concept for young people. But perhaps it can be made easier to understand and relate to by demonstrating local impacts and showing students how young people all over the world are dealing with similar issues. How does youth activism support learning opportunities? What are the components of learning that best support ‘green life skills education’? How are teac
How helping young people find their voices can build trust
How can we help young people find their voices through activism and collaboration? And why is this an important element of education?In this episode, Nina explores the many benefits that come from supporting youth activism – from building leadership skills to promoting empathy. While each guest has a different international perspective – they are based in India, Canada and Trinidad – all three wor
How learning communities can help children thrive
Why is it so important to take a holistic approach to young people's sense of self? Nina explores how educators can be the connection between children, nature and the wider society with the aim of creating a community of learning.In this episode, two teachers, from Portugal and Japan, share how their work enables them to support collaborations between students, schools and communities to help
Teachers' Voices is back for season 2
Teachers' Voices, the podcast in which teachers tell their own stories, in their own words, is back for season two. No matter the learning context - from Stockholm, to Uruguay - teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces we have for equity, access and quality in education. And they’re an important part of sustainable global development. Join Nina Alonso for inspiring interv
How Can we Help Children Take Ownership of their Learning?
As adults we take it for granted that we have the ability to choose. But for children, they don’t always have the awareness that they have choices available to them. Yet having agency, i.e. making choices based on active engagement in decision making, plays a vital role in developing a child’s self esteem as well as enabling their learning. In this episode, we hear from Natalia Kucirkova, Professo
What are the best practices to help build strong foundational skills and better educational systems?
Good school practices are the key to helping build better educational systems, says Renaud Comba, research manager at UNICEF, but detecting exemplary school practices is easier said than done:“For the first time we are paying attention to the already created, contextualized, cost effective local solutions that local stakeholders have created through practice and through understanding where they li
Why Building a Solid Foundation in Children's Learning & Development Matters with Ricardo Sabates
Investing in children’s foundational educational skills is key to their learning and development, as these skills are the building blocks for other life skills and further education, says Professor Ricardo Sabates, a researcher dedicated to equipping out-of-school children in the global south with basic numeracy, reading and writing skills.“One of the challenges that we have is that when children
The lifelong impact educators can have on children
We all remember that one teacher from school who had a long lasting positive impact on us. In this episode, we hear once more from a variety of educators around the world, each one sharing why they’re so passionate about preparing children for their future.First we hear from Nadia in New York: “The long impact that teachers have is we do things that we are passionate about, from our heart we pour
The 21st Century Skills Students Need to Thrive
Our world is evolving so quickly and the skills that students needed to thrive just a few years ago are fast becoming obsolete. So what 21st century core competencies do students need to learn to succeed in our modern world?In this episode we are joined by two inspiring teachers, Enzil and Samaya, who, despite working in very different places – The Bahamas and Nepal - and teaching very different s
The Relevance of Parental & Family Engagement in Children's Education
One key aspect of children’s lives and development which many of the teachers we have spoken to for this podcast have mentioned, regardless of who they’re teaching and where they are, is the relevance of parental and family engagement in children’s education. Their observations mirror the findings of today’s guest Sharon Wolf, an applied developmental psychologist interested in how young children’
The Intersection Between Learning Through Play and Technology
Over the last 18 months teachers have had to find innovative ways to not only teach, but engage with students. For many, they’ve relied on technology to help them educate their students. But how do technology and play contribute to learning?In today’s episode, we explore the intersection between learning through play and technology. First we speak with Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Chair of Learning Through
The Importance of Developing Children’s Reasoning Skills with Lindsey Richland
Children need to develop reasoning skills in order to carry out problem solving in the real world, says Professor Lindsey Richland. But what are reasoning skills and why are they so important for children to learn, and what role can teachers play in helping develop them? Lindsey explains: “When we are learning how to reason and how to use that information, teachers are able to use those resources
Why Learning Through Play is Beneficial At All Ages
Play is essential for learning and development. Typically, we associate play-based learning with young children, but, says Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Chair of Learning Through Play and the Vice-President of the Lego Foundation, an international expert on play, learning and creativity, play is beneficial for all ages.“Play is inherently about engagement, about motivation to engage in things that are diffi
Building communities through Teachers’ Voices
In this special episode, Nina is joined firstly by Gemma Wirz, Editor in Chief of BOLD to discuss the show’s journey so far, and to pause and reflect once more on why it’s so important to listen to teachers’ voices:“I have always been fascinated by oral traditions and communication as a means of disseminating culture and education. I believe that teachers’ stories need to be shared. They deserve t
The Power of Storytelling in Education
Why is literature and storytelling so important for children and adolescents? This is the topic we explore in this latest episode of Teachers’ Voices with our special guest, Evelyn Arizpe, an expert in children's literature and literacy. Evelyn pioneered research into children’s responses to picturebooks and visual literacy and, in the last decade, her research has focused on migration and di
The 3 Challenges of Teaching & Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic
There are 3 major challenges that teachers around the world have had to respond to during the recent COVID-19 pandemic: changing pedagogy, the mission, and dealing with challenges in their own households while trying to teach online. “Many of our concerns have been about kids, and how we make sure that they're still learning. It's wonderful to hear the discourse turn to thinking about th
Multilingualism in a Culturally Diverse World
If you’re an educator supporting children learning various languages, at different developmental stages and in different contexts and geographies, then don’t miss Kaja Jasinska, a cognitive neuroscientist interested in understanding how early life experience changes the brain’s capacity for language and learning. “We found that school children who are learning two languages from birth actually out
The importance of Motivation & Self-Esteem in Children’s Learning
This episode has some discussion around bulimia and mental health issues. Listener discretion is advised. If you’re an educator keen to learn more about motivation and self esteem in children’s learning, don’t miss Eddie Brummelman, a researcher studying children's growing understanding of themselves as individuals, how children develop self-views, how these self-views shape mental health and
Teaching and Learning Under Adverse Conditions
In this episode of Teachers’ Voices, we explore the challenges of teaching and learning under adverse conditions with special guest, Willem Frankenhuis. Willem is an expert in developmental psychology, and specialises in social and cognitive skills and abilities that might be enhanced in harsh and unpredictable environments.Willem discusses why it’s so important to take adversity into account when
What We Can Learn From Teachers Around The World
Welcome to the inaugural episode of Teachers’ Voices where you’ll hear three very different stories of teachers coming at teaching from very different learning environments, contexts and situations. Yet all of these teachers share a passionate commitment to the particular needs of individual learners. Our first special guest is Nora Marketos, co-lead of the learning school’s portfolio of the Jacob
Introducing Teachers' Voices
Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children and young people with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential.Teachers' Voices is a podcast series from BOLD, the digital platform on learning and development. Join Nina Alonso as she shares powerful stories from teachers around
