Conversations in Social Emotional Learning

Join your favorite business leaders, athletes, comedians, actors, musicians and their families in conversation with Sara Potler LaHayne, Founder & CEO of Move This World, the nation’s leading PreK-12 multimedia social emotional learning curriculum. They discuss the moments that changed their lives forever, how social emotional skills helped them move forward, and advice for making mental health a priority in your family, too.

Difficult Discussions: What does grief look like?

International SEL Day invites us to think about the role that social emotional learning has played in our lives this year, supporting our families through the challenges we’ve been experiencing. One of the biggest challenges: grief and loss. Join us as we speak with David Adams, CEO of The Urban Assembly, Rebecca Soffer, Founder of […]

Read More

10. Navigating a Pandemic: A Conversation with Principals

In the Season 1 Finale of the Saracast, we look back on 2020 with principals Kevyn Bowles and Jessica Drzewucki from NYC and Dr. Melinda Johnson from Charles County, Maryland to learn about their experience leading their school communities through a global pandemic. In the Saracast, Sara uses Creative Exercises to ground herself & her […]

Read More

9. Shifting the Paradigm with Mathew Portell

What does it look like for an entire school to shift to centering trauma-informed practices? In this episode, Sara speaks with Mathew Portell, principal of Fall-Hamilton Elementary and founder of Paradigm Shift Education, about creating a school culture that centers on social emotional learning and trauma-informed practices.  In the Saracast, Sara uses Creative Exercises to […]

Read More

8. The Power of Data with Dr. Clark McKown

How does assessment strengthen SEL instruction? In this episode, Sara speaks with Dr. Clark McKown, Founder & President of xSEL Labs, about the role that assessments play in social emotional learning, prejudice reduction, and equity.  In the Saracast, Sara uses Creative Exercises to ground herself & her guests before each interview. We can bring moments […]

Read More

7. Managing Stress Through Mindfulness with Dina Nunziato

Stress takes on a whole new meaning in 2020. How can you give yourself moments of micro-recoveries throughout your stressful days? In this episode, Sara speaks with Dina Nunziato, LCSW, the Director of Counseling & Psychological Services at the Health & Wellness Center at Sarah Lawrence College about recognizing stress in the body, mindfulness and […]

Read More

6. Community-Building and Vulnerability in the Classroom with Kristie-Anne Opaleski

Social emotional learning is not just for elementary school. What does SEL look like in high school? In this episode, Sara speaks with Kristie-Anne Opaleski, an educator and teaching coach who currently teaches high school English, to learn more about what social emotional learning looks like in a high school classroom.  In the Saracast, Sara […]

Read More

5. Making the Shift: Universal Social Emotional Learning with Christopher Soto and James Futrell from Durham Public Schools

Social emotional learning is more than just a classroom practice. What can it look like for an entire district to adopt social emotional learning? In this episode, Sara speaks with James Futrell, Director of Student Services for Engagement and Access, and Christopher Soto, Social-Emotional Learning + Mental Health Coordinator at Durham Public Schools, to learn […]

Read More

4. The Importance of Play with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

How has the science of learning evolved, and have schools done enough to keep up? How does play promote executive functioning? How does the human brain depend on relationships for learning? In this episode, Sara speaks with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek from the Brookings Institute to explore these questions and more.      In the Saracast, […]

Read More

3. Moving SEL Policy into Practice with Nick Yoder

Social emotional development is foundational to learning, and educational policy plays a critical role in shaping how SEL happens in schools. But how does educational policy inform SEL at the state, district, and school level? Host Sara LaHayne speaks with Nick Yoder, the former Director of Policy and Practice at the Collaborative for Academic, Social, […]

Read More