Author: homeroom the podcast
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Integrity, self-belief, and the grit to beat systemic odds
In this episode, I speak with Shawn—a visual effects artist and digital compositor—about the institutional challenges he faced growing up on the south side of Chicago, and the father figure who helped him overcome the limiting beliefs that were instilled in him from a young age. We talk about his early creative interests, the journey…
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Curiosity, visual thinking, and a sense of exploration
In this episode, I speak with Maaike—a visual dialogue maker, mediator, social worker, and mom—about her earliest memories of being a student. We talk about the educational philosophy of her parents and teachers, how they encouraged play and exploration throughout her education journey, and how her experience informed her own journey with educating her children.…
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Self-expression, perseverance, and the ability to lean into discomfort
In this episode, I speak with Oswald—a poet, writer, and content creator—about his memories of growing up with cerebral palsy. We talk about what his environment both at home and at school was like, and what kind of messaging he he received from his teachers and peers about his talents and interests. We also talk…
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Creative confidence, intuition, and the courage to change your mind
In this episode, I speak with Lia–a web designer, community builder, mom, and content creator—about the various events in her life that catalyzed a career shift from psychology to design. We talk about her earliest memories of various adult figures preventing her from pursuing her creativity, and what she thinks we need to do differently…
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Self-awareness, empathy, and the autonomy to choose our own labels
In this episode, I speak with Alondra—a social worker, author, consultant, and mom—about her earliest memories of feeling different from her peers. We talk about her journey towards receiving an autism diagnosis, her expert opinions on what autism is and isn’t, as well as her thoughts on both the challenges, drawbacks and benefits of self-diagnosis.…
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Emotional intelligence, self-control, and the freedom to forge our own life paths
In this episode, I speak with Jae—an educator, journalist, project manager, and dad—about his education journey spanning multiple countries including the United States, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. We talk about his earliest memories of learning to manage and harness the power of anger, and how some traumatic experiences throughout his life tempered his control…
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How might we empower students to lead their own personalized learning journeys by fundamentally reimagining education systems to prioritize collaborative growth over standardized metrics of competition?
Over the past 10 months, I spoke with people representing 27 countries across 6 continents to examine the shifting perspectives on education practices, globally. Using the human-centered design framework to facilitate and process these interviews, I asked lots of big questions, and received amazing responses. In this season finale, I’ll share five emerging insights, and…
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How might we shift education from measuring student performance to fostering an internal locus of control?
In this episode, I speak with Michiko—a mom, wife, and cultural chameleon—about her education journey spanning multiple countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, and the United States. We talk about her earliest memories growing up in a home filled with caring family members, and how her varied schooling experiences influenced her self view. We…
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How might we bridge student interests and abilities with real-world opportunities?
In this episode, I speak with Stella—a fashion and film enthusiast who is currently in grad school studying cognitive psychology—about her winding journey across varying interests and industries. We talk about her early experiences of leaving her home of South Korea to study in a country where she couldn’t speak the language, with homestay parents…
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How might we redefine what it means to be “smart” or “intelligent”?
In this episode, I speak with Antonio—a former teacher, self-directed learning center founder, and current dad—about his experience moving through the education system as someone who’s considered intelligent. We talk about the evolution behind his definition of intelligence, and what his turning point was before establishing a school of his own. We share a bit…