Olivia Wahl
06 March 2026
Welcome back to Part Two of my S5E27 @schoolutionspodcast conversation. The dreaming is over, and it's time to move from empathy to action. Dr. Chris Hass and I get into the hard stuff: scripted curricula, skeptical parents, time constraints, and how to do this work even when the system feels like it's working against you. Dr. Hass shares what research actually looks like from kindergarten through fifth grade, from K/1 students writing letters to restaurant managers about plastic straws, to fifth graders conducting year-long independent community inquiries. He makes the case that children are not waiting to be old enough, brave enough, or smart enough. They're ready right now. Whether you're a classroom teacher with five minutes in a morning meeting or a school leader rethinking how literacy and social studies connect, this episode gives you concrete moves you can make tomorrow. 📚 Book mentioned: From Empathy to Action by Chris Hass, Katie Kelly & Lester Laminack, and Social Justice Talk by Chris Hass 🎧 Haven't listened to Part One yet? Start there first because this conversation builds directly on it. Chapters: 0:00 — Welcome back: from dreaming to problem solving 1:30 — "My kids are too young" and answering the skeptics 3:30 — Scaffolding students toward independent action projects 5:00 — Scripted curricula: working within the constraints 7:00 — Finding the cracks: the 15% solution 9:00 — Advocating for your profession and your students 10:30 — What research looks like in K/1 classrooms 13:00 — Research structures in 2nd and 3rd grade 15:00 — Building toward independent 5th-grade inquiry 16:30 — AI, critical thinking, and why this work is future-proof 18:00 — Integrating literacy, social studies, and social justice 20:00 — Talking to skeptical parents and caregivers 22:00 — When kids need trusted adults to process hard news 24:00 — What schools doing this work can look forward to 25:30 — A closing passage from From Empathy to Action 27:00 — Next episode preview: Erin Patterson on student homelessness Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. 🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content. 📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and SHARE with fellow educators! Next Week: I am sitting down with Erin Patterson of Schoolhouse Connection, and she is about to pull back the curtain on a crisis that most of us walk right past every single day. There are 1.3 million homeless students hiding in plain sight in our schools, and Erin has spent her career fighting for them at the highest levels. From landmark congressional wins to the ongoing fight to change federal law, this conversation will forever reshape how you see homelessness, how you see your students, and what you believe is possible when one person refuses to look away. #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #EmpathyToAction #StudentEngagement When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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