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Before Radical Hope resumes in the new year, Michelle offers a moment of reflection and gratitude. Drawing from The Small Work in the Great Work by Victoria Safford, she honors educators who keep showing up with heart and humanity, even when things are uncertain, and reminds us that the smallest acts often become the great work.

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SUMMARY

What if the secret to transforming a school isn't a new program, but a new perspective?
In this re-released conversation, Dr. Maricela Helm—now Executive Director of Student Services at Whitehouse ISD—shares how shifting from discipline to relationship, and from pressure to presence, changes everything.

She and host Michelle Kinder explore how mindset becomes freedom, joy becomes evidence of system health, and the most powerful learning happens when kids see the adults around them as fellow learners.

Revisit this episode for the reminder we all need midyear: the connection you build today is shaping the world your students will lead tomorrow.

💌 Don't forget to claim your free subscription to the new Oxygen for Educators magazine, packed with interviews and reflections to keep you grounded all year long. Opt in here.

CHAPTERS

00:00 — Welcome + Magazine Announcement
02:17 — Why We're Re-Releasing This Episode
04:49 — Introducing Dr. Maricela Helm
06:50 — Early Career & Finding Purpose
10:37 — The Heart of Principalship
12:26 — Mindset as Freedom
16:17 — Let Kids See Your Hard
19:54 — Redefining the Discipline Department
22:11 — Systems, Predictability & Belonging
24:31 — Restorative Circles That Actually Work
28:47 — Building Community Agreements
33:50 — Responding to Crisis with Humanity
35:14 — How Education Has Evolved
39:48 — Kids Today: Capable and Emotional
41:15 — "Right Now, You're Great"
43:10 — Leading Leaders with Empathy
45:07 — Joy as a Leadership Indicator
47:53 — The Truth About Bullying Work
49:54 — Self-Care as a Mindset
53:39 — Closing with Gratitude
58:38 — Reflection with Michelle & Chris
01:01:57 — Perspective and Freedom
01:04:01 — Silver Lining Exercise
01:05:25 — Play, Perspective, and Purpose
01:06:16 — Letting Students See Imperfection
01:07:58 — Final Reflections and Takeaways

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SUMMARY

We're zooming out for a big-picture view of the Radical Hope series so far, what patterns are emerging, what ideas keep echoing, and what it all adds up to. Michelle Kinder walks us through five simple but powerful themes: safety, awareness, compassion, flexibility, and attention.

This isn't just reflection for reflection's sake, it's a roadmap for staying steady, even when everything around us is shifting.

💌 Don't forget to claim your free subscription to the new Oxygen for Educators magazine, packed with interviews and reflections to keep you grounded all year long. Opt in here.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Radical Hope
01:03 The Cycle of Inner Work

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SUMMARY

We are re-releasing this conversation with Rockwall ISD leader Dr. Shanon Zais because late October can feel like a grind for educators. This is the moment when stamina dips, the calendar is packed, and a reset matters. Shanon offers embodied, practical wisdom on rest, boundaries, and community care that lands differently right now. On re-listen, we also reflect on why this message is urgent, including Chris's honest update about navigating breast cancer and the reminder that you do not have to, and cannot, do this work alone.

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Shanon distills four core values, take care of yourself and each other, be professional, plan for success, and have fun. She shows what this looks like in real life, PLC time inside the workday, quiet spaces for nervous system resets, and her 36-marbles practice that keeps each week intentional. The throughline is simple, rested adults drive healthy schools.

If you listened the first time, listen again, new lines will jump out. If this is your first time, welcome, we are glad you are here!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction and Context of the Re-release
02:59 The Importance of Rest and Well-being in Education
06:03 Shannon Zeiss: A Leader's Journey and Philosophy
08:55 Community and Support: The Power of Togetherness
11:37 Core Values and Their Impact on School Culture
14:45 The Role of Fun and Connection in Education
17:58 The Significance of Intentional Leadership
20:41 The 36 Marbles: A Visual Representation of Time
23:30 Final Thoughts and Reflections on Leadership and Rest

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SUMMARY

What would it look like for your calendar to reflect your deepest values, not just your obligations? In this powerful follow-up to Part 1, Michelle Kinder shares 10 practical attention management practices that support mental health and nervous system regulation. From reframing to-do lists to breaking up with notifications, each practice offers a small shift that can spark real change. Whether you're overwhelmed, overstretched, or just ready for more peace, this episode offers simple ways to live more aligned with what matters most.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Introduction & Radical Hope Recap

02:10 – Practice 1: Calendar Your Values

06:30 – Practice 2: Single Task in Small Blocks

10:30 – Practice 3: Automate What Drains & Sustains You

14:30 – Practice 4: Master To-Do + Done-for-the-Day Lists

18:30 – Practice 5: Unsubscribe Relentlessly + Offline Emailing

22:30 – Practice 6: Break Up with Notifications

25:30 – Practice 7: Practice a Positive No

28:00 – Practice 8: Memento Mori (Remember You Will Die)

30:00 – Practice 9: Build Tech-Free Rituals

32:00 – Practice 10: Attention as Generosity

35:00 – Final Reflections & Listener Invitation

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SUMMARY

This one feels like a deep breath. Sharon Bradley lets us into the story that made her an educator, teaching her brother what school hadn't, and how that love widened into a career of pulling kids in instead of pushing them out. She shows us why "take care of the big people so they can take care of the little people" isn't a slogan; it's a strategy.

We talk about practical care for adults (the kind that actually fits in a school day), her S.E.L.F. check-in, Start, Experiment, Let go, Finish, and the moment a stage-three cancer diagnosis at 36 made "health is wealth" non-negotiable. Sharon names the boundary work, the permission leaders must give, and the simple changes (leave on time, ask stay-interview questions, build community care) that make classrooms calmer and lives lighter. If you're running on fumes, this conversation is a hug and a nudge: you are allowed to be well, and when you are, everyone in your care benefits.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:48 Sharon Bradley's Journey in Education
05:47 The Importance of Social-Emotional Learning
08:56 Supporting Educators' Well-Being
11:54 Creating a Supportive Environment for Students and Staff
14:40 The Impact of Personal Health on Professional Life
17:27 The Role of Community in Education
20:48 Practical Strategies for Educators
23:46 The Power of Pause and Reflection
26:37 Stay Interviews and Teacher Retention
29:33 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

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SUMMARY

In Radical Hope: Attention Management for Mental Health (Part 1), Michelle Kinder explores how the way we direct our attention shapes not only our inner world but also our relationships, choices, and sense of meaning. Drawing from research, lived practice, and the book Indistractable, Michelle reframes attention management away from productivity hacks and toward well-being.

Through powerful metaphors, like the flashlight that illuminates what we choose to notice, she shows how even small shifts in focus can reduce anxiety, restore energy, and bring us closer to the life we want. Listeners will learn how traction versus distraction is defined by alignment with our deepest values, why time management is often really pain management, and how simple discernment questions can help us right-size what deserves our attention.

This episode is an invitation to reclaim our focus as an act of radical hope. By choosing where we shine our mental flashlight, we gain agency in our responses, open space for connection, and ripple out more presence to our students, colleagues, and communities

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Attention Management for Mental Health
05:04 Understanding Traction vs. Distraction
10:49 The Role of Internal and External Triggers
17:22 Pre-Commitments and Structuring Attention
22:40 Shifting from Problem-Focused to Outcome-Focused
30:52 The Power of Attention Filters
38:31 Radical Hope and the Choice of Attention

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SUMMARY:

The way you see students today can change a trajectory tomorrow.

In this episode of Oxygen for Educators, 2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson sits down with Michelle to talk about choosing the good without slipping into toxic positivity. Rebecka shares how listening to understand, not to be understood, changed her teaching and her students' outcomes. She tells the story of her "one good thing" practice that trained her brain to notice what is working, then create more of it. From there, we dig into why principals set the tone for an entire building, why teachers quite literally hold our democracy, and why front-loading connection is not a luxury - It is the work.

Practical takeaways you can use today

• Front-load connection. The time comes back to you a hundred times over.

• Train your attention. Capture one good thing each day to rewire what you notice.

• When the world feels big, get small. Focus on who is right in front of you.

• Hold a yes and mindset. Hard work, and meaningful work.

• Tell your story to students, then schedule 5–15 minute student story slots.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Finding the Good in Challenging Times
02:55 Introducing Rebecca Peterson: A Teacher's Journey
06:00 The Impact of Personal Stories in Education
08:47 The Role of Relationships in Student Success
11:42 The Power of Listening and Understanding
14:52 Transformative Experiences as a Teacher of the Year
17:50 The Importance of High-Quality Educators
20:47 Navigating Trauma in Education
23:26 Empathy and Democracy in Education
26:28 The Practice of Noticing the Good
29:20 The Yes And Profession: Balancing Challenges and Purpose
32:21 Closing Thoughts: Gratitude and Hope for Educators

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