The Conscious Classroom

Send us a textIn this episode Amy Edelstein explores what it can meet to root in our True North, our deepest values, when we lean into how education needs to transform.The questions surrounding education's future form an intricate web: How do we pause and reflect while simultaneously responding to the immediate needs of our students? Who funds it and why? What outcomes do we desire? How do we serve students with vastly different backgrounds and trajectories? When confronting  complexity, Amy looks at how returning to a "true north" of universal human values—compassion, care, and recognition of each person's dignity—provides both stability and flexibility. This podcast explores the essential paradox of educational transformation: we need time for deep reflection, yet our students continue growing each day, requiring immediate guidance. By embracing both patience and urgency, holding our preconceived ideas lightly while standing firmly in our humanity, we create space for innovations that honor both the passionate curiosity of youth and the thoughtful discernment needed for lasting change.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a textThe educational landscape is undergoing a profound transformation through artificial intelligence, and mindfulness education stands at this exciting frontier. In this thought-provoking exploration, Amy Edelstein reviews Sal Khan's new book "Brave New Words" and unpacks the potential and challenge of AI tutors to support students' inner development, while maintaining crucial human connections.Amy examines Khan's great success with Khan Academy and the AI Khanmigo, looking specifically at how AI tutors can personalize learning experiences, making first-class education and tools more accessible. AI tutors can deliver mindfulness content in students' native languages, honor cultural contexts, and support English language learners in contributing their unique perspectives despite language barriers. Imagine a classroom where students speaking Mandarin, Ukrainian, Spanish, and Vietnamese can all engage with the same wellness curriculum, then bring diverse insights to group discussions. With proper guardrails preventing misinformation and protecting privacy, these systems can safely guide students through their inner development journey.Amy discusses the need for a mindfulness AI tutor that integrates contemplative practice with systems thinking, helping students see knowledge as interconnected rather than compartmentalized. By connecting well-being and self regulation concepts across neuroscience, psychology, physics, and ethics, AI can help students discover meaningful relationships with our world as a whole and enable students to feel their spheres of interest grow.  There are valid concerns about digital overuse, however thoughtfully designed educational AI offers something fundamentally different—tools that address each student's needs while building community.Join Amy on this journey into the possibilities of conscious technology. If you're interested in contributing to the development of mindfulness-based AI tutors or have feature recommendations, connect with us at innerstrengtheducation.org and help shape this next chapter in educational innovation.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a textIn this episode of The Conscious Classroom, Amy Edelstein questions the use of the popular idiom "returning to analog."  While agreeing with the sentiment that we reconnect with the preciousness of our humanity as technology continues to advance rapidly, she questions placing that sentiment within in technical context. Amy discusses the balance between digital experiences and the visceral richness of our awareness and connections and looks at some of the questions surrounding Ed-Tech and the integration of AI into the classroom. Key themes include:• Exploring the concept of returning to analog in a digital age• Evoking the transcendent experience of listening to analog music• Highlighting the sacred nature of the emergence of human awareness in the broad sweep of evolutionary history • Emphasizing the importance of genuine human relationships• Discussing the role of AI and its potential impact on learning and relationships• Advocating for mindfulness and contemplative practice in the classroom and its connection to our humanity Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a textThis episode of The Conscious Classroom with Amy Edelstein invites us to explore the power of setting meaningful intentions and to learn how to let go of will-based resolutions as the most effective means to create lasting transformation.  By uncovering our deepest values and nurturing inspiration from within, we can align our actions with what truly matters to us and engage in positive change, both personally and collectively.Amy will delve into:• Identifying the value of intentions rather than resolutions• Reflecting on our deeper cares as we set our trajectory for the New Year• Overcoming feelings of disempowerment and frustration• The significance of inspiration in maintaining motivation• Addressing cultural norms the negatively impact youth and how to positively support young people• Embracing stillness and reflection during meditation• Recognizing our capacity for goodness and positive change• Encouraging a supportive community through shared intentionsSupport the showIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a textHolidays are awe-filled and also can bring about feelings of sadness, grief and loneliness for ourselves and our students. Join Amy Edelstein in this episode of The Conscious Classroom Podcast as we explore how to let go into the present moment and find the posture that allows us to be with what is with grace, strength, and presence.  The holiday season can be a challenging time, filled with mixed emotions and societal expectations. As educators, we have the unique opportunity to guide our students through these complexities with grace and awareness. This episode goes deep with a guided meditation that will transcend the superficial and allow you to access an experience of presence that can sustain and fulfill you. Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a textExperience the essence of creativity and dedication with Amy Edelstein as we journey with her to CoSM, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors in the Catskills. This episode celebrates Alex and Alison Gray, the visionary artists who have devoted decades to the transformative power of art. For their entire adult life, they have been expressing their own adventures in consciousness through their unique for of art, becoming leaders and pillars of the psychedelic art movement. They exemplify how art can be a conduit for personal and collective growth, and their center stands as one of the rare collective spaces where people can come to explore the inner and artistic expressions in a collective and collaborative fashion. For educators seeking to reignite their passion, this episode is a heartfelt exploration of rediscovering the 'why' behind teaching. Amy shares a compelling exercise from her professional development sessions, inviting teachers to open to themselves and re-acquaint themselves with their vocation or calling to teach.  This introspection often reveals a profound sense of purpose that transcends standard metrics like test scores. Experience how nurturing these inner drives can lead to more enriching and vibrant educational experiences for both teachers and their students. Enjoy this episode of the Conscious Classroom, which unravels  the pillars of learning spaces which foster joy, creativity, and transformation.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a textCreating Positive Spaces with a Grateful MindsetIt's so simple, could it really change our outlook, experience and classrooms?  In this episode of the Conscious Classroom, Amy Edelstein looks at ways that gratitude can transform our experience and deepen our understanding of presence, interconnectedness, and awe. You will see how we can shift our perspectives, working with everyday events like traffic irritation, and cultivate a very different mindset. It's not lightweight, it can have a real impact and reveal profound truths about the nature of our world. Discovering how when we foster gratitude we not only improve personal well-being, we also build a deeper sense of connection and belonging. This can create  a ripple effect in our classrooms and communities.Step into the Conscious Classroom with Amy as she explores practical tips and educational insights to nurture mindfulness and awareness. This episode is designed for anyone passionate about making a positive impact, particularly educators working with teens.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a textDo you feel like you're authentic in your teaching and in your life? How does we "become" more authentic? Can mindfulness bring authenticity or is it more than that?In this episode, Amy unpacks the elusive quality of authenticity. We all think we know it when we see it but how do we develop it? Authenticity brings integrity and stability into our classrooms. Embracing vulnerability and aligning with our core values revolutionizes our teaching and enables our students to trust and let go so they can learn. Join Amy in this episode of the Conscious Classroom podcast as she uncovers the essence of authenticity and its transformative power in educational settings. With a focus on mindfulness and restorative practices, she outlines how educators can foster a genuine connection with their students, moving beyond arbitrary emotional outbursts into emotional intelligence, which leads to a place of integrity and growth.Key to developing authenticity is self-knowledge, deeply exploring our motivations behind and supporting students in facing challenges on their own. By integrating mindfulness as an orientation to life, we embody authenticity and create a safe, supportive, and fear-free learning environment. Listen to the end to close with a guided meditation that will open up a new relationship to being present, available, and true to yourself, which in turn will contribute to a more resilient and impactful educational experience for both teachers and students.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a Text Message.Discover the secret to finding profound contentment even in the most stressful times. What if you could cultivate a deeper sense of fulfillment through mindful awareness and systems thinking? On today's Conscious Classroom podcast, Amy Edelstein guides you through transformative insights that will help you create  spaces for rejuvenation. You'll learn how to  harness the power of meditation to develop an inner sense of wholeness and simplicity, empowering you to maintain a backdrop of contentment no matter the challenges you face.Support the Show.If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a Text Message.Can shifting the focus for teachers from content to connection be the key to lifting adolescent loneliness? Journey with Amy Edelstein on this episode of the Conscious Classroom podcast as she unpacks the role of teachers as moral exemplars, following the principles laid out by Plato. You'll explore how transmission occurs and why teachers impact not just  academic success, but also ethics, values, and personal connection that can make a real difference in students' lives.Amy shares a personal story of how her fifth-grade teacher from Linden Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, left a lasting impact, perhaps without even knowing it. This teacher's personal interest and encouragement created an environment where students felt valued and capable. Amy delves into the transformative power of human connection and mentorship in education, showing how the behavior and attitudes of teachers can profoundly shape the futures of their students. Tune in to rediscover the heart of teaching and its irreplaceable role in creating a Conscious Classroom, nurturing wisdom, virtue, and critical thinking.Plato, The RepublicSupport the Show.If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Send us a Text Message.What happens when a student fails to show up for a crucial presentation? Explore the profound lessons on commitment and responsibility in this episode of the Conscious Classroom podcast. Join me as we unpack the culture of individualism and what that means when we try to instill a sense of commitment and purpose in our youth. In this episode we also delve into the impact of feelings of loneliness and alienation that students experience, how the pandemic exacerbated this, and why our situation today only underscores the necessity of fostering a connection to a purpose greater that oneself. Stay engaged with our transformative educational journey, and find more resources at www.innerstrengtheducation.orgSupport the Show.If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review! Your review supports our podcast to reach more educators and share the importance of creating more conscious classrooms.The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible. Subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Courses are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

In this episode we pack two levels of insight that are mostly at odds with one another when it comes to improving educational design. We examine the dual landscape of educational innovation, where grand visions and data analysis for systemic change clash with the hands-on challenges of classroom application. Working with systems thinking, the fact that we are all innovating around the same core issue, Amy Edelstein illuminates what can become  synergy between high-level design and practical program execution. For true reform to be meaningful and pragmatic, we must work with the tools that help us create a harmonious blend of scalable ideals and individual needs. Working with mindfulness and experiential systems tools, we can uncover ways to value and view insight from these two different vantage points. Amy shows how to work with  the Continuum Exercise, a simple yet powerful  tool that gives people the visceral experience that we usually focus on the specifics and differences and yet we could focus on the unity, context, or system we are all addressing.  Lifting above the spectrum of diverse opinions can catalyze a pivotal 'aha' moment that goes beyond bridging differences to transmitting  a sense of unity. Whether you're an educator, a student, or simply passionate about the future of learning, this conversation promises to offer invaluable insights into creating educational spaces where innovation, collaboration, and consciousness thrive.Support the Show.If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review!!!!Subscribe so you don't miss any episodes, there's so much to share. The Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts. We are committed to sharing insights that transform outlooks and inspire with what's possible.Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Trainings and classroom resources are available at The Conscious Classroom.Get your copy of the award-winning, bestseller The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Jim Crow's Pink Slip - Dismantling the Education Gap with Amy EdelsteinIn this episode of The conscious Classroom, Amy Edelstein helps illuminate the little-known history and ongoing influence of resistance to de-segregation within America's education system - and how mindfulness, being conscious and aware of our biases, is an important part of our work to redress inequity. Leslie Fenwick's seminal work, Jim Crow's Pink Slip, serves as a guide and compass, unveiling the long shadow left by the  dismissal or demotion of a significant number of black principals and educators after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. This episode offers a deeper understanding of past injustices and their lasting impact and also shows some approaches that can support our efforts to shift the educational landscape. Expect to uncover why representation across racial and cultural lines is more than just a number—it's about students being able to see themselves in the leaders in their learning journey and a call to bring about change in our classrooms for each student and for the benefit of society at large.Additional reading related to this episode can be found here: Jim Crow's Pink Slip by Leslie Fenwickhttps://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/TCZ/Book%20Reviews%20Collection%202022/July%202022/Jim%20Crow%27s%20Pink%20Slip-1659381190.pdfhttps://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2022/0912/How-the-1954-Brown-decision-still-influences-today-s-teaching-ranksA Diverse Teaching Force Is A Quality Teaching ForceWhy Diversity MattersSupport the showThe Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts! Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and share the love and insight with others. Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Study anytime virtually or join the next cohort. More information at The Conscious Classroom.Read the award-winning, Amazon bestseller about this work The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Unlock the synergy between mindfulness and innovation as Amy Edelstein explores the relationship between these two orientations in this episode of the Conscious Classroom. Imagine a learning environment where the air is alive with creativity, and students and teachers alike are inspired to view the world through a lens of fresh possibilities. This discussion unearths the possibilities that contemplative practice can reveal, and shows how marrying innovation and inner exploration is working.  In Inner Strength Education's pilot project with 10 student interns explore the XPRIZE Connect innovation curriculum and Inner Strength Education's tools of open awareness and paradigm shifting. Students learn to tap the inner freedom of shedding outdated paradigms, and discover how to loosen their unconscious hold onto fixed reference points. Through contemplative practice and mental habits, they learn to work with a 360-degree perspective that challenges, refines, and enhances their understanding of education and purpose, and their ability to envision a healthy and holistic world we'd all want to live in. Guided by Amy Edelstein, you will practice the transformative exercise of open awareness, a technique that transcends the noise of everyday distractions and brings into focus our own field of awareness. Open awareness is a tool educators can weave  seamlessly into the fabric of school life. Discover how this technique aids in academic pursuits like group work and test preparation and also enriches the teaching experience. By fostering a more conscious learning environment, we lay the groundwork for an educational future that resonates with our highest ideals—a future we can imagine and work to bring to fruition together. Support the showThe Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts! Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and share the love and insight with others. Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Study anytime virtually or join the next cohort. More information at The Conscious Classroom.Read the award-winning, Amazon bestseller about this work The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

In this episode of The Conscious Classroom, Amy Edelstein unpacks the importance of teacher happiness and how to use mindful awareness and perspectives to improve teacher wellbeing and sense of possibility prior to making practical changes, which undoubtedly also need to occur. Amy explores the impact of educators who tap into their passion, setting the classroom tone and invigorating their students with a love for learning. In this insightful episode, she dissects how a teacher's zest for their craft can revolutionize the traditional learning space, fostering innovation and a thriving environment for both students and educators. The goal of this is to understand the perspective -- and  to lay out practical steps that will reignite the spark in our educators' eyes, ensuring that their connection to teaching becomes the cornerstone of educational success.The role of Assistant Principals takes center stage, revealing their unique ability to steer a school through their own calm and caring leadership. Amid their diverse responsibilities, these unsung school heroes can demonstrate the power of stillness and mindfulness in a nurturing educational ecosystem. Hear a heartwarming description of how a simple, intentional, mindful approach can open up communication with a student, revealing hidden struggles, and helping resolve school conflicts. showcasing the unexpected ways in which leaders can make a real impact. Join Amy for a compelling episode that reimagines the future of education by  emphasizing the essential role of teacher wellbeing and the transformative potential of a mindful approach.Support the showThe Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts! Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and share the love and insight with others. Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Study anytime virtually or join the next cohort. More information at The Conscious Classroom.Read the award-winning, Amazon bestseller about this work The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Discover the keys to unlocking our children's potential in an era where education is at a crossroads and technology's influence is undeniable. This enlightening journey through the world of learning reveals how an evolved mindset, coupled with a transformative educational system, is essential for nurturing the curiosity, purpose, wisdom, and respect desperately needed today. Amy delves into the challenges presented by outdated institutions, and the pressures faced by both students and educators as they navigate the fragmented structures of modern society. While mindfulness is a tool, and a valuable one, what it reveals is our choice over how to relate to our own minds, showing us that mindfulness is not another pill but rather a perspective and tool that enriches our experience and gives us a greater sense of autonomy over our lives. This is invaluable for students today and their teachers. Support the showThe Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts! Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and share the love and insight with others. Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Study anytime virtually or join the next cohort. More information at The Conscious Classroom.Read the award-winning, Amazon bestseller about this work The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

Discover how the relationship we forge with AI in our classrooms can go beyond mere functionality to touch the very core of our humanity. Join me, Amy Edelstein, as we unveil the transformative potential of AI when approached with the same reverence we approach the great mysteries and subtleties of sentience and life. It's an invitation to infuse our relationship to educational technologies with wonder, respect, and a co-creative spirit that not only advances our learning tools but also shapes the hearts and minds of learners. By instilling these values, we contribute to a learning environment that resonates with life's mystery and fosters empathy among students, paving the way for a more compassionate and interconnected world.This episode isn't just about the integration of AI; it's about how the spirit in which we do so can cultivate sensitivity, awareness, and a move toward a society anchored in love. Thank you for joining me on this reflective and inspiring exploration as we aim to craft a more conscious and caring future.Support the showThe Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts! Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and share the love and insight with others. Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Study anytime virtually or join the next cohort. More information at The Conscious Classroom.Read the award-winning, Amazon bestseller about this work The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

In this episode, Amy Edelstein reflects on a recent trip to India, which raised intriguing and inspiring possibilities as she visiting with the founders of the Happiness Curriculum, that reaches 1.7 million students each day. She also explores AI potential and urgency to train AI on compassion and wisdom and scale that use for the benefit of all. She also shares the value of reflection, retreat, and time to let our minds open up to new ways of seeing as essential to keep our relationship to life and those we teach awake and alive.References: Happiness Curriculum, Delhi School System"Care as a Driver of Intelligence in Humans and AI" Sheldrake, Rupert. Dogs that Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home.Safina, Carl. Beyond WordsSupport the showThe Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts! Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and share the love and insight with others. Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Study anytime virtually or join the next cohort. More information at The Conscious Classroom.Read the award-winning, Amazon bestseller about this work The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

There's a hidden superpower in a regular teen activity that will provide support for teachers as well as students. This inclination, when activated, encouraged, and guided can create a safety net for students, build webbing so classrooms feel warm and encouraging, catch students who are falling behind, and bring out the sensitivity and protectiveness of some of the most unruly students. What is it? Friendships. Yes, simple friendships. In this episode, Amy Edelstein talks about how to structure the friendships and the positive benefits that come when students begin to support each other's successes, connect in simple ways to help each other stay on track, and even model positive challenges ahead. As always, this episode is practical, philosophical, and experiential. Enjoy this roadmap and the meditation that goes along with it!Support the showThe Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts! Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and share the love and insight with others. Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Study anytime virtually or join the next cohort. More information at The Conscious Classroom.Read the award-winning, Amazon bestseller about this work The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

In this episode of The Conscious Classroom, Amy Edelstein shares from the heart about the impact of the eruption of war between Israel and Gaza, and that pain that is bringing to so many in the region and beyond. How do we provide steadiness and guidance within our classrooms? How do we rise authentically and demonstrate care that goes beyond divisions? Included is a long guided meditation (not to be practiced while driving), starting with open awareness to access the goodness of the human heart, and moving into insight practice, from that space observing all that is arising in a way that is compassionate, helpful, and calming. Holding all those who are suffering with care. Please donate to your favorite humanitarian effort, anywhere in the world, and help provide some immediate relief. Support the showThe Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts! Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and share the love and insight with others. Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Study anytime virtually or join the next cohort. More information at The Conscious Classroom.Read the award-winning, Amazon bestseller about this work The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

In this episode, The Future of Education, Amy Edelstein explores a visionary approach to teacher training. If we are to truly inspire teachers and students to engage with their own learning in an innovative and even prophetic way, the training grounds that prepare teachers to teach must exemplify that new world and its higher values. Far too many people are concerned about how AI and Augmented Virtual Reality might subvert learning and far too few are imagining the frontiers that can be created in a virtual reality training ground, where the context is of engaged learning that rests on and fosters our higher human development. From  Socratic dialogue, to libraries of Alexandria, to the Buddha's monastic university at Nalanda, we have rare examples of education that went broad and deep, and fostered amazing breakthroughs in philosophy, ethics, mathematics, science, literature, theater, art, and more. Support the show

In this episode of The Conscious Classroom, Amy Edelstein shares insights about the potential and peril of new AI tools and considerations explored in the recent C20 meetings on Technology, Security and Transformation. As a panelist for the convening on Technology & Education, Edelstein was able to share views on the importance of teachers and teaching, and how to meet this brave new world with caution and optimism.Support the show

In this episode, Amy Edelstein looks at the difference between empathy and compassion, exploring the elements of compassion that allow it to become a source of our own joy and upliftment. She also illuminates how detachment, universality, and self-care enable us to orient ourselves around compassion and fuel our own resilience and upliftment.  Support the show

In honor of Women's History Month,  Amy Edelstein was invited by Villanova University's School of Business to  unpack what it takes to pursue our own calling, break limits, and strive to for excellence in our work, our personal growth, and our contribution to the world. These days, we are pressured to achieve in so many spheres, from the obligation, as  leaders, to the bottom line to our own desire for a positive and holistic value set that takes into account our planet, our community, and our own interior life. As women, we're told the glass ceiling no longer exists, and yet we still find ourselves rubbing the bruises when we bump into it. In this session, Amy  shares insights and successes to help us orient our life around passion and purpose, while also standing out as leaders in an increasingly competitive and divisive world. She spent three decades researching the impact of cultural assumptions on our own ability to succeed as well as transformational and contemplative methodologies that help individuals and groups realize their higher potentials. In 2014, she founded Inner Strength Education in Philadelphia, which has grown into a successful non-profit and is now one of the largest school-based teen mindfulness programs in the US, having trained more than 22,000 high school students in Philadelphia, with evidence-based results. Amy unpacks lessons learned to reveal how, in the classroom and in the world, we can  pursue authenticity as well as traditional notions of success, and gain valuable insights into how a life well lived may perhaps be the greatest contribution we can make to our world in these fractured and difficult times. Support the show

Virtual Reality Education is not a future prospect. Higher Education spaces like Morehouse College have already taught full semesters using VR. This Metaverse is rapidly expanding into K-12. In this episode of The Conscious Classroom, Amy Edelstein asks who is thinking about the potentials of this space to train us to be truly mindfully compassionate, awakened humans? And what are the downsides to a world where young people become increasingly more mediated in their relationships and their learning? This episode provides a view into the future that's already happening and asks some important questions that we want to respond to now while it will be much easier to have a hand in helping shape for the best what is coming in AI.Support the show

In this episode, Amy shares a brief look at how our awareness of large scale systems that we can intuit through our mindfulness practice and through exploring the interconnected systems we see in nature and in the structure of the cosmos can reveal new solutions to our very entrenched problems. For teens who are discouraged and feeling defeated by the issues of the world and in their lives, this way of seeing can ignite optimism, interest, and passion to make the world a better place. Support the show

A Freedom Worth Striving For - Reflections in Independence on the American Holiday 4th of JulyWhat makes freedom exalted? What can our students aspire to when the "freedom" they have been taught to cherish is either - in the case of politics and social orders - profoundly inequitable and even harmful or - as in the case of personal freedoms - exacerbates a sense of existential anxiety with its proliferation of choices and optionality and its dearth of guidance and directives that ennoble. In this short reflection, Amy Edelstein explores freedom, purpose, and courage in the footsteps of Paul Tillich, and looks at how we can create classroom structures that promote the aspiration towards a more profound expression of our humanity and potential. Support the show

These recent weeks have seen the scourge of senseless gun violence tearing through a school, a supermarket, and neighborhoods across America. In this episode, Amy Edelstein reaches deep into the power of meditation to imprint in us the undeniable experience of interconnectedness and love, a love that inspires us to want to dispel ignorance rather than fight (even for a cause) in ways that only create more division and separation. This entire episode is both a guided meditation and a deep reflection. Support the show

Purpose Driven Education and the Role Mindfulness Can PlayIn this episode, Amy Edelstein talks about the role of purpose in teen flourishing.  When people are connected to a purpose greater than themselves, they experience more resilience, ability to persevere through challenges, sense of connection, and happiness. We can work with tools of mindful awareness to help students connect with their own values and imbue their lives with greater meaning. As educators, we can contextualize any subject we are teaching within a framework of higher purpose. This helps shape our student's ability to interpret their journey in a positive light, learn from their mistakes, and feel fulfilled and significant as they learn and grow. Support the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

In this episode, Amy Edelstein explores the power of purpose and the value that speaking about purpose with youth has on the rest of their lives. She discusses the great Stanford Educator and Author William Damon and his book The Path to Purpose , which looks at the impact of materialism and our fast-paced technological world on the exploration of greater goals. Going as far back as Aristotle, tapping into Erik Erikson and Piaget, Damon bolsters his argument in favor of purpose as a key foundation for youth happiness, resilience, success, patience, and also humility.  We'll look at how mindfulness can cultivate a sense of meaning and purpose and how we as educators, parents, or mentors can support youth development. Support the show

The world renowned and beloved Vietnamese teacher Thich Nhat Hahn passed this week at the age of 95. This episode is dedicated to his work and life, bringing mindfulness to a secular environment, connecting deep mindfulness practice with social, political, and environmental activism, and being a powerful -- albeit profoundly gentle -- activist for change. We value and honor his life, his spirit, and the work he has left behind. The world is brighter for his presence.Support the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

In this episode, Amy Edelstein talks about the need of our times for greater courage, centeredness and connection to presence, or being. This episode and its guided meditation will start the new year off on a positive and directed note. Support the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

Can technology empower rather than divide? Can we train robots to exhibit the empathy of their operators in humanitarian situations? How is Inner Strength looking ahead and the possibilities for supporting youth wellness through technology? Join Amy Edelstein in dialogue with XPrize semi-finalist and Inner Strength Board Member Anthony Holland.In this final installment, Tony and Amy answer audience questions about their own search for meaning and purpose and the potential they see in creating a positive culture for all to benefit from. More at Inner Strength EducationSupport the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

Can technology empower rather than divide? Can we train robots to exhibit the empathy of their operators in humanitarian situations? How is Inner Strength looking ahead and the possibilities for supporting youth wellness through technology? Join Amy Edelstein in dialogue with XPrize semi-finalist and Inner Strength Board Member Anthony Holland.In this second part of the dialogue, Tony and Amy go more deeply into issues facing students and how Inner Strength is working to empower and heal. More at Inner Strength EducationSupport the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

Can technology empower rather than divide? Can we train robots to exhibit the empathy of their operators in humanitarian situations? How is Inner Strength looking ahead and the possibilities for supporting youth wellness through technology? Join Amy Edelstein in dialogue with XPrize semi-finalist and Inner Strength Board Member Anthony Holland. More at Inner Strength EducationSupport the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

Adventure in Zanskar: one woman's solitary journey to reach physical and metaphysical heightsThis episode of The Conscious Classroom is a little different, some fun. I just published a memoir about a solitary trek I undertook in the highest mountains of the world, the western most corner of the Tibetan Plateau, and area called Zanskar, India.I simply couldn't wait to share it with all of you. It'll take you on a journey in 1983  through a region virtually untouched by western materialist culture and show you what's possible to realize when we dare to go beyond our conventional limits. You can grab your kindle copy here! (Or paperback or hardback for gifts)Please share a review when you finish it'll help others find the book. Enjoy!As acclaimed author Andrew Harvey wrote, A thrilling book takes us into the heart of one of the most powerful spiritual places on Earth - Zanskar. It is a must read for all those who love and recognize the healing power of place and the adventure that spiritual travel can open up. “This is a beautiful book for every woman who has ever wanted to do something extraordinary.  ... Amy's story is sure to light a fire within you to expand your own horizons and tap into untold dimensions of inner strength, courage, determination, and resilience.” — Claire Zammit, Ph.D., Founder, FemininePower.com"If you are looking to lift your spirits, read this book—it will lighten your heart and show you a path to lasting happiness."— Marci Shimoff,  #1 NY Times bestselling author of Happy for No ReasonSupport the show

Do you often relate just to the ways teens present in the classroom and forget that what goes on in their personal reflection may be much deeper? Teens present in all their awkward ways, they are in a growth stage and sometimes it feels like their bodies don't quite fit their minds and emotions or vice versa. Remember, there may be much more going on under the surface that is significant and should be acknowledged. In this episode Amy Edelstein shares some subtle insights into the nature of thought and awareness that a student had after just two lessons. She also shares a much more troubling experience a teen in the very same class was having. Insight and gun violence can affect teens sitting within 5 feet of one another. This podcast explores how we can tend to it all. For more guided audios and classroom tools, visit Inner Strength EducationDownload my free mindfulness app for teens on the App and Play Stores! Support the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

Recently I've been asked, "How does your Inner Strength school mindfulness program help prevent gun violence?" When you are being asked that in a city that has one of the fastest rising rates of gun violence per capita in the United States, that's a serious question. In the last 4 weeks, we've seen 4 shootings at schools, with multiple youth killed. This has led to some serious soul searching. How does a focus on conscious awareness impact such a specific soul-wrenching external event?Join Amy Edelstein for this impassioned and thoughtful exploration of Mindfulness as a foundation for social transformation and violence reductionSupport the show

We all know play is important for little kids. Imagination, working out scenarios, assuming roles. It's how kids develop a wider sense of being in the world. Play is also important for teenagers. They need to have fun while learning. Play can also break up the day, change the rhythm. It teaches important and deep values as well. Games help students see each other in a different light, some students who are less skilled at call and response classroom questions, may excel in game format. It teaches teamwork and leadership. Games support creative thinking by allowing students to think laterally, out of the box, looking for solutions or shortcuts or tricks to excel. Games allow for healthy competition, and no hard feelings if one doesn't excel. Join Amy Edelstein, founder of Inner Strength Education, as she shows how to relate specific games to mindful awareness, how to use games when teaching mindfulness to teens, and how to realize their value as a teaching tool for whole person wellness. Support the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

Back to school this year is new territory. How can we manage our own sense of uncertainty? How can we build a welcoming class environment for students who have experienced so many challenges over the past year, challenges which haven't ended. In this Back to School session, you'll learn: 5 Anchor Tools to manage stress in the moment, in the classroom3 Anchor Tools to ritualize and create a positive environment around health, hygiene, and transitions for your students3 Anchor Tools for you to create a pause between your workday and your time after work. Let me know what you think!What anchor tools are you using to ground and stabilize you and your classroom?Support the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

In this episode, Amy Edelstein talks about why pursuing happiness is not selfish. She looks at what happiness is, why caring about our own happiness and the happiness of others is foundational to creating a positive learning environment, and how to shift students' orientation so they care about the well being of the classroom community. In this session, Amy leads a long guided Love & Kindness mindfulness practice on caring for the whole. Support the show

In this episode, Amy Edelstein explores what we learned about students, teaching online, and essentials during this past year. What supports students' well-being? How do we create relationship even when we are not in the classroom? When we are forced to simplify, what rises to the top as the most important learning tools? The pandemic brought out the importance of well-being, for positive health outcomes and for ability to stay steady in a tense and uncertain world. Amy illustrates how to use mindfulness in the classroom and how to continue to apply the lessons learned during the pandemic in the months and years to come.Support the show (https://bit.ly/supportCCPodcast)

In this, our third and final episode of this mini-series The Post Pandemic Classroom, we are going to look at how to support students who are returning to school having lost someone during the pandemic. Students often try to hide their grief or don't know how to process emotions, and the school day marches on with little room for the holistic learning and care. Grieving is a tender and an instructive time, creating the space in a classroom for students to take their time to process will serve them their entire lives. We will look at both loss and bearing witness to serious illness, as well as the rising tide of gun violence and the grief, fear, and anxiety it brings to whole school communities. Share your thoughts and comments, leave a review, or explore some of Amy Edelstein's indepth courses at The Conscious Classroom.Support the show

The second episode in this series looks at the phenomenon of teens who are reluctant to go back to the classroom, who are afraid, ashamed, or anxious about their peers' response to them. These students need support to break the ice. They will need to be able to trust the boundaries set up in the class. In this episode, Amy Edelstein will share some tools for the classroom and attitudes that will help you invite reluctant students back to in person learning, while respecting their boundaries and their concerns. To go deeper, visit www.TheConsciousClassroom.com for courses and other learning materials. Support the show

We are coming towards the end of the year, Districts are sending out plans, metrics, and expectations for the coming year. Oftentimes, without enough discussion and recognition that this Fall will be one unlike previous years . . . and we don't really know what to expect. Teachers are tired. It's been a trying year. There's hope on the horizon with the coronavirus vaccine and social groupings and businesses coming to life again. But COVID left its mark on us, and has on our students. Many students have fallen behind without the support of in person teachers and friends. Some have witnessed frightening illness, or have lost a loved one. We need to allow ourselves to unwind so we can be there for our students. In this session, the first of a 3 part series, Amy Edelstein will explore this foreign landscape and set up some good habits to help you unwind over the summer and be restored and grounded come September. The Conscious Classroom podcast brings mindfulness, social emotional learning tools, principles from positive psychology and systems thinking to help you build more awake and aware classrooms and activate students' natural inclination towards learning and care.Support the show

In this episode of The Conscious Classroom, we explore the art of contemplative writing, mindful journaling. It is a practice that can help us as teachers access our deeper purpose which sometimes gets buried beneath submitting grades and filling out forms for the District. Mindful journaling helps us untie knots, allow different perspectives, and take risks in our thinking. It creates the conditions for empathy for our students and insight into how to create a safe environment for our students to grow and thrive. Support the show

Wow, many schools are going back to full-time in person classrooms. There are many emotions to navigate! Relief and worry. Now is the time to work with all the mindfulness momentum to dial back self-defeating worry, frustration, and concerns. In this episode, we're going to work with the: Three Keys of Positive Habit Building:1. Noticing or being mindful and attentive to goodness and beauty. 2. Reinforcing what we notice through practice, the consistent habit of letting go.3. Acknowledging the goodness, beauty, strength we have experienced to ourselves and to another. When we appreciate our ability to build positive habits of mind, we cultivate that all important quality of resilience. And as all teachers know, resilience is key to being a happy, effective, and conscious teacher. At any time, but especially now.Support the show

Highlighted in this podcast are the real concerns teachers are facing right now, named, so that you can externalize them and then create space and care for your own wellbeing. We work on three primary steps for stress reduction and self care.  For more on free Self Care MasterClass for Educators visit www.TheConsciousClassroom.comSupport the show

Giving students choice over many small activities and decisions in the classroom sets a tone of respect, appreciation, value, and collaboration. Any classroom has an inherent power dynamic. Teachers with good classroom presence command authority and provide wholesome structure. And, they also are able to facilitate an environment of choice and buy in that feels safe to students. When an environment is safe, stable, reliable -- and collaborative, students experience a sense of positive self-esteem. They learn to value their choices and their experience. Mindfulness activities are a perfect container in which to nurture these important qualities, by giving students choice. As always, we will a little practice together. Enjoy!Support the show

Does work ever stop these days? It's not just negotiating with all the demands, it's setting boundaries. Here are some ways to set limits and allow yourself to keep your sense of energy, agency, and positive parameters. Mindfulness tools really do help stretch time and enforce boundaries. In this era of ongoing demands, there's no better time to work with them to support your own wellbeing and that of all those you live and work with. Support the show

In this episode, Amy outlines the seven different learning styles. During the pandemic, while most students are learning online, we need to make special effort to reach different types of learners. Learn the 7 different styles and how to give mindfulness cues and classroom cues that appeal to different learners. Support the show