SEL Cast: AI, Cell Phones, and Educators Navigating Change - with Tricia Friedman

As educators and students navigate constant change, expectations often shift faster than systems can keep up. Teachers feel pressure to have all the answers, while students experience inconsistency across classrooms. Tricia reminds us that while the goalposts may keep moving, belonging, empathy, and compassion remain constant. The conversation extends to SEL for adults, emphasizing that schools thrive when educators are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences. We also unpack the nuance around cell phone bans and screen time, highlighting equity, context, and the importance of modeling healthy digital habits.

SEL Cast: Building a Culture of Thinking: A School Leadership Lens for the Digital Age - with Stephen Taylor

What does it take to build a truly human-centered school in the age of AI? Stephen Taylor (Western Academy of Beijing) shares why people come before programs—and how simple practices and strong relationships create cultures where students feel seen, safe, and supported. He reframes SEL as something embedded, not added on. Looking ahead, Stephen challenges schools to prioritize what won’t be automated—critical thinking, curiosity, and human judgment—while using AI as a tool for reflection and future-ready learning.

SEL Cast: Culture and Belonging as a Strategy in International Schools with Colette McWilliams

Explore how school leaders can cultivate thriving cultures where every identity is honored, every voice matters, and wellbeing drives performance. Designed for educators in independent and international settings, IFSEL’s Executive Director Nick Haisman-Smith and Founding Head of Hiba Academy Bay Area Colette McWilliams as we dive into practical, relational strategies that make values visible and felt across your entire community.

SEL Cast: Engaging Advisory Classes and Sustainable SEL - with Emma Dunbar

Explore how schools can embed SEL into daily routines, relationships, and curriculum design. Together, we discuss practical ways educators can build inclusive classrooms, nurture diversity, and strengthen well-being for both students and adults. Emma shares insights on creating Advisory structures that align with deeper learning, elevate student leadership, and sustain a culture of care across the whole school community. We’re joined by Emma Dunbar, Supervisor of Deeper Learning at San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD)!

SEL Cast: Meaningful Advisory and Student Engagement: Driving Academic Success With Cary Academy's Twanna Monds & Josette Huntress

We explore why protecting advisory time and creating consistent, structured experiences is essential—and how starting strong in middle and high school can drive school-wide impact. We also highlight the importance of truly knowing every student—their interests, strengths, and challenges—to build stronger relationships, peer connections, and family communication. Finally, we discuss how to clearly communicate your SEL mission to parents and support teachers through uncertainty with intentional training, collaboration, and protected professional development time.

SEL Cast: Reimagining Schools: Addressing Teacher Burnout Through Wellbeing and Regenerative Systems - Ruth Poulsen

Care is central to the teaching profession—but many school systems aren’t designed to sustain it. In this episode, we explore Adult SEL and what a true culture of care looks like in the everyday reality of schools. As student needs rise, educators are being stretched thin by systems that deplete rather than restore. Drawing on the idea of regenerative cultures, we discuss how schools can move beyond the “give, give, give” model to support educator wellbeing without sacrificing excellence. We challenge the martyr mindset, examine why rest can feel uncomfortable, and reflect on the idea that we never heal in isolation. The conversation also highlights why leaders must be regulated themselves to create healthy, sustainable school cultures. You’ll leave with practical ideas for setting boundaries, creating supportive norms, and building care within your zone of influence.

SEL Cast: Restorative Practices in Schools: Building Equity and Belonging - with Motoko Maegawa

SEL and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) are not short-term initiatives—they’re ongoing commitments that shape the core of a school community. In this episode, Motoka Maegawa shares how consistent SEL practices, responsive systems, and restorative approaches strengthen belonging, trust, and accountability in every part of school life. She highlights how moving beyond identity awareness, modeling authenticity, and returning to these conversations regularly helps communities grow in depth, empathy, and connection.

SEL Cast: What is Social and Emotional Learning? - with Trinity Thompson

In this episode, we explore Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and how IFSEL’s Whole-Community Approach strengthens wellbeing, belonging, and safeguarding across schools. Discover how SEL cultivates both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, supports restorative practices, and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion through authentic connection. Join Nick Haisman-Smith and Trinity Thompson as we explore how intentional SEL builds communities of care where diversity is valued, wellbeing is prioritized, and every voice belongs.

Social & Emotional Learning with IFSEL's Nick Haisman-Smith

Behind the Stigma

IFSEL's Nick Haisman-Smith discusses what SEL is, it's importance for communities and how SEL is important for aspects of our mental health.

Social Justice & Diversity Teaching in Early Childhood with IFSEL's Semeka Smith-Williams

The Powerful Pedagogy

The Power of SEL - The Good Project featuring Nick Haisman-Smith

The Good Project

In this episode of the Good Insights podcast, Danny Mucinskas interviews Nick Haisman-Smith, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Institute for Social and Emotional Learning. Nick discusses his journey from teaching to co-founding the Institute and highlights the importance of proactive and systemic approaches to social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools. The conversation covers SEL competencies, the importance of cultural sensitivity in conducting this type of work, and how to create supportive environments for both students and educators. Connecting with The Good Project’s framework of “good work,” Nick emphasizes that SEL is integral to achieving excellence, fostering ethical decision-making, and maintaining engagement. The pair conclude by thinking about their hopes for the wider effects of SEL on the world.