Heart Work: Shifting to the Science of Reading
Imagine Learning
4.9from 8 ratings
- 16
- Episodes
- 8
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2024
- First episode
About Heart Work: Shifting to the Science of Reading
Hosted by former teacher, principal, and broadcast journalist Lauren Keeling, Heart Work is an honest profile of America's educators, capturing the raw stories of those doing the hard work of change. Our newest podcast series, "Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety" is out 5/20. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
- Publisher
- Imagine Learning
- Category
- education
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 25 Nov 2024
- Latest episode
- 25 Jun 2026
Latest episodes
16 episodes in the feed.
25 Jun 2026
S2 Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety: Hillary Rinaldi Special
In this Heart Work special, Lauren is joined by National Math Improvement Project (https://mathimprovement.org/) director Hillary Rinaldi to look at the big picture and discuss why math anxiety must be addressed at a systems-wide level. Drawing on work with some of the nation's largest school districts, Hillary shares what’s working, what still needs to change, and why community may be one of the most powerful tools for improving math outcomes nationwide. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or sign up for the Heart Work Club so you never miss an episode at imaginelearning.com/heart-work/latest/ (https://www.imaginelearning.com/heart-work/latest/?utm_campaign=heart-work-math&utm_source=acast&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=math-anxiety-e6). Follow Imagine Learning Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imaginelearning/ (https://www.instagram.com/imaginelearning/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imaginelearning/ (https://www.facebook.com/imaginelearning/) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imaginelearningofficial (https://www.tiktok.com/@imaginelearningofficial) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/imaginelearningchannel (https://www.youtube.com/imaginelearningchannel) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
18 Jun 2026
S2 Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety: Peter Liljedahl Special
In this Heart Work special, Lauren Keeling and Sam Murro Shea sit down with math education pioneer and creator of Building Thinking Classrooms (https://www.buildingthinkingclassrooms.com/) Peter Liljedahl to explore what happens when math classrooms stop rewarding students for simply getting the right answer and start helping them truly think — and how the right experiences can transform math anxiety into confidence. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or sign up for the Heart Work Club so you never miss an episode at imaginelearning.com/heart-work/latest/ (https://www.imaginelearning.com/heart-work/latest/?utm_campaign=heart-work-math&utm_source=acast&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=math-anxiety-e5). Follow Imagine Learning Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imaginelearning/ (https://www.instagram.com/imaginelearning/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imaginelearning/ (https://www.facebook.com/imaginelearning/) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imaginelearningofficial (https://www.tiktok.com/@imaginelearningofficial ) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/imaginelearningchannel (https://www.youtube.com/imaginelearningchannel) Follow Peter Liljedah: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkingclassrooms (https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkingclassrooms) YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@BuildingThinkingClassrooms (http://www.youtube.com/@BuildingThinkingClassrooms) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
17 Jun 2026
S2 Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety: Vanessa Vakharia Special
In this Heart Work special, Lauren joins math therapist, educator, and author Vanessa Vakharia at her boutique math and science tutoring studio in Toronto, The Math Guru (https://www.themathguru.ca/). In this raw and personal conversation, Vanessa taps into the trauma behind Lauren's lifelong math anxiety and helps her understand just how much it shaped her identity. Together, they explore what it will take to move past the idea of being a "math person" and how educators and students alike can build a healthier, more human relationship with math. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or sign up for the Heart Work Club so you never miss an episode at imaginelearning.com/heart-work/latest (https://www.imaginelearning.com/heart-work/latest/?utm_campaign=heart-work-math&utm_source=acast&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=math-anxiety-e4). Follow Imagine Learning Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imaginelearning/ (https://www.instagram.com/imaginelearning/ ) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imaginelearning/ (https://www.facebook.com/imaginelearning/) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imaginelearningofficial (https://www.tiktok.com/@imaginelearningofficial) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/imaginelearningchannel (https://www.youtube.com/imaginelearningchannel) Follow Vanessa Vakharia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themathguru/ (https://www.instagram.com/themathguru/?hl=en) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themathguru (https://www.tiktok.com/@themathguru) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
3 Jun 2026
S2 Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety: Pt. 3
Lauren’s personal journey out of math anxiety concludes with an exploration into how students experience math. From classroom practices to wider school systems, what needs to change to make math feel less isolating? Featuring Building Thinking Classrooms creator Peter Liljedahl, National Math Improvement Project director Hillary Rinaldi, Imagine Learning’s own Kallie Markle and daughter Winter, and curriculum specialist Sam Murro Shea. Special thanks to the educators at the NCTM Annual Meeting & Exposition 2025 and the CMC South Annual Conference 2025 for sharing their stories with us for this episode, plus the educators and students in the Ceres Unified School District. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
27 May 2026
S2 Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety: Pt. 2
Now in Toronto to undergo math therapy, Lauren begins to unpack where her relationship with math went wrong and why it left her so anxious. To her surprise, she realizes that math itself was never the problem. So what was? Featuring math therapist, author, and educator Vanessa Vakharia, My Mathematical Mind founder Dr. Deborah Peart Crayton, and cognitive behavioral therapist Emma Fogel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
20 May 2026
S2 Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety: Pt. 1
In the 1950s, the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik sparked fears that American students weren’t prepared for a new era of technological advancement. Decades of back and forth in how math was taught followed. But what of the students caught in the middle? For Lauren, those shifts left a scar. Her math experience was shaped by procedures and timed tests, and today, the mere mention of math problems leaves her anxious. But when she finds herself in an unlikely situation, she’s forced to reckon with that anxiety and confront the idea that she’s just “not a math person.” Join her as she sets out to uncover where that belief took root — and whether it can be unleared. Featuring My Mathematical Mind founder Dr. Deborah Peart Crayton and curriculum specialist Sam Murro Shea. Special thanks to the educators at the NCTM Annual Meeting & Exposition 2025 and the CMC South Annual Conference 2025 for sharing their stories with us for this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
13 May 2026
Introducing Heart Work S2: Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety
“I’m not a math person” is a phrase almost every educator has heard. It’s a phrase that reflects a belief passed from one generation to the next: that math capability belongs to someone else. But once that belief sets in, it has the power to shape an entire life. This collection explores how math anxiety takes root in the classroom and what it will take to break this cycle once and for all. Featuring math education pioneer Peter Liljedahl, author, speaker, and math therapist Vanessa Vakharia, curriculum specialist Sam Murro Shea, My Mathematical Mind founder Dr. Deborah Peart Crayton, policy strategist Hillary Rinaldi, and cognitive behavioral therapist Emma Fogel. Voice: Lauren Keeling Series Director: Justyna Welsh Series Producer and Writer: Anise Lee Producer: Danny McPadden Writer: Steven Smithwhite Field Producer: Sarah Shelton Field Producer: Sam Murro Shea Recording Engineer, Audio Editor, and Mixer: Fraser Allan Artwork: Kate Clough Location Recording Team: Danny McPadden, Kristan Crawford, David Sexton Executive Producer: David McGinty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
13 Jan 2026
Find Your Marigold
Join Lauren live from Boston in this Heart Work special with instructional coaches Nicole Silva and Janna Murphy for a candid conversation about their work in Marshfield Public Schools. Together, they reflect on what it takes to lead a shift to a knowledge-building literacy program aligned with the science of reading and the impact of embracing change, even when it feels impossible. Discover more: imaginelearning.com/heart-work/literacy-crisis (http://imaginelearning.com/heart-work/literacy-crisis) Host: Lauren Keeling Series Producer and Director: Justyna Welsh Producer & Writer: Anise Lee Producer: Danny McPadden Recording Engineer: Dan Victory Audio Editor & Mixer: Fraser Allan Artwork: Ellen Forsyth Location Recording Team: David Sexton, Danny McPadden, and Kristan Crawford Executive Producer: David McGinty A big thank you to the Pendergast School District, Ramiro Alvarez, and Kelsie Pennington for welcoming us into their schools — and all the educators and students who opened their classrooms and shared their stories with us for this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
24 Nov 2025
S1 Rewriting America’s Literacy Crisis: Pt. 3
Back in Pendergast, the ultimate question: Did it work? In this penultimate episode, Lauren returns to the district to find out and speaks with renowned education writer Natalie Wexler on the missing piece in reading instruction. Could the answer have been in front of us all along? Listen and find out. Discover more: imaginelearning.com/heart-work/literacy-crisis (https://www.imaginelearning.com/heart-work/literacy-crisis/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=acast&utm_campaign=heart-work-initiative&utm_content=ep3) Host: Lauren Keeling Series Producer and Director: Justyna Welsh Producer & Writer: Anise Lee Producer: Danny McPadden Recording Engineer: Dan Victory Audio Editor & Mixer: Fraser Allan Artwork: Ellen Forsyth Location Recording Team: David Sexton, Danny McPadden, and Kristan Crawford Executive Producer: David McGinty A huge thank you to the Pendergast School District, Ramiro Alvarez, and Kelsie Pennington for welcoming us into their schools — and all the educators and students who opened their classrooms to us and shared their stories for this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
4 Nov 2025
S1 Rewriting America’s Literacy Crisis: Pt. 2
Join 600 educators in the School District of Philadelphia as they embark on a journey to rethink everything they know about teaching reading. From a teacher’s tearful realization that she had been teaching “wrong” to a deputy superintendent whose own story shows how literacy can change lives, discover the heart behind this district’s push for reform. Featuring Nicole Ormandy and Megan Gierka. Discover more: imaginelearning.com/heart-work/literacy-crisis (https://www.imaginelearning.com/heart-work/literacy-crisis/?utm_campaign=heart-work-initiative&utm_source=acast&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=literacy-crisis-2) Host: Lauren Keeling Series Producer and Director: Justyna Welsh Producer & Writer: Anise Lee Producer: Danny McPadden Editor: Kristan Crawford Recording Engineer: Dan Victory Audio Editor & Mixer: Fraser Allan Set Supervisor: Tyler Kavanaugh Artwork: Ellen Forsyth Location Recording Team: David Sexton, Danny McPadden, and Kristan Crawford Executive Producer: David McGinty A big thank you to the School District of Philadelphia for welcoming us into their Summer Institute — and all the educators who shared their stories with us for this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
17 Oct 2025
S1 Rewriting America’s Literacy Crisis: Pt. 1
Across the country, a movement for change is taking hold in a desperate attempt to improve reading scores. In this first episode, host Lauren Keeling reflects on her own experience with the reading crisis and visits Pendergast Elementary District, where a bold overhaul of reading is underway. Listen now to hear what happens when a district bets big on change. Discover more: imaginelearning.com/heart-work/literacy-crisis (https://www.imaginelearning.com/heart-work/literacy-crisis/?utm_campaign=heart-work-initiative&utm_source=acast&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=literacy-crisis-1) Host: Lauren Keeling Series Producer and Director: Justyna Welsh Producer & Writer: Anise Lee Producer: Danny McPadden Recording Engineer: Dan Victory Audio Editor & Mixer: Fraser Allan Artwork: Ellen Forsyth Location Recording Team: David Sexton, Danny McPadden, and Kristan Crawford Executive Producer: David McGinty A big thank you to the Pendergast School District, Ramiro Alvarez, and Kelsie Pennington for welcoming us into their schools — and all the educators and students who opened their classrooms and shared their stories with us for this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
8 Sept 2025
Rewriting America’s Literacy Crisis
Coming October 21. Reading scores have dropped to historic lows. Something isn’t working, and the search for answers has never been more urgent. Can a new approach make a difference? In this three-part series, Lauren Keeling travels to Arizona and Pennsylvania, tracing the journeys of two districts pushing for reading reform — one several years in, the other just beginning. What will it take to turn scores around? Listen and find out. Featuring esteemed education author Natalie Wexler and implementation specialists Nicole Ormandy and Megan Gierka. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
3 Feb 2025
It Takes Time and It Definitely Takes Heart
In the series finale of Heart Work, Lauren talks to renowned author Natalie Wexler, a leading voice for change in teaching reading comprehension, and ends her journey where it began, back in the Pendergast School District. This time, she has one question: has shifting to the science of reading been worth it? Listen and find out. Lauren's Recommendations: https://bit.ly/3POa3Yp (https://bit.ly/3POa3Yp) Presenter: Lauren Keeling Senior Producer: Justyna Welsh Producer & Writer: Anise Lee Recording Engineer, Audio Editor & Mixer: Fraser Allan Location Recording Team: Danny McPadden, Kristan Crawford, and David Sexton. Executive Producer: David McGinty Special thanks to the Pendergast School District, Ramiro Alvarez, Kelsie Pennington, the educators and students who spoke with us for this episode, and from Imagine Learning, Monica Gilfillan and her team, and Kim Sadler. The music is from Universal Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
27 Jan 2025
We Picked It Ourselves
In this episode, Lauren continues her investigation into the science of reading. This time, she joins over 600 educators in the School District of Philadelphia as they take their first steps in implementing the science of reading at an in-person training session. She also talks to influential teacher leaders driving this monumental change and chats all things implementation with Nicole Ormandy and Dr. Megan Gierka. What does a pedagogical shift at such a scale look like? Listen and find out. Lauren's Recommendations: https://bit.ly/3POa3Yp (https://bit.ly/3POa3Yp) Presenter: Lauren Keeling Senior Producer: Justyna Welsh Producer & Writer: Anise Lee Recording Engineer, Audio Editor & Mixer: Fraser Allan Location Recording Team: Danny McPadden & Wallace Wetherspoon Executive Producer: David McGinty Special thanks to the School District of Philadelphia, Erin Serock, Dr. Jermaine Dawson, Antoine O'Karma, and all the educators who spoke with us for this episode. From Imagine Learning, Monica Gilfillan and her team, and Kim Sadler. The music is from Universal Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
20 Jan 2025
Some Birds Can't Fly but They Can Swim
Meet your host, Lauren Keeling, a former kindergarten teacher and elementary principal, as she shares her science of reading story. You’ll also hear from educators and students in the Pendergast Elementary School District, a community three years into transforming their reading instruction. Has it made an impact? And what does the science of reading sound like? Join her and find out. Presenter: Lauren Keeling Senior Producer: Justyna Welsh Producer & Writer: Anise Lee Recording Engineer, Audio Editor & Mixer: Fraser Allan Location Recording Team: Danny McPadden, Kristan Crawford, and David Sexton. Executive Producer: David McGinty Special thanks to the Pendergast School District, Ramiro Alvarez, Kelsie Pennington, the educators and students who spoke with us for this episode, and from Imagine Learning, Monica Gilfillan and her team, and Kim Sadler. The music is from Universal Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
25 Nov 2024
Introducing: Heart Work
Imagine Learning's Lauren Keeling explores the science of reading and its practical applications in the classroom, empowering educators to improve reading scores and outcomes for U.S. students.
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- 8 ratings
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