Innovating Education

About Innovating Education

Innovating Education is a weekly conversation with the thinkers, builders, and boundary-pushers reshaping the future of teaching and learning. Hosted by Dr. Riley Williams, the show brings together superintendents, system designers, researchers, EdTech founders, policy leaders, and visionary practitioners whose work is redefining what’s possible for students and educators. Each episode dives deep into the shifts transforming schools today—human-centered leadership, learning science, equity-driven design, continuous improvement, technology innovation, and bold district-level redesign. Our guests don’t just admire challenges; they show us how they’re tackling them through research-backed strategy, creative problem-solving, and real-world implementation. Whether it’s rethinking assessment, scaling deeper learning, building supportive adult cultures, redesigning systems for equity, or leveraging emerging technologies responsibly, Innovating Education surfaces the insights leaders need now. If you’re an educator, administrator, policy maker, or change agent committed to building a more innovative, just, and future-ready education system—this is your community, your toolkit, and your weekly dose of inspiration.

Publisher

Dr. Riley Williams

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Nov 2025

Latest episode

12 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Jan 2026

   The Schoolhouse 302: Intentional Instructional Leadership with Dr. Joseph Jones and Dr. T.J. Vari

   In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Dr. Joseph Jones and Dr. T.J. Vari—co‑founders of TheSchoolHouse302, about why meaningful school improvement requires working through conflict rather than avoiding it. The conversation examines their evolution from site leaders under No Child Left Behind to authors and coaches, and how that experience informed their approach to culture, feedback, and instructional leadership. Jones and Vari outline core ideas from their books, including Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools and their new title Time, Tools, and Tactics of Instructional Leadership: A Principal’s Guide to Leading Learning, with an emphasis on moving from “urgent management” to intentional leadership grounded in coaching and daily growth. They highlight why every principal benefits from having a coach, how the “law of the lid” applies to schools, and what it looks like to get 1 percent better each day in service of improved outcomes for students. Key takeaways: An explanation of why a “culture of nice” and conflict avoidance undermines real change, and how candid, compassionate feedback can support both performance and trust. Specific approaches for using time, tools, and coaching structures to shift leaders from constant crisis response to focused instructional leadership. Considerations for superintendents and principal supervisors who want to invest in leadership capacity so school improvement efforts are sustainable and student-centered. Connect and resources: Website: https://theschoolhouse302.com (https://theschoolhouse302.com) (includes FocusED podcast, book information, and coaching/booking details) Book: Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools Book: Time, Tools, and Tactics of Instructional Leadership: A Principal’s Guide to Leading Learning

2. 

   1 Dec 2025

   Erin Thorkilsen: Humanizing Classroom Practice Through Learning Science

   In this episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, we sit down with Erin Thorkilsen—educator, professor, and founder of Heart in Education, a professional development initiative focused on the human and relational dimensions of teaching. With over two decades of experience and deep grounding in learning science, Erin helps educators navigate complexity, strengthen classroom culture, and teach in ways that honor both student and teacher wellbeing. This conversation dives into the psychology of learning, emotional regulation, and what really happens in the brain when students—and adults—become dysregulated. Erin shares practical, emotionally grounded tools for designing learning experiences that honor curiosity, emotion, and multisensory engagement. She also reframes classroom management through a lens of compassion, co-regulation, and teacher self-awareness—moving beyond “fixing” behaviors toward supporting whole humans. Key takeaways from this episode: Why emotion is the engine of learning—and how to design lessons that leverage attention, memory, movement, and joy. How to shift from “rescue boat” to “lighthouse” when students experience big feelings. Practical strategies for building regulation skills, both for students and for teachers in difficult moments. How to support classroom management by meeting students’ needs for play, novelty, and connection—especially during tricky transitions. Why letting go of outcome can open the door to presence, clarity, and stronger relationships. A glimpse into Erin’s Refresh Your Toolkit workshop and her self-inquiry approach to helping educators move from stuckness to insight. Referenced frameworks & resources: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain Shelburne Farms’ Cultivating Joy and Wonder Blue School’s creative learning model Heart in Education’s regulation and relational teaching toolkit Connect with Erin Thorkilsen: 🌐 Website: heartineducation.org (http://heartineducation.org) 📸 Instagram: @heartineducation

3. 

   29 Nov 2025

   Kwame Sarfo Mensa: Building Identity-Affirming Classrooms That Humanize Learning

   In this special Thanksgiving episode of the Innovating Education Podcast, Dr. Riley Williams talks with Kwame Sarfo Mensa—veteran educator, global consultant, and author of Learning to Relearn—about what it means for educators to “unlearn and relearn” in order to create more humanizing schools. The conversation examines how equity-centered, culturally affirming practice invites teachers and leaders to interrogate bias, reconsider school culture, and center identity, belonging, and trust in daily decisions. Key takeaways: An explanation of why educators must continually “learn to relearn” and concrete strategies for interrupting bias through self-assessment, reflective practice, and intersectional empathy. Specific approaches for culturally affirming and identity-affirming teaching, including pronunciation and use of students’ names, modeling cultural humility, and building classroom norms that validate multiple identities. Considerations for school leaders and policymakers who seek to model inclusive leadership, strengthen student trust, and frame education as a collective, relational practice rather than a purely technical system. Connect with Kwame Sarfo Mensa: Website: https://www.identitytalk4educators.com (https://www.identitytalk4educators.com) Email: kwame@identitytalk4educators.com (mailto:kwame@identitytalk4educators.com) Podcast: Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE

Contact Innovating Education

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.