Imagine a space where educators can come together to explore the possibilities of innovation in learning. Innovative Educators podcast with Brooke Folgers isn't just a podcast; it's a lifeline for those grappling with the complexities of educational change. Hosted by Brooke Folgers, each episode sparks insightful discussions with thought leaders, innovators, and fellow educators, offering practical strategies and inspiring stories. If you’ve ever felt lonely in your quest to improve education, this podcast is your community and your action plan—all in one. Find community, find strategies, find hope.
Some day the first three days of school set the tone for the school year, but I believe the first three months determine the school year. Today, we discuss a few simple strategies to focus on during the first third of the school year to set you and your students on track for a meaningful and sustainable school year. Even if the school year has started, it's never too late to try something new.
So, what will you try this week? Prioritization, clear and consistent structures, or a new way to plan? Reach out on instagram @brookefolgers (https://www.instagram.com/brookefolgers)with your success stories.
7 May 2026
Surviving Standardized Testing
Spring has sprung and for many of us in education that means the arrival of testing season as well. This period often tests the will of teachers and the patience of students more than it actually assesses academic proficiency. In this episode, we unpack a few ways to help teachers not burn out and sustain during the long, mundane days of watching kids answer questions. Testing doesn’t have to be as awful as it can be. All it takes is a bit of innovative thinking.
Testing Encouragement Signs: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fykqKZqQqSRAt2eh2Tf_hNBJVptdUYlW/view?usp=sharing
14 Apr 2026
Spring Refresh
Returning from spring break can feel like trying to run a marathon uphill in the mud. The "spring energy" is high, teacher batteries are low, and the temptation to switch to "survival mode" (weekly movies and disengaged worksheets…) is stronger than ever.
In this episode, we’re diving into why the best way to save your energy is actually to double down on what’s best for your students. It might not be the easiest path, but it’s the one that ensures you (and your students) cross the finish line of the school year with your sanity intact.
https://brookefolgers.com/podcast (https://brookefolgers.com/podcast)
https://brookefolgers.com/virtual-lab (https://brookefolgers.com/virtual-lab)
24 Mar 2026
March Madness
Schools have their own version of "March Madness" where the office referrals spike and the countdown to Spring Break seems to never end. But we can’t lose a month of learning just because we’re tired and kids are energetic in an unhelpful way.
In our latest episode, we’re talking about how to mitigate and embrace the chaos. Innovation isn’t about lowering expectations, rather it is harnessing students' identities and realities to elevate our learning communities.
There is still time to swap “crashing out" for strategies that work.
Zombie Apocalypse Lesson Plan - The goal is students to work collaboratively to develop an idea based on previous learning. This works well to review or synthesize content. Anything in brackets is to be edited by you!
Worksheet (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AbpN_BjYVLNvdeHuAAeUsEmdOThLysQTtYg3KSNOs3Q/edit?usp=sharing)
Slides (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rGhP_MTqvbX_snPXLks2OG3FdNUrPIgy0PP_Sk83bWE/edit?usp=sharing)
Digital Innovative Educators Lab (https://brookefolgers.com/virtual-lab) - This isn't just a podcast, it's a call to action. We are building a virtual community of innovative educators dedicated to pushing boundaries and supporting one another’s wildest ideas. Click this link to join!
18 Mar 2026
It's Your Turn
The most successful changes in education don't come from new gadgets; they come from radical shifts in perspective as a result of being in community. After seeing the transformative power of something called the Innovative Educators Lab in a district setting, we're opening the doors to educators everywhere.
This isn't just a podcast, it's a call to action. We are building a virtual community of innovators dedicated to pushing boundaries and supporting one another’s wildest ideas. Click this link to join the Virtual Lab: https://brookefolgers.com/virtual-lab (https://brookefolgers.com/virtual-lab )
10 Mar 2026
Let's Draw a House
What might happen when we stop lecturing and start sketching? In this episode, we explore how we can use blank paper as a tool for discovering content.
This is not art as a break, this is not art for mental health even though art is very important for mental health. This is about art as learning and you, educator, are the strategic facilitator of this art making.
True innovation shouldn’t be a new fancy tool; it’s a radical change in delivery. Join us as we discuss how a simple shift in medium can lead to students having "mind-blown" moments related to your class. If you want your class and content to matter, get out the markers and the paper.
—
Three activities to have kids discover content through art:
Draw a house
Draw your community
Draw your descendants
Activity from Stanford d.School can be found here: https://dschool.stanford.edu/tools/portrait-descendant-futures-thinking-k12 (https://dschool.stanford.edu/tools/portrait-descendant-futures-thinking-k12)
Thinking Routine from Project Zero, See, Think, Wonder: https://pz.harvard.edu/resources/see-think-wonder (https://pz.harvard.edu/resources/see-think-wonder)
Follow up questions with art:
What do you think about that?
Can you say more about that?
Check out Donor’s Choose to get supplies for art in your classroom: www.donorschoose.org (http://www.donorschoose.org)
3 Mar 2026
Picture Books, Not War
When another horrific headline happens, we still have to show up to school and show up for kids. We know we should talk about it, but the "how" is the part that keeps us stuck.
In today’s episode, Brooke shares actionable starter tips for those high-stakes conversations. We’re moving past the "I don't know what to say" hurdle and leaning into creating genuine emotional safety for the kids in our lives.
You don't need to have all the answers to be an adult that has tough conversations. You just need a way to begin.
Ready to start? Here are some of my favorite picture books / poems:
Black Panther Wakanda Forever: The Courage to Dream by Fredrick Joseph
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate
The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - Sáenz has poetic epigraph like pages at the start of different sections that are painfully beautiful
“The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry
24 Feb 2026
They're Just Kids
We’re tackling adultification, the bias that strips kids of their innocence and replaces empathy with "adult" consequences.
I’m breaking down why I use the words “kids” and “children” (yes, even for 12th graders) to talk about students. We’ll explore where this bias sneaks into our discipline and the difference between holding high expectations and denying a child the right to be a learner. Whether they carry adult burdens at home or not, school must be the place they are allowed to make mistakes and learn.
They’re just kids. Sometimes we all need the reminder.
Show notes:
Georgetown Law’s report, “Girlhood Interrupted” https://genderjusticeandopportunity.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/girlhood-interrupted.pdf (https://genderjusticeandopportunity.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/girlhood-interrupted.pdf)
“Adultification, Anger Bias, and adults’ different perceptions of Black and White children” by Alison N Cooke and Amy G Halberstadt https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9248049/ (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9248049/)
17 Feb 2026
Cringe-Free Community
If your students are rolling their eyes at "Two Truths and a Lie," it’s time to listen to them. As teachers, we often feel pressured to "perform" community with forced games and random icebreakers, but real belonging isn't built in a five-minute activity—it’s built through the subtle, human, and consistent ways we treat our students.
In this episode, we’re moving away from the performative and toward the authentic. We discuss how to transform your classroom into a space where students feel they belong. Learn how to ditch the "forced fun" and cultivate a culture of dignity, hospitality, and real conversation that actually makes kids want to be there.
Stop trying to win them over with Uno. Start building a space where they truly belong.
What's on your mind writing prompt:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15V5fT9Sz0Qd4XZJcDAzVCr9LWn5hFSCt73N8ECWWbJ0/edit?usp=sharing (https://docs.google.com/document/d/15V5fT9Sz0Qd4XZJcDAzVCr9LWn5hFSCt73N8ECWWbJ0/edit?usp=sharing)
10 Feb 2026
AI For Equity
AI is everywhere in education right now, but is it making our schools more equitable? In this episode, we move past the "learning shortcuts" and look at how AI can be a subversive tool for justice and inclusion.
In this episode, we cover:
How to use AI to create accessible, inclusive communication to families
Why AI should NOT write texts for our class
How AI can make math culturally responsive
Let’s stop using AI to just work faster and start using it to bridge the gap. Our students’ ability to see themselves as problem-solvers depends on it.
3 Feb 2026
Let's Go Outside
"Fine" is the silent killer of innovation. When things aren't necessarily bad, but they aren’t reaching their full potential, it’s usually a sign of one thing: monotony.
In this episode of Innovative Educators, Brooke explores why a simple change of scenery—specifically, just heading outside—can be the ultimate catalyst for cultural shifts and creative breakthroughs. If you want a different result, you have to be willing to do something different. Join us as we discuss how breaking the physical routine of school can lead to the very innovation your learners (and your colleagues) have been waiting for.
27 Jan 2026
When You’re Called a B****
"Don't take it personally." It’s the standard advice given to every educator, but how do you actually follow it when a 16-year-old stands up and calls you a b**** in a full classroom?
In this high-stakes episode, Brooke moves past the theory and into the trenches of classroom management. We’re tackling the "blood pressure-raising" moments head-on, discussing how to defuse explosive situations, disrupt toxic cycles, and maintain your professional cool when you’re being tested the most. If you’ve ever struggled to keep your composure in the heat of the moment, listen today.
20 Jan 2026
You've Got Mail
In an era dominated by emails, notifications, and endless scrolling, the most "innovative" tool at your disposal might just be a pen and paper.
Join host Brooke Folgers as she explores how the simple, lost art of the handwritten note can cut through the digital noise to spark genuine hope and connection. Tune in to learn why this small gesture does far more for your learners and colleagues than you might think.
13 Jan 2026
I Hate Open Seating
Does your classroom or meeting room seating foster community or create invisible barriers? By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear roadmap for designing a space that truly supports learning.
6 Jan 2026
Best Feedback I've Received
Are you frustrated with a lack of useful feedback? Unsure how to address the feeling that there is something missing from your teaching but not quite sure what it is? Today we will break down how to quickly obtain actionable feedback to elevate your teaching and your students' learning.
Resources:
Ultimate Feedback Template (https://brookefolgers.com/innovative-educators/ep-2-best-feedback-ive-recieved) https://brookefolgers.com/innovative-educators/ep-2-best-feedback-ive-recieved
30 Dec 2025
How Might We Innovate?
Ready for innovation but don't know where to start? Join Brooke as she discusses the basis of innovation and provides a simple strategy to start moving forward with possibilities.
20 Dec 2025
Innovative Educators - Trailer
The Innovative Educators Podcast with Brooke Folgers invites educators to connect, find community, and explore innovative strategies to drive meaningful change in education. Through weekly conversations with thought leaders and passionate educators, the podcast offers hope, practical tools, and inspiration for those seeking deeper connection and impact.
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