What does it really mean to unlearn in education? In this special Thanksgiving episode, we pause for reflection—and reimagination—with Kwame Sarfo Mensa, a veteran educator, global consultant, and author of Learning to Relearn. As founder of Identity Talk Consulting and host of the Identity Talk for Educators Live podcast, Kwame is helping educators across the world interrogate bias, reframe school culture, and humanize learning through equity-centered practice.

This episode dives deep into the mindset and methods behind culturally affirming teaching. From personal stories of navigating race, disability, and belonging, to frameworks for self-assessment, intersectional empathy, and critical unlearning—Kwame offers real talk and real strategies. Whether you're a teacher, school leader, or policymaker, you’ll walk away with actionable insights on how to model inclusive leadership, build student trust, and reimagine education as a collective, humanizing practice.

📚 Featured in this episode: – Why educators must “learn to relearn”—and how to start – Concrete unlearning strategies for interrupting bias – The role of cultural humility in building inclusive classrooms – How school leaders can model identity-affirming practice – The power of getting students’ names right—and what it signals

Connect with Kwame: 📧 www.identitytalk4educators.com 🎙 Identity Talk for Educators Live Podcast

Proudly supported by the Solvea Learning Group, whose commitment to advancing education makes conversations like this possible. If today’s episode sparked ideas or helped reframe your thinking, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague.

Steven Bollar—aka Stand Tall Steve—joins the Innovating Education Podcast to talk about school culture, decision making and the leadership lessons that no one wants to talk about. Steve’s worn every hat: teacher, principal, superintendent, author and national keynote speaker. In this episode, he breaks down why so many school improvement efforts fail—because they’re chasing perfection instead of progress.

We dive deep on the five levels of decision-making, how to lead with transparency after mistakes, and why leaders need to stop overcomplicating school culture. Steve’s new book, Just Do This, is front and center. He explains how it's built for educators who don’t have time for theory and just need something that works.

This one’s packed with smart insights, practical frameworks, and advice for anyone trying to lead well in complex systems.

In this episode, we cover:

• The five levels of decision-making every leader should know

• How to avoid “initiative fatigue” and lead with clarity

• Why culture work isn’t about rewards—it’s about repetition

• How to use “reduce, not eliminate” as a realistic leadership strategy

• A sneak peek into Steve’s new book Just Do This—and how it’s helping school leaders take action

🔗 Connect with Steve Bollar:

• Visit: www.standtallsteve.com

• Email: steven@standtallsteve.com

• Explore his podcast: The School Climate and Culture Show with Megan Diede

• Learn about the Just Do This Boost Camp: a 3-day leadership experience hosted in partnership with Innovative School Summit (details on his site).

This episode of the Innovating Education Podcast is a deep dive into a topic most people overlook: grammar. Dr. Riley Williams sits down with Bob Safran—known to many as "The Grammar Guy"—a pioneer in grammar instruction with over fifty years of experience. Bob has built his career around one mission: reestablishing grammar's critical role in literacy.

We unpack how the 1985 NCTE resolution sidelined grammar, and why that mistake continues to hault our literacy efforts. Bob’s journey from public school teacher to textbook editor, career school CEO, and founder of EGUMPP—a fully online English Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, and Punctuation Program.

Bob breaks down how grammar isn't just rules; it's the key to unlocking comprehension, precision, and clear communication—from the SAT to workplace writing and beyond. He walks us through how EGUMPP—solvable in just 30–40 hours—unpacks language into manageable, self‑graded modules and one‑page “cheat‑sheet summaries” that make sentence mastery accessible to everyone. Whether you lead a school, teach writing, or just believe in the foundations of literacy, this episode will reenergize your appreciation for grammar.

** What You’ll Take Away:**

• Why grammar deserves a comeback—not as rote drill, but as the building block of clarity

• How EGUMPP breaks grammar into four self‑paced modules (Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, Punctuation)—complete with videos, automatic feedback, and certification

• Insight into how grammar, pronunciation, and structure boost reading comprehension and professional communication

Where to Connect: Curious to try out EGUMPP for yourself or in your classroom? Head over to egumpp.com to request a free demo.