SUMMARY

This one feels like a deep breath. Sharon Bradley lets us into the story that made her an educator, teaching her brother what school hadn’t, and how that love widened into a career of pulling kids in instead of pushing them out. She shows us why “take care of the big people so they can take care of the little people” isn’t a slogan; it’s a strategy.

We talk about practical care for adults (the kind that actually fits in a school day), her S.E.L.F. check-in, Start, Experiment, Let go, Finish, and the moment a stage-three cancer diagnosis at 36 made “health is wealth” non-negotiable. Sharon names the boundary work, the permission leaders must give, and the simple changes (leave on time, ask stay-interview questions, build community care) that make classrooms calmer and lives lighter. If you’re running on fumes, this conversation is a hug and a nudge: you are allowed to be well, and when you are, everyone in your care benefits.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:48 Sharon Bradley's Journey in Education
05:47 The Importance of Social-Emotional Learning
08:56 Supporting Educators' Well-Being
11:54 Creating a Supportive Environment for Students and Staff
14:40 The Impact of Personal Health on Professional Life
17:27 The Role of Community in Education
20:48 Practical Strategies for Educators
23:46 The Power of Pause and Reflection
26:37 Stay Interviews and Teacher Retention
29:33 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

************************************************************************************************

Oxygen for Educators is proudly sponsored by Tacky Box.

Follow on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/oxygen-for-educators/id1775510846

Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2i21QueuqVqmEPmI7gzFfQ?si=1bef3354bff2402c

Follow on Audible: https://www.audible.co.uk/podcast/Oxygen-for-Educators/B0DKL68DLX?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEdbuPy-L7p4RZKZ_VWKCXwK_j8vbjZF2&si=7SHeSWZRllrseygs

Website: https://www.tackybox.com/podcast

Thank you to our sponsor, Tacky Box!

Website: https://tackybox.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tacky_box/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTackyBox/

X: https://x.com/thetackybox

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thetackybox/

SUMMARY

In Radical Hope: Attention Management for Mental Health (Part 1), Michelle Kinder explores how the way we direct our attention shapes not only our inner world but also our relationships, choices, and sense of meaning. Drawing from research, lived practice, and the book Indistractable, Michelle reframes attention management away from productivity hacks and toward well-being.

Through powerful metaphors, like the flashlight that illuminates what we choose to notice, she shows how even small shifts in focus can reduce anxiety, restore energy, and bring us closer to the life we want. Listeners will learn how traction versus distraction is defined by alignment with our deepest values, why time management is often really pain management, and how simple discernment questions can help us right-size what deserves our attention.

This episode is an invitation to reclaim our focus as an act of radical hope. By choosing where we shine our mental flashlight, we gain agency in our responses, open space for connection, and ripple out more presence to our students, colleagues, and communities

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Attention Management for Mental Health
05:04 Understanding Traction vs. Distraction
10:49 The Role of Internal and External Triggers
17:22 Pre-Commitments and Structuring Attention
22:40 Shifting from Problem-Focused to Outcome-Focused
30:52 The Power of Attention Filters
38:31 Radical Hope and the Choice of Attention

************************************************************************************************

Oxygen for Educators is proudly sponsored by Tacky Box.

Follow on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/oxygen-for-educators/id1775510846

Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2i21QueuqVqmEPmI7gzFfQ?si=1bef3354bff2402c

Follow on Audible: https://www.audible.co.uk/podcast/Oxygen-for-Educators/B0DKL68DLX?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEdbuPy-L7p4RZKZ_VWKCXwK_j8vbjZF2&si=7SHeSWZRllrseygs

Website: https://www.tackybox.com/podcast

Thank you to our sponsor, Tacky Box!

Website: https://tackybox.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tacky_box/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTackyBox/

X: https://x.com/thetackybox

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thetackybox/

SUMMARY:

The way you see students today can change a trajectory tomorrow.

In this episode of Oxygen for Educators, 2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson sits down with Michelle to talk about choosing the good without slipping into toxic positivity. Rebecka shares how listening to understand, not to be understood, changed her teaching and her students’ outcomes. She tells the story of her “one good thing” practice that trained her brain to notice what is working, then create more of it. From there, we dig into why principals set the tone for an entire building, why teachers quite literally hold our democracy, and why front-loading connection is not a luxury - It is the work.

Practical takeaways you can use today

• Front-load connection. The time comes back to you a hundred times over.

• Train your attention. Capture one good thing each day to rewire what you notice.

• When the world feels big, get small. Focus on who is right in front of you.

• Hold a yes and mindset. Hard work, and meaningful work.

• Tell your story to students, then schedule 5–15 minute student story slots.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Finding the Good in Challenging Times
02:55 Introducing Rebecca Peterson: A Teacher's Journey
06:00 The Impact of Personal Stories in Education
08:47 The Role of Relationships in Student Success
11:42 The Power of Listening and Understanding
14:52 Transformative Experiences as a Teacher of the Year
17:50 The Importance of High-Quality Educators
20:47 Navigating Trauma in Education
23:26 Empathy and Democracy in Education
26:28 The Practice of Noticing the Good
29:20 The Yes And Profession: Balancing Challenges and Purpose
32:21 Closing Thoughts: Gratitude and Hope for Educators

************************************************************************************************

Oxygen for Educators is proudly sponsored by Tacky Box.

Follow on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/oxygen-for-educators/id1775510846

Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2i21QueuqVqmEPmI7gzFfQ?si=1bef3354bff2402c

Follow on Audible: https://www.audible.co.uk/podcast/Oxygen-for-Educators/B0DKL68DLX?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEdbuPy-L7p4RZKZ_VWKCXwK_j8vbjZF2&si=7SHeSWZRllrseygs

Website: https://www.tackybox.com/podcast

Thank you to our sponsor, Tacky Box!

Website: https://tackybox.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tacky_box/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTackyBox/

X: https://x.com/thetackybox

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thetackybox/