Episodes

  • Zara Jones

    Zara Jones
    Feb 20 2026

    Join us for a conversation with 22-year-old Zara Jones, who brings an intergenerational lens to self-care, resilience, and how educator regulation shapes classroom culture.

    Visit Blossom With Zara HERE, or copy and paste this link: https://www.blossomwithzara.com/

    Michelle's Reflective Questions to hold accountability:

    • Where have you fused your worth with your output?
    • What would it mean to separate those even slightly?
    • What is one ritual that helps you regulate your nervous system?
    • Is there a student or colleague that I could offer a moment of co-regulation to?
    • When was the last time you paused long enough to ask yourself what you need?
    • What does comfort look like for you?

    Opt in HERE for a complimentary subscription to the magazine, or copy and paste this link: https://oxygenforeducators.com/#read-the-magazine

    Visit the Oxygen for Educators website to learn more.
    https://oxygenforeducators.com/

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    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

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    Thank you to our sponsor, Tacky Box.

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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • Radical Hope: Co-Regulation-We Were Never Meant to Do This Alone

    Radical Hope: Co-Regulation-We Were Never Meant to Do This Alone
    Feb 13 2026

    Self-care matters — and it has limits. In this episode, we explore co-regulation, the science of shared safety, and why nervous systems were never meant to regulate in isolation.

    • Opt in HERE for a complimentary subscription to the magazine, or copy and paste this link: https://oxygenforeducators.com/#read-the-magazine

    • Visit the Oxygen for Educators website to learn more.
      https://oxygenforeducators.com/

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

    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/

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    23 mins
  • Dr. Lindsay Whorton

    Dr. Lindsay Whorton
    Feb 6 2026

    What happens when school leadership jobs become impossible to do, well, no matter how capable the people holding them are? In this conversation, Michelle sits down with Lindsay Whorton, president of the Holdsworth Center and author of A New School Leadership Architecture, to explore why educators are burning out and how rethinking leadership structures, not just individual effort, can create more sustainable, humane schools.

    • Find Dr. Lindsay Whorton's book HERE, or copy and paste this link: https://a.co/d/0ffIa9JP

    • Opt in HERE for a complimentary subscription to the magazine, or copy and paste this link: https://oxygenforeducators.com/#read-the-magazine

    • Visit the Oxygen for Educators website to learn more.
      https://oxygenforeducators.com/

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

    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/

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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • Chris and Michelle Talk 2026

    Chris and Michelle Talk 2026
    Jan 30 2026

    In this episode, Chris and Michelle share personal news and plans for 2026.

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    or Copy and Paste this link: https://forms.gle/V7YBXvHNmRNonpCw7

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    Visit the Oxygen for Educators website to learn more.
    https://oxygenforeducators.com/
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    38 mins
  • Oxygen Replay - Amanda Muhammad, MA

    Oxygen Replay - Amanda Muhammad, MA
    Jan 23 2026
    In this episode, Michelle Kinder and Chris Kent Phelps interview mindfulness-based stress management consultant Amanda Muhammad, exploring preventative self-care, psychological safety, nervous system regulation, and practical mindfulness tools that help educators shift perspective, honor boundaries, and cultivate meaning, well-being, and presence through breath, grounding, and intentional being. LINKS Amanda Muhammad, MA Psychological Safety Consultant Mako Mindfulness CHAPTERS 00:00Preventative Self-Care Strategies 02:05Introduction to Amanda Muhammad 06:01Amanda's Journey into Mindfulness and Stress Management 10:11Understanding Psychological Safety 15:48Practical Tools for Educators 19:58The Power of Breath and Mindfulness 23:57Shifting Perspectives on Stress 29:52The Importance of Community and Support 38:30Honoring Personal Boundaries 41:08Connecting with the Audience 42:12Resources for Educators 43:28Rapid Fire Fun Questions 46:24The Power of Silence 49:10Choosing Stillness in a Noisy World 52:20Creating a Great Day 54:01Reflections on the Conversation 01:00:18Surrendering Well-Being to External Systems 01:01:20Finding Meaning in Life's Circumstances 01:02:49The Importance of Breath and Grounding 01:03:27Healthy Coping Mechanisms and Self-Regulation 01:05:22Understanding Nervous System Regulation 01:07:36Expanding Perspectives on Life and Interactions 01:09:24The Power of Noticing and Trusting Your Body 01:10:10Exploring Beliefs and Alternative Narratives 01:12:55Choosing Empowering Narratives 01:17:57The Essence of Being vs. Doing 01:21:51Creating an Empowering Narrative 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/
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Oxygen Replay - Dr. Laura Lockhart

    Oxygen Replay - Dr. Laura Lockhart
    Jan 16 2026
    This episode offers a practical conversation with Dr. Laura Lockhart about how educators can manage stress, understand their triggers, and show up with more self-awareness and compassion in hard moments.

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    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

    Oxygen for Educators is proudly sponsored by Tacky Box.

    Website: https://tackybox.com/

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

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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • Nicholas Ditto

    Nicholas Ditto
    Dec 19 2025
    SUMMARY In this episode of Oxygen for Educators, Michelle Kinder sits down with Nicholas Ditto, founder and CEO of Fort Worth STEAM Academy, for an honest conversation about the unseen weight educators carry every day. Nicholas shares his journey into education, the thousands of decisions teachers make daily, and how leadership, culture, and community directly shape student outcomes. After the conversation, Michelle and Chris Kent Phelps return to break down the moments that mattered most, reflecting on what educators can take with them as they lead, teach, and serve their communities. CHAPTERS 00:00The Art of Teaching: Decision-Making in Education 02:52Nicholas Ditto: A Journey from Law to Education 05:56The Impact of Education on Justice and Opportunity 09:00Understanding the Role of Zip Codes in Education 12:00The Importance of School Choice and Options 14:56Building a Joyful Culture of High Expectations 17:59Mistakes as Learning Opportunities in Education 20:48The Residency Model: Supporting New Educators 23:57The Future of Fort Worth STEAM Academy 27:01Community Partnerships and Student Pathways 29:55Wellbeing Rituals and Staying Grounded 32:59The Life and Death Urgency of Education 35:57Elevating Educators and Their Impact ********************************************************************************************* 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/
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    57 mins
  • Oxygen Replay - PART 2 Alex Vesely-Frankl, Viktor Frankl's Grandson

    Oxygen Replay - PART 2 Alex Vesely-Frankl, Viktor Frankl's Grandson
    Dec 12 2025

    Opt in HERE for your gifted copy of the Oxygen for Educators magazine!

    ( https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdj3tz0r6L2KIAJJ5dTnzx3CfXka2fqTHfUqHDlqtqo_96cCg/viewform?usp=header )

    SUMMARY

    In part two of our conversation with filmmaker and logotherapist Alex Vesely, grandson of Viktor Frankl, we explore what it really means to live a life of meaning as an educator. Alex unpacks burnout through a logotherapy lens, shares powerful stories about suicide and hope, and invites us to ask a different question, not "What is in it for me?" but "Who am I still here for?" This one is a North Star episode for anyone feeling overwhelmed, misaligned, or called to pick up the "right letter" on the conveyor belt of their life.

    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00 – What am I still here for?

    • 00:32 – Welcome back: Alex Vesely Part 2

    • 01:17 – Who is Alex? Grandson, filmmaker, logotherapist

    • 02:15 – More than mind and body: the noetic dimension

    • 06:21 – Self-transcendence, good teaching, and burnout

    • 15:02 – The "right seat" and picking up the right letter

    • 24:15 – Despair, suicide, and the question of meaning

    • 31:07 – The grandmother, two granddaughters, and a life-saving reframing

    • 39:18 – Making logotherapy accessible: Viktor Frankl Institute of the Americas

    • 43:26 – Educating toward responsibility and true conscience

    • 46:40 – Ellie Frankl's "abnormal integrity" and partnership with Viktor

    • 50:56 – What Viktor Frankl modeled for his grandson

    • 54:09 – New baby, late-night recording, and gratitude

    • 55:37 – Debrief: pianist and piano, meaning as North Star for educators

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    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/

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    1 hr and 27 mins