150 episodes listed below
Creative, humane thinking for shifting schools.
Shifting Schools treats education as a living practice, not a fixed playbook. Recent episodes move between middle grade literature, creative writing craft, emerging technology, and the leadership judgment schools need around AI.
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Shifting Schools is an education podcast for people who see K-12 learning as a field in motion. The show works best when it slows down urgent topics long enough to make them useful. Recent episodes move across AI literacy, creative practice, young readers, friendship, identity, and the craft of storytelling. That range gives the series a broad classroom lens without feeling scattered. A conversation about Sarah Amini's Mixed Feelings becomes a way to think about belonging, immigrant family dynamics, friendship shifts, and why certain stories matter in schools. An episode with Allison Gerber turns mystery writing into a practical discussion of drafting, planning, and creative confidence. Billy Ray's appearance brings screenwriting and a first novel into a larger question about trying work one has not done before. Tui T. Sutherland's conversation emphasizes fan communities, empathy, world-building, and the power of young readers telling their own stories. Deborah Goodrich-Royce's episode looks at character, performance, psychology, tension, and the difference between an earned reveal and a forced twist. The technology episodes take a similarly grounded approach. AI is not presented as magic or catastrophe. It is treated as something school communities have to discuss with care, especially when staff confidence is uneven. The BAKE framework episodes focus on language, trust, low-stakes experimentation, and the leadership decisions that cannot be outsourced. There is a steady interest in Futures Literacy, too, with creativity and joy treated as real thinking tools rather than decorative extras. The show can be reflective and conversational, but it keeps returning to application. Teachers get ideas for writing instruction. Librarians get language for book-centered community. Leaders get ways to frame uncertainty without pretending to have all the answers. Shifting Schools suits educators who want their professional learning to include story, judgment, and a humane pace.
Made for: For K-12 teachers, librarians, counselors, and school leaders working through literacy, creativity, identity, and AI change. It especially suits educators who want reflective conversations with classroom relevance.
What sets it apart: The show connects author conversations, student-centered literacy, and AI leadership without flattening them into quick tips. Its strongest episodes turn creative work into practical language educators can carry back to school.
Shifting Schools is a thought-provoking podcast that explores the latest trends, strategies, and tools in K-12 education. Hosted by educators Jeff Utecht and Tricia Friedman, the podcast provides a platform for teachers, administrators, and education thought leaders to share their experiences and insights on how to improve teaching and learning. From innovative approaches in classroom management to leveraging technology for personalized learning, Shifting Schools tackles the most pressing issues facing K12 educators today. Whether you are a seasoned teacher or a new educator, this podcast will inspire you to think outside the box and shift your educational approach. Tune in to Shifting Schoo…
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Practical interviews connect AI literacy, writing craft, alternative schooling, and student creativity to the everyday judgment educators exercise.
Shifting Schools turns questions facing K-12 educators into practical, curious conversation. Tricia Friedman and Jeff Utecht move between AI literacy, small-school models, and creative work with young people, asking guests to make ideas usable rather than leaving them at the…
AI literacy and plot twists share a mic; your lesson-planning brain gets both.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A friendship story becomes a humane case for taking belonging seriously in schools.
A friendship ending gives this episode its center as it considers Sarah Amini's Mixed Feelings, a middle grade, semi-autobiographical graphic novel about identity, belonging, and the inner lives of young people.
A practical conversation about friendship, creativity, and the craft of mystery writing.
This episode keeps its focus on friendship and the craft of mystery writing. Tricia Friedman talks with Allison Gerber, the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the Liars Society series, about the third book and why middle grade stories should treat friendship as…
A conversation about Wings of Fire, empathy, and the community stories can build.
The episode presents Tui T. Sutherland and Wings of Fire as a story about dragons, community, and empathy. It gives the clearest weight to the fan world around the series: older readers welcoming younger ones, artists sharing dragon art, and readers finding ways to experience…
A clear case for character first, with twists that have to earn their place.
Trisha Friedman frames her conversation with Deborah Goodrich-Royce around a sturdy argument for character-first writing, especially for ELA and creative writing teachers.
A practical look at leading AI change when a staff is not starting from the same place.
Shifting Schools closes its BAKE series by returning to the final question in a three-part framework: how to move forward when staff confidence is uneven.
A practical look at micro schools as a smaller, more flexible way to build education.
Jeff Edick's conversation with David Richards, CEO of Changemaker Education, presents micro schools as a modern-day one-room schoolhouse and a practical option for educators who want to build something smaller and more personal.
Author Alan Gratz discusses how interdisciplinary learning, inspired by baseball, fuels creativity and engagement in education.
An exploration of the micro-school movement with David Richards, discussing how educators can become entrepreneurs and create personalized learning environments.
Sara Amini discusses her semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic novel Mixed Feelings, exploring identity, belonging, and the importance of diverse stories in schools.
Host Tricia Friedman interviews Allison Gerber, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Liar's Society series, about the newly released third installment and how she builds mystery and friendship into stories for middle-grade readers.
CTO Andy Sisson discusses his journey in emerging technology and AI, and how Share More Stories supports organizations and individuals.
A podcast episode where the hosts discuss Jeff's new book 'Human Still Required' through exchanged voice memos.
Billy Ray discusses his debut novel Burn the Water and offers practical advice on fostering creativity and hope in dark times.
Tui T.
Trisha Friedman interviews Deborah Goodrich-Royce about "Best Boy," psychological thrillers, and the idea that "strong writers" draw on acting, psychology, and wide reading.
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators asks how to lead AI literacy when staff confidence ranges from "super confident" to "really intimidated." Jeff and Trisha use Trisha's pumpkin patch, a Taylor Swift deep-research experiment, and a stir-fry prompt to show why first attempts at AI should be treated as learning moments.
An exploration of the micro-school movement with David Richards, discussing how educators can become entrepreneurs and create personalized learning environments.
Jeff Udick interviews Jack Brewster about his app Newsreel, which uses TikTok-style design to teach news literacy to students.