The Parent Classroom

[Episode 20] Closing Out Season 1

Komal Shah — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 19:11:33 -0800

Here we are at the end of Season 1.

In this podcast episode, I quickly share why I have decided to close out Season 1 of this podcast, and what I am looking forward to moving forward. By the end of this episode, you will get a glimpse into what led me to make this decision, and all the learnings I've had along the way. Thank you for being a part of this journey, and thank you for all of your listens and support as I continue to be a teacher at High Tech High!

Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consultkomal
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/consultkomal
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Raise-Your-Hand-Consciousness-Education-

Enjoying the show? Leave a rating and review and help more parents find this podcast!

[Episode 19] Reentering the Classroom (An Interview with Komal Shah)

Komal Shah — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 14:05:31 -0800

Here's an interview of me (your host) by two fellow educators.

In this podcast episode, I am honored to be interview by both Lauren Pinto and Seth Fleischauer, where they get the opportunity to pick my brain on my new school space, High Tech High. We explore project-based learning, and all the parts of my school that are inherently conscious. By the end of this episode, you will get a glimpse into my life back into teaching, and how this teaching job contrasts with my previous public school learning experiences.

In this episode, I cover:

1) The PBL (project-based learning) model
2) How conscious practices are inherently in the model
3) How learning can look different for every child

Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consultkomal
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/consultkomal
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Raise-Your-Hand-Consciousness-Education-

Enjoying the show? Leave a rating and review and help more parents find this podcast!

[Episode 18] Can Math Be Consciously Taught? With Navi Riar

Komal Shah — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 02:00:00 -0700

What if ALL children are good at math?

In this episode, I am joined by mom and founder of Ready Set Learn, Navi Riar, as we dive into how math can be problematic in schools, but how we can shift it to be a beautiful subject for ALL kids. We dive into Navi's experience as a math teacher, the pitfalls with teaching and learning this subject, and tangible ways to shift your mindset as a parent and child. By the end of this episode, you will leave the conversation feeling empowered to learn and teach math for every child, including yours.

In this episode, we cover:

1) The pitfalls with teaching math
2) How to be an empowered math parent
3) Tangible ways to support your child in math

Navi Riar (Founder of Ready Set Learn):

Navi Riar is a credentialed Math Educator with sixteen years of classroom experience. She is the founder of Ready Set Learn and writes custom math programs for after school programs and districts. Navi is passionate about making math accessible for all children using a hands-on approach and shares best practices to empower families to help their children with math.

Instagram: @mathteachermomblog

[Episode 17] Why I Love My New Teaching Job

Komal Shah — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:05:59 -0700

What if the school you worked out was inherently conscious?

In this podcast episode, I explore my first month of teaching at my new job, and all the ways in which it is conscious. I explore the cultural ways to support every child, and how my day-to-day is built in as a partner to my students. By the end of this episode, you will understand my love for my job and also how conscious classrooms do exist in certain schools.

In this episode, I cover:

1) Why I Love My New Teaching Job
2) Two-Three Conscious Practices at my School
3) What You Can Look For in your Own School

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consultkomal
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/consultkomal
Website: https://thekomalshah.com
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Raise-Your-Hand-Consciousness-Education-

Enjoying the show? Leave a rating and review and help more parents find this podcast!

[Episode 16] The Power of AI in Schools with Dr. Sabba Quidwai

Komal Shah — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 18:36:03 -0700

What if AI is a powerful tool for schools?

In this episode, I am joined by expert Dr. Sabba Quidwai, founder of Designing Schools and former education executive at Apple . We dive into the fears that come with AI technology, and why parents shouldn't fall into the trap of resisting new innovations in our schools. We dive intro Dr. Sabba's practice of leading with a culture of empathy, and utilizing design thinking to empower educators to transform learning experiences with tech. By the end of this episode, you will leave the conversation with hope for the future of AI, and believe that education can be a more inclusive space with AI.

In this episode, we cover:

1) The mental fears around AI
2) The integration of AI in schools
3) How a parent can support their child and AI

Dr. Sabba Quidwai (Founder of Designing Schools):

Dr. Sabba Quidwai is a passionate advocate for reimagining education and believes that a culture of innovation begins with a culture of empathy. Starting her journey as a high school teacher, she harnessed her innate drive to transform learning, which eventually propelled her into executive roles with the University of Southern California and Apple Education. Today, Dr. Quidwai applies her comprehensive understanding of design thinking and AI to guide organizations in crafting future-ready, human-centered educational environments. Her work empowers individuals with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets required to thrive in an AI-driven world.

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/

Website: https://designingschools.org/

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

[Episode 15] Why I'm Going Back to Teaching (Five Years Later)

Komal Shah — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 22:00:00 -0700

Life has a funny way of working out - and I'm telling you why.

In this podcast episode, I explore my BIG decision of going back to become a teacher. I speak to the five years that I took off, why I left the classroom in the first place, and what brought me back to where I am today. This episode is vulnerable, and shares with parents on the non-linearity of education.

In this episode, I cover:

1) Why I Left the Classroom in 2018
2) The Growth of the Pandemic Years
3) Three reasons why I'm Going Back to Teach

[Episode 14] Choosing a School for Your Pre-K Child with Lauren Pinto

Komal Shah — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 02:00:00 -0700

How do you choose the RIGHT school for your child?

In this episode, I am joined by guest Lauren Pinto, a former teacher and a mother. We dive into the journey of choosing a school for your child, and why parents fall into the marketing trap of schools, rather than figuring out what they truly want for their child. We discuss how Lauren chose a school for her daughter, and the many questions she asked herself to make a final decision. By the end of this episode, you will leave the conversation with tangible ways to make a school decision, and how values play a key role to find the best environment for your child to thrive in.

In this episode, we cover:

1) The inner battle of parenting and schooling
2) Questions to ask yourself when choosing a school
3) How to find an environment that fits your child

Lauren Pinto (Founder of Ambitious Ed, Education Technology Specialist)

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-s-pinto/

Website: https://www.ambitioused.com/

[Episode 13] Rethinking How We Identify with Education

Komal Shah — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 01:00:00 -0700

What if college license plates are the reason we aren't innovating education? 🎓

In this podcast episode, I explore the idea that our identification with old ideals of success as parents are holding our society back from truly innovating education for the future. I speak to how unconsciously taking pride in our college diplomas and the status of our jobs may be hindering your kids, and all kids. I ask every parent a key question: are you still identifying with education the old way?

In this episode, I cover:

1) What it means to identify with the old paradigm
2) Why success needs to be redefined for every parent
3) Four ways for parents to take inventory of their current spaces

[Episode 12] The Cost of the K-12 Schooling System

Komal Shah — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0700

How did our schooling affect us in adulthood?

In this episode, I breakdown my own experience of the ways in which my K-12 schooling had negative consequences for me when I got to my 20s and 30s. I speak to the battle against perfectionism, needing validation from others, and constantly striving to achieve. I ask every parent a key question: If we keep going the same way, what will be the cost for all kids in the future?

In this episode, I cover:

1) My own battle with perfectionism
2) The four ways in which schools deny kids internal validation
3) The "why" behind going against the grain of achievement as a parent

[Episode 11] Planning Your Child's Summer Learning (And Not Make it a Vacation) with Matt Barnes

Komal Shah — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 02:00:00 -0700

How do you support your child's dreams over the summer?

In this episode, I am joined by guest Matt Barnes, a Parenting Education Coach and parent of three. We dive into the term summer "vacation", and why parents fall into a trap of summer camps. We discuss the importance of guiding summer learning as a parent, and co-creating a learning experience that your child will remember year-over-year. By the end of this episode, you will leave the conversation with tangible ways to plan your child's summer learning, and support them towards their BIG dreams and mission for the world.

In this episode, we cover:

1) Why summer camps are not the best solution
2) Creating a dream map for your child's summer learning
3) The role of a parent in supporting your child during the summer

Matt Barnes (Founder of The Education Game) Motto:

Parenting is the ultimate career. All other careers exist to support the ultimate career. I help parents improve.

Website: www.mattcbarnes.com

[Episode 10] Supporting Your Child's Emotions in School with Mansi Parikh

Komal Shah — Wed, 24 May 2023 02:00:00 -0700

How do you equip your child to navigate the emotions in school?

In this episode, I am joined by guest Mansi Parikh, a Conscious Parenting Coach and parent of three. We dive into the emotional cost of a school day, and how to support your child to navigate the day effectively. We discuss the importance of emotionally regulating as a parent, and how to breathe through the issues that your child may face daily. By the end of this episode, you will leave the conversation with tangible ways to support your child's emotional needs, and to equip them with tools to be successful both at home and in their learning.

In this episode, we cover:

1) Why emotional regulation in school is difficult for children
2) How to emotionally regulate yourself as a parent
3) Specific ways to support your child emotionally before and after school

Connect with Mansi Parikh (Founder of Coaching and Compassion)

Mansi is a Certified Conscious Parenting Coach Practitioner with a background in Communications and Psychology. Her mission is to bring Purpose back to Parenting. She works closely with her clients (parents/Mothers) to understand and improve parent-child and family dynamics. Parenting is harder now than ever and many have lost so much of the joy and passion behind what Parenthood can offer us. In working with her clients, Mansi is able to help her clients make sense of their parenting struggles and turn them into parenting successes.

Website: www.coachingandcompassion.com
IG: @coachingandcompassion

[Episode 9] Why I Failed Your Child as a Teacher

Komal Shah — Tue, 16 May 2023 10:00:00 -0700

As a teacher, I always felt like I failed.

In this episode, I share a personal anecdote that led me to believe that I failed as a teacher for every parent's child. With a system that is built on urgency and lack of time, it could feel that the emotional needs of my students were constantly unmet. This episode goes into a vulnerably place and provides insights to every parent on how an educator feels in the classroom.

In this episode, I cover:

1) The emotional needs of students
2) The ways in which I failed as a teacher
3) How we can combat this as both an educator and as a parent

Mentioned in Podcast:
Mark Brackett's book - Permission to Feel

[Episode 8] Balancing Self-Love & Achievement with Neha Patel

Komal Shah — Wed, 10 May 2023 00:00:00 -0700

How can self-love be integrated with achievement for your child?

In this episode, I am joined by guest Neha Patel, parent of two and co-founder of Hatch Brighter. We dive into the nature of external achievement in our schools, and how every parent can be empowered to shift the perspective for their child. We discuss the importance of the inner world and how it can negate the stress and pressure of grades and test scores. By the end of this episode, you will leave the conversation with tangible ways to focus on self-love for your child, and be empowered to become a parent who sticks to their own values of success for their child.

In this episode, we cover:

1) Why parents are so stuck on external achievement and measurement
2) How inner world plays a strong role for your child's future
3) Different ways to cultivate self-love & inner strength for your child

Connect with Neha (Co-founder of Hatch Brighter)

Neha spent over 15 years in the technology/software space as an executive, building and managing high functioning teams for a start up that grew to be a $1B company. At the top of her game, she quit to start Hatch Brighter to give kids the tools to build Inner Strength. You can also find her on the Unpacking Myself Podcast where she unpacks the hard stuff in life to help reduce the clutter in her mind, encouraging others to do the same. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two daughters.

Website: www.hatchbrighter.com Instagram:
Instagram: @HatchBrighter
Facebook: @HatchBrighter1

[Episode 7] How Schools Deny Self-Love

Komal Shah — Fri, 05 May 2023 02:00:00 -0700

What is self-love and are schools denying this for your child?

In this episode, I breakdown the word "self-love" and how the K-12 schooling system denied my own self-love growing up, and so many of my students as well. I speak to the many ways in which a school only "loves" kids who achieve highly, rather than showing a child that their value is based on their character itself. Though the innate structure of schools does not support self-love, I breakdown what a parent can do to still cultivate this for their child's educational journey.

In this episode, I cover:

1) The role of self-love in life and why it's important
2) The 3 ways in which self-love is denied in schools
3) What a parent can do in order to cultivate self-love in their child

[Episode 6] Communicating Grades With Your Child with Seth Fleischauer

Komal Shah — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 02:00:00 -0700

How does a parent communicate grades with their child?

In this episode, I have a brilliant conversation with guest Seth Fleischauer, both a parent of two and former educator on all things grades. We dive into the nature of grades from an educator perspective, and how this can inform the way you communicate grades with your child. By the end of this episode, you will leave the conversation with valuable insights of how teachers perceive grades, and how grades don't have to be the only value of your child's learning.

In this episode, we cover:

1) The educator lens of grading
2) How to navigate a partner who has a different perspective of grades than you
3) How grades can be a starting point of a valuable conversation

Connect with Seth (Founder and President of Banyan Global Learning)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-fleischauer/

Website: https://banyangloballearning.com/

[Episode 5] The Problem with Grades

Komal Shah — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 02:00:00 -0700

What if grades are a big problem in our schooling system?

In this episode, I break down my perspective on grades as a former teacher. Though I dive a little bit into my own childhood experience with grades, I also speak to the subjective nature of grades, and the negative implications it can cause on your child's learning and education. By the end of this episode, I will cover basic tips a parent can take to navigate grades consciously.

In this episode, I cover:

1) The subjective nature of grading
2) Why grades can be problematic to assess a child's learning
3) How parents can be one step ahead when it comes to their child's grades

[Episode 4] Your Child is NOT Behind in School

Komal Shah — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0700

What if your child was not behind? What if this word was created to just have every child be pitted against each other to survive?

In this episode, I breakdown the word "behind" and how the K-12 schooling system perpetuates this amongst students when a child is not meeting grade level standards, meeting behavioral expectations or just not keeping up. I share an analogy on mastery and how that values over being the first one done. I also tips if you do feel your child is still running behind the mold of the classroom, and want to do know how to navigate it consciously.

In this episode, I cover:

1) Changing the mindset around the word behind
2) Becoming an investigative parent when your child is struggling
3) Getting the RIGHT type of support for your child when you feel worried

[Episode 3] Why I Care So Much (I Was a Creative Child)

Komal Shah — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0700

How was school for you growing up? Did it inform the way you see education for your child?

In this episode, I become vulnerable and share about my own journey as a K-12 student. As someone who was a shell of a student, I share my experiences with schooling growing up and how someone who was a creative child got stifled by the system. This episode is about digging deeper into our own experiences, and how it informs the way you may perceive education for your own child.

In this episode, I cover:

1) My own experience with K-12 schooling
2) How the system stifled my real self
3) The way your experience shapes your child's experience

[Episode 2] Unlearning Success for Your Child

Komal Shah — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0700

"The highest form of learning is unlearning" - Rumi

In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most critical step to nurturing your child's K-12 schooling, which is unlearning. Though this topic could be broken into many episodes, I wanted to give you a quick overview of what unlearning is, and how you can unlearn the ways success was put onto you growing up. I give you 3-4 steps to begin this process so you can fully engage with your child's schooling in the future.

In this episode, I cover:

1) The difference between unlearning and learning
2) Why unlearning success is critical for your child
3) A framework to begin to unlearn success for your child
4) Next steps & Action Items

[Episode 1] What is Conscious Education?

Komal Shah — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 06:00:00 -0700

"Komal, what is conscious education?"

This is a question I get so often by parents and educators alike so I wanted to take a step back and give you a Conscious Education 101 crash-course.

In this episode, I give a quick synopsis on how my idea of conscious education was developed from my days as a teacher, and what every parent should know about their child's school and how to make it more conscious.

In this episode, I cover:

1) My journey to conscious education
2) The different between conscious and unconscious schools
3) Why consciousness is so important
4) How you as a parent can start to adapt this mindset

Welcome to The Parent Classroom!

Komal Shah — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0700

Welcome to the Parent Classroom!

This podcast is for every parent who believes that every child should have an educational experience that is filled with love, joy, and compassion. Hosted by Komal Shah, you will learn tools and strategies from a former teacher alongside parents as guests on how to navigate the K-12 schooling system consciously in order to nurture their child's education.

This podcast is for you if:

You want your child's schooling to be a place of laughter, a place of joy, and a place of curiosity.
You want your child to cultivate a love of learning rather than focusing on achievement like grades and test scores
You want your child to enjoy school instead of hating school or feeling apathetic about certain subjects
You want to feel ready as a parent to take on your child's educational journey with confidence and courage