PrinciPALS: A Rowland Hall Podcast

Screens are a necessary tool in today’s world, but they can cause a lot of family anxiety. As parents themselves, Rowland Hall’s princiPALS understand this struggle—and so they’re tackling the topic. Join the pals for a discussion about current guidelines (and why it’s understandable if you can’t always adhere to them), high-quality programming, social media, the importance of balancing screen time and productive play, and how you can get the whole family involved in identifying values and boundaries that will guide screen time in your home.

Podcast resources:

• Dr. Becky Kennedy/Good Inside
• Common Sense Media
• Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory (2023)
• Current social media guidelines: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Common Sense Media, Mayo Clinic

Read the episode transcript.

Parent Education

Behavior and discipline: no matter what kind of parent you are, they’re two topics you think about often. And chances are, you’re often wondering, “Am I doing this right?” In this episode of princiPALS, Emma, Brittney, and Conor focus on methods for recognizing children’s behavior patterns, as well as share tips for how parents can best guide those behaviors in positive directions.

Podcast resources:

• The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
• The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene
• Raising Kids by Sheri Glucoft Wong and Olaf Jorgenson
• Good Inside by Becky Kennedy

Read the episode transcript.

Parent Education

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COVID changed a lot about parenting, including how caregivers view the kind of risk-taking that helps build resilience in young children. Now that we are living in a different phase of the pandemic—one that’s more focused on management instead of avoidance—it’s an ideal time to revisit the topic of resilience: what it is, its many benefits, and how families can build it back into their routines.

Podcast resources:

• The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey
• Raising Kids by Sheri Glucoft Wong
• “The Conversation: The Purpose of School and Bringing Joy into the Classroom,” featuring Denise Pope

Read the episode transcript.

Parent Education

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In this episode, Rowland Hall princiPALS Emma Wellman and Jij de Jesus take on the topic of bullying. While parents and caregivers are undoubtedly familiar with this term, the definition can shift depending on who’s talking. Knowing this, Emma and Jij explain what it means when educators use that word, as well as walk listeners through what’s happening to kids developmentally during the early childhood and elementary years so that they understand what behaviors are typical and which may require intervention. Listeners will walk away with a better understanding of what is behind children’s behaviors and tips on supporting them.

Podcast resources:

• Yardsticks by Chip Wood
• Bully Nation by Susan Eva Porter
• Queen Bees and Wannabes and Masterminds and Wingmen by Rosalind Wiseman

Read the episode transcript.

Parent Education

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The princiPALS are back in the office to revisit one of today’s most essential topics: how to talk to kids about race. Join Emma Wellman and Jij de Jesus as they discuss how to teach children to have thoughtful conversations about race and racial differences, as well as share tips on how to model antiracist behaviors for children.

Podcast resources:

• Raising Race-Conscious Children
• PBS Utah’s Let’s Talk: Talking to Kids about Race
• Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk about Race: Resource Roundup


Read the episode transcript.

Parent Education

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In this episode of princiPALS, Jij and Emma discuss some of the most inspiring things they’ve learned (so far) while educating preschool- and elementary-aged children during the pandemic, with a hope that their perspectives on in-person learning may help other educators—as well as answer some of the many questions parents and caregivers have as schools readjust learning models in 2021. Jij and Emma also draw on their lessons to create tips that will help parents and caregivers continue to support children (and themselves) at this time.

Read the episode transcript.

Parent Education

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In this episode of princiPALS Jij and Emma discuss the importance of talking to kids about race. Join them to unpack common fears around discussing race and bias, including the role socialization plays, and explore studies on kids and race. Listeners will also get tips to help them feel more prepared for these necessary conversations.

Episode resources:

• The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s anti-bias education website
• Sesame Workshop’s Identity Matters study
• NurtureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
• PBS Utah’s Let’s Talk: Talking to Kids About Race
• Lisa Delpit
• Louise Derman-Sparks
• Robin DiAngelo

Read the episode transcript.

Update January 11, 2021: This episode won silver for a single podcast episode in the 2020 InspirED Brilliance Awards. Sample judges' comments: The branding of the podcast itself is excellent. The topic is timely and I appreciated hearing about the research and action items to take. Terrific resource! The concept of interviewing the two school heads together (the PrinciPALS) is strong and the advice is timely. Really smart advice, well-presented.

Parent education

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The princiPALS are back in the studio to discuss academic rigor during the early childhood and elementary school years. While traditional education focused on the memorization and regurgitation of facts to display knowledge, Jij and Emma show how today’s students succeed when they know how to seek, evaluate, and use knowledge. They also provide practical tips to help parents and caregivers inspire lifelong learning and collaboration in children.

Read the episode transcript.

Parent education

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In the first episode of princiPALS, we’re discussing resilience—that essential life skill that empowers kids to bounce back from challenges and stressors. Join Jij and Emma as they chat about what resilience in children looks and sounds like, and share ways that caregivers and educators can work together to build this skill.

Podcast resources:

• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth, co-founder and CEO of Character Lab and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania
• The Gardener and the Carpenter, by Alison Gopnick, professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley
• The Price of Privilege, by Madeline Levine, psychologist and co-founder of Challenge Success at the Stanford Graduate School of Education

Read the episode transcript.

Parent education