Centering Humanity in Teaching. A Conversation with Matt Eicheldinger.

Learning to build trust, spark creativity, and help students develop identity beyond academics.

Summary

Matt Eicheldinger, NYT bestselling author and educator, shares his journey of persistence and the power of meaningful connections with young people. He centers on building trust and creating space for kids to develop confidence, curiosity, and resilience.

• Becoming a teacher because he enjoyed kids and had parents who modeled empathy
• Writing his first book for struggling readers, facing 600+ rejections before succeeding
• The impact of small moments that resonate with students years later
• Playing "the long game" with disengaged students by building trust before pushing academics
• The importance of boredom as a catalyst for creativity
• Creating space for silence and reflection in our overstimulated world
• Showing vulnerability by sharing rejection letters with students
• Helping children develop identity beyond academic achievement

About our guest

‍Matt Eicheldinger is a New York Times bestselling author, storyteller, and educator who brings humor and heart to every story he tells. With a knack for finding the extraordinary in everyday moments, Matt has captivated readers with books like Sticky Notes: Memorable Lessons from Ordinary Moments and Matt Sprouts and the Curse of the Ten Broken Toes, and continues to write stories that capture the imagination and heart for readers. Beyond the page, Matt shares relatable stories with his hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, and has amassed over 100 million views where he makes people laugh, think, and appreciate the small moments in life.

Connect with Matt

https://matteicheldinger.com/
The Matt Sprouts Series
Sticky Notes
@matteicheldinge

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

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