How can parents and teachers use their experience with distance learning and working from home to create a better new normal?

Maria invited back her friend and positive psychologist, Robert Zeitlin, to share his experience guiding and supporting parents, teachers and families to get back on track amidst the pandemic. 

Robert is the author of the books “Laugh More, Yell Less: A Guide to Raising Kick-Ass Kids” and “But I’m Not a Teacher! A Parent’s Guide to Learning Under Lockdown”.  He has been helping parents to turn the challenges created during distance learning and working from home into learning opportunities for the whole family. 

In this episode, Robert and Maria dive into the learning superpowers from positive psychology that can help parents identify their children’s character’s strengths to prepare them for better livelihoods. 

They also discuss the tension between parents and teachers during distance learning and provide guidance and insights to help them rebuild trust and create a better new norm at home and in the classroom. 

Using their shared experience in the mastermind group they co-created, they explore learning in relationships and unpack the role of time and space, infinite and finite games, and so much more in learning. 

This is a special episode between two friends and lifelong learners. Enjoy!

 Listen to this episode and explore:

Introducing Robert Zeitlin and sharing highlights from today's episode (1:22)

The first time Maria interviewed Robert while learning to podcast (3:25)

Inviting Robert back to share his experience supporting parents during the pandemic (4:02)

Publishing two books in 2020 to help parents navigate distance learning and working from home (5:52)

Discussing the Learning Superpowers from Positive Psychology (8:10)

Unpacking the Love of Learning (11:00)

The challenges parents have been experiencing while navigating the pandemic uncertainty (12:20)

How parents can act as role models for their children amidst ambiguity (13:55)

Learning is Relational: the role of people, emotions, time and space (17:28)

Unpacking their shared learning journey since Robert and Maria co-created a mastermind group  (20:54)

Discussing the tension created between parents and teachers in March of 2020 (23:50)

The development of the parent-teacher relationship amid the pandemic (26:48)

How parents can rebuild trust with teachers (28:42)

The dilemma of teachers during the pandemic (30:42)

Best practices to learn how to slow down (33:43)

How Maria created a consistent slow-down practice (35:54)

Reflecting on mastering skills vs being productive all the time (37:37)

Robert’s insights on how parents responded to the pandemic (39:23)

What parents learned about themselves, each other and their children (40:54)

How parents can identify their children’s potential using the character strengths from positive psychology (42:56)

Why parents need to identify their support needs before they focus on their children (44:38)

A simple approach for parents to decide if they need coaching or therapy (46:26)

The commitment parents need to make to get back on track (48:24)

How we can all use relational learning to create our post-pandemic new norm (51:03)

The opportunity parents and teachers have to build a stronger relationship (52:58)

Maria’s childhood story: how her mother and teachers had each other’s back (54:08)

The power of trusting that parents and teachers are doing the best they can (56:02)

Maria’s request to listeners to make recommendations for future guests and support the podcast (56:58)

Where to find more about Robert Zeitlin:

LinkedIn

Twitter

His personal website

Mentioned in this episode:

Book: Laugh More, Yell Less: Stuck-at-Home Edition

Book: But I'm Not a Teacher!: A Parent's Guide to Learning Under Lockdown

Positive Psychology & Character Strengths

Episode 11 with Robert (their first episode!)

Episode 9 with their friend David from Hire Cause

The episode when Maria shares her mother's learning journey

The Episode with Seth Godin: What's School For? 

 Production team:

Host & Producer: Maria Xenidou

Introduction Voice: David Bourne

 Contact us:

impactlearningpodcast(at)gmail.com

 Music credits:

Like Lee performed by The Mini Vandals

Transition sounds: Swamp Walks performed by Jingle Punks