Grounded and Soaring

Explore the evolving landscape of education in the age of artificial intelligence with Sam Shapiro, Head of School at Marin Montessori, and Dr. Alex Curtis, Head of the New England Boarding School Choate Rosemary Hall.

This episode dives into the implications, challenges, and opportunities that AI, particularly ChatGPT, presents in educational settings.

Highlights include:

• Anticipation of the upcoming Gather for Good, which will include a panel with Sam Altman of OpenAI, discussing AI’s impact on future generations.
• Dr. Curtis's insights on integrating AI within a storied educational framework.
• A discussion on how AI reshapes the learning experiences and academic integrity.
• Strategies for educators and parents to harness AI while fostering critical thinking and creativity in students.
• Reflections on the balance of embracing technology and maintaining essential human skills.

Join Sam Shapiro, head of school at Marin Montessori, and special guest Anahad O'Connor, a Washington Post health columnist and award-winning author, as they explore the intersection of nutrition, sleep, and overall well-being for our youngest generation.

You'll discover tips for:

• Nutritious Eating: Learn how to introduce your children to a balanced and healthy diet that sets the tone for their entire day.
• The Science of Sleep: Uncover the critical role sleep plays in emotional regulation and how it affects parental patience and presence.
• Practical Wellness Tips: Gain insight into achievable practices that enhance both parental and child well-being.
• Fostering Healthy Habits: Find out how involving kids in food choices and preparation can boost their interest in nutritious eating.
• Emotional and Physical Health Connections: Understand the link between a healthy lifestyle and improved mental and physical health for the whole family.

Whether you're navigating the challenges of picky eaters, trying to improve sleep routines, or simply looking for ways to be more present with your children, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice.

In this eye-opening episode of Grounded and Soaring, Sam Shapiro, Head of Marin Montessori School, speaks with Dr. Madeline Levine, a psychologist renowned for her insights into the paradoxes of parenting in prosperity.

They delve into the unexpected emotional challenges faced by children in affluent communities, from heightened anxiety and depression to the pressures of success.

Dr. Levine, with her wealth of experience and bestselling books including The Price of Privilege, offers a crucial perspective on fostering resilience, empathy, and genuine happiness in children amidst the often-overlooked pitfalls of affluence.

This discussion is a must-hear for parents seeking to navigate the nuanced landscape of raising healthy, well-adjusted children in a world where more can mean less.

• Understanding Climate Emotions: Sally Weintrobe, featured in The New Yorker, discusses the psychological impact of the climate crisis on families.
• Navigating Parental Responses: Strategies for parents to address their own and their children's climate anxieties.
• Fostering Open Conversations: Tips on how to talk with children about climate change in an age-appropriate and supportive way.
• Balancing Truth and Empathy: Finding the right way to discuss the realities of climate change with kids without causing undue distress.
• Building a Supportive Environment: Ways families and educators can create a nurturing space to explore climate-related emotions.

Tune in for this essential episode that intertwines understanding, support, and practical advice, crucial for today’s parenting challenges in the face of global environmental changes.

In this episode, authors and experts Sheri Glucoft Wong and Olaf Jorgenson join Sam Shapiro, Head of Marin Montessori School, to share parenting tips based on their book Raising Kids. Their guidance is compassionate, profound, and actionable.

In this episode of Grounded and Soaring, host Sam Shapiro, head of Marin Montessori School, delves into the transformative world of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) with expert guest Meena Srinivasan. Together, they unravel the significance of SEL in nurturing emotional intelligence and providing children with essential life skills beyond academics. Don’t miss out on invaluable insights and practical tips for incorporating SEL into your parenting approach.

In an age where adult rudeness seems to be on the rise, how do we ensure our teens don't follow the same path? Join Terry Dubow and Bill Sneed from Marin Montessori School as they delve into the challenges of raising adolescents amidst a backdrop of adult incivility. Drawing insights from a provocative Atlantic article titled "How America Got Mean," this episode touches on:

• The societal trend of declining civility and its impact on young minds.
• Understanding the unique challenges and misconceptions surrounding today's adolescents.
• Practical strategies to foster empathy, respect, and open communication at home.
• Navigating the divide between digital drama and real-world respect.

Tune in for a thoughtful exploration of modern parenting challenges and learn actionable solutions to help nurture well-rounded teens in today's complex landscape.

In this episode of Grounded and Soaring, we dive deep into the challenges of parenting in an age of instant gratification and digital distractions. Join Sam Shapiro, Head of School at Marin Montessori School, in a thought-provoking conversation with renowned expert Dr. Anna Lembke, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding Dopamine: Learn about the role of dopamine in our brains and how it influences pleasure, reward, and motivation.

• The Pleasure-Pain Cycle: Explore the connection between dopamine spikes and the craving that follows, exemplified by binge-watching TV shows.

• Impact on Children and Families: Discover how digital devices are affecting families, from less quality time together to dysregulated behavior in kids.

• Dopamine Fast: Explore the benefits of taking a break from digital devices and how it can help regain control over your digital habits.

• Investing in Real-Life Experiences: Understand the importance of diverting creative energies from the virtual world to the real world and enriching your family's experiences.

Join us as we navigate dopamine nation and gain valuable insights on fostering healthier relationships with technology while raising resilient and balanced children.

Remember, you can connect with us at ⁠groundedandsoaring.org ⁠and rate us on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback is invaluable!

Join us as we delve into this topic with Dr. Denise Pope, the visionary behind Stanford University's groundbreaking research-based initiative, Challenge Success. Discover how redefining "success" can lead to well-being, a sense of belonging, and greater engagement for families.

We'd love to hear what you think of this and any of our episodes. Rate us wherever you get your podcasts!

As parents, we know our kids will face challenges and disappointments, but we don't always know how to prepare them to bounce back. In this episode, Michelle Borba, author of Thrivers, joins Sam Shapiro, Head of Marin Montessori School, to discuss a handful of practical tools parents can use to increase their children's resilience and confidence.

Michele Borba is an educational psychologist and best-selling author with more than 40 years of experience helping parents and their children. She’s also written UnSelfie, a study of empathy in an age of egocentric social media, and is a regular contributor to TV shows including Today, Dateline, The View, Dr. Phil, NBC Nightly News, Fox & Friends, Dr. Oz, and The Early Show.

What could be more essential -- and challenging -- than feeding your child food they love and that they need? It can be a struggle, but there's hope! In this episode, Sam Shapiro, Head of Marin Montessori School, speaks with Nimisha Gandhi, who runs Moon Cycle Nutrition, about her approach to inspiring a love of healthy eating in children.

In this episode, Sam Shapiro, Marin Montessori's Head of School, speaks to Varun Soni, Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California, about the mental health crisis on college campuses and what we might do about it.

Throughout their deeply felt conversation, they try to work backward to identify the strategies parents of young children can use to increase the likelihood that their kids will enter college healthy, confident, and whole.

Enter DrawBridge, a nonprofit organization that provides free expressive arts programs to children in domestic violence and homeless shelters, affordable housing facilities, and in communities across seven San Francisco Bay Area counties. In this episode, Tracy Bays-Boothe, Executive Director of DrawBridge, shares about her organization, the power of nurturing the creative spirit, and why she's so excited that DrawBridge is this year's Community Partner for The Gather for Good, which takes place on April 15 this year.

We all need help committing to the long view as we parent; it’s easy to let anxiety and social comparison hijack our highest ideals and goals for our children. Enter Jessica Lahey, author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed.  In this podcast episode, Sam Shapiro, Head of Marin Montessori School, speaks with Jessica about her top suggestions for parents for helping their kids develop robust independence, inner motivation to learn, and self-possession.

Key topics in the podcast include:

• A helpful parenting hack in the form of a question that will guide us when we’re deciding whether to step in to take over for our child
• The value of focusing on process over product, especially for anxious kids
• The difference between competence and confidence
• The counterbalance parents can provide to the more harmful messages our children receive about the source of their worth
• The value of strengths-based parenting

This fall, David Brooks published an essay in The New York Times called "The Crisis of Boys and Men." Among his provocative arguments based on some pretty sobering data points: "Many men are like what Dean Acheson said about Britain after World War II. They have lost an empire but not yet found a role." 

When it comes to raising healthy boys today, parents and educators alike are called to wrestle with some troubling and uncomfortable byproducts of seismic shifts in our culture, economy, and society. The news isn't all bad, though, because parents and schools can do a lot to meet the needs of boys.  

To paint a picture of the issue and the way forward, we spoke with Dr. Warren Farrell, author of The Boy Crisis: Why our Sons are Struggling--and What We Can Do About It. It's a complex and worthy topic. As always, we'd love your feedback. Just a note that this episode addresses some adult topics, so it may be best to listen without the kids in the car. 

When your kids are young, high school may seem like a distant worry, but it comes faster than anyone would like. That's why it's good to have help, which is what Jamie Moffett provides students in Marin Montessori's Junior High School. Jamie joins the podcast to discuss the transition to high school and to share her experiences with MMS students who apply to and attend independent and public high schools. She also offers a bit of practical advice for what families can do to support their adolescents. 

We're doing it anyway though because we're looking for ways to connect with parents and educators about the stakes and opportunities we all face as we teach and raise children today. On this episode, we introduce the thinking behind Grounded and Soaring and what we're trying to achieve. As always, we welcome feedback. Just email us here!