203. Unlocking Potential: The Real Tools Students Need to Thrive with AJ Crabill

Conspiracy of Goodness Podcast

A.J. Crabill, a top expert in education leadership, joins us with a fresh, transformative approach to unlocking every child’s potential. Even if education isn’t your world, you’ll find plenty of “ah-ha” moments as A.J. shares why our current system misses the mark—and how it could create a radically better future for us all. With decades of success in transforming schools by supporting students in fresh ways, Crabill has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and is here to discuss his new book, Our Tools They Deserve, where he argues that students need social-emotional skills taught as rigorously as math or reading.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro & Welcome

03:03 – Why School Systems Exist

08:34 – Maximize Potential for Students

13:50 – The Story of ‘Jasmine’

23:48 – Break

26:04 – Aj’s Book ‘Our Tools They Deserve’

37:25 – Practice Restoration, Not Retribution

43:51 – Misconceptions Towards Children

48:40 – AJ’s Origin Story

53:20 – All Kids Want to Learn

56:45 – Behavior is Communication

01:01:18 – Everyone Has the Capacity for Something Great

01:02:15 – Engage With Your Community

01:05:05 – Closing