{"podcast":{"title":"The What And Who Of EDU","slug":"the-what-and-who-of-edu-7245179","podcast_index_feed_id":7245179,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/563925/rss","website_url":"https://sites.libsyn.com/563925","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/8/3/1/7/8317fb1d1b48a48ed959afa2a1bf1c87/Copy_of_who-what-edu-podcast-cover.jpg","author":"Macmillan Learning","episode_count":33,"summary":"The What & Who of EDU brings together instructors, experts, and thought leaders to share the teaching strategies that actually work. From building classroom confidence and teaching critical thinking to navigating AI in education, we help educators tackle the challenges that don't always come with a handbook.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-what-and-who-of-edu-7245179"},"episode":{"title":"College Is Hard. Life Is Harder. 10 Ways Instructors Help Students Survive Both.","slug":"college-is-hard-life-is-harder-10-ways-instructors-help-students-survive-both","published_at":"2026-05-20T12:10:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-what-and-who-of-edu-7245179/college-is-hard-life-is-harder-10-ways-instructors-help-students-survive-both","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-what-and-who-of-edu-7245179","url":"https://e69f2d88-be8f-424f-85e7-49f634dc418d.libsyn.com/college-is-hard-life-is-harder-10-ways-instructors-help-students-survive-both","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/e69f2d88-be8f-424f-85e7-49f634dc418d/S2_E9_mental_health.m4a?dest-id=4874965","summary":"What happens when \"college should be hard\" collides with \"students are barely holding it together\"? In this episode of The What & Who of EDU, we're unpacking how instructors balance academic rigor with student mental health. Because challenge builds growth but unmanaged stress can just shut learning down. From reset days and scaffolded assignments to flexible deadlines and second chances, we're counting down 10 practical, research-backed strategies instructors are using to keep expectations high without burning students out. Designed for busy educators, this episode gives you clear, \"try it tomorrow\" ideas to help students stay engaged, supported, and learning … even when life gets complicated. Brought to you by Macmillan Learning Episode Breakdown + Timestamps [01:12] Take the Snow Day [03:45] Kindness Doesn't Cost a Thing [05:38] Be Honest About Hard [08:14] Stretch, Don't Snap [11:50] Build Grace in Early [13:36] Lower the Stakes, Not the Standards [15:55] Make the Ask Visible [17:40] Do the Hard Part Early [19:37] Keep the Deadline. Use Judgment. [21:24] Keep a Second Window [24:09] What We Learned Today – A Brief Summary Featured Educators Dr. Christin Monroe is an Educational Research Associate at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She previously taught Chemistry at Landmark College with a focus on supporting neurodivergent learners. Jennifer McAllister Duncan is an Associate Professor of English at Georgia State University's Perimeter College. Jennifer has been teaching English literature and composition for twenty-five years and specializing in online teaching for fifteen. Dr. Daniel Look is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Mathematics at St. Lawrence University. He's spent over 25 years trying…","meta_description":"What happens when \"college should be hard\" collides with \"students are barely holding it together\"? In this episode of The What & Who of EDU, we're unpack…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1518,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-what-and-who-of-edu-7245179/episodes/college-is-hard-life-is-harder-10-ways-instructors-help-students-survive-both/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-what-and-who-of-edu-7245179/college-is-hard-life-is-harder-10-ways-instructors-help-students-survive-both.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}