The heart of teaching is a lived philosophy that shapes how we see young people and how they learn to see themselves. In the recent episode of The Conscious Classroom, Amy Edelstein begins with a simple conviction: students have immense potential—creativity, curiosity, and moral imagination. Our task is to build frameworks that let that potential grow. When we choose wonder, we widen their horizon and our own, moving from transactional classrooms to living communities of insight.

Reflecting on the life of Dr. Jane Goodall, we see a model of attention refined over decades—attention spacious enough to hold complexity and contradiction. Goodall’s work revealed tenderness and aggression in chimpanzee societies without romantic gloss, and her presence embodied a second, quieter lesson: simplicity fuels service. The way she communicated a translucent calm conveyed a consciousness that was attuned to one of the deeper currents of life. As educators we can learn a lot from her, bringing joy and sorrow, beauty and cruelty into the classroom as she watched her chimps in Gombe do.

Rooting in the values of compassion, generosity, and responsibility help students engage with the world around them. They can learn to care and connect with what’s delightful and entertaining and to care for themselves when they find frightening or worrisome realities in the world. Mindfulness helps them develop the ballast to be with life as it is.

From reality as it is, students can make that step from feeling awe into acting with agency. In this episode of The Conscious Classroom,  Amy Edelstein explores these threads and weaves a picture that is nuanced and inviting. Check it out!

Listen to the entire episode here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Subscribe so you don’t miss a single one!