Understanding Ourselves and Each Other Even Better

This page provides reading and videos that that will support educators. This page hopes to add some food for thought and open the "box" so that problem-solving can become limitless.

The videos below give undeniable data to show that we all need sleep and that our emotional state predicts our heart's health. Thinking of self-care, and finding simple ways to care for ourselves throughout the day, these videos intertwine with Catalyst. Because these videos may have some sensitive topics, please listen alone or while wearing earbuds.

Want to get great at something? Get a coachHow do we improve in the face of complexity? Atul Gawande has studied this question with a surgeon's precision. He shares what he's found to be the key: having a good coach to provide a more accurate picture of our reality, to instill positive habits of thinking, and to break our actions down and then help us build them back up again. "It's not how good you are now; it's how good you're going to be that really matters," Gawande says.

How can we support the emotional well-being of teachers?Teachers emotionally support our kids -- but who's supporting our teachers? In this eye-opening talk, educator Sydney Jensen explores how teachers are at risk of "secondary trauma" -- the idea that they absorb the emotional weight of their students' experiences -- and shows how schools can get creative in supporting everyone's mental health and wellness.

Sleep is your superpowerSleep is your life-support system and Mother Nature's best effort yet at immortality, says sleep scientist Matt Walker. In this deep dive into the science of slumber, Walker shares the wonderfully good things that happen when you get sleep -- and the alarmingly bad things that happen when you don't, for both your brain and body. Learn more about sleep's impact on your learning, memory, immune system and even your genetic code -- as well as some helpful tips for getting some shut-eye.

Sandeep Jauhar: How your emotions change the shape of your heart"A record of our emotional life is written on our hearts," says cardiologist and author Sandeep Jauhar. In a stunning talk, he explores the mysterious ways our emotions impact the health of our hearts -- causing them to change shape in response to grief or fear, to literally break in response to emotional heartbreak -- and calls for a shift in how we care for our most vital organ.

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