Building Bridges, Not Burnout - Thinkering Weekly
Inside the Collective: rethinking educator retention, prototyping ThinkerBot, and launching community spaces that bring human-centered learning to life.
Behind the Scenes at Thinkering Collective
Inside the Collective: what we’re building, exploring, and learning together
Our team kicked off the month with renewed energy and direction coming from our June partnership meeting. We reviewed the current fellowship program, where Fellows are entering the homestretch of defining their capstone innovation impact projects.
We also shared that, based on valuable feedback from our Fellows, we’re launching a private study focused on reducing burnout and improving educator retention — because too many passionate educators are leaving the field far too early.
Looking ahead, we discussed exciting updates to our Fellowship, evolving it into a full-year program with four official cohorts.
Garrett Wilhelm, our Senior Advisor, gave a first look at ThinkerBot — the new AI tool we’re building alongside Sean Guyon. ThinkerBot is designed to help educators and Fellows connect around impact projects, bridging them with mentors and collaborators to bring their dream ideas to life at scale. Big reveals are coming at next month’s partnership meeting, where ThinkerBot will be on full display.
We’re also thrilled to announce new community events — from public livestream AMAs and panel discussions to quarterly gatherings and private partner “Power Ups,” where industry experts join us to strengthen our work through fresh outside mentorship.
Stay tuned as we continue to build a community movement around humanizing education for learners worldwide. Interested in mentoring the next group of Thinkerers? Listen to Garrett Wilhelm’s experience!
This Week at Thinkering Media
What we’re publishing and sharing this week across our platforms.
Personalizing vs. Personalized: Why the Difference Is the Heart of Human-Centered Learning
We often hear about personalized learning as an asset in education: tailored paths, adaptive technologies, differentiated content. It feels like what we’ve been craving: a way to meet students where they are. Tailored content is cool, but is it truly
Community Is the Currency
The school year may be over, but its echoes still linger. In the quiet hallways, empty classrooms, and well-worn lesson plans, we’re left not just with memories, but with a question…
The June Juggle: Finding Balance Amid End-of-Year Chaos
TL;DR It’s June. Your to-do list has its own to-do list. But balance isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing the right things, at the right time, with the right tools. Here’s how. You ever try juggling flaming swords while sprinting through a confetti storm?
Latest Thinkering Podcast and Media Releases
Transforming Classrooms and Communities with Dr. Nadine Ebri
At Thinkering Media, we believe the future of education isn’t defined by tools alone — it’s built by the people who have the courage to challenge how things have always been done. Our InnovateHer series exists to spotlight exactly that: Women of Color who are driving meaningful change in EdTech, education, and the lives of learners everywhere.
Fostering Emotional Safety in Schools: A Conversation with Pam McNall
In this episode of Thinkering Minds, we sat down with Pam McNall, founder and CEO of Respectful Ways, a trauma-informed digital SEL curriculum. We had WAY too much fun…
What Is Smart? - Dr. Damian Bebell
On today's episode we talk with Dr. Damian Bebell, Assistant Professor @ Lynch School of Education and Human Development @ Boston College. Dr. Bebell has over 20 years of experience helping schools and policymakers with data, technology, and empirical research to support educational initiatives. Today Dr. Bebell is asked the title question, What Is Smar…
Upcoming Community Events
August 6th, 1pm EST on Substack (and other Thinkering socials)
of Teachers Deserve It.
Livestream AMA with
Registration link coming soon.
Partnership Highlight
Our partners at Respectful Ways continue to expand their impact through creative platforms like StudentsXpress — a magazine encouraging students to express themselves through writing and art. Since 2011, StudentsXpress has helped students reveal their personal perspectives, improving social and emotional learning while igniting young minds.
Thanks to the reach of Respectful Ways, this program is now available to schools nationwide, offering a powerful outlet for students from PreK through 12th grade to explore key SEL concepts through their own creative universe.
Explore StudentsXpress here
Interested in bringing this to your community? Reach out!
Pam@Respectfulways.com or Rachel@StudentsXpress.com.
Get Involved at Thinkering
Ways to connect, build, and learn with us.
Join the Fellowship
You’ve been building toward this moment — where educators become the architects of what’s next.
Apply to join our Fellowship program
Partner with Us
Looking to amplify your work or co-create something that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in education? We build partnerships that go beyond collaboration — they create shared impact.
Learn more
ThinkerBot’s Closing Thought
This isn’t just another education nonprofit or professional development workshop. It’s a launchpad for change.
Big week at Thinkering!