Teachers as Interpreters: Listening to Every Student

Teachers as Interpreters: Listening to Every Student

Author: Ethical Schools August 9, 2025 Duration: 40:31

We speak with Dr. Cynthia Ballenger about her recent book, “Teaching is Inquiry: Observation and Reflection as the Heart of Practice,” in which she explores the role of ethnography in inquiry-based teaching and learning, i.e., cultural practices in terms of speaking, storytelling, and conveying information. Teachers can discern a lot more about students if they listen to them in the context of their ethnic/ cultural styles of communicating. Dr. Ballenger also addresses the children she calls “puzzling.”  Each of them has something to offer, she says, even those who seemingly have social-emotional challenges.

Overview

00:00-00:58 Intros

00:58-01:45 “Teaching Is Inquiry”

01:45-08:56 Ethnography of education

08:56-11:12 “Every child has something to offer the class.”

11:12-20:45 The “puzzling child”: more stories

20:45-24:10 Cultural and individual differences

24:10-27:43 Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

27:43-30:17 “Stopping time.”

30:17-31:17 Importance of stories

31:17-34:41 Strengthening systemic support; ethical implications

34:41-36:45 Testing culture as anti-democratic and unethical

36:45-38:13 More reflections on OCD

38:13-38:37 Jerome Bruner on negotiating meaning

38:37- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Book “Teaching is Inquiry” by Dr. Cynthia Ballenger

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear


Conversations about education often focus on test scores and curriculum, but there’s a deeper layer that truly shapes a student’s experience. Ethical Schools digs into that layer, exploring what it means to build a learning community grounded in integrity and care. Each week, hosts Amy and Jon sit down with educators and innovators who are actively reimagining schools. You’ll hear specific, grounded discussions about the practical work of creating environments where every student feels safe and respected. The dialogue frequently addresses how to support young people dealing with trauma, moving beyond theory to share actionable strategies that teachers are using right now. More than just problem-solving, this podcast highlights how to empower students themselves to become advocates and changemakers in their own communities. It’s a series that connects philosophy with daily practice, looking at the social and cultural structures within schools through a lens of ethics. For anyone invested in the future of education-whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or simply a concerned community member-this podcast offers a thoughtful and necessary perspective on the foundational values that make education meaningful.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 240

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
National Sex Ed Standards: Equity and expanded comfort zones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:00
We speak with Brittany McBride, Associate Director, Sexuality Education at Advocates for Youth, who partners with schools to provide the complete sex education that all students deserve. Though parents, students, and tea…
Dismantling bias in schools: A multiyear model [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:53
We speak with Dr. John Pascarella, Chief Academic Officer of K-12 Professional Learning at USC Race and Equity Center. The Center works with schools to identify disparate outcomes for students and strategies to eliminate…
Mentors and passages: The power of teen-centric programs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:00
We speak with Al Kurland, longtime leader of out-of-school-time programs in Upper Manhattan’s Washington Heights. Mr. Kurland founded youth programs that help teens to “rewrite their stories” with the support of adult an…
From Skinner to computer-based education: Can machines teach? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:30
We speak with independent journalist Audrey Watters, author of “Teaching machines: The history of personalized learning,” about the origins of teaching machines and the pedagogies that incorporate mechanical devices for…
Radical care: Leading with love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:15
We speak with Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen, associate professor of leadership studies at Lehman College, CUNY, about the importance of school leaders and teachers practicing radical care, including listening with intent and…
Efforts to ban books escalate: Tips for resistance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:30
We speak with Dr. Richard Price, associate professor of political science at Weber State University, about recent attempts to ban books, especially those about GLBTQIA+ people and people of color, from classrooms and sch…
Climate education: not just for science class [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:30
We speak with Dr. Deb L. Morrison, research scientist at the University of Washington School of Education, about centering climate science throughout the K-12 curriculum. Dr. Morrison talks about ClimeTime, a Washington…
Distortions and fabrications: The state of climate education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:45
We speak with Katie Worth, investigative journalist and author of Miseducation: How Climate Change is Taught in America. Ms. Worth explores what children across the country are taught, or not taught, about climate change…