THE RIPPLE EFFECT PODCAST EPISODES
Latest Episode
October 29, 2025
Module 2: Episode 4 – Grace as Inclusion: Seeing Every Student in Their Wholeness
A conversation with Dr. Alain Sykes
In this insightful conversation, Dr. Alain Sykes invites us to rethink what grace truly means in education.
Grace isn’t passive—it’s a courageous act of inclusion, presence, and dignity that allows us to see every student in their wholeness.
Together, we explore how educators can honor differences, hold boundaries, and create spaces where both teachers and students feel seen and valued.
From practical insights on collaboration and classroom culture to reflections on self-grace and community care, this episode offers a grounding reminder: belonging begins with how we show up for one another.
In this episode:
What grace looks like in diverse classrooms
How to balance compassion with healthy boundaries
Ways to foster inclusion without burnout
The connection between grace, presence, and belonging
Whether you’re a teacher, counselor, or school leader, this conversation will leave you inspired to lead with curiosity, courage, and care.
🎧 Listen to the Pilot on Spotify
🎧 Listen to the Pilot on Apple Podcasts
💌 Subscribe for updates & resources
Resource Mentioned
Download the Grace Resource PDF for reflection prompts, journaling tools, and a link to Dr. Sykes’ Substack (subscriber access): alainsykes.substack.com.
🌐 Connect with Us
🌸 Website: www.therippleeffect.io
📸 Instagram: @rippleeffect.teachers
💙 Facebook: The Ripple Effect Podcast
🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/rippleeffect.teachers
SEASON 1: Module 1
Pilot Episode: Welcome to The Ripple Effect: Helping Teachers Thrive
The Ripple Effect is a podcast dedicated to helping educators reconnect with themselves, protect their energy, and create thriving classrooms.
In this pilot episode, host Aimee Donoho—educator, therapist, and advocate for teacher wellness—shares the story of how The Ripple Effect began. Born from the Aloha Connect program. This podcast was inspired by in-depth conversations with teachers and the realization that educator wellness must be addressed differently.
Why This Podcast Exists:
Post-pandemic education is different. Teacher stress is different.
We cannot offer our students safety, empathy, and presence if we don’t experience those things ourselves.
Caring for ourselves as educators isn’t selfish—it’s the foundation for everything we do.
What You’ll Hear in the Pilot:
How the Aloha Connect lunch-and-learn sessions brought teachers together for connection, learning, and laughter
Why nervous system awareness matters in teaching
The Four S’s (safe, seen, soothed, secure) and how they apply to educators
How small acts of self-regulation can transform school culture
Monthly Podcast Structure:
Each month will focus on one theme—such as Awareness, Grace, Gratitude, or Renewal—and feature:
Solo reflection from Aimee introducing the theme
Expert interview bringing science-based strategies
Real teacher’s story
Cultural/community perspective
Signature Question: Who was the teacher who made you feel seen, valued, or capable—and what would you say to them today?
🎧 Listen to the Pilot on Spotify
🎧 Listen to the Pilot on Apple Podcasts
💌 Subscribe for updates & resources
Module 1: Episode 1 – What Is Emotional Awareness and Why It Matters
In this episode, we explore emotional self-awareness—what it is, why it matters for educators, and how it connects to the nervous system. You’ll learn practical strategies for tuning into your body’s cues so you can respond with presence, empathy, and clarity.
💡 Tool of the Week: The 3-Minute Daily Check-In – a quick way to build awareness and reset throughout your day.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Polyvagal Theory by Dr. Stephen Porges – Learn More
The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy by Deb Dana – Book Link
Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory by Deb Dana – Book Link
Deb Dana’s Clinical Resources – Rhythm of Regulation
Reticular Activating System (RAS) – Healthline Article
🎧 Listen to the Episode on Spotify
🎧 Listen to the Episode on Apple Podcasts
Additional Tools:
DBT House Worksheet – Mind Remake Project | Therapist Aid | Behavioral Tech
Nervous System Mapping –The Movement Paradigm
Module 1: Episode 2 – Seeing with the Witness: Self-Awareness and Compassion in the Classroom, with Special Guest Martha White MA, LMHC-NCC-Licensed Mental Health Counselor & Founder of Keala Kea Counseling
Martha White, clinician and mindfulness educator, introduces “The Witness”—a powerful concept for noticing without reacting. We explore how nervous system awareness and compassion work together to create safer, more responsive classrooms.
💡 Bonus: Practice a 1-minute Witness meditation during the episode.
🔗 Includes a link to Martha's article "The Witness" and more resources on her website.
🎧 Listen to the Episode on Spotify
🎧 Listen to the Episode on Apple Podcasts
Module 1: Episode 3 – Tide, Time, and Turtles: Self-Awareness through the Lens of Nature, with Special Guest Laura Jim
Science teacher and sea turtle researcher Laura Jim shares how the rhythms of the ocean helped her reconnect with herself during a season of burnout. Through nature, photography, and presence, she offers a grounded model of self-awareness in action.
🌊 Reflection prompts included: Ocean Awareness, Nature as Regulator.
📸 Follow Laura on Instagram: @laurajimphotography
🎧 Listen to the Episode on Spotify
🎧 Listen to the Episode on Apple Podcasts
Module 1: Episode 4 – Roots & Resilience – What Forests Teach Us About Ourselves, with Special Guest Kumu Kuwalu
Join host Aimee Donoho in conversation with cultural practitioner and kumu hula, Kumu Kuwalu. In this episode, they explore the power of ecological awareness, cultural wisdom, and nervous system grounding for educators. Kumu shares how hula and land-based practices have helped students reconnect to themselves and how educators can apply these principles in the classroom.
Includes:
Grounding breath practice guided by Kumu
Reflections on teaching through cultural identity and community care
A featured video clip: Forests as reflections of our societies
3 reflection prompts for classroom and personal use
🎧 Listen to the Episode on Spotify
🎧 Listen to the Episode on Apple Podcasts
SEASON 1: Module 2
Module 2: Episode I – The Science of Grace in Teaching: How Self-Compassion Protects Teachers from Burnout
Teaching is beautifully human—and often messy. Mistakes, misunderstandings, and overwhelming days are part of the work.
Without grace, these moments can spiral into self-criticism and burnout. With grace, we create space for forgiveness, renewal, and authentic connection.
In this solo episode, Aimee Donoho explores the science and practice of grace—drawing from psychology, neuroscience, and lived classroom experience. You’ll learn why grace matters for educators, how it supports nervous-system regulation and resilience, and two simple practices you can begin using right away.
🌐 Connect with Us
🌸 Website: www.therippleeffect.io
📸 Instagram: @rippleeffect.teachers
💙 Facebook: The Ripple Effect Podcast
🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/rippleeffect.teachers
Module 2: Episode 2 – The Heart of Teaching: Grace, Connection, and Loving Every Student with Jo Piltz
In this episode of The Ripple Effect: Helping Teachers Thrive, host Aimee Donoho sits down with beloved educator Jo Piltz, who spent more than three decades teaching English and History at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy.
Known for her calm strength and deep compassion, Jo shares how teaching became her calling—and how grace guided her through both joy and challenge. She reflects on what it means to love every student, even those who are hardest to reach, and how presence—not perfection—is the true foundation of meaningful teaching.
The Heart of Teaching invites educators to rediscover the power of connection, compassion, and resilience in the classroom.
🎧 Listen to the Pilot on Spotify
🎧 Listen to the Pilot on Apple Podcasts
💌 Subscribe for updates & resources
🌐 Connect with Us
🌸 Website: www.therippleeffect.io
📸 Instagram: @rippleeffect.teachers
💙 Facebook: The Ripple Effect Podcast
🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/rippleeffect.teachers
Module 2: Episode 3 – Grace as a Compass: Navigating Burnout and Boundaries with Compassion — A Conversation with Britta Eskey
Britta Eskey is the author of Initiations in Love, a spiritual memoir that explores transformation through life’s sacred rites of passage, and the host of the Initiations in Love podcast. She co-founded COR (Latin for “Heart”), a personal growth organization that has been serving individuals and communities for over 25 years.
COR offers transformational workshops, leadership trainings, and coaching programs — both in-person and online — that help people reconnect with their essential goodness and live from their deepest values. Its mission is to empower people to become skillful, embodied leaders who can compassionately guide others while living with courage, clarity, and heart.
Britta is a certified Compassion Cultivation Teacher, and one of the developers and instructors of the Cultivating the Heart course at Stanford University’s CCARE.
🎧 Listen to the Pilot on Spotify
🎧 Listen to the Pilot on Apple Podcasts
💌 Subscribe for updates & resources
Resources Mentioned
Britta Eskey & COR Experience: corexperience.com
Book: Initiations in Love by Britta Eskey – Buy the book
Podcast: Initiations in Love – Listen here
Instagram: @brittaeskey
🌐 Connect with Us
🌸 Website: www.therippleeffect.io
📸 Instagram: @rippleeffect.teachers
💙 Facebook: The Ripple Effect Podcast
🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/rippleeffect.teachers
