What happens when "college should be hard" collides with "students are barely holding it together"?

In this episode of The What & Who of EDU, we're unpacking how instructors balance academic rigor with student mental health. Because challenge builds growth but unmanaged stress can just shut learning down.

From reset days and scaffolded assignments to flexible deadlines and second chances, we're counting down 10 practical, research-backed strategies instructors are using to keep expectations high without burning students out. Designed for busy educators, this episode gives you clear, "try it tomorrow" ideas to help students stay engaged, supported, and learning … even when life gets complicated.

Brought to you by Macmillan Learning

Episode Breakdown + Timestamps

[01:12] Take the Snow Day

[03:45] Kindness Doesn't Cost a Thing

[05:38] Be Honest About Hard

[08:14] Stretch, Don't Snap

[11:50] Build Grace in Early

[13:36] Lower the Stakes, Not the Standards

[15:55] Make the Ask Visible

[17:40] Do the Hard Part Early

[19:37] Keep the Deadline. Use Judgment.

[21:24] Keep a Second Window

[24:09] What We Learned Today – A Brief Summary

Featured Educators

Dr. Christin Monroe is an Educational Research Associate at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She previously taught Chemistry at Landmark College with a focus on supporting neurodivergent learners.

Jennifer McAllister Duncan is an Associate Professor of English at Georgia State University's Perimeter College. Jennifer has been teaching English literature and composition for twenty-five years and specializing in online teaching for fifteen.

Dr. Daniel Look is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Mathematics at St. Lawrence University. He's spent over 25 years trying to convince students that math is not only useful, but occasionally fun.

Jennifer Ripley Stueckle has spent the past 17 years as a Teaching Professor and Non-Majors Biology Program Director at West Virginia University. She has taught introductory biology, immunology and human physiology.

Erika Martinez is a Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida, where she has taught economics for 14 years. She's passionate about making economics accessible and engaging for all students and also teaches at UNC-Kenan Flagler Business School's MBA@UNC online program and Santa Barbara City College.

Dr. Ryan Herzog is an Associate Professor of Economics, Program Coordinator, and Faculty Fellow at Gonzaga University, where he has been teaching for 16 years. . He's co-authored "Principles of Economics" and his work focuses on macroeconomics, financial markets and public policy.

Dr. Star Sinclair is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Florida Gulf Coast University. For 18 years, she has taught general psychology, lifespan development, behavioral statistics, and research methods in psychology to students of all backgrounds and preparation levels.

Dr. Sara Lahman is a Professor of Biology and STEM Outreach Coordinator at the University of Mount Olive.

Betsy Langness is the Psychology Department Head at Jefferson Community and Technical College, where she has worked for more than 20 years. She teaches general and developmental psychology courses in a virtual, asynchronous environment.

Mary Gourley is a psychology instructor at Gaston College with over 16 years of teaching experience. She also teaches gender, human sexuality, and social psychology courses at New Mexico State University's Global Campus.

If this episode sparked an idea, send it to that colleague who's trying to hold the line without burning everyone out, including themselves.

Follow the show, leave a quick rating, or share it with someone who could use a reminder that rigor and humanity are not, in fact, mortal enemies.

Have a strategy that's working in your classroom? We'd love to hear it: TheWhatAndWhoofEDU@macmillan.com/

Students aren't waiting for class to start learning science. They're getting it from their feeds first. In this episode of The What & Who of EDU, we sit down with journalist and Newsreel founder Jack Brewster to discuss how algorithms, influencers AI-generated content, and viral misinformation are shaping what students think they know before they ever walk into the classroom.

From the rise of AI-driven feeds to the loss of nuance in science communication, this conversation explores why more access to information hasn't translated into better understanding, and what educators can do to help students question what they see without becoming skeptical of everything.

Brought to you by Macmillan Learning

Lesson Plan + Timestamps

[00:32] Meet Jack Brewster, Founder of Newsreel

[01:01] Where students are actually encountering science today

[02:07] Social media vs the classroom

[04:11] Why it's harder than ever to know what to trust

[05:26] How algorithms really work (and why that matters)

[08:36] Bots, "slop," and content farms

[10:15] Why nuance doesn't survive the feed

[13:26] Attention spans, distractions, and deep thinking

[15:06] Curiosity vs. skepticism

[18:09] It's bigger than science

[20:50] What makes a source trustworthy?

[25:20] What educators can do differently tomorrow

[28:23] AI in education and where the conversation is falling short

[29:40] What we learned today

Featured Guest

Jack Brewster is a journalist, researcher, and Fulbright Scholar focused on media literacy and the future of news. A former reporter at Forbes and NewsGuard, he covered misinformation, foreign propaganda, and the rise of AI-generated content. He is the founder of Newsreel, an interactive, gamified news platform designed to help young people build lasting habits of informed, critical engagement with current events.

Required Reading

Newsreel

Reimagining Science Education Summit

5 Questions Science Educators Should be asking about AI

Science is Changing Fast. What Does that Mean for How We Teach It?

Burnout in higher education doesn't always show up as a crash. More often, it looks like reheated coffee, a growing to-do list, and the sense that the work never really ends.

In this episode, we share 10 strategies from real educators who have figured out how to keep going without burning out, from setting boundaries and saying no, to redesigning assignments and letting go of perfection. These aren't abstract ideas or productivity hacks. They're practical, classroom-tested ways to protect your energy while still showing up for your students.

If you've ever thought, "I can't keep doing it like this," this episode is for you.

Brought to you by Macmillan Learning

Episode Breakdown + Timestamps

00:00 Kickoff: When burnout starts to creep in

01:12 Stop before you crash

02:47 Remember there's a world outside academia. Learn to say no

06:08 Advocate for yourself

09:15 Done is better than perfect

11:45 Let tech do the heavy lifting

14:49 Do less, but make it matter

18:08 Balance your strengths, not just your tasks

19:54 Keep it fun

24:22 Let your students refuel you

26:27 Touch grass

29:58 What we learned today

Featured Educators

Jennifer Duncan is Associate Professor of English at Georgia State University's Perimeter College. Jennifer has been teaching English literature and composition for twenty-five years and specializing in online teaching for fifteen.

Dr. Ryan Herzog is an Associate Professor of Economics, Program Coordinator, and Faculty Fellow at Gonzaga University, where he has been teaching for 16 years. He's co-authored "Principles of Economics" and his work focuses on macroeconomics, financial markets and public policy.

Dr. Erika Martinez is a Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida, where she has taught economics for 14 years. She's passionate about making economics accessible and engaging for all students and also teaches at UNC-Kenan Flagler Business School's MBA@UNC online program and Santa Barbara City College.

Dr. Sara Lahman is a Professor of Biology and STEM Outreach Coordinator at the University of Mount Olive. She has over a decade of experience in STEM education, curriculum design, and research, and is passionate about creating learning experiences that connect science to real-world applications.

Betsy Langness is the Psychology Department Head at Jefferson Community and Technical College, where she has worked for more than 20 years. She teaches general and developmental psychology courses in a virtual, asynchronous environment.

Adriana Bryant is an English and Developmental English Instructor at Lone Star College–Kingwood in Texas. She teaches courses of different modalities, and strives to create an engaging environment that helps foster her students' growth and desire to learn.

Dr. Christin Monroe is an Educational Research Associate at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She previously taught Chemistry at Landmark College with a focus on supporting neurodivergent learners through inclusive and innovative teaching practices.

Dr. Jennifer Ripley Stueckle has spent the past 17 years as a Teaching Professor and Non-Majors Biology Program Director at West Virginia University. She has taught introductory biology, immunology and human physiology. She also created biology courses offered through dual enrollment at West Virginia high schools.

Dr. Kendra Thomas is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Hope College and co-author of The Developing Person Through the Life Span. She has been teaching human development courses for 12 years. She is a mother of two and researches adolescents' perceptions of justice and how hope changes over time.

Dr. Star Sinclair is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Florida Gulf Coast University. For 18 years, she has taught general psychology, lifespan development, behavioral statistics, and research methods in psychology to students of all backgrounds and preparation levels.

One Last Thing

If something in this episode made you think, laugh, or finally close a few of those tabs, follow the show, leave a quick rating, or share it with a colleague. It's the podcast equivalent of sliding a good idea down the hallway right when someone needs it.

Have your own strategy for avoiding burnout? Email us at TheWhatAndWhoOfEDU@macmillan.com, we'd love to hear from you.