402: How Does Animal-Assisted Education Improve Student Focus and Mental Health?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Release Date: 02/17/2026
427: The Beauty of Seeing Beyond the Fish
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Nick Parish is a writer, angler, and educator in Portland, Oregon. He's the editorial voice behind Current Flow State, a publication and member community aimed at helping people make fly fishing a bigger part of their life. Summary Fly fishing instructor, writer, and educator Nick Parrish joins me for a conversation that quickly moves beyond techniques and equipment into the philosophy of fly fishing and what it can teach about living well. Drawing inspiration from the writings of John Gierach, Nick argues that fly fishing is less about catching fish than cultivating attentiveness,...
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426 - Serendipity: The Art and Science of Creating Smart Luck
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Today on Getting Unstuck Hi, I’m Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I’m periodically releasing mini-episodes of “Cultivating Curiosity.” In about 10 minutes, I’ll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini-episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work. Summary This mini-episode revisits Jeff Ikler's conversation with Dr. Christian Busch, author of Connect the Dots: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck, to explore why serendipity is far more than simple luck. Dr....
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425: What is Your Default Thinking Pattern Under Pressure?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Dr. Melissa Hughes is a keynote speaker, author, and Human Potential Alchemist who helps people understand how the brain works so they can work, lead, and live better. With a doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction and decades of experience translating neuroscience into practical strategies, Melissa has become a trusted voice for organizations looking to improve leadership, communication, performance, and culture. She is the creator of the Cognitive Blueprint™, a neuroscience-based assessment that reveals how your brain naturally processes information, makes decisions, solves...
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424: Telling the Story You Can't Forget
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
The story behind this episode The story I relate in this episode emerged when, in September 2019, I walked some of the World War I battlefields in Belgium and France with my guide, Iain McHenry. As we walked along where a trench had existed during the war, Iain told me the story of an archaeological dig that recovered and eventually identified the remains of a British soldier who was killed there in November 1914 in a German mortar attack. The story has stayed with me because of how the soldier, Richard Lancaster, was finally identified and because there are literally thousands of other...
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423 - Giving an "A"
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Today on Getting Unstuck Hi, I’m Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I’m periodically releasing mini-episodes of “Cultivating Curiosity.” In about 10 minutes, I’ll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini-episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work. At some point during the summer of 2019, I was walking in our nearby forest preserve, listening to a podcast with Tim Ferriss in conversation with Seth Godin. Tim Ferriss always asks his guests during the wrap-up what...
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422: Is It Possible to Reinvent Oneself Without Having All the Answers? Pt 2
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest JoAnne Duncan has had a varied career, from Alaskan fly-fishing guide to elementary teacher and principal, always focused on valuing the strengths of every student and staff member. Though she’s stepped away from her career in public education, she continues to learn, grow, and inspire others. A lifelong learner, she finds joy and insight outdoors, exploring nature and discovering new ideas, always growing, always learning, and always curious. Summary In Part 1 of this episode, JoAnne reflected on her unconventional path into education, her transition into school...
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421: How Can You Learn to Love Life's Unanswered Questions?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Elizabeth Weingarten is a journalist and applied behavioral scientist who works at the intersection of science and storytelling. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she has worked on the editorial staffs of The Atlantic, Slate, and Qatar Today, and was Managing Editor of Behavioral Scientist. Her writing has appeared in publications including The Atlantic, Slate, CNN, The Financial Times, Quartz, Harvard Business Review, and Time. She has led research programs at the think tank New America, the consultancy ideas42, and at tech companies Torch and...
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420 Avoiding Groupthink? A Leadership Practice Demonstrated on the Way to Pluto
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Hi, I’m Jeff Ikler, host of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I’m periodically releasing mini-episodes of “Cultivating Curiosity.” In about 10 minutes, I’ll dive deeper into a key point from a previously broadcast evergreen episode. The content in these mini-episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work. This week’s mini-episode comes from a May 2023 interview with Dr. Alan Stern. Today, Dr. Stern is an aerospace executive and remains a planetary scientist. In 2015, he was the Principal Investigator on the historic New Horizons mission to Pluto....
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419: What is the Priority?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Hi, I’m Jeff Ikler, host of the Getting Unstuck - Cultivating Curiosity podcast. This summer, I’m periodically releasing mini-episodes that, in under 10 minutes, dive into an evergreen idea from a previously broadcast episode. The content in these mini episodes is designed to be readily applicable to your life or work. This week’s episode was inspired by a conversation with educator Dr. Deb Gustafson in December 2019, when she explained how, as a principal, she had applied Jim Collins’ flywheel principle from Good to Great in her elementary school. The idea The flywheel is an...
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418: How Can Leaders Create the Conditions for Staff to Succeed?
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity
Guest Rich Gassen has worked at UW-Madison for over 15 years as Production Manager and, more recently, as Director at Digital Publishing and Printing Services. He focuses on empowerment, autonomy, and process improvements with his team. His work mantra has always been “Show Up and Participate,” which continues to guide him in his lifelong learning. He also leads a community of practice for supervisors at UW-Madison, focusing on training and development. Summary In this episode, Rich discusses his leadership journey and the principles that guide his work. Drawing on more than 35 years in...
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Barbara Vokatis is a professor at the State University of New York an Oneonta, keynote speaker, award-winning author, and therapy dog partner. She is an author of books in dog therapy in educational settings (“Teachers and Therapy Dog Teams: Innovative Collaborations to Make a Difference for Children”) and a children’s book (“Carmel Goes to School”) with the therapy dog theme. Her latest book is titled “Unshakable: Parenting through Autism with Love, Courage, and Purpose.”
Summary
In this episode, Jeff Ikler speaks with Dr. Barb Vokatis about the role of animal-assisted intervention—especially therapy dogs—in supporting student well-being, engagement, and learning. Dr. Barb explains that her work began when she observed the powerful, calming, and relational impact her dog had on her autistic child, which led her to develop a certified therapy dog program in schools. She describes how structured classroom visits from therapy dogs can reduce anxiety, increase focus, improve classroom behavior, and encourage participation—especially among shy or reluctant students.
Teachers reported that students became calmer and more attentive when the therapy dog was present, without disrupting instruction. Dr. Barb shares examples of students who became more expressive, more willing to speak, and even newly motivated to write after interacting with the dog and hearing her story. She emphasizes that therapy animals are not gimmicks or tools, but relationship catalysts that help build trust, kindness, and emotional safety.
The conversation broadens to educational reform, arguing that student mental health and kindness should be more intentionally integrated into the school system. Dr. Barb calls for teacher training, professional development, and scalable models that responsibly expand therapy animal programs.
The Critical Takeaway
Schools should treat student well-being and academic learning as inseparable, with animal-assisted programs as one practical pathway.
Social Media/Referenced
https://www.instagram.com/dr.barb.educator/
https://www.facebook.com/barbara.vokatis
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-vokatis-ph-d-530649a/
Book recommendation: The Path of Powerful Kindness