Watch Pamela Cantor, M.D. answer questions from parents in this video series from The Human Potential L.A.B. and Learning Heroes, part of their Go Beyond Grades campaign.

Spring 2025

Watch highlights from recent Pamela Cantor, M.D. interviews and presentations, featuring her insights on topics including education, human development, and unlocking human potential.

Pamela Cantor, M.D., explains the biology of learning and its connection to belonging in this video from History Co:Lab as part of the Building Belonging Project, a product of the Jacobs Foundation and New America’s Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX) fellowship.

Reimagining education in the United States.

The 45-minute docu-training film featuring Pamela Cantor, M.D., aims to help educators mitigate the effects of grief, trauma, and emotional stressors facing students amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19.

Giving students time to explore ideas with no immediate grade pressure helps motivate them to be creative and take intellectual risks.

In order to learn, students need to feel safe, cared for, and emotionally connected to their teachers and each other.

Letting students choose books to read helps them develop a sense of autonomy and ownership over their learning.

By regularly reviewing students’ behavior and learning as a team, teachers can ensure that every student is seen, supported, and celebrated.

For many struggling students, consistently spending informal time with a trusted educator supports emotional well-being and academic growth.

Research shows that greeting students as they come into class bolsters a feeling of belonging and readiness to learn.

Research shows that students who feel safe and supported by adults at school are better able to learn.

When students make “I notice” and “I wonder” comments on course content, teachers can see what they know—and what they need to learn.

When students help create their classrooms' rules and culture, they’re more engaged and invested in learning.

When teachers use strategies tailored to children who have experienced trauma, all students reap the emotional and academic benefits.

Research shows that taking some time each day to practice mindfulness as a class helps students prepare themselves for learning.

Research shows that taking some time each day to practice mindfulness as a class helps students prepare themselves for learning.

When teachers model self-regulation by using a voice that is calm, neutral, and assertive, they help students feel cared for—and ready to learn.

Explicitly modeling the process of prioritizing tasks builds students’ ability to organize and manage their time.

The key is giving students the decision-making tools they need to shape their own learning experiences.

The research is clear: Strong relationships with educators help students develop the cognitive skills they need to learn and thrive.

Students deepen their understanding and build a sense of community by engaging with their peers’ reasoned arguments.

Sentence starters that students use to join a class discussion encourage both academic thinking and social connectedness.

This two-hour documentary explores the science of learning, including research and insights from neuroscientists, psychologists, and educators working to reimagine the future of education—Pamela Cantor, M.D., and teachers from Fairmont Neighborhood School in the Bronx, among them!