Spencer Burrows is the Equity and Civic Engagement Coordinator and 11th Grade Dean at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, CA. What follows is a conversation between Spencer and R.E.A.L.® founder Liza Garonzik. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity. Liza: Spencer, we are so excited to have you here. You are so committed to…
This week, we’re featuring a team of teachers from St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, VA: Maggie Nunn, who teaches eighth grade Civics and US Government, and Julie Elmore, who teaches eighth grade English. How do you kick off R.E.A.L.® in your classroom? What are some of the intro moves you make? What did you do…
by Dr. Ralph Covino Much has, obviously, been written about the dawn of the AI era with all the wild speculations about how AI will change the face of education as we know it. Some predict it will not only revolutionize education, but eliminate some sectors of it; they may well be right and only…
Last week, we were thrilled to welcome friend-of-R.E.A.L.® Jeff Wetzler to give a keynote presentation to our intrepid R.E.A.L.® educators. Jeff, the former Chief Learning Officer of Teach for America, is the co-founder of Transcend, an organization that strives to support school communities as they create extraordinary, equitable learning environments, and the author of Ask:…
by Emily Gromoll and Izzy Guiliano One of the ways teachers (and students) gauge growth in discussion skills as part of the R.E.A.L.® Discussion process is through the Student Survey and R.E.A.L.® Data Dashboard. Prior to starting R.E.A.L.® and every three discussions thereafter, students take a short, anonymized survey in which they report on their comfort…
It’s clear that AI will have a role in the future of schools – and teachers are (perhaps surprisingly) receptive to that idea. A 2023 Walton Family Foundation survey found that 61 percent of teachers see legitimate educational uses for ChatGPT. In our conversations with R.E.A.L.® faculty grappling with the impacts of ChatGPT on class…
Grant Lichtman is a renowned thought leader on the transformation of K-12 education who works with educators to develop a comfort and capacity for change in a rapidly changing world. Grant spent two years on a cross-country journey exploring deep wells of cultural wisdom that our tech-centered culture has eroded. What follows is a conversation…
Name: Hannah Higgin Hometown: Wallingford, CT Current School & Teaching Assignments: History Department Chair at the Westover School in Middlebury, CT. Describe yourself as a student in three words: Curious, studious, and engaged. Who was your favorite teacher and why? I loved my high school English teachers. Two who meant the most to me are…
Every teacher of young people today knows that, in many cases, the kids are not alright. Anxiety and depression are at an all-time high, cancel culture runs rampant, and many young people spend more time conversing on-screen than they do in-person. As educators, what can we do? How can we arm students with the skills…
Name/Hometown: Patrick Farmer, Newton, Massachusetts Current Role and School: Sixth grade lead teacher at Nativity Preparatory School of Boston. How did you learn about R.E.A.L.®? I used to work at Shady Hill School, where Liza had done her teacher training. One of Liza’s mentors is also one of my mentors, and she saw that we…