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Information & Inspiration
from real teachers, real students & real research
Dr. John Austin is the Head of School at Deerfield Academy and the lead author of “Thriving in a World of Pluralistic Contention: A Framework for Schools.” The Framework was produced by a Task Force of Heads of School in partnership with the E.E. Ford Foundation. What follows is a conversation between John and R.E.A.L….
Name/Hometown: Sumner McCallie, Chattanooga, TN, McCallie School Current Role and School: Dean of Faculty & Curriculum at McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN. How did you learn about R.E.A.L.®? [R.E.A.L.® Founder] Liza Garonzik had presented at a conference, and our Middle School Principal came back and said, “you’ve got to be connected with her. She has…
One Saturday night about five years ago, I found myself at TGI Friday’s at 10:30pm, just sitting down to dinner with a sports team full of disgruntled teenagers. The kids were grumpy after the afternoon’s loss and tired from a long day of travel; unsurprisingly, phones came out as we walked from the door to…
Penny Austen is the founder of ThinkGive, a SEL program that helps students build character, confidence, and connection. What follows is a conversation between Penny and R.E.A.L. ® founder Liza Garonzik. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity. Liza: Penny, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to have you, as…
R.E.A.L.® Discussion is a program that equips faculty to teach, measure, and celebrate discussion skills – which students use in the classroom, in the cafeteria, on the court, and, even, at the grocery store (said one sixth grade girl) and on dates (shared a ninth grade boy)! The system is based on the four R.E.A.L.®…
As Susan Cain, the author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, said in a now-famous TED Talk, “Our most important institutions – our schools and our workplaces – are designed mostly for extroverts and for extroverts’ need for lots of stimulation.” Indeed, in rejecting the lecture-based classes of…
Listening skills are critical for students of all ages. They matter for academics, friendship, and all relationships – and yet, most schools stop proactively teaching students how to listen after age eight! Even then: children are most often taught how to “listen-to-comply” rather than the art of true, deep listening. At R.E.A.L.®, we know that…
We are delighted to announce the winners of The Second Annual R.E.A.L. ® Discussion National Essay Contest! We invited the thousands of students who have used R.E.A.L.® this year to submit an essay exploring the differences between communicating in-person and on-screen. We asked for predictions about how Gen-Z will communicate in 10 years, and we…
Thank you to Holly Silberman for sharing her REAL life with us! Holly is a middle school English teacher at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. Here are her thoughts on discussion, R.E.A.L.®, and learning. Name/Hometown: Holly Silberman/Doylestown, Pennsylvania Current School: William Penn Charter School, where I teach sixth and eighth grade English. Can you…
Dr. Emily Weinstein is a Principal Investigator at Harvard’s Project Zero, a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the founding Co-Director of the Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard Graduate School of Education. What follows is a conversation between Emily and R.E.A.L. ® Founder Liza Garonzik. This conversation has been lightly edited…
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