New Books: Conversation Comeback by Liza Garonzik
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This summer, the “conversation about conversation” showed up in more places than we could have hoped, and that’s a real sign of momentum. Publications we care about picked it up. National podcasts gave it real airtime. Our Substack that started as an experiment grew into something we all looked forward to each week. None of…
As schools navigate the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, many leaders are rightly focused on policy, tools, and academic implications. But there is another urgent priority hiding in plain sight: the human skills students need to thrive in an AI-shaped world. This article originally appeared in the Winter 2026 edition of Independent School magazine, published…
School leaders and teachers see the Conversation Crisis every day. Students arrive academically capable, but when it is time to engage in real discussion, something happens. Participation feels risky. Silence feels safer. Community breaks down. It is the predictable result of a screen-saturated, polarized, AI-shaped world. Enter Conversation Comeback.: A Teacher’s Guide to Class Discussion…
On The Purpose and Practice of K-12 Humanities Teaching in Today’s World, Co-written by Humanities Educators | 2026 Schools are moving quickly to adopt AI. New policies are being drafted. New tools are being piloted. Professional development is focused on integration and regulation. All of this work matters. But as the AI conversation accelerates, something…
I recently found myself nodding enthusiastically as I was reading Sian Leah Beilock’s article in The Atlantic, “Teach Students How to Think, Not What to Think.” Beilock, a cognitive scientist and the president of Dartmouth College, argues that higher education should focus less on ideology and more on helping students develop the skills to think…
It’s been fun to see other founders share the “unhinged” things they have done to build their businesses. But to me, this trend is more than entertainment. It’s an example of authentic interaction in a world that is increasingly AI-dominated, and I’m a relentless champion for human connection.
So, what are some of the “unhinged” things I have done to build R.E.A.L.® Discussion?
Liza Garonzik featured on Millions of Conversations television show and podcast What happens when we teach young people to truly listen, speak with courage, and connect face-to-face? In Episode 8 of Millions of Conversations, hosted by Samar S. Ali and produced by NewsChannel 5 Network, Liza Garonzik joins the show to explore that big, deceptively…
A conversation hosted by Simon Noakes featuring Liza Garonzik on the Inspiring Schools podcast Hosted by Simon Noakes (Founder & CEO of Interactive Schools), the Inspiring Schools Podcast welcomes some of the world’s most influential educators to explore the future of education, leadership, innovation, AI in schools, evolving school structures, and more. Each episode offers…
“It’s easier to move a cemetery than change a curriculum.” – Woodrow Wilson I saw this quote on a slide the other day – and thought: what an inconvenient truth! But it’s not wrong: pedagogical change is hard. My perspective on this is hard-won: at R.E.A.L., we have worked with almost a thousand teachers to…
Our School Partners: What We’ve Learned Works – and Doesn’t! When I jumped in to build R.E.A.L.® full-time in 2021, I never would have dreamed that by 2024 we would have worked with seventy school partners. When independent school leaders see the variety of schools in the R.E.A.L.® community, we often get a raised eyebrow…