Sidra Smith, Head of Professional Learning at R.E.A.L. Discussion, shares her perspective as an educator and leader who has spent years designing and leading faculty summer reading experiences across schools—and now supports teams in turning those experiences into meaningful, schoolwide professional learning.

For many years, spring marked my “summer reading” season. I’d narrow a shortlist, planning to use spring break to read and return ready to propose a book or a few options for faculty. I’d imagine the conversations my colleagues would have, certain they’d see their students in the text and want to talk about it together.

Then I’d work backward from August: ordering books, drafting questions, and considering how to group people for meaningful discussion. I’ve been lucky to work at schools willing to buy a book for every adult, a small but meaningful signal that their intellectual lives mattered. I still remember leading my first summer read, poring over A Hope in the Unseen and feeling both the weight and joy of shaping a shared experience.

Of course, it didn’t always land the same way. Some years, conversations ran long and spilled into hallways. In other years, people showed up politely but never quite took off. Across different schools and contexts, a clear pattern emerged: when summer reading worked, it wasn’t because of a perfect book. It was because the experience involved several important jobs at once.

That realization now shapes my work at R.E.A.L. Discussion. In professional learning with schools, we focus on designing shared experiences that intentionally do the same work:

• building culture across teams
• advancing strategic priorities
• modeling the kinds of discussion and thinking we want students to develop

Summer reading is culture-building.

At its best, summer reading creates a shared experience that cuts across roles and divisions. Teachers, coaches, administrators, and staff are all engaging with the same ideas, even if they interpret them differently. That shared experience quickly becomes shared language. Phrases from the book show up in meetings and hallway conversations, giving people shorthand for complex ideas about students, learning, and school culture.

When designed well, it also creates space for connection. Thoughtful grouping and strong questions allow colleagues who rarely sit together to have real conversations, not just logistical ones. Over time, that builds trust and strengthens relationships across the adult community in ways that are hard to manufacture otherwise.

Summer reading is strategy-in-action. 

Summer reading can also serve as an early entry point for strategic priorities. When a school names a focus like belonging, well-being, or student engagement, choosing a book in that lane gives faculty time to sit with those ideas before any formal initiative begins. It creates a low-stakes space to ask, “What would this actually look like with my students?”

The impact is rarely immediate or dramatic. Instead, it shows up in small but meaningful shifts: how people talk about attention, stress, success, or which students are thriving. Over time, those shifts accumulate and create a kind of soft launch for larger changes. By the time new structures or programs are introduced, the underlying ideas already feel familiar and shared.

Summer reading models important lessons for students. 

Summer reading also carries symbolic weight. When students see adults reading, referencing ideas, and engaging as learners, it offers a concrete model of what it means to keep growing intellectually. It reinforces that reading and reflection are not just student tasks, but lifelong practices.

For faculty, the experience signals something equally important. Providing a book, carving out time to read, and protecting time for conversation communicates that their intellectual lives matter. When the experience feels like an invitation into shared learning, not an obligation, it becomes a form of care, not just professional development.

When summer reading works, it’s not because everyone loved the book. It’s because it’s doing quiet, important work in the life of the school. That work looks something like this:

• Signaling that the school values faculty as thinkers by investing time, money, and attention in their intellectual lives.
• Giving faculty a shared experience across divisions, departments, and roles.
• Developing a shared language for talking about students, teaching, and school culture.
• Making mission statements and strategic priorities feel concrete and lived‑in, not just framed on a wall.
• Creating structured opportunities for real conversation and relationship‑building among adults who rarely sit together.
• Supporting professional growth and reading habits in a way that feels more invitational than evaluative.
• Modeling lifelong learning for students by letting them see that the adults in their community also read, wrestle with ideas, and change their minds.

At its best, faculty summer reading is one of the simplest ways schools can honor the intellectual lives of the adults who make everything else possible. It’s a relatively small investment, some books, some time, some thoughtful design, that can create shared experience, shared language, and a clearer connection between what we say we value and what actually happens once students walk through the doors.

Not everyone finishes the book, and not every conversation takes off. But over time, it can nudge school culture toward more curiosity, more coherence, and more care for the humans doing the work. That still feels worth planning for every spring.

If you’re thinking about how to approach summer reading this year, Conversation Comeback: A Schoolwide Guide to Discussion in a Distracted, Divided World offers a practical, schoolwide approach to doing this work with intention. The book contains chapter takeaways and reflection prompts for leaders, faculty, and community conversations. Order in bulk and we’ll send you a link to sign up for a 30-min Author Talk with Liza Garonzik. And if you’re looking for support in designing professional learning that actually sticks, you can learn more here: https://realdiscussion.org/services/

How should schools respond when the conditions for learning—and for human interaction—are shifting in real time?

These questions are showing up everywhere.

Educators and school leaders are noticing the same patterns: Students are capable, thoughtful, and engaged in many ways, yet they are navigating challenges that make it harder to focus, communicate, and fully participate in shared learning experiences.

These are not isolated issues.

They reflect deeper shifts in how Gen Z and Gen Alpha learners process information, relate to one another, and make sense of the world around them.

If we want to respond effectively, we have to look beneath the surface.

In Conversation Comeback, we identify four core challenges that help explain what’s happening and what students need from schools now.

1. Technoference: When Digital Norms Disrupt Real Conversation

Technology has fundamentally reshaped how students communicate.

Today’s learners move seamlessly across texts, DMs, comments, and feeds, each with its own norms. They are used to reacting quickly, stepping away from conversations, or engaging without consequence.

But face-to-face discussion requires something different:

• sustained attention
• nonverbal awareness
• real-time thinking and response

Many students struggle to distinguish between on-screen and in-person communication. What feels natural online can feel uncomfortable or even risky in a classroom discussion.

2. Emotivism: When Disagreement Feels Personal

In today’s culture, feelings and beliefs are often intertwined.

This makes academic discussion more difficult. When ideas feel tied to identity, disagreement can feel like a personal attack rather than an intellectual exchange.

Students are navigating:

• heightened emotional expression
• polarized public discourse
• limited models of productive disagreement

As a result, many students avoid discussion altogether.

Without explicit instruction in how to separate ideas from identity and engage across difference, meaningful conversation is hard to sustain.

3. Diminished Attention: The Barrier to Listening and Learning

Attention is the foundation of effective communication.

But Gen Z learners are developing in environments shaped by:

• short-form content
• constant notifications
• rapid task-switching

In the classroom, this shows up clearly:

• difficulty tracking multi-step conversations
• surface-level responses instead of deeper thinking
• challenges with active listening

Cognitive science is clear: Multitasking is a myth. What students experience as multitasking is actually constant switching, which reduces comprehension and weakens memory.

Without sustained attention, student engagement in discussion breaks down.

4. Executive Function Gaps: The Hidden Demands of Discussion

Strong classroom discussion depends on more than ideas.

Students must be able to:

• organize their thinking
• hold multiple perspectives at once
• decide when and how to contribute
• adjust their thinking in real time

These are executive function skills, and many students need more support developing them.

In a high-distraction, high-pressure environment, these demands can feel overwhelming. For students experiencing anxiety, even entering a conversation can be difficult.

Why This Matters for Schools Right Now

Taken together, these four challenges—technoference, emotivism, diminished attention, and executive function gaps—help explain why classroom discussion is more difficult than it used to be.

If we continue to treat discussion as something students should already know how to do, we will continue to see uneven participation, shallow engagement, and missed learning opportunities.

And once we name the challenge, we can respond to it.

From Conversation Crisis to Conversation Comeback

The central idea behind Conversation Comeback is simple:

Discussion skills are not intuitive, but they are teachable.

When schools approach discussion as a core academic skill, they can begin to:

• explicitly teach listening and speaking
• scaffold participation and idea-building
• create structured opportunities for practice
• build a shared language for conversation across classrooms

Over time, discussion becomes more than participation. It becomes a disciplined, academic practice that strengthens thinking, learning, and connection.

This is the work of R.E.A.L.® Discussion. R.E.A.L. is not a one-off strategy or a set of discussion prompts. It is a research-informed, practice-proven approach to building communication skills with the same level of rigor we apply to reading and writing, built in partnership with more than 100 schools.

Build a Conversation Culture

If these challenges feel familiar, you are not alone. Schools across the country are asking the same question: How do we rebuild strong student discussion skills in today’s world?

Start with the book.
Conversation Comeback offers a clear, actionable framework for teaching discussion in today’s classrooms. You’ll find a version for K-12 humanities teachers and a schoolwide version for leaders, faculty, and family at conversationcomeback.org.

Start the conversation with us.
If you’re thinking about how to bring this work to your school or across your team, we’d love to talk. From classroom practice to schoolwide strategy, we help schools build a true culture of conversation.

Because this moment calls for more than awareness. It calls for a Conversation Comeback.

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 is missing.

Humanities teachers have had little time to step back and interrogate the larger issues about pedagogy, childhood, and humanity in an AI world. What is the enduring purpose of reading, writing, and discussion? What must remain deeply human? What shifts in classroom practice, not just policy, are required and why?

R.E.A.L.® Discussion created space for that conversation, convening a collaborative of K–12 humanities educators and academic leaders to engage these foundational questions together. Over two months, participants read, wrote, reflected, and discussed what it means to teach the humanities at this pivotal moment.

The result is Humanities and Humanity in an AI World: An Educator’s Manifesto — a co-constructed declaration about reading, writing, discussion, and the lived experience of being a humanities teacher today.

“We cannot let the AI conversation stay only at the level of tools,” said Liza Garonzik, Founder of R.E.A.L.® Discussion. “The real question is not simply what AI can do, but what only humans can do. We are already living through a conversation crisis. Students are more screen-bound and less practiced in live dialogue. This manifesto reflects the shared belief that educators have the expertise and daily influence to cultivate uniquely human capacities. If we intentionally teach students to read deeply, write clearly, and engage in real discussion, we are not pushing back against the future; we are guiding it. This is our opportunity to lead a true Conversation Comeback.”

We offer this manifesto as an invitation. If your school is ready to move beyond tactical AI conversations and into foundational ones, we encourage you to read the document, share it with your team, and use the reflection questions on the final page to begin your own discussion.

At R.E.A.L.® Discussion, we help schools translate conversations like these into coherent, skills-based practice. If you are ready to build a deliberate approach to reading, writing, and discussion in an AI-shaped world, we would welcome the opportunity to partner with you. Find a time to chat here.

We hope you’ll join us on LinkedIn for the conversation about the Manifesto.

The end of the academic year always feels so full – full of fun events, big emotions, and new ideas. I don’t know about you, but my mind has been running in overdrive for the last few weeks! Here are a few things that have caught my attention. Enjoy!

Making time for reflection

As an experiential educator, I know that deep and meaningful learning doesn’t happen without reflection. I believe wholeheartedly in the power of regular reflection to solidify my own learning, improve my performance, and just to feel good about the work I’m doing. And like a lot of us, I can never figure out how to make time for reflection! This blog post by Sara Tahir at Global Online Academy provides some practical tips on how to ensure you’re making time for this important exercise.

Mental health and emotional wellness for teenagers

Elite endurance athlete and all-around wellness guru Rich Roll has a popular podcast on which he talks with experts in fields ranging from health to productivity, spirituality, the environment, and meditation. In this recent episode on The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, Roll talks with clinical psychologist and author Lisa Damour. She speaks about the importance of equipping young people with the communication and listening skills that are central to R.E.A.L.’s work. This powerful episode is full of wisdom, inspiration – and yes, reassurance – for anyone who works with adolescents.

A different approach to social justice work

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time is The Four Pivots by Shawn Ginwright, PhD. In a fresh and unique take on social justice work, Ginwright makes the case that the key to meaningful change has less to do with building coalitions and analyzing social problems than it does with healing – and the most important place to start is with ourselves. Ginwright offers four strategic shifts in perspective – the four pivots – that will allow readers to approach justice and equity work with new ideas, hope, and enthusiasm. 

Best of luck as you wrap up the school year and head into summer.

Cotter

Welcome to the latest installment of Cotter’s Blotter, a recurring blog post where I share some of the education resources, interesting ideas, and captivating questions we’re thinking about at R.E.A.L.® Here’s a quick roundup of some of the ideas that have been on my mind and some of the things we’ve been talking about at R.E.A.L.® this week.

Introverts and the Power of Humility in Leadership

One of the driving forces behind R.E.A.L.® was the need and desire to build a curriculum that meets the needs of our introverted students. Many of our readers and friends are familiar with the work of Dr. Susan Cain, author of Quiet and one of the leading researchers and writers helping to deepen our understanding of the unique strengths and qualities that introverts possess. 

This week we came across a blog post by one of Dr. Cain’s colleagues at The Quiet Revolution, our friend Dr. Heidi Kasevich. Through her work at The Quiet Revolution and The Kase Method, Dr. Kasevich seeks to expand our definition of leadership and build stronger communities through appreciation of diverse personality styles. In her post on the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute blog, Dr. Kase explores the power of humble leadership and reflects on how we can cultivate a healthy balance between the yin and yang of leadership and followership in our students. Her insights speak to the importance of nurturing the skills that are at the heart of the R.E.A.L.® program.

Cultivating Civility in the 21st Century

If you haven’t had a chance to get to know Grant Lichtman’s work, check it out. A leading thinker and presenter on innovation in education, Lichtman has written several books and spoken widely at schools and education organizations. He is currently engaged in Wisdom Road, a project to travel to communities throughout the United States and Canada to discover the wisdom of past generations that has been passed down over time.

Based on his work on Wisdom Road, Grant has been thinking about and sharing about the importance of civility. A recent post on his blog details his thinking on the importance of sharing ideas with others, listening, discussing, and disagreeing with civility – all values that are central to our mission here at R.E.A.L.® For some inspiration about the importance of what Grant calls the “overlooked but most important 21st Century skill”– as well as some inspiring insights from his travels – check out Grant’s blog and books. We are looking forward to continued work with Grant!

The Power of “And”

If you’re here, you likely follow Dr. Angela Duckworth’s work on grit and character development. Dr. Duckworth’s work at the University of Pennsylvania, Character Lab, and as co-host of the podcast No Stupid Questions explores how we can leverage scientific discoveries about learning and character development to help students thrive. Not surprisingly, she is a nearly infinite source of engaging and inspiring resources.

When Dr. Duckworth shares a post and calls it “the best little blog post I’ve read, maybe ever,” you read it. This one is about the power of “and.” Enjoy!

Have a great week,

Cotter

Welcome to the latest installment of Cotter’s Blotter, a biweekly blog post where I share some of the education resources, interesting ideas, and captivating questions we’re thinking about at R.E.A.L.® Here’s a quick roundup of some of the ideas that have been on my mind and some of the things we’ve been talking about at R.E.A.L.® this week.

COVID Learning Loss

I’ve been visiting a lot of schools lately, talking to educators about what is happening in their communities and how they are making learning more authentic and meaningful.

I find I am hearing about a lot of the same concerns. Chief among them: so-called “learning loss” from COVID. Following the interruptions, closures, forced adjustments, and trauma brought on by the pandemic, teachers and school leaders around the world are seeing that students just aren’t where they’ve typically been in terms of development and understanding. Many school leaders refer to this phenomenon as “learning loss.”

In her op-ed “Can We Please Stop Talking About So-called Learning Loss,” Stanford professor Jo Boaler poses an alternate perspective: perhaps students didn’t really lose learning during the pandemic; rather, maybe they just learned different kinds of things. The piece got me thinking about how we talk about student achievement – and what kinds of experiences lead to deep and meaningful learning.

“Did students lose learning during the pandemic? Or did they replace the learning of facts and methods, the sort of rote learning that might bring success on a test, with knowledge and insights about the world, health challenges, global upheaval, exponential growth, technology and ways to help their families and navigate complex social situations?”

– Jo Boaler

We at R.E.A.L.® believe it’s critical to arm teachers with the skills they need to help students navigate this brave new post-COVID world.

High Performing Teaching in Low-Tech Classrooms

This post from Larry Cuban’s blog recently made the rounds here at R.E.A.L.®  Inspired by a 2010 Slate Magazine story about the best classrooms in the world, Cuban’s post examines high-performing teachers in low-tech classrooms. The main point: wherever you go in the world or whatever kinds of technology are available, the most meaningful learning happens in classrooms where teachers focus more of their attention on meaningful learning activities than on tech integration and cool gadgets.

As Cuban writes, whether or not students have access to the latest tech tools, first-rate teachers “still have to figure out the specific objectives for the next lesson, how to get students engaged, what activities will hit the desired objectives, and how will they know that students grasped those objectives.” For us at R.E.A.L ®, class discussion is the perfect example of Cuban’s thesis at work. A thoughtfully designed and well-run class discussion develops critical thinking, builds student confidence, and strengthens the class community – no computers or tablets needed!

“You gotta live being who you say you are…”

Many people know Yvon Chouinard, the lifelong outdoorsman and self-described “reluctant businessman,” as the founder of Patagonia. Chouinard made headlines in September when he and his family essentially gave away the company, transferring ownership to a trust that will channel all profits not reinvested in the company to support environmental causes.

Chouinard sat down with surfer and writer Jamie Brisick to record an episode of the Surfer’s Journal podcast “Soundings.” During their wide-ranging conversation, the outdoor industry’s philosopher-king shared his thoughts on the environmental crisis, authenticity, the outdoor industry, and what it means to live meaningful life. Perhaps his most memorable takeaway: “It’s a lot of fun to break the rules.” How prudent – and how applicable to learning both in and outside the classroom.

SEL and Long-Term Success

In this Education Next article, researchers use a value-added approach to examining the impacts of a schoolwide commitment to student Social-Emotional Learning. By surveying over 157,000 students from Chicago Public Schools over a period of seven years, researchers were able to track trends in short- and long-term outcomes for student achievement.

Like R.E.A.L.®, the study uses the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework to define key SEL skills:things like self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, self-awareness, and relationship skills. While many SEL programs introduce these skills to students, R.E.A.L.® integrates SEL skills into a content-rich humanities curriculum.

According to the study, schools that place a high value on Social-Emotional Learning improve student achievement across a variety of metrics including test scores, student behavior, graduation rates, and college enrollment. Furthermore, students report more engagement in school and feel a stronger connection to their school communities after graduating. These results come as no surprise to us here at R.E.A.L.®; we hear about these outcomes from our member schools all the time!

Have a great week,

Cotter

Welcome to Cotter’s Blotter– a biweekly blog post where I share some of the education resources, interesting ideas, and captivating questions we’re thinking about at R.E.A.L.® I hope you find them inspiring and thought-provoking.

Artificial Intelligence and a More Hopeful Future

Anyone paying attention to current discussion in the field of education has undoubtedly seen headline after headline about artificial intelligence over the past few months. Much of this commentary expresses fears about the future of AI and what it means for education as we know it.

I was not able to attend the California Association of Independent Schools’ annual conference last month, but I heard that a highlight was keynote speaker Vivienne Ming, a self-described “mad scientist” and an expert on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Contrary to the common fears and anxieties about computers taking over the world, Dr. Ming speaks passionately about the amazing potential of AI – i.e., “the most important technological advancement ever” – to improve life for all of humanity. According to Dr. Ming, the key to harnessing the power of AI is equipping young people with the creative potential to explore the unknown with wonder and curiosity and to help them develop the kinds of meta-learning skills we champion at R.E.A.L.®

I spent some time this week going down a rabbit hole reading about Dr. Ming’s work and watching her keynote addresses online. If you’re interested, Dr. Ming’s keynote on The Future of Human Potential is a good place to start.

Black History Month and One Family’s Amazing Story

This week, I was captivated by an NPR story about the descendants of Carter G. Woodson, the Black historian considered to be the father of Black History Month. The story introduces Craig Woodson, a white ethnomusicologist who set out to connect with the descendants of his ancestors, whom he learned were some of the first slave owners in America. In his journey, he strived to unite the Black and white sides of his family. It’s a powerful story about history, family, and reconciliation. 

At a time when the world feels increasingly polarized, it’s important for us as educators to share stories of connection, unity, and heartfelt communication with our students.

The Skills Young People Need to Succeed in the Future

This week, I came across a report from McKinsey & Company about the future of work – and the skills citizens will need to develop to thrive in the jobs of the future. The McKinsey Global Institute addresses concerns that automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics are changing the future of the workplace and sets out to identify the skills that people will need to thrive in a tech-first environment. The report states that while the demand for manual and physical skills will decline, “demand for technological, social and emotional, and higher cognitive skills will grow.”

Many of the report’s findings will resonate with teachers and school leaders implementing R.E.A.L.® in their classrooms. Today’s schools, the report argues, must help young people develop foundational skills to succeed in increasingly digital and dynamic industries. In addition to digital fluency, the report outlines three core competencies that students need:

• Cognitive skills – like communication, critical thinking, and mental flexibility
• Interpersonal skills – like teamwork effectiveness and relationship-building
• Self-leadership – like self-awareness, self-management, and goals achievement

In short, governments and schools should be working to reform education systems – to better develop the kinds of skills and habits of mind that students get from thoughtfully designed and well-implemented class discussions.

And of course, be sure to check out the 2022 R.E.A.L. Discussion Annual Report to learn more about the exciting work and meaningful impact that R.E.A.L. is having in classrooms and schools.

This week’s Beyond the Syllabus considers three sources intended to illuminate and expand the social (media) skills that factor in our students’ presents and futures.

The Interview Into the Gloss, “Peyton Dix, Social Media Strategist.” While the “Top Shelf” series is, primarily, a beauty interview, Peyton Dix’s personal story of her own arrival in Social Media work can bring a reader into the topic with a sense for how chance-but-not-arbitrary the roots of her work can be. Dix’s description of herself as a person who could get the quietest kid in class to talk says it all: a teacher reading the interview can immediately situate her in his classroom. The interview reveals that Dix is a storyteller and a connector, but she admits that she “[loves] being online, but not that much.” Dix also talks about the toll of the work of social media, especially on her mental health; the same toll that it can take on adolescents carries over to the adult experience. After reading Dix’s interview, we were both more aware of the job diversity available to students with recognizable skills and more conscious of the post-graduation relevance of the mental health and media consumption approaches that many of us teach as momentary or “study skills” right now. 

The Exposé Rachel Karten, “Let’s Talk About Working in Social Media” Karten, formerly of Bon Appetit magazine, has gained notable traction as a writer studying Social Media workers – people who, both independently and under the umbrella of a company, work to build communities and connections between brands and consumers using social media tools. This article’s concise introduction to the problems of the field (including the lack of role models and roles in general, the jack-of-all-trades job description, and the lackluster pay available within it) can give educators a realistic picture of what the present and future of social media work do and might look like. Specifically, Karten describes the way in which social media workers are uniquely resilient – “speaking,” “directing,” “creating,” “figuring out,” “connecting,” and “responding quickly” to the world around them. Not only does she help us see that our students’ social dreams might be of more value than we see them to be, but she can also help teachers think more deeply about the skills and disciplines their students need to thrive in the roles they may soon occupy. 

The Review Hulu’s “The D’Amelio Show.” We’ll leave it to you to decide if you should watch Hulu’s new docuseries on the D’Amelio family (Charli, Dixie, Heidi, and Marc), but if you’re looking for someone to do it for you, this review by The Decider does a good job introducing the show. As a show that revolves around the lives of teen social media phenoms, “The D’Amelio Show” does a nice job showing the “normalcy” of both Charli and Dixie; their storylines and emotions are immediately recognizable to teachers who work with teenagers all day. The judgments of the reviewer, then, start to seem a little bit offhanded – “fragile” is one adjective that, after reading Karten and Dix before, brings us to pause. We encourage you to read the review and then maybe, if you’re enticed, try out an episode of the show a little bit yourself to consider what some current students’ “dream jobs” look like. How can anyone determine when and where “success” might hit? Once a teenager is there, how can we foster resilience within (rather than, as this review seems to suggest, in spite of) the trials of that work?

Alison Cook-Sather, “Respecting Voices: how the co-creation of teaching and learning can support academic staff, underrepresented students, and equitable practices.” This study, out of Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges and published in Higher Education in 2020, introduces and measures the efficacy of a compelling teaching and learning initiative. Cook-Sather frames the history and connotations of the term “voice” for faculty and students, establishing a middle ground between the two in which “voice” means “the actual speaking of academic staff and students” about the work of the classroom. Through the co-creating partnerships at the two colleges, she argues, both students and teachers gain perspective and expertise to inform their work and strengthen curricula and pedagogical practices. We highly recommend reading the report to learn about engaging student voice not just around culture or for the purpose of responding, but in the spirit of authentic collaboration. In the secondary school environment, such program could offer inspiration for advising programs or student leadership programs, especially as schools tackle questions of equity and student motivation in the coming years. 

Opinion Devi Lockwood, “What Does it Mean for a Whole Nation to Become Uninhabitable?” The United Nations climate change report came out this summer, and your students will be thinking about it. While any citizen who follows the news will know the basics of the report, we encourage educators to read commentary and responses to the report from a broad collection of sources in preparation for those discussions. One response that’s particularly useful for classroom conversation is this excerpt from Lockwood’s forthcoming book, published last week in the New York Times. We imagine students responding to the global, but intimate perspective that the piece presents, which can draw them into specific, community impacts and responses to rising climate change, and can empower them to think critically and thoughtfully about Lockwood’s central question. 

Podcast “We are supported by… Kim Kardashian West.” Award-winning podcaster Monica Padman and her best friend, award-winning actress Kristen Bell, recently launched their podcast, “We are supported by…,” and they described Kim Kardashian West as a “dream guest.” Followers of both women’s work were skeptical. But, true to the mission of their podcast, Padman and Bell invite Kardashian West onto the podcast to tell her story, and it caused us (and thousands of other listeners) to question not only how profoundly Kardashian West is misjudged in culture, but also, more broadly, how pernicious the force of media can be in casting its characters. Bell’s and Kardashian West’s bond is built out of mutual interest in criminal justice reform, and Kardashian West’s description of her thirst for learning and disciplined, humble work toward a law degree can be upheld as a model for adults and teenagers alike. We recommend the podcast not only for its entertainment value but also for its direct interruption of some of pop culture’s most entrenched biases. 

Timeline(s) Students also arrive back to school with bits and pieces of news in their minds about the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan. While engagement with students’ feelings and opinions about the present tense is vital, so too is a comprehensive understanding of Afghan history, both including and apart from British, Soviet, and American involvement. It’s important to note how difficult it is to find timelines or materials about this history in English from an Afghan or Arab perspective online, and to consider, while reviewing materials, the gaps that they show. This PBS timeline and this Oxford Reference entry give a longer history, and this Associated Press timeline catalogs the last four decades of war in Afghanistan. Arwin Rahi’s 2020 opinion article for The Diplomat introduces some outcomes of the Anglo-Afghan war, especially around entrenched terminology used in English to speak about the conflict. We encourage teachers to read histories of the region and come prepared to offer students – none of whom, in middle and secondary school, will have been born before 2001 – context that they may not otherwise hear at home and in the news.