Listening, Trust, and Tools: What Hundreds of Teachers Taught Me About This School Year

Sidra D. Smith, Ph.D. | R.E.A.L.® Discussion | Director, Independent Schools Program

After many years as a school leader, this fall looks different for me. I am not walking into opening faculty meetings or greeting families at back-to-school night. Instead, in my new role supporting R.E.A.L.® Discussion, I spent the summer with hundreds of educators representing dozens of schools across the globe, listening closely to what is on their minds about teaching discussion this year.

One of R.E.A.L.®’s core principles is proximity: we stay close to teachers and students, learning alongside them. We take insights from research and from real classrooms and turn them into tools teachers can use right away. This summer reminded me how powerful that approach is. Evidence matters most when it is applied in practice.

From single-sex and co-ed schools, boarding schools and day schools, traditional and progressive contexts, we kept hearing the same message: teachers know that discussion matters, and they want tools to make it work for every student.

Here are three themes that stood out:

1. Teachers feel what students feel.

Even seasoned educators admitted to feeling nervous in our first structured discussions. Some wondered if they were “doing it right.” Others worried about talking too much or not enough.

That shared vulnerability quickly gave rise to empathy. Teachers recognized how often students, especially introverts or those unsure of themselves, feel the same way. Again and again, we heard teachers commit to making discussions more inclusive and helping every student’s voice be heard.

Teachers also reflected that we are all trying to navigate a world increasingly shaped by screens and AI. Many admitted they themselves over-rely on texts instead of live conversations, which made them more empathetic to students who avoid face-to-face interaction. Like their students, they acknowledged that conversation is a skill we all need to practice.

2. Listening is THE overlooked skill.

Many teachers began the summer focused on helping students “speak up.” But what came through in our work together was the equal importance of listening. Discussion is not just about who participates, but how communities of trust are built when students listen for understanding.

Teachers connected strongly with the L in R.E.A.L.®—Listen. They saw how easily classroom talk can drift into “speaking to share” instead of “listening to learn,” and how transformative it is when listening becomes the priority.

Teachers shared their joy when students made connections across units, and their frustration when prompts fell flat. In those conversations, it became clear: meaningful discussion is not just participation for participation’s sake. It is about building relationships, trust, and growth.

3. Teachers are hungry for actionable tools.

Assessment is an age-old challenge. Teachers want evidence-based ways to measure discussion without reducing it to a simple tally of who spoke. While this kind of hunger drives a lot of teachers to sign up for PD opportunities, far too often, what happens in those rooms feels abstract.

Teachers told us that the R.E.A.L.® approach stood out because it was actionable, solution-oriented, and gave them space to reflect. They also loved to “see inside” each other’s classrooms, something that rarely happens in an often-siloed profession. They left with concrete tools they could implement right away and the confidence to adapt them for their students.

Looking ahead

Educators are heading into this year on shifting ground. The rise of AI, new education policies, and the ongoing realities of student distraction and anxiety all add complexity to their work.

One surprise for me was how “all over the map” schools are when it comes to AI policies. In one week, I worked with teachers who were having students handwrite blue books to avoid ChatGPT, and others who were building discussion questions with Gemini. The spread is vast, but the common thread is clear: regardless of policy, teachers want students to hold onto distinctly human skills, like conversation.

As my colleague and R.E.A.L.® founder Liza Garonzik often says, “we’re teachers without classrooms.” That perspective continues to anchor me. I may not be opening the year with one school community. However, I still have the privilege of standing alongside many educators who are committed to the same mission: helping young people become better communicators in a world that demands it.

What gives me hope is the determination teachers are carrying into this school year. In the face of real challenges, such as distraction, anxiety, and the rise of AI, educators are committed to equipping young people with essential human skills, including listening, speaking, and connecting.

To all the teachers beginning a new year: thank you for your honesty, your vulnerability, and your conviction. We would love to hear what you are noticing as you step back into your classrooms.

If you are curious about R.E.A.L.® PD opportunities this year, keep an eye on the R.E.A.L.® Discussion page, where we share opportunities like our new “Humanities and Humanity in an AI World” sessions. Of course, we always welcome a conversation.