Reach. Teach. Talk. With Nat Damon

Pedagogy of the Hopeful

The day after 9/11, Noah Bopp created the foundation for what would become the School for Ethics and Global Leadership (Washington, DC). As a semester-long institute for diverse high school juniors from all over the US, SEGL is highly regarded as an exemplar for the essentialness of a hope-driven school culture (so very needed during these modern times). In this episode, I speak with Noah and his Academic Dean, Ms. Colleen Kyle, on the topic of hope and how it presents in genuinely intentional—and integral—learning communities. A fascinating discussion for anyone who cares about the role of hope in schools and how every member of the community plays an essential part in fostering it.

Noah Bopp is the Founder and Head of The School for Ethics and Global Leadership, which has campuses in Washington, DC, London, United Kingdom, and Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a graduate of Oberlin College, Duke University, and the Klingenstein Private School Leadership program at Teachers College, Columbia University. The Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington awarded him its 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award. He is also a trustee of the Mithil Prasad Foundation (co-founded by SEGL graduate Rachna Prasad) and on the Advisory Council at the Andi Leadership Institute. Noah has nearly 30 years of school leadership and teaching experience. Prior to SEGL, he worked at the Mountain School of Milton Academy, the Duke University TIP program, and St. George's School. Noah and his wife Sydney live several blocks from the SEGL Residence. They have a six year-old daughter, Daisy, and a Havanese puppy, Pericles.

Colleen Kyle is the Academic Dean and English teacher at SEGL in DC. She has an MA from Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English and a BA from Connecticut College, where she served as president of the student government. Before starting her career in education, she worked in publishing for eight years, including four years as an acquisitions editor at Houghton Mifflin. Colleen later worked as a teacher, dorm parent, coach and newspaper advisor at Deerfield Academy. She taught at Lakeside School in Seattle for a decade, leading the history department and its new faculty mentor program; she also taught part time at Rainier Scholars’ leadership retreats. Before coming to SEGL, Colleen was the Upper School Head at Roland Park Country School in Baltimore. She lives in Annapolis and loves kayaking and bird watching on and along the Severn River.

 

 

Helping Boys Flourish in the Modern World

Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D., is a renowned psychologist, author, and consultant specializing in children and families. Supervising psychologist at Belmont Hill School, he has worked with over 700 schools worldwide. Dr. Thompson co-authored the New York Times bestseller Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys and authored several acclaimed books, including Homesick and Happy and The Pressured Child. A frequent media guest, he has appeared on The Today Show and NPR, and hosted PBS's Raising Cain. Based in Arlington, MA, he is married to Dr. Theresa McNally, with two children and three grandchildren.

A Case for Love with Brian Ide

Reach Teach Talk focuses its 42nd  podcast episode on the upcoming film, “A Case for Love”, and explores how it brings school and family communities together.

What is "unselfish love"?  During the darkest days of the Global Pandemic, filmmaker Brian Ide (President, Grace-Based Films) set off on a nationwide quest for the answer to that question. The result is the brilliant documentary film, "A Case for Love"; a collection of 14 stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and with a throughline focused on the teachings of Bishop Michael Curry. Nat talks with Brian about how this is a perfect film to screen for middle school and high school students, parent groups, and communities of all types. Because the world needs more unselfish love...and "A Case for Love" is a perfect place to find it.

www.acaseforlovemovie.com

Director Brian Ide has worked in the entertainment industry for over 20 years, initially as a paid actor, then producer, and eventually journeyed in to the world of directing. “A Case for Love” is his fifth film, and premier feature-length documentary.  

After producing and directing the feature film “This Day Forward,” Brian traveled the U.S. presenting the film in churches, theaters, and community centers while discussing the film’s message and experiencing its impact on audiences. Following that tour, the Lutheran Church of Australia called him to their communities to do the same. 50 pages of responses to that tour are available on the film’s website.

Prior to founding Grace-Based Films, Brian directed “Clear Lake, WI” and the recent faith-based short film, “Reconcile”, which has been viewed and used in 47 different countries.

A three-time national judge for the Polly Bond Awards, he has spoken to colleges, faith centers, and film programs nationwide about the intersection of film and faith.

Brian is the son of an ELCA Lutheran pastor-father and devout Catholic mother. He is the husband to a lifelong Episcopalian who is drawn to stories that focus on what unites us rather than what divides.

The mission of Grace-Based Films is to tell compelling stories, through film, that meet 21st Century audiences exactly where they are in the messiness of life, emboldening them and reminding them that none of us are alone.

ChatGPT in the classroom: Savior of Education or the Worst Thing Ever? with Spencer Burrows

Three years after the great pivot into remote teaching due to the Pandemic, teachers are now facing a technology revolution in the classroom once more. ChatGPT is changing the way students write, research, study and think. The AI technology impacts the way teachers are designing, assigning, and grading assessments. Yet the advent of ChatGPT has created in many situations a cat and mouse game that no one wants to play - particularly as we still struggle to form trusting bonds in the classroom. Join us for a deep look into the impact of AI in the classroom as it stands today, and learn strategies to help integrate ChatGPT smoothly into you classroom.

Spencer Burrows is the 11th Grade Dean at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, California, as well as Teach Plus of California policy fellow and Coro Lead LA alumnus. Burrows serves as education adjunct faculty at National University and on the Board of Directors of TEACH Public Schools in South Los Angeles. Two recent articles that Spencer has written appeared in Chalkbeat and Education Week.

Three years after the great pivot into remote teaching due to the Pandemic, teachers are now facing a technology revolution in the classroom once more. ChatGPT, released to the world in January of 2023, is changing the way students write, research, study and think.  The AI technology impacts the way teachers are designing, assigning, and grading assessments. Yet the advent of ChatGPT has created in many situations a cat and mouse game that no one wants to play — particularly as we still struggle to form trusting bonds in the classroom. Join us for a deep look into the impact of AI in the classroom as it stands today, and learn strategies to help integrate ChatGPT smoothly into your classroom. You may well decide that this new technology actually serves as a boost to your instructional delivery. Or not. Yet if one thing is certain, ChatGPT is here to stay.

The Cherishing Classroom with Father Gregory Boyle

We are thrilled to celebrate our 40th episode by hosting Father Gregory Boyle, Jesuit priest and founder of Homeboy Industries, based in Los Angeles and influential around the world. In this teaching and mentor-focused conversation, Father Greg speaks with Nat about the transcendent power of relational wholeness at Homeboy and in our classrooms. Belief, Hope and Love are its mainstays.

Disconnecting to Connect with John Kalapos

France did this back in 2019…why can’t we? Buxton School, a co-ed boarding school in Williamstown, MA, introduced the 2022-23 academic year with a new smartphone policy: No smartphones allowed. After the Wall Street Journal spotlighted the impact of this policy on campus life, Nat sat down with Associate Head of School John Kalapos, to speak about the relational impact on all members of the Buxton community. What resulted is an instructive case study on the decision to eliminate the influence of smartphones in the classroom and on campus — 24/7 — at a boarding school.

The Art of Possibility with Benjamin Zander

Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and co-author of the book, “The Art of Possibility”, and an infamous TED Talk speaks about the essentialness of positivity in the classroom (and the classroom of life). Music is in all our hearts. Mr. Zander makes a beautiful case for it in this immersive conversation.

Cultivating Positive Masculinity with Craig Wilkinson

Join Nat and South African author, speaker and social entrepreneur Craig Wilkinson (www.fatheranation.co.za) as they discuss the crucial role men play in the lives of their youth and society. For anyone working with or raising boys in this day and age, their conversation will provide exploration and strategies on how to cultivate positive masculinity in today’s world.

Boys as Relational Beings with Judy Y. Chu

What happens to boys as they become young men in today’s culture? How has the pandemic impacted the way boys perceive the world, and their place in it? How can we best guide our boys to become the young men they truly wish to be? Find the answers to these questions and many more in this timely conversation with Dr. Judy Chu, renowned lecturer on boys’ psychosocial behavior and author of the book, “When Boys become Boys”.

Relational Positivity with Mike Erwin

Nat's conversation is with Mr. Mike Erwin, co-founder of The Positivity Project, a nationwide program designed to empower our youngest generation through hope and possibility. Drawing from his experience from tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr. Erwin applies themes of collaboration, community, and teamwork into his organization. We conclude with a focus on the status of young men today.

Finding our Selves through Sisu with Katja Pantzar

How does our relationship to the environment help or hinder our ability to flourish in school and in life? Finland-based author, journalist, and Helsinki’s greatest ambassador, Katja Pantzar, joins us for a fascinating (and ice-cold!) deep-dive into the Finnish concept of Sisu (pronounced “See-Sue”), which centers around self-reliance, determination, and harmony with one’s outside world.

Relational Trust with Parker Palmer

Season Two launches with this central question: What is relational trust? Why is it so important now, as we return to a Now Normal in K-12 schools? Join education thought-leader, author, and mentor Parker Palmer as he guides us down the path of trust, authenticity, and hope.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Informs Relational Teaching with Zaretta Hammond

This one-hour episode dives deep into the elements of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) by understanding what CRT is…and is not. Esteemed writer and teacher-researcher Zaretta Hammond (Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain) defines the obstacles that prevent classroom belongingness for non-white students, and why there are reasons for hope even during these deeply divided times.

Let the Children Play with Dr. Nancy Carlsson-Page

How do we ensure that our children receive the relational attention they need while remote? Join renowned Early Childhood Expert Dr. Nancy Carlsson-Paige as she navigates the world of learning through play…even while remote. This podcast is directly aimed at parents and educators and anyone seeking hopeful wisdom regarding how best to raise our children during these unprecedented times.

Meaning-Making in the Remote Classroom with Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and Dr. Rebecca Gotlieb

How do we create a remote classroom experience where emotions are the shared currency? Join Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and Dr. Rebecca Gotlieb as we explore the connections between emotions and cognitions in learning…and create strategies on how to incorporate them in the remote classroom.

The Finnish Miracle with Dr. Pasi Sahlberg

Over the past two decades, Finland has been regarded with praise and envy when it comes to PISA scores and student/teacher wellbeing. But why is this the case? In what ways is Finland a positive model for other countries to aspire to? Dr. Pasi Sahlberg explains the Finnish Miracle and shares his wisdom regarding the centrality of relationships in the classroom.

To Listen is to Understand with André Lee

Learning is stifled when a student feels not listened to. How can we use listening in order to hold inclusive conversations about race, identity and equity so that our students can optimally learn in the relational classroom? Educator, filmmaker, and thought-leader André Lee shares what matters most when building group cohesion: Listening.

“Listen” to Me with Filmmaker Erahm Christopher

There's a lot of hearing in schools. Echoing hallways, lockers slamming, teachers talking, students playing. Yet there’s not enough listening going on. Erahm Christopher’s film, “LISTEN”, stimulates deeply proactive conversation thanks to the strength of its message about the need to be listened to, and what happens when we don't listen to our children.

The Hidden Power of Listening with Dr. Graham Bodie

During these times when voices need to be heard, listening skills are critical. In the first episode of our “Listen Up!” series, professor, consultant and listening expert Dr. Graham Bodie shares his wisdom and strategies that will help all listeners feel more comfortable and confident while engaging in the difficult yet essential conversations required to improve our society.

Compassion in the Classroom of Life with Jimi Slattery

What is compassion? Can it be taught? What is the difference between being compassionate and being nice? Join compassion (and compassionate!) thought-leader Jimi Slattery as he educates us on the centrality of compassion in relationships. In today’s globalized world, we tend to work better when we view others with a compassionate lens. This episode explains why that is the case.