Reach. Teach. Talk. With Nat Damon

How does one’s liberal arts college experience impact how they lead schools today? In this inspiring episode of Reach. Teach. Talk., Nat Damon gathers fellow Connecticut College Class of ’93 alumni—all current heads of independent schools—for a lively conversation on how liberal arts education, relational teaching, and shared values have shaped their leadership. Recorded live at the NAIS Conferenc...

In this special episode of Critical Conversations brought to you by Reach Teach Talk, Nat Damon and Luthern Williams interview Richard V. Reeves, author of Of Boys and Men, in a conversation that explores the deep challenges facing boys and young men today. Using compelling data and heartfelt stories, Reeves discusses educational struggles, emotional health, masculinity, and the urgent need for so...

In this powerful episode of Reach Teach Talk, renowned leadership coach Drew Kugler returns to Reach Teach Talk to share his transformative revelation: that leading through love—specifically strong and demanding love—is essential to great leadership. Reflecting on 26 years of coaching, Drew uncovers a red thread of love at the core of effective human connection. Educators, business leaders, and co...

In this episode of Reach, Teach, Talk, Dr. Michael Gurian, a leading expert in gender studies and neurobiology, explores why boys need a "rescue plan" in today's world. He breaks down how brain science, school structures, and social isolation impact boys' learning, behavior, and emotional health. Discussing depression, aggression, and technology’s role in disconnecting boys, Dr. Gurian shares prac...

"What’s the point?" "Why does this matter?" "How does this impact my future?"   Students ask these questions all the time—but how often do we truly consider the role of purpose in education? In this episode, I sit down with Ross Wehner, founder of World Leadership School, a visionary in experiential learning, a former journalist, and an inspiring thought leader. Together, we explore how purpose fu...

What happens when creativity is seamlessly woven into every aspect of a classroom and school day? The possibilities are endless. In this episode, Nat sits down with Peter Nilsson—educator, thought-leader, musician, and advocate for AI as a creative partner. Peter is also the mastermind behind A Boarding School Musical and is currently developing his second production, Schooled. Join us for a fast-...

Shaila Kapoor has spent two decades launching tech products and leading marketing in software, cellular, and biotech. Her true passion, however, lies in education. She has co-founded a charter school in underserved California, created education software during COVID, and advanced girls’ education in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. This year, she launched Boys Who Write, a global nonprofit foste...

Rites of passage honor the transition from boyhood to manhood. But what is a rite of passage? How are they effective at raising self-aware young men? Learn from engaging and deeply thoughtful educator, Dr. Mark Dowley, whose life work is centered around these themes—in schools and in greater society.   Dr. Mark Dowley is the co-author of the Classroom Management Handbook and Director of Programs a...

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...

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 Pre...

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 Cas...

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...

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.

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 Buxto...

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.

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.

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,...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.