Reach. Teach. Talk. With Nat Damon

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.

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.

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.

“The only constant is change”. Organizations undergo change in order to reinvent, adapt and grow. Human relationships are impacted each time change occurs. The way we respond to change is individual and relational. Change cycle expert Lorri Palko provides educators and workers from all fields with strategy and wisdom regarding how we can manage the inevitability of change in our workplace. Unlike...

When John Rassias died in 2015, he left behind a legacy of language instruction based on relationships. Through games, improvisation, and conversational banter, the Rassias Method views learning as cognitive and emotional…and social! Ann Diederich, a 25-year teacher and Rassias disciple, takes us on a lively journey connecting joyous language acquisition to cultural understanding.

What is loneliness? How does it manifest? What can we do to address loneliness? What are the modern contributors toward loneliness today? “Only Connect!”…but how do we achieve connection meaningfully and with intention? In this episode, Rev. Janet Broderick guides us through a thoughtful and open discussion on the impact of loneliness on the spirit, the self and in society.

Raising a child with special needs is a life-altering experience. This episode’s guest describes her experience with candor and love. Come join us on a uniquely authentic conversation that touches on the various themes regarding the gift that comes from the least likely of sources. You will leave feeling uplifted and hopeful…and wishing to meet a beautiful young adult named Arizona.

The word ‘tribe’ is often viewed through a political lens. We stick to our own, feeling less safe to cross boundaries with those who think differently. Yet there is another definition of ‘tribe’ that applies to deep learning, which forms in tribal classrooms that promote cultures of safety and stability. Dr. Louis Cozolino explains how the tribal classroom is the model classroom.

Fortune 500 consultant Drew Kugler has worked with some of the best in the field of leadership coaching and public speaking. As someone well-versed in the prickly world of difficult conversations and diplomacy, Drew provides meaningful techniques regarding how to best mean what we say…and say what we actually mean.

With all of the focus on remote teaching and its applications on learning and social/emotional development, it is essential to hear from the teachers themselves. By listening to their experiences, we gain a sense of what it feels like to swiftly pivot from the brick and mortar classroom to the remote classroom. As expert high school teacher Marc Rudajev explains, this transition goes far beyond fi...

Join writer and education expert Brittany Collins as she shares her hope-filled wisdom about the opportunities that come with relational teaching in the remote classroom. During our conversation, we explore topics such as the need for trauma-informed teaching, the power of writing in teacher/student wellness, and the centrality of maintaining a strong SEL remote classroom during this unprecedented...

Regarding the nationwide move to remote teaching, UCLA professor Dr. Tyrone Howard stated, “The (teachers) best able to take lessons online already had strong relationships with their students and their families.” In this episode, Dr. Howard speaks about the positive effect of remote learning on relational trust and the negative effect on equity regarding the many LAUSD students without access.

The Kindness School Foundation’s Executive Director Ben Berger takes us from London to Switzerland to Bhutan, where he shares stories highlighting kindness in schools and communities. Ben's story is relatable to all who crave kindness and community during these unprecedented times.

This episode highlights the importance of a growth mindset - for both teachers and students - when making the transition toward remote learning.

This episode articulates three primary components toward building a strong and stable distance learning environment while understanding that perfection is not the main goal.

This episode centers on how building a remote classroom community can provide unforeseen gains in empathy, collaboration, and connection.

This episode is about wellbeing. Join me and primary school teacher, author, and consultant Adrian Bethune for an inspiring and hope-filled conversation about areas of happiness that matter most: eudaimonia, flourishing, contentment and confidence.

Andria Zafirakou, a teacher at Alperton Community School in Brent, UK, won the 2018 Global Teacher Prize. She is passionate about education and changing the lives of young people and underserved communities through creativity. Andria used the $1 million prize money to found a charity called Artists in Residence (AiR) with an aim to improve arts education in schools. Andria has also been named in t...

Dr. Robert “Rob” Loe launches the London miniseries of “Reach Teach Talk” with a powerful discussion on the importance of relational teaching. Rob is the Founder of Relational Schools Project and currently CEO of The Relationships Foundation. Listen and learn from the global research that supports connection-building in all classrooms.

What is the difference between being a teacher and being a coach? Over the past decade, Alex Rosenblum has been a massively successful secondary school history teacher and 4-time championship football coach. Join us as we dive into the nuances between both, and learn strategies from someone who can speak to the power of relationships both in the classroom and on the sports field.

What is the difference between being a teacher and being a coach? Over the past decade, Alex Rosenblum has been a massively successful secondary school history teacher and 4-time championship football coach. Join us as we dive into the nuances between both, and learn strategies from someone who can speak to the power of relationships both in the classroom and on the sports field.

25 years ago, Brian Wogensen was a stonemason’s apprentice in the foothills of rural Tuscany. For over two decades, he has been a supremely effective and deeply beloved English teacher. Join us as we navigate his course from Siena to his decades-long teaching career in Los Angeles. And learn how success is predicated on belief, whether in a one-to-one apprenticeship or in the classroom.

Los Angeles-based Parent Coach Oona Hanson has been a high school English teacher, a one-on-one academic tutor, and a parent educator. Listen to Oona share her definition of health while she explains why the student-parent-teacher "relationship triangle” is critical toward its maintenance.

Over the past 25 years, Matthew Arnold has been an educational technologist at schools in Chicago and Los Angeles. During that time, he has journeyed from a classroom technology evangelist to one of its greatest skeptics. His story is fascinating, and his wisdom benefits us all.

A former cover model goes on a road trip and receives the call to teach on the Pacific Coast Highway, under a full moon. You can’t make that stuff up! 25 years since, Chip Williams has found himself in classrooms from Los Angeles to Turkey, observing the importance of teaching to the spirit in all kids everywhere.