Sweat The Technique

Ravi sits down with his Sweat the Technique co-host Stacey Shells Harvey, co-founder and chief executive officer of ReGeneration Schools.  They discuss the benefit of summer teacher training, and how similar trainings can be used to optimize organizations and teams of all kinds.  They also touch on Ravi’s Imbroglio piece “The Alarming Decline of Summer Teacher Training.”

Ryan sits down with Ana Lorena Fábrega, author of The Learning Game: Teaching Kids to Think for Themselves, Embrace Challenge, and Love Learning. Anna discusses how traditional schooling has gone wrong and proposes a series of actionable strategies to help kids learn.

Ravi sits down with Alyssa Ages, author of Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Discover the True Meaning of Strength.  Through the lens of her pursuit of competitive strongman weight lifting, Alyssa describes why physical strength matters, and how it teaches us that we’re capable of so much more than we know.

Ravi sits down with Jamie Hodari, the founder of Industrious, one of the world’s largest flexible workspace providers. Jamie discusses a sustainable path for startups in the era of VC money, the future of office work, and some wild run-ins with WeWork’s Adam Neumann. 

Ravi sits down with his co-host and author of The Coach’s Guide to Teaching, Doug Lemov. Doug talks about how the science of classroom teaching can be leveraged in sports to create championship caliber coaches on the court and field.

Doug sits down with Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan, authors of The Champion Teammate: Timeless Lessons to Connect, Compete and Lead in Sports and Life.  Listen in for advice on building better relationships, practicing effective leadership, and developing the competitive prowess needed to be an exceptional teammate.

Today Doug is joined by his kids Maia and Caden Lemov. They discuss the parenting styles they grew up with, and how they think they’ll parent their own kids in the future. 

Doug sits down with Carl Hendrick, co-author of How Learning Happens. Listen in for a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion about learning with this former rock band front man, current PhD and professor of applied sciences.

Ravi sits down with William Stixrud, PhD and Ned Johnson to discuss lessons learned from their book The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control over Their Lives. Listen in for William and Ned’s insights about stepping back as parents to let your children navigate the world with confidence and find their own path.

Ryan sits down with Susan Asiyanbi, founder and CEO of The Olori Network®, a boutique advisory firm that helps CEOs and executive teams align their people and strategy during times of complex change.  Susan started as a teacher in Newark, New Jersey, and later served as Chief Operating Officer for Teach For America where she led strategy across 51 regions and nearly 2,000 staff. Today, she partner...

Following up last week’s show about learning one skill per year, Ravi sits down with friend and fitness expert Sadie Durante, who coached him during his year of powerlifting.  Sadie is the director of Power Monkey Fitness and offers lessons about the importance of building community and emphasizing fun while teaching life-changing skills.

Ryan sits down with Ravi to discuss his Imbroglio piece One Skill Per Year.  Each year for the past five years, Ravi has followed a regimen of intense focus to successfully learn one skill: 2019: Powerlifting 2020: Screenwriting 2021: Surfing 2022: Tennis 2023: Novel writing Ravi presents a roadmap for anyone who has always wanted to learn something, but never got around to it. If you’ve got dream...

This week on Sweat the Technique, Doug sits down with two innovators in the world of youth soccer to discuss what it takes to turn promising young athletes into world-class champions.  Matt Lawrey is the director at Atlanta United Youth Academy, and Steve Covino is the school’s under seventeen head coach. 

Ravi interviews Edward Tian, a recent Princeton graduate and brilliant young creator of GPT Zero: one of the web’s foremost AI detection tools.  They discuss the technology, ethics and implications of AI as it pertains not only to education - but to law, business, journalism, and beyond.

Today Stacey interviews Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes: Science-Based Strategies for Better Parenting--from Tots to Teens. Melinda provides an actionable, science-based guide for parents on how to shape their kids into honest, kind, generous, confident, independent, and resilient people.

The Branch Media brings you a special presentation of The Citizen Stewart Show - a podcast about education in America. This week, host Chris “Citizen” Stewart interviewed two of his favorite education luminaries. First up: President Obama’s Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan: Five Ways We Can Put Aside Partisan Politics And Think Big On Education (Washington Times, 10/18/21) Study Shows Parents O...

Ravi sits down with Jessica Lahey, author of The GIft of Failure for an illuminating conversation about parenting. From homework to report cards, social dynamics, and sports - Jessica’s advice will help parents step back and embrace their children’s setbacks along with their successes.

Ravi interviews co-host Ryan Hill about his experience as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of KIPP New Jersey and Miami. Ryan shares how the organization went from one school in New Jersey in 2002, where he was the founding principal, to 23 schools in New Jersey and Florida that now serve nearly 10,000 students. Ravi and Ryan discuss what they've learned from running schools, how leaders ca...

Doug sits down with two coaches who use video to elevate the performance of their athletes.  Luke Gromer is the host of The Cutting Edge Coaching Podcast as well as a teacher and coach, working primarily with young athletes.  And Darren Lewis is the director of Codex Analysis, and has worked primarily with professional rugby players.

Ravi sits down with Scott Young, author of Ultralearning to discuss how to master hard skills quickly. Lifelong learners will benefit from Scott’s techniques as they take up new hobbies or look to accelerate their careers.  Also check out The Branch’s Imbroglio newsletter this week for more on lifelong learning lessons from Ravi.

Doug interviews Dr. Ilya V. Buynevich, Professor of Geology at Temple University. Ilya grew up in Soviet-era Ukraine and harbors an informed skepticism about his students’ enthusiasm for certain aspects of socialism. Take a listen for his thoughts on the benefits of meritocracy in education, and read more in his piece here.

Ryan sits down with Christine Choi, a founding member of Teach for America, former Head of Communications for Virgin Galactic, and current partner at M13. Christine is a life-long learner with vast experience across an array of startups and global brands. She offers lessons on how to build teams, manage crises and make big moves - all while staying humble, kind and community-focused.

Stacey sits down with Sehreen Noor Ali, co-founder of Sleuth, a startup that gives parents better directions on early childhood health. Sehreen offers lessons to help parents navigate healthcare and advocate for their children. 

Hosts Doug Lemov and Stacey Shells Harvey discuss the lessons they’ve learned from running schools, and how they’ve applied them to their roles as parents.  This is an illuminating and heartfelt conversation from two experts, colleagues and friends.

Ravi and Doug interview Cody Royle, a coach of coaches from professional Rugby to leaders in the corporate world. Cody offers insightful lessons about how great coaches operate. For example: theatrical halftime speeches in movies are not the real thing - great coaches simply offer specific, effective instructions for how to succeed in the moment.