The Teach Different Conversation Podcast

How should we act when we are angry? Anger is one of those emotions that we say is inherently dangerous and unpredictable. When we're angry, we are told to walk away or breathe to allow the intense feelings to pass. Yet, sometimes getting angry is actually a wise strategy, especially if we feel that we or our loved ones are in danger. Quick action is the better remedy. Our students should learn how and when to use anger to achieve the best possible outcomes. Join Steve and Dan Fouts with Shawn McCusker, Director of Professional Learning at Digital Promise, for a conversation about the power of anger and how we know when expressing it is the right thing to do or when it may get us into more trouble than we bargained for. Image Source: Wikimedia | Calidius | Creative Commons

Does power reveal our true character? Being a good person is hard enough. It's even harder when we occupy positions of authority. Authority gives us leeway to deal with others in whatever way we want, and carry through with punishments of our design. How we execute our power reveals our true values, because we have the power to choose otherwise. Yet, adversity and hardship test our values too, and sometimes uncover more of who we really are. Join Dan and Steve Fouts for an unforgettable conversation about power using the Teach Different 3-Step method with guest, Andrew Swan. Image source: Picryl | Creative Commons

Can our imagination make us happy? Happiness is something that everyone wants. Sometimes, though, our imaginations create anxiety and actually prevent us from experiencing happiness. We make things worse than they actually are because of what we create in our minds. Yet, at other times, it is our actual experiences that create our suffering and our imaginations play no role. The power of the imagination is unique to each individual and can be a source of our happiness or despair. Join Steve and Dan Fouts and Dr. Jana Mohr Lone- Director of the Center for Philosophy of Children at the University of Washington- for an unforgettable conversation about happiness that you can recreate in your classroom using the Teach Different 3-Step Method. Image source: Wikimedia | Caladius

Do you need to fail to learn? From a young age we are taught the value of learning from our mistakes. The logic goes something like this, when we make mistakes we see opportunities for improvement and learning. Failure makes us wise. Yet, we also learn through our successes. It is through them that we discover what we did right and what we should continue to do next time. Failure and success are both important teachers in our lives. Join Steve and Dan Fouts with high school social studies teacher Amy Patino for an unforgettable conversation about whether we learn more from our failures or our successes using the Teach Different 3-Step Method. Image source: Pixabay | bladeco70

How do we know when the cautious approach is the right one? Students sometimes rush into decision-making without forethought. They do it on term papers, class projects, and even in their relationships. This approach often causes more heartache and work in the long run. There is a lot to be said about careful slow planning to avoid mistakes, but there's also an inherent danger in taking the cautious approach. If they spend all of their time planning, then there's not much left for experimentation and learning from mistakes. Join Steve and Dan Fouts with Julie Cropp, Principal of Roscoe Middle School in Roscoe, IL, for a conversation about decision making and when being cautious may be the right approach. Image Source: Flickr

Is failure necessary for success? Student success is often determined by achievements, like getting a job, acing a test, or winning a competition. Failure is seen as the opposite of success, and something to avoid at all costs. What if failure is necessary for success? Is it possible that without failure we can't achieve greatness? The relationship between success and failure is a complicated one that students must figure out on their own. Join Steve and Dan Fouts with Amy Fast, High School principal and author, for a conversation about success and how failure can be an integral part to developing confidence and a sense of purpose. Image source: Flikr | Yousuf Kars

How do you know when you should change your values? Of the many elements of a strong character, none is more important than a person having a strong system of values. A person who has strong values stands for something, has a stable guide for behavior, and prevents him/herself from being taken advantage of. But, if a person is too rigid in their values, then that person becomes resistant to new ideas and opportunities. Developing the appropriate values to meet life's challenges is an enduring pursuit. Join Steve and Dan Fouts with Naim Sanders, elementary school principal and author, for a conversation about character and when it is important to stay true to our values and when we should reevaluate them in light of new realities. Image Source:  Library of Congress | Ed Ford | Creative Commons

What’s the best way to lead a happy life? When kids talk about strategies for living a happy life, they often talk about goals, like getting a great job or becoming famous. If they reach that goal, then that's clear evidence of success and deep satisfaction for having pursued something to completion. But, what about the relationships we build? They also shape our happiness in a meaningful way. Sorting what makes a person truly happy is challenging work. Join Steve and Dan Fouts with Emily Pool, third grade teacher, for a conversation about happiness and how depending on people and things may not be our best option for achieving it. Image: Pixabay | Creative Commons

Can we decide to be free? Freedom is an often used yet really complex concept. Many consider freedom something that is granted to them, something they don't have to work for. Others see freedom as something denied, and something that must be fought for. These different conceptions of freedom spring from different life experiences which are in turn shaped by a person's gender, race, and ethnicity. Steve and Dan Fouts are joined by educator John Corcoran to discuss how freedom means different things to different people and how achieving it isn't as easy for some as it is for others. Image Source: Nationaal Archief | Rob Croes / Anefo

What makes one person more powerful than another? We constantly compare ourselves to others, often concluding that they have it much better than we do. We spend much of life idolizing people, and in the process, give them power over us. Yet, what's lost here is the stark truth that other people have just as many insecurities and problems as we do and we probably would do better to focus on ourselves and to recognize the power we have to make the world better. Join Dan and Steve Fouts with Emir Davis, Director of Black Male Engagement at the Center for Black Educator Development, in a conversation about power in all its forms and why we are so quick to give it to others, or keep it for ourselves. Image source: Flickr | Virginia DeBolt | Creative Commons

What is the best way to overcome your enemies? Enemies have a way of bringing out the worst in us. They make us act and think in mean ways. When we mimic the behaviors of our enemies we get revenge on them and feel a fleeting sense of accomplishment. But, maybe resisting anger is a better way to respond. That way we maintain self-control and draw attention to our enemies' negative behavior, and in the process, preserve our integrity. Steve and Dan Fouts are joined by educator Anat Hector-Brown to decide what is the best way to get revenge, or whether it's even necessary in order to achieve happiness. Image source: Pixabay

Do we control our own happiness? Teachers and parents alike espouse the value of focus. With focus, children appreciate the value of the moment and can learn to control their mind. Yet, phones and social media conspire to make focus difficult. The undisciplined mind, split from its foundation, shifts and drifts in different directions leaving tasks undone, leaving students feeling inadequate and powerless. Steve and Dan Fouts are joined by Evan Harrel and Laura Berland from the Center for Compassionate Leadership to explore the power of a disciplined mind and how it can not only foster compassionate leaders, but can also lead us to a peace and contentment we never knew was possible. Image source: Flikr | Christopher Michael | Creative Commons