The Teach Different Podcast

How do we recognize our power to live in the moment? Living in the moment is hard. There are forces acting against us. There’s the past which weighs us down and often causes depression and fear. And then there’s the future, which leads to anxiety and a different sort of fear - of the unknown. Living in the moment requires acceptance of what is and the courage to act based on our best knowledge of who we really are. Join Steve and Dan Fouts with guest, Jeremy Gregory, teacher and advocate for Humane Education, for a conversation about living in the moment using the Teach Different 3-Step conversation method. Be sure to visit teachdifferent.com to learn more, and to sign up for our FREE 30-day trial. You'll gain access to the Teach Different library of conversation plans, social/emotional conversation curriculum map, ideas for your lesson plans, handouts, videos and more! Remember to teach different with conversations and make a difference every day. Image source: Library of Congress

We are all individuals, yet we are all also part of families, schools, teams and peer groups. Our identities are shaped by what we think of ourselves and the groups we are a part of. The value of interdependence is hard to appreciate because we often want to focus on our own accomplishments and struggle to give others credit for helping us get them. Yet acknowledging the role others play in our success is very important. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – along with guests James Ogude, Director at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria, South Africa, and United States high school social studies teacher Gwynne Ryan for a compelling conversation about interdependence, enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.   Image source: Piqsels

How do you know when to speak up? We're always telling kids to listen and to speak their mind. What we rarely do is help them discern when it is appropriate to listen and when it makes more sense to speak. Some suggest that listening to everyone is always a better way to go, because you learn more that way. Others say speaking your mind is the more courageous action, because then people know where you stand and others can learn from you. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – along with guest Laura Wright, PYP/IPC/MYP Educator & Pedagogical Learning Lead and Apple Distinguished Educator from The Hauge, Netherlands, for a compelling conversation about communication, enriched by the Teach Different Method.   Image source: Pixabay

Justice is often defined as a sense of fairness and equality which society has a natural obligation to bring about. Seen in this way, justice is a first priority that when met will yield all other benefits to citizens. Others may argue that there are other, more pressing responsibilities like public safety or peace which are more important duties. Different views on society's duties makes it hard for citizens to unite under a common purpose. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – along with educators from the United States Joe Schmidt and Nichelle Pinkney, for a conversation about duty enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Practice FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.   Image source: Wikimedia | Southworth & Hawes, Albert Southworth, Josiah Johnson Hawes

Can you motivate people who are reluctant to learn? Motivating people to do things is exhausting, and many times futile. It happens in the classroom with students who are reluctant to do work. Sometimes the reluctance comes from the fact that they don't have the skills to succeed. Other times, the students have the skills, but are creating the impression that they don't care. Teachers must figure out the correct cause of the lack of motivation and implement the right approach to turn things around. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – along with United States educator Scott Steward (Big Stew), professor of business and founder of the Genius Lab, Inc, for a compelling conversation about education, enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Practice FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty. Image source: Look and Learn | Edward S. Curtis

When should you have empathy for others? Sometimes it's important to follow rational thinking to solve problems. In those cases, turning off our own emotions helps lead to a solution. When dealing with others, however, the opposite is often true. We need to turn off rational thinking so we can listen and empathize. It's also the case that acting on one's feelings helps us make better decisions, and using a cold, rational approach with others is exactly what's needed to help them. Throughout our lives we have to figure out when to follow our head or follow our heart. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – for a compelling conversation about social awareness, enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Practice FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.   Image source: Wikimedia

When should you put others' needs above your own? When we come to the aid of others, we also become happy ourselves by virtue of doing the right thing. It makes us feel worthwhile when we serve others. But happiness can come to us through a different path, where we focus just on ourselves and what we really want. Helping other people often drains us of our life energy and prevents us from becoming who we really are. It's hard to know when putting other people's needs above our own will lead to our own fulfillment. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – along with guests from the United States Robert Spicer, principal consultant for Restorative Strategies and Loyola University education student Jenna Daube, for a compelling conversation about self-development, enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Practice FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty.   Image source: Library of Congress | Photograph possibly by Schumacher.

Should you fear mistakes? We all know what it feels like to be afraid of doing something. We hesitate, delay and ultimately choose to do nothing and then devise elaborate justifications for our inaction. Fear overcomes our courage. Yet, we also know the feeling of making quick decisions that lead to embarrassing mistakes. In those cases, a little fear would have encouraged us to slow down and make better choices. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – for a compelling conversation on decision-making, enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Practice FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty. Image source: Library of Congress

How do we know when cooperation is the best strategy for success? Working with other people is hard if you like to work fast. You have to slow down, compromise and wait for people to catch up to your pace. On class projects this can be a brutal experience. Going alone is so much faster and you're judged by your own efforts, not the efforts of others. Yet, cooperating with others brings a measure of success that is much grander than what could have ever been created alone. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – along with United States educator Adina Goldstein from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a compelling conversation about cooperation, enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Educators FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty. Image source: Pixabay

Is it brave to do the right thing? Thinking about the right way to act requires patient and careful thought. Acting from a good conscience in this way conveys strength and confidence. But our conscience also makes us feel weak; oftentimes we don't know what the right choices are and so we are plagued by indecision and fear. Doing the right thing becomes a burden too great to bear and we turn to our instincts to bail us out. Morality requires bravery. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – along with adjunct professor Cindy Zucker and education student Jenna Daube from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois, for a compelling conversation about decision-making, enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Practice FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty. Image source: Pixabay

Should we look to the future or past for guidance? On some level, everybody is looking for a purpose in life. Finding that purpose starts with an understanding of who we really are. That's when confusion sets in. On the one hand, we have a history of past decisions that defines us. On the other, we have an unlived future where we place our hopes and dreams, and that defines us too. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers with over 50 years of teaching experience – for a compelling conversation on goal-setting, enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Practice FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty. Image source: Pixabay

Should we be a role model for others? When we are being watched by others, we are compelled to do the right thing and that benefits the world. Being a role model has inherent value, but it is a difficult job that comes with significant sacrifice. It means that sometimes we can't be ourselves and do what we really want. We must forgo our own needs to make other people happy. It's hard to know when being a role model is worth it. Join Steve and Dan Fouts – founders of Teach Different and twin brothers from the United States with over 50 years of teaching experience – for a compelling conversation about self-awareness, enriched by the Teach Different Method. Whether you are a teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in experiencing the joy and fulfillment of challenging kids with big ideas, join our worldwide Community of Practice FREE for 30 days. Membership includes access to our robust library of resources, conversation plans, and lively discussions among teachers and faculty. Image source: Wikimedia