The Teacher's Sphere

Empowering Students Through the Lens of Economics

Summary: This episode explores the power that comes from teaching economics as a reflection of human action and the ways that this lens can help teachers empower their students to understand that their choices and actions matter. During the conversation, Kobi and Colman also discuss what it takes to have honest, complex conversations about economics and why content knowledge matters just as much as pedagogy. Timestamps: 4:44 — The Sphere Summit experience and how it reinvigorated teacher passion 8:25 — Connecting students to the bigger picture through economics as human action 12:25 — Challenging conversations around economic systems and trade-offs 16:31 — Pedagogical strategies including news culture, and real-time charting 22:18 — Teaching predictions through the concept of consumer anticipation 28:18 — The content knowledge gap facing economics educators 32:57 — What all educators should know about the value of economics Resources Mentioned: * "Spotlighting the World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell" [https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/spotlighting-the-world-factbook-as-we-bid-a-fond-farewell/] * The World Factbook Archives (from UPenn) [https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=worldfactbook] * Financial Times [https://www.ft.com/] * The Wall Street Journal [https://www.wsj.com/] * Bloomberg [https://www.bloomberg.com/] * The Journal of Economic Education [https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/vece20] * Sphere Education Initiatives [https://www.sphere-ed.org/] * Sphere's Real World Economics Lessons [https://www.sphere-ed.org/module/real-world-economics] * Sphere's Economics in One Virus Lessons [https://www.sphere-ed.org/module/economics-one-virus] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Who Gets to Decide What it Means to Be an Influencer?

In this episode, Kobi Nelson sits down with Lory Warren and Christina LaRose from the Prohuman Foundation to discuss the collaborative lesson series they created about five women from the Revolutionary era whose contributions shaped history but who have largely been left out of the historical record. Together, they explore what it really means to have influence, why students benefit from encountering diverse and complex historical figures, and how focusing on our shared humanity can shift the way we think about courage and impact. Main Topics: * What Is the Prohuman Foundation? * Redefining What It Means to Be an Influencer * Elizabeth Freeman: Curiosity, Courage, and the Law * Anna Smith Strong: Influence Hidden in Plain Sight * Nanyehi: Community, Peace, and Complex Legacies * Deborah Sampson: Fighting Where There Was No Path * Esther de Berdt Reed: Writing, Persuasion, and Fundraising for the War Effort * What Do We Hope Students and Teachers Take Away? Resources Mentioned: * The Prohuman Foundation [https://www.prohumanfoundation.org/] * Women in the American Revolution [https://www.sphere-ed.org/module/unsung-heroines-american-revolution] * Sentiments of an American Woman [https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/rbc/rbpe/rbpe14/rbpe146/14600300/14600300.pdf] by Esther de Berdt Reed (1780) * Sphere Education Initiatives [https://www.sphere-ed.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Case for Uncomfortable Conversations

Episode Description: In this episode, two middle school teachers and two high school teachers talk about what students actually learn when they are given the space to engage in challenging conversations that do not resolve easily. Together, we explore the balance teachers often need to find between freedom and structure, the ways that discomfort can be a powerful learning opportunity, and what it might mean for teachers to embrace uncertainty in their own teaching practice. Main Topics: * Discussion Norms in Classrooms (02:23) * Silence Doesn't Always Mean Disengagement (04:47) * Teaching Challenging Primary Documents (06:40) * The Tension Between Structure and Freedom (09:02) * Discomfort, Growth, and Lobster Metaphor (15:52) * High School Perspectives on Challenging Conversations (18:42) * Are Students Ready for Challenging Conversations? (23:19) Resources Mentioned: * Teaching the Declaration of Independence [https://www.sphere-ed.org/module/teaching-declaration-independence] lesson by Nancy Wickham * Sphere's Civil Discourse Through Literature [https://www.sphere-ed.org/module/civil-discourse-through-literature] lessons * "Windows and Mirrors: Children's Books and Parallel Cultures" [https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED337744.pdf#page=11] by Rudine Sims Bishop * "Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors" [https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Mirrors-Windows-and-Sliding-Glass-Doors.pdf] by Rudine Sims Bishop * Sphere Ed | Teaching Civic Culture Together [https://www.sphere-ed.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Leading with Curiosity and Trust in Polarized Times

In this episode, Sarah Lane speaks to two exceptional school leaders--Julian Braxton and Bruce Stubblefield-- to explore the essential role that relationship building plays in creating spaces where civil discourse can flourish. Hear them talk about why trust and vulnerability must come before complex conversations and how teacher leadership can effectively transform school cultures. Whether you're a teacher, administrator, or educational leader, this conversation offers hope and actionable strategies for bridging divides in your community. Main Topics: * Why Relationship Building Is Crucial for Civil Discourse (01:59) * Inquiry-Based Learning and Teacher Leadership (03:44) * The Importance of Modeling Authenticity and Respect (08:34) * The Fear of Cancellation and Creating Safe Classroom Norms (12:59) * Establishing School Culture from Leadership Down (16:16) * Connecting Students Across Geographic and Political Divides (20:17) * Breaking Down Assumptions Through Personal Stories (24:17) * Creating Opportunities for Staff Connection and Trust (28:08) * Providing Intentional Resources Without Overwhelming Teachers (30:44) * Finding Hope in Students and Committed Educators (37:52) * Closing Advice: Listen to Teachers and Make It Collaborative (41:14) Resources Mentioned: * Sphere Summit [https://www.sphere-ed.org/sphere-summit] * Sphere's Principles of Civil Discourse Primer [https://www.sphere-ed.org/publication/principles-civil-discourse-primer] * C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards [https://www.socialstudies.org/standards/c3] * I Never Thought of It That Way [https://www.moniguzman.com/book] by Monica Guzman * Facing History and Ourselves [https://www.facinghistory.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Teaching the Truth About Human Progress (It's Actually Good News)

On this episode, we tackle an intriguing paradox: why do we romanticize a past that was often brutal while feeling pessimistic about a present filled with unprecedented human flourishing? Join us in conversation with Chelsea Follett, scholar and author of Centers of Progress and the Grim Old Days Project, and Sean Kinnard, a social studies educator bringing these ideas to life in the classroom. Hear Chelsea and Sean discuss how nostalgic distortions of history can diminish students' sense of possibility and discover practical strategies for teaching the reality of human progress—from life expectancy data to inspiring stories of innovators who changed the world. Main Topics: * The Danger of Romanticizing the Past (02:13) * What the Grim Old Days Project Reveals About Historical Reality (04:14) * How Nostalgia Affects Students' Sense of Possibility (06:18) * Teaching Gratitude Through Historical Perspective (09:19) * Making Progress Concrete: Your Life in Numbers (14:45) * Centers of Progress: Dubrovnik's Lessons on Freedom (18:04) * Heroes of Progress and Student Empowerment (21:43) * Alexandria and Taking Information Access for Granted (23:48) * Navigating Information Overload and Misinformation (25:43) * Moving Students From Consumers to Creators of Progress (31:02) * Life Expectancy: The Most Powerful Progress Metric (34:53) Resources Mentioned: * Human Progress [https://humanprogress.org/] * Centers of Progress [https://humanprogress.org/projects/centers-of-progress/] * The Grim Old Days [https://humanprogress.org/projects/grim-old-days/] * Heroes of Progress [https://humanprogress.org/projects/heroes-of-progress/] * Sphere Educational Resources [https://www.sphere-ed.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.