What if we taught Gen-Z how to talk – and listen – to each other?
R.E.A.L.® trains teachers to do exactly that.
R.E.A.L.® trains teachers to be global leaders in discussion-based learning.
We start with four skills: Relate, Excerpt, Ask, and Listen
The Stakes are High
Discussion is at the heart of everything.
From great Humanities classrooms to healthy democracies to fulfilling relationships. But in a polarized, tech-centric world, productive face-to-face communication is a lost art.
From great classrooms to healthy global societies to fulfilling relationships. But in a polarized, tech-centric world, productive face-to-face communication feels like a lost art.
For today’s kids, discussion is hard – and scary.
They would rather text than talk. They feel alone (despite being hyper-connected). They struggle to build real relationships, especially in-person and across any kind of difference.
Teachers see this crisis in their classrooms daily.
They believe that discussion skills are teachable – but don’t have tools for the task. Most use methods designed centuries ago: for homogeneous classrooms and a screen-free world!
Shout outs from some of our teacher partners
Stories from real R.E.A.L.® teachers
About
R.E.A.L.® Discussion
Founder Liza Garonzik built R.E.A.L.® based on her experience as a teacher, administrator, and trustee in independent schools. Her “aha” moment came while teaching a Humanities class. Yet another “student-led” discussion had fallen flat: introverts withdrew, class clowns lobbed one-liners, majority voices dominated.
Founder Liza Garonzik built R.E.A.L.® based on her experience as a teacher, administrator, and trustee at leading private schools in the USA. Today, R.E.A.L.® is used by 35+ US-based schools; we seek our first visionary international partners.
The inspiration for R.E.A.L.® came when Liza was teaching second period. Yet another “student-led” discussion had fallen flat: introverts withdrew, class clowns lobbed one-liners, majority voices dominated…
Discussion – a skill for learning and life – was difficult for the kids in her classroom. She saw that today’s students had new needs when it came to learning how to talk, trust, and listen to each other—and designed R.E.A.L.® to empower Humanities teachers to teach communication skills in their classrooms.
Discussion – a skill for learning and life – was difficult for the kids in her classroom. She saw that today’s students had new needs when it came to learning self-expression and self-regulation —and designed R.E.A.L.® to empower teachers to teach communication and reflection skills in their classrooms.
Liza is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Pennsylvania. She completed additional coursework at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Teachers’ College at Columbia University.
Our School Partners
How does R.E.A.L.® work?
R.E.A.L.® is a research-backed program that teachers integrate into their existing humanities curriculum to make student-led discussions rigorous, equitable, and relevant to Gen-Z. It starts with PD for Teachers + Curriculum for Students.
R.E.A.L.® is an acronym for four foundational skills students learn: Relate, Excerpt, Ask, and Listen. These are skills for learning – and real life.
Essentially, R.E.A.L.® gives faculty a GPS for class discussions they can use to navigate today’s students towards thoughtful self-expression and deep listening —all within the bounds of existing curriculum.
Why R.E.A.L.® and International Schools?
>> Alignment in our commitment to providing student-centered, future-focused educational experiences. R.E.A.L. is an actionable strategy for cultivating today’s students as global citizens who understand the discipline, joy, and power of discussion.
>> Mobile + multicultural students. Clear conventions for conversation invite all students ‘in,’ de-mystifying what great engagement looks like while also leaving room for local nuance. R.E.A.L. makes diverse classrooms equitable.
>> High teacher turnover, flexible PD. Embedding a practice like R.E.A.L. within specific grade levels helps make student experience consistent across classrooms. It offers new teachers a “quick win” and longstanding teachers tools for for instructional leadership.
>> Allegiance to curriculum that values metacognition. Whether school is using IB, MYSC, CIA, or another curriculum, R.E.A.L. resources are are process-oriented, content-agnostic, and pre-aligned for effective and easy integration.
Our promise
It is our hope and expectation that you will find the opportunity to learn R.E.A.L. Discussion to be useful, exciting, and fun! If that is not your experience after engaging fully with the activities and resources provided, we will certainly offer a refund in exchange for thoughtful, honest feedback.
Meet your guide
Liza Garonzik
Liza Garonzik is the Founder of R.E.A.L.® Discussion. She has served as a teacher, administrator, and trustee in independent schools.
Liza designed R.E.A.L. based on her experience teaching Humanities, her learnings at The Klingenstein Center, Exeter Humanities Institute, and Athena, and diving deep into educational research over a decade.
Liza holds degrees in History and Literature from Harvard College and Education from PennGSE, with additional graduate work at Harvard GSE and Lesley University. She trained as a teacher at Shady Hill.
She’s proud to serve on the Board of Trustees at Nashoba Brooks School and the Board of Advisors at Shady Hill TTC.
Wherever she is, Liza is obsessed with the question of what makes discussions great — and often drives friends crazy by analyzing conversation patterns in daily life. She speaks at conferences about the role of discussion in schools and society.
Liza Garonzik is the Founder of R.E.A.L.® Discussion. She has served as a teacher, administrator, and trustee in private schools across the US and is a frequent conference presenter.
Liza designed R.E.A.L. based on her experience teaching Humanities, her learnings at The Klingenstein Center, Exeter Humanities Institute, and Athena, and diving deep into educational research over a decade.
Liza holds degrees in History and Literature from Harvard College and Education from PennGSE, with additional graduate work at Harvard GSE and Columbia University Teachers’ College. She trained as a teacher at Shady Hill.
She’s proud to serve on the Board of Trustees at Nashoba Brooks School and the Board of Advisors at Shady Hill TTC.
Wherever she is, Liza is obsessed with the question of what makes discussions great — and often drives friends crazy by analyzing conversation patterns in daily life. She speaks at conferences about the role of discussion in schools and society.
Features from our blog, In REAL Time: A Discussion About Discussion
Meet your guide
Liza Garonzik
Liza Garonzik is the Founder of R.E.A.L.® Discussion. She has served as a teacher, administrator, and trustee in independent schools.
Liza Garonzik is the Founder of R.E.A.L.® Discussion. She has served as a teacher, administrator, and trustee in private schools across the US and is a frequent conference presenter.
Liza designed R.E.A.L. based on her experience teaching Humanities, her learnings at The Klingenstein Center, Exeter Humanities Institute, and Athena, and diving deep into educational research over a decade.
Liza holds degrees in History and Literature from Harvard College and Education from PennGSE, with additional graduate work at Harvard GSE and Lesley University. She trained as a teacher at Shady Hill.
She’s proud to serve on the Board of Trustees at Nashoba Brooks School and the Board of Advisors at Shady Hill TTC.
Wherever she is, Liza is obsessed with the question of what makes discussions great — and often drives friends crazy by analyzing conversation patterns in daily life. She often speaks at conferences on the role of discussion among society.
Liza designed R.E.A.L. based on her experience teaching Humanities, her learnings at The Klingenstein Center, Exeter Humanities Institute, and Athena, and diving deep into educational research over a decade.
Liza holds degrees in History and Literature from Harvard College and Education from PennGSE, with additional graduate work at Harvard GSE and Columbia University Teachers’ College. She trained as a teacher at Shady Hill.
She’s proud to serve on the Board of Trustees at Nashoba Brooks School and the Board of Advisors at Shady Hill TTC.
Wherever she is, Liza is obsessed with the question of what makes discussions great — and often drives friends crazy by analyzing conversation patterns in daily life. She speaks at conferences about the role of discussion in schools and society.
The impact of R.E.A.L.®
R.E.A.L.® has been implemented in diverse independent schools across subjects like History, English, Religion, and Humanities with students in grades 6-11. It has also been piloted in a select number of international and charter schools.
98%
of teachers would recommend R.E.A.L.® to a colleague
96%
of teachers would use the resources in their classroom next year
98%
of students report more confidence in speaking up in discussion
96%
of students listen more actively to their peers
94%
of students show a growth mindset towards discussion
5
The top five words teachers use to describe R.E.A.L. PD :
Practical, Innovative, Fun/Funny, Motivating, Helpful
R.E.A.L.® Mini-Course: Start By Asking “Why?”
Our free 30-minute mini-course invites Humanities teachers to rediscover their “why” with a particular focus on discussion.
We give teachers permission to reflect on questions such as: why use discussion as a teaching tool today? why is teaching worth it amidst the challenges of our world?
The course draws on science, psychology, public interest polls, and Gen-Z studies to give educators a fresh framework for answering these giant questions.
