In R.E.A.L. Time:
From the Founder

As we head into 2024, “Civil Discourse” is a buzzword – and for good reason. The next Presidential election cycle looms large. Many campuses are still recovering from the hydra-headed ways politics ravaged their communities in 2020.  The most strategic school leaders I know are taking a proactive approach, asking: How can we use ’23-24…

For many teachers, class discussion is a chance to dive into content: to unearth new meaning in a text, debate the impact of a historical event, draw connections among ideas.  At R.E.A.L.® we believe all of those things are true – but in today’s world, class discussion serves an even more important purpose: it may…

Back-to-school season just might be our favorite time of year here at R.E.A.L.® Discussion. Why? We have spent the summer connecting a diverse group of educators across geographies, backgrounds, teaching styles, and career stages. Despite their differences, all share a commitment to teaching discussion skills to students growing up in a screenbound, polarized world.  R.E.A.L.®…

In what feels like a divided, screenbound world, here’s something I think most Americans would agree on: we need to re-learn how to talk (and listen) to each other. How can we do that? One step would be to make the instruction of conversation skills a national priority.  Why? Discussion skills are democracy skills. They…

I feel like I need to preface this post with a disclaimer (which I encourage students – especially girls – never to do). But here goes: I am an optimist. No one has ever accused me of not being idealistic enough, not seeing the sunny side, not hunting the good. I’d even say that I…

At R.E.A.L.® we’re big believers in the power of conversation. Yet in 2022, our org-wide resolution was to listen more – and talk less. So what did we hear? One message was loud and clear: R.E.A.L.® is about so much more than class discussion. A sixth grader told us it’s about “becoming a civilized being.” A ninth grader said…

At R.E.A.L.® Discussion, we believe in the power of conversation to change a life and to change the world. That sounds dramatic, but it starts with science. We know that: >> Conversation is a uniquely human capacity. Monkeys and robots can communicate, but only humans can use conversation to interview grandpa, triage a patient, engage…

Today’s students may not need computer labs, but they do need the opposite. What if schools had spaces dedicated to teaching digital natives how to talk – and actually listen – to each other?

We thought we’d take a minute to introduce ourselves…