The Educational Triage Podcast

Dr. Lincoln Stoller:  Are Schools Relevant? 

A PhD in Quantum Physics, a Teacher, Mountaineer, Hypnotherapist, and EEG Neurofeedback Therapist - Lincoln Stoller has an incredible background. He has a Ph.D. in quantum physics, is a teacher, mountaineer, hypnotherapist, and EEG neurofeedback therapist, and was mentored by the late John Taylor Gatto, who influenced many of his views.  

Today, we have...

The Growing Problem of Absenteeism in Schools

Understanding the reasons behind the growing issue of school absenteeism is crucial. It's a problem causing concern in schools, states, and communities. Chronic absenteeism rates are increasing, and it's essential to know why. According to the New York Times, there are various reasons—from family vacations (should kids be able to finish their work remotely?) to the need for extra i...

Coach Gloria Peek 

What does boxing have to do with education, let alone alternative education? Fundamentally, they have a great deal in common.   

Boxers, like all athletes and students, need to be disciplined. They also need feedback. Boxers need to set and execute their goals, like students. They also need to think quickly on their feet and learn how to move. Students also need to consider and ...

Falling Math & Reading Scores - Are Schools Really to Blame?

Beginning more than two decades ago, fingers have been pointed at our learning institutions, accusing them of ineffective teaching practices and not teaching our children reading, writing, and math effectively.  Parents have thrown their hands up in surrender, trying to fathom the new maths articulated by the schools, and we’ve also be...

Changing Graduation Requirements 

When our students proudly cross the stage, diploma in hand, what have they accomplished?  Is it a mere testament to their 12-year attendance, or have they truly absorbed knowledge?  Will they thrive beyond academia, or will they seek further enlightenment elsewhere?  What, indeed, have they learned? And how can we be certain of their learning without effective asses...

Is Education a Cesspool of Hypocrisy?  

Certain aspects of education can be quite unsettling, whether you're a teacher, parent, or student. Could it be that we're all just victims of a pervasive form of gaslighting—a term that seems to apply to almost everything these days?  

This week, Philip and Tony examine the situation in which Education states it wants one thing but actually slaps it down an...

Before the Application with Geary Woolfolk

This week, we meet with Geary Woolfolk, the founder and passionate leader of Woolfolk Works in Atlanta, Georgia. Geary is a full-time IT Engineer at Travel Port, but he sets aside time outside the workplace to mentor and support youth and families pursuing post-secondary education.  

Geary knows how expensive colleges, universities, and other training insti...

Is Education Killing the American Dream?

 There are so many thoughts about this topic.  Defining the American Dream became the tipping point.  How does the current system of academics help/deny the dream to those involved both in the instructional and learning sectors?   This week, we explored, but we found more hills on top of the mountain in this adventure.  

What are your thoughts?  Tell us!  E...

Buses and Alternative Education

People have discussed the apparent link between school buses and school schedules for years.   Why are the schools beginning at a particular time?  Why do they end at that time?  Questions parents, students, teachers, and other folks in the community pose quite often.  

Well, there is a link. Students need transportation to school, but is it beneficial? Does riding ...

Sports and Alternative  Education

Contrary to popular belief, students in Alternative Education programs/schools have the potential to excel in school sports. However, this potential often goes untapped due to the lack of sports facilities and coaching staff unless they are part of a school or district that values their participation.  Whether or not the district or the community makes these determi...

Are Teachers the New Therapists? 

Even before the pandemic, teachers were asked to check on students’ mental health, which was a realistic request. However, since then, schools, districts, and communities have demanded that more be done in the classroom under the guidance of the classroom teachers to ensure the students are “doing well mentally.” 

Teachers' roles have been demanding for years, if not decades. With faculty inclu...

Peer Pressure

What is Peer Pressure, and how does it work?  What’s interesting about this topic is that we are all privy to its guiles and effects, but few truly understand it and how it works.   The biggest question of the week is: How Can We Use Peer Pressure in Teaching?  Or can we?  

We discuss the implications of peer pressure, studies demonstrating its power, and how it manifests itself in c...

Lessons in Langauge Learning with Alexis Buschert

This week, we have the luxury of hosting Alexis Buschert, a World Languages Trainer, who indulges us with insights on language learning - both from the perspectives of teachers who work with students struggling to learn English in their classrooms and as students of another World Language.  What prevents us from learning more rapidly?  How can we cre...

The Parent Dilemma

Every day, there are posts about entitlements coming from parents and students.  Absurd requests or demands, and apparently, these are backed by the administrators.  What is a teacher to do?  OR are these the exceptions to the rule?  What do parents genuinely want - the vast majority and not those snarky few? 

This week, we delve into parents' intentions: wants, needs, and hopes. ...

Who Is Generation Alpha 

This week, we undergo an examination of Generation Alpha - those who were born in 2010 and beyond (thus far).  These students are entering the hallowed hallways of the secondary schools, but they’ve already impacted the elementary and middle schools.  

What makes them different from other generations?  Well, they are the first generation to have technology always available...

Blurred Lines Part Two: Teaching Critical Thinking v To the Test

In this week's episode, we dive into this meaty topic.  Are our children being taught to excel on a test without the necessary tools of Critical Thinking?  What are the differences?  What are the consequences?  While rote learning may be beneficial as a foundation, why are students being drilled on topics without more consequential deepe...

Blurred Lines: What is Going On in Education? 

This week, we delve into where many boundaries and lines have been blurred in education.  

Let’s look at some facts.  Who Are Paraprofessionals  Digest of Education Statistics

We talk about hiring practices, qualifications, expectations, administration, learning, red flags, and othering of students.  Take your pick.  It’s a potpourri of issues.  

...

The Intertwining of VocEd, Career & Technical Ed, and Project-Based Learning

During our discussions of Project-Based Learning (PBL), Career and Technical Learning (CTE), and Vocational Education (VocEd), it became pretty evident that one cannot honestly exist without the others - or the allusion to the others.  

This week, we discuss using our brains as the whiteboard where we create our own c...

Bias in Grading and Assessment 

This week, Philip and Tony delve into biases affecting grading and assessment outcomes.  Are there any assessments or grading systems that are without fault?  Are there any of us who are without our own prejudgements when we score work?   How do we begin to mend those systems, and ourselves? Can we?  Should we?  

#ReducingBiasinEducation #StudentEmpowerment #Differe...