Do you sometimes wonder what your students’ lives have been like these past six months? Do you ever sense tension beneath the surface in your classroom and wonder what you can do about it? We love to talk about content, rigor, and engagement on the blog and podcast, but sometimes, as a teacher, you need to put content on hold in order to address the human beings sitting before you. And, today, that is exactly what we did.
We sat down with Michael Arterberry, a motivational speaker and award-winning youth encourager, to discuss how we can improve our relationships with students, see the whole child, and create stronger communities in our classroom. He had incredible stories to tell, some of which brought tears to our eyes, because Michael has overcome so much and teaches students and teachers how to do the same.
In this episode, Michael shares the trauma he experienced growing up and discusses how he overcame the odds. He shares strategies for getting students to open up and build community among their peers as well as tools to help students (and adults!) overcome the beliefs that bring them down. We learned so much, and know you will too. You won’t want to miss this episode.
Tune in now to hear:
- [00:20] An introduction to Michael Arterberry
- [01:13] Michael’s story about the farmer and a donkey
- [07:40] Why we are the products of our thought lives
- [11:30] How Michael teaches students to stop unhelpful thoughts in their tracks
- [12:15] Why Michael goes into schools and runs his workshops
- [17:20] The power of hearing students’ stories
- [20:00] The importance of seeing the whole child, particularly now
- [23:00] How to teach students to live with no regrets
- [27:00] About Michael’s FREE book!
- [29:00] About the Shake the Dirt Challenge!
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