Experience Matters with Steve Shapiro

Exquisite Compassion with Father Greg BoyleFather Greg Boyle has spent most of his adult years helping transform the lives of former gang members at Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles. In this conversation he applies his many lessons learned to how we can increase joy and reduce loneliness in schools through kinship, mercy, and meaning.We cover a lot of territory, including: 2:21 Greg's childhood on Norton Avenue4:23 How Bolivia turned Greg inside out9:00 How Homeboy Industries came to be12:26 Building a powerful culture16:50 A powerful message from a Homie to teachers19:02 The cultural problem in American schools (the power of relationships)21:23 The powerful story of Lencho and true belonging25:30 Exquisite compassion and merciful community30:09 How Father Greg's school addressed the most difficult students31:02 Steve seeks counsel on the youth mental health crisis33:13 The recipe for sadness and the recipe for joy and wholeness36:57 How schools are rising to meet the challenge40:06 Father Greg tells a story you won't want to missLearn more about Father Greg and Homeboy IndustriesHomeboy Industries' powerful 30-year anniversary short videoFather Greg's commencement address at Pepperdine UniversityMike Wallace's 1992 60 Minutes story on Father Greg

Michelle Pledger confronted the internalized oppression from her experiences as a Black girl in a predominately white school; then she converted her newfound wisdom into a commitment to promote culturally relevant teaching practices that honor and support the lived experiences of all students. Her story is essential listening for anyone committed to true equity in schools. We cover a lot territory, including:4:00 Black in a White school7:42 Michelle's awakening10:58 The personal cost of assimilation15:05 Michelle's challenge to you18:08 Personal filters and blind spots19:50 Decolonizing our schools21:43 Liberating the curriculum24:16 The startling impact of non-representation26:44 Individualistic vs. collectivist cultures29:48 Liberating classroom communication35:20 Deficit thinking: our subconscious biases about intelligence39:31 Ability grouping's harmful effects43:11 What's stopping us from being culturally responsive?48:35 Michelle's call to action Michelle Pledger's personal websiteMichelle's about page at the High Tech High Graduate School of EducationPurchase Liberate! Pocket-Sized Paradigms for Liberatory Learning About Experience MattersExperience Matters with Steve Shapiro invites guests to reflect on the most profound learning experiences of their youth and to consider how we can reform American schools. Each episode provides clues about how parents and educators alike can engage young people in powerful, sometimes transformational experiential learning. Education can take many forms, but whatever form it takes- experience matters. 

Humans, young and old, share a basic need to have some authorship in our own lives. Dr. Russell Quaglia has built his entire career around how to bring students' voices into focus in classrooms and schools across the world. The result is happier students who learn more.We cover a lot of territory, including:2:55 The difference between hockey and school7:40 Our basic human need 8:50 Russ's definition of voice11:21 The (often missing) factor needed for voice to thrive14:50 Why surveys often fail (or worse)17:30 Can kids really know what's best for them?22:24 The students we often overlook26:24 A sense of belonging28:25 The link between voice and learning30:25 The link between voice and democratic citizenship31:57 What's stopping us?33:49 Reflect on our purpose and renew our passion Link to the Quaglia Institute for Voice and AspirationsLink to Steve's short video reflecting on what has really mattered in his careerAbout Experience MattersExperience Matters with Steve Shapiro invites guests to reflect on the most profound learning experiences of their youth and to consider how we can reform American schools. Each episode provides clues about how parents and educators alike can engage young people in powerful, sometimes transformational experiential learning. Education can take many forms, but whatever form it takes- experience matters.  

Episode 19: The Achievement Culture Cure with Dr. Stuart SlavinWhen Dr. Stuart Slavin received disturbing data about the dismal mental health of students at St. Louis University School of Medicine, he broke into action. The changes that Dr. Slavin and his faculty made transformed the mental health of their students…AND improved their learning outcomes! This is a MUST LISTEN episode. We cover a lot of territory, including:0:54 Great news and a warning4:29 Stuart in denial6:12 Stuart confronts the dismal truth with a heroic response8:20 Identifying the 3 main stressors and attacking them9:50 Understanding the crisis as an environmental context issue11:25 Stuart makes specific teaching and learning changes13:09 Wait this is insane! The Yerkes-Dodson Curve14:37 Creating space for powerful self-directed learning experiences16:53 Cutting back content to focus on the essentials18:26 Undoing problematic mindsets through cognitive restructuring22:14 Surprising survey results on sleep and study time22:51 Why wellness programs often backfire23:51 STUNNING improvements in mental health and learning26:25 High school might be harder than med school28:15 Steve surprises Stuart with a new perspective on his work29:41 The mistake high schools make when considering mental health30:40 Achievement culture and racism both have institutional factors32:35 The simple first step high schools can take34:25 Where to focus: well-being or satisfaction?37:30 A new learning value in a rapidly changing world38:42 What about teachers' mental health?41:24 Stuart's passionate plea to educators and parents- WE CAN DO THIS! Dr. Slavin's 2014 article in the journal Academic Medicine: Medical Student Mental Health 3.0: Improving Student Wellness Through Curricular Changes Dr. Slavin's 2019 Journal of Academic Medicine article: Reflections on a Decade Leading a Medical Student Well-Being InitiativeSteve's blog post about impermanent learning: The Uncomfortable Truth About SchoolSteve's conversation with Emmy Huefner about her encouneters with achievement culture stress as a student.Steve's conversation with Dr. William Stixrud about the impact chronic achievement culture stress has on the adolescent brain.

This is Your Brain on Achievement Culture with Dr. William StixrudWe are in the midst of a youth mental health crisis, especially among kids in “high achieving” schools. Neuropsychologist William Stixrud has a front row-seat to the crisis, with unique insight into emerging research on the impact that “achievement-culture” related chronic stress and anxiety have on the adolescent brain. We cover a lot of territory, including:4:20 How the Beatles shaped Bill's brain7:46 The difference between rich and poor kids' mental health 8:58 The mental health status of “high achieving kids”10:51 Detailing the adolescent mental health CRISIS13:19 The cruel untruths we tell teens16:52 How stress “sculpts” the adolescent brain18:39 The relationship between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala 21:41 A crazy story about fearing a kid in Iowa23:17 How depression “scars” kids' brains24:27 The most important indicator of a successful childhood26:58 How fear fuels the problem29:00 The most stressful thing in the universe30:47 Teenagers' experience of learned helplessness32:53 School policy strips kids of autonomy34:53 Teachers need autonomy too!38:11 The startling paradox of “good schools” Here's a link to my conversation with Emmy Huefner about her experiences with achievement culture stress.

In our race to cover state content standards and prepare students for high-stakes tests, many educators are overlooking a powerful strategy for transforming students' futures and making serious strides toward equity. Policy analyst and author Julia Freeland Fisher preaches the game-changing impact of expanding students' social networks.Julia Freeland Fisher is the director of education research at the Clayton Christensen Institute. Her team educates policymakers and community leaders on the power of disruptive innovation, aiming to transform monolithic, factory-model education systems into student-centered designs that enable each student to realize his or her fullest potential. Julia is also the author of Who You Know: Unlocking Innovations That Expand Students' Networks, along with a great collection of blog posts and this AMAZING PLAYBOOK for implementing the ideas we discuss in the episode. We cover a lot of territory including:2:54 How Bear McCreary became one of the top composers of our time5:20 Young Julia's 1st-hand experience with “opportunity gaps”6:53 Two types of social capital: getting by vs. getting ahead9:01 WHAT you know vs. WHO you know10:25 Breaking out of the school's embryonic community11:28 The inequity of inherited social networks13:13 How “enrichment spending” exacerbates inequity14:18 Research on the link between social capital and economic mobility15:25 How schools can tap into community capital18:23 Existing models for schools to engage networks21:32 Overcoming “Byzantine” school schedules24:54 How schools can track and systemize social capital26:15 What gets measured gets done27:38 A challenge to affluent people who care about equity29:30 Whose job is this?30:44 A simple first step for school leaders31:52 The “low-hanging fruit”- Internship programs33:20 Models/programs for school-wide implementation34:51 Connecting with our WHY and overcoming teacher burnout Here are some programs and tools Julia discusses in the interview:Big Picture Learning NetworkImBlazeEducuriousCommunityShareThe Forest SchoolSocial Capital BuildersConnected FuturesCareer Launch

In October 2022, educators from across the country gathered at NIHF STEM Middle School in Akron, Ohio for TeachBetter22. In this special edition episode, you'll hear 22 conference participants share the most powerful learning experience of their youth. The episode closes with an unforgettable tale from conference keynote speaker and Grammy winner Mickey Smith Jr.

Teenage Takeover with Sam LevinToday Sam Levin is the 29-year-old Oxford PhD CEO of a biotech company. Thirteen years ago he was a high school junior exasperated at his friends' disengagement and unhappiness at school. So he did something about it! Now students, teachers, and parents are taking note of his bold vision.We cover a lot of territory including:3:11 The seeds of Sam's discontent with school4:28 Sam's mom puts forth a challenge5:11 A community garden reveals that teens can love learning and hard work6:34 How teachers unfairly label students8:46 Sam's vision for a  student-run school meets resistance10:37 The teacher that shattered Sam's illusions12:04 The remarkable vision of the Independent Project13:39 Parents' fears about the Independent Project14:15 The relationship between pedagogy and tracking/ability grouping15:40 The foundational reasons we should stop tracking kids16:58 The remarkable design of the Independent Project19:07 Every student creates an “individual endeavor” around a passion19:39 Getting into college20:29 A “collective endeavor” to promote powerful collaboration21:32 Practicing 21st century skills22:50 The life-changing impact of the Independent Project25:17 De-orientation to break bad school habits26:30 Sam's PhD. and the creation of Melonfrost28:04 How the Independent Project planted the seeds for Sam's CEO success30:02 Sam's advice to educators31:30 Steve poses a thought experiment Independent Project documentary (14 minutes)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RElUmGI5gLcSam and his mom's book about the Independent Project https://thenewpress.com/books/school-of-our-ownSam's biotech company- Melonfrost https://www.melonfrost.com  If you liked this podcast, here are some other episodes you can check out:A portrait of an exhausted, dispirited high school student: https://www.steventshapiro.com/experiencematters/a-letter-to-my-younger-self-with-emmy-huefnerA mini version of the Independent Project for middle school students: https://www.steventshapiro.com/experiencematters/suzannegoldsmithhirschHarvard thought-leader on 21st century learning Tony Wagner on why our kids need schools like the independent project: https://www.steventshapiro.com/experiencematters/tuned-in-to-the-future-with-tony-wagnerNYTimes bestselling author Daniel Pink on how autonomous learning transformed his brain: https://www.steventshapiro.com/experiencematters/the-epiphany-with-daniel-pink  About Experience MattersExperience Matters with Steve Shapiro invites guests to reflect on the most profound learning experiences of their youth and to consider how we can reform American schools. Each episode provides clues about how parents and educators alike can engage young people in powerful, sometimes transformational experiential learning. Education can take many forms, but whatever form it takes- experience matters. 

“Tuned In” to the Future with Tony WagnerA surprise package arrived at 11-year-old Tony Wagner's house that permanently impacted his understanding of learning. Decades later, after a career that included twenty years of thought leadership at Harvard University and multiple best-selling books on school reform, Wagner connects the dots to the essential 21st century skills our schools are missing. Tony Wagner is one of the nation's leading educational reformers. His books·      The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don't Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need- And What We Can Do About It·      Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World·      Most Likely To Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for the Innovation Eramake the case for modernizing schools to focus on innovation and creative problem-solving skills. In our conversation he shares the learning experiences that shaped him and the challenges that our schools face as they try to prepare young people for a rapidly changing world.We cover a lot of territory including:3:15 The experience that forever changed 11-year-old Tony6:50 Persistence creates a EUREKA moment!8:15 Failure---Persistence---Curiosity---Learning9:50 The genesis of Tony's writing career11:35 Tony's writing teacher who wasn't really his teacher13:38 The piece of classic literature that provided Tony's “a-ha moment”15:15 The difference between Tony and Daniel Pink as students17:10 Reflecting on Ted Sizer's Coalition of Essential Schools reform movement19:58 The destructive impact of standardized testing20:35 The stunning insights from conversations with business and military leaders22:25 How schools kill innovation thinking24:38 Why innovation and creative problem solving are so essential26:17 A simple suggestion for teachers to nurture creativity28:18 The tremendous damage of the accountability movement30:43 The future of schools and the need for business leaders to speak out32:40 Play, Passion, and Purpose Tony Wagner's Website: https://www.tonywagner.comTony's Books: https://www.tonywagner.com/books My favorite Tony Wagner quotes (discussed at 22:16)·      "Not only are we not developing and cultivating creative geniuses in our schools, we may actually be doing the opposite."·      "The culture of schooling is radically at odds with the culture of learning that creates innovators."About Experience MattersExperience Matters with Steve Shapiro invites guests to reflect on the most profound learning experiences of their youth and to consider how we can reform American schools. Each episode provides clues about how parents and educators alike can engage young people in powerful, sometimes transformational experiential learning. Education can take many forms, but whatever form it takes- experience matters.

Julie Kim is an L.A.-based college admissions counselor who helps young people gain entrance into America's most selective colleges. In this conversation Julie pulls back the curtain on the college admissions process and shows young people how they can not only get into selective colleges, but how they can be happier and more excited as they do it.Julie Kim is the founder of Julie Kim Consulting. She has helped her clients gain admissions to the nation's most competitive colleges, from Stanford to Yale, using her foundational strategy: the Passion Project. Julie developed the idea as a burned-out high school student and used it to gain admission to USC and later Harvard. In this conversation she turns the conventional wisdom about college admission on its head and shows how doing it the right way not only works, but also yields happiness and positive mental health.We cover a lot of territory including:1:50:  Steve offers two important disclaimers (Here's the episode about achievement culture stress described in the disclaimer.)4:51: How social media around college admissions harms students' mental health7:13: The great misconception about being a “well-rounded student”9:42: How to identify your “passion” (interest + action)10:26: Julie's personal journey as a student12:05: Selling out your childhood for a fallacy12:39: An example of a student's passion project14:23: The story of a friend's son who didn't get into his top choice college16:07: How to figure out your passion (or how schools need to change)17:49 Why project-based learning is so powerful18:59: The enormous power of connecting with adults24:17: The view from a college admissions officer's seat27:07 How colleges look for intellectual curiosity. Hint: experience matters29:42: Julie and Steve reimagine what's possible in schools31:52: Julie's surprising advice to teenagers My favorite quote from this episode:“(When students work on a passion project) I think they feel refreshed that there's another way to navigate life as an adolescent… A lot of my students tell me…no one told me that this was possible for me. So I think they feel like this is refreshing, and a little hopeful as well .” (21:50) Julie Kim's website: https://juliekimconsulting.comAbout Experience MattersExperience Matters with Steve Shapiro invites guests to reflect on the most profound learning experiences of their youth and to consider how we can reform American schools. Each episode provides clues about how parents and educators alike can engage young people in powerful, sometimes transformational experiential learning. Education can take many forms, but whatever form it takes- experience matters.

Episode 12: The Epiphany with Daniel PinkDaniel Pink's book A Whole New Mind makes the case for why experiential learning is necessary in the 21st century. His book Drive explains why it is also so much more motivating for young people. The epiphany that led Dan to these ideas may have occurred when, as a 14-year-old freshman, he wrote his first story for his high school newspaper, The Bexley Torch. In this interview Dan digs up long-buried memories and relives the moment that experiential learning produced what he describes as a physiological change in his brain. We cover a lot of territory including:3:37 Dan as a regrettably compliant student4:30 Performance goals vs. learning goals (or why Dan can't speak French)5:59 How performance goals harm mental health8:49 Dan's first Torch story assignment produces a major epiphany14:07 How extra-curricular experiences differ from traditional school learning15:11 The link between motivation and human nature17:51 How the world has changed yet schools stay largely the same19:37 The skills young people need to avoid having their future jobs outsourced22:12 Why traditional academic skills are still important, but they're no longer sufficient24:04 How Dan's children engaged in experiential learning outside of school26:21 What about kids without well-resourced parents?27:41 Can schools change when we're so deeply rooted in “bygone era” traditions?29:00 Dan's simple and practical suggestion to educators29:45 An outrageous visual picture of traditional education30:43 Standardization vs. extreme customization31:42 A passage from Drive that epitomizes the value of experiential learning My favorite quote from Drive:“We know that human beings are not merely smaller, slower, better-smelling horses galloping after that day's carrot. We know- if we've spent time with young children or remember ourselves at our best- that we're not destined to be passive or compliant; we're designed to be active and engaged. And we know that the richest experiences in our lives aren't when we're clamoring for validation from others, but when we're listening to our own voice- doing something that matters, doing it well, and doing it in the service of a cause larger than ourselves.” Daniel Pink's website: https://www.danpink.comA Whole New Mind: https://www.danpink.com/books/whole-new-mind/Drive: https://www.danpink.com/books/drive/Sign up for Daniel Pink's newsletter: https://www.danpink.com/subscribe/Steve Shapiro's website: https://www.steventshapiro.com About Experience MattersExperience Matters with Steve Shapiro invites guests to reflect on the most profound learning experiences of their youth and to consider how we can reform American schools. Each episode provides clues about how parents and educators alike can engage young people in powerful, sometimes transformational experiential learning. Education can take many forms, but whatever form it takes- experience matters.

Gavin Levine spent his junior year of high school as a Rotary Youth Exchange student in Taoyuan, Taiwan. This engaging conversation reveals the enormous growth young people can experience when they leave their comfort zones to enter new cultures, whether across the globe or close to home.

Bryan Drewry is a community leader and a serial connector. He developed his talent for engaging with people through a series of high school experiences that served as a “hidden curriculum” of his education.

Duncan Johnson is a high school junior who runs a coding camp, is working in his second internship, and is filled with excitement for learning. It's like he listened to the Episode 8 interview with Emmy Huefner and took her advice to heart. Duncan has identified his deepest interest, computer coding for immersive reality gaming, and is pursuing it with passion. Our conversation is a blueprint for every young person who is looking to make their high school years meaningful, productive, and exciting. Duncan will show you how happiness and preparation for life after high school can go hand in hand.

Emmy Huefner spent her high school years doing everything others expected of her. She took lots of honors and AP classes, played sports and music, sought leadership positions in school clubs, and did volunteer work. She was driven by the goal of getting into a “good college.” By time she graduated, Emmy was burned out and had lost her love for learning. A gap year of global service allowed her to, for the first time in her life, deeply reflect on who she is and what she wants her life to be about. This conversation is essential listening for every young person trying to figure out how to make their way in the world.

Chad Hemmelgarn was an energetic kid for whom school just didn't work, until some visionary teachers found a way to identify and develop his creative gifts. Their utilization of experiential learning helped Chad develop into a beloved high school teacher who provides similar opportunity and inspiration to his students.

Eric Acton has been a beloved teacher and coach for more than three decades. As an 18-year-old custodian at the Columbus science center, he could never have dreamed of the life he was about to lead. That all changed because of the Girl Scouts and a guy named Jarvis. Eric's story is an inspiring reminder of the immense potential locked inside every child.

Stacy Bell was preparing to become a teacher when an experiential lesson in one of her education classes transformed her approach to teaching and learning. Her encounter with owl pellets has impacted countless elementary and middle school students during her nearly three-decade teaching career.

In the wake of George Floyd's murder, then 19-year-old Kaia Woodford headed to the Ohio Statehouse to join the protests. She began speaking at rallies, leading her to join other Bexley alumni in founding the Bexley Anti-Racism Project (BARP). She reflects on her journey to becoming a powerful voice in the fight against racism in her community.

At age 10, Olivia Weinstock started a babysitting "camp" for her kid sister's friends. By 18 it was a thriving business with strong brand recognition. Two years later she expanded the service and became the Founder and CEO of a venture capital-funded business. 

What happens when you unleash a band of 8th graders in a major city and tell them to design their own learning? Author & journalist Suzanne Goldsmith-Hirsch describes a groundbreaking middle school program where she and her classmates did just that. The results were remarkable!

After graduating high school Zach Shapiro embarked on a global gap year with Thinking Beyond Borders. He studied sustainability in Guatemala, education in Thailand, and public health in Ghana. Learn about the indelible impact that his gap year made on Zach and see how it impacted not only his studies at The Ohio State University, but also his whole approach to living.