The Ryan Teves Show
This is a podcast for parents with teenagers, and covers everything from parenting teens, school, grades, and teachers, to homeschooling, education reform, and surviving adolescence.
Who Should Teach and Who Shouldn't
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If you have ever wondered how and entire industry could show nearly zero innovation or improvement over decades, Ryan explains it in this episode.
The question of who does and does not become a teacher is behind the explanation for Education's lack of forward progress, and some simple solutions are suggested.
Podcast Update
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Being the 45th podcast, this is an update on where it is headed, and where it has been. The point of this podcast is to help families navigate the world of parenting teens and to contend with the many issues involved in education, for this point in their lives.
Let's see how it is going!
The Classroom of Tomorrow
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Ryan makes a prediction, as well as a wish, for what the middle and high school classroom will look like tomorrow. And spoiler alert... tech and tradition are not in direct combat with one another, but rather can supplement each other perfectly.
Education Through Entertainment
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The way to teach a concept that you hope will stick, is to package it through entertainment. Just as the producers of Jurassic Park, The Martian, and countless other sci-fi movies, if you don't agree. Ryan elaborates on this topic in this episode!
Artificial Intelligence in Education
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As with any new technology, the arrival of AI in education is being viewed with extreme skepticism. Will it make us dumber as a society, or propel us to new heights?
Maybe the best way to think about it is to review how the past large advances in technology impacted education and our kids. This is exactly what Ryan does in this episode.
End the Teacher Shortage Overnight
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The best solutions are simple ones. In this episode, Ryan explains how we fundamentally have mischaracterized what a teacher needs to look like. Once we address this, the shortage will disappear, with no increase to the education budget. Spoiler alert... teaching should look like the peace corp model.
Mission Creep in Education
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Many organizations complain about "mission creep," in which they engage in things that are tangential to their original mission... but nowhere is this as commonplace as it is in education.
Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation
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In the pursuit of helping your kid to reach their goals, does it feel like they have become your goals, rather than that of your kids?
This is common, as we have the best of intentions... but should and can be avoided at all costs. In this podcast, Ryan explains.
Could You Pass High School Right Now
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Whether or not you could pass high school right now is less a commentary on your education and intelligence, and more a measure of the relevance of high school curriculum to adult life.
And spoiler alert... you could NOT pass high school right now. Listen for more...
The 504 Plan
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Has your kid been recommended for testing for a 504 plan? In this episode, Ryan breaks down what it is, what it does and does not do for your kid, and some pros and cons.
As usual, the concept is well-intentioned... but reveals some deep flaws in education in general, and deserves some real thought, before being embraced.
The Sputnik Ruined American Education
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There are some times in a nation's history in which events cause it to turn down a particular path... not always for the best. The Russian space program inadvertently had a profound effect on Education in the U.S. and traces of that are still apparent today.
ADHD
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Oh...you are having a boy? How do you plan to deal with their ADHD? Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration... but barely. This episode breaks down how kids are actually diagnosed, the recommended treatments, and what is wrong with the whole process.
1950s Math Text Book
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Is it possible that things were done better, years in the past? Aware of the risk of placing unwarranted value on nostalgia, Ryan explains what a text book from the 50s revealed, as a potentially amazing way to present math topics to kids.
Should Education be Entertaining
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An easy justification for ineffective teachers, for years, has been "I'm not here to entertain the kids." The fact is, to be a great teacher, you have to have the ability to inspire and entertain kids... and in this episode, Ryan articulates exactly why this is true.
Four Year College vs. a Junior College
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There are pros and cons to any decision or situation, and choosing what to do after high school is no different. As usual, it pretty much entirely depends on the kid!
High School Compared to Prison
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While this is an obvious attempt at humor, and involves some hyperbole, once you hear the similarities between prison and large high school campuses, you can't "unsee" them. Having worked in these schools, Ryan paints a funny picture of how the two are similar... but a lot of truth is said in jest.
The Classics- Reading in English Class
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Ask yourself, any kid you know, and anyone who you can corner... "Did you read the books assigned in high school?" The resounding answer will be "No." But why? We inherently love reading... don't we?
Ryan breaks down the reason, and its potential solution.
Video Games
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For some of us, having our kids addicted to video games is our worst fear... but what if it is an indicator of a broader interest in computers and computer science in general?
Ryan explains the pattern he's seen between kids that love video games and their success in programing and computer science, and how we may benefit from managing and encouraging the pursuit, rather than demonizing it.
Strict
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Before you celebrate the resumption of old policies and ideas about the benefits of a strict home or classroom, it might pay to give the potential outcomes of those policies some thought. That is exactly what Ryan does in this episode.
The "Make Homeschool Safe" Act
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It is hard to decide if we are in favor or against a particular bill without going deep on what it entails... which is exactly what Ryan does in this episode. Ultimately, it seems to come down to what your perception of what homeschooling really is, and what homeschool families look like. Ryan will help to shape that perception.
Elementary vs. Secondary School
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In this episode, Ryan explains how and why the majority of kids begin to dislike school in middle and high school, as opposed to elementary school. Spoiler alert... it has to do with the innate development of kids, and how the system is directly adversarial to that development.
Why A students work for C students
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In a take on Robert Kiyosaki's book, "Why A students work for C students," Ryan points out how and why this is exactly true. He also promotes the idea of eradicating the notion that A students in school are somehow "better" than C students... as well as offers some advice on what to do if you have either, at home.
The Houseplant Theory
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People that are obsessed with their house plants will know that, by simply moving a plant to the spot at which it will do best, solves the majority of problems associated with growing flourishing plants. Well... the same goes for kids.
In this episode, Ryan explains how and why we can change the environment for our kids, to allow them to grow and thrive the most.
The Pace of Learning
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It is nearly impossible that a group of kids would learn at exactly the same pace, so why do we do it that way in school? More importantly, is there any other way to do it, efficiently and effectively? Funny you ask... Ryan breaks down exactly how that could be done, and at much lower costs than schools are run today.
Cheating in School
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Rather than judging kids for cheating in school, Ryan suggests we look at the "why" behind it, and some possible solutions for eliminating the students' perceived need for it.
Electives
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In this episode, Ryan explains why districts can't afford to offer kids dozens of different electives, and how Nexbooks has solved that problem. Now, you can literally allow each kid to follow their passions and interests, and to take electives that will change their lives forever, and for the better.
Fix Education Immediately with Video-Based Lessons
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The reason our schools vary so dramatically across districts, cities, and states is not from funding, or standards... it has to do with teacher talent.
Imagine if only the best lessons were put in front of our kids, and everyone could access those lessons... regardless of location or socioeconomic status. That is how video-based learning could fix education immediately.
Kids Crave Identity
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Adolescence can be a hard time for both parents and kids to navigate, and this topic of "finding identity" is an important one. How we respond to this pursuit, and how we help, as parents, is critical.
Homework is the Tool of the Devil
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Did you know that pediatricians banned homework for kids in grades k-8 at one point, in the history of this country? In this episode, Ryan explains how, apart from being entirely ineffective, homework really is a net-negative for kids development and wouldn't be missed if it was eliminated all together.
High School is a Game- How to Help Our Kids Win It
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This episode is an explanation on what constitutes success in high school, as viewed through a lens other than just that of academics. Not only that, it offers ideas and tips as to how we, as parents, can help to facilitate that success, for our kids.
Should We Abolish the Department of Education
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In this episode, Ryan breaks down what the DOE is, what it does, and whether or not it would be missed. Just like accepting money from an overbearing parent, sometimes we have to measure freedom against support, and choose to take control of our own destiny.
I was wrong- Standards ARE Absolutely Essential for Success in Adulthood
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In this episode, Ryan points out how insane the logic is that every single kid needs to meet the same exact standards to graduate from high school... and how, if we extended that logic to adults, it would be a catastrophic failure.
Teacher Tenure is Terrible for Kids
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Offering teachers tenure, while likely having the purest of intentions, has been nothing but negative for kids and families. This episode explains how we should reward excellence, energy, and creativity, over time in the saddle.
School Choice
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There is nothing more human than the desire for choice, and education is not exempt from that reality. In this episode, Ryan makes a case for school choice, and not just which school one can attend, but even down to which curriculum kids are able to learn from.
Teen Partying
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As parents, it is normal to worry about our kids and to wonder if their behavior is dangerous, or just part of growing up. In this episode, Ryan offers a snapshot of what is commonly going on with teenagers, so that we can measure our own kids against the norm.
Teen Sass Should be Encouraged
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Just as there is sparring in dojos around the world, teen sass is another form of simulating self-defense. Be careful in how much you forbid it, as you may be preventing your kid from developing a well-needed skill for both school and life.
School Shootings Explained
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In this episode, Ryan explains the origin of the frustration behind many of the tragic school shootings, and some potential solutions for eliminating them forever.
Learning is Like Packing for a Trip
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Learning is similar to packing for a trip... but we should consider the trip we are going on. Ryan explains that the current secondary school model in America is helping kids to pack for a trip that they'll never go on, and that it needs to be reconsidered.
Eliminate the Teaching Credential
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In this episode, we discuss how the requirement of a teaching credential is doing more damage than good to our school system, and that the requirement has locked some of the best talent in our country out of the profession.
Should I Homeschool my kid?
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Countless parents are considering this very question and are super unsure as to what it takes to homeschool. In this episode, Ryan breaks down what it looks like to homeschool, the pros and cons, and why it might be good for you.
