School Sucks Project self-knowledge, self-education, self-mastery
Noah Tetzner is 17. He left school last year to become an unschooler (it was his mother's idea!) and just a couple of months ago he launched The History of Vikings Podcast. The show was almost immediately successful; Noah has been invited to join a history podcast network, the show has thousands of listeners, he has made great connections with other historians of the Norseman and he is already being asked as a guest on other shows. Noah joins me today to talk about his passion for unschooling, how school destroys creative thinking, and how his life has blossomed away from school. He told me "between being in a school for 8 hours a day and all of the homework, ...
Read More »
Latest Productions
June, 2018
-
10 June
[BONUS] THE MASTERMIND – s01e01 – “The Time For Expansion”
(AUDIO, 136 MINUTES) With Richard Grove and Kevin Cole. The Mastermind shows begin with a "pain point," which is a pressing problem of a personal, professional, political, cultural or educational nature. We discuss the problem in detail and contemplate/debate solutions. Every day, Alex Jones and his collection of extremely punchable co-hosts shill for the executive branch of the US government, in between promotions of white-labeled products that somehow fight the New World Order. InfoWars has basically devolved into Alex Jones fan fiction, as they spent the weekend using the the death of Anthony Bourdain to suggest "we've been right all along about everything" because Bourdain was getting ready to reveal to the public everything Alex has been professing for years. ...
Read More » -
6 June
James and Taylor Davis – A New Take On Peaceful Parenting [PODCAST #566]
Peaceful parenting is a difficult term. There definitely seems to be some implicit judgment there. What's the alternative to peaceful parenting? Violent parenting? Thus it's understandable why many curious parents would find the label off-putting, as it might raise concerns they wouldn't be able to live up to certain standards in their relationships with their children. Taylor and James Davis have created a podcast to share their parenting journey, one filled with unexpected challenges, new questions and wonderful successes. At OneFreeFamily.com they offer a new take on peaceful parenting. As the parents of young 3 children, they share their story with honesty and vulnerability, but without prescriptions or harsh judgments. Interestingly, Taylor and James both earned teaching certificates in college ...
Read More » -
3 June
[BONUS] THE MASTERMIND – Pilot Episode – “PodcastMasterMind”
(AUDIO, 126 MINUTES) The new weekly supporter-only series! Fellow Podcastmasters Jason Osborne and Gardner Goldsmith join Brett to launch The Mastermind. These shows will typically begin with a "pain point," which is a pressing problem of a personal, professional, political, cultural or educational nature. A rotating group of co-hosts will then discuss the problem in detail and contemplate/debate solutions. Today's Pain Point: Are we correct that schools and entertainment media are engaged in an expanding (both overt and covert) campaign to sexualize young children? Or have we just become stupid old conservatives? There is also a related pain point about how this kind of indoctrination is affecting one of our families, but due to its very personal natural, it is ...
Read More »
May, 2018
-
27 May
[BONUS] The State of STEM – A Report From the Field
(AUDIO, 108 MINUTES) STEM = Science + Technology + Engineering + Math My friend works in educational technology sales and he recently attended a STEM conference. He actually wound up being a judge in some of the student competitions at the event. In this show, he'll shares his notes. Some of the student projects are impressive in scope but their attitudes about and plans for the world are pretty foreboding. He judged one competition called "Prepared Presentations." The topic on which students were presenting: The Future Is Ours. After listening to summaries of these student presentations, I certainly hope not. Or click HERE
Read More » -
24 May
Star Wars Double Feature [PODCAST #565 – FREE A/V]
I have some announcements about content and travel. And I have attached a couple Star Wars-related audios from the bonus section for your enjoyment. 1. [BONUS] How To Star Wars – Rogue One and A New Order Recorded December 18th, 2016 (1 hour, 8 minutes) Stephanie Murphy and Brian Sovryn (sexandsciencehour.com) join me in-studio for a live discussion about Star Wars Rogue One and the broader Star Wars universe. Is there a better order than Machete Order or Episode Order to watch all eight films? How do Brian and I rank all eight films (you might be surprised!!) And why does Stephanie dislike Star Wars? 2. [BONUS] The After School Sucks Special Recorded November 1, 2012 (23 minutes) Disney is ...
Read More » -
23 May
[BONUS] This Is America? An Analysis
(AUDIO, 75 MINUTES) Brett, Andrew and James discuss 2 most emotional issues of our day - guns and race - as they are presented in This Is America. Is this more of the same - the safest and most socially acceptable way to think disguised as the revolution, to use the angst of young people as political fuel? Or has Donald Glover created something more meaningful? This is the video that finally helped me understand the cultural appropriation argument. I'll explain. In a nutshell, it raises a question: Are most white people guilty of embracing the black art, while ignoring the black plight? Also: the problem with Jordan Peterson Or click HERE
Read More » -
18 May
[BONUS] Drive Journal – New Orleans To Pittsburgh, Hour 25
Drive Journal - A trip recap, in a state of delirium. With fellow travelers Andrew and Larry. How NOLA is both amazing and gross - and some thoughts about the event. Here's a link to the audio version: New Orleans To Pittsburgh Hour 25 Related PostsShit Has Gone Too Far (Bonus Content Preview)Tags: bonus, a/vPre-Show 9-13-12Tags: a/vFood Is Not A Liquid (Bonus Content Preview)Tags: bonus, a/vPre-Show 7-26-12Tags: a/vHacky Sack 8-24-13Tags: a/v
Read More » -
18 May
LIVE In New Orleans With Thad and Brett [PODCAST #564]
The tense and truculent final event of Renegade University and School Sucks Project Present A Weekend With Thaddeus Russell. Attendees grab the mic and question us on the following topics: Jason - Foreign policy and the military: how to close the physical and psychological distance between America and its enemies? Norm - Higher education: how do you introduce opposing and uncomfortable ideas to people who are not seeking them out? Joel - Altruism vs. selfishness, and reconciling Thad's "politics of self interest" with Brett's "intelligent selfishness;" integrity and moralism, the Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, Non-violent communication Brit - Parenting: the challenges of co-parenting with an authoritarian helicopter parent Please Support School Sucks We do cool things! Thanks to your support. ...
Read More » -
9 May
Joanne Kaminski – What Children Need To Fall In Love With Reading [PODCAST #563]
Today, the story of a public school teacher who eventually found a much better way to connect with and teach young people. Joanne Kaminski joins me to discuss her path into and out of public school teaching, why she left, and the advantages of online tutoring she has discovered. We'll also cover some of her methods, so this conversation might be helpful to parents of children who are struggling with reading proficiency and interest. Joanne is the mother of 3 girls, a former public school teacher, and she now runs a successful tutoring company called The Online Reading Tutor. Joanne also has a blog called Become an Online Tutor, where she teaches others to enter this field and to thrive. ...
Read More »