R.E.A.L. Discussion
DISCUSSION SKILLS ARE TEACHABLE — IT'S TIME TO GET TACTICAL ABOUT TEACHING THEM.
R.E.A.L.® DISCUSSION IS ON A MISSION to teach, measure, and celebrate discussion skills in our polarized, tech-centric world. Their research-based methods and programs have been used by 70+ schools and they are widely noted for being teacher-centric and offering “the best PD ever.” The Grauer Institute is thrilled to host the very first in-person R.E.A.L.® Discussion professional development opportunity.
The R.E.A.L.® Discussion Institute will have three tracks:
Level 1 Certification for New-to-REAL® Teachers
If you’re a Humanities teacher who wants to pilot R.E.A.L.® Discussion in your classroom next year, join us to spend the first-half the week getting certified in R.E.A.L.®: a research-based method for teaching and assessing discussion skills in grades 6-12. Your training will be facilitated by a R.E.A.L.® Trainer who is a teacher who actually uses R.E.A.L.® in his classroom – so expect it to be authentic and tactical! The second half the week, learn from and with veteran R.E.A.L.® teachers as they share strategies and everyone dives into some real discussions about big topics: the role of AI in Humanities education, the importance of discourse in democracy, the challenge of redefining yourself as a teacher in today’s world.
Level 2 for R.E.A.L.® Network Teachers
If you’re already a teacher in the R.E.A.L.® Network, join us to dive even deeper into discussion and become a certified Master Practitioner! The first half of the week, you will work with Emily Gromoll to explore topics like: aligning R.E.A.L.® discussions to writing assignments, designing a robust and student-centered discussion assessment system, structuring peer observations, and supporting new-to-R.E.A.L.® colleagues. The second half of the week, you will engage in real discussions about big, thorny education topics – and you will codify and share an innovation from your classroom with new-to-R.E.A.L.® teachers, practicing a skillset you can take to conferences and professional learning communities in the year ahead!
R.E.A.L.® Program Leads
If you’re a R.E.A.L.® Program Lead, join us for an Academic Leadership retreat led by R.E.A.L.® Founder Liza Garonzik where we use R.E.A.L.® Discussion as a lens to consider broader strategic questions facing you and your school. You will workshop a thorny issue – say: building a faculty discussion skills, cultivating middle leaders, revising your faculty evaluation system, transitioning to competency-based learning – through various change management lenses. Expect to catch your breath, think deeply, and connect meaningfully with peers you can count on for years to come. You will have time to dip into both Level I and Level II programming to support your colleagues as well.
Monday
Kick-Off and Connections
Register, get set up in your dorm room, attend a Kick-Off Keynote, meet your cohort and get started with. your R.E.A.L.® work. Then head to a cocktail hour and gourmet dinner at Pomfret's dining hall.
Tuesday
Deep Dive into R.E.A.L.®
Level 1 begins their certification training with case studies and mock discussions, Level 2 builds on their existing expertise and dives into our most talked about topics, and Program Leads build trust and identify key areas of focus.
Wednesday
Building on Our Foundations
Each group spends the morning wrapping up its work — Level 1 completes certification and builds launch plans, Level 2 prepares to lead their workshops, and Program Leads engage in a reflection and action session — before joining for a R.E.A.L.® Community hike in the afternoon.
Thursday
R.E.A.L.® Discussions and Expert Sessions
Engage in R.E.A.L.® Discussions on pressing topics, including Discussion in an AI World and Discussion as an Antidote to Loneliness, followed by Jamboree sessions led by Level II experts.
Friday
Departure and Inspirations
Reflect on the week and head home inspired to bring R.E.A.L.® Discussions into your classroom and community.
Meet Your Facilitators
Liza Garonzik
Liza leads the team at R.E.A.L.® to serve school partners across the US and around the world. She’s been on this mission to teach and celebrate “human skills” in a tech-centric world for over a decade – since she first built R.E.A.L.® to solve challenges she faced as a teacher and administrator.
Liza is an award-winning speaker and widely-published writer who brings equal parts research, reflection, and laughter to every audience.
Liza holds a B.A. from Harvard College and M.S. from Penn GSE with further graduate work at Harvard GSE and Klingenstein Center (Columbia Teachers College). She serves on several non-profit boards and is based in Atlanta, where she lives with her family (and many animals!).
Emily Gromoll
Emily oversees the R.E.A.L.® Discussion Program, directing Faculty PD including the certification experience, impact reporting, coaching, and community events. Her favorite part? Discussing discussion with educators!
Emily joined R.E.A.L.® from Eskolta School Research and Design, where developed expertise in adult learning. She coached teachers throughout NYC to design student engagement strategies and partnered with districts to create professional learning networks. Prior to Eskolta, she served as a History Department Chair and Teacher at an independent school.
Emily holds a BA from Columbia University in History and Masters in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership from Stanford University. She lives in Hopewell, New Jersey with her family – and thirty chickens!
Sumner McCallie
Sumner McCallie facilitates R.E.A.L.® PD for Humanities Teachers: a role to which he brings deep pedagogical expertise and experience in change management in schools from Switzerland to Tennessee. Sumner believes that Discussion is a Discipline – part art, part science – and is a critical skill for young people to develop as they build their community and their country.
Beyond REAL, Sumner serves as Dean of Faculty and Academics at McCallie School (TN). The son of a US Ambassador, Sumner grew up internationally. He holds a B.S. from Yale University and an M.Ed from Vanderbilt University. He lives in Chattanooga with his family.
Patrick Farmer
Patrick Farmer facilitates R.E.A.L.® PD for Humanities Teachers: a role that authentically builds on his experience as a Teacher-Leader who has used R.E.A.L.® across several very different schools. Patrick finds that R.E.A.L.® breaks the art of discussion into teachable skills and loves helping middle schoolers learn to talk – and truly listen! – to each other.
Beyond REAL, Patrick serves as Humanities and Social Studies Lead at Nativity Preparatory School (MA). Patrick holds a B.A. from Fordham University and an M.Div from Boston College. He lives in the Boston area with his family.