unMASKing with Male Educators: Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms & Schools for Male Students

Ashanti Branch - Taking Off The Mask
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Only 23% of K-12 educators in America are male, a gender gap that has serious ramifications for male students - who often face DISPROPORTIONATE disciplinary action. This podcast is for male educators who want to embody a necessary change in schools, via healthy social-emotional outcomes. Come away with actionable lesson plans, relatable stories, and a renewed purpose. The US Surgeon General says the mental health of our youth is the "crisis of our time." Male educators are uniquely positioned to address this - because real men teach. Join our community: "Advocates for Young Men" at Skool.com

  1. APR 1

    E64: Jason Biehl on White Discomfort, Belonging, and the Work of Healing

    In this thoughtful and timely conversation, Ashanti sits down with educator, facilitator, and author Jason Biehl to explore masculinity, whiteness, emotional honesty, and what it means to nurture healthy belonging for boys and men. Together, they reflect on the fears, grief, and uncertainty many young people are carrying right now, and why adults must be willing to face discomfort, tell the truth, and model courage in order to create more emotionally safe communities. Jason also shares about his upcoming four-part graphic memoir series, Unicorns: A Memoir for Young White Men, beginning with On White Discomfort, and explains why this work matters so deeply in this moment. In This Episode, We Talk About: What Ashanti and Jason are carrying on the front and back of their masks Why hope, honesty, and vulnerability are essential in hard times The fears young people are holding about safety, identity, and the future How masculinity, whiteness, and patriarchy shape belonging and disconnection Why discomfort can be a necessary part of learning, growth, and healing The importance of creating spaces where boys and young men can tell the truth Jason’s new graphic memoir series, Unicorns, for young white men Why adults and educators must stop waiting for crisis before doing proactive work Timestamps: 00:00 Discomfort, healing, and growth 00:34 Episode preview 01:25 Welcome to UnMASKing with Male Educators 02:02 Meet Jason Beale 04:26 Working with white men, boys, and belonging 06:52 Ashanti shares his mask 09:41 Jason shares his mask 12:24 “Hope is a discipline” 14:35 Fear, silence, and speaking up 16:28 Why more men need skin in the game 17:03 Bullying, fear, and self-silencing 19:08 Social media vs real courage 21:09 What young people are carrying right now 23:33 What gives Jason hope 26:00 The need for healthier role models 28:25 Why white discomfort matters 30:49 Othering, privilege, and race 33:15 Tulsa, erased history, and truth 38:09 Algorithms and echo chambers 40:30 Why schools wait for crisis 42:54 Boys, patriarchy, and accountability 45:16 Jason’s Unicorns book series 46:19 Closing invitation Resources & Links Mentioned Change the Narrative — Jason’s website Unicorns: A Memoir for Young White Men Nurturing Healthy Belonging series for young men and boys millionmask.org — share your mask anonymously Talk to Your Boys by Christopher Pepper and Joanna Schroeder Connect with Jason Biehl Website: changethenarrative.me Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas, Email us: totmpod100@gmail.com Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/ Connect with Ashanti Branch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/ Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/ Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support Connect with Ever Forward Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub X: https://x.com/everforwardclub LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/ #UnMASKingWithMaleEducators #JasonBeale #MaleEducators #HealthyMasculinity #Belonging #EmotionalSafety #AntiRacism #SocialJusticeEducation #YoungMen #VulnerabilityIsStrength

    47 min

  2. MAR 24

    #63 | Real Men Teach, Retaining Male Educators, & Strong Friends Still Need Help w/ Curtis Valentine

    What does it cost to always be seen as the strong one? In this conversation, Curtis Valentine, founder of Real Men Teach and founder in residence with the American Institute for Boys and Men, joins Ashanti to talk about what it takes to recruit, support, and retain men of color in education. They explore the stereotype that men of color should always be the strong ones, how Real Men Teach grew from a local school board effort into a national movement, why male educators leave classrooms, and what schools can do to create the kind of support that helps them stay. Listen and apply these takeaways to your life and leadership: Strong friends still need help. The expectation that men of color should always carry pressure quietly can make support harder to ask for and harder to receive. Representation matters, but recruitment is only the beginning. If schools want men of color to stay, they need real community, care, and systems of support. Movements can start with something simple. Real Men Teach began as a local effort and grew through outreach, relationships, and shared purpose. Men don’t just leave classrooms because they stop caring. They leave when the conditions around them make it difficult to sustain the work. School change takes partnership. This episode is a reminder that improving schools requires people to bring their ideas, their networks, and their willingness to build with others. Everyone can do a little bit. Whether it’s joining a movement, supporting educators, or collaborating with mission-driven organizations, meaningful change grows through collective action. 00:48 Welcome to Unmasking with Male Educators 02:25 Meet Curtis Valentine 03:17 Curtis’ background + the mission behind Real Men Teach 07:17 How Real Men Teach started: 100 texts, 100 yeses 11:51 The “strong friend” mask and why support still matters 13:02 Why male educators need to model honesty 15:36 The mask question: what students see vs. what they do not 16:50 Curtis on confidence, preparation, and insecurity in teaching 20:19 A story from teaching abroad: learning while leading 24:11 Why great educators stay open to learning from students 27:34 Why more men do not enter or stay in teaching 33:25 Curtis’ classroom story: underprepared, unsupported, and thrown in 35:50 The real barriers facing men of color in education 38:13 Men need purpose, accountability, and clear roles 41:06 Letting male educators teach in authentic ways 43:09 Why boys learn differently and schools need to respond 45:47 The cost of being “the exception” 47:49 How to support Curtis and Real Men Teach 49:06 Closing reflections and outro Connect with Curtis Valentine Real Men TeachAmerican Institute for Boys and MenJoin/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas, Email us: totmpod100@gmail.com Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/ Connect with Ashanti Branch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/ Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/ Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support Connect with Ever Forward Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub X: https://x.com/everforwardclub LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/ #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #MaleEducators #RealMenTeach #CurtisValentine #MenInEducation #BlackMaleEducators

    50 min

  3. MAR 18

    #62 | Breathwork, Calm, & Impacting Lives - with Shalin Desai

    What if the way through stress isn’t to push harder, but to learn how to come back to yourself? In this conversation, Shalin Desai, engineer, Art of Living Foundation leader, and breathwork teacher, shares how being introduced to these practices at 16 changed the direction of his life. Ashanti and Shalin talk about the masks men wear, the fear of failure, the calm we can carry behind the mask, and why breath is one of the most practical tools we have for working with stress and emotion. They also explore skepticism around contemplative practices, the difference between hearing “be present” and actually knowing how. Listen and apply these takeaways to your life and leadership: The mask of competence can hide a real fear of failure, pressure, and self-judgment, and naming that matters. Calm is not the absence of responsibility; it’s the ability to carry life without letting stress become your identity. The real question isn’t just “be present,” it’s “how?” Shalin points to breath as a direct tool for working with emotional patterns. Breath and emotion are connected: when the breath changes, your internal state can change too. This work becomes real when it restores purpose. Shalin shares a story about a participant who arrived hopeless and left wanting to live. Skepticism doesn’t disqualify anyone. People from many backgrounds can benefit without giving up who they are. (0:00) Meet Shalin Desai + how Art of Living became part of his life (2:54) Shalin’s origin story: his mother’s healing, finding the course at 16, and discovering breathwork early (8:57) Ashanti’s own Art of Living journey + wondering what shifts when young people learn peace sooner (10:19) The masks we wear: competence, fear of failure, calm, irritation, and ending the day without regret (13:50) “That sounds good, but how?” bringing spiritual ideas into real-life stress (15:21) The connection between breath and emotions + why breathwork is practical, not abstract (17:42) A participant’s suicide note story + what happens when someone reconnects to purpose (20:20) Skepticism, openness, and why people are more ready now to try meditation and breathwork (22:37) Research, results, and why this work keeps spreading (26:50) Types of Art of Living courses + why the practice has to continue beyond one experience (32:07) Emotional overload, algorithms, polarization, and making impact from calm instead of frustration Connect with Shalin Desai Website: artofliving.org Instagram: @shalindesai Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas Email us: totmpod100@gmail.com Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/ Connect with Ashanti Branch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/ Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/ Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support Connect with Ever Forward Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub X: https://x.com/everforwardclub LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/ #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #breathwork #artofliving #emotionalwellness #mensmentalhealth #meditation #wellnessineducation #selfawareness #healingjourney #podcast

    36 min

  4. MAR 10

    #61 | 57 Pounds: Healing Myself While Fighting for Our Young People

    Welcome to UnMASKing with Male Educators. In this episode, Ashanti shares a deeply personal update on his health and wellness journey, reflecting on what it has meant to continue detoxing, stay committed to a plant-based lifestyle, and push through both physical and emotional barriers along the way. But this conversation goes beyond the scale. Ashanti connects his fight for health to the realities of being an educator, the sacrifices so many teachers make, and the urgency of creating safer, more responsive spaces for young people in our schools. From chronic pain and food addiction to advocating for students and supporting educators, this episode is a powerful reminder that healing, wellness, and school transformation are all connected. As UnMASKing with Male Educators continues to explore what it means to show up fully for ourselves and our students, this episode invites you to reflect on your own journey, your own wellness, and the ways we can all do better for young people. (0:00) 2026 update and a recap of the detox journey so far (2:20) The emotional battle of hovering near 300 pounds (4:48) Breaking below 300 for the first time in years (6:30) Chronic pain, health, and fighting for your life (7:20) January detox results and total weight released since September (9:40) Learning which foods fuel wellness and which ones don’t (10:50) The sacrifices educators make in service of others (12:10) Supporting young people when schools miss the signs (14:36) Why educators must pay closer attention to what’s happening in their classrooms (16:59) Starting school transformation one classroom at a time (19:22) Bay Area teacher strikes and what they reveal about educator value (21:45) A visual update on the journey and an invitation to join the Million Mask Movement Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas Email us: totmpod100@gmail.com Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/ Connect with Ashanti Branch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/ Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/ Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support Connect with Ever Forward Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub X: https://x.com/everforwardclub LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/ #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #UNWME #diaryofaconfusededucator

    23 min

  5. MAR 4

    #60 | School Social Work, Grief, & the Boundaries That Keep You in the Work - with Justin Martinez

    One social worker. One campus. A hundred invisible fires. In this conversation, Justin Martinez, a Bay Area high school school social worker, assistant baseball coach, and facilitator of a young men’s group called “Are You Man Enough?”, breaks down what it really takes to support students with high needs without losing yourself in the process. Justin shares how his own story (foster care, domestic violence, and becoming a first-gen graduate) shaped his purpose, what he keeps behind the “leader” mask, and why the hardest lesson for helpers is also the most freeing: you can’t save anyone… but you can hand them the keys. Listen and apply these takeaways to your school: The “crown” mask: what it looks like to be the steady leader at school, mentor, role model, coach, while carrying grief and pressure underneathCountertransference in real life: how to notice when a student’s story hits your own… and not let it bleed into the relationshipTwo lenses, one campus: why wellness teams and disciplinary systems clash, and how students pay the price when adults aren’t aligned“I can’t save anyone” isn’t cold, it’s a boundary: how over-functioning creates burnout (and attaches your worth to outcomes you can’t control)The keys metaphor: “I can walk you to the door and hand you the keys… but you have to open it.”What school social workers actually do: wellness check-ins, crisis triage, re-regulation spaces, risk assessments, referrals, and constant problem-solvingAccountability with care: holding young men to a higher standard without talking down to themReal strength includes rest: the crown is heavy… and strong men still take it off (0:00) Class in session + meet Justin Martinez (2:38) Justin’s story: foster care due to domestic violence + becoming a first-gen grad to return and be what he needed (10:10) Behind Justin’s mask: grief, countertransference, walking on eggshells, inequity, targeted students, and “I can’t save anyone” (15:10) “I can’t save anyone” + the keys/door framework (resources, boundaries, and surrendering outcomes) (20:50) Learning the boundary the hard way: wanting to “fix” a family’s crisis and hitting system limits (27:31) A day in school social work: QR code referrals, wellness check-ins, re-regulation room, crisis calls, risk assessments (33:14) Biggest challenge: collaborating with staff when lenses don’t match—and harmful narratives about students persist (36:10) Why schools need more men in wellness roles: impact, mentorship, emotional modeling (38:57) What young men are facing: accountability, consequences, pressure, and future-focus conversations (43:35) Closing question: “How heavy is that crown?” + grief, family weight, and learning when to take it off Connect with Justin Martinez Instagram: @just_in_tiime_ Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas Email us: totmpod100@gmail.com Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/ Connect with Ashanti Branch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/ Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/ Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support Connect with Ever Forward Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub X: https://x.com/everforwardclub LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/ #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #schoolsocialwork #studentwellness #teacherretention #mentorship #mensmentalhealth #emotionalwellness #restisstrength #youthadvocacy

    50 min

  6. FEB 25

    #59 | The Mentorship Lineage of Black Male Educators: Jacob Cory Gold, Dr. Willie Williams, Reginald Williams — Belief, Masks, and the Seeds That Outlive You

    Three Black male educators. Three generations of impact. One powerful through-line: belief. In this conversation, Jacob (Cory Gold), Dr. Willie Williams, and Reginald Williams unpack what it means to teach while carrying a mask, showing strength, joy, fairness, and love… while holding grief, pressure, mental health, and the realities of being a young Black man in a profession where you’re often the only one. You’ll hear how mentorship travels: teacher → student → teacher → the next student… and how small moments in schools become lifelong turning points. Listen and apply these takeaways to your school: Belief as a daily practice: what it looks like to “clock in” for kids like a coach—showing up early, present, and intentionalFairness vs. equality: how “being strict but understanding” builds trust (and why students can smell a facade)The mask exercise (front + back): what educators show the world vs. what we carry behind the smileWhy teaching is still a “dangerous” profession for Black folks: the weight of history, politics, and protecting students without drowning themPlanting seeds that go home: phrases, routines, and presence that outlive the classroom and come back 15 years later (0:00) Class in session + meet Jacob “Cory Gold,” Dr. Willie Williams, and Reginald Williams (1:30) Jacob introduces himself: “walking in the light” as a spiritual being inside school buildings (2:10) Dr. Willie: meeting Jacob as a high school student who needed someone to slow him down (4:10) Reginald: why he became a teacher, representation, trust, and seeing leadership up close (6:45) Mask exercise explained: 3 words on the front, 3 on the back (7:25) Reginald’s mask: fairness/justice, passion, strict-but-understanding + joy, intention, hiding the lows (10:30) Jacob’s mask: joy, intention, light, love + poverty background, hunger check-ins, leading with questions (15:10) Dr. Willie’s mask: God, love, strength + protecting students politically, mental health, and dating as a Black male educator (22:00) Ashanti’s mask: caring/serious/passionate + worry, self-doubt, family weight (26:40) The big question: “How does belief in your students show up every day?” (31:05) Reginald: the “lightbulb moment” and why students want their teacher back after a sub (33:10) Jacob reflects on impact: gratitude for seeing the “increase” across generations (41:00) Reginald on planting seeds: being uniquely yourself, meeting students where they are (44:45) Willie: teaching as “dangerous” historically + the need for community among Black male educators (50:15) Dr. Willie: more eye-level conversations + Book #18: The Black Male Resiliency Experience Connect with the Guests Dr. Willie Williams Book: The Black Male Resiliency Experience Company: Accepted Admissions (educational consulting) Jacob (Cory Gold) Shares “All Things Light” content (YouTube/Instagram) Reginald Williams Educator (Year 3) + community builder through clubs/activities/coaching energy Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas Email us: totmpod100@gmail.com Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/ Connect with Ashanti Branch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/ Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/ Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support Connect with Ever Forward Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub X: https://x.com/everforwardclub LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/ #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm

    57 min

  7. FEB 18

    #58 | “Recruiting Someone Back to the Scene of a Crime”: Sharif El-Mekki, Black Men in Education, & the Work Schools Avoid

    This episode is a masterclass in what it really costs to be a Black man in education and what it takes to build something better. Sharif El-Mekki (Center for Black Educator Development) breaks down the “trifecta” that grinds educators down, why many recruitment efforts are ill-informed and unserious, and how a student-led rallying cry became a national pipeline movement: #WeNeedBlackTeachers. Listen and apply these takeaways to your school tomorrow: Why “work twice as hard to get half as far” can become a trap and where the pressure should go (the system, not the child) The educator “mask” that looks like strength…but is really stoicism, compartmentalization, and survival What changes when you stop separating your lived experience from your teaching: students become more demanding (and that’s a good thing) “Raised Woke” and the power of student agency: when young people start making real demands, like meeting real Panthers The Black educator pipeline problem, the leaky retention reality, and why retention is the strongest recruitment strategy The 3Ps framework: Policy & Advocacy, Professional Development, Pathways—and what it looks like in real schools The mental health toll on Black male educators: experiencing bias as a kid, as a professional, and deciding whether to protect kids in the same system (0:00) Class in session + meet Sharif El-Mekki(1:15) Philly Seventh Ward + why Du Bois still matters (2:35) “Stop telling Black boys they need to be twice as good” + the John Henry warning (6:05) The mask question: what we show vs. what we carry (9:35) Ashanti’s mask: purpose on the front, fear + political anger behind it (12:10) Sharif’s mask: love for community on the front, stoicism + withholding his story behind it (19:55) What students do when you bring your full self: “Raised Woke,” demands, and agency(24:20) Center for Black Educator Development + rebuilding a national Black teacher pipeline (26:05) The 3Ps: policy/advocacy, professional learning, pathways (27:10) The high school pathway: teaching as CTE + Black pedagogical framework (33:15) The convening: not a conference—work, community, action (9th annual this fall) (39:35) Men’s mental health + the “trifecta” that grinds Black educators down (41:55) Retention playbook + why anti-racist ecosystems retain educators (45:30) Where to follow + how to get registration updates: #WeNeedBlackTeachers (46:20) Show your mask anonymously + closing (47:10) The intergenerational power: high school + college + veteran educators in the same room Connect with Sharif El-Mekki / Center for Black Educator Development We Need Black Teachers (updates + newsletter): weneedblackteachers.org Hashtag: #WeNeedBlackTeachers Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas Email us: totmpod100@gmail.com Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/ Connect with Ashanti Branch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/ Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/ Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support Connect with Ever Forward Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub X: https://x.com/everforwardclub LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/ #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #takingoffthemask #millionmaskmovement #weneedblackteachers #blackmaleteachers #blackeducators #teacherretention #educationleadership #emotionalwellness

    48 min

  8. FEB 11

    #57 | From “I Never Wanted to Teach” to Transforming 50+ Schools: Kyle Sumrow, Robby Cobbs, & the Real Work Behind EdTech

    This is the story of two educators who never planned to become educators, and ended up building an edtech nonprofit that’s served 50+ schools in Puerto Rico. Robby Cobbs and Kyle Sumrow break down the “international teaching cheat code,” the masks they wear as leaders, and how they turned frustration into a system that helps schools build real tech plans (not PDFs that die in a Google Drive). Listen and apply these takeaways to your school tomorrow: Why “dignity” matters more than “respect”, and how that mindset changes your classroom and your leadershipFairness vs. equality (the glasses example) + why “kindness all the time” isn’t soft, it’s strategicThe power of community when you’re far from home: international schools, brotherhood, and what “family” can mean when it’s built (not forced)How TechMySchool was born in Puerto Rico, no libraries, not enough books, and one question that sparked a movement(0:00) Class in session + meet Robby Cobbs and Kyle Sumrow (0:30) Robby’s origin story: from “no teacher dreams” to finding home in schools (5:30) Teaching in inner-city schools + the travel bug that changed everything (7:00) International teaching explained (housing, flights, medical, taxes) (13:35) Kyle’s journey: music school → bus driver → subbing → “this is what I want to do” (18:50) Teaching as the ultimate learning hack (bio → CS → film → audio → auto) (30:10) “Family” in international schools—when community builds itself (35:40) The “mask” exercise: what you show vs. what you carry as a leader (38:00) Kyle’s mask: dignity, fairness, growth and the unseen leadership habits (41:30) Robby’s mask: confident leader, service, empathy and the hidden frustration behind nonprofit work (52:20) TechMySchool origin story: Puerto Rico schools, no libraries, and scaling from 1 school to 50+ (55:15) “Week Without Walls” + bringing students to other places for perspective shifts (1:09:50) How to support + the Caribbean edtech conference (April 10–11) (1:11:10) TechPlanGenie: AI-powered tech planning + accountability + end-of-year report Connect with Robby Cobbs + Kyle Sumrow / TechMySchool: Website: techmyschool.org Instagram/Facebook: Tech My School Caribbean EdTech Conference: April 10–11 Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas Email us: totmpod100@gmail.com Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/ Connect with Ashanti Branch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/ Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/ Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support Connect with Ever Forward Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub X: https://x.com/everforwardclub LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/ #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #doace

    1h 17m
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4.9
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About

Only 23% of K-12 educators in America are male, a gender gap that has serious ramifications for male students - who often face DISPROPORTIONATE disciplinary action. This podcast is for male educators who want to embody a necessary change in schools, via healthy social-emotional outcomes. Come away with actionable lesson plans, relatable stories, and a renewed purpose. The US Surgeon General says the mental health of our youth is the "crisis of our time." Male educators are uniquely positioned to address this - because real men teach. Join our community: "Advocates for Young Men" at Skool.com

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