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. 4D AGO

    #68 | Does Your Teaching Match Who’s in the Room? — w/ Principal Baruti Kafele

    In this episode of unMASKing with Male Educators, Ashanti Branch sits down with Principal Baruti Kafele, a 40-year educator, author, speaker, and school leader. Principal Kafele reflects on the mask he wore as a principal... “I’m good”, while carrying the hidden pressures of leadership, staff conflict, community expectations, and student needs. He shares how reading Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Dr. Carter G. Woodson changed his life and led him into education. He also challenges educators to make learning culturally relevant, build real relationships with students, and ask whether their teaching truly matches who is in the room. In this episode, we talk about: The hidden mask of school leadership Why educators must understand students’ culture and lived experiences How to make learning relevant and meaningful The power of relationship before instruction Principal Kafele’s Young Men’s Empowerment Program Why administrators must coach teachers, not just evaluate them 0:00 Welcome and introduction 3:36 The mask of “I’m good” 8:56 Navigating school politics and union relationships 14:30 How education found Principal Kafele 17:42 Discovering Dr. Carter G. Woodson 20:32 Putting students in the lesson 23:04 Becoming someone students can hear 24:20 Young Men’s Empowerment Program 30:00 Does your teaching match who’s in the room? 35:50 Principals as instructional coaches 41:07 How to connect with Principal Kafele Connect with Principal Baruti Kafele Website: principalcafele.com Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn / X: @principalkafele YouTube: AP & New Principals Academy 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 #PrincipalKafele #MillionMaskMovement #MaleEducators #SchoolLeadership #CulturallyRelevantPedagogy #EverForwardClub

    45 min

  2. APR 28

    #E67 | Clyde Cole on Emotional Safety, Authentic Leadership, and Helping Students Take the Risk to Trust

    Ashanti sits down with Clyde Cole, Principal of Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School, to explore identity, leadership, education, and the masks school leaders wear. Clyde reflects on his journey as the child of immigrants, his 35 years in education, and the classroom moment that shaped his calling. He also shares how calm leadership, transparency, and emotionally safe adults can help young men build trust and move beyond the mask. A powerful conversation for educators, school leaders, mentors, and anyone committed to helping young people feel seen. In this episode: The masks Ashanti and Clyde wear as educators and leadersWhy calm leadership can sometimes be misunderstood as not caringHow transparency helps students, families, and staff trust the decision-making processWhy young men need vocabulary to express what they are carryingThe fifth-grade teacher who changed Clyde’s life by choosing elevation over punishmentWhy educators should look for opportunities to lift students up, even in disruptive momentsHow Cristo Rey Brooklyn supports students through academics, work-study, service, and community partnershipTimestamps: 00:01 Welcome and introduction00:44 Clyde’s background, identity, and Brooklyn roots02:26 Leading Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School04:48 Ashanti shares his educator mask08:32 Clyde shares his mask as a leader13:42 Calm leadership in difficult moments15:54 Using transparency to build trust19:14 The deeper work of education21:19 Helping young men move beyond the mask23:01 Giving young men language for their emotions26:17 Creating spaces for emotional risk-taking27:48 Why students need safe adults30:59 The teacher who changed Clyde’s path32:28 Elevating students instead of punishing them36:19 Clyde’s five domains of school leadership37:44 Academic leadership39:01 Cultural leadership40:01 Organizational leadership41:22 Team leadership42:28 Interpersonal leadership45:35 Cristo Rey Brooklyn’s work-study model46:24 How to support Cristo Rey Brooklyn students48:21 Closing reflections and mask invitation Resources & Links Mentioned: Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School: https://www.cristoreybrooklyn.org/ Faculty & Staff / Clyde Cole: https://www.cristoreybrooklyn.org/faculty-and-staff Connect with Clyde Cole Website: https://www.cristoreybrooklyn.org/ Email: ccole@cristoreybrooklyn.org 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 #EmotionalSafety #MaleEducators #AuthenticLeadership #SchoolLeadership #CristoReyBrooklyn #YoungMenMatter #BehindTheMask #EducatorWellbeing

    47 min

  3. APR 21

    #E66 | Bishop Foreman on Transformational Teaching, Leadership, and Teaching for Real Impact

    Ashanti sits down with Bishop Foreman for an honest and powerful conversation about leadership, education, and the masks we wear. This episode explores what it means to lead while carrying pain, why consistency can become overcommitment, and how childhood experiences often shape the way adults show up as educators, mentors, and leaders. Bishop Foreman also shares why the best teachers do more than deliver information. They help students think, connect, and transform. If you are an educator, school leader, mentor, coach, or anyone who works with young people, this conversation offers both reflection and practical insight. In this episode: The masks Ashanti and Bishop Foreman wear in public and what they carry underneath The connection between childhood instability and adult leadership patterns Why authenticity matters in teaching and leadership How to move from information delivery to transformational teaching Why educators should focus on the takeaway, not just the lesson How engagement, humor, and interaction help students learn Why students need adults who can connect before they can truly teach Timestamps: 00:06 Welcome and opening reflections 00:14 Meet Bishop Foreman 00:30 Bishop Foreman on leadership, impact, and honoring educators 01:21 His early love of teaching and starting a business at age 12 03:47 Ashanti on entrepreneurship, schools, and setting up the mask activity 05:32 Ashanti shares his mask 08:32 Bishop Foreman shares his mask 13:39 Consistency, leadership, and knowing when to let something go 15:34 Childhood responsibility, protecting others, and emotional attachment in leadership 19:44 Ashanti connects with the role of protector in his own story 20:40 Working with adults, youth, and communicating across audiences 22:56 Speaking with energy and connecting beyond information 24:37 Youth attention spans and the challenge to make learning worth their time 26:46 Moving from reacting to students toward building growth-centered structures 28:45 Starting with the end in mind and teaching for transformation 30:02 Why many educated people are not taught to think critically 31:14 Social media, swipe culture, and shrinking attention spans 32:38 Teaching critical thinking instead of just content 33:14 The educators Bishop Foreman still remembers and why they mattered 36:36 How to connect with Bishop Foreman 39:32 Closing invitation to share your mask anonymously Resources & Links Mentioned bishopforeman.com Text “BISHOP” to 55498 for discounts on books, coaching, and resources Connect with Bishop Foreman Website: bishopforeman.com  Social media: @BishopForeman 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 #EmotionalSafety #MaleEducators #AuthenticLeadership #EducatorWellbeing #BehindTheMask

    40 min

  4. APR 17

    #65 | Alexander Kopelman on Authenticity, Creativity, and Helping Children Stay Real

    In this conversation, Ashanti sits down with Alexander Kopelman, founding president and CEO of the Children’s Arts Guild, to explore authenticity, identity, creativity, and what it means to help children thrive as whole human beings. Together, they reflect on the masks adults wear, the stories we carry from childhood, and how our own fears, wounds, and expectations can shape the way we show up for young people. Alexander shares his journey as a refugee from the Soviet Union, the origins of the Children’s Arts Guild, and the heart behind his book, For Real: Helping Children Remain Their Authentic Selves in a Limiting World. How identity gets shaped by what others assume about us Why creativity can open doors to honesty, vulnerability, and emotional safety How the Children’s Arts Guild began through work with boys and creative expression A powerful moment from a kickball game that opened a conversation about crying and grief Why adults in a child’s ecosystem matter just as much as the child-focused program itself Why children need to be allowed to fully be the age they are How post-pandemic expectations may still be out of step with where children really are 00:02 Welcome to UnMASKing with Male Educators 00:35 Meet Alexander Kopelman 01:41 Alexander introduces the Children’s Arts Guild and For Real 02:09 Coming to the U.S. as a refugee and rebuilding identity 03:13 Assumptions, religion, and being seen from the outside 05:25 Choice, identity, and the masks we wear 14:39 Creative mortification and the fear of drawing 17:34 How Alexander’s work with boys and adults began 21:25 Kickball, crying, and the moment things shifted 23:15 Why working with adults became essential 25:09 Authenticity as a framework for educators and parents 27:12 What games can reveal about fairness, emotion, and behavior 29:17 Why adults need inner work and practice too 31:45 Men’s work, circles, and learning to trust the process 35:31 Realizing there were no men in his life 37:04 New Warrior training and recognizing inner voices 40:20 Parenting, anxiety, and reacting from fear 41:35 What For Real offers adults 43:34 Letting children be the age they are 44:19 Post-pandemic development and shifting expectations 46:41 A final reminder for parents and educators 47:28 How to connect with Alexander 48:34 Closing invitation Resources & Links Mentioned Children’s Arts Guild For Real: Helping Children Remain Their Authentic Selves in a Limiting World Authenticity Works — Alexander’s website millionmask.org — share your mask anonymously Mankind Project Girls Inc. Connect with Alexander Kopelman Website: authenticityworks.org Book website: forrealbook.org 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 #AlexanderKopelman #Authenticity #CreativeExpression #EmotionalSafety #WholeChild #MaleEducators #Parenting #ChildDevelopment #Healing

    49 min

  5. APR 1

    #64 | 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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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

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