33. Ron Berger, a leader in the Rebel Alliance: Why Not Give People Important Work to Do Now?
This episode, I have the immense pleasure and privilege of talking with a mentor and a friend — Ron Berger.Ron is a powerful voice and leader in education as an author of best-selling books such as A Culture of Quality and Leaders of Their Own Learning, has served Chief Academic Officer for Expeditionary Learning, as a keynote speaker in places as far-flung as Japan, the Bronx, Timor Leste, West Virginia, Spain, mountaineering huts in the Rocky Mountains, England and Alabama. He leads workshops for organizations such as High Tech High and Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Ron’s video called Austin’s Butterfly highlights the power of creating high-quality student work through a revision process of a culture of craftsmanship and been viewed over half a million times.At heart, Ron is a teacher. Ron taught at a small public school in a small rural town in Western Massachusetts for over 30 years, developing service-based learning projects with his students who took on the complex, important and needed work: a radon test report for local homes, a highway crossing for local salamanders, a local store run by students selling jewelry made from agate that they would tumble, design into jewelry, market and sell to raise funds. Ron’s dedication to the growth of student character and the craft of teaching how to produce high-quality work led to him being named as the best teacher in America by the Annenberg Institute. When asked why he is an educator, Ron once wrote: I am an educator because so many of my heroes and role models - the people who inspire me - are young people doing beautiful work in the world.Above all, Ron has one of the kindest souls you will ever know, has the finely crafted skill of making the complexity of quality teaching & learning accessible, and at every turn has highlighted students at the center-stage of learning in ways that help students and educators alike see what’s possible.Ron, perhaps more than anyone else I know, uses his many many talents and skills for good in the world — he’s a true leader in the Rebel Alliance. And as a teacher, his butterfly wing effects have spread further than you could think possible. You, dear listener, are in for a real treat.Dive in!Models of Excellence: https://modelsofexcellence.eleducation.orgAustin's Butterfly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_6PskE3zfQ"The Dancing Prince" use of models - Support the show••••••••••About Exceptionally Good:https://www.exceptionallygood.org/aboutMore from Exceptionally Good:📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.orgWork with Ryan: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/servicesExceptionally Good on Substack:https://substack.com/@exceptionallygoodProducer & host: Ryan MaxwellEditor: Matt MitchellTheme music: Ryan RaddatzGuitar music: Adeline’s GuitarCredits/Outro Read by: Adeline, Advice & JessThe views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.




