“Even in a year that has been the most challenging of my 20+ year career, I am grateful for learning about R.E.A.L. this past summer with Liza Garonzik. Not only did it help me better consider the HOW with student-led discussion, but it also helped better reveal the WHY. In our current technological age and political climate, in which everyone is talking but no one seems to be listening, discussion skills are more and more vital. Is there a more important calling for our times? For our students? R.E.A.L. provides a tangible framework for the essential skills -- relating, excerpting, asking, and listening -- that matter in and far beyond my English class."

Carter Thomas

The Westminster Schools (Atlanta, GA)

"At the Shady Hill School Teacher Training Center, we value R.E.A.L. discussions about real issues. We have invited Liza to lead workshops for apprentice teachers and courses for faculty members. Whether presenting in-person or online, Liza empowers teachers to amplify student voice and brings resources that prompt deep reflection. Today, she is sharing the R.E.A.L. model with students and teachers all over the world. Now, more than ever, we need to teach students how to listen and bring kindness, empathy, and respect to others even when they disagree. Liza models this in the PD she leads and curriculum she designs -- REAL-ly!"

Desiree Ivey

Executive Director, Shady Hill Teacher Training Center

"The R.E.A.L. Discussion Online Course was perfect for helping me envision how an equitable discussion would look in my classroom (even this year in our hybrid model) and then breaking it down into concrete, teachable skills for my students. Many of my students are mystified when it comes to reflecting on what makes a good discussion - even the chatty ones! I love the way the language of the four R.E.A.L. skills makes it possible for all students to talk specifically about what they’re working on in discussion and how it helps move the conversation forward."

Patrick Farmer

Shady Hill School (Cambridge, MA)

“Our integration of REAL has shifted discussion away from a stream of individual comments and towards a collaborative intellectual adventure that our classroom community forges together. In the era of hot takes, it's helpful to ground students in the values of listening and asking… Overall, I'm grateful for the ways in which REAL gives me and my students a shared language and set of values about skills that enrich discussions. It also makes grading discussion easier and less ambiguous because I am able to give more specific and actionable feedback to students regarding their contributions to the class conversation."

Olivia Robbins

The Hewitt School (New York, NY)

"In giving names to the tasks and skills that students practice in the healthiest discussions, R.E.A.L. not only empowers and unites but also draws teachers together around a clear center. In pursuit of greater equity, rigor, and community, schools today strive to make curriculum coherent and practice intentional across departments and grade levels: R.E.A.L. offers teachers a tangible shared language through which to structure that effort."

Katherine Burd

The Chapin School (New York, NY)

“R.E.A.L. ensures I will hear every student’s voice, and, maybe more importantly, that every student will be heard by her classmates. That is simple but that engagement never gets old. R.E.A.L. also ties directly into analytical writing, which students appreciate, and I love. It just makes their so much writing better! I’ve talked with all of our teachers about using it next year.”

Doris Moss

Atlanta Classical Academy (Atlanta, GA)

“One night of DQ Prep and one discussion later, students are already reporting feeling better prepared for and more productive in conversation with their peers. We have a ways to go but it’s exciting to see them already feeling better about themselves. I’ll keep observing and will bring it to other teachers next week after my students and I finish Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time next week!”

Abby Cacho

Greenwich Country Day (Greenwich, CT)

"I started using R.E.A.L. this year after the fully asynchronous training last summer. I am impressed by how much better our discussions are now, even during a pandemic and with students both in-person and remote. R.E.A.L. makes students more engaged with the reading - comprehension scores have gone up! - and helps them feel more connected to each other. I could never go back to me basic book discussions of the past!

Bekah Allen

Pembroke Hill School (Kansas City, MO)