222 - Ron Berger on Helping Students Become Leaders of Their Own Learning

This week, Tom is speaking with Ron Berger, the Chief Academic Officer at EL Education. Ron has been with EL Education since 2003 and is responsible for leading EL Education's vision of teaching and learning. Bringing with him 40 years of experience as a teacher and professional development designer, with 28 of those years teaching public school, Ron is highly regarded in the education space. Going back to the beginning of Ron's journey, he began teaching in a little town in Western Massachusetts. Just about everyone under the age of 50 in Shutesbury, MA, was one of Ron Berger's students. The fact that his nurse, plumber, and accountant had all been in his class helped him understand the bigger picture. It made him ask himself, 'Do they understand high-quality work? Do they have courage? Do they have quality values? And do they use critical thinking? Would I trust my life to that person?' These became Ron's principles in what he hopes for his students to achieve. When he went on to develop the Expeditionary Learning School model — a project-based community-connected approach focused on doing authentic, quality work — these principles remained at the forefront. Now, EL Education is...