This is essential listening to start the 2025-26 school year. And as an educator, you should be able to finish the title of this episode. If you can’t, you’re not doing an essential part of the work - listening and relationship building. Well… you came to the right place to LISTEN. Listen to AJ and Angel, two young male high schoolers that are here to lift the curtain on what makes modern day students tick. They are both members of our Young Men’s Health Group and members of the council that is setting up our Global Young Men’s Conference, and today, we discuss:

  1. What exactly is on students’ minds as they navigate the beginning of the school year
  2. What are your male students feeling but not telling you about
  3. The ways you can gain and lose students’ trust
  4. As a teacher, it’s not about OFFERING support. It’s about HOW you offer support.
  5. How students are actually embarrassed to be perceived as smart
  6. AJ and Angel do some teacher student role playing

(2:50) AJ and Angel introduce themselves

(6:40) Ashanti, AJ, and Angel share their masks.

(11:40) What teachers need to know to better serve their students

(24:40) Are young men afraid to show how smart they are?

(37:10) How to approach a disengaged student/a student facing peer pressure - an epic student-teacher role play

(43:10) Maintaining student relationships by being approachable before, during, and after class

(49:40) AJ and Angel describe their favorite teachers and the things they do that are exceptional

(52:40) Final thoughts from AJ and Angel

Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org/global-young-mens-conference-2025

Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345

Email us questions and comments at totmpod100@gmail.com

Create your own mask anonymously at https://millionmask.org/

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/

Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/

Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: 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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/everforwardclub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #doace #UNWME #diaryofaconfusededucator

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