Jul 18, 2022
Today’s 45 Forward episode is Chapter 2 of a unique, 3-part conversation, focusing on of a fascinating book, What Went Right: Lessons from Both Sides of the Teacher’s Desk, by the co-authors Roberta Israeloff and George McDermott. Roberta, a long-time friend, was one of my classmates at Syosset High School on Long Island in the late 1960s; George was our 11th Grade American Lit teacher. Roberta, a lifelong writer and author, is currently the Director of the nonprofit Squire Family Foundation, dedicated to encouraging the teaching of philosophy at pre-college levels. And George, now a writer and poet, has had several teaching jobs , as well as extensive editorial experience in several business and media fields over the course of his career. In my first conversation with George on June 13th, we talked about how he and Roberta reconnected after more than 50 years on social media and began a steady correspondence that evolved into a provocative exchange about their perspectives over several decades, from inside and outside the classroom, which ultimately turned into their book, What Went Right—essentially a story of their own “lifelong learning” experiences. Everything from what they’ve learned about the roles of teachers as instructors and mentors; to the continuous debates over curriculum and standardized testing; to the fundamental questions about how education should prepare young people to be “human”—that is, discerning and productive citizens in a complex, often unpredictable world. George and I talked about his early experiences at Syosset with Roberta, and I shared some of my own recollections of that time, looking back at how things were—not so much with nostalgia, but rather, reflecting on what they meant, given changing perspectives and experiences over the course of a lifetime. Today, we’re going to continue the conversation with Roberta, focusing more on what’s changed in public education, society and their own lives since Syosset High School. It’s a decidedly different spin on the concept of “lifelong learning” as we get older, one of the most important ingredients to healthy aging. It's a story about teaching and learning, but also what we’ve learned about ourselves.