 |
unMASKing with Male Educators: Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms & Schools for Male StudentsAuthor: Ashanti Branch - Taking Off The Mask
Only 23% of K-12 educators in America are male, a gender gap that has serious ramifications for male students - who often face DISPROPORTIONATE disciplinary action. This podcast is for male educators who want to embody a necessary change in schools, via healthy social-emotional outcomes. Come away with actionable lesson plans, relatable stories, and a renewed purpose. The US Surgeon General says the mental health of our youth is the "crisis of our time." Male educators are uniquely positioned to address this - because real men teach. Join our community: "Advocates for Young Men" at Skool.com Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
Listen Now...
#94 | Saving Our Black Boys: Relationships Before Results w/ Dr. Lewis Thomas III
Episode 94
Tuesday, 3 November, 2026
What happens when students are expected to adapt to systems that were never designed with them in mind?In this episode of unMASKing with Male Educators, Ashanti sits down with Dr. Lewis Thomas III, educator, author, professor, and longtime school leader, to explore Black identity, worthiness, mentorship, relationships, educational systems, and what it means to help young people feel seen.This conversation dives into:How Lewis’s family history, Black identity, and deep connection to education shaped his path as an educator.Why he knew from a young age that teaching would be part of his purpose.The impact of both harmful and transformative teachers on the direction of his life.How one educator can help a young person see something in themselves they cannot yet see.Why worthiness can be something we know intellectually while still struggling to feel emotionally.How Black and Brown boys can become disconnected from schools that fail to build meaningful relationships with them.Why educators and systems must stop placing the responsibility for change entirely on young people.Why relationships must come before academics when students are already disconnected.How schools can move beyond rigid, outdated approaches and create more responsive pathways for different learners.Why educators and leaders must be willing to rethink the systems, practices, and assumptions that shape young people’s experiences.Ashanti and Dr. Lewis Thomas III explore the power of mentorship, relationship, identity, and self-reflection in education—from the people who help shape our sense of worth to the systems that can either deepen disconnection or create belonging.Dr. Thomas challenges educators to stop asking only what young people need to do differently and begin asking what schools, adults, and systems must change in order to meet them where they are.Connect with Dr. Lewis Thomas IIINew Book from Dr. Lewis Thomas IIIDr. Lewis Thomas III’s debut book, From the Ashes: The Fire This Time, launches November 6, 2026. Part memoir and part roadmap for healing, the book explores family, identity, worthiness, transformation, and the people who helped “hold his fire” throughout his journey.📚 Learn more and order here: https://austinmacauleyusa.com/book/from-the-ashes-the-fire-this-timeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlewistheiii/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lewis.i.thomasWebsite: https://www.monmouth.edu/directory/profiles/lthomas/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-thomas-iii-ed-d-7bba6b238/Connect with Ashanti BranchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksX: https://x.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/Support the Podcast & Ever Forward ClubHelp us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/supportConnect with Ever Forward ClubInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclubX: https://x.com/everforwardclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/#UnMASKingWithMaleEducators #MaleEducators #StudentBelonging #EducationLeadership #RelationshipBeforeCurriculum #MentorshipMatters #StudentSelfWorth #BlackBoys #BrownBoys #TeacherLeadership #SchoolCulture #ClassroomCulture #EducationalEquity #MaleVulnerability #IdentityAndBelonging #Worthiness #HealingAndGrowth
