Education Disruption

Increasingly, we’re hearing from teachers that student morale and engagement are concerningly low while behavioral issues are on the rise. But are the typical approaches to classroom management actually making student engagement and behavior worse? What happens when a teacher is expected to confront a student about their behavior in front of their peers, give them a failing grade due to absences, or confiscate their phone? These sorts of interventions can reinforce toxic power struggles between students and staff, ultimately creating more barriers to learning. But there is an alternative approach—instead of policing and punishing student behaviors, the team at Map Academy intentionally doesn’t escalate situations that can lead to disconnected, dysregulated, or disempowered students. In this episode, hear from Map teachers and leadership about how they manage student disengagement and (mis)behavior while promoting a non-hierarchical power dynamic—all with a nuanced understanding of how defiant and apathetic classroom behaviors often stem from existing personal struggles. (Clips at the beginning of the episode are excerpts of TikToks by @adventureswitheliza, @history_4_humans, @awalmartparkinglot, and @josh_dennis.) --- Explore more stories at ⁠⁠⁠⁠educationdisruption.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ Education Disruption is a podcast by ⁠⁠Map Academy⁠⁠—a free, charter public high school open to all Massachusetts students up to age 24 This podcast is a Hairpin production: ⁠⁠⁠hairpin.org

In traditional high schools, students are expected to adhere to strict schedules, standards, and benchmarks, all of which can be unrealistic for learners whose educations have been disrupted by their life circumstances. And when students fail to conform to expectations, it can be easy to fall off track, with many being driven to drop out altogether. That’s why students at Map Academy always have a say in how they will progress through their high school journeys. In this episode, recent graduate Anthony shares how he knew Map was different from the systems that had failed him before, and staff discuss radical student autonomy—what it looks like in practice and how it helps prepare learners for the independence and responsibility that comes with life after high school. --- Explore more stories at ⁠⁠⁠⁠educationdisruption.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ Education Disruption is a podcast by ⁠⁠Map Academy⁠⁠—a free, charter public high school open to all Massachusetts students up to age 24 This podcast is a Hairpin production: ⁠⁠⁠hairpin.org

We all know that school is supposed to be a place to focus on learning. But for many students, learning can be disrupted by the realities of their lives, including and especially trauma. Map Academy was designed to serve students who are dealing with challenging lived experiences—like substance misuse, housing insecurity, and mental health struggles—that can lead to trauma. Beyond just recognizing how these experiences have caused their students to become disengaged, Map helps them better understand the impacts of trauma and gives them tools to help them heal from it. In this episode, hear from Map leadership and staff about their “healing-centered” approach to learning, teaching, and youth development—how they connect students to holistic support and resources, help them build meaningful connections, and give them the time and space they need to heal (and re-engage with learning) at their own pace. --- Explore more stories at ⁠⁠⁠⁠educationdisruption.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ Education Disruption is a podcast by ⁠⁠Map Academy⁠⁠—a free, charter public high school open to all Massachusetts students up to age 24 This podcast is a Hairpin production: ⁠⁠⁠hairpin.org

In this edition of Education Disruption, you’ll hear stories of success and challenge as told by Map students — a final capstone project before their high school graduation. In this episode, we hear from Zay. Facing personal struggles with depression and substance use, he had trouble staying on track at his previous schools — he was getting suspended and expelled and says he was treated as a “delinquent.” At schools that were unable to help him heal and thrive, he was losing sight of his goals. But once he found his way to Map, Zay was set up with wraparound supports and pushed outside of his comfort zone, allowing him to succeed both academically and in life. “Map Academy actually ended up making graduation from high school possible, which I never thought that it would be,” he says. Now, post-graduation, Zay moved to New York to pursue his music career and has a scholarship to fall back on if his plans change. --- Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students. More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org Explore past episodes: educationdisruption.org Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

In this edition of Education Disruption, we’re hearing from Map Academy students right before they graduate from high school. As they reached this milestone, they were tasked with reflecting on their journeys as part of a storytelling capstone assignment.  In high school, Jennie kept finding herself in trouble. There was a lot going on at home and school, and she would be involved in drama, get into fights, and fall behind on her schoolwork. She knew she needed a change — that’s when she found her way to Map Academy. At first, Jennie still struggled with distractions, including conflict with other students. But at Map, students like Jennie are given the support and tools they need to navigate their emotions, practice self-control, own their behavior, and feel empowered to make better choices. “Having to leave school and not be able to learn because of fighting made me realize that I can woman up and not fight in school,” she says. Now, Jennie is a high school graduate, and she says she’s reached a new level of maturity. --- Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students. More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org Explore past episodes: educationdisruption.org Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org