Chris Balme is an education leader, writer, and school founder, passionate about helping young people discover more of their human potential. Chris currently serves as Founding Principal at Hakuba International School. He is also the Founder & Director of Argonaut, an online advisory program for middle schoolers around the world. 

Prior to this, Chris co-founded and served as Head of School at Millennium School, a lab school in San Francisco, where he helped pioneer new learning methods based in developmental science. 

Chris has received the Ashoka Fellowship as a leading changemaker in education, and regularly speaks, trains, and writes for parents and teachers around the world. His book, Finding the Magic in Middle School, was published in 2022. 

Join us for this conversation exploring the critical importance of authenticity, achievement, and belonging in the middle school years and how we can help them gain the independence they need to grow.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• Authenticity, achievement, and belonging in middle school.
• Why middle schoolers need to have a sense of belonging.
• The peak periods of brain growth in our lives. 
• How we can help middle schoolers gain the independence they need to grow.
• Building education differently to give students the time they need to pursue projects.
• Using advisory as a place where students have unconditional belonging. 
• The power and significance of rituals. 

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Connect with Chris on LinkedIn. 
• Get your copy of  Finding the Magic in Middle School: Tapping Into the Power and Potential of the Middle School Years. 
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

Check out my book Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet: amzn.to/3AcwlfF

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Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator: www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-accelerator

MORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:

In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.

This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be.  It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students.  It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth. 

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

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🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.