unMASKing with Male Educators: Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms & Schools for Male Students

We police ourselves too much. And by "we" I'm referring to the progressive movement.

Those on the other side have built a large coalition by putting the conservative agenda above all, ignoring the warts and the ugly within the organization.

This approach has made me think about what's also limiting us when it comes to recruiting male mentors: We need to embrace our warts instead of being ashamed by them. Mistakes make us better mentors.

Topics include:

• The weaknesses of the progressive movement and why they lose the messaging battle
• What MAGA and people like Andrew Tate have figured out
• Male mentors and their insecurities

Timestamps:

(0:00) Welcome and recapping a retreat I attended in New Mexico

(3:00) One quote about our current political environment that has really stuck with me

(9:45) My solution and some problems we’re facing with it: The Young Men’s Conference

(17:30) Reintroducing rites of passage to our current society

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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 

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Email us questions and comments at [email protected] 

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

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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/

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Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support 

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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/

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

Alex Campbell is a high school social studies teacher at Elizabethton High School in East Tennessee, where he’s spent more than two decades reimagining what learning can look like. His classroom became known nationally after his students helped investigate and solve Tennessee cold cases, turning lessons in history and sociology into powerful acts of justice.

As the author of 10 Lessons That Will Get You Fired (But You Must Teach Immediately) and a featured voice on the podcast Murder 101, Alex challenges the limits of traditional education. He believes teachers aren’t just keepers of knowledge, they’re creators of learning experiences who can help students make a tangible impact on the world around them.

Together, Ashanti and Alex dive deep into:

• The masks teachers wear: confidence, control, and hidden doubt

• Why project-based learning transforms classrooms, and lives

• The story of Alex’s students helping free a woman wrongfully imprisoned for murder

• How vulnerability, trust, and risk-taking open doors to real learning

• What it means to teach with courage in a system built for compliance

• How purpose-driven teaching builds hope, belonging, and self-worth
  

Alex’s reflections challenge us to ask:

Are we teaching content… or changing lives?

And what happens when we finally trust students to lead their own learning?

Timestamps:

(0:00) Welcome & introduction

(1:22) Alex on teaching in East Tennessee and finding purpose through connection

(4:10) The mask Alex wears: confident on the outside, uncertain within

(8:35) “10 Lessons That Will Get You Fired”, why he wrote the book

(14:55) The power of project-based learning in real classrooms

(23:10) Students investigating cold cases and seeking justice

(30:25) When learning becomes life-changing, the story of freeing an innocent woman

(38:20) How Alex redefines the teacher’s role as a “creator of learning experiences”

(45:05) Vulnerability and risk-taking in front of students

(50:15) “Trust your students”, Alex’s message to every educator

(58:00) Closing reflections: what courage looks like in education today

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Connect with Alex Campbell:

Book: 10 Lessons That Will Get You Fired (But You Must Teach Immediately)

Podcast: Murder 101

Feature: Knox News – Teacher Alex Campbell and His Students Help Solve Tennessee Cold Cases

—

Email us questions and comments at [email protected]

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 #educationjustice #socialemotionallearning #maskmaking #projectbasedlearning #teachersofinstagram #everforwardclub

What keeps educators going when the system feels overwhelming? How do we balance creativity, critique, and care in classrooms where students face everything from initiative fatigue to gun violence?

In this episode, Ashanti sits down with sam seidel, educator, author, and Director of Strategy & Research at the Stanford d.school. sam has spent more than 20 years designing schools, launching youth programs, and writing about the intersections of education, identity, creativity, and justice. His most recent book, From White Folks Who Teach in the Hood (with Dr. Christopher Emdin), explores how white educators can engage in classrooms with honesty, humility, and impact.

Together, Ashanti and sam dive deep into:

• The masks educators wear: curiosity, critique, and hidden vulnerabilities

• School safety and Sam’s eye-opening experience shadowing a student during an active shooter drill

• The toll of initiative fatigue on teachers and students

• What Sam’s father (also an educator) taught him about anger as fuel for change

• Why belonging, empathy, and critical reflection matter just as much as curriculum
• How the Stanford d.school’s School Safety Net is helping schools strengthen community connection

• Sam’s reflections push us to ask: What’s our learning edge as educators? And how do we keep interrogating the parts of ourselves we often keep hidden?

  Timestamps
  (0:00) Welcome & Introduction
  (1:12) Sam on trust, connection, and why safe conversations matter
  (3:25) Sam introduces himself and his work at the Stanford d.school
  (8:31) Sam’s mask: curious, critical, creative
  (12:18) Vulnerability: cynicism, Jewish identity, and what he hides
  (19:17) Challenges in education today: repression, book bans, and teacher fatigue
  (23:44) AI, initiative overload, and why teachers feel burned out
  (25:14) Sam’s experience with active shooter drills and school safety
  (33:08) Why student connection isn’t “extra”, it’s life-saving
  (44:30) Lessons from his father: anger as fuel for teaching
  (47:15) Sam shares his books & resources

  
  

  Connect with sam seidel

  Website: samseidel.isBooks: From White Folks Who Teach in the Hood, Hip Hop Genius 2.0, Creative Hustle, and more

  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 [email protected]

  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 #educationjustice #socialemotionallearning #maskmaking

I shed 30 pounds, and I’m feeling the best I’ve felt in a while. But it was 30 difficult days - of cravings, headaches, mood swings, brain fog, fatigue, you name it… But it was necessary, and it made me think, “What would that look like for our schools? Our school districts? Our educators and their classrooms?”

Our schools and our young people are struggling. Are we willing to go through the necessary growing pains?

(0:00) Class in session

(8:15) My 30-day plant-based detox, and shedding 30 pounds of waste

(15:30) Taking in the school board superintendent resignations and the budget shortages at school districts in the Bay Area

(19:55) Speaking at a church and telling the congregation some upsetting statistics about boys and young men, and about our upcoming Young Men’s Conference

(26:00) An invitation to contribute to your community in a way that is best for you

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 [email protected] 

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/

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

Do you ever wonder if you are doing enough? If you are truly making an impact as an educator, mentor, or leader? For Dr. Edson Andrade, those questions have been a constant companion, shaped by his journey as an undocumented immigrant, his experience with imposter syndrome, and his work training the next generation of counselors.

Dr. Andrade is a professor of counseling at California State University, Fullerton. He trains bilingual and bicultural counselors who are dedicated to serving Latinx communities across Southern California. His story is one of resilience, empathy, and creating spaces of belonging for students navigating complex challenges.

Today, we discuss:

• The masks we wear: imposter syndrome, fear, and self-doubt
• Growing up undocumented for 25 years and finding belonging
• The role of empathy and relationships in higher education
• Supporting immigrant and undocumented students in classrooms
• Why connection matters more than content in learning
• Advice for young men questioning their worth and place in the world
  

Timestamps
 (0:00) Welcome & Introduction
 (0:29) Dr. Andrade introduces himself
 (3:25) Ashanti and Edson share their teacher personas/masks
 (5:35) Edson opens up about imposter syndrome and self-doubt
 (11:16) Timeline reflections and changes in higher ed
 (19:17) Helping students unmask in safe and supportive ways
 (23:18) Edson shares his undocumented journey
 (23:18) Social-emotional intelligence in today’s graduate students
 (27:45) How Edson is navigating imposter syndrome as a professor
 (32:37) A reminder for teachers: pause and see the whole student
 (33:07) Edson’s message to his younger self and today’s youth

Connect with Dr. Edson Andrade:
California State University, Fullerton – Counseling Program: https://ed.fullerton.edu

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 [email protected]

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

I bet there are more ways you can create productive struggle in your classroom, and you haven’t thought of them. And I bet taking in what Jerome has to say about smartphones, dopamine, and struggle will help unlock something in you as an educator.

Jerome is an educational strategist based in Seattle, Washington, who stands at the intersection of education, policy, community engagement, and young men & boys. A TED and NPR-featured educator and community leader, this is Jerome’s third time on the show!

1. How Jerome works with architects and the community to design schools that promote flexibility and creativity

2. Why analog tools are making a comeback in schools, and digital tools are being pulled back

3. How digital technology erases productive struggle and interpersonal skills development

4. Some new research on how smartphones affect students, and a new article by Jonathan Haidt

(2:30) Jerome introduces himself

(6:45) Designing school spaces for 21st-century students, and advocating for more analog learning tools

(16:00) The disappearance of productive struggle and desired difficulty

(21:30) Ashanti and Jerome share their masks/teacher personas, and some thoughts on inclusive masculinity and bravery

(34:30) Jerome’s thoughts on how to start the school year

(38:30) Jonathan Haidt and student preferences

(40:00) Student microcognitions and how educators can tackle them

(45:15) Jerome’s words of advice for male educators

Website: https://www.jeromeleehunter.com/

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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 [email protected] 

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/

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

We've been recruiting male educators to take part in our upcoming Young Men's Conference (details below), and the successes and difficulties in doing so have forced us to confront some important questions:

Where are all the trustworthy male educators?

What does it even mean to be a male? To be masculine?

We hope you take this exercise and exploration as a rallying cry to support your young male students. To empower them with the right choices, role models, and opportunities to create their own narrative. To build their own definition of "masculinity" in a healthy, prosocial way. Enjoy the show :)

(0:00) Class in session

(7:00) What we've learned from canvassing the community and building momentum for the Young Men's Conference

(9:30) What happens if your school campus does not have any trustworthy adult male educators?

(14:25) What is my definition of masculinity?

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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 [email protected] 

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/

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

I travel around the world talking to young people and educators. To start the school year, I noticed a lot of young people were leaving their work blank during my workshops. What’s behind this? Something cultural? Pedagogical? Personal? Specific to each particular school? I’m going to share what I learned for future workshops, and how you can apply the lessons of these experiences to your classroom.

(0:00) Class in session

(0:40) Background on the different schools I’ve visited to start the school year and the workshops I hold

(11:30) Activity 1 that was left blank: Dear Me

(15:30) Why are students leaning on the excuse, “I don’t know what to do.”

(19:45) Activity 2 that was left blank: The Mask

(23:40) Are students “less trusting” than ever?

(25:20) Closing notes and information on the Ever Forward Club

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 [email protected] 

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/

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

Did you have a Black male teacher growing up? In high school? Middle school? Elementary school? The numbers go down as the grades get lower. But thankfully we have people like Jason.

Jason is an elementary school teacher based in San Francisco, California. He’s been teaching in some capacity for 13 plus years, and his passion for teaching is rooted in his passion for mentorship and commitment to ensuring young people have what they need for self-actualization.

Today, we discuss:

1. How to guide boys and cultivate a healthy relationship with anger

2. How Jason has achieved longevity in the teaching profession and made it sustainable

3. How adopting a broad definition of mentorship can be liberating and lead to impact in your classroom

4. Some encouraging things for male elementary school teachers at the start of this school year

(0:00) Class Session

(2:35) Jason introduces himself

(5:30) Ashanti and Jason share their teacher personas/masks

(14:00) The challenge of giving boys the space to express themselves, especially anger

(18:30) Achieving longevity in the teaching profession

(22:40) Infusing more mentoring in our communities, and embracing a broader definition of “mentor”

(32:40) Seeing former students in a mentorship role

(36:00) The role of Black male educators in elementary schools

(43:40) Jason’s message for all educators

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Connect with Jason Muse:

https://linktr.ee/BlackMuze

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 [email protected] 

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/

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

Russell is a middle school music and movement educator, now entering his 20th year in the profession! And with so many years of experience in the field, he has a wealth of experience with teaching frameworks, student motivation, neurodivergent thinking, and mindfulness. I really hope that you can integrate what he says today into how you approach the start of the 25/26 school year.

Today, we discuss:

1. How Russell implements mindfulness practices to help himself and his students transition between school periods

2. What it’s like to be a teacher with ADHD, Inattentive Type, and how being transparent about this with his students creates a warm and productive classroom community

3. How Russell uses the Orff Schulwerk framework to teach music, and how it can be applied to all different school subjects

4. How “leveling up” in video games can be applied in baby steps, especially in school

5. Russell’s words of encouragement for male teachers starting the upcoming school year

6. The importance of having someone in the building, at your school site, to share with vulnerably

(0:00) Class in session

(2:40) Russell introduces himself

(6:30) Russell and Ashanti share their teacher personas/masks

Connect with Russell Nadel:

Website: http://www.russellnadel.com

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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 [email protected] 

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/

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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/

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