A Former Teacher and Student Reflect on a Lifetime of Lessons
June 13, 2022
Hosted by Ron Roel
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Guest Information
Episode Description
As we get older, one of the most important ingredients to healthy aging, experts say, is lifelong learning—a self-motivated pursuit of new ideas, skills and knowledge, particularly in the second half of life. But today, we’re going to take a very different spin on lifelong learning, as we talk with Roberta Israeloff and George McDermott, the co-authors of a fascinating book, “What Went Right: Lessons from Both Sides of the Teacher’s Desk.” Roberta, a lifelong writer, is Director of the nonprofit Squire Family Foundation, dedicated to encouraging the teaching of philosophy at pre-college levels. And George, a writer and poet, is a former teacher who also had extensive editorial experience in several business and media fields over the course of his career. The two met in the late 1960s, when George was a young English teacher at Syosset High School on Long Island; Roberta was one of his students. “One of us was the teacher, one of us was the student. Mostly what we did was argue,” they recalled. But when they found each other on social media several years ago, they began a steady correspondence that became a book about their own “lifelong learning”—resulting in a provocative and vibrant exchange about their perspectives on public education over time, from inside and outside the classroom. Everything from their experiences as teachers, to the continuous debate over standardized testing, to the perennial questions about how education should prepare students to be “human,” to be discerning and productive citizens in a complex, increasingly divisive and unpredictable world. But it is also a story about what Roberta and George learned about themselves; what they remembered; how they reconnected; what went right (and wrong); what changed over their lives; and what has remained the same—what endures. Today’s conversation is Part I of a unique 3-part series that will continue in July and August.
45 Forward
Monday at 12 Noon Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in.
My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents.
The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.
Ron Roel
I’m a veteran journalist who spent a wide-ranging career covering business, politics and social issues, the last two decades focusing on the blend of diverse life skills I call successful aging.
I have written extensively on aging topics, spoken at conferences, radio and TV shows, and launched several entrepreneurial ventures, discovering along the way that the path to aging well also requires an unexpected entrepreneurial vision. I spent 20 years as a writer and editor at Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, helping to found Act 2, a weekly section for 50-plus readers. I created Roelresources.com, a website offering practical advice and inspirational essays for people ages 40 and above. I have been a volunteer and consultant to AARP Long Island, writing articles, advocating for seniors, and developing action plans for the AARP Age-Friendly Communities initiative.
I am active in programs and organizations that support seniors, such as the National Aging In Place Council and the Senior Umbrella Network. I have developed a special expertise in family caregiving, as one of four brothers who took care of their mother for almost 25 years. I regularly collaborate with many professionals who provide services and support for older Americans, and I am completing a book for caregivers on Long Island, “The Caregiving Navigator/How to Plan, What to do, and Where to Turn When Caring for you Aging Loved Ones. And Yourself,” scheduled for publication in early 2021.