Dare we say….Best Episode yet?! Well, we just did…so enjoy! 

Nick starts things off today talking about Daylight Savings Time and his disappointment that, apparently, the bill to dispose of it in Congress has been shelved. Rick talks about a favorite new scripture that he recently came across.  

In today’s “The Blog and Brochure” segment, Dr. Nick reads through his blog from this week entitled “When You Say Nothing At All.” Those in leadership positions will appreciate the emphasis on the importance (and challenge) of active listening and managing the burdens of leadership. Nick shares some great ideas for burnout prevention. Rick considers the blog from a psychological perspective, tying the approach to Rogerian counseling. He recommends listeners youtube “Carl Rogers and Gloria” to see this theory in action. Rick also talks about how leadership positions, while sometimes physically sedentary, can result in physical exhaustion due to the emotional weight of the work.

Moving onto the “meat and potatoes” part of the show, Dr. Nick and Dr. Rick return to the Search Institute’s Developmental Assets. Rick shares some research regarding how many assets adolescents typically have and how those numbers change throughout adolescence. This week, the guys investigate #23 – Homework: Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day and #24 – Reading for pleasure: Young person reads for pleasure 3 or more hours per week. Nick has strong feelings and many thoughts regarding homework. He recommends folks check out the work of Alfie Kohn, who pushes back against piling homework on kids to take home. Rick shares similar concerns, particularly in regards to homework exacerbating achievement gaps. Moving onto #24, Rick and Nick, both avid readers, share their thoughts and experiences as fathers, perhaps more than as educators. Both of them recognize the importance of reading with kids as often as possible for pleasure and discuss a few additional strategies to promote and encourage reading.

The Every Rose has Its Thorn segment this week prompts the fellas to discuss “Live Action Children’s TV shows.” The guys have perhaps a little too much fun with this one, discussing everything from classics like Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and the Great Space Coaster to more contemporary shows like Lazytown and Yo Gabba Gabba. Rick encourages everyone to check out The Upside Down Show on youtube and hopes the creators secure funding for The Upside Down Movie someday soon.

The email bag is full and overflowing, so the guys tackle three questions this week instead of two as usual. First up is a question from Marcy, who is being bullied by kids at school because of her religion. The guys have some wise suggestions for Marcy and other kids in similar circumstances. Teachers and school counselors will want to hear some of those suggestions as well to consider with their own students. Next, the guys respond to Carrie from CT, who challenges the guys to talk about new music (as opposed to music from the 80’s). After some hesitation, the guys do discuss a few contemporary musicians that have made their way onto their playlists. To wrap things up, the boys respond to Abby in regards to the finale of the HBOMAX show “The Last of Us” before turning it over to Rufus to close things out. 

Enjoy this soon to be classic – Episode XXI of Rick and Nick’s Excellent Edventure!