Accessing Peer Power

In this episode of the #8-ranked stress podcast we are talking about the power of peer tutoring. Dr. Brian Johnson, owner of Peer Potential Consulting guides us through the many benefits of peer tutoring and outlines how easy it can be to set up a sustainable peer tutoring program at your child's school. With years of helping schools set up peer tutoring programs, Dr. Johnson's approach can be implemented in schools of any size and he's ready to help you advocate. I hear from so many listeners about how their children's teachers are stressed and close to burnout (teachers have had it rough for a long time but especially the past few years!). Dr. Johnson shares his perspective on how peer tutoring can lighten the load of teachers and parents while helping feel more confident and connected! It's a win-win for everyone!

Dr. Brian Johnson lives in Chandler Arizona. He is  happily married and has three wonderful children ages 13, 10, and 8. He  has been an educator for almost 20 years. He has an Ed.D. in Leadership  and Innovation from Arizona State University. Currently, he is a high  school Spanish teacher, a peer tutoring coordinator, a part-time college  and university instructor, and is the founder of Peer Potential  Consulting, which focuses on empowering schools and districts in the  development of peer tutoring programs with an emphasis on long-term sustainability. To connect with Brian visit his Peer Potential Tutoring website.

Lindsay Miller is a kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not playing catch with her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification  to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. To download Lindsay’s Mindfulness At Any Age Guide click here. To rate the podcast click here. Thanks for listening!

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks and playful laugh. When she's not playing catch with her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here.

Transcript

Lindsay Miller  0:07  
You're listening to The Stress Nanny podcast, and I'm your host, Lindsay Miller. I'm here to help you keep an eye on your family stress levels. In our fast paced lives, the ability to manage stress has never been more important for kids or adults. When it comes to stress, we have two choices, we can decrease stress or increase our resilience to it. Here on the number eight ranked stress podcast, I interview experts and share insights to help you do both. When you tune in each week, you'll bring your stress levels down and your resilience up so that stress doesn't get in the way of you living your best life. I'm so glad you're here. 

Welcome to The Stress Nanny podcast where we help you keep an eye on your family's stress levels. I am so excited. I know I say this every week. But I'm so excited to share this episode with Dr. Brian Johnson. I believe in what he's doing. So much the the power that comes from peer to peer interaction amongst adolescents and kids especially. It's just it's incredible. And it's unmatched by anything else. So Dr. Johnson help schools set up peer to peer tutoring programs, so that they can reap all the benefits, we're going to go into the benefits. But mostly like, if your school does not have one of these programs, I would love for you to listen and connect with Brian and see what you can do to kind of advocate for something like this to be set up. Because it has such a huge impact on all the facets of a child's well being academic, social, emotional, it's just, it's crazy how effective it is. So have a listen. I hope you enjoy it. 

Welcome to The Stress Nanny podcast. I'm your host, Lindsay Miller. And I'm so delighted that you're here today for my chat with Brian Johnson. Dr. Johnson lives in Chandler, Arizona. He's happily married and has three wonderful kids ages 1310 and eight. He's been an educator for almost 20 years. He has graduate degree in leadership and innovation from Arizona State University. And currently he's a high school Spanish teacher, a peer tutoring coordinator, a part time college and university instructor and is the founder of pure potential consulting, which focuses on empowering schools and districts in the development of peer tutoring programs with an emphasis on long term sustainability. Dr. Johnson, thank you so much for joining me today. Thanks for having me. So I'm excited to dive into this on several levels. Personally, I was a peer advisor in college. And when I went I went to Brigham Young University and they were just starting a peer advisor. cohort. And so we were like in on the research and you know, the the coordinator was super passionate about how this Freshman Academy idea were like freshmen paired with upperclassmen to kind of help them integrate not only socially, but academically, and then you're just getting a feel for what college life was like, how there were so many benefits to that peer to peer connection. So you have experienced that in your own life. And then also in the schools that you work with to help set this up. Talk to me about how you kind of realized this was the thing you wanted to focus on.

Dr. Brian Johnson  3:21  
Yeah, so my story actually started way back in high school. And so I remember one class in particular, it was a college algebra class, and I was struggling with that class. I don't think I was partying, I was paying attention as well as I should have been paying attention. But thankfully, a good student, a good friend of mine, he was able to help me through that process. And I leaned on him for a lot of support. And he was very instrumental in me, number one passing the class but being doing well in the class. And so what I've noticed throughout my life, whether that have been with my my associate's degree, my bachelor's degree, master's, or even my doctoral degree, oftentimes I'd get to the, to a particular point where I needed some extra assistance, and I wasn't quite understanding what the professor or the teacher was saying, and I will turn to my, my, my friends, my peers, and they were able to help me through that process. And you know, I think sometimes, just in general, we have a tendency to be a little hesitant and resistant to approach our teachers, our approach our professors, because there's that there's that stigma there for some reason. And with the peer, it's just one of your friends and you just feel a lot more comfortable with the individual. So I experienced that firsthand. And then for the last 10 years, I've been helping my particular school, the schools in my district and also other schools in the in the state of Arizona. Starting this, this, you know, starting peer tutoring programs, and I just want to help as many as I possibly can and It's really neat to see those individuals receive that help. And for them to, to feel less stress and for them to have that, that assistance that they need. It's been it's, it's really the highlight of my, my week when I have those opportunities to see that take place.

Lindsay Miller  5:18  
I love that so much that it's the highlight of your week, I think there's so much potential and I love that that's part of your business name. In the idea of like having students helping students, I know my daughter, and I were just having a conversation about this last night actually, where she was struggling with some particular concepts in geometry. And we were kind of thinking about how this year is different than last year in that last year, she had multiple friends in her classroom. And so every night, right, like, they're hashing out the homework, and they're like, Okay, I don't understand this one. But then, you know, one of them would understand it, and then, you know, she'd say, okay, I get this one who needs help with it. And they were just constantly in dialogue around the content. And it just sunk in, you know, so differently than in this class, where she's got a couple of friends, but none that she feels as comfortable, you know, kind of connecting with on a nightly basis about math. And we were brainstorming different strategies. But we talked about how like, Okay, this peer piece, that's a piece that's totally different this year in your math class than it was last year? And do you think that's having an impact on, you know, how you're feeling about math, both? Both like in terms of her understanding of the content, but also just in terms of frustration, right? Like, do you see that towards like, if your peers are helping you, you're not nearly as frustrated as you're, you're you might be exasperated? But you're kind of just more playful than if it's like a teacher or somebody who, you know, totally understands the concept and is like, Okay, you're just not getting this part of it yet. It's kind of like an exploration together, right when it's appear?

Dr. Brian Johnson  6:54  
No, you're exactly right, Lindsey. And what one thing that's really interesting is to kind of see that all play out. So if you think about it, like, as a student, you have a certain knowledge. And oftentimes, the teacher is explaining things a certain way. And I myself, I've been a teacher for 18 years now. And oftentimes I will explain certain things and I feel like I'm explaining it well, I feel like I'm connecting with the students. I'm engaging, I feel like I, I've, I understand how to teach it. But it's something really interesting, where oftentimes, the students aren't understanding it, and they're not getting it. And they're not relating with me. And so just to give you an example, this, I had a couple of students in my, my Spanish class, and I had a tutor come in, and I said, Okay, I just want you to sit down with with these two students, and just trying to help them a little bit because I had tried and tried and tried to help them. And I wasn't getting through, you know, I was using all my skills and everything that I've learned. And what was interesting is they sat down for about a half an hour is all and she just explained it in very simple terms. She used her lingo, she kind of showed some things here, and I was watching them from afar kind of thing. But long story short, when she left the students that were being held, they said, that was so amazing, we totally get it. When is she going to come back? I totally get it. Now. I understand it. And so, like you said, I've seen that time and time again, we're oftentimes students will tell me, you know, the peered explains it better than the teacher does. And at first, I'm thinking, Wait a minute, I have a degree, how is that even possible? But really, what they're saying is, they are explaining in a way and at a pacing, that works for me, it's very individualized, you know, you have that, that relatability component that and what I love about your podcast, the you know, just have less stress in your life, they feel less stressed. And then when you feel less stressed out, you're able to be very real, very authentic with the person that you're you're talking to you the barriers kind of kind of go by the wayside, and you're able to explain, I don't get it. And in a class setting that's really hard for a student to do. Dr. Johnson, I don't understand it. Not many, many will do that. But in in with a peer setting. That's totally different. Especially if they they feel comfortable.

Lindsay Miller  9:20  
Yeah, yeah, that's so well put, because in the light grand scheme of things, if we all have a bunch of ego around it, and I'm like, Well, I can help you with your math homework just as good as your friend can. Or if as a teacher, were saying, I'm explaining it in a way that like every other kid I've ever taught gets it. Why aren't you? You know, we did not that you would say that. But I think that like sometimes we just if we break down the ego that we have around something we can totally, you know, like, pave the way for much less stress for our kids in these academic settings, especially around homework. And I can really appreciate that story you shared with the tutor and how the kids do Just could resonate and relate to that angle, you know a little bit differently than mindfulness, there's this really beautiful story about like trying to describe an elephant, right, and you have this big elephant, and you ask for different people, two or five different people to describe the elephant. And one person is standing like at the elephant's foot, and it's touching, like, their elbow help their, like eyes closed, and they're trying to describe what it looks like to the other people. And they're like, Okay, it's really smooth. Like, they're touching the nail, you know, of the on the foot, it's smooth. And then there's also some wrinkles, it feels really big, really steady and firm, you know, and then on the other side of the elephant, somebody's touching the tail, and they're like, they didn't know it's really thin, you know, it's got it's kind of hairy. It's like really movable, it moves around a ton. I'm really flexible, you know, and then the other one is like, at the trunk, and they're like, Well, it's pretty wet. You know, there's, this feels like kind of rainy right now, I don't know. And so they're just talking through like the angle that they have of the elephant, right. And so at the end of the day, like when we're teaching our kids, these different concepts, it's kind of like, describing different parts of the elephant, and they're going to resonate or recognize a different part, depending on the angle that they're taking the material in at. And so if, if they're not getting it from our angle, like, if I'm not understanding the elephant from the angle of the tail, then maybe if someone describes a trunk, I'm like, Oh, I know what you're talking about now, you know, with with any subject in school, right, having as many different perspectives on it, and having as many different angles to kind of help the information settle. It only serves in the long run, right?

Dr. Brian Johnson  11:40  
Yeah, exactly. And, and that's the, that's the thing I, I, you know, I just got done speaking to, I went to a school in Phoenix, kind of downtown Phoenix, just this morning, and we're having this conversation. And basically, I was just explaining, you know, what we're trying to do is we're trying to give students as many resources as possible, and individual that we're speaking with, she's over the Gifted and Talented Academy, at her school. And, you know, every student learns differently, and that kind of thing. But that's what that's what it's all about, like you're saying, if that perspective, that that insight, that explanation, and you just want to try to understand and oftentimes, just kind of give you an idea of I'll see a student come in for help. And the tutors like, you know, I don't really remember this calls over friend, the friend comes over, you know, let's, I'm not quite sure about this, pretty soon, you have three or four tutors that are over at this table trying to help this one student, and they're given their insight, like you're explaining a minute ago, and just explaining and helping with all those different pieces and components in those different ways of, of explaining it and so forth. That student is able to receive that help. So, yeah, it's all about, okay, how can we help as many students as possible, sometimes it's for, you know, seeing the future, sometimes it seemed appear, but we don't know until we try all those avenues. Yeah,

Lindsay Miller  13:07  
yeah. And then at the end of the day, again, it just smooths out the learning, right, and it makes it really normal. I think one of the key aspects of at least when I'm watching my daughter, and in the experiences that I've had, she was in Montessori when she was younger. And so they have the mixed age classrooms where it's a three year, you know, grouping of kids. And so it's designed to be a peer led community, where the little kids asked the older kids questions, and the older kids just help the little kids kind of naturally. And one of the things I've always loved about that is the idea that it normalizes questions, it normalizes, like the realization that everyone learns differently. So if you have three tutors over there, and two of them are like, yeah, that was tricky for me, too. Let's ask somebody else and see if they have a different insight. It totally in that moment takes the stigma away of like, Oh, I'm the only one that doesn't know this, right? Kind of like you described in the classroom setting where people are nervous about raising their hand. If you have three or four other peers, right by you were like, Yeah, that was so tricky. You don't think I'm dumb? Do you think yeah, this is a hard problem, right? Yeah.

Dr. Brian Johnson  14:13  
No, you're exactly right. And just real quick, one thing that's interesting, back when I was doing a lot of research, for my dissertation, and so forth, I came across some some data that suggests that the ideal tutor is slightly above the peer. And so sometimes you're thinking, yeah, that a valedictorian would be the best one to tutor and oftentimes, that that's not the case because, you know, they have to relate they have to be able to connect with that individual and like you say, if they notice, oh, this was hard for you this you struggle with this a little bit. There's that that connectedness and, and one thing that's really really important about all this is the social emotional wellness. And that kind of kind of comes into play where it's, it's great for both the tutor that to tea and just to have this that connection, I think is so valuable. And, you know, one of the question that I love getting asked is, Dr. Johnson, what's the ideal tutor look like. So oftentimes, the principal asked me that are different people that I'm working with. And I tell them that exactly that of, you know, actually maybe your beast in it is, is a better fit, and we're better tutor than an you're a student, and it just kind of depends, but as long as you're slightly above, you can kind of help a little bit. It definitely helps more individuals to, to want to be tutors and, and what I've seen is having a nice mix, we have a freshman, sophomore, junior senior, and different levels. And, you know, it's, it's really neat to see, everyone can kind of contribute. And you know, it's just not the, the the honors students that are that are tutoring. So that's, that's really neat to see.

Lindsay Miller  15:53  
Yeah, yes. And I love love that because one of the things that I tried to do with the kids that I coach and mindfulness is helped them become like a mindfulness expert for the people that are around, you know, or mindfulness. Yeah, like that, they can teach the skills and the tools in a way that like, enables other people to learn them as well. And for the same reason, right, because they're just a little bit above where they're at. And sometimes when I say a tool or a skill, it comes across as a little bit more academic, or, you know, I'm not 13. And so you know, some of my life experiences, while I try to, you know, give examples and make it really relevant, when they can teach each other, there's just a beauty, like you're saying that comes because of the relatability, that the different connection, that kind of automatically happens between peers. And I love the idea both in mindfulness and in school of having someone who was maybe not the the honor student, and who had to really work for the knowledge, come into a situation and be able to share it in such a relatable way. And like you said, oftentimes, those are the learning moments that are the most powerful, right, because it's hard fought knowledge for that one kid. The one that hasn't always had it come easy, the one who has struggled to maybe learn it or you know, has been in a position where they really had to get get support to get where they're at. And so I think there's yeah, there's so much beauty in creating a scenario where something that was maybe a weakness or something that was a vulnerability for a child becomes a strength that they then share in a meaningful way with other people.

Dr. Brian Johnson  17:31  
Yeah, that idea of a growth mindset. Yeah, that's a very powerful, for sure.

Lindsay Miller  17:37  
Yeah. Okay. So these are just a handful of the benefits. Are there any other benefits you want to mention? We've talked about how it normalizes mistakes, it creates a sense of community and social and emotional connection creates a sense of relatability, which sometimes is a more efficient way for kids to learn what else what else are some of the benefits?

Dr. Brian Johnson  17:57  
You know, there's, there's lots of benefits for the one receiving the tutoring. And, you know, things that we we mentioned, like I say, I think what I've what I've seen time and time again, it's just given them the opportunity to have that different perspective and to be in a in a safe, a safe place a safe space, where they can, like you say, let their guard down. And I think that's, that's really, really important. Because one thing that I do when I when I go train tutors, and that's what I do as well, when I go to the different schools. One thing that we talked about is, don't just ask them, Did you get it? Do you understand that? No, because they're gonna most likely say, yeah, yeah, I got it. But you want to ask them and have them show you what they know kind of thing. But in terms, I wanted to mention just a couple of benefits for the tutor because basically, how I see it is the, the benefits are just as great for the tutor as they are for the two T. And so what's really special throughout this process, and I'll give you an example, I have this, this tutor mine, she was basically kind of talking to the club cockatoo talking to the other tutors, how much she's enjoyed being a tutor. And she got to the point where she was saying, you know, I've, I've really enjoyed this. And basically, she got to the point where she said, I found joy in helping others. And it was just like this aha moment where she, she hadn't really experienced it. And so that point is kind of what I gathered. And so these tutors are learning to be selfless. They're learning to, you know, just kind of care for others and, and they're having these experiences where it's like, I have this really good feeling inside because I help someone else. And for me that's just so powerful and so important for them to learn because, in my mind being successful in life, it's helping the other other people and in being in a profession where, you know, sometimes you're just thinking of the pay and that doesn't last very long. But it's about how are you making a difference in, in the world in the lives of others. And so these, these tutors are experiencing these things. So it's really, really neat to see they gain self confidence. And, you know, I really liked the quote, I think Einstein was credited with this, if you can't explain it simply you don't understand it well enough. And so they're their knowledge is solidified. So they're, they're growing, the two T's growing, there's just so many benefits, you know, it really is a win win for for both individuals. And I was thinking of, maybe some of your listeners know, we're talking about, okay, yeah, my son, or my son or daughter needs help, because let's face it, once our kids get to a certain point, and my oldest is 13, once it gets to a certain point, I'm just like, I don't know if I can help me with that math equation, or whatever it is, we all we all experienced that. And the older they get, the more challenging it is. But basically, what I, what I wanted to say was, you know, they need, we need to be able to help them but you know, as a parent, it's, it's, it's a, it's a little tricky, because we want to help our children, and we want to give them the support they need. So tutoring is great for that. But what I was trying to go with this was, let's say your, your son or daughter is maybe advanced, or, you know, they just, they just kind of get it really, really quick. And oftentimes, they're bored after that fact. And let's say the teachers and differentiating instruction and you know, those types of things, this is a fantastic avenue for them to pursue, because, you know, they're able to further their skills, they learn interpersonal skills, they're able to try to understand it well enough. We're like, like Einstein said, How can I explain this in simple terms, and they're gonna understand it better themselves. And I was just talking to this teacher, like you mentioned, downtown Phoenix this morning. And I told her, you know, what I love about teaching is the the challenge of reaching so many students, you have 30 students in a classroom, 35 students, let's say, and every student learns differently. And so it's a real challenge being the teacher, it's it's very, it's, it's fun, because it's so challenging, trying to reach in each individual. And so I think a lot of the tutors, they enjoy that that's that challenge as well of trying to help this individual and they're trying to think of how they can explain it and trying to recall information from two years ago. And so it's it's very invigorating for, for everyone involved. And so yeah, anyway, I could go on and on about this kind of stuff. But I'll just, I'll just leave it at that. for that. For that right there.

Lindsay Miller  22:50  
Yeah, no, I think that's such a great point that like no matter what angle you approach it at its winwin. Like you said, I mean, everybody that the teacher is able to help the student connect with the information by facilitating a peer learning environment, the student is able to connect with the information by connecting with a peer and having different perspective, the tutor is able to connect and kind of own their skill set and deepen their knowledge and understanding by explaining it in simple terms, like there's no, there's no really like downfall if it's a really healthy Student to Student connection, right?

Dr. Brian Johnson  23:25  
Yep. Exactly.

Lindsay Miller  23:26  
So talk to me about it. someone's listening right now. And they're like, oh, my gosh, I wish my school had what Dr. Johnson School has, you know, this peer tutoring program? What what are some of the ways that they can advocate or even find out like, Does my child's school have this? You know, is it even an option?

Dr. Brian Johnson  23:45  
Yeah. Well, that's, that's a great question. And you, you mentioned a key word, and that's advocate. And so oftentimes, well, the first the first question would be, I know, my, my high school, the one that knows everything, oftentimes, is the receptionist. And so they get so many questions, and so many calls. And so oftentimes, you can call and I've done this before, as I've just given I did this past summer, I kind of traveled around the state of Arizona, just kind of in close proximity to where I live, and you just went to different schools, and oftentimes I would call and say, Do you have a peer tutoring program on campus? And if they do, they're going to tell you about it. And so, you know, they'll definitely know if you ask them about it. Sometimes, they, you know, there's there's different scenarios and that kind of stuff, but like I say, if it's a robust program, though, they'll definitely know about it, but in terms of advocating for it, you know, I would say email to the principal to the system principal. So maybe if they have like an academic individual that kind of oversees that. One awesome person to email. Excuse me to send an email to you would be a counselor, you because they deal with that on a daily basis, I have worked with a couple of counselors right now that are overseeing the tutoring programs. You know, they work with students all the time. And, and they, they definitely might have something to that effect. And then another thing is, and this is just kind of like an aside note, and I, and I have a couple of notes here and I put, well, they could reach out to me, smiley face. But really, you know, if they want us to email me, if they wanted to reach out to me, I'm happy to advocate for them and to reach out to the school district. I have a family member that's talking to people in Utah about what I'm doing here in Arizona. And, and so for me, Lindsey, it's not about the any notoriety, it's not about anything. Related to that. My mission. And the mission of this, this company was just me, but is to help as many schools as possible to help as many students as possible. I've just seen 1000s of students benefit from from tutoring. And I want to help as many as I as I possibly can. And so I'm like you said, I'd be happy to, to reach out and find out information. And but, you know, I'm a little biased. I feel like, since this is a win win for every school, every student in every individual, every family. I don't see why every school doesn't have a peer to peer program. And again, that's my that's my mission, I guess. Yeah, right now, and I hope I can help as many individuals as possible to do that.

Lindsay Miller  26:44  
Yeah, yeah. And I love Yeah, I love the way that you describe that too, in terms of like, why not? Right? I mean, if this isn't something that's at your child's school, it's going to lighten the load of teachers who are already I mean, strapped, right, like at max capacity, especially after COVID. I mean, it's just ridiculous what we're asking teachers to do. And then to add, like a layer of support that's built in that also, like is self sustaining and self supporting? It just makes sense, right? Yep. So I love Yeah. I love the idea of being able to contact you. And we'll get into that in the end a few more minutes as we close. But before we do, I want to explore the like potentialities here a little bit more, in a little bit more detail. So what what does it look like? If there's a peer to peer tutoring program in a school? Is it a club, like you mentioned? Is it like a learning lab? That's after school? Like, what are some of the logistics? So like, if someone's listening, they're like, this sounds amazing. And whether they're in education, or whether they're wanting to approach their administration about implementing implementing a program like this, what would it be some of the key logistics to kind of keep in mind? Sure,

Dr. Brian Johnson  28:03  
yeah, that's a great question. So 10 years ago, when I when I kind of started researching things, and so forth, as part of my, my doctoral studies, what I came across was, oftentimes, there were certain tutoring programs that what that weren't sustainable, and I kind of questioned why that that was the case. And I can just speak from personal experience, and what I've seen with, you know, the other schools that I've been working with, but basically, it all boils down to having, in my mind having the formation of a Peer Tutoring Club. And so what that does is it gives you a club sponsor or a coordinator, the adult, it gets you, club officers, so President, Vice President, and you can have multiple officers, it gives you that, that structure that foundation. So just to kind of give me an idea that when I first started with our very first club, we had probably like 20, students show up. And then after that, after we formed the club, you know, it's all about word of mouth. And so it just spread really, really quickly. And so once you have that formation, then you have a lot of people that are working towards one goal, and it's not just the teacher, so if it's just the one teacher pushing it, it's gonna fizzle out what I've seen, it's not going to be sustainable, you have to have as many bodies involved as possible. And my philosophy is, I'm here to teach and train these students, you know, to be adults to have these experiences. And so I want them to have the experience of running the meeting and giving trainings and, you know, facilitating and coordinating and so I kind of take a holistic approach of, you know, it's good for everyone. So that's kind of where we're, where it's at. And then from there, basically, it kind of just depends on each school some schools offer before school, some offer during lunch. It just kind of depends on the, you know, the the school and kind of how things are some offer after school, some have like academic labs on the middle of the day. We also offer evening tutoring. So we do virtual tutoring in the evening time through through Google me. And so it just kind of depends on what's going to work for the, for the particular particular school. But like I say, in my mind, it's all about having that permission of the club, and then also having the support of the principal, the system principal, the, the teachers, the community. And so really, making sure you have that solid support or foundation, before you try to do something really quick. Because, as you know, when the, if you try to do something just on the fly, okay, we're just gonna implement this program, it's already, it's, you know, it's already there, we're just gonna throw out to teachers and students, whatever, it doesn't really, it doesn't really fly doesn't really work out very well, because it was just too quick. And you have to have buy in, you have to have all everything in place before you launch it, you know, because the purpose is to want to have this for years to come not just this semester or whatever. So just taking a slower approach and more strategic approach, I guess, you say?

Lindsay Miller  31:21  
Yeah, well, and I love the intention behind that too. Because I think the I feel this way about mindfulness also. But I think like peer tutoring is such a powerful resource that you don't want to mess it up. Right? Like, you don't want to kind of throw something together and have it flop, and then have it seem like, oh, that we tried it. And it wasn't a viable option. You know, I've seen that in different like, social and emotional learning spaces, where people like give something a go, but maybe wasn't implemented with as much intention or planning as was needed or understanding as was needed. And then it's kind of like, oh, yeah, that didn't work for us. So we're not going to do it again. And I always say to the parents that I work with, like, I want mindfulness to be like a tool your child can access for the rest of their lives. So we need to teach it well. Right? Like we, we need to, we need to make this process like go well, so that this is a fun, good, like uplifting experience and not something that's a drain. So that like it's something that kind of perpetuates itself. Like you're saying, we don't want to introduce a peer learning program, a peer tutoring program, and then have it flop after a semester. And then like, four decades in the history of the school, have it be like, Well, we tried one of those, but you know, it didn't pan out. Like we want to be intentional. We want to make sure there's a good fit between the facilitator of the club, the people who are kind of leading the club, like the the introductory messaging, we share, like all those things need to be on point, right. In order for us to create this kind of self perpetuating system that's going to add a ton of value over time for both students and faculty. But like it needs to be done with intention at the outset.

Dr. Brian Johnson  33:02  
Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that. Because oftentimes, what you'll see is, they'll maybe have like National Honor Society students, and they can be great tutors. But they'll, they'll say, Okay, you guys sit in this room, students are going to show up, and good luck. And you know, they need they need coaching, they need training. And that's, that's what I do. And that's what I what I really, really love about this is to kind of help them this is how you greet someone, or this is how you ask certain questions or whatever. And it's just just like a teacher, you know, it's not very wise to put an individual in a classroom without teaching them how to teach in the different skills. Same thing goes with with tutors. Yeah, yeah.

Lindsay Miller  33:47  
Totally. I remember those, like that Freshman Academy program that I mentioned, when I was in college, I was a sophomore, a junior, when I, we were starting it up. So we were working with freshmen. And some of the lessons there, I was like, Oh, this seems like it would be really like basic information on how to work with someone how to help someone how to facilitate a learning community. But I hadn't thought of it. And I wouldn't have thought of it unless, you know, we had like our weekly training meetings where they brought in research based insights on how to facilitate learning communities. And so we were so much better prepared than if someone Yeah, had just tossed us into it. A room or, you know, tossed us into these learning communities and like, okay, run this little learning community. We're not going to give you any resources, there's gonna be limited access to support, but figure out how to make it fly and make it a flourishing community, right. Like, it doesn't make any sense at all to do it without an additional layer of support so that it can roll the way that it's intended. Yeah.

Dr. Brian Johnson  34:44  
And then that's what I've noticed that it really takes ongoing training. And so we have, we have monthly meetings, like club, club meetings, and so we like to do a little, you know, training sessions or our little just I guess you can say, practice sessions where you have, like roleplay activities kind of thing. Because we all need to be reminded again and again. And in the best of the best. What I like best about is they'll come to the, to the meeting, they'll say, I don't know how to handle this, you know, my, the student is just wanting the answers. And, you know, what do I do? And so we all kind of discuss things and talk about Okay, so how, how should we go about this? And, yeah, it's being a teacher is not easy. Some people may say that it is, I'm here to tell you, it's definitely not. And, you know, being a tutor is not easy. It's a lot of work. It's very taxing at times. But really, those that are persistent in it, and those that really put forth their, their heart, and their time, and they have that, that desire to help, they see phenomenal benefits, and you know, it's gonna stay with him for a lifetime, is gonna prepare, my one thing I want to do is prepare future teachers. But that's in every sense of the word, you know, parents or teachers, doctors or teachers, whatever profession you go into, you have to do teaching, and in this kind of what I want to do is prepare them for, for that role and in life.

Lindsay Miller  36:17  
Yes, yes, yes, yes. One of the selling points when they were, you know, trying to recruit people for these learning communities. And I was also a Resident Advisor, a resident assistant during college was like, you will learn people skills that will serve you for the rest of your life. And it's been true, it's been completely true. And one of the things that I loved about those different types of training that we received, and then you know, what I'm seeing with what you're doing is this tendency for, like collaboration. And in the workplace, you know, that the idea that you could communicate, collaborate, problem, solve, all those skills are so crucial, right? Whether you're, you know, like home with your kids, as a parent at your job, you know, trying to solve the world's problems, whether you're teaching in a classroom, I mean, those are all skills that come in handy anywhere you go. And so giving kids like a little, like, experiment or opportunity to learn those things, and it's themselves with even more intention and support. It just yeah, it just makes so much sense. I agree. On the same page about it, so Okay, so you mentioned earlier, we talked about how, you know, kids who are maybe hesitant to ask questions, kids who are feeling kind of a gap in the learning the teacher is offering and the way they're understanding it, they would be good candidates for like a peer tutoring program. Talk to me a little bit more about kids who would be good peer tutors. So if we have parents listening, who are like, yes, my child would really benefit from a peer tutoring program, I'm going to contact Brian, I'm going to contact my school, we're going to start advocating or kind of like, you know, talking about the benefits and then creating a pathway so that this can have implementation and my child space, then that's fantastic. What about the parent who lists who is listening who is like, my kid is kind of on the fringe, they're feeling kind of some social and emotional struggles since COVID. They haven't really found their niche and how to get involved and kind of feel synced up with their peer group would appear tutoring be a good option for that student to be a tutor.

Dr. Brian Johnson  38:28  
I'm most most definitely, as you're talking there, I can I'm kind of picturing certain individuals in my own group. And what's really neat is with anything, once you join, join a club or an A, or an organization, you have your very, you're around very like minded individuals. And so let's say you're more like an intellect, you'll find individuals that are more of an intellect or certain individuals are a little more reserved, you'll find those that are a little more reserved. So you're, you're very like minded in that sense. But to your point, you know, what I like, what we can do is we have virtual tutoring. So maybe the student is more, maybe it's easier for them to communicate with someone, virtually as opposed to face to face. And so that might be an option, an avenue avenue to pursue. What I've noticed as well, and I saw this just the other day, when I was at our session, the tutor might be maybe a little shy, or just kind of a little reserved or whatever. But then when someone comes up and you and I have experienced this Lindsey, someone says, Hey, would you mind explaining this to me? Like all of a sudden, they kind of, you know, pull back the shoulders a little bit, they're like, Sure, I'd be happy to you. And so it's really neat to see those individuals, they they really flourish and they shine because guess when they're in their world and their room and here's this individual, that's maybe a star basketball player, because in asking for my help, and you know, it's really In February, self, you know, their self confidence increases is what I've seen in their demeanor. So it's, it's really nice, especially if they have a good content knowledge. And they can explain things fairly well, I think they're going to be successful. And I would just say, just tutor, tutor tutor as much as possible, and then you'll start to feel more comfortable every time that you that you tutor. Yeah,

Lindsay Miller  40:28  
yeah, well, I love what you just brought up to the idea that any one can be a peer tutor, like, they may have a skill set in a specific subject area. And they may feel like a deficiency in another area, right. But like, they can tutor in the area where they feel like a sense of accomplishment or where they have a specific affinity. And in those moments, like you're going to mix with people who have other strengths, and you're going to see their vulnerabilities and you're going to normalize vulnerability, you're going to normalize struggle. And you're also going to step into your confidence around like the thing, you know, like, I may not be out there playing basketball, but I just helped somebody with their math, you know, and like, like you said, being able to, like walk home with their head a little higher, because they could own their strengths in a setting that, you know, maybe is not one of the spaces where we often, you know, hold kids up as examples. Yeah.

Dr. Brian Johnson  41:29  
Well, to your point, imagine that a student, later on in the week hears about the basketball game, how they won the game, and he probably he or she wasn't at the game, maybe. But that student is like, you know, it's because of me, that student is on the court playing, you know, possibly,

Lindsay Miller  41:46  
yeah, so they might not be able to play if they hadn't gotten to. Yeah.

Dr. Brian Johnson  41:50  
Is it good? It gives you a good, good feeling for sure.

Lindsay Miller  41:53  
Like a sense of connection and ownership? Yeah. Well, this has been so fantastic. I have loved all the things that you've shared, and just the potentiality again, and I love that that's your your company named pure potential, because there is so much potential for every single person involved. And, and like we're saying, if you're listening right now, and you're thinking to yourself, like, I wish my school had this, it's it's not. I mean, like you said, it's an you need to be intentional in the setup. But with somebody like Brian, if you know, if your school connected with him, and then contracted with him to set up this program, and then get the training that you needed, it's not out of the realm of possibility that you have a thriving peer tutoring program in a relatively short amount of time, right. So talk to people about how they can connect with you and learn more about your work and how they can Yeah, get some tools for advocacy in their own school settings. Sure,

Dr. Brian Johnson  42:52  
you can go to my website is pure potential dot info. That's one one way you can always reach out to me in I think, Lindsey, he'll be sharing some information how they can, they can contact me. Yeah, I love to help with that. Like you say, I just want to help as many schools as possible. And, and oftentimes, you know, all even me with schools where they just want to know more about it, and maybe they don't want to hire a consultant. And that's totally fine. You know, it's really not about that, I just want to perpetuate this and try to help as many as I can, for sure.

Lindsay Miller  43:30  
Yeah, well, and the fact that you can support you know, via zoom, it doesn't have to be in Arizona, it doesn't have to be nearby, like you can, you can connect right with different schools all over and have a conversation and kind of explore options. And then and then go from there. And I think, you know, as I'm thinking of it, I'm thinking of those teachers who my daughter has, who are, and she has a lot of really great invested teachers, but you know, they're like a handful that your child really connects with. And the ones that like, where there's a mutual investment, like that teacher really wants to see your kids succeed. And it may not be you know, that they're doing great in that classroom, it may be a classroom where the teacher is, like really having to kind of give them some extra support and extra help in order for your child to succeed. But those are the kinds of teachers I'm thinking of in this moment for facilitating clubs, you know, and like, if you have a teacher, who your child, you know, is trying to work with and they're really putting putting in a lot of effort and intention into helping your kid but maybe it's just not clicking still. Like that might be the teacher to have this conversation with right share this podcast, say, Hey, would this be you know, would you be interested in exploring this with me? Because I think if you had someone from the school who has buy in and has already shown investment, you know, they might be better positioned to kind of escalate the conversation to administration or whatever. So if you don't feel comfortable going to the principal or you know, going to the counselor because you don't know them but you have a relationship with your child's teacher because you've been in communication a lot thing Hey, I heard about this, I think it could be awesome for my kid. Could we have a conversation about it? Or, you know, could you listen to this podcast? And tell me what you think? And then, you know, just let it emerge? Because I think one of the things about what you're doing, again, is that it's super organic, right? And that the the resources are all there in terms of people. And what you bring in is the organization and the know how and the wisdom for how to kind of organize those people effectively and then get get the program off the

Dr. Brian Johnson  45:28  
ground. Yeah, yeah, that's, you said it perfectly.

Lindsay Miller  45:35  
So yeah, so if you're, if you're listening now, don't hesitate to reach out to Brian or to reach out to a teacher and share this podcast and then see what you can do. Because I think peer learning is such a powerful tool that all kids would benefit from right now. Well, Brian, thank you again, for being here. It's been such a pleasure to visit and I'm grateful for the work you're doing in the world.

Dr. Brian Johnson  45:57  
Well, you're welcome. I mean, it was it was my pleasure as well, thank you.

Lindsay Miller  46:01  
Well, in case you couldn't tell, this is a topic that I really, really love. I just think the world of what brains doing, I think it's fantastic. And I think it's something that, again, is relatively easy to implement and can have such a quick impact, you know, when it's done well, so think it through, you know, see if there's somebody at your school, maybe a teacher, administrator, somebody you could talk to, to look into it, you know, and see what what the options might be, and whether there's space for something like this to get created to benefit your your children. I know there are so many teachers who are strapped for time and energy right now, we've really asked a lot of our teachers over the last couple of years. And well, I mean, we do in general, but especially the last couple of years. And I think programs like this can go such a long way in supporting teacher wellbeing and student well being and reducing stress levels for parents, teachers and students, which I'm a really big fan of. So thanks again for listening. Reach out to Brian for more info, and we'll talk to you next time. 

You've just finished an episode of The Stress Nanny podcast. So hopefully you feel a little more empowered when it comes to dealing with stress. Feel free to take a deep breath and let it out slowly as you go back to your day. I'm so glad you're here. If you're a longtime listener, thank you so much for your support. It really means the world to me. If you're new, I'd love to have you follow the podcast and join me each week. And no matter how long you've been listening, please share this episode with someone who was stressed out. If you enjoyed the show, would you please do me a favor and go to ratethispodcast.com/thestressnanny and leave a review. The link is in the show notes. I'm so grateful for all my listeners. Thank you again for being here. Until next time!

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