The Pedagogy of Real Talk: Engaging, Teaching, and Connecting with Students at Risk

For students at risk, Real Talk means real results!

To successfully teach struggling students, connection and trust come first. Author Paul Hernandez, a former student at risk, is now a nationally recognized, award-winning educator and trainer. His Real Talk is a practical methodology that helps education professionals build rapport with students while creating learning experiences that are relevant…and life-changing. The results are transformed classroom and school environments, engaged students, and higher achievement.

The Pedagogy of Real Talk guides readers through every step of implementation. They will

• Develop an understanding of the education research and theories that underlie the Real Talk approach
• Learn the how-to’s for implementing Real Talk with any group of learners
• Benefit from case studies and lessons learned

Real Talk is the smart, inspiring action plan that can help you make a difference in your students’ school experience, from your first classroom conversation to graduation day.

Watch Paul Hernandez present on TEDx

"This book should be required reading for any educator (future, present, or past) who is dedicated to giving voice to students who have become marginalized by our current educational practices and society as a whole. By creating a culture in which students feel safe exposing their own hopes and fears and discussing their realities, we have real opportunities to establish content and context connections that lend relevance to our students’ learning."
Rich Hall, Principal
Henrico County Public Schools

"Most of us really do care about our students, and especially our at-risk students. But we’re out of ideas for how to work with students who don’t want to be in school, don’t want to engage, won’t do the work―students who don’t want to learn. In this book, Paul Hernandez gives caring teachers a useful tool for connecting with at-risk students and for reaffirming that, deep down, they really do want to learn, after all."
Scott Hollinger, University Professor and Instructional Coach
Teachers College, Columbia University