Adrian's Top Five

Here are five YouTube Videos I'm watching to re-energize myself and my pedagogy.

Photo by PJ Gal-Szabo on Unsplash

Some YouTube Therapy

I finished parent conferences last week and I’m exhausted. I love meeting with each of my parents. It reaffirms that we are a team working together to help their student succeed. Parent conferences can be productive and emotional. When you stack them back-to-back over three days, I feel worn out at the end of the week.

So, how do I recharge?

If I don’t have the luxury of extended time off to recover, I watch uplifting YouTube videos that refreshes my brain, heart, and pedagogy.

Here are five of my favorite videos that perked me right up over the weekend.

1. The Beatles - Now and Then

I love The Beatles. I have always felt an affinity with John Lennon: his image, values, vocals. I’ve been listening to The Beatles since I was a teenager in the 90s, and as I’ve grown older, so has my appreciation.

In 2021, Peter Jackson released Get Back, a documentary series covering the making of the Beatles' 1970 album Let It Be (which had the working title of Get Back). He restored unused footage and audio material from the 1970s covering 21 days of studio time. It’s a fantastic documentary that I highly recommend to any Beatles fans.

On November 2, Paul released Now and Then, an old John Lennon demo that was first worked on in February 1995 by Paul, George and Ringo as part of The Beatles Anthology project. It remained unfinished because of technological challenges.

I’ve listened to Now and Then a dozen times when it was released. I love it so much!

What really gave me the feels was watching the making of the song. Watching Paul, George, and Ringo collaborating for almost 30 years to make a new song felt like a much-needed salve. This 15-minute mini-documentary is worth a watch.

2. Boundaries with Brené Brown

For those who know me, they know that I read a lot of Brené Brown’s research. Her most recent book, Atlas of the Heart explores 87 emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human and walk through a new framework for cultivating meaningful connection. It is a wonderful book that I heavily reference when working with challenging students. Brown states,

“Boundaries are a prerequisite for compassion and empathy. We can't connect with someone unless we're clear about where we end and they begin. If there's no autonomy between people, then there's no compassion or empathy, just enmeshment.”

This five-minute video is a great conversation where Brene Brown discusses boundaries, integrity, and making generous assumptions about others. Check it out!

3. Matthew McConaughey's Just Because Children's Book

I wish that Matthew McConaughey was my friend, neighbor, colleague, and mentor. When he speaks, he sounds like a folk philosopher, sharing pithy quotes, adages, outlaw wisdom, and advice on how to live with greater satisfaction.

When I saw his latest book, Just Because, a children’s book, I immediately bought it and read it to my students. It has a great message!

I love listening to McConaughey discussing his book and how it was inspired by a dream he had. In fact, I love listening to McConaughey discussing anything. If you like this video, also listen to him turn his book into a song. These videos just make me feel better.

4. Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic - Smokin Out The Window

Sometimes I just need some good music to lift my spirits. I love Bruno Mars and this buttery ballad has such a great, old-school feel to it, sounding and looking like a 1970s TV set. Plus, I’m a sucker for choreographed dancing!

5. Simon Sinek in conversation with Big Change - Education as an Infinite Game

After my long week, I really needed a reminder about the true purpose of public education. As a society, we put so much pressure on standardized test and grades, that we teach students that education is a finite game. Instead of passing a test or a grade level, I want to prepare my students for a meaningful life where there is always more to learn. I’ve written more about Simon Sinek’s Infinite Game Framework here.

The above 30-minute conversation is with Big Change, an organization working to reimagine public education where society, including parents, employers, and civil society, work together to support young people and schools. Sinek discusses the difference between finite and infinite games, as well as how education should encourage children’s natural curiosities and teach them to care for one another. It is a longer video, but definitely worth it.

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Have a great week!

— Adrian