This clip is an excerpt from Education Upgrade Episode 17.

In this conversation, Jake and Morgan explore a deceptively simple question: What is a teacher's most important job? Drawing on experiences in traditional and continuation high schools, they discuss relationships, mentorship, student engagement, and why helping students feel seen may matter as much as the curriculum itself.

For the full conversation and additional context, watch or listen to Episode 17.

#Education #Teaching #EducationUpgrade #AlternativeEducation #StudentSuccess #Mentorship #Teachers #Learning #SchoolCulture #EssentialQuestions

This Reel Talk episode is an edited segment from Education Upgrade Podcast Episode 17 featuring Morgan Torres-Unger-Castleberry.

In this conversation, Jake and Morgan discuss Mean Girls and explore a larger question: What role did movies once play in adolescent development?

Drawing on themes from the Education Upgrade essay Reel Talk: The Role of Teen Movies in Adolescent Development, they examine why films like Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club, and Dazed and Confused resonated so deeply with generations of young people. The conversation explores belonging, identity, social dynamics, and the universal challenges of growing up.

Related essay:
https://educationupgrade.substack.com/p/reel-talk

For the full conversation, including discussions on education, mentorship, learning gaps, and student development, watch or listen to Education Upgrade Podcast Episode 17.

Topics include:

• Mean Girls and adolescent development
• Why teen movies mattered
• Belonging and social identity
• Shared cultural experiences
• The lessons movies teach about growing up
• Why these stories continue to resonate today