Nuance Needed 76: The Critical Thinking Crisis Started in Schools with Dr. Jennifer Weber
What if the mental health crisis starts with how we learned to read? Dr. Jennifer Weber reveals the shocking connections between educational practices and our collective inability to process information or sit with discomfort.
In conversation, Amanda and Jennifer discuss:
* Why teaching kids to guess instead of read has massively contributed to how we show up online
* The death of internal dialogue—and what it means for self-reflection
* Why most adults only know 5 emotion words (hint: it's about reading comprehension)
* The simple "pause" that breaks algorithmic conditioning
* How classroom reinforcement schedules mirror social media engagement
* Why patience is a critical thinking skill, not just a virtue
* The connection between reading fiction and emotional intelligence
* What parents can actually do at home (spoiler: it starts with curiosity)
* Why banning AI won't work—and what we should teach instead
This episode bridges the gap between education policy and personal mental health in ways that will change how you think about both thinking and feeling. Perfect for parents, educators, and anyone trying to understand why everything feels so overwhelming right now
Dr. Jennifer Weber is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) and educator who co-founded KIT Educational Consulting. Her work focuses on how reinforcement systems shape not only classroom behavior, but also how we think, process information, and navigate our digital world. Her substack is incredible!
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