Kohn's Zone

July 15, 2025 Skip the Sugarcoating If your company is offering unappealing food, you’ll be tempted to add artificial sweetener. And if your schools are offering unengaging lessons (which students had no role in creating), you’ll be tempted to use some kind of gimmick to make them seem less dreary. This episode considers how, long before “gamification,” John Dewey hit on the metaphor of sugarcoating to describe efforts to distract kids from the “barrenness” of what they were being made to do. Half a century later, give or take, a pair of early-childhood educators, Rheta DeVries and Betty Zan, used the same metaphor to explain how the use of rewards, including the verbal kind (“Good job!”), are mostly efforts to sugarcoat control. (If this podcast accepted ads, which it assuredly does not, you would expect one to run in this episode for a certain cereal mentioned by name that is tasty enough to require no artificial sweetening.)   A note from Alfie Kohn: If you’re already signed up to receive an email when a new blog post appears on my website, the software has decreed that you’ll also get a notification as soon as each new episode of the podcast becomes available.  (If you want to opt out of that, you should be able to do so on the sign-up page.) If you’re enjoying Kohn’s Zone, please let folks in your professional and personal circles know about it by forwarding a link to the page where it lives. And if you can afford a modest contribution — ideally on a regular basis, since a podcast, after all, is not a one-shot event — please consider supporting the project with whatever amount seems fair to you in order to keep it ad-free and make sure all content is freely available to everyone. Thanks! Please click the button below to donate. If you don’t see a button, please go to this page (https://coff.ee/kohnszone). Donate PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Ultraviolet Audio ART: Abi Kohn

The discussion dives into the detrimental effects of focusing on grades and tests in education. It argues that an obsession with achievement can stifle genuine learning and critical thinking. Using Ed Koch as a case study, the hosts critique standardized testing and advocate for prioritizing meaningful inquiry instead. They highlight six significant drawbacks to performance emphasis, urging a shift towards nurturing curiosity and a passion for learning in students. Ultimately, it’s a call for educational reform to foster a more enriching learning environment.

July 1, 2025 The Back-to-School-Night Speech We’d Like to Hear This introductory episode offers an overview of education issues that will be discussed on the podcast — a sort of a Cliff’s Notes to what distinguishes traditional from progressive education. It takes the form of a (fictitious) principal’s remarks to parents delivered one evening in a school auditorium. The premise was inspired by a movie-satire feature that occasionally appeared in Mad magazine called “Scenes We’d Like to See.” It was also inspired (or, um, counterinspired) by some back-to-school talks we’ve actually heard. A note from Alfie Kohn: I made two decisions when I decided to start this podcast. The first was not to accept ads. The second was to avoid putting certain episodes behind a paywall (or offering special content only to those who pay). But this means that I depend on the generosity of everyone who listens to help cover the production costs. So: Can you afford a modest contribution — ideally on a regular basis, since a podcast, after all, is not a one-shot event? If so, I’d be grateful if you’d support the project with whatever amount seems fair to you. (Your generosity will also confirm the thesis of my book The Brighter Side of Human Nature.) Oh, and if you enjoy the podcast, please tell other people about it. Thanks! Please click the button below to donate. If you don’t see a button, please go to this page (https://coff.ee/kohnszone). Donate PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Ultraviolet Audio ART: Abi Kohn