Author | Filmmaker | Host of Tola Talks
Hey everyone, I’m excited to announce my new book’s a winner!
The Sub: Tales of an Inner-City Teacher, just won the 2025 Firebird Book Award for Education. Thanks to Pat Rullo and everyone at Speak Up Talk Radio!
Have an awesome day, and as always, get your workout in! Peace – R
Today I interview my longtime friend, Guy LiMato, a retired police officer with a rich background in law enforcement and education. We discuss Guy’s journey into policing, the stress and challenges faced by officers today, and the realities of domestic violence calls. The conversation also touches on Guy’s transition into education, working with special needs children, and the importance of family dynamics in shaping behavior. We also explore the differences between policing as portrayed in the media versus real life, and delve into the roles of the National Guard and ICE in current law enforcement.
And since Guy is all too familiar with K-12 teaching – instructor’s aid for 10 years – we reflect on my new book, The Sub: Tales of an Inner-City Teacher and the challenges of classroom management and the future of education.
Thanks for tuning in, and as always, get your workout in! Peace – R
Today on Tola Talks – Live we’re talking about AI actor Tilly Norwood and the uproar she’s causing in Hollywood, the 2009 sci-fi classic, Star Trek, RIP shout-outs to Jane Goodall and Tom Petty, fitness tips for folks like me with major back problems, some talk about the US government shutdown, plus the Autistic kids in my new book, The Sub: Tales of an Inner-City Teacher.
Thanks for tuning in everyone…and get your workout in! Peace – R
Hey everyone, Tola Talks is back!
This time around it’s all LIVE, so hope you can join us on YouTube or LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter) or Twitch. For today’s Episode #191 we kept it short and sweet while discussing my new book, The Sub: Tales of an Inner-City Teacher, plus some excellent teachings from the Chinese philosopher and humanitarian, Confucius.
Have an awesome day and as always, get your workout in! Peace – R
Hey everyone! If you’re concerned about everything that’s wrong with our inner-city public schools – as you should be – then check-out my latest book, The Sub: Tales of an Inner-City Teacher. (click to view on Amazon)
Based upon my real life experiences as a K-12 substitute teacher, The Sub gives you an outsider’s view inside America’s troubled educational system.
An historical fiction novel that’s based upon true encounters, The Sub shines a much-needed light on the challenges facing our beleaguered (and burnt out) inner-city educators. There’s everything from lockdowns and school shootings, to Autistic children with a penchant for changing lives, to fighting 5th graders and discourteous kids dropping F-bombs, to Middle School girls with their own school-specific gang. Not to mention a sweet and sexy romance that’s fit for a Hallmark movie! Most of all, is our insightful protagonist’s (Eddie Cruz) ability to address all the brokenness with concrete solutions to fix them.
A must read for all High School students and K-12 educators everywhere!
Creators create, teachers teach and producers produce.
And when you’re all three, eventually you give birth to a modern-day Blues Clues show for kids called, Top 10 with Mr. B. That’s right, I LOVE educating and inspiring children of all ages, even the 59 year-olds like me!
So if you’re that BOLD, BRAVE and BRILLIANT children’s producer in search of the next great opportunity, be great to hear from you: info@richtola.com
As for everyone else, enjoy learning everything there is to know about rainbows and pandas and have fun with Mr. B…and get your workout in!
Peace – R
Today we’re paying tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a national holiday in the United States and time to honor a great man who stood for never ending equality and justice for all. MLK was also the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, and a civil rights leader who inspired a nation with his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of 250,000 people gathered around the Lincoln Memorial during their peaceful march upon our nation’s capitol. We’re also talking about the Wolf Moon, a full moon that illuminates to its fullest tonight at 6:48p EST. Plus more fitness tips and inspiration as well as three more steps to everlasting youth from my book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth. Have an awesome holiday everyone…and get your workout in!
Tola Talks about our debut show on youtube.com/tolatalks and all things Movie Mondays, including the review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 starring Jennifer Lawrence.Rich also talks about katherine Heigl, Colin Hanks, Oscar Robertson, Charles Darwin and Survival of the Fittest, JFK and memorable quotes, Black Friday and new deals from Dell, Microsoft and Staples, the 10 Most Educated Cities in America, plus gives the Get Your S#!T Together Award to the woman from Australia who left her baby to die in a sewage drain.
Weekdays on youtube.com.tolatalks
Tola Talks Beats by Dre & the NFL, Bill Clinton stumping in Arkansas, Finland schools ranked 3rd in the world – America 24th, GYST Awards & fat mannequins, and prayers on Twitter. On Movie Mondays, Rich and co-host Troy Titus-Adams review Ben Affleck’s new film, Gone Girl.
Weekdays on youtube.com/tolatalks
