Episode 89: Interview with Ryan Tibbens

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations.

I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office.

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In this episode, I chat with Ryan Tibbens, a 16 year classroom veteran in the middle of his first year teaching in a brand-new 100% distance learning program. His work with high school juniors and seniors has helped propel students to a variety of excellent universities and fulfilling careers. Outside of school, Ryan operates Tibbens Education Services & Tutoring, a consulting and tutoring venture specializing in college admissions essays, AP prep, writing instruction, and counseling parents. Mr. Tibbens also hosts and produces the ClassCast Podcast, which blends philosophy, pedagogy, policy, and people into great discussions about improving education. He lives in northern Virginia with his wife and two (soon-to-be three) children.

During our conversation, we talked about Ryan’s new role and the perceptions around remote learning. We recognized that remote learning should be a choice. There are some students who do well in the environment while others struggle. Yet, we often talk about remote learning as an all or nothing approach to education. Ryan also shared the possibilities that remote learning can offer students who want to explore opportunities that are limited through traditional school practices. Imagine being able to travel the country playing for a professional sports team while still attending class. We continue by exploring methods to make remote learning successful for both students and teachers engaged in this approach. Now, this isn’t an extended commercial or promotion for remote learning but rather an exploration of a style of teaching and learning that has undoubtedly changed the face of education.

Ready to listen to the episode? Let’s go.

Connect with Ryan:

Facebook - www.facebook.com/classcastpodcast 

Twitter - www.twitter.com/classcastpod 

Instagram - www.instagram.com/classcastpodcast 

Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantibbens/ 

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCprrZS23ZR3jJYf-K06pFwg 

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