Episode 58: Interview with Matthew Joseph

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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Before we jump into today’s episode I wanted to tell you about a super exciting event that I have coming up and I would love for you to be in attendance. As I mentioned in the intro to the show, I am the co-host of Inside the Principal’s Office, a web series that runs live on the first and third Saturday of each month. During the show my co-host, Michael McWilliams, and I bring on other educational leaders and discuss the most pressing issues and topics facing us today. We also have a facebook group where educators can connect and learn from each other.

Well this summer, we are planning to host an event where we can get together in person. That’s right. Not another zoom. Not another google meet. But live. Even better? Its only $35! So join us in Dallas for a networking reception on Friday, July 30th followed by a day of activities on Saturday, July 31st. Stop by our twitter page, join us on facebook, or check out an upcoming episode for more information.

I look forward to finally meeting you.

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In this episode, I chat with Matthew Joseph, who currently serves as the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Leicester Public Schools. He has been a school and district leader in many capacities in public education over his 27 years in the field such as the Director of Digital Learning and Innovation, elementary school principal, classroom teacher, and district professional development specialist.

During our conversation, we talked about conflicting parallels that exist with educational leadership. We, as administrators, encourage teachers to adopt a growth mindset and to take risks in their classrooms and yet we utilize punitive evaluation systems that often discourage the very behavior we would like to see. Matthew insisted that we need to develop a system that balances both accountability and innovation so that teachers can move from lessons to experiences and would be more willing to celebrate the attempts of their students as opposed to being focused solely on results. We also discussed the power of reflection … to know oneself so that we can walk in our purpose.

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Take care.