The Counter Narrative: Changing the Way We Talk (and think) About Education

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. -- Are you tired of traditional PD? You know, those boring sit n gets where everyone is expected to learn the same thing at the same time in the same way? Me too! As an educational leader I have spent countless hours looking for something that would allow my staff the freedom to choose professional development opportunities aligned with their unique needs. I never found it. So, I created it with the help of my friends at Code Breaker. Introducing, disruptED, our take on personalized professional development led by educators currently active in the field. Join my session, Equity by Design, where we will explore the intersection of equity and universal design for learning. Or join Matthew Joseph as he shares ways to take your personal connections to the next level through his session Power of Connections. Or join Christin Ravesi-Weinstein as she helps you to unpack stories of strength, struggle, and triumph in her session Fighting Your Inner Voice. Each course is only $50 and you can sign up here. I look forward to learning and growing together. -- You know the saying, "Remember the Alamo!"? What would you do if I told you that the whole story behind this patriotic event was steeped in tyranny, racism, and slavery? To be honest, I was shocked at first too. During a recent trip to San Antonio, my wife and I decided to visit the Alamo. We're nerds and we love exploring historical spaces like this while also attempting to uncover any untold truths that may be waiting to be discovered. And what a truth we found! After touring the site we continued our exploration of the city and happened to stumble across a small museum, SAAACAM (say-cam) where we learned a disturbing reality that neither of us had ever considered. Not only did the Alamo serve as a slave auction site, but that the events leading up to the battle were fueled, in large part, by slavery.  During this episode, I recount my reactions and what I realized as I found myself digging deeper into this newfound truth.  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

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. -- 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  -- Are you tired of traditional PD? You know, those boring sit n gets where everyone is expected to learn the same thing at the same time in the same way? Me too! As an educational leader I have spent countless hours looking for something that would allow my staff the freedom to choose professional development opportunities aligned with their unique needs. I never found it. So, I created it with the help of my friends at Code Breaker. Introducing, disruptED, our take on personalized professional development led by educators currently active in the field. Join my session, Equity by Design, where we will explore the intersection of equity and universal design for learning. Or join Matthew Joseph as he shares ways to take your personal connections to the next level through his session Power of Connections. Or join Christin Ravesi-Weinstein as she helps you to unpack stories of strength, struggle, and triumph in her session Fighting Your Inner Voice. Each course is only $50 and you can sign up using this link. I look forward to learning and growing together. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well.

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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. -- In this episode, I chat with Rick Holmes, the founder of Relate Then Educate. He is also a twenty-year veteran classroom teacher and former high school basketball coach. Rick has a bachelor's degree in Education and a master's degree in School Counseling. When he left the classroom a few years ago to pursue new adventures, he found that his heart was still with his teacher friends at school. Through Relate Then Educate, Rick and his team work to help teachers see how valuable they are through the stories they tell of their experiences, the wisdom of what they've learned, and the message that they are uniquely equipped to do extraordinary things both inside and outside of the classroom. The Relate Then Educate message is simple, teachers are valuable as human beings first and they are justified in both protecting and investing in themselves. During our conversation, we talked about shifting the focus from how to do education to reminding teachers about why they are in the field. No amount of PD, or instructional coaching, will reignite a fire within a teacher like asking them about their story. Their why. The problem is, we don’t ask this enough and thus the amazing work that teachers do on a daily basis are perceived as nothing more than mundane tasks. They say that they are “just a teacher.” So how do we shift these conversations and perceptions? How do we encourage teachers to embrace their positions proudly? Well, Rick has a few suggestions for both teachers and administrators. Let’s dive into this episode to hear what he has to say. Connect with Rick Holmes! Website Twitter -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group. Take care.

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. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- The third Monday of each January has been designated as MLK Day, a day that is often spent reflecting on the works and impacts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While I fully support these efforts, I think that it is important that we do not limit our scope of appreciation to the efforts of a single individual but instead consider all of those who came before and laid the groundwork for him as well as those who were inspired and continued the work beyond him. In short, I want to be sure that we understand that while King and the Civil Rights Movement are often synonymous, there were a plethora of other key players that have been forgotten.  I also want us to consider the parallels between the Civil Rights Movement of the past and that of the present. Yes, in my opinion we are still in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. We must then be cautious about how we respond to those actively pursuing our rights so that we do not replicate the same opposition that existed not only half a century ago but centuries ago as abolitionists were fighting against slavery.  For me, this day is about remembrance.  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

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. -- Have you heard the news? Inside the Principal’s Office has released a book! A best selling new release on Amazon! This book is perfect for any current or aspiring educational leader. Broken down into 40 weeks, this book is filled with reflections and practical advice from three educational administrators and provides space for reflection to facilitate growth. Join other leaders from around the world who have already ordered theirs to join in on upcoming book studies and workshops. Order your copy on Amazon today! -- In this episode, I chat with Cale Zuiker, the child of two educators, he grew up in Marshfield, WI and attended Youngstown State University in Ohio on a basketball scholarship for one year before transitioning and receiving his undergrad in English Education at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. Cale began his teaching career as a substitute teacher for a year before being hired as a high school English teacher where he taught 9th and 10th graders for five years. During this time he also coached basketball, track, and strength training. Cale received his masters degree in Educational Leadership from Viterbo University and now serves as a principal. During our conversation, we talked about the need for educators to be cognizant of the stereotypes that others have placed upon them, those that we place upon others, but also those that we place upon ourselves. We often talk about the issues of implicit bias and how those impact those around us but we don’t usually discuss how our negative perceptions of ourselves help to shape those thoughts and our interactions with others. Cale talks about its important for us to own what is happening in our spaces and not to shy away from difficult conversations and situations understanding that is how we make real change happen. He also shares his daily three - three questions that he uses to reflect on his leadership. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

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. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- As we wrap up 2021 and begin to transition into a new year, I have been thinking about three questions. Yes, some of us make resolutions (though I once made a resolution to never make another and I'm doing well so far) and some of us to the One Word thing (still haven't picked mine out). Instead of these routes, I wanted to do some reflection and not only posed these questions to you, but also shared my own responses.  Question 1: What do you hope to leave behind as we transition into the new year? Question 2: What do you hope to bring with you as we transition into the new year? Question 3: What do you hope to acquire as we progress through the new year? -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

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. -- Last year, on a whim, I decided to record a holiday special. To be honest, the initial purpose was to explore various facets of the holidays celebrated at this time of the year but it turned out to be so much more. Instead of an informational discussion between peers, we ended up with a heartfelt conversation among friends. And, to be honest, I wanted to do it again. So here we are. In this holiday episode, I connect with four of my fellow podcast colleagues - Mealey co-host of Unprofessional Development , Aviva Levin host of Lesson Impossible, Batsheva Frankel host of Overthrowing Education, and Andre Daughty host of See What Had Happened. Unlike last year, I was able to get some holiday diversity with two my guests celebrating Christmas, one who celebrates Hanukkah, and one who celebrates both. Join us as we learn more about each other’s traditions and memories and how we plan to continue our celebrations with our own families. And, as a bonus, you get to find out which of us has a personal connection with Adam Sandler yeah … that Adam Sandler. Before you jump in, I just want to take a moment to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. Regardless of what you celebrate, we need moments like this more and more during these challenging times. Find opportunities to connect with family and friends (safely of course) and share the love and power of connections. I know that I have been fortunate enough to connect with these individuals and so many more so to all of you I would like to say thank you and I look forward to another amazing year of accomplishments and celebrations. Now, its time for the episode. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group. Take care.

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. -- Remote learning isn't the solution for everyone. Some students don't have access to devices. Some don't have access to reliable and/or reliable wifi. Some don't have safe spaces in which to work. I understand because that was the case for some of my students.  But not all of them. We, as educators, pride ourselves on talking about personalized learning ... about differentiating our approaches to education so that all students can be successful. We also point out the hypocrisy of holding us accountable to such measures while simultaneously requiring the use of standardized assessments to measure student performance.  Is remote learning any different? We must admit that, while remote learning was far from ideal for many of our students, there were plenty of students who thrived in the newfound setting. There were students who suddenly became engaged and interested in their learning. There were students who finally opened up and connected with their teachers and peers. There were students who excelled.  And yet, we are actively working against having remote learning as an option. Despite an increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations. Despite parents choosing to keep their students at home with no access to instruction. Despite knowing that it can serve as a viable solution for certain populations.  In this episode, I share my thoughts about remote learning and question whether these decisions are being made for the best interest of our students or out of convenience for the decision makers. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group. Take care.

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. -- This episode was originally supposed to be an interview with my friend and colleague, Lee Hole, an international educator currently stationed in Cambodia. Unfortunately, during the last few minutes of the episode, my computer glitched and I lost everything. So instead of that delightful conversation, I will be sharing with you a rerun of last year's holiday special as we prepare for this year's episode.  Here's the intro for that episode... This is a special episode for a special day. See, I don’t know when you’re actually listening to this episode but I can tell you that today, well the original air date, is December 25th, Christmas Day. And for that reason, I wanted to do a little something different. Now, and I feel that I need to say this before someone attempts to get politically correct, my original intention was to showcase various holidays and their respective traditions. However, when called upon for support, these individuals graciously stepped forward and offered to lend their voices to this special episode. It just so happened that each of them celebrated Christmas. This episode features some of my friends as we reflect on what Christmas means to us, recall some our fondest Christmas memories, and share how we carry on traditions today. I can honestly say that I had a great time recording this session as we laughed, and cried while not only growing closer together but realizing those innate connections that exist within all of humankind. Whether it was the receiving of deodorant, the baking of cookies, the creation of new experiences, or simply spending time with loved ones, Christmas, whether you celebrate it or not transcends its religious foundation and instead embraces a single concept - love. Well, you’re not here to listen to the intro. No … you came for the episode. Before I transition you over, I would like to wish all of my listeners a very Merry Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukah, or whatever holiday you celebrate. May you all find yourselves in the comfort of your loved ones, whether in person or virtually. I look forward to connecting with all of you in the new year. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.